Legend told me that the older Eclipse was the best one to get, but despite legend also telling me they were two-a-penny at any boot sale of your choice, I simply never saw one. In the meantime I even resorted to trying the …
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Musings from the Workbench: Oooo, la la
I well remember the jolly and the times when conferences were two a penny .
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alcudiapollensa: The Travelling Blackberries
CYBERSPACE–THE “REAL” FINAL FRONTIER The place: New York City. The time: any day now. Tech and Marz are brothers orphans and misfits just about everywhere–except on the Virtual Network where their monster gaming skills leave challengers choking on their datatrails; and their hacking expertise earns them serious cash as freelance cyber-sleuths running down lost information and missing persons on the Web. The more extreme the cyber-sport and the tougher the security codes the better Tech and Marz like it. A mean game of Death Run is nothing for Tech and Marz. But almost getting killed–for real–on a routine virtual mission is a whole different deal. And that’s exactly what a shapeless demonic cyber-”thing “tries to do when Tech accidentally frees a mysterious kidnap victim deep inside a government database. The run-in leaves the brothers with a ton of fried hardware and too many unanswered questions. But they’re heading into the dark and dangerous underbelly of the virt… CLICK HERE -Web Warriors: Memories End James Luceno Paperback at www.science-fiction-books.com.au
One a penny, two a penny , Hot-cross buns! If you have no daughters, give them to your sons, One a penny, two a penny , Hot-cross buns! To make Hot-cross buns;. 1 lb flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp mixed spice …
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Easter Celebrations
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South Auckland police are hunting a suspected serial paedophile sex offender who has already attacked two young girls. . The attacks started early last month.
Detective Senior Sergeant, Daryl Harper said he had concerns “for the escalating nature and frequency of offending.
The Mangere CIB and Child Abuse Team Detectives are leading the hunt and say the attacks all happened around a walkway between Cape Road and Mascot Avenue in Mangere.
In the first attack on Tuesday September 8, about 2.”
Police are urging parents to walk with their children to and from school in the area.45pm, the man dragged a 12-year-old girl to the ground and indecently assaulted her, said Mr Harper.
The eight-year-old was attacked while her younger sister screamed for help.
Then on Monday October 19 he attacked an 8-year-old girl and her 6-year old sister as they went home from School on the same walkway.
He saw a man and chased him into a close toby park where he lost him. The girls’ father heard the cries and ran into the walkway.
The attacker grabbed her top.
In the last attack, on Thursday October 22 a 28-year-old mother was pushing her son in a pram in the walkway. She punched him and he ran off. She punched him and he ran off.5ft high.
The offender is described as Polynesian man aged 18-20 years, 5.
. On one occasion he wore a dark green hoodie sweat shirt and dark jeans on another he wore a black baseball cap, white hooded sweat shirt with a black or dark collar
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The Ministry of Education has told schools they will not get extra support for teaching arts, science and physical education next year.
The move was because the Government wanted schools to focus on reading, writing and maths ahead of the introduction of the National Standards, Radio New Zealand reported.The advisory groups would also help with the implementation of the national standards.A letter from the ministry said schools would get no help from advisory groups, provided by six universities, to teach anything other than reading, writing and maths.”With this sector, I can’t win.Education Minister Anne Tolley said she was “damned if I do damned if I don’t”…”With the introduction of national standards next year I have said, that the sector has said to me repeatedly ‘we’re going to need extra help’.if I hadn’t provided them with support I can bet you we’d be having the same conversation about how I’m going to be requiring them to implement national standards with no support. In the future it could be arts or science, Ms Tolley said.”The focus for next year was reading, writing and maths.There was limited money, she said. .”Principals said it sent a “strong message” about the impact the standards would have on the range of subjects taught in schools.”I got an increase of $300 million in education and I have spent that as wisely as I can across the sector.
.Further details on the national standards would be released tomorrow
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More than 60 prison guards protested legislation,
which could lead to the privatisation of some prisons, outside Auckland’s
Mt Eden prison today.
The guards chanted slogans and held placards saying ‘Stop The Cell-Off’ and ‘No Profit From Crime’, Radio New Zealand reported.
Association president Beven Hanlon said New Zealand had one of the best prison systems in the world and privately run facilities would not deliver the same standards.
The Corrections Association, the union representing prison guards, said legislation currently before Parliament would lead to the private management of up to five prisons.”
Mr Hanlon said if prison management was privatised, guards would face the prospect of losing their jobs, only to be re-hired at reduced wages and under poorer conditions.
“We have low levels of escape, we have low staff-to-prisoner ratios which means we’ve got really low costs and we’ve got low suicide rates – and believe it or not we’ve got improving rehabilitation rates.
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The people of Wanganui are “angry, upset and disappointed†by a New Zealand Geographic Board ruling that the city’s spelling must include an “h”, Mayor Michael Laws says. .
The Geographic Board’s decision was “racist”, biased and failed to take referendum results into account, he said.
He said Wanganui was not a Maori word, but had a culture, heritage and mana all of its own.
The board met yesterday to debate the request from local iwi Tupoho, before issuing its decision this morning.
But he had always been confident in democracy and he would be petitioning Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson to uphold the wishes of the Wanganui community.
“I will be carefully considering the board’s report and the submissions, after which I will make a decision.
The issue will now go before Mr Williamson, who will consider whether to formalise the change to Whanganui.
TURIA: ‘RIGHT THING TO DO’
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia wept when she heard the news. Until then I will not be making any further comment,” Mr Williamson said.
“It’s quite emotional I have to say.
“I know that they were many of our old people who wept this morning at this result…”
The spelling change was “the right thing to do”, and she did not agree with Mr Laws that it was a racist decision. because our people have been hoping for it a long time.”
“I think that those who value doing what is right will see that this is a very important step in going forward.
“I hope that Michael will take a stance which is more unifying than he has.”
BOARD’S DECISION
Almost 900 public submissions were received on the issue, which has raised debate across the country.
“It’s about who we are, it’s about our genealogy.
A Wanganui District Council referendum held in May found 77 per cent of respondents wanted the spelling of their city’s name to remain unchanged.
Mr Laws has fought the name change, and earlier this month made headlines after angrily responding to Otaki schoolchildren who wrote to him asking him to reconsider.
Board chairman Don Grant said the board was referring the final determination to the minister because objections were received on the proposal, and they were not upheld.
However, the board had already concluded Wanganui – without the ‘h’ – was not an official place name as it had never been formally gazetted…. will be expected to use the official name.
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Police want to hear from anyone who sees unexplained damage on a four-wheel-drive vehicle with bull bars following an incident which left a Tokoroa teen in hospital. .
Detective Sergeant Kevan Verry said it appeared the incident happened after an altercation in the centre of the Waikato township between two groups.30am yesterday.
It was not known if the vehicle had sustained any damage in the incident.
Police were treating the incident as a serious assault.
The scene examination had been completed and several witnesses spoken to.
“If any person knows of someone who drives or owns a vehicle of this type that has some unexplained damage, they are urged to contact police,” Mr Verry said.
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The teenager remains in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital
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A jealous lover was today jailed for a claw hammer attack on a man who he believed to be his ex-girlfriend’s new partner.
Trevor William Grindrod, 34, was sentenced at the High Court in Wellington to seven years and nine months imprisonment.
The man barricaded himself in the bedroom and told Grindrod he had called the police, “but you were not to be denied,” attacking him with the claw hammer, Justice Gendall said.
Justice Warwick Gendall said that six weeks after Grindrod split with his girlfriend, he visited her house uninvited and saw her with a workmate, “you thought, in a mildly amorous situation”.
“You were fortunate you did not kill the complainant.
“This was an unprovoked, prolonged, gratuitous attack with a lethal weapon,” Justice Gendall said.
He smashed his way into the property through a window, broke through the bedroom door and began hitting the man in the head and body with the hammer, adding punches and kicks.”
Crown prosecutor Kate Feltham said Grindrod walked from Wainuiomata to the workmate’s Lower Hutt house, “picking up” the hammer on the way.
Grindrod told police he was trying to kill the man and was initially charged with attempted murder.
The attack spilled into the bathroom where Grindrod ripped a vanity from the wall and attempted to beat his victim with it.
His victim suffered numerous injuries including a broken nose, but after months of physiotherapy escaped long term physical damage.
This was later reduced to injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
“You are a violent man with a low anger threshold and when slighted by others, or you think you are, you attack.
Justice Gendall noted Grindrod had 20 previous convictions, four of which were for assault and included two attacks on children between late 2007 and early 2008.”
A starting point of 10 1/2 years jail was given, but Grindrod was given a “generous discount” of one-third for his early guilty pleas.”
He said Grindrod had attended an anger management course, “but it appears to have had little effect.
Grindrod was also sentenced to five years for aggravated burglary and two years for grievous damage, to be served concurrently, and ordered to pay $3269 in reparation for property damage on his release. A further nine months was added in light of his previous convictions.
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Justice Gendall said Grindrod was fortunate the crown had not sought a minimum jail period