What a weekend

Weekend: This weekend is chokka (a good Kiwi word - or is it. Some debate as to its origins but our meaning of overfull may be odd??).

We have the Fireworks on in Upper Hutt at around 9PM, the Wellington Lions play the new holders of the Ranfurly shield, Southland, in the second semi-final of the Air NZ NPC at 7 PM, the AB's play Australia at 9.30, the Model Railway Show is on in the Hutt and there is a travel show on in Wellington all day. So it is all full on.

House: AJ has sold her house which is good news.

Rugby: As I said Southland defeated Canterbury 9-3 to take the 'log of wood' for the first time in 50 years. This can only be great for the game. I hope they hold it for a while.

The Northern Tour is underway with the final Bledisloe Cup game in Tokyo. The amazing thing is that the game against Italy in Milan is sold out - 70,000 people will be attending!!!! Whaaaat!!!!

No wonder we are just a speck on the bum of the world.

ACC: Following on from my previous rant I think the basis of the no fault system is brilliant. No US style problems. We led the world (again) in 1974 with our scheme and no matter what National say, I think they have privatisation on their Agenda. And, as usual if a private Insurer goes broke in the next 100 years, the taxpayer will have to bail them out - again.

We went down this path in 1998 but Labour came into power in 1999 to restore the status quo.

In the short time of privatisation there seemed to be negative results for claimants as the Insurers tried to introduce reasons why they didn't have to pay out.

Amazingly the architect of the scheme Sir Owen Woodhouse is still alive at 93. It is thanks to him we that we don't have a thriving American-style medical misadventure industry.

"When you are peering into the future," Sir Owen,told a 1999 ACC conference, "it is not at all a bad idea to remember where you have been."

Pre-1974, he said, there was constant litigation, and arguments about how "accident" should be defined, and whether it had arisen "in the course of employment". The benefits were "meagre and limited in duration". The process could be long, expensive, uncertain and unfair. Before 1967, for example, only one negligence claim in every 100 was even partially successful. Whaat!!!

Sir Owen held that as we all benefit from risky activities, we should all bear the cost equally.

"Just as a modern society benefits from productive work of its citizens, so should society accept responsibility for those willing to work but prevented from doing so by physical incapacity. And since we all persist in following community activities which year by year exact a predictable and inevitable price in bodily injury, so should we all share in sustaining those who become the random but statistically necessary victims."

Personally, I knew a chap who one day told me he was heading to Pamerston North to give evidence in a trial as he was witness to an accident. He said it was one of the last pre ACC cases and had been going on for over 10 years as the Insurance Company tried to stall payment by hoping the plaintiff would run out of money or die.

I accept that there are some faults within ACC - paying out for self harm, overpayment for physiotherapy as I experienced myself - but these are fine tuning excercises.

This, as I see it, is like the Americans arguing about their pathetic heath 'system' and using the excuse 'why should I, who leads a healthy lifestyle pay for those who don't'.

They don't seem to understand a decent society puts up with the aberrations where for example people don't watch their child and they go missing. In a decent society we a pay to look for the child, or an adult missing in the bush, because we are decent. Also they don't seem to understand no matter how healthy a person is, we all get sick eventually.

The Earth moves

Earthquake: We had what was a bit of a jolt a couple of weeks ago when we were around at Sarahs. We didn't think anything of it at the time, but Christine then noticed quite a sizable crack under one of the windows and we then found another one in the bedroom. We contacted the Earthquake Commission who today sent a chap (named Wayne) around and he immediately found several cracks that we hadn't even noticed - then again he had a spotlight to have really close look.

He seemed very efficient but the other day the Commission sent out a form for us to send to our Insurance Company. I had to phone them as I couldn't understand the letter but it seems they attached the wrong letter. Since they had all the details and our Insurance Company just has to sign it why they didn't just send it direct defeated me.

Anyway we will see what happens as they now send somebody around to estimate the costs of repair - we have to meet the first $200-00.

Other disasters: For many years now Rotary has put together Emergency Boxes for disasters, mainly in the Pacific - they are stopgaps until real help arrives. They have inside them clothes, hammers, saws, nails, blankets, paper, plastic stuff, matches, candles,water bottles, pots, pans, billy's etc. Worth about $600 each. We have always put in some secondhand stuff - old T shirts, hammer, spades, etc but we are now told they have to be all new goods and set standards have to be met. So from now on they will be professionally completed at a cost to the taxpayer of $90,000 pa. Madness again. was costing nothing - now $90K.

So no more involvement of Rotary.

On that front, following the Tsnami in Samoa I have just read a report about Rotary up there. They went up to help but bureaucratic delays meant the help couldn't get to the people needing it. As an example the Samoan Government sat on the Emergency Boxes while they dithered about in letting them into the country, so a whole day was wasted in getting help to those in need. It is times like that when you need a competent Dictator.

ACC: The Government say the ACC is broke and the levies must go up. This is despite the fact that they took in $300 million more than they paid out last year. I heard the new Chairman going on about how it has to be fully funded (and Labour also believe this). Most independent commentators don't. I still think it is a softening up to privatise it and of course in 20 years when a private insurer goes belly up the taxpayer has to fund it.

Still not in the late 20th Century: A question was to be asked in the House of Commons and the Government tried to have it kept secret but it was all over the Net and Twitter. Why they try to act as if it is still 1950 is beyond me.

Current events: The AB team was named and still odd. 3 First Fives, one Centre, only two hookers. Rocket Man Joe out at last but Ellis at half ahead of Mathewson. No Hosea Gear. Still odd. At the quiz we have done well, took part of the Bonus last week and were second and this week came first. No music which helps us.

Sadness

A friend: The wife of a friend has just died - so very sad.

A child: A two year old went missing for a minute and has now been found dead in what at first sight seems to be an accident - falling into a drain. The country has been following the search for her for the past week thinking she may have been abducted.

Psychics: The nutters are out and about again in relation to the missing toddler.

Is there life beyond the grave? These are big questions, but at TVNZ the question is - Is there any commonsense or is it just all advertising 'Sensing Murder' which to date has solved how many murders - Zilch, Nil, None, Zero!!

Last week I watched Sensing Murder psychic Deb Webber being interviewed on TVNZ's Breakfast show where she advertised her upcoming tour.

She calls herself a "metaphysical researcher" and said she wanted to become involved with the search for missing two-year-old Aisling Symes. (Cue - Vomit!!!)

The Dom Post reports that at a Police press conference about the case held later that day, TVNZ reporter Amy Kelley said Ms Webber had given them information about what had happened to the toddler, and demanded to know what police planned to do about it. (Cue Vomit again - and how low can you go!!!)

There are many reasons why people believe in psychics. They are probably really thick, gullible, naive, morons etc.

Ms Webber's Breakfast appearance came only a week after the show hosted Lisa Williams, the medium who claims to have foreseen 9/11 but didn't think to mention it to anyone beforehand.

Sensing Murder is a franchise that has been running in several countries for years, and is notable for having failed to solve a single case.

Given the show's strike rate, it's no surprise that none of its psychics have taken up Christchurch businessman Tony Andrews' offer of $20,000 if they can prove their paranormal abilities in a simple test.

Last year, the TV program 'Eating Media Lunch' played a sting by Australia's Channel 7, in which Ms Webber managed to communicate with three dead people who didn't exist. She is certainly clever!!

On the Breakfast show Paul Henry asked why the spirits of murder victims never say who killed them. Ms Webber's answer was: "Let's say we want today to find the murderer. What if the person has a contract with life or the universe to still live and affect other people still? . . . 'cos everyone's affecting everyone" WHAT!!! Does she speak English? Does she know what she is talking about? Does she know how to make (from the stupid) $$$?

The tragedy is an online Poll found about 30% believe a Psychic can help in a murder case!!!

They are as bad as the anti vaccine people.

Television/Sport: Maori TV put in a bid for the Rugby World Cup. With the taxpayers money. As they couldn't show it to 99% of the country the Government have had to say to TVNZ that they would guarantee them even more of the taxpayers $$$ so they can outbid Maori TV. Brilliant - it is like going to an auction and having a husband and wife bid against one another. Then again as we all know it is only our $$$.

Meantime, a point I have just thought about is that in the 7's at the Olympics it will be odd for the U.K. as they will have to compete as Great Britain but Eire (Ireland) will have to compete separately.

Todays spiel

Sicko: Just watched the Michael Moore documnetary Sicko. There is only one bit of Sicko and it is the madness of the US in persevering with its stupid disregard for human life. The problem is, I don't think it will ever change as the companies are too rich and powerful. On other things US, Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace prize. I think it is a reaction to the end of G W Bush and far too early in his Presidency.

RIO: The Olympics are to go to Rio and why not they have never been held in South America before (Mexico is the closest) and other maybe good news is the Rugby 7's will be there. A side effect could be that $$$ will come in from places like China which will spoil the sport.

Weather: Has been awful - snow and an earthquake 4.8 last night.

Quiz: We went to a Rotary Charity Quiz lasty night and were pretty confident coming off a win the previous Wednesday at the PWMC. It was a professional affair and we were incredulous when the questions were the same as we had when we visited the Cossie Club in Upper Hutt several weeks ago!!!

But - it didn't matter much as we couldn't remember the answers; in fact in Round 1 we only got 3 points while I am sure the last t time we got around 6-8 points!!

But we did improve and ended up second and the winners only got a bottle of wine each.The problem I have with these Charity Quizzes is that if you don't know the answer you can buy them. But all was not lost as out of 7 raffle prizes I won one and Sarah won another. Probably $80 plus worth each so it was a worthwhile evening and they raised about $5000.

Catch up

Been so busy lately haven't had time to update (and don't really have time now) but .....

Tsunami: NZ Civil Defence was up to its usual standard - they gave themselves a C+ but I would think the rest of us would give them an F+. And as for the help for Samoa; again you would wonder what takes the time to get organised and also what idiot is running some of our companies. Both Air NZ & Jet Star said tourists still had to travel up to the disaster zone but as usual backed off when confronted by the media.

UK Trip Photos: They are back OK from the UK and I will load up some of the photos shortly. Kipp seemed to have really enjoyed himself. As for Monty - he is becoming a giant!!

Crime: The usual idiots are running the Courts. Somebody is deliberately killed - but of course it is manslaughter- and he gets 3 years (the Crown it seems will not appeal - only the crooks appeal) and the MP Philip Field for his fraud gets 6 years. A man who faked his own death and really didn't do a great deal of harm except his wife unbeknown to her benefited from the Insurance Policy got 2 years. The message is clear - murder is below money.

Blogger: It has changed the set up again. They seem to be taking a leaf from Microsoft's book. Why the hell they don't leave well alone is beyond me.

Telecom: Have sent me a letter saying that the current Broadband scheme is to end. Why do I get a sinking feeling in my stomach that it will be a disaster. Of course the price is to go up - that is a real surprise - but they will give me a $30 discount. But hold on, if I take up the plan they are touting and I am a new customer I would get a $60 discount!!!

Again what marketing idiots think this rubbish up - treat your customers as crap. The last time I dealt with them it was an 8 hour saga that never got solved. We shall see.