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Friday, February 27, 2009

This would- be car thief would embarrass the Aussies of old and Sire himself...



They say Aussie was settled by convicts and their screws. You wouldn't know it by the behaviour of some their descendants. Make a good thief cry out with embarrassment!

Read about this one from Adelaide, South Australia recently.

A bumbling, bungling would be car thief accidently locked himself in the car he was trying to steal!

Police were called to the home of the car's owner and found the excuse for a car thief hiding inside.

Have to have a word with Adelaide's greatest blogger, Sire and see what he thinks of the whole pathetic charade.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

An eerie parallel of two Air NZ crashes...



An eerie parallel of two Air New Zealand plane crashes...



Again the same sound - but thirty years later - eerie parallel of Air NZ crashes...

It was already a tragic coincidence: Two Air New Zealand aircraft crashing on the same November day - but thirty years apart.

Not only that but the last seconds of both aircrews were marked by the same screaming mechanical sound - "Terrain, terrain. Whoop, whoop. Pull up, pull up" - telling them they were about to hit the ground!

On November 28 1978, an Air NZ DC10 flew into the side or Mt Erebus in the Antarctic, killing all 257 passengers and crew onboard. This was New Zealand's worst air disaster that tarnished one of the best international safety records in world aviation at the time.

Thirty years later on Nov 27 in French time but a day later in New Zealand,an Air NZ Airbus A320 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the French coast killing all seven crew, including five New Zealanders.

A most tragic coincidence indeed!

Read more

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Pushing cigarettes onto children in less developed countries...


Recently I watched a documentary on television concerning the efforts of international tobacco companies trying to find alternative markets for their filthy poisonous products by pushing them onto young children in less developed countries. Anti-smoking campaigns have been too successful in recent years in mainly white western countries. Now they want to use candy flavoured cigarettes too. Read below for some facts about smoking:


In May 2001, Dr. Thomas Novotny, assistant surgeon general of the United States, was in Geneva negotiating a global treaty on tobacco control when he got a late-night telephone call from Washington.

William Steiger, then an adviser to Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, ordered Novotny to abandon positions on international tobacco control that had been staked out by US negotiators during the Clinton administration.

At the time, Novotny was formulating with 190 other nations the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) to reverse a big rise in cigarette smoking, especially among young people in less developed countries. The World Health Organization estimates that there will be a billion smoking-related deaths by the end of the 21st century. This is a death rate ten times greater than in the 20th century.

Read more

Monday, February 23, 2009

The World Wide Web - sometimes it doesn't appear so...


The World Wide Web - sometimes it doesn't appear so.

You receive an email offering a service or product. You decide that you would like to sign up for it, you click in and...you receive a comment, "this is not available in your area"(the pacific area). Something to do with US tax laws?

You read about China forcing Yahoo to give up information about a Chinese national who has sent emails, or about a blogger who has some how offended their Government. Privacy? Yahoo cooperates fully with that particular government.

Sometimes the World Wide Web is not realy the World Wide Web.

The World Wide Web should be outside national boundaries, unless it is registered in a particular country and really offends that country's laws on security or treason It should not be manipulated by any particular government.

The World Wide Web is really the World Wide Web or it isn't!

What do you believe?

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Fonterra could be accused of covering up melamine contaminated milk scandal...


While I can sympathise with Fonterra with its problems of association with a joint venture with a Chinese company in the 2008 melamine contaminated milk powder controversey - it paid out $200 million compensation - there is no excuse in helping to cover up the controversey until after the Beijing Olympics.

I wouldn't be proud to be a Kiwi if that was really true. I wonder?

Friday, February 20, 2009

Tiger on the prowl - Pommy hot mix scams Kiwis...


The "Tiger is on the prowl" again, fit and ready to take on the pro golfing world.

Its been 36 weeks since Tiger Woods won the United States Open on just one good leg. He believes his reconstructed left leg is good enough to take on the opposition once again. He stated, "I'm now ready to play again". The rest of the field should take note. He's on his comeback!



Four Englishmen are touring New Zealand scamming naive and unwary householders with so-called cheap hot mix in their trucks for tar-sealing driveways. Some have shelled out between $5,000 and $20,000 in cash cheques for substandard work that has to be later repaired at even greater cost. One local in Upper Hutt coughed up $22,000.

The gang had hired trucks and equipment, and used overseas travellers looking for an extra buck as labourers. NZ police said people are paying out thinking they're getting a bargain.This is a group of professional criminals, and New Zealand is just the latest target on their world tour.

However a local man from Upper Hutt here in the Hutt Valley, was visited by one of the conmen who told him that he had some hot mix left over from a job cocked up by an engineer. The local felt pressurised to accept the deal because it seemed so good. His driveway was resealed, but within a few days it was lifting, crumbling in places and had water seepage under the edges.

But when he saw the poor quality of the work and a bill for $22,000 when he expected about $5,000, he refused to pay and told them the police were after them. They left in a cloud of dust. Kiwis have been warned!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Kiwis getting concerned at new internet laws...


A number of New Zealanders are becoming concerned about the forthcoming Copyright Amendment Act, which allows internet service providers in New Zealand the right to arbitarily cut off users who may only be 'accused' of making an illegal download from the internet.

Around 200 protesters have congregated outside Parliament voicing their opposition to new copyright laws. A 10,000 signature will also be presented to Parliament.


Creative Freedom Foundation spokeswoman Bronwyn Holloway-Smith says the law is pretty vague and could have serious implications for all computer users.

"There's nothing in the law that addresses a situation where there are shared users on a single connection. There's nothing that addresses the fact that one in four computers are infected with viruses that could be downloading and on sending copyright infringing material - without the owner knowing about it."

Bronwyn Holloway-Smith is taking heart at indications the Government may address the problems, but maintains the law must be repealed.

Telecommunications Users Association chief executive Ernie Newman says it is a bad piece of law, trying to protect one group by taking away the rights of another. "The act is inherently unbalanced. It assumes guilt. It gives the party concerned very little or no opportunity to deny that."

Mr Newman says what is frightening is the lack of understanding among businesses about the obligations they will face next week if it comes into effect.

There have not been any suggestion that the law may be amended at this stage.


This new Act would give internet service providers similar powers to Google Adsense who disable internet users accounts without any explanation at all.

Acknowledgements to NZ City.

Internet Service Provider

LATE NEWS: This law is to be reviewed by the NZ Government. Protest action has been successful. I will write and review the situation as it comes to hand.

Peter
























© 2009 New Zealand City Ltd

Monday, February 16, 2009

Bootcamps the rage in New Zealand right now...


It appears the new rightwing National Party Government in New Zealand is pinning its whole social platform on a "bootcamp" approach to dealing with juvenile and youth crime. Not only that the NZ Army has been told it will be running these camps. Army spokesmen have previously indicated they oppose "bootcamps" run by the military.

They would prefer people who want to be involved in such training, not malcontent youths and young criminals. Such bootcamps overseas have had limited success over the years. What you get mainly out the other end are fit and healthy young criminals. At least 80% of these are recidivists within 12 months of leaving the bootcamps. Drug users and pushers would be back on the streets in no time at all.

You can't condemn such born again social reformists that exist in this new administration. Society has no option but to support the new government's policy. The told you so's can come later.

The government claims there will be an ongoing program after the bootcamps are completed. They aim to put the worst forty young criminals in the camps initially, followed by others of varying degrees of anti-social behaviour. A big job I would suggest!

Bootcamps are actually the ambulances at the bottom of the cliff. The real and most important work should occur years before. When young people become regular truants from school at the age of eleven or twelve you know where the problems are: They are the ones that social reformers should be concentrating on. They are the ones displaying a lack of discipline in their lives, are becoming rebellious at home and school. They are the ones in danger of going completely off the rails and becoming candidates for bootcamps a few years down the track.They are the ones the government should concentrate on first; that should be their first priority!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Super 14 rugby season under way this weekend...


The southern hemisphere SANZA professional Super 14 rugby season commenced last evening and this morning NZ time.

The five NZ and four Australian franchises played off against each other, while the South Africans did the same back in the republic.

The seven times champions Crusaders from the top of the South Island and Canterbury narrowly but decisive beat the Chiefs from the Waikato and Bay of Plenty area. Anew coach in Todd Blackadder for the champs; long time coach Robbie deans now coaches the Australian Wallabies test side.

The Brumbies from ACT won a close encounter with the southern men of Otago/Southland. The Waratahs from NSW dealt to the central Hurricanes, and the northern Blues finished off the West Australian Force in Perth.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Kiwi firefighters leave for Victoria in Aussie...


The first contingent of 42 Kiwi firefighters leave today(NZ time) for Victoria in Australia to rest those Australians still fighting fires there. Others will be sent later when coordinators decide just where they should be sent to.

Over a million dollars in aid to Victorians has been raised already, including a half million NZ Government contribution. The NZ Red Cross has been responsible for organising public contributions through a number of local banks. State bank, Kiwibank, has also started an account for fundraising through its nationwide branches also.

The spirit of Anzac is still alive and it is fantastic. Aussies are not just our neighbours but cousins and in many cases close family members to New Zealand families here.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Egg myth has finally been cracked...


Egg myth has finally been cracked...

First published at Qassia:

Well that egg myth has finally been cracked! A UK study has found the very popular "egg in the house is a meal in the house" food item is not linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

These findings rebut years of international warnings about the dangers of eating too many eggs.

The two UK scientists responsible for the study say eggs have virtually no effect on chlolestrol levels. Most people can eat as many eggs as they like.

Many health authorities have previously stated that three eggs a week is the maximum number that could be eaten.

Read

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Kiwi Riverman lays it on the line today and challenges a reply to his messages to Google Adsense....


Kiwi Riverman lays it on the line today - informs the "blogesphere" about Google Adsense's disgraceful disabling of the Kiwi Riverman account. It was a pretty arrogant disregard for natural justice and boy he laid it on the line today!

There is also an invitation to any member of Google Adsense management or somebody close to them to make a comment at the bottom of today's post.

Kiwi Riverman challenges a reply to his messages to Google Adsense - a denial of natural justice says KR.

Read

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Not such a great birthday result at the Wellington Sevens party...


Not such a great result at the Wellington Sevens rugby party for the host team.

The spectators performed admirably in their variety of dress-ups and dress-downs. It was an exciting and colourful display in the stands. Wellington has always had a great party atmosphere in the ten years the New Zealand Sevens tournament has been played at Westpac Stadium in Wellington City.

On the field there were many upsets during the opening day, including the Welsh defeat of NZ in the opening game. The Kiwis were pretty underwhelming in that game, showing an unprecedented lack of self discipline. Fiji and season competition leaders, South Africa were also beaten by lesser teams.

New Zealand beat South Africa narrowly in the quarter finals and Argentina in the semis.

In the finals New Zealand had England on the ropes but couldn't finish them off. England scored in the final seconds to deny New Zealand their seemingly inevitable victory. A number of injured players didn't help the Kiwis cause, including skipper DJ Forbes playing the final with stress fractures in his leg with the aid of pain killers. But sport is about the players who make it onto the field, not those who could have or may have! Congratulations to England for their second half performance.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Hutt's thoughts for today...


Hutt's thought's for today...

Tomorrow, FEB 6 is Waitangi Day here in New Zealand. It is supposedly our National Day, but there has been so much division at the Waitangi Treaty site's marae that many non-Maori are beginning to consider an alternative date. Radical Maori who have insulted the former prime minister, Helen Clark, and former National Party leader, Don Brash, there, have given moderate and respectful Maori a bad name as well. Helen Clark decided to go to other marae around the country to commemorate Waitangi Day. We will see what happens tomorrow?


Have some sympathy for the lone young piper in Dunedin who has been told where to stick his pipe because he is making too much noise for some residents. The exhausts of boy-racers cars make more noise, some claim! What anti-Scottish treatment in the Edinburgh of the south. He could get his bag-pipes confiscated and even fined if he plays within the next 72 hours. No sympathy from the Chinese mayor of Dunedin either. Still hard days for the Scots!


Spare a thought for the Aussies whose heatwaves have drifted over the Tasman Sea in recent weeks - apparently the heat emanates from the Indian Ocean and will become a permanent occurrence. Something to do with climate change. Hot times ahead for the Aussies!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Hutt's Blogesphere - A new voice in the Kiwiriverman team of blogs......


This is a new voice in the Kiwiriverman team of blogs.

This is my niche - my personal opinions and viewpoints. I hope you will visit often and make positive comments.

I am based in the City of Lower Hutt, in the Hutt Valley a few miles from Wellington City, the capital of New Zealand.

I will post about almost anything that happens to interest me or grip my interest on any particular day.

Kiaora