Posts by Russell Brown
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
I hate to teach my grandmother to suck eggs, but have you tried googling?
Well, yeah, but I thought I'd ask my friends ...
-
And hey, this seems like a great time to tap the collective wisdom.
At Foo Camp this Friday, I'm to perform the whaikorero on behalf of the manuhiri, in the whare at the college where it happens.
I don't intend to be one of those people who staggers through five minutes of bog Maori, so I'll express my respect in English. But I would like to greet in te reo, and know what I'm saying.
Anyone got a few good lines for a geek retreat? Mikaere?
-
Stephen, one of the things I like about Judaism is its ability to culturally accommodate both secularism and ritual. It seems to me that has reaped a great intellectual bounty, among other things.
Got anything for us on that?
-
Can anyone recommend any good atheist or non-religious karakia? Seems to be the sort of thing it might be useful to know.
Know any Quakers? They're usually good value for non-theist observances.
-
Oh, and David Boreanaz is wearing way too many clothes. Less is more, people
If Entertainment Weekly is to be believed, you're going to be seeing rather more of Mr B's body this season. Unless, of course, they stop at the bedroom door ...
-
Thanks Mikaere. Just, thanks.
Me too.
-
So we have an emotionally needy Prime Minister. That's just great.
(I kid, I kid)
Quite a good joke, I thought.
-
Fantastic. Key's done damn well. I don't much like his politics, but I do respect the approach he has to people and Big Gay Out mightn't need his validation but it's bloody fantastic to see the PM just getting involved sans attitude.
And I think he was doing it out of just being a good sport rather than any political calculation. Whatever his flaws, Key likes people and wants to be liked.
-
They weren't P-class, they were Optimists. I know because I was out there capsizing in one. I think I did pretty well for my first time in a small yacht. I managed to right it, get back in it, bail it out, and sail on. And, more importantly, didn't lose my sunglasses and hat in the process.
We saw you!
-
Quite true, and it was equally true when Jim Bolger decided (quite rightly in my view) after Waitangi Day in '95, that -- unlike Pariament -- this was one bit of ritual humiliation where he didn't have to wear.
Him and Cath Tizard, who were both spat on. I did think Bolgers comment afterwards was good: "What happened at Waitangi is not the universal face of Mäoridom and must not be seen as such."
I do recall the then-leader of the Opposition taking a somewhat different view, but I guess "what goes around, comes around" is as true in politics as everywhere else.
as I recall the criticism in 1996 was not about the Prime Minister not attending the ceremonies at Waitangi (that was inevitable), but that the only official engagement was an invitation-only event behind the walls of Government House.
If we're going to expect Ngapuhi to accept the blame for "two oafs" (as RB so neatly put it) acting out, I sure hope the same standard is going to be applied the next time some random elements at a protest march go wild, or some random spectator goes off at an event attended by the PM.
If two protesters in any other context went so wild as to physically assault the Prime Minister, I'm sure there'd be hell to pay. But my sense was that this was as much about Ngapuhi politics as anything (ditto for Harawira's stunt in 1998, where the matriarch was playing politics with some of the men) and I just don't feel great about being subject to them any more.
Last ←Newer Page 1 … 1706 1707 1708 1709 1710 … 2279 Older→ First