Posts by Russell Brown

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  • Michael Jackson: A Life?,

    I like this one best. How annoying that every instance on YouTube seems to have embedding disabled.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: Another entry in the Public…,

    You made pizza with what? Wait, I don't want to know.

    Dude, I am quite capable of making pizza bases from scratch. But these breads were 40cm across and they came up beautifully on the pizza stones. So.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Michael Jackson: A Life?,

    The Los Angeles Times is confirming reports that Michael Jackson has died. What to make of such a strange, strange life? Thoughts, clips, quips go here.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: Another entry in the Public…,

    Other people's medical dramas do become legitimate entertainment, being the only entertainment available.

    Yes, although I found myself more comfortable with them as radio drama rather than reality TV.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Southerly: Bubbles Over Blockhouse Bay,

    Dear lord! I hope they keep a thesaurus handy to help with complimenting all these children in suitably different ways.

    It's more that Bob is 'specially handsome.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • OnPoint: What gorilla?,

    I was slack on backup for years, but by the time I actually did have a hard drive completely die on me, I was using Time Machine as part of MacOS 10.5.

    I had the computer back the next day with a new, larger drive and Time Machine had an incremental backup up till about 90 mins before the time of death. I simply imported everything back from that and started working again. It was extremely cool.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: Footnotes,

    I hear the Court staff were more shocked than anyone and they're usually spot on.

    Yes. I think some of the stuff we got from the journalists came from the court staff, particularly the impression that minds were made up before the arguments were concluded.

    But like you said, I'm over talking about it ;-)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: Footnotes,

    More humbug. This idea has graduated on this blog to the status of accepted fact from humble beginnings of 'what a reporter wrote.'

    Oh, this is getting silly now. Everything in the bloody newspaper is is simply "what a reporter wrote" if you're going to take that approach.

    Frankly, I have no doubt that the man did fall asleep. I do not think that an experienced court reporter who was actually there simply decided to make it up and whack in the paper for the fun of it.

    But I'm tired of arguing about it already. I'm just taking the word of people I respect, who were there, that Bain was not the best advertisement for the jury system.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • OnPoint: "Smokescreen," I scream,

    No. That was what Sue Bradford argued sometimes.

    It would seem fair in this context to note that Family First and McCroskie touted the shining ideal of the "light smack" even while it championed parents whose actions could by no stretch of the imagination be described in that way: most notably, the woman who hit her disturbed son with a riding crop and a piece of wood.

    By sides have over-reached, but I very strongly maintain that the rhetorical gap was consistently larger on that side of the argument.

    Kids who are smacked grow up thinking that beatings are okay? WTF? I think most parents think there is a difference between smacking and beating.

    Well, of course. But is it not evident that what "some parents" regard as a "smack" looks like a beating to others? You argue the difference as if it's a clear bright line, whereas it is clearly -- and sometimes dangerously -- subjective.

    But maybe we should leave it here. We seem to be arguing about different things.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • OnPoint: "Smokescreen," I scream,

    Um, yes... or do you really think Idiot/Savant's (and I don't mean to pick on him, he's just the first example that comes to mind) habitual cry of "child beater" was adding much to the discussion.

    I agree.

    I should note I have used some harsh words myself -- calling Family Integrity "Christian sadists" -- but only when I think I can directly back up what I say. (When you look at what Family Integrity thinks the law should allow, it's not an unreasonable description.)

    But in general, I think the pro-smacking group's rhetoric has been way more out there than the other side's.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

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