Counting and other things

I have installed a Blog Counter from www.statcounter.com for what it is worth. Although at present it shows 5 visits, they are all of course been me. I have now made it so in future my visits will not be counted.

What made me look into this was that I was looking at my Soundsold site and noticed that a few of the songs had been downloaded; which surprised me, as I don't know how they found me. Probably not through the site, but rather through a Search Engine just looking at Mediafire.

Films - watched Charlie Wilson's War last night. Found it really interesting. It seems that he wanted to put an exit plan in place to replace the Soviets but they wouldn't and it has, through the Taliban, come back to bite them on the bum. You would have thought they would have learnt for Iraq - but no. In real life I see he had heart problems and has now had a heart transplant.

Cricket - SA beat Oz - how sad. And we just got home off the last ball.
Tennis - Federer is still great but on the decline.
Rugby - Dan Carter out for about 6 months. Still he will continue to be paid squillions.
Breeding - It seems to be a game. Already has 6 kids and now has 8 more. Single, no income, is a bankrupt, might have mental problems, aged 33 - plus other downers. She and the doctors involved have to be crazy. Maybe she needs a Blog Counter.

Michael Crichton 23-10-42 <> 4-11-08

I should have noted that celebrated author, producer, director and physician died last November.

I was looking back to see when I first started this blog - 25 March 2006 - and I noticed that the 2nd item was a piece I put in how Michael Crichton was criticizing the idiocy of patenting the right to tell a person if they had a disease.

He was only 66 and died of cancer. Apart from being a doctor he was the creator of the TV series ER and most famously as the author of Jurassic Park.

Money

Money - Dr. Bollard of the Reserve bank says we should spend. Maybe so but on what. If we spend on TV's and other similar goods (imports) I can't see that can help us. Spending on long term infrastructure (ie Government spending) seems more sensible. But what do I know.

The media are going on and on about interest rates coming down are good and yes that is right - but.

I wonder what most workers would say if we told them that they cannot change jobs to increase their income and that their wages would be cut by 50%. This is what is happening to the retireds section as they see a halving of interest rates.

Then again we are not rational:

Scenario 1: Would you travel 10 minutes to save $10 on an item normally priced at $25-00.
Scenario 2: Would you travel 10 minutes to save $10 on an item normally priced at $600-00.

Most would say yes to Number 1, but no to Scenario 2.

Yet the saving is the same. We look at the total cost - that is we wouldn't argue over $500 in a house sale of $300,000.

Weather - hot as hell. Most days well over 20 and approaching 30 at times. Really hot for us and the sun is really bright. Hotter still in Melbourne where it has been over 40 degrees.

The tiger

He went to the Zoo at the weekend and it looks as if he replaced the tiger. 

Gerry Merito dead at 70

Gerry Merito the comedian of the Howard Morrison Quartet died in the Waikato last night. He was still performing till the end. It seems so appropriate, the Waikato, as one of his biggest hits with the Quartet was The Battle of the Waikato along with My Old Mans an All Black.  I saw the Quartet many times when I was a teen living in Auckland. Whe I first heard them on record I wasn't that impressed but when I saw them live for the first time they were magic. I am trying to remember when it was; probably around 1956 and at Carlaw Park in something called "Showcase of Stars"

Have a look at my music blog www.soundsold.blogspot.com where I will put up one of his songs soon. 

Just read a story about Gerry.  He was invited to sing at a Rugby club where Dannie Craven (the God of Seth Effrican Rugby) was to speak. But Dannie didn't show, so poor old Gerry had to sing all night.  At the end they told him half the guys wouldn't pay because Dannie hadn't fronted but a couple of the guys had just returned from hunting with two pigs and they would give him those instead.

This suited Gerry down to the ground but he had a problem with his Agent who was Benny Levin.

Benny was a Jew but it didn't phase Gerry. He rang him up and told him the story and said 'No problems Benny, for your cut you can have one of the pigs'.  

All Gerry heard was swearing as the phone was slammed down.  Scored two pigs. Sweet!!

Obama and a NZ Tragedy

Interesting quote which shows he is at least not of the radical right like his predecessor. Although I don't think Bush is really of that persuasion - I think it was a persona he took that he and his advisers thought would win him votes. 

Police Tragedy - What a terrible outcome; the 17 year old accidently shot by Police while again they were trying to protect us from the scum of the country. I wonder what the outcome would have been if Tazers had been available.  Probably not a lot different as I think they would have been too far away to use them.  Still I favour their introduction as soon as possble. 

They may kill from time to time but not as often as a bullet. 

In light of the outcome there will be no questioning of the young man that he was 17, already had a 2 year old child (does that mean it was sex at 14??) and had another two on the way. Plus his mother, who already has a 21 year old, is due any day now which will be her 9th.  I don't know why some prefer quantity over quality.

However, I don't really care if I'm not paying (monetarily and socially). At least this family appear to be a very hard working lot, and we are not paying.  

The case of the incredible missing tree?

Christine went to visit our next door neighbour last night and noticed the small tree on her berm has disappeared.

Thinking she had taken it out Christine mentioned it but as she was surprised and said she hadn't they investigated. Somebody, probably yesterday afternoon, has come along with a saw and sawn it off near the roots. Incredibly, as you would normally bend over and saw at an angle, they neatly sawed straight through on a flat plane then took it away.
Weird. An early 2009 Xmas Tree??