Thursday, December 25, 2008

Caviar To Go


Over the years Louis Vuitton has created specially designed suitcases and travel accessories to hold everything from games and gadgets to wines, watches, and whiskey. Its latest ingenious travel accessory is a special-edition caviar case for properly storing and toting caviar. The red leather-lined LV monogram box is outfitted with a dish to hold up to 500 grams of caviar, a plate for crushed ice, and engraved crystal vodka glasses, plus drawers to hold four caviar spoons made of mother-of-pearl, a non-reactive material designed to preserve the caviar’s fragile flavor. Because the box is made to order, it can be customized in larger or smaller dimensions and is available in a range of leathers and exotic skins in almost any color. www.louisvuitton.com

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Lifejackets - they'll save your life!

Religions of the World

Xmas Dementia

Hollywood Movie to Feed Local SPCA Dogs

Dog lovers and their families can do their bit for charity this summer all by heading to an adorable new movie, that’s well...about dogs!

Pedigree and Hoyts have joined forces to offer preview screenings of new film Hotel For Dogs and all you need for entry is a can or packet of Pedigree dog food!

The food will be donated to SPCA’s throughout New Zealand to feed the numerous dogs who ultimately end up in its care during the busy holiday season.

Pedigree’s Marketing Manager Oliver Downs says Hotel for Dogs is a wonderful celebration of our canine friends and the magic they bring to our lives.

“We are thrilled to offer families the chance to see such a positive and uplifting movie. We believe every dog deserves love, good food and a good home. Sadly we know that this is not the case for many New Zealand dogs and we’re glad we’re able to help the SPCA with the valuable work they do,” he says.

Downs says the company hopes to donate 500 cans and packets of dog food to the well deserving charity.

Hotel For Dogs is a comedy adventure movie that shows how far love and a great imagination can take you!

The movie stars 16-year-old Emma Roberts as Andi who along with her younger brother Bruce (Jake T.Austin) are forced to find their dog ‘Friday’ a new home when their foster parents say “no pets”.

The pair stumble across an abandoned hotel and transform it into the perfect home for Friday, themselves and every stray dog in town!

Hotel for Dogs (rated PG, Contains coarse language) opens in New Zealand on January 15th and preview screenings are available on January 14th. Tickets will be available for exchange on the day at the participating Hoyts Cinemas listed below and will be issued on a first in first served basis. Please note tickets are limited.

Auckland: Hoyts Wairau Park, Cinema 7, 92 seats, 11am
Wellington: Regent on Manners, Cinema 2, 179 seats, 11am
Christchurch: Northlands, Cinema 5, 109 seats, 11am
Dunedin: Octagon, Cinema 1, 121 seats, 2pm

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

PRICELESS .... !!

The Morning after the Office Party.

Jack woke up with a killer hangover after attending his firm's Christmas Party.

He didn't even remember how he got home. It's 8.30. What day is it? Thursday. His wife must have gone to work.

As he struggled into consciousness through the fog of a pounding headache, his stomach plummeted as he wondered what the hell he did last night.

He forced himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a couple of aspirins next to a glass of water on the side table. And, next to them, a little vase of sweet peas, freshly picked from the garden.

He sat up. The bedroom was clean and tidy, - there was no trail of drunkenly abandoned clothes, fresh air was coming in through the window and all was serene. He stumbled to the bathroom, also pristine, and, squinting gingerly into the mirror, saw that he had a black eye. This was not a good sign, but no memories were returning.

As he concentrated hard on getting the world into focus, he saw a post-it note stuck on the corner of the mirror. It was written in red, with little hearts on it and a kiss from his wife.

'I'll ring your office and tell them you won't be in today.
Breakfast is in the oven. Try to eat something and go back to bed for the morning. There's snooker on TV this afternoon. Take it easy today, hope your eye doesn't hurt too much. See you tonight.
I love you, darling! Love, Jillian. x '

He stumbled to the kitchen and sure enough, there was hot breakfast, steaming hot coffee and the newspaper. His teenaged son was sitting at the table, eating.

Jack, bracing himself, asked his son what happened the previous night.

' Well, you came home after 3 A.M., drunk and out of your mind. You fell over the coffee table and broke it, and then you puked in the hallway, and got that black eye when you ran into the door. '

Confused, he asked his son, 'So, why is everything in such perfect order, aspirins by the bed, a nice note from Mum and breakfast waiting for me?'
His son replied, 'Oh THAT!... Mum dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your trousers off, you screamed, 'Leave me alone you slapper, I'm married!!'

Broken Coffee Table £250
Hot Breakfast £3.50
Two Aspirins 20p
Saying the right thing, at the right time......PRICELESS

The Shocking Truth Behind ‘Fake’ Breathalysers That Could End Up Costing Lives

• Low cost breathalysers don’t work in real-life situations
• Inaccurate, inconsistent and incapable of trustworthy results
• Some indicate safe when the driver is actually over the limit
• Urgent calls for industry regulation; none are police-approved

With the Christmas party season starting, Parker’s is warning anyone thinking of using a do-it-yourself breathalyser to think again or risk losing their license – or worse – their lives.

The astounding research into the self testing devices was carried out by Parker’s with the help of West Yorkshire Police and Medacx, suppliers of breathalysers to around 20% of UK police forces. The results have revealed that these devices are completely unreliable which means that many drivers may be mislead into driving whilst over the limit this Christmas.

Parker’s tested a range of the inexpensive devices, which are widely available online, at markets, car boot sales and even in petrol stations, by breathalysing someone just over the legal drink drive limit and comparing the results to official police tests. Frighteningly, more than half of the devices showed that it was safe to drive when the police breathalyser registered more than the legal limit of 35mg of alcohol to 100ml of breath. Worse still, every single one of the machines failed to match the reading of West Yorkshire Police’s Home Office approved breathalysers – with most turning out to be little more than fakes, being passed off as ‘license saving’ devices.

The breathalysers tested varied wildly in their results, with the same unit giving a number of readings from the same person. And with a cheap breathalyser whenever it’s used it gets further contaminated by deposits from the breath, further increasing the chances of a false reading. The sensors can also be contaminated by silicone, found commonly in many car cleaning products and polishes and can easily get into the air. Should the sensor be contaminated by silicone, it will be destroyed – and from then on, it will only give an ‘all-clear’ result.

Brian Roake, managing director of Medacx explains: “Low cost devices use semi-conductor gas-sensing elements. This technology is low cost and none of these types of unit have ever been submitted for type approval. Quite simply the technology in these cheap breathalysers is not used in any of the approved devices in the world. They do not meet the exacting standards of police forces and therefore aren’t fit-for-purpose.”

The worry for police is that many well meaning friends and relatives will buy these breathalysers, which you can buy for between £2.49 and £15.99 as stocking fillers for loved ones, a gift which could end in disaster if relied on by someone thinking of driving after drinking. Inspector Russell Clark of West Yorkshire Police explains: “Anyone who’s stopped for drink driving will, as a very minimum, lose their licence for six months. If someone was to cause a death as a result of drink driving, they’re looking at a possible 14-year prison sentence. Handheld breathalysers are no defence if anyone should go to court. There is no safe level for drinking and driving, aside from not drinking at all.”

Those within the industry are calling for tighter regulations, to ensure that the dangers of these devices are eliminated. Hunter Abbott, managing director of Alcosense, the manufacturer of the UK’s most popular self test breathalyser whose products are more expensive than those tested by Parker’s and are triple-tested for accuracy comments: “We desperately need to see regulation of breathalysers in the UK. At the moment there’s a free-for-all and there’s no test for accuracy or consistency, which means anyone can sell a device in the UK as a breathalyser – it doesn’t actually have to be accurate. When you are potentially talking about the difference between life and death regulation is imperative.”

Inspector Clark added, “Many people may think that it’s a good idea to buy one of these for a loved one, but this could be the very article that harms them. It encourages people to drink to the max, when anyone who’s going out mustn’t be thinking about driving at all. A taxi is much cheaper than someone’s life and that life could be yours. We’re out there enforcing the law and it’s not worth the risk.”

Full details – and a video – of the investigation is available at: www.parkers.co.uk/drive

Tips For Designated Drivers During The Festive Season

1. Prepare a route, taking account of any pick ups and drop offs.

2. Take an up to date map in case you have to deviate off route at any time.

3. Take a note of where the nearest A&E is, just in case passenger inebriation later turns into something more serious.

4. Familiarise yourself with the vehicle if it’s not yours, particularly where the minor controls, like light switches, are and ensure it has enough fuel for the entire journey at least.

5. Study the weather forecast and traffic information before you leave and plan accordingly.

6. Take warm clothes if it’s cold – drunk party-goers rarely feel the cold but you might have to hang around waiting for them!

7. If the vehicle could be iced up when you come to leave, ensure you have an ice scraper to hand. A credit card won’t do!

8. Check that the spare wheel is legal and inflated and that you have a means of fitting it. You don’t want to be stranded at two in the morning with a bunch of incoherent so-called friends who won’t be able to lift a finger to help.

9. Take a charged mobile phone and take a note of the mobile number of all your passengers.

10. Take a note of everybody’s home addresses in case they’re not capable of telling you on the return journey.

11. Tell your passengers what time you intend to leave and that it’s non negotiable.

12. Make sure all passengers know where the vehicle is (and its reg. no.) for their return journey.

13. Carry sick bags, let the occupants know where they are and that they are the preferred remedy in emergencies!

14. Make sure that all passengers wear seat belts….even if they aren’t capable of putting them on.

15. If anybody is getting out of control and could interfere with your driving, say that you will kick them out and leave them stranded……and mean it!

16. If you have remote locking doors, use them. You don’t want drunk passengers trying to get out of the car on the move!

17. If you’re driving in the early hours you have to assume you’re the only designated driver out there and that everybody else is over the limit. Give everybody a wide berth and don’t assume they use their mirrors!

18. If it looks like a road rage incident is developing or someone is trying to race you, don’t get involved - when it’s safe to do so, let the other vehicle pass, or if you feel really threatened, head for a well lit, busy place, like a petrol forecourt.

19. If your route takes you through unlit rural areas be especially cautious about pedestrians who may not be entirely in control of their actions.

20. A car full of people is obviously going to attract the attention of the police, particularly when the traffic is light, so don’t be tempted to take a chance just because you’re as sober as a judge. Stick rigidly to the speed limits and keep lots of space between you and the vehicles around you.

21. If you have a car full of well-oiled comrades, don’t allow yourself to be egged on. Stay calm and in control. Don’t step outside your comfort or capability zone. Remind them that you’re the one who is responsible for their welfare. Be thick skinned and remember the motivation for volunteering in the first place!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Three wise men? I can't find one!!!

Comic thoughts from Peter Kay

1) I saw a fat woman wearing a t-shirt with 'Guess' on it. I said 'Thyroid problem?'
2) When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bike. Then I realised that The Lord doesn't work that way, so I stole one and asked him to forgive me.
3) I've often wanted to drown my troubles, but I can't get my wife to go swimming.
4) I was doing some decorating, so I got out my step-ladder. I don't get on with my real ladder.
5) I went to a restaurant that serves 'breakfast at any time'. So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance.
6) A cement mixer collided with a prison van on the Kingston Bypass. Motorists are asked to be on the lookout for 16 hardened criminals.
7) Well I was bullied at school, called all kinds of different names. But one day I turned to my bullies and said 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me', and it worked! From there on it was sticks and stones all the way.
8) My Dad used to say 'always fight fire with fire', which is probably why he got thrown out of the fire brigade.
9) I saw six men kicking and punching the mother-in-law. My neighbour said 'Are you going to help?' I said 'No, six should be enough.'
10) If we aren't supposed to eat animals, then why are they made out of meat?
11) I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give the wrong answers.
12) You know that look women get when they want sex? No, me neither
13) Politicians are wonderful people as long as they stay away from things they don't understand, such as working for a living.
14) I was the kid next door's imaginary friend.
15) Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before.

PETER KAY'S UNIVERSAL TRUTHS

1) Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones.
2) At the end of every party there is always a girl crying.
3) One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger.
4) Sharpening a pencil with a knife makes you feel really manly.
5) You're never quite sure whether it's against the law or not to have a fire in your back garden.
6) Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl.
7) You never know where to look when eating a banana.
8) You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses.
9) The smaller the monkey the more it looks like it would kill you at the first given opportunity.
10) Every bloke has at some stage while taking a pee, flushed half way through and then raced against the flush.
11) Its impossible to look cool whilst picking up a Frisbee.
12) Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited.
13) Old ladies can eat more than you think.
14) You can't respect a man who carries a dog.
15) Despite constant warning, you have never met anybody who has had their arm broken by a swan.
16) You've turned into your dad the day you put aside a thin piece of wood specifically to stir paint with.
17) Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

QUESTIONS BROUGHT TO YOU BY PETER KAY

1) Why does your gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed?
2) If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth?
3) Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?
4) Is it possible to brush your teeth without wiggling your bottom?
5) Why is it called Alcoholics Anonymous when the first thing you do is stand up and say, 'My name is Peter and I am an alcoholic'?
6) Why are they called stairs inside but steps outside?
7) Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
8) Why does mineral water that 'has trickled through mountains for centuries' have a 'use by' date?
9) Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp no one would eat?
10) Is French kissing in France just called kissing?
11) Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink whatever comes out'?
12) What do people in China call their good quality plates?
13) Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?
14) What do you call male ballerinas?
15) Why is a person that handles your money called a 'Broker'?
16) If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
17) If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
18) Why is it that when someone tells you that there are over a billion stars in the universe, you believe them, but if they tell you there is wet paint somewhere, you have to touch it to make sure.

Teeth Whitening - now online ?????

Yep, I couldn't believe it either, but that's what an ad on Facebook will have me believing ... the mind boggles ... will they whiten my teeth telepathically, or do I have to take them out and courier them for a 24 hour service? Perhaps there's a new USB device that I haven't yet discovered????

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Chewing Gum Helps Steer Learner Drivers To Success

New research shows chewing can help increase concentration at the wheel -

Over half of Brits (57%)struggle to learn to drive, but in a recent study, something as simple as chewing gum managed to help improve the driving skills of 36 learner drivers by an average of 60%.

Wrigley teamed up with the British School of Motoring (BSM) to monitor concentration levels of 36 learner drivers. The test logged the number of mistakes made during simulated tests and compared the difference in accuracy when chewing and not chewing gum.

The tests showed that the learner drivers tested were 91% more likely not to miss dangerous hazards on the road when chewing and 85% better at steering. Interestingly, almost half (44%) of learners tested were less likely to speed when the gum was in their mouth2. When questioned, almost two thirds of drivers (61%)3 said they felt that chewing gum helped to increase their focus when driving.

The study measured the top ten skills learner drivers need to pass their test. The learners were tested at random chewing and not chewing gum.

When questioned, a third (33%) of learners in the study cited an inability to focus whilst driving as a major challenge. Meanwhile over a quarter (29%) admitted to nerves being their downfall and almost half (45%) say they get easily distracted on the road.

Interestingly the study found that the older driving students who participated needed the most help; students over 25 were almost twice as likely (31%) than 17 and 18 year olds (16%) to struggle with learning to drive because they couldn't maintain focus at the wheel.

The afterlife ...?

A couple made a deal that whoever died first would come back and inform the other of the afterlife. Their biggest fear was that there was no afterlife. After a long life, the husband was the first to go, and true to his word he made contact, 'Mary. Mary.'

'Is that you, Fred?'

'Yes, I've come back like we agreed.'

'What's it like?'

'Well, I get up in the morning, I have sex, I have breakfast, off to the golf course, I have sex, I bathe in the sun, and then I have sex twice. I have lunch, another romp around the golf course, then sex pretty much all afternoon. After supper, golf course again. Then have sex until late at night. The next day it starts again.'

'Oh, Fred you surely must be in heaven.'

'Not exactly, I'm a rabbit in Suffolk .'

Those pearly gates

A Blonde was sent on her way to Heaven. Upon her arrival, a concerned St Peter met her at the Pearly Gates.

'I'm sorry,' St Peter said; 'But Heaven is suffering from an overload of goodly souls and we have been forced to put up an Entrance Exam for new arrivals to ease the burden of Heavenly Arrivals.'

'That's cool' said the blonde, 'What does the Entrance Exam consist of?

'Just three questions' said St Peter.

'Which are?' asked the blonde.

'The first,'said St Peter,'is, which two days of the week start with the letter 'T' '?

The second is 'How many seconds are there in a year?'

The third is 'What was the name of the swagman in Waltzing Matilda?'

Now,' said St Peter, 'Go away and think about those questions and when I call upon you, I shall expect you to have those answers for me.'

So the blonde went away and gave those three questions some considerable thought (I expect you to do the same).

The following morning, St Peter called upon the blonde and asked if she had considered the questions, to which she replied, 'I have.'

'Well then,' said St Peter, 'Which two days of the week start with the letter T?'

The blonde said, 'Today and Tomorrow.'

St Peter pondered this answer for some time, and decided that indeed the answer can be applied to the question.

'Well then, could I have your answer to the second of the three questions?'

St Peter went on, 'how many seconds in a year?'

The Blonde replied, 'Twelve!'

'Only twelve?' exclaimed St Peter, 'How did you arrive at that figure?'

'Easy,' said the blonde, 'there's the second of January, the second of February, right through to the second of December, giving a total of twelve seconds.'

St Peter looked at the blonde and said, 'I need some time to consider your answer before I can give you a decision.' And he walked away shaking his head.

A short time later, St Peter returned to the Blonde. 'I'll allow the answer to stand, but you need to get the third and final question absolutely correct to be allowed into Heaven. Now, can you tell me the answer to the name of the swagman in Waltzing Matilda?'

The blonde replied: 'Of the three questions, I found this the easiest to answer.'

'Really!' exclaimed St Peter, 'And what is the answer?'

'It's Andy.'

'Andy??'

'Yes, Andy,' said the blonde.

This totally floored St Peter, and he paced this way and that, deliberating the answer. Finally, he could not stand the suspense any longer, and turning to the blonde, asked 'How in God's name did you arrive at THAT answer?'

'Easy' said the blonde, 'Andy sat, Andy watched, Andy waited til his Billy boiled.'

And the blonde entered Heaven...

How AC Nielsen rates the mood in NZ

Some of the results of their polls:-

After incidents throughout the year where frontline Police Officers were killed, 59% of our panelists think that our NZ police officers should be armed with guns.

53% of our panelists disagree with the decision allowing nudity on Kapiti Coast beaches.

With the Lotto draw reaching a record 30 million, 73% of our panelists bought a ticket for that draw.

Only 10% of our panelists thought that the electricity price increases were justified.

60% of our panelists have used some form of public transport in the last 6 months.

At the beginning of November only 45% of our panelists had started their Christmas shopping.

The mood of the nation

Here are a few interesting facts that came from the results of Consumer Link surveys over the past few months:

Despite weeks of bad news about the economy, people rate their moods as positive rather than negative as the holiday season approaches. 41% rate their mood as positive, 9% as negative and 50% say their mood is both positive and negative.

Travel intentions for the holidays are down compared to last year for many. 15% plan to travel more than last year, 51% plan to travel the same amount, and 34% plan to travel less.

Fewer people plan to host holiday parties this year than in years past. Last year 40% planned to host, and this year 31% plan to host a party.

Overall people consider their financial situations worse today than in the past: 49% consider it worse. However people are optimistic about the future: 67% believe their personal financial situation will be better 3 years from now.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Fancy a screwdriver?



In the 1950s the Screwdriver cocktail was born and according to legend was created by oil riggers in the Middle East who used screwdrivers to stir their drinks.

The drink was popular in North America during the 1950s when orange juice was available nationally for the first time as a frozen concentrate. Juice was used to disguise the potent taste of the bootleg alcohol that was produced during this time.

The 1970s saw its revival as our parents danced to Abba and Neil Diamond and went one step further adding a dash of Galliano liqueur and evolving the classic Screwdriver into the Harvey Wallbanger. Rumour has it that Harvey was a surfer/wharf worker in California who after too many bad days at sea drank so many Galliano-spiked Screwdrivers he banged into the walls.

This summer you can taste the best nature has to offer with a vodka that took thousands of years in the making and juice created from sun-ripened oranges picked just yesterday.

Make sure you’re the first to try this limited edition vodka orange cocktail created by New Zealand’s boutique producers Arano and 26000 Vodka.

26000 Vodka is made with water from an ice age glacier reservoir discovered in the Tasman region of the South Island. This pristine paleowater, 260 centuries old, gives this spirit the smoothness coveted by vodka connoisseurs all over the world.

Pair this handcrafted premium vodka with Arano’s new Limited Release 100% Pure Valencia Orange Juice to create the perfect New Zealand summer cocktail.

The locally grown and squeezed juice is made from the finest Valencia oranges New Zealand has to offer and contains none of the added ingredients or preservatives that can compromise the flavour of your premium vodka.

By leaving nature’s gift as untouched as possible Arano and 26000 Vodka have created the ultimate vodka orange cocktail which will leave you wanting more!

The Limited Release 100% Pure Valencia Orange Juice is only available over the 2008-2009 summer while the season for these oranges lasts.

If you’re feeling adventurous then try some of the recipes using 26000 Vodka and Arano 100% Pure Valencia Orange Juice below.

RECIPES

Limited Edition Valencia Vodka

- ½ glass Arano Limited Release 100% Pure Valencia Orange Juice

- 2 shots 26000 Vodka – Crystalline

Pour 26000 Vodka over ice cubes in a glass and add Arano orange Juice

Love Juice Cocktail

- 30mls 26000 Vodka Lychee

- 15mls Arano Limited Release Valencia Orange Juice

- 15mls lime Juice

- 15mls Cointreau

- Dash Elderflower

- ½ Bar spoon Orange Marmalade

- ½ Bar spoon Ginger Sauce

Shake and Strain, then garnish with fresh lychee and a twist of orange

Night of Passion cocktail

- 45mls 26000 Vodka Raspberry and Lemon Drop

- 30mls Arano Limited Release Valencia Orange Juice

- 45mls Pink Grapefruit Juice

- 10mls Campari

- Dash of Passionfruit Pulp

Build, then garnish with a twist of Grapefruit

Tourists Set to Get Their Own Radio Station

Handy - but is it really necessary in these economic times? Surely some extar marketing or other more relevant tourist incentives could have been found to invest funds in????


International tourists will benefit from a new service designed to entertain, educate and navigate – all from the comfort of their rental car!

Tourism Radio is essentially a unique radio station featuring New Zealand music, entertaining radio shows with a distinctive local flavour and area information relevant to the region a tourist is travelling through. This innovative service acts as a ‘virtual tour guide’, using integrated GPS to broadcast content in real time relative to the location of the listeners. Tourism Radio’s unique IntelliPoint system draws the driver’s attention to prominent landmarks and highlights as the vehicle approaches them, making sure the tourist doesn’t miss any key attractions. Whether it’s the closest visitor centre, an historical insight or information on New Zealand slang and local music – Tourism Radio aims to provide a comprehensive information and entertainment service to travellers. Primarily aimed at the tourist rental market the unique hardware is fitted into rental vehicles. The technology uses an integrated GPS system to transmit the programming directly to the car’s radio so it’s easy to use no matter technologically-minded a tourist may be. When Tourism Radio launches this month it will include some 1600 points of interest throughout the country and around 80 hours of programming, on everything from 20 questions to ask a local, to an adventure show and kiwi slang. Tourism Radio’s Managing Director New Zealand and Australia Hayden Braddock, says the content has been written to capture the essence of the country using common phrases and kiwi voices for an authentic listening experience. “Tourism Radio is a fantastic way for tourists to get a feeling for what New Zealand is all about. It’s like having ten locals in the car with you, all pointing out their favourite spots and chipping in their two cents worth,” he says. Tourism Radio was originally started in Cape Town, South Africa in 2005 and will launch in New Zealand this month. Tourism Radio is available nationwide through selected rental car companies including: JUCY Rentals, GO Rentals, Kiwi Campers, Kiwi Autohomes, Spaceships and Pegasus Rentals with more to follow early 2009.

Friday, November 28, 2008

If you have a heart .... save a turtle!


Reef HQ Aquarium, Townsville North Queensland is looking to develop a new Turtle Hospital to care for sick and injured turtles – with your help, we can do it!

We are looking to build a State of the Art Turtle Hospital, which will;
•Treat acute and chronic ailments to ensure turtle survival
•Rehabilitate the turtles to ensure their safe return and reintegration into natural habitat
•Lower turtle mortality rates and ensure their long-term sustainability
•Teach and inspire the public and visitors about turtles through educational experiences and tours
•Unlock turtle secrets and elevate their status as part of a tourism attraction
•Enhance corporate and community understanding of the importance of turtles to the marine and
natural environment, through development of strategic partnerships.
The hospital will be built utilising environmentally friendly products only, (including solar panels),
and operate to minimise its carbon footprint.

Turtle Hospital – why it ‘counts’

Did you know that the Great Barrier Reef is home to six of the world’s seven species of Marine Turtles? The number one impact to turtle populations in the marine park is injury caused by human activities.

We look to you for consideration of turtle hospital sponsorship, which will ensure turtles of the Great Barrier Reef have the best chance of survival for years to come.
By becoming the primary partner or supporter of RHQ Aquarium’s Turtle Hospital you are in a unique position to gain significant positive exposure as a good corporate citizen, and to publicly profile your company’s commitment to broader environmentally sustainable practices. All philanthropic contributions to the project are 100% tax deductible. The Turtle Hospital has the potential to significantly increase visitation and sustain high visitation to RHQ Aquarium for years to come.

RHQ Aquarium hosted 124,685 visitors in 07/08 financial year, from international, domestic, local visitors, leading scientists and the corporate community – this is your chance to leverage and communicate your brand to this audience.

Reef HQ Aquarium has limited facilities to take in sick and injured turtles, and often have no choice but to turn them away. You can take a leadership role in assisting with marine turtle conservation, and improve public understanding of the vital role turtles play in the marine and natural environment.

In addition to saving turtles, your valuable funds will build the dedicated hospital and provide interpretation to enhance visitor awareness and understanding. Our interpretative themes will cover how we intend to care for sick and injured turtles
and provide information.

Fast Facts
•Marine turtles have been swimming in the ocean for more then 150 million years, first appearing during the dinosaur age
•Turtles are reptiles and breathe air
•Green, hawksbill, loggerhead, spotted flatback, leatherback, and olive ridley turtles are the six species found on the Great Barrier Reef, all would obtain care in the RHQ Aquarium Turtle Hospital. We expect to welcome mainly Green patients!
•A turtle’s shell is rather light, and protects the turtle and helps it keep afloat
•For 1000’s of years, marine turtles have played an important part in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture
•Turtles reproduce at 35+ years
•Leatherback turtles feed on jellyfish and dive to depths of over 1500 metres.

You can help protect our marine turtles by not clogging up our waterways with waste and landfill, and by avoiding run-off. If visiting beaches between Oct-April, switch
off lights, so nesting turtles won’t be confused.

We can all play a role in protecting turtles of the Great Barrier Reef.
Because turtles are long-lived, slow growing, late maturing animals, once depleted, their populations may take decades to recover. Despite their protection, they face a number of threats from human activities.
✘ Fishing Nets
✘ Boat Strikes
✘ Fishing Hooks
✘ Litter – turtles mistake if for food
✘ Plastic Bags – look like jellyfish in the water, if ingested make turtles sick or die
PLUS non-human elements;
Floating Syndrome ➔ associated with fungal infections.

Contact
To further discuss your commitment to saving marine turtles, please contact:
Martina Neidig
Business Operations Manager
Reef HQ Aquarium – Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Telephone: 47 500 712
Email: Martina.Neidig@gbrmpa.gov.au
Or
Karen Vohland
Director Communication and Education
Reef HQ Aquarium – Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Telephone: 47 500 700
Email: k.vohland@gbrmpa.gov.au

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Recession ... what recession?

Petrol prices are down at the pumps again today for the 16th time since July (This morning Shell dropped 91 and 95 octane prices 5c a litre to $1.43.9c and $1.48.9c respectively).

The BNZ has dropped interest rates to 6.9% on a 6-month mortgage.

The OCR is expected to "suffer" a 100 basis point cut next week, with most economists seeing the OCR falling as low as 4% next year.

The NZ dollar today closed at US53.20c, up from Friday's closing.

Am I missing something here? Sure, importers may be suffering in relation to the dollar's levels, but in all other respects, we're far better off than we were a few months ago, aren't we???

Friday, November 21, 2008

When ads look good but don't work

I've just finished reading a piece on the billboards used by various parties during our recent election campaign here in NZ.

I couldn't believe what I was reading, to be honest ... high praise, even from offshore, in regards to the Green Party's "Vote for Me" executions. DDB Vancouver chief executive officer, Alan Russell is quoted as saying: "It's so damn simple". It was named best outdoor work submitted to bestadsontv.com in the week to October 21.

Now, while I agree that they looked great on the roadside, I have to ask the question .. what is the purpose of advertising/billboards/posters? Surely it's to get a response?

Now, while the Green Party's message may have looked good, did it really do the job? Personally, I don't believe it did ... otherwise why didn't they achieve a higher percentage of the votes!

Just my two cents worth, but I honestly believe that, no matter how good an ad looks, if it doesn't get a response, it ain't worth the paper it's printed on!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

What is it with taggers?

I've just read a local newspaper report about a spate of tagging around our way.

Luckily, I don't have a wall or fence for these little blighters to make their mark on, and neither do many of the neighbours, so our street is relatively tag-free.

However, to my mind, there's nothing worse than driving along what used to be a pretty street with well-tended gardens, and then seeing a host of tagging. It has that instance impact of creating a slum effect. Tell you what, if I personally catch a little bugger (sometimes they're not so little, I'm told), I'll be hard-pressed to find the time to ring 111 or the local tagging hotline ... the little toad might be facing more serious consequences than the law if I get my hands on him!

I had to chuckle at the newspaper entry though ... to quote:

"We are formulating an attack to see if we can identify these people."
..... well, gee, that's great news. Surely their "tag" is enough to identify them!

"If they ee people tagging dial 111. We're not too busy and we treat tagging seriously. It's a crime."
... no shit, Sherlock - of course it's a crime ... it's called WILFUL DAMAGE. But as for ringing 111, I think I might give that a miss ... considering that you can ring that number and get sent a taxi instead in Auckland!

But hey, it's your call whether you ring 111 or take the law into your own hands and nail the blighter when you catch him red-handed. If you're in New Zealand, the tagging hotline for reporting offenders is 0800 STOP TAG.

Oh, and just so you know, your rates DO go towards something, after all ... apparently it's not all boozey lunches in council chambers .... if your property has been tagged, Auckland City Council offers free paint jobs to cover tags. Just ring 09-3792020. Whether they match your $150 a tin, hand-picked Resene colour is another story entirely!