World class

While its still early days, I think we may very well have found a winner.

You will remember the desk calendar that Tinks donated to the cause, where each day is a paper plane, well we have found the best one I think. The Gemini! (pictured)

The Gemini is a relatively simple design - only one cut, but it's fast, has a unique inverse nose, and has a number of folds at the front - increasing the weight etc. The best feature though is that - it goes far and straight - what more could you ask for??

Ive tried to take a photo ( I only have my mobile) of the instructions to allow readers to make their own - but frankly it isnt working out. This makes me think we need a downloads section! With daily downloads of paper planes to make... yes!

Tomorrow is the "Dragon" but frankly it will have to be something special to even equal the performance of Gemini.

When you don't know - be funny!

This is from David Farrar's tory blog - but I thought it was just so funny that I had to share!

And the winner is...

You will remember a month or so back I made my picks for the Oscars - so I know you're just wetting yourself in anticipation to know how it went - so here goes!

SCREENPLAY - ORIGINAL
Oscar - Little Miss Sunshine, My Pick - The Queen

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Oscar - Pans Labyrinth, My Pick - Pans Labyrinth

ANIMATED FEATURE
Oscar - Happy Feet, My Pick - Happy Feet

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Oscar - The Lives of Others, My Pick - Pans Labyrinth

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Oscar - An Inconvenient Truth, My Pick - An Inconvenient Truth (also won best song)

ACTRESS - SUPPORTING
Oscar - Jennifer Hudson, My Pick - Cate Blanchett (she was robbed! Although I had said I wanted Abigail Breslin to win)

ACTRESS - LEADING
Oscar - Helen Mirren, My Pick - Helen Mirren

ACTOR - SUPPORTING
Oscar - Alan Arkin, My Pick - Eddie Murphy (Although again I had said I wanted Arkin to win, I didnt think he would)

ACTOR - LEADING
Oscar - Forest Whitaker, My Pick - Forest Whitaker (incredible performance)

DIRECTING
Oscar - The Departed, My Pick - Babel

BEST PICTURE
Oscar - The Departed, My Pick - Babel (I had said I wanted Little Miss Sunshine, but thought Babel would win - wrong on both fronts!)

So 5 out of 11, frankly below par performance. Its interesting how a month ago when I made my picks, there was a lot of heat around Babel, but in the end it failed miserably! I guess like me, people were picking it before they had seen it! Basing their picks on all the talk and the cast.

Good lord

The good people over at When in Rome, well Chris, has done what can only be described as an accurate portrait of me.

Im not sure he quite gets my Afro-American complexion quite right, but all the same - its pretty funny. View here

One Woman's Mistake Is Another's Opportunity...

Last night I saw the Oscar nominated, pyscho-thriller Notes on a Scandal, which features Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Normally im not much of a fan of Blanchett - she was the worst bit of Lord of the Rings and till now I thought she was frankly a little overrated, but this film changed all that.

Notes is the story of two teachers at a high school, Dench plays the matriarch of the school, as head of history, and Blanchett is the new Art teacher fitting nicely into the naive well-to-do chardonnay socialist mould. Dench's character is basically infatuated with Blanchett, and when she finds out that Blanchett is having an affair... with a pupil, Dench, while angry at first, realises she can use this to her advantage "I could gain everything by doing nothing," she muses - blackmailing Blanchett's character into spending more time with her "as good friends".

Naturally everything spirals further and further out of control, building to an intense closing chapter that will have you on edge.

Dench is incredible as the sinister, manipulative older woman, reminding me soo much of Kathy Bates in Misery. The story, written by Patrick Marber (Closer - and of course the guy in the wheel chair in Knowing me, Knowing YULE with Alan Partridge) is incredibly dark, yet funny and very witty at the same time.

It is just a shame that this film comes at the same time as The Queen. Often the Best Actress category can be won by films or roles that are frankly not that crash hot - Halle Berry for example, yet both the Dames (Mirren and Dench) deserve recognition for these outstanding performances.

Definitely see this film

**** 1/2

Together we can rebuild our lives

Today I got free art! Im just not sure whether to put it up at home or in my office.

In 2005 Artspace in Auckland ran an exhibition called "Free NZ Art" it essentially was stacks of posters of new works by contemporary artists including Gordon Walters, John Reynolds, et al among others.

From this collection I already had Dane Mitchell's "Bubblewrap" (which is a photo of bubblewrap), but now I also have Yvonne Todd's "Together" (pictured).

I love the ambiguity of it - there is something almost dark or sinister about it, dont you think?

Im thinking I will put it up at home, and then try to get the Reynolds one for my office - which has the text - "What Kierkegaard said about God - applies to politics too: whatever we think, we are bound, in the end, to be wrong." Which I think will suit my office.

Keep your hands to yourself

Today, Sue Bradford's "Anti Smacking Bill" goes for its second reading. Obviously im all for the bill, and it does look like it will now pass to the Committee of the Whole (which is the next stage of debate in the house), before it is read a third time (and becomes law). This is a Conscience issues for most parties, although Labour and the Greens are voting as parties. The expected Ayes are; Labour 49, Greens 6, National 6, Maori 4, NZ First 3, Progressive 1, United Future 1, and the expected Noes are; National 42, ACT 2, NZ First 4, United Future 2, Independent 1, meaning a 70-51 split in favour.

You will note that six National MPs are supporting the bill to the next stage. They have said they will attempt to water it down in committee - which could in effect kill the bill, by making it unacceptable to Labour and the Greens.

On a principle level I think it is abhorent that the law deems it ok for a parent to physically assault their child, but not fellow adults - or anyone else for that matter! Section 59 of the Crimes Act, which this bill seeks to repeal, was recently used by a South Island Woman to defend her use of a metal bar, jug cord, and swinging a clothes iron by the chord on her son, this is indefensible in my opinion - but legally she was protected. This bill removes that legal protection should a case be brought to court - of course just like assault between adults, not every case will be prosecuted nor reported.

This is about the state saying that actually, we don't condone violence, at all. Why shouldnt children have the same protection and human rights as any other individual?

JFK Video

The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas has made public another video of the Kennedy Motorcade moments before he was shot. You can view the video here. It has probably the best footage (avoiding the word 'shot') of Jackie that is around, while also shooting down (I know its bad) one element of common conspiracies with a rare close up of JFKs back - showing his jacket bunched up, which is a plausible explanation for why the bullet hole was in a different place to the corresponding puncture wound in his back.

While it doesnt shed any new light on who might have done it, its fascinating all the same and gives a good impression of the atmosphere of the visit.

Oh you just can't beat Wellington on a good day

Couldn't go without mentioning this week we're having. The weekend was stunning - now check this out - the view from my office today, not a cloud in the sky!

Movie of the week

Ok ive seen some pretty good flicks of late - the fantastic - Last King of Scotland, the arthouse (read sex people film) Shortbus and the slightly disappointing but funny all the same For Your Consideration. But after a few beers on the weekend, there was no film I wanted to watch more than - Robocop.

Let me tell you, it was an absoute ripper. It ruled in the 80s, and it still rules now - he's a cop thats been transformed into an invincible crime fighting robot in the crazy late 1990s world of New Detroit! What could possibly be cooler? Ok yes Commando still ranks highly - but I fully recomend re-visiting Robocop - it will blow your mind!

Did I mention he gets transformed into a robot??

Good alround cricket really

I figure that while working for the Australians the chances of me getting to gloat over a series win in cricket will be few and far between - so its fair to say im making the most of it!

Friday night saw Australia lose by 10 wickets for the first time in a one dayer to NZ, and this was backed up yesterday with Aussie posting a ground record for Eden Park of 336, which NZ reached with 8 balls to spare! I watched the Friday game from the Air NZ corporate box at westpac stadium, was the first time I had been invited to a specific box, rather than just one of the bigger lounges - must say its nice to see how the proverbial other half live from time to time.

In other news - predictably im coming last in the Virtual Rugby, although I am only 6 points behind Nath (but well behind in the PMO challenge).

And lastly, while I was a big fan of the waterfront option, Eden Park has been confirmed as the venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final with a new stand to be built. The Eden Park Trust Baord frankly caused all the trouble with this. When we got the cup - no one expected a $400-500 million upgrade of Eden Park, but realistically expected at least the Southern Stand being replaced - and this is what is now happening, with temporary seats to top up the remainder. Also before people start getting upset over scaffolding and planks of wood - 80 per cent of the seating at the new London stadium for the Olympics will be temporary, with the venue being reduced to hold 20 000 after the event, and also 30 per cent of the seats at Stadium Australia were temporary during those Olympics.

Retro madness

So far in my new job I have had to use the online broadcast of Radio New Zealand National (previously National Radio), but not anymore.

During my weekend shopping expedition I picked up the little gem pictured, for my desk.

Don't you just love the aerial in the middle?

Don't make yourself busy son

Australian Prime Minister, John Howard has mouthed off criticising Barack Obama, and the Democrats for saying that the US should get out of Iraq by March 2008.

The conservative leader said that Obama's pledges on Iraq were good news only for insurgents operating in the war-ravaged country.

"I think he's wrong. I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory"
"If I were running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory not only for Obama but also for the Democrats."

To which Obama responded:

"I think it's flattering that one of George Bush's allies on the other side of the world started attacking me the day after I announced"
"I would also note that we have close to 140,000 troops in Iraq, and my understanding is Mr Howard has deployed 1,400, so if he is ... to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq.
"Otherwise it's just a bunch of empty rhetoric."

Kartel a go go

Check it out - my hot new bathroom cabinet, not the fish bowl now has a new home. (Two new fish to come later today).

Your ideas for the fish names would be appreciated.

But again how much does that cabinet rule?

A new campaign

Avaaz.org is a new global online movement and has been set up by the people behind MoveOn.org in the US. They are going to use the internet in much the same way as MoveOn to mobilise people at their desks.

First up they are going to be running TV ads and lobbying governments in the countries which are currently the worst carbon emitters - US, China, India, Russia, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Canada, and Brazil.

Show your support and sign their petition here.

Zack on Barack

Just a quick one today, Zack Exley, who was one of the people behind MoveOn.org and ran UK Labour's web campaign in 2005 (where I met and had a yarn with him over a beer), has done a great piece on what Obama needs to do in terms of his web campaign.

Zack compares this to the infamous Kennedy v Nixon TV debate in 1960. This was the first TV debate, and on substance it was even, but Kennedy was hailed as the winner, as he presented himself well - Nixon ignorred the visual aspect, was unshaven, his suit didnt fit etc etc. So Zack challenges Obama to begin a campaign that asks a million people to sign up on his site to support his run for the White House, in the next month otherwise he will pull out. This is a great idea, a million people will definitely sign up, and immediately Obama will mobilise the grassroots.

Well worth a read - check it out.

Poll of Polls Jan/Feb 07

As part of my new job I have begun doing a "poll of polls" and I thought - wait a sec! that would make a half interesting post!

So here it is. There have been two polls since the beginning of 2007. Roy Morgan on 30 Jan, and TV3/TNS on 5 February. The poll of polls is done by simply taking the mean results by party across all the polls in this period. Granted not that scientific, but avoids rogue polls and is quite a good gauge. Roy Morgan had Labour and National even on 41, while TV3 gave Labour a 3 point lead - the first poll Labour has led since August.

The poll with december rating in brackets
Labour - 42.5 (38)
National - 41 (43.5)
Green - 7.75 (8.5)
New Zealand First - 3.4 (4.5) - Would be a goneburger completely with no electorate seat
Maori - 2 (1.75) - Party would hold 4 Maori seats
ACT - 1.15 (1) - Hide would hold Epsom
United Future - 0.9 (1.75) - Dunne would hold Ohariu-Belmont
Progressives - 0.25 (0.25) - Anderton would hold Wigram

(Anderton and one of the Maori seats will cause the house to "overhang" by two seats)

On these ratings the house and government would look like this:
Government - 65 seats
Labour 53, Greens 10, Progressive 1 and probably United Future 1

Oppositition - 57 seats
National 52, Maori 4, ACT 1

The high rating the Greens are recording is a good sign, this is probably an indication of the coverage they have been getting over Climate Change in recent months.

While Labour and the Greens could govern alone, I would expect the PM to still involve Anderton and Dunne, as much to maintain those relationships as anything else.

Hollywoodland - bollocks

WARNING: Spoilers ahead - read it anyway you will be more annoyed going to see this knobcheese.

This was supposed to be my review of Hollywoodland, which had been talked up to me. Its the true story of George Reeves, who in the 1950s played Superman in the TV version. Reeves was typecast as Superman, and when that was canned he topped himself.

Hollywoodland follows a Private Investigator (Adrien Brody), who has been hired by Reeves (Ben Affleck) mother who suspects he was murdered! DA DA DAAA. So the whole thing turns into who-dun-it, which was reasonably enjoyable. Until the completely unfulfilling ending. He DID kill himself. So after finding out that he was having an affair with a big crooked studio boss, he seemed just the type to kill, and told all the holes in the case - and getting wound up in the suspense - oh no he did kill himself.

In short the film is: Oh my god George Reeves killed himself! But maybe he didnt?? Da Da Daaa. Oh no, he definitely did.

Dont bother with it, utter waste of time!

In other more exciting news, my package has arrived from Amazon! What was in it you ask?
- The League of Gentlemen: Are Behind You! (new live DVD)
- Little Britain: the interactive DVD game, featuring games like Name that Gay!
- Do the Right Thing - the only film from my top 5 that I didnt own, and...
- Spaced series 1 and 2 collectors edition (great show by the guys who made Shawn of the Dead).

As you can tell my week will be fairly full!

On our national day

Tomorrow is of course Waitangi Day, and to mark the occasion I will be making a purchase to finally complete the bathroom rennovations. I had been looking for a storage unit for my bathroom for sometime, and finally I have found something cool enough.

Backhouse Interiors stock the Commonbilli module range by Kartell (just nod and 'mmm' as though you know what I mean). Unfortunately they no longer do red, but all the same White will do me fine.

As you can see in the picture - they pretty much rule!

Its either the little two door or three door that im going for.

Twilight Cinema

As part of the Summer in the City programme, the Wellington Twilight Cinema is again up and running. Last year I saw the very excellent/trippy Triplets of Belleville at the Dell in the Botanical Gardens.

This year there is a change of venue - the Wellington Vellodrome of all places in Haitaitai, still theres a pretty good programme, so while the rest of Wellington is at the Sevens tonight, we're heading to the Twilight Cinema to watch kiwi classic - Footrot Flats!

Other films making up the programme - the animated Over the Hedge (at the Zoo!), An Inconvinient Truth, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Motorcycle Diaries, Little Miss Sunshine, Napolean Dynamite - plus quite a few others.

So well done to those people behind the outdoor cinema, Ive always thought that the film centre (now the Film Archive) should have set one up when they were looking for new premises.

Naive? Stupid? Right?

Ive been talking to some of my colleagues today who believe that the only reason Australia got an FTA with the US, is because of their partaking in the invasion and coup in Iraq. They also believe that while NZ continues its stance of being friendly while still mouthing off about the US, that NZ has no chance what so ever of obtaining an FTA with the US. What little chance we did have seems to have been scuttled when we didnt take part in the invasion.

So I guess the question is - was that the right decision?

Now, the Iraq situation is an absolute cock up of epic proportions. But Australia have managed to obtain the elusive US FTA, by being part of that. President Clinton identified in 1995 that regime change in Iraq was desirable, so even if things had have been different and we were in the last 2 years of a Gore administration - chances are at some point a US sanctioned coup would have happenned anyway. So I guess, while we all think things will be better once the Bush administration is gone in 2008, will it really? Theyre still the US, and the Democrats, while much better on the economy and their internal social policy, were still foreign policy bullies - blowing the crap out of a load of places.

So is it in New Zealand's long-term interests to remain one step removed from the US? Or should we look to re-establish ourselves as an ally of the US? I argued that if NZ were to take part in the invasion, it would have been electoral suicide for Clark, to which they responded that both Howard and Blair have both been returned since the invasion, and it is only now having an effect on Bush, and that Brash was pro-war anyway so voters would have stuck with Labour in anycase. (which I disagree with - people were unhappy with the govt, but wanted no part of the war more, so stuck with Labour on that basis, if war wasnt an issue, then they would have just been unhappy with the govt...).

So was it naive of New Zealand to think that we could still negotiate an FTA with the US after refusing to take part in their invasion? I think the answer is yes. Is it stupid to continually be nice one minute, and slag them off the next? Probably yes, but you have the problem of having one audience that wants to hear nice things, and another that doesnt (the electorate). And was it right to stay out of the invasion and lose that holy grail of an FTA? Yes it was. There was and still is no reason for an invasion of Iraq, and yes maybe Australia are laughing all the way to the bank - but it all comes back to the salient question - what is a human life worth? Is an FTA really worth the loss of thousands of young soldiers lives, let alone hundreds of thousands of Iraqi's? I think not, but still, it makes you think about the morality of war and politics.