If only people would take note of this! its soo true! i could sit on my butt and stay at home all day lounging about doing washing and dishes etc (instea of working 40 hours a week and doing all that as WELL as)
R4 Road Race Update
A few months back as a bunch of us cyclists were talking about doing the R4 road race on Vorb. A couple of people mentioned that Plunket hadnt been paid for voleneering last year as marshalls. I queried this because I didnt know marshalls got paid (usually its just donated time of injured cyclists or partners or other groups). But apparently they do a great deed of asking groups like Plunket and pay them money. The actual marsalls get nothing, and the money goes to charity (this is a good thing yes?).
Anyway, I was a little concerned as the race had been at least 10 months beforehand, for them not to get the money immediatly and it was a charity kinda irked me a tad. Clearly I wasnt the only one as a few other cyclists made noises about a boycott.
I emailed the guys running the race to clarify on the friday morning. I had no reply until the monday late, and the reply was as such
“Someone, shame they can’t front there own name, has got the wrong end of the stick.
Plunket have been paid and hopefully are part of our event this year.”
I posted the response on the forum to which the reply was from several people, their Names and such and they were happy to voice themselves.
And then this gem …
“my name is Lorien I am happy to front with my name, though as i race under the name vecor vector I’m probably better known by that name.
When I posted my comment on Friday, Plunket had not received their payment, since then a cheque has arrived. I’m sure the organisers are aware of what is need for them to be involved again this year.”
So clearly saw the forum thread, crapped themselfs, and paid up. I kinda thought this was amusing, i guess the job got done in the end so no biggie. But now apparently the local newspaper has an article …
But in all seriousness, the race is an excellent race. My only gripe is that its really shitty coming into the Whakatane township over that bridge and round the round about fighting with cars the entire way!
(update: you can find the article online here http://www.whakatanebeacon.co.nz/cms/news/2009/04/art10004552.php )
Earth Hour Epic Fail for Hamilton
Well, im no greenie, but i recycle, i bike or walk to work and back if its not raining, and i pick up stray garbage and put it in the bin.
If I had been home for earth hour I probably would have read a book with a small lamp and shut down everything else.
But this year i heard they had the Balloons Over Waikato thing with something called Night Glow (something with hot air balloons at night?). I didn’t really know much about it, but hot air balloons seemed cool, and they had a big Earth Hour spin going on, so i figured we could turn everything off, park the car at a friends place and catch the free bus to Waikato University and watch the fun before earth hour.
So when we arrived, we all put the wristwatch walkie talkies on the kids (so they don’t get lost, and if they do we can find em easily), and had a look about. They must have had about 100-200 tents and rides and caravans for food etc. We grabbed some hot chips, candy floss, then sat down in front of a stage with dancers and singers and other similar. After sitting for about an hour and having a picnic dinner we strolled about looking at all the expensive rides.
There was a single tent which had a bike that powered an LCD display with some movie we never watched and a light bulb, i rode it for a couple mins and made 2 watts of power (hey i had already cycled 40kms on a tandem with a non-pedalling stoker, and done an hours run today!). The rest were costly rides and food so we gave it a miss, went back and sit down.
Eventually it got dark enough and they cranked up those fossil fuel burning Hot Air Balloons. To the tune of various songs they lit them all up in various sequences making an amazing display. None actually took off at all though. Then we sat through a fireworks display which was pretty awesome. At this point our friends we were with had disappeared to go home with a grumpy child so we headed off also.
As we were making a mad dash to the bus area they started the countdown to earth hour, they made a huge deal about how they were going to make it huge and big! and nobody would see anything from space etc. I kinda chuckled thinking ‘maybe it will offset the 100 or more generators they ran for the rest of the day, they had been there for all the rides and food stalls. or even the 20 hot air balloons burning tons of gases, or the fireworks display ..’.
So they started the countdown … 10 … 9….8… and we started hurrying toward the bus area before the lights all went out ….7 …..6…..5…..4…. ‘quick!’ i yell to my daughter , ‘get your cell phone torch on so we dont stand on anything in the dark, we really want to get the next bus’ …3…..2…..1……nothing …. the lights were still on .. im thinking ‘oh …hmm the carnival rides were all stil going, the sound system still making noises and the guy was speaking … and oh hes pointing out how they had a hot air balloon sitting there lit up for earth hour….
I thought perhaps there was something wrong… was that just the practice countdown? i look back as we still made our way to the bus stop. We got to the bus stop and waited for 20 mins. Still every single light was blazing, all the carnival rides were going, and now they had a full on concert and band on stage as well!
The bus arrived and we spent the rest of ‘Earth Hour’ in a bus spewing out diesel fumes, and then walking the 30 mins back to the car.
I have to thank Hamilton City for the spectacular show, and displays. It was most entertaining. But seriously guys … perhaps you should have just not even pretended you gave a rats about the Earth Hour? Because you sure looked like bloody idiots with no clue at all!
I would have been happy going either way honestly!