The ring is a powerful item. It has no beginning and no end. It's usually made of metal and it says a lot more about a person than any other jewelry (except for, perhaps, a crown).

Men have been known to order their own fingers be removed rather than sacrifice their rings. Men tiny in stature but large in heart have marched to the end of the (Middle) Earth for the sake of a ring. And men have even been known to take off their wedding rings lest they sully it by hitting on women with it upon their fingers*.

But a … Read More

None of you likely saw The Godfather Part III (and proud I am of you), but I'm feeling a little like Michael Corleone right now: "Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in." I thought I could give the hookers-with-a-heart-of-gold beat a rest but, so far, I've had no such luck. These stories are just too good.

First of all, when you need innovation, look to a German. German Johns (Hans, if you will) had too big of a carbon footprint for the likes of some German prostitutes. So, the hookers took matters into their own … Read More

If you're like us, a first date after a few flirty (insert dating website of your choice) e-mails means afternoon coffee in a well-lit cafe with lots and lots of people around. We don't even want to trap ourselves into dinner and drinks. And absolutely nothing, and we mean nothing, without a clear cut exit.

Well, don't tell that to the people who have signed up for Air New Zealand's matchmaking service. These singletons plan on meeting a viable partner online and in some cases sitting next to them on a plane for hours and … Read More

According to TVNZ (Television New Zealand, natch), a Kiwi company (Pop Media) is making the natural connection of adding Skype to a speed dating event. While I was thinking that it would be a good idea for Skype to sponsor such an event; Skyecandy has gone the full Whale Rider and actually fused the two things.

Skyecandy sets up system to leverage Skype's awesome ability to connect by adding an interface that allows users to enter romantic likes / dislikes and relevant information about themselves. Then the software arranges video dates based on a user's profile… voila … Read More

First off, give your funny bone* a hug by watching HBO's Flight Of The Conchords about a New Zealander band called Flight Of The Conchords. It's really funny and you should consider checking yourself if you disagree. The boys Brett McKenzie (pronounced Brit) and Jemaine Clement (there is no 'r' in either his first for last name) make up "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo" If it sounds like a lot, it's because it is. Sometimes they're singing about a racist dragon named Albie and other times they're wondering what was going through … Read More

Our friends over at Scanner had a bunch of stories involving nudity yesterday, and we gladly point them out to you today.

First, they told us about Las Vegas TV reporter Jeff Gradey, who was fired from his job at the Vegas ABC affiliate after management saw a Craig's List ad from him and his girlfriend soliciting "a hot, nasty girl who needs to c*m."  Scanner says that Gradey didn't get fired for posting the threesome ad; he was drop-kicked because … Read More

The proverbial "old married couple" actually doesn't fight so much: couples bicker less over time, says a study of 1,500 long-term relationship couples in New Zealand.

Fights were more common for couples in three- to seven-year-long relationships than for those 21 years or more. That makes sense, of course: one would hope that if a couple kept arguing about the same topic for years and years, they'd eventually give up the fight -- or the relationship. This particular study doesn't say anything about the reported happiness levels of the couples, though, which I would like to see before drawing … Read More

Once the province of cheesy porn involving toy hand-cuffs and very tight cop uniforms, the phrase "You have the right to good sex!" should be legislation in Ecuador, a politician there says. Though her idea was eventually scuttled as being not appropriate for Ecuador's constitution, the female politician sparked debate in the deeply religious country.

Says New Zealand's TVNZ:

"...the 45-year-old mother of two says Ecuador's male-dominated society has forced women to serve as sexual objects, and her proposal aimed to bring gender equality and fight sexual violence even if that meant women suing their husbands."

Sounds like a great … Read More

Only in America New Zealand. A married man with a long-term mistress was in danger of losing half of his assets. A new proviso in the laws governing NZ property introduces the concept of a "contemporaneous relationship" in which more than one pairing exists. Basically, the lover has to prove that the whole thing is more than just a fling and could be entitled to some portion of assets.

The case in question, involves a 20-year affair with a woman that lived in the same neighborhood as a married man. He would trot over to her house after his family went … Read More

From Stuff.co.nz
By John Henzell

A Christchurch immigrant has blamed delays by immigration officers for the stress that soured her marriage and cost her the chance to settle here.

The 50-year-old Chinese woman claimed that if her marriage to a New Zealand man had been assessed promptly, it would have survived the stress of awaiting her residency.

But a High Court judge has rejected the claims made by the woman, known only as H, and blocked her bid to overturn the decision not to grant her residency.

The judge cited evidence suggesting the woman and her husband were barely able to communicate … Read More