Burger King "soft porn" ads banned

The news today has said that there have been many complaints against the current Burger King ads and that the complaints have been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority.
(See: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4076122a1860.html)

Good grief! Don't people have better things to do with their lives than complain about these type of ads on TV?? Personally, I think these ads are quite amusing. The ads feature bikini women and they're advertising a new burger at Burger King. These ads are not soft porn. They don't show any nudity at all (not like ads I've heard of in Europe!) What about the Tui ads with the "gorgeous women" working at the Tui factory near Pahiatua? They are far worse than the Burger King ads yet they haven't been banned.

You just get people complaining about these ads because they happen to show beautiful bikini women. What about the ads showing men in just their undies, such as the "undies, undies, togs" Trumpet ad? And remember the Carlos Spencer Toffee Pops ad? If there were complaints from men about this one, then there would be more complaints from women if they pulled it!

So get over it people! There is no nudity in this Burger King ad - it's just a bit of fun. And I guess Burger King are trying to target their main customer base - red-blooded young males!!

Could Not Be Said Better

I was sent this via email today and I thought it was quite good so decided to post it here. It was written by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it! This is one ticked-off lady!


"Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania? Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they? And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11. I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia. I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat. I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques. I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs. I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care. When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care. When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care. When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed"special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care. And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and - you guessed it -I don't care! ! ! ! !

If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your e-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior! If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great country! And may I add:"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan
I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this."If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Also by.. Ronald Reagan
One last thought for the day: In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, he said: "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in... And how many want out."

Is there enough Maori content on TVNZ?

To answer the above question quickly I would say Yes, given the percentage of Maori in New Zealand compared to the percentage of Maori programming on TVNZ (at a very rough guess).

CEO of TVNZ, Rick Ellis, said yesterday there is plenty of Maori content in TVNZ programmes such as Dream Home, Shortland Street, Ten Years Younger, Intrepid Journeys, Location Location, Animal House, Game of Two Halves, Police Ten-7, Charm School, and Lost Children. Let me see how many of these programmes I watch ... mmmm ... none! Why not? Becuase they are crap that's why! Why would I waste my time watching these cheesy shows on TV One and TV2 when there are so many other good programmes on the many other channels we have available to us?

So as I don't watch any of these shows then I don't really know how much Maori content are on these programmes. But at a rough guess I would say not much at all. I like what Pita Sharples said, "Simply saying "kia ora bro" on television does not make it Maori programming."
(See: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10441525&ref=rss)

Although it's a bit funny that Police Ten-7 was mentioned as one of these programmes. Is he having a dig at the old joke that Crimewatch was a Maori programme because most of the criminals were Maori?!

I personally don't think we need any more Maori content on TV. We already have a whole channel devoted to Maori programming - Maori Television. And this channel is free-to-air as well. What about all the other ethnic groups in NZ? Yes, there are special Asian channels on Sky Digital, but you have to pay quite a bit to watch these.

But all this doens't really worry me too much, as I hardly watch the rubbish on TVNZ anyway.

Palmerston North rubbishes Cleese

Now here's a funny story from my home town of Palmerston North:
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1134409

You may remember that John Cleese did a tour of NZ last year. When he was in Palmerston North he said the city was so miserable depressed people would find the courage to end it all there. "If you wish to kill yourself but lack the courage...I think a visit to Palmerston North will do the trick."

I think what he said about Palmerston North is so funny, and quite accurate really!! But now the Palmerston North City Council finally has a comeback. They have named a mountain of rubbish after John Cleese. Oh, well done Palmerston North, that will really ruin his reputation - NOT!

What do we do with boy racers?

Boy racers are in the news again after the death of a 20 year old in an illegal street race in Tauranga on the weekend:
http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/NewsDisplay/tabid/209/Default.aspx?ArticleID=27445

So what are we to do to stop these boy racers drinking then going and racing their cars all over the show on public roads? Some suggestions are 24-hour liquor bans in public areas, reviewing all liquor laws and reviewing the licensing, sale and financing of high-performance cars for drivers under 20-years-old. Well, guess what, those suggestions are not going to work. The boy racers are just going to continue with what they do anyway. What they do now is illegal, so these proposed laws are not going to make any difference!

This is what I think should happen. On their first offence the Police should confiscate their car, either for a period of time or permanently. Cars mean everything to these boy racers, so confiscating their cars will make a huge impact on them. But, as with the wonderful legal system in this country, this won't happen. We have to be "nice"...

NZ Police chicken sex

It's been all over the news today. Howard Broad, the police commissioner, showed a pornographic video showing bestiality (apparently something to do with chickens) at a party in his home in 1981. See: http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=117410

Now we all know this type of video is sick and wrong, but this was 26 years ago, so who cares?! Why has this issue suddenly being brought up now? He would have been in his early 20s at the time and was more than likely into partying with his police mates, and I guess they would have viewed videos of that type (by the way, not many people would have had video players in 1981!) I'm certain he wasn't police commissioner at the time, and does it really matter if he viewed the video or not?

I'm not condoning viewing these types of videos, but this was 26 years ago, so as I said before - who cares?!

Experts call for restrictions on childhood imagination

Editor's note: This may look like a real news story, but it isn't. It is from The Onion, a humor publication that calls itself "America's finest news source." CNN may beg to differ, but we do enjoy a good laugh and hope you will enjoy a weekly selection of their satire.

WASHINGTON (The Onion ) -- The Department of Health and Human Services issued a series of guidelines Monday designed to help parents curtail their children's boundless imaginations, which child-safety advocates say have the potential to rival motor vehicle accidents and congenital diseases as a leading cause of disability and death among youths ages 3 to 14.

"Defuse the ticking time-bomb known as your child's imagination before it explodes and destroys her completely," said child-safety expert Kenneth McMillan, who advised the HHS in composing the guidelines. "New data shows a disturbing correlation between serious accidents and the ability of children to envision a world full of exciting possibility."

The guidelines, titled "Boundless Imagination, Boundless Hazards: Ways To Keep Your Kids Safe From A World Of Wonder," are posted on the HHS website, and will also be available in brochure form in pediatricians' offices across the country.

According to McMillan, children can suffer broken bones, head trauma, and even fatal injuries from unsupervised exposure to childlike awe. "If your children are allowed to unlock their imaginations, anything from a backyard swing set to a child's own bedroom can be transformed into a dangerous undersea castle or dragon's lair," McMillan said. "But by encouraging your kids to think linearly and literally, and constantly reminding them they can never be anything but human children with no extraordinary characteristics, you can better ensure that they will lead prolonged lives."

Although the exact number of child fatalities connected to an active imagination is unknown, experts say the danger is very real. According to a 2006 estimate, children who regularly engage in imagination are 10 times more likely to suffer injuries such as skinned knees from mythical quests, or bruises and serious falls from the peak of Bookcase Mountain.

One of the HHS recommendations emphasizes increased communication between parents and children about the truths behind outlandish fantasies. "Speak with your children about the absolute impossibility of time travel, magical powers, and animals and toys that talk when adults are not around," reads one excerpt. "If this fails to quell their imaginations, encourage them to stare at household objects and think clearly and objectively about their actual, physical characteristics."

The HHS also discourages aimless playtime activities that lack a rigid, repetitive structure: "Opt instead for safe activities like untying knots, sticking and unsticking two pieces of Velcro, drawing straight lines of successively longer lengths, and quietly humming a single note for two to three hours."

But even these relatively safe activities can become imaginative, experts warn, without proper precautions. "Do not let children know that, for example, sailors and pirates untie knots," McMillan said.

Although no cure has yet been developed for childhood imagination, preventative measures can deter children from potentially hazardous bouts of make-believe."

Many of the suggestions are really quite simple, like breaking down cardboard boxes or sewing cushions to couches so they cannot be converted into forts or playhouses," McMillan said. "Blank pieces of paper, which can inspire non-reality-based drawings, should be discarded unless they are used in one of our recommended diagonal folding and unfolding activities. And all loose sticks left lying in the yard should be carefully labeled 'Not a Sword.'"

Unfortunately, removing everything from a child's field of view that could stimulate his active young mind is extremely time-consuming, and infeasible as a long-term solution, McMillan acknowledges. "To truly protect your children, you must go to great lengths to completely eliminate their curiosity, crush their spirit of amazement, and eradicate their childlike glee. Watch for the danger signs: faraway expressions, giggle fits, and a general air of carefree contentment."

Added McMillan: "Remember, if you see a single sparkle of excitement in their eyes, you haven't done enough."

Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/21/onion.imagination/index.htm