Posts by Grant McDougall
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A couple of things that have been over-looked in the discussion both here and at large are a) the lower drinking age and, b) the marked increase in recent years by the booze barns near the campus to cynically promote binge drinking.
With 18 being the drinking age, access to alcohol is much easier for first and second year students. Those that can't handle it properly end up doing dumb stuff at a slightly younger age.
The booze barns have really hyped the binge drinking culture in recent years. The Cook has been especially bad for this. Sure, it's always been a student boozer, but they introduced the "Cookathon" as part of Orientation a few years ago. This was an easy way to get hordes of first and second years into the Cook.
It's now held three times a year, so obviously they're making a lot of dosh from it. But it's a pretty cynical way to make money. The block the Cook's on always reeks the next day, too.
Their license is under review and I hope they have much tougher restrictions put on it.
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"Dunedin North" - is a very inappropriate, inaccurate description of the area in question.
The student area is basically the area within a 1km radius of the university. This is the university residential area, nothing more, nothing less.
To describe it as "Dunedin North" is akin to describing a 1km area on Devonport as "Auckland North". In other words, it implies a big, extensive area, when it isn't.
"Dunedin North", e.g anywhere north of the uni includes North-East Valley, Dalmore, Pine Hill, Normanby, Signal Hill, etc. These are all residential suburbs with a sprinkling of students in them, unlike the heavy concentration immediately around the uni.
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Many of the rioters aren't students.
Nonsense. 80% of those arrested were Otago students. I sincerely hope both the court and the university gives those arrested the maximum penalties available.
I hope these immature little pricks get extensive PD sentences and that the university either expels them or suspends them from attending for a year or two.I'm normally not this reactionary, but I am sick of morons leaving mummy and daddy's nest in other cities coming here, treating the place like crap, then getting upset when the cops get grumpy, then leaving once they've got their bit of paper.
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It'll be interesting to see how Labour plays this one. I assume they'll oppose it on a) principle and, b) simply because it's Roger Douglas's bill.
Labour's Grant Robertson was OUSA president in '94 and co-pres of NZUSA in '95, so I expect he'll be mulling over how to attack the bill in the house.
National are going to humour Douglas and support it as far as select committee stage, but I doubt they'll have much interest in it after that.
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Very few Maori vote for National or ACT anyway, so the gov't can afford to get away with this, without losing any of their voting base. That's the harsh reality of it.
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Baldock's just said on TV3 News that if John Key doesn't repeal the law, it'll cost him his job as PM "because more people voted 'no' than voted for National" .
The man is truly deluded.
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longing for Georgie Pie
Good call. I'm baffled that it seems to be the cause de jour of slebs and that so many people have a hankering for it.
In reality, while they were cheap they were also mediocre pies, even compared to supermarket pies.
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But first, Bob McCroskie, should she have just given them a smack as part of good parental correction?
Either that or get his mate David Garrett to "take them outside".
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Regarding subsidies, I know this is shooting fish in a barrel territory, but it's ironic that Roger Douglas got rid of subsidies for farmers and advocated user pays, but is quite happy for the tax payer to subsidise his holidays.
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But if you buy the latest issue of teh Listless, you can get out of teh financial crappy. "Boost your financial IQ" it sez. Teh simplz!