Tucker's Territory - The KIWIreviews.co.nz site blog

New Supplier...

2012-01-26T23:59:00.000+13:00

KIWIreviews calculates great pleasure is in effect due to welcoming Antec to our desktop of quality suppliers. Antec, Inc. is the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in the industry and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of quiet, efficient and innovative products.

Armageddon into there...

2012-01-26T12:06:00.001+13:00

ALRIGHTY! Confirmation - We'll have double passes to give away to Armageddon Expo for Hamilton AND Wellington! News to come as and when.

PLUS we got the green light on our "Join Us As Media For A Day" promo idea... who wants to be a part of the crew for a day at Armageddon Expo Hamilton?

The what... and why...

2012-01-21T20:31:00.006+13:00

To further assist and educate reviewers who want to ensure their reviews meet our quality standards, we're going to post a behind-the-scenes expose of what happens to a review when it gets submitted... what factors cause it to be approved - or declined - at the "automatic checking" stage, and simple steps you can take to give your review the best chance to be approved first swing round...

OK, so, you have found the product, and are ready to start your micro-masterpiece. What should you have already done before you got this far?

1 - Research the product. If you requested the product from us, this step should really have been done before then. But we'll have it here to avoid a timeline that looks like it's got squid DNA in it. ;)

2 - Taken running notes. This can be as simple as jotting down a little bullet-point list of aspects you think are worth noting. The list can be as short or long as you need, but keep in mind the next step may warrant pruning if you went a bit overboard. Try going through the list afterwards and seeing if you can 'stack' any points together. eg. "Tasted fruity" + "Lovely texture" + "Amazing colour" could all be covered in the same paragraph.

3 - Fleshing it out. This is where you take each bullet point, and make it out into a proper sentence or three. Be sure to not only comment on 'what' but also, most importantly, the 'why'. "I liked it" won't score you any good points. "I liked it because..." is much more likely to pass. Be creative, but don't get too fancy.

4 - Break it up. The English language has a structure... words make sentences, sentences make paragraphs, paragraphs make pages. Ever read a book that has no structure? No... because it was determined a long time ago that we HATE trying to read a huge, amorphous mass of text. So, break your review into nice tidy, logical blocks that are easy to read, and chances are we won't look at it and go "Urg!" and hit the "DECLINED - BAD STRUCTURE" button.

5 - Read it back to yourself, or someone else! Get feedback from friends and family nearby. You would be surprised how someone else can help you trim away the extras, and add in the bits you forgot, or just point out that maybe it makes sense to you, but not very much to anyone else.

By the end of this, should should have something very closely resembling an email to a friend, who has asked your opinion on something. That's what we are aiming for. Informative, educational, maybe a bit witty, but not rude or abusive.

OK, so... now you take a deep breath, and hit SUBMIT. It's out of your hands, and in the 'hands' of the automated checking system on our server. Here's what it does...

1 - Character & Word count. Long and detailed studies have been made of the English language. Statisticians know the average word length, sentence length and paragraph length of 'good text' vs 'bad text'. Building on that knowledge, our AutoChecker (affectionately called 'Goldilocks' or 'Goldi' for short - because she knows what is just right.) scans your review and works out if you are using too many big words or too many small ones, proper sentences, paragraphs, or just one huge unreadable jumble of text.

2 - Typo count. Goldi is smart, and knows how to spell. A quick count of typos, compare that as a percentage of the number of words overall, and if the ratio is too high, it gets flagged for probable rejection. Anything more than 5% is automatically declined. Anything over 2% is flagged for human checking, anything under that is flagged as probably OK and passes on to the next check.

3 - Clone check. Your review is broken into logical chunks, and compared against all the other reviews in the database. If Goldi sees too high a correlation... she gets unhappy. That means that copy'n'pasting another review - yours or someone else's, and just changing it a little bit... BIG NO NO! That kind of thing not only flags the review as probably unusable, but also flags YOU as someone we need to watch for repeat behaviour. Plagiarism is a crime.

4 - Some Secret Ones. There are a few other checks, but they use code and algorithms specially designed and written by us, and we aren't going to explain them in a public forum as they are valuable intellectual property in this industry.

So... congratulations... your review has made it this far, and now a human gets involved. Someone on one of our teams will get to peek at your review, give it the 'human eye' once-over and see how it stacks up to another living critter. If we read through it, can see what you are getting at, and maybe even disagree with Goldi's warning about something... your review will get approved. If, however, the moderator agrees with Goldi's assessment, or just can't make head nor tails of your review, it will get declined.

IF your review is declined, please, don't take it hard. Even our top reviewers get reviews declined now and then... and I don't think we have ANYONE in the entire crew or membership who didn't get at least 1 of their first 10 review attempts declined. There are no hard and fast rules regarding reviews, other than "Thou Shalt Make Sense" - as long as we can see that what you are saying matches the scores you are giving, you have explained your point of view, and are using proper English... we'll approve it.

If your review is declined, the system *will* send you an email, to the address listed in your profile. You filled that in when you signed up, but it never hurts to make sure it's still current. You can see that by just logging in, and looking down the page a bit when you hit your members landing page.

So, what can you do to improve your odds? Big one: DON'T GIVE UP. Thomas Edison tried over 2,000 times to make a workable, reproducible, commercially-viable light-bulb. We don't expect that level of dedication, but we do HOPE you won't get discouraged after one tiny set-back. We are always willing to help you sort it out if you ask nicely and explain exactly what you want from us. (eg. My review was rejected, and I didn't get any feedback as to why." or "My review was rejected, your system said it was too short, but I really don't know what else to say!") Saying something like "I don't know how to use this site..." gives us the impression you are having trouble using navigation, submission pages, etc. It does NOT tell us that you don't know why your review got rejected, or how to go about writing one that will get approved.

Another big factor in getting your review approved - language skills. In New Zealand we speak British English... or if you really must, American English. Though Maori is an official language, it is not one we support as the greater majority of our readers can't read it. Same goes for any other language. Nothing racist there, just trying to ensure the widest possible readership gets to read your review. Play nice, don't be a language snob, and CERTAINLY don't abuse, threaten, or try to guilt-trip us. Won't work, simple as that. Oh, and reviews with "naughty words", full of abusive content, or aimed at another reviewer instead of talking about the product/service, will get declined and your account instantly banned. Zero-tolerance for that kind of antics, thank you very much. :)

So, there you have it... in light of this issue, we are making changes to the review processing system to give you more immediate feedback. Previously, when you submitted a review you were presented with a screen that said something along the lines of "Thank you, we got it. It's getting looked at. Please click the button to go back and we'll release the review if it passes muster." Then you either got an email saying "Sorry, didn't meet the grade" or the review simply went online. We've been asked to modify that so that you get an email saying "Yay, your review was approved!" - Not happening. We did that in the very early days and got abused for being spammers!

BUT... we are now going to modify that little screen you see after you click "SUBMIT" - it's going to give you a heads-up on whether Goldi saw any problems, and if so, what. That way, you can at least have SOME idea as to what the review's fate will be. Hope that is some consolation - it's the best we can do without falling foul of the anti-SPAM laws. You can expect to see the new screen starting to pop up over the next few days while we do a soft-launch on it and test it 'in the field'.

And there you have it... ;)

New Suppliers...

2012-01-20T01:34:00.001+13:00

KIWIreviews is drooling in delight at welcoming Cannon Hill to our pantry of quality food suppliers. At Cannonhill they firmly believe in providing you with the best quality and best tasting products, and so far they think they have gotton that pretty well spot on!

KIWIreviews has been hit with an "Excitement" enchantment at welcoming Wizards of the COast to our deck of quality suppliers. Wizards of the COast started as a humble business in it creator's basement, and has grown like any dream fed with dedication and love.

KIWIreviews is overjoyed at welcoming Alcohol Killer to our cabinet of quality suppliers. ALCOHOL KILLER (AK) is one of the most innovative beverages to be launched in recent years. AK is the Leader - it is the first refreshing beverage worldwide helping people to reduce the BAC and hangovers in a natural way.

In response to a query from a member...

2012-01-15T14:45:00.000+13:00

Yes, KIWIreviews is, and always has been a not-for-profit venture, run by volunteers for their own, altruistic reasons. We have never been, nor will ever be (while I have any say in the matter) a "Business" who needs to charge for access.

No, we do NOT charge businesses - of any size - for the ability to post on our Facebook page. To do so would be a gross violation of the FB T&C's, not to mention just plain bloody rude.

Yes, we do have advertising options on our website, but they are open to any business to apply for. We don't charge for them, but we do have certain ethical criteria we follow before granting banner-ad space, and we willingly accept donations towards our running costs.

So... if you are a home business, small business, new start-up venture, or even an established brand, and you want to post something RELEVENT and TIMELY on our FB page, please do so with our blessings. If we think your post isn't relevant... we'll delete it, as is our right. But that doesn't mean you can't try again, or come talk to us.

I'm not sure what prompted this... but I hope this clearly states our position on the matter. WE are here for YOU... not the other way around. ;) Luvs ya all!

Cheers...

Brushing off the cobwebs...

2012-01-07T01:59:00.003+13:00

One of the things that came up in the "feedback sessions" over the last month has been the underuse of the blog. The simple answer is of course, we're too busy doing other exciting things with, and for, the site to have time to spend posting the same stuff here as we do in Facebook or on Twitter - which takes 10th of the time to say the same thing really.

So, we need to make a decision - do we find more time (or staff) to better utilise the blog, or do we say farewell and put it out of it's misery like an old and faithful pet who has reached that stage of life where it's a mercy to end it rather than let it suffer through day after day.

This is, of course, a very big decision for an enterprise to make, and should be made wisely after much thought and research... so I guess we're going to keep it running a bit longer and see if we can find the time to revitalise it. Failing that, we might have to seek outside help - someone willing and able to join us and take over the posting of significant events within the group, and selected feedback, reviews, etc.

Any takers? Apply via the contact page - http://www.KIWIreviews.co.nz/contact

In response to Roger Ebert's commentary...

2011-12-30T20:03:00.001+13:00

Roger Ebert - one half of the once famous "Siskell & Ebert" daring-duo of high-exposure movie critics, posted this today: http://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111228/COMMENTARY/111229973/

I have to say I utterly agree 100% with all 6 points raised. Here's my "Kiwi-centric" take on them...

1. The absence of a must-see mass-market movie: Love it or hate it, James Cameron's "Avatar" was certainly the biggest drawcard we've seen in NZ since the Lord of the Rings trilogy - and that was mainly because of the huge media hype and teaser campaign building up to it. Lordie knows the movie itself didn't warrant the box office takings it generated. So, what has really drawn us to the cinemas this year? To be honest, if it weren't for the free passes and invited to special media screenings, I doubt I would have bothered going to the movies more than 3 times this year... because that's all the movies that have actually appealed to me. On at least 2 other occasions I actually paid to go to the big screen, it was simply as "the only thing I can think of that I can do, to see something new."

2. Ticket prices are too high: HELL YEAH! I've been saying this for way longer than anyone's been listening. When I can hire it at the local movie store for $8 overnight and watch it maybe 3 or 4 times if it warrants it, why the heck would I want to go sit in a crowded cinema and be bugged by a bunch of thoughtless plonkers TXT'ing and talking all the way through it, and pay nearly double?! I mean get real... and they wonder why downloading movies has become so commonplace...

3. The theater experience: How many times would you expect to hear someone ask you to "...speak louder and give away more of the plot in advance please... I paid good money to hear your running commentary..." - yeah, me neither. LISTEN UP JERK-OFFS... *I* am that guy who leans over and asks you nicely once, not so nicely the second time, quite bluntly the third time... to "SHUT THE HELL UP!" I am also the guy who willingly misses a chunk of the movie he paid good money to see, just so he can walk outside, get the security/usher to come back in and remove your thoughtless, inconsiderate arse, and throw you the hell out. BE WARNED! Yes, you can call me names.. as though *I* am the arsehole... and you know what, I don't care. Nor will I take your threats of violence seriously... because I know I can handle myself in a fight thank you... years of sword training and unarmed combat training from three Senseis and one Sempai have made sure of that.

4. Refreshment prices: I used to go to the movies with a mate in a wheelchair. He was great company - we had very similar but not entirely so - tastes in movies and it was great to discuss the movie with him AFTER it was over - but it was also that as a wheelchair-user he was often overlooked by security. SO the backpack on his chair - partially obscured my me pushing him - weas a great place for us to bring our own bottles of coke, bags of lollies and tubs of popcorn. What would have cost us $30+ at the counter set us back whopping $4.90 instead thanks to Pak'n Save and some time in the kitchen at home prior to departure. If cinemas want my money, they should damn well make their prices more in line with what I am willing, and can afford, to pay.

5. Competition from other forms of delivery: Cheap Sky hookups + Hire-purchased HUGE TV + medium-range surround-sound kit = Why bother going to a cinema and having to deal with the inconsiderate? Add to that the growing number of alternatives such as your local movie store, online DVD rental libraries, streamed media via the internet, and yes, even the illegal downloading of ripped/cam'd movies from overseas (not that we in any way advocate this) - all lead to the cinemas having to charge even more to cover the costs of feeding newer technology to ever-reducing numbers of patrons. It's a downward spiral folks - give it up and re-purpose the cinemas!

6. Lack of choice: AY-bloomin-MEN! Of the 60+ movies that hit the screens this year, I paid to see about 4 of them. I was given - or won - free tickets to see maybe 4 more... and though I really wanted to see many of those in the Annual Film Fest, we were still recovering from the huge financial hit we took relocating HQ 450km closer to Auckland and the bean-counters simply wouldn't sign off on it. But really... even counting in those that were on the "Oh yeah, I do want to..." list, it was still less than a fifth of the titles that got splashed across the big screens. I don't care about 3d, or D-box motion-enabled, vertigo-inducing seats - if the movie is crap, then it's crap. I would like to see movies run the same way some of the newer free-market, honesty-driven restaurants are being run - you pay AFTERWARDS, and you only pay what you think it was worth to you. Didn't like it? Pay a gold-coin donation so at least the cleaners get paid. Loved it? Hand over a $20 note and walk out smiling. I would go to see ANYTHING at a theatre like that, because the only risk for me would be running out of parking-meter change.

So there's my perspective... agree or not agree, your choice...

New Suppliers...

2011-12-15T21:25:00.000+13:00

KIWIreviews are tickled pink to welcome King of Shaves to their A-list of suppliers. For 15 years they have been supplying their fantastically smooth shaving oil and gel 'software' and now they are proud to present the new King of Shaves Azor Hybrid Synergy System Razor that "shaves closer, longer for less!

KIWIreviews is printing our happy face posters by the dozen at welcoming Samsung to their desktop of quality suppliers. For over 70 years Samsung has been dedicated to making a better world through diverse businesses that today span a wide range of industries.

New Suppliers...

2011-11-21T04:56:00.000+13:00

KIWIreviews is totally chuffed to welcome Gizmobies to their list of quality suppliers. Gizmobies are pocketable protection for your mobile device offering more than skins without the bulk of a case. Made from the same material used for logos on race cars, Gizmobies are extremely durable and stick to most smooth surfaces, yet can be removed from your device easily, coming off clean.

KIWIreviews is drooling with delight at welcoming World of Dumplings to our pantry of quality food suppliers. World of Dumplings began as a family business recently when they discovered that there were no businesses in New Zealand producing this wonderful food. They began supplying dumplings to the Russian community and delicatessens in Auckland using their own treasured family recipes made to the high standards expected by NZ consumers.

KIWIreviews is putting together a smilie face pixel by pixel at welcoming PixelHobby to our cupboard of quality suppliers. PixelHobby is a new mosaic craft originating in Holland. You create mosaic pictures using tiny plastic tiles (pixels) placed on baseplates using tweezers. You can create your own custom designs from photographs and images or you may choose from one of our ready-to-assemble kits.

New Supplier...

2011-11-08T00:03:00.001+13:00

KIWIreviews is overjoyed to welcome 20th Century Fox to it's library of quality suppliers. 20th Century Fox have been leaders in the cinematic industry since their humble beginnings back in 1904 and have remained so ever since.

A Meeting with Adrian Paul at Armageddon, Auckland 2011

2011-11-02T22:25:00.007+13:00

Posted by Admin on behalf of Gen Foreman - one of our Gold-level reviewers and interviewers.

Meeting The Highlander, it wasn't surprising that I was a little tongue tied and star-struck. Adrian Paul is an actor who I have admired for 15 years since I discovered The Highlander television series, a show that even Adrian says was known as "the best kept secret". In addition to acting, he's appeared in many movies including The Breed, Nine Miles Down and The Heavy as well as numerous television guest roles. Adrian also directed four episodes of Highlander as well as taking the role of executive producer on several television and movie projects including Highlander: The Source. Mind you, if you ask about that particular movie, he is liable to blush and duck his head apologetically.

Taking to Adrian was much easier than I expected. Aside from the fact I didn't faint in an undignified manner, the married father of one turned out to be incredibly warm and down to earth. His flair for the dramatic and use of accents adds to his wicked style of humour and there is a somewhat naughty twinkle in the eye that gives him away as a guy who likes a good laugh.
However there is a subject that will cause him to put aside the jokes and amusing stories. Adrian said that for some time he knew he wanted to do something that went beyond him but he didn't know what. During the height of filming for Highlander, children would gather around the set or his trailer. It was then that he realised two things, what his celebrity could do and how particularly vulnerable children are. Adrian had found a direction he wanted to take and in 1997 The PEACE Fund was established.

Ticking the points off on his fingers, Adrian explains that PEACE stands for Protect, Educate, Aid, Children Everywhere. The aim is to help underfunded children's programmes on a worldwide scale. They seek out and assist the smaller grass roots charities that are in there hands on, looking to make a positive difference in the lives of children. To qualify, the charities also need to be small enough to have a direct relationship with The PEACE Fund. Somehow this is not surprising. When he's talking about his acting roles, the relationships between characters are a common theme. Overall it comes across that relationships are something very important to him.
The first programme that Adrian started with was the "School Makes a Difference". This has seen celebrities taking to the classrooms to teach children what a difference education can make to their future. This has been achieved through workshops that have given children the chance to learn anything from goal setting to study skills to safety for kids. Due to the structure and nature of the programme, this has been something that could not only be taken across the country but also tailored to suit a schools needs.

Following the heartbreaking Boxing Day Thailand tsunami in 2004, The PEACE Fund widened its assistance. This disaster had a direct impact on Adrian personally as his brother and family were living in Thailand at the time. After he found they were all safe, Adrian turned his attention to others affected by the tsunami. Auctions were run via the PEACE Fund with the money raised going to a programme called Peace in Paradise. They in turn were able to help the local communities in Koh Phi Phi, supplying water and food as well as starting projects to rebuild the islands infrastructure. Projects were started to strengthen the islands environmental structure by the replanting of native flora. The Krabi Relief Fund is another Thailand based organisation that has been a recipient. Monies received have allowed them to help the underprivileged children of the Krabi province, 100 of whom lost one or both parents in the tsunami.

Since these first projects The PEACE fund has grown into something bigger than Adrian could handle by himself, "nor did I have the time" he explains. While he is still involved as the Founder and President, the main work is now done by The PEACE Fund board. Thanks to their hard work, they have been able to raise money to help other underfunded charities.

They have helped improve literacy by working with Teachers Across Boarders in Cambodia and Tameer-e-Millet in Pakistan. The increased literacy provides children not just with increased self worth but with the possibility for further education. Adrian becomes increasingly more passionate when he talks about the assistance given to The Relief Fund for Romania. Their aim is to help the street children, providing shelter, food, medical care or friendship. The emotion is obvious on Adrian's face when he talks about the Romanian children living in the sewers.

With the United States, The PEACE Fund has been able to assist COTA, the Children's Organ Transplant Association, helping children who need organ transplants. Adrian points out that with "the high cost of transplants, money given can go such a long way to something so badly needed. Even just $5 000 can go so far." Adrian drives home his point with emphatic gestures. Also based in the United States is Mercy and Sharing, they were set up to provide comprehensive care to orphaned, disabled and abandoned children in Haiti. The PEACE Fund has been delighted to make its first donation to help set up a new programme for teachers and students through the transitions following the devastating earthquake that ravaged Haiti.

I asked Adrian how fans can get involved. He explained that he is currently working on a project called Celebs4Kids. The concept is simply to get a picture of a celebrity doing the peace sign, it can be as fun or simple as they want, you just need their signed consent (forms available on the website). Photos are sent to the site and can then be downloaded for a donation. Anyone can send photos and any celebrities can be involved, actors, singers and sports stars. Gesturing around, Adrian was pleased to say that he already had on board the celebrities from both the Auckland and Melbourne Armageddon Expos.

Adrian said that he is looking forward to seeing the organisation growing further, one area that he would very much like to revisit is School Makes a Difference so more work could be done in that area. Adrian's obvious enthusiasm and passion for this is rather infectious though he did admit that "it was easier before I was a dad of course!" Given his attitude, it's hard not to want to support his organisation. More than just a talented actor, he is someone with a genuine desire to help make the world a better place.

Now that's a worthy cause to get behind.

** You can find The PEACE Fund at: www.thepeacefund.org as well as following them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepeacefund and on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thepeacefund. More information on Adrian Paul, his life and career can be found at: www.adrianpaul.net or follow him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/adrianpauloffical and Twitter: www.twitter.com/adrianpaul1 **

New Supplier...

2011-11-02T17:45:00.000+13:00

KIWIreviews is chilaxing in the sun after welcoming Phoenix Organics to our icebox of cool new suppliers. Phoenix Organics is a big, bustling group of people, working together to make a difference - to the community, to the planet and to the health of its people. They are people who are driven by a desire to create wonderful things! And they love to enjoy their work as much as their play.

(Kinda) New Supplier...

2011-10-31T23:26:00.002+13:00

KIWIreviews is leaping up in the air and exploding with delight at welcoming Thumping Thunder to our stack of red hot suppliers. Thumping Thunder Brand Fireworks have been importing fireworks into New Zealand for 12 years and have an enviable history of providing high quality fireworks to suit all ages and budgets.

Why "Kinda"? Well, we've actually been keeping this one under wraps for almost a year now. Contact was made back in 2010, but by the time things were ironed out, it was too late to make good use of the promotional time... so we've had the bang-bang goodies stashed until it's time to blast them off... now! ;)

It's not the end of the world, buddy... it's just a different facet of it.

2011-10-30T02:14:00.000+13:00

There's something unique about walking in to Armageddon early on a Saturday morning... Friday is Preview day, so it's usually quiet... Sunday is usually full-on packed, so we had planned to miss that... Monday was out for sure... so Saturday was our best bet, and our smartest one too.

Entry was quick and painless, quickly swapping cellphone numbers with key members of the carpool, and we all headed off in our own directions for a few hours. I was most interested in catching up with some people at the Playstation stand, but I was early, they were busy elsewhere, so it was time to casually wander and check things out at a comfortable pace before all the teenagers, cosplayers and gamerheads crawled out of their caves and started arriving in force around lunchtime.

One of the first things that registered as I entered the main area was the sheer scope. When I accidentally wandered into the very first Armageddon at the Avondale Racecourse back in 1995, it was a small-scale event hoping to make it big. It has. It really has! Too big for the Aotea Centre - which was it's home the last time I even managed to get CLOSE to attending - this now fills the ASB Showgrounds and overlfows out the sides in a few places.

A riot of colour, sound, and content, there is everything here... meaning something for everyone. I had a go at Archery, I watched live wrestlers, I saw kids in blow-up plastic bubbles go walking on water... there were comics and graphic novels of every genre imaginable, there was a huge section of table JUST to introduce people to a trading card game called Magic: The Gathering (more on that in November -sneaky grin- ), a significant section of floorspace set aside for XBox Kinect gaming areas and another for Playstation's assorted devices.

Enough costumes and prosthetics to make Weta wet themselves... and I bet more than a few of the wearers would just LOVE to work there too! I watched a chap get a face-opening would applied, and a woman get a bullethole in her forehead... and I tell you, if I hadn't stood there and watched it being built layer by layer, I would have been diving for 111 on my cellphone.

Some of the biggest highlights for me:
- Getting to have a casual chat (and photo) with Adrian Paul and a brief, but pleasing chat with Sylvester McCoy. If you don't know who they are, you don't belong at Armageddon! ;p
- Having a good chat to Ant Sang, the man behind the graphic novels "Dharma Punks" and "Shaolin Burning" - the lovely chap even drew me a nice bit of original art and signed it as a gift. Just wishing I had known he was going to be there, so I could have brought my copy of Shaolin Burning along to be signed.
- Winning a T-shirt from the TelstraClear stand for making up a witty one-liner to match some pre-drawn artwork of a cartoon Chewbacca bobble-head.
- Having a chance to learn about some new games, see some old favourites in new formats, and walking past shelves and shelves of memorabilia from my favourite sci-fi and fantasy shows.

But it was more than that... far more. It's about just being there... feeling the ebb and flow of the pack, being a part of something bigger and tangible. Sharing your hobbies with complete strangers, knowing they aren't going to judge you for loving some out-there TV show from the 70's, meeting - or even just being within 10m of - famous people who aren't at all what you expected them to be... it's all quite magical if you consider it in that light.

Overall, this was not a day out, this was an experience... one I wish I had managed to do many years earlier. However, I am overjoyed to know that next year Armageddon will be coming to Hamilton, so all going well I should be able to make it to the full event. Although this will only be a 2-day event, I feel sure I will manage to fill those days with some pretty good times. It's hard not to, at Armageddon!

Event Postponed...

2011-09-16T16:29:00.005+12:00

The #SmashOurScreen Event Day has been postponed by 1 week due to bad weather and venue overbooking. Details can be found on our Facebook page: http://t.co/bWuJFeCv

New Supplier...

2011-09-13T11:32:00.001+12:00

KIWIreviews are jumping out of the screen to welcome AOC to their desktop collection of suppliers. In 1934, Admiral - AOC's starting company, was founded in Chicago, Illinois by Ross Siragusa. 33 years later, Admiral Overseas Corporation (AOC) was established in 1967 in Taiwan. With long-term dedicated research and development, AOC today offers a wide range of top performing CRT & LCD monitors and TVs.

The Craft & Quilt Fair - Hamilton - 8th-11th Sept 2011

2011-09-09T01:26:00.006+12:00

Posted on behalf of one of our crew...

Today was a day spent in a crafter's heaven! Upon walking through the doors of the Claudelands Event Center, I was greeted by row after row after row of stalls filled with a huge variety of crafty goodies. They offered so many fabrics, beads, threads, papers, stamps, charms, craft books, and craft tools, plus a huge variety of different types of kits for things like soft toys and cross-stitch, that it was rather difficult not to get overwhelmed with all of the choices, especially if you're walking in there with a rather limited budget. How's a girl supposed to choose??!! Can't I just have some of everything? Please?? I'm sure I could find room to hoard it all... we don't really need a dining room right? The kids don't need their wardrobes for their stuff? Seriously, I could have easily walked away with half of the show if I'd had the funds for it, there were just that many wonderful products available, quite a few of which I haven't found in any NZ shops I've looked through, both physical and online shops, as NZ's sources of craft materials/tools seem to be rather limited compared to those overseas. So I was thrilled to come across suppliers with goodies from Australia, America, and a few other places... which meant I was able to finally get my hands on some rather unusual charms, beads, threads, and wools that I'd normally have to purchase online and pay hideous international shipping fees for.

I will admit though, I was a little disappointed that there seemed to be mostly vendors catering to the fabric, bead, and scrapbooking related crafts, and not much of anything else. The knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers, and felters of the NZ craft world were unfortunately sorely neglected in this craft show, (except for a couple of stalls which sold some beautiful yarns), which is a real shame as these are all crafts that are also hugely popular around NZ. With so many wonderful fibre artists around the country, surely there should've been a few more occupying some of the stalls to help those of us with a fibre related stash that also needed filling? But that disappointment aside, the craft fair was thoroughly enjoyable, and I was easily able to lose several hours browsing the products on offer, going around several times just to try and make sure I'd seen everything, while desperately trying to decide just what to take home with me.

After being so used to much smaller craft shows/markets that tend to offer boring, cheap, budget-quality products, it was great to finally have a show filled with high quality materials and tools, but warning... the prices definitely match the quality, and it struck me as a fair aimed at enthusiasts more than just the average hobbyist. There were quite a few of the typical "show only" good deals, but the pricing for most of what was being sold was rather steep... $70+ for one skein of yarn, $6 for one bead etc, just as an example! But again, we're talking high quality goods, with quite a bit coming from outside NZ, so it was well worth the extra coin to get some supplies that I normally wouldn't be able to get. However, quite a few of the vendors do have online shops, so with only having a small budget for the show, I made sure to grab a few business cards and website addresses, so I can continue my shopping online later on. Even though the cafe there was a bit pricey, the food was quite tasty, with a good selection of both savoury and sweet... and shopping is rather hungry work you know! ;-)

Despite having spent pretty much all afternoon there today, I'm actually very tempted to go back tomorrow for another browse, and of course, a bit more stash building! Lol! I just hope they have better music this time around, as the music they were playing today was rather slow and even somewhat depressing. Not exactly what I'd considering the type of music to play to inspire the customers into a buying mood anyway, and I know I wasn't the only one to think that as I overheard quite a few people commenting on how "down" the music was and that they should be playing something more upbeat. When the call came to say the show was finished for the day, please make your way to the exit, THEN they kicked up the beat and played a bouncy song that me want to dance out the door. Why couldn't they have done this for the whole day, instead of only as the "boot the customers out the door" song? Would've definitely made shopping even more enjoyable! Hopefully they do improve the sounds, but just in case, I might take my MP3 player along. ;-P

Overall, this was definitely one of the best craft shows I've been to, and has me thinking I'm gonna have to do some really hard saving in preparation for next year's show. If you're in Hamilton this weekend, and enjoy any kind of crafting, then I would highly suggest checking it out. Just make sure you have a van or truck waiting out in the car park to load up afterwards with all of your newly acquired stash! The car doesn't really need to be parked in the garage right?

For full details about the show, please see the event website.

New Supplier...

2011-09-05T16:21:00.003+12:00

KIWIreviews is all fired up to welcome Hinterland Adventures to their team of suppliers. Hinterland provides premier Paintball and activity experiences right here in Hamilton. Great packages, all activities are relocatable to a venue of your choice. We have convenient off road parking, BBQ area & BYO and night Paintball games. All groups are very welcome.

Competition Results

2011-09-04T14:30:00.001+12:00

Here's the results from our three latest comps.

Sorry to all those who have been waiting on their prizes... huge delays caused by redraw after redraw after redraw trying to get winners to reply in time!

Earthworm Jim - 2,257 entries
Audience with Billy Connolly - 2,297 entries
Inkle and Eckle - 1,559 entries

New competitions launched...

2011-09-03T22:55:00.006+12:00

Three new competitions have just snuck into the site, for those ultra-observant, dedicated fans...

- Win 1 of 5 copies of "Rediscovering Intrepid Journeys" on DVD
- Win 1 of 5 copies of "Geronimo Stilton - The Haunted Castle"
- Win 1 of 5 copies of "Creepella von Cacklefur #1 - The 13 Ghosts"

More to come over the next few days, so keep your peepers peeled!

Competition updates...

2011-08-30T22:51:00.003+12:00

UPDATE: Due to numerous requests, we have extended the Photo Submission phase of our 2012 Calendar comp by 2 weeks. Entries close 19th September.

Also, in other news... Roshen NZ have come on board as official sponsors of ALL of our competitions! So, as of 25th August 2011, all prize packs have contained samples of some of the many Roshen products now available.

New Suppliers...

2011-08-23T17:30:00.001+12:00

KIWIreviews are all fired up at welcoming TeamSports to our team of quality suppliers. TeamSports are the powerhouse behind a number of well-known sporting goods brands in New Zealand, including "Aerobie", "Sports Master" and "Adidas", and stock sporting goods and accessories for a wide number of sports, such as boxing, baseball, martial arts, gridiron and tee-ball, to name a few.

KIWIreviews are drooling with delight at welcoming Davies Foods to our pantry of quality foodstuff suppliers. Davies Foods are the driving force behind such brands a "Chop Chop Chicken" and "Chop Chop Tuna" as well as "Act II" and "Pop'n'Good" Popcorn.

Competition updates... Go the F**k to Sleep

2011-08-14T12:34:00.003+12:00

Thanks to the excellent team at Text Publishers (Aust) for providing us with five copies of the hilarious parents-only book "Go the F**k to Sleep".

It was a VERY hard choice... and there were a lot of amazing entries, but in the end there can be only, erm, five. Yes, five winners. So, here they are... the top 5 entries selected by random ballot from a short-list of over 50 that passed the grade:

Winners:
I love you my beautiful boy,
But I've had a gutsful of counting sheep.
I could carry luggage, in the bags under my eyes,
Pleeease f**king go to sleep.

The Earth has finally stopped shaking,
The House is as secure as a Keep.
No more earthquakes tonight, my sweetheart,
Now go the f**k to sleep.

You crib is so warm and inviting,
You're curled up with Sooty and Sweep,
My dinner is burning - I'm at my wits end,
So PLEASE get the f**k off to sleep!

Astronauts manage to do it,
Bungi jumpers can, even after their leap.
I swear you can work it out too, my child,
Shut your eyes and go the f**k to sleep.

I know your world is full of wonder,
And lots of new things that keep,
Your mind whirring like a clockwork,
But I swear you f**cking well need sleep!

Honourable Mentions:
While most boys and girls close their eyes,
Then fall asleep counting sheep.
You test my paitence and my sanity,
Now go the f**k to sleep!

You have had your tea and your tummy is full,
You dont need the loo for the 5th time, I weep.
We all know that is complete and utter bullsh*t,
Now my sweet Angel, go the f**k to sleep!

The witches of Eastwick are mixing their brew,
And around the cauldron they leap.
They cast their spells, in the ultimate hope,
That even one will make you go the f**k to sleep!

And this one gets included because it takes a different approach from ALL the others!
Your snoring is driving me mad,
I've been up all night with sick kids, you creep.
I'm going to bloody divorce you,
Unless I get some f**king sleep.

Congratulations to the winners - their names will be published on our site after they have confirmed their prize delivery details.

Competition Results

2011-08-13T23:04:00.005+12:00

Yes, I am such a slacker on this front, I know... I blame the lack of clones, or an army of cute little yellow minions to do my bidding...

Anyways, here are the competition results dating Riiiiiiggghhhhttt back to late-May which is when the last results post was done... this covers ALL the competitions since the last set of reports...

Seagate Easter - 1,481 entries
Mothers Day 2011 - 4,253 entries
Boy-vs-Beast-4 - 1,939 entries
Con365-quad - 1,136 entries
CatsAway - 2,122 entries
Klutz-Flowers - 3,218 entries
Klutz-Immaturity - 2,197 entries
FriendMatch - 1,847 entries
Navigators - 2,340 entries
PigWig-camp - 2,401 entries
Spongebob - 2,991 entries
Monsters-dvd - 4,271 entries
GoGirls-dvd - 3,948 entries
Johnsons-dvd - 2,114 entries
Cars 2 - 4,465 entries
510Jokes - 1,391 entries
GrandMac - 3,854 entries
MuncleTrogg - 1,913 entries
PleaseThanks - 2,140 entries
Klutz-Marvel - 2,636 entries
SuperDiaperBaby - 1,814 entries
Captain America (2pk) - 2,032 entries
Animorphs (twin) - 1,447 entries
Littlest Angel (twin) - 2,691 entries
Kingfisher First Dictionary - 3,164 entries
Go the F**k to Sleep - 913 entries
NG - MegaBreakdowns - 2,251 entries

And there you have it... ;)

Until next time...

New Supplier...

2011-08-11T22:39:00.000+12:00

KIWIreviews is thrilled to welcome Auckland Jet Boat Tours to their fleet of suppliers. Auckland Jet Boat Tours is New Zealand's best adventure tour and a must, on your list of things to do in Auckland! Join us at the Viaduct Harbour in the heart of Downtown Auckland for a breathtaking, 35-minute jet boat tour of the stunning Auckland City Coastline, Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf.