Leaked! the extremely rough demo of Max Key's Eminem Diss Track

Almost a week has gone by since former fist son of New Zealand, and probably carrier of the dominant Ponytail Pulling gene Max Key announced on social media that he would record a diss track targeting one of the National Party's many nemeses, the rapper Eminem (as distinct from their other nemeses the Labour Party, Winston Peters, MMP, the general electorate, and common sense). The only catch was he wanted ten thousand Facebook likes first, surely an easy target in a world where a teenager managed to get 3.6 million Twitter retweets in his quest for some free chicken nuggets.

A rap rivalry for the ages

And indeed as predicted, Max has past his target, and Netflix and Children can officially revealed that he ha started recording demo versions of his track in his bedroom late at night, trying not to wake up his parents John and Bronagh. Unfortunately, given technical difficulties, he's been reduced to using freely available, Apple software, so we can only hope that the eagerly awaited final cut sounds a little more polished, Max.

And of course, we eagerly anticipate the Real Slim Shady's response to these vicious rhymes!

Finally, the truth behind NZ Political Sporting Witchcraft Revealed

The rule book keeping politics out of sport has been firmly ripped up today, as New Zealand reels at revelations of the extent to which their leaders have been meddling with the results of their favourite teams through the medium of curses, evil spells, and general witchcraftery.

The scandal, which threatens to destroy the very seat of parliament, the Beehive, in a large prophylactic bonfire, started to unravel following the shock loss of national rugby team 'the All Blacks' to their Australian counterparts in a closely contested game on Saturday night. Curiously
named New Zealand Herald reporter, NZ Herald-Staff, noted that the loss came barely days after
noted woman Jacinda Ardern had been selected as Prime Minister. Logically, rather than sub-par
performance, excessive hunger for a win in front of a home crowd by Australia, luck of the bounce of
a ball, refereeing performance, or scapegoat waitresses being to blame for the defeat, the reversal of
result was instead due to Ms Ardern placing a supernatural hex upon the team. Further investigation
by Herald-Staff noted that this sort of unsporting behaviour had precedents, with Ms Ardern's
predecessor as Labour Party Leader, Prime Minister, and sub-duck-weighing woman Helen Clark
having held office for nine long years during which the All Blacks had lost some matches.
Furthermore, Dame Jenny Shipley, who like Ardern became Prime Minister despite not even winning an election, once was working when the New Zealand representative team failed to make the final of the World Cup.

When questioned on this anomaly, Ms Ardern was surprisingly forthcoming. 'Look, absolutely, I placed a curse on the All Blacks,' she confessed at her Mt Albert electorate office this afternoon. 'Labour campaigned on a promise of a fairer New Zealand, and really, what could be fairer than letting Australia win a game once in a while? All through the campaign, we were displaying big signs saying Let's Do This. If anyone had stopped to ask, 'what exactly is This?' I'd have been only too glad to clarify. Let's Do a Curse On The All Blacks.'

Actually, Mark, it's pronounced Winggardium LevioSAR

 Further investigation has turned up multiple instances of politicians use witchcraft to influence the outcome of games of sports teams they may see in a negative light. After Ms Clark was made patron of New Zealand Rugby League, her successor, John Key, put a jinx on the Warriors' NRL team. 'At the end of the day, I just feel like being a bit of an arsehole, actually,' he is rumoured to have told his deputy, Bill English. English was in turn himself the victim of an evil spell cast by Don Brash in 2002, which saw him lose a charity boxing bout and an election by embarrassing margins, and set in to place a chain of events that saw Brash become leader of the National Party, and threatened to send the country back to the 1840s.

Don't worry guys, he got up again. Cos they're never gonna keep him down.

Perhaps the most potentially infamous practice of dark magic, however, was Judith Collins's 2013 use of a dark incantation when, with Emirates Team New Zealand holding a seemingly unbeatable 8-1 lead in the America's Cup, she mistook Dean Barker's giant catamaran for a modified Subaru WRX. Sources say Collins had become drunk with perceived power after being placed in Slytherin House on a Pottermore quiz, and that to this day she still boasts about the time she made Dave Dobbyn cry.

One man who wants to reduce the influence politicians are having on sports results is Wellington philanthropist, economist, politician, footballing mastermind, ailurophobe, beach lover, witch-smeller pursuivant, and all-round good guy Gareth Morgan. Morgan, perhaps more than most, knows the lengths to which members of government will go to manipulate a fixture to their own ends.

'For ten years, the Wellington Phoenix have attracted the wrath of the Peter Dunne,' Morgan stated. 'People have long suspected him to look the part of a slightly creepy children's magician, the bow tie, the hair... But he's actually a dark, dark wizard. People think TOP was The Opportunities Party; Actually it was Take Out Peter, but the general public were too fucking stupid to see that, to see the evil in the man.'

The real reason they didn't get in is Gareth kept standing in front of the instruction to vote 

Morgan states that when the current ownership consortium took over the club, they hoped Dunne may have called his curse off, ending the run of poor results. 'We thought it was Terry Serepisos's unpaid tax bills that we're getting on his goat. But it was the crest. The Phoenix on the crest had a powerful bouffant, and Peter saw it as a challenge to his own. He needed the poor results to see the club go under, so his magnificent hairdo could remain unchallenged. But then he got voted out, so with a best squad ever, we think the Phoenix this year are going to have their strongest season yet.'

Some sort of freaky mirror image

Morgan famously launched his party in 2016 with a promise to light a fuse under parliament, fire being the only known way to destroy a known evil wizard or witch. So with Dunne gone, does that mean he will rest? 'No. The evidence shows that New Zealand needs a strong anti-black-magic party in parliament to keep the bastards in check and protect the integrity of our sports teams, but the public are just too moronic to see that now. Maybe the All Blacks losing will wake the Sheeple up, finally.'

And the cat culling policy? As with all TOP policy, it's based on sound evidence.'Kill their familiars,' says Morgan. 'The magic can't survive without the familiars.'

Thule Uban Glide running buggy review

A little while back, I interviewed professional ultra- and stroller- runner Michael Wardian, for what I had hoped at the time would be an inspirational and motivating piece for the Spinoff. My intentions were pure, but alas the sitting back and awaiting sports journalism awards to fall into my lap meant I wasn't doing much in the way of actual running. Again, something needed to change.

It was my lovely wife who suggested that perhaps what I needed for motivation was to enter a race. Not just any race, but my all time favourite race, the Tarawera Ultramarathon. If I entered in June, that would give me eight or nine months to get myself up to pace before race day. Of course, my recent history of entering ultramarathon a was hardy stellar. Three years previously I had signed up for the same race, only to find out barely weeks later that we were expecting our second child. Surely history couldn't repeat though, could it?

Don't let me down, Neil Finn

History repeated. Barely weeks after paying a few hundred dollars for the provision of a day of pain, we found out we were expecting our third child.

But... There was still an opening here! Rachel seemed convinced that this was an excuse to upgrade our perambulation equipment, and it turned out there was a specialist paediatric transportation shop just down the road from my parents' house! Soon, an expensive Thule Urban Glide double running buggy had arrived on our doorstep in a massive box, bearing the promise 'fits through most doors.'

Perfect for transporting your relationship's third AND fourth wheels

Unsurprisingly, pushing a stroller with twice the child-carrying capacity came with some downsides compared to the standard single buggy I was used to pushing. For one thing, it was twice the weight when fully laden. Secondly, I couldn't get into supermarkets with it, as although Thule had taken into mind the width of 'most doors,' they hadn't given any thought to those one way clacky supermarket security gates.

I needed to test the pram with a decent run, however. I checked with my old mate Mike as to whether there is a current double-stroller marathon world record, in the hope that if it was vacant, I could claim it by default. Unfortunately he thought there probably was. So I'd have to do some training, build up to the distance, so I allowed myself to be talked into a local charity 10km fun run along the local Manawatu river tracks.

The use of the term fun run should have raised alarm bells to start off with. I enjoy running. At least the idea of running. I'm not sure I could every describe it as truly 'fun' though. It's a grind, especially when you find yourself pushing a combined 40kg of child and pram.

So this morning I packed the kids into the Urban Glide, chucked in a couple of soft toys and snacks in the oh-so-sizeable zipable compartment at the base of the buggy, and headed out towards the startline. We started at the back of the pack in expectation of lack of fitness causing slow going, but soon, true to its name, the wheels started to smoothly glide across the frictionless asphalt, and we were impatiently overtaking other competitors. However, It wasn't long until my arms began to let me know exactly how displeased they were at having to propel the equivalent of a fully laden shopping trolley in front of them.

Ooooh, political

Not just a sedate, well-behaved shipping trolley though. This one had an attitude. Two attitudes even. 'Start running faster,' it scolded. 'I don't want to come last, overtake those people in front of us!'  'Can I have some chocolate now?' 'Why are you walking up this hill?' 'Why did grandma send their goldfish to the old goldfish hospital, and when is it coming back?' 'I'm hungry, I want some chocolate.' 'DON'T PUSH ME IN THE WATER!!!' 'PLEEEEAAAASE can we have some chocolate?'

Still, having a couple of not completely unsightly small children being pushed in front of me was proving a good way of getting additional support from bystanders. We reached the turnaround point, and headed back along the river. 3km to go, and a martial shouted at us, 'you're 4th, 5th and 6th.' It barely needed pointing out that the 6th place was held by the guy doing all the work. We passed a couple of firefighters, waking the 10km distance in full uniform, and with oxygen tanks on their back. Their extra load at least seemed better distributed than mine was.

A further 500m on, we were suddenly surrounded by walkers out for the shorter 5km option, and the superior manoeuvrability provided by the single front wheel, far in excess of what you'd expect from a double pram, came into its own. The comments kept on coming from other competitors: 'Oh, seeing you push that makes me feel guilty!' Feel free to trade places with me, then.

Finally, the finish line was in sight. A few posed photos, then I deftly tried to flip around, so I could cross the finish line before the kids. I'd done all the hard work, and I was going to be damned if the free-wheeling kids finished before I did. Unfortunately, all I managed to was to narrowly avoid flipping the buggy right in front of their mother. Insult was added to injury as my son was handed a consolation spot prize as soon as we'd uprighted ourselves. Nothing for Dad.

This was probably the first long run I've done where I've ended with my arms notably more weary and sore than my legs, but all in all, the three of us did have an enjoyable time, and the Thule Urban Glide provided probably the easiest and most comfortable means for me to complete such a run with two preschoolers in tow. And we beat the dad with the Phil and Ted double buggy, so read into that what you will.

And now, I guess, we're looking onwards, to the Ashhurst to Esplanade half marathon next month. That double buggy marathon record awaits.

Hairy MacLary is a piece of dangerous misinformation

New Zealand's best loved dog story, Hairy MacLary, is a sham. There. I've said it. 

Dangerous propaganda, up there with anything Don Brash has written

Stuff recently posted an interview with author Lynley Dodd discussing how he was inspired by a cheeky dog she once saw take a bag of bones from her local butcher. What a scamp! What a loveable rogue! So she went home and wrote a series of books about him, which have been passed down from generation to generation of New Zealander, delighting children and adults alike, before the cold, harsh reality of what happens when dogs are allowed to roam free hits home. Dangerous dogs are no joke. Alan Partridge can tell you that.

So, as a counter point for the generations of young Kiwis raised in the belief that letting your pet run wild is acceptable, I have rewritten the he classic story to teach some more realistic consequences.

No need to thank me. Just consider it my civic contribution to dog ownership standards in New Zealand.

Hairy MacLary from Donaldson's Dairy (2017)

Dedicated to the loving memory of a bad dog.

Out of the door, and off for a walk, 

Went Hairy MacLary from Donaldson's Dairy

With Muffin McLay

Like a bundle of hay

Bottomly Potts

All covered in spots

Hercules Morse

As big as a horse

And Hairy MacLary

From Donaldson's Dairy

They set of towards town, with a sniff of their noses

They stopped off at Miss Lawson's and they dug up her roses

Then Bottomly paused at the shop of Tom Clegg

He needed a slash, so he lifted one leg

Then he let out a stream that was steamy and golden

It seemed never ending, so long he'd been holding

Next on to the butcher's, Hairy snuck through the door

Then stole out with some sausages, steak,chicken and more

They felt so much better, having eaten that meat

And now Hairy was horny, luckily Muff was in heat

Hairy looked at her longingly, out stuck his small log

Soon they were mating, in the style of a dog

But Hairy's a small dog, you'd think he'd need a ladder

But instinct kicked in, and soon he had had her

All loved up, the pooches kept wandering 'round town

Hercules shat on the path, near the local Countdown

Such a large beast will provide quite a stool, I should warn

A dark brown soft serve ice cream, with small bits of sweet corn

What a day! Time was flying! Oh, how it passes!

The dog pack rejoiced as they sniffed each other's asses

What winning! These canines were on a clear roll!

But around the corner lay....

ANIMAL CONTROL

And the cops were there too! For dangerous canine

Was the call that came through to the council hotline

Hercules growled, and rushed with teeth bared

The officers understandably were very scared.

One cop drew his pistol, and without a word

He shot, and the Mastiff dropped to the curb

Lifelessly Hercules fell to the ground

The other dogs, terrified, were led to the pound

Seriously, would you trust this dog to roam free in public?

Later that week, the Donaldson clan

Ventured down to the pound with their mind on a plan

To pay a small fine, a nominal fee

A few hundred bucks that would set Hairy free

But sadly, the D's, they were in for a shock

When they found their dog ownership rights had been blocked

'You leave your gate open' the officer scolded

Mr D fainter, his legs under him folded

'Your Hairy MacLary and his pack of wild hounds

Have been escaping your garden to terrorise town.

Your fence is too low, your gate is left open.

Your dog has more wanderlust than you would be hoping.

'For the capers they cause are not meet caterwauling

Last week an old lady was maimed in a mauling.

Wild dogs are a vector for diseases like rabies

But it's not just the health risks, it's also the babies!

For Hairy is clearly aware of his needs.

He's seeking out bitches, and spreading his seed.

'I'm sorry Sir, Ma'am, but this cannot go on

If you think your responsible dog owners, you're wrong.

Your dog's a risk to health, through injury and infection.

But at least now he's dead. We gave him an injection.'

RIP Hairy MacLary, and your horrible mongrel mob.

Album Review: Melodrama by Lorde

Save us Ella Yelich-O'Connor, you're our only hope

As a middle class father from New Zealand with a Twitter account and a blog, I knew it was my expected civic duty to have an opinion on the new Lorde album. This follow up to Pure Heroine had been teased about for months, with an epic and anticlimactic scavenger hunt around Auckland announcing the first single leading into a word puzzle where fans were invited to guess the album title from the first and last letters.

My guess was M£*#€@$&%?~A

Then came the artwork. A clear reference to Picasso's Blue Period.

We're Blue, da ba dee, da ba da ba da ba dee da ba da

Unless anyone can think of another artist who works with such beautifully shadowed brushstrokes?

Well, maybe we all DID misunderestimate him

It all led to today's climax, the release of Melodrama. Was New Zealand ready? Was

it ever. The nation had been left rudderless and without a leader since the resignation of beloved figurehead Richie McCaw, and without a cultural touchstone since Peter Jackson had run out of  Tolkien books to adapt into lengthy and pointless films . Even our country's defining moment in the history of handshakes has been eclipsed by the British.

Bring on our new Lorde, our saviour.

I fired up Spotify (free edition), typed in Melodrama, and let rip. And what a ripper. Lorde clearly corners her targeted market of middle aged men who have procreated right off the bat, starting with the lead single Green Light. It's a dad joke that easily wins my heart! We know this song, it's been everywhere. I last heard it being blasted by a DJ resembling an alpaca who's career had reached the heights of playing at an Australian Burgerfuel at 6pm on a Friday. The dancing on cars, the pianos in toilets, the kissing on light up dance floors, it's got the New Zealand experience written all over it, and we love it.

Track 2, Sober, sounds similar, the mellow start leading eventually into a banger of a chorus, but something is wrong... Can a song called Sober really describe the New Zealand? Surely Lorde knows that it's not the drinking, it's how we're drinking, and no amount of minimising that and claiming to be sober is not going to alter New Zealand's sorry rate of alcohol related injuries?

Also, I don't think you're truly sober if you're reviewing onion rings that look like this, Ella

We carry on, every song a certified New Zealand grown platinum hit. Or almost every song. I listen to Louvre, expecting to hear a soaring masterpiece, reminiscent of crystal pyramids and fine arts, but something's wrong. Sure, there's the odd highlight, but something doesn't quite feel right. Then it hit me,  this is exactly what Lorde meant it to mean. This isn't a song describing the Louvre as a cultural custodian of Europe's finest sculptures, paintings and artefacts. It's meant to bring to mind the Louvre as experienced by an 18 year old antipodean backpacker, rushing through the corridors, before pausing briefly to appreciate a work of genius they've only heard about until now through schoolbooks. A work of high intellect, this is captured perfectly by Lorde, who, it seems, is not aiming for a global hit album accessible to her fellow countrymen and women, but producing for the world a true insight into what it is to be a New Zealander.

Liability, in contrast, serves as a stark warning to her country of birth, against using the teenaged songstress as the basis for its entire cultural identity:

I understand, I'm a liability
Get you wild, make you leave
I'm a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

Indeed, what happens when it does get us wild, when Lorde does get a little much for everyone? We love her, but Melodrama does contain, for example, explicit language, words only previously acceptable in everyday use in middle New Zealand if used after a tough rugby match or climbing a very tall mountain. Is it wise to hitch our cultural wagon to a young girl who may turn out to be such a loose linguistic cannon?

Before long, I found myself I found myself listening to the last track of the album, Perfect Places, a song title that surely described any place you had access to this record for your auditory perusal. Time had flown, I'd had fun. Then it struck me how familiar this song sounded. The tune, the lyrics, they were essentially the same as an untitled secret track after song three, minus a few spoken lyrics:

Hi this is Lorde

You can listen to my

New album

Melodrama

Here on Spotify

Genius. It was the ultimate musical callback, playing on themes already expressed in the album and I loved it. This is why Lorde is such a treasure, inserting little jokes into her music, revisiting them later on in the record. Sure, she's a liability at times with the odd F-bomb, but this is why as a nation we are happy to have her as a global ambassador, a truly worthy heir to our other great Lord, of the Rings.

Overall, 14 stars out of 10. Get used to it New Zealand, this record is our national identity until at least the 2019 RWC.

RANKED: a playlist of 20 arbitrarily chosen Wiggles songs

Initially I wrote this playlist for summer holidays, when parents are trapped in the car for prolonged periods of time, and need an escape strategy to distract the warring factions in the back seat. Then I rewrote it in Autumn, as it hadn't been the best year for beach weather, but with the day's still long, families were still be packing the kids into the car in a desperate attempt to squeeze out every drop of outdoors enjoyment possible before temperature dropped. Now it's winter, there probably isn't such a huge need for long family road trips, but even on a short journey, parents may find themselves in need of peace keeping diversions.

Any grown up worth their two cents will know the easiest way to quell such a rebellion would be to quickly switch on some child friendly tunes, preferably something pleasant to more experienced ears as well as those yet to develop true musical taste. Unfortunately, though, there are times when the Songs for Bubba CDs aren't handy, and you're forced to turn to the Wiggles. So I've trawled through the extensive back catalogue of the skivied foursome's various iterations, and have come up with a guide to which songs aren't going to be too hash on your ears, and which to give a miss in order to avoid a horrible echo through your brain keeping you awake all night.

20. Little Vampires (Cranberry Juice)
This is not necessarily a great song. In fact, it's almost definitely a very bad song. But I've included it on this playlist because it is just so fun to annoy your significant other with! What could possibly be more irritating than four fully grown adults imploring in a high pitched screech that they 'want to drink some cranberry juice, we want to drink it now'? Probably a fifth grown adult joining in singing along! Primarily included on this playlist in order to make you appreciate that the next nineteen songs actually aren't that bad.

Also explains why vampires never seem to get urine infections

19. Captain Feathersword, He Loves To Dance
Confession time. I used to like Captain Feathersword, but I'm starting to find his stereotypical pirate schtick really monotonous and irritating. I mean, it's probably my own fault, but what first or second year university student doesn't think it's hilarious to tell endless pirate jokes where the punchline is the sound Aaarrgggghhh? And who, in the early 20s, didn't think that the absolute height of wit is International Talk Like a Pirate Day? It's just, Captain Feathersword does this the whole bloody year round. And he's supposed to be the 'adult relief' character. Help us all.

Also that's not a sword, it's a bloody feather duster you pillock

18. Rock-a-bye Your Bear
Everybody clap, everybody sing, bla bla bla bla bla, turn around whoopee. Dear Lord, it just goes on and on. Your kids will expect this at some point cos it's SUCH A COOL ACTION SONG, so best get it out of the way early on

17. Shock the World
The Rugby League World Cup is coming! So how are the Wiggles going to get the youth of the planet interested? By singing about one of the hottest teams on the planet! The USA! Why the USA? Probably cos Joseph Paulo was the only league player who would show up for the video. If the Wiggles had got their way, President Obama would have put his face on Mt Rushmore!

Also he's about the only league player with a clean enough disciplinary record to appear on a kids' show

16. Do the Owl
What in the name of all that is good is this? Back in the day, The Wiggles did a collaborative album with Australia Zoo, by which I mean with Steve Irwin, rest his soul. The one problem was the Crocodile Hunter couldn't sing to save himself, so what did they do? A spoken word lecture about owls in the middle of a song that basically crams every tiny fact about owls possible into three minutes of course. Did you know owls excrete pellets made up of ground mouse bones that they've just eaten? Truly bizarre. Given Bindi Irwin seems to be currently completing any work her father left behind, expect an upgraded re-release of this song soon.

Smashing owl related pop culture reference

15. Dorothy, Would You Like To Dance With Me
A dancing dinosaur? What's next? Sure, the screechy falsetto could get irritating, but this is quite a catchy tune truth be told. Not their best, granted, but good enough to be included in any true Wiggles playlist. Also, there's a version featuring Kamahl. I don't know much about Kamahl, other than when I was a student you couldn't go into a second hand shop without seeing about ten of his albums, but he seems like a pretty cool dude.

Sadly none of his albums was called Come One, Kamahl 

14. Rock and Roll Pre-school
Another of the Wiggles special guests is Lou Diamond Phillips, who apparently was quite big in the 1980s, and hasn't aged a bit since (thanks B for Botox!). It's probably the New Wiggles' strongest guitar rock anthem since Murray's departure, and Lou's pink leather suit in the video is a sight to behold.

Nothing says Rock n' Roll like a fist pump whilst playing the Keytar 

13. Fruit Salad (Yummy Yummy)
Is it me, or does the basic musical theme of this song sound kind of sinister? Almost like some sort of broken augmented fourth? I can't help but feel that this is selling us some sort of devilish fruit based snack, one which Anthony has clearly sold his soul for, hence why he is still stuck in the Wiggles whilst all of the other OGs have escaped. Sure, he seems to be enjoying eating fruit salad, day after day, but have you seen the sadness that lies behind his eyes?

Still, it's a fun song.

12. Do The Hawk
The Wiggles love their guest performers, but you wonder what audience they were reaching out to when they recruited Wall St Journal journalist Lee Hawkins to sing lead with Simon on this song.

Get ready, to discuss financial policy 

11. Do the Propellor
I guess the New Wiggles probably needed a trademark song to call their own, and they came up with Do the Propellor. It's not a bad song, and it's got some fun dance actions to go along with, though I'd suggest they're probably not really suited to a long car journey, at risk of siblings hitting each other with their flailing appendages and thermonuclear war consequently breaking out in the back seat. Still, worth a whirl (ha! See what i did there? A whirl? Like a propellor does?)

10. Glasses
As a child I had glasses. Glasses and asthma. Oh how I was teased. I wish I had had this song to explain to my bullies that my glasses helped me to see clearly, though playing this song at 14 may well have led to more bullying. A truly destigmatising song (pun totally intended).

9. Broccoli Bunch
Have you ever wanted to learn all about broccoli, but you can't be bothered reading a boring old book? Well. The Wiggles sure do have a song for you... detailing the historical origins, the tree-like shape, and the vitamins in which broccoli is rich into a jaunty, danceable melody, Broccoli Bunch is probably in the top five songs ever written about a brassica vegetable. Even better, though, the music video features two Wiggly Dancers in full body broccoli costumes! Damn that's hot!

Unfortunately not quite this hot though 

8. Play Your Guitar With Murray
Did you know that Murray Cook was once named the fifth best guitar player in the history of Australia? You do now, and listening to this song you might be able to see why. Remember when the OG Wiggles had guitar solos, and they rocked? That was Murray, and this song is right up there in terms of his musical mastery.

7. Do The Monkey
Back in the early 80s, there was an Aussie rock band called the Cockroaches, featuring a chap called Anthony Field on guitar, and Jeff Fatt on the keys and the accordion. They had a gritty pub rock anthem called Do The Monkey. In 1991, Anthony and Jeff left to become children's entertainers, and sanitized their monkey song. Anthony started wearing toe shoes, and Jeff kept playing accordion. But both versions of the song still hold up. True story.

This video confuses me so much 

6. The Suarez Last Supper
Remember when Luis Suarez bit that Italian guy at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil? Even if you don't like sportsball you should definitely remember that. The Wiggles wrote a song about it! And it was so much better than the song it was based on (Feeling Hungry), and even betterer than the song that that was based on (Funiculi Funicula). Topical comedy for adults at its finest. Cannabalistic themes may scare the youngest audiences though.

Also, Anthony FINALLY stops eating fruit salad in favour of a muddy old football 

5. Big Red Car
You can't have a road trip without the big red car. Whether you're chilling in the backseat playing your guitar, fast asleep having a little rest, or eating SO MUCH FOOD, Big Red Car really sets the agenda when getting from A to B on four wheels. The newer Wiggles have tried to shake the vehicular sound up with a new song entitled BRC (is the Big Red Car), but this is the true masterpiece fit for any journey, no matter how long or short it may be. Also the music video is kinda reminiscent of those old Ronald McDonald Click Goes the Seatbelt ads.

Ronald wasted his plagiarism payout on trying to make the Fillet of Fish popular

4. Hot Potato
Hot Potato? More like Scorching Megahit! One of the better known songs, and you can see why. Such simple lyrics, detailing some of the band's favourite foods (cold spaghetti? Each to their own, I suppose). And how about the video? Probably some of the finest moves that Murray, Jeff, Anthony and Greg ever laid down, with arms flailing, knees bent, feet a-twisting, the urge to get up and dance is just too strong to exist at times. Which is hardly ideal for a long road trip, I suppose. Still, Gimme that, gimme that, gimme that funky beat.

3. Ooey Ooey Allergies
If there's one thing I appreciate as a doctor, it's that parents are faced with such a massive amount of medical information of varying accuracy coming at them from all directions. That's why I was so relieved when the OG Wiggles released Ooey Ooey Allergies as one of their last new songs together. All the information kids could need, simplified: allergies might make you think you have a cold! These foods cause allergies! If you have an allergy, tell an adult! Don't share your food! And a video with giant bacon costumes! Why can't all medical PSAs be communicated through this medium? I'm still waiting for their follow up song, (You'd Better) Vaccinate Yo'self before you Hate Yo'self.

2. Have A Good Day (Kia Pai to Rā)
They said New Zealand! They sang about New Zealand! How has this song, featuring Brown Wiggle Robbie Rakete, not won all our music awards and become our national anthem yet?

And this image would have easily won the flag referendum 

1. Wake Up Jeff
What a banger. No intro save a quick glissando, and straight into the first emphatic, riotous chorus. And the whole gang are here: Greg, Murray and Anthony are all awake, the Captain is shouting, and Dorothy, Wags and Henry are all dancing along too, in a desperate attempt to rouse Jeff in time for the show. And if that wasn't enough to wake up the narcoleptic purple Wiggle, after the second verse, Muzza shows exactly why he was once named 'possibly the most influential guitarist in the world' by Guitar Magazine, and launches into the best solo in Wiggles, if not Australian music, history. Of course, the song couldn't be complete without a few words from the man himself, as he scolds his friends for making so much noise: he's trying to get some sleep! When I worked in the hospital system I had a boss called Jeff, and if I ever needed to call him in the middle of the night I'd always start singing this when he answered the phone. I'd like to think it always lessened the blow of his slumber being disturbed for what would probably end up being quite a trivial problem.

Of course, this masterpiece was later adapted into the frankly lesser Wake Up Lachy. But still, it remains a yardstick of musicianship for the ages.

OK, that bit about my boss was a lie, but it did inspire this amazing joke 

Happy travels Fam.

Phone App Review: Four Seasons Condoms presents The Extendables.

Apparently we live in a golden age for intimate technology, or Sexnology, as no one apart from me just then, calls it. For in the course of the past month, not one but two great strides forwards have been made in the field.

One of them gives a whole new meaning to the term sex doll

First, UK scientists announced the development of a 'smart condom' sexual activity tracker able to be worn on the penis, or FitDick as it really ought to have been called. So many questions arose... Did this mean that no longer could gentlemen lie to a casual acquaintance about their prowess in the sack, without being asked to display a  download of data and graphs about previous performances in regards to duration, partner's satisfaction, and explosive energy released? Would phrases such as 'talks a big game in the streets, statistically disappointing in the spreadsheets' become common place? Would the ring vibrate on the achievement of certain sexual milestones? Would their be badges (you achieved 10 thrusts and are still going strong! New record!)? Group challenges? And of course, what about that neglected sexual demographic, parents?

I mean, they must still be doing it, given the number of second, third and subsequent children being born. But more often or not, it's got to be quick, nothing you're going to be boasting down at the pub about with graphs showing your endurance and tackle statistics. At the end of the day, kids finally in bed for the fourth time that night, parents are going to be collapsing themselves rather than trying to achieve another medal for going stronger, faster, deeper, harder. They need a distraction during the day, to slip away from the kids. Chuck on a Wiggles DVD and delight each other's hot potatoes and cold spaghetti. Put the kids in front of Dora the Explorer before exploring their adorer.

Who even knows what DVD these two will be putting on when their time comes

So Four Seasons Condoms have tried to come along to the rescue with The Extendables app. This basically does the same job as your kids favourite DVD, with a puppet show presumably made by a couple of rejects from the Jim Henson school of puppetry, played upon a parent's computer, tablet, or smart television, and synced to their phone. On the phone, a stopwatch judgementally counts down
whilst the amorous couple makes more babies (or doesn't, depending on whether they've fallen for the subtle marketing ploy and are using the Four Seasons' prophylactic wares). If, after the initially programmed eleven minutes, things are still hot and heavy in the bedroom, a button can be hit, and a further five minutes of distracting sock puppetry ensues, hence, I assume, why the show is called The Extendables, and not Sesame Treat, The Muffets, or Fraggle Cock.

Or Shaggle Rock. There's two puns for that one.

Slightly creepily, if a kid does get bored and walk away from the wholesome entertainment on screen, motion sensors in the smart device sound an alarm to stop adult fun time, and make as though the only intercourse taking place in the master bedroom is of the oh so boring verbal type. It's all explained in this adorable YouTube instructional video, starring one little girl who clearly recognises that something's up.

Of course, my beautiful and intelligent wife was far too sensible to allow us to test the Extendables app for its intended purpose. That wasn't going to stop me from reviewing it though, oh no. I wish it had though.

A bunch of third class voice actors (I'm not really sure what I expected, imagine explaining voicing a puppet from a third class condom company's ad campaign on your cv) play five sentient feather dusters who, I think, are trying to take over earth, though there doesn't really seem to be much of a plot. Within a minute, I was lost, bored, and getting up to find a beer. And the app didn't tell me I was doing that! Granted, my children may be entertained for longer than me by a few silly voices, but when they get up after two or three minutes, parents need to know their carnal pleasure's getting cut off short of a measure.

I sat down again, and forced myself to tolerate the inane chattering of the five anthromorphic feather boas for another 10 minutes, and it struck me that actually, what I was watching was kinda filthy. Sure, it would be straight over any preschooler's head, but the first sentence was about engaging landing gear and commencing thrusting. There was great excitement about the female character 'slipping into something special for the first time' on the new planet. Further amazement when the five some went to an Earth house, and saw a 'small hairy thing' by the front entrance. Which was then 'put in the mouth' of one of the puppets, and then again, great excitement ensued when 'he swallowed.'

I don't know, maybe I didn't go into this review with an open mind, and was seeing gratuitous innuendo where none was intended. What I didn't see, though, was a satisfying climax to each episode. They just kind of petered out, without much of a bang. And perhaps that is the perfect metaphor for parental hankypanky against a time restriction whilst the kids are distracted. It's never gonna measure up against what you're hoping for.

So parents, when they're released, get your FitDicks if you want. Who knows, having a tracker round your tacker might provide the motivation you need to perform to a new personal best. But forget the Extendables, because in my opinion, this app has just ended up a bit flaccid.

1/5

Key Learnings Gained from Flying Internationally With Two Preschoolers

This piece was initially written a few months back, but for one reason or another has never seen the light of day. But I feel it's my public duty to hold it no longer, and release a warning to parents on why flying from Palmerston North to the Gold Coast with two small children is one of the worst ways you could possibly spend a day.

These are not my kids. Not even my kids would be this annoying. I hope.

Thursday, 7.30pm
I'm leaving work for the last time in two weeks. Finally, it's time for our first big holiday as a family of four. We're flying to Australia! With two preschoolers! What could ever go wrong?

Friday, 9.30am
I'm trying to get the dog out of the door to the kennels. The three and a half year old is screaming bloody murder. He's not so worried that the dog's going away for two weeks, he's more distraught that the Paw Patrol DVD we've had out from United Video has to go back after three weeks of renewals. Finally get the dog to the kennels at ten to ten, only to remember drop offs actually close an hour earlier than I thought. Thank god the owner loves our Hank so much. He's the kennel's poster boy for their doggy bath service, bloody galling given the performance we have to go through to clean him at home

10.00pm
It's the night before we leave for the Gold Coast. I've been researching parenting sites and social media for ways to travel by plane with young ones, and I've found that it's best to pre-empt any disruption your kids may cause by preparing a little something for your fellow passengers.

This was a joke, people, I didn't actually do this! The angry Twitter people convinced me not to!

I reckon we're all set

Saturday 7.30am
We're trying to get out the door. I feel like I'm herding cats. In fact I wish I was herding cats, at least you can just chuck them in a little carry cage, then hand them over at the airport where they'll get stowed in the cargo hold whilst you hit the gin and tonics back in economy class. Then on arrival in Australia, they get quarantined away for a couple of weeks whilst you make the most of it, or if you do manage to sneak them in you get into a hilarious public feud with a red faced man called Barnaby.

Instead I have a 3 and a half year old and a nineteen month old. They've both lost that one essential toy they just have to take with them.

8.30am
We arrive at Palmerston North International Airport, which is still clinging to the glory days of one Freedom Air flight to the GC a week.  Right now I would love for that flight to still exist. I take the bags and the kids whilst my wife disposes of the car for two weeks, and we head for a coffee, only to find out our flight's delayed. Half an hour in a tiny airport with kids is bad enough, let alone two hours.

We go to check in through to Gold Coast at the same moment the 19 month old fills her nappy. We meet an old friend, who helps my wife drop the bags whilst I go off on baby change duty. We return to find international boarding passes in hand, our friend having presumably been mistaken for my passport photo. He's Sri Lankan. Our friend's Jetstar flight leaves for Auckland an hour and a half before ours, and minutes ahead of schedule.

There's a cat in a carry cage at check in. I'm jealous AF of its owner.

11.10am
We're on the plane at last. The three and a half year old has found the safety card and is anouncing to fellow passengers that there is a lifejacket under their seats. Much more of this, hopefully they'll offer him a job. He's the only passenger paying any attention to the safety demonstration.

This kid takes Fireman Sam's safety first mantra far too literally at times

11.15am
We're in the air. I've just remembered that the three and a half year old has developed severe motion sickness since he last travelled by air.

11.40am
All holding up well so far. The three and a half year old has just announced he needs to wee, so we trek back to the rear of the ATR-500, which, it turns out, has a much much smaller toilet than I was expecting. A little while back, I wrote a blog post about changing a nappy in a train bathroom. How I long for that sort of spaciousness now. I place my son on the seat, and try and jam myself in and close the door as best I can. There's no way it's locking, but there's also no way anyone can miss my arse sticking out of the half ajar door. It's all worth it though, as the toilet water is bright blue. This is a highlight of the day. As we return to our seats, I realise we're descending, and we've missed the lollies being handed out. The resulting reaction is a lowlight of the day.

11.50am
Turns out the 19 month old's ear infection hasn't quite cleared.

11.53am
The three and a half year old has dropped his Thunderbirds toy under the seat in front of him. The seatbelt sign is on, but he's winding up a bit. I glance briefly at the cabin crew, and break international aviation law by slipping my seatbelt off.

12.10pm
We're on the ground. The 19 month old cried herself to sleep in the descent. The three and a half year old wants to run around on the baggage carousel, so I tell him if he does that, he won't be allowed to row in the big rowing race. The no-longer-topical joke goes straight over his head.

We've got just under an hour and a half to get to the international terminal, so we walk. It's a nice day, and it's a bit like the Wizard of Oz, except with a green line instead of a yellow road, with other harassed looking families instead of magical scarecrows and woodmen, and with 3 1/2 hours in a metal tube to look forward to instead of a wizard. We get to immigration, and realize they've taken all the pens on chains off the tables, so we head back to the bookshop to buy one for five dollars. I want to put my occupation down as comedy writer, but my wife says one published column is well short of qualifying me for that.

1.10pm
We're at the gate. Thank god, there are loads of young kids on this flight... surely our two won't be the worst behaved ones? Because we're flying pleb class, I've  decided to buy a sandwich and a few drinks to have on board from the airport cafe. It's quite expensive, but surely it'll be cheaper than buying on the plane?

1.40pm
After boarding, I check the on board menu. The prices are in red on a green background, so my faulty colour vision makes them hard to read, but my wife confirms the sandwiches are about half the price of what I've just paid. The three and a half year old is very excited, as we're parked next to an Emirates A380 which has elephants painted on the side of it, or a Journey Express, as he calls it. Take off is more fun on a jet, as it goes a lot faster. Soon we are 'driving over the sea'.

2.30pm
The kids are getting hungry and grumpy. I got an egg sandwich on the ground. Turns out this isn't an ideal food for confined spaces, and the egg is going everywhere. I open my son's sipper bottle and water sprays everywhere. The 8 dollar beers are starting to look tempting. The three and a half year old looks out the window and notes that we are still driving over the sea. I tell him there is a lot of sea between New Zealand and Australia. He asks why. I briefly consider a lecture on continental drift, but decide it's easier to shrug in a non commital manner, which seems to work.

2.40pm
My amazing wife has packed a bag with new toys. Theres a magnetic jigsaw puzzle, which seems like a good idea, but it's are still going everywhere. The Planes magic coloring book is a hit. We're still driving over the sea. I found a couple of bibs in my bag which would've been helpful with the sandwich.

Toys for the flight, all ready for packing

3.30pm
Two hours in, and tolerance of wholesome activities is starting to wear thin. We admit defeat and put on an hour of Peppa Pig episodes. Why are all the houses in Peppa Pig  on top of hills? Are they living in some sort of post-apocalyptic water world where half the land area has been made uninhabitable by climate change or something? Still driving over the sea, but the three and a half year old is engrossed so he doesn't notice.

3.40pm
The 19 month old isn't too keen on Peppa Pig. She'd rather I lift her up repeatedly so she can turn the reading light on and off. We pass ten minutes this way. She wants a drink. I forget the lesson I should've learnt earlier, and water hits the ceiling as I open her bottle.

Ready for some LIGHT entertainment? Ahahaha shut up Dad

4.30pm
Quick toilet break for the three and a half year old, now Peppa Pig is finished. The toilets on the Virgin 737 are more spatious, but not as fun as they make a scary noise instead of flushing with blue water. Also, the (fully grown adult) guy who went before us didn't flush, something the three and a half year old is perfectly capable of EVERY SINGLE BLOODY TIME. Still driving over the sea. He wants to know if we're actually moving.

5.10pm
We're watching something called Sydney the Sailboat now. It seems to be about an anthromorphic sailboat called Sydney who lives in Australia and gets into hijinks. It's very similar to every other sentient vehicle cartoon I have ever seen, but on water. The three and a half year old is getting grumpy as the captain and the head steward keep on stopping the entertainment programme so they can make announcements.

2.30pm (again)
Landed. We disembark, and the three and a half year old declares himself dissapointed as there isn't a water park waiting on the Tarmac, or in the terminal. There is an ibis eating a discarded takeaway in the carpark, or a 'funny duck' as the 19 month old brands it. We pick up the rental car. The kids pick up multiple tourist maps in Cantonese. We wrestle two rental car seats into the back seat of the car. My wife does an awful lot better than I do.

4.00pm
At our accommodation at last. It's 7.00pm NZ time, by all rights the kids should be dead on their feet. In reality, the parents are, but the kids will be hyperactively overtired for another three hours. We go to Burgerfuel for tea across the road. Australian Burgerfuel is licensed, and I have a beer. In my sleep deprived state, it wrecks me. We pop in to a mini mart to get some milk and bread. The three and a half year old tries to go to sleep on the floor by the counter.

8.00pm
Finally in bed. hopefully the late bedtime will help them adjust to the three hour time difference.

Sunday, 3.00am
No, of course it hasn't.