Opinion - Paul Hickey: Commonwealth Games, Olivia Newton-John, silent mode and luge fun

Amanda Landers-Murphy from Rotorua and Joelle King celebrate winning gold in Birmingham. Photo / Photosport

It was a nice finish to the Commonwealth Games earlier this week as our local squash star Amanda Landers-Murphy won another gold medal, a moment all her family and friends will be so proud of.

But overall, I must say I struggled with the Games this time around. They kind of snuck up on me and happened without much fanfare at all.

I didn't watch a single minute of the event while in Rotorua, but because I was away with a group last week in shared accommodation, it was on the television, and I did see a bit of it over four nights.

I enjoyed watching a few of the moments, but wouldn't have been fussed if I'd missed it altogether.

But in saying that, it's still exciting hearing about our successes, and a record gold medal haul shows things are on with our athletes.

Makes you proud to be a Kiwi – and YES I'm still backing the AB's!

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It was certainly sad news on Tuesday morning to hear about the passing of Olivia Newton-John.

All too often 'celebrities' are too easily described as legends and icons, but I reckon she was one who deserved those plaudits.

For many of us, it was her role as Sandy in the movie Grease that saw her rise to prominence.

It came out in 1978 (too early for me to see it at the movies) so I'm guessing it would have screened at the Majestic in Rotorua back in it's heyday.

But in the early 80's, Grease was one of the first movies I can really remember following a storyline and watching multiple times.

And when I think about it, Olivia Newton-John was perhaps the first boyhood crush on a movie star that I had - along with many others, I reckon.

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Have you ever decided that you're spending way too much time on your smartphone, and as a way to avoid being distracted, switched it to "silent" mode?

It turns out that's a bad idea.

Researchers from Penn State University found in a study that people checked their phones more often when their devices were set to silent.

When the phone's sound and vibration was on, the groups checked their devices 53 times daily, on average.

With phones on silent, that average rate nearly doubled to 98 times a day.

Notably, participants who scored high in "fear of missing out" and "need to belong" personality tests checked their phones the most after placing them on silent.

So next time you're enjoying dinner out or socialising with friends around Rotorua, remember, off is better.

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Even from my home in Ōwhata, the new night-lights on the luge tracks at Skyline are a prominent and striking feature once the sun has set.

I still haven't had the chance to try the new tracks yet, but I'm looking forward to doing that sometime soon.

Have you tried them? If you haven't and you would like to - doing it for free would be even better, right?

Join me on my radio show next week, because every day I'll be turning on 'The Skyline Hotline' and giving away Gondola and Luge passes.

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Paul Hickey is your local host on The Hits Rotorua weekdays between 9am and 3pm. Featuring Rotorua news, information, and giveaways, plus trending stories from around the world. Listen on 97.5FM or download the iHeartRadio app. PLUS follow The Hits Rotorua and Paul on Facebook and Instagram.