After two earlier bronze medals at the Olympics they have just became golden in the Double Sculls for New Zealand. A small country of four and a half million, and a smller team than most, NZ looks like it could have more successes in rowing as well tonight, with Mahe Drysdale in the Single Scull and other combinations as well. I will report those as they happen. As well as medals they will get their jars of ‘Marmite’ as well. The latter is another story readers. http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/rowing/7395733/Kiwi-double-scullers-claim-Olympic-gold-medal
New Zealand competitors who win
medals at the London Olympics have been offered an unusual reward - food parcels
containing jars of Marmite.
The spread has been in short supply since March, after the manufacturer was
forced to close its only factory because of earthquake damage.
The shortage of Marmite has been dubbed "Marmageddon" by the media.
Members of the eventing team, who won the country's first medal, were the
first to collect their Marmite.
The manufacturer, Sanitarium, says production of the spread will not resume
until later this year. The product is a variation of the yeast spread widely
available in the UK.
Since the shortage began, New Zealand media has been filled with stories of
newly discovered Marmite stashes in corners of supermarket storerooms.
There has also, apparently, been a roaring trade on auction websites.
Rather than selling its remaining supplies, executives at the Pak'nSave
supermarket chain decided to give their stash to customers they felt were
deserving of a treat.
"Who could be more deserving than our Olympic medallists," said Steve
Anderson of the supermarket's parent company Foodstuffs New Zealand.
"To come to London and prove to the world that they are the best in their
discipline is no mean feat. And we thought that a few home comforts after all
their hard work wouldn't go astray."
The eventing team, who won a bronze medal on Tuesday, went to Kiwi House the
following day to pick up their jars of Marmite.
The spread was first brought to New Zealand in the early 1900s, but the
country later came up with its own recipe.
NEW CITY: This shows Christchurch in the mid-1860s. The view is from the Provincial Council Buildings, looking across the Avon River to the corner of Gloucester St and Oxford Tce. Drays are parked in the foreground. The trees beyond the first buildings are in Cathedral Square.
Press Archives
GRAND PLANS: A picture showing the final stages in building the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings in November 1865. This third stage contains the stone Legislative Chamber or Great Hall.
Your Christchurch
It's Christchurch's 156th anniversary today:
On this day 156 years ago, Christchurch became a city by royal charter from Queen Victoria, making it the first official city of New Zealand.
The royal charter was given by the Queen so Christchurch could be the seat for a bishop. At Christmas 1856, Henry John Chitty Harper was enthroned as the first bishop of Christchurch.
Other key Christchurch dates:
- On February 16, 1770, Captain James Cook in his ship the Endeavour first sighted the Canterbury peninsula. He thought it was an island and named it Banks Island after the ship's botanist, Joseph Banks.
- Christchurch was founded in 1850 with the arrival of about 800 settlers from Britain.
- Local government began when the first Christchurch Municipal Council meeting was held on March 3, 1862.
- The city's first library opened on August 4, 1859. It was a single room at the Mechanics Institute. - The Press was founded as a weekly paper by James FitzGerald and a syndicate of investors in 1861. It became a daily in 1863.
- Bees were introduced to the region from Nelson in January 1852.
- The first bridge over the Avon River was built in March 1852.
- The first cricket match, married men versus single men, was held in April 1852 at Hagley Park.
- A typhoid epidemic in 1875, which lasted until the following year, caused 152 deaths in the city.
- The first airport opened in Christchurch in 1917.
- 1947 Ballantynes fire; 41 people die.
- Christchurch hosts the 1974 Commonwealth Games.
- September 4, 2010: Christchurch battered by a magnitude-7.1 earthquake. No fatalities.
- February 22, 2011: Christchurch devastated by a magnitude-6.3 quake, killing 185, injuring 6000 and destroying most of the central city's buildings. Source: Christchurch City Libraries
A great looking plan was revealed last night for the rebuilding of the earthquake devastated Christchurch CBD.
It will be a modern "greenacres" with much of the infastructure within walking distance, including a revamped or replacement townhall, convention centre and even a new covered stadium.
It will be a morale-boosting project for the people of Christchurch. Central government will be purchasing land needed for the new area and the finance needed for infastructure. There are bound to be cost blowouts because the projects will be extended over a number of years. This will be underwritten by central government because Christchurch City will have limited finances.
This is all fine and morale - boosting as I said, but the rebuild and repair of thousands of homes in the eastern suburbs in particular, and in other suburbs as well, is a priority as well. Those insurance companies covering these claims need the proverbial kick up the backside because many families are spending their second winter in damaged homes, in sheds, tents and even in cars. The delay is not satisfactary by any stretch of the imagination.
Everybody criticised the English referee after the All Blacks lost to France in 2007 in the RWC quarter-final. Graham Henry believed we were robbed then - match fixing? I hope not! Thats what the AB's coach at the time believed . And it has gone into his autobiography. The AB's hierarchy probably told him to shut up if he wanted to be reappointed as coach. Now Sir Ted can say what he thought back then!
Personally, the All Blacks played badly in that game, but the referee was totally incompetent. I don't know how much better he is these days. Sir Graham Henry had every right to criticise the referee's performance. Despite the performance of the All Blacks, how come the penalty count was so lop-sided in favour of the French side? It is now part of history. The All Blacks definately scored a try against Wales in 1905. The referee was too slow to get up and see the try scored. Mind you he was wearing street clothes and shoes.
The Queer Avengers support the bill for marriage and adoption equality. One of two bills in the ballot, Louisa Wall's bill was drawn on the 27th of July. The Queer Avengers say that there should be no legal distinction between same sex and different sex couples, but also call for better recognition of family structures which do not fall within the definition of marriage.
The Queer Avengers criticise MPs who do not prioritise equality. "Bill English says that equality is not a priority. Instead, National would like to focus on the important things, like making deals with casinos and scapegoating beneficiaries for the financial crisis," argues Queer Avenger Ian Anderson. "This government is more interested in cutting back rights than extending them."
Ian adds that equality is a matter of principle, not personal conscience. "If parties support the principle of equality, they should treat it as such. This is a basic civil rights issue. Conscience votes are a cop-out."
The Queer Avengers stress that marriage equality is not the end of line for LGBT rights and that struggles beyond marriage lie ahead. Queer Avenger Sara Fraser notes that LGBT still face a number of obstacles - including queer youth bullying, suicide and homelessness; inadequate access to quality healthcare for trans* people; and common intimidation and violence in the streets.
She adds that there are many family structures which marriage and adoption law does not cover, for example polyamory and whangai adoption. "This is not the final struggle," Sara concludes. "We're looking ahead to the struggles beyond marriage."
Somebody has hacked into my Hotmail email account and could be using it to send spam to my contacts, and to others. It was done briefly a few weeks ago, but was soon rectified.
This is my main online email account, but I don't use it for personal communications - I use my Xtra.co.nz account for that.
It is causing me inconvenience more than anything - I can't use the account and I presume incoming emails could also be interfered with.
I wondered at the motive initially, but have realised since that it could be being used to send spam. Now this could be the crux of my problems with blog.co.uk - my password. I will contact Admin and change my email, Probably change it to Gmail.
I can continue using this site as long as its through Google Chrome.
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Somebody has hacked into my Hotmail email account and could be using it to send spam to my contacts, and to others. It was done briefly a few weeks ago, but was soon rectified.