Stupid drivers get the annual reminder of what snow is

"Dozens of cars have been stranded or have slid off the road as the south's big chill begins to hit.

Snow has begun to fall in the deep south with reports it's settling in many parts of Southland.

Snow showers have been reported this afternoon in Te Anau and Five Rivers, in the Hokonui hills near Gore, and at Wairio near Nightcaps. Bluff residents have also reported "teeny snow showers".

Twenty vehicles are stranded on Southland's Jollies Pass tonight with six cars sliding off the road..."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8812113/Big-chill-brings-new-flooding-risk

You could hope it was all tourists, but from past experience, I'm picking that the shallow end of the gene pool will be getting their annual reminder that snow and ice is not a good thing to drive on...

Missing the main reason

"...Helping out during public emergencies was "more complicated'' than it seemed, lecturer at Auckland University school of psychology Danny Osborne told Fairfax Media.

Studies showed there were five stages to negotiate before people were moved to step in, Osborne said.

The first stage was noticing. Then came interpreting the problem, accepting responsibility for providing help, deciding what to do, and then doing it.

"This was an instance in which people either failed to take responsibility or perhaps they felt responsible but decided not to help," he said.

The larger the audience to a domestic assault, the less likely someone would feel responsible, Osborne said.

In deciding whether to help, people internally evaluated "the pros and cons of interfering".

"Cons might include embarrassing yourself if you find out that the woman didn't require assistance," he said..."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/8807299/Saatchi-admits-assaulting-Nigella

Actually, the main reason for not sticking your nose in is the high probability of a smack in the head. Ask a cop about how many interventions in a domestic end up with both parties attacking you,

Par for the course

"Wellington City Council's executive have had to ditch their rose-tinted glasses after a new survey found staff morale was nowhere near as high as expected.

Council has come up with a plan to address poor workplace culture in the wake of the survey, in which 81 per cent of staff participated.

The workplace survey found that staff were unclear what was expected of them, and many did not enjoy their work and planned to leave council within two years.

Staff complained that the council environment did not support innovative ideas, and that the organisation should do more to improve customer service..."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/8806228/Wellington-City-Council-Morale-Drops

I think you would find ANY council morale slightly lower than a snake's arsehole. Certainly once you get below senior management level.

On a lighter note

 I happened across a new book at the library:

http://spacecaptainsmith.com

If you enjoyed 'Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy', you will love Toby Frost's work.

if you didn't, don't bother as you simply won't 'get it'.

Ministerial briefing

Of all our rivals neighbours only the Ghasts could equal us in terms ofdreadnought numbers fleet strength.

Under orders from its capital, the hive-planet of Selenia, the Ghast Empire has recently tripled its production of tanks, warships and long leather coats.

The Colonial Intelligence Service has been keeping a close eye on these filthy ant-people Formica Redarsa, and especially Number One, their pint-sized generalissimo queen.

We are not convinced by their recent claim that "The Ghast Empire wants only friendship with the British and their numerous, tasty children".

After careful study of Number One's biographic work My Ceaseless Quest to Conquer Earth and Destroy its Puny Inhabitants, we have come to the conclusion that the Ghast Empire may well be up to something rum. This, coupled with the colossal military might of the ant-men Formicas, means that in the event of general galactic war we would need to mobilise every resource available to us to counter the Ghast menace and do it a bit of no good.

So do something real about it

"Ten children were found living at houses during police raids across the Wellington region that uncovered hidden weapons, buried drugs, a P lab and a heavily fortified base...

...The children - particularly a 3-year-old found in an Upper Hutt methamphetamine laboratory - were the most alarming discovery for police, Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Leitch said.

"The child shouldn't be in the meth lab; that's one of the real high-risk places..."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/8799060/Ten-children-found-living-in-drug-dens

But will they get permanently removed from these dirtbags?

Nah- 'with their own family is the best place for them" will be the answer.

The kids would be better off in an orphanage than with these shit-heads. Even the sort of orphanages we used to have and that's saying something...

Though I smelt a rodent

"A man has been found not guilty of pointing a loaded gun at an 8-year-old and shooting the computer he refused to get off.

Geoffrey John Buckley, 35, has been cleared of two charges of recklessly discharging a firearm and a charge of recklessly firing an airgun in front of his partner and her children between February 2007 and August 2008..."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8797762/Man-found-not-guilty-of-shooting-computer

Who would have thought? Fancy a women making up a bullshit story to get what she wanted.

Trouble is, so many of these accusations stick and even when the courts throw the charges out- shit sticks.

IN these cases, even though the accuser has obviously lied in court- there are no real consequences...

Another gutsy kid

"A Melbourne boy acted bravely and protectively when he shot and killed a man who was beating his mother, a coroner says.

The boy picked up a gun that Ayhan Paul Ferman dropped as he threw the boy's mother through a sliding door, and fired a shot into Mr Ferman's chest.

State Coroner Ian Gray said the 12-year-old, who cannot be named, was defending his mother and commended his actions..."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10890125&ref=rss

Well done!