Mr Bloggy

My Blog has moved

2006-10-18T17:48:00.000+13:00

I HAVE MOVED

I have moved my blog to my web page. You can find it by clicking the link below

New shoes, running & booze

2006-10-15T08:56:00.000+13:00

Well my angelic behavior continues. I have pretty much recovered from my run in with the evil bottle but am gunning for a whole 4 weeks without a tipple... I think my body will thank me for it.

Speaking of body thanking I have managed to end up in the dog box, again. I have been enjoying my running lately and thought I should really invest in a pair of running shoes. Off I go with a massive budget of $100, I warn my darling wife that I may spend up to $120 for the "right" pair. Well a pleasant trip to Athletes Foot $220 later (plus $20 for some socks) I knew I would be trouble! To be honest $120 doesn't get you a lot of shoe these days. The girl in the shop was great, foot measured, my balance analyzed, my walk criticized, shoes tried on... Quite an experience. She also promised that if the shoes were no good I could take them back and they would fix me up with a different pair...kewl...

Anyway the proof is in the pudding, or pounding in this case (as in pavement).

The shoes are New Balance 857.They come in extra wide, which is great for my paddles, have a high toe, which is interesting, and pronation control, which I think is good...

They are very light, flexible and have great cushioning. Basically very comfortable.

I have quite wide feed and have certainly found that New Balance has by far and away the best shoes for the horizontally challenged foot!

The high toe of this shoe had me a little worried. What I found was in the toe I had about 1cm movement up and down in my toe, this is an unusual feeling and had me worried that I had too much movement in the shoe for running. However in my test run yesterday I found the extra room very comfortable and actually helped keep my feet relaxed.

The width is good as for a change I am not pushing the sides of the shoe, in theory this should lead to a longer life for the shoe, but we'll see about that. Certainly it means my foot is well within the sole of the shoe which makes it quite comfortable.

Pronation control is interesting. Apparently my stride rolls in and this shoe is designed to help correct this. I was a little dubious of this and felt that any attempt by the shoe to change my movement may result in discomfort or even pain. But what I have found is that the shoe is very subtle in its control, it feels quite natural which I think is key. I really need a few longer runs to see if there is any negative affect and will update this post accordingly.

After running in x-trainers for the last couple of weeks I found the 857 very, very light. In fact I had trouble getting into a rhythm as my feet were moving faster through my stride than normal, again this is something I will just need to get used to. More miles on the road should sort this out.

So all in all very happy with the shoes. I have only run about 3-4km's in them so far so I'll give it another couple of longer runs this week and see how they go. If I notice anything about them I'll update this post.

Have limbs Will crawl

2006-10-14T21:58:00.000+13:00

Our little boy, Will, crawled for the first time today. He's been building up to it for weeks and then tonight he just took off. Now we cant stop him! Good on ya lad.

What I tried to tell my english teacher

2006-10-09T11:07:00.000+13:00

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.

Angels & Tigy

2006-10-03T11:00:00.000+13:00

Well haven't I been a little angel. After my run in with the "evil bottle" I have sworn off the drink and managed to get through a hole weekend without a hitch. Yay for me. I've also started running again which is really helping. Total of about 15k's last week which is much more than I thought I could do!

Our little angel (Beth) is growing up soooo fast! She has really started to pick up habits and influences from her friends, mummy & daddy are no longer always right. It was quite heartbreaking the other day when she firmly announced that her "nu nu" was in fact called a "dummy", because thats what Harry calls it. Daddy was clearly misinformed on this matter and if he wanted to take the matter further he should discuss it with Harry, who clearly knew more about these matters (Harry being her 3.5 year old friend). Heartbreaking but also very proud of her.

I have also (finally) relaunched tigy.net with a great new look and feel. You can go there to see my genealogy pages as well as other bits and pieces. I have also managed to put a feed onto tigy.net which will show all the posts I make here. Cool aye!

Squirrel versus Grasshopper

2006-09-27T08:07:00.000+12:00

Ive seen this posted elsewhere, there are UK, Australian and US versions basically the same. So we shouldn't feel stink, the grass aint greener on the other side! But its still pretty funny.

THE WILD VERSION:

The squirrel works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building and improving his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the squirrel is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

THE END

THE CIVILISED NEW ZEALAND VERSION:

The squirrel works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the squirrel is warm and well fed.

A social worker finds the shivering grasshopper, calls a press conference and demands to know why the squirrel should be allowed to
be warm and well fed while others less fortunate, like the grasshopper, are cold and starving. TV Three shows up to provide live coverage of the shivering grasshopper; with cuts to a video of the squirrel in his comfortable warm home with a table laden with food.

The New Zealand press inform people that they should be ashamed that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so while others have plenty. The Labour Party, Greenpeace, Animal Rights and The Grasshopper Council of NZ demonstrate in front of the squirrel's house. TV One, interrupting a cultural festival special from Wellington with breaking news, broadcasts a multi cultural choir singing "We Shall Overcome". Michael Cullen rants in an interview with Kim Hill that the squirrel has got rich off the backs of grasshoppers, and calls for an immediate tax hike on the squirrel to make him pay his "fair share" and increases the charge for squirrels to enter inner Auckland.

In response to pressure from the media, the Government drafts the Economic Equity and Grasshopper Anti Discrimination Act, retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The squirrel' s taxes are reassessed. He is taken to court and fined for failing to hire grasshoppers as builders for the work he was doing on his home and an additional fine for contempt when he told the court the grasshopper did not want to work.

The grasshopper is provided with a state house, financial aid to furnish it and an account with a local taxi firm to ensure he can be socially mobile.

The squirrels food is seized and re distributed to the more needy members of society, in this case the grasshopper.

Without enough money to buy more food, to pay the fine and his newly imposed retroactive taxes, the squirrel has to downsize and start building a new home. The local authority takes over his old home and utilises it as a temporary home for asylum seeking cats who had arrived illegally on a boat as they had to share their country of origin with mice. On arrival they have tried to blow up the viaduct because of New Zealand's apparent love of dogs.

The cats had been arrested as illegal overstayers and for attempted bombing but were immediately released because the police fed them pilchards instead of salmon whilst in custody. Initial moves to then return them to their own country were abandoned because it was feared they would face death by the mice. The cats devise and start a scam to obtain money from peoples credit cards.

A Campbell Live special shows the grasshopper finishing up the last of the squirrel's food, though Spring is still months away, while the council house he is in, crumbles around him because he hasn't bothered to maintain the house. He is shown to be taking drugs. Inadequate government funding is blamed for the grasshoppers drug 'illness'.

The cats seek recompense in the NZ courts for their treatment since arrival in New Zealand.

The grasshopper gets arrested for stabbing an old dog during a burglary to get money for his "P" habit. He is imprisoned but released immediately because he has been in custody for a few weeks. He is placed in the care of the probation service to monitor and supervise him. Within a few weeks he has killed a guinea pig in a botched robbery.

A commission of enquiry, that will eventually cost $10,000,000 and state the obvious, is set up.

Additional money is put into funding a drug rehabilitation scheme for grasshoppers and legal aid for lawyers representing asylum seekers is increased. The asylum seeking cats are praised by the government for enriching New Zealand's multicultural diversity and dogs are criticised by the government for failing to befriend the cats.

The grasshopper dies of a drug overdose. The usual sections of the press blame it on the obvious failure of government to address the root causes of despair arising from social inequity and his traumatic experience of prison. They call for the resignation of a minister.

The cats are paid a million pounds each because their rights were infringed when the government failed to inform them there were mice in New Zealand.

The squirrel, the dogs and the victims of the hijacking, the bombing, the burglaries and robberies have to pay an additional percentage on their credit cards to cover losses, their taxes are increased to pay for law and order and they are told that they will have to work beyond 65 because of a shortfall in government funds.

THE END

Postscript: In addition the squirrel decides enough is enough and sells up everything he owns and pisses off to Australia!

Footnote: The Government has a skilled worker shortage, cannot figure out why and tries to recruit squirrels, dogs and guinea pigs from other parts of the world.

Actually I am a bit of a left wing socialist at heart who strongly believes in a social welfare system, but what really pisses me off is the people who abuse the system...grasshopper...

Bye bye trees...

2006-09-25T13:28:00.000+12:00

For anyone that knows our house you will know there is a run of some 21 pine tree's along the back (southern) fence. Well as of today they are no more!

All 21 of them have been chopped down, very exciting stuff. We had just about the whole Pakuranga-Rahihi playcentre (kids, mums & dads) around to watch the felling, I am sure much to the amusement of the guys doing it!

I am sure the neighbours down the back will be pleased as the tree's completely blocked the sun for them. From our perspective the back lawn seems heaps bigger and sunnier!

Evils of drink

2006-09-25T13:25:00.000+12:00

After a nasty run in with a bottle of cheap bourbon on Friday night I would like to officially come out in support of the teetotaler campaign!

Drink is evil we should burn all of it and stick to water!!!:-)

Down on the school yard

2006-09-22T15:23:00.000+12:00

Speaking of STD's what is up with the main political parties here in NZ at the moment?

Its becoming more and more like some b grade american high school TV drama that wouldn't cut it in on the graveyard shift let alone prime time...

Helen/Don/et all - GET OVER IT AND GET ON WITH RUNNING THE COUNTRY.

Do you really think anyone wants the leaders of their country engaged in this schoolyard behavior? What sort of example are you setting?

You're meant to be the leaders of a whole country for gods sake, not bickering schoold children running for primmer 2 class president.

And to the media who seem to complain this is going on and then report it anyway... stop reporting it and it will go away...

My answer to the whole thing... Everyone in parliment admits that they are cross dressing, bisexual, bigamists who enjoy tupping, cross dressing and have an addiction to [-insert random activity here-]. They should also state that before they entered parliment they once did a few naughty things (make them up if you didn't) but learnt the error of their ways and are now better for it. In fact before you can join a political party or run for a seat in any national or local body you should have to sign a declaration saying something like this. Then just sit back and let the gutter tabloid press run stories for 3 years on it until the next election while you all sit back and focus on the trivial task of running the country.

ANZ Bank does Feltex

2006-09-22T15:21:00.000+12:00

Poor Feltex. But I hate to say it, you dance with the devil and your gonna get burnt. The ANZ is like the town slapper, she'll say "yes" to anyone who asks, and you think your doing alright. Then you wake up in the morning and realise not only have the beer goggles stopped working but she's given you the "mydy".

Basically my experience with the ANZ is that you cant trust them. Good luck to Feltex, hope you get out of it OK.

Top Gear presenter suffers brain injury

2006-09-22T15:17:00.000+12:00

ROCKET CAR + REALLY FAST + CRASH = BAD!!

I really like that show and Richard Hammond in particular I find great, so its sad news. Hope that he recovers, but the news out of the UK doesnt sound great!

This on the back of Brocky's fatal crash and Steve Irwin's run in with a bull ray its not been a good time to be a celebrity. I don't mean to be too dark but why is it all the "good" celebs that are getting hurt? Just think back to Sir Peter & Kevin Smith in not too far back times.

I mean aside from malnutrition that an ethiopian orphan would be ashamed of you never hear of Nicole Richie or one of the Olsens having a serious injury while driving home pissed after a night snorting champagne! Where is the justice?!

Like I said, hopefully Richard recovers OK.

Great CD

2006-09-22T08:44:00.001+12:00

I was a bit of a closet Rockstar Supernova fan for the latest series, wasn't happy that Lukas won it but hey they were all pretty damn good. Anyways I bought Ryan Star's CD that he released last year. 20 songs, real intense, moody, piano based "rock". Bloody good. Would definitely recommend and hope to hear more from him in the future...

I am Mr Bloggy :-)

2006-09-21T17:23:00.000+12:00

Okey Dokey!

As I have become way too busy to maintain my own site on a regular basis (tigy.net) so I thought I would give this blogging a crack!

I copied across the main posts from tigy to this one, you'll see them below. This just makes it seem like I've been doing this longer than 1 day :-)

The last year has been pretty full on. We've sold, bought and moved houses, had a baby, been working flat out, not taking much time to relax... Looking forward to a bit of a holiday and catch up with everyone!

Fe & the kids bought me a new game for my playstation (fathers day present)...

Very cool, very addictive, very too much staying up late playing ;-)

Anyways I will update this site to let you know whats going on.

CU

Big Bill

2006-01-18T13:02:00.000+13:00

William Kerry James Maloney (alias Big Bill, Willsy, Woosey Poosey) was born today!

A bonnie 12.27 pounds both mummy and baby are doing fine, a little tired but fine.

Beattle Bom

2005-09-21T12:58:00.000+12:00

Our darling Aunty Bommy passed away a few days ago, unexpectedly and quietly, in her sleep. At last she'll be able to run and dance like we always knew she could. We'll miss you.

J. Denis Abbott

2005-05-09T12:54:00.000+12:00

I am sad to announce that J. Denis Abbott, our grandfather, passed away at 6:50am on Saturday the 7th of May.

I have posted the lyrics to the family famous "The Lavatory Man" as performed on many occasions.

Merry Christmas!

2004-12-25T13:26:00.000+13:00

Unfortunately I've had a lot on over the last few weeks and havent been able to update the site. I plan on doing this over the next few weeks and release it at the beginning of January.

No more ads on tigy

2004-10-20T13:23:00.000+13:00

Coughed up the cash to pay for hosting... argh pay for something on the web?!!
Am I MAD??!!

Anyways you'll no longer get bugged to purchase a vacation package to
some dogy carribian resort everytime you go to the site :-)

New look for Tigy

2004-10-19T13:23:00.000+13:00

Have got the hang of CSS so tigy.net has been "re-launched" with a new look and feel.

TIGY.NET launched

2004-09-01T13:20:00.000+12:00

I launched my own domain today www.tigy.net. Not much there at the moment but will work on updating it soon.