Public Address | System (Home)

Posted at 10:42AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

And I see Spain has now banned smacking for good measure...
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10483705

Posted at 10:44AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

On the earthquakes, when I saw some of the photos showing behind the bar I thought it just looked like a typical night out in the West.

Posted at 10:50AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

We can also look forward to more crazy talk from EFA opponents, who will try breach the new laws, the election itself and, of course, the appearance of court of people charged subsequent to the October 15 police raids. Things might get a bit bumpy.

And don't forget the Field corruption trial and the ensuing battle for Mangere, where every possible candidate to date looks like varying shades of reasonably hard core Christian.

I also wonder if the EFA opponents will try to dob in (to the police? the Electoral Commission? of course via media release) pretty much any political speech that they disagree with.

Interesting times indeed.

Posted at 10:52AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

Can you imagine the crap we'll have to endure there? The hysterical advertising campaigns from the deep pockets of Family First?

Deep pockets ... limited to spending not the $120,000 in the Electoral Finance Act, but the $50,000 in the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act.

Posted at 10:57AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

I liked the one that starts: "Have i got a story to tell you, well i was playing guitar hero 3 with my cousin and we were on the last level -teardrop- man we were rocking and then that's when the rolling part started ..."

Heh... there are moments when I say to myself, 'perhaps the human race isn't irredeemably fucked, after all.' :)

Posted at 10:58AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

Gisborne's my hometown and I still know many people there.

A mate of mine told me his Dad was under the house when it struck!

Russell, when you next write your Listener column, could you please give a small "shout-out" to The Gisborne Herald and their website?

They had a story and pic of damage up on it within two hours of the quake. This morning it had more stories and photos.
Their website is nothing flash, but but like most provincial dailies they run on the smell of an oily rag, compared to the big boys in the big smokes.

Also, I tried to post a link to the website, but had no luck.

What's the bit between "url" and "link text" ? Could someone please e-mail me and explain how to post a link, it'd be appreciated?

Posted at 11:02AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

Merry Christmas to you Russell, we've had an interesting year we two. For my part, as you advised, I have let it go, in a positive way and if I was unpleasant as you say, then I apologize. You're heart is in the right place and I will try next year to look upon your opinions with a less laser-like eye. For we are all, are we not, all too human.
Merry Christmas to all PAS'ers; PAS btw is my word for '07, belated.

Posted at 11:03AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

and to you MR Brown

thank you for bringing us Public Address
it's truly a wonderful site and radio show

Posted at 11:09AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

Here's the Gisborne Herald site:

http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/

Posted at 11:14AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

What's the bit between "url" and "link text" ? Could someone please e-mail me and explain how to post a link, it'd be appreciated?

It's the vertical line, typically above the \.

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Posted at 11:22AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

I called our friends in Wellington and it was news to them too.

Shook our house for a good 10 seconds.

We had that "shall we take cover?" kinda moment, but it was just a long, steady rumble.

Posted at 11:41AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

I also have a Big New Thing coming up in 08, but I can't tell you about that yet.

Tease.

Thanks for the opportunity, it's been choice.

I wrote a blog post last Nov. when System went live, and looking back at it, I was both wrong and right. I was wrong in my prediction that System would struggle to stay civil and erudite, and I was right about how bloody addictive it would prove to be.

Posted at 11:45AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

While it was great news that there were no serious injuries (although guy-with-broken-leg may question that statement) the photograph of smashed 42 below at Soho was quite hard to take this morning...

And I should add a Merry Christmas back to you - yourself and others here have held me as an enthralled lurker for a while, with hands-down the best commentary in the country. And you've even managed to drag the odd post or 17 out of me.
So cheers for helping refine someone's political (and other) views through reasoned discussion as opposed to hysterical loud-hailering - it's a notable service.

Posted at 11:45AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

Deep pockets ... limited to spending not the $120,000 in the Electoral Finance Act, but the $50,000 in the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act.

They really should have brought those figures into line...

Posted at 11:45AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

I like the ThaiIndian.com headline - Major damage reported after massive earthquake rocks New Zealand.

Do you think they share subs with the NZ Herald?

Posted at 11:53AM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

They really should have brought those figures into line...

Well ... I did tell them to.

Posted at 12:27PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

when I saw some of the photos showing behind the bar I thought it just looked like a typical night out in the West.

thought exactly the same thing.

i was loling at many of those photos. the one with the young girl holding "a bit of concrete that broke off the driveway" was classic. "massive destraction" more like.

and we got the quake here. actually smaller in wellington that others last year.

so, happy culturally neutral-generic festive season to everyone.

Posted at 12:30PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

Commiserations to those in Gisborne. I am not sure our 1920s brick house would stand up to a 6.8. Quite frightening.

Merry Christmas to all, especially Craig with whom I seem to lock horns too often. Hope those who felt a bit too intimidated to comment here in 2007 are able to share their views in 2008.

We're mostly harmless.

Posted at 12:47PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

The Geonet page for the quake even shows a little wriggle way down in South Westland,

The map on the page you link to is of the centres of all earthquakes in the last ten years, and how deep they were. It's interesting, though - it clearly shows how the plates overlap one another. And why the rock in Fiordland is different from the rock in Central Otago. The one on the left shows the epicentre of the Napier Earthquake of 1931.

The one on this page shows the reader's reports of how they felt this quake, which extend to Westland but not down the bottom in Fiordland.

I love Geonet. It looks like Dino's still keeping an eye on White Island.

Posted at 12:53PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

Pak'n'Save doesn't let a few shakes get in the way of its Xmas commerce: up and running now!
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0712/S00265.htm

Posted at 1:02PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

I like the ThaiIndian.com headline - Major damage reported after massive earthquake rocks New Zealand.

Do you think they share subs with the NZ Herald?

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.

Posted at 1:10PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

We're mostly harmless.

This is true, but complacency of wit, isn't recommended.

Posted at 1:30PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

It's been a really good year on PA System. The community has found its feet and is my #1 favourite website to keep reloading during the day.

I've really enjoyed the two '07 Karajoz Great Blends - especially seeing the LEDs at the last one - and I had a ridiculously good time at the PA/Wellingtonista do.

Election year PA and PA System is going to be so good!

Merry Christmas to all!

Posted at 1:54PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

Merry Christmas to all, especially Craig with whom I seem to lock horns too often.

Tosh. It doesn't do anyone any harm having their views subjected to the refiner's fire of a vigorous and thoughtful dissent. (The bugger is that the people saying 'you're wrong, arsehat' are right on all counts as often as not.)

While the East Coast was shaking to pieces, the better half and I were at the mall cleaning up the Christmas shopping. Nothing useful will be done today as JB Hi-Fi (may it be eternally damned by the gods of fiscal responsibility) had the 2 disc edition of Blade Runner: The Final Cut for $18.99, days after it was released in the US. The image and sound quality are luscious (and while 95% of the tweaks are barely noticeable to folks who aren't hardcore BR cultists it is nice to finally have the film as close to Ridley Scott's original vision as humanly possible); the three commentary tracks are genuinely insightful; and the second disc has a wonderful (three and a half hour!) making-of documentary that is a model of its kind.

The only thing that could be more geek-gasmic is the five disc hi-def edition that has all five versions of the film (including the never-before released 'workprint'), 90 minutes of deleted scenes, and another three hours or so of extras.

Posted at 2:09PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

A big thanx to you Russell. You have done yeomans service to open debate in this country, and thanx to all the rest of ya for keeping it civil and intelligent.
And about that Earthquake eh?
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.

Posted at 2:25PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

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.

Posted at 2:29PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

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.

Posted at 2:29PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

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...

Posted at 2:38PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

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

Posted at 2:49PM on 21 Dec 07. Permalink.

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. :)