Merry Christmas

Okay - present run down:

Book Vouchers, Socks and Undies: Got a good supply of all three. Amazingly, I actually enjoy getting socks and undies!

Books:

I Know You Got Soul, by Jeremy Clarkson. A discussion of machinery that has the X-Factor that make grown men feel like boys - like a Rolls Royce, the Concorde and the Millennium Falcon. The Falcon? You can almost here Clarkson talking:

"Every nine year old knows that in a fight between Superman, James Bond and the Terminator, James Bond would win. Well it's the same story in Star Wars. In a fight between the Enterprise, Stingray, Thunderbird 2 and the Millennium Falcon the Falcon would reign supreme. It just would. The End."

Lonely Planet Eastern European Guide. Chaucey says I have to go now. Aside from having no money and no leave, I can't see any problems with that.

Not a bad haul!

Spring Clean

With so many bloggers closing down, or no posts for such a long time, I've cleaned up my blog roll.

Amongst the additions is Lindsay Mitchell from Eastbourne. She has been a passionate campaigner for Welfare Reform for many years and earlier this year was a candidate in the Hutt South Electorate. Highly recommended!

I've also added a link to Tony Alexander's (free) weekly commentary - worth having a read to see what the economic signals are.

And I've also placed a link at the top where you can email me at work if you have any banking needs - credit cards, home loans, insurance, investments, etc. I can arrange for a BNZ specialist in any of these areas to contact you.

Good News at TVNZ

Retiring ANZ National CEO Sir John Anderson has been appointed chairman of TVNZ. This is good news for TVNZ - an appointment based on merit, not patronage.

Over the past 15 years at National Bank and ANZ National, Sir John built up a loyal staff that were proud to work for him. They delivered him the best bank in New Zealand.

Sir John is also passionate about Cricket. His work at the ICC modernised the way cricket tours are organised - so instead of smaller nations begging for tours from heavyweights like India, Pakistan, England and Australia - they are now rotated throughout the world regularly to encourage development.

Also, the political angle works well for Labour - Sir John was appointed to several commissions by National in the 1990s- his Knighthood was reward for his involvement.

Now all TVNZ needs is a solid CEO and they will be on the way to sorting out many of their problems.

Turkey Day

Go on, celebrate - it's Turkey Day.

Politician of the Year 2006

What, are you kidding?

John Tamihere Enough said.

Jim Anderton Is so irrelevant he lost his only Parliamentary colleague.

Nandor Tanczos Seen as more of a liabilioty he was dropped down the list by his party.

Rodney Hide From leading 8 MPs he now leads 1. Is he Parliament's next Jim Anderton? Or will he work a miracle in 2008?

Trevor Mallard This one's personal - if he doesn't want me as a constituent then he'd better resign as Hutt South MP. Apart from that, his NCEA is widely ridiculed, his school closure programme helped cost Jim Sutton his seat, and he presided over several scandals in tertiary education. Now in charge of Economic Development - a sure sign that a recession is coming.

Mike Williams If Labour had lost then they can blame just one man - Williams.

Runners-up:

Bill English Gave Trevor Mallard such a hard time in education he has been shifted out of the portfolio. Exposed problem after problem in Education - be it at secondary or tertiary level. Now giving David Benson-Pope a hard time.

Don Brash Kept the National Party momentum going and set the political agenda for most of the year. Points off for niavely thinking that the Exclusive Bretheren would be either under the radar, or a minor problem if exposed. Bonus points for having Judy Kirk and Steven Joyce on his side.

David Parker Not a unionist, or a teacher. His star is on the rise in Labour for a reason. Could find himself in charge of a major portfolio in 2008 - but probably from the opposition benches.

Judith Collins Ask Lilanne Dalziel and David Benson-Pope what they think of her. If two Ministers despise her that much she must be doing something right.

John Key Scored some good hits in the election. Now touted as a replacement for Don Brash, he has many Brash like qualities. Except he's younger, not saddled with Brash's baggage from the Reserve Bank and going up in the preferred PM stakes.

But the Winner is:

Helen Clark Kept hinting at an early election forcing the opposition to start campaigning early. Kept her cool when she was behind in the polls and held her nerve during the campaign. Not as assured as Helen Clark of 2000 and 2002, but still head and shoulders above anyone else.

It's that time of year ....

Where some people go on holiday and others just don't bother doing any work.


http://www.rit.edu/~smo4215/flash/

King Kong vs Harry Potter vs Narnia

Got to see King Kong last night - was bloody good. The three T-Rexes vs Kong battle had you on the edge of your seat the whole way through (every time you thought Naomi Watts was safe another T-Rex popped up)

So, the three 'blockbusters' out this month get the following rankings:

Kong - is the King. If you only see one of the three, this is the one.
HP4 - Excellent movie, full of thrills.
Narnia - Bland and safe. Save yourself $15 and go to the library and read the book.

Chickens coming home to roost

The CTU calls for tax cuts and the EMPU are out on the streets encouraging everyone to write to Labour Minister Michael Cullen to pressure him into keeping Air New Zealand's Engineering services open in Auckland.

Sounds like the Unions are not very happy with Labour.

Now just three months ago these guys told us to vote for ...

The Death Penalty

Four time convicted murderer and Los Angeles 'Crips' Gang Founder Stanley "Tookie" Williams is getting a chance at clemency from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger - this is not normally considered for other death row inmates. Williams is getting this chance because he has used his twenty five years on death row to change his life and preach to others to stay away from gangs.

Williams is fortunate that he has captured enough attention to become a cause celebre. But every day nameless people are executed - do they deserve to die more that Williams?

Now, let me get this straight - if Williams is saved from an unjust punishment then I'm for it. But then all the campaigners and celebrities in Hollywood then need to fight just as hard for every person on Death Row in the US. And China. And the rest of the world. Maybe then we can start to get rid of the unjust Death Penalty throughout the world.

There can be no justification for delibriately killing another person - I know I couldn't pull the lever to release the gallows, or pour the cyanide into the gas chamber, or pull thr trigger, or stick a needle with seditives and poisons into a living person, knowing that action would end their life.

Something else to get straight is that convicted murderers go to jail - for life. I'm encouraged by British Moors Murderer Ian Brady is so tired of prison life that he wants to die - but is prevented from it. It gets close to the anguish that is caused to the families and friends of his victims.

Narnia part 1: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Last night I got to see a preview showing (Thanks Visa) of "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe". As a fan, and remembering a cartoon version from when I was a child I was satisfied by the new version, but wasn't overawed. As a comparison of a childrens book transferred to the big screen, Harry Potter 4 was much more enjoyable.

There were times when the digital effects looked less than convincing, and at times the soundtrack sounded wobbly (although that could have been the theatre.)

I left the film feeling that the actors and the action were all okay, but in no way was I enthused by it all. I would be interested to hear the reaction of someone not familiar with the story.

Nobel Prize for Communism

Harold Pinter accepted his Nobel Prize yesterday for his lifetime achievement in Literture. He used the oppurtunity not to reflect on his works and lifetime but to launch into American Foreign Policy over the past 50 years and especially condemn the invasion of Iraq.

But is Pinter really a saint able to preach to the world about the correct order?

He is a supporter of the Cuban Solidarity Campaign and the International Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic.

He supports two of the worst tyrants of the past 50 years.

He demands that a man charged with two counts of Genocide by the UN, who oversaw the worst atrocities in Europe since the end of the Second World War, should be free. If he had his way Milosevic would still be in power in Yugoslavia along with his Generals.

And he also supports Fidel Castro's dictatorship in Cuba where tens of thousands of politcal opponents have been reported murdered during Castro's leadership. Those labelled 'counter-revolutionaries' are imprisoned without trial or in some cases summarily executed.

If there is anyone to condemn it should be Pinter.

Buy this weeks NZ Womans Weekly

The one with "Nicole Kidman engaged and pregnant to Kiwi Bady Boy"

Turn to page 40 and see Chaucey and me.

UPDATE: It's the one with Nicole on the cover ;-)


Here's what you're looking for:


The caption is: "Politics can't divide this happy pair. Chaucey McLachlan and Michael Ellis became pals after meeting at a political function. Friendship turned to love, and before long, the Wellington duo elected to get married."

Special Olympics National Games

This weekend I was away at the SO National Games in Christchurch.

There I saw as intense a football match as any - Wellington vs Manawatu, the ball was constantly run from end to end, and the tight result kept everyone holding their breath. Plenty of shots on goal, some luck going the Goalies way at times, others were moments of brilliance. Manawatu won 1-0 thanks to a breakaway goal from Aron Rastrick just before half time. Adding a little spice is that Aron used to play for Wellington until a year ago.

I also saw some other friends at swimming, Ten Pin Bowling and at the closing ceremony. (And in the bar after the closing ceremony.)

I also got to see my Aunt Bernadette, who is looking well. We went to church this morning together at the Christchurch Cathedral where the mass was sung by a choir accompanied by a small orchestra and the church organ.