Sad news today about the passing of actor Harry Morgan today.

Like actors such as Denholm Elliot and Brian Dennehy, Morgan never seemed to land that elusive starring role, but that didn't matter. His talents as a character actor were always impressive and he often stole the limelight.

I remember Harry Morgan best from shows such as Dragnet and made-for-tv movies such as Support your local sherrif.

But of course it was his role it was his fatherly role as Col. Sherman T Potter in M*A*S*H that won him critical acclaim and a serious fan base. He first appeared in a small, one-off role as nut-job Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele ("That's three e's, not all in a row!") in 1974 and then went on to replace McLean Stevenson the following year, after Stevenson left the show. Morgan won an Emmy award for his performance on M*A*S*H, in 1980.

Yet acting apparently wasn't his first choice of career.

Born in Detroit (1915), Morgan studied pre-law at the University of Chicago, when a series of public speaking classes sparked his interest in the stage.

He did stints with both small theatre groups and a 2-year engagement on Broadway, in the original production of Golden Boy, with Karl Malden. In 1942 he went to Hollywood and was signed by 20th Century Fox, after a scout spotted him in the one-act play.

Post-M*A*S*H saw Morgan took on a wide variety of roles, including a reprise of his role as Bill Gannon in a Parody version of Dragnet.

He died aged 96, at his Los Angeles home after contracting pneumonia.

RIP Harry...and thanks

Well, the general election is over.

It was pretty much like elections everywhere; largely a duel of wits between unarmed opponents. No answers, but lots of different names for the problems.

I therefore present a New Zealand political addendum to the fully encompassing "Religions of the world"

...all we REALLY want is a hung parliament.

For the second time in 24 years, New Zealand are the RWC champions, after a nail-biting final against France at Eden Park this evening.

Well done ABs! France is never a pushover and has a history of upsets. They've also been RWC silver-medal winners 3 times, so it's a mistake to underestimate them.

Fortunately, the ABs didn't make the mistake of complacency but it was still a damn close-run thing. Still, victory is victory and for the next 4 years at least, the cup is back where it belongs!

Yay!

I miss you

Su and I took a short break away to Auckland to see the much-publicised Walking with Dinosaurs show at the Vector Arena.

We checked in to the nearby Barry Court motel (a weirdly shaped room, but handy to the arena an great harbour views) and after a bit of a stroll around, we joined a steady stream of people with tickets in their hands and kids in tow.

As with all these sort of gigs, everything was ridiculously expensive, but it kept the masses busy while we slipped into our cheap seats in the Gods. The Vector Arena definitely won the daily "define irony" award...for selling hundreds of hand-held LED-covered windmill toys to kids on the way into the arena...and then announcing over the tannoy that for the comfort of all patrons, flash photography is strictly forbidden!

The show itself was excellent. Incredibly well done and a real delight to watch. Some excellent lighting effects and clever use of stage props captured the audiences' imagination in the first few minutes, captivating them with the story of another age and world.

We rounded off a great evening with a light supper at IMA Bistro - the Lebanese Lamb Shoulder and Middle Eastern dessert platter are both recommended

All in all - a pretty good day.