tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24185707623218657752011-11-07T02:50:53.890-08:00Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.comBlogger431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-78169462356998702932011-07-25T18:37:00.000-07:002011-07-25T23:19:38.385-07:00

Simon Baker as Patrick Jane, fake psychic, murder investigator, and ANZ salesman.  Recently TV viewers in the Asia-Pacific region have been assaulted with ANZ's latest ad campaign, where local lad gone global, Simon Baker, reprises his role as Patrick Jane from the Mentalist. Frankly, ANZ's General Manager, Brand Louise Eyres and whoever at the agency Whybin/TBWA Melbourne cooked up this idea

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-78297772390753917032011-06-30T01:22:00.001-07:002011-06-30T01:22:36.449-07:00

As promised... or at least I think I promised, here is the reply I received from the UK's Equality and Human Right's Commission: Dear Mr Compton, Thank you for your email, dated 20th June 2011, to Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, in which you raised a number of issues. Your correspondence has been forwarded to the EHRC Helpline in order to provide you with

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-59355800927653097632011-06-19T15:58:00.000-07:002011-06-19T15:58:44.975-07:00

Trevor Phillips, Chairman of the UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission. Surely the tenure of Trevor Phillips, the UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission's Chairman, has to be called into question, following his comments on Sunday that being atheist and mocking god is fashionable. Not only has he clearly misunderstood atheists, but to label our outspoken nature as "fashionable" is

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-90460923707943953622011-06-16T16:08:00.000-07:002011-06-16T16:09:35.571-07:00

Hone Harawira Following his recent visit to Destiny Church, Hone Harawira responded to critics of his visit with an open letter. Essentially Hone's point was, he's allowed to visit whoever he wants (which is true), he doesn't share Destiny's faith (which is fine) and that mainstream media should congratulate Destiny for their charity work as well as criticise them for their homophobia. It was

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-5955658429568393272011-05-23T19:10:00.000-07:002011-05-23T19:10:47.676-07:00

Following on from my letter to Infratil and Wellington Airport, I've now emailed the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce (who own the rights to the Hollywood sign) to ask them to deny Wellington Airport permission to imitate their intellectual property. I hope the below inspires you to write your own letter urging them to do likewise: TO: betsy@rbicom.com  Dear Betsy, As you may be aware,

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-814748406753998242011-05-22T16:17:00.000-07:002011-05-22T17:28:36.340-07:00

This is an email I have sent to various Infratil contact points to protest the proposed Wellywood sign. I post it here in the hope it inspires you to write your own emails/letters to them to protest this tacky eyesore they seek to build. The emails I sent it to were: admin@infratil.com; admin@hrlmorrison.com; lmsenquiries@linkmarketservices.com; mail@wellingtonairport.co.nz. I also sent a copy

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-73067160916765373412011-03-28T16:39:00.000-07:002011-03-28T16:39:42.202-07:00

My other half has been interviewed a couple of times for the Dominion Post in Wellington on the subject of student loan borrowers who are now overseas. Her latest quotes appear here. On reading the comments on that article, it strikes me that there's an amazing amount of resentment towards students who go overseas while owing student loans - regardless of whether they are making payments while

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-801949474746589122011-03-01T13:45:00.000-08:002011-03-01T13:45:57.483-08:00

If Chopper Reid were talking to Wellington last night, he'd have said "Drink some concrete and toughen the f*** up." And for once I'd back him, because what I saw last night on Facebook, Twitter and media outlets was only a couple of vowels short of hysteria. As some background for those who haven't seen the state of panic that some Wellingtonians displayed last night, check out GeoNet's report

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-40915979943221700022011-02-05T14:44:00.000-08:002011-02-05T14:44:27.183-08:00

Last night saw the Melbourne Rebels take on the Canterbury Crusaders at AAMI Park. For the first time the Rebels had to take on a professional rugby team, and while the change in pace caught them off guard initially, they quickly adjusted. The final score line of 19 - 14 to the Crusaders was a reasonable reflection of the performance of the two teams. Played in four 20 minute quarters the

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-63336327554837090322011-01-26T16:07:00.000-08:002011-01-26T16:07:25.941-08:00

I'd better kick off this blog by saying that you take the below tips at your own risk. I accept no responsibility for them. That said, lets get started. I love the Wellington Cup, it's the car boot party extraordinaire that we put on in the Member's car park where there's plenty of food, drink and great friends. This year I'm not attending the Cup, which I've been a bit down about for a few

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-65679502154707674162011-01-19T15:16:00.000-08:002011-01-19T15:16:42.031-08:00

I'm not talking about the "Music from and inspired by" collections by modern artists that feature for 10 seconds in the actual movie. By original score I mean the orchestral pieces by John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore. They're the motifs that flow through a movie, identifying characters, setting the mood and causing your spine to tingle. Original scores may receive acknowledgement from

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-46431426211326994422011-01-16T19:23:00.000-08:002011-01-16T19:23:52.449-08:00

Saturday night marked the start of the Melbourne Rebel's Super Rugby campaign. The team of out-of-state and international professionals has been a long time in coming, having been overlooked by the Western Force in Super Rugby's previous expansion. But based on Saturday night's outing, the Rebel's look set to be a welcome addition to this season's competition. The Tongan side that took the field

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-77904144399636430652010-12-05T17:03:00.000-08:002010-12-05T17:03:49.437-08:00

Growing up I remember always reading Tom Scott's cartoons in The Dominion Post (or The Dominion and Evening Post if you remember that far back). Tom Scott through his cartoons delivered a great raft of political observations with brilliant cynicism. Bromhead later also endeared himself to me with his take on New Zealand's political spectrum. In many ways their work harked back to a much older

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-90712481906451534502010-11-16T14:04:00.000-08:002010-11-16T15:27:23.437-08:00

The secret to a good lasagna... It's a tough one. Every time I go to an Italian restaurant I'm torn between trying their lasagna - the measure by which I judge every Italian joint - or whether I branch out and try something different. And every time I walk away with a different sense of satisfaction because there are so many variations on this stable dish that you're never quite sure what you're

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-7492710578424893582010-10-28T15:21:00.000-07:002010-10-28T15:21:54.990-07:00

Having grown up in New Zealand, the glamour events of the New Zealand horse racing calendar were the Auckland Cup, the Celt Capital Stakes (or whatever it's called now days) and the Wellington Cup. These were the races that we watched on TV and that the olds would break out the TAB account to have a flutter. The Melbourne Cup always got a go too, but racing was a fairly casual affair. Then as I

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-19890353232537384472010-09-13T21:47:00.000-07:002010-09-13T21:47:26.655-07:00

We're often told that naming things confers a sense of control, ownership and personality on an otherwise inanimate object.  Boats and hurricanes (though I'd hardly call that particular weather pattern inanimate) spring to mind.  Cars usually got monikers assigned to them.  Mum's last two cars have been called Lorelei Lynx and Hermione Honda (a Ford Laser Lynx and a Honda Civic Shuttle

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-8308412575133057642010-09-12T15:59:00.000-07:002010-09-12T15:59:47.368-07:00

It's time for a confessional.  I haven't exercised since Thursday... now that may only have been three days without exercise, but it's weighing on my mind.  Especially because both Friday and Saturday night saw me have a few drinks, and then Sunday saw me turn into a giant junk food fueled couch potato.  Needless to say weighing myself this morning wasn't a pretty sight.  But it was a necessary

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-51378807094263258952010-09-08T21:13:00.000-07:002010-09-08T21:13:37.908-07:00

Last week saw Stephen Hawking announce that the Big Band didn't need god.  Physics did, and will eventually, explain how it all works.  It was a great moment from the perspective that it catapulted atheism into the headlines for a brief moment.  Twitter was alive with Stephen Hawking trending at the top for most of the day.  News sites had the story displayed prominently.  TV networks ran it in

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-36336198726329189702010-08-12T22:22:00.000-07:002010-08-12T22:22:45.538-07:00

Nothing gets feminists' panties in a twist more than a story like this.  To sum it up, a job site in the UK found that reasonable majorities of both men and women prefer to have male bosses.  In general they feel that men are more cut and dry, more practical and pragmatic in their approach to managing and leading, while women are more likely to take things personally, and are unable to adequately

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-20922791268270508232010-08-08T22:09:00.000-07:002010-08-08T22:09:16.811-07:00

As I write this I'm feeling like a space cadet.  I'm pumped up on various forms of cold and flu medication, and having flown back from holiday at the rosey time of 6am and still short on sleep, my eyes feel like they're being held up by tiny little tooth picks.  Throw in that my nose is constantly either blocked or running (I'd love it to make up its mind) and I'm in a fairly miserable state.

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-47156211393747926132010-07-19T22:54:00.000-07:002010-07-21T15:50:23.056-07:00

A few weeks ago a late night conversation firmed up a long held goal of mine - to one day enter politics.  I've had a long held interest in politics as reflected in many of my blog, Facebook and Twitter postings, and for a while I've thought about turning that into action.  Last year I put a foot forward by signing up to the National Party of New Zealand (New Zealand's main centre-right party,

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-58574061475006034032010-07-01T23:25:00.000-07:002010-07-01T23:25:21.127-07:00

Last night I completed my first term of beginners salsa dancing.  Anyone unfortunate enough to see me grace the dance floor in the past should be unpleasantly aware of my limitations when it comes to coordination of my limbs to the beat of music.  To say I have two left feet would be an understatement of biblical proportions.  As such I avoided any sort of dancing unless one condition was met - I

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-9519888760659535092010-06-27T21:23:00.000-07:002010-06-27T21:23:30.610-07:00

Those who know me well know that I'm an aspiring novelist.  Now even those who don't know me so well also know this.  Those who have known me for a while know that I have been an aspiring novelist for a while, and so far without anything to show for it except a lot of false starts and disappointing beginnings. I even took the step of having a week off work last year to try and focus on my

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-64051046168282445032010-06-23T18:02:00.000-07:002010-06-23T18:02:06.695-07:00

I should have picked up on this via my Twitter feed last night with all the leadership talk going on.  I thought @fakefielding was just being his usual witty self.  Instead what transpired was what will likely be one of the most talked about leadership coups in Australian political history.  Julia Gillard, Deputy Prime Minister, had gone to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and asked him to call a vote

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-88616240191646424882010-06-21T18:27:00.000-07:002010-06-21T18:27:34.699-07:00

As a keen follower of politics there is one thing that always sets the bee in my bonnet off.  It's when someone proudly proclaims "I don't care about politics, I just want to be able to live my life".  You'll then in later conversation hear them complaining about taxes, health care, education, public transport, yet they refuse to make the connection between these issues and the political process.

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-10197251484299357642010-06-17T18:44:00.000-07:002010-06-17T18:44:29.227-07:00

Firstly let me apologise in advance for today's blog, it's a little sentimental on my part. Tomorrow I celebrate my birthday.  And it's the first time I'll celebrate it away from my family.  It's brought up weird feelings of wanting home comforts like Mum's classic lasagna recipe (which I still follow to the letter), or the black forest gateau cake that Dad always brought home from Moore

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-33173819420358963152010-06-06T23:20:00.000-07:002010-06-06T23:20:06.398-07:00

Take a quick flick through your local tabloid newspaper and read just the headlines.  You'll find four, five or at a pinch six words are used in most cases to catch your attention.  More often than not though the headline only relates to a fairly minor part of the story.  I've just put together a headline that does just this and I feel dirty. I feel like I've betrayed my honesty and integrity in

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-11215788063743098382010-06-01T16:00:00.000-07:002010-06-01T16:00:31.437-07:00

I live and breath the world of Corporate Communications.  It's the world portrayed Aaron Eckhart so well in Thank you for smoking, a world dominated by the power of words, both written and spoken.  It's not a world of lies and deception as it is so often perceived, but rather about putting forward an alternative, sometimes unpopular view of usually complex issues, and make it accessible. My

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-24213957924996767052010-05-20T23:22:00.000-07:002010-05-20T23:24:01.711-07:00

Everyone has their phobias, heights, spiders, flying, black cats, public speaking and the like.  However the one situation that gets me worked up into fight or flight mode unlike no other is when I have to ask for something. (I also don't like heights, so don't try and get me to bungy jump, sky dive or abseil). It's a quirky social phobia that sees me unwilling to ask strangers for a lot of

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-69628599187580247662010-05-19T18:51:00.000-07:002010-05-19T21:02:45.485-07:00

I'm falling in love.  I'm having an emotional affair.  It's always on my mind and I just can't shake it - I've spied a jacket in a shop window and I want it. This is a typical behaviour for me.  I'll see an item of clothing on display and it'll stick in my head.  This jacket I see every morning and evening on Collins Street and it keeps catching my eye.  There's a few issues with this: I already

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-18826964948854801072010-05-17T18:47:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:26:04.003-07:00

Atheists get a tough deal in public life.  Raise our heads to debate any issue and some religious sycophant is bound to come up saying "so you'll work Christmas and Easter then?" or "if you don't believe in god, why are you always talking about them" and there's always "don't worry, god still loves you.  Usually it's some moronic phrase that wouldn't even justify being described as "half-baked",

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-15572170271439976392010-05-16T19:44:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:25:03.201-07:00

Jessica Watson's sailing achievement has been dominating Australian headlines for the last week.  The local media have been beating their collective chests with pride about her sailing endeavours, and viciously decrying anyone who has pointed out the flaws in her "record making" claims.  The best was the Today Show's sports "expert" claiming that the international sailing body that set the rules

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-3434450321065749222010-05-12T16:29:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:24:03.884-07:00

Now that the first cold weather for the year has arrived in Melbourne, it's prompted me to think about Wellington and what I miss about home... The weather... Wellington may have some of the nastiest weather in the country - that's what makes it so memorable.  So often I hear people in Melbourne complaining about the wind, which is but a breeze compared to a good southerly winding its way

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-65513016858290293872010-05-09T22:44:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:23:08.176-07:00

Every mother has it - a tried and true recipe to help alleviate their child's suffering from illness.  For some it's ice blocks, others flat lemonade, and the lemon theme continues with lemon and honey concoctions being a popular choice.  But for me it was always ginger ale. I've never found out where mum got the idea from, and it's one of those questions you always think of asking your parents,

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-90676205852669005332010-05-03T23:55:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:22:20.976-07:00

Yesterday morning saw the Australian media indulge its sensationalist tendencies in full unadulterated, and ultimately embarrassing, glory.  The morning new bulletins were adorned with the news that swimming messiah, Ian Thorpe, was planning to make a return in the men's 4x100m freestyle at the London Olympics.  Watching the Today show on Nine the hosts were virtually salivating at the prospect

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-32735323223111081812010-04-29T17:41:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:19:48.587-07:00

One of the quirkier news stories was Stephen Hawking warning us about making contact with aliens.  Had this come from anyone else you'd think they'd been watching too many re-runs of Indepdence Day.  As Stephen Hawking is considered one of the greatest minds of the modern era, it's probably worth paying it a little attention. Hawking's main concern was that by broadcasting into space we're

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-9643494425953863312010-04-28T19:18:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:19:04.443-07:00

One of the many reasons I love elections is because politicians are forced to deploy their full range of skills to justify why we should continue to employ them for another three years.  So it should come as little surprise that I've been quietly following the drama of the upcoming UK election with much glee.  Nick Clegg's surge to the fore, David Cameron's inability to get headlines, and Gordon

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-16441290257076630832010-04-26T23:47:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:18:19.890-07:00

Just to clarify my first rugby love has been and will always be the National Provincial Championship.  I love the regional rivalry, the combination of All Blacks (occasionally now days), journeymen, old warhorses and raw talent that the competition produces.  Tradition through clashes like the Ranfuly Shield and the battle of the bridge (Auckland v North Harbour for those overseas) gives the NPC

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-37529978293547376002010-04-22T05:43:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:14:19.649-07:00

As I write this I've just returned from an hour and 45 minutes at the gym. The apartment is roasting from a 30 degree day in Melbourne (so much for a high of 28), the air conditioning is going, and I was feeling more comfortable on the treadmill than I am here. All that said, I really don't like the gym, I actually detest it on some level. But most of all I dislike it because it doesn't feel like

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-39667108293206766282010-04-20T05:13:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:17:21.883-07:00

Walking up Spring Street to work each day I get the fun of seeing a homeless man sitting on the corner on Lonsdale and Spring Streets with a sign out and a cardboard box waiting for donations.  So far I've been able to establish a few things about him from my daily crossing of his life. 1. He can read and write This is evidenced by the fact his sign asking for money tends to change each day, or

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-52953220359790890512010-04-18T04:16:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:16:07.238-07:00

I wonder if when Al Gore invented the internet (according to him at least) whether or not he thought it would be used as it is today.  Consider the interconnectivity that the World Wide Web has provided our 21st century world with.  Instantaneous communication across continents, the entire Earth virtually without borders and information shared on a scale unimaginable only 30 years ago.  So what

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-82404505196603328352010-04-15T04:43:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:16:48.357-07:00

It's almost as if smokers are trying to kill us.  In a way they're not dissimilar to Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin or Idi Amin given that the boffins at the World Health Organisation have calculated that second hand smoke kills 600,000 people (read - non-smokers) every year.  That means that since 2000, 6 million innocent non-smokers have died as of a result of smokers, probably even more given that

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418570762321865775.post-88989052990909374672010-04-12T05:44:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:14:59.357-07:00

Or at least as it's being pursued currently.  Nearly every other week we're assaulted by statistics pointing out that the gender pay gap between men and women still exists, and it's not shrinking at a great rate of knots.  I'll be brutally honest with you: I'm sick of hearing about it.  I'm tired of the constant attempt at portraying men as nasty patriarchal oppressors of the child bearing gender

Gwynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685573641956465576noreply@blogger.com0