Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup
Kicking off at Eden Park, Auckland on the 20th of this month, the tournament promises to highlight the enviable talents of many of the best football players on the planet. Women’s football is on the rise and thankfully so. Big crowds, great players, and none of the embarrassing histrionics and play acting that occasionally ruins the men’s game. Our very own Football Ferns get things underway against the Norway team. Plus we are co-hosting with our pals across the ditch. Get tickets – but avoid dodgy sites when doing so.
I’m giving 5 stars for expectation!
The Ashes – second test- Lords, London, England
Not since the last time a player (or players) transgressed ‘the spirit of cricket’ has one event galvanised the keyboard warriors, newspaper editors, and desperate politicians to steam full steam ahead toward the apex of self righteous indignation. If you missed it, or don’t care – a player was out by the rules of the game but the team that got him out did it in such a way as to rile the sensibilities of those whose teams have done exactly the same thing in almost identical circumstances. Online and print news outlets utilised every tired cricket pun imaginable and national leaders joined the fray. Not since our very own Robert Muldoon laid into the Australians after the underarm incident in 1981 has so much rabid hypocrisy boiled to the surface.
1 star – cos I can’t give 0.
Supermarket self checkout shopping robots
The single use plastic bag is now a thing of the past but screeds of unwanted paper receipts still litter the attendant rubbish bins at all of our major supermarkets. Am I the only one confused by the downright taciturn denial at play when I am asked whether I do, or do not want a receipt as the last step of purchasing my inflated goods at the super? I always, always tell the shopping robot after being asked, that I don’t want a receipt and hey presto, it comes rolling out. Why ask me? Why waste my time with the illusion of choice? Unless these receipts are made out of recycled seaweed, isn’t there some point in trying to save a tree?
1 star – cos I can’t give 0.
Stuff’s obsession with flying mishaps
Sure, the world has changed a whole lot since the emergence and resultant popularity of Air Crash Investigations and not only are we now wrongly imbued with the notion that we could fly a plane if called upon do do so, but that we know all all the complex systems of modern airliners and what could bring one down. In keeping with that, stuff.co.nz runs an almost daily presentation of turbulence terror tales, mechanical mishaps, and near misses, to sate our aeronautical desires and further terrify those fearful of flying. Come on Stuff, isn’t there actual news to report? Just check this out to see what I mean.
2 stars – only cos I like Stuff and spend far too much time on its platform.
