It seems even the best swimmers in the sea can get into trouble with stormy weather…

These gulls were feeding on something from the surface in between swells..

Tempted to cast a line out but landing a fish here would be difficult to say the least!!

This photo was taken at Awatoto lagoon.
I was snooping around in the van checking out the sea and saw a bird flapping around some 50m out in the river – obviously stuck in a net.
Waded in and managed to snag one end of the net using a rope and a rod stand for a grapple.
Pulled it in an cut loose one bird ( alive ) – the other I was too late for.

As most of you will know, I run sportsimages.co.nz
Our online purchasing has two options, pay via creditcard at Paypal or pay via internet banking ( direct bank deposit )
The internet banking option requires the purchaser to read a confirmation email sent to their address at completion of the order.

This is where xtra, or more precisely yahoo, are killing my business. My clients dont receive the confirmation emails because the yahoo/xtra spam filters have dumped them in the ‘bulk email’ or ‘trash’ folders of the clients webmail.
This is a huge problem, as most people dont even know what webmail is, let alone how to login to it and search for emails incorrectly deleted as spam.

I have complained to xtra about this. Their answer?, contact yahoo.
So I contact yahoo and fill in all sorts of forms, bug my website hosts for all sorts of mail server details ( some of which they have no idea as to what yahoo are actually asking for )
Eventually Yahoo just stops replying to me…….
Maybe my replies were trapped in their spam filters??

So the process is now like this:
If an order comes in with an @xtra.co.nz email address I can pretty much assume the client will not have received the confirmation email with how-to-pay details.
If they’ve provided a phone number I can call them ( usually a toll or cellphone call ) and tell them that no, we are not ignoring them, their ISP is protecting them from online shopping!
If there is no phone number I’m at the mercy of the Yahoo/Xtra spam filters as I try in vain to make email contact………

And people wonder why I advise clients to use ABSOLUTELY ANYONE ELSE but Xtra.

So here I am with new ( finally activated ) bank cards etc. But still no copy of my drivers license.
I had filled out and posted in the request for a new-style birth certificate given to my by the helpful lady at VTNZ 10 days ago.

Today I get a letter back from BDM ( Births, Deaths, Marriages) telling me the the form I sent them is also out of date and they don’t accept that type of form anymore. I should fill out the new type ( provided ) and re-apply for my new-style birth certificate.
Oh and just to be sure I’m not some imposter I should also get someone of impeccable trust, ( JP, Dr, Teacher, Minister, Policeman, LAWYER??? ) to fill out the other half of the form stating that I am in fact who I think I am…

So to boil this all down:

To get a replacement copy of my drivers license, I need to provide a new-style birth certificate (and $26 )
To get a new-style birth certificate I need to fill out the new-style application form and get some random ( but trustworthy ) important other to fill out bits and sign it.

Then I can:
Send in my form
Receive my new-style birth certificate,
Take the new-style birth certificate to VTNZ
Fill in another form
Pay another fee
and FINALLY – - – - get a copy of my drivers license………

( which will most probably be too old and out of date ! )

You need I.D to get I.D

The other day I had the misfortune of losing my wallet.
With $150 cash in it, I correctly assumed it would never be seen again.

Step one – call the bank and cancel credit cards, bank cards etc. Ask them to issue replacements. ( 2-5 business days )
Step two – try to organise replacement drivers license.

“Fill in this form please. and you will need some form of I.D such as birth certificate” yep got one of those “sorry that birth certificate is too old, we don’t accept those”

What?

“You need to get the new modern type”  ( I smell a gov’t profit making exercise here )

“Here’s a form to request a new birth certificate”
“if you have a credit card you can get it more quickly”

I dont have a credit card – it was lost with my wallet and has been canceled.

“You can use a passport as I.D for a replacement drivers license”
I dont have a passport, I’ve never had one, never needed one!

So I take the unfinished paperwork away with me, deciding to get that done once my new credit card arrives.

Some days later my cards arrive and I go to the bank to get them activated.
” we need to see some I.D to activate these cards”

“drivers license or passport”?

ARRGGGHHH… groundhog day…

Get your eye in for duck shooting with this sturdy NZ Made Clay Trap.
Will throw a double rise 40-50m no problem.
Built to withstand lots of use, wont buckle or bend like some of the cheaper ones out there.

Adjustments:
Vertical, Horizontal & Spring-Tension

$150 + shipping if required.

contact:  chris@racepics.co.nz – ph 021 253 7925

I have two of these. They were bought as a pair, used as a pair and they have both failed within a month of each other.

There is no life at all, nothing, green signal light stays on but nothing appears on screen.

They are under warranty but the outfit that sold them to me refuses to answer my emails.

Anyway, I think its the circuitry in the LCD rather than the actual panel that has failed, So if you have a dead one of these monitors ( perhaps physically damaged ) send me an email, I might be interrested in purchasing it for parts so I can attempt to fix these..

I’ve just become aware about some major proposed changes in NZ law that will have a huge impact on artists, businesses, and general members of the public: basically anyone that uses the internet, and I thought you should know about them.
The proposed Section 92 of the Copyright Amendment Act assumes Guilt Upon Accusation and forces the termination of internet connections and websites without evidence, without a fair trial, and without punishment for any false accusations of copyright infringement. We should speak out against injustices like Guilt Upon Accusation being done in the name of artists and protecting creativity.
The countdown is on: we have until 28 February 2009 to influence government.
An organisation called the Creative Freedom Foundation has been set up to specifically represent artists voices on these issues. Check out their website: http://www.creativefreedom.org.nz , sign up and help our MPs make an informed decision about S92!
Thanks,