Paul Henry: GO! NOW!!

SURELY Mediaworks can't protect him any more.

Arrogant. Smug. Bulletproof?

That bigoted arrogant juvenile broadcaster Paul Henry insists he "meant no harm" for making comments about a woman's breasts during an interview.
During an expletive-filled piece, the breakfast TV host said that a woman sitting near him had "perfect tits". But he's adamant "there's absolutely no way the woman could have heard the conversation...I would never want to make anyone feel uncomfortable." Yea...right.
Listen, dickhead, whether the woman could hear you or not is irrelevant. You've (supposedly) got a brain in your overpaid head - even you know you've crossed the line once too often!
At some point the woman put on a jacket - Henry commented that she'd covered them up and "hermetically f***ing sealed them in leather!"
This is the standard sort of childish behaviour and language that the whole country has had to tolerate from Paul Henry for far too many years! It MUST stop!
It's long past time he RESIGNED! He surely has something wrong in his twisted psyche.
Get some treatment...and get off our screens. Once and for all.
Former TVNZ Breakfast host Rawdon Christie said "...(Henry)'s an entertainer. Simple. No need to add oxygen to this – he'll probably be loving the attention." Whether that's true or not, media expert Brian Edwards called the expletive-laden interview a "career wrecking ball".

A spokesman for Mediaworks says the company does not condone offensive behaviour.
So what is Mediaworks going to do about this pillick?

Wake Me When It's Over

The Olympic pains!
Boring. Boring. Boring.
Did I mention boring?
I didn't buy into the pre-games hype (because I could see the growing pile of problems). Since it started, I've painted the fence simply to watch it dry!
I believe the Olympics lost it's sparkle years ago. This year's games have been buried under the Zika virus controversy; Brazil's political, economic and security problems; the Russian steroids scandal (and I'm sure the Comrades are not the only ones). Rio's poor were segregated behind the city's own 'Berlin Wall' and their shanty homes bulldozed to construct the Olympic facilities - many of which were still not ready just days before opening. Venues have been half-empty; local spectators have loudly booed other nations' winners; an official was caught scalping tickets; there've been shootings and murders near the facilities, competitors have been robbed; and let's not forget the pollution and body parts bobbing in the harbour where races are held.
And did I mention deliberately throwing oneself (opps, I mean accidentally tripping!) over the line to order to grab a medal? No, if you ain't running in a running race when you hit the finish, then you ain't finished!
No doubt as a result of all this, ticket sales for the Paralympics to follow these games are appallingly bad.

New Olympic sport?

But you can guarantee at the closing ceremony, some tosser in a suit will declare Rio 2016 "the best Olympics EVER"... yea, right.
The Olympics needs a complete overhaul. Get rid of sports that the majority of viewers and participants consider non-Olympic, and let's get real on the ridiculous 'demonstration' events. A return to complete amateurism would be great, but won't happen because every country wants to win medals and some countries will go to any lengths to get 'em.
And the media needs to throttle back on the 'hopes and dreams' hype. It's great to support our athletes, but don't set them up to fail and then broadcast disparagingly that they "could only manage" a silver or bronze (!!!)
Now excuse me: I have to paint the fence again.

Air New Zealand Crashes

The latest in a long and varied line of Air New Zealand in-flight safety videos is out.
But this one MUST rate as a major crash-landing...which is not something one talks about in earshot of an airline!
Sorry to say, guys, but many in the world do not find NZ comic (I use the term advisedly) Rhys Darby at all funny. He was always the weak link in the Flight Of The Concords tv series, and has not improved since.
The vid itself can't decide what it actually is: a parady of a cop show? Western? Horror movie? Romance? Based around the loose premise of Darby trying to find a Hollywood-style idea for a new safety video, it fails on so many counts...not least of which are the pretty but somewhat robotic AirNZ staffers who obviously skipped Relaxed Speaking 1:01.

Quite apart from the production values, the NZ Civil Aviation Authority isn't impressed either. It's growled at AirNZ for its celebrity-cameo-heavy, pre-flight briefings: "The video diverges materially from the 'safety message' at times and, whilst we appreciate the need to engage the viewers, the extraneous material detracts from the scope and direction of the safety message."
The problem is obviously one of how to 'top' the last all-whistles-and-bells safety video. We all look forward to the latest release, and each one does generate plenty of publicity, but just how far should the airline go?
With the jumbled message and Rhys Darby's weak "acting" ability (again, those words were used cautiously), is it time to pause for breath and step back from the "entertainment" line somewhat?

NZ Herald Horror (and I mean it's standards!)

Yesterday (03 Aug.2016) an Emirates Boeing 777-300 crash-landed at Dubai: amazingly all 300 passengers and crew were saved.

I found out about the story when I opened the NZ Herald website today. Note: NOT a newsworthy headline like "All safe after Emirates crash in Dubai" or "Dubai Airport closed by crash" or even "300 saved by Boeing technology" ...no, I was offered a chance to "WATCH terrified passengers inside smoke-filled cabin"!!!
Yeup, in these days when everyone's cellphones make them 'photo-journos', someone FILMED what was nearly their moment of DEATH!
As if that particular action was not 'braindead personified', we were shown confusion, panic, screaming, yelling, every-man-for-himself ...and OMG! In the most crucial 60 seconds of their lives, passengers were opening overhead lockers and getting their cabin bags!
But the 'curdled-cream-on-the-rotting-cake' must surely be NZ Herald's decision to actually run this 'citizen footage' in the first place!
Posting pix of the crash site to support the story is one thing. To stream footage of terrified passengers clawing their way out of a smoke-filled cabin - and call it news - is completely different...and quite frankly piss-poor journalism.
Oh, but then, it's NOT real journalism, is it? It's yet another example of CNN-type sensationalism in the interests of reaping a few more dollars, more of the pathetic NZ Herald non-thoughts such as we've seen over the past few years.
One can only assume the editorial staff were born in the late '90s and bought their journalism qualifications on-line...

Why Is This 'Indecent'?

A new ad from US clothing line Lane Bryant - featuring plus-size models Ashley Graham, Tara Lynn, Denise Bidot and Georgia Pratt in the label's underwear - has been rejected by major US TV networks.
Why? Because they call it "indecent".
The ad – Lane Bryant's ongoing body positive #ThisBody campaign – shows the women speaking proudly about their bodies, and includes a shot of Tara Lynn breastfeeding her newborn baby.
Major US networks NBC and ABC asked LB to edit the clip. When it declined, the ad was rejected with the claim it didn't meet "decency standards".
WTF???!!! These are the same networks who regularly air Miss Universe and Miss America swimsuit competitions, not to mention countless Victoria's Secret ads featuring models in lingerie, and all of a sudden this ad doesn't meet its "decency guidelines"?

You'll recall the networks swinging the same axe in 2010, when LB launched a new line...if not, then recap here [link]. They had an issue with curvy Ashley Graham's voluptuous chest! After that drama, the ad was the No.1 most-watched viral video in the world!
Following the networks' recent decision, LB posted the clip on Facebook: "The networks didn't want you to see this. But we do. Show everyone what #ThisBody's made for." Since then, it's been viewed over 2 million times.
LB: "The #ThisBody campaign was meant to be a fun way for us to celebrate and honour women of all shapes and sizes. What is too much for some does not hold true for others. It is a true celebration of women of all sizes doing what makes THEM feel beautiful - whether its breastfeeding their newborn, flaunting their bodies the way they see fit, breaking down barriers all around and simply being who they are or want to be."
So now's your chance to see it. IS this ad "indecent"? Or a positive celebration of life? YOU decide!

TV3 News Now One-Dimensional

This week, tears flowed on-screen as Mediaworks axed yet another

investigative tv programme.
The demise of TV3's 3D was announced earlier this month with parent company Mediaworks saying long-form current affairs "is challenging to make commercially viable...and given the way media consumption habits are changing, unfortunately continuing 3D may not be possible".
During the final show, reporter Sarah Hall remarked: "This type of storytelling is so important to us as a country. I truly hope that somehow, some way, programmes like ours will still find a place, because without them, these stories are going to be lost." The end of 3D follows the widely-bagged axing of Campbell Live earlier this year.
In a statement, the broadcaster said it was now working with staff on "redeployment opportunities" but wouldn't give a number of how many staff are affected.
Media comentator Brian Edwards says Mediaworks' conscious shift into tabloid-style reality tv is something it's been consistently open about: "In my opinion, they don't seem to be dedicated to public service broadcasting or current affairs... at the end of the day, it comes down to generating revenue and profit."
Media blogger Martyn Bradbury writes that TV3 should 'come out', admit it's right-wing, and "end this facade of fourth estate accountability."
A Mediaworks spokesman says news and current affairs remain a priority for TV3 and points out it's invested heavily in Story, Paul Henry and Newsworthy to reflect that. A pity then, that these programmes seem decidedly NOT newsworthy...

Old Friends DO Die...

Don't it always seem to go, that we don't know what we've got...
'til it's gone. Ahhh, how true.
Many people have reconnected with friends, acquaintances and schoolmates over the years, on the kiwi website oldfriends.co.nz. But soon they'll have to find a new platform.

Old Friends, a subsidiary of Trade Me, is going to be shut down in Jan.2016 and all its data deleted (as required under the Privacy Act).
Spokesman for Trade Me, Logan Mudge, says it's not a decision made lightly: "We have to focus on what we can and cannot do. We haven't been able to give it the attention it needed so it was time to close." He said it wasn't a financial decision as the site was making a modest income, but rather so that Trade Me could focus on bigger business opportunities in its core areas.
Over the last few months, 600-1,200 users accessed the website daily. In comparison, Trade Me had 848,000 daily users. But saying that, Old Friends had other impressive numbers. These included 1,621,577 members - nearly half the NZ population - plus 2300 schools, 36,000 workplaces, 7100 clubs, 164 marae etc etc. But even those numbers weren't able to be converted into any sort of income. So it's goodbye, Old Friends, coz dollars talk.
Many Old Friends users have tales of reuniting with friends they haven't seen in decades - some have even caught up with childhood sweethearts.
Nothing will be launched to replace Old Friends. Users have been emailed to tell them the website is closing down in mid-late January. They've been urged to download and save any information, photos and data they want kept.
It seems to me such a shame that the service could not have been outsourced to save it. Surely, with the existing infrastructure in place, a couple of part-timers could have maintained Old Friends from a home base...?

Note: Sam Morgan, who founded TradeMe, NZ's largest online auction site, sold it in 2006 to Australian media company Fairfax for over NZ$750 million.

Radio Marriage Pulls Plug

Husband and wife radio stars Polly Gillespie and Grant Kereama have announced their separation.
The duo, who host The Polly and Grant Show on The Hits, told stunned listeners the news on their show this morning.

Kereama: "For the last two weeks Polly and I have been living apart. We are separated."
Gillespie: "It isn't because we don't love each other, we are best friends, we love working together, we have wonderful children together. It's just life."
They say The Polly and Grant Show

will continue despite their separation.
Gillespie and Kereama spent more than 20 years at the helm of their ZM breakfast show before moving to The Hits last April.
The pair had been together for 30 years and have three children.

Lotto: "Do It More Piratey!"

Lotto NZ has a new advertising campaign running, urging kiwis to imagine what they could do with their lives if they won Powerball.

Have you seen it yet?
The new 90sec.ad tells the story of a hard-working fisherman who lives with his father and son, but is often away at sea...
Lotto NZ chief marketing officer Guy Cousins: "We've spoken to past winners...it's not just about the things they can buy with the money, but more about the freedom to choose how to spend their time and being able to focus on what really matters – quality time with family and friends. The film is the start of a long-term campaign encouraging NZers to imagine what they could do with their lives..."
A nice emotive ad...
...incidentally, it was filmed at Ngawi, a small fishing settlement about 5kms from Cape Palliser, the southernmost point of the North Island. Ngawi's one claim to fame is that it has more bulldozers per head of population than anywhere else in the world! The bulldozers are used to haul fishing boats into/out of the water, as there's no wharf or other access to the ocean other than the beach, which can be notoriously rough at times...

Is TVNZ Courting Campbell?

The whispers are growing: Television New Zealand seems to be chasing John Campbell.
Further…the courting was going on before his Campbell Live show was chopped by MediaWorks in May.
TVNZ is even trying to personalise a format to specifically suit Campbell…so the rumours insist.
Given the success of the recent All Blacks-Samoa match – the groundswell for which was all started by John Campbell – it's obvious he has huge public support, and that would surely translate into big viewing numbers.
The word is that Campbell is not some egotistical broadcasting wanker with an over-inflated sense of self-worth and wallet to match. He puts in hard work before each show, doesn't demand blood-from-the-proverbial stone, AND is far more likeable than Mike Hosking (Seven Sharp)…now that's someone who fits perfectly into my earlier description!
Radio New Zealand has been flirting with Campbell too. With Afternoons host Simon Mercep leaving this week, many of John Campbell's fans hope he'll take over there. But RNZ is not a happy ship, and Campbell's smart enough to be aware of that…
No-one is stating anything publically or officially. It's all just scuttlebutt, but with growing volume. Watch this airspace…

Game Of Drones

I spy! Here's one, hovering over
my place last weekend...! WHY??

The military use them.
Commercial opportunites abound.
They're the new toy-of-choice.
And they open up a minefield of legal questions...
Technically known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), drones are becoming more and more common. But this has triggered fears about their impact on privacy and aviation safety.
NZ's Privacy Act is a technology-neutral piece of legislation, by which the Privacy Commissioner assesses privacy implications of an emerging technology. While drones are a new technology, the threat they pose to privacy is consistent with the use of any camera, including mobile phones or automated CCTV systems. So the Commission's CCTV guidelines apply to how someone might use drones fitted with cameras and comply with the Privacy Act.
The main points for any camera operator to observe are:

• be clear about why you're collecting information/footage;
• make sure people know you're collecting it/how you intend to use it;
• keep the information safe/make sure only authorised people see it;
• dispose of the information after it's served its purpose;
• right of access to the information by individuals concerned.

There are also other NZ laws relevant to using drones to film/record. EG: it's against the law to make covert intimate recordings of people without their consent/knowledge, and to publish them. So, if you're sunbathing in your fenced backyard, you'd rightly expect that you won't be spied on.
There's also the possibility the homeowner might want to take their own court action against a camera operator for invasion of privacy.
It is also against the law to peer into homes and record any activity within.
The Privacy Commissioner says it's important to keep the drone issue in perspective. People using drones should have the same consideration for others, as those who already use CCTV cameras on their properties or dash cams in their cars.
That's because the laws that protect people's privacy have been there for some time. While the technology of visual recording keeps changing, the laws and principles around the collecting/disclosing of information remain as relevant as ever.

UPDATE: 24 June 2015 – Rogue drone crashes onto Christchurch restaurant roof.

Campbell Live Is Now Dead. Mediaworks Next?

John Campbell will no longer host TV3's current affairs show that bears his name.
RadioLive, which is owned by MediaWorks (which also owns TV3), tweeted the news this arvo: "John Campbell will leave Campbell Live. The show will continue four days a week under a new name with two presenters." Well, I hope they told John before putting it out there!
Supporters of the current affairs show have been calling for action to keep the show since a review - led by TV3 news and current affairs boss Mark Jennings - was announced a few weeks ago.
Campbell Live has surged in the ratings in recent weeks as the public swung in behind the show. Campbell Live, which often campaigns for

the underdog, has regularly topped the network's ratings.
How ironic then, that Mediaworks is facing mega-changes of its own!
The whisper is that US investment company Oaktree is about to take full ownership of the firm.
Oaktree became the tv and radio company's majority owner last month when it bought the 36.5% combined stake in MediaWorks previously held by bankers Westpac and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
That bumped Oaktree's stake in MediaWorks up to 77.8%.
MediaWorks spokesman Rachel Lorimer says...er...um...the company does not comment on shareholder matters.
Ha! Let's just say: what goes around comes around, Mediaworks!

Big Bang Theory 2: Cop Shop WILL Drop

Mystery and confusion has dogged the date of Christchurch's next building implosion.
The actual day/time's been much-speculated about (and erroneously reported as fact) on social media. Then the PR dept of building owner Ngai Tahu Property (NTP) made sabre-rattling 'Public: Thou Shalt Keep Away!' noises, insisting we avoid witnessing such a rarity, and instead watch it on telly. NTP said security fencing would preclude a good view anyway so...
nyah-nyah...bugger off!
Now a date's been announced. OFFICIALLY.
The earthquake-damaged former Christchurch Central Police Station on Hereford St WILL be demolished by implosion on Saturday 30 May at 8am!
(Back-up date: Sunday 31.)
However we've been told (asked?) to stay away from the implosion. Yea, right. AS IF!!!
I was there on 05 Aug.2012 when the Radio Network Bldg became NZ's first imploded building. The several thousand spectators enjoyed 7.7sec of great fun! No-one was endangered. No-one was hurt. So to hell with the PR nazis. We'll all be kept at a safe distance, and still catch the thrill.
If being part of NZ history appeals to you, don't miss this!

Event: former Christchurch Central Police Station demolition
What: NZ's second building implosion
When: Saturday 30 May, 8am

UPDATE: 29 May 2015 - Implosion has been delayed and will now take place on the back-up day, Sunday 31 May 5pm.

Vanity. Vanity. All Is Star Wars.

Being pictured on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine is seen as a 'rite of passage' for many of Hollywood's elite.
But the latest issue features a band of fictional players: Star Wars characters.
On the June cover (shot by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz) there are several characters from the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens film, including Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca, Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and the BB-8 droid.
There's even a Yoda quote on the cover, which reads: "In a dark place we find ourselves — a little more knowledge might light our way."
Set inside what looks like the cockpit of a spacecraft (perhaps the Millennium Falcon?), the image was also promoted by the magazine on Twitter, with the message "Rebel scum and stormtroopers join forces on our new Star Wars cover."
Ahhhh, the hype is strong in this one...!

No News Is (NOT) Good News

The news is back in the news, as Mediaworks dumps its TV3 hour-long news format on Sunday nights, hacking it back to just half an hour from next month.
Shortening it will allow current affairs show 3rd Degree to move from Wednesday (with the new name 3D Investigates), and screen at 6:30pm.
It's part of a review that's also cast a well-publicised cloud over the future of Campbell Live.

Embattled broadcaster John Campbell has now engaged lawyer/former journo Linda Clark to fight his corner, as MediaWorks confirms it's looking for a home-grown soap to replace his current affairs show. A soap??!!! To replace News??!! OMG!!!
This daily froth will be produced by Eyeworks, a company built by Julie Christie...now executive director of MediaWorks! Do I smell a conflict-of-interest here? Well, not quite, given Christie sold out of that side of the biz in 2006, staying on a director until 2013 when she joined MediaWorks. She obviously still has leanings in that regard though…
MediaWorks Chairman Rod McGeoch: "We're going to make our own soap. We've just got to find, through that whole period - 6pm till 8pm - a mix of things that'll improve our performance." Geoch says his commitment to news and current affairs extends only as far as its audience: "We put news on, but only because it rates. And we sell advertising around news. This is what it's all about." The public thinks otherwise, with social media running hot with petitions to save Campbell Live.
Do Christie and McGeoch think we don't WANT news? We surely do NOT want yet more local soaps or reality crap! What have we done to deserve this??
Well, as always, the simple solution is: change the channel. Permanently.

Nikon Over-Exposed

Talk about f-stops!

A whole lotta cleanin' goin' on here...!

A Chinese camera shop recently almost brought its neighbourhood to a halt, after hiring some bikini-clad bunnies to do the cleaning.
Professional photographers as well as passers-by rushed to get a look at the girls who stripped off to clean windows and floors at the Golden Eagle Nikon flagship store in Taiyuan.
The stunt was designed to attract the attention of as many people as possible and generate good business and interest in the process.

Store manager Jin Yeh: "I wanted the store to look clean and fresh, to make a good opening impression." (Riiiiiiiggggghhhhttt! They were only there to CLEAN...) "But of course we are a camera shop, and photographers like to have good things to photograph, so I wanted some models here as well to pose." (Uh-HAAA!!!!) "From that point, it was a simple matter to combine the two. I had the shop cleaned up, and pretty subjects for photographers to snap."
Interesting to note that, as well as a crowd, nearly 100 freelance photographers - all from the Shanxi News Network - all showed up!
An ever-so-slight amount of OVER-exposure?

F.A.B., Mr.Tracey!

Half a century on, Thunderbirds are still GO!!!
ITV Studios UK, in collaboration with the dynamic NZ duo of Pukeko Pictures and world-famous Weta Workshop (Avatar, King Kong, Lord of the Rings), have produced Thunderbirds are Go!, a 26 x 30min. major new series launching on TV2 this weekend!

TB2: Virgil is Da MAN!!!

This re-invention of Gerry Anderson's iconic series uses a unique mix of CGI animation and live-action models. It'll also affectionately pay tribute to the legacy of the original classic series, often credited with changing the history of animation and action-adventure.
Featuring the world's most famous family of heroes, Thunderbirds are Go! will blast the five brave Tracy brothers from International Rescue (IR) back onto tv screens, piloting incredible vehicles into impossible rescues across the globe.
And as a nice doffing-of-the-cap to the original series, David Graham reprises his role as chauffeur/IR agent Parker.
As one who grew up avidly watching the show, and playing the part of Virgil (pilot of the big green TB2), I look forward to seeing the combination of current film techniques and the much-loved heritage that's endured for the past 50 years.
The puppet strings, mono-brows and flashing eyes may be gone...
but the Tracey brothers, Lady Penelope, Brains and Parker are back - smarter, fitter and with better gadgets than ever!



PS: And just for the record, IR's "F.A.B." code (defined by Collins English Dictionary 2002 as "an expression of agreement to, or acknowledgement of, a command"), was not actually conceived as a code at all.
When asked in 2000 what it stood for, Gerry Anderson said: "Absolutely nothing! The abbreviation "fab", as in "fabulous", was all the rage in the '60s, and I just changed it a bit." He also described it as the futuristic equivalent of "Roger" ie: 'Message received and understood'". So now you know...!

Thunderbirds are Go!, 7pm Sunday 12 April 2015, TV2.

Nuclear Energy Is Not Electricity

USS Haddo, unwelcome: Akld, Jan.1979

It was not electricity being protested in the 1970s...it was NUCLEAR energy!
Big Bully America was trying to force lil' ol' Noo Zuld to accept visits by nuclear-armed/nuclear-propelled warships as part of its ANZUS obligations. There were many kiwis who saw these vessels as symbols of possible nuclear annihilation, arguing that New Zealand should make a moral stand and ban such visits. They launched protest flotillas to 'greet' visiting nuclear warships and hinder their passage into port.
Various NZ towns and cities declared themselves 'nuclear-free zones', a token gesture in global terms but locally adding momentum to the government's eventual ban on nukes entering our

ports...which then lead to the US petulantly suspending its ANZUS security guarantee to NZ in 1985.
The photograph is an Auckland protest against the Thresher-class nuclear submarine USS Haddo in January 1979...which, as you can see, has been used by PowerShop as its latest ad.
But once again, PowerShop is off-target.
It has in the past proved itself either blind, stupid or insensitive to public feeling, using images of Saddam Hussein, Colonel Qaddafi and other globally-vilified tyrants in its ads. In the face of public backlash, PowerShop toned its campaigns down.
So this latest ad is curious. It has no shock value whatsoever, but it completely misses the point of the image it's used.
Sure, I understand the company is making a word-play on "people power" - consumers having the power to choose their own power company. But imposing the word 'Electricity' over a NUCLEAR submarine indicates the ad-man creating the storyboard and the media buyer approving it do not understand the difference between two completely different sources of submarine power: nuclear vs diesel-electric!
What level of education/social awareness do these people have?
Once again with PowerShop, it seems the answer is: very little.

NZ Herald Does It Again

On-line this morning, NZ Herald reported on new driver licence laws which came into force today.
A factual read about the tightening-up of 'evidence of identity' requirements for actually gaining a licence. However...
the Herald's glaring error was plain for all to see!

Instead of sourcing a photo of a NZ driver, or simply photographing a Herald staffer sitting behind the wheel of a NZ car in a NZ carpark, the editor accessed Thinkstock, and purchased a stock pic of a motorist in a left-hand-drive vehicle...a sight so relatively rare in this country that the photo mistake stood out like the proverbial dog's appendages!
The American site Thinkstock "offers millions of premium photos from Getty Images, iStock and our worldwide image partners....designed to give you the freedom to focus on being creative."
Obviously Thinkstock is a quicker option for story lay-out, than just tasking a photographer to the staff carpark. Perhaps NZ Herald needs a little less focus on creative convenience, and a bit more on overall accuracy?
What does it take for media to get the little things right?

America, The Ignorant?

The Star-Spangled Banner was sung by the Chicago fans...
The haka was pumped out by the opposition...
and the slaughter began!
But wait: WHERE did that opposing team come from?
A Chicago newspaper has apologised after delivering the ultimate insult to the All Blacks and New Zealand - calling them Australians!
Check out the headline that followed last weekend's match!

To its credit, the Chicago Sun-Times added a correction to its online story the next day...but that did not counteract its incompetance.
For the record, the NEW ZEALAND All Blacks completely blew away the United States, 74-6!
Yeup, 74-6...did I mention the mighty US was thrashed 74-6?
Just sayin'...