Posts by Craig Ranapia
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Sacha,
As I said, I think Rudman was entirely accurate and fair in pointing out Key’s collars and cuffs don’t match, so to speak, when it comes to privacy. (I'd be a hypocrite to do so, since I've said the same myself elsewhere.) But I also think it’s fair to point out that speaking with a forked tongue is no more edifying, and equally deserving of notice, from our media moralists than it is from our political ones.
ETA: Also, no I don't think Rudman bears blood guilt for every syllable of idiocy that's ever appeared in The Herald. But when he's speaking from that organ's bully pulpit, it's not just the authority and market dominance he's standing on.
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Muse: Linky Love, in reply to Sacha,
if I gave a crap, that would count as a spoiler, no?
Just between us, yes. But hasn't everyone in the world who's likely to care already read the books, seen the ghastly movies (yes, Taylor Lautner's dinner plate nipples do not stir me) and declared for Team Emo Boy or Team Monobrow?
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The average voter is pretty simple and rather gullible.
Shall we amend that to The average voter who doesn't vote as I think they should is pretty simple and rather gullible, as well as probably being evil alien lizards. So endearing.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Russell Brown,
Also: fuck knows what Hosking’s on. But I don’t want any.
But it does wonders for the roses. :) And, yeah, I don't think the hit job on Ambrose I linked to should be considered one of Stuff's finest moments.
That was my reading of the Rudman article linked to upthread.
I know I'm going to get trashed for saying this, but while Rudman's calling Key a privacy hypocrite (with some justice, IMO) the Herald's own editorial board and columnists' record on civil liberties is *cough* rather patchy. (At least where the Herald's own interests aren't directly concerned. When that happens, The Herald becomes a staunchly civil libertarian organ.) #potkettleblack, indeed.
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I resent the implication here that third-wave feminists don’t also hate the living fuck out of Bella. We grew up with Buffy. We have standards.
Before I get forced to perform fellatio on Mr. Pointy, can I say that was a direct quote. :) Don't think "femininity" means what Berlatsky thinks it does. At least, I hope not -- and this is not only confused but downright creepy:
At the end of Twilight, Bella actually does get power. She turns into a vampire who has the physical and magical wherewithal to save her entire family from death—not to mention flatten Katniss with a flick of her perfect pale sparkly wrist. Katniss, conversely, finds that what she desired all along was domestic bliss with her nice-guy suitor and a bunch of kids running around the cottage. Explaining why she chose Peeta for her husband rather than the more swaggering Gale, Katniss says, "what I need to survive is not Gale's fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring." When you're butch, you want your lover to give you flowers. When you're a girly girl like Bella, you want a lover who will give you the ability to run down and slaughter wild animals with your bare hands.
M'kay... how is that really fucking offensive, let me count the ways. Oh, screw it. I can't be bothered.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to BenWilson,
I'm in two minds. They could temper National on some fairly major things I seriously oppose. More roads and mining.
Which was the whole bloody point of MMP, right? Right? And that could actually be achieved without the scare-mongering around the Greens going Teal (which the Standard does intermittently) - after all the simply fact of electoral math is that you can't pass a damn thing without the votes.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Steve Barnes,
The Greens, on the other hand, seem to be playing this as a way of appearing to be amenable to National
To be fair to Norman, I think he'd have done exactly the same thing if it was Labour (or anyone else) being targeted and rightly so. As for the idea that this is some kind of foreplay for a Teal coalition, I really don't think that's likely outside the imaginations of some bored (and mischievous) bloggers and columnists.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Rob Stowell,
Handing them over to the police
What? Sourced, credible link please.
Meanwhile, I’m getting more and more creeped out by the chic cynicism “if you’re going to vandalise election hoardings, the only sin is getting caught”. I wonder if folks like Edwards, Gordon Campbell et. al. have ever had to take down a hoarding that’s been defaced with charming political wit like “RAPE DYKE CUNT”? How about fielding a call from an 80 year old widow severely distressed by someone trespassing on her property in the middle of the night to slash up a hoarding?
I've done both, so anyone who thinks vandalism like this is just a game (as long as you don't like the target or have to clean up the ugliness, of course) can play another one. Try reading my lips, while guessing which finger I have rigidly extended.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Sacha,
Part of the answer is that the political parties have all contrived to make this campaign utterly boring
Yeah, because I really think the point of elections is to keep the media and commentariat entertained, like they’re children at a birthday party marking time between the sugar buffet and the clown who makes balloon animals. You know what, if you’re so damn bored learn to ride a bike, take up knitting, learn a musical instrument or slip a good book in your bag. Petty vandalism isn’t it.
And yet again, I want to throw my laptop at the wall every time someone pops up in the lamestream media to bitch about what a lightweight circus the campaign is, as if the media itself is a victim instead of a perpetrator/enabler.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to DexterX,
I don’t think it is credible – remorse is only for those that get caught out. But I must say it was well expressed.
IIMHO it is likey that if the partner of the party Leader’s executive assistant knew – then it was not a secret.
If it was some kind of performance art on Norman's part, then I've got to say he's in the wrong profession. He should leave politics, take every Green I know, and become a Shakespeare wallah - it was an Oscar worthy act.
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