Posts by Whoops

  • Speaker: After the Apocalypse, in reply to BenWilson,

    The Metro games (2033, last light) are worth a look too (now a little old, but worth a play)

    here • Since Apr 2007 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • Envirologue: Swamp Monsters – the…,

    Attachment

    Rolling down Custom St this morning…


    (embed fail...just tilt your head a little)

    here • Since Apr 2007 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Media3: Watching the Fourth Estate,

    Kind of related, but certainly eye-opening to see it laid out like this;

    http://www.zeit.de/datenschutz/malte-spitz-data-retention/

    here • Since Apr 2007 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Moving from frustration to disgust, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I confirm - we have a choice of 1 school, that we deemed not right for our son. We are out of zone for other 4 schools and so are 'forced' to move.

    here • Since Apr 2007 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Moving from frustration to disgust,

    Ok - my 2 cents... for whatever it's worth.

    We've a 4 year old son who'll start school early next year.

    We live in zone for a d1 school. We have visited that school and felt it wouldn't give the education we want for our son.

    We have visited 4 other nearby schools (d9 and d10), and are now in the process of selling to move ~ 1km into the zone for the school we feel is best for out son (and daughter who'll follow in 2 more years). No out-of-zone enrollments in any of them for many years. Each school had a very different feel, mostly (from what we could tell) to do with the Principal - not the facilities.

    "Meanwhile the angst over pakeha parents fleeing to high decile schools continues..." Perhaps. If some want to categorise our move as white flight that's up to them. My response would be 'fuck off'. We have lived in current area for 12+ years, so no irrational fear of brown skin here. We will choose what is best for our children. Simple. As. That.

    I'm not in the least bit interested in National Standards tables (friends who are teachers have explained the gaming that's going on), and the decile ranking is likewise irrelevant.

    We had the luxury AND took it seriously enough to compare and contrast 5 nearby schools and have chosen the one that we feel will give our kids the best chance of developing a love for learning, enjoying a real child-hood, making life long friends and becoming strong citizens.

    We'll be fine, so don't worry about us.

    </smug bastard>
    ...

    My immediate neighbours - Cook Island grandparents + 9 others (3 primary school kids) in a 3 bed state house don't have that luxury. The nearby d1 school has loads of luverly IT equipment, which I guess must be fun for the IT support people and for the teachers. The kids (5, 6, and 8) are well behaved and friendly, but hungry, barefoot and borderline illiterate (even the 8 year old).

    So fuck you, every politician over the years (from which ever party) who's done nothing about our very real long tail.

    </rant>

    here • Since Apr 2007 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • Busytown: Sons for the Return Home,

    Beautiful post as always.

    One piece of advice - allow yourselves a year (at least) to get used to being back in NZ. Stranger in a strange land and all that.

    here • Since Apr 2007 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Meanwhile in Epsom ..., in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    here • Since Apr 2007 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Meanwhile in Epsom ...,

    ...and what an awesome coalition partner ACT would make this time around. Mr Burns, Mr Dairy, Mr Ego, and sundry nutters.

    here • Since Apr 2007 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: For the kids, if nothing else,

    As for giving him Islamic burial rites, for that bastard, after what he did? He didn’t deserve any respect, let alone craven Islamic butt licking.

    What, like harassing the USSR to the point of it giving up an going home, arguably playing a significant part in the down fall of Communism?

    No winners here.

    here • Since Apr 2007 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Perverse Entertainment, in reply to Steve Ballantyne,

    Wow, a quick google and lo... there's his article.

    Redbaiter always strikes me as a smart but not quite as clever-as-he-thinks-he is fellow. Some deep frustrations there, but always good for a chuckle.

    here • Since Apr 2007 • 105 posts Report Reply

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