I am so impressed by this site, Animated Knots by Grog, I've put a permanent link to it on the sidebar.
On the next episode, screening June 20 at 7pm on TV ONE:
While most eight-year-olds pester their parents for a new toy, a trip to the movies or a digital device, Mount White Station's Mark Smith had a different birthday present in mind.
Mark was desperate to take his pony on the Canterbury high country station's annual cattle muster - and when he got his wish, a Country Calendar crew went with him.
According to his dad, station manager Richard Smith, the youngster had been pleading for over a year to join him and the other stockmen on the four-day muster.
Two severe winter snowstorms accompanied by bitterly cold conditions, and later heavy frost contributed to a particularly cold June. The national average temperature of 7.3 °C was 1.2 °C below the 1971-2000 normal. This was the coldest June since 1972 which recorded 6.7 °C. The regions with the largest anomalies, more than 2.0 °C below average, were Waikato, King Country, inland Marlborough, South Canterbury, and North Otago. Parts of South Canterbury and North Otago recorded their lowest June mean temperatures in more than 50 years of record. One snowstorm hit Canterbury over 11-12 June, producing snow depths of 15 – 90 cm. The other affected the central North Island over 20-22 June. These were accompanied by bitterly cold conditions, and later heavy frost. There were more days than average in June with air frost over much of New Zealand, especially in the central North Island and the southeast of the South Island. Precipitation was about 200 percent (twice) of normal in South Canterbury. In contrast, June rainfall totals were 50 percent (half) or less of normal in much of Bay of Plenty. June was much sunnier than normal in all western and southern regions, with record high June totals in Northland, Auckland, and Waikato, and coastal Otago. Anticyclones ('highs') were much more frequent than average for June in the Australian Bight with ridges of high pressure extending into the south Tasman Sea. This pattern resulted in frequent cold southerly winds over New Zealand.It was bad enough here where we had no power, water or phone for about two weeks, but it was far worse down in South Canterbury where the severe frosts prevented the snow from melting for 8 or 9 weeks. For all that time there were dozens of farms without power because of the exceptional number of power poles that were brought down by the snow.
.gif)
No 487 (NZ) Squadron R. A. F. Hunsdon Mosquito Squadron ... Popeye 3rd from right.
"Intruder" raid on railway work shop, Charleroi, Belgium. 12th April 1944.
Flak burst.
Bomb going off. 
Click to enlarge.
June 18th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
How many thousands of words have been posted about this bloody smacking thing? All about the pros and cons of smacking/disciplining kids.
You are all pissing into the wind and as long as your arse points down you will never convince the ‘other side’ of your point of view.
The ’smacking bill’ has got nothing at all to do with the welfare of the nations children. It’s all about OWNERSHIP …. the government wants to OWN all of you people. Both sides of the fence. And the lefty lickspittles with their frontal lobotomies want to help them.
A bill introduced by an MP that was not voted in, working for a socialist people engineering party that got into power with the barest minimum of votes is controlling how a whole nation can raise their OWN children, it is an absolute disgrace.
I just can’t believe how anyone can support this as an acceptable situation.
If John Key wants to treat us as ballot numbers, as the previous disgusting government did, he’s lost my vote.
Be a good poll for you to do DPF …. “How does John’s attutude affect your view of National?” “Good, Bad or Ugly?”
June 18th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
WebWrat: If John Key wants to treat us as ballot numbers, as the previous disgusting government did, he’s lost my vote.
He had your vote? You must be as stupid as the person who wrote the letter in David’s OP and didn’t know the difference between voting for Labour and ACT. It’s pathetic how all of a sudden people like you get on your moral high horses and think your vote is something that has any value or worth that you can brag about. Key made the compromise with Clark BEFORE the election, yet you still went ahead and voted for him. Therefore it’s your own fault for being such an idiot in the first place dumbass.
June 18th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Rebel Heart.
Do me a favour an point out where I said I voted for National.
There’s a good boy.
Now you can wipe the shit off your chin.
June 18th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
WebWrat: Rebel Heart. Do me a favour an point out where I said I voted for National. There’s a good boy. Now you can wipe the shit off your chin.
You said he lost your vote, implying that he had it in the first place, dumb fuck. Eat your own shit that you failed to wipe off your own ass fool.
June 18th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Actually I didn’t vote at all.