*waves* 'Nother one from NZ...Hi!

Hello everyone...

So I'm new...Well actually, more like new poster/old lurker. Thought I'd join in the fun

So yes... Saw these guys on a local comedy show a few years back. Thought they were the bees knees. Heard a rumour they made a show. Watched it when it (finally) screened here. The rest is history.

As I'm sure others have said before, we're absolutly stoked to see these guys doing so well on the world stage. It is weird actually, because anyone that's headed to the states in the past has dropped the kiwi accent like a hot spud (such as Phil Keogan). So it is lovely to hear a familiar sound from an american show. Makes us all patriotic-like ;
)

Which is saying a lot, we seem to have bit of a national self esteem issue. We lost some rugby. But we don't talk about that. Still an open wound....

So lovely to meet you all. Now I am going to leave you with a small piece of NZ trivia, which will win you mad respect should you answer correctly:

If I say I am from the Canoe, which island am I from?

Welcome! I'm glad you decided to join in on the fun.

I'm a little surprised that anyone would drop their kiwi accent after coming to the US. I love hearing it. However, I'm guessing it's easier to lose the accent coming here than an American losing their accent over there. I would sound like an ass trying to be a kiwi. In fact, I would probably get my ass kicked or at least be very ridiculed.

Is the trivia answer Mahuhu? Don't make fun of me if I'm wrong. Well, alright. You can make fun of me.

*edited because I couldn't spell "
the"
- again

Thankyou " title="" border="0"/>

Its an American market thing apparently, its only since conchords that American producers have been letting them keep it. Its not just Kiwis, a lot of foreigners loose their accents apparently.

Eg: South Africa= Charleze Theron, Wales= Catherine Zeta Jones. Etc.

Apparently a kiwi guy, Dominic Bowden, hosted a show called "
Americas next great band"
or something. It sounded obscure. But he said in an interview that he was surprised they let him keep the accent.

Most notable exception is probably Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park 3). Although I always thought he sounded a bit more like a pomme anyway. Really nice guy though, according to my nana. She doesn't live far from him.

Speaking of which- the following is an example of just how small NZ is:

My brothers teacher/ mums mate is Andrew Penman. He is in a band called Salmonella Dub. They have played with The Black Seeds. Which includes a certain conchord.

Ha, thats only like 3-4 degrees of seperation.

For more fun- Lord of the Rings: My Auntie and a close friend of the family were horse wranglers, my friends parents did CGI, and half the population of my town were sculptors on set. Oh- and before filming began we had Peter Jackson and his Set Manager rock up to our farm scouting locations.

So no kidding. Half the country was in that movie.

Sorry, the trivia is very tough. Heres a clue: Canoe=Waka in maori. It's a feature in mythology.

And accent wise - Im very partial to the scottish myself

Awww man! I got the trivia wrong? Well, I did use wikipedia to try and find the answer. There's like 17 billion islands over there!

I have learned to appreciate a scottish accent too because of James McAvoy (yum). I didn't even know Sam Neil wasn't an american until I saw the imdb page for the Tudors.

My twin sister likes australian accents. She loves that movie Candy w/ Heath Leger and Abby Cornish and there is a line when Abby's character says 'You're a waste of space' and she does that in her best fake aussie accent (which sucks). Then I bust out my NZ accent and say 'The igg is viry sixy' (also sucks). We both sound like total asses.

I heard that about half of NZ was in Lord of the Rings. That's so cool. Peter Jackson obviously loves his homeland because he tries to film all of his work there.

Ok, I'll take another run at the trivia. Is it South Island?

Welcome!

It's so nice to have people from NZ!!

And who would drop that accent? It's soo sixy - hehe.

hey there and welcome!!! i love all the nz facts, awesome stuff to know!!

sadly, i'm not gonna try and answer your trivia question. i swear i'm geographically handicapped! i have trouble knowing where shii is in my own country, so to take on another country would just be insane!

nevertheless, i'm glad you decided to de-lurk and have some fun with us!! i look forward to posting with you!!

oh! i almost forgot to ask...do you have a conchordian preference?! " title="" border="0"/>

I've always wondered why Charlize Theron sounds American! She's South African but I'd have no idea if she didn't say so.

Another I've wondered about is Portia de Rossi (from "
Arrested Development"
). Isn't she Australian? I don't think I've ever heard her real accent.

On the flip side, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been in the U.S. longer than he ever lived in Austria, but his accent is just as strong today as it was in the 80s!

Well, the NZ accent really is adorable. I'm particularly fond of the way you guys pronounce the letter "
e."
" title="" border="0"/>

pukeko wrote:... And accent wise - Im very partial to the scottish myself

I would be too, if I could understand what the hell they're saying. (If any Scottish people are reading this, I'm just kidding! ... sorta).

Welcome to the board!

As a few people have already said, it's great to have another member from NZ. They are few and far between here for some reason. Oh and keep it coming with the NZ trivia... I love learning about the country my two favourite men in the world (after my dad and brother) hail from.

Hopefully we'll be seeing you a lot. " title="" border="0"/>

Congratulations shianne517- the south (and some would say best) Island is correct! I take my hat off to you

In maori mythology, mauri hid on his brothers' canoe when they went to go fishing without him. Then he jumped up once they were out at sea, and used his grandmothers jawbone (don't worry, she lent it to him. As you do.) to fish up a very big skate (like a stigngray). The fish became the North Island (Te Ika a Maui), the Canoe became the South Island (Te Waka a Maui) and the anchor became Stewart Island (Raukuria). But yes, there are like thousand sof small islands down here too.

But yes, the Conchords and Peter Jackson give us the warm fuzzies a bit. We're just so used to being the place you flee from when you become successful- such as Anna Paquin, whose Dad said "
Thank god we got out of NZ"
. I think he was talking career wise, but it still cut a bit deep

Actually we have a local hospital soap opera here called Shortland Street. It was hilarious watching LoTR, as it turned into a big game of "
Spot the Former Shortland Street Star"
. In that respect I guess it's like Neighbours or Home and Away is for Australia. Actually there's an interview online where Bret talks about auditioning for Shortlad Street. Thank god he went on to the bigger and the better.

Sin...Hmmm...Conchordian preference... It'd have to be Bret, which actually surprises me. I guess he's just got this prevailing cuteness (his angry dance made me melt). And he's a little more animated too, and having a lot of fun. Jemaine is definately got that inherent shyness about him.

hellomyfriend....Ah yes, we do tend to have half the number of spoken vowels as most people on the planet. But I like it. To be honest I find the Australian to be the worst, the absolute cheesegrater of accents. shianne517, I do think Heath Ledger's (RIP) was the better of the bunch though. If you really want to be repulsed, look up some league or rugby commentators *shudder*. And I mean, being a kiwi and all I'm not biased at all

And Portia di Rossi is an Aussie, I saw her on Rove (talk show which is one of Austalias redeeming features. Check youtube)

Actually, its hilarious because one of the reasons we have such a scrappy relationship with aussies is that the buggers have a reputation for stealing our stuff, or claiming it as their own. Eg, Sam Neill, Sir Edmund Hillary (RIP), Phar Lap, Crowded House etc. And because the fact that the conchords are kiwis is such a central part of the show they can't credibly pull that one anymore

Mimi aka Ami, it's a cultural thing I think. No offence but americans have a reputation for being, erm, enthusiatic fans. Kiwis are just not like that, we don't get too excited about anything that isn't rugby related. And of course a proportionally small population.

So yes...I Will hopefully be around. Especially since I'm a chronic procrastinater. As I speak I'm supposed to be writing a critique on the management of a NZ pest species. Meh.

For fun...Have another trivia- name 3 NZ firsts. These can be inventions, achievements, or feats. Curious to see what people come up with...Theres one I'm expecting, it was in the show.

I haven't said it yet...Welcome!

I'm not even going to attempt the NZ trivia. I barely know U.S. trivia " title="" border="0"/>

pukeko wrote:Congratulations shianne517- the south (and some would say best) Island is correct! I take my hat off to you

In maori mythology, mauri hid on his brothers' canoe when they went to go fishing without him. Then he jumped up once they were out at sea, and used his grandmothers jawbone (don't worry, she lent it to him. As you do.) to fish up a very big skate (like a stigngray). The fish became the North Island (Te Ika a Maui), the Canoe became the South Island (Te Waka a Maui) and the anchor became Stewart Island (Raukuria). But yes, there are like thousand sof small islands down here too.

But yes, the Conchords and Peter Jackson give us the warm fuzzies a bit. We're just so used to being the place you flee from when you become successful- such as Anna Paquin, whose Dad said "
Thank god we got out of NZ"
. I think he was talking career wise, but it still cut a bit deep

Actually we have a local hospital soap opera here called Shortland Street. It was hilarious watching LoTR, as it turned into a big game of "
Spot the Former Shortland Street Star"
. In that respect I guess it's like Neighbours or Home and Away is for Australia. Actually there's an interview online where Bret talks about auditioning for Shortlad Street. Thank god he went on to the bigger and the better.

Sin...Hmmm...Conchordian preference... It'd have to be Bret, which actually surprises me. I guess he's just got this prevailing cuteness (his angry dance made me melt). And he's a little more animated too, and having a lot of fun. Jemaine is definately got that inherent shyness about him.

hellomyfriend....Ah yes, we do tend to have half the number of spoken vowels as most people on the planet. But I like it. To be honest I find the Australian to be the worst, the absolute cheesegrater of accents. shianne517, I do think Heath Ledger's (RIP) was the better of the bunch though. If you really want to be repulsed, look up some league or rugby commentators *shudder*. And I mean, being a kiwi and all I'm not biased at all

And Portia di Rossi is an Aussie, I saw her on Rove (talk show which is one of Austalias redeeming features. Check youtube)

Actually, its hilarious because one of the reasons we have such a scrappy relationship with aussies is that the buggers have a reputation for stealing our stuff, or claiming it as their own. Eg, Sam Neill, Sir Edmund Hillary (RIP), Phar Lap, Crowded House etc. And because the fact that the conchords are kiwis is such a central part of the show they can't credibly pull that one anymore

Mimi aka Ami, it's a cultural thing I think. No offence but americans have a reputation for being, erm, enthusiatic fans. Kiwis are just not like that, we don't get too excited about anything that isn't rugby related. And of course a proportionally small population.

So yes...I Will hopefully be around. Especially since I'm a chronic procrastinater. As I speak I'm supposed to be writing a critique on the management of a NZ pest species. Meh.

For fun...Have another trivia- name 3 NZ firsts. These can be inventions, achievements, or feats. Curious to see what people come up with...Theres one I'm expecting, it was in the show.

OMG OMG OMG.. I got it right. YESSSSSS!!! The last time I got something right was when I watched Jeopardy by myself and I didn't even have a witness. This totally makes up for that.

I apologize for thinking Sam Neill was from Ireland. He was born in Ireland and raised in NZ (representin South Island baby). I'm learning things today. I can't believe Anna Paquin's dad said that. You gotta represent where you grew up. What an asstard. Peter Jackson makes up for all of that.

I know we Americans have a rep for being "
enthusiastic"
. I think you mean "
loud and obnoxious"
and that's ok. I love this country and feel lucky to be here. That being said, anyone who doesn't live here and sees how America is portrayed on tv or media would think the same way you do. It's embarrassing. But that's a whole other thread.

More trivia? I can't say no to that. Alright, here I go.

This is totally stolen from some NZ site:

NZ was the first country in the world to:
-give women the right to vote
-adopt the eight hour working day
-operate a tourist board
-introduce the retirement pension

NZ invented:
-jetboat propulsion
-stamp vending machine
-wide-toothed shearing comb
-the bobby pin
-the electric fence
-bungee jumping

Wow. The bobby pin. Who knew? Thank you for forcing me to learn. Good times.

Wow!!! It looks like NZ rocks the party

Welcome to the board, Pukeko, I think you are going to have a lot of fun, I know I love, it!!!

I lurked for a while and then couldn't just sit by and watch everything happen.

" title="" border="0"/> Really? The bobby pin? I had no idea one of us did that. How could I not? I'm so ashamed!

*slinks off to apply for australian citizenship*

And I have no idea what a stamp vending machine is. Care to enlighten?

And the "
enthusiastic"
American thing- don't worry, it's not a bad thing. In fact most of us find it quite endearing. We had a lot of you guys come through our lodge, and loved every one. On the whole you're a delightfully lovely bunch

An any anti-american sentiment is nothing personal, its directed at your government. We had bit of a lover's tiff over a certain nuclear free policy. But thats mostly in the past now. ;
)

I'm a bit late, but I just wanted to say hi, and welcome!

pukeko wrote:
An any anti-american sentiment is nothing personal, its directed at your government.

That's understandable. Many of us are frustrated with our government as well. Hopefully things will change in November...

If a stamp vending machine is what I think it is, then it is a machine that dispenses postage. There is one at my local post office, but it is always broken. I don't hold that against the country of NZ, though. ;
)

pukeko wrote: " title="" border="0"/> Really? The bobby pin? I had no idea one of us did that. How could I not? I'm so ashamed!

*slinks off to apply for australian citizenship*

And I have no idea what a stamp vending machine is. Care to enlighten?

And the "
enthusiastic"
American thing- don't worry, it's not a bad thing. In fact most of us find it quite endearing. We had a lot of you guys come through our lodge, and loved every one. On the whole you're a delightfully lovely bunch

An any anti-american sentiment is nothing personal, its directed at your government. We had bit of a lover's tiff over a certain nuclear free policy. But thats mostly in the past now. ;
)

Hey, the bobby pin was just as much as surprise to me as it was to you. No need to flee to Australia. They'll probably just take credit for that too;
) We'll just pretend that never happened.

I didn't take the American remarks personal at all. I think I partially agree with what the world thinks of the US. There are many Americans (and I include my own family members on this one) who don't know anything about US history or foreign policy. It's embarrassing because so many Americans just think we live in "
the best country in the world"
and most of them haven't even left the US!

It probably doesn't help that my mother AND brother-in-law both work at the White House. Walking in there is like walking into another dimension. They ALWAYS have on Fox News (which is notoriously right wing) and they think George W. is a genius. It's
freaky man! My mother actually thinks global warming is a myth. We're talking about a college educated woman with a PhD! Scary.

Anyway... I was worried you were going to give me more trivia but it appears that since I threw you off with the bobby pin and the stamp machine that I may be off the hook.

welcome! its so cool that you are joining us. im learning so much about NZ already!

If a stamp vending machine is what I think it is, then it is a machine that dispenses postage. There is one at my local post office, but it is always broken. I don't hold that against the country of NZ, though.

Ha, I can tell you that we may have invented it but we sure as hell don't have them here. Sound overrated anyway. :

It probably doesn't help that my mother AND brother-in-law both work at the White House. Walking in there is like walking into another dimension. They ALWAYS have on Fox News (which is notoriously right wing) and they think George W. is a genius. It's
freaky man! My mother actually thinks global warming is a myth. We're talking about a college educated woman with a PhD! Scary.

Fox News? Really? Oh dear, I thought that was just a stereotype. Its on late at night here sometimes, I watched it once out of curiousity. They were dicussing the dire neccissity of a Berlin-style wall to keep the mexicans out. I know there are immigration issues a sea-surrounded island nation like ourselves could never understand, but cripes. :-/

Many of us are frustrated with our government as well. Hopefully things will change in November...

The perception here at least is that Obama becoming president will be the best thing to happen for Amerca's image in a very long time. We watch with interest.

It's election year here for us too. Auntie Helen has run the show for the last 3 terms now. Its hard to call who'll win, people just want change now I think. She's been a fantastic leader, foreign policy wise especially, but they're just so left wing its been heading toward a nanny state. Actually I blame the Green party for that-we have a weird system called MMP which means if the major winning party doesn't get get the required "
seats"
they have to join up with smaller parties to make a full government, so you get a lot of interest group parties represented.

Hmm...Sorry to bore you. I'm sure you didn't bargain on getting the low-down on the NZ electoral system. But on the plus side you'll impress any kiwis you meet ;
)

Anyway... I was worried you were going to give me more trivia but it appears that since I threw you off with the bobby pin and the stamp machine that I may be off the hook.

Yep. I've totally lost faith in my ability to give out trivia ;
)

So instead I'll leave you with my personal favourite NZ innovation, known a zorbing...



Thats right: Basically a giant guinea pig ball, with you inside, being rolled down a hill

pukeko wrote:So instead I'll leave you with my personal favourite NZ innovation, known a zorbing...



Thats right: Basically a giant guinea pig ball, with you inside, being rolled down a hill

awesome, i was looking for a way to easily smear myself in my own vomit. clearly, this is the way to go. " title="" border="0"/>

The perception here at least is that Obama becoming president will be the best thing to happen for Amerca's image in a very long time. We watch with interest.

It's election year here for us too. Auntie Helen has run the show for the last 3 terms now. Its hard to call who'll win, people just want change now I think. She's been a fantastic leader, foreign policy wise especially, but they're just so left wing its been heading toward a nanny state. Actually I blame the Green party for that-we have a weird system called MMP which means if the major winning party doesn't get get the required "
seats"
they have to join up with smaller parties to make a full government, so you get a lot of interest group parties represented.

Hmm...Sorry to bore you. I'm sure you didn't bargain on getting the low-down on the NZ electoral system. But on the plus side you'll impress any kiwis you meet ;
)

I don't find it boring at all! I'm very interested in how things operate in other places. It almost seems like NZ has gone in the exact opposite direction from the US, policy-wise. We're way too far to the right, and NZ is all the way over on the left. Perhaps both can find a little more balance with our respective elections. Helen Clark does seem like a kickass lady, though. I mean, she was even on Bro'Town!

pukeko wrote:...
So instead I'll leave you with my personal favourite NZ innovation, known a zorbing...



Thats right: Basically a giant guinea pig ball, with you inside, being rolled down a hill

I would like to live inside that thing. What's it called? A zorb? I want to live inside a zorb.

pukeko wrote:

If a stamp vending machine is what I think it is, then it is a machine that dispenses postage. There is one at my local post office, but it is always broken. I don't hold that against the country of NZ, though.

Ha, I can tell you that we may have invented it but we sure as hell don't have them here. Sound overrated anyway. :



Fox News? Really? Oh dear, I thought that was just a stereotype. Its on late at night here sometimes, I watched it once out of curiousity. They were dicussing the dire neccissity of a Berlin-style wall to keep the mexicans out. I know there are immigration issues a sea-surrounded island nation like ourselves could never understand, but cripes. :-/



The perception here at least is that Obama becoming president will be the best thing to happen for Amerca's image in a very long time. We watch with interest.

It's election year here for us too. Auntie Helen has run the show for the last 3 terms now. Its hard to call who'll win, people just want change now I think. She's been a fantastic leader, foreign policy wise especially, but they're just so left wing its been heading toward a nanny state. Actually I blame the Green party for that-we have a weird system called MMP which means if the major winning party doesn't get get the required "
seats"
they have to join up with smaller parties to make a full government, so you get a lot of interest group parties represented.

Hmm...Sorry to bore you. I'm sure you didn't bargain on getting the low-down on the NZ electoral system. But on the plus side you'll impress any kiwis you meet ;
)

Anyway... I was worried you were going to give me more trivia but it appears that since I threw you off with the bobby pin and the stamp machine that I may be off the hook.

Yep. I've totally lost faith in my ability to give out trivia ;
)

So instead I'll leave you with my personal favourite NZ innovation, known a zorbing...



Thats right: Basically a giant guinea pig ball, with you inside, being rolled down a hill

I can't believe you actuallly watched Fox News. You poor thing. There is a website that I like: and their motto is "
We Watch Fox News So You Don't Have To"
. Talk about sacrifice. After reading a page or two from there, you'll get the idea.

It's really good to hear that we actually have a chance at repairing our image with Obama. I used to be all about John Edwards but after he dropped out I became an Obama supporter. I was never a Hillary supporter but all of my gay and lady friends were. They would cut my ass if I said anything bad about her.

I think MMP sounds interesting. Confusing but interesting. If you don't want Helen Clark anymore then do you know who you will vote for yet?

Oh and thanks a lot for posting that picture of the Zorb. My son saw it and how he won't shut the hell up about it. So the deal is when he turns 13 I will take him to NZ, strap him to a giant hamster ball and roll his ass down a hill. I'll worry about keeping that promise if he actually remembers it. I have 6 years.

pukeko, i found everything you said interesting. its always cool to see how other places work and the image we are giving to outsiders. and that zorb thing is awesome.

shianne517 wrote: So the deal is when he turns 13 I will take him to NZ, strap him to a giant hamster ball and roll his ass down a hill. I'll worry about keeping that promise if he actually remembers it. I have 6 years.

hahahah! this really made me laugh for some reason! " title="" border="0"/>

Helen Clark does seem like a kickass lady, though. I mean, she was even on Bro'Town!

Yeah, she's in quite a lot (if not the majority) of episodes. She's always been a huge supporter of the arts in NZ and under her leadership everything from NZ music to movies has blossomed. Though TV still has a lot of room for improvement, we're actually drowning in reality tv right now. Mostly about home improvement or psychics trying to solve murder cases.

Those Bro'Town boys are pretty persuasive though, a while back they even got Prince Charles on while he was visiting.

awesome, i was looking for a way to easily smear myself in my own vomit. clearly, this is the way to go.

There is also an option in which you get a bucket of water tossed in with you. Possibly to dilute that, er, situation.

I would like to live inside that thing. What's it called? A zorb? I want to live inside a zorb.

May I reccommend the movie Bubble Boy, starring Jake Gyllanhaal?

I can't believe you actuallly watched Fox News. You poor thing. There is a website that I like: and their motto is "
We Watch Fox News So You Don't Have To"
. Talk about sacrifice. After reading a page or two from there, you'll get the idea.

*clicks "
add to favourites"
*

It's really good to hear that we actually have a chance at repairing our image with Obama. I used to be all about John Edwards but after he dropped out I became an Obama supporter. I was never a Hillary supporter but all of my gay and lady friends were. They would cut my ass if I said anything bad about her

Really? I liked her for starters, but then the faux paux just seemed to build up past the point of credibility. She just seemed a bit...crusty, after awhile. She got this sort of bumbling Bush aura that repelled me like a bad smell. And then she cracked a joke about Auntie Helen (which would've been fine, we do it all the time) but in the process referred to her as the FORMER PM of NZ. And Bill had just met with Helen the week before. Tsk tsk.

I think MMP sounds interesting. Confusing but interesting. If you don't want Helen Clark anymore then do you know who you will vote for yet?

MMP is quite good now I know more about it, but a lot of people are pretty badly informed to the point where National (equivalent of the Republicans) wants a referendum. That would send us back to the days of "
first past the post"
, or FPP. Heres an article that may be interesting, but it's a little wordy:



Our other main option is National, led by John Key. They've gone through a few leaders (mostly uninspiring) since their last PM, Jenny Shipley. A lot of commentators are saying (and I agree) that its not so much that people like him, but they just see him as an alternative. There are a lot of issues with them though. It was revealed last election there was a bit of "
consultation"
going on with the US government, who were pushing heavily for our nuclear free policy to go. That would be a VERY unpopular move, it was something we fought so hard for and we are really proud of, but it means no American ships or subs can visit as they won't "
confirm nor deny"
the presence of radioactive material. Though mainly that legislation was a response to the french, who were dropping said bombs willy-nilly in OUR back yard for testing. That ended in an ugly way, they sent two secret service people to carry out the only terrorist attack in NZ's history (google "
rainbow warrior bombing"
). Caught them though (NZs smallness worked against them. And I suspect a general mistrust of the French) but France put the diplomatic screws on, so we had to "
hand over custody"
. They got a heroes' welcome on arrival back home. *looks for vomit emoticon*

Personally, I think my vote will go to a minority party this year. I'm tossing up between the Maori Party and the Outdoor Recreation Party. Hmmm...

Here's a wee gem to share... TVNZ's ONLY reedeeming feature since passing up the Conchords. It's called Eating Media Lunch, hosted by the almighty Jeremy Wells aka Newsboy. I was agonising over which one to share, but I thought you might enjoy learning what kiwis consider a kebab, and no doubt what was in mind in "
Most Beautiful Girl in the Room."
Enjoy.

[flash=350,287:r2hzoaq1]https://www.youtube.com/v/I3RlFa5B8BI&hl=en&fs=1[/flash:r2hzoaq1]

Now I get the kebab ref!!! We could never get away with the kebab sketch here in the US, surprisingly enough with all the paranoia we have here, which is thankfully waning.

There are a lot of countries that use a similar parliamentary system to NZ, but it seems that in NZ people are so independent in their thought that the minority parties may get to play a larger part in the process, which I find intriguing.

pukeko wrote:

Helen Clark does seem like a kickass lady, though. I mean, she was even on Bro'Town!

Yeah, she's in quite a lot (if not the majority) of episodes. She's always been a huge supporter of the arts in NZ and under her leadership everything from NZ music to movies has blossomed. Though TV still has a lot of room for improvement, we're actually drowning in reality tv right now. Mostly about home improvement or psychics trying to solve murder cases.

Those Bro'Town boys are pretty persuasive though, a while back they even got Prince Charles on while he was visiting.



There is also an option in which you get a bucket of water tossed in with you. Possibly to dilute that, er, situation.



May I reccommend the movie Bubble Boy, starring Jake Gyllanhaal?



*clicks "
add to favourites"
*



Really? I liked her for starters, but then the faux paux just seemed to build up past the point of credibility. She just seemed a bit...crusty, after awhile. She got this sort of bumbling Bush aura that repelled me like a bad smell. And then she cracked a joke about Auntie Helen (which would've been fine, we do it all the time) but in the process referred to her as the FORMER PM of NZ. And Bill had just met with Helen the week before. Tsk tsk.

I think MMP sounds interesting. Confusing but interesting. If you don't want Helen Clark anymore then do you know who you will vote for yet?

MMP is quite good now I know more about it, but a lot of people are pretty badly informed to the point where National (equivalent of the Republicans) wants a referendum. That would send us back to the days of "
first past the post"
, or FPP. Heres an article that may be interesting, but it's a little wordy:



Our other main option is National, led by John Key. They've gone through a few leaders (mostly uninspiring) since their last PM, Jenny Shipley. A lot of commentators are saying (and I agree) that its not so much that people like him, but they just see him as an alternative. There are a lot of issues with them though. It was revealed last election there was a bit of "
consultation"
going on with the US government, who were pushing heavily for our nuclear free policy to go. That would be a VERY unpopular move, it was something we fought so hard for and we are really proud of, but it means no American ships or subs can visit as they won't "
confirm nor deny"
the presence of radioactive material. Though mainly that legislation was a response to the french, who were dropping said bombs willy-nilly in OUR back yard for testing. That ended in an ugly way, they sent two secret service people to carry out the only terrorist attack in NZ's history (google "
rainbow warrior bombing"
). Caught them though (NZs smallness worked against them. And I suspect a general mistrust of the French) but France put the diplomatic screws on, so we had to "
hand over custody"
. They got a heroes' welcome on arrival back home. *looks for vomit emoticon*

Personally, I think my vote will go to a minority party this year. I'm tossing up between the Maori Party and the Outdoor Recreation Party. Hmmm...

Here's a wee gem to share... TVNZ's ONLY reedeeming feature since passing up the Conchords. It's called Eating Media Lunch, hosted by the almighty Jeremy Wells aka Newsboy. I was agonising over which one to share, but I thought you might enjoy learning what kiwis consider a kebab, and no doubt what was in mind in "
Most Beautiful Girl in the Room."
Enjoy.

[flash=350,287:0ggywh3q]https://www.youtube.com/v/I3RlFa5B8BI&hl=en&fs=1[/flash:0ggywh3q]

I can't believe Hilary referred to Helen Clark as "
former"
PM. She's just jealous! I like the term "
crusty"
for Hilary. Nice. I really hope the nuclear free policy stays in place there. I think our government is used to getting it's way but Helen Clark may be able to kick Condoleezza Rice's ass on that one (even tho Condi won't be around much longer). I see John Key wants to keep the policy, but I know that's not the only issue.

Eating Media Lunch reminds me of The Daily Show. I looked through your television lineup (on your 3 or 4 channels) and it's not bad. You have a lot of shows that I love. Big Love, Sopranos, Tudors Lost, Nip/Tuck, Seinfeld, The First 48, The L Word. I can't believe you get Days of Our Lives. That's just tragic. I used to love that show but it's just gone into another dimension of weirdness in the last couple years.

Ugh, I have to go help my daughter dye her hair blue. It's semipermanent. Hey, do you get Family Guy there?