Two children, different result

http://www.casadozezinho.org.br/ (In Portugese)

Jeremy Clarkson's great Volkswagen Advert

In case you missed Top Gear last night, here is Jeremy Clarkson trying to find a way to emphasis the Volkswagen Scirocco Deisel's fuel economy in a new advert:

Big Splash Naenae

One of the great things I've found in my role on the North East Community Committee is the enthuiasm amongst local groups and the pride they have in their local areas.

As an example, the last two years about 50 or so volunteers have turned out to repaint the Naenae Shopping Centre. Last year I couldn't help (It was on polling day, so I had already committed to helping a friend) but this year I was there at 8am for a four hour shift. I managed to paint half the frontage of the Coin Save with an exchange student from Greenland, then do most of the trim work on the Curry Time Takeaways by the Library.

Anyway, here is me when I just turned up in the morning, before I got paint all over me:


And courtesy of www.huttnz.co.nz is some of the volunteers in action:


No doubt there will be a third paintathon next year - make sure you turn up!

Bikoi

I went along to the Bikoi today and talked to a couple of people. I asked them if they felt they were subsidising the drunks, the risky riders, and the incompetent drivers. They both felt it was unfair for them to have to pay for other peoples' mistakes in riding when they didn't cause a burden on ACC.

So I asked them if they thought paying based on individual risk would be a better system. One agreed and knew exactly what I meant, the other (who I discovered worked for the Rail and Maritime Union) said it was a social cost, so should be born by all society. He tried to argue he subsidised me in my Rugby playing days, tp which I said I would be happy to releive him of that burden.

When Phil Goff spoke, he immediately said that ACC was never intended to be a user pays system.

Herein lies the problem - just who is going to pay for ACC costs if users are not. Thanks to the largess of the previous Government, there is no money left from general taxation to pay for it. Labour wouldn't cut any other services, and the money has to come from somewhere.

Where Phil?

Why Soccer Fans in New Zealand don't get it ...

Rory Falloon reckons Soccer (no, I'm not calling it by the F word) doesn't get a fair go in the media. "We just want a decent chance to be in the headlines."

If there is one thing that this week has proven, you have a decent chance to be in the headlines. In fact, you've dominated them to the point that the Rugby Test in Italy was hidden in the middle of the sports section on Friday, while Soccer got a front page wrap-around and almost all the sports section of the Dominion Post.

And they certainly didn't lack coverage during the build-up and during the Confederations Cup earlier this year.

But last nights match was the first game for the All Whites in New Zealand since last year. And the matches last year were mainly against other Oceania teams and were not exactly packed full of well-known players.

If Soccer officials in New Zealand want to be taken seriously, then they now need to put together a decent programme of home and away matches for the All Whites. Regular matches against mid-level European, African, Asian and American teams would get the crowds in. Matches against British club sides would also be good.

Last nights win is the best oppurtunity for soccer officials to attract these teams to New Zealand, and to get invitations to games overseas. If officials don't grab this oppurtunity, then they can't complain about the coverage other sports get if they're having meaningful matches against strong competition.

We're the All Whites, and We're Marching off to SA.

We're the All Whites and we're marching off to Spain
We'll score goals goals goals
And we'll score some more again
We're New Zealand let's put soccer on our map
So come on all New Zealanders let's sing and shout and clap

Kiwis clapclap clapclapclap
All Whites clapclap clapclapclap

We're New Zealand let's put soccer on our map
So come on all New Zealanders let's sing and shout and clap

Kiwis clapclap clapclapclap
All Whites clapclap clapclapclap

When you believe your own proproganda ...

I've been following the ACC debate with some interest - and the debate boils down to should ACC be pay as you go, or fully funded? There are some questions about whether the liability should have been disclosed in the Pre-election financial update, and whether having competition for employers insurance is acceptable, but it's not a wholesale idelogical debate.

What I find odd is the shrillness of Labour MPs in the debate. Over on Red Alert, the Labour MPs blog, are the following statements:

"I suspect the National government are secretly quite happy that people are getting angry about ACC. They’ll then use that anger to justify their privatisation agenda." - Chris Hipkins.

"The National Party wants to privatise ACC. It is the favour their funders want in return for the huge money poured into their campaigns. Only they haven’t been honest enough to admit it." - Damien O'Connor.

"It suits his purpose of demonising ACC so that New Zealanders are worn down by the propaganda and seek a solution - his [Nick Smith]" - Maryan Street.

I'm someone who dismisses conspiracy theories - and the privitisation of ACC is clearly a conspiracy theory. Instead of arguing that a pay as you go model plus some extra to partially fund future costs should be implemented, Labour seem to be making points that are not relevant to the debate - and not believable by the average member of the public.

And until they start to tune in, they'll continue to slump in opionion polls.

One skin, two skin, three skin, four ...

No children were harmed in the making of this video - it actually was for the BBC Christmas Party and not intended for public consumption.

After all that ...

.. those Aussies, who stole our favourite bands:

Dragon in the 70s
Split Enz in the 80s and
Crowded House in the 90s

Are now trying to tell us Ladyhawke is not Australian!

Here's the deal - you guys got Russell Crowe, we keep all the good ones.

If the coaches learn ...

What an impressive display by the All Blacks last night, and a win that derserves credit going to the players, but also the coaches.

It may have taken the debacle against the Springboks to make them realise that time was up for several players, but the changes they made were inspirational. One only hopes that last week was the last ever test for Stephen Donald. And that players who are there on past deeds only are told to go play in Europe.