I'm back..........
O:-) Censor On Board - Granny Smith
Kia Ora Everyone,
Another "post' of 10 - we still have a long way to go to reach # 1., but we will get there !!! The week ahead sees a visit of a Royal to NZ - Prince Andrew who arrives in the country on Wednesday. Expect your local paper to full of news of his visit. Boy, you wonder where the year has gone, as October is not far away and then before you know it - Xmas time !!! Have you made plans to go away or are you working through the xmas break. I usually get a week this side of the year and 2 weeks on the other side. As for plans - well I have one or two things in mind, but nothing set in concrete as yet. I think I may just wait and see what way the wind "blows" !!!
Take care everyone & God Bless.
Krazy Kelvin
# 850. Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita, hurled its full fury at Texas & Louisana last night, crashing into a coastline bristling with oil & chemical installations. This website will have futher news about Rita. About 99% of oil production & 70% of natural gas production was halted. Up to 600 manned platforms & 80 rigs were evacuated. This morning they will be counting the cost. Also check - # 845 / # 846 / # 847on 21 21 21 Blogs for video's & photos, etc relating to Hurricane Rita & Katrina. Check
# 851. Petrol On The Rise Again ???
We can only wait and see if the retail price of petrol will rise in price again - no doubt it will !!! As it is now, more than 40% of the retail price of petrol is made up of tax & government charges. For every litre of petrol purchased, 22.5c goes to the National Land Transport Fund; 18.7c to the General Crown Account; 5.78c to the ACC Motor Vehicle Account; 0.66c to the Local Authority Petroleum Tax; 0.025c to the Petroleum Fuels Monitoring Tax. Then we have GST charged on the overall retail price, which means you have a "tax on a tax". But this tax on tax, is not exclusive to petrol, as it applies to other products as well, including liqour, on which excise tax is charged.
# 852. Prince Andrew In NZ
Prince Andrew, will arrive down under on Wednesday for a 5 day visit. Among the official engagements are the opening of The Battle Of Trafalgar Bicentenary celebrations, in Nelson; a diplomatic corps dinner at Government House; visiting the Royal NZ Army Logistic Regiment and laying a wreath at Wellington's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The last visit we had from a Royal, was Prince William in July. Expect the usual parade of medals & uniforms, as well as numerous news stories in papers.One thing, Prince Andrew won't be doing though is playing pool, like Prince William did in a Wellington bar.
# 853. Satellite Dig Unearths Roman Remains
An Italian computer programmer has discovered the remains of an ancient Roman villa, not on an archaeological dig, but by studying satellite "Google" images on the internet. He first thought that a stain was on the photograph, because of the unusual shading. When he zoomed in closer, he discovered that there was something under the earth. The darker area had an oval shaded form more than 460m long, with some unusual rectangular shadows nearby. Archaeologists were called in and in a closer inspection of the area, which was farmland, they discovered ceramic & stone pieces that showed that it was a Roman villa, built sometime just before the birth of Christ.
Footnote: A computer I was using in an internet cafe had the program on it, that anyone can download. It gives you, a #d interface to the planet. Check out http://earth.google.com/
# 854.Living - Eggless Fruit Cake
Put 1cup sugar, 2 cups of mixed fruit, 1 cup cold water, 125g butter into a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer gently for 3 minutes. When cooled, add 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda (sifted together) Stir well. Pour into a a cake tin lined with grease proof paper. Cook in moderate oven 180oC to 190oC for 1 1/2 hours or until cooked. (Poke with a skewer - if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked) This cake is very moist and should keep for weeks - depending of course on how many "kids" in the family.
# 855. Wedding Anniversaries
A few people asked about "wedding anniversaries", so here they are. What happens after 65 - I don't know. Maybe someone can fill in the gaps. In yesterdays paper, there were 2 couples celebrating 40 years & 3 celebrating 50 years. No doubt though that there are many other couples celebrating as well.
First Year - Cotton
Second Year - Paper
Third Year - Leather
Fifth Year - Wooden
Seventh Year - Woollen
Tenth - Tin
Twelfth Year - Silk & Fine Linen
15th Year - Crystal
20th Year - China
25th Year - Silver
30th Year - Pearl
40th Year - Ruby
50th Year - Golden
60th Year - Diamond
65th Year - Platinum
# 856. $2 Million A Metre !!!
Plans are underway to rebuild the 28m high / 700m long Newmarket viaduct at a cost of $142 - give or take a couple of million !!! The structure which they intend to start building in 2007/08 and take 3 years to build, will have 4 southbound lanes and 3 northbound lanes. It will have higher earthquake-resistance as well as more safety features, to stop vehicles plunging off the viaduct in accidents. They will build the south bound structure along side the present structure. Once this is built, it will be open to traffic and the old south bound structure will be demolished. They will then build the north bound structure. Once this is built and opened to traffic, they will demolished the old north bound lanes. Because the new viaduct will be partly to the side of the present one, Transit NZ will have to buy some land for where the structures piers go into the ground. Transit NZ are having an "open day" for the Newmarket Viaduct improvement project, on Saturday October 8th, from 10am - 4pm at The Officers Club, 14 Edgerley Ave, Newmarket. I know of a couple of engineering students who are going to go along as it will be a massive building job.
# 857. Ozone Hole Close To The Record
The ozone hole over the Antarctica, has widened to a near record of 27million square km. The record been 28 million square km, in 2003. The "hole" in the ozone layer, is caused by atmospheric conditions & pollution and fluctuates according to season and prevailing weather. The protective layer has been increasingly damaged by man-made chemicals. Ozone filters out ultraviolet rays from the sun, that damage vegetation and can cause skin cancer & cataracts.
# 858. No One Missed Him !!!
A network may be set up, within one community to keep people in contact with each other. Especially those that are sick or who live alone. Why ??? Because of what happened to one man - he died alone !!! Did they find his body the next day ? The next week ? The next month ? Nooooo!!! He had an arrangement with his neighbour for them to collect his mail and hold on to it until he collected it from them, but even so he was not missed for 10 months !!! He was a recluse, who had little to do with other people. How can someone not be missed for 10 months ??? I supposed it is the way, the world has moved - people not caring about other people. The one thing to come out of all this, is that you should know your neighbours - even if it just to say hello. What are your thoughts ? Leave a comment.
# 859. A Blast From The Past !!!
I was reading through some "old" magazines, when I read the following, which I thought was worth sharing. How "old" was the magazine ? I will tell you in the next "post" of 10, as well as give you another "Blast From The Past". Believe me it is old, but the same said goes for today, as it did all those years ago !!!
"With A Will" - They say where there's a will, there's a way but our wills are funny things at best. How many of us can "will" to do an unpleasant thing apart from the good that may come along in so doing. Even our self-denial is too often a matter of self interest. It is a good thing to do things "with a will", or as the wise man says "with our might". It lifts the commonest tasks to a plane of delightful adventure. Put heart into what you do. Make up your mind what you ought to do and do it with a swing. The result will be pleasure to yourself, gratification to others and a thing well done, which big or little is always a source of good to the world.Do it with a "will" or leave it alone. "The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be under tribute".
I'll be back..............
