In another hoax threat of nudity to get everyone exciting, aspiring actress and model Poonam Pandey will get naked if her team India wins the ICC Cricket World Cup. This has been promised before by Larissa Riquelme who promised the same thing if Spain would win the FIFA World Cup. Other promises of nudity included Diego Maradona and Enrique Iglasias (although he did actually come to the party). I also have little doubt that Diego Maradona would have if Argentina won the FIFA World Cup.
India have a very real chance of winning this which is exciting for the Indian players especially, but this is will probably be some kind of publicity stunt to boost her aspiring career and she will pike like Larissa Riquelme.
If India needed an extra excuse to push hard for World Cup victory then it surely comes from model Poonam Pandey.
Taking a leaf from voluptuous Larissa Riquelme at the football World Cup, Pandey says she'll go naked if India take the trophy.
"I'm a cricket fanatic and I'm a die-hard supporter of my nation. India needs a lot of support and this is my way of supporting the team," Pandey said.
The 20-year-old was asked by the Times of India whether she intended keeping her promise and she said she does.
"But where?" she said.
"I can bare all wherever they want. It can be inside the players' dressing room or even in the stadium."
She intends asking permission from Indian cricket's governing body, the BCCI, before doing so though as she doesn't want to fall foul of any laws.
But a fellow model, Shweta Sharma says there can be no excuses:
"Poonam has to bare all even if BCCI says no. Please don't give an excuse saying I will go nude only if they agree," she wrote.
Police are searching for this woman in conjunction with the Ryan Tandy NRL betting scandal. This photo was taken on Auckland's North Shore at a TAB. This woman allegedly put thousands of dollars on the first scoring play being a North Queensland Cowboys penalty goal against the Canterbury Bulldogs last year. This betting option usually gets $100 placed on it if that in each game, so alarm bells were ringing when so much money was placed on it.
The funny thing is that the Cowboys didn't take the shot at goal from the penalty and scored a try instead. So all that money on the bet lost. So it is lose lose for Tandy who is in hot water over the incident.
Young batting allrounder Kane Williamson has been named captain of the New Zealand cricket team (Blackcaps) in a huge call by the selectors. Most people thought that more established players like Ross Taylor or Brendon McCullum would be named as replacements for Daniel Vettori.
Twenty year old Kane Williamson is the future of New Zealand cricket and now that he has cemented his place in the Blackcaps then it is a great long term move by selectors. He is still inexperienced at the top level, but has had experience as captain of the well performed New Zealand Under 19 team in 2008. He has scored one test century and two fifties for 300 runs. He has an average of 33. In One Day Internationals he has scored one century and 352 runs at an average of 29. He has an average of 10 in Twenty20 matches. He needs to improve his scoring rate and off spin bowling, but obviously the selectors are going to build a team around him with the next 15 years in mind.
But what did Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum do wrong?
Both Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum are good players who command a starting spot in the team. But the Blackcaps players seem divided into two camps, the conservative Taylor camp and the more aggressive style of McCullum camp. Fearing a player revolt when either Taylor or McCullum missed out, I guess selectors decided to go for someone completely new and fresh. I think, while he lacks experience, Williamson will at least be someone new and not tarnished by the previous regime and team politics. The other option would have been splitting the captaincy and giving McCullum limited overs captaincy and Taylor the test captaincy with his more relaxed style. But the selectors mustn't have wanted that.
Too conservative?
Too aggressive?
It will be hard replacing someone like the astute Daniel Vettori, but the Blackcaps have several months off now to prepare and bring Williamson up to speed before we go to Zimbabwe. Hopefully Williamson gets the respect and assistance of the team for his new captaincy role. I must say, I am still shocked!
It will be difficult filling the shoes of the astute Daniel Vettori.
With the advent of "Group Buying" websites offering massive reductions on entertainment activities each day, I am wondering how this will affect sales of the Entertainment Book?
Benefits of Group Buying websites
You only buy vouchers you want to use.
You don't have to carry a bulky book around with you.
The discounts are often larger than the Entertainment Book for individual deals.
Less conditions of use.
No initial cost of $60.
Benefits of Wellington Entertainment Book
Support local community groups.
A wide range of specials available from heaps of companies.
You don't get emails from heaps of Group Buying websites.
The Gold Card fits in the wallet easily.
Once you pay the intial $60 you get heaps more overall value than Group Buying vouchers.
Longer expiration date than on the Group Buying vouchers.
You don't need an Internet connection or printer.
I think the Entertainment Book should be all on one card meaning you don't have to carry the book around with you. I also think businesses should have a sticker or notice advertisement showing that they are in the Entertainment Book rather than making you jump through hoops to use it. Both options have terms and conditions.
Will you be buying a Wellington Entertainment Book this year? I will probably buy one because I live close to town and always make the most of the entertainment and dining vouchers. It is difficult to put a figure on how much I saved last year, but I would suggest it would be around about $500. Although I haven't used last years book for about 2 or 3 months. I try not to let these books and vouchers change my current spending patterns based on the "spend more to save more" philosophy.
The Entertainment™ Book is a local restaurant and activity guide providing hundreds of 25% to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers from the finest restaurants, cafés, attractions, theatres and accommodation.
Virtually all of the offers in the Entertainment™ Book are restriction-free and can be used whenever you like.
The businesses do not pay to be included, they are selected based on awards, reviews and personal recommendations.
Smokey the World's Loudest Purring Cat is in line for a Guinness World Record award after recording purring in the vacinity of 73 decibels which is still quieter than our Kambrook Jaguar vacuum cleaner, but is about as loud as busy traffic, most normal vacuum cleaners and hair dryers. This is not bad for a 12 year old who looks so harmless. The bark is worse than the bite it seems! Smokey also has nicknames like "Thundercat" and "Rumpuss". Only in the UK could such a song and dance be made about a feline.
A study has been done by an online bank in Britain and found some interesting facts about first dates. More than half guys expect to pay, but only a quarter of women think men should pay. This goes against New Zealand women I have spoken to. Contrary to popular belief, around 40% believe in the use of discount vouchers, I like this figure. There are so many group buying websites with great vouchers. I find the numbers a bit contradictory when 94% of guys expect to initiate the first date and so do 65% of women. This means that there is plenty of initiation. I find it refreshing that women in this study don't mind pursuing as long as the end result is positive, who cares who did the initiation? I know too many girls who have waited to be pursued (part of the 35%) and held onto the liking of a guy for a long time without doing anything and regretted it. Don't be that 35%!
More than half of British women pay for themselves on a first date, even though men still want to pay, according to a survey.
A poll of 1924 adults for online bank first direct found that 58 per cent of women expect to split the bill on a first date, double the proportion of men (29 per cent).
Additionally, 14 per cent of women think it should be whoever suggested the date.
Only a quarter of women said that they thought men should pay for a first date, while three per cent said they themselves should foot the bill, suggesting that women feel they should not be beholden to men, but that men should also pay their way.
Male respondents, on the other hand, believed that chivalry isn't dead, with 55 per cent expecting to pay the full bill on a first date, and men spending, on average, more than women.
Shouldering not just the financial burden but also the organisational responsibility, more than nine in 10 males (94 per cent) said they would organise the first date, compared with just 65 per cent of women.
Highlighting the financial considerations behind dating, 38 per cent of people would use discount vouchers on a first date, a figure slightly higher for men (41 per cent) than women (36 per cent).
Watch live streaming ICC Cricket World Cup Semi Final India vs Pakistan. These are two of only three teams in the ICC Cricket World Cup and these two teams and nations have such a fierce rivalry that you don't want to miss watching this. It will be one of the most viewed cricket matches of all time. The winner plays Sri Lanka in the final after they beat a brave New Zealand team.
This fat man in chair may not actually be the one in the story.
The sad story of an Ohio man who was fused into a chair for two years because he couldn't get out of it is a harsh reminder of how we need to watch our waistlines. How does this guy have a girlfriend still? KFC has released a burger called the Double Down with bread buns replaced by fried chicken fillet. It actually sounds tasty, but has nutrionists up in arms. The crazy thing is that despite it making up more than half your daily fat intake, it still won't be as bad as the Zinger burger. After hearing about this Ohio man, will you be eating it? Or do you think that if it tastes good you should eat it? Are you tempted to try it once? You can always get them to hold some of the bad things like sauce and cheese, but if you are going to have a Zinger or Colonel's Choice anyway, why not have one of these?
An obese man who sat in the same chair for two years has had to be cut free from it by rescuers.
WTRF-TV reported the man's skin had become attached to fabric of the chair and authorities said he was sitting in his own faeces and urine and maggots were visible.
Two other able-bodied people - one said to be the man's girlfriend - lived in the house in Bellaire, Ohio, in conditions police described as deplorable.
It was the girlfriend who prepared and served him food, since he never got up.
Police were called on Monday (NZ time) when his housemates found him unresponsive and rescuers had to cut a hole in the wall to get him out and he is currently in hospital.
A city health official, Jim Chase, told the television station's website that the tennants have been given orders to clean up the hours or leave.
"The living room where the man lived in his chair was very filthy, very deplorable. It's unbelievable that somebody lives in conditions like that," Mr Chase told WTRF-TV.
One police officer said it was the worst thing he had ever responded to, another claimed the house and the man were so filthy he'd been forced to throw his uniform away.
The man's landlord said the man used to be active and she hadn't noticed because he'd been hiding himself under a blanket whenever she stopped by.
The controversial Double Down - a bunless burger with two slices of bacon and cheese sandwiched between two slabs of fried chicken - has been confirmed for New Zealand release.
A Restaurant Brands spokeswoman said further details about the burger were confidential, but it would be available in the "not too distant future".
KFC's website said the "Original Recipe" version of the burger had 520 calories (2177 kilojoules) and 32g of fat.
Nutritionists and anti-obesity campaigners both here and in Australia have slammed its release, saying the "Double" has an unhealthily high amount of kilojoules and fat.
Cancer Council NSW nutrition program manager Clare Hughes told the Sydney Morning Herald the new KFC burger would go "above and beyond the average recommended intake of kilojoules and fat for each meal".
The Colonel's original recipe burger has 1939 kilojoules, 22.3 grams of fat and 1681 milligrams of sodium per serve. The Zinger burger has 2515 kilojoules, 35.7 grams of fat and 2058 milligrams of sodium.
A McDonald's Big Mac has 2060 kilojoules and 26.9 grams of fat per serve.
"The Zinger burger alone would give someone 50 per cent of their total fat intake and it's likely that someone is going to eating this with a serve of chips and a soft drink, so that will really take them over the edge," Hughes said
A survey conducted on both sides of the Tasman shows that 60% of people either hate their jobs or are rather ho-hum about them. Why do you think this is the case? Is it because people haven't found the right job yet? Have people been in their jobs too long and they lack challenge now? Is it just the thing to do, hate the bosses and the job? Do people feel they are undervalued (overworked and underpaid)? The other disturbing thing is how many bosses hate their jobs, although it isn't as high as regular workers.
I want to conduct and informal survey poll down the right hand side of this blog. Place your votes on "Do you like your job?" to help us see if 60% is about right.
Six in 10 Kiwis hate their jobs or can't really be bothered with them - and it's a trend which is beginning to affect even our business leaders.
Now in its eleventh year, the LEAD survey, commissioned by LMA and undertaken by Chase Research, was completed last week and involved 3500 Australasian respondents - 433 from New Zealand - across 17 industry sectors.
Watch live streaming ICC Cricket World Cup Semi Final action from Colombo Sri Lanka vs New Zealand.
If this player doesn't work then click on the link below for heaps of other streams.
http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=110735&part=sports
The Blackcaps are the outsiders heading into their semi final against Sri Lanka. Whilst we have made the semi finals at most World Cups, we have never made a final. I say we have overachieved at this competition. You have to consider we entered this tournament in terrible form and now we find ourselves as the only non sub continent team left in the competition. We have no pressure on us as the underdogs. Sri Lanka walloped England by 10 wickets on this exact same pitch which is controversial. We will have to contend with their fans and their players including Muttiah Muralitharan (assuming he is fit).
The only benefit in using the same pitch from the weekend is that it will get lower and slower and 65% of teams batting first win on this ground.
I hope Muralitharan can play. He will be a liability in the field and hopefully we can play his bowling this time. He is a great player to watch. We must win the toss and employ the John Wright philosophy of playing it safe for the first 35 overs before unleashing. I think we need to attack Murali otherwise he is going to get to us. We also need to win the toss and bat first. I love opening with two spinners on these pitches given that the new ball comes off the bat faster with fast bowlers. Let Southee and Oram at it between the 10th and 24th overs before the ball is changed and let them get reverse swing. Keep our fielding standards up. I prefer our chances in these conditions than on the hard, bouncy fast tracks of other countries in the world.
I think we have a 30% chance of winning. We need luck and to win the toss.
Here are the odds at our own TAB of winning the tournament.
This is an awesome video She's Too Good For Everyone which is such a typical video that all guys can relate to. Often guys get themselves into these situations in pursuit of happiness and getting the affection of the high maintenance attractive girl. It is so funny because it is true!
Results of a 2008 survey conducted by the New Zealand Bible Society suggests that out of the 760,000 Christians in New Zealand (who attend church at least once a month), only 24% (11% daily, 13% weekly) or nearly a quarter read their Bibles at least once a week, while 5% of the total population of New Zealand read their Bibles daily.
Some other interesting statistics are that 60% rarely or never discuss the teachings of the Bible with others. Bible ownership and Christianity are at there lowest in the 15-24 year old age group, this is hardly surprising given the lack of coolness associated with Christianity.
This information is based on 2006 Census data. Because the Census is not taking place this year, I am looking to conduct an up to date poll on my blog.
So if you are a Christian or would tick the Christian box as your religion and who attend Church once a month at least then please post your response down the side panel or on Facebook and I will draw my own conclusions in a week.
How often do you read your Bible?
I must admit it is tough to read the Bible. From personal experience it is often seen as a low priority, irrelevant or time consuming. People don't read as much these days, people are lazy and sometimes if you have been a Christian a while it is easy to lose motivation since you have read it for years. I find the easiest way is to go to a Life Group or use Bible reading notes or other similar resources.
Rebecca Black's YouTube sensation song Friday has affected New Zealanders greatly, but it ends up that the city in the background is no other than our very own Auckland city. You can definitely see the Auckland nightlife in the background at the one minute 15 second stage of this clip which is extremely catchy and has had around 60 million YouTube hits. It is free tourism for Auckland, but it is hard to know how many of the 60 million viewers recognise it or would still want to go there after hearing this song. This song is so lame that it is actually really good. It is catchy enough to get people watching it again. So think of Auckland the next time you are watching it.
Why is Auckland in the background? Is it actually Auckland or just a rumour? What would Rebecca Black be doing in Auckland on a Friday when surely there are more fun things happening in a city closer to where she lives? Is Auckland's nightlife that good?
Flamboyantly fruity 1980s American icon Richard Simmons stars in the latest Air New Zealand Flight Safety Video. It is a combination of 1980s aerobics and disco in another colourful video. These new videos are designed to get the attention of passengers who usually switch off when the video is shown. What do you think of this video? Too much? I am a big fan of this era, so enjoy it. It is good to see Paul Henry in there too.
It seems that New Zealanders like the sound of their own accent slightly ahead of foreign accents according to a recent survey. I would agree and disagree. I think given that Alison Mau has a nice accent, it is hardly a traditional Lyn of Tawa kiwi accent. It is a nice mix of the Aussie and Kiwi twang. I wonder if her accent counts as New Zealand when it isn't really? I thought most New Zealanders would find foreign accents better than there own. There are also terrible English accents that a painful to listen to, but some are great to listen to. An Irish accent is always great and should beat the England accent in my book. This is a small survey, so I wouldn't read too much into results.
What is your favourite accent? Who has the best voice? Do you think Alison Mau and Samantha Hayes have nice accents or just nice looks? I used to enjoy the velvet smooth dulcet accents of commentators Bill McLaren and Gordon Bray. What about the West Indian Tony Cozier or Bob Marley accent?
The survey asked more than 300 New Zealanders what sounds they loved and hated and the accents they found the most romantic – and surprisingly our own Kiwi accent came out on top.
Almost 30 per cent of respondents said they think the Kiwi accent sounds the best, followed by the British English accent (25 per cent) and Irish at third (24 per cent).
And it's our television presenters we most love to hear talking.
Asked which well known New Zealander has the most attractive sounding voice, TV star Alison Mau hit the right note with 21.3 per cent while TV3 rival Samantha Hayes came in with 17.1 per cent.
Top of the men was Tamati Coffey with 14.9 percent while Prime Minister John Key scored 7.9 per cent.
When it comes to foreign languages, the favourite was French (53 per cent), followed by Italian (23 per cent) and Spanish (12 per cent).
The survey was run for Hearing Awareness Week carried out by Phonak New Zealand.
On form and paper South Africa should have easily beaten the New Zealand Blackcaps in the Quarter Finals at the Cricket World Cup, but they were defeated rather easily in the end. Does this performance put the Proteas somewhere on this Top 40 list of "Sporting chokers"?
I would suggest so, but I think their defeat isn't as bad as the All Blacks results of past Rugby World Cups. South Africa have never won a knockout match, but despite being a brilliant team between world cups, there are other teams of a similar ability like Australia and India. Limited overs cricket also requires more luck than rugby as there is a greater opportunity for one individual to change the outcome of a result. You also have to remember that the kiwi cricketers, unlike their rugby counterparts actually overachieve at World Cups. They have the second most individual match wins at the Cricket World Cup, so the Proteas aren't as bad as the All Blacks.
This list wasn't made by me, but it shows the All Blacks of 1999 as the biggest chokers. I would suggest that if the All Blacks of 2011 didn't win the Rugby World Cup at home then they would be the top dogs.
If you were basing this list on just the teams over their history, you would think that taking into account between World Cup form, that both the All Blacks and South African cricket team would both be up there though.
Individually, it is still hard to beat Greg Norman.
Who else should be on the list?
The 40 greatest chokers in sport
40: Andy Murray, 2010
39: Barcelona, 1986
38: Lewis Hamilton, 2007
37: England rugby union team, 1991
36: Bernhard Langer, 1991
35: Alex Bogdanovic, take your pick
34: Frank Bruno, 1996
33: England cricket team, 1987
32: David Bedford, 1971
31: Tony Romo, 2007
30: New York Yankees, 2004
29: Europe Ryder Cup team, 1999
28: Roberto Duran, 1980
27: England cricket team, 2006
26: Tim Henman, 2001
25: Paula Radcliffe, 2000
24: Gareth Southgate, 1996
23: Devon Loch, 1956
22: England football team, 1970
21: Jana Novotna, 1993
20: New Zealand rugby team, 2007
19: England football team, 2010
18: Gavin Hastings, 1991
17: Newcastle United, 1995-96
16: Scott Norwood, 1991
15: Colin Montgomerie, 2006
14: Jimmy White, 1992
13: Chris Waddle, 1990
12: Dustin Johnson, 2010
11: Don Fox, 1968
10: Houston Oilers, 1993
9: Doug Sanders, 1970
8: Guillermo Coria, 2004
7: Somerset cricket team, 2010
6: Jean van der Velde, 1999
5: Scott Hoch, 1989
4: Asafa Powell, 2007
3: Greg Norman, 1996
2: South Africa cricket team, 1999
1: New Zealand rugby team, 1999
As I tweaked my hip for the fourth time last Sunday, I realised that once you hit the late 20s early 30s you have to really be committed to continue playing sport at a good club level. My record at the physiotherapist resembles a roll of dishonour. The injuries occur more easily with age and seem to take longer to heal. You can't play through niggles like you used to.
These guys are an inspiration!
Why do people still play sport into their 30s? Because we love the thrill of it! Although these days I am more just about enjoying it and being thankful for being able to make it onto the field. To put things into perspective, I would play about 22 games of football a season in 2004-2005, then in 2007 we had less games but I would play about 16 although we had less allocated. Last year I played about 8 matches. It gets to a stage where you wonder about the financial viability of playing.
It is a matter of managing your load and adjusting your style of play. I always end up injured after sports camp because consecutive days of sports are tough on the body. Plenty of stretching is also the key. I also find some sports are easier on the body than others. I don't usually injure myself as much playing tennis and people play at a good level into their 50s. Hardcourt is tougher on the body than astroturf. Football is tough on the leg joints and body, and I can no longer take goal kicks without hurting my hip or quads. Touch is quite short and sharp, but I don't find it too hard on the body. You don't see many people over 40 playing touch though so my life span in the sport could be limited.
Here are some tips for prolonging your sports career.
1. Make sure that you have good fitness
If you have better fitness you will find it easier to run and do your sport. Make sure that you have a good fitness level before starting any competitive sport.
2. Ensure you do a proper warmup
You may have neglected this part when you were younger but as you get older your muscles get stiffer so it is even more important to warm up. Do some stretching before you begin you exercize. Then when commening your exercize start gently.
3. Get flexible!
Yoga is a very good activity for older people. It helps lenghten the muscles and increases your flexibility. Flexibility helps prevent sprains.
4. Build up your muscles
Strength training is very important too for older women and men. As well as flexibility it helps to protect the muscles as stronger muscles can withstand more. Strong mucles also protect your bones and protect the joints from being overstressed.
5. Get proper training in your sport of choice
It helps to learn the right ‘mechanics’ for your sport. If you do your sport correctly, you are less likely to get injuries. Not only will this protect you from injury, it will also help you get better at your sport!
6. Wear protective equipment
If your sport has a special dress code or protective gear to protect you from injury, be sure to wear them. For my tennis, I now wear a tennis elbow strap to avoid tennis elbow which has helped a lot in preventing this from happening
7. Wear the right shoes
In many sports it is important to wear the right shoes that give you proper support for your ankles. Be sure to test quite a few or go to a special shop where they can fit sport shoes.
8. Hydrate sufficiently
While doing sport be sure to always keep the fluids up. Use water or try the coconut water I recommended in an earlier post.
9. Stop in time before the injury gets worse
I’m usually guilty of continuing too long or beginning to play again too early after sustaining an injury. However, it is very important to stop immediately when you feel any pain and let you injury heal properly.
10. Make sure to do cool down exercizes after your sport
This will ensure that your blood flow, heart rate and body temperature are restored to normal. Also make sure to do some stretching the lengthen the musles again.
11. Do mulitiple sports or exercizes
If you concentrate too much on one sport you may ‘over’ use 1 muscle group too much. Tennis is a good example for this as you usually only use one arm. So mix it up with yoga, gym aerobics or another sport.
What Can People Do to Prevent Sports Injuries?
These tips can help you avoid sports injures.
•Don't bend your knees more than half way when doing knee bends.
•Don't twist your knees when you stretch. Keep your feet as flat as you can.
•When jumping, land with your knees bent.
•Do warmup exercises before you play any sport.
•Always stretch before you play or exercise.
•Don't overdo it.
•Cool down after hard sports or workouts.
•Wear shoes that fit properly, are stable, and absorb shock.
•Use the softest exercise surface you can find; don't run on asphalt or concrete.
•Run on flat surfaces.
For adults:
•Don't be a "weekend warrior." Don't try to do a week's worth of activity in a day or two.
•Learn to do your sport right. Use proper form to reduce your risk of "overuse" injuries.
•Use safety gear.
•Know your body's limits.
•Build up your exercise level gradually.
•Strive for a total body workout of cardiovascular, strength-training, and flexibility exercises.
Was NZ's win over South Africa really that surprising? To be honest the more I think about it, we shouldn't really have been that surprised given how often the Black Caps have brought out their A game at these big ICC events especially when our opponents are South Africa! Remember Stephen Fleming's ton in 2003? Here are several other brilliant NZ cricket moments courtesy of cricinfo..
But there is one dismissal that is considered unsportsmanlike conduct "Mankading". It is explained below, but is very primary schoolish and not considered to be gentlemanly. I remember Dipak Patel doing it for New Zealand against Zimbabwe.
The name came from Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad who did it twice in 1947, and since then has the dubious distinction of having a cricketing dismissal named after him. Is this an honour given the dubious nature of the form of dismissal?
Running out a batsman "backing up"As a bowler enters his delivery stride, the non-striking batsman usually 'backs up'. This means he leaves his popping crease and walks towards the other end of the wicket so that it will take him less time for him to reach the other end if he and his batting partner choose to attempt a run.
Sometimes a batsman, whilst backing up, leaves the popping crease before the bowler has actually delivered the ball. Where this has happened, the bowler may attempt to run the non-striking batsman out. Getting a batsman out this way, though legal, is generally considered to be against the spirit of the game as the non-striker usually accidentally leaves the crease. The bowler is meant to warn the batsman to stay in his crease rather than to take his wicket. If he fails, and the batsman gets home, the delivery is called a dead ball. When it has happened in first-class cricket, it has been controversial.
[edit] MankadedThe most famous incident of this method of dismissal involved the Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad. It occurred during India's tour of Australia on 13 December 1947 in the second Test match at Sydney. Mankad ran out Bill Brown when, in the act of delivering the ball, he held on to it and whipped the bails off with Brown well out of his crease. This was the second time Mankad had dismissed Brown in this fashion on this tour - he had done it in an earlier match against an Australian XI. On that occasion he had warned Brown once before running him out. The Australian press strongly accused Mankad of being unsportsmanlike, though some Australians, including Don Bradman, the Australian captain at the time, defended Mankad's actions. Instances of bowlers running batsmen out this way in first class cricket date back to the nineteenth century. But after this incident, if a batsman is given out this way, he is said to have been Mankaded.
News report of Bill Brown's runoutSince then the Laws of cricket have changed, so that a bowler may no longer Mankad a batsman once he has entered into his delivery stride. However, under Law 42.15 of the Laws of Cricket it remains possible for a bowler to run out a non-striker who has strayed outside his crease after he has started his run up, but before he has entered his delivery stride. [Appendix D of the 2000 Code defines delivery stride as the stride during which the delivery swing is made; it starts when the bowler's back foot lands for that stride and ends when the front foot lands in the same stride.]
In indoor cricket Mankading is still permitted. When this happens the batsman is actually given out 'mankad' rather than 'run out'.
[edit] Instances of Mankading in Test cricket1.Bill Brown by Vinoo Mankad, Australia v India, Sydney, 1947-48[1]
2.Ian Redpath by Charlie Griffith, Australia v West Indies, Adelaide, 1968-69[2]
3.Derek Randall by Ewen Chatfield, England v New Zealand, Christchurch, 1977-78[3]
4.Sikander Bakht by Alan Hurst, Pakistan v Australia, Perth, 1978-79[4]
[edit] Instances of Mankading in One Day InternationalsThe batsman's team is listed first.
1.Brian Luckhurst by Greg Chappell, England v Australia, Melbourne, 1974-75[5]
2.Grant Flower by Dipak Patel, Zimbabwe v New Zealand, Harare, 1992-93[6]
3.Peter Kirsten by Kapil Dev, South Africa v India, Port Elizabeth, 1992-93[7]
[edit] Walsh, Rafique and MankadingCourtney Walsh of the West Indies famously refused to mankad last man Saleem Jaffar of Pakistan for backing up too far in a league match in the 1987 World Cup, but let him off with a warning. Pakistan went on to win the match while the defeat cost the West Indies a place in the semi-final. The same thing was repeated in a Test match between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Pakistan eventually won the Test match by just 1 wicket and it was played in Multan in 2003. Mohammad Rafique of Bangladesh did not run out Umar Gul of Pakistan. If Rafique had broken the wicket Bangladesh would have had a famous Test victory.
The New Zealand cricket team (Blackcaps) have stunned South Africa to win by 49 runs in Dhaka. This low and slow pitch really suits our slow bowling attack and although there were a few anxious moments, the Blackcaps showed that a star team can beat a team of stars. Man for man this wasn't supposed to be a contest given that we were the 4th team in Pool A playing against the top team in Pool B, but cricket's a funny game.
We had no form going into this ICC Cricket World Cup when you consider we lost 14 out of 15 games this season before the World Cup started. The only sour note in our victory was the spat between players when AB De Villiers was dismissed. I hate seeing that, but I am guessing that the South Africans were frustrated.
In rugby terms, South Africa are the All Blacks, consistently excellent with heaps of top players between World Cups, but chokers at the World Cup. They have never won a knockout game at a World Cup. Pakistan are like France usually lacking consistency and often their own worst enemy, but unbeatable on their day. New Zealand pulled a France last night. That is why the frustration was there. Is this the biggest upset of the World Cup so far? Or does the Ireland win over England? Or Bangladesh win over England better?
Does this mean if the All Blacks don't win the Rugby World Cup, that the Blackcaps will win the Halberg Award given that the All Whites won the award last year without winning a match?
Here are statistics which show us that although the All Blacks underperform at World Cups, the New Zealand cricket team overperform with semifinals commonplace. They could actually be the only non-sub continent team left in the semi finals.
MIRPUR: Statistical highlights of the World Cup quarterfinal match between South Africa and New Zealand at Sher-e-Bangla stadium on Friday.
# New Zealand, for the first time, have registered their three wins in succession against South Africa at the World Cup by 9 wickets at Johannesburg on February 16, 2003; by 5 wickets at St.George's on April 14, 2007 and by 49 runs at Mirpur on March 25, 2011.
# New Zealand's tally of 40 victories at the World Cup is the second best, next only to Australia's 55.
# New Zealand, thanks to their 49-run win, enjoy success % of 58.82 at the World Cup - 40 victories, 28 defeats and one no-result game out of 69 contested.
# New Zealand's win is their fourth out of six contested against South Africa at the World Cup.
# New Zealand (220/8) have posted their second highest total against South Africa at the World Cup, next only to the 229 for one at Johannesburg on February 16, 2003.
# Nathan McCullum (3/24) has produced his best World Cup performance at the World Cup, obliterating the 2 for 28 against Pakistan at Pallekele on March 8, 2011.
# Jacob Oram (4/39) has produced his best bowling figures at the World Cup - his second four-wicket haul,
# Oram is the first New Zealand bowler to claim four wickets in an innings against South Africa at the World Cup, surpassing the 3 for 23 by Craig McMillan at St. George's on April 14,2007.
# Abraham de Villiers has become the first South African to aggregate 350 runs or more in the present competition - 353 (ave. 88.25), including two centuries and one fifty.
# Hashim Amla has become the second South African to complete 300 runs in the World Cup 2011, aggregating 306 at an average of 43.71 in seven matches, including one century and two fifties.
# Imran Tahir has bagged 14 wickets at an impressive average of 10.71 in five games in the World Cup 2011. His economy rate (3.79) is also brilliant.
# Robin Peterson became the first South African and the third bowler in the tenth edition of the World Cup to capture 15 wickets at an average of 15.86 or more. Only two bowlers - Shahid Afridi (21 at 10.71) and Zaheer (17 at 16.23 - have captured more wickets than Peterson.
# Taylor and Ryder have shared a stand of 114 for the third wicket - New Zealand's highest against South Africa at the World Cup.
# Morne Morkel (3/46) has recorded his best World Cup performance against a Test-playing country - his second best at the World Cup, next only to the 3 for 33 against Ireland at Kolkata on March 15, 2011.
# South Africa (172) have recorded their lowest total against New Zealand at the World Cup.
# Tim Southee has become the first New Zealander to take 15 wickets (ave.17.00) in the present World Cup.
# Southee's marvellous bowling performance is his career-best in a series/competition.
# Jacques Kallis has taken his run's tally at the World Cup to 1148 at an average of 45.92 in 36 matches, extending his record for South Africa.
# Kane Williamson has posted his highest World Cup score - 38 not out.
# Jacob Oram has been adjudged the Man of the Match for the ninth time in ODIs - his first against South Africa.
# Jesse Ryder (83) has posted his maiden fifty at the World Cup, surpassing the 38 against Canada at Mumbai on March 13, 2011.
# Ryder has completed his 1,000 runs in ODIs - 1022 at an average of 36.50, including two centuries and five fifties, in 34 matches.
# Ryder's knock is the second highest for New Zealand against South Africa at the World Cup, next only to Stephen Fleming's unbeaten 134 off 132 balls at Johannesburg on February 16, 2003.
# Ross Taylor has completed his 3,000 runs in ODIs, the 12th New Zealander to do so - 3019 at an average of 36.81, including four centuries and 20 fifties, in 106 matches.
# Taylor holds a record for most sixes in the present competition - 14 in seven games - the most in the 2011 edition of the World Cup.
# Taylor has amassed 288 in five innings (seven matches) at an average of 72.00 - the highest by a New Zealander in the 2011 edition of the World Cup.
Watch South Africa vs New Zealand Live Streaming Cricket World Cup action from Dhaka. Kyle Mills will probably be replaced by Luke Woodcock as the kiwis try and spin their way to victory. Daniel Vettori should return, but will he save the Blackcaps? Stay tuned!
Here is one for you nerds who are terrible at sports and are looking for a way to increase your self esteem. My flatmate sent me this after I hassled his nerdy librarian friends from pub quiz last night. It is a good way of justifying being more scholarly than sporty. Michael Jordan vs Bill Gates shows how ridiculously rich Bill Gates is. My argument is that you don't need that much wealth and you definitely need exercise to enjoy life. Don't worry Lim it isn't always a box of fluffies when you are good at sports, despite what Hollywood movies would have you believe.
Can someone please explain this ice hockey save which defies the laws of physics. In the Song Star Trekkin' it clearly states that "You cannot change the laws of physics", but I think we have a breach here.
In the first period of Monday's game between the LA Kings and Calgary Flames, Flames player Jarome Iginla smacks the puck from the left side.
Kings star keeper Jonathan Quick lives up to his name by making a wicked save, but despite that the puck somehow goes behind him, seemingly heading for the back of the goal....before it suddenly makes a right turn and heads to the side.
What happened? Was there spin on the puck? Did it hit an uneven piece of ice? Is there a mysterious force field stopping the puck going in?
I think the puck got spin on it causing it to change direction.
The new iPad 2 is set to be released in New Zealand today, but will you be buying it? People only have so much to spend on gadgets and the fact that it is somewhere between an iPhone and a laptop doesn't do anything for people. It will be interesting to see if there are many people queueing up to get the first one in Wellington?
The New Zealand Cricket team Blackcaps should claim the Halberg Award for Team of the Year in 2011 if the selection panel is consistent. The All Whites football team won the Halberg Awards for last year despite not winning a single match at a World Cup. The Blackcaps have already beaten Canada, Kenya, Zimbabwe and the prized scalp of Pakistan and this has all been done in the difficult conditions of the sub continent. They have made it into the Quarter Finals, unlike the All Whites.
The Blackcaps have also humbled Pakistan who are one of the favourites for the tournament by 110 runs. It was Pakistan's only defeat during group play and if they go on to win the Cricket World Cup the Blackcaps will hold the dubious distinction of the only team to beat the World Cup champions. Sure, you question any result where Pakistan drops catches and bowls terribly below their best, but we got the result and Ross Taylor got a great birthday present missed dismissals by Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal to help him get a century. The All Whites grabbed a draw against a former World Cup holder Italy, but the Blackcaps thrashed a former World Cup holder (Pakistan).
A big part of why the All Whites were given the Halberg Award was because they exceeded expectations by not losing a game. When you consider how badly the Blackcaps have feared in the past season. They lost 14 out of 15 One Day Internationals leading up to the tournament, including being whitewashed in a series by minnows Bangladesh. How can you not argue that New Zealand hasn't exceeded expectations by winning four matches at the Cricket World Cup and making the Quarter Finals?
You could argue that no one plays cricket compared with football. There are ten full members, along with 35 associate members and 60 affiliate members. Cricket is played by so many people when you include the billion Indians and all the people in Great Britain, South Africa, Bangladesh, Afganistan and Pakistan who play the sport. Sure, there are more people in football, but cricket is more international than most people think. There just isn't the depth that football has.
In conclusion, The Blackcaps should get the Halberg Award because they have surpassed expectations by beating one of the top teams and former World Cup holders Pakistan and winning four matches at the ICC Cricket World Cup. They have achieved a great result than the All Whites, because the Blackcaps made it to the knockout phase and despite cricket not being as big as football globally, it still has billions of people in some of the most populous countries in the world. The best part of this is that New Zealand could even continue and make the semi finals. That should get them the supreme overall Halberg Award.
Screen legend Elizabeth Taylor has died aged 79 from a heart condition. But it seems that the double Oscar winning actress was actually more of a legend off the screen than on it. Whilst she was known for her elegance and good looks on the screen, off the screen she was a leading activist, friend to Michael Jackson and even had perfume named after her (which our cleaning lady used to think was amazing). She won an honorary Oscar for her humanitarian contribution and always looked young, despite being 79.
Check out some of the legends' tributes. It makes for impressive reading when you consider the calibre of people who remember her life with high praise.
Taylor obviously had an interesting life when you consider she was married eight times to seven different men - is survived by four children, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. It is impressive to hear of someone considered to be such a great person who has been married so many times.
Hot on the heels of the souvenir Will and Kate royal wedding mugs with the wrong prince on them comes another botch up. New Zealand Post have released souvenir stamps for the Royal Wedding on 29th April with the incorrect birthdate of Prince William on the cover of the presentation packs. Luckily it is only stamp nerds or royalists who will see these packs. It is supposed to be June 21 1982, not May. It is hard to know if it will increase the value of these packs or not, but as a verifier it makes me sick to think that there are several mistakes being made on souvenir items. It will be interesting to see how many people get into this Royal Wedding like they did for William's father and late mother's wedding.
The good folk at Media Monitors have released statistics on the most mentioned issues in New Zealand in February 2011 by news source and surprise,surprise the Cantebury earthquake wins. It is quite interesting reading. The Canterbury earthquake wins hands down as you would expect. It shows how sports mad we are with half of the top ten being sports related including Super Rugby and Rugby World Cup. Some of the topics come into two categories with the Canterbury earthquake affecting Rugby World Cup and Super Rugby.
The types of media are press (mainly newspapers), Radio and TV (grouped together) and Internet.
The earthquake wins hands down although the latest one occurred on the 22nd February (quite late in the month). It makes it even more impressive.
It helps me know what topics are popular and what I should blog on. Sport is up there, but the market is saturated.
According to Census data, New Zealand along with eight other countries are losing their religious affiliation. It will be interesting to see what happens once our next Census takes place. The older conservative Christians are dying off and it seems that younger people are slow to take up religion. Check out the statistics below. It is quite alarming!
In New Zealand, 2006 census figures show that the number and proportion of people indicating that they had no religion continued to increase, with 1,297,104 people (34.7 per cent) stated that they had no religion, compared with 1,028,052 people (29.6 per cent) in the 2001 census.
That census showed younger New Zealanders were more likely than the rest of the population to be recorded as having no religion: 43 per cent of children under 15 years were recorded as having no religion, compared with 11.8 per cent of people aged 65 years or older.
Approximately 38 per cent of those who classed themselves as ethnically either European or New Zealander said they had no religion. Only 11 per cent of people who classed themselves as having Middle Eastern, Latin American and African ethnicity said the same.
Just over 2 million people - 55.6 per cent of those answering the religious affiliation question - said they were part of a Christian religion, compared with 60.6 per cent in the 2001 census.
Last night I went and saw Never Let Me Go. It is based on a book and hence as the cliche goes "the book is always better", but the concept of this movie, whilst depressing, was intriguing. It is about a school where the students are all made for spare body parts. It looks at the upbringing of these clone children at their school. It also looks at the brevity of life and how we should make the most of life as everyone "completes" life.
Some questions spring to mind
1) Why did these people not just refuse to go and donate body parts? I guess they were basically brainwashed from childhood.
2) Why didn't their school principal Miss Emily get new legs when they went to see if they could be deferred? Was she against the whole concept?
3) How did Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield play the role of teenagers and people in their late 20s in the same movie? It is funny what makeup, weight loss and stupid 1980s haircuts can do.
4) It took me all movie to realise that Andrew Garfield was in one of the worst movies I have seen Lions for Lambs and one of the best, The Social Network.
5) The guy that played Rodney was Bill Weasley in one of the Harry Potter Movies.
This movie was a bit strange and depressing, but I was intrigued by the whole concept, so it was worth the watch. It didn't drag either.
Check out this video based on the life Albert Einstein and how he thought that "God Does Exist". It is based on a true story of what happened when he was growing up.
Check out the website mentioned below. Which shows that although Einstein was not a Christian, he had a great respect for Jesus, and recognized that He was an amazing figure in history.
"My position concerning God is that of an agnostic. I am convinced that a vivid consciousness of the primary importance of moral principles for the betterment and ennoblement of life does not need the idea of a law-giver, especially a law-giver who works on the basis of reward and punishment." (Albert Einstein in a letter to M. Berkowitz, October 25, 1950; Einstein Archive 59–215; from Alice Calaprice, ed., The New Quotable Einstein, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2005, p. 206. )
Albert Einstein received instruction in both Christianity (at a Roman Catholic school) and Judaism (his family of origin). When interviewed by the Saturday Evening Post in 1929, Einstein was asked what he thought of Christianity.
"To what extent are you influenced by Christianity?"
"As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene."
"Have you read Emil Ludwig’s book on Jesus?"
"Emil Ludwig’s Jesus is shallow. Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrasemongers, however artful. No man can dispose of Christianity with a bon mot!"
"You accept the historical existence of Jesus?"
"Unquestionably! No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life."7
The ICC Cricket World Cup Quarter Finals begin tonight, but who are you picking to win the competition? The tournament has seen some very exciting matches with the England vs India tie very exciting. It is more difficult than usual to pick the winners of this competition because unlike the past, there is no one team who stands out. Enigmatic Pakistan topped Group A, but how can you discount Australia and Sri Lanka? New Zealand are always in the semi finals, so you just can't tell. The other pool had the strong South African team along with hosts India qualify as the top two, while England always rises to the challenge against the big teams but struggled to put away the minnows. Can the West Indies fire up and cause a boilover?
Check out the odds below, you can throw a blanket over most of these teams. I think England are a sleeper with their ability to beat the top teams and they are paying $11 to win. I put $10 on them to make the final at $5.50.
Don't write off the New Zealand Blackcaps against South Africa. Although on current form they would lose, in history they have a better Cricket World Cup head to head record with three wins and two losses. They need Daniel Vettori and Kyle Mills to be fit because of their lack of depth.
1 Australia 5.50
2 India 4.00
3 South Africa 4.50
4 Sri Lanka 6.00
5 England 11.00
6 Pakistan 7.00
7 New Zealand 17.00
8 West Indies 20.00
Source www.tab.co.nz
This week's schedule - there will be OBOs for all four quarter finals:
Wednesday 23 March: Pakistan v West Indies (Dhaka)
Thursday 24 March: India v Australia (Ahmedabad)
Friday 25 March: New Zealand v South Africa (Dhaka)
Saturday 26 March: Sri Lanka v England (Colombo)
Strengths and weaknesses of the World Cup quarter-finalists.
AUSTRALIA
Srengths:
* Second highest opening partnership average (71.2)
* Highest strike rate (110.9) by lower middle order
* Best average score per wicket (75.0) while batting during powerplays; only team not to have lost a single wicket during all the bowling powerplays.
* Second best economy rate by the fast bowlers (4.2)
Weaknesses:
* Poor average score per wicket (38.5) in middle order with a relatively poor strike rate (77.9)
* Bowling strike rate is poorest among all qualifiers (34.8 balls per wicket).
* Worst economy rate conceded during batting powerplay (8.7)
ENGLAND
Strengths:
* Showed their mental strength by surviving six close games.
* Most number of runouts (8)
Weaknesses:
* Lower middle order has lowest average runs (12.5) at relatively poor strike rate (77.3)
* Poorest performance during batting powerplay with a run rate (6.4) and an average of 12.9
* Poorest bowling performance so far with the worst economy rate (5.4 runs per over), average (30.9) and a strike rate (34.2) only better than Australia.
* Poorest economy (5.8) and average (37.8) in powerplay bowling
INDIA
Strengths:
* Second best batting performance so far behind Sri Lanka
* Openers have the strongest performance, including highest strike rate (109.9); second highest average score (56.3); high average opening stand (57.2)
* In powerplay one and two their performance is the best by a distance but they have a poor average score (37.7) in the batting powerplay
* India have effected the second highest number of run outs (6) and stumpings (3) and taken the third highest number of catches (25)
Weaknesses:
* Poor bowling performance with an economy rate (5.2) and average (27.9). Poor strike rate of 31.9
* The weakest bowling performance from frontline spinners. Average of 38.5 runs a wicket only better than Australia; economy of 4.9 only better than West Indies; poor strike rate of 47.5
NEW ZEALAND
Strengths:
* Opening batsmen have highest average runs per opener (57.6) and decent opening partnership (58.0)
* Lower middle order has good average runs per batsman (27.6) at healthy strike rate (98.6)
* Only team not to have suffered a single runout
* New Zealand's regular pacemen have the best economy (4.1), best average (16.1) and second best strike rate (23.1)
* Best spin bowling economy of 3.1 runs per over
Weaknesses:
* Middle order has lowest average score per batsman (31.5) with middling strike rate (85.5)
PAKISTAN
Strengths:
* Lower middle order has highest average runs per batsman (31.2) at healthy strike rate (90.3)
* Best bowling economy rate during powerplays (4.2, with an 3.7 during powerplay one); good average (22.8)
Weaknesses:
* Lowest opening batting average (14.8), lowest strike rate (68.5)
* Lowest average during powerplays (28.7) and run rate (5.0)
* Most number of extras conceded (9.3%) relative to total score
* Lowest number of catches taken (19) alongside England.
SOUTH AFRICA
Strengths:
* Highest middle order strike rate (93.4); second highest average per batsman (53.7)
* Only team to have bowled out all six opponents so far; bowlers have lowest average runs per wicket (17.1), best strike rate (23.8 balls per wicket), second best economy rate (4.3 runs per over), behind Sri Lanka
* Good fast bowling economy (4.2), average (17.3), strike rate (24.5)
* Best spin bowling with average (15.0), strike rate (22.1)
Weaknesses:
* Most number of run outs (6) conceded
SRI LANKA
Strengths:
* Best opening batting performance, including highest average opening partnership (85.3), high strike rate (92.2)
* Second highest runs per wicket scored (51.5) at run rate of 6.2 runs per over during powerplays while batting
* Second best bowling performance, behind South Africa. Best economy rate (4.3) with second best average runs per wicket (18.8) and strike rate (26.1)
* Best spin bowling performance with economy (3.5) behind the Kiwis and average (16.7) second to South Africa
Weaknesses: "
* Second highest number of run outs (5) conceded and extras (7.7%) higher than some other teams
WEST INDIES
Strengths:
* Good bowling performance, especially during powerplays; best average runs per wicket (18.0), decent economy rate (4.7)
* Fast bowling has best strike rate (22.8), second best average (16.9)
* Least number of extras (5.4%) conceded relative to total score
Weaknesses:
* Weakest batting performance, alongside Pakistan. Lowest average runs per wicket (26.5). Run rate (5.2) only better than Pakistan's.
Check out this footage of middleweight boxer Paz The Pistol Viejo giving it a go in the ring. He is one of New Zealand's worst boxers with a terrible record, but it doesn't stop him getting back into the ring. He is actually really entertaining to watch, so good on him for continually getting back out there and getting amongst it. I wonder what affect the 48 defeats (13 by knockout) have had on him. At the age of 38 and after being given a six month stand down for safety reasons, maybe it is time for Paz to hang up the boxing gloves.
He has fought 60 times and won 10, lost 48 and drawn twice.
A Georgian college student used Facebook to save his family members when their house got invaded by masked offenders. He escaped into the attic and used his laptop to change his Facebook status to "HELLLLLLP". His friend was online and called the Police who came around and saved the day.
Would you use Facebook to save the day, or would you resort to traditional means like telephone? It is amazing that his friend knew he was home and that he was actually being serious. Something more specific may have helped better, but he got the desired result. It was a good thing the internet signal reached the attic.
While Woogie off There's Something About Mary didn't have chicken pox, his character traits are so typical when you do have chicken pox. For the record, he had hives.
There is a chicken pox scare in the Hurricanes camp after 10 of the squad went to a wedding which was attended by a guest from the United Kingdom who had chicken pox. Apparently the big brutish Hurricanes were left calling their mummies to check if they have had chicken pox. I had the chicken pox three years ago. It was so itchy, but you can't scratch them. My method was to rub the itch rather than scratch it. They are highly contagious. The wedding was two weeks ago, so the spots will be starting to show on the players if they have contracted them now. Three of the team haven't had them before and so are at risk. They will be out of action for a couple of weeks. Imagine if something like this affected the entire squad, you would have to default or get some ITM Cup players to fill in. Most people get the pox as children, but some like me slip through the cracks.
New contributor David Lim addresses sporting issues. What do you think? Are referees getting worse? Should Dunedin get more Rugby World Cup matches?
Am I imagining things or are there more poor decisions in sport than there used to be? This weekend there were some poor decisions made and I am left wondering if it is a case of technology showing the television audience the errors of the match officials? or is the standard of play improving from those amateur days?
Here is one example of poor decisions. Nathan McCullum took a brilliant caught and bowled, it wasn't given and unfortunately Jayawardena's partnership with Sangakara laid the platform for a Sri Lankan victory.
The technology available like the Decision Referral System at the ICC Cricket World Cup is available, but there are still some decisions that slip through the cracks. It is great using available technology to cut down on mistakes if it is available, but the debate continues on where to draw the line in each sport between ensuring less mistakes and stopping the traditional flow of the sport? Should technology be used for rugbys in penalties as well as tries?
With more matches in professional sports there is increased demand on referees and given the amount of abuse that referees get, it is not surprising that more officials are needed. I think there is still the intimidation factor where referees are bullied often by experienced players on their home ground. Will there be a time when matches will be controlled by Television Match Officials to protect referees and ensure correct decisions are made? I think in tennis you could almost do a better job without an umpire physically there, instead having a Television Match Official.
McCullum non-catch -
Of course, all of New Zealand are aware of this forward pass. But in the good old days we didn't have the benefit of television replays. The game is so much faster and more professional these days putting added pressure on referees like Wayne Barnes.
Michalak forward pass (even Peter Griffin died at Wayne Barnes' ineptness) -
Do Irish fans agree with me?
They could have won the Six Nations if it wasn't for this non call. Although I don't think it was Jonathon Kaplan's fault. I think the Assistant Referee should have made the call.
I think that the professionalism in sports and amount of technology make it more difficult to referee. A lack of people becoming match officials means there are unrealistic expectations on referees and there are not the same amount of potential quality referees coming through. So in summary, there are probably slightly more mistakes these days, but that is because there are more matches, the speed of games is faster and we have so many cameras and technology spotting the mistakes.
Was the "Moon Man" Ken Ring correct when predicting a big earthquake for Christchurch today? It seems that his call which made some Christchurch residents leave town in anticipation while other sceptical residents laughed were actually close to the mark. There were several earthquakes today around Canterbury and the largest aftershock was a 5.1 magnitude, keeping the locals on edge.
Does this mean that forecaster Ken Ring still has some kind of reputation? Lets just say his reputation hasn't got any worse, although plenty of people don't respect him anyway. It is reassurring in some ways to think that he wasn't the unrealistic doom and gloom merchant that some people were painting him as. Do you respect Ken Ring? I say he is still a bit of a Fruit Loop, but at least he stands up for what he believes in, unlike plenty of people I know. We should all stand up for our beliefs like Ken Ring does. It probably also helped to sell his books.
A 5.1 magnitude aftershock rocked Christchurch at 9.47pm this evening.
The quake - reported to be the biggest aftershock since the destructive February 22 earthquake, sent residents scurrying for doorways and huddling under tables.
No damage has been reported as a result of the quake which hit 10km east of Christchurch at a depth of 10km.
A magnitude 3 quake struck only four minutes earlier at 5kms deep and 10km west of Lyttelton and another 2.9 magnitude quake was registered at 10.05pm 10km east of Christchurch.
Can someone please tell me how Pakistan could actually go from conceeding over 300 runs against New Zealand and get absolutely thrashed one game and then all of a sudden become a team capable of beating Australia after bowling them out for 176. This is typical Pakistan. Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal put in a polished performance behind the stumps against Australia yet put in such a mixed bag against the Blackcaps. It is hard to know if Pakistan are the read deal or not, but they have the potential to win this tournament after finishing top of Pool A. They have the ability to beat the top teams, but they also have the ability to lose to the lower ranked teams. Is this or the result against New Zealand the real Pakistan side? How can one team be so inconsistent? How much do we read between the lines?
The Supermarket Self Checkout is an interesting introduction into supermarkets in the recent years. It means that you no longer have to deal with "checkout chicks" and can buy stuff at your own pace. This is great if you have bad breath, body odour, are sick or just can't be bothered talking to anyone. There a still some interesting issues that arise as a result of these machines and I am wondering if other people have noticed these things too? Someone I know asked the supermarkets about the self service checkout and they apparently notice less mistakes with users purchasing their own groceries than they used to find with actual "checkout operators". It seems that people don't want to steal and are more methodical than "checkout operators" who probably don't care as much. So many supermarket staff are just working part time after school or university to pay for spending money.
Seven issues with supermarket self checkout
1) I hate it when you have to call on assistance because the plastic bags aren't sitting correctly in the bag holder. It makes matters worse when the person working there is just standing around and to get anything into the bags after the previous owner you have to separate the bags yourself. The key is to only separate them a little bit so they are not sitting on the shelf and triggering the weight.
2) Why do these machines only spit out $5 notes to me? There don't seem to be $10 notes in these machines. Is it because they weigh the same as $20 notes?
3) Why are some products not able to have their barcode scanned? It comes up with a big error with certain things (often fruit in containers). You feel like a small child having to suck up to the New World worker and ask for their permission to buy your blueberries!
4) No one uses the machines down the far end. This is great for me, because there are people crowded around the closer machines and sometimes there is a clue. People must lack long term vision because there are often machines down the far end unused.
5) Has anyone else ever left notes sitting in the machine? That is the only downfall, as there is no person there to tell you to pick up the money. There is an annoying beep, but sometimes you don't notice.
6) I hate forgetting to use the coupon. At the checkout, usually the checkout chick used to ask you if you wanted to use coupons. New World seem to be moving away from coupons at the moment, but it used to be bad forgetting to use them.
7) It is very annoying when buying alcohol. You are probably better to go to the regular checkout rather than wait to provide identification at the self service checkout.
What are your experiences with these machines? I like them, but think that parts of customer service would be missing if they took over all of the checkouts.
