Posts by Chris Waugh
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Hard News: The Wogistan form book, in reply to Sacha,
Well, there is this:
And what of Prosser's beloved pocketknife, and its confiscation at Christchurch Airport that inspired his anti-Islam rant? He wants to sell the knife (still under lock and key at the airport) on Trade Me and give the proceeds to a worthy cause.
"One that sprung to mind was the Pakistani girl who got shot by the Taleban," he says. "Her recovery is going to need a bit of help and that might be a good thing to do."
Getting rid of the pocketknife is "symbolic of burying the hatchet", he says. "It's time to let things go. It's time to let go of the controversial shock-jock approach ... the beard's gone, it's a new me."
So it's still early days, yet, but I think there's reason to hope.
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Hard News: The Wogistan form book, in reply to Sacha,
Well, the article Sofie linked to does report him having made contact with a couple of Muslims and at least started talking about meeting them. Seems he is willing to listen and learn. I will be curious to see what comes of this.
Hone Harawira is another MP with a history of saying stupid, obnoxious shit, but it seems to me that he's learned and grown up over his time in Parliament. It's possible that Prosser might follow his example.
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Hard News: The Wogistan form book, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
Thank you Craig, that's what I was feeling. But posting pre-caffeination isn't good for turning that reaction into rational, coherent expression.
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Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to Jos,
something seems to have happened to this thread, lots of posts have gone.
Really? From where I sit, New Zealand seemed to completely fall off the internet yesterday, and this morning I was able to open the Public Address front page, but none of the threads would open until five minutes ago.
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Chinese New Year is, at least in Beijing, and among many other things, Temple Fairs.
And Temple Fairs are, among many other things, masses of people idling past street food stands buying the snacks they like the look of - that would be Inner Mongolian lamb kebabs in the background, squid cooked on hot iron plates to its left, and some kind of tea concoction and other drinks to the right.
That's 龙潭庙会/Lóngtán Miàohuì/Dragon Pond (=name of a park in southern Dongcheng/former Chongwen District in the Beijing old city).
And lastly, I think that's the best crowd shot I got.
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Hard News: The Wogistan form book, in reply to Russell Brown,
I liked that Press editorial:
That it did not has caused his comments to make news around the world, letting New Zealand become the toast of fascists and the despair of decent people. The nation's reputation is thus damaged and its reputation for tolerance lessened, but it is the harm the remarks do within New Zealand that really worries.
Although I'm confused about the references to Ashley at the end - is that a place I perhaps shouldn't take my not very white wife and daughter? Or is that where Prosser lives? Or are those 2 questions asking one and the same thing?
That Waikato Times editorial, on the other hand, seems a little confused.
The inspiring rhetoric of Abraham Lincoln (in the Gettysburg Address) and Sir Winston Church (during World War II)
There seems to be a hill missing there.
And:
Mana Party leader Hone Harawira made a sensible observation. A fellow with his own track record for causing offence, he disagreed that people are best not to openly express provocative views. When people hold views as extreme as Mr Prosser's, Mr Harawira said, "it's best that we hear them". He's right. Otherwise, they conceal what they really think.
Well, yes, I agree, but..... kinda missing the point?
Oh well, the way things are going, Winston First will do what it does best and self destruct by the next election.
ETA: I find this cartoon interesting.
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Hard News: The Wogistan form book, in reply to izogi,
I don’t know whether to consider it an MMP success or failure, but I tend to think that people over a certain proportion should have an opportunity to have their views aired by parliamentary representatives, even if those views disgust me.
+1
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Legal Beagle: A four-year parliamentary term?, in reply to James Caygill,
I think there’s no better illustration of the perversity of short election cycles than looking at the US House of Representatives. There are many many things wrong with that body, but I think a large number of them stem directly from the permanent campaign psyche.
But is the problem the short term lengths or the political culture? With the US, I'd argue that the biggest problem is the political culture, and in particular a public political discourse that seems to me to have become utterly toxic. I think there's plenty we could learn from the US, but almost all in terms of how not to do things.
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Legal Beagle: A four-year parliamentary term?, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
The US it’s so hard to make a constitutional amendment that it would never happen.
And yet the constitution has been amended many times.
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Capture: Two Tales of a City, in reply to Joe Wylie,
Joe, I've lived in Beijing since 2001, apart from 6 months back in NZ in 2002 and a year working in Tianjin (but back to civilisation almost every weekend), but I'd never heard of that place until this Mainzeal/Richina mess blew up. Hmm... if you trust Baidu maps, then following Trip Advisors instructions will get you to the wrong end of Workers Stadium. Their own website suggests you should trust Baidu Maps. It being at the south gate might partially explain why I'd never heard of the place, as I've only hung out around the western and northern areas of Workers Stadium on the few occasions I steel myself for a visit to that part of town.
I also note that Richina's Chinese name is just as dumb as its English name. Not that that's in any way meaningful.
ETA: I really don't see the point in an underwater world in an inland and very dry city. I do, however, recommend the aquarium at Xinghai Park in Dalian. Not only is it right on the coast, but it's pretty well built and run.
