New Zealand: Terrorist State?

[biscuit]

On her way to Afghanistan to visit troops, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark was pulled from the line in an Australian airport and frisked for explosives by airport security officers, even after they they were told who she was. And we thought airport security people were clueless here in the States.

This raised a few questions in my mind...

Will New Zealand retaliate by carpet bombing Melbourne?

Will this be settled in a blood-sport Cricket match of doom?

I know Kiwi's are a laid back bunch, but the Prime Minister flying commercial?

 

[JNL]

Ha ha

I was checked for explosives when I flew to Australia recently! A random check supposedly.... or maybe Australians are afraid of us Kiwis?

Clark wasn't fazed by it. As you say, we're pretty laid-back, so no big deal.

It doesn't change the fact that there is always rivalry between us. Every sports match between NZ and Aus is a blood sport match of doom, be it netball, rugby, cricket or tiddlywinks.

 

[nerudite]

Funny you should mention this...

Some Kiwis were deported a few weeks ago for deliberately setting their house on fire for an insurance claim. And then just this past month one of their daughters (who is married and was allowed to stay) started making threats, and now she'll be booted out this week.

 

[BKM]

My coworker just plaid a tape he had of the "Haka" (spelling?)-the New Zealand pre-game Rugby "chant"

Sorry, JNL, I think you are the next member of the Axis of Evil.

 

[JNL]

What is this, pick on Kiwis day??

There is an email doing the rounds with an Aussie version of our haka - you might enjoy the comparison BKM. It's 1MB to email....

 

[otterpop]

Slightly off topic

This story just brought to mind last time I went through airport security in Helena. We had the baby's carseat with us. So the airport security guy swipes it with the testing strip, runs it though the machine, gets a puzzled/alarmed look, does it again, then gets his supervisor. She looks at the test strips, then asks me "Do you have any idea why your car seat tests positive for TNT?"

Immediately I had an urge to reply, "Well, the baby has had explosive diarrhea." But I knew joking was not an acceptable response post 9/11, so I just said "no."

 

[JNL]

From Melbourne newspaper The Age...

 

[Red Right Hand]

Cricket match of doom & The Goodies

Will this be settled in a blood-sport Cricket match of doom?


Cricket is not a blood sport, but I recall a particularly good episode of The Goodies that crossed cricket with the 70s Roller-derby craze, which was called "Rollerball".

In that episode I'm sure fielders and umpires spontaneously combusted. Does anyone else recall this?]

 

[Rem]

See what happens when you get snowed under for a few days and apply yourself to your job - you miss a perfectly good Australia/New Zealand thread. With some application I could have stretched this out for a couple of days.

I've got nothing to add except for one to my post count.