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(Photos: PIPA) |
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NEW ZEALAND: Pacific
Institute of Performing Arts enrolments
Source:
Pacific Institute of
Performing Arts
If you love to Dance, make music, perform in a
theatre, make people laugh with comedy, become a
successful actor, learn about Pacific culture,
or develop film and television programmes, then
this opportunity is definitely for you.
Enrol with us now!
Come and be part of a quality performing arts
course, open to all students who are interested
in developing their talent and self-confidence
with awesome professionals who are committed to
sharing their knowledge and experience with you
in a fun and exciting environment.
Diploma (Level 5)
A 2 year programme which aims to provide
students with practical skills and experience in
Acting, Dance and Pacific History.
Certificate (Level 3)
A 36 week foundation course which aims to give
our students real experience and a basic
understanding of Drama, Dance and Film &
Television studies.
For more information, call us now: 0800 GO PIPA
(0800 46 7472).
Photo Caption:
Enrol now with PIPA for their Diploma in Pacific Performing Arts, or
their Certificate in Screen and Performing Arts.
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(Photos: TNA wrestling.com) |
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SAMOA: Samoa Joe locked on winning TNZ title
Source:
SLAM! Wrestling
Sunday night's fourth annual TNA Lockdown event
once again features a card compromised entirely
of matches inside the six sides of steel cage,
many with additional gimmicks added. With fans
having already witnessed over two hours of rage
in the cage, the question is, how will TNA
champion Kurt Angle and challenger Samoa Joe
keep the audience’s attention when they square
off in the main event?
"That is the million-dollar question. I am
lukewarm to a lot of extraneous stipulations put
into matches, especially on pay per view. TNA
has a talented enough roster that they never
needed those types of stipulations to go out and
entertain fans," Joe responded to SLAM!
Wrestling during a conference call to promote
the event. "But Lockdown is a concept pay per
view and is something new. When it comes to new
things you have to give it a try and go. When
you have that many cage matches on a show it is
a challenge to keep that cage in play and make
it something fantastic."
Joe's opponent has stated recently that he plans
to go a more "realistic" mixed martial arts
style battle, complete with the possibility of
wrestling barefoot. Joe, on the other hand
intends to just do what he does best.
"Kurt is a fantastic grandstanding individual,"
he admitted. "At the end of the day, I am a pro
wrestler. Regardless of what Kurt's stipulations
are or what he wants to do, the bottom line is I
am going to go in there and win a professional
wrestling match. I know he has been lobbying for
all sorts of stipulations but hopefully TNA will
see it is not necessary. I will take the belt in
any style he chooses."
Joe did acknowledge that going a different style
has risks as well.
"Absolutely it is a concern because we cater to
wrestling fans. But you have to take a risk if
you want to try something new. I know both of us
want to try something different. I know I have
enough crossover know-how of the two sports that
I think we can make it work," he said, adding
that he thinks that they will top their previous
classics. "I have had more of a chance to work
with Kurt than our previous encounters, and have
learned his style and how he moves in the ring.
It is always an advantage to know someone well
going into the match. The downside is that we
have put out solid efforts before that, there is
a lot of expectation to top what you did before.
I think it is very possible that we will do that
this weekend; in fact I think it is absolutely
going to happen. I think we will definitely
expand on the boundaries on pro wrestling in
this match, try some new things, and make a good
go of it. I am probably going to walk out of
there with a lot of scrapes, bumps, cuts and
bruises but if it is worth it if the product
comes out right."
Joe has also said that if he does not beat Angle
for the title, he will leave TNA. The question
was posed, what will Joe do if he doesn't win?
"I am thinking about hiring myself out as a
sparring partner for people around my
neighborhood. I've heard that Starbucks has a
really good pension plan. I don't really have a
plan because I don't plan for failure," he said,
before adding what it would mean to finally win
the belt. "At this point in my career, if there
is one word to sum it up it is opportunity. It
is the opportunity to show that we can make a
Samoa Joe championship run work in a major
national company, and to go out and show what
I've got."
One of the advantages of working for TNA is
talent's availability for independent wrestling
events. Joe made several appearances in Canada
last year, and hopes he can return as champion.
SLAM! Wrestling asked Joe about working indy
dates.
"The right answer I am supposed to say is that
they are all a joy, but the real answer is it is
case by case. A majority of the indy bookings I
do go on are still a lot of fun, because [it is]
the grassroots of pro wrestling, and where the
most hardcore fans are is at indy shows. It is
refreshing to go back to that environment, I
came up in it and it feels comfortable. It is a
fun deal to go back to. The shots I have done up
in Canada, it has been a tremendous response and
a really great time, and I really look forward
to those. But you also get the horrible shows in
the middle of nowhere where you are staying in a
bad hotel, but that comes with the territory."
Many of the media involved in the call asked Joe
about mixed martial arts and its influence on
professional wrestling, an influence that Joe
says while not evident now will definitely have
an impact over time.
"That is a very complicated question that I have
put a lot of thought into it. I think over time
it will have a tremendous shaping effect on all
aspects of combat sport, not just pro wrestling.
It is a mixed bag. I think soon MMA will eclipse
boxing and a lot of other sports and be the
dominant combat sport in the world.
TNA is both loved and loathed by critics, who
feel that with such a loaded roster of talent,
the creative end is lacking. Another criticism
is the addition of "established" stars like
Kevin Nash, Kurt Angle, Booker T and others, at
times pushing them ahead of TNA homegrown
talent.
"Guys like Kurt Angle, Christian, and Booker T
have a name and following that is much bigger
than myself. I have a great hardcore audience
from Ring of Honor but in the end TNA is about
expanding its fanbase and attracting new fans to
the product. I feel that I have always been
positioned well in the company where people show
up for the established talent but stay for me. I
have never been worried about where I have been
at in the company."
At Turning Point 2007, Joe cut a passionate,
scathing promo when Scott Hall no-showed the
event, making pointed remarks towards
"superstars" padding their pensions while the
true talent in TNA busts their asses every
night. The promo was loved by fans for its
honesty but caused friction between Joe and
partner Kevin Nash. Joe candidly discussed both
Hall and Nash.
"Kevin and I didn't see eye and eye on a lot of
things at first and there wasn't that
established respect between us. But in the last
four or five months things have really come
together and I respect him a hell of a lot more
than when I first met him. I think very highly
of him. He has a mind that is far more cerebral
than most people I have ever met. He is a great
person and a great asset to the business. If
Scott was ready to go, and be productive and
contributive which is all I ask of anybody I
work with in TNA, then I would be more than
receptive to it. Scott Hall is responsible for
some of the most memorable moments in wrestling
and has drawn a lot of money, and if there is
some way we can recapture that and capitalize on
it as a positive for everybody, then why not?"
Photo Caption:
Samoa Joe takes over from host Jeremy Borash to deliver a message;
Samoa Joe responds to TNA champ Kurt Angle at the April 10th Impact;
Samoa Joe stepping into the ring.
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(Photos: James Kneubuhl) |
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AMERICAN SAMOA:
ASCC ITT Instructor Holds Training for Public
Works
Source:
ASCC Press Release
Thanks to collaborations between ASG Public
Works and the Institute of Trades and Technology
(ITT) at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC),
the automotive technicians of the government’s
Maintenance and Operation (M&O) facility in
Tafuna are currently being trained in the most
efficient use of diagnostic scan tools. These
tools will soon be at their disposal as they
service ASG vehicles. This computerized device
plugs into the built-in computer found in most
automobiles today, and allows mechanics to make
quicker assessments of automobile problems, as
opposed to the traditional method, which
involved trial and error.
With the “Product Familiarization” training now
in progress, ITT instructor, Fred Suisala is
guiding the M&O automotive technicians through
the best-proven methods of utilizing the
diagnostic scan tools that will soon become a
regular part of their service procedure. “To try
and provide a bridge between the old approach to
servicing automobiles and the contemporary
approach, we will revisit the theory and
fundamentals of basic computer controls in an
engine before training on the diagnostic scan
tools,” explained Suisala. For the duration of
the training which got underway this past
Tuesday, about two dozen automotive technicians
will attend classes with Suisala twice a week at
the M&O headquarters in Tafuna through most of
April.
According to Suisala, the idea for the training
came from M&O General Manager Fred Godinet, who
coordinated with ITT Dean Leusoga “Bill” Emmsley
to formalize the arrangements. “The ITT seeks to
work as a collaborative partner with the public
and private sectors whenever it’s feasible,”
said Leusoga. “We have experience with current
technology such as diagnostic scan tools, and by
sharing this knowledge with Public Works, this
adds to their efficiency and helps improve
things for everybody.” Leusoga added that the
ITT plans to hold many more trainings in the
future in order to help improve the skills of
the Territory’s workforce. Areas currently under
consideration for future ITT trainings include
computer repair and electricity.
A member of the ITT faculty since last year,
Suisala teaches a full load of courses at the
College. “I will be teaching the new Automotive
Technology curriculum that I developed earlier
this year, which was approved by the Curriculum
Committee last month,” he said. “The new
automotive curriculum has nine new courses to
replace the four courses that ASCC has been
using since the 1980s.” Other new curriculums
developed by Suisala for the ITT include a
Diesel Technology Certificate of Proficiency and
an Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Technology
Certificate of Proficiency, both of which are
currently before the Curriculum Committee for
their review and approval. “If these curriculums
are approved, then I’ll start offering these
classes in the fall,” said Suisala.
For someone who has worked his way to the
position of college instructor in his field,
Suisala nevertheless recalls his humble
beginnings at the ASG Motor Pool, where he got
his first job as a mechanic in 1977. He left
American Samoa in 1986, and spent the next 16
years working as a Journeyman Auto Technician at
various locations in California. In addition to
holding senior technician certification from
manufacturers KIA, Nissan, Mazda and Ford,
Suisala earned his Certified ASE Master
Automotive Technician qualifications from the
National Institute for Automotive Service
Excellence in Leesburg, Virginia. Along the way,
to get some fun out of his vast experience with
automobiles, Suisala also took up the hobby of
motor racing, and achieved the designation of
Certified Racecar Driver from the Bob Bondurant
Racing School in Phoenix, Arizona.
“Although I hope to help the mechanics at M&O
gain some speed at what they do,” laughs Suisala,
“I won’t be teaching them about racing.”
Photo Caption:
ASCC ITT instructor Fred Suisala (right) confers with Motor Pool
Manager Toelei'u Tauave during one of the trainings for automotive
technicians currenlty underway at the Maintence and Operations
headquarters in Tafuna.
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COOK ISLANDS: Cook Islands will host
netball's World Youth Champs
Source:
The Jamaica Observer
The International Federation of Netball
Associations (IFNA) has decided that next year's
World Youth Championships (WYC) will remain with
the Cook Islands.
IFNA Finance Director and Jamaica Netball
Association (JNA) president, Marva Bernard, who
was in Los Angeles, California over the weekend
at a board meeting of the sport's world
governing body, told the Observer that the
association had voted to leave the championships
with the South Pacific island group after a
presentation by delegates representing the
country's netball association.
Bernard told the Observer that the go-ahead was
given because Cook Islands reps said building of
the tournament venue - which would be built
according to IFNA's specifications - would
commence in July this year and be completed by
April 2009, two months before the tournament
begins on July 14.
Cook Islands Netball will also receive solid
backing from its government and assistance of
building contractors from China in executing the
plan.
Last week, IFNA boss, Molly Rhone said the
association would need to make a decision on
whether Cook Islands would keep the WYC, as none
of the facilities for staging the championships
had yet been started and the country had missed
all their deadlines.
"The reports we have had up till now have not
been encouraging," Rhone said at the time.
Cook Islands were awarded the rights to stage
the 2009 tournament during the last WYC in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, in 2005.
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(Photo: Courier Mail) |
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FIJI:
New Zealand and Fiji Involved in Match Fixing
Scandal
Source:
Bleacher Report
When New Zealand thumped Fiji 34-0 in the Hong
Kong semi-finals, I thought that maybe Fiji just
had an off night. But Fiji Sevens coach Josateki
Savou has told the FijiVillage website a former
senior player had sabotaged the team for
personal gain.
The Fijian public could not believe it when
their team could not score a single point
against New Zealand, and they weren't happy when
Savou mentioned a senior player was behind the
34-point loss.
As a result, Savou's house has been stoned by
angry fans and some of his family is under
police protection.
New Zealand's coach Gordan Tietjens is
dismissing talk of match fixing. He says he
finds the allegation a little far fetched and
has never been approached about it. He says he
was not even aware bets could be placed on the
Hong Kong sevens.
Photo Caption:
Fiji Sevens coach Josateki Savou has stated that a former senior
player had sabotaged the team for personal gain.
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TOKELAU:
Dot TK Introduces Virtual Fish
Source:
SYS-CON Media
Dot TK - the registry for .TK domain names,
today announced the launch of the Dot TK
Ambassador Program - an affiliate system where
users can earn Virtual Fish. The Ambassador
Program is not a clickthrough referral service,
but a system that enables new registrants to
register a Dot TK domain name without leaving
the Ambassador's website.
Dot TK is the world's leading provider of free
domain names. Dot TK domains are often used to
rename long and hard-to remember URLs into easy
& memorable domain names with a .TK extension.
TK is the registered country code for Tokelau, a
small group of islands in the South Pacific. The
founders of Dot TK have had a lasting impact on
the country in recent years; when they arrived
in 2003 the 1,500 residents of Tokelau had no
Internet access or knowledge of basic
technology. Today the natives of Tokelau have
Internet connectivity and an advanced knowledge
of current technology thanks to Dot TK.
The working currency in Tokelau is not money,
but fish. Bartering is therefore a common way to
trade on the beautiful Tokelau Islands 500 miles
north of Samoa. When you do something for your
neighbour in your village, you get paid in fish.
Fish are plentiful in the seas around the three
atolls, but only skilled fishermen are able to
catch them. To the Tokelauans, fish represent
value. This social trading system is called
Inati.
Internet users that refer new Dot TK registrants
to the Dot TK registry earn virtual fish.
Accrued virtual fish can be bartered for
products that bear the user's own .TK domain
name.
"The Ambassador Program is ideal for any
personal or small business website. It can also
be integrated on blogs and social network
sites.", says Matt Kelly, Business Development
Manager at Dot TK. "It's a really easy and fun
way to get Dot TK -and the country of Tokelau-
further acknowledged in the online world. And,
of course, we will listen carefully to all our
Ambassadors by providing them a forum for new
ideas related to the Dot TK Registry."
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