Okay the weather is packing in for the weekend so if I want to go skiing I must do it tomorrow.

That means a 4am start to my day.

It is currently 9.15pm and I still have to complete packing, take a shower, load the car, and go to bed. So long Auckland, the Internet, and work for at least the next week and a half. I don’t even have a date that I will be back. It is so great!

3News are currently using the tag line “He doesn’t just read the news. He gets it.” So I came up with one for myself when I was on the news earlier in the year. (Sorry for the poor colour, it was done onto old VHS tape and then into the computer)

Update: And here is the video

From Kiwiblog: http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/07/world_internet_project.html

Those who like facts and figures will have no end of them in the NZ report as part of the World Internet Project. It is probably the most comprehensive study of NZer’s use of the Internet. Some interesting stats:

• 79% of NZers use the Internet
• 15% of users are online for over 20 hours a week (half a fulltime job)
• 66% of users have broadband
• 71% of users say the Internet is an important source of information, compared to 52% for newspapers and television
• 10% of NZ Internet users have a blog (this is a very high figure internationally)
• 28% of users use Facebook or other social networking sites
• 25% of users have made friends with someone online and half of those have gone on to meet them in person
• 15% seek info about political parties or MPs online
• 43% support Government funding to enable wider Internet access while 34% oppose it
• Almost 80% of teenagers visit social networking sites, and 40% of those in their 30s do so.
• Over 30% of Asian users have a blog, compared to under 10% for Pakeha and around 3% for Maori
• Around 20% of those in their teen or 20s have a blog, and slightly more females than males
• The more you earn the less likely you are to blog

I am glad I live in NZ and not Australia.

Yesterday I went to work as usual.

About halfway through the day I felt something move in my shoe.

I assumed a rock had probably got inside it.

I took my shoe off to shake the “rock” out.

Out pops an Avondale Spider. Nice and black and about and inch and a half in size.

Fun! I’m glad there were no girls around.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avondale_spider

Sample photo after jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

I got it!

1 hour 30 minutes before it’s official release date. The new album is up for download off itunes. Currently onto the third song. The opening song is odd kinda like some weird African based tune. Tracks two and three are the new singles.

This is the most anticipated album I have had in a while… Looking forward to the rest of it. Yeah!

It seems to me that every major political party in New Zealand tries to be moderate and just when you think it is safe to vote for them they suddenly release extremist policy to scare you off.

Going from left to right:

Greens. The Greens have a fantastic education policy and vision. But some of their social and financial policies go a little bit to far. People need to wake up and realise that anything and everything that we do will hurt the world in someway. It is chaos theory. We need trucks to transport goods we can’t use bikes for everything!

Progressive. Again great education policy. Student allowances for all! Yes! Although you can’t spend that money on alcohol as they want to outlaw it and don’t go even talking about herbal highs because unlike the Greens they may be a little to natural for you.

Labour. Not to left. Not to right. Except when it comes to tax and social welfare (see below). I earned my money why are you taking so much of it and redistributing it. This is not Robin Hood country is it?

Maori. Probably the best small party. But why do we have to segregate based on race?

New Zealand First. The party I am probably the closet in my views to. Except on singling out minority groups. I think New Zealand needs skilled migrants regardless of race. It is not just Asians flooding in.

National. Again just like Labour. Not to Left. Not to Right. However they want to introduce voluntary students’ association membership. No! You cannot pay nothing for services and still expect services.

Act. Freedom! Yes. Although having to pay through the nose for everything because you go from too much control to no control is a bit of big problem. Oh and Roger Douglas. I loved Cullen’s comment “Just when you thought it was safe to vote for National like something out of a B Grade horror comes Roger Douglas.” Fantastic way to take the country backwards 20 years.

This aired on Campbell Live the other night. I managed to achieve 15/15 how well can you do?

1. Which colours are represented on the NZ flag?
a. black and white
b. red, black and yellow
c. blue, red and white
d. green and gold

2. Which symbol is represented on the NZ flag?
a. Silver Fern
b. Kiwi
c. Southern Cross
d. All Blacks

3. Which is a popular sport in NZ?
a. table tennis
b. water polo
c. rugby
d. ice hockey

4. The capital of NZ is?
a. Auckland
b. Hamilton
c. Wellington
d. Christchurch

5. Which 2 figures are on the NZ Coat of Arms?
a. A kiwi and the silver fern
b. A Maori chieftain and a European woman
c. Captain Cook and Abel Tasman
d. The Queen and a Maori Woman

6. Who is the head of state?
a. Prime Minister Helen Clark
b. Queen Elizabeth II
c. Governor General Anand Satyanand
d. Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon

7. Who was the first Prime Minister of NZ?
a. Michael Joseph Savage
b. Sir Keith Holyoake
c. Henry Sewell
d. Sir Robert Muldoon

8. What song is NZ’s national anthem
a. God Save the Queen
b. Star Spangled Banner
c. God Defend New Zealand
d. Pokarekareana

9. Which main political party is in power?
a. National Party
b. Labour Party
c. New Zealand First
d. Green Party

10. What does Anzac Day commemorate?
a. The Gallipoli landing
b. Armistice Day
c. The battle of the Somme
d. Victory in the Pacific

11. Who was the first European to sight NZ?
a. Captain James Cook
b. Abel Tasman
c. Young Nick
d. Captain Bligh

12. NZ soldiers fought in which war?
a. World War 1 and World War 2
b. Korean War
c. Vietnam War
d. All of the above

13. Which year was the Treaty of Waitangi signed?
a. 1840
b. 1850
c. 1890
d. 1901

14. Which is New Zealand’s highest mountain?
a. Mt Ruapehu
b. Mt Taranaki / Mt Egmont
c. Aoraki Mt Cook
d. Mt Tasman

15. Maori have lived in NZ for?
a. over 20,000 years
b. over 500 years
c. less than 500 years
d. less than 100 years

Answers:
1 c, 2 c, 3 c, 4 c, 5 b, 6 b, 7 c, 8 c (or a), 9 b, 10 a, 11 b, 12 d, 13 a, 14 c, 15 b