Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Dead Elephant Frenzy

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  • Christopher Nimmo,

    You have to talk to Larry Baldock?

    I'm so sorry.

    Wellington • Since May 2009 • 97 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Good smacking referendum roundup by bFM's Paul Deady, on his 3 News blog.

    TV3 needs to make more of the presence of these blogs.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Roger,

    I have really had enough of all of this, Baldock, FFNZ et al and their deviant fixation with beating children. Why can't they just STFU and go away.

    A vain hope, I know

    Hamilton • Since Jun 2007 • 179 posts Report

  • Michael Stevens,

    I was going to say sorry for this, for being a language nut, but then, I'm not. Kashin didn't "pass" Kashin died.

    Why have we let this mendacious lower-middle class euphemism replace the simple reality of the verb "die" ?

    You can pass wind, pass an exam, pass another person on the street. But we all die.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 230 posts Report

  • Andre,

    Do the ASB still sponsor Kashin? I remember him from when I opened my first bank account aged 5. Since then my saving habits have fallen by the wayside but Kashin got them off to a good start. RIP big guy!

    New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 371 posts Report

  • Hamboy,

    Did my own OS up date over the weekend. Ubuntu 32 bit to 64bit.
    Which did involve a complete reinstall.
    The easiest and fastest OS install I've done.
    No waiting 3 hours to reformat the hard drive, no searching around for drivers and programs to install.
    Small issue with grup not pointing to my XP install but even that was dealt with in a few minutes.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 162 posts Report

  • Danielle,

    She was female, I thought...?

    I had my first savings account with ASB/Kashin, too. It brought me back to primary school to hear that name again.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report

  • FletcherB,

    The free entry to the zoo on Sunday was sponsored by ASB.... so they've certainly maintained something of a relationship... whether it's been continuos or sporadic, I dont know, but my son got a plastic elephant moneybox with Kashin's name on it from the ASB last year...

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Did my own OS up date over the weekend. Ubuntu 32 bit to 64bit.

    Well, if we're measuring, mine's 64-bit now too.

    Most noticeable in System Preferences, which has to relaunch into 32-bit mode for some third-party preference panels.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Herald on Sunday's Matt Nippert, who revealed last week that Focus on the Family New Zealand has received a million dollars in funding from its US affiliate in the past six years.

    Am I the only person who is slightly more worried about Bob McCoskrie's functional innumeracy (or his Tourette-like compulsion to make shit up) than where Focus on the Family gets its money from?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Julian Melville,

    We assumed that Sunday at the zoo would be completely mental, so we went along on Saturday instead. The weather was great and the place was in full Wot Wot frenzy. Later we saw the fauna show and got to pet a tuatara. A really great day out all round.

    Auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 200 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    I really don't understand those occasions where people show up with the whole family in tow because something happened. They won't see anything, they won't be able to help, why do they go?.
    There is a reason people go to a funeral of a friend or relative, to "show your last respects" I can even understand people turning up at the funeral of a respected public figure. I went to David Lange's memorial service but he was an orator, a man of ideas and a personal friend of many people that I knew, I could share with friends, memories and sadness at his passing.
    But an Elephant??? that is so American, they seem to turn up in droves for something as common as a shooting.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Hamboy,

    "Well, if we're measuring, mine's 64-bit now too."

    To be honest, I haven't noticed a difference.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 162 posts Report

  • Stephen Judd,

    Apropos McCroskie, I'd like to know why the hell he gets so much coverage. I wonder also whether they might not be receiving foreign largesse over at Family First too.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Out on the main road, I could see streams of families: thirtysomethings and their families; the parents just of the age to have been captured by the legend of Kashin the elephant as small children themselves.

    This reminds me of the last time I went to the Easter Show. There were all these parents dragging bored-looking children around, saying, "When I was a boy, I used to love having a hotdog at the Easter Show. Do you want a hotdog?"

    If there was a public memorial service for Georgie Pie, we'd probably see a similar crowd.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    Am I the only person who is slightly more worried about Bob McCoskrie's functional innumeracy (or his Tourette-like compulsion to make shit up) than where Focus on the Family gets its money from?

    Yes?

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Am I the only person who is slightly more worried about Bob McCoskrie's functional innumeracy (or his Tourette-like compulsion to make shit up) than where Focus on the Family gets its money from?

    Different outfit -- Bob's Family First.

    But I am interested in where he gets his money from and how it's spent. Family First's Charities Commission statements suggest no actual charitable work, and an overwhelming focus on campaigning.

    But you have to credit their efficiency. $250,000 in donations and grants from $6000 in fundraising costs. It tends to suggest a small number of big donors.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Luke Williamson,

    Perhaps Russell you could ask Larry Baldock if he could put all his funding into something productive for families at risk rather than advertisements and printed pleas for the right to continue to hit children. Rough calculation over dinner last night: $10 million to run referendum = 400 half time ($25k per annum) "family helpers" who could spend a couple of hours each week just going to visit at risk families to check how things are going, offer budgeting and parenting advice, help out with whatever is making life difficult for them. Add to that the amount spent by Baldock, McCroskie, et al, and you've got some serious assistance going on. Naive, I know but our kids seemed to see the logic - once I'd bashed some sense into them.

    Warkworth • Since Oct 2007 • 297 posts Report

  • DPF,

    Interesting they are asking about a transcription service for voicemail. I blogged a couple of months ago that someone should offer such a service. I'd definitely use it, if it was reasonably priced. My concern is they'll charge $5 a message!

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 78 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Interesting they are asking about a transcription service for voicemail. I blogged a couple of months ago that someone should offer such a service. I'd definitely use it, if it was reasonably priced. My concern is they'll charge $5 a message!

    My mind was deadened by the repeated questions, but I think they were talking in terms of $6 per month for a certain number of messages, then per-message charges for more.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Rik,

    Vodafone – that their billing system is messy and that their inability to make all online account services available via a single website is lamentable

    Get yourself onto the XT Network!

    Since Jun 2007 • 130 posts Report

  • JackElder,

    Kashin didn't "pass" Kashin died.

    Actually, she was put down. "Kashin died" doesn't suggest any agency, whereas the zoo staff have actually been pretty upfront about the fact that she was in a lot of pain and so they made the decision to euthanise her.

    My kids are gutted, by the way.

    full Wot Wot frenzy

    Go the Wot Wots!

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Roger,

    ...a transcription service for voicemail...

    A contact is a high volume cellphone user with Vodafone and as a part of his package he gets a 'free' actual person to take his voicemail messages, that are then sent to him by SMS. Since he got the service his voicemail has fallen away to almost nothing. People get a human message taker instead of a recorded message and they just hang up.

    Hamilton • Since Jun 2007 • 179 posts Report

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Voicemail is the biggest pain in the arse ever. I'm almost at the point of changing my voicemail message to say that I don't use voicemail, so please don't leave a message.

    I'd rather get a text or an email or a tweet or a Facebook message. Anything but voicemail.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report

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