Public Address

Hard News: Ready for the Weekend

Russell Brown's Hard News — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:58:00 +1300

O hai. I'm writing up a little blog post about fun, weekendy stuff that'll be along some time before noon, right here. But for now, it's best to say sooner rather than later that the Verlaines are playing at the Montecristo Room tonight, and I have a double pass to give away to the Public Address reader who can tell me what song was on the B-side of the original 'Death and the Maiden' single...

Up Front: This is a Photograph of Me

Emma Hart has loved her some cricket. — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:11:00 +1300

In some role-playing games, there’s an advantage called Machine Empathy. It lets a character instinctively understand how to operate and repair anything mechanical or electronic. My partner and my brothers all apparently spent points on it...

Field Theory: The second test and the first test

Hadyn Green apologises for swearing — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:33:00 +1300

I like drinking with Dan because he always tells me interesting stories. Sports stories usually, ones that I've never heard, that sound dramatic and theatrical. And so it was the other night.

We were in the basement beer house Hashigo Zake, and Dan (with the West Ham wallet) was telling the story of the 1953 Christmas cricket test between South Africa and New Zealand. If Christmas 1953 sounds familiar, it might be because that's when the Tangiwai disaster happened...

Southerly: This Week in Parliament

David Haywood from Christchurch — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:48:00 +1300

Public Address presents our weekly round-up of the important events in parliament. This issue: 8th March 2010 to 12th March 2010.

ANYONE FOR SETI?

This week in parliament the Speaker of the House revealed his role as the primary global contact for the SETI programme (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence)...

OnPoint: Property Investment Federation: Just STFU

Keith Ng: Fire is totally the answer — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:30:00 +1300

Let's not beat around the bush here. The Property Investors Federation is full of shit. Completely and utterly full of shit.

(Dear Lawyers, I do not mean literally “filled with faecal matter” as a statement of fact. I mean “full of shit” figuratively, which I am confident will be considered honest opinion – as in “honestly, it is my sincere opinion that they are just figuratively full of shit” – under defamation laws.)...

Cracker: Wallywood

Damian Christie - Cracker With Attitude — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:48:00 +1300

"It's what we do in New Zealand," said my friend, "we take an idea from overseas, and then just make it a bit shit."

He was referring of course to the move by Wellington Airport to construct and erect a giant "Wellywood" sign on the Miramar hills. A move that seems almost universally without support or merit - although Sir Peter Jackson seemed amused by the idea - and in the Backbencher last night the opposition was extremely vocal...

Speaker: The Fabians: There is an alternative

GUEST — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:54:00 +1300

When the International Monetary Fund says that our central bank should also focus on controlling the exchange rate and not just have a narrow monetarist focus on inflation, we know for sure that the so-called “best practice orthodoxy' of the last twenty years is now just another discredited dogma...

Legal Beagle: All is Forgiven, or: The Happy Consensus

Graeme Edgeler learns the lesson of history — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:02:00 +1300

1993.

Winston Peters is proud to be the independent MP for Tauranga, and about to contest his first election leading New Zealand First. In the year or so before the election, the National and Labour parties arrange between themselves to support an amendment to the Broadcasting Act* so that New Zealand First wouldn’t qualify for a broadcasting allocation. And the broadcasting allocation is all you’re allowed to spend on party broadcasts on TV or radio – you can’t spend your own money – so New Zealand First couldn’t have any radio ads at all...

Island Life: Everyone loves a quiz.

David Slack is BYO — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:57:00 +1300

You have three minutes.

1. Complete the sentence: "If Radio NZ sounded like Kiwiblog…"

2. You are at Showgirls and you have a ministerial credit card in your pocket. Should you pay by the glass or get a whole bottle?...

Random Play: A Tiger by the tail, but not out of the Woods yet

Graham Reid's many things — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:41:00 +1300

As with Fox Network talking heads, newspaper columnists and a few real people, my world came to a sudden halt when Tiger Woods made his apology.

This was an event of such great import it pushed other pressing issues -- like, whatever happened to Paris Hilton? Or even Perez Hilton? -- right to the back of the brain...

Busytown: Testing, 1 2 3

Jolisa Gracewood reads very closely — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:53:00 +1300

Hey, I know: let’s assume that the National Standards are a benevolent, well-meaning intervention, earnestly dedicated to closing a vast and unforgivably race- and income-based gap in educational outcomes. I know, it doesn’t come naturally. But try this: read the press release and globally substitute “health” for “education.” For reading, writing, and maths, think height, weight, and, say, healthy body temperature...

Radiation: Big bang theory

Fiona Rae from the couch — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 13:24:00 +1300

Hello! Gosh. Long time no blog, I know. It's been so long – since June last year, in fact, that I hardly know where to begin. So much water under the bridge, so much television into the ether. How was the rest of your 2009? Mine ended with a bang and a whimper. But more of that later...

Yellow Peril: Bai bai

Reversing the invasion with Tze Ming Mok — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:26:00 +1300

After nearly three years of being the exotic dancing girl of Public Address, it's time for me to retreat behind the curtains of the champagne room. These Canto-peasant feet weren't made for stilettos.

Here are the reasons for my early retirement...

Club Politique: Jesus that cow can sing

End of the line with Dr. Che — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:15:00 +1200

Well, I guess this is goodbye. They say all good things must come to an end, and I guess they must be right. Except in Australia that is, where they say, "Go you good thing!". Which suggests they don't know when to give up. But that's another matter...

Poll Dancer: Pocabprescon Debrief

Keith Ng off the election trail — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 16:35:00 +1200

Helen went to some lengths to stonewall all the Cullen speculation at the Post-Cabinet Press Conference today, responding to every question with "ask him". She says that he's served her well and that she wants to keep him on for as long as possible - adding that she has every intention of fighting the next election - but Cullen stepping down would depend on Cullen, and she hasn't asked him about it...

Great New Zealand Argument: My Imaginary Journey

An historical weblog by various artists — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 09:27:00 +1300

If Rex Fairburn had been writing now he would surely have been a blogger. Not one whose work fell easily on the "left" or the "right", but assuredly one who would not shrink from a good argument...

Heat: That's all folks

Rob O'Neill live in Sydney — Sun, 12 Sep 2004 23:50:00 +1200

In this life you get out what you put in, son.

That’s what I tell today’s insolent youth when I bail them up on the bus with their butt-crack showing above belt-less balloon pants.

Son, pull yourself together, I say. Straighten up and put something in...