Hard News: Beijing: Ignoring it is not an option
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If it helps with China, the NZ Red Cross inquiry centre is on standby in case something disastrous happens in Beijing.
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"I'm disgusted though, using murder victims and their families for entertainment."
That's what the news is for. ..
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Since I've started thinking about Sensing Murder et al, I've always wanted to see someone do a double-blind version.
Lock the medium and the presenter up in a room with a photo and a map and so on. Eventually it transpires the presenter has no idea who the photo is of either.
I'm available to work this up into an episodic sketch.
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The thing that struck me the most, was the producer totally ignoring Russell's excellent question on why they showed the picture of the dead, partially clad 12 year old at least 12 times. I would have thought once (maybe twice) would be sufficient to give the idea.
This gratuitous use of a young girl's death I find repugnant.
But the producer totally ignored the question, and continued to try to justify his use of psychics by the tenuous fact that some people have come forward with new information after seeing the programme.
That is irrelevant to both the use of physics, and the glorifying of death.
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Whoo, "chicks love it"? Sounds like scrum time for the Womens' XV.
My only explanation, should there actually be a strong gendered aspect to belief in the paranormal, is that supposedly down-the-line straight science and reason has historically been practiced by people with sexist ideas, who have at times been reluctant to subject their biases to genuine scientific scrutiny. Hence science gets co-opted by sexism, and women don't see their own world views represented in scientific thought, or are taught science in ways that assume they won't be very good at it or go very far with it. Similar with the criminal law - a psychic who wanted return business wouldn't ask "what were you wearing?" and "had you had anything to drink?".
Psychicism is the ultimate equal opportunity, anti-authoritarian belief system, in which anyone is as good as anyone else. When science is the world view of those in charge, those who are not in charge find something else - see the documentary on polio vaccination in Africa and India that screened earlier on 7 last night.
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Beijing: Ignoring it is not an option
There is simply too much there; including the potential that something may go terribly wrong. I don't know about you, but I don't think I'm going to be able to take my eyes off Beijing this month.
Russell Brown 2008
yet another western media shaman with a hardon for disaster, catastrophe and everything but the sport,
originality is not an option... -
And then there is Burma. I recently talked to a friend just returned from the Thai/Burma border. This person managed to link up with an aid agency inside Burma after crossing over through a hidden trail. The situation there is not pretty and China's support of that awful regime is next to complicit to genocide. Half the Burmese propulation is displaced (not verified), the junta sell most of the electrical energy produced to neighbouring states whilst depriving their own. And the recent refusal to allow aid into the flood areas was next to ethnically related genocide. I'm afraid I just can't look at the Olympics and feel celebratory just great pity.
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B Jones, you are most excellent. </Spicoli>
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Ignoring Beijing is not an option. Luckily for us, the Herald have enlisted an insightful and objective 'voice of Beijing' to bring us the real oil...
"I'm so excited, I'd like to tell everyone who is still doubtful of the Beijing Olympics that Beijing is much greater than you imagined you've heard, and even you saw in some irresponsible media."
Wicked.
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and chicks love it , I don’t know why
Nor do I, but then I don't know any chicks who love it. I think it's appalling exploitative drivel, and I think Vicki Hyde agrees.
Of course, I also think Jeremy Wells would write terrific children's books, so there's probably some zeitgeisty thing I'm missing.
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Psychicism is the ultimate equal opportunity, anti-authoritarian belief system, in which anyone is as good as anyone else. When science is the world view of those in charge, those who are not in charge find something else - see the documentary on polio vaccination in Africa and India that screened earlier on 7 last night."
look if theirs a bias they'll be a reason. I like what you just said, it's interesting and is how i kind of see it. -
the producer totally ignoring Russell's excellent question
Baldock's a canny guy. Every uncomfortable question was diverted into a discussion of the good he believes he achieves. When he gets tired of of his current career he can probably make a second one schooling politicians about staying on-message.
Also notice the continual repetition of the word "documentary".
It's a pity no one asked Baldock why his programme was funded by TVNZ as Entertainment rather than Documentary/Factual (cf Crimescene). (hat tip to an earlier post by Craig).
If I were a producer of actual documentaries I would be quite cross at Baldock's bald-faced insistence that that's what he's doing.
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Psychicism is the ultimate equal opportunity, anti-authoritarian belief system, in which anyone is as good as anyone else. When science is the world view of those in charge, those who are not in charge find something else - see the documentary on polio vaccination in Africa and India that screened earlier on 7 last night.
uhhh.... but the psychics are still full of shit, right?
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Unfortunately, the program is called "sensing murder", and it gives the "psychics" credibility. It's a shame that not everyone can see them for the charlatans they really are
People have faith in all kinds of fairytale stuff, who are we to insist otherwise?
It's a sad day when NZ tellymakers have to resort to psychics when angling a cheap, exploitative programme to the lowest common denominator.
They will resort to anything to make a buck and then the programme buyers snap them up because if your gullible enough to believe the crap then you are the right person to show ads to.
So-called psychics extract large sums of money from a gullible public, preying on their grief and distress, sometimes making it worse.
Churches extract large sums from their "Flock" to the detriment of their wealth and wellbeing.
We can't all be rocket scientists and the dull and gullible will always be amongst us. -
"This gratuitous use of a young girl's death I find repugnant.'
I have to admit having to look at that young girl that many times was shocking. The question is should we be shocked by that or should we actually deal with the realities of violence, maybe we need to really
start to realise how disgusting violence is.I don't want to see anymore pictures of that girl and i see your point but theirs' an argument to be made that we should all know what a dead kid in iraq looks like.
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"uhhh.... but the psychics are still full of shit, right?"
when the try and solve murders yeh, but on a level of checking in with another person and reviewing their life in most case in a warm, caring fashion they seem to connect.
Maybe that's its popularity, it seems to give a great amount of focus about where you may find harmony in your life.
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uhhh.... but the psychics are still full of shit, right?
Entirely, and even more problematic is the way they prey upon the most vulnerable. The same applies to all sorts of weird beliefs, and the ultimate tragedy is when the disempowered reject science as a tool of the oppressors, thereby becoming more disempowered, and losing the opportunity to shape science to meet their own needs.
The tricky part is to practice science in such a way that doesn't generate an oppressors vs oppressed response, being respectful of the people you're working with and their own experiences, which are really just more data. The polio eradication people had the right idea, backing off when the kids disappeared into the bush and coming back the next day after they'd talked to the village elders, rather than just going in and vaccinating the ones who were left, without permission.
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because if your gullible enough to believe the crap then you are the right person to show ads to.
Wow! best comment of the day. Thanks.
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"The tricky part is to practice science in such a way that doesn't generate an oppressors vs oppressed response, being respectful of the people you're working with and their own experiences, which are really just more data. The polio eradication people had the right idea, backing off when the kids disappeared into the bush and coming back the next day after they'd talked to the village elders, rather than just going in and vaccinating the ones who were left, without permission."
So why its popularity here?
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"We can't all be rocket scientists and the dull and gullible will always be amongst us."
your not a fucking rocket science, go on fly your rocket in the sky right now.
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Off on a tangent but the term “rocket scientist” to indicate enormous intellect really annoys me.
I’m sure the first people to design a rocket were really smart, but surely now that has been done, it is all just a matter of tweaking the design to improve performance etc.. A bit like building a car in 2008. You’re just using a pre-existing design.
As you were…
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"Of course, I also think Jeremy Wells would write terrific children's books, so there's probably some zeitgeisty thing I'm missing."
He's got magic mysterious eyes and hidden electric powers . I remember Jeremy Wells when he was in al queda youth, ohhhh
he had a temper then to. -
Are you all right, Jeremy? You seem particularly... exuberant today.
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People have faith in all kinds of fairytale stuff, who are we to insist otherwise?
When they're spending our tax dollars on this kind of crap, we absolutely have the right to get grumpy about it. Market forces and ratings don't make it right, it's still peddling nonsense.
the ultimate tragedy is when the disempowered reject science as a tool of the oppressors, thereby becoming more disempowered, and losing the opportunity to shape science to meet their own needs.
I agree - although i find it hard to believe that could be applied to NZ.
It is interesting that sensing murder rates so highly though. Do the viewers actually believe the psychics, or do they just like the show for the entertainment that it is?
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"Are you all right, Jeremy? You seem particularly... exuberant today."
it's stopped raining.
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