Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Mediocrity Watch

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  • Sacha,

    Was a buzz hearing more about Bob.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Mark Harris,

    New word: jindalling
    the act of making shit up to look good.

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    You mean making shit up and still looking bad.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Mark Harris,

    You're confusing the intent with the result ;-)

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Our David Haywood in 'Playing Favourites' with Kim Hill this morning was just the bees-knees.

    That was great fun. I'm sure somebody was scandalised.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    By all the lavatory talk, perhaps?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    By all the lavatory talk, perhaps?

    Indeed. Although it should be noted that the listeners seemed to pitch in very keenly on the theme ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    What on earth are the Republicans doing?

    Buggered if I know, but I'm sure Ted Haggard can score you an ounce. :)

    Playing to type - tough chickenhawks.

    Sacha: Do we have to stage an intervention? We love you, and we're here for you -- but it's just heartbreaking seeing what the nutroots habit is doing to you.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Buggered if I know, but I'm sure Ted Haggard can score you an ounce. :)

    LOL.

    But seriously, I don't think I'd trust him as my drug dealer.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    Hey, Craig , I call em as I see em - lots of macho swagger and bugger all substance. Someone came up with a handy compound word for that, which I reckon characterises much of the terminal rot in the Republican camp. What do you suggest I call it?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Emma Hart,

    Someone came up with a handy compound word for that

    A wrod which, unfortunately, was already being used to describe men who cruise for under-age gay sex...

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • Don Christie,

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Hey, Craig , I call em as I see em - lots of macho swagger and bugger all substance.

    And I was kind of hoping "chickenhawk" was a cheap sneer that would have been allowed to gracelessly stagger off to the glue factory for mindless political poo words. Perhaps not.

    Someone came up with a handy compound word for that, which I reckon characterises much of the terminal rot in the Republican camp. What do you suggest I call it?

    Fucking fools works for me -- alliterative, trips off the tongue and isn't based on the dishonest and stupid notion that military service gives you any kind of moral authority. (And I don't think I was the only person to notice the irony that that the very people who were quite happy to call Republican supporters of the Iraq War "chickenhawks", took extreme umbrage -- and properly so -- at bring called plain old chickens.)

    The funny thing is that the three Republican Senators who voted for the Stimulus Bill -- and got thoroughly shat on for doing so by the usual suspects -- actually did more (in collaboration with moderate Demoracts) to strip it of the more dodgy spending than the alleged leaders of the party. While Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are pretty well insulated from a theo-con primary challenge (and the usual character assassination and flat out lies that go with it), Arlen Specter isn't.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    was already being used to describe men who cruise for under-age gay sex

    I did not know that, Emma. I'll never hear it the same again..

    Craig, for me the phrase is not about foolishness. It conveys the distasteful hypocrisy of loudly advocating war while avoiding it yourself. Seemed to say something about the cowardly character of a man claiming to be a tough talker and echoed the character of the party that elevated him. I agree with you about the honourable exceptions.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Mark Harris,

    I did not know that, Emma. I'll never hear it the same again.

    I did wonder what you knew about the Rethuglicans that you weren't telling us...

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    And I wonder how so many of you know the other meaning? :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Mark Harris,

    We've been around, baby ;-)

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report

  • BenWilson,

    I doubt the alternate meaning is particularly widely understood. It's a good word, but it will fade. There's only so much longer there will be old farts who dodged the draft around. There will still be fuckwit hawks, but they'll have to find new ways to be hypocrites. Won't be hard.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Islander,

    O dear. Chickenhawk meant two things to me: the bird, and (after spending 5 years on our country's IDPtribunal,) the cruiser. I was horrified to learn about the other meaning! No, actually, it just reinforced all my preconceptions about Amurricans who - o well, let's not go there again. Those fuckwitz are gone.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Joe Wylie,

    Chickenhawk meant two things to me: the bird, and (after spending 5 years on our country's IDPtribunal,) the cruiser.

    Goodness me.
    I believe the generally equivalent Australan term is rock spider.
    Isn't English wonderful?

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report

  • Islander,

    Engrossing, the Groke. indeed-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • jon_knox,

    That was great fun. I'm sure somebody was scandalised.

    Enjoyment wasn't initially my response. I'm now grateful for David & Kim's conversation. Life seems much more tolerable since they stopped talking about peeing.

    Belgium • Since Nov 2006 • 464 posts Report

  • OtagoBoB,

    If you produce honey for human consumption, please do all you can to:

    1) identify tutu plants (Coriaria arborea) in a 3-5 kilometre radius of your hives

    2) look for any passionvine leaf hoppers (Scolypopa australis) on the tutu

    3) If you do find both 1) and 2), then don't harvest the honey during the known risk period and offer it for human consumption.

    Full details of tutu, passionvine leaf hoppers and tutin can be found on the New Zealand Food Safety Authority's website:

    http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/animalproducts/publications/manualsguides/tutin-standard-compliance-guide/index.htm

    For anyone who still doesn't think that this is a matter of great concern to honey producers and consumers alike, the following HortResearch report "Reducing the threat Tutu toxic Tutu honey poses to the New Zealand beekeeping industry and consumers" is essential reading:

    http://www.maf.govt.nz/sff/about-projects/search/L07-041/technical-report.pdf

    By the way, tutin is extremely toxic to humans, and the effects of tutin poisoning on the human body range from unpleasant through to lethal. Nausea and vomiting followed by tremor can be observed as little as three hours after ingestion. Severe (grand mal) seizures may then occur, and in some cases death may result from respiratory arrest.

    Other symptoms include tachycarcia, tachypnea, difficulty breathing, delirium, blurred vision, excitement, weakness, dizziness, amnesia, stupor and coma. Mucous membrances may become congested, increased bowel movements and urinary frequency are sometimes seen.

    There is no antidote to this toxin, and the symptoms can endure for between 24 hours and 5 days.

    (Communicable Disease Bulletin, No. 1, April 2008, Regional Public Health, Hutt Valley DHB, Lower Hutt).

    Since Mar 2009 • 1 posts Report

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