Posts by Paul Rowe
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I'm still a little unsure about why this is such a big deal?
Because it was the Herald's lead story yesterday and it feeds into their crusade against the EFA - it provides a handy stick to beat Labour with. I don't bother with TV news, but it appears they fell for it too.
Audrey Young's disclosure that it was notes from a workshop, not notes distributed at a workshop totally changes the nature of her story. The Herald should have printed a clarification as prominently as they published the original story, but, of course, it doesn't suit them to do that.
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I don't think national even get into the same ball park as labour's cuts to the public sector in the 80's. Both ends of the spectrum are guilty of shafting the public service, lets not forget that.
The difference being that Labour has publicly disavowed the actions of the Fourth Labour Government and did so a while ago. When the Nats disavow the 1990s and run on a platform of policies that don't look like a rerun of the failures of the past (market- related rents anyone?) then we might get a working opposition again.
Re: Turkeys' voting for Xmas. We all vote according to our "enlightened self-interest". I don't expect Public Servants to be any more or less beholden to that principle, no matter how naive it may sound.
Still, if Labour wants to go on the campaign trail pledging that not one job will be lost from the civil service on their watch
When have they done that? They are pledging to continue a certain level of social services. Those services require a bureaucracy to run them. National is pledging to decrease bureaucracy without cutting services. Which is more dishonest?
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Spot on David, brightened my morning.
Good on you for pointing out Armstrong & Miller, I didn't think they'd made much impact over here.
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Rob, I should have known someone would have that Mother Goose clip. Two things the Dunedin sound -philes don't like to admit - The Knobbz & Mother Goose!
For some reason, I was reminded of this. Was there a baked bean revival in the 70s or something? (the Beans kick in at about 4 minutes)
As someone says in the comments, how she didn't win an Oscar, I'll never know.
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Anything to keep the kid away from the bloody Wiggles.
Stuff a little more up to date:
Gillian Welch
The Greencards (Graham's got a review, but I can't find it)
Nickle Creek (not Nickleback, you'd prefer the Wiggles).
Maybe when he's a bit older he can graduate to the outlaw country stuff like Waylon & Willie, say, when he hits the terrible twos.
Not sure about Robbie Fulks, but a song like She Took a Lot of Pills & Died should be a must for every pre-schooler interested in the genre. :)
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Sorry, no sympathy, for private people to borrow to invest is just mad. Greed is not good.
Actually, I'm very symapthetic to the guy, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. However, I wouldn't shy away from criticising his stupid decision to borow to invest or his decision not to diversify his investment, that's just lunacy.
If I had $5k to invest (let alone $500k), borrowed or not, I wouldn't simply buy shares in Fletcher Building (for example), would I?
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There goes the Test match.
And I can recommend Flashman's Lady by the late & lamented George MacDonald Fraser for a brilliant description of cricket in the 1840s
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I don’t think England have been disinterested; more manically conservative, as opposed to our impetuous impatience.
Exactly what cost us a three-test drubbing when NZ played England in 2004. Crippled by injuries we still tried to play like Australians. I had the pleasure of a day at the Leeds test that year, crowd more entertaining than the cricket. Come to think of it, England where conservative as all hell that test too.
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Agree with you there. Any success today only delays the inevitable as far as I can see. Mind you, you never know. Fleming might get within sight of Crowe's 299, now that would be a way to win the series <wishful thinking/>
England have been funny this series, mostly pretty disinterested I would have thought. If it weren't for the barmy army the series would have been a bit of a damp squib.
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Leggie, I was gonna include that one! Thought the bribery winter games was apt, didn't want to come down too heavy on the Americans...
What odds on NZ winning the Test Match? Flem needs 8 more to keep his average above 40...