And soon I'll hear old winter's song...

I am not a great fan of winter ... having lived over six years in the tropics.

I don't get it as bad as those who suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

Apparently Johnny Briggs (alias Mike Baldwin of Coronation street) gets it so bad he has to flee the English winters for warmer climes - namely Florida.

Now there's many a cold winter's morning I wake up and wish I was also in Florida folks! Sadly I lack the mula that Johnny possesses in abundance.

Winter tests my running addiction to the extreme! there are days when the the rain is teeming down and the winds are a howling and I feel strangely, weirdly, disinclined to go for a run.

 It is then I have an identity crisis! Perhaps I am not a running addict after all.

In which case this whole blog is just one great sham! It is all a lie folks! A disgraceful pretense!

Don't get so emotional!

But the plus side ...... after tolerating, suffering, enduring, and surviving another bleak winter, ...... summer is all the sweeter.

Perhaps I am just a summer running addict?

Gonna take a sentimental journey, gonna put my mind at ease

35 years ago my two friends and I took a journey to the far north. Recently we made a sentimental journey back there to remember those halcyon days.

Back then (1975) two of us were  25 and the other 18. How old are we now? Go figure.

Once again we took the pilgrimage to Cape Reinga by bus.

35 years ago the three of us were suffering from food poisoning. On the journey back from the cape, I was the first to request the driver to stop and then hurl myself off the bus to vomit, chunder, baff  and throw up in the grass. One by one my friends did the same.

Back at the Motel, things were coming out both ends for all of us! Too much information

 But that was 35 years ago - we were young and vunerable boys.

This time it was a far more pleasant experience made all the more delightful by our superb bus driver, Barry - a maori from the far north.

Blue Moon You saw me standing alone Without a dream in my heart

Now what with the winter's wet blustery grip   .... and peoples favourite teams bowing out of the world cup   ... it is not surprising that some of you are feeling just a tad depressed, despondent and may just a little despairing.

But there's hope!

As you can see by the little picture to the left ... there is someone eminently qualified to give you that  spot of encouragement you are crying out for.


So whether it is a paper cut or a life crisis (like burnt toast).

He can assist. When they let him out of  ....

Blame it on the vuvuzela ...

Why has this blog been slient?

Thousands ask me. Indeed millions

Bl*&dy liar

Simple ... The Vorld Cap ...

First I followed Nu Zulun ... till they went home.

Then I followed England ... and they've gone home.

Who now do I follow ...?

I feel deserted.

England decimated by Germany. At least good old Nu Zulun did not lose a match!

Didn't win one either.

Where to now?
Scotland ... na they're not in it.

My Spanish roots ... don't have any ...

But I was pleased to note that in the England - Germany match, the Vuvuleza was getting some good competition from the excellent singing of 1000s of England fans. "Land of hope and glory..."

Fat lot of good it did them!!

Did you notice that singular fact amidst the destruction wrought on England??

eeeh thas nought like an English crowd lad.


Who can I turn to ...?

"I dreamed a team in days gone by ...." 
but

"put your teams away for another day, darling ....."

hey hey hey beautiful Sunday ... this is our our our beautiful day....

The epic and long awaited duel between Race Walking Aucland and Calliope took place yesterday (June 13) At the Ngataringa Bay course.

Teams of  6 from each club line toed the starting line just after 8:30 am on what appeared to be a beautiful Sunday - that is until the rain torrented down and the gales roared in the latter laps of the 8 lap race.

10 km lay ahead for each dedicated and semi-extinguished athlete. (Though some opted for 5 km).

Each had estimated their time and now the task was simple. Which team could be cumulatively closest to their estimated time? The suspense was palatable. Watches were gathered up and competitors walked with naked arms.

Calliope demonstrated the the experience of its athletes in the guessing domain. But I hearing you crying for more. Give the detailed results you cry - who cares about the world cup!

So here they are:

You will note that yours truly was only 3 seconds out. Mind you, I had to slow to a crawl on the last lap to achieve this. However, the day belongs to one Bill Fell who showed all the experience of  his many years as a top athlete.

Note: The TOTAL (time discrepancy) is the sum of the absolute values of each time descrepancy.
For example absolute value of -2:12 = |-2:12| = 2:12! (Exciting stuff isn't it?)


The man needs to get a life!

I would if I had one of those credit cards!  hey Chris What are ya goona do with yours?

Hey big spender . spend a little time with me ...

It is the only possible song for today folks...

Take it away Shirley! Peggy Lee Sang it too!

I see labour has some big spenders  ... living the good life ... on tax payers ... on my money (being one of your standard model tax payers).

Shane Jones list of expense looks impressive

Perhaps I should introduce Dame Shirley Bassey to Shane Jones.

I can't introduce Peggy. One of the great Jazz artists of all time is no longer with us.

That's the trouble with credit cards and debit cards ... it is too easy to fork out 700 bucks for golf equipment. Perhaps if they had to deal with cold hard cash they'd think 2x.

But I shall refrain from moralising.  I just want moi money back! Plus the interest.

I have often walked down the street before ...

I have to come out of the closet and confess that I watch Coronation Street.

Heaven knows why ... it is awful ...but that's the nature of insanity.

Ken Barlow (William Roache) is currently as I speak moving down that certain road to another of his many infidelities or is it adulteries. Does that make him an infidel?

The Street operates its story line on a numbers of cycles (not bicycles!). The episode cycle, the weekly cycle, the monthly cycle and so forth up to a ten year cycle.

I have done the research and I know!!!!

Which means you can follow the story if you only watch once a month or once every ten years.


But folks why are they called Soaps or Soap Operas?

It is because the story lines are written by people when they have having a bath. Yes it is true. Max Cryer told me!

No seriously folks ... it is because the early sponsors of the genre were soap manufacturers. It's true ... you check it out then if you don't believe me ... go on!

Finally if you don't like soap operas you have to put up this sign ....

And its one, two, three strikes your out at the old ball game ....

To warn  ... to caution
Race walking is one of those events that has to be judged. And believe you me, judging is a constant cause of consternation among walkers, official and judges alike!

First of all in New Zealand, a judge is presented with a judging sheet the distinguishes between a warning and a caution. Now in my book, these words are pretty well synonymous. However, in race walking they mean different things. A caution is not as serious and a warning. A caution is given by individual judges to the walker concerned that he or she is either lifting (both feet seen as visibly off the ground - wavy yellow paddle) or bending the knee (right angle yellow paddle).

A walker could be potentially cautioned once by every judge to no ill effects. Each judge can caution each athlete only once for an offence.

A warning is a different affair. The judge does not warn the athlete, but rather sends a red card to the chief judge. This is the judge's "proposal for a disqualification". These proposals are then marked on a board at the start/finish line for each lap for the walker to plainly see. These then constitute a warning. Once three of these reds are up on the board, the athlete will be disqualified. The chief judge will show them a red paddle.

Each judge must also record all her/his determinations on a judging sheet which is given to the chief judge after the event.

Give me five minutes more, only five minutes more ....

It is the song of the Derby County football team. The team went into the premier league a few season back but they couldn't hack it and fell back into football league championships where they languish just below half way down

It seem England are being given good odds (5/1) in some quarters to win the world cup - at this stage a tad behind Spain (4/1).

I don't like odds and prefer to convert them to pobablities; England 1/6 (.1667), Spain 1/5 or .20 and Brazil 11/2 which is a probablity of 2/13 or .1548.

I have done a small analysis of the probabilities of winning by group.

It is pretty clear to see that group A will be very hard fought with so many teams with similarly low probabilites,


By contrast, group H should se an easy win for Spain. New Zealand in group F with a 0.001 probability of winning will have their work cut out against Italy with a 0.0909 probability of winning.

Money makes the world goes round ...That clinking clanking sound Can make the world go 'round.

Liza Minelli cavorted on stage singing this one.

Shortly Bill English will "cavort" in the "house" and give his budget address. It is budget day in old Nu Zulun.

Now call me irresponsible, call me unreliable, throw in undependable toooooooo....

But the Budget day is the biggest, unadulterated bore of the year. Now I am not saying Bill is boring  ... that is too kind ... too kind  .... just tooooooo kind.

The evidence suggests that more New Zealanders start losing the will to live on budget day than any other day of the year.

Turn off the radios   ... switch off the teles  .... and don't buy a newspaper on Friday morning.

Sit down and be thrilled by the sensation of watching      paint dry ....infinitely more charming than listening to a budget address. Watch reruns of Gone with the Wind and The Lost Weekend.

Anything to avoid the budget will be a gud bet.


And then at long last another budget will be....