Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: There's Always One

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  • David Cormack,

    Japanese McDonalds ad. WTF?

    That creative team should make Labour political ads this year...

    I really want a Big Mac.

    Suburbia, Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    That creative team should make Labour political ads this year...

    I really want a Big Mac.

    Or some valium.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    The whole $cientology mess couldn't be happening to a better cult - of course for info about the other side (and all the stuff they don;t want you to see) please check out www.xenu.net

    I got involved with the early Scientology vs. the Net debacle (on the 'net side of course) - once almost starting a riot while dressed as a can of spam in front of one of their offices - I was giving away (real) cans of spam to homeless people and ran out - eventually they actually came to my home and picketted my wife and kids - scary people - even have their own para-military and prison labour camps

    Xenu did once visit my home - a great honour

    Finally one should note that Anonymous has not been idle after the recent release of the secret pastafarian video there has been a response

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    I did screw up those links didn't I, they should be:
    - www.xenu.net
    - Xenu visits

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Jimmy Hayes,

    Man, I thought I was in a strange headspace having to comprehend a panicky, fear-driven implementation of US-style passenger security on Link flights - but that McDonalds ad opened up a whole new realm of loco.

    Since Apr 2007 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    One of the small joys of taking regional Link flights (and there are few enough) is that no one seems to think it worthwhile to run a security screen: so, no queueing, no fetching your laptop out of your bag and no worrying about your scissors. But there's always someone who spoils it, isn't there?

    I'm pleased that the media (from what I've seen so far) has shown restraint on this. Rather than peeing their pants with excitement and screaming "TERRORISM!!!!" they've managed to show some control and dignity.
    I'm pleased they've taken a realistic perspective on this; one person got a bit silly on a small plane and some people received cuts. It's not like it was Te Quada or somesuch simultaneously taking over some jets and crashing them into the Sky Tower, for example.
    Also, in terms of the actual crime, the fact it occured on a plane aside, it's a minor, common incident that sadly occurs as a matter-of-fact around dairies, pubs, streets, etc, day in and day out.

    The same show features an interview with Amsterdam-based Kiwi Adam Hyde of FLOSS Manuals

    So that's what Adam's doing these days. I knew him when he was involved in student radio in Hamiltron and Auckland in the '90s. (He co-ordinated the God Save The Clean tribute album to The Clean, also). Then I heard he went to Brisbane. Thanks for that, Russell.

    That creative team should make Labour political ads this year...

    I was talking to someone on Labour's list a month or so ago and by his own admission Labour's advertising in the 2005 campaign was "crap". They were good advertisements for New Zealand, but poor adverts for Labour, compared to National's far simpler, clearer, stronger ads.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    The NZ Herald says the arrested woman is Somalian. I can just see the rocket scientists that vote for NZ First and take talk-back radio seriously really foaming at the mouth about immigration, terrorism and the sky falling in.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    In raving objectivist news, would Lindsay Perigo stand a chance of being taken more seriously if he didn't sign off his press releases with paragraphs like this?

    Yup -- and that's all I really want to say on the subject. Still, I've got to give John Key mad props for making it hard to tell the difference between the rabid right and the loony left in recent days. In this respect, he's got a touch of the McCain about him. More! More! More!

    I was talking to someone on Labour's list a month or so ago and by his own admission Labour's advertising in the 2005 campaign was "crap"

    I thought their whole campaign strategy was crap -- it seemed to run to 'Don Brash will eat your baby, trigger a race war and sell the whole country to Rupert Murdoch - by lunchtime', and nothing else had to be done. As I said at the time, it was weird watching the Government run a textbook feral opposition campaign, rather than the equally textbook 'we gave you sunshine, we gave you cute kittens -- more to come' shiny, happy government campaign.

    Please, Sir, can I have some more. :)

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

  • Quardle Oodle,

    Yikes - get rid of that Mitt Romney link before John Key gets hold of it and starts swapping Coldplay for Metallica....

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 8 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    Witness: Airport drama 'like a Bruce Willis movie'

    I suppose being stuck at the airport would feel like a tedious waste of time and money.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I thought their whole campaign strategy was crap -- it seemed to run to 'Don Brash will eat your baby, trigger a race war and sell the whole country to Rupert Murdoch - by lunchtime', and nothing else had to be done. As I said at the time, it was weird watching the Government run a textbook feral opposition campaign, rather than the equally textbook 'we gave you sunshine, we gave you cute kittens -- more to come' shiny, happy government campaign.

    I think the later, more feral anti-Brash stuff worked better than the diabolical (and diabolically expensive) baby-on-a-string campaign, but there's no doubt that National's advertising was a cut above.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    The Fundy Post wonders why John Key led the prayer at Waitangi when he doesn't really believe in that stuff...

    And a week from Saturday, I'm going to be standing in the backyard of two close friends who are getting married in a non-denominational service conducted by a celebrant who happens to be a Methodist lay preacher on the side.

    I think my delicate Papist sensibilities can just STFU for the day...

    And with all due (and perfectly sincere respect to Paul, I get his point -- insincere displays of religiosity for political purposes fuck me off too. (Just look at the States, where it seems obligatory to name-check God at every campaign rally and awards show.)

    But the outrage seems about as contrived as the usual suspects at Kiwiblog frothing about Helen Clark's supposed "hypocrisy" in delivering the eulogy at Sir Ed's funeral -- which was held in a real, live Anglican church. I guess atheists -- or 'agnostics' for public consumption -- can cross the theshold without being reduced to smoking piles of ash.

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

  • David Cormack,

    I thought Don Brash did eat babies?

    Suburbia, Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    The NZ Herald says the arrested woman is Somalian.

    And this bit comes Radio NZ:

    A man has been arrested for hijacking a small Air New Zealand flight into Christchurch.

    Maybe they should have listened to the piece before they uploaded it :-)

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    the diabolical (and diabolically expensive) baby-on-a-string campaign, but there's no doubt that National's advertising was a cut above.

    Hey, I'm the last person who would argue with you on that point. :) But the caveat is always it doesn't matter how slick (or expensive) your advertising campaign is, if you're pimping a crap product nobody wants. Thankfully for the advertising industry, movie studios, politicians and Telecom aren't cashing that reality check in this lifetime. :)

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I thought Don Brash did eat babies?

    Kittens and puppies, Cormack. Cute puppies and kittens that belong to adorable (and now heavily medicated) small children. If you're not going to bother reading the memos...

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

  • Steve Barnes,

    On the Middle east cable failures.
    I have been following thisfor quite a while. The Iranian "Oil Bourse" would have a major effect on the US Dollar but seemed doomed to failure due to international pressure then I read this

    The Iranian Oil Bourse establishing Euro-based pricing of oil is set to open on February 19th 2008 and could have devastating effects on the US dollar.

    and this

    The long-awaited Iranian Oil Bourse, a place for trading oil, petrochemicals and gas in various non-dollar currencies, will soon open.

    Iran's Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari told reporters the bourse will be inaugurated during the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (February 1-11) at the latest.

    and thought, If the Americans are doing nothing about this it would be rather strange. So what are they doing? Well they have done their best to deamonise Iran but international opinion has not really favoured them. With the price of oil at high levels it would be easy for many oil producing countries to discount oil through this exchange and seriously undermine the US Dollar. Boy, do we live in interesting times?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    On the Middle east cable failures.
    I have been following thisfor quite a while. The Iranian "Oil Bourse" would have a major effect on the US Dollar but seemed doomed to failure due to international pressure then I read this

    The Iranian Oil Bourse establishing Euro-based pricing of oil is set to open on February 19th 2008 and could have devastating effects on the US dollar.

    and this

    The long-awaited Iranian Oil Bourse, a place for trading oil, petrochemicals and gas in various non-dollar currencies, will soon open.

    Iran's Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari told reporters the bourse will be inaugurated during the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (February 1-11) at the latest.

    and thought, If the Americans are doing nothing about this it would be rather strange. So what are they doing? Well they have done their best to deamonise Iran but international opinion has not really favoured them. With the price of oil at high levels it would be easy for many oil producing countries to discount oil through this exchange and seriously undermine the US Dollar. Boy, do we live in interesting times?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    On the Middle east cable failures.
    I have been following thisfor quite a while. The Iranian "Oil Bourse" would have a major effect on the US Dollar but seemed doomed to failure due to international pressure then I read this

    The Iranian Oil Bourse establishing Euro-based pricing of oil is set to open on February 19th 2008 and could have devastating effects on the US dollar.

    and this

    The long-awaited Iranian Oil Bourse, a place for trading oil, petrochemicals and gas in various non-dollar currencies, will soon open.

    Iran's Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari told reporters the bourse will be inaugurated during the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (February 1-11) at the latest.

    and thought, If the Americans are doing nothing about this it would be rather strange. So what are they doing? Well they have done their best to deamonise Iran but international opinion has not really favoured them. With the price of oil at high levels it would be easy for many oil producing countries to discount oil through this exchange and seriously undermine the US Dollar. Boy, do we live in interesting times?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    OOOOPs. Haz I broken teh internets???

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • David Cormack,

    Cute puppies and kittens that belong to adorable (and now heavily medicated) small children

    That Don was a mean man wasn't he? At least we've got that cuddly John Key who I believe only eats endangered Bird life.

    Isn't he single handedly responsible for decimating the Kiwi population?

    Suburbia, Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    two tings

    Japanese McDonalds ad. WTF?

    er ... we do all know that this not a real ad, right?

    But there's always someone who spoils it, isn't there?

    Yes, it pist me off too. As someone who bleats everytime I have to go thru a BS security check in NZ because 'it's never going to happen here' I guess I now have to STFU. But I'll keep bleating because this incident just proves that people who want to do this sort of thing will find a way.

    So just who is 'this sort of person'? TV1 at mid day reported it was a Somali woman. Someone on PAS says it was a man who was arrested. If it was a Somali man dressed as a woman I think it reasonable to be be fearful this was a terrorist incident. But, like the Tuhoe incident, I'm happy to remain calm until more facts emerge.

    RE: the Somali angle. Without wishing to sound like "the rocket scientists that vote for NZ First and take talk-back radio seriously really foaming at the mouth about immigration, terrorism and the sky falling in" I do think it's reasonable to suspect a terrorist connection, just as I would have suspected IRA involvement if this was the 70s/80s and an Irishman was arrested.

    It may well transpire that this is just a disturbed Somali refugee who hasn't adjusted to life in Blenheim. We'll know more when more facts emerge.

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    Isn't he single handedly responsible for decimating the Kiwi population?

    er ... no, that would be Labour. Luckily Australia has set aside areas where Kiwi's can be bred in captivity. They're hoping to send many of them back in November ...

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • slarty,

    I'd like to think the passengers did what was necessary - restrained the person until landing.

    All the security checks are meaningless. We have to take responsibility as passengers.

    As I now have a large piece of titanium screwed into me I'm not looking forward to the next xray...

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    As I now have a large piece of titanium screwed into me I'm not looking forward to the next xray...

    Let us know how that goes - my mother has a surprisingly large metal screw holding as couple of bones together, she says that never trips the alarm.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

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