Rhythm Divine

There’s certain moments in your life when you realise you’re witnessing something special. When Rhythm and Vines founders Hamish Witton, Tom Gibson and Andrew Witters held a Black Seeds concert for 1800 people in 2003, they could not have dreamed it would develop into such a world renowned extravaganza which tens of thousands witnessed a week ago.  As Belgian Drum and Bass beast Netsky brought the New Year sun in with some ground shaking tunes, it brought close to a 3 day festival of music perhaps forever unrivalled in New Zealand’s history.

The past few years have, in contrast, been somewhat tame compared to the line-up of 2010/2011. Perhaps the thinking was by having controlled line-ups for a few years, a stacked set of artists of ridiculous proportions would be available come 2010. And it worked to perfection. Rhythm will now comfortably sit on the top of the majority of people’s summer must do lists for quite some time. Everyone will take from it their favourite memories. Perhaps it was the return of an old rock favourite ‘Dragon’, reminding us of the April Sun in Cuba. Local band ‘The Naked and Famous’ provided a Kiwi equivalent of International act MGMT with their indie rock numbers, while conceivably New Zealand’s best ever rock band Shihad were flawless as usual. Tinie Tempah expressed his love for New Zealand and it showed in his showing with an act which got everyone going for what was to be an epic night ahead. Chase and Status, Justice and High Contrast were expected to be big and instead they were huge. Their perfectly constructed bass drops, electro treats and melodic concoctions of perfectly blended tunes, both of their own and covers of other public favourites were something unforgettable. Berlin electro monster ‘Boyz Noize’ provided a perfect entrance to the new year before drum and bass giant Netsky’s 3 hour set left people mind boggled as the sun rose for the first time in the world in 2011.

The question now lies in how the boys will back up such a monster year with 2011’s line-up. While Drum and Bass, electro and dubstep music are proven winners there is definite potential for Indie and rock artist’s to be included more substantially also. Popularity will now be through the roof thanks to reviews and memories that well over 30,000 people experienced. With four stages it provided a superb outlet for rising bands to stake their claim in the public eye, so that they can one day lodge their attempts at the main stage and the big dollars. One band who will perhaps not be back is N.E.R.D, after what many believed was a sluggish performance, perhaps the rumoured $300,000 fee could be put to better use in future years.

To those who did not get a long I high recommend thinking about heading to Gisborne next year. Casual camping by day and ridiculous raving by night, the festival is something to behold, and an event unlikely to be bettered throughout the world for New Year’s festivities. Save your pennies, ticket sales will be hot after what can only be described as a mind blowing festival in 2010/2011.

Hame’s Wish List 2011/2012:

Daft Punk, Deadmau5, Bassnectar, The Bloody Beetroots, Steve Aoki, Sub Focus, NU-Tones Digitalism, Flux Pavilion, Rusko, Shapeshifter, Passion Pit, The Temper Trap plus many others..

Plus any of: Chase and Status, Netsky, High Contrast, Naked and Famous, Carl Cox, Tinie Tempah.

Hame

Worrying Signs

With the ITM cup final fast approaching this weekend, the Waikato outfit could well be classed as favourites due to the re-selection of rugby mastermind Stephen Donald into the All Blacks touring squad. Brought back into the Squad after what Graham Henry described as a ‘season of sensational form’, Donald showed how much class he really has. Of course, Henry opted not to take into account the last dozen or so matches that Donald has performed like a traitor for the All Blacks, but expressed how well he played for his performance late in the Manawatu game, some 3 or 4 levels of rugby below an international test.

Whilst the loss to Australia was a dead rubber occasion, the confidence the Aussies will gain from it will be colossal; something the All Blacks, or any team for that matter, should not allow an Aussie outfit to acquire. A Wallaby side gaining confidence, while being coached by perhaps one of the top few Rugby union coaches of all time, may be just the fuel the Aussies need to steal another World Cup title away from the team at the top of the international game.

The lead up to the world cup is an exact replica of the previous failures.  Poor selections and key injuries beginning to creep in are no surprise, and are starting right on cue as the World Cup edges closer. Also, as usual the Kiwis lead the world rankings by a country mile and then some, so the pressure for glory will be ever present. Cool customers under pressure will be critical to glory, or riots will be the only noises heard in the streets come late next year. Selection of Donald seems likely to be as successful as their campaign with Luke McAlister in the last cup. A clown in his own right, McAlister attempted to slot huge drop goals, rather than backing his forwards to get closer to the sticks, and ultimately just played like a school kid. Brain explosions like this are not unfamiliar to this Stephen Donald joker, in fact are something we can almost guarantee. Attempting to take high ball’s with his eyes closed, tactical grubbers directly to his opposites, midfield kicks at full time of a 5 point ball game, or goal kicking like a blind man; these are treats we can look forward to from Donald in the closing stages of tight a World Cup match if Henry continues to select this man. It’s almost harder to play as bad as he does so consistently then to just pull out one good play once in a while, his talentless heights are astounding

Cruden has been kicked out because he is the size of a 13 year old, which is fair enough. His opportunity he did get was woeful, even if it was a performance Donald could only dream of, and he looks set to follow in the same path Isaac Ross took to All Black selection rubbish bin. Colin Slade is the obvious selection, with some of his play being simply mesmerizing, befuddling a plethora of opponents at such a young age. Slade’s game shows a lot of similarities to Andrew Mehrtens in terms of his running game, and tactical kicking, however at times his defence is a problem. That can be a quick fix though, and with his cool head under pressure, he looks set to be a future superstar, hopefully sooner rather than later.

It is time for the All Black management to get smart. Don’t run the risk of another failure, which would turn the country into a war zone, and leave us with the famous words once spoken by George Gregan, “Four more years”.

Hame’s current World Cup 22

1. Owen Frankly Sandwich, 2. Seal Hunter, 3. Wooden Cock, 4. Sam the White lock, 5. Big Bad Brad, 6. Kieran ‘the jukebox’ Reid, 7. J-Rome, 8. The Real McCaw, 9. Jimmy Cowan, 10. DC, 11. Israel ‘magic man’ Dagg, 13. C-Rad Smith, 14. Cory Jane, 15. Old Man Mils.  Reserves: Frankly Sandwich 2, Mealamu, Donnelly, Daniel Braid, Kahn Fotualii, Slade, SBW (Stupidly Big Williams)

Of Success..

Success lies in well-being, fame and in goal setting. In particular in well being with regards to happiness and confidence, for fame is in superiority amongst others and goal setting lies in structure of pursuits.  The availability of success comes from the heart, mind and direction with tasks. More than one will fight for success, which creates a lion’s den within establishments, by knuckle, mouth, or shrewdness.

To assume well-being originates opposites; fame will ill subsist, and goals are clouded by arrogance. Nevertheless, arrogance is important when mixed with determination and respect for the task and surrounding. For the biggest man will be he who stands on the most building blocks, not by the man who bites at the heels of those standing on theirs. No task is painless to the thriving man, yet no task be deemed too rigid either. Where the mind may see a wall within tasks, they get climbing, for no barrier is too great for the successful man.

Guts come with glory, and lie right below the heart. Without guts and glory, a man will not succeed. For the heart sticks it out to the end, the task of survival. And success plays accordingly; being there until it can go no more, putting up a fight for glory. Maintaining strong levels of heart, and of guts, will bring glory, stewed with a sprinkling of confidence.  

Goals are tricky things, often thought of with good intentions, whilst failing to be completed by many. Ambition is to goals as success is to the man. Like a lion in pursuit of its prey, hunger strikes if the ambition for food is not met. But the eye of the eagle is imperative, for openings toward success are few and far between, so swooping on the opening is imperative and must be done efficiently. 

We distinguish success with a man with heart, with the nose of a hound to smell out opportunities, and with the bite of a snake to defeat his opponents. A mouth full of flesh is a happy lion, a successful lion. Success is something man competes for like no other.

Hame

What Constitutes a Sport?

A conversation I had with a friend recently was one I have had to discuss on so many occasions. The age old question of what constitutes a sport. As many know, one of my favourite past times is the SPORT of poker. For many people, it seems poker lies on the same level as darts, fishing or even chess, all of which are also sports in their own right. While there is no less than a full dictionary worth of definitions of what a sport entail, there are generally common, as well as misleading themes which come out of them all. Over my time I have played a lot of more mainstream sports, and while poker is primarily a hobby, there are a number of similarities been poker and conventional sporting ideologies.  

Someone’s definition recently put forward gave the idea that a sport is any game you can’t complete while having a smoke and wearing a pair of slacks (http://dominicsayers.wordpress.com/). Comedy gold, absolute comedy gold. They perhaps forgot the main man himself however, big John ‘Long John’ Daly. Such a fine specimen that he is, JD has no problem polishing off box of burning sticks while competing with the world’s finest players on the golf course. Based on this, either the definition is incorrect, or we can cross golf off the sporting list, not to mention any water sport.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/more-sport/2008/12/11/john-daly-profile-booze-bust-ups-and-country-music-from-the-bad-boy-of-golf-115875-20963014/

It tires me when people tick poker off the sporting list due to the fact there is a luck factor involved, as well it being gambling. With all due respect, there is as much gambling with your own life being a boxer, running in the general direction of Sonny Bill Williams or putting Stephen Brett in your starting line-up then there is in poker. In terms of luck, this should not even be an issue. When people played against Tiger Woods in his glory days, before he played a different set of 18 holes, there was just as much luck in winning as there is in poker. All sports involve a certain amount of luck, and require things to go our way. The bounce of a ball, the hands of a cricket fielder, the hope to catch the Crusaders on ‘one in a hundred’ bad day; luck is a key part of Sport whatever the situation.  Try telling the All Blacks in the 2007 World Cup that there is no luck involved in the game, as they witnessed Wayne Barnes allow Michalak to receive a gridiron pass in the late stages of the quarter final. To the more skilled poker player, you begin to realise that poker is a game involving variance rather than straight out luck. As explained by a fellow player Elliot, the variance in poker can be likened to that of a NBA free thrower. A particular player may be a 70% free throw shooter. Bad variance would see him shoot 5/10, good variance would see 10/10, Poker is the same as this. It is the only game in the casino where you can pick your odds of winning, as well as compete against others rather than against the house.

Some definitions express how we must break a sweat for it to be classed as a sport. By accepting this definition, unfortunately all you field athletics competitors are likely to lose your sporting status at this point. Unless you have the fitness of a contestant from the biggest loser, you are unlikely to break a sweat standing and throwing a rock the size of your hand, or running ten metres and jumping over a bar. Still, we recognise these as sports.

Admittedly the majority of sporting definitions express the need for physical exertion to be a part of the game to enter the prestigious realms of a sporting activity. What fails to be recognised, in all circumstances, is the level of physical exertion. Therefore, whether running a marathon, or an all in moment pushing your stack of chips into the middle in a poker game (which in my case would of course be a huge stack), physical exertion is present. It may not be large amounts of exertion, but still exertion is involved, and consequently it falls under these so called knowledgeable scholar’s definitions.

This leaves just my own definition being the only one which makes any sense. ‘If you compete and it’s hard, either mentally, physically or both, then it’s a sport’. This simply sublime, well thought out, yet delightfully simple definition allows all of us keen sporting fans to compete another day without the worry of whether your an athlete or not. Poker, while not requiring quite as much physical prowess as a rugby player, requires a number of straight hours of mental toughness, sometimes for days on end. Playing a game of monopoly is not a sport. It isn’t hard in any way, you drop the dice and the iron or the dog moves to another box, that’s a game. There are so many components to sport that it is hard to give a specific definition, as a number of mainstream sports fall by the wayside. Therefore simplicity is the key to a fine definition. The above definition gives just that.

Just something to think about, until next time,

Hame

Opening stanza

So iv given in, sue me. Im writing here with no real idea of why, what or who this is necesary for… heck i barely even know how, talk about confusing to setup. As my profile suggests, i aspire to be a sport’s journalist. One that scrapes the core of an athlethes emotions, pushes the ever tightening boundaries that this politically correct world enforces, and to say a side to a story that many may be thinking, but are perhaps smart enough not to mention it. I want to be the voice for those people. I suppose, based on this Paul Henry should be my idol. It says a lot that the most controversial person television has to offer has taken home the ‘People’s choice’ award at the Qantas film and media awards. His thoughts, while not liked by some, on the whole come as a breath of fresh air.

My area of interest, as i mentioned, is sports. I live it and breathe it. If theres a game im even slightly interested in, i am likely to stay up for it. Even if im watching it with the sparrows. Studying in Dunedin doing a Physical Education Degree I have learnt a lot. Its been a rocky road at times, but im edging closer to the end. 

I like to talk sport wherever I get a chance. I stir the pot when it comes to pre match banter, it simply makes the game more enjoyable for me. Some people cant help but take it personally. The key, I believe, to good journalism, is take alternative views to an event to push the thoughts of the reader and to challenge the opinions of others. Karl Pilkington, while laughed at, is popular because he has alternative views. He may ”Have a head like a fucking orange” and say some things which are simply not humanly possible, he also provides some exceptional insight into everday situations which we simply do not think of in our reptitive daily routines.  While it is all very well issueing a blow by blow account of what happened, offering viewpoints from a number of angles seems far more enticing. Let people make up their own analysis. Dont just tell people the facts, get them having an opinion about it as well. Yes the All Blacks might have won by 35 points, but why not pinpoint the weakest link and make and example of them.. They’l be better for it. But then again, maybe the is just my opinion..

After writing this ‘opening stanza’ i now realise why I want to write this. It lets me have my say, give my views and develop myself as writer. I will endeavour to express my thoughts on a vast majority of areas. You may not like what I write, you may lose respect (if you had any on the first place) for me. But if it gets you thinking, the heart pumping, or the emotions flowing, and brings out the opinions of others, then my goals will have been achieved.

Until next post

Catch you later

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!