Posts by Deborah
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The land, and the village, look wonderful.
From Wikipedia:
Dunsandel had a population of 429 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 27 since 2001. The town was established to serve the local farming community which includes dairy, sheep and cropping and continues providing veterinary, transport and vehicle repair services. It has one primary school for approximately 50 children. The town is the home to the Dunsandel Cricket Club. The club's 'A' team has a reputation as one of the premier teams in the Ellesmere district.
So much more hard work to come, with moving houses and all that, but I guess now with a sense of being able to do something, instead of just having to keep on trying to find your way through the insurance knot.
I hope that you and Jen find some moments of peace over the Christmas break.
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It's not just governance. It's the extent to which the community allows dissent. "Don't be a dick" is very coercive.
I've got more to say, but it's Friday night, and I'm about to kick back and watch some trashy TV with my partner who hasn't been home on a Friday night for far too long. Tomorrow...
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As others have said, I'm very glad to have the opportunity to support PAS, and glad to be able to do so.
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It was a inclusive process, if by inclusive you mean the bit where the candidates went on a roadshow. But it seems that the caucus didn't really pay all that much attention to the mood of those meetings, and the response of people there to the candidates. However, that's the choice the caucus has made, and now we get to see whether in fact it was a good choice.
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One of the things that really annoys me about the Anyone But Cunliffe idea is the pervasive anti-intellectualism that surrounds it. It seems that some of his caucus colleagues resent him for being too smart, or too clever. I *want* really smart and able people in government, people who are able to disentangle the complexities of policy, and to see beyond narrow sectional interests. I want people there who are prepared to work with the team they've got. David Cunliffe has stated very clearly that he wants to work with David Shearer and Grant Robertson, because they have real talents to bring to the job.
I think the Labour caucus needs to get over worrying who they are going to eat their playlunch with, and have a very full and frank discussion about how they are going to get the chance to put their policy agenda into practice. David Shearer seems like a nice chap, but on performances to date, it's hard to see how he would cut it against John Key.
Also, a bit of disclosure, because I loathe hidden agendas: David Cunliffe is a personal friend of ours, from way back in our very first years at university. Mind you, so is DPF. Read into that what you will. Primarily you should read into it that we were all members of the Otago University Debating Society. And having said that, the last time I saw David Cunliffe was on Tuesday night last week, and before that, about five years ago at a meeting in the Beehive when I was there in my capacity as a public servant.
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Goff had the numbers.
Given that he had the numbers, the responsibility for not being able to come up with them in the Christchurch debate rests with him. So what's with the prevailing meme of blaming David Cunliffe for Goff not being able to come up with them during the debate? It looks very much like a bit of niggle designed to undermine Cunliffe's bid for the leadership.
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To me, it seems like the dead hand of the past reaching out to keep control of the Labour party caucus.
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I find it hard to understand how the support of Goff, King and Mallard doesn't represent "entrenched interests and patronage."
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Pick-up line that was used on me, by a friend: "Let's have an affair."
It worked. Still working, really, given that we got married. To each other.
nobody actually knows the true essence of the person they're interested in
For sure. That's a perpetually ongoing process.
We only found out that we both rather liked Star Trek some months *after* we got married.
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I made these for my daughters' tenth birthday.
