Over on my sports site sportreviewnz there’s a new rugby cartoon, all about Richie McCaw, who’s got a lot of coaches bleating about his style of play.

I’m going to try and do one of these every week if I can.
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The Guardian’s not too impressed with Breaks Co-Op:

“…their turntable-enhanced, take-it-easy folk-rock is for anyone who wishes Crosby, Stills & Nash had stuck around for trip-hop”.

Fair play, Zane has done really (really) well in the UK as a DJ and MTV host, but Breaks Co-Op are still shit. I was at the New Year’s Eve show at the Town Hall (An all ages, dry event), and found them pretty sucky, musically they’re sub Dad-rock at its lowest point, and you can see why it was the soundtrack at this summer’s blandest BBQs at the homes of those who don’t really care about music. Anyway, Zane walked on stage waving at the crowd like the long lost returning hero, forgetting that very few people there a) knew who he was or b) cared. He didn’t shut up either, which was predictable. He does play a mean bongo, though.

PS The writer has totally nailed Zane’s patronising “I know SO much more than you about shit” style on the radio, too:

“Zane Lowe, a man whose endearingly stern enthusiasm can make the release of a new Razorlight single sound like a matter of national import”.

Nice shot.

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Auckland’s weather has been bloody crazy lately. What about this?

Friday – it’s OK, just an average cloudy day, then about 9.30, BAM – the rain drums so hard on the roof you have to turn the TV up to hear, and even then you’re struggling. It’s just RELENTLESS, and I had to go to the window to watch it come down. The Greenlane sky looks kind of alive and glowing, the road is flooding, and I’m wondering if driving to the shore is such a good idea. Don’t fancy being on the bridge in this.

This lasts about half an hour, then stops completely. I make it to the shore in one piece. “What about that rain?” “What rain?”

Saturday – it’s sunny and fine. And humid. So, so humid. I play Tennis for an hour and I’m dripping. It takes a good two hours and a very cold shower to stop being so, well, red. We sleep with the fan on.

Sunday – rains all day. Tennis is off. I get cabin fever cooped up in the lounge, and it’s still too hot. We go out for a walk on the beach to blow the cobwebs late on, and it gets dark very quickly. Go to bed that night, and it’s still humid, even late.

I love the weather here.

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There’s been loads of these cut up trailers going around lately. Most of them are Brokeback Mountain ones (someone should do Leathal Weapon), but this Jaws one is the best of the lot, I reckon.

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Speaking of Sky, what about the problems they’re having with the satellite? It’s all very well missing a Thursday night’s telly, but the question on everyone’s lips is of course, WHAT IF IT GOES DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ALL BLACKS TEST? EH? I think we should be told.

Sunset on Waitaks
Originally uploaded by richirvine73.

This photo is actually a year old – but we’re getting some lovely Autumn weather at the moment.

Over on my other blog there’s a new rugby cartoon for your viewing / laughing pleasure.

I wonder sometimes where I’m going with this blogging thing, and I think these rugby cartoons might be that place.

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Here’s another article I’m posting just ‘cos of one great quote, from Alex James, Blur’s bass player :

“And that’s what pop music is, really, a big relentless grin. That your brain just finds irresistible.”

Yep, Pop music is great, as anyone who’s ever listened to a song 12 times in a row can attest to. See also:
– Crash by the Primitives
– Heavenly Pop Hit by The Chills
– Don’t Call Me Baby by Voice Of The Beehive
– Alimony by the Hummingbirds
– Heironymous by The Clouds
– That Ain’t Bad by Ratcat (What IS it with Aussies, eh?)
– Just What I Needed by The Cars
– Atomic by Blondie

I could go on and on… Go! Team do a nice line in this kind of thing, also.

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I held the last BBQ of the summer at me flat on Saturday night. I reckon it’s a safe bet it’ll be the last because a) no-one else would be foolish enough to hold a BBQ in the dark and b) summer is bloody over, as yesterday’s monsoon / hurricane in Auckland proved.

Anyway, where’s what I learned:
1. If you invite 30 people, and spend the day panicking about feeding everyone and rushing about spending all your cash getting enough food, only half will actually turn up
2. And the vast majority that food won’t be eaten anyway
3. Putting ALL the steaks and sausages on the BBQ at once will ensuring mediocre BBQing all round
4. There is definitely a man shortage, if the number of single females (quite a few) to single males (none) is anything to go by
5. Putting a sign on the door telling people to go around to the back door is a bad idea when there’s no lights out the back
6. If you think you’re running out of beer, and get latecomers to bring you more, you won’t drink any of the new stuff
7. Sing Star is a lot more fun when you’ve had a few
8. It’s one thing to learn a whole lot of songs on the guitar people can sing along to. YOU have to be able to remember WHAT THEY ARE when you’re drunk
9. Getting up early to clean up then going back to bed is a great idea

I really enjoyed myself,and I think everyone else did, too. It’s a good feeling to put a whole bunch of your mates in a room and see if they get on.