Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Fake Fiona Rae

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    we have received disturbing news that the Human Rights Commission has written to the select committee considering the Electoral Finance Bill welcoming the extent to which the committee has moved to address its concerns about the bill. It seems prudent to assume that the HRC has returned to its former status as a dangerously PC tool of Helengrad. Do not, repeat, do not trust the HRC until further notice. And that march we organised is a bit of a worry.

    I get the real deal transmitted to my fillings, so get thee behind me DisInfoRove!

    Still nice to see we haven't fooled IdiotSavant:

    But these flaws were widely pointed out, even by the bills' supporters, and so were highly likely to be changed. And now that they have been, the EFB's opponents will have to come clean about the fact that they're not really defending democracy or freedom of expression, but rather the "right" of the rich to try and buy themselves power.

    Really, why bother? Still, it's a wonderful time-saving device having Family First and No Right Turn to tell one what one really thinks...

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

  • Paul Rowe,

    Disappointed not to see Cale the other night, but alsodisappointed to hear he wasn't complete brilliance in a can.

    I juat checked the Kiw Concerts site you pointed to a few weeks ago and the gig will be up there soonish, apparently. Having downloaded a few of the gigs, I have to say it is a brilliant site. The old Cale show is excellent and the Patti Smith show from about ten years ago is freakin awesome. The gigs I have are excellent quality too.

    The Standard's discussion of Nigel lawson is equally scathing, as you would expect.

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report

  • Michael Savidge,

    Do you have a link so I can also steal the BBC genius of photography series?

    Somewhere near Wellington… • Since Nov 2006 • 324 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    All three parts so far (of six) are here, but not very well seeded. Worth a go, I think.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • InternationalObserver,

    The St James won't re-open until the developer that owns the entire site gets consent for his proposed redevelopment. I've no doubt the St James was severely damaged by the small fire and will need major refurbishment in order to bring it up to code and make it a world class auditorium.
    I've no doubt either that the developer will be negotiating with Council planners to undertake this expensive refurbishment in lieu of the usual Council Reserve Contribution.
    So until then the doors will remain closed??

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    So until then the doors will remain closed??

    Bugger.

    Next question, then: why is every venue on the North Shore run like a fscking youth club?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Chukkkker,

    Interpol appear to be booked to play on St Valentine's Day at the St James, so hopefully it should be up and running by then. Hopefully.

    Since Nov 2007 • 17 posts Report

  • 3410,

    Yeah, Cale was boring. My take: if you're going to be "modern" you've got to bring it further forward than 1996, right?

    We split for Liam Finn and he was pretty awesome, live-looping himself so as to play up to three guitar parts, bass, drums, and theremin, all at the same time. And singing of course.

    However, if anyone knows of a late-model bronze-coloured Rolls Royce or Bentley with right rear damage, I want that bastard's number. Sideswiped me @ 130 kph on the Esmonde Road offramp sending me into a very nearly catastrophic spin, by end of which I was back on the motorway. He owes me damages and an apology.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report

  • samuel walker,

    lots more seeders here:


    link genius of photography

    with the added benifit of thebox generally being reasonably quick....

    Since Nov 2006 • 203 posts Report

  • InternationalObserver,

    He owes me damages and an apology.

    Look, I'm really sorry, and Damages is free-to-air on Wednesday nights (TV1) ...
    Hang on, there's nothing to joke about really:

    Sideswiped me @ 130 kph on the Esmonde Road offramp sending me into a very nearly catastrophic spin

    My sister in law was killed in the very same way in the 80s. Sideswiped at 3am by an off duty female Parking Warden who'd been drinking in the Police Club all night long. Funnily enough no-one thought to breathalyse her at the scene. And my immigrant in-laws didn't want to make a fuss, so they just buried her.
    (I tell this story every chance I get, which is about once a decade)

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • 3410,

    Very sorry to hear that, IO. I can certainly appreciate how that happens; I was this close ().

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    However, if anyone knows of a late-model bronze-coloured Rolls Royce or Bentley with right rear damage, I want that bastard's number. Sideswiped me @ 130 kph on the Esmonde Road offramp sending me into a very nearly catastrophic spin, by end of which I was back on the motorway. He owes me damages and an apology.

    Did you report it to the police? There can't be too many vehicles of that description in the database. If it was a bronze Toyota Corolla, that would be a different matter.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report

  • Michael Savidge,

    with the added benifit of thebox generally being reasonably quick....

    Link is broke Sam...

    Somewhere near Wellington… • Since Nov 2006 • 324 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Did you report it to the police?

    Hang on:
    - Actual offence? Yes
    - Identified victim? Yes
    - Perpetrator likely white middle class? Yes

    Sorry sir, the NZ police force doesn't deal with such things, We are mostly concerned with imaginary crimes committed by brown people. Just contact your insurance company please sir.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • merc,

    Task Tsk, what would Kyle say?

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Blendie: the voice-interacting blender from MIT.

    I assume that's the Massachusetts rather than Manukau Institute of Technology? You would have thought the latter might have realised they were acronym-sharing with a much more established institution, no?

    (But then, names like Auckland University of Technology University betray a certain illiteracy in the tertiary education business, don't they?)

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Job Rustenhoven,

    of course robyn malcolm is the sexiest woman on tv

    jason gunn is unquestionably the funniest looking person on TV

    the zoo is definitely a documentary

    jim hickey is ...oh god.

    Dunedin • Since Jun 2007 • 3 posts Report

  • Tom Semmens,

    I don't think it was the fire that did it in for the St. James; I think that after the fire the fire brigade took one look at the state of the rest of the wiring loom and and condemned the whole electrical fit as unsafe.

    The place was a fantastic venue; But by the time it finally got given its death certificate by the fire service it was a falling down derelict of a once mighty venue. I am not sure if any private person will have the financial inclination to bring the St James back up to a state to be a safe venue again, but time will tell.

    Personally I think its the sort of venue the council should own, so they totally do it up and then charge so much money for a promoter to hire it that no one under the age of 40 will ever get to go to an event there again, like all the other council venues downtown.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report

  • Tony Judd,

    @ Michael Savidge
    I don't think that the link is broken, but you do need to sign up...

    Perth • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report

  • InternationalObserver,

    Personally I think its the sort of venue the council should own

    And Greg Innes (CEO of The Edge)(the entertainment precinct, not the radio station) thinks the same way. He even tried to get the council to buy it a few years back.

    Sorry sir, the NZ police force doesn't deal with such things

    It's not a question of race, it's a question of statistics. If the Police can talk you out of filing a complaint then that reduces the stats on reported crime, making them look good. I can imagine if you fronted up the station they would try talk you out of it:
    1. Do you have an independent witness?
    2. Can you prove the other driver was in the wrong?
    3. Can you identify the driver?
    4. Are you certain you didn't contribute in some way (wink, nudge) you were 'out on the town' yourself, weren't you?
    5. We're pretty snowed under to be honest. It's a question of priorities, and from what you tell me no-one was injured, it's just property damage. My best advice is to talk your insurance company, that's what I'd do.

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • daleaway,

    Dear Faux Fiona and Echt Fiona (and Craig)

    1 tbs manuka or other honey
    2 tbs whiskey
    Juice one lemon
    slices of raw ginger

    Top with boiling water and drink when cool enough.
    You'll still have the virus but will feel strangely relaxed about it.

    Since Jul 2007 • 198 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    It's not a question of race, it's a question of statistics.

    I suspect (alternatively) they'll fill in the form and it'll get put in the pile of 'Stuff we can't do anything about', along with a heap of burglaries, stolen cars etc.

    I don't think most police at front desks care at all about crime stats. If they sat back and thought about 'their bit of the world', they'd probably want to increase crime stats, as the distribution of police resources is partially linked to crime levels in your region. Higher levels of crime relative to other regions, means more cops in your region.

    But if you couldn't identify the driver/car, and didn't have a witness, they would indeed shrug their shoulders. It would also be difficult to prove a crime (dangerous driving), rather than just a civil issue (bad driving/inattentiveness etc leading to them hitting your car causing it damage). The police are involved in both, but in the latter I think they just fill in the form and pass it onto the insurance companies to deal to don't they?

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Sue,

    Dear Faux fiona

    while you did an estimable job, it didn't quite hit the spot for us sad telly addicted types.

    please bring my favourite TV writer back, she makes me feel ok about watching so much telly

    love idiot box girl

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 527 posts Report

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Dear Fiauxna

    We knew it wasn't really you. It wasn't anything you said (apart from the bit about "I'm not really Fiona"), it was what you didn't say - the lack of mention of Whedon/Buffy/Angel gave the game away.

    ;-)

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report

  • 3410,

    I suspect (alternatively) they'll fill in the form and it'll get put in the pile of 'Stuff we can't do anything about', along with a heap of burglaries, stolen cars etc.

    Yep. With no witness and no rego., this is way beyond anything the Police will do anything about. Frankly, I've never had any luck getting them to help me. The last time was when I returned a found wallet with $120 in it. Despite being the only person waiting at the Community Constable's office, it was 20 minutes before the guy got off the phone, and then he gave me all kinds of grief because I didn't want to give him a page and a half of personal info.

    So, in the end: "Potter's Park; Today, OK?", chucked it on the bench and walked out.

    Re: Mr. Toad's wild ride: I think most likely the offspring of the owner. Hard to explain, but no-one with more than two years' road experience would've pulled that manoeuvre if they actually owned that car (it wasn't just dangerous; it was insanely reckless).

    Don't mean to take up to much bandwith on this one. Thanks for the comments. I just mentioned it on the off-chance someone would say:

    OMG. It's parked outside of my work right now!!

    PS. I have no insurance, but don't feel too bad. After 20 years without it, I'm way ahead.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report

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