Posts by Craig Ranapia
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Well, thanks for that Russell - Derek Cheng would hardly be the first hack to have occasion to chant the old mantra "the chief reporter giveth, the chief reporter taketh away, cursed be the name of the chief reporter." :)
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You mean like 1980s Labour?
Jason: I know I'm on a hiding to nothing, but didn't the Labour Government actually increase their majority in 1987? Don't think that was all down to boobs who were thoroughly bamboozled by the Rogernomes; and while the likes of Chris Trotter would argue the point at the top of their lungs until their dying day, some of us don't actually think the Fourth Labour Government was the parliamentary equivalent of a slasher flick.
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Of course - when I get lost in the whichy thickets (ripped off from Tom Wolfe's splendidly bitchy hack job on the New Yorker) I'm just being delightfully retro. :)
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Yeah, come to think of it "John Key's wiki isn't being vandalised hardly at all" is much more of a story than "John Key's wiki has been vandalised."
No, I think it's a great story once you untangle the double (triple?) negative - because if "John Key's wiki isn't being vandalised hardly at all" - doesn't that mean it's being vandalised quite a lot? It's kind of interesting in a meta-geeky kind of way, but how seriously can anyone actually take Wikipaedia on any subject that's contentious to any degree?
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What is it with right wingers and attempted online bullying? A sniffy potty mouth seem to the the true marker of an online Tory.
Tom, if you've posted comments of various other blogs under the handle 'TomS' then I'd respectfully suggest you're in about as strong a position to get Miss Manners on anyone's arse, as Lindsay Lohan is to offer defensive driving tips. As for 'on-line bullying', I guess it's a useful tactic to shut down discussion by calling other peoples Nazis or Stalinists - and can't say my shit don't stink when it comes to the latter - but God... it's boring, intellectually lazy and no less a bully boy tactic because it's (slightly) subtle.
I don't think its controversial to say that Nationals core principle (that differentiates them from Labour) is that they prefer market based solutions instead of state or government based solutions.
Oh, of course it is Danyl. It's not only controversial but downright wicked if you treat politics as a secular religion - where there's the righteous, the holy writ that must not be questioned and a whole world of infidels and heretics for whom there is no depravity they aren't capable of.
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How was Brash supposed to campaign without his wife present?
Funny this is, it didn't seem to do Winston Churchill much harm. There's a fascinating biography of Clementine Churchill by her daughter Mary Soames, and one of the more interesting revelations is that she was a rather shy woman who hated being on the campaign trail and, by and large, just refused to do it - especially after he (re-) crossed the floor to become a Tory, which was something of a trial for a lifelong Liberal with strongly (if privately) held political opinions of her own. AFAIK, it just never became a campaign issue.
Compare and contrast, OTOH, the absurd shitstorm when Howard Dean's wife decided attending to her busy medical practice was a more productive activity than making cow-eyes at hubby? The gender politics of the Democratic primary are even stranger. I guess one thing Elizabeth Edwards and Michelle Obama are useful for is chipping away at Hilary Clinton's 'good for women' credentials in a way that would come across (or be spun as) boorish sexism from their husbands.
I'm amazed any relationship could survive the fishbowl nature of contemporary political campaigns in the US, and I really hope we're not going down the same road... and falling into all the same potholes.
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I'm not aware that he was conducting a clandestine affair whilst preaching the virtues of matrimony and toting his wife around for media opportunities.
I'm not "aware" Don Brash was either - rumours are one thing, but the bitch never sucked my dick. Neither has Trevor Mallard, come to that or any of the other current or former MPs listed by the Herald on Sunday as separating from their spouses in recent years.
And thankfully, we've been spared the sight of our politicians getting into *cough* Paris Hilton-style home video.
As I said, I feel very sorry for Mallard as a human being - having a marriage come to an end is a sad thing, regardless of the reasons. Politics is infamously hard on relationships, and surely Russell you'd acknowledge there's an element of hypocritical 'nastiness' in using them as an offensive weapon in the House.
Personally, I find that a damn sight more offensive that a weak story that looks like it was shoved into a hole on a slow news day.
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Well, IO, when it comes to 'nasty' Collins is a mere padiwan learner compared to Darth Trev. And while Pete Hodgson is manfully trying to fill the gap, I think you can count on one hand the people who don't wish he'd STFU about John Key (or at least make an allegation that he doesn't flip-flop or u-turn on in the next breath) and focus on his day job.
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Tom:
Is there a Godwin's Law equivalent for the Yellow Peril?
Russell:
I'd be very surprised if Edward is going to be doing a motivational drag show down the Mangere WINZ office any time soon - any more than 'she' spent nine years in full drag while working for the NZAF.
Having said that, and getting the titilating tranny angle out of the way, I think there's quite leigitmate questions about how the MSD is spending public money on staff recruitment, training and professional development.
You write:
This is, allegedly, a "waste of money". But does anybody think for a moment that Collins would have picked it up if that person had not been a drag queen?
Maybe, maybe not. Would Christine Rankin have drawn so much media attention and political criticism if her taste in blouses and ear-bobs was more sober? And was Labour playing to a not very well disguised streak of misogyny for political advantage? (My answers, FWIW, are 'hell yes' and 'possibly, but who can really tell for sure'.)
Still, elsewhere, wasn't it just lovely to read in the Herald on Sunday that while Trevor Mallard was dragging Don Brash's marriage into the political sewer, it now turns out his own was very far from healthy. As a human being, I feel very sorry for him and his family; as a politician who built a reputation as Labour's designated 'attack dog', my reaction is a little more complex.
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I think the major bulk of their work is in public law for non-government clients -- including some (like the gaming industry) that might be deemed distasteful, so this is pretty much in line with what they do. Matt Bowden used them to get the original approval for Ease.
Oh, I have no problem with people like Mr. Bowden and the gaming industry getting the very best legal advice, or lobbying ministers and government departments - no matter how distasteful I find their products. I hope I'd never give the impression that the law should only protect and serve those people I approve of.
I just find it rather unfortunate that Chen Palmer describes itself on its own website as:
Chen Palmer has its roots in the North American model of the 'Washington law firm' and has developed a unique approach to problem solving in the law.
We are the only specialist Public Law firm in Australasia. In addition to providing the highest quality legal advice, we also provide policy, legislation and strategic advice that is informed by a detailed knowledge and understanding of Government and Government processes.
Now, I'm not saying Mai Chen or Sir Geoffrey are Jack Abramoff wannabes, but I think it's fair comment to say that the phrase Washington law firm' also has *cough* a considerable amount of baggage I'd rather not see here.
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