Hard News by Russell Brown

Tony’s no stranger to the water. His mother Jeanette always stuck up for his right to an education and he was part of the first satellite class at Avondale College

Todays news of the fight for equality.

Radio NZ National Auckland Story did a great story and interview with Maia Amai and her caregiver if you missed it...

TONY WON!!!

Yay for Tony!
By the way you don't have to get up at 4 am to train in the Special Olympics. They are much more sensible than that. And it was great week at the Special Olympics National Games in Dunedin a couple of weeks ago (and, incidentally, my swimmer son came home with a gold and a bronze medal and some ribbons). 1200 athletes, 46 teams from across NZ, numerous sports, 700 volunteers to run the National Games and hundreds of coaches, managers and supporters keep the whole thing going across NZ. Roll on the 2017 National Games in Wellington.

The Attitude awards were the following week and that was a great event too. I had a little hand in the nomination of Robyn Hunt who won the supreme award and has been a disability activist for decades, is a former journalist and now runs a business promoting accessible IT. Her video clip was filmed at the wonderful Tirohia Mai exhibition about the history of women in NZ at the National Library (sadly finished now). Was an impressive bunch of section winners. I think even Judith Collins (who presented the Supreme award as ACC Minister) was enlightened. Lovely to see you there, Russell. What a finely handsome son you have, and so pleased to hear he is on the way in the employment thing.

Robyn is a national treasure. I got to know her while I was developing and promoting the Govt Web Guidelines (now Standards) at SSC. And Steve I've known through tech circles for years.

Thanks for helping her get some richly deserved recognition.

I think even Judith Collins (who presented the Supreme award as ACC Minister) was enlightened.

I'm sure she meant well, but I was really annoyed when she declared how much she enjoyed watching Attitude on Sunday mornings -- and instructed "the NZ On Air people in the room" to keep funding it.

NZ On Air actually announced another year of Attitude (its tenth!) back in October. So, duh.

But the funding category it's in -- "Special Interest" -- is the most stressed of all the categories. There isn't enough to go around. And I don't think a minister in a government that has frozen NZ On Air's budget for the entire time it's been in office gets to play that sort of cutesy stunt on stage.

Call me slow, but I just watched "Jimmy wants a job" for the first time.

I'm sure the hayfever is why I'm feeling slightly teary-eyed. Best wishes for Jimmy in the future. It was very brave of him to show the hard bits as well as the easy bits.

(The analogy about graphics cards vs cpu processing of graphics was very geeky Russell, but made perfect sense to me.)

Jimmy uploaded one of his very short videos yesterday. He has a quirky sense of humour ...

It was very brave of him to show the hard bits as well as the easy bits.

He was pretty bummed out the day he came home from the ill-fated pamphlet drop. We talked about it and I told him that that was probably going to be in the doco -- and should be, because it was something that really happened to him.

He handled seeing himself in distress (and knowing everyone else was seeing it) really well, on the basis that the programme was going to help other families. Which it did. Someone I know sat down and watched it with his own Aspie teenager -- and said his boy was so excited to see something that felt true to his experience, for the first time.

Jim and I have another night out this week. I asked for a press invite to Kim Dotcom's album listening party on Friday and the message came back from Kim (who has seen Jimmy Wants a Job) that Jim would be very welcome too. So that's what we're doing on Friday night :-)

Jimmy uploaded one of his very short videos yesterday.

:)
Don't stop making stuff.

So that's what we're doing on Friday night

That brought a big smile to my face.

I’m sure she meant well, but I was really annoyed when she declared how much she enjoyed watching Attitude on Sunday mornings – and instructed “the NZ On Air people in the room” to keep funding it.

Um, I’m just thankful she isn’t the Broadcasting Minister because, even as an awards show gag, that’s not just a “cutsey stunt” but… you know… not the kind of thing Ministers of the Crown should be saying.

He was pretty bummed out the day he came home from the ill-fated pamphlet drop. We talked about it and I told him that that was probably going to be in the doco – and should be, because it was something that really happened to him.

Yeah, and I had a wee bit of a chat with him about that and I hope I got across to him that I really admired him for committing to something I know was often really really hard for him. The little bits we did (and which thankfully ended up on the cutting room floor) were totally awkward and uncomfortable for me -- you try being "natural" with a boom mic hovering over your head -- and that was just for ten minutes.

The Minister of Broadcasting was there - he read Tariana's speech without any kia oras.

I found that slightly dominatrix manner of Judith Collins to NZ On Air a bit weird. Do you think that is how she acts in cabinet?

The little bits we did (and which thankfully ended up on the cutting room floor) were totally awkward and uncomfortable for me – you try being “natural” with a boom mic hovering over your head – and that was just for ten minutes.

Heh.

I'm just editing a blog post Jimmy has written about the whole experience. On that part, he writes:

Me and Craig just blew it. It felt like we were reading off cue cards, even though there were none. I'm glad that they left that out of the doco.

Makes me giggle.

Makes me giggle.

Well, its weirdly comforting to know that low-grade misery had company. I felt so awful, because there are people in this world I don't give a rat-arse about disappointing but Jimmy isn't one of them. It all worked out splendidly anyhow: even without my charms, it was a really nice piece of work that was worth the angst.

whinnying ways...

He has a quirky sense of humour …

Nagshead Revisited