I saw him coming about a kilometer off.
It was a stinking hot afternoon yesterday, the nor-wester was howling over the Canterbury plains making everything uncomfortable and I'd been working hard and long for some time and just wanted some solitude.
The river was the colour of that bloody hot french mustard that usually goes by a (translated) name like “Firehouse”, the wind too strong to wield a fly line and spinning seemed too much like hard work in the heat.
I'd thrown some bait in my fishing truck, gone across to the north side of the river and driven up the beach a few kilometers just to be alone.
The baited line thrown in the water was more for show, the crabs demolishing the bait almost instantly whenever it hit the water but the book was good, the peace wonderful and I carried a flask of iced water for my own comfort.
He was an older man, I'd guess around 70, wandering slowly along the water edge
The tide was rising and I was parked, along with my rod, about 10 metres up the beach. When he reached my line he followed it up to the truck, informed me that it was too hot for him that afternoon, wished me tight lines and immediately started retracing his steps back along the beach.
Fifteen minutes later I looked up and he was still only half way to the next vehicle I could see far in the distance also, I assume, surfcasting.
Never claim fishing is dull.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Hookey
I'm playing hookey today.
Got up, as usual on a Monday morning at three and there was no snow.
Showered then looked outside and the van was covered in cold white crap that was still falling.
Looked again at four, no snow falling so I cleaned the snow off the van and logged in to start work.
Snow started falling heavily again at five, before I'd found any work. It's still falling heavily now.
I've seen Christchurch drivers.
I logged out and have decided to have the day off.
Bloody global warming!
Got up, as usual on a Monday morning at three and there was no snow.
Showered then looked outside and the van was covered in cold white crap that was still falling.
Looked again at four, no snow falling so I cleaned the snow off the van and logged in to start work.
Snow started falling heavily again at five, before I'd found any work. It's still falling heavily now.
I've seen Christchurch drivers.
I logged out and have decided to have the day off.
Bloody global warming!
Old Farts. Why?
What is it about old farts?
More importantly how the bloody hell did they last long enough to become old farts?
I was driving down Worcester Boulevard yesterday lunch time in the sunshine. There was an old fart wandering up the road (the footpath, at least three metres wide, was obviously not wide enough for him) ahead of me.
As I got to within 3 metres of him he changed direction and wandered right across my path.
Having witnessed old farts stupidity before I was prepared for this and braked while the old fart wandered on oblivious to his narrow escape.
This behaviour is common on the streets of Christchurch.
Old farts have become a serious road hazard, wandering into traffic regularly and driving atrociously.
It is not uncommon to see an old fart driving 20 – 25 KPH below the speed limit along busy highways, always looking straight ahead (because they can no longer turn their heads on their necks), often weaving across the lane.
Nor is it uncommon to have old farts stop in front of you in the middle of the road without warning or obvious reason, pull over right or left without signal or slow right down in the middle of the road, signal a turn and then carry on straight ahead regardless of the actions of other traffic.
Pedestrian and driver behaviour of old farts has become far worse over the last year.
I make this point because I am not far away from qualifying as an old fart and I want to avoid becoming this bloody stupid.
I also now need to have answered my original question; How do you last long enough to become an old fart?
More importantly how the bloody hell did they last long enough to become old farts?
I was driving down Worcester Boulevard yesterday lunch time in the sunshine. There was an old fart wandering up the road (the footpath, at least three metres wide, was obviously not wide enough for him) ahead of me.
As I got to within 3 metres of him he changed direction and wandered right across my path.
Having witnessed old farts stupidity before I was prepared for this and braked while the old fart wandered on oblivious to his narrow escape.
This behaviour is common on the streets of Christchurch.
Old farts have become a serious road hazard, wandering into traffic regularly and driving atrociously.
It is not uncommon to see an old fart driving 20 – 25 KPH below the speed limit along busy highways, always looking straight ahead (because they can no longer turn their heads on their necks), often weaving across the lane.
Nor is it uncommon to have old farts stop in front of you in the middle of the road without warning or obvious reason, pull over right or left without signal or slow right down in the middle of the road, signal a turn and then carry on straight ahead regardless of the actions of other traffic.
Pedestrian and driver behaviour of old farts has become far worse over the last year.
I make this point because I am not far away from qualifying as an old fart and I want to avoid becoming this bloody stupid.
I also now need to have answered my original question; How do you last long enough to become an old fart?
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tits out!
Stuff today carries it's once a month wank about public breast feeding, the stopping of.
This time a sheila went into a Timaru cafe to "have a cup of coffee and breast feed her" brat.
Now I'm not a fan of public nudity, mainly because it seldom looks good, but it seldom disturbs me. That reminds me of the old movie saying - If you're making a film about nudist colonies bring your own nudists.
I care not whether a sheila gets her tits out or not, nor whether they're full of milk (or not) but even I can see why the cafe owner asked her to cover up.
If only he'd had the foresight to place in his restaurant a prominent sign stating "ONLY FOOD PREPARED AND SOLD ON THESE PREMISES MAY BE CONSUMED HERE".
This time a sheila went into a Timaru cafe to "have a cup of coffee and breast feed her" brat.
Now I'm not a fan of public nudity, mainly because it seldom looks good, but it seldom disturbs me. That reminds me of the old movie saying - If you're making a film about nudist colonies bring your own nudists.
I care not whether a sheila gets her tits out or not, nor whether they're full of milk (or not) but even I can see why the cafe owner asked her to cover up.
If only he'd had the foresight to place in his restaurant a prominent sign stating "ONLY FOOD PREPARED AND SOLD ON THESE PREMISES MAY BE CONSUMED HERE".
Monday, March 7, 2011
Back to work folks
I'm effing sick of it!
The slime-led whingeing and whining that is.
Yes we had a bloody earthquake – very bloody indeed although it pales in comparrisson to Pakistan or Haiti (among many others) for bloodiness.
Yes people are displaced, distressed and uncomfortable.
Yes many businesses (including, probably, mine) are shagged.
BUT
The world hasn't ended!
People are remarkable creatures and they (we) will overcome these obstacles and come again.
Already people are returning to normal, albeit with a new story to tell and alrteady there seems to be competition to tell the most horriffic story.
I was one of the lucky ones, changing my normal routine and consequently saving my own bacon (and probably my ass) by being nowhere near central Christchurch, Lyttleton (where I'd been until 11:30 that morning) or the Port Hills when calamity struck and so I have to listen to theirs.
That's not what I'm sick of.
This morning's The Press headlines a family who say they are constantly scared. They're not alone for christs sake, the whole bloody province stiffens up when the pre-quake rumble happens. Then we let our breath escape, think “that was a good 'un” or “tiddler that time” or similar and carry on with whatever we were doing.
No news there at all.
Stuff today (and probably The Press) carried a story of how Shirley Boys High was now combined with Papanui High School but did not comment on the good deed by Papanui that saw that possible, did not remark on how, now, Papanui High School will be able to field a competitive rugby team.
No, it whinged about how SBH boys have to travel across to Papanui (Not, incidently, a hell of a long way).
Other news today has been about the City Council attempting to make CHCH safe by “deconstructing” dangerously unstable buildings but being thwarted by the Save Our Dangerous Buildings So They Can Kill Someone Else crowd, led of course by the bloody Red party nutters.
I could understand them if they were protesting about the term “deconstruct” being used instead of demolish but no, they're stopping CHCH people from moving safely because their building is old or, in one case, because they don't know where they can set up again – Green/Red wankers!
Only the stupid bloody slime would side with anyone against getting CHCH safe and working again.
No bloody more! Let's just get on with rebuilding Christchurch, getting people into employment and getting Christchurch's biggest industry, tourism, restarted.
Fuck the slime, fuck the communists, full speed ahead!
The slime-led whingeing and whining that is.
Yes we had a bloody earthquake – very bloody indeed although it pales in comparrisson to Pakistan or Haiti (among many others) for bloodiness.
Yes people are displaced, distressed and uncomfortable.
Yes many businesses (including, probably, mine) are shagged.
BUT
The world hasn't ended!
People are remarkable creatures and they (we) will overcome these obstacles and come again.
Already people are returning to normal, albeit with a new story to tell and alrteady there seems to be competition to tell the most horriffic story.
I was one of the lucky ones, changing my normal routine and consequently saving my own bacon (and probably my ass) by being nowhere near central Christchurch, Lyttleton (where I'd been until 11:30 that morning) or the Port Hills when calamity struck and so I have to listen to theirs.
That's not what I'm sick of.
This morning's The Press headlines a family who say they are constantly scared. They're not alone for christs sake, the whole bloody province stiffens up when the pre-quake rumble happens. Then we let our breath escape, think “that was a good 'un” or “tiddler that time” or similar and carry on with whatever we were doing.
No news there at all.
Stuff today (and probably The Press) carried a story of how Shirley Boys High was now combined with Papanui High School but did not comment on the good deed by Papanui that saw that possible, did not remark on how, now, Papanui High School will be able to field a competitive rugby team.
No, it whinged about how SBH boys have to travel across to Papanui (Not, incidently, a hell of a long way).
Other news today has been about the City Council attempting to make CHCH safe by “deconstructing” dangerously unstable buildings but being thwarted by the Save Our Dangerous Buildings So They Can Kill Someone Else crowd, led of course by the bloody Red party nutters.
I could understand them if they were protesting about the term “deconstruct” being used instead of demolish but no, they're stopping CHCH people from moving safely because their building is old or, in one case, because they don't know where they can set up again – Green/Red wankers!
Only the stupid bloody slime would side with anyone against getting CHCH safe and working again.
No bloody more! Let's just get on with rebuilding Christchurch, getting people into employment and getting Christchurch's biggest industry, tourism, restarted.
Fuck the slime, fuck the communists, full speed ahead!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Stoneage screeching - a question
What is it about bagpipes?
Every official function I've watched over the last few years has had either a lone piper or a full pipe band as part of it.
I've just watched a group of graduating students walk across Christchurch from the Arts Centre to the Town Hall.
They were, of course, led by a bloody piper.
Often at functions, by the time the stoneage wailing and the pipe band (stoneage screeching?) have finished there is no time for the function.
Why in this English based, multicultural society as far from Britain as anyone can get, do function organisers insist on this bloody Scottish torture at every junction?
The noise defies description.
It is a well known fact that after the Royal Navy, the Royal Airforce and the “Paras” had failed to remove the Argentine forces from the Falklands in 1982 a lone piper was installed, with megaphone, on a hill overlooking Port Stanley. (13th of June, 1982 – look it up)
A great tactic.
The Paras withdrew three miles out to sea and those Argies who could not run/swim fast enough surrendered en-masse to the only Pom left on the island, a deaf gunner's mate who was having a slash when the piper started up, and demanded earplugs.
I myself am on record as stating that far from being best when heard emanating from over the water (an oft told falsehood) bagpipes are far better when heard coming from under the water.
The only time I've ever found the bagpipes even partially acceptable was when a group of four young fellows started playing outside the Christchurch Cathedral last week and for a short time their caterwauling drowned out the incessant, tuneless whistling and braying of a blind lunatic who infests this area and pollutes the whole square.
Surely it is time for NZ to stand up and say enough, we want our own “music” to lead the procession.
I suggest a lone Maori guitarist strumming Ten Guitars – which should, if you think about it take care of the stoneage wailing as well.
Every official function I've watched over the last few years has had either a lone piper or a full pipe band as part of it.
I've just watched a group of graduating students walk across Christchurch from the Arts Centre to the Town Hall.
They were, of course, led by a bloody piper.
Often at functions, by the time the stoneage wailing and the pipe band (stoneage screeching?) have finished there is no time for the function.
Why in this English based, multicultural society as far from Britain as anyone can get, do function organisers insist on this bloody Scottish torture at every junction?
The noise defies description.
It is a well known fact that after the Royal Navy, the Royal Airforce and the “Paras” had failed to remove the Argentine forces from the Falklands in 1982 a lone piper was installed, with megaphone, on a hill overlooking Port Stanley. (13th of June, 1982 – look it up)
A great tactic.
The Paras withdrew three miles out to sea and those Argies who could not run/swim fast enough surrendered en-masse to the only Pom left on the island, a deaf gunner's mate who was having a slash when the piper started up, and demanded earplugs.
I myself am on record as stating that far from being best when heard emanating from over the water (an oft told falsehood) bagpipes are far better when heard coming from under the water.
The only time I've ever found the bagpipes even partially acceptable was when a group of four young fellows started playing outside the Christchurch Cathedral last week and for a short time their caterwauling drowned out the incessant, tuneless whistling and braying of a blind lunatic who infests this area and pollutes the whole square.
Surely it is time for NZ to stand up and say enough, we want our own “music” to lead the procession.
I suggest a lone Maori guitarist strumming Ten Guitars – which should, if you think about it take care of the stoneage wailing as well.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Swine flu
Swine flu fever is gripping the world!
Gripping may be the most accurate word here.
In fact it appears that outside of Mexico the new "flu" causes just mild inconvenience and people recover from it easily with zero deaths reported - even among the very young, old etc. who succumb to most "flu" type viruses.
Could this virus be the first overtly racist virus ever detected?
Gripping may be the most accurate word here.
In fact it appears that outside of Mexico the new "flu" causes just mild inconvenience and people recover from it easily with zero deaths reported - even among the very young, old etc. who succumb to most "flu" type viruses.
Could this virus be the first overtly racist virus ever detected?
Saturday, April 25, 2009
new PC
Why, when buying a new PC or upgrading damned near everything in the existing one is a simple, daylong process, not even that expensive anymore does it take weeks to find stuff you already had for the new set-up and why can't I bloody find everything I had?
Friday, April 10, 2009
A new low
Stuff.co.nz on Easter Saturday, 11 April, 2009, has managed something no one thought possible.
It has created a new low in reporting.
A headline on Stuff.co.nz reads "Girl loses limb to out-of-control street racers".
The body of the story, once you get past the pure sensationalist bullshit however states that the girl who was hurt was among a group sitting on the road, drinking just over the brow of a hill and the young male driver, driving a typical young male's car, came over the top of that rise, saw the girl too late, swerved to avoid her, also too late, and ran her over.
The police called to the scene obviously noted the true nature of the incident and let the young man go without charge.
Whether he is charged later makes no difference.
While there is a problem with boy racers the problem is small, most so-called "boy racers" being simply young men and women doing exactly what young men and women have been prone to do since clubs as marital tools went out of fashion, attracting like minded people of the opposite sex for the purpose of mating.
This incident had nothing to do with boys racing and by sensationalising the story with such an ignorant headline just proves how pathetic NZ's media is.
Shame in Stuff.co.nz!
It has created a new low in reporting.
A headline on Stuff.co.nz reads "Girl loses limb to out-of-control street racers".
The body of the story, once you get past the pure sensationalist bullshit however states that the girl who was hurt was among a group sitting on the road, drinking just over the brow of a hill and the young male driver, driving a typical young male's car, came over the top of that rise, saw the girl too late, swerved to avoid her, also too late, and ran her over.
The police called to the scene obviously noted the true nature of the incident and let the young man go without charge.
Whether he is charged later makes no difference.
While there is a problem with boy racers the problem is small, most so-called "boy racers" being simply young men and women doing exactly what young men and women have been prone to do since clubs as marital tools went out of fashion, attracting like minded people of the opposite sex for the purpose of mating.
This incident had nothing to do with boys racing and by sensationalising the story with such an ignorant headline just proves how pathetic NZ's media is.
Shame in Stuff.co.nz!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Teleprompt blog
Obama, the mistake the American people will be paying for for decades continues to make the faux pas his own, the latest being an attack on disabled athletes.
We can reveal that it is in fact the fault of the teleprompter he reads for every occasion.
We can reveal that it is in fact the fault of the teleprompter he reads for every occasion.
What's that again?
This column just needs to be shared if just to remind us that all sportspeople, not just our perennially losing cricketers, are human first, superheros second.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Bloody awful!
I had the misfortune last night to watch some rugby (well I think it was rugby) while eating dinner.
How I managed to keep the food down still surprises me.
What I saw was two groups of players, one group wearing two-tone pink, the other dark blue with yellow and sh*t-brown (after a VERY hard night) highlights.
The fellow who was carried off just as I started to watch looked strangely familiar.
After watching a bit I wondered if he was simply broken-hearted at the play of his compatriots.
I have never seen 31 (32 if you count the carried off fellow)such clueless, direction-less and inept men performing - anywhere - ever.
That TV shows this rubbish in prime time surprises me (although I admit not a lot).
What amazed me though was that a crowd that appeared to be in the high hundreds watched this crap without invading the pitch and showing the pathetic bastards how to f**king do it.
Some were even shown jumping around, cheering (although I suspect this might have been added file footage from some gay mardi gras given the dress and make-up displayed)
In today's world it appears people will watch any old rubbish.
I wonder how long it will be before some bright bastard will come up with a game that is a cross between tippenny runs, baseball and french cricket, pretends it is a true sport and markets it as the new, exciting way forward.
How I managed to keep the food down still surprises me.
What I saw was two groups of players, one group wearing two-tone pink, the other dark blue with yellow and sh*t-brown (after a VERY hard night) highlights.
The fellow who was carried off just as I started to watch looked strangely familiar.
After watching a bit I wondered if he was simply broken-hearted at the play of his compatriots.
I have never seen 31 (32 if you count the carried off fellow)such clueless, direction-less and inept men performing - anywhere - ever.
That TV shows this rubbish in prime time surprises me (although I admit not a lot).
What amazed me though was that a crowd that appeared to be in the high hundreds watched this crap without invading the pitch and showing the pathetic bastards how to f**king do it.
Some were even shown jumping around, cheering (although I suspect this might have been added file footage from some gay mardi gras given the dress and make-up displayed)
In today's world it appears people will watch any old rubbish.
I wonder how long it will be before some bright bastard will come up with a game that is a cross between tippenny runs, baseball and french cricket, pretends it is a true sport and markets it as the new, exciting way forward.
Rudd the illusionist?
I'm not into internal politics of foreign countries but as Australia could drag NZ down with it this column by Paul Sheehan is essential reading.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
No, I don't like it.
The ball looked as big as, well, as a cricket ball looks when your “eye” is in.
I swung the bat and felt that wonderful feeling you only get when sweet spot and ball connect.
It must have been slightly lower than I thought because it travelled fast and straight towards the boundary neither rising nor dipping.
The game was at the Heathcote Domain and a browsing herd of dinosaurs on the maltworks side of the ground looked up somewhat in alarm at the approaching missile.
I had the same (or a similar) experience one time in Mosgiel.
Those were the only two times I remember that I challenged the boundary on the full.
I've watched cricket since I was a young fellow of seven or so and still remember many of the big hits that went for six although not, I admit, as well as I remember the cover drives such as the one John Wright greeted Jeff Thompson's second new ball with at Lancaster Park one year or the two John Edridge placed to the boundary on his way to a multiple hundred against New Zealand.
The sixes I do remember were part of the building of innings of note, Dick Motz' 103 in 53 minutes (8 sixes, 7 fours), Hadlee and Lees fighting back against the Windies again at Lancaster Park in an ODI before pyjamas became the norm, Lance Cairns' six in Oz (MCG?).
I have over the last few days heard myself described as an old fogey, humourless, heartless, with no ability to enjoy myself and many more entertaining and sweet adjectives because I didn't enjoy the tippenny runs game staged the other night at AMI stadium (at Lancaster Park).
I plead guilty to all the above.
Leaving aside the half-wits of the Gifford ilk and T20 converts like BC who demand that all should drop down and kneel at the alter of 20/20 simply because THEY like it (They do need to take a long look at themselves) the game leaves me cold.
I found Wednesday night's game boring.
Perhaps boring is not quite true, unsatisfying would be better.
Cricket to me is a game encompassing many skills, a team game that pits individuals against each other giving both a chance to test themselves as well as the other while playing in a team environment with the challenges, mainly mental, that that brings.
Tippenny runs takes away many of those skills, particularly that of patiently waiting for the opponent to show a weakness and then using all your own skills to exploit the weakness.
Tippenny runs creates that weakness by forcing players to take risks before they are ready, by forcing premeditation.
That however is why I dislike the game not why I found the game unsatisfying.
In Major League baseball at the halftime all-star break they hold a home run derby.
The home run in baseball equates to a six in limited overs cricket – the ultimate shot that takes the fielders out of the equation.
The home run derby is a contrived competition that sees many home runs hit in a day but, and this is important, no-one takes it for more than a contrived competition, a bit of fun.
To me that is what tippenny runs is, a contrived competition for a bit of fun.
If it remains in this context I'm all for the game but to treat it seriously, to make it mean something, to matter, destroys that concept entirely.
And this is why I find the game unsatisfying.
To see sixes struck as part of an innings when the occasion arises is exciting but to see over after over of batsmen attempting nothing else other than to hit sixes, to watch all the other batting skills subjugated is simply not cricket.
Watching Brendan McCullum hit a six to break the shackles of a bowling attack or to win a game or even just because the ball deserves it is exciting and one of the more enjoyable parts of cricket. Watching Brendan McCullum hit a six is not exciting in itself.
Watching ten/jack of the Windies batting order (even just on Cricinfo ball by ball commentary) withstanding the Poms in bad light for ten overs is far more entertaining just because we don't know what will happen.
Yes I know that this tippenny run stuff is THE game of the young, the money spinner but, like sevens football and the S14/tri-series rugby I'm guessing people will soon tire of it simply because it all becomes the same.
Tippenny runs has taken the unpredictability out of cricket.
Cricket, in fact all sport and indeed most entertainment, needs to be unpredictable not just in outcome but, Just like my shots all those years ago, in execution.
Those shots at Heathcote and Mosgiel were both dropped on the boundary.
I never did hit a six in competition cricket.
I swung the bat and felt that wonderful feeling you only get when sweet spot and ball connect.
It must have been slightly lower than I thought because it travelled fast and straight towards the boundary neither rising nor dipping.
The game was at the Heathcote Domain and a browsing herd of dinosaurs on the maltworks side of the ground looked up somewhat in alarm at the approaching missile.
I had the same (or a similar) experience one time in Mosgiel.
Those were the only two times I remember that I challenged the boundary on the full.
I've watched cricket since I was a young fellow of seven or so and still remember many of the big hits that went for six although not, I admit, as well as I remember the cover drives such as the one John Wright greeted Jeff Thompson's second new ball with at Lancaster Park one year or the two John Edridge placed to the boundary on his way to a multiple hundred against New Zealand.
The sixes I do remember were part of the building of innings of note, Dick Motz' 103 in 53 minutes (8 sixes, 7 fours), Hadlee and Lees fighting back against the Windies again at Lancaster Park in an ODI before pyjamas became the norm, Lance Cairns' six in Oz (MCG?).
I have over the last few days heard myself described as an old fogey, humourless, heartless, with no ability to enjoy myself and many more entertaining and sweet adjectives because I didn't enjoy the tippenny runs game staged the other night at AMI stadium (at Lancaster Park).
I plead guilty to all the above.
Leaving aside the half-wits of the Gifford ilk and T20 converts like BC who demand that all should drop down and kneel at the alter of 20/20 simply because THEY like it (They do need to take a long look at themselves) the game leaves me cold.
I found Wednesday night's game boring.
Perhaps boring is not quite true, unsatisfying would be better.
Cricket to me is a game encompassing many skills, a team game that pits individuals against each other giving both a chance to test themselves as well as the other while playing in a team environment with the challenges, mainly mental, that that brings.
Tippenny runs takes away many of those skills, particularly that of patiently waiting for the opponent to show a weakness and then using all your own skills to exploit the weakness.
Tippenny runs creates that weakness by forcing players to take risks before they are ready, by forcing premeditation.
That however is why I dislike the game not why I found the game unsatisfying.
In Major League baseball at the halftime all-star break they hold a home run derby.
The home run in baseball equates to a six in limited overs cricket – the ultimate shot that takes the fielders out of the equation.
The home run derby is a contrived competition that sees many home runs hit in a day but, and this is important, no-one takes it for more than a contrived competition, a bit of fun.
To me that is what tippenny runs is, a contrived competition for a bit of fun.
If it remains in this context I'm all for the game but to treat it seriously, to make it mean something, to matter, destroys that concept entirely.
And this is why I find the game unsatisfying.
To see sixes struck as part of an innings when the occasion arises is exciting but to see over after over of batsmen attempting nothing else other than to hit sixes, to watch all the other batting skills subjugated is simply not cricket.
Watching Brendan McCullum hit a six to break the shackles of a bowling attack or to win a game or even just because the ball deserves it is exciting and one of the more enjoyable parts of cricket. Watching Brendan McCullum hit a six is not exciting in itself.
Watching ten/jack of the Windies batting order (even just on Cricinfo ball by ball commentary) withstanding the Poms in bad light for ten overs is far more entertaining just because we don't know what will happen.
Yes I know that this tippenny run stuff is THE game of the young, the money spinner but, like sevens football and the S14/tri-series rugby I'm guessing people will soon tire of it simply because it all becomes the same.
Tippenny runs has taken the unpredictability out of cricket.
Cricket, in fact all sport and indeed most entertainment, needs to be unpredictable not just in outcome but, Just like my shots all those years ago, in execution.
Those shots at Heathcote and Mosgiel were both dropped on the boundary.
I never did hit a six in competition cricket.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Just having harmless fun.
Last Saturday night a large number (by ChCh standards) of young people (they certainly were not all "boys") drove their cars around Christchurch.
As a professional driver working that night I had ample opportunity to observe these young people and their behaviour.
What I saw was people enjoying themselves, doing pretty much what young people have done since young people existed i.e. doing their best to attract others the same age as themselves for the purpose of mating.
My observations showed that they were generally law abiding and courteous to other road users.
The standard of their driving was as good as, often better than, the standard seen on an average day on Christchurch streets.
As an aside is the fact that these young people are so much better drivers overall the reason so many old farts hate them?
At times the noise levels of these vehicles was too high but that is a complaint young people have been prone to receiving since recording and playing of "music" in vehicles became prevalent - and having sat at traffic lights beside certainly not young people blasting out god-awful "classical" type crap or cowboy-bawling, not something that should be levelled at the young alone.
The slime have, of course (and we all knew they would) highlighted complaints from various groups about these young people's activities.
To the forefront of those complaints appears to be a group of Motelliers who are complaining that these young people were using the roads outside of their establishments for the purposes these roads were built.
It would never cross these motelliers' minds that they themselves are to blame for any disruption their "guests" suffered due to traffic noise, having built or purchased buildings next to a main thoroughfare that do not have sufficient sound/vibration proofing for that location.
It's always someone else's fault.
The vast majority of the young people were doing no wrong.
Let them alone.
Note: The main traffic disruption on Saturday night among these young people was caused by a gang in (more often than not) fancy painted, souped up, large engined cars adorned by pretty but blinding lights and driven by cowboys with no consideration, when driving, stopping or parking, for other, legitimate, road users.
This gang has publicly stated their aim was to harass these (mainly) harmless law-abiding young people.
That harassment by police caused a great deal of disruption for all road users.
Meanwhile the very poor driving, very drunk and very dangerous older drivers around Christchurch found their way to their destination unhindered because the police were busy trying to stop these young people having harmless fun once again.
As a professional driver working that night I had ample opportunity to observe these young people and their behaviour.
What I saw was people enjoying themselves, doing pretty much what young people have done since young people existed i.e. doing their best to attract others the same age as themselves for the purpose of mating.
My observations showed that they were generally law abiding and courteous to other road users.
The standard of their driving was as good as, often better than, the standard seen on an average day on Christchurch streets.
As an aside is the fact that these young people are so much better drivers overall the reason so many old farts hate them?
At times the noise levels of these vehicles was too high but that is a complaint young people have been prone to receiving since recording and playing of "music" in vehicles became prevalent - and having sat at traffic lights beside certainly not young people blasting out god-awful "classical" type crap or cowboy-bawling, not something that should be levelled at the young alone.
The slime have, of course (and we all knew they would) highlighted complaints from various groups about these young people's activities.
To the forefront of those complaints appears to be a group of Motelliers who are complaining that these young people were using the roads outside of their establishments for the purposes these roads were built.
It would never cross these motelliers' minds that they themselves are to blame for any disruption their "guests" suffered due to traffic noise, having built or purchased buildings next to a main thoroughfare that do not have sufficient sound/vibration proofing for that location.
It's always someone else's fault.
The vast majority of the young people were doing no wrong.
Let them alone.
Note: The main traffic disruption on Saturday night among these young people was caused by a gang in (more often than not) fancy painted, souped up, large engined cars adorned by pretty but blinding lights and driven by cowboys with no consideration, when driving, stopping or parking, for other, legitimate, road users.
This gang has publicly stated their aim was to harass these (mainly) harmless law-abiding young people.
That harassment by police caused a great deal of disruption for all road users.
Meanwhile the very poor driving, very drunk and very dangerous older drivers around Christchurch found their way to their destination unhindered because the police were busy trying to stop these young people having harmless fun once again.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Fowl rip-off
Mr Madoff is claiming the record, Mr Stanford is trying to deny his record attempt.
50 Billion USD does seem a large sum but personally I think it pales in comparison.
Think about a ripoff that continues to catch people out.
A ripoff that makes millions for it's authors every day.
Take some rubbish with very little food content that used to be thrown out, cover it with batter, fry it and sell it to the mugs at a premium price.
Working on the conservative figure of 1 billion people who have access to this product, 1 in 1,000 of those people buying the product daily and a very conservative estimate of 1USD clear profit per sale that gives an estimated 365 million dollars.
365 million dollars a day for something that used to be, and still should be, discarded.
Mr Madoff doesn't stand a chance.
Has there ever been a bigger con than chicken wings?
50 Billion USD does seem a large sum but personally I think it pales in comparison.
Think about a ripoff that continues to catch people out.
A ripoff that makes millions for it's authors every day.
Take some rubbish with very little food content that used to be thrown out, cover it with batter, fry it and sell it to the mugs at a premium price.
Working on the conservative figure of 1 billion people who have access to this product, 1 in 1,000 of those people buying the product daily and a very conservative estimate of 1USD clear profit per sale that gives an estimated 365 million dollars.
365 million dollars a day for something that used to be, and still should be, discarded.
Mr Madoff doesn't stand a chance.
Has there ever been a bigger con than chicken wings?
Saturday, February 21, 2009
An answer?
So simple and yet so correct.
An answer to why obesity is becoming such a problem (and to why those of us with plastic teeth tend to run to fat quicker).
An answer to why obesity is becoming such a problem (and to why those of us with plastic teeth tend to run to fat quicker).
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Spend
To save the economy we need to spend, to keep the economy moving.
This is exactly what all these "stimulus packages" are designed to help.
Putting your money under the mattress for a rainy day will hurt rather than help your chances of surviving the recession.
THIS IS the rainy day!
Forget the slime doomsaying and take no note of the halwit the Yanks just, to their cost, elected.
Spend wisely but spend.
This is exactly what all these "stimulus packages" are designed to help.
Putting your money under the mattress for a rainy day will hurt rather than help your chances of surviving the recession.
THIS IS the rainy day!
Forget the slime doomsaying and take no note of the halwit the Yanks just, to their cost, elected.
Spend wisely but spend.
Sport
The Super XIV starts tonight.
What sort of name is that?
The rugby is far from "super" and in the real world we use 14.
For this reason, along with the fact that it is cricket season I'll give the rugby a miss until April at the earliest.
I was pleased to note a recent poll in one of the dailies suggested the majority will do the same.
One thing I must do though, before the season starts is predict a top two placing for the Perth based Force, solely on the basis that rugby writers in both NZ and Oz have rubbished the team.
Meanwhile I hope the fifth Chapple/Hadlee ODI is not washed out tonight.
A result could mean one of two rather inept captains is seen for what they are, which can only be good for cricket.
What sort of name is that?
The rugby is far from "super" and in the real world we use 14.
For this reason, along with the fact that it is cricket season I'll give the rugby a miss until April at the earliest.
I was pleased to note a recent poll in one of the dailies suggested the majority will do the same.
One thing I must do though, before the season starts is predict a top two placing for the Perth based Force, solely on the basis that rugby writers in both NZ and Oz have rubbished the team.
Meanwhile I hope the fifth Chapple/Hadlee ODI is not washed out tonight.
A result could mean one of two rather inept captains is seen for what they are, which can only be good for cricket.
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