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timtufuga's Homepage http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:45 EDT Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:45 EDT Zorpia.com I ran the gold Coast marathon 2008 for Cancer. http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1821366 <div>The post mortem of the 30th Gold Coast airport marathon was a proper cropper for I, Tim Tufuga. I was surprised with the 4,000 marathoners who were undettered from the near gale force weather the day before the 42.195km roadrun. Over 21,000 people participated in the Gold Coast run day on the 6th July, 2008. I have recorded some footages of my Motel room, at the Sundale Motel, in southport, barely a two star rate Motel, I must admit, but, costly though, to stay overnight, and, the pre-race luggage check in, but, unfortunately, I am no longer on the internet at home, and so, I can not youtube anything anymore.</div> <div> </div> <div>I ran the Gold Coast Marathon as a proxy for the Cancer Council of Queensland. </div> <div> </div> <div>The results from my run was even worse than the Brisbane marathon two months earlier. I was shocked and awed with my lacklustre performance. I was lethargic at hthe starting line and ran at the same lethargic pace up and down the Gold Coast. I thought that I saw a Samoan running along with me but he faded before I did, which is surprising considering how lethargic I was feeling on the run course. What did I come in the Marathon? Well, I came 1,714, shocking heh? In fact, I came ahead of 2,221 other marathon runners though, which means that if I had a cropper of a performance, then what excuse do the 2,221 runners who were painstakingly still running on the 42.195km course? In my category, the 40-44 mens age group, I came 176 out of 366. Shocking still. In so far as conspiracy theory is concerned well, I think that someone had slipped in a Mickey in my water bottle in my motel room when I was asleep. It was the Motel Maid? hahaha. It some sheila anyway. My pre-race prep schedule was this, I was running three 34km over hills from Crestmead to Eagleby per week amassing a total of 102km per week in preparation for the Gold Coast Marathon. I had tappered two weeks out with only 50km distances in total before the 6th July, 2008. On the last week, I ran only 5km on Wednesday before the marathon on the weekend. I was averaging 14km per hour during the 34km runs. On the day, however, and, the same could be said of my Brisbane Marathon performance, I had blown a gasket running the distances. Infact, in the Gold Coast Marathon, at the 30km mark I hit the wall, 4km longer than the Brisbane marathon, when I had hit the wall at the 26km mark. So, insofar as, gauging how well my pre-race plan was like, well, I am certrain that I had prepared adequately for a respectable performance. I had been conservative in my estimation of running a 3 hour 40 min marathon, but, in truth, my pre-race times at the 34km mark suggested that I was aiming for a sub 3 hour 10 mark, or even faster, if I were to transfer my training times onto actual official race results. But, it seems that someone or something does not like me and have gone out of their way to humiliate me in my official results. Well, it kinda works, but, then again it does not! As they say, "what doesn't kill you, blah blah blah!"</div> <div> </div> <div>The evidence is on the <a href="http://www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au/"><font color="#ffffff">http://www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au</font></a> website. No records were broken on the day, the winning time of 2 hours and 14 mins, by a Japanese runner was to be expected but what was surprising was the disappointing performances by the two Kenyan runners who looked to impress in the early stages but faded away in the last ten kilometres from the final bend from Hollywell inbound to Southport. The kiwi legend Matt Smith came in a respectable 2 hours 19 minutes for a 4th place finish, not to be sneezed at effort from my compatriate.</div> <div> </div> <div>I am resting up plenty, awaiting some pictures to post later on. Reading up plenty and watching dvds and having some hard earned libation before my next ecstatic escapade. Olympics next month, I will be watching heaps of sports, at present, the Tour de France is tempting me to jump on my Specialized Allez road bike for a ride, so I will back in training again soon.  </div> <div> </div> <div>Ia atonu ua lava fo'i lenei talanoaga. Ia atonu tatou toe talanoa atili i se taimi i luma.</div> <div> </div> <div>Soifua</div> <div> </div> <div>Tim Brian Tufuga.</div> <div> </div> <div>19th July, 2008.</div> <div></div> <div>I have just recovered from a virus and am back running once again. I am feeling less energetic from my convalescent two weeks at home. I did a short 4.5km roadrun with some 10kg worth of library books in my backpack. I had read four fairly heavy laden books during my rest. Very interesting topiics I might add. I had some insight in hthe present afghanistan crises from Sarah Chase an American Peace corp seconded to qork for Hazim Kazai's older brother in Kandahar. she reveals the inchoate anarchy of the warlords of the Pashtun particularly in the Kandahar provinces. I was particulary interested in the Orazkon province since this is where thne Australian troops are stationed and true to my perceptions, the Loya Jirga are a bunch of latterday Texan cowboys meets Papua New Guinea Bigman culture of Machiavellian strongmen seeking foreign powers to assist them in self aggrandisement. Notwithstanding the Taliban, who seem subsumed in the local peaking order assassinations and the odd US or Australian collaterals included. interesting enough to note that the very next province is Helmund province which is opium country, and then we see a quasi-Colombian Cocaine Cartel unfolding with a regular trafficking of opiates to foreign black marketeers. The local tribal conflicts reminds of the bouganville situation in PNG Solomon islands whereby anarchic elements from BRA and Melsol elements would clash with would be Sandline elements, ie, The Coalition of the Willing versus the Fedayeen mercenaries via the Pakistan border otherwise considered as the Taliban. To me this is somewhat as a crock since the taliban, or really, the purported jihadi-Salafists from the Sunni Hanafeite Deobandi Madrassas from Moghul India, now called Pakistan, seems to be overwhelmed with the Osama Bin Laden myth. He is the AlQaeda myth, Al Qaeda, according to Gilles Kepel translation is the Data Base, in other words, Al Qaeda is merely a network utilising the modern Intel and psywarfare technology used by jihadi Salafists via the Iridium satphone networkd from foreign commonders to order IED and remote assasinations of acquired targets in Iraq, Afghanistan, Britain or France, otherwise considered as territories of Dar Al Harb. Harb means 'war' not Jihad by the way.</div> <div></div> <div>Meanwhile, back in the ranch, I am recovering well from the local intrigues and avoiding, alas, the Dar al harb in a purported area of Dar al Ahd. If you are a Muslim, then you'd understand my meaning.</div> <div></div> <div>So lets assume, that I live in Australia and therefore, it is assumed to be a country in which we live in Dar Al Ahd. I just have to watch out for accidents and other inadvertant misadventures. Right?</div> <div></div> <div>Ia mo tagata Samoa, ua vevela fo'i le fala.</div> <div></div> <div>Ia soifua.</div> <div></div> <div>O Tim Brian Tufuga</div> <div> </div> <div></div> News & Sports http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1821366 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:04 EDT Tim Tufuga has done the Brisbane Marathon 2008. http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1798645 <p>Well, it was not a well run marathon, but, I did do it. There were less than 200 people running the marathon and I had run the first half marathon reasonably well and as I had planned, the second half however, I made an incredulous discovery that at hthe 22km drink station I had ingested an Endura sport drink that did not go down well and I had 'hit the wall' soon after. I had been doing over 100km to 120km per week leading up to the Brisbane marathon. I was used to doing 34km with little trouble at all since I was running to and from Beenleigh which was 34km from my home at least once a week. Strangely, though, that during the Brisbane marathon whilst I was stopping over at one of the drink stations namely the 22km drink station an old man came out to me and offered me Endura which I took and not long afterwards I had 'hit the wall' sooner than I had expected and I flet very drousy and sleepy, still I continued but running much slowly though. This is not my first marathon and I am familiar to whta my body is capable of doing. In the end my  finishtime was very unflattering. However, I did jog my way to the finishline not feeling tired at all but annoyed that I had 'hit the wall' sooner than I had expected. I was annoyed at the drink station old man who came at me with the endura drink that was not endura at all, since I was loading up with endura for days prior to the marathon. there were 179 runners doing the Brisbane marathon I came 108. I should have come in the top 40 with my expected training times. Still the marathon has been done and I am bnow preparing for the Gold Coast marathon wherethere ought to be over 2,500 runners. Yes, I have run marathons before and, yes, I do know bad eggs are out there.</p> <p>read my other view on <a href="http://spaces.msn.com/timtufuga">http://spaces.msn.com/timtufuga</a></p> Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1798645 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:06 EDT I have changed my mind. http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1787248 <p>Well, I have decided to blog something nonsensical after my spate with telephone, mobile and internet bills.</p> <p>All that aside I have reconciled all these spurious bills and arisen above the din. In the meantime, I am alive and well and I am keeping my head just above water. I am continuing running I'm training for a marathon three weeks away.</p> <p>No, I have not been overwhelmed with the cost of living per se. Although, I have sacrificed many things in my life including having a family of my own.</p> <p>A life of a devout bacholar has its shortcomings and no doubt some people would find this seemingly misanthropic existence rather enticing. I am used to being a recluse and enjoy the company of me, myself, and I. As a child I never liked mingling with others in the playground anyways, in fact, I never liked people in general. I had many school friends but I chose them and not the other way around. Being relocated in different countries made cultural shock very acute. So being a loner would make this experience very much the norm. I was undeterred with the company of others and I would never try to adapt and to assimilate to an incrowd 'clique'. I find that the gregarious nature of individuals as truly 'sheepish'. I would never make a decent soldier because I would march to the beat of my own drum. so when iot comes to sport, I was an effective team player in rugby I did my part well in the backline or with the forwards. As a schoolboy, I would prefer to do individual events, so as a muscle bound kid I tried shotput and discus. I represented Wellington regions in shotput being the smallest shotputter in my grade. I came 12th in the national championship in shotput.</p> <p>In Australia, I was selected in the first XV rugby union side for a GPS school, Brisbane State High School, in 1986. I never liked my teammates and never befriended anyone. I was the first ever Pacific Islander, a Polynesian Samoan, to represent BSHS in the first XV back in 1986. Later on Tongans would pass through the first XV including Steve Kefu who would become a Wallaby in the future.</p> <p>In 1988, I was selected to represent American Samoa in rugby league during the Pacific cup, then I was selected for the Samoan rugby league squad for their NZ tour in 1988. I was injured and never toured NZ. I did not like my teammates as well, even though they were all Samoans.</p> <p>In 1992, I had represented Samoa during the World Cup rugby league held in Sydney, Australia. I had played my first test against NZ which we lost by 1 point. I dropped the ball out on the wing over the tryline during the first half, and I had a tear on my left knee ligament which ended my world cup for Samoa. After the world cup I returned to Wellington and continued my undergraduate studied at Victoria University of Wellington.</p> <p>In 1993, I returned to Australia and continued studying at the university of Queensland where I had completed my BA degree majoring in government. It is now called political science.  I had graduated in 1994. I was doing my post graduate degree when the Queensland police arrested me for fighting a bunch of rednecks in a taxi rank in Toowong, Brisbane. I thrahsed one of my assailants and I was charged with GBH. </p> <p>Now, this is history now. I am nearing forty years of age and now doing triathlons, and running marathons. Still single and forever tormented from my past. I am still a New Zealander convinced that Australia is not worth becoming a citizen for now or even in the near future. I will continue to remain here forever though.</p> <p>So, what is new with you? </p> <p>Soifua</p> <p>Tim B Tufuga</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1787248 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:41 EDT Telstra wins I am disconnected on the internet http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1772383 <p>My Telstra internet is now disconnected and my mobile phone is cut as well. 0 minutes ago I am no longer on the internet. So this will be one of my final blogs through a public internet access facility in the Marsden public library. </p> <p>Telstra has charged me for the disconnection of my broadband internet for over a $255, plus my mobile disconnection for $355 and not to mention my regular monthly phone charges which means that I am nolonger connected with anyone from my home.</p> <p>Now I am poor having to pay for my Telstra and power bills I have just paid my rent. What does this mean? </p> <p>I can not do the 2008 Gold Coast Triathlon, nor, can I do the Mooloolaba triathlon 2008. I may be able to compete in the Brisbane Marathon. I can not do anymore Youtube video blogs and so this will be closed as well. Telstra has done me a dirty deed and they have beaten me. </p> <p>So goodbye </p> <p>Ia soifua </p> <p>Tim Tufuga </p> Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1772383 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:48 EDT A phone call from Ray Pogi. http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1768250 <div class="bvEntry" id="entrycns!A2F9F22AAE4D5A6F!1218" bv:cns="cns!A2F9F22AAE4D5A6F!1218" bv:ca="true" bv:cat="Sports"> <div id="LastMDatecns!A2F9F22AAE4D5A6F!1218">January, 2008</div> <h4 class="TextColor1" id="subjcns!A2F9F22AAE4D5A6F!1218" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><a href="http://timtufuga.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A2F9F22AAE4D5A6F!1218.entry"><font color="#ffffff">A complaint from a triathlete.</font></a></h4> <div class="bvMsg" id="msgcns!A2F9F22AAE4D5A6F!1218"> <div>Yesterday, Thursday arvo on the 24th January, 2008, a triathlete called me up and complained about the serious defaming blogs which I had been making against him,  this person is Ray Pogi. After a number of months of perpetual internet psywarfare with email, chat, blogs, and comments, being exchanged between the aforementioned person, or rather his proxies, and I, this had finally come to the fore with a simple phone call. </div> <div> </div> <div>Ray phoned me and simply stated irrefutably that he did not send any videos to my mailbox. On his words I have simply removed all my disparaging remarks and negative blogs which has irrevocably damaged him as a person and as a triathlete. Furthermore, I would sincerely apologise for all my past actions over the internet against his name, his family, and against his personal character.</div> <div> </div> <div>Thank you Ray for your call.</div> <div> </div> <div>Tim Tufuga.</div> </div> </div> Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1768250 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:24 EDT 2008 resolutions http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1760778 2008 resolutions. Current mood: grateful Category: Life Twas the Sunday before New Years Eve and all seemed well for the Possie the retches had settled down from the conniving misdeeds throughout the year and now looking on hindsight they have reflected upon their ill gotten gains. Well, what have we achieved in the year that was 2007? "Sweet f--- all" but, we did see a tumultuous change in everything from the number of political changes, the changes of governments, from the demise of great living legends, Great Tenors, thespian personalities, political asssignations and democracy being forever challenged with the continual usurpation by the Machiavallian Prince throughout the anarchic world stage. Peace has been a shrinking violet for a while now. There was an endless amount of disappointments for yet another 365 of Earth's orbit around the sun. According to the American Cancar Society some 12 million people were diagnosed with cancer and some 7 million people died from Cancer in 2007, and, get this, some 20,000 people died per day from some form of caner causing death in 2007. In the 3rd world some 6 million children died from malnutrition this year. As a Samoan, I would have to say that this year has been marked by a unique regime change with the passing of the Head of State of Samoa, Le Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II, le ao o le Malo. It is a tragic year for many people and it is not a year in which we can readily celebrate the achievements of many Samoans apart from staging the Samoa games, which was a very notable highlight for Samoa's young and developing sporting history. On the local scene, Australia has finally spoken in the ballot box and have demanded the disendorsement of the federal liberal/national coalition government now the moderate left labour governemnts, dominate state and federal governments in Australia. Paradoxically, however, the labour movement is ideologically riding on the new right wave which has introduced the monetarism philosophy to most western democratic political philosophies of today. In layman terms, the new right still dictate public policy of government and Milton Friedman is still surreptitiously the blueprint architect of the present poltical mindsets of most of the rightwingers' cabal, even within the labour governments/caucases within Australia, and, dare I say, NZ. The 'war on terror', still is high on the political agenda and America will be facing its on judgement day come the Federal elections in 08. It is highly suggested that Australia has set a precendent in what ought to be a real regime change even within the USA elections. In the meatime, Australia, and the rest of coalition of the willing hardliners, will be bracing themselves for the moribund realpolitical outcomes of political choice. The Hawks have dominated American and Australian political thinking for half a decade now America and her allies are facing a change in preference for the less than coercive and more assertive approach to international relations. The key may lie with the Democratic incumbents who will establish the new order for the denouemont of the Jihadi conflict that is now entering its endgame strategies. The Middle East conflicts will be drawn out once again with more political skirmishes to dismantle the peace process, afterall, it is a way of life for most of these people who not known anything else but violence, sport and education, and the concept of lasting intergenerational peace, are cultural shock experiences, which will be alien to the present generation and future generation of Palestinians, Israelis, as well as, Iraqi, Iranian and Afghani people etc. These people will escape to Australia and elsewhere, and bring with them their conflicts onto our beaches and streets. On this note, the influences of the foreign conflicts has impacted Australia so directly that even the likes of David Hicks still makes headline news with his release from imprisonment. He has been considered as a soldier of fortunem a mercenary soldier who wanted to enter a skirmish against a purported religious enemy fighting in Afghanistan for a noble cause which has been considered, on hindsight, a very costly freedom of choice. David Hicks is now free which has become a political well timed exercise in the light f the political ramifications in Afghanistan and America's response being somewhat muted and reserved in light of the increasingly unpopular American foreign policy in Australia. David Hicks was a political pawn used by America and her enemies to pit Australians against themselves within the domestic sphere. The deaths of three Australian soldiers in Afghanistan has highlighted the 'wait and see' approach by America and in particular how trhe Australian media will respond to David Hicks and the response of the Australian servicemen KIA families to his release. The anti-American rally, post-David Hicks release, may be muted with the three ADF KIA from Afghanistan. It is a time to be circumspect and to seek comfort in knowing that you and I have survived yet another orbit around this celestrial star in the sky, and yes, I have survived. We are merely star dust and we look at our creator every day and we spin around GOD every year, we have about 2 billion rotations around God before she shrinks and implodes into a death star and 'whammo', she (it) will implode into the black abyss of the "black hole", ahh, then it will be the end of life as we know it. In the meantime, happy new year everybody. Tofa Soifua, Tim Brian Tufuga Currently listening : Greatest Hits By Neil Young Release date: 16 November, 2004 Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1760778 Sun, 30 Dec 2007 02:30 EDT Merry Christmas everyone from Tim Tufuga http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1759388 <img hspace="0" src="http://lrg.zorpia.com/0/3929/25150481.0739cf.jpg" align="baseline" border="0" /> Merry Merry Christmas 2007 Everyone, from Tim Tufuga. Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1759388 Mon, 24 Dec 2007 23:46 EDT My summation of my year that was 2007. http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1757611 <p>I would have to say that the year that was 2007 was rather uneventful on the local scene. The exception was that I did some more triathlons and now I have almost lost the inclination to do anymore triathlons. I have decided to switch to roadrunning and still swimming and to cycle some more I am considering a shorter triathlon maybe in March or April 2008. I will be warming up for the April running calender where I will be considering doing the Brisbane half marathon, or the full marathon. Then it will be the July 6th 30th Gold Coast marathon. Swimming is coming along just fine, it is just stroke correction at present, no fitness in the pool, too close to Christmas for any fitness peakness, I need to relax over the festive season and enjoy the festive ails. I will probably prepare for the Mooloolaba and then maybe the Noosa running season in 2008? Then again I might just do absolutely zilch! Then I'll just do my usual weekly and daily riding and running and swimming for persoanl fitness. No big deal.</p> <p>Now, the federal government has changed seating positions. The opposition are now in power and the former government are now sitting on the opposite side of the house of reoresentatives and the senate. The first day in the office for the Australian Labour Prime Minister was marked with an international covenant being ratified concerning the Climate Change, the Greenhouse effect has now become a global treaty with members agreeing in principle to watch out their Carbon emmisions levels in some glaobal benchmark. The Kyoto Protocal has been ratified by the world except the USA, who still had their ubiquitous eyes in the conference and saying their Pax Americana two cents worth to proceedings as per usual. American exclusion from the UN sanctioned global forum in Bali has been interupted by American delegates stating their views of </p> <p>"We might join in, and, if we are members, we would have said this, or we might have said this, provided that we do consider signing into the Kyoto treaty?, but, alas, we are not ratifing anything. So we are in no position to say anything and we have no "official" comment on present proceedings." (personal hypothesis)</p> <p>The truth might seem very surreptitiously anti-American which may stir some pro-Americanism paranoia in New York and Washington DC. The war on terrorism may have ignited a counter Americanism which may be the underlying motif within the Bali conference which would concern Langley to no end. The Australian general election has also spelt out the particularly anti-American backlash by the Bennelong electorate with the resounding victory to Maxine McKew (ALP) who ousted the Australian Prime Minister from his Bennelong seat and out of government and out of politics perhaps forever. The All the way with George W Bush rationale did not bode well for the Australian people who had completely changed their views to the American 'staying the course', in Afghanistan and Iraq. The loyalty was undiminished amongst the military factors and the hawks who had welcomed the American weapons and military deals with Halliburton etc, the Galaxy troop carriers, the JSF, the Abram tanks, the Unmanned drones, and other technical and military intel sharing capabilities which has transformed the Australian military machine as the most advanced military power on this side of the planet. This is the mates rates which the ADF and the DSD have procured and acquired with their American allegiences. The military Tamdem Thrust exercises have prepared Australia and American military for the ost comprehensively rehearsed amphibious conventional invasion of an enemy nation anywhere within the South East Asian region, and to repel any potential invading force north of the Arafura and Timor Sea area. The Tandem Thrust exercise has been held in Queensland for the past few years and have used over 26,000 American Marine and Army personnel as well as a couple of Australian Army regiments, QLD based, with the full support of the US Pacific Command and RAN. The Airforce are also well represented in this multi-million dollar staged show for the real thing anywhere from the Philipines, Indonesia, Malaysia, PNG or any place that may threaten Australian territories now or in the near future. America is commited to intervene almost automatically. Tandem Thrust has prepared American troops to be deployed from as far away as Hawaii and landing anywhere in Queensland within 24 hours, almost undetected by local area surveillance sources. This was already proven when US Airbourne parachuted into Shoalwater Bay, in north Queensland, completely undetected by Australian surveillance in 2006. The Americans took happy shots of their landing and then showed it to the Australians. An entire brigade of US Airbourne troops, some 750 troops, with live weapons, had landed in Queensland undetected. American-Australian wargames have been going on for quite some time now. It is seldom revealed to the public but when it does it is normally the accidental deaths in exercise accidents in North Queensalnd that are reported.</p> <p>The present Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has not shirked in Australia's military commitment to Afghanistan by not ordering the withdraw of Australian troops but to increase numbers of Australian military numbers in Tarin Kowt, The Australian compound, within Southern Afghani province. However, the ALP Prime Minister has commited to withdraw up to 500 Australian Diggers from Iraq.</p> <p>The Australian military muscle has been overstretched and it is true it has become weathered and battle weary in Iraq and Afghanistan. The de ja vue Vietnam war backlash has been expected but not overly passionate in the local reaction to Iraq and Afghanistan, this may be explained with the 911 experience, therefore, it is yet another day in the office for the professional soldier, unlike the Vietnam conscription period within the US, which had spilt over to very strong anti-war sentiments in Australia and in NZ. The casualty rates has been well controlled bar the three recent fatalities in Afghanistan by Taliban forces. The Australians have not been too anti-American due to this lack of casualty rate in the Middle East.</p> <p>Locally, though, I have had my fair share of close encounters with road rage, whilst training on my bike. I have had a couple of prangs on my bike and on both occasions I had an Aboriginal Muslim person behind the wheel, knocked off the road in Loganlea, and a Arab man braked on his car suddenly, whilst I was cycling behind him, in Kangaroo Point, forcing me to run into his black SUV, he blamed me for crashing into his car. I did not agree of this summation. I tried to pursue the matter further with police intervention and the police did not care, it was not a big deal. On both occassions I had minor injuries and I sought medical attention and was delayed at the Princess Alexander hospital and so I left with no medical attention at all and no more was said about it.</p> <p>So apart from these minor incidents (accidents) out on the road, I had managed to do three big triathlons, and did a couple of half marathons, and the Gold Coast marathon. I am now convalescing in December feeling rather worn out as well. I have now returned to cycling, and swimming in the local pool, and doing the usual road runs to keep myself reasonably fit.</p> <p>I am still living with my sister, who is on holiday from university studies, I am still single and living well within my means in outter suburbia in South East Queensland. </p> <p>No festive cheer for anyone this christmas, I'm afraid to say, because I have no one to give it to, hahaha. </p> <p>Might just pop over to visit mum in the Beenleigh cemetery and say happy Xmas, we will all be with her some time in the future anyway, so she can just wait for us a while longer.</p> <p>I have noticed in the local rag the local city councillors are about to receive a pay rise. Our local councillor Cr. Phil Pidgeon is earning over $87,000 per annum, and he will be receiving an remuneration increase next month of some $14,000, this is not included to loadings? for whatever incidentals he may accrue from his service to the community obligations. Not a bad little job if you can get it. You have to be elected into office within the democratic process of local government elections. The Lord Mayor receives over $143,000 per annum, so it is a well paying job for very important and efficacious political incumbents, right?!</p> <p>Im still on the dole! I have a university degree worth bugger all. Ahh, the Australian dream, like the American dream, it works only for the very, very few.</p> <p>My New Years resolution coming up next time....</p> <p>Soifua.</p> <p>Tim Tufuga</p> <p>Logan City Council (division nine, triathlete, marathoner, bum!)</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> News & Sports http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1757611 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:14 EDT Nathan Briggs versus Alex Leapai. 30th Nov 07 http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1754026 <p>Nathan Briggs versus Alex Leapai.  </p> <p>It has been a longtime in coming but it is interesting to see who really has the local boxing scene dominance. It has been proven irrefuatbly by the powerhouse Samoan, Alex the Lionheart Leapai who had knocked down Nathan Briggs not once, twice, or even three times, but seven times in a most emphatic display of boxing supremacy for the Logan City area. Aces boxing has all the footages and gallery.</p> <p> <a href="http://www.aceboxingpromotions.com/index.php?option=com_expose&Itemid=55">http://www.aceboxingpromotions.com/index.php?option=com_expose&Itemid=55</a> </p> <p>Nathan Briggs, a former world K1 kickboxing champion, switched fighting codes to boxing and has showed his natural abilities with the pugilist form as well, he had encountered the devastatingly menacing power of Col Wilson over the years and has now raised pyschological doubts about his abilities after a most emphatic humbling experience with the Lionhearted Samoan. It is kudos for a very impressive pugilist career for Nathan Briggs which must admit does not look too impressive now after Alex Leapai's remonstrative demolition of the Briggs family pride. </p> <p>Alex Leapai, is a London Misionary Society, an LMS son, or a member of the David Tua Congregational church boxing tradition. You know the Samuel Marsden deployed missioanries such as John Williams who was sent on board the "Message of Peace" ship to the South Pacific in circa 1830, to spread the gospel to the Pacific Islanders. Over 150 years later, these Paific Islanders have returned to Marsden, in Logan City, Queensland. Now, Marsden is obviously named in honour of Samuel Marsden, the Church Missionary Society head, it was jointly part of the Weslyan and Congregational missions from Australia in 1800s. Samuel Marsden was the big huncho, who had sent John Williams, the missionary, to Samoa, from Sydney Cove, New South Wales. Not from Queensland mind you, but, Marsden, as a suburb, is situated in South East Queensland. Marsden like the name Williams has a historical cultural significance for the Samoans which is unknown by many Australians. </p> <p>Many Samoans have now taken up residency in Marsden, or nearby, in Logan City, in South East Queensland, and many have become naturalised Australians, some of which are now local pugilists like Alex Leapai. The Samoan congregationalists are proud of their pugilist traditions from David Tua and now Alex Leapai. The congregationalists still have the largest protestant membership in Samoa, which comprises of some 60% of the nations population. My father is also a congregationalist, in To'omatagi, Apia, Samoa. He is also an avid fan of rugby and boxing, although, he represents his country in lawnbowls. </p> <p>Alex Leapai, from Logan City, near Marsden, is preparing for another fight and will consider himself a contender for any more serious bouts on offer in the USA and elsewhere, he is getting in yarsd like all of us and his career needs a hurry up to attain the dizzying heights of David Tua and perhaps better? </p> <p>Ia soifua tatou mo lenei aso! </p> <p>Tim Tufuga, Crestmead, near Marsden. </p> <p> </p> News & Sports http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1754026 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:25 EDT Ted, A genuine Ten Bob Pom. http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1752516 <p>View the Youtube video on Ted, the Ten Bob Pom.</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InyXQP2wNbk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InyXQP2wNbk</a></p> <p>At long last, I have finally interviewed a Ten Bob Pom in real life. Here is amongst the last of the original Ten Bob Poms to arrive into Australia in 1962 onboard the HMAS Canberra. Ted was born in east London and migrated to Scotland to a place called Hamilton, then boarded the HMAS Canberra for her final voyage to Australia. I had asked him the cost of his passage and he replied. "Ten pounds" and laughed. Ted is now a reclusive man living with his wife, named Anna, who is suffering from alzeimers disease, in Regents Park, in Logan City, and he is 72 years of age.</p> Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1752516 Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:53 EDT Aust. fed. election 2007, a disenfranchised view. http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1749877 Today, 24th Nov, 2007, Australian federal elections. Current mood: apathetic Category: News and Politics See who is on the offing, at the ballot box which is now open at 0800 AEST. It is now 0810 on Saturday morn, the ballot box has been open for 10 minutes. http://www.google.com.au/election2007/ My sister is the only Australian in this household, which means that I represent the foreigner aspect. I am disenfranchised still, being a Kiwi residing within Australia for the past twenty six and a bit years. I have been to high school and university in this country, I have worked, paid my taxes and been on centrelink payment within this country and have been subjected to the most negative aspects of the judicial process within this country as well, all whilst being denied the opportunity to have any citizenry democratic rights, and with the Queensland justice system the way it is, I have been denied the right to become an Australian citizen because I have been considered as a persona non grata. However, it is strange though, that I have been able to remain here after all this hooplah surrounding my inability to become an Australian citizen. The strangeness of the Australian justice system and the immigration authorities makes a mockery of sensible people and bureaucratic redtape. In the past decade or so I have been travelling in and out of Australia with no problems, although I was processed for over two hours in the Brisbane International airport pending my eligibility to re-enter the country with my illustrious record of having to serve three years imprisonment for defending myself in a street fight in 1993. I was denied a trial by jury then, which in itself, was a severe miscarriage of justice then. Some bureaucrat seemed to agree, after all, they have permitted me to return into this country repeatedly from NZ and from Samoa. So what does a disenfranchised Kiwi on a special caegory visa (SCV) think about Australian politics? What a bunch of a duplicitous mob these Australians really are. If I have been called a very unAustralian person, well can you really blame me? So why am I still here? I'm still in Brisbane, Australia, still listed on the phone book, and living freely as an Australian permanent resident." I have always considered the justice system as perverted, but then again, the bureaucrats at federal level in particular, have been duplicitous and capricious enough to allow me back into the country, but this was back in 2000? It is 2007, and the coalition government are still in power, when I was incarcerated it was a Paul Keating labor regime, which means, then, that I ought to be a pro-liberal, and strangely enough, to be a pro-Monarchist as well. I have been permitted to travel freely between Australia and New Zealand simply because I am a British subject exercising the subjectivity rights and to seek assistance and the protection as proffered by Her Majesty, as stipulated upon my New Zealand passport. On a more regional level, however, under the reciprocity of bilasteral agreements between the governemnts of Australia and New Zealand, however, British Subjectivity rights, are considered rather unsavoury and very unfavourable by many xenophobic Australians, or by any other regionalist for that matter, In Australia, the monoculturalism, and the Blainey "Tyranny of distance", rationale is accentuated with the sensationalism of 'backdoor immigration' from Asians implicitly referring to South Pacific Islandersmigrating into Australia, as duly noted by the 'One Nation' political party manifesto, as recent as the 1990s period. This is not new of course, of course we canb recall Samuel Griffiths sfforts in the past century with the original white Australia policy initiated here in Queensland, then ferally legislated after the federation within the Immigration Restriction Act, of 1901, denying all Pacific Islanders to migrate into Australia. The White Australia policy was re-affirmed with the post John Curtin era, with Ben Chifley's immigration minister Arthur Calwell's One Million Brits, immigration launch during the early 1950s, bringing into Australia the ten pounds for a passage Poms, on board HMAS Canberra. The influx of whites anglo-celtics into Australia was welcomed during the 1950s where universal benefits were freely available for Poms disembarking the ports and being housed into State commissioned homes, receiving free health rights, education right through to university, and jobs were offered, under the Beveridge Plan, and the Keynesian universal welfare state regime, this meant that Poms were instant Australians. When One Million Poms numbers were not met, then it was the lesser desirable, but, still white enough, Eastern Europeans were welcomed into the country. The fear of PNG, Indians, and other Pacific Islanders, and Asians, exercising British Subjectivity rights, in order to enter Australia and other Commonwealth Nation soveriegn borders, made many anclo-celtic whites acutely xenophobic. However, to reitierate my statement above, everyone knows that the most number of immigrants into Australia are Europeans and the vast majority are Anglo-Celtic migrants, which I affectionally call, the "Ten Bob Poms". I have always given an analogy of coloured migrants into this country as likened to coloured tennis balls, when thrown and mixed into a basketful of green tennis balls, you would naturally notice the non-green tennis balls, and you would think that there are too many of them and you would want to single them out for special attention like scapegoatism. You'd wage war on them on the beaches, on the streets, in the pubs, and on the football fields. The exception I would think, would be soccer, where there is a bifurcated even racial, cultural divide, between, for example, the Croats, in Sydney, and, other clubs, including Melbourne (mainly Serbs) dominated soccer clubs, which is, an example, of the cultural racial tensions, arising from multiculturalism from an Enoch Powell perspective. Meanwhile, back to my story of the Australian federal elections. What do I have to say about the state of politics within this country? Does Edmund Burke have any relevance for the purportedly Australian politically astute? As a persona non grata, therefore, do I represent the antithesis to the Burkean prescription of the 'one nation' and the one dimensionalism of singlemindedness to nationalist shared values, along with the obligations, rights and responsibilities associated with citizenry democracy? Moreover, therefore, have I absolved my rights to be considered a responsible citizen forever due to being considered persona non grata criminality of unlawfulness within this country? Or, in truth, am I merely considered as a target of opportunity for xenophobic elements to be made an example of? Whatever the contention, I am still duly engaged with my Australian experiences and not having a vote denies me my democratic right to have a say for, or against, the incumbents, who decide, through legislative and public policy decisions, what is in my best interest within this country. I am a disenfranchised prisoner still. So why do I remain here still? My entire family is here, that is why. My late mother, my sister, and I, make up my entire clan! I don't like the odds of course, but, when you are disenfranchised and have a record and are considered a persona non grata, what hope have I got against the odds except having to go with the where the tideis flowing. and scream blue murder for all the injustices I have personally experienced in my life whilst being a migrant into Australia, since 1981. So, who would I prefer to be in power? I don't care, they are all Australians to me. Ask my sister she is the Australian in my house? Soifua. Tim Tufuga Disenfranchised Kiwi in Australia Currently watching : One Flew Over the Cuckooâ€™s Nest Release date: 17 December, 1997 News & Sports http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1749877 Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:16 EDT It is Rememberence day. http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1745963 <dl class="body"><dt class="post-head">It is Rememberence day throughout the world. </dt><dd class="post-body "> <div class="image-wrapper"></div> <div class="content-wrapper"> <p>It is nearly a century since the first world war was declared. It is Armistice Day throughout the world. Diggers in Australia are remembering the day in which thousands of diggers had fallen in Europe and throughout the globe. The last of the WW1 Diggers have long gone now and the nursing homes and dawn services are empty now with no Aussie slouch hats with poppie flowers pinned on lapels on old men. The Australians are remembered throughout the world as coming in aid of the Brits and the British empire in Englands war against her enemies. The Saxe-Coburg Gotha family change their family name and are, henceforth, known as the Windsors, thus, renouncing their Anglo-Saxon heritage with the Hannovarian Dukedom and some 200 years of Saxonry rulership of England.</p> <p>In the meantime, the only bastion of Deutchlander vestiges within the Antipodes is a quaint and exotic group of islands within the South Pacific, Samoa. The Germans DHPG company had established a commercial enterprise within Samoa with the primary export industry being Copra by-products, then considered as highly sought after, until synthetic oil extracts replaced the natural copra oil extracts industry which the South Pacific proffered Europe in the turn of tthe century.</p> <p>The population of the Samoans was still well below the 100,00 mark and as a South Pacific nation before the eventual declaration of hostilities in Europe, there had almost been a pre-emptive skirmish, back in 1889, in Samoa, when the Germans, Americans and the English naval ships were training their guns against each other in Apia harbour, but, actual engagement was prevented through a freak intervention of nature through a cyclone which scuttled warships onto the harbour beaches and preventing a pre-great war prelude incident within the South Pacific. </p> <p>The Samoans would be the first nation throughout the world to realise the dawning of the great war when an occupation force sailed into Apia harbour, in Samoa, with the New Zealand expeditentiary force arrival, with some 1,500 NZ marines disembarked onto the Apia township, fully lock and loaded with 303 SML Lee Enfield rifles, and the Kiwis under Australian naval escort, including the HMAS Australia in escort, took Samoa islands, and in less than a day of resistence. The official occupation was offcially confirmed with the German administrator Governor Solf accepting of the Deutchlander flag, and the Kiwis hoisting the Union Jack above the Governor Solf's administrative quarters in Apia. The present justice day buildings in Samoa.</p> <p>New Zealand occupied Samoa throughout world war one up until Samoa had finally achieved its independence from New Zealand in 1962.</p> <p>So who remembers anything about South Pacific history, I wonder?</p> <p>Ia manuia lenei aso, o le aso 11 Novema, 1918, o le Rememberence day.</p> </div></dd></dl> Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1745963 Sat, 10 Nov 2007 23:54 EDT Tim Tufuga does the Noosa triathlon 2007 http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1744498 <p>I have done the Noosa triathlon 2007, along with over 5,000 triathletes making the Noosa triathlon the largest triathlon event in the Southern Hemisphere.</p> <p>I have uploaded my video for you viewing and I have described my personal perspective to the event. click onto this following link</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7arWBgqgNI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7arWBgqgNI</a></p> Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1744498 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:30 EDT Ten Bob Poms are at it again. http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1743453 Preparing for Noosa and doing own video and pictures. Current mood: busy Category: Sports After training for months for the Noosa triathlon it is now time for the real deal. Inspite all the interesting trials leading to this moment I can not focus on anything other than this event. I am my own manager, coach, trainer, as well as, the triathlete. So it is now sorting out the travelling itinerary, accomodation bookings, and packing, locking and loading, my bike, wetsuit, googles, nutrition, clothing, shoes, etc, calibrating my bike wheelsets, tyre pressures, brake calipers and pads, tyre tube selection, then the minor needed adjustments and changes and so on. I felt so nervous that even in my final swim session on Thursday morning at 0730, I felt so giddy in the water when only doing four hundred metres and then doing a fast exit for a T1 session from the Gould Adams swimming pool mounting my bike after a quick towel over for my ride home. I didn't want to blow a gasket in the water 3 days out from the Noosa triathlon. I had a tyre puncture though which annoyed me endlessly. So it was on the side of the road once again for a tyre tube change. It was one of my very expensive racing tyre tubes, worth $20, down the gurgler before the race. I had replaced it with my other expensive racing tyre tube hopefully this one will make it to the starting line. I now have a puncture on a $120 racing tyre and a $20 tyre tube, being poor this is like a very expensive needless expenditure. That is $140 blowout because of a smart arse prank. I can get away with the hole in my brand new Vittoria corsa evo racing tyre for the Noosa triathlon. It is worth $150 rrp but being a triathlete I get it for $120. I can not stand the creeps that find pleasure in doing my tyres and tyre tubes. It is de ja vue for me prior to the Mooloolaba triathlon. This time, for the Noosa triathlon, I have a new wheelset, brand new tyres, and new tyre tubes, so punctures should not occur so easily. But, strangely enough it has started again. I found a pin hole puncture like a needle prick hole on my tyre when I had left my bike unattended within the swimming pool when I was doing my laps. The Gould Adams swimming pool is also the AMS triathlon club home ground swimming pool so I must suspect that one of the staff members are responsible now. It costs me alot of money for a prank matey. So now I will cancel out this redneck racist acts of terrorism and will continue to focus on the triathlon where no doubt the white Australian terrorists will be there as well. These people are 'Ten Bob Pom' David Hicks type mob cheap and nasty white terrorist crims. We shall overcome my brothers!!! I will be keen to see other Pacific Islanders on the starting line for the first time in Noosa which make me feel less lonely. Ia manuia le aso. Soifua. Tim Tufuga Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1743453 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:40 EDT Local rednecks reveal themselves. http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1741922 The rats come out of the sewers. Current mood: awake Category: Life I am currently tapering now and have one week to go before the triathlon. I have just done my last transition two (t2) session on Saturday and will only ride and swim till the Noosa triathlon. In ther homefront, however, I have had the rats come out of the sewers and revealing themselves at long last. I heard a couple of voices in front of my home and walked outside to investigate and a couple of white men, whom I did recognise as local Crestmead white men, they were walking along Wallace Street, and were making Gorilla impressions in front of my house as they were looking at me whilst doing their apelike impressions. There was a white man probably around 5 ft 9 inches in height black hair cut neat and short, clean shaven. He often rides on a trail motorbike. He is solid and athletically built. He had a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance. His partner is a around 5 ft 10 inches in height, blond hair, with a small pot belly, solid but average physique. He is quiet and does not say anything to me. It was the drunked loud mouth dark haired Mediteranean/Arab looking man that was doing the apelike impressions and said that if I responded to his taunts he would call the police on me. Instead, I called the police myself and reported the incident. The response was strange. Instead of the police arriving, a white utility car arrived with some four white men drinking beers who disemabrked from the ute and walked up and down the street drinking their beers nonchalantly. This looked like something out of "Mississippi Burning". I have now considered that the police is, in fact, responsible for the racial abuse I have been receiving, and, the fact that I called the police to inform them of the incident, and then having a car load of rednecks arriving instead seemed to confirm this fact more. My crying wolf has not been a lie and this has confirmed this truism. Atonu ua fa'amoutinoa le tulaga o lea ua fa'aaliali mai, ua le toe fefefe le tama papalagi i le fa'ali mai lo latou fa'ailoga lanu. Ua o mai i luma o lo'u fale ma ua faifai ma ua pei o maguki ma kolila lo latou fa'alili mai o a'u. Ma ua fai mai le tamoa papalagi ma ulu se'ea aluli, "ia outou ai tou fa'i", ae fai mai le fa'ita'iiga fa'a kolila. e pei o le kilikiki i le faifaiga a Initia, ia Andrew Symonds, ua fai mai ia papalagi ia te a'u i luma o lo'u fale. I have considered this situation as serious enough to confirm that racism is not a lame excuse for my imperfect triathlon performance, it is a certainty! Ia soifua tatou. Tim Brian Tufuga Personal http://www.zorpia.com/timtufuga/journal/1741922 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:41 EDT