Posts by BenWilson

Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First

  • Hard News: The meaning of a Banana,

    Most people do exactly the same thing when abroad and outnumbered. They huddle together, and accuse anyone who's integrated of having 'gone bush' or sold out, or lost their identity. And they dress up home like it's more than it was.

    Pretty normal really. Kind of sad too - it's not really their business why or how someone would choose to integrate. I think it's mostly motivated by fear, that they feel scared of the society they find themselves in and get bitter on anyone who willingly makes their self-appointed membership group smaller.

    I mean why should I get berated for not keeping up with my Irish and Scots background? Learning Gaelic and how to play the bagpipes just aren't high priorities for me, even though it's only been 3 generations.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Friendly Fire?,

    I refuse to believe this until there is medical evidence. I've always thought they were zombies escaped from the set of a George Romero movie.

    Zombies are pretty silly, too.

    And yes, I believe most cops on traffic duty pretty much do that full time. In fact, a great deal of them used to be traffic cops, back when there was a separation.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Friendly Fire?,

    The Business Roundtable doesn't have a magic superpower that stops it being silly sometimes. They're just people, all too human.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Friendly Fire?,

    It's hard to see just what any of Brash's opponents within National would get from inside her apartment that would be useful, as political ammunition that is.

    It's even harder to care. Brash's monogrammed reserve bank g-string? A used dinger? Photos of his royal baldness in action? Let the poor guy retire in peace.

    I'm with Craig - it's not pleasant to see the NZ media obsessing about this stuff. Foreman, admittedly, is stupid to do interviews about this unless she genuinely has a revenge motive. I doubt it, I think it's a crazy attempt at 'clearing her name', something that would have been better served by STFU. By doing an interview she's made it all news again, brought up that sorry time for National and Brash, and herself. Some people really are silly.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Friendly Fire?,

    We don't really know what she means by "close to home".

    Indeed. It could mean family or neighbors, if you took it literally.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Evil,

    It doesn't do the force any credit that Rickards is still part of it, much less a senior part.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Feckless Solutions,

    So the gene is twice as likely in Maori as Caucasian. But I'm more interested in the 'strongly linked with aggressive behaviour' claim. How strongly? Numbers....

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Feckless Solutions,

    Well, no. It's a relatively common polymorphism of a gene that every human has. Therefore, it's possible for any human to have it. It just happens that some races have higher frequencies of the gene than others.

    What kind of factor are we talking? 10 times more frequent? Or 1% more frequent? What is the average frequency? 1 in 2? 1 in a million?

    I'm curious.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Feckless Solutions,

    Does any race not have the Warrior gene? Seems unlikely to me.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Feckless Solutions,

    Perhaps the individual solution IS the group solution. Lead by example. It's a lot harder to do than talk about it, and it sometimes it requires bravery.

    Joe Wylie asked:

    Ever tried to intervene in a public situation where someone vulnerable is being beaten? The common reaction seems to be to be told to eff and mind your own effing business.

    and I can honestly say, yes, just last year I stopped a tussle escalating into a full scale brawl between strangers, and it was kind of enlightening to me.

    Two guys were tussling in a doorway of a flat I was leaving over what seemed to be nothing at all other than one of them was small and drunk and the other was a big angry bogan. Their friends were standing by looking alarmed but no-one was doing anything. But when I put my hands gently on both of them and said in a low voice "come on guys, stop this" they did exactly that. And then all the friends jumped in and chimed to the same effect. I was able to walk away and leave them to it, separated, and no longer fighting.

    The moral is that sometimes it doesn't take much to stop violence. I was a little afraid at the time, since violence can be unpredictable, but I felt it was worth it, rather than watch a scuffle turn to a brawl right in front of me. And I was not told to eff off. Quite the opposite, my sentiment was infectious.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

Last ←Newer Page 1 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1066 Older→ First