Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Rockin'

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    I read in this morning's Herald that "Ms Burgess said her electricity went off for about 15 minutes." I thought about New Orleans and felt glad to be here.

    Indeed. Anyone remember the Edgecumbe quake in '87? (It was a lesser magnitude but very shallow compared to last night's show.) I was at boarding school at the time, and couldn't get in touch with my parents for four days - let's just say getting the phone and power lines back up to Te Kaha and other towns up the coast wasn't really the A1 priority.

    I don't want to minimise what must have been a bloody horrible night for folks in Gisborne, but it wasn't another Napier. We're not counting up dead children and injured people trapped in burning houses. And I'm thankful for that.

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

  • Emma Hart,

    My fav pic of the quake has to be the library. I hate shelf-tidying at the best of times, but this looks like a serious bitch.

    OMG

    My Inner Librarian is going crazy. Must... alphabetise...

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Felix Marwick,

    Myself and a group of colleagues were having a bit of a combined newsroom debrief/dinner/cocktails at the Matterhorn last night when it struck. A couple of us felt a gentle shaking of the table but really didn't pay much attention to it

    I've noticed that unless the it jars the fillings from their teeth Wellingtonians seem pretty blase about earthquakes.

    However it did have repercussions about half an hour later as the cellphones started ringing with a chief reporter trying to find staff to send up to Gisborne ASAP

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    OMG

    My Inner Librarian is going crazy. Must... alphabetise...

    Feh, comes around my place during spring cleaning and I'll definitely show you fear in (more than) a handful of dust. :)

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

  • Luke Williamson,

    Merry Christmas to you Russell and to you all. My favourite thought for the close of 2007 is to be thankful for all that I have and to remember that we are already living in tomorrow's "good old days". Please help keep National from government next year. I can't bear them or their philosophy.

    Warkworth • Since Oct 2007 • 297 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Today's attack on democracy is, um, the traditional practice of MPs sending out Christmas cards, funded from an electorate budget provided to cover such things as communicating with constituents. The Herald story appears to suggest that the offence is compounded by Phil Goff and Rodney Hide including contact details for their electorate offices in their cards. Somebody needs a holiday.

    Well, I got a very nice Xmas card from my local member, the Hon. Wayne Mapp - do have to wonder, however, whether pseudo-personal greeting cards are really an efficient medium of constituent communication. Also could be rather offensive considering the number of folks I know who are some combination of, 1) don't observe Christmas for all kinds of reasons, 2) get enough snail-spam through their letterboxes without their local member adding to the volume, and 3) don't really give a shit about the pseudo-personal felicitations of someone they've never voted for, and really find rather vile.

    In the end, I think it was a pure silly season story on the part of the Herald. But wasn't Idiot Savant's response just a little bit overwrought in its turn?

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

  • Steve Barnes,

    Even betterrer than the Heralds bestest jounalists.
    CC from Gizzy says;

    well this is my story.
    Ok well i was in the living room watching criminal minds with ma dad when the place started shaking hard out and the power turned off. when it started i thought i was jst imagining it but the the lights when out and thats when my sisters started screamin

    read the rest. Superb.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    And how could I forget to wish everyone a an absolutely fabulous holiday season? Now I've got to bugger off, turn off the DVD player and do some baking otherwise I'm going to show up at a certain party tomorrow empty handed. Yes, Russell, I'm threatening you and your family with cookies!

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

  • daleaway,

    I'll threaten him with worse than that - I'll come back next year and comment some more. And there'll probably be fewer opinions than reminiscences next year as well!

    Thanks to the Head Boy and all the Chalk Monitors for keeping the class ruly this year. May you all have a blessed Christmas - that's what it's there for.

    Since Jul 2007 • 198 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the eruditest, scariest buggers around. May your holidays be peaceful, and may you remember how to just "be".

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    My fav pic of the quake has to be the library. I hate shelf-tidying at the best of times, but this looks like a serious bitch.

    Pie for whoever built those shelves and locked them down well enough so that they're all still standing. If that quakes happens in the middle of the day and a hundred books fall on you, you're in some pain. If the shelves fall on you, you're alive if you're lucky.

    I just finished watching S7 of West Wing, to complete the whole set in my drawers. I know a lot of people say it dropped off in the last few seasons, but parts of 7 were as good as anything in the early ones. Happy holidays everyone.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    My Inner Librarian is going crazy. Must... alphabetise...

    The knitting and rugby sections are probably in better order presently than usual.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • Michael Hills,

    I'm just a lowly lurker but felt like posting just to thank everyone for their contribution to this place. The system really seems to be functioning well and has restored my faith in the whole "blogging with discussion" type of site. Merry Christmas.

    Crescent City • Since Nov 2006 • 7 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    We're off to the in-laws' tonight. Somehow the atheist Jewbag got volunteered to cook on Christmas Day, but in other respects I'll be on holiday for a while, PAS included. Compliments of the season to you all, and a Happy New Year.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    We're off to the in-laws' tonight. Somehow the atheist Jewbag got volunteered to cook on Christmas Day, ...

    Well, you do know how to have fun with meat ...

    Your host has been drinking liberally on Ponsonby Road, and may yet go and see Graham Brazier play at a local garage party.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Graham,

    Merry Xmas to all. Good show and great debates. I just wish I had more time to participate more.

    Russell, you really do provide a throughtful commentary on things and this country would be worse off without you and your colleagues.

    Good wishes to Fiona as well. She's a treasure.

    MG

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    A great year for PA System. Well done everyone.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Well done everyone

    ...and the tuis are singing (although one is really quite beautifully mad) , the flowers are bloomin', the expats are visiting, and all are agreed, what a beautiful lil' country we got down 'ere.Wouldn't swap it for the world!
    If anyone needs ideas for a gift. Plants are brilliant at any time.
    MESSY CHEERY TO ALL(including oth 1/2)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    Somehow the atheist Jewbag got volunteered to cook on Christmas Day, but in other respects I'll be on holiday for a while, PAS included.

    Give'em a Kosher Christmas, Stephen.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    Christmas cheer aside, why doesn't Public Address except operating donations?

    I imagine they don't "except" donations but will happily accept them.

    Thanks heaps everyone, it's been a lot of fun. Take it easy and have a good Christmas and New Year.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Christmas cheer aside, why doesn't Public Address except operating donations?

    Yerah. like anonymous donations from Telecom so Russ can tell us how great they are. :-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Yes, now is the time to keep an eye on and take the time with your loved ones. As someone who suddenly a lost a close friend on new year's day a few yeas ago, I can tell you the biggest regret has always been what wasn't said in the assumption that you could always tell them tomorrow, next week, or next year.

    So if you have had the hard fortune to lose someone very near at this time of year, remember to pop a bottle of French champagne at the appropriate hour, pause, remember, and salute their memory with a toast.

    So on that slightly melancholy note, merry xmas from dial up in Napier to all the PA crew!

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    Given the damage suffered in the subcontinent from the boxing day quake and resulting wave a few years ago, 'major damage' is a pretty relative term.

    Having just got back from Jogja, my thoughts exactly. A year and a half out from that one (some 6000 dead and 1.5 million homeless) large parts of the poorer parts of the city remain either partially rebuilt or not at all.

    Al that aside its still quite something to see how the world's biggest Muslim nation (which, its worth noting, also includes some 25 million 'Kristen') embraces Christmas. I guess they just like holidays.

    Merry Xmas from Expatria.....

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • tussock,

    Everyone remember to be on the lookout for those radical terrorists over the solstice. They're bound to be thinking things you don't often think yourself and behaving in ways that are slightly disturbing when taken out of context.

    I mean, you're about a million times more likely to be troubled by the food and drink you consume in the next few days, but WATCH OUT BEHIND YOU!

    Since Nov 2006 • 611 posts Report Reply

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