iWant an iPad

I spotted this in the latest Urbis - Auckland architect Andre Hodgskin has developed the iPad - a flat-pack kitset bach.

They retail from NZD125 000 and are delivered to your section ready to be assembled.

You can get them in one or two bedroom or one bedroom plus guesthouse (lay out pictured).

They are made to be a bach or second home - but I wouldnt mind one as my main home! I just love the simplicity of them and their temporary nature (you can pack them up and put them on another section.... in saying 'you can' I really mean you can get people to do it!).

They remind me of that rather odd looking townhouse development down Boulcott St - the one built on stilts above a carpark. Now that is actually the site for the 20-plus-storey Willis Tower, and while the developer gets the dosh together he had those townhouses put above the carpark to optimise the space in the interim. The townhouses will be moved to a permanent home later and sold off to make way for the development.

Anyway, I need to go and find a section (and a couple of hundred grand) for an iPad.

More information on the iPad here

Greatest all time soundtrack

Vanity Fair has come up with a list of the top 50 movie soundtracks, not sure I entirely agree with them - but its not bad in any case

Vanity Fair's Top 10

1. Purple Rain (Prince's film - VF called the soundtrack - a combination of "funk, R&B, pop, metal, and even psychedelia into a sound that defined the '80s", but described the film itself as "perhaps the most badly-acted ever".)
2. A Hard Day's Night (The Beatles... in case you didn't know)
3. The Harder They Come (1972 film - never heard of it - starred Jimmy Cliff... apparently)
4. Pulp Fiction
5. The Graduate
6. Trainspotting
7. Saturday Night Fever
8. Superfly
9. American Graffiti and
10. The Big Chill

My top 5 (granted I haven't put too much thought into it)

1. Magnolia (The movie was BOLLOCKS (don't lie, you know it really is) but the soundtrack is fantastic - well the Aimee Mann tracks - which is most of them)
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Trainspotting
4. Almost Famous
5. High Fidelity
Highly commended would be the Velvet Goldmine, Standing in the Shadows of Mowtown, I am Sam and probably even Eagle vs Shark (but that's just because its in my car stereo at the moment).

I didn't count the numerous Beatles 'soundtracks' as the 'movies' they were linked to were actually more extended music videos. Also I didn't count films like the Johnny Cash biopic - Walk the Line nor Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose (which is worth seeing - the lead should win best actress) as I think they were more 'best of' collections.

Making a tough task harder

Like most other Wellington sports teams the Phoenix seem to be going out of their way to frustrate their addicted fans!

Going into injury time at the end of the fixture with the table-topping Central Coast Mariners at 1-1, and after having the better of the second half, it looked like the Nix would leave the capital with 1 point. But no, some how our defenders gifted the Mariners striker an absolute lolly - which he duly guided into the goal for a 2-1 Mariners win. (video of the goals below)

This leaves the Nix in an uncomfortable position - seventh. Since our 4-1 win over Perth three weeks ago, we have lost three on the trot. We now have three away games. Which is why it was vital to get at least a point out of the Mariners clash.

Phoenix will need to pick up points in all three games now to avoid falling off the pace.

Granted, this is nothing like the Knights and the Nix are still in the running. But the honeymoon is well and truly over and its time to start putting things together out on the pitch.

On a high note - what about marquee signing, Ahmed Elrich's, strike from 30 metres out to equalise!?!?!



Next up are Adelaide, Perth (the new Knights), and Queensland.

The Hillary and Kevin show

Given Howard has called the Australian Federal election for 24 November, and the US primaries are beginning to heat up, I thought it was worth floating the question that would ALP and Democrat governments at a federal level be good for NZ?

I'm not so sure, in fact I would actually lead towards 'not really'.

Howard and Clark, despite being from opposite ends of the spectrum, have actually worked really well together. In fact the last eight years are referred to as a "golden-period" in the relationship. Howard, despite his conservative flaws, has actually been very good towards NZ, primarily because he gets on with Clark.

But, just because ALP leader, Kevin Rudd, comes from the same political family as Clark, doesn't mean they will get on. Take Whitlam/Kirk or Lange/Hawke as examples - all 'labour' prime ministers, but they did not get along. Or on the other side, Muldoon/Fraser didn't really get on either, and even when we have had a left/right mix in the past - Keating/Bolger, it hasn't worked. But Clark/Howard has, because they have both had the relationship as a top foreign policy priority.

So far Rudd has mostly seemed interested in China, which is fine, and it is clearly a strength of his (he's fluent in mandarin), but I would love to see some sort of nod towards his neighbours.

On the US I have similar sentiments. Don't get me wrong, the Republicans have to go - but don't forget that the Democrats were more than willing to give us the cold-shoulder for the best part of the 1990s.

Now I'm not saying I would vote for Howard or the Republicans, but we do have to recognise that for our own nationalistic interests, a Rudd Government is not necessarily a great thing. I think New Zealand is going to have to work very hard in the next few years to ensure we aren't shut out again.

Standards and censorship

I read a great interview with Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, in the Weekend Herald's 'Canvas' magazine pull out yesterday. Now im not much of a fan of censorship, but reading some of the things he has had to sit through - Im glad the role exists.

What made me laugh though, was good old David (i cant help but complain about film festivals) Lane and the Society for the Protection of Community Standards. His quotes were hillarious -

The society's executive director, David Lane, believes all hard-core pornography should be banned under the act's provision against "degrading, dehumanising, or demeaning" content.

"Let's take the example of oral sex, where males penetrate a woman right to the depths of her throat.... where the woman chokes with the guy's private part right [there]," says Lane. "Is that degrading or demeaning? We're not talking about a nice gentle caress, we're talking about a woman, so orally penetrated that she has gagged."

"There are other videos which Hastings regularly passes which involves multiple sexual penetration. There might be two men going at it flat-out anally with a woman, and one from the 'front-entry' and another from the 'oral entry' and away you go."

My only question is - what the fuck is David Lane watching to have that level of detail?? And if he is really so offended by it - dont go into the little room at the video store and hire it in the first place!!!

They hardly stock this content under comedy or drama! (maybe 'action' i guess?)

Who would have thought?

My initial reaction to the news that the Police had raided alleged terrorist training camps in the Bay of Plenty and other related properties throughout the country - was that, surely they are over reacting here.

But, when you read about their haul of firearms, you can't help but think - fucking hell! I mean napalm FFS!

The 'pacifists' from Abel Smith St in Wellington were hillarious - they were apparently "mystified" as to why the Police would raid their house..... the "large semi-automatic weapons, molotov cocktails, shotguns and rifles" that were confiscated might be a clue. Id love to hear their definition of pacifism.

The Police seem to be suggesting that this was Maori seperatist groups working with envionmental and other likeminded activists. This could do untold damage to the credibility of legitimate community and political lobby groups.

Crazy stuff.

Wii + Lightsabers = EEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Nov 6 the dream comes true!

The new Star Wars game on the Wii will feature Wiimote-Lightsaber dueling.

How cool is that??????????

This is gonna kick sooooooooooo much arse its not funny!

Once again the Wii proves that it is TFU! (The Fuckest Uppest)

Also in other news, Apple is opening a three level Apple Store in Australia - I only hope this means the iPhone will actually get released here.

Bend it like... Felipe!

I just bought tickets for the Phoenix vs LA Galaxy clash at the 'Ring of Fire' in December. Stoked.

Great marketing again by the Phoenix - great idea to include the A-League game against Adelaide in the Galaxy ticket (buy one get one free type deal).

Wellington has been a stunning football success with, on average, ten times more people at Phoenix home games, than there were for the Auckland Knights.

The atmosphere is completely different to Rugby, with no stupid pumping music - the crowd makes the noise. In many ways it reminds of the good old days (pre-Police-pressence) at a One Day Cricket International at the Basin Reserve.

My favourite chant has to be the "what the fucking, what the fucking, what the fucking hell was that? What the fucking hell was that?" In response to Perth's pathetic attempts on Goal. Although the "We're not Auckland, we're not Auckland, we're not Auckland any more! We're not Auckland any more!" is also quality.

Now I wonder - has Angus got tickets? Maybe he doesnt need them as he's seen Beckham play before? He is supposedly Beckham's biggest fan, and owns all sorts of homoerotic biographies and posters... Oh no, thats right he isnt in NZ so misses out... ohhhh... nevermind

What happened? Why? How?

This morning I don't know what to say. I feel exactly like one does when someone they know dies. There is nothing to be done, you really just have to get on. There's not a lot of point discussing the whys, the hows, the who can we blame theories, none of it will change anything and its not like you will suddenly discover some magical switch that could help.

Now I'm sure some of you are thinking - get over it, its only rugby, (or worse) its only a game. If you are thinking that, then you will never understand.

My favourite book is Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, while many think it is about football, to me it isnt. Its about being a fan. Hornby describes what it means to devote your entire being to the performance of 'your' team. The euphoria of the highs and yes the utter despair of the lows.

Needless to say - yesterday was the latter. It was like a car crash. One minute you're on a high, everything is going along fine, then all of a sudden - bam. When you set off, you know it would be disastrous if you cross the centre line - the risk levels are high. No matter how well you prepare, one lapse in concentration and whack youre gone. You can't undo it, you can't go back. There is no point thinking, if only I did this... or if I did that. That's what the latest world cup loss feels like. We knew - all to well - that it could happen, but its gutting all the same and thats it... the end. You're left shocked, dazed and not sure what to do next.

The worst bit though, is knowing full well, that in four years, you will again give everything to that team again. You will again think - this year is different, this is our year... even though the shadow of previous failures remain.

So that's it. I'm not interested in the media telling me what was wrong with the campaign, why Henry should be sacked etc, why 'they knew all along' that we would lose and so on. There's no point its done. See you in four years.

Question

Why would you release your foreign policy discussion document on the same day that the Prime Minister (your opponent!) is speaking at the Oxford Union, visiting a war hero's grave, and meeting the Prime Minister of Britain????

Good on ya! Why not draw attention to your comparative inexperience?

Im not sure you could find a much worse day to release it? On a day like this - Clark couldnt look more prime ministerial and on top of foreign policy if she tried - so what the hell were National thinking??

Good grief.

Campaign tips from Timaru

There is a lot of talk about people standing in different electorates in 2008. As a guide to all these aspirants the current local body elections have provided a wonderful example of what to do on the campaign trail.

This from the Timaru Herald...

Council candidate charged after urinating in gutter
The Timaru Herald | Tuesday, 2 October 2007

A Timaru district council candidate has been charged with offensive behaviour, following an incident in Dunedin last week.

The Timaru Herald was able to confirm yesterday that Karen Collings, who is standing for the Timaru ward on the council, was charged with offensive behaviour after allegedly being seen urinating in the gutter outside a Dunedin hotel.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait for more campaigning lessons from Timaru!