New Wosersland

This country is full of busy bodies and everyone stands by while this goes on. The Speedway issue in Auckland is just another example of how pathetic NZ society has become. And shame on all those who allow this kind of pettiness to continue.

And to the guy across the road who complained about our open fire, just wait till we get the permit, I got some tyres that need disposing.

Good

NZ soldiers kill the bad guys, Good. NZ soldiers get acknowledged for killing the bad guys, Good

Was that weird

Was Judy Bailey reading the headline news story about herself last night the weirdest piece of TV you have ever seen?

Until then

For those who are making a difference

Last orders called

11 December 2007

Drinkers in Wellington bars ordered their final round Thursday night with minimal protest.

At the stroke of midnight, the Alcohol safety Amendment Act 2006 came into force, banning the consumption of alcohol in restaurants, bars, casinos and sports clubs.

Although the new legislation had been lambasted by most of New Zealand Society, most bars put on a brave face as the bell for last orders rang for the last time.

A group of seven punters sharing a large bottle spirits at the Lounge Bar launched a small protest, simultaneously doing a line of shooters at midnight. But with Ministry of Health and City council officials supported by the police in attendance bar staff encouraged them to go home.

At Happy Go Lucky Bar in Cuba Mall, it wasn't the drinkers protesting - it was the bar.

Owner Sheldon Middleton said he disagreed with the new law and thought that the government had finally gone too far, so drinkers were allowed to drink until the bar was forced to close by police.

"It was a sad night, you can tell people don’t agree with the law but seem paralyzed to fight it" said Mr. Middleton yesterday.

In Auckland, Don Sing - the boss of Auckland strip club GoGo’s – handed out free beers from the back of his car.

Mr. Sing, a recovering alcoholic, thought alcohol consumption was a matter of “personal choice". Mr. Sing went on to say that his business will probably not last another month. The “valuable Asian businessman” clientele would no longer patronize strip clubs preferring for private functions run by gangs.

Mr. Sing feared for his girls, as there already had been reports of strippers taking drugs and physical abuse during such events. “The government has sent fun underground” Mr. Sing added.

Many bars have expressed Mr. Sing’s concerns that the ban will drive them out business. One Wellington bar owner who did not want to be named said “There’s no money in coffee and cake.”

At Wellington bar Handles yesterday, bar worker Jo Pearson said that though patrons didn't need to be reminded that it was last drinks, many of the regulars had not shown up for their usual in protest and disgust.

In Queenstown, New Zealand’s premier tourist destination, revelers thrown on the streets at midnight began to smash windows of nearby shops and restaurants. Mike Kendall a British backpacker was slightly bemused by the whole experience “This is just like back home in London, except I don’t have to catch the tube!” referring to the 11pm closing of pubs in England's capital. Mr. Kendall said he had one more day in New Zealand and looked forward to getting to Sydney for a fosters. He said he would think twice about recommending New Zealand to his friends as a place to go. “I can’t believe it” Mr. Kendall added, “You can’t even have a smoke anywhere.”

Tourism minister, and prime supporter of the bill Ron Chadwick, said that the cost to New Zealand society of alcohol had become too great and curtailing the ability to purchase alcohol except for use at home was long overdue.

Mr. Chadwick believed the move would encourage more families to venture out at night. "In five years time we will look back and think why did we ever need a drink?"

Mr. Chadwick said the aim of the act was health-focused.

"Alcohol doesn’t only affect those who drink it but those who drive on our roads and suffer abuse at the hands of the drinker”

Based loosely : Remember where you read this first!

A name change

Every morning a friend and I have a morning meeting. Increasingly topics of conversation swing to politics unfortunately we both leave to go to our respective offices mad and pissed of. On Thursday my friend commented, “Its quarter to nine and I’m mad already!” Thinking of changing the name of the blog to, “8:45am and mad already”

Well is it or isn't it?

Those of you who have been unlucky enough to stumble across this website previously will find the recurring theme of highlighting the doom merchants peddling the world is about to end story because everyone is driving a SUVe and using hair spray. These environmental Doom Sayers are the new lot, who took over from the last lot who said that the world was going to run out of everything about 20 years ago. - WRONG! : Another topic –

OK I admit there is climate change, but there always has been climate change. It is well documented through out the history of the world that the earth’s climate heats up and cools down every so often. Heck, in the 70’s scientists were saying that we were heading for an ice age, but now they are saying you will be able to row your boat right up to the 13^th story window when the polar caps melt.

What has happened is that the meddlers in conjunction with some dubious scientists – afraid of loosing their research grants - have used the fear mongering media to their own devices and whooped everyone into a frenzy about the impending disaster. And while everyone wasn’t looking they managed to slip in things like “carbon credits” or sustainable output performance hydrocarbon volumetric dispensation tax (I made that up). All of which will do didly squat to save the world. It will however give the moochers another line to your wallet.

What I’m getting to is that there was snow on the hills around Wellington last week (extremely rare for late November) and the NZ met service predicts a cold summer At the same time speakers at various conventions around the world predict a warming climate and mass extinction.

But as usual, just as summer starts, forecasters are hedging their bets. Dr Jim Salinger of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, said he saw no reason to change Niwa's last long-range forecast for "average or near-average" temperatures in the North Island between November and January.

What is important here is that everything is a prediction, which is by definition something that may or my not happen. So if the predictions are wrong, like the run out of everything lot were, will we get out money back?