Posts by Craig Ranapia
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I am always somewhat bemused by this libertarian approach to "freedom". It seems that the equivalent of curtailing their rights to own slaves, or, if you read Redbaiter, to seize power at the point of a gun is a bad thing.
OK, Don, so anyone who has an issue with the EFB is morally equivalent to a slave owner or the residents of whatever alternate universe Redbaiter lives in? OK... this is where I break the habit of a lifetime and don't rise to the bait.
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And that, of course, would be a bullshit interpretation.
Well, bully for you - and Winston Peters says the same about the decision handed down by the three High Court justices who threw out his electoral petition. Doesn't an independent judiciary suck? :)
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Really, if someone can't be counted on to read the statement they're putting their name to, they're not really looking like a good person for the job.
And if you can't write something that doesn't make your average internet dating profile look like Proust, then I've not got much time for you either...
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I know I'm not winning friends by going down this route, but the story pisses me off because it's possibly a beat up ie it seems very anecdotal but it was still picked up internationally. Even the hosts on Channel 9's brekky show were talking about it, as if we are a nation of wife beaters. Are we?
Well, I do have my doubts - though I've done more than enough ranting over the years about the amount of bullshit that gets printed as 'news' because reporters, and their editors, are statistically illiterate and functionally innumerate. Or, to be ice cold about it, that careful reporting doesn't sell half as well as a sensational pull quote about a holocaust of domestic violence as a country mourns blah blah blah.
I don't want to beat up on Catherine Delore - she's a spokeswoman for Independent Women's Refuges, and quite obviously is bringing an agenda to the table, like every other lobbyist and media mouthpiece out there. But InternationalObserver just asked precisely the questions any halfway competent reporter should have asked, or had their editor reading 'em the riot act.
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Rich wrote:
I think Labour's slogan for the next election should be: "Quit Ya Fuckin Whingin".
Yeah, Rich, where do these stupid peasants think they are - a parliamentary democracy or something? Sheesh... :) Seriously, the last thing Labour needs is Cullen on another of his 'charm offensive, hold the charm' rampages.
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Now if only we'd heard of it. The Booker Prize I've heard of, but who or what is "the Man..."?
Investment company lMan Group became the 'title sponsor' of the Prize in 2002, after Booker-McConnell pulled out but I think they decided not to rename it 'the Man Prize' because (pardon the marketing-speak) The Booker was such a strong brand.
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Oh, and I haven't written about the response that has angered me most (well, alongside Deaker) this week -- the disgraceful and persistent vandalism on Wikipedia -- because I've covered it in my Listener column, which is in the next issue.
Well, I'm thinking twice about covering lthe response that angered me most in my PA Radio piece this week, because it really comes across as... well, it's really quite unnerving what a deep and angry nerve it opened up in me.
In a weird way what really pissed me off about it, is that I don't expect any better from Murray Deaker or his audience. Ditto for arse-hat Wiki-vandals. But Anton Oliver is supposed to be quite a smart, thoughtful chap (and with quite a nice arse if that painting is accurate), and that blurt was anything but.
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It's can't just be me and Idiot/Savant - there must be other people who really don't care that much.
No, it's not just you. I'm much more invested in Lloyd Jones winning the Man Booker Prize - which is still, arguably, the highest profile literary prize in the English speaking world. (I'm also sure Lloyd could think of a few things to do with the £50,000 cheque as well.)
If he doesn't, I'll be disappointed (not 'gutted') but will somehow resist the urge to smack the shit out of my partner, then join the rest of the nation in throwing myself off the nearest bridge.
Sort of on-topic, check out this post on the blog of the Mild Greens' Christchurch mayoral candidate accusing me of selling out for appearing in the family violence ads. Apparently it hasn't done my "credibility" any good.
The post is by one of his mates, but the candidate himself, Blair Anderson, has added a note declaring that reporting family violence is -- wait for it -- "narcing up".
What. The. Fuck. Indeed.
I've got to admit I'm a wee bit sceptical about how effective campaigns like that really are, and there's a rational and sensble debate to be had, but this Kevin O'Connell chap is adding precisely nothing to it.
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Oh, but I do agree with you - Sean was on, and more evidence that chilling out is really working out well both for him and the audience. Though reading Peters' own words back to him is really dirty yellow journalism. :)
And then get to play guitar like Robert Johnson?
I prefer zombies myself.
And I really wanted to avoid any more local body campaign-induced depression, but yeah... I have to agree with you that it would be a little easier to take seriously I/S and the City Vision blog he cited, if they weren't squealing about 'Brethren' under the bed. I binned my voting papers because (as you put it) "the relentless banality" on all sides is intolerable; and voting for the lesser of two evils is no longer an acceptable option. Looks like a record number agree with me on that, which should be a wake up call - but probably won't.
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Yes, it is serious -- shouldn't someone have the wit to tell the boss about this stuff? -- but damn, it was also funny.
Perhaps not quite so funny for MFAT secretary Simon Murdoch who was (not to put too fine a point on it) comprehensively shat while being in no position to respond. But hey, nice to see Combined Threat Assessment Group reports aren't considered of any particular import in the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
God, I can only hope the electorate is finally going to wake up to Peters and finally put a stake through the heart of his political career.
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