Posts by dyan campbell

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

  • Hard News: Revival,

    all my first musical heroes are babyboomers, Iggy, Keith, John Lennon,Jimmy Morrison,Joe Strummer.

    Iggy Pop and Joe Strummer would be the only babyboomers in that lineup...

    There should be a rule when you have enough money so you can afford annual holidays away in winter, and $200 concert tickets.

    Are you kidding?? Jeez, doesn't that pretty much sum up both the babyboomers and generation x? Are you familiar with the term "Poverty Jet Set" ?

    A group of people given to chronic traveling at the expense of long-term job stability or a permanent residence. Tend to have doomed and extremely expensive phone call relationships with people names Serge or Ilyana. Tend to discuss frequent-flyer programs at parties.

    It was coined by Douglas Coupland (a boy from my 'hood) and it was meant to describe that demographic that ignores their career advancement, job stability - or in some cases, their graduate studies - and flies to Tahiti, Hawaii, Cabo San Lucas, Koh Samui, or anywhere you can "get a tan on your bum". Punk songs were sung about such things. You flew steerage, of course.

    The Young Canadians - Let's Go to Fucking Hawaii

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    I know of a flat, where the piles of dishes got so insane they decidde to reduce the need by drawing plate size circles on the table and just giving it a good wipe after eating ones spag bol straight off it.

    I've been told of an unlucky pair of children (from Timaru, of course) who, when visiting relatives with family, as a huge group dreaded dinner time - dinner plates being scarce -and were presented with the dog and cat's dishes "given a quick rinse".

    To be fair to Timaru, the auntie lived somewhere else.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Hard News: Morning in Auckland,

    As for Paul Henry, it's looking more and more possible that he will be sacked.

    That's a sure bet - Paul Henry is history. I do feel a considerable amount of pity - as I did for Tony Veitch - but ultimately his dismissal - as Tony Veitch's was - will be a really good thing for NZ society. It changes the whole landscape of what is acceptable and what you can really get away with. And it will make a lot of bigoted oafs in the media mind their manners and show a little respect.

    Canada sure is racist but Canadians do not dare to indulge in race baiting for sport or "humour". If anyone tried they would find themselves dismissed from their job, ostracised (and possibly punched in the nose) by their peers, and ultimately arrested and charged with inciting hatred.

    I will not be surprised of Andi Brotherston and Rick Ellis have lost their jobs by the end of this.

    It's been really heartening to see how many NZers are really outraged over these incidents - there has been quite a strong reaction - but I really don't think NZers are capable of understanding how these issues are viewed in other parts of the world.

    This ain't over by a long shot.

    Paul Henry's assertion that a NZer has to look and sound a certain way to be a "real" NZer is actually getting a lot more attention in Canada than his puerile giggling about a name.

    The incident was reported as Canadian media identifies the real scandal as the fact that NZ's Prime Minister let an extremely racist and objectionable comment that excluded part of the NZ's population on the basis of race go completely unchallenged. Several people in Canada (most white!) have contacted me to ask "is this for real??"

    Hey Ben Gracewood, yr famous in my hometown!

    Racist jibe

    Mr Key appeared uncomfortable with the questioning and moved on to joking about whether Mr Henry wanted the job himself. The presenter caused controversy last year by calling the Scottish singer Susan Boyle "a retard".

    His latest remarks were condemned widely. Ben Gracewood, a technology commentator, said he was quitting the Breakfast show in protest.

    India warns of fallout over race slurs

    The clip has been reported in India, Britain, Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic and other countries and brought a diplomatic protest from the Indian Government, which said it was "racist" and "bigoted".

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Busytown: Front, man,

    I got the same feeling during my brief time in Canada - Toronto and Victoria. You almost wanted to go ask where they hid the indigenous people away.

    What do you think we look like?

    You wouldn't recognise a First Nations person. I'm as much Cree as Tiger Woods is black, and I am almost invariably seen as white by NZers.

    My husband also looks white, until you see a portrait of his great-grandfather, who looks exactly like a 90 year old tattooed version of Paul.

    Maybe they were all at a casting call for First Nations actors at the Twilight sequel, New Moon.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Hard News: Morning in Auckland,

    It'll be interesting to see how things play out when Henry returns.

    Paul Henry may not find much work after this dies down.

    TVNZ's advertisers haven't had a chance to react yet and this won't be over until at least one and possibly several heads have rolled - I don't think that has sunk in at TVNZ yet.

    Maybe Paul Henry says what some NZers are thinking, but his bosses have badly misread both the public mood and how seriously this kind of thing is taken everywhere else in the world - and the social, diplomatic and economic repercussions that something like this can have.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Hard News: Morning in Auckland,

    Thank you and great respect to Ben Gracewood - you did a good and effective thing when you made a stand. You Gracewoods are always doing something exceptionally well.

    And since Paul Henry is suspended I hope this means Ben's role as gadget reviewer is reinstated.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Random Play: This land is your land . . .,

    Nor sober, but I'm still surprised.

    I don't think I look that young - I am often guessed to be about the same age as my sister who is in her mid 60s.

    This is a clip of my sister Shirl - she's 64 - though still 63 in this clip. She's a few minutes into it, and she is shot in unflattering daylight. And she has begun to look eerily like our Mum... whereas people tell me I look like eerily like Keanu Reeves.

    Please excuse the shameless plea for donations in the clip - Shirl runs one of Jane Goodall's (Schools Without Borders) schools.

    Fundraising - School in Kathmandu

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Random Play: This land is your land . . .,

    dyan, you must have a Ring of Power stashed away. I thought you were early 40s, at the most.

    Why thank you, very gallant of you to say, though you have not seen me by daylight. My sister, on the other hand, is in her mid 60s, and is usually assumed to be 20 or 25 years younger than she is. And I think my cousin set some kind of record, being asked for ID to prove she was over 18 while standing under flourescent lights. .. when she was 45.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Random Play: This land is your land . . .,

    Meh, I've never understood the attraction of being able to swim and ski in the same day.

    I don't think it's something people really do so much as shorthand for "Yes, we are just that awesome."

    Yeah, but if you really, really loved swimming and skiing it would be why you lived there. You can squeeze in a lot more than two activities in too, if you are so inclined. A lot of us are.

    The last time Paul and I (in our mid fifties) visited my brother Jim & sister in law Annie (in their late 50s) we hiked up a mountain, rode mountain bikes, rode horses, ran trails with the dog, swam in the lake, picked berries and helped a neighbour load hay bales. In the same day.

    This was just normal for Jim and Annie - it's why they never wanted to work more than 3 days a week, why they have horses, why they have a dog that loves that kind of life. It's their idea of fun. They do a lot, lot more than that - white water kayaking, rock climbing, skiing- cross country and downhill, ice skating, hunting. And their dog sure is happy. It's just the way some people live.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Busytown: Reading Room,

    But it seems that colonial New Zealand was very big on reading

    This is definitely what I've gathered as well.

    Some colonists were probably sent the latest bestsellers hot off the press by the authors.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

Last ←Newer Page 1 11 12 13 14 15 60 Older→ First