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Brian Rogers Rogers Rabbits www.sunlive.co.nz |
Somehow it just doesn't seem like a real week, with a day off in the middle. It's as if we're still on semi-holiday. And although a few of us had to work on Waitangi Day (these columns don't write themselves, you know!) it still seemed like a holiday.
A lot of Kiwis are really over Waitangi Day. Not the day off, everyone is quite happy about skiving off, but they don't give a hoot about the flag waving nationalism that it's meant to inspire. Perhaps they've just had a gutsful of the whinging and moaning and disruption of a small minority of trouble makers that every year try to push their ridiculous and ever-changing racist demands into the limelight.
Whatever, Kiwis happily take the day off and seem quite content to let the supposed reason for the day slip aside behind a day at the beach, a cool drink and maybe a barbecue after a spot of gardening or fishing.
Wayne Jessop goes a step further in our letters this week, suggesting Waitangi Day should be scrapped. He quotes some powerful statements from the late Sir Paul Holmes, which is well worth another read. See Page 41.
No-one I saw in my travels on Waitangi Day, except at the official gatherings, gave a damn about the treaty, or the troublemakers for that matter. It would appear the endless griping has actually had the opposite effect and turned the general population against what should be a day to take a bit of pride in our great country.
For once, this year, the stirrers didn't rate much of a mention, apart from Granny Harawira again successfully muscling into her apparently god-given role as Prime Minister Monitor.
How can anyone get so het up, on such a beautiful day?
Blues day
Maybe fine weather helps. And speaking about good weather, it looks likely to continue with the current settled summery run. The good news is, it's likely Pete Archer and his team will get a decent day for their Marchwood Blues picnic this weekend.
If you haven't checked out Marchwood, pop on out this weekend for some relaxed entertainment under the big shades, in a great setting at 316 Youngson Road, Omokoroa. This Saturday (Feb 9) from noon till 8pm, they say it's the best blues festival in New Zealand. Find out more at www.bluespicnic.com
Thunderbirds are go
Here at RR headquarters there was a rousing cheer when news broke that Thunderbirds were coming back.
Not Paula Bennett and Tariana Turia breaking into a line dance, but the old television show with International Rescue's puppets and rockets.
New Zealand's Weta Workshop is tackling the task of re-inventing the Thunderbirds TV series.
The UK's biggest production company, ITV Studios, is teaming with Weta and NZ-based Pukeko Pictures to make Thunderbirds are Go!
The show will air in 2015 – 50 years after the original series launched.
The Tracy family re-incarnation will use both CGI animation and live-action model sets. It is not known how much botox will be required for Lady Penelope.
Now all we need is the return of the Beverley Hillbillies and Mr Ed the talking horse.
The big Dick dig
On the subject of digging up long lost characters, the English have just announced they've found Richard the Third. Seems the bugger has been missing for, oh, a few centuries and someone decided he must be under a carpark. So they dug him up, took a DNA sample, and hey presto – they found the old chap.
It's too weird that they lost, then found the remains of King Richard III after all these centuries.
How could the Poms not know where their kings are buried? You'd think one of the corgis would have sniffed out his bones by now.
If Elizabeth MkII, (God save the Queen) unfortunately croaked in the midst of a battle and ended up six feet under, you'd think the location would be pretty well marked. Not just covered with a carpark.
Rumour has it that researchers are now moving onto the search for the crown big enough to hold in Charlie's ears, a paper bag for his missus and Prince Phillip's long lost sense of tact.
Better call International Rescue. Virgil will have a plan.