#290 - #299

290. Something Old
Letters. How often have you sat down and wrote to a friend ? Pre-Black Friday 13th May, 2005 I was quite a dab hand at writing letters to family, friends as well as penfriends not around NZ but around the world. Sometimes not just 1 page but 2 or 3 or more. The most pages that I have wrote at one time (in my own hand writing mind you) is 40 pages. It took a little while before I got a reply back from the friend I sent it to, thanking me for my "book" !!! (hehe) I still write the odd letter or two, but letter writing has taken a back seat ever since that Black Friday and my first ever taste of blogs & blogging.
What brought up the subject of letters is a pile of old letters that were written by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales in April / May 1920 when he was on tour in NZ. The letters (85 pages in total) were to his loved one back in the UK, Freda Ward with whom he had an affair for 16 years. In his letters to her, there were no kind words. In fact he didn't think very much of us "kiwi's" even though we adored him. The letters were purchased at auction last year by the Alexander Turnbull Library in NZ, but the copyright for the letters is still held L'Institut Pasteur in Paris. The library hopes to get permission to put the letters on to the internet. In 1936, the Prince of Wales abdicate as King Edward VIII to marry his lover, Wallis Simpson.

291. Something New
Because of the number of visitors to my blogs, I have been asked by a couple of companies if I will provide a link on my blogs to their websites in the hope that readers will click on to the websites and buy things. What sort of things ? Gifts & other things etc, to do with NZ. In return for the links, I would get ten per cent commission of any amount you spent on the websites. Would it work ? Who knows ? The same goes for advertising. I have been asked several times to think about putting ads on my blogs, but how much money does someone really make out of adsense or any of those other ad sites that they display on their blogs. Is it worth all the hassle ? You tell me. It would be something new for me, if I did put ads on my blogs and provide links to websites where I would get paid for any purchases you make. I could give up working 9 till 5 earlier than I intend to and just travel & blog & travel & blog. What a life, but someone has to do it and it may as well be meeeeee.

292. Something Borrowed
It makes me laugh - when I was younger and I borrowed things from friends, it was a month of Sundays before I ever gave anything back. Most of the time when I did give it back, there were more pieces than I first started out with, especially toys. Borrowing via the internet is a totally different kettle of fish, so to speak because I can't wreck anything. Well so far, I haven't wreck anything but who knows. There's always a first time. What I intend to do for a while, is to borrow a photo or something from one of the 10 blogs I list on 21 21 21 Great Blogs To Read and put it here and provide a link back to that blog, thereby giving the blogger another plug.

293. Something Blue
People always feel "blue" when someone or something that they like, dies. Mandhla, who was 28 years old and weighed 2000 kilos was no exception. He was well liked by everyone that visited him over the years. I can't remember the last time I went to see him, but now it is too late. Mandhla was born in San Diego, USA but has lived in Auckland since he was 1 year old. He suffered a neurological condition which made him go blind in November, so staff used sounds & smell prompts to help him cope with been blind. They also laid scent trails so he could find his way around his enclosure. This week, he suffered another serious set back in his health and staff had no choice but to euthanise him. Now Mandhla has gone to where all rhinos go when they die - that big Zoo in the sky.

294. Currently Reading
When I go into the bookshops in the city, I have but one purpose in mind - buy what I need and then get out. I never stop to look at the magazines, etc only because you can't get anywhere near the magazine racks anyway.There is usually a crowd of people "camped out" looking thru the magazines, whose only movement seems to be when they turn the pages or pick up another magazine. They won't shift for anyone, until they have finished reading "their" magazines. So it makes a pleasant change to wander into the one & only bookshop in the small town where I live on the weekends and be able to get anywhere near the magazine racks and actually pick up a magazine. The last time I went in, I purchased several magazines - an organic's mag; a trucking mag; a maori mag; a hertiage mag and a mag about NZ. Rather than leave them on the bookshelf to collect dust now that I have read them, I intend to post them out to randomly selected blogger friends. If by chance you get an email from me asking for your snail mail address, it's not because I want to pay you a flying visit, but mearly because I want to send you a magazine. The place where I live on the weekends is also a backpackers and there were 3 people from Germany staying for a couple of days. One of the ladies mentioned using Tea Tree Oil, so I gave them the organic's mag as it had an interesting article about the oil. The other mags will soon be winging their way to other bloggers. I'll do the same again each time I purchase any magazines. Once I have read them of course. Watch this space.

295. Rural Living

Now that I live in a small town on
the weekends where it is so quiet & peaceful, I thought that I might give painting a go. Apart from the few times I have picked up a normal household paint brush, I have never picked up a artists paintbrush in my life. We all have to start somewhere, so I thought I would start off by doing small paintings. About A5 size, which I can easily mail out to friends for whom I have a postal address. If I give them the painting for zilch, they can't complain that it's kaka, can they ? Who knows, one day, my painings might be worth something. Oopp's a pink pig has just arrived at the door - one of the hazzards of country living......??? (hehe)
I don't know how much longer I will continued to live & work in the city (population of Auckland is about 1 million) during the weekand comute out to live in the small town (population about 2 - 3 thousand) on weekends and holidays. I wouldn't mind living in the small town all the time for a year. Just find a couple of days work in or around the town somewhere so I can spend more time writing. Then I'd pack a bag, put out my thumb and just follow the wind. Log on and blog once a week from where-ever I happen to be. I have no one to worry about and no one to worry about me - just me, myself & I, so it would be a simple matter of finding a bed to lay my head, where-ever I happen to be, when the sun goes down. It wouldn't worry me if it was the Haystack Motel or the Starlight Hotel as I have been there, done that before. If you have never heard of the Starlight Hotel, wait until it is dark, then go outside and look up.....stars !!! You could follow me around while I tell you all about NZ and then once we have done that, I would cross the ditch and do the same in Australia. From there, who knows ?

296. Scams & More Scams
Get-rich-quick schemes; phony lotteries; pyramid schemes; investment scams; work-at-home schemes are all that and more. SCAMS !!! Who in their right mind or their left mind or whatever mind, would send money to someone that they don't know, who lives in another country in response to what is clearly a scam. It seems thousands of people do, including no doubt NZ'ers and Australian's as well as people from other countries. In Queensland, $400,000 in one month was tracked leaving the state in what were clearly scams. When police interviewed the victims, it wasn't the first time they had sent money overseas in the hope of getting a lucrative pay-back. Queensland's leading anti-fraud police officer says that the Australian victims of these scams are not "stupid" people !!! Get off the grass - anyone who falls for one of these stupid scams are as thick as two short planks; a sandwich short of a picnic; not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Need I go on........ !!! He says that it's the Australian culture to give everyone a fair go and the benefit of the doubt. Plain & simple - Don't send money to anyone that you don't know, even if they tell you that you have won a million dollar lottery but they need a few thousand dollars to process your claim. Especially if you never entered or brought a ticket in the so called lottery in the first place.
Remember the old saying - a fool & his money are soon parted. Instead of waking up to the smell of roses, all you will smell will be "kaka" and plenty of it. P.S: If you really really want to throw your money away - throw it my way !!! I'll make good use of it. (hehe)

297. We Live In A Nanny State
You would think the NZ government would have better things to do than try and regulate what school children eat. Under new government guidelines, schools must ensure that all food & drinks sold on their premises via school canteens / tuck shops, are healthly varieties as from June next year. So called unhealthly foods such as pies, chips etc can still be sold, but only once per term. Pupils are generally not permitted to leave the school grounds during lunchtime but there is nothing stopping children buying pies on their way to school or on their way home from the local dairy. If they buy the pie in the morning on the way to school, it could create more problems than it's worth - eating a cold pie for lunch isn't very appealing plus children could eat up with upset tums. Buying a pie after school and eating it on the way home from school could have the added effect of children not wanting to eat all their dinner that night. What they are trying to do is to stem worsening obesity that is affecting the children of NZ, but it's like trying to crack a nut with a sledge hammer. It seems that 1 in 3 NZ children are fatter thatn they should be for their age.
Why should schools have to take the responsibilty when they have the children for only a few hours, 5 days a week. It should be up to the parents to provide a cut lunch for their children, rather than give them money to purchase food from the school tuckshop. If they did that there wouldn't be any need for school tuckshops. I remember Mum preparing our school lunches, the night before so in the morning when a certain body was running late, it was just grab & run.

298. China Is Also A Nanny State
Gamers under the age of 18 in China face harsh rules - they can stay online playing games for only 3 hours, which their government has deemed the limit for the healthy amount of time to be glued to the internet. If they play games for between 3 - 5 hours, they will get only half the normal points and no points at all after 5 hours. Internet gaming comanies, operators & cafes have to fit anti-addiction software to all their games before July 16th. Any games not fitted with the software after that date will be closed down. It seems that a growing number of chinese teenagers spend hours and sometimes days playing games in internet cafes. Under the new rules, all gamers will have to register with identity cards to prove their age. If they are over 18, they can play for as long as they like.
What's the point ? When the 3 hours is up, all they need do is log off for 5 minutes and then log back on again or go to another internet cafe and lg on there. A clear case of using a sledge hammer to crack a nut.

299. A Blast From The Past

I dug into the archives and pull out this post from Dec.05

# 745. A Dine-In ExperienceThis "new restaurant" leaves nothing to chance !!! Even before you get to your table & your maitre d', you have to run the gauntlet of security checks, sniffer dogs and barred gates under the watchful eye of prision guards. The restaurant called "Clink" at Highdown Prison in Surrey (what else could you call it ? I suggest "Highgate" !!!) will be United Kingdom's first "behind bars" restaurant, where you can really "chow down" on gourmet meals cooked & served by inmates. Prices on the inside will be around 15 pound (NZ$45), compared to around 70 pound (NZ$210) on the "outside". No doubt they would also have a "bar" -serving drinks of course.It would be the only restaurant, where I think they reccommend that you don't "tip" the waiter under the table,because no doubt if you did,you could find yourself "dining in" for quite a while and it would not be "restaurant food" that you would be chowing down on, it would be normal prison food. I wonder if they check your name, while you are dining in ??? If someone steps up to your table while you are dining and quietly says - " We have a phone call for you sir. Would you mind stepping this way". It will either one of two things - you really do have a phone call or your time's up. Dine in by all means, but don't let those bars hit you on the way out. That is, if they let you out or course !!! (hehe)

#300 - #309

Something Old

The German town of Bad Doberan has finally got around to stripping honorary citzenship from a former national leader - adolf hilter. Only because in two months time, the world's leaders arrive for a G8 summit. The town on the Baltic coast of what used to be east Germany is in the midst of final preparations for the 3 day gathering in June. During the preparations, they discovered that hilter was still the proud recipient of the town's honorary citizen award. While other towns stripped the the nazi leader of titles after the war, Bad Doberan - the town that first came up with the idea - did nothing about it. That's not the only mistake they made - the state of Brunswick made hilter who was born in Austria, a German citizen in 1932. A local politician had demand the ruling be posthumously rescinded but the state's Interior Minister decided history could not be re-written.

#301. Something New

Nasal snuff, a form of sniffing tobacco is about to go on sale in NZ. Why ? Ten twenty years down the track, will we have the same case senario of companies been sued because people are addicated to snuff, just like they are addicated to tobacco. Nasal snuff is inhaled as a pinch of powder between the thumb & finger. Oral snuff, a pinch of which you put under your tongue cannot legally be sold in NZ, although it can be imported for personal use. Nasal snuff can now be sold, but not to under-18's, nor can it be advertised. So what's the point of importing it into the country. It is addictive and should not be imported. All I can say is, that the people who make it as well as those that are going to import it, must have deep pockets.

It reminds me of a joke - A servant was sent down to the village by his master, to purchase a few things from the local shop. On his way home, he suddenly remembered he was supposed to purchase some nasal snuff. As he was nearly home, there was no way he was going back down to the village. He saw some doggie-do's on the side of the road, so he picked that up. When he got home, he grind it up and put in a bag. After dinner & drinks, the gentleman of the house passed the bag to his guest to take a pinch & sniff. As he passed the bag over, he asked his guest if he could smell doggie-do's. The guest said no, because he had a cold he couldn't smell anything. After the guest had inhaled the powder, he said "Boy, you always buy the best snuff. It's clear my head and I can certainly smell doggie-do's now". (hehe)

#302. Something Borrowed

In the previous "Something Borrowed", was a photo of a jar containing........ ? It seems no one even left a comment as to what they thought may of been in the jar. (Maybe because I switched comments off) I'm sure that no one would of got it right anyway, except for Madam Grizzle from whose blog I borrowed the photo. So have a look at the post on her blog for Tuesday March 6th where you will find the story behind the photo and what the jar contains.

#303. Something Blue

Sad, but true. While reading thru the family notices page of people who had died, one notice caught my eye - on the morning of March 24th, she buried her loving husband who had died a couple of days before. They had been happily married for 51 years and had several children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was heartbroken at his death and that same day she was rushed to hospital where she died unexpectedly in the afternoon. Died of a broken heart but now their love for each other can live on forever. It goes to show you the true love that the couple had for each other when one could not live without the other. How often does that happened now-a-days ? Real, true love !!!

#304. Currently Reading
.
I don't know if you can call it reading or not, but I am flicking thru one of the recipe books I brought from the book fair - the one that was published in 1962 which has 296 pages. It is called "The Good Cook's Encyclopedia" and is dedicated to people who enjoy eating, because that really is the whole secret of learning how to cook. It is a book, which seems to cover everything someone who can't cook to save themselves, would need - that is me because I cannot cook and it's time I thought about learning how to cook. Even if it's just cooking on the weekends. The recipes seem so simple (well some of them) which they would of been back then in 1962. Just plain & simple food. One good thing about it is that there are no pictures to show you what the recipe is supposed to look like, when you are finished. Having come from a large family, with a few older sibblings, as well as younger there was never any opportunity to even to learn to cook as Mum or one of the older sibblings usually did all the cooking. If you didn't like what was put in front of you, well just tough. You either ate or you went without - there was no two ways about it. Now-a-days, with so much variety of takeaway food available (even here in this small town), it seems point-less to cook, but I suppose I have to learn sooner or later. Been about 50 minutes (20 minutes downhill and then 30 minutes up hill) from the nearest take away shops has nothing to do with the thought of learning how to cook, of course - nothing at all.

#305. Rural Living

Coming to you from out in the country on Saturday 7th April, 2007 - Here I sit at my computer typing up posts, which I'll save to a floppy disk and then later on in the week (10th) when I am back in the city, I'll go to an internet cafe and download them on to my blogs. I know I have said it before (several times in fact) but I am honestly going to have to get a camera - no if's but's or maybe's about it - so I can share with you, the views from where I sit. I can see for miles. Way over in the distant I can see smoke rising from a fire, but it would have to be a controlled burn-off, because no fire siren has sounded in the town. Looking out the window, futher on down the property is a small garden, which has a norfolk pine tree set in the middle. There are two solar powered lights and a bench seat where one sit and watch the sunset. The owner of the property has scattered his brother's ashes on the garden so when you sit and watch the sunset, you are never alone.
The town had a church fair as well as a book fair one Saturday. Needless to say, I called in just to have a look mind you (I already have enough books & magazines to sink a ship) and ending up buying just a "few" magazines and books. At the church fair, I brought 16 well known geographic magazines for $2. The books I brought at the book fair were priced at 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 & $2 (set of 4). Among the pile of books I brought were a few cookery books, including the one from 1962. (Currently Reading) I could of stayed a lot longer as there were 1000's of magazines & books to choose from but........a friend was waiting to take me home. While she was waiting for me, she thought she would have a browse thru the books and ended up buying more books than I did. She had taken me out shopping for a computer desk & chair. Have you ever tried to put together a kitset desk by yourself ? I opened the box, took one lookat the instructions and...........!!! I managed to screw & bolt all the pieces together with not even a srew left over, so friends can't say I have got a srew loose. It even had one of those slide-out shelves for the keyboard & mouse which I managed to assemble and screw the right way. Friends that know me, would be surprise and yes, it does look like a desk. The same goes for cooking - the friend that had taken me shopping made the comment, "I see you are still buying cookery books, but can you cook yet". She will keep.

#306. We Live In A Nanny State .

Once every five years, we have the wonderful task of filling in census forms so we all can be counted. Every man & his dog, as well as females & children have to fill in forms or have someone fill in a form for them. Even if you just happen to be visiting NZ, when national census day rolls around, it makes no difference. If your two feet are on NZ soil or even on a ship which will dock in NZ on census day, forms have to be filled in. The only way you would get away with it is if you craoked at the stroke of midnight, but even then no doubt someone would have to fill in a form for you - deceased. Now, civil libertarians are up in arms, because 4500 selected households are been asked to take part in a face-to-face interview of about one and a half hours and then complete a diary detailing the spending habits of all adults in the household over two weeks. Those householders selected are legally required to take part and if they refuse they can be fined up to $500. Information is supposed to be protected & confidential, but if someone spends a hundred bucks a week on dope, do you think they will put that - pigs bum, they will. They should ask people if they would like to take part rather than try and coercion people into taking part or else. What happens to the figures, if even 1% of those people who feel uncomfortable about filling in the forms just put anything. The results of the surveys are supposed to give crucial information for compiling the consumer price index, which measures household inflation, but if some of the figures are wrong to start with..........???

#307. Motoring

A little known parking rule under section 6.13 of the Land Transport NZ road user act, has come to light only because a Tauranga driver was fined $40. It seems that you can not reverse your vehicle into an angle park. You are only allowed to drive forwards. The Tauranga City Council, confimed that it was illegal to reverse into a angle parking space because a vehicle would block the road and hold up traffic, while backing into the space. If you reverse into a parallel park you block the road and hold up traffic anyway, so what difference does it make if you back into an angle park ? It's 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. Expect to see the law been enforced more by traffic wardens & councils around the country as another money grabbing exercise. Given time, the fine will no doubt rise to $100, due to the "rise of inflation".

#308. Up, Up & Away

If you want to take to the skies in a basket slung beneath a hot air balloon, then the Waikato is the place to be. From April 11th thru to the 15th, more then 30 hot air balloons of varying shapes & sizes take to the skies with rides on offer for a price. If you don't have a head for heights, you can always sit and watch, especially on the Saturday night, when they have the popular nightglow show. Check out their website - Balloons Over Waikato

#309. Cast-A-Way

When you are a cast-a-way on an island, you are a castaway / marooned are you not and run around in your birthday suit - well half naked ? Not so it seems in the eyes of the BBC who are filming the latest Castaway series on Great Barrier Island, down under in NZ. The so called isolated camp is only a 30 minute drive from a local store which just happens to sell liquor, a chemist which just happens to sell condoms, a cafe, golf club & a airfield. Also their washing is sent out to the local laundry. The audience in the UK has slumped from 4.1 million viewers to a low of 2.1 million in a primetime 9pm Sunday night spot on TV. Because of the slump, the BBC will as from April 15th, move the timing to 7pm on a Sunday. The series is shown in the UK more-a-less as soon as it is filmed. TVNZ who have brought the rights to show the series in NZ haven't decided when they will show the series, but I reckon they have brought a fizzer. If British people can't stand to watch it, what makes TVNZ think NZ'ers will watch it in their droves, even if it is set in NZ.

#310 - #319

Kia Ora (Hello), Well, I'm back - a few blogs have been deleted, including the Motoring blog and the Movies & Music blog. Because of that I have included a post about them here on this blog. I have also deleted the comments blog but have started a new one for Updates & Comments.




#310. Something Old

Ghana is 50 years old. In NZ, celebrations are been held at the Mt.Eden War Memorial Hall, Dominion Rd on the 17th March. I attended the celebrations, a couple of years back where meet & shook hands with the NZ Prime Minister, Helen Clark. I have a video somewhere of the celebrations as well as a photo taken with "the king" and a few of his people outside the hall. So if you aren't doing anything on the 17th, get along there and help them celebrate their 50th.

#311. Something New

Modern day bungy jumping has its roots in an ancient ritual on the island of Pentecost, in Vanuatu, where men dive from wooden platforms each year with vines tied around their feet, to bless their yam harvest. It was a NZ man, AJ "Mr Bungy" Hackett, who went one step futher and turned it into a sport. He is considered to be the founder of modern day bungy jumping and did his first bungy jump off the Eiffel Tower in 1986. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia later on this year, he aims to try something new - a 1500 metre free fall bungy jump from a helicopter. If successful, the stunt will double the existing record for the world's highest bungee jump of 700 metres. If it doesn't work, well...........!!!

#312. Something Borrowed

What's in the jar ??? Leave a comment if you think you know what it is. This time, next week I'll let you on the secret and give you a link to her blog, where I borrowed the photo from. I bet no one comes close to guessing what is in the jar.








#313. Something Blue

Did you hear the one about.........??? It has been suggested that we ease off teasing our cousins across the ditch - in this so called "be nice to aussie's" month. Get off the grass.They liked been teased and are so thick skinned that if you tried to poke them with a pin, it would bend. A uni professor has made the remark that "It can be unproductive because it continues to raise barriers to some creative ideas......to try to connect the two countries closer together". Why in earth's name would why we want to be closer than the 1600kms we already are. Am I the only one that's paddling ? Why have we never built a bridge bewteen the 2 countries ? Because aussie's believe they can walk on water. Ooohhh !!! Next aussie joke...............

Aussie joke about kiwi's - Why do kiwi's end up marrying women ? Because sheep can't cook. (Read into that what you may)
Kiwi joke about aussie's - How do you make an Aussie laugh on Monday ? Tell him a joke on Friday. (it takes a while for them to get their brain into gear)

#314. Motoring

An orange / amber light means slow down and a red means "stop" does it not ? Try telling that to the motorists who run red lights in Auckland. Standing at the K Rd lights, the other night I was getting prepared to cross over the moment the little green man said cross when a car came blowing thru, clearly well after their light had gone red. The council has a plan - dob in the red light runners by phoning 0800 stop4red (0800 786747) with the number plate, colour & make of the vehicle as well as the date & location.
There is a bus lane on the New North road, where sometimes a parking warden operates a camera filming vehicles using the bus lane. He parks his sign written / orange light council car across the road not far from where he operates his camera so anyone coming around the bend can clearly see his car and change lanes in plenty of time. He might as well as well put out a sign "camera". The point is why can't they have a few "unemployed" people operate these types of camera's at intersections and catch the red-light runners, instead of spending $750,000 on a trial using two remote-controlled camera's. When they catch anyone running a red light, fine them $500 !!! They will only do it a couple of times. Surely a human life has to be worth that.

#315. Music

There is a 2 day music event coming up on March 24th & 25th with tickets available from Ticketek. It is the Meltdown Music Festival been held at the Whangarei Museum & Heritage Park. There will be a great line-up of NZ talent as well as dancing, food, arts & crafts and workshops. Someone said to me, what's the point of mentioning events that are happening in & around NZ on my blog ? The point is that people in other countries can at least click on to the site/s and see some of the things that we downunder get up to in our spare time and show them that we "kiwi's" sometimes do let our hair down.

#316. We Are A Nanny State

Last week I mentioned the fact that because Aussie's intend to change to energy-saving lightbulbs, we in NZ are going to do the same. They hope that within 3 years, all households have made the change, whether we like it or not. When Nanny says - you will change, you ask how high do you want us to jump. In other words, you are given no choice in the matter.
Now they want to ban tobacco products been on display in retail outlets, to protect people, especially young people from the attraction of tobacco displays. They want the products kept under the counter, out of sight. The old saying of - out of sight, out of mind ? They seem to think that a ban will work and it will stop people smoking - I don't think so. It seems that tobacco products are more harmful than condoms which are on display in a local service station, right next to the lollies, but maybe they will ban those next. Then lollies, chocolate, chips, soft drinks......!!! Before you know it, we will back in the dark ages, but hopefully our energy saving lightbulbs will see us thru.

#317. Cast-Aways

The BBC's new series of "Castaway" is been filmed at Harataonga Bay on the Great Barrier Island, 15 kms from Claris. The 13 members of the cast range in age from 19 to 65, with the first episode been screened in the UK today. TVNZ will screen the new series but has not deciding on a start date. Even though filming is in progress, they have no right to refuse entry to anyone wanting to visit the area to go for a bush walk, as it is public property. If pushed they will offer a tour of the set and watch filming but only if you sign a confidentiality agreement, but you don't have to do either - take up their offer of a tour or sign anything. You are there to for a bush walk and a bush walk it is. If you happen to come across the set, take some photos and then put them on your blog.

#318. You Are What You Eat.

I was going to mention the food & drink I have had over the past few days, on World Recipes & Foodie Blogs but I have decided to mentioned it here. The point I am trying to make is that you are what you eat. Watch this space for more...............

Sunday
8am - Sausage & Egg Muffin, Hash Brown & cup of tea.(c.o.t)
11am - c.o.t
12.30pm - c.o.t
4pm - Sausage with slice of bread, onion & cheese.

Exercise - I usually walk approx. 1 - 2 hours per day.

That was me for Sunday - no lunch, no dinner. Don't get me wrong - money has no bearing on this. I could of either cooked myself something, (when Granny Smith reads the words "cooked myself something", she will no doubt be up to her usual tricks and rolling around on the floor in laughter because she has always said that I can't cook to save myself ) or went out and brought take-aways for both meals, but I just didn't feel hungry. To me, even though say 12 noon is usually regarded as lunchtime and say 6pm is dinner time, what's the point of sitting down to eat a meal when you don't feel like eating. I was having a look at the Korean Day activies at Aotea Square around 4pm and one of the many food stalls had a sausage sizzle - that was me.

Monday
6am - cup of coffee (c.o.c)
9am - c.o.t, piece of homemade carrot cake with cream cheese icing
12.30pm - c.o.t
3.30pm - c.o.t
5,30pm - scoop of chips, American hot dog, 355ml can soft drink (cost $5)
7pm - ice cream, 207 calories

Tuesday
4am - c.o.c (My usual start time on a Tuesday)
6am - c.o.c
9am - c.o.t
12.30pm - Cheese, cucumber & tomato sandwich, c.o.t
5.30pm - Banana sandwich, 150gram yoghurt (140 calories), c.o.t

Wednesday
6am - c.o.t, 2 pieces toast & spread
10am - c.o.t
12.30pm - Cornish pastie, ham & egg sandwich, c.o.t
3pm - c.o.t
5pm - Banana
7pm - Steak & cheese pie (450 calories)

Thursday
6.30 - c.o.c
10am - c.o.c
12.15 pm - Chicken sandwich, c.o.t
6pm - Steak & cheese pie
7pm - 355ml can of soft drink
I also ate 10 chocolates (total 500 calories) during the day.

Friday
6am - c.o.c
10am - c.o.c
12 - cheese & onion sandwich, c.o.t
3pm - c.o.c
5pm - banana
10 chocolates



#319. Where In The World Is It ?

Where ever it is, it looks like there is a storm brewing.
I have mentioned the blog @ #319 on my blog
21 21 21 Great Blogs To Read

# 320 - # 329

#320. Something Old

Incandescent bulbs have lit up people's life for how many years ? Now they want to change all that and get people to use energy saving bulbs in an effort to help save power and reduce greenhouse gases which is said to be making the world climate change.In an effort to save power, Australia is going to make it mandatory to have all incandescent bulbs replaced with energy saving bulbs. In 3 years time, only energy saving bulbs would be available. If that is what Australia wants to do, let them do it. Why do we have to follow suit ? Another reason why we are a nanny state. The powers-to-be have us over a barrel - you do what we say as you have no choice in the matter.

Update to last week's "Something Old" - In two weeks time, the final vote will be held on the bill currently before Parliament regarding "smacking". If it becomes law, it seems that even telling your child to go to their room or putting them in their room for "time out" may become illegal. The USA gave their smacking bill, the thumbs down - we should do the same. Tell Sue Bradford, where to put her bill !!!

#321. Something New

I am looking at starting a "new blog", which could mean 1 or more of the older blogs been deleted. A NZ organization did a survey which resulted in 20,000 people casting votes for the 101 so called "must do" list of best sights, attractions and adventures in NZ. I would have to say, I agreed with some but not all of the 101, so I will start a blog and make up my own list of "must do" 101 attractions & places, etc around NZ from a krazy maori "if I was a tourist" point of view. There is so much to see & do in our small country, that once you get here you may fall in love and never leave. (In love with our country, that is - not me)

#322. Something Borrowed

While searching thru the blog world for something to borrow, this caught my eye. A bit late for Valentine's Day I know but there's always next year.

I have listed it on Around The World In 80 Blogs under Israel.









#323. Something Blue

I have tried & tried & tried until I'm blue in the face, but no matter what I try to do, nothing happens. I have got tea-tree oil soap, tea-tree oil shampoo as well as tea-tree oil roll-on for under your arms which I have also tried rubbing on my chest, but they just won't grow. What am I on about ? Well, according to the headlines in the paper - "Hold the lavender, tea-tree oils when it comes to washing boys" - tea-tree oil as well as lavender oil based products have been linked to abnormal breast development. It seems it could act in ways similar to the hormone oestrogen. Maybe they could re-package it and sell it especially for females. Either I have to give up believing everything I read or else give lavender oil based products a try. Rub those on my chest. I wish though that many many moons ago, when I was much younger, my mother who gave me a jar of Vicks Vapour Rub and told me to go in my room and rub some on myself, had told me to rub it on my chest. She didn't say where to rub it, so I rubbed it on my b...s !!! Needless to say, I jumped around for a while and the air was a little bit blue with my language (hehe)

#324. Children's Day

Today, Sunday 4th is "National Childrens Day" with events happening around the country.
Hopefully it will also be the day that Sue Bradford see's sense and drops her anti-smacking bill, but I don't think so. Oopp's there goes a pink pig past the window and I think he's heading to the Beehive !!!

#325. Currently Reading

I am reading a book (246 pages) I borrowed from the local library, called The Planter by Owen Genty. It's a fascinating story of his 15 years in Papua New Guinea from the late 1950's, when cannibalism was still practised in some areas and yet life on the plantations of the New Guinea islands was idyllic. Native servants who did most of the work, on the plantations spoke no english - only Pidgin which the planter's family had to learn if they were to get anywhere.
There are several tales in the book, a couple of which are worth mentioning here - one tale was when a servant was asked to pluck a chicken and put it in the fridge. Later they go to the fridge and there's the "plucked" chicken, a bit cold no doubt, but ? The servant wasn't told he had to kill the chicken first, by chopping the head off.
The other "tail" also centres on the fridge, which was an older type powered by kero, where a space of almost a square foot under the fridge offered a nice resting place for the family cat. There was a rabbit / pusi in the fridge which was to be cooked for the evening meal, so the lady of the house spoke to the servant in Pidgin - "kukim pusi i stap long bokis ais". A simple enough request to cook the pusi as the main course for the evening meal. After finishing the main course, the lady of the house remembered she had some berries for dessert. When she opened the fridge to get the berries, there was the pusi. If the pusi was still in the fridge, what was in the stew, they had just eaten ? It turns out that the Pidgin word "pusi" was the same word used for cat, so they had just eaten the family cat which was under the fridge.

Footnote: I will be back to add the ISBN number to this post as well as the name & email address for the publisher in case anyone is interested in purchasing a copy of the book from the publisher. Believe me, it's a book that is worth reading from cover to cover.


#326. Where In The World Is It

It could be anywhere of 101 places - even NZ, but it's here.

It's interesting looking thru blogs for photos to put under this heading but it can be hard sometimes trying to pick the one photo.

#327. Those Energy Saving Bulbs

On the packaging of the so called energy saving bulb is -
Increased weight of the bulb compared with standard bulbs may add to instabilty of some lampshades. It means you may have to end up changing some of your light fittings. Some people's live's will end up been very dim - the 24 bulb chandelier will never be the same again with it's 12 energy saving bulbs. That's if it will take the weight of 12 bulbs.

Not suitable for dimmers. Which means all dimmers would have to be replaced. Will the government pay for the dimmers to be replaced with normal fittings ? They should - it's their bloody idea to change bulbs. Life will never be the same again without dimmers - there will no more mood setting dinners, smooches on the couch or mood-setting flings in the bedrooms.

Please dispose of all lightbulbs responsibly. ??? Hello - all a person can do is put them in their normal household rubbish, which ends up at the dump. The bulbs contain mecurcy so when smashed, are going to release mecurcy into the air. You are talking hundreds of thousands if not millions of bulbs been thrown out in the household rubbish in a few years time not only in NZ, but around the world. Mercury levels will rise

What happens when someone drops a bulb inside their home and mercury is released ? Shall we try dropping a couple and find out ?

#328. Life Will Lose Its Colour

The smallest energy saving bulb I have seen is 20watt which equals a 100watt normal bulb. What about the normal 25watt & 40watt bulbs that people use in table/bedside lamps and in the little room. The smallest energy saving bulb currently available will be too powerful for most lamps and could even end up causing fires. Also whats the point of having a energy saving bulb in the little room - everyone knows where to sit or where to aim. Don't forget to put the seat down !!!
I have only seen "bayonet" fitting bulbs, no "screw-in". Where does that leave a person whose house has screw-in fittings for bulbs ? Up kaka creek without a paddle, because come hell or high water, the government isn't going to pay for all the fittings to be changed over. In other words you are screwed.
What about coloured bulbs that some people like to use for decoration ? The colourful life of a few people will end. There will be no "red light" districts for starters. I remember many moons ago having a selection of coloured bulbs in my room and I changed the bulb to suit the mood. Green, yellow, orange, blue, purple & red. Also in a couple of years time you can wave good-bye to large outoor decorated xmas trees, because there will be no coloured bulbs available to purchase.

#329. A Dollar For A Warship

If you wanted to buy a warship for a dollar, you are too late, it's done, its dusted as well as been steam-cleaned and the $ has been paid. Canterbury, the 3000 tonne Leander-class frigate has been purchased by the Bay Of Islands Canterbury Charitable Trust from the government for one dollar. It has already been dry-docked so the marine pest seasquirt on the hull could be steam-cleaned off and the two bronze propellers removed. One of the propellers will be sold and the other mounted on shore as a memorial to the ship which is the last steam ship in the navy. The ship is been towed north to Opua, where it will be tied up for 6 months to allow salvageable material to be removed and sold for scrap. It will then be towed to Deepwater Cove, Cape Brett where it will be sunk as a diving attraction.

#330 - #339

#330. Something Old

A friend made a comment that NZ is fast becoming a "nanny state" !!! My reply to that was - "Becoming" ??? We already are a bloody nanny state !!!

Currently been debated before NZ parliament is what they are calling the anti-smacking bill / law, which has been organized by member of parliament, Sue Bradford. They want to bring in a law that will make it illegal for parents to smack their children, if they are naughty. How many young children are going to know if the law has been passed or not because how many young children these days do you know of that actually take the time to read a newspaper or sit down in front of the box and watch the news on TV ? If it becomes law, their parents aren't going to say to them, that the govenment in all its wisdom has passed a law that says I cannot smack you, if you are naughty. Children would walk around 10 feet tall saying I'm naughty but you can't smack me because if you do I'll tell on you. The bill if passed into law would repeal Section 59 of the Crimes Act, which gives parents the right to use reasonable force to discipline their children. We have had Section 59 for how many years ? Now they want to change the law and make it illegal to smack your own children. The new bill which has to pass 3 stages, before it becomes law has already passed 2 stages. National MP, Chester Borrows wants an amendment added to the bill that would define using reasonable force. The Maori Party, even believes that repealing Section 59 would be an investment in children living in a violence-free environment. What a load of kaka that is. What planet are they on ? Will the Maori Party then bring in laws that ban - alcohol; booze parties in people's own homes where children are present; ban people using drugs; ban children from playing fighting games on computers, etc; ban children from watching violent movies; ban children from playing / watching rugby or other contact sports, etc etc. How much of that is the cause of violence ? It's 6 of one and half-a-dozen of the other and it certainly isn't going to change things by changing one law, because law or no law - parents are still going to smack their children in their own home if they are naughty. If they are out & about in public, they may have second thoughts about smacking their child, because there is always Mrs Nosey Parker or Mr Goody Two Shoes who will yell out that it is illegal.

People are up in arms because of the new bill and letters against the bill becoming are flooding into newspapers. One of the best ones that tickled my fancy was -

"The bible clearly states, if you spare the rod, you will spoill the child. My children will be disciplied and if necessary will continue to have their rears warmed, if they do not listen regardless of this half-brained idea of Sue Bradford. She is out of her tree.The country has a huge issue with a lack of youth discipline and the lack of corporal punishment has something to do with this, that and the fact that children are so mollycoddled in this country. It is almost as if they are "protected game". Sue Bradford needs a wake-up".

Footnote: This just in from the USA - A Democratic lawmaker has abandoned her campaign to make spanking a crime. Sally Lieber who has no children, attracted nationwide attention after she pledged to introduce an anti-spanking bill to protect children from violence. Her idea was even the subject of a parody on the TV comedy show, Saturday Night Live. Conservative and family value groups lashed out at her proposal, charging that criminalising spanking epitomised overbearing "nanny" government.
I wonder whose idea it was first - Sue or Sally ?

#331. Something New

With it been the Chinese Year of the Pig, new "scratch & sniff" stamps were issued in China to celebrate. When you scratch the front of the stamp, it smells of the popular chinese dish, Sweet & Sour Pork. When you lick the back of the stamp, it tastes like the dish.
Can someone in China who reads this be able to send me a few of the stamps ? Email me and I'll give you my snail mail address, so you can post them to me. In return, I'll send you a few NZ stamps.

#332. Something Borrowed

Talk about playing with your food. When I was younger, many moons ago I used to get a kick up the bum if I ever played with my food. Here's this lady who not only plays with her but takes photos of it as well......... Crystaltips Blog - one of many great photos.
You may need to put your sunglasses on.











#333. Something Blue

When you look at what is on offer these days as far as movies go, is it any wonder there is so much violence & murders not only in NZ but around the world. The powers to be who run the movie houses, wonder why the numbers of bums on seats are down - is it any wonder ???
Just glancing thru the local paper at movies currently showing, most contain one or more of the following warnings -
· Low level violence
· Sexual references
· Medium level violence
· Horror scenes
· Adult themes
· Coarse language
· Sex scenes
· Offensive language
· Nudity
· Violence
· Drug use
· Supernatural themes
Even one of the so called "kids" movies has a warning - "some scenes may scare very young children". I don't know, but it makes you scratch your head and wonder - doesn't it ? And they want to bring in a law to stop parents smaking their children - get off the grass !!!

#334. Currently Reading

Every now & again, I strike it lucky and manage to snag the latest magazines from the local library when they first put them out on the shelves for people to borrow. Sometimes though, I miss out, so when I saw one of my favourite magazines on sale in the bookshop, I thought I would splash out - $6.70 - and purchase it. To me, it seems a waste of money to purchase magazines, especially when you can borrow them for free from the library. Also it seems that as soon as I put the magazine down, it grows legs. The magazine which I spalshed out on which I am currently reading is the maori magazine - MANA. There is always great articles in it, hence a good read from cover to cover and it keeps me quiet for a little while at least.

#335. Bird Of The Year

NZ has a lot of very lovely birds - the feathered kind I am talking about here. We also have a lot of very nice two legged birds without any feathers, of course. NZ's bird of the year for 2006, is the Fantail according to the Forest & Bird's second annual Bird of the Year poll. Second was the Tui; Third was the Kereru, while other placegetters were - 4th, Kakapo; 5th, Tahake; 6th, Kea; 7th Kokako; 8th, Bellbird; 9th, Kiwi; 10th, Pukeko.

#336. Walk The World In A Day

Sunday 25th February - is the annual Auckland International Cultural Festival. This event has normally been held at Potters Park on Dominion Rd, Balmoral but has now been moved to a bigger park, Wesley War Memorial Park, in Mt Roskill. Food, music, arts & crafts and people from over 30 different countries that make up the culture of Auckland. Parking is available (gold coin donation) at the Wesley Intermediate School, 798 Sandringham Rd Ext. For the first time this year, there will also be a seven aside ethnic soccer cup tournament involving 32 teams representing various countries. It will be a great day out for all the family - kick off time is usually around 9am.

#337. Year Of The Pig

Been the Chinese year of the pig, two pigs wearing tailor-made outfits celebrated by tying the knot in a ceremony at a small town in northeastern Taiwan. The bridegroom, an 18kg boar and his bride, an 11kg sow were married in a lavish ceremony presided over by a local magistrate. The couple received blessings from the Father of a Catholic church and around 400 wellwishers. It didn't say where they were going for a honeymoon, but it did say that they will live happily ever after on a farm in Ilan, where the boar was born.

#338. Language Too Hot For Hell

Here in NZ, a pizza chain which I have mentioned before, when I went to "Hell" & back has come under fire for using the words "evil bastards" on a billboard promoting their Hell pizza. The billboard had a picture of USA president George W. Bush and the words "Hell. Too good for some evil bastards" on it. Someone complained about the billboard, but The Advertising Standards Complaints Board, did not find the picture or issues raised by the ad offensive. It was the term "evil bastards" that earn it's censure. I saw another billboard with the USA President on it and a snack bar, with words to the effect - ??? (Once I leave here I will go for a walk to have another look and I'll let you know what it says)

#339. What Earthquake ?

I didn't feel a thing - I was in the inner city area around the time that the earth was said to have moved, not once but twice. The first at 8.24pm measured 4.5 while the second at 9pm measured 3.7 on the richter scale. I reckon that the inner city area would be one of the worst places to be if a really big eathquake stuck because of many multi-storey buildings and all that glass. If you are thinking of moving to live in NZ, because you heard we don't get many eathquakes, think again. GNS Science records 14,000 earthquakes every year in and around NZ, but only about 100 - 150 are big enough to shake our socks. Although Auckland is one of the least prone areas, it has had 35 earrtquakes which rattled more than 3 on the richter scale, since 1830.

I'll be back and so will a couple of others...........

#340 - #349

#340. Something Old

A small group of replica antique gun enthusiasts step out of the 21st century and into a centuries old lifestyle, twice a fortnight in their remote camp site in the Hunua Ranges. For many a passion for replica antique guns has grown into a love of the old-fashioned way of life on their primitive campsite. The Auckland Regional Council owns the land the club uses and permanent structures aren't allowed, so there are no permanent buildings, no running water, no flush toilets and no electricty. The club has a firing range near their campsite and target shooting sessions are held two Sundays per month. New members are welcome.

#341. Something New

The NZ Funeral Directors Association has launched a website to help people to learn more about funerals. Post-mortem examinations; death while overseas; embalming; burial at sea and the role of a coroner are all explained on their website. The website also provides information on personal grief and supporting grieving families.
I haven't had a look yet, but I wonder if they explain about donating your body to science. I'm maori and I don't think it's allowed, but it's my body. Science may learn a few things.

#342. Something Borrowed

Many moons ago, before computers & chat rooms ever came into been, there was what was known as ham radio. It is still around today but computers & chat rooms have taken over the airwaves, but the moral of the story is even way back then.........dreams were free !!!
I borrowed the photo from this blog.




#343. Something Blue

No words needed !!!















#344. Potluck Dinner

I have been thinking if it is worth organzing a potluck buffet dinner for people living in Auckland from different countries. Have each person bring along to the dinner a dish of food native to their country, which they have prepared. My first thought for a contribution would be Pork Bones & Puha as well as Maori Bread to soak up the juices. Apart from my maori contribution, I know of people from Japan, China, Korea & Ghana who would be interested. I also have a inner city venue that would be available. Any more takers ? There would be no charge for those that attended bearing a dish but a cover charge of $10 for those who didn't with the money raised going to a good cause. It could even be a monthly thing and maybe an idea people in other countries could do.

#345. Auckland's Queen St

Millions and millions of ratepayers money is been spent up-grading the streets of Auckland. What's the point ? All it seems to have do is create larger outdoor dining areas for restaurants, etc. As for the paving - you only have to walk along the top end of Karangahape Rd (when the resturants are close) to see what a bloody mess the footpaths are. People walking from one of the top hotels, along K Rd to get to Queen St must think we are a dirty lot. You can't tell me the same thing isn't going to happen to the footpaths when Queen St is finally re-paved, because it's happening already in areas where paving is finished. Also whose ever idea it was to have a mix of both brown pavers & grey pavers needs their head read - they look bloody horrible. Plus, despite what the mayor says and I quote - " Auckland is committed to implementing its strategy to create a world class city", they are never going to rid Queen St of the beggers; the street people or the drunks, despite liquor bans. Sure, they can move them on or try moving them on but they will pop up somewhere else.

#346. Kiwi Kids

During February, March & April lst, Kiwi Kids will compete in the 15th Weet-Bix Kiwi Kids Tryathlon been held in various locations around New Zealand, with 2 dates for Auckland. It's been billed as the world's biggest sporting event for kids, with swimming, running and biking events.

#347. Where In The World Is It

Looking at the photo, it could be rolling hills of any number of places in NZ, but it is ??????















#348 A Blast From The Past

I went looking in the archives and came up this from November 12th, 2005...........

Kia Ora (Hello) Everyone,I asked a few friends what would they prefer - a post of 10, or single posts. Nearly everyone like the post of 10, so here I am again with another 10. I hope you like "colours" - if you don't well just tough tities !!! (hehe) Its my blog birthday - 6 months old - on November 13th. It seems hard to believe that on BLACK FRIDAY 13th of May, I started this blog - my first ever blog in my life. You can send me a "gift" if you like, just as long as she's blond and 6 foot (tall - that is, not 6 foot under) Talking about krazy - you sure you still want to be friends, because the next 6 months are going to be even krazier than the past 6 months. I kid you not !!! Would I lead you up the "garden path" ??? Well, maybe I would but I certainly wouldn't hold your hand, because I don't know if it's clean or where its been !!!
Krazy Kelvin

#349. Golden Oldies & The "S" Word

Every fortnight, the "golden oldies" living in a rest home have a group meeting, where there is always a doctor in the house. The doctor decided to ask the "golden oldies", how often they had sex !!! When he asked how many did it once a night, a couple of hands went up. Once a week - a few more hands. Once a fortnight, a couple of hands. Once a month, a few hands. Finally he asked, how many only did it once a year !!! One hand went up and it was waving all over the place. The doctor said, to him "Pardon my curiosity, but if you only do it, once a year, why are you so excitied". The fella replied - "Tonights the night !!!

These came out of the archives as well............

Drinking makes some people see double and feel single.

Living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween

The trouble with "Bucket Seats", is that not everyone has the same size bucket.

Do you realize that in 50 years time, we'll have thousands of old ladies & men running around with tattoos, pierced belly buttons, and "pierced" ears, as well as pierced other places as well !!!

I'll be back..........