Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Essay Question

161 Responses

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  • BenWilson,

    Is he taking the piss? I'm pretty sure I saw several vehicles yesterday on the motorway with the words "Highway Patrol" or something like it already. And as for the separation of the forces, that already happened too. A mate of mine is a cop, and was originally a traffic cop before the forces merged. Of course his main duty is still traffic, because the regular police don't like the work and don't do it well. His greatest source of bitterness on a daily basis is that the cops have to drive Yank and Ozzie tanks whereas the kids and crooks they chase have good cars. But he also accepts that high speed chases are a bad idea.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    That division - call it Highway Patrol perhaps - should be plainly seen to be separate - separately commanded and with different-coloured vehicles and uniforms, preferably black and white.

    Is he being wry and ironic, or having a flashback?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    "Highway Patrol" yellow and blue cars have been on the roads for years. Apparently now though the yellow and blue is going to become standard for all vehicles, replacing the current orange and blue on patrol cars - presumably so it's harder to tell the difference between (say) a high-end Commodore SV6/8, which can pounce on speedsters very effectively, and the standard Commodore Omega patrol car which most anything quicker than average can probably blow the doors off.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Is he being wry and ironic, or having a flashback?

    Darth don't do irony, so I think 'flashback' is the only option. Bad acid really does frak you up, doesn't it?

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

  • Kyle Matthews,

    And yes, he was a 40 yr old earing what, $600/wk gross from NZ Police for services rendered (one hopes that he contributed to Kiwisaver, and got the 4% contribution from Police as well), while Ms Rees is a computer geek who probably could earn that amount in two days doing, well, what ever it is computer geeks do.

    I presume that screwing over his girlfriend is his after-hours job. Dunno what he does during the day.

    Can anyone recommend something I can take that will make me feel clean again?

    I think I agreed with three sentences, and the rest was rubbish.

    The connection between the evidence (police spying on protest groups) and the conclusion (traffic needs to be separated from police more), I must have missed.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Can I just say that Motorway Patrol is one of my favourite programmes?

    I think my favourite ever was the one where the woman drove into the car that had stopped on the harbour bridge and blathered on so much that the police pretty much had to check her boot, which proved to contain several dildos and some stuff that looked like it might be of use in drug manufacture. It was top viewing at a fraction of what the same thing would cost on Outrageous Fortune.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    It was top viewing at a fraction of what the same thing would cost on Outrageous Fortune.

    But the dialogue is so much better on Outrageous Fortune -- though you're stuck with the old conundrum that real life is so bizarre that any scriptwriter who came up with it would be on gardening leave until the regular drug and alcohol tests could be arranged.

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

  • Hilary Stace,

    Glad to hear that someone got the Air NZ tickets because I don't recall any mention of prize awarding and was wondering. Great to do it nice and discretely though.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    which proved to contain several dildos and some stuff that looked like it might be of use in drug manufacture

    That's Intent to Supply in Texas and Oklahoma. Sex toys, not drugs.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    The connection between the evidence (police spying on protest groups) and the conclusion (traffic needs to be separated from police more), I must have missed.

    Well, he had one reasonable conclusion (spying on protest groups is bad, mmkay?), before his column spun out of control with a rant about traffic policing, and ended up upside-down on the verge.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    a high-end Commodore SV6/8, which can pounce on speedsters very effectively,

    Unless those speedsters happen to have a lighter, more powerful car, with 4 wheel drive, something that any kid can get for less then 10 grand.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    That's Intent to Supply in Texas and Oklahoma. Sex toys, not drugs.

    Funny thing is, in Texas it's perfectly legal to sleep with 20 guns under your pillow. Even funnier still, when I pointed out the inconsistency to a colleague on a web forum (a local BTW, not a Yank), he responded, "You can't shoot marauding Englishmen with a vibrator." :lols:

    Can I just say that Motorway Patrol is one of my favourite programmes?

    Nothing so far can top this one. If it seems familiar, it definitely is:

    http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=o5X8m_FsYvs

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Glad to hear that someone got the Air NZ tickets because I don't recall any mention of prize awarding and was wondering. Great to do it nice and discretely though.

    I think Damian felt a bit put off the whole thing after being accused of being an evil monster for giving some stuff away, but he definitely gave away the tickets.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    a high-end Commodore SV6/8, which can pounce on speedsters very effectively,

    Unless those speedsters happen to have a lighter, more powerful car, with 4 wheel drive, something that any kid can get for less then 10 grand.

    Like a little yellow mini 1275 GTwith the number plate "BLNDNI"

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott,

    Garth is a bit of a must read around here - well, what with redundancies as daily prophecies of doomw e can do with some cheering - and you gotta love today's effort. There's a certain rocking chair and whittling stick genius in setting the world to rights after an intro containing new brooms and levers of power.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Can I just say that Motorway Patrol is one of my favourite programmes?

    I'm utterly beguiled by How To Look Good Naked, so like I'm going to sneer at your low-brow tastes. :)

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

  • BenWilson,

    I'm utterly beguiled by How To Look Good Naked, so like I'm going to sneer at your low-brow tastes. :)

    For some reason, my eye delivered that to me as How to Cook Naked. No less credible than half of what people will watch on TV.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    And the latest Herald commentary (not editorial) from Audrey Young, where she highlights that Bill English has mildly praised Cullen for leaving them in a "reasonable position, having saved for the rainy day" is causing the most extraordinary cognitive dissonance over at Kiwiblog.
    It's hilarious to read down to the end: http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/12/how_bad_is_labours_legacy.html

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    With National I'm reminded of a joke I heard in a previous job that a departing CIO tell as advice to the incoming one:

    Pete took over from Trevor and Trevor handed him 3 envelopes, saying they contained advice and were to be opened at times of crisis.
    When Pete encountered his first crisis, he opened the first envelope, which said inside "Blame everything on me". Which he did, and it worked very well and he rode out the crisis. When he encountered his second crisis he opened the second one which said "Blame the systems" (this was an IT department). That saved his bacon again, and he rode happily to the third crisis, at which he gleefully ripped open the last of these incredibly useful pearls of wisdom. Inside it said "Write 3 notes".

    Seems that the Nats have already torn open their first envelope, in response to the recession. Everything that was good about Labour's books last year is of course now horribly wrong. And that is all Labour's fault for not controlling the international credit crunch.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Littlewood,

    And the latest Herald commentary (not editorial) from Audrey Young, where she highlights that Bill English has mildly praised Cullen for leaving them in a "reasonable position, having saved for the rainy day" is causing the most extraordinary cognitive dissonance over at Kiwiblog.
    It's hilarious to read down to the end: http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/12/how_bad_is_labours_legacy.html

    I'm afraid the commentary is just too bile-ridden and invective-laden to make me feel anything but queasy, but I get your point. One thing, though- has anyone here met the poster who calls himself "Redbaiter"? I've been following his posts for a while, and he seems to blame absolutely everything on socialism. Even problems that have clearly been caused by either an unregulated freemarket or appalling lack of financial oversight (e.g. the subprime mortage crisis) are blamed on socialism.

    And sometimes he seems to believe that "socialists" actually go around poisioning other people's minds with their agenda. I don't mean to sound nasty, I really don't, but can this guy be for real? It seriously boggles the mind and it's one reason why I don't think I could post on that board- he's just so unpleasant to read.

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    It seriously boggles the mind and it's one reason why I don't think I could post on that board- he's just so unpleasant to read.

    Luckily his behaviour on here caused Russell to ban him pretty quick.

    I found that kiwiblog thread to just be painful. I felt like I needed to phone my isp and demand a refund on my kilobytes downloaded. Worse than even their normal threads.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    One thing, though- has anyone here met the poster who calls himself "Redbaiter"?

    Think I knew him when he was a kid. You couldn't wish to meet a sweeter guy. Utterly convinced that he was the antichrist, promisied no more school and unlimited boiled lollies for all once he got to run the world. Shattered to the core when he realised he wasn't. You've seen the results.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Garth is a bit of a must read around here

    Just checking Al - does "around here" mean your office?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • jon_knox,

    Oliver Driver's interview on TV3 with Neville Gibson & Matt McCarten regarding spying is um.....amusing and NBR damaging.

    Belgium • Since Nov 2006 • 464 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    One thing, though- has anyone here met the poster who calls himself "Redbaiter"?

    No, and considering some of the really nasty shit he's thrown in my direction why would I? To be honest, I don't want to turn this into another lazy bag Kiwiblog session (because there are some lefties were are toxic waste as well) but you only engage with people like that if you're trolling for a fight, and I can't even be bothered with that as much as I used to. Even getting flamed by RB has the tedious predictability of reading a hundred thousand haiku in a row.

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

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