Posts by martinb

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  • Southerly: The Truth About Talkback,

    Dammit sorry- (who the heck is Carol Shields??) Anne Michaels...still looking to see if someone has the passage quoted somewhere...my copy of the book is in storage...

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Southerly: The Truth About Talkback,

    All this word play is in a ...Carol Shield's novel about a poet Jakob Beer (?) memory failing...

    have to track down the moment he meets this lass and she answers him completely in city/country names

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Local Heroes?,

    @craig

    So that must be those famous and celebrated pages in NZ history of the National party.

    Jim Bolger opposing nuclear testing and going to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela...or is it actually the National party's wish that there was no history or people would call bullshit on it more regularly? Look at what they are doing buddy. There's no continuity with this alleged progressive social agenda.

    @Danyl. Child smacking got everyone riled up and none of it stuck to Key. The campaign against Clark was nasty and vindictive.

    Wait the protest by truckies,when we are spending millions replacing the Harbour bridge because of trucks, and they got glorified as Robin Hoods because of $500 they might have to pay extra?

    I'm betting now that a progressive tax system is social engineering...

    This term to me is spin and nasty successful spin at that. If you improve things to the left you social engineer- if you dish money out to your rich mates and do fuck all about unemployment and hit beneficiaries...?

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Behind the Paywall,

    Sorry Russell...I was apologising, and trying to justify my thread hjack with the letter by noting I wouldn't use the Herald's online comments, elevating the print edition...

    aimed at me not others....

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Behind the Paywall,

    and I thought it is a more authoratative protest to write a letter in than to comment on a blog site- as publications such as the Herald, and at times the Listener are broad spectrum. They're important to people across all kinds of view points and so have that audience.

    To try and keep it on topic.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Behind the Paywall,

    I guess I'm a sad Herald letters writing kind of guy- but not sad enough to join their online community. Not really on topic here- but I thought I'd post it anyway.

    Anyway had to laugh at the edit I got on this letter. Only the first and third sentences made it in.

    Dear Sir,


    A champion team is a settled team built on trust, like Spain at the World Cup. Or the All Blacks with players like McCaw, Carter, Mealamu, Muliaina, Thorn and coach Graeme Henry.

    If New Zealand's business people think that being able to fire their employees at will is aspirational, we are in a lot of trouble. This is no step change.

    The government, like their case for mining and the economic benefits of private prisons, is using bogus or dodgy information. The economic benefits of this move are highly questionable.

    HoS columnist Matt McCarten said that around 400,000 people change jobs every year. Will they and their families make decisions such as buying houses or appliances under a 3 month trial? First abolish the customer, as Bob Ellis said.

    We are not part of a team then. The scenes at the National Party conference remind me of a moment from the late Mereta Mita's Patu: A crowd of people are protesting. Muldoon and his cabinet stroll up. One of them laughs and gives the fingers to the protestors. They didn't give a damn about them.

    This is what the National government is doing with this policy.

    Yours Sincerely,


    Martin Bates

    Ahhh well....

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

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