Anyone going for a country drive cannot help but notice the gunfire graffiti on our road signs. You don't have to go far before you see one that's been peppered with a dozen or so bullet holes. One could expect such reckless behaviour in the Wild West, but when you see so many perforated signs up and down the country, it's evident that more wayward bullets have passed through the air than one would care to imagine. So who are these trigger happy individuals, and why do they do it? We think of dusty off-roaders with cowboys wearing Stetsons or Mafia in black limos, but it's far more likely to be trigger-happy holders of dodgy firearms who simply want to do a bit of target practice. One thing's for sure, whenever they do it, it's not during daylight hours. You would think that the crack of a rifle going off in the dead of night would instantly lift those nearby out of a deep sleep, but you never seem to hear of anyone who has had that experience. It's bizarre what goes on in the wee small hours while most of us are tucked up peacefully in our beds. Should we be afraid? I don't think so. Maybe just a little uneasy.
Crown Law is appealing the discharge without conviction handed down to the son of the Maori King last month. How unjust that Korotangi Paki was discharged without conviction of burglary, theft or drink driving, despite an earlier guilty plea. The counsel successfully argued a conviction would ruin his chances of succeeding to the throne. Unjust too, that his three mates were also let off the burglary and theft incident. We learned that the four had stolen surfboards from a holiday park and clothes from a man's car after a drinking session in March. I'm all for positiveness and accolades, but I find it a little rich that as well as letting them off, the Judge praised the work Paki and his mates had undertaken in terms of restorative justice and community work, as well as an on-going mentoring programme. I would have thought this would have been imposed as a matter of course. A very wrong message sent out to society - I bet none of us would get such lenient treatment. Despite this young man being in line for Maori King by birth, is he really up to the task of being the successor? He's certainly going to have to shake up his ideas if he is to do justice to this honourable role.
Did anyone else sense TV One being most unwelcome when they muscled in on the WWI celebrations the other evening? The reporter was giving a live presentation during the Last Post. The viewers in our house couldn't believe their eyes. It wasn't long before a soldier tapped him on the shoulder with a "Shhh!" gesticulation. Unbelievably, the message didn't sink in, with the reporter simply stepping aside a couple of steps and continuing to prattle on as the bugle player continued to deliver his solemn call. There are some things you simply don't do - and one of them is talking through the Last Post. Shame on ONE News.
When two or more businesses selling the same product lock horns, they can go to extraordinary lengths to attract customers. Two service stations out Te Ngae way have been involved in a price battle going on a couple of years now, which means great news for motorists - cheaper gas. I cannot get my head around those, who, despite such sharp deals to be had, still choose to refuel at other nearby service stations and pay 20 cents more per litre. Does driving my car into the forecourt of certain gas stations to save $10 on a tankful make me a tight arse? I'd like to think not. To me it just makes good sense. Sure, the place with the green signage serves great coffee and cookies, but when I see so many cars filling up at their pumps, I have to ask myself why.
