Posts by Craig Ranapia

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  • Southerly: Religious 'Innovations' for Christmas,

    In Big Time Tom Waits tells a story about a shop selling "used erotica".

    OMG... I've got this psycho-physical disability where I can't walk past an unfamiliar bookshop, and last time I was in Oz discovered this charming book exchange where about 75% of the stock was 'pre-owned adult entertainment'. (Really.) Just to make things super-freaky it was all meticulously bagged and organised by condition, title, year, special interest (if applicable) etc. Like a comic book convention for tight-fisted (or nostalgic) onanists.

    Just to add insult to injury, the old lady minding the counter looked like she'd just come from a parish coffee morning, and my Inner Puritan was screaming "don't touch anything, or you'll be stuck fast until a mutant strain of the clap eats you alive!"

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

  • Southerly: Religious 'Innovations' for Christmas,

    I've learnt so much (particularly from Rob Stowell's link)!

    The Hamilton Beach vibrator looks awesome --

    Indeedy on both scores - though I don't think I'll be picking up any antique sex toys on E-Bay. I can just picture how fraught it would be explaining to David that I brought the 1902 Hamilton Beach vibrator/potato masher as an iconic example of early 20th century industrial design and he shouldn't read anything more into it. We can afford to get a new microwave oven next month. :)

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

  • Hard News: Denial,

    But the IPCA report indicates that as many 60 women were spoken to by Operation Austin.

    Indeed - and Justice Goddard make it pretty clear (at least from the media reports I've seen) that those women were treated with tact and sensitivity -- and their identities carefully protected -- while keeping in mind that the object of the whole exercise was to conduct a rigorous investigation and construct a case that wouldn't get thrown out of court, or collapse the moment defense counsel stood up.

    And the way they did that so impressed Goddard she's recommended aspects of the Operation Austin investigation be adopted as 'best practice'.

    Come on, Sara. I've hardly been an uncritical fan boy of the Police's handling of the so-called 'terror raids' or the Nichols case. Don't think many folks here - including Russell - have.

    But how about giving just a little credit where credit's been earned?

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

  • Southerly: Religious 'Innovations' for Christmas,

    It looks painful.

    And it sounds like the bastard child of a Dalek and a food processor full of gravel. (Don't ask...) This is supposed to be calming?

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

  • Hard News: Quite the Two-Step,

    This is the "What is the Matter with Kansas" thesis.

    Which sounds so much nicer on the book jacket than 'Snap out of it, you retarded inbreedl'. :)

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

  • Hard News: Quite the Two-Step,

    Do you, WH? There is an argument that even the threat of a filobuster can be - if judiciously applied - a powerful tool to moderate legislation (what political leader likes being publicly humiliated by members of his or her own caucus?), or prevent contentious appointments - such as some of Bush's judicial nominees - evading proper public scrutiny. Any party having a 'filibuster-proof Senate majority' (especially if the same party also controls the executive) not only marginalises the minority, but effectively neuters moderate/centrist Senators on both sides of the aisle. Which might be OK if you think moderates are a pack of pussies, and the minority are evil incarnate.

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

  • Southerly: Religious 'Innovations' for Christmas,

    Excuse me while I take my vibe-o-corn to church.

    Try fitting this weapon of mass... distraction (link SFW) into your purse, let alone cranking it up for a bit of 'personal massage' during the homily. Sorry, folks, but I now have a Christmas New Rule: Anything that vibrates on Christmas morning will be discreetly posted on Trade Me before Boxing Day.

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

  • Hard News: Denial,

    Sara:

    Sorry, but I've got to agree with RB here - WTF? Rickards may have been acquitted on a series of specific charges, but surely most of us heard too much evidence of a pretty vile pattern of long-term abuse and exploitation that was hard to dismiss as the twisted sex fantasies of one vengeful and mentally unstable woman? And I can be the only person who thinks that aside from all that Rickards exposed himself over and over again as someone who lacked the judgment you'd expect from t probationary constable fresh out of police college, let alone someone who expected to be reinstated as a District Commander and Assistant Commissioner.

    CR can blame every one and his dog for his career suicide; but all he has to do is look in the nearest mirror.

    Don't you think there's anything positive to take out of all that?

    And do you think that if anyone in Ruatoki wants to lay a complaint with the IPCA, they can do so with a certain degree of confidence? Or are you buying into the Rickards/Jackson meme that Justice Goddard is just another cog in the white supremacist machine that exists to keep the uppity nigger slapped down?

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

  • Southerly: Religious 'Innovations' for Christmas,

    i/O, Amy and Rob:

    Thank you for confirming that I'm not a hallucingating perv - on this count. :)

    Sue asked:

    is it wrong to actually want The Politically Incorrect Dalai Lama calendar

    You asking someone who treats himself to a Nuns Having Fun calendar every Christmas? (Relax folks - link definitely SFW - unless the sight of nuns smoking and riding dodgem cars is offensive. )

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

  • Hard News: Quite the Two-Step,

    It was encouraging to see the Democrats make progress in some traditionally red states in the mid-terms...

    ... Well, still your beating heart WH. As Graeme pointed out, don't make the mistake of thinking the Democrats and Republicans are just the Labour and National parties writ large. You'd be surprised how big a chunk of the Democrats' House majority will be defending marginal and relatively conservative districts that didn't necessarily vote for the party of Teddy Kennedy and Nancy Perlosi, but wanted to punish the party of Ted Haggard and Mark Foley.

    And to be fair, if Romney or Huckabee win their nomination, I suspect more than a few Republican House and Senate candidates will be thinking very carefully about how close their embrace their party's nominee.

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

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