Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The Trophy Hunter

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  • Russell Brown,

    Philanthropy is entirely admirable, and I'm quite happy to give Simmons or Elizabeth Murdoch and her son or anyone else credit where it's due. But that doesn't mean you can't find the places where that money comes from rather distasteful. Whether it's misogynistic and homophobic rap lyrics, or misogynist and homophobic moonbats in The Sunor on Fox News.

    Or The Simpsons ?

    But your contention wasn't that we should find bad stuff distasteful, it was that President Obama should vilify Simmons in the same breath as he does Wall Street bandits who pocketed billions of dollars as they destroyed share values.

    Even though Simmons himself has been prepared to lose friends in his industry by calling for an end to the use of words like "bitch" and "ho" in rap music.

    And even though he's campaigned urging young Americans to vote, led or served on boards of a range of social development non-profits, and turned peforrmance poetry into mainstream entertainment.

    The contention that it's somehow Obama's job to damn Simmons for the content of some hip hop is without merit, IMHO.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Bob Munro,

    was interested to read recently that scientists have debunked the idea that we lose most body heat through the head.

    It seems there might still be life left in the old saw about wearing a hat and the percentage of heat lost through the head, particularly when treating hypothermia.

    The Wilderness Medicine newsletter of 2004 explains that under normal rest conditions heat is lost through the head at the same rate as the rest of the body. The head is 7% of the surface area of the body so it loses 7% of heat.

    It then goes on to describe the various rates of blood supply and heat loss from the head in a variety of situations and then concludes:

    Now, what about hypothermia and heat loss through the head?

    If the hypothermia victim is not shivering, they are at rest, and the heat loss through the head remains about 7%. But, this is important, if they are shivering, the percent of heat loss via the scalp can increase to upwards of 55%, so protecting the head well is a very important part of treating the hypothermia patient. And as you can imagine, the primary defense against the cold and hypothermia is vasoconstriction of the peripheral circulation, this shunts blood to the core, reduces circulation to the skin, and increases the percent of heat loss through the scalp.

    The difference is that the shivering hypothermia patient is indeed exercising, but they do not vasodilate the peripheral circulation; the shivering muscles increase metabolic demand and cardiac demand so the patients do increase their cardiac output; therefore, they do increase cerebral circulation; therefore, they do increase the percent of blood loss through their head.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    Back to the ODHB thing briefly, more interesting stuff in the ODT this weekend:

    "In August 2003, the ministry [of health] ... [a]fter an extensive review, found nothing of concern in the information technology (IT) department.

    ...**using the ministry's review data, it could be seen the board's [IT] investment was average and could possibly be increased.**"

    And also on the timing of the fraud:
    "At that time, Healthcare Otago and the Health Funding Authority were being amalgamated into the district health board structure and Swann was asked to amalgamate the IT for the two organisations."

    This is actually interesting. Who was responsible for the oversight of this change process?

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Off the topic a touch, but I wonder if anyone else has read the piece by Andrew Sullivan "Why I Blog" in The Atlantic . Required reading for all of us I would reckon.

    If you are interested, I have posted a review of the Auckland Leonard Cohen concert, on Kiwiboomers. Ten days after the event, I know, but k'boomers updates monthly...and memories do not fade that quickly.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Off the topic a touch, but I wonder if anyone else has read the piece by Andrew Sullivan "Why I Blog" in The Atlantic.

    The always excellent Mr. Litterick has. (And the link to Sullivan's story can be found therein).

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • p forrester jarvie,

    i was greatly disappointed to see Mr Brown in what would appear be such a rampantly posturing mode, pumping out his 'Mr President' beats in downtown Awks and asserting 'wow, it would have been so good to be there!'(owtte) My first thought was golly, would he be that keen if he was in Wash DC and watching Tube vid of bogans wildly chanting and bellowing the same mindboggling stale decades-old mantras ('muthaf**kin N*ggas &c &c &c) whilst charging about like confuse buffalo in a stampede?Would he ache to be there in the bogan pit as they 'celebrated' the election of a bogan prime minister? What, most broadly speaking, would you say is the difference there, Mr Brown? Abd can we please get a little beyond 'wingnuts vs. moonbats' for a while at least? Yrs a tad snootily no doubt

    Since Feb 2009 • 84 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    i was greatly disappointed to see Mr Brown in what would appear be such a rampantly posturing mode, pumping out his 'Mr President' beats in downtown Awks

    But did my ride look phat?

    and asserting 'wow, it would have been so good to be there!'(owtte) My first thought was golly, would he be that keen if he was in Wash DC and watching Tube vid of bogans wildly chanting and bellowing the same mindboggling stale decades-old mantras ('muthaf**kin N*ggas &c &c &c) whilst charging about like confuse buffalo in a stampede?

    Actually now you ask, I watched Pendulum from the stand at the Big Day Out. They were great!

    Would he ache to be there in the bogan pit as they 'celebrated' the election of a bogan prime minister?

    But what are you saying? That I'm prejudiced against bogans? Mate, the day that Ewen Gilmour takes office, the bogans can party as hard as they like. Shihad will fuckin' rock at the after-party, too.

    And I watch Outrageous Fortune , don't I? Although I confess, having had a sneak look at Go Girls , I'm thinking of changing my vicarious cultural identification to "North Shore twentysomething".

    What, most broadly speaking, would you say is the difference there, Mr Brown? Abd can we please get a little beyond 'wingnuts vs. moonbats' for a while at least? Yrs a tad snootily no doubt

    A bit weirdly , I thought, but hey ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • p forrester jarvie,

    What can i now say? i behold and do muchly appreciate the very good spirit in which this response is written! I do remain a little demure however in the face of that particular tone entailed in 'Mate'.. it's a kiwi brand of gusto i've never quite 'adjusted to' ..) I am sorry, but i do not know who the man Ewen Gilmour is - perhaps it might be instructive to describe him to me? Is he truly representative of the variety 'bogan'? Or has he somehow transcended their ilk? (ILK!) Plainly Obama is a transcendent figure -even if thus far not much more than a sort of fertility god rising from the hate-manured soil of the sacrificed Bush administration - but transcendent he is, and the question is how to righteously SPEND transcendence! A terrifying challenge of the first boganic water..

    Since Feb 2009 • 84 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Ewen "Westie" Gilmour:

    The shift from a pejorative to a societal identifier has been abrupt an in no small part due to local comedian Ewen Gilmour whose stand-up comedy act as Ewen "Westie" Gilmour gave the term national prominence between 1995 and 2000 in the premier television programme, "Pulp Comedy".

    He was "unofficially appointed cultural ambassador" for Waitakere City. He was elected as councillor for the Waitakere City Council in 2004 and joins former mayor Tim Shadbolt as stereotypical westies who have entered local body politics.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Unfortunately, since resigned from Council for good reasons.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • jon_knox,

    er, sorry off-topic, but did anyone else note David Cameron's comments at Davos and think it a little odd.

    Belgium • Since Nov 2006 • 464 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    er, sorry off-topic, but did anyone else note David Cameron's comments at Davos and think it a little odd.

    No, it would have to make some kind of sense before qualifying as odd. Then again, when Gordon Brown is comprehensible I just wish he'd stop and revert to gibberish.

    Is the air in Davos particularly thin and oxygen deficient?

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

  • Sacha,

    Tis probly a sugar rush from all that local chocolate..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    I was just being all Generation X-referencey about the PMRC hearing in which Dee Snider featured prominently

    Yep, those generational differences have become so slim yet so hugely important as a point of difference for those that like to think they are on the misunderstood (but Im right anyway) side of this imaginary divide.

    despite the fact that his band was hugely, hugely inoffensive and kind of cartoony, and all the American politicians were totally square, daddy-o.

    Well as I was in New Zealand when all this was going on and was otherwise occupied. I took no notice.

    And Dee Snider wouldn't be part of any hip-hop related hearing like that nowadays. Because his band is 30 years old. And glam-metal. And was never very threatening anyway.

    Well maybe it was to the totally square daddy-o's. And the great thing was he was an incredibly articulate advocate, his cynically manipulative musical output aside.

    So me saying that was supposed to be deliberately ridiculous.

    Well it was ridiculous.

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    The most intelligent commentary I've read so far on the 2009 Davos summit

    They never had such a feast in their life, and the little ones chewed on the Bono .
    Not any more eh. Great piece, thanks.

    Funny how there seem to be no lack of vocal climate change denialists, while the impending economic downturn is only debated in terms of its severity.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    andin. I do not know how - or why - my dumb joke about Dee Snider managed to insert that bug so far up your ass, but I have been awake since 2.30am, and I have this thing? Called a last nerve? And you're on it.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Funny how there seem to be no lack of vocal climate change denialists, while the impending economic downturn is only debated in terms of its severity.

    Um, I'm frankly more surprised -- and worried -- that Gordon Brown could trot out (again) a noxious soundbite like "British Jobs For British Workers" and not have everyone suggest that he's leading the Labour Party not UKIP or the BNP. Yes, there's a legitimate issue there, which is why he should try not to sound like his speechwriters have been cribbing from a National Front website.

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

  • Sacha,

    and I have this thing? Called a last nerve?

    Now why does that breathy delivery call to mind "band camp" - or Kylee "she goes" as an older reference. :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Getting back to the subject of political trophy hunting.... Brace yourselves......
    Judith Collins wants to Rip the scrotums from young boys with her bare teeth and hang them around her neck as a necklace.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Getting back to the subject of political trophy hunting.... Brace yourselves......
    Judith Collins wants to Rip the scrotums from young boys with her bare teeth and hang them around her neck as a necklace.

    Oh, you tease... Still, I wonder why it's an option for "boy racers" but I'm still wondering WTF nice middle-class people have to do before their drivers licenses are no long treated as some kind of inalienable human right.

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

  • Steve Barnes,

    I'm still wondering WTF nice middle-class people have to do before their drivers licenses are no long treated as some kind of inalienable human right.

    Indeed Craig. I have often voiced the opinion that the worst drivers on our roads are, in fact, Kiwi Males in their late fifties onwards until dementia. The attitude of "This is my God given right of way" seems to stem from a belief that, because the roads were less crowded when they were young, the entire roading system belongs to them and all those usurpers should die a horrible death in a twisted mass of smoking metal.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    On the Obama hip hop thing, I saw this interview a while back where he covers that off - and in quite a Russell Simmons way really ("the misogyny has to stop but the medium is a powerful way to communicate" etc etc)


    And I still fail to see how the type of car you're driving influences the legislation around discharging a firearm at police. Interestingly the types of measures discussed in the Stuff article this morning are all quite plausible, but have nothing to do with stopping that sort of behaviour...

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    And I still fail to see how the type of car you're driving influences the legislation around discharging a firearm at police.

    That guy the other week was driving a Skyline. It's Knowledge Bro.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    I already want to nominate 'it's knowledge bro' as The Phrase of the Year, 2009.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

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