Too PC?

I recently rented the NZ TV series “Mataku” which are supernatural stories based on Maori beliefs and legends. It is quite interesting although production and consistency is quite poor. Very low budget I suppose…

In a way I view this series as very racist as they do not portray the normal picture of the NZ population. Everyone is Maori with the exception of Michael Hurst as one of the guest star in one episode.

One example was this episode where a woman nearly died and was in the hospital. There was a scene inside the hospital and everyone was Maori. There were no white people, no pacific island people, and no Asian people. If you go to any hospital here in Auckland (which is the city where the episode was set); you will find all of the above.

There is one big inconsistency, one which I am very upset about. In the same episode (I think it was called “The pathway of the spirits”) there was a scene where this man was driving on a rural highway at night. The highway was meant to be some rural road that leads to Cape Reinga where the spirits travel towards the land of the afterlife (I forgot what this is called). On the side of the road is a police car with a cop inside drinking coffee. After the man drove pass the cop speeding, the cop gave chase.

What is wrong with the above scene? Two major things…first the cop was on the side of the road drinking coffee - cops do not drink coffee on the side of the road!!! Whenever you see them, they are pointing some sort of laser gun at oncoming cars. Second, this is a rural area! Cops don’t stay on the side of the road waiting for speedsters without a laser; they stay at motorways where their revenue-gathering quotas can be filled much faster!

Blogger for Word

I’ve recently discovered an add-in for Microsoft Word called “Blogger for Word”. In fact I’m posting this one using my Microsoft Word. If you see this then I would safely say that it works (

It adds a toolbar on your Word software that looks like this:

(image placeholder)

Again…if you see the image above then posting images to your blog through Word works, too.

The Blogger Settings is where you add you login details. Open Post allow you to edit previous posts (even the ones already online) and I think the remaining two is pretty much self explanatory.

I’ve saved this file as “Blogger for Word” thinking that it might be taken as the subject of this posting but the add-in prompts you for the title anyway.

Here it goes….Publish….

I just got a message that images are not supported....sigh..That's ok..maybe soon...

Anyone notice?!?

How more and more ATMs are dispensing $50 bills instead of $20s? It's so bl00dy annoying! Every couple of weeks or so, I withdraw about $100 for general expenses and situations where I can't use the credit card (55 days interest free AND you get rewards points? You'd be silly not to take advantage of it ^_^)

But yeah, where was i? right, $50 bills... I don't like carrying around bills of that denomination due to the fact that some shopkeepers really hate trying to break bills that size - especially when you're just after a drink which costs $2... Why oh why did they (the banks) have to change? Is it just another sign of how things are getting more and more expensive? Or is this an indication that they will also be doing away with other denominations of coins/bills...

If they're going to change the ATMs, at least they should have implemented a step where you can choose what denominations you would like the cash to be dispensed in... It isn't that hard and I'm sure that there are off the shelf solutions that other banks have already developed to address this, imho, issue...

Or am I just being a picky consumer...

Too much haka?

Apparently the Aussies are complaining about the Kiwi Swimming team performing too many hakas. Personally I can see both sides of the story. You have on one side the Kiwis celebrating the medal win but then it is only bronze so why perform the haka. True it is still a win to be on the top three but as a Kiwi I do agree with the Aussies and feel the Haka is being devalued. Gold, yes do the haka....silver and bronze...don't bother...maybe do some chant of some kind instead.

 

Also, how does the Maori in NZ feel about this use (or overuse) or Haka? Even the Maoris, you don't see them do it every day. I think you lose the power or the haka if you do.

 

Remember not so long ago there was a question regarding the government performing powhiris every time some government official comes to NZ? Similar situation I guess...

 

Performing the haka even if the medal won is not gold, will make it appear as if the Kiwi expectations on perfomance are too low. You know...kinda like "Tha'll do, pig...tha'll do."

Consistency?

We have this page on our site where all the competitions are and the folder is appropriately named "competitions".

 

However, in the interest of shortening this address and making it easier to remember, the address  I create a folder named "win" with a redirection to the first folder and this is printed in the magazine.

 

It's been running like that for years and suddenly just now, I got this demanding question from "Bastard" as if he is the know-it-all person..."Isn't it time we mvoe the competitions pages to the win folder? It will be more consitent."

 

I asked "consistent with what? Does it matter? People type www.url.co.nz/win and they still end up at the competitions page."

 

He said "well if people type the first address and end up in the second address, it is not consistent. Yes it does matter."

 

Of course I can hear his tone of voice that he is not backing off...so I said fine...I'll move it next time I work on it.

  

The question is, Does it really matter? I have lots of short cuts on my site. As a user of any site, does it really matter if the final address is not what you typed? I mean what if the address is www.url.co.nz/supercalifragislicexpialidocious. Surely you would want a short cut for that address...

 

Zoolander

I did a bit of a Zoolander yesterday and went to a men's grooming/spa centre called Mensworks. I had a massage and a facial.

Actually I got there 15 minutes late but it doesn't matter. I already booked the room and so it was still free when I got there.

This was the first time I've gone for a massage here in NZ. The previous times were when I was in Bali for my honeymoon. Balinese massage in Bali was fairly cheap so I had at least 3 while I was there.

So got to Mensworks in Little High Street. The centre is inside through a mens clothing store. Got there and there were these two girls at the counter. The brunette ask me "Can I help you?". I said "Yes, name is Henson and I have a 10.30 booking...sorry I'm late". She said "No problem, we'll just take you straight through". The blonde left the counter. Thinking she was the "massage techinician", I turned and followed her but I stopped thinking maybe she's not...she turned around and said "follow me..."

So we proceeded to this room. She explained that because I was late that we can only have 45 mins of massage and 30 mins facial. She asked what body parts would you liked massaged. I didn't know what to say...don't they normally do full body? Never been to one here so I do not know how it works. She explained that I can have a back massage and perhaps the back of my legs. Thinking that the massage is more important than the facial, I said what if I just have a full hour of massage (so she can do the whole treatment) then I'll come back for a facial some other time. She agreed then asked me to stripped down to my underwear and lie down under the brown towel.

I wonder why the towels were brown. To hide dark stains perhaps or maybe it is just more manly than having white towels which presumably other spas have that are primary designed for women. Well I felt kinda weird because I got nothing on but my underwear and if she suddenly opens the door, everyone outside in the "salon" area would see me...so I quickly hid under the towel and stayed there feeling a bit silly...a couple of minutes later there was a knock, she came in...

While I was lying on the massage table, I changed my mind about the the full hour massage and said that I will have the 45 min swedish massage and 30 min facial. She does not have a problem with it...I guess she is prepared for everything in the massage room...to my right is a steamer for towels and a pot of magenta-coloured wax. Beside me is a floor standing face steam sauna device. Towards my head was a trolley which later I found to have rows of face products like cleansers and lotions.

Ok...she turned the CD player on...some soothing music and started...I felt a bit naked in front of a stranger but I guess I have the towel to cover me...she told me to turn around and face down while she lifted the towel...I thought "Hey, this looks familiar...I'm sure I've seen something like this on TV or in the movies before...". In case you arfe wondering...in Bali I wore shorts so I didn't feel as naked. She put the towel back on and I was getting comfortable until I felt that my underwear was being pulled ... she was folding the towel in with my briefs and pulled it a quarter way down...I never wore my jeans low so you can imagine how naked my butt crack felt. I started hearing some sloppy noises then felt her hands just above my butt cheeks.

The swedish massage, or at least her style, is not as hard as I thought. I thought it would be more painful. I did feel some tension but that soon disappeared. She also massaged the back of my legs which I always enjoy...(when I was younger my nanny massaged my arms and legs some nights before I go to sleep. It help relax me). After my legs, she also massaged the sole of my feet which I must say was very soothing. I've never had a feet massage like that before. Feet massages always focus on the top of the feet and not the sole...I'ma bit ticklish so I was trying quite hard not to move and giggle...actually the room was very quiet apart from the background music.

After the back massage she asked me to turn over again and its time for a facial...I always feel uneasy with facials as I do not like sloppy, greasy lotions on my face...facial treatment lotions are usually greasy...but since I'm already there...I ignored this greasiness and enjoyed the facial treatment. It was very relaxing to the face. It fact I kind of fell half asleep specially while I had the mask on and I was getting a scalp massage.

Oh before I forget...she asked me..."would you like me to tidy your eye brows". I thought sure...can't be that bad...she started doing something to my eye brows...it was warm so I thought she had a special tool. I did not feel any pain and in my mind I thought...yup this is ok...she paused for a moment then suddenly...."ZHIP!" .... yes she just waxed my eye brows...I can only imagine women waxing facial hair above the lip (using nads AS SEEN ON TV!) It must hurt a lot more.

Over all it was very relaxing... my face felt a bit more relaxed after the pain...weird...

After the treatment this is my conclusion and advice to all of you...every now and then it is definitely worth getting a massage. Facial...maybe for some of us who are a bit more Metrosexual. And if you do get a massage, the longer the better.

My brows look like this now...

Baby Hedgehogs

Gluttony

Haven't eaten much meat for the whole week last week (except for the 2 lamb shanks I had at the Sky City casino...special at $4.95 between 2-6pm)...so I managed to finish slow cooking the lamb shanks I purchased yesterday. I have not finished them yet. They are sitting in the fridge but seeing as I have today to cook, I decided (pre-planned from yesterday actually) to cook another lot of stewed beef with carrots (surprise, surprise). I may hate carrots from now on...

I decided to be slightly different this time. I added carrots, a small stick of celery and some sliced tomatoes and ginger to the beef stew. The ginger will usually calm any strong smell down...not that I mind beef smell. Actually I love beef smell such as the smell you get from Beef Brisket...anyway, I added the ginger for my wife's benefit. She doesn't like beef smell so by masking/neutralising it with ginger, she might think it is a variety of brown chicken.

This was a very simple dish, and I usually add too many spices that the real taste of the meat disappears. This was around lunch time after I had my lamb shank lunch. I left it cooking in the crockpot (kind of a lazy way of cooking but effective). Went to visit my parents then came back home and fell asleep. Unless I'm really tired, I cannot have deep sleeps in the afternoons especially if there was constant barking and 50 cent in the background. Later I found what caused this constant barking...the neighbour accidentally kicked their ball into my backyard. "Come on Phillipe, kickze ball like I told you..." My dog has never seen a rugby ball so she thought it was an alien from outer space and constantly barked at it until she got tired and bored. No doubt my neighbours watched her bark at it for ages unable to do anything from a distance.

Woke up and felt hungry so I went to look at the food I was slowly cooking the whole afternoon. I was very surprised by the finished product. The tomato added a hint of spiciness to the taste and the celery's done something to the aroma...this certainly encourages me to try simpler ingredients when cooking in the future...

Going back to the real topic of this entry...As the food I cooked was very appetising...I ate too much. I always do this to myself...My tummy hurts now..had to go to the bathroom 3 times in the past 2 hours. Hopefully its gone by tomorrow morning or I'll have to call in sick.

My tummy is quite sensitive yet I never learn my lesson. Because I don't get to eat beef often, I somehow eat heaps if I do get the chance.

I'm also lactose intolerant yet I love dairy food like milk, cheese, ICE CREAM!... I usually try subtitutes like soy milk (which I also love) and a little cheese. But eventually I developed some sort of intolerance to soy milk too...not sure why... No matter, I can drink more soy milk than normal milk. Ice Cream I like very much. Usually go for Vanilla or Cookies n Cream. No chocolate but will eat it if I have no choice.

Oh yes...I did eat ice cream this afternoon...could have contributed to my sore tummy...

Groceries

I went food shopping today...actually lemme start at the beginning.

Pogz's log 11th March, 2006. This morning I did my usual saturday chore of giving my dog a bath. Nothing special except I've realised how much she's grown. I had to use a lot more shampoo now to make sure I have enough suds to clean her fur.

After that I took Jessica in for a service. It is different for a bike. Because the engine is smaller and more delicate, a bike needs to be serviced every 6,000 km (compared to 10,000 to a car). I found this jacket on sale except I am not comfortable in this jacket. But then again I am not sure how a leather riding jacket should fit. I was quite tempted to get it and tried it on at least 3 times and kept in on for a while hoping it would stretch. In the end I eneded up not getting it.

Came home a few hours later and did my other chores like vacuuming the carpet. I also did the laundry and washed all the tiled floors. Which reminds me, I need to get one of those good mops...

Went to do some grocery shopping...didn't buy much but I was hungry for meat. For the whole week I hardly had anything else but carrots and pumpkin. Due to a sudden change in plans, my mother-in-law had to get rid of them so I took them in to care for them in my tummy. So a got lots of meat like lamb and beef...In fact I'm cooking some lamb shanks right now in the slow cooker.

At the supermarket, I also bought 8 bottles of coke. I got 8 because that is the limit for today's special. When I got to the counters, I saw one which was virtually free. So I strolled towards this counter and the cashier saw me...as I approached the girl said, "Excuse me, 12 items or less only". I told her I have 8 bottles of coke which you can scan as one item times 8...she ask how many other items I have and I said "...uumm...9.." - which was true. So really she will only be scanning 10 items and this cleary falls under the "12 items or less" requirement. I asked if it was ok and she say "yes..."

I just thought I'd mention this because is this rule really strict? She wasn't really smiling while serving me so perhaps she was having a bad day..? There was no one behind me and by the time someone queued behind me I was outta there as if I really had 12 items or less.

It's dinner time now...I thought of having a "Rookworst" for dinner. I've always like these sausages. Any european sausage with "worst" at the end of its name, I am willing to try. The instructions say...

To cook: Simmer for 20 mins (dp not boil) or microwave in bag for approx 1.5
mins.

Seeing as I am quite hungry, I decided I'd follow the nuke procedure. I was about to put the bag in the microwave oven when I noticed this silvery bit at the end of the sausage...they are pieces of metal that hold the ends shut! WTF? Am I suppose to microwave this with the metal? It did say "...microwave in bag..." What if I didn't see it? I would have caused some explosions! Didn't the sausage maker "Verkerks" think of that?

Anyway that reminded me of creating a blog entry for today so I wrote this entry before having dinner ... and now I'm really really hungry...

Bored at home? Create your own zoo...

Its official: Windows XP boots on MacBook Pro

Ever feel...

Ever feel that there's not enough hours in the day to keep up to date with everything new?

Here's a way to keep *ahem* on top of things :-)

Purpose of being here

This morning, like many mornings, I woke up from a strange dream. Like many others, I usually forget about this dream in 10 minutes. During this period, my mind switches from the dream world to the real world...first question that pops into my head (apart from thinking I need to pee or I need to let the dog out) is usually What am I doing here? What is my purpose?

 

Is there something else I need to be doing? Is there somewhere else I needed to be? Perhaps helping out in wildlife conservation programs in africa or maybe enlisting in the military. Perhaps I should be living in a different country. I think about this most of the time even while commuting on the way to work. At work is where reality's reality sets in...I stop thinking about it. There's work to do...

 

 

Empty Road

Yesterday B0log3r, REM, and I wne to the Xbox 360 Road Trip. This event first started requiring people to pre-register and this "VIP priority list" is suppose to have first access inside the bus. Here is the disclaimer...

Registering will give you priority access inside the bus over others who have not registered, however, registration will not guarantee you access inside the bus. Access is subject to availability of the bus on the day and numbers are limited. Microsoft reserves the right to close off registrations at any time. Please note the final admission to the bus each day is at 8.45 PM. The bus will hold 40 people at a time and each session on the bus will last for 15 min. You must register at least 1 day prior to the day you wish to attend the Roadtrip.

Good if there was plenty of people however, this was not the case on the day. We got there around 2-3pm and there was hardly any people queuing up.

The bus was impressive. They converted the outside of the bus to look roundish. The left hand side bus panel had 10 or so plasma screens on it. Problem is, you can't see anything on the screen because it is facing directly at the sun. Having the event during the daytime, you would have thought they are smart enough to turn the bus so the screen faces south or away from the sun.

When we got there, there was about a dozen cars parked around the bus. Most of it probably belong to the staff of Microsoft and Noel Leemings. Yes Noel Leemings staff was there giving away some paper with special discount offers when you pre-order your console pack. The offer includes discounts to games for the whole year and quadruple FlyBuys points.

>> Here's the side of the bus...yes there is something showing on the screens. Spot the Noel Leemings guy :)

We waited for about 10 minutes as they prepare the inside of the bus. Not sure why it wasn't prepared in the first place if the even ran from 9am-9pm. Perhaps they have BSOD problems and had to reboot.

To the right of the queue are two cars with plasma screens and Xbox 360s. This is where the non-VIP people is suppose to view the new consoles while they wait for access inside the bus. Of course as you can see, this doesn't matter. You can fit everyone waiting outside inside the bus. They said you can fit up to 40 people inside the bus. Well maybe when seated in seats. There are about 20 displays inside. So theoretically, you can have 40 players at any one time plus spectators.

Problem is (see above), there is hardly enough room to fit two people per display to fit anyone older than 11 yrs old and the games they feature above are all R16! What the?! Each display uses an LCD screen which was impressive.

The consoles are cased inside a clear plastic display with no venting so behind each display is an exhaust fan (above) to vent all the hot air out of the xbox units. Also inside the bus is 19 degrees C as indicated in the A/C controls. It was very cold. The three of us had to leave at least twice to warm ourselves up. We concluded that the A/C was not for the comfort of the visitors but to prevent the xbox 360 from overheating - one of the faults discovered so far by xbox 360 users overseas.

At the back of the bus there is in very impressive screen showing some video. The video was very pixelated :)

The reflection on the screen features a silhouette of ... how did they put it... the "sizzling Joanna Dark". Trust me...nothing sizzling there...We were all frozen. In fact, This guy chatting to her is one of the staff. Everyone was more focussed on playing the games. There was one time I saw "Dark" sitting in front of the bus reading Brass magazine.

What games did we play? Well there was Perfect Dark Zero which was quite good - controls take a bit of getting use to. There was also Quake 4 (ok), DOA 4 (ok - ernie would enjoy), Project Gotham 3 (nothing new), NFS MW, Kameo, Call of Duty 2, Fight Night, Some skateboard game, and a soccer game. The bus would have been a disappointment to kids as there are only 4 games for them to see.

Not everything is a disappointment though. They were giving away lanyards, caps (which looked gay), rubber bands, and tennis bands.

Anything free can brighten up your day. :)))

We stayed for a couple of hours. Got bored and my back was aching. The displays were not ergonomic. We also got real cold.

Overall, it was an ok but sub-standard experience. Wich they would give away more things like FREE XBOX 360s!!!!

I spoke to one of the staff and The turn out on friday wasn't so big. I was told they attracted about 200 people on friday at the domain. Well what do you expect I guess...parents are working and children are in school. When they get there, they'll find that most of the bus is R16 anyway.

I'll leave the rest of the comments to B0log3r if he's got any.

Bushisms - More than words

It can only happen to George W! To make a fool of yourself all the time, you must have a very thick skin. There was that falling after choking on a pretzel. Then there was the Segway invident. Now, his latest blooper involved a bike, waving, and a police officer.