Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Angry and thrilled about Arie

575 Responses

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  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    T for the Tiller, man...

    So, who reaps the “Spoils of War”?

    Down here it is more the "Warps of Soil"...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Oohhhh - hands folded before anagram-meister

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    So, who reaps the “Spoils of War”?

    You can knock out a quick tune on them here.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    You can knock out a quick tune on them here.

    Hell's bells, Joe, that's fun - wish I could attach another mouse & cursor, that'd be more intuitive than the keyboard - probably one could go all digital on an iPad.
    Dr T waits in the wings...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    “Warps of Soil"…

    Or...
    Liars swoop F...
    Aaaand.
    If we all pull together perhaps we could see the headline...
    "Pas Foils Row"

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    You can knock out a quick tune on them

    With no disrespect to my old friend Eric, have you seen what a little Android can do?
    Always wanted to learn guitar and now that my man hasn't got around to teaching me (hint hint). I will have fun at least with this little app. :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    After the release Cave Creek Inquiry, Denis Marshall even went as far as quoting something from Geoffrey Palmer’s books to suggest that he couldn’t be held responsible for everything done under his watch and in his name. (The link I had for this speech is down, but I copied part of it here, search the page for ‘November 22, 1995’.) He resigned 5 months after that speech after a hell of a lot of pressure, though.

    I think that's a bit misleading. He refused to resign initially under great pressure. He resigned later saying that he had fixed the problems in the department that had caused the disaster. Whether or not that's true, I don't recall there being sustained public pressure over the whole time for him to resign.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Sometimes Holmes isn't always Lhaws...

    Christchurch cops are refusing to admit they've completely stuffed up their treatment of an autistic man.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Barnestorming... ;- )

    If we all pull together perhaps
    we could see the .…

    soap flow, sir
    then we could do
    swaps for oil
    and
    if Laws spoor
    leads to
    waif slops or
    even a
    solo fir wasp
    then our
    prow of sails
    slows for a pi
    and the
    wolf piss oar
    slips, fwooar...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • DexterX,

    It would be good to see the pleadings in all of this and the judgment that remanded Arnie into custody.

    Was one of the reasons for denying bail so as "to keep old light bulbs safe and free from harm or threat likely to be visited upon them by Arie."

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1224 posts Report Reply

  • W K, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    I didn’t realise that Arie’s partner, Michael, is also up for sentencing on the 28th. He has already spent 6 weeks in jail, was also allegedly hit on the head by a police woman and spat at by the army.

    Could anyone tell me: which police station(s) Arie and Michael were taken to, the names of any officers involved, and the hair colour of the police woman mentioned above.

    North Island • Since Jul 2011 • 4 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace, in reply to W K,

    Michael will probably tell you himself. You need to go to the Facebook Page Justice for Arie Smith-Voorkamp, ask to join and then ask. There are many people contributing to that page who have pieces of the puzzle, including Michael and Arie, their family,friends and other supporters.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Barnestorming… ;- )

    waif slops or Words Fail then Who ya gonna call?
    Dial Ali Zen
    Waifs Lord,
    With his Inlaid Zeal
    He will leave them Ill, In A Daze

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    Grant
    ROBERTSON
    Spokesperson for Health

    Carmel
    SEPULONI
    Spokesperson for Disability Issues


    18 July 2011 MEDIA STATEMENT
    Autism funding crisis needs to be addressed
    A crisis in funding for people with autism and their families again raises serious questions about the priorities of the National-led government, according to Labour’s Spokesperson for Health, Grant Robertson, and the party’s Disability Issues spokesperson, Carmel Sepuloni.
    The pair say news that Autism New Zealand has been forced to close its services in the Waikato, and potentially the Bay of Plenty, and cut back in other areas, should be a wake-up call to the government.
    “These are essential frontline services for families who face a daily struggle. Referrals are increasing, not decreasing. It is simply wrong for the government to pull funding and leave these people to cope with no support," Grant Robertson said.
    "Organisations such as Autism New Zealand do a great job in supporting families and autistic children to cope and achieve their potential. While they know that the overall economic situation is tight, it is simply impossible for them to continue to absorb the funding cuts of the last couple of years," said Carmel Sepuloni.
    "Government support for education programmes and respite care is an investment in the future well-being of people with autism and their families and carers. Surely it should have a higher priority than giving tax cuts to the top earners, or money to Warner Brothers for publicity?
    “The cases of Janine Albury-Thomson, and more recently that of Arie Smith-Voorkamp in Christchurch, highlight the need for greater awareness of how we help the 40,000 New Zealanders living with autism. As a country we can never let ignorance of autism cause similar situations to occur again,” Grant Robertson said.
    "Reviewing the definition of disability that dictates the eligibility for government support – which currently excludes people with autism -would go part way to resolving the situation,” Grant Robertson said.

    Contact: Grant Robertson 021 2709023; Carmel Sepuloni 021 2727635

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Further evidence of the disconnect with reality: Bill English's official advice last week to disability support providers about meeting the increased Kiwisaver employer contribution announced in his Budget.

    The Government recognises that this will increase labour costs, at least in the short term. However, the delay in the increase is intended to enable employers to manage these changes alongside other business costs and to take them into account in business planning, for example in wage negotiations and in price setting.

    To a Treasury man, everything looks like a baked-bean factory.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kracklite,

    Reviewing the definition of disability that dictates the eligibility for government support – which currently excludes people with autism -would go part way to resolving the situation,” Grant Robertson said.

    Oh, a press release about "raising awareness." How quaint - and how useless.

    You don't need to forgive my cynicism, and anyway, frankly, the phone's off the hook for Goff's version of Labour. I'm sick of sanctimonious exercises in "raising awareness" and Robertson's theatrical hand-wringing statements that he'd "like" an inquiry and how he really thinks our awareness needs to be raised and how things need to be "reviewed".

    Nice try, but far too little, far too late. Goggle is a tool, not a policy. If Robertson were to actually stake something on this instead of hyperlinking, I might respect him.

    I was rather impressed by Labour's boldness over CGT and even their belated appreciation of how the media works, and there is even a faint possibility - latest poll notwithstanding - that Labour has the foundation to build on for a position of power come November (thought I rate the probability rather low) but Goff has never been a campaigner for civil liberties - quite the opposite in fact. He is, as Lloyd George said of Lord Derby, is "like a cushion who always bore the impress of the last man who sat on him", and if one were to ever ascribe depth to him, I'd say that he's an authoritarian who simply can't admit the fact.

    Robertson's supposed to be my constituency MP, but he won't even reply to me, despite a direct approach. He benefitted personally from Fran Wilde's campaigning, but he hasn't a fraction of her guts.

    Civil liberties matter to me - I've not been beaten by police myself, but close friends have for simply voicing their opinions in peaceful protest, and someone who issues silly press releases close to an election when the polls are looking bad looks like someone suddenly finding a cause convenient for his purposes.

    Come December, I might consider voting Labour again and come 2014, they might well be worthy of government with an invigorated front bench - and I say that with a full sense of how awful, how cynical, self-serving, unimaginative and how damned incompetent the members of this current government are.

    So, I don't need to form my own party, I'll join one: it's called the "Stay at Home and Read a Good Book Until You Take Some Risks and Spend Time Earning That Vote Party"

    Deepred: stopped clock and all that...

    Bah, humbug.

    The Library of Babel • Since Nov 2007 • 982 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace, in reply to Kracklite,

    I know you don't think much of Grant, but he also supports good causes financially. He put an open bid on an item at the Autism NZ auction last month and then had to leave for another function before it came up. The item went for over $600.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Kracklite,

    Well that’s good. A nice gesture, and as an MP, he has far more disposable income than I do, but I’m concerned about Labour’s zero-risk, paths-of-least-resistance strategy that it has followed. Recent action over CGT bode better in the long run and I’d really like to see more of that attitude. Maybe they’ll actually show it.

    I’ll concede that finally, thankfully, they’ve moved from the “I’d so do Liz Hurley too, phwoarrr!” strategy.

    But it’s awfully late in the game. It’s easy to blame Pagani for his catastrophic advice (and that is very easy indeed), and while, as you say, Grant Robertson is a man of personal principle, which I will agree on, I don’t know if he’s a man of principle politically.

    Funnily enough, I don’t think that politics is all cynical posturing and that all politicians are either sociopaths or naive fools. It’s nice that Robertson personally and discretely supports good causes, but will he risk his political neck for them? Will he risk losing? Everything that he he has done so far suggests that he will not and that is why is despise him.

    I might stretch to personal pity for the compromises of faith that he has had to make (I guess that I’m an existentialist).

    The Library of Babel • Since Nov 2007 • 982 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Nice try, but far too little, far too late. Goggle is a tool, not a policy. If Robertson were to actually stake something on this instead of hyperlinking, I might respect him.

    Umm, like what? He's in opposition, and he's only one cog in the party policies that help get him there.

    What exactly would you like him to put up, beyond his time, devotion, and personal cash?

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Slightly OT but entirely relevant - Giovanni has a wonderful post on Temple Grandin on his blog "Bat Bean Beam" right now. Extremely well worth reading, and following the links.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Islander,

    Slightly OT but entirely relevant

    and in the same vein, I'm reading a novel by Elizabeth Moon - Speed of Dark - which credits Temple Grandin for insights. With my limited knowledge on the subject of autism/aspergers it seems to give a credible viewpoint - passages like this make think of Arie's view of things:

    The policeman who visited our class in high school said the police were there to help us and only people who had done wrong would be scared of them. Jen Brouchard said what I was thinking, that it was hard not to be scared of people who yelled at you and threatened you and could make you lie face-down on the ground, That having a big man waving a gun at you would scare anyone. The policeman got red in the face and said that attitude didn't help. Neither his, I thought, but I knew better than to say so."

    Ok so no guns in NZ, I'm finding Lou Arrendale an interesting and engaging character...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    Slightly OT, but this does annoy me.
    The Police attempting to gain off a Natural Disaster.
    I Positivity like Otis Frizzels work, & this just adds to it.
    I would love to think he got drunk and did it himself.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/5307277/City-cop-art-vandalised

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Just thinking,

    . . . this just adds to it.

    Roundly pwned, more like.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    Another staunch MP

    18 July 2011
    Autism support must be recognised as a frontline service
    The failure of the Government to adequately fund Autism New Zealand nationally will hurt those with autism and their families, Green Party disability spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said today.
    Lack of regional funding for Autism New Zealand's Waikato branch has led to six paid staff losing their jobs and left hundreds of families without support.
    “Autism New Zealand is a frontline provider of a vital service,” said Ms Delahunty.
    “The Government needs to step in and fund regional services and better support the national work of Autism New Zealand.
    “Without urgent assistance more regional support services of those with autism will be forced to close.”
    Ms Delahunty pointed out that Autism New Zealand was the expert support group and advocate for many children, young people and older citizens whose experience is poorly understood and whose rights need protection.
    “Cuts to this service will mean more stress for families, particularly those on middle to lower incomes already feeling the pinch from Government cutbacks,” said Ms Delahunty.
    “People with autism can be very positive contributors to our social and economic life with the right support.
    “This Government should be upholding the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and providing those in need with this support.”

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    People with autism can be very positive contributors to our social and economic life with the right support

    Good on her for that succinct summary.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

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