Posts by simon g
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It's quite funny seeing the Herald's excitable new campaign heading plonked over their usual news online. The link below is to a standard, pretty predictable "he said, she said" NZPA report, but now enticingly labelled a "Democracy Under Attack Story". It's like those mouth-watering pictures outside bland fast food joints.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/feature/story.cfm?c_id=1501118&objectid=10475834
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As a free service to busy PA readers, to save you from having to wade through dozens of pages of "Your Views" on the Herald website, here they are:
1. A quote (Niemoller, Lincoln, Acton)
2. Another country (Hot: Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, North Korea. Not: Nicaragua, Iraq. Perennial: Nazis)
3. Your particular hobby horse (smoking, smacking, speeding)
4. Little or no reference to the Electoral Finance Bill
5. ... and, of course, your plan to move to Australia.Some have an original touch though. My favourites:
"What the proposed Electoral Finance Act does is put more power in the hands of political parties and drains the power of the people they are supposed to represent. ... I suggest we should ban political parties."
"We so need a leader who is pleasant to listen to and look at!"
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I know online polls are usually pretty meaningless, but this one on Stuff.co.nz is remarkable (so far):
Were police justified in seeking to lay charges against those arrested in last month's raids under terrorism legislation?
Yes, they had real concerns, but the law failed (2796 votes, 90.8%)
Yes, but the Ruatoki raids were badly handled (96 votes, 3.1%)
No, firearms laws would have been sufficient (122 votes, 4.0%)
No, and heads must now roll (64 votes, 2.1%)
Admittedly, without evidence made public you could almost vote for all four of them (I chose no. 3), but it does suggest the "terrorism" label has an audience all too willing to believe.
PS Apologies to Campbell Live for my earlier post: they did cover the story properly. CloseUp started to, but then had an urgent appointment with a medium (which I didn't watch, so I've no idea if said medium had a useful angle on the story, grilling dead terrorists perhaps).
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My please-make-me-eat-humble-pie-later rant:
Don't you just know that the 7 pm TV shows are going to devote the allotted seven minutes to this, and then go on to the musical pets after the break? And then it's the weekend, so that'll be that. Native Affairs or Marae will do much more, but that's little comfort.
This. Is. A. Big. Story.
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Herald headline:
"Police drop all terror related charges". A decision by the Commissioner-solicitor-general?
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I loathe violence. But I wouldn't object to somebody giving the megaphone man a wee slap with a copy of the speech Michael Cullen delivered at the conference today. This is the news we could have been talking about instead:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0711/S00042.htm
Perhaps if Cullen had actually worn that bikini ...
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Splendid contributions from the ladies there. And I shall defend you most strongly if any bounder says otherwise. Now then, did you bring a plate?
Oh, and I'm afraid it's not over: Henare speaks
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0711/S00014.htm
A strange statement. He could just say "That's not what happened". But he doesn't.
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A new day. Time for the happy thoughts.
We are the best nation in the world at winning rugby World Cups. We have won more than any other country. (Three were won by women).
Hope this helps!
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I guess it's our fault for following a game where officiating isn't so much a matter of adjudication as opinion.
That's why a France-Argentina final would be fun, with the ref jabbering away in a foreign language to the players. Personally I'd love to see two English-speaking teams trying to cope with a ref speaking Japanese - it would give them a sense of perspective.
I think most of NZ went for a bike ride, and today we're just getting on with life. Putting aside those who hate rugby or are just indifferent (I'm neither), even among AB supporters there is not the universal pre-game hysteria or post-game depression that the media would have us believe. I'd like to see hard evidence that there is (and online polls are not). People do actually know how to compartmentalise sport and personal life, and New Zealand is less extreme than many (where are our riots?).
The Times (London) repeated the 1999 myth today, suggesting Helen Clark would be in trouble because of the World Cup. With an election tomorrow, maybe - but not next year, or even next month. Let's give ourselves some credit.
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According to the stats we won the quarter final by a mile. That'll teach those innumerate Frenchies!