The Weekender 29/08/2010

Hi everyone, let's get into it.

Sport

The All Blacks had a week off the tri-nations with the Boks taking out the Wallabies in a 9 try, high scoring - but irrelevant game. While the NPC rolls on.

The NPC or ITM Cup, saw Canterbury start to show their abilities beating Auckland 35-16, Otago showed their abilities being beaten 25-15 by Taranaki and Southland continued their unbeaten run winning 21-16 over Tasman. Counties Manukau's golden run may have run out after Waikato thrashed them 39-3, Hawkes Bay beat Manawatu 17-9 and Wellington beat Northland 31-28.

In the women's rugby World Cup, the Black Ferns marched into the semis with a 41-8 win over Wales. On the way the Black Ferns beat Australia 32-5 and crushed South Africa 55-3.

The Black Caps were knocked out of crickets tri-series with a record low score against India. India reached 223 all out, while NZ crumbled to 118 all out with No 9 Kyle Mills reaching 52 & everyone else getting below 14!

The NZ Warriors made the NRL playoffs in their penultimate match after thrashing the Broncos 36-4. This leaves the top eight as: Dragons 36, Wests Tigers/Titans 32, Panthers/Warriors 30, Sea Eagles/Roosters/Raiders 28.

Kiwi Ben Griffin got a second in the Southern Cup giant slalom race at Cornet Peak - the best placing for an NZer in an International Ski Federation race since Simon Wi Rutene in 1990.

The year hasn't been going great for Scott Dixon but he got a second in last weekend's Sonoma grand prix & is third in the championship.

NZ's world junior champ Jacko Gill had a virus for the Youth Olympics. But despite dropping 3kgs due to being ill & being two years younger than all his rivals, he still claimed the silver.

NZ News

The body of missing four year old Lucas Ward from Gisbourne, was discovered in the river near his house. It was found 400m upstream of his grandparents property. The family were grieving, but relieved that he had been found.

In another strange turn of political events, Act is moving on. Rodney Hide and former deputy Heather Roy have appeared united & are ready to work together & move on!
Chris Carter has decided to see out the current term in office so he won't resign & trigger a by-election in Te Atatu.

The government announced this week that prisoners up for parole will now be screened before they get a parole hearing. Any who are unlikely to be granted release will not get a parole hearing and this would spare victims the trauma of the regular parole hearings. Apparently 70% of hearings are declined, so this will make "the system more victim-centred and efficient" according to Judge Carruthers.

Sir Mad Butcher (or I guess Sir Peter Leitch on the records), officially received his new moniker this week, being made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to business and philanthropy. 

The
Numbers Game

2: c/L drop in petrol for both Shell & BP - the 2nd in 2 weeks
2: nd most desired country (NZ is) for potential immigrants according to the Gallup Potential Net Migration Index
15: swine flu deaths so far this season

91: % of voters are enrolled for the upcoming local body elections
100: new paramedics have been hired under new funding as part of the Governments $48m - four year plan to support ambulance services
4,000: repeat drunk drivers have been prosecuted already this year. 7,200 were convicted of at least three drunk driving offences last year

6.5m: $ contract has been awarded for the next stage of development in the Waikato Expressway
50m: tonnes of ice 'calved' off Tasman Glacier this week

Finance NZ Dollar

GBP 0.4582 (+0.0045)
EUR 0.5576 (+0.0043)
USD 0.7114 (+0.0068)
AUD 0.7917 (-0.0006)

The
Weekender NZer of the week

Sir Graham Liggins
One of NZ's greatest scientists died this week after a long illness. The 84 year old's research changed medical practice for pre-term babies & saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10668665&ref=rss

Joke
of the Weekender

Prescription Labels 
A pharmacy major was taking a course in Dispensing. One day they were discussing the various labels affixed to prescription containers, such as, "Take with food," and "Take with water." 

At the end of class, the professor passed out a few sample labels. 
Days later he noticed that one member of the class had struck one of them onto his chemistry textbook. 
It read: 
"Caution: May cause extreme drowsiness." 

Darren Harrison:
darren@harrison.gen.nz
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