Posts by Craig Ranapia

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  • Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad,

    Unless New Zealand plays the anti-terror game to the satisfaction of the likes of the coalition of the wiling we could find things like travel to those countries more restrictive, access to those markets meeting greater obstacles, work visas and academic exchanges diminishing.

    Oh, come on... this might be a rather distressing reality check, but could it be possible that immigration and trade policy in the United States might be a little more influenced by their domestic electoral cycle than anything else? I can rattle off at least ten Coalition-held marginal seats in Oz - and a good chunk of the Democratic majority in the House - where being too "liberal" on that score is electoral suicide. New Zealand is not the centre of the universe - get over it.

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

  • Radiation: Desperate Heroes,

    Speaking of which, did Fiona and Russell take the boys to Armageddon - and what sneaky super-powered ninja tricks did they pull to gain dominion over the Parental Credit Card of Joy? :)

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

  • Radiation: Desperate Heroes,

    Charlie Brooker mocks it nicely in one of his screenswipes....

    I can't find the one where Brooker politely suggests that Brits who like to sneer at American television should pull their heads out of their fat, stupid fucking arses and compare a randomly selected episode of The Wire to an equally randomly selected episode of The Bill.

    As Brooker says Heroes may be "pure shlock" but it's well made and generally engaging - much like Doctor Who, which is a damn sight more enjoyable and intelligent than the general run of 'quality British drama' running on One's Sunday night disasterpiece theatre slot.

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

  • Radiation: Desperate Heroes,

    It settles down after that opening bit of frantic scene-setting.

    But to be fair, you can go to the other extreme and do a lot of enormously clumsy expository info-dumps, which become downright silly when folks decide to stand around telling each other what they've been doing for the last four months.
    Personally, I don't appreciate being treated like an idiot who needs every plot point and character beat spelt out in 70 foot high neon.

    One thing that really niggled at me: Mohindar and Parkman have custody of a girl neither of them are related to for the last four months, and they don't have social workers camped out on their doorstep? Even in Sodom on the Hudson, that's a willing suspension of disbelief too far. :)

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

  • Radiation: Desperate Heroes,

    Although the first episode might suffer a little from Desperate Housewives' disease, in that it has to do quite a bit of setting up plot again, after nearly all the loose ends were tied up at the end of season one.

    I thought they avoided it rather well - but I'm praying Maya and Alejandro don't end up being this year's Nikki and Paulo. That would be one of those fates worse than death I hear so much about...

    And am I the only person who wishes Tim Kring could give an interview without having a mini-stroke whenever someone says 'science fiction' and Heroes in the same sentence?

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

  • Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad,

    Oh, and thanks for brining up the Christchurch Civic Creche case - I seem to remember when anyone who said there was something not quite right about that prosecution was slagged off as some lefty cop-basher and probably a queer kiddie fiddler (which is still a tautology to many) to boot.

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

  • Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad,

    Oh, never mind. IT'S ALL DUBYA'S FAULT according to the O'Herald's John Roughan this morning .

    I'd prefer to blame James Cook and Abel Tasman myself - after all if you rapacious honkies hadn't come here in the first place there wouldn't be any problems, would there?

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

  • Hard News: Mint Chicks win everything,

    And on that note - off to cook dinner and contemplate that our friends in the North have a point when they say 'There's nowt so queer as folk.'

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

  • Hard News: Mint Chicks win everything,

    the aforementioned OTT camp gay men is that they assume they are better/more stylish/more interesting/more whatever than me because they are gay and not a 'breeder'

    Pshaw... you're thinner, younger, better dressed, have a more glam job and infinitely less grey hair. Face it baby, you're fabulous.

    Oh, I also find transvestites making a show out of miming the words to diva disco songs banal and redundant. There, I said it.

    Too bloody right. Went to see La Vie En Rose on Sunday, and let's get real for a moment: Edith Piaf would wipe the floor with every Tranny from here to Oxford Street and back without spilling her drink.

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

  • Hard News: Mint Chicks win everything,

    Two words that prove you can be bitchy and straight as a spirit level: Michael Cullen.

    I rest my case, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

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

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