Posts by Russell Brown

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  • Hard News: A thing that rarely ends well,

    Which actually makes librarians work much more interesting and probably valuable too.

    I suspect we have a few librarian lurkers here. Wanna come out and play folks?

    And I know regular PA commenter Pete Darlington once practiced the dark arts of the bookshelf. I gather the new info-storage architecture in his house is a thing to behold ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Not so much ironic as outrageous,

    Oh, and Andrew, I read the linked blog post, which describes this woman as "a saint in my books" and tries to shift blame for her actions onto the state, her children, etc, etc.

    It's all enabling nonsense. But this part is just astonishing:

    That is in vast contrast to this case, where an early guilty plea was laid on what she did do.

    Andrew, she chose to go to trial and was found guilty by a jury. And even then:

    The judge said Bishop appeared unremorseful and believed she had done nothing wrong. He noted Bishop had previous convictions for violence, including one for attempting to procure the murder of a former husband.

    Exactly what planet does the author (you?) get his "facts" from?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Not so much ironic as outrageous,

    to: Russell Brown >>Twisting the truth because you don't agree with something is the worst kind of journalism...Your attack on the good reputation of "Bob McCoskrie" is cowardly & without merit.

    Andrew, did McCoskrie champion this woman via his radio show and elsewhere -- and then run for cover and pretend it had never happened when it became impossible to deny that she was an abusive parent?

    Or didn't he?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Cracker: Fear Factor,

    That's a brave and brilliant piece of writing. I'm very happy at the thought we'll be seeing more of you on the blog.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • OnPoint: Children come first, except…,

    On the other hand, it is a shame that it has to be for Coke.

    Fact of life. Every now and then, Coca-Cola Inc. adopts a campaign embracing "edgy" creative. I'd take the money too.

    Red Bull is dreadful sugared caffeine water, but I also don't blame the kids who let themselves be flown around the world to Red Bull's apparently brilliant music/DJ workshops.

    When we did Planet magazine, we also relied on our edgy saleability to global brands, including a certain trouser company. The staff were suburban (but very nice people), we provided the street. I have a funny story about that ...

    Oh, alright, I'll tell it, although some people might have heard it before. The trouser company took us out to dinner after we'd completed an edgy instore mag for them.

    The food took forever, and they let me, on my working-for-the-dole income, order the wine. I pleased my palate so generously that my tongue became a little loose.

    So I began telling them about our friend [REDACTED], who would come up to our office on K Road. He had genital piercings, plural. And one day, he came charging up the stairs, sweating profusely, and ran for the toilets.

    For the next however long, we were treated to the sound of him moaning, as if in mortal pain ...

    At this point in the story, I looked up to see the trouser folk, ashen-faced, jaws agape ...

    I had been talking with my buddy beforehand about exactly where the lines of conversation might be drawn. I had just run right over one.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Not so much ironic as outrageous,

    my main point is that the scenario is WAY more complex than you painted in your origional post. which was the basis of you somehow calling certain people proxy paedophiles.

    The way it looks to me is that even if they do have an informal confession, the police don't have evidence, from either the father or the family members.

    As Chuck has pointed out on other forums, they could seek a DNA test of the baby, but I don't think they have the right to forcibly take one if the mother refuses.

    Hence, Cindy Kiro's speech about conspiracies of silence.

    I'm also minded tat the author of the HoS story is Steve Cook, who is not always an ethical champion in pursuit of the story.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: A thing that rarely ends well,

    I wonder if the wrong interview technique is being used. Time for the Turing Test perhaps? Or maybe one could set up some interesting tape loop experiments by playing recordings of him back to himself?

    Heh.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Not so much ironic as outrageous,

    thanks Gareth and Andrew,

    Chuck really hit me hard with that comment.

    I'm presuming people are not taking Chuck too seriously , but I'll keep an eye on it.

    If anyone is interested in more of this kind of discourse, there are a number of popular local blogs I can recommend.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: A thing that rarely ends well,

    RNZ tries to be 'balanced' these days and there are no shortage of Colonel Blimps in their audience, but the most charitable description of Key read out was 'lightweight'.

    He was average. But he's always average.

    I certainly don't "hate" Key. He just seems a bit of an empty vessel.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: A thing that rarely ends well,

    This morning at water coolers all the talk was "jobs for boys" and there was surprise when the cooler people discovered to be an "honourary" position.

    That wasn't made clear at all. It would've spoiled the story.

    Or they may "feel" Key can't be trusted. So when Guyon and Duncan come on air every night and tell people how they should "feel" or who "won" the day then the political process is being dominated by 2 guys with no mandate.

    That was the problem with the superfluous adjectives. They added no facts, but gave a clear emotional steer. Sadly, this happens a hell of a lot on TV news.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

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