I guess it was inevitable that the local media hive-mind would decide that the most proper angle on APEC would be an alleged showdown between New Zealand on one hand and the US and Australia on the other over nuclear energy. Always with the trans-Tasman spats and the falling-out with America. I'm just not sure we matter that much.
But it would be nice if someone could go the extra mile and actually look at the arguments for the adoption of nuclear generation -- in general and in New Zealand -- as a response to climate change, and survey New Zealand's energy future. My impression is that nuclear power is a viable option in larger countries which lack sustainable energy sources and have very large nuts to crack, but does not make sense here. I'm sure there are people who can discuss this with some authority.
The Royal Society of New Zealand has a swag of stuff about energy. It seems to regard nuclear as an unlikely option for New Zealand, while (surprise!) Australia's Uranium Industry Council found nuclear generation to be a "plausible" option here, and Jeanette Fitzsimons outlined the reasons her party believes it is emphatically not an option.
It would be nice to hear a debate as lively as this one hosted in Australia by the ABC recently, and perhaps some balanced information about so-called Generation 4 reactors.
Turning to the giggles, Scoop's resident satirist Lyndon Hood has excelled himself with morphin' movies of our political leaders. Very good indeed.
Meanwhile, Simon Pound, of 95bFM's Sunday Breakfast with Simon Pound, reckons everyone got the wrong end of the stick with the Mike Moore-Jim Anderton battle:
The only way to really understand the Anderton/Moore fight is in the context of an 'MC Battle'. Seriously, with less swearing and even more arrogant bravado, that is what this is - - just check Moore's lines:
(set to MAD BASS)
There may be some truth in that,
But I'm not bored, as spun
I'm not writing because I'm bored,
I write because I can.
My columns are carried in six countries.
My last book was published in several languages and is in its third edition.
I've written more books than Anderton's read.Booya! Take that, MC Anderton.
Or the simple character attacks that make the best battle songs:
Not many know that Norm Kirk kicked him out of the party when he was right-wing, anti-abortion, anti-gay, and with Roger Douglas, wanted to remove the unions from the party. Then he left again as a left-winger. I didn't support Jim when he was far right or far left.
On a personal note I did love one stanza:
"Another line is it's because I didn't get a Government job; I always knew I didn't have as much to offer New Zealand as Jonathan Hunt or Graham Kelly. I expect and want nothing."
Jay-Z would be proud.
Mad props to anyone who can make that tune.
Cool old Hot Chip remixes of Kraftwerk while you wait for the cool new Hot Chip remixes of Kraftwerk.
But it's time for another giveaway -- the biggest one we've ever offered, actually. And it's only available to readers in Auckland.
That's because the initial prize was a couple of tickets to the Home Show in Auckland next week, courtesy Microsoft, which has its Microsoft Digital Home set up at the show. (If you visit the show stand, you can go in a draw to win a weekend stay in the ultimate Digital Suite at the Westin Hotel, Auckland, in a "connected entertainment suite".)
But we kept lathering it on, and the prize is now, two tickets to the Home Show, a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate, Microsoft Office Professional 2007 and OneCare. That's more than $2000 worth.
All you have to do to be in is click the "Reply" button below and send an email with the subject line "Blag" by the end of the day, and be resident in Auckland (look, everyone else, we'll sort you out at some future point, okay?). Thereafter, an incorruptible autistic child will draw a winner and I'll be in contact by email with the lucky punter.