Anyone out there feeling a bit sick and tired of all the screaming going on in the media lately? Just over all the waving of the arms and hysteria descending on various parts of the world? Fed up with New Zealand media trying to manufacture a little bit of our own to keep the ratings up?
Yeah, me too.
Life's too short to spend all day being yelled at.
I was planning on getting home and switching on the tiv for the news, but then thought, 'stuff it, I'd rather put on a nice sleepy album like Nebraska and chill'.
And I did, and it's good.
Geez, bit of a to-do about that blimmin episode of South Park aeh? Funny as all hell, but nothing to kick up a fuss about. I'm kind of with Keith on this one. There's a chance the cafflicks are just showing a little solidarity with 'da mozlins' over the cartoon fiasco thing. Pity no-one showed any solidarity for the Church when South Park showed the episode where the Bishops hui on the pressing issue of not being able to molest kids.
Catholics, ever wonder why no one takes your religion seriously? Think about it.... there ya go, it's because your clergy is corrupt.
Was corrupt? Who cares... you'll still be generations washing that stink out. If the Germans can be continually embarrassed and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre can be persecuting old men 60 years after the fact, then you buggers can stand next to your own personal elephant in the room.
And angry Islam. Feisty little bastards aren't they?
Mind you, if I was brought up poor, with no education, no prospect of decent work, and in a hut with mud walls, I'd likely also get a little stroppy about smug, rich, white Christians taking the piss out of the only light in my life.
Ah well.
At least they don't have to worry about their taxes being used to provide four-wheel drives with extra space to drive. Aucklanders? If you want extra roads, pay tolls. I know there's a argument that more roading is better for the economy, but I'm sure all those user-pays and ACT Party people will get behind me in saying, 'get your wallet out'.
There was a similar argument going on in Melbourne just before I left. There's this road called the Scoresby highway or motorway or some such shit and people who wanted to use it were asking for everyone else to pony up with cash.
I thought, 'get stuffed'.
First, why should my money be used so people who refuse to pay taxes to support anyone but themselves get the advantage of public funding? Second, I'm all in favour of public money being used for public utilities, but if that utility is going to facilitate significant pollution, which is what roads do, then there needs to be disincentives.
Maybe you guys can get a flashy eTag system like they have in Melbourne. It's a tag you put in the windscreen, and it automatically subtracts money as you drive past electronic toll bridges at 1[0]0km/hr.
Thing is, you don't use it unless you don't care about the cash, have enough cash to not care about the cash, or just plain have to. Otherwise, you just use other roads. No-one is disadvantaged because [last I heard] the highway has eased congestion on in the area, and those who can't afford the tolls are likely to be taking a freaking bus or train anyhow.
Oh... no decent buses or trains in Auckland? Feel free to use my taxes for that instead.
And finally, the P hikoi. That's something everyone should be getting behind. If you've never been close to someone who's life has been destroyed or closed by drugs then simply be thankful. Sometimes the grief is, well, overwhelming.