Goodbye England's Rose

Today marks the 10 year anniversary since Diana, Princess of Wales, Queen of Heart, Lady Di, was killed in Paris.

Diana was a loyal friend, passionate about her charities, and most of all a caring and loving mother who wanted to give her sons the most normal life possible.

Diana took away stigmas from diseases such as AIDS by embracing and holding hands with sufferers, she went to land mine countries, and with her went the media. Diana knew this, and used it not to make herself look better, but to draw the world's attention to what is often kept hidden.

Diana, won the heart of Britons. They loved her youth and her innocence, she was the wonder Mum, and people felt they could relate to her and she spoke to them at their level. Despite her parting from Charles, Diana would always be the Princess and depite losing her HRH title formally, she was still called Her Royal Highness my many people and even her staff.

I remember finding out that Diana had died. I was 10, and I cried and cried and cried. It seems weird for a ten year old to be so upset at the death of someone who was the Mother to Prince William and Harry, someone I had never met, someone who had no connection to me. And yet I did. Diana was a symbol that anything can be overcome and just because you have an illness people may judge you, but she helped break down those judgements. Diana was my role model, and I had lost her. I think I also mourned for William and Harry, as someone who lost a parent at a young age I was sympathizing with them, and trying to imagine how much harder it must have been for them being constantly in the limelight.

I watched her funeral, I cried again, along with millions of other people. I listened to Elton John sing and went out and purchased the CD (which I still have today). Her candle may have burnt out, but her legend ever will.

Out of respect for Diana, and her family I will be removing any comments that are negative or attacking of her, or the Royal Family.

Daffodil Day

Today is Friday 31 August, and that also means that it is Daffodil Day.

A day which the Cancer Society views as one of the most important to raise awareness and fundraise. It is the culmination of a month's fundraising efforts.

Cancer affects 1 in 3 New Zealanders.

Donations will go towards scientific research into the causes and treatment of all types of cancer, as well as providing a wide range of support services, education and awareness campaigns / programmes for people affected by cancer in your area.

So, collectors are out on the streets today. A couple of dollars is all it takes to show your support and help many New Zealanders and their families.

Donations can also be made at National Bank's and through the Cancer Society website.

Bow wow whats my name

Morals and Understanding Them

The Police already get enough flack for not being committed to fighting crime but rather sitting with speed guns waiting to fill supposed quotas, and now they want to introduce lessons in morality.

For starters whilst most people will agree on many issues morality, there are also going to be disagreements. I mean with statement that this will help "recognise evil" and "confront it more effectively" it sounds like something that Bush's advisors have given him about going to War in Iraq.

Whilst I am not critical of training which encourages officers to take a wide look at the scenario and to act with discretion and in a manner that is acceptable I think moral things can make it too complicated, especially if you have a devout Christian and an atheist in a situation.. for example. They will have some similar morals but also differ.

An understanding of differing morals from different cultures, races, religions etc is a good idea as it allows the Police to deal with situations with further knowledge of other factors.

Such training is being proposed after the findings of the Comision of Inquiry into Police Conduct.

Miss Teen USA 2007 - South Carolina answers a question

Clark is a Muldoon?

Former Labour leader Mike Moore has come out condeming Helen Clark and comparing her to Muldoon, in that she surrounds herself with people that answer "Yes, Helen" and the recent destructive personal attacks on the opposition are doing her no favours either. No doubt this article will further hurt Labour in the Polls.

Moore expects to see cartoons soon which show our Prime Minister morphing into Muldoon.

Amazing Grace

I went and saw Amazing Grace on Friday and I recommend it to everyone. It was an inspiration film and showed what politics should really be about - issues that affect people, not useless mud slinging. It certainly made me question my political allegiances, but I came to conclusion I can be right wing AND have a heart.

Amazing Grace, the hymn has always been significant to me, and after seeing this movie it has even more meaning to it:

Amazing Grace (How sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!

Thro' many dangers, toils and snare,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall profess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be for ever mine.

Camilla makes wise decision

Camilla has pulled out of a 10th anniversary memorial service for Diana, Princess of Wales.

What a wise decision! I am a loyal monarchist but even more loyal to Princess Diana and her memory. I think Camilla being at an event which celebrates Diana's life and remembers her is inappropriate considering the role she played in causing so much pain in Diana's life. Furthermore, Camilla is slowly picking up in the popularity polls after her marriage to Charles, and to attend Diana's memorial service would only tarnish her popularity and make her even further disliked by staunch Diana fans.

Jasmax Film Festival

Last night I attended the opening of the Jasmax Film Festival '07 at the Penthouse in Wellington. The film screened was about Wellington Architect Bill Toomath entitled 'Antonello and the Architect'. It was extremely interesting and he would be someone I would love to have design a house for me. It looks at the important addition to his current house in Roseneath, and his previous work including a project he worked on at Harvard as a student in the '50s, as well as work he has done in the Wellington area ie the teachers college in Karori.

The film festival celebrate architecture, and is done in association with NZ Home + Entertaining.

Main Venues are:
Auckland - Academy Cinema
Hamilton - SkyCIty CentrePlace
Wellington - Penthouse Cinema
Christchurch - Regent on Worcester
Dunedin - The Academy Cinema

In Havelock North films will be screening at Cinema Gold.

If you have an interest in Architecture then these films "will inspire and motivate you to shape your places" (Greg Boyden, Managing Director, Jasmax Ltd)

Because this is so much easier

I have not had time or energy to do posts on these topics, but these cartoons represent fairly accourately how I feel about the topic.

Ducking for Cover

So it is not only dogs that Wellington City Council and catering for but also ducks.

The pond in the Botanical Gardens is going to be dredged to clean out the muck that has washed into the pond over recent years. Such a clean out is required to take place every five to seven years because otherwise it becomes to shallow for the ducks.

The council has advised that anyone who likes going to feed the ducks should wait until work is over for safety reasons and because the removed debris and silt could stink.

The acting Botanic Gardens manager has advised "people don't need to worry about the ducks... they find somewhere quiet to hangout while work is underway and then return of their own accord"

Doggie Delight

The Wellington City Council has installed a bronze shell near the main steps down to to the beach at Oriental Bay as a drinking fountain for dogs. This has been done due to demand for such measures from dog owners.

To install the scallop shell cast by renowned bronze artist Jonathan Campbell cost $2000. The shell caters for both small and large dogs as all can reach it to lap up some water after an energizing walk or run with their owners. The Council's Public Space Design Manager Geoffrey Snedden reiterated that the fountain caters for all canines stating "Even Paris Hilton's tiny dog would even be able to reach in for a drink if we had the good fortune to welcome Paris on a visit to our fair city."

Stripping Back the Truth

After Rudd recently being outted for visiting a strip club in New York now John Key has come out stating that he too has visited a strip club, although it was in his younger days and that they are overrated.

The Media have picked up on this theme and have been asking other MPs whether they too have visited such establishments.

Not suprisingly Winston was not too keen on such questioning.

I have no problems whether MPs have been to strip clubs in their past or even if they go whilst MPs, so long as they pay for everything out of their own pocket. Strip Clubs are just a form of entertainment and if people wish to visit them they have that right.

I personally have never been in one, almost did once with Pamzie and DPF but I had gone home before they entered it. I refuse to pay to go and see naked women who have no appeal to me (and even if free it does not appeal), and from what I have been told the strippers in Mermaids, Santa Fe and Licks are not all that attractive.

Drug Checks

$100 million is what the Ministry of Health would like hospitals to spend on computers and barcoding patients in an attempt to reduce the number of drug errors.

This new system would see public hospitals introduced an electronic drug-prescribing system or computerised patient medication records that connect with the hospital pharmacy. The required drugs would then be packaged with a barcode, sent to teh required ward and patients would have a barcode that was unique to them.

By scanning both barcodes medical staff could see if it was a match or not and if a match did not occur the medication would not be administered.

Currently, unless you are unconsciousness and then your name, date of birth and doctor are on your hospital wrist band, nurses generally ask you for your name and date of birth before administering medications. However, sometimes they are busy so don't and once you have been in the hospital awhile they recognise you and know that those meds are for you.

I think the barcode could help reduce mistakes, but it also just seems like a whole lot more bureaucracy. Hospitals are understaffed and nurses really do not have the time to be ensuring that they grab the scanner for the barcodes each time.

If such a system was successful it would save about 2800 people from suffering permanent disabilities, 29,000 from short term disability and hospital stays would reduced. Currently patients who suffer a medication error spend an extra 7.5 days in hospital.

The Health Minister provided $10.2 million in this year's budget over four years for such a scheme.

It's Good to Be Back

I am now back in my flat, in my bed, back at work with my computer and big office chair, and with that means a whole lot of emails to go through, accounts to bill and lucky me gets to come back to have to do the whole payroll process as well.

It was great to be back in my flat yesterday, as much as I love home and being fed well and having pretty much everything done for me (washing, ironing etc) my flat is my home too and getting into my bed last night was absolute bliss, and when my alarm went off at half six this morning I had no problems getting up.

I am completely unaware of any large political problems that have occurred in the last week, so I presume nothing too bad, although I had heard something about stock market taking massive tumble, so once I am back in with all the news I will be able to write a decent blog ranting about something that has either gone wrong or right, I may even do something on the health system

I am not Dead

I am not dead, although very nearly was. Here is my story... (large sections missing due to no recollection)

Last Tuesday night I went to Rodney Hide's book launch at Parliament's Grand Hall, afterwards me and the guys and girl went to Dog and Bone and then Occi for some food and drinks. We all depart and I start to walk home with Peter and Scott.

We get to corner of Waring Taylor and Lambton Quay and I do not feel so good so sit down, and then proceed to collapse. Ambulance is called and I am carted off to Wellington Emergency Department. Memory is rather blurry of this, know I had a line put in, bloods taken, Jordan, Lukas and Geoff came in on hearing I had been sent there, I was transferred to Short Stay Unit supposedly for observation overnight. Lukas reads first chapter of Rodney's book to me, they bid me good night and get better and I go to sleep and they leave.

Overnight I become uncontrollable for the level of staff in short stay unit and get moved back into ED and into resus. I now have two lines in my arm, a throbbing headache am seriously not with it and not feeling the best. Get moved to smaller cubicle to await transfer to a ward. I collapse in bathroom cubicle, hinges have to be removed. Get back to cubicle and finally moved up to ward with Holly who has come to see me.

In Ward 16, room to myself nice enough nurse, killer headache not entirely with it but still feeling not too bad. Peter comes to visit, I feel super bad for giving him such a fright the previous night. I have really long late afternoon sleep, wake up about 7pm and have some dinner (FYI its actually better than my cooking). Lay about have more drugs, don't feel so good. Start to seize again and get drugged up more. I stop seem ok, checked by house surgeon. Later in the night it happens again, I get resuscitated, I get moved to the high dependency unit, am put on oxygen, fluids and pumped full of more muscle relaxants and sedatives.

So I wake up in the morning in a unit where there is one nurse to two patients, only four patients in the unit and the two nurses are constantly in there. I have Holly, Jordan, Rita, Fern, Mum, Di, etc all come and visit although my memory is blurry. Check my full consultant team and should hopefully be ok for Saturday discharge.

Friday night take a turn for the worse, intensivist called, ICU is full but if I get any worse was to be moved there, placed on respirator and paralysed. Luckily by sickness stays stable (not good but better than ICU thankfully) and am monitored overnight, more fluids etc etc. Spend more time in HDU before finally allowed out onto ward again Sunday afternoon. Still really high though.

Monday morning am finally discharged to strict bed rest and relaxtion, and only because my mother is a nurse so knows how to monitor me properly and because the staff at Hawkes Bay Hospital know me and should I end up in there they know my past.

So that is why I have been absent from blogging and probably will be until next week, as the amount of energy even to do this, or walk from bed to bathroom is amazing! My body is so weak at the moment I hate it.

Staff at Wellington Hospital were fantastic especially HDU staff, my consultant and the food ladies. I also want to thank my friends who came and visited and kept in contact via text and also my Mum who drove down sat by my side, and had to endure the phone call on Friday night to come back in from where she was staying as I may not last the night. She was a rock and I never saw her cry the whole time.

If you know me, feel free to text or email, I am occassionally checking emails and my phone is constantly by me, it is the only things that makes life seem somewhat normal currently. I look forward to coming back more regularly next week.

Look after yourselves.

the joys of working

Life is very different when you are working full time. I have just recently joined the fulltime work force and am surprised to say that i actually enjoy it.
Why oh why did i remain a student for so long?

+ I have my own office with a view that isnt some brick wall of another builiding, so no sharing some sily cubicle with some twat who works in accounts.
+ A whole box of red wine has just been recently delivered to my office for mine and my directors consumption.
+ Free eden park games.
+ A total male dominated environment... and yes guys do look hot in business suits.

Random thought: Mmmm could Libby be the killer? ha ha

Better work stories

Most readers will be aware of Welly girl's intentions of becoming a police officer. This is super fantastic and i secretly hope she learns some ninja moves so she kick some dead beat punk ass.

From VUWSA to Mayor

2006 VUWSA President Nick Kelly has announced that he will be contesting the Wellington Mayoralty as the Worker's Party (formerly the anti-capitalist alliance) candidate.

Kelly is currently a Stagecoach staff member and even drives a few buses on the Route to the University. He ran for a second term on VUWSA, but was beaten by current VUWSA President Geoff Hayward.

Kelly is standing to
1."raise the many issues facing workers, students, beneficiaries and other people struggling to survive in Wellington which are continually ignored by this council.(WCC)"
2."to help build a new workers political movement that fights to end capitalist exploitation and to a build a socialist society"

His first reason is fair enough and is directly related to the constituents of the Wellington City Council, but his second aim seems to be more appropriate if he was standing for Central Government rather than local government.

The Workers Party are also standing mayoralty candidates in other NZ cities.

Politics

According to Scoop, Paul Buchanan has been dismissed from the University of Auckland citing a complaint from a student who failed to hand her assignment on time.

Update: here's a copy of the email sent to the student.

And of course Farrar has now mentioned the case.

Sigma Omega Pi Launch Party

Tomorrow night is Sigma Omega Pi's launch party at The Establishment on Courtenay Place.

It costs $5 to attend with proceeds going to the Child Cancer Foundation, as well as some of the bar profits also going to the foundation such as $1.50 from the $3 shots.

You are entitled to one free drink as part of your entry donation.

Sigma Omega Pi is a sorority for women who attedn Victoria University of Wellington. It was established in May this year and membersip is growing and the sorority hopes to become a non-profit organisation in the Wellington area. They work closely with the brother Fraternity "Beta Omega Chi".

Proof that the Aussies are more idiotic than Joh Campbell on Prozac

Another stamp to put in the stamp collection?

Black Snake Moan

This weekend, saw the movie Black Snake Moan starring Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake...yes Justin Timberlake.
It was good. Justin surprisingly managed to give a rather believable performance.

Because I'm Bored

You're David Copperfield!

by Charles Dickens

Coming up from a childhood that felt abusive, you have risen through
hard work to gain a place of stature in your life. You've spent altogether too much time
in factories and end up misspelling a fair number of words. But in general you are seen
as a beacon of hope for others who might not be as fortunate. Lots of people keep
mistaking you for a magician and are waiting for you to disappear.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

You are a Great Girlfriend

When it comes to your guy, you're very thoughtful But you also haven't stopped thinking of yourself You're the perfect blend of independent and caring You're a total catch - make sure your guy knows it too!

Are You a Good Girlfriend?

You Are an Alpha Female

Powerful, confident, and successful - you are definitely a dominant force. You control social and dating situations. It's clear that you're always in charge.

Are You an Alpha Female?

You Will Be a Traditional Bride!

You're the type of girl who is feminine, old fashioned, and totally traditional. You've been dreaming of your wedding day since you were young And you can't wait to be a princess in your big white gown. It's likely that you'll have a big family wedding and take your husband's name While a huge affair will be fun, just don't go all Bridezilla about the color of your napkins!

What Kind of Bride Will You Be?

You Are Most Like Gisele Bundchen

Slightly exotic and perfectly gorgeous

Which Victoria's Secret Angel Are You?

Hell Yeah!

Waiting for results

Am waiting for AUSA results...any minute now and there is nothing on television except for the damm stupid programme that should only be screened in the South- Mcleods Daughters....

So......

You're Les Miserables!

by Victor Hugo

One of the best known people in your community, you have become
something of a phenomenon. People have sung about you, danced in your honor, created all
manner of art in your name. And yet your story is one of failure and despair, with a few
brief exceptions. A hopeless romantic, you'll never stop hoping that more good will come
from your failings than is ever possible. Beware detectives and prison guards bearing
vendettas.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

You're a Salamander!

Fascinated by and associated with fire, you are drawn to believe that
you might even be able to conquer fire and perhaps walk upon it. At the same time,
you also feel closely connected to water and may have even been born underwater.
This dichotomy makes you a mystery to most, prompting you to stay out of the way of
the average person you might run across. You love the word "meander".


Take the Animal Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Peter Rabbit

Whilst Peter Rabbit steals carrots from Mr McGregor's garden, I suggested that the picture in the dompost today indicated what Helen may do when she leaves Government.

Peter McC has stolen my idea, that will teach me for sharing them.

Backing the Bay and Beyond

Craig Foss, MP for Tukituki, has collected 800 signatures from Central Hawkes Bay Constituents to push the Government to fund Herceptin.

Foss states that he finds its "appalling to hear of women and their families having to raise mortagges and sell their homes to fund their treatment".

In New Zealand women with breast cancer are funded for nine weeks of Herceptin treatment whilst in 23 other OECD countries 12 months are funded, which is the international recommended best standard of care.

If you live in Hawkes Bay then head along to Craig's electorate office on the corner of King and Queen Street (behind countdown, opposite Hector Jones) and sign the petition. The petition will be presented to the Government by Dr Jackie Blue, a National MP and former breast surgeon.