Posts by simon g

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  • Speaker: KICK IT! End of Act One,

    You're not fooling anyone, Mr Kick It.

    It's an old blogger's trick to include deliberate mistakes in a post to provoke replies. Not going to work. Oh, all right then ... the USA did make the second round in 1994. There you go.

    As for 2010, if anybody hasn't seen Argentina v South Korea, it comes highly recommended. We've been asked not to mention scores, I'm told, so I'll just say ... watch.

    Italy will beat NZ, of course. It was fun while it lasted. Sadly, we've missed our chance at making history - if we'd renamed the country Aotearoa we'd now be top of the group. Above Italy.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Speaker: KICK IT! We won 1-1!,

    So anyway, who do we want in the second round?

    Probably better to avoid the Dutch. Although they're not that flash at penalty shootouts. Yeah, we can take 'em.

    Quarter-Final could be tricky though. Brazil are waiting.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Speaker: KICK IT! Football's comin' home,

    Re- TV coverage ...

    Here's an early contender for Rant of the Tournament. A BBC viewer is not happy.

    (MOTD = Match of the Day)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Disingenuous Press,

    Craig, I think you know perfectly well where Dick Quax's loyalties lie. The readers should too.

    He is not a disinterested party, and to report this is not "editorialising".

    And I said "hack". I didn't say Herald must say "hack". But you already knew that.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Hard News: Costly indeed,

    The Herald also has an online poll (of course) on Goff's options, and currently in the lead is (of course) "Make them resign".

    Exactly what the MPs should be resigning from is unclear. Spokes-thing? Caucus? Parliament? Life?

    Let's give party leaders more power to force MPs out of Parliament. What could possibly go wrong?

    "Now, about that conscience vote yesterday. You're fired ..."

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Disingenuous Press,

    One of my pet peeves is that while MPs are usually reported with a party label, local councillors often are not. "Labour MP attacks National Minister" is Mandy Rice-Davies territory, and no less so, people like Dick Quax attacking Len Brown.

    From much of the media coverage, you would get the impression that Quax is merely a concerned councillor caring for his constituents. Not an ACT party hack.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Hard News: Costly indeed,

    I'm surprised that Labour didn't get out in front of this. They must have known this was going to be released this week. Why weren't some ministers making releases a couple of weeks ago so that they could control the story better? This has been awfully played.

    Shane Jones ("I'm a movie buff") could have saved himself a lot of trouble if he'd rented another film, namely a pretty good Australian movie, The Dish, starring Sam Neill.

    In one scene, things are going awry for small-town mayor and aspiring candidate Bob McIntyre, and the PM has some helpful advice:

    Prime Minister: You know, we've got a saying in the party. You don't fuck up...
    (pause)
    Mayor Bob McIntyre: And?
    Prime Minister: That's it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Speaker: KICK IT! Football's comin' home,

    So is it too soon to tell you that Italy lose to Paraguay?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Speaker: KICK IT! Football's comin' home,

    Oh, is that the rule? I didn't know, sorry.

    That's going to make this a pretty dead blog, though. What's the statute of limitations?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Speaker: KICK IT! Football's comin' home,

    Thanks for that very comprehensive post there by "Speaker" (Dan?). But be careful - you don't want to peak too early. You may have used up the full squad of links there. Don't want to start with a hiss and a roar, and then have nothing left in the tank by the semi-finals.

    Speaking of which, well done to England for not emulating the All Blacks and romping through the opening group game. Canny, very canny.

    Generally a pretty modest start, no great dramas in the games so far. What this tournament needs now is a goal-fest. A good old-fashioned thumping.

    I can see one candidate coming up, but ... no, I've said enough. And Slovakia aren't that good.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

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