Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: 202.22.18.241

143 Responses

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  • Che Tibby,

    absolutely.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Steven,

    ok, I'm just new here, when have I ever emailed you?
    You sure know how to turn a sandwich into a picnic.

    Since Feb 2008 • 6 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    quote > "from people *like* steve"

    and before you continue threatening people's jobs, how about you list your full name and occupation. please.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Now now guys.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    oh. theatre!

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • dyan campbell,

    After reflecting on my comment last night and the bit about Trudeau, I think I stand by my original comment with a bit of a caveat.

    I interpret Trudeau's statement as saying "if the needs of my country come into conflict with the values of my religion, I must choose the needs of my country". Too right, the country elected him after all. Power to him for understanding the basis of a secular society. The opposite, to my way of thinking, is "the needs of my country can never come into conflict with the values of my church".

    It seems to me the separation of powers makes it very hard for a US president to govern in that way, no matter how Bush has tried.

    Heh, it's not that I think Trudeau's thinking was in any way typical, I was just holding the example up as a curiousity, like those fish that live in live underwater volcanos. I actually agree with your generalisation, generally. He was a deeply flawed but highly entertaining Prime Minister. I especially liked the time he stormed out of a meeting with Ronald Reagan declaring "The man's a senile moron, I'm not going to try to discuss anything with him!"

    He was certainly never afraid of offending anyone, he had that eccentric arrogance that comes from being incredibly good at everything you do and incredibly wealthy since birth. Once when acting as host for the Queen, while the cameras were rolling, when she turned her back during a stoll around the grounds, he did an impromtu (and technically perfect) piroette, returning to his leisurely walking pace the moment she turned back to look at him. It was really quite funny.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    Trudeau also once wore a cape to a football game ... and gave some protesting farmers (is there any other sort?) the finger out of a train window. Top bloke.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Jo S,

    Bill English could sacrifice goats and worship the Edmonds Cook Book for all I care. As long as he governs for the people (not the goat) if/when he becomes PM/Min of Fin

    I may not worship the Edmonds Cook Book, but I'm not sure. I am very fond of it, especially its recipe for making pickled onions. Would the worship require sacrifices? I have been known to create the occasional burnt offering in the oven ......

    is it autumn yet? • Since May 2007 • 80 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    Well it could be worse you know, I've just been informed that garfield minus garfield is blocked in China.

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • dyan campbell,

    Trudeau also once wore a cape to a football game ... and gave some protesting farmers (is there any other sort?) the finger out of a train window. Top bloke.

    He was certainly unusual. He arranged for the RCMP to score his young wife's pot for her, during their brief marriage. Brief, unhappy marriage. She left him at one point to go with Keith and Mick to Toronto to party. Moral of the story: never marry a man in his 50s if you are a teenager.

    Interesting and related footnote: the thing that broke up Maggie and Pierre was a fight over the hypothetical fates of their children: she asked him what he would do if one of their children were kidnapped and the choice was Canada's securty or the life of their child, he answered Canada's security, there can be no question if you are leader of a country. Not the answer she wanted to hear.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    What's with the quote marks around blog? It feels like Dr Evil is reading it out, and he's done the wee quote marks with the fingers... ooh, Russell has got a "blog".

    Agreed. And there’s no need for quotes around addresses and editing, either. It was already stated in the sentence that the reference was to an internet, and not a physical, address; and why was 'editing' in quotes in the text, but not in the headline? That reporter got weasel-quote happy. Or should I say that “reporter” got “weasel-quote” “happy”.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    My favourite instance of excessive and unnecessary use of said quote marks is in a sentence that has been around in various forms for about 15 years. It might still get trotted out on a slow news day, perhaps:

    The drug ecstacy, or "E", is popular with young people at all-night dance parties, known as "raves".

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    Rex said:

    The problem is, as ali bramwell has aptly pointed out, that:

    ...you cannot safely accept what is published on face value without tiangulating your sources. the problems you cite about too ready acceptance of information presented to you are not limited to wiki.

    However, because it's readily searchable and linkable it's used unquestioningly by far too many people as an infallible source for their contentions.
    I'd feel happier if every Wikipedia page carried some sort of caveat phrased much as ali has.

    Why? Everyone knows Wikipedia is “the free encyclopedia anyone can edit” (that quote being at the top of the Wikipedia home page). I haven’t really noticed a lot of the sort of misuse of Wiki that you describe, but I don’t see it as being a fault of Wiki itself anyway; it’s the problem of those accepting the purported evidence too readily. If you were having an argument with someone on a contentious issue and they seemingly trumped you with a link to a Wiki article that supported their case, and you conceded on that basis, that would be your own fault.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe,

    On a slightly related note to the religion in politics stuff. This happened close to where I live the other night:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10495024

    Last night a guy came around collecting signatures on a petition to get judder bars installed (not before time, there can be as many as 20-25 kids playing out there on a given evening). He looked kind of familiar and when we had finished talking he introduced himself as leader of the Family Party. Now, I'd never vote for him, and a cynic would say he is doing it for political reasons, but that useless fucker Field would never have sullied his loafers to walk down our street. Labour should be very careful about neglecting South Auckland - I haven't seen any Labour activists out there since 05, though the Family Party seem to be upping their profile in the area.

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • anjum rahman,

    What's with the quote marks around blog? It feels like Dr Evil is reading it out, and he's done the wee quote marks with the fingers... ooh, Russell has got a "blog".

    probably to give the impression that it's just a blog, not "real jornalism"?

    hamilton • Since Nov 2006 • 130 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    I'll take a "real blog" over the New Zealand Herald any day.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    Vaguely on topic (newpapers and their wacky quote marks), this has been doing the rounds a bit, apparently - the Washington Times no longer refers to gay "marriage".

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I'm interested to know more about these "evangelical atheists" you speak of, Craig. The atheists I know (and that's a lot) keep their views to themselves, except when someone - an individual, or the state - is trying to force religiosity on them, or invoke some religious power in their name.

    *sigh* Let's just say I've had significantly different experiences, and leave it at that. I had one rather tiresome experience fairly recently at an otherwise delightful Christmas party, and as I said it was pretty offensive (and utterly unprovoked) but I didn't really want to get into a knock down, drag out argument. It's a good general rule that responding to the rude and obnoxious with an equal or greater level of rude obnoxiousness is not an appropriate response.

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

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