Some photos

Kipp certainly looks different when he has his 'spiky' hair

Where she belongs.

Kipp with his 'Tiger Polar Bear Fox' tail

Monty contemplating the world

Be careful out there

It all in the way you told (or fold) it: We are off to Perth soon. The local paper printed an edition as follows headlining their new PM but when the paper boys (they have such a thing??) folded it over it was a bit of a laugh.

US $$$$$: The NZ dollar continues to rise against the US, now at around 0.75 cents but the Aussie is at 0.99. The US is on the downward spiral and like Rome the citizens don't seem to realise it. They say the US is the only economy that is a war economy in peacetime as they spend more on the Military than the rest of the world combined. Eisenhower warned them against the Military-Industrial complex but the didn't listen.

Music: John Lennon would have been 70 today.

Count down in more ways than one

Almost away: Oz here we come. First for a week in Brisbane to stay with my brother and his wife then using our Air Points its off to Perth. We will have the boys on Saturday and I plan to take them to the Mall to see Ronald McDonald. Hope the like him more than when we took them to see Mr Bump who is also on at the Mall during the School Holidays. Monty was frightened and Kipp was not impressed mainly because the music was too loud.

A dick: Another upset from TVNZ's Paul Henry. After criticising the Governor General he then went on about the name of Sheila Dikshit. I accept the words about the GG not being a real Kiwi, as he is of Indian/Fijian descent, was wrong as the GG like the Queen cannot really answer back and my view is that if you are a citizen then you are a Kiwi - it doesn't depend on how long you have been here. Some Maori argue that - they seem to think because their ancestors have been here longer than others then they are more of a Kiwi. That is rubbish.

As for the Dikshit incident.

I have now only seen the episode on the news and Paul as usual went over the top. However, the Indian Government have got an apology from the Government. Maybe they should be told we live in a democracy and people can say what they like within the law. It is called freedom of speech and the Government here doesn't, can't and shouldn't control what we say. If the don't like it - tough.

I liken Paul to the US shock-jock Howard Stern. When they looked at his ratings they found the people who disliked him the most listened the most.

It is human nature and I am no different.

Stephen Jones the Welsh, but English supporting Times of London Rugby writer, upsets me with all his rubbish criticism about the All Blacks and Southern Hemisphere teams but I love reading his rants and raves. I also defend his right to write such rubbish.

Tinny

Lucky = Tinny: That is the word.

In bed this morning and we get a phone call about 6.45 saying it is Tony here and you entered the Vietnam TV One competition and have won!! Ho hum - business as usual.

Yeah right.

I couldn't believe it. First Fiji and now this. Being me I had to tell the world and when I went into the SeniorNet Open Day (where it was quite busy - due mainly, I think, to the Expo) several people had seen it on the morning news show. I have put it on DVD!! Have also received several emails of congratulations.

I am tinny - where does that expression come from?

Both the Oxford Australian Dictionary and the Oxford New Zealand Dictionary say the origin of 'tinny' is the earlier slang of tin for money. This is known from 1836. The Oxford English Dictionary notes, “Said to have been first applied to the small silver coins of the 18th century, which before their recall in 1817 were often worn quite smooth without trace of any device, so as to resemble pieces of tin.” Part of the stimulus for inventing it may have been the even older brass for money, which is known from the sixteenth century.

The Bulletin of Sydney noted in 1898 that a tin back is “a party who’s remarkable for luck”. Much later, tin-arsed appears as a term for a person who is remarkably lucky. This has puzzled some writers, who don’t see the historical link with the money sense of tin, and have suggested it means somebody who is well protected in the fundament by a metal sheet so a kick there doesn’t cause any pain. The variant tin bum is known in New Zealand.

Who cares - I won. Interestingly I also entered Christine but again it was me who won.

A couple of other competitions are around but I haven't got the time to go if I win.

What a tough life!

Staglands

Staglands: Went there today with the boys (and of course S & J). It was a great day with the weather for a change being perfect. All pretty busy with the trip to Oz coming up , Open Day at SeniorNet tomorrow, baby sitting Tuesday evening etc etc. Also chasing up the Fiji trip. So far phoned 3 different numbers, emailed North & South PR people and left a voicemail message. With progress so far Nil!! They are hopeless.

Lucky: We (ie NZ) have been unbelievably lucky. No lives lost from the quake, the Southland Stadium roof cave in and now two trains collide on the Plimmerton line. Well that is 3.