Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Getting out of the archives

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  • Mikaere Curtis,

    Given the big personal changes that he's made in his lifestyle and health, and that "you're only worth promoting if you achieve the incredibly hard" is a terrible message to send to society, I'd have to disagree. 'Success' can have more than one measure.

    The message was "If Rodney can do it", which seems incongruous with what he actually did, which was not finish. It would seem odd if the organisers of a lengthy harbour swim would be happy with people to just give it a go even if (like Rodney) they hadn't trained properly for it.

    I agree that "rescue" is a bit harsh, maybe I should have said "pulled out of the water".

    Tamaki Makaurau • Since Nov 2006 • 528 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    The message was "If Rodney can do it", which seems incongruous with what he actually did, which was not finish. It would seem odd if the organisers of a lengthy harbour swim would be happy with people to just give it a go even if (like Rodney) they hadn't trained properly for it.

    I've never done any endurance sports but if I did I'd hope people would consider more achievements than just getting across the line. I presume a reasonable number of people fail to finish the various endurance races. That doesn't mean they haven't necessarily achieved success along the way.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I do admire the way he's changed his life. If only it extended to some of his thinking.

    But then success might be just having a thought, not necessarily a smart or even reasonable one.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    He didn’t really finish Dancing with the Stars either.

    My take on the ad when I saw it is perhaps they used him because he didn’t finish. But hey; he gave it a good go. Agree with Kyle and others that for most people getting yourself into a state where you can contemplate attempting something like that is success in itself.

    Bagging Rodney for not finishing is a bit like saying Muldoon had a silly hair cut.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    and Brando's eyes, Yul Brynner's hair..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • LIISA,

    The TVNZ Archive thing is very exciting. - It is almost as if someone paid attention to this:
    http://nzonairgovtnz.webstation.net.nz/files/general/digi_norr-paul_08.pdf
    Now, if someone would like to turn their attention to covering off web publishing of music programmes made by PS(Radio)... that really would be Christmas.
    For starters I'd post the 50min feature about Eldred Stebbing which I've been listening to today... (short extract on the radio in Music 101 RNZ National after 2pm Sat)

    btw Russell, I've been reading (studying, actually) your & Dubbers piece in the same collection. Inspirational.

    Wellie • Since May 2008 • 46 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    If we're bitching about ads on the back of buses, I've got to nominate that

    "You're four times It's hard to more likely to do two things have a crash at once..."

    thing for the counterproductive placement of difficult-to-process input in the middle of traffic award.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Palmer,

    Interesting that McCann is pushing a global-city strategy based on Auckland (which presumably evaluates to: more motorways! one big council! more motorways!) when the one and only example of anyone inducing a multinational to put its FDI (whatever that is) into NZ is Peter Jackson.

    Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    You're 4 times more likely to rear end a vehicle with something written on the back of it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Or a picture of Elle Macpherson in her undies.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • BlairMacca,

    I am certainly not a lets convert everyone christian, for me it's a personal belief and I leave it at that. These people on the other hand are turning themselves into the thing they are trying to argue against.

    Also I could be wrong, but isn;t it slightly ironic that the bus campaign is "There probably isn't a god..." Doesn't that make them agnostics then???

    Wellington • Since Apr 2007 • 208 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    Also I could be wrong, but isn;t it slightly ironic that the bus campaign is "There probably isn't a god..." Doesn't that make them agnostics then???

    Ah, that. I believe there was actually a legal challenge to the campaign in the UK, under that country's legislation regarding accuracy in advertising - so the "probably" was added so that an unprovable (or undisprovable claim) wasn't being made...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • Jim Cathcart,

    How can any analysis of the NZ economy not focus on the hard issues such as a taxation regime that promotes non-productive investment in housing and impedes investment in capital markets? Surely, these constraints are a huge drain on NZ productivity.

    Since Nov 2006 • 228 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    These people on the other hand are turning themselves into the thing they are trying to argue against.

    IYO

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Jim Cathcart - away from the analysis, how does anyone actually promote
    *any* investment that ANZers trust? Yes, we go for land, and housing, and - seriously, anything else we've tried has been wide boys using us all.

    In other words, how do you
    a)establish
    b)control
    a growth-oriented relatively risk free maket?

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Jim Cathcart,

    Islander, your point is taken, but bidding up the price of residential property with money funded offshore is not "investment." Risk is inherent in any investment but NZ suffers from the same muddled monetarist failings of the Anglo-Saxon countries who all live beyond their means. While it's a simplistic analysis, compare the investment in property relative to equity markets. You cannot build a productive economy based on buying and selling houses.

    Since Nov 2006 • 228 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Totally agree- but our economy is essentially based on
    *self-owned farms/houses/forests et al
    rather than equity markets (where an awful lot of investors have been burned.)

    In a very small country, where overseas players like to ramp, there is actually nothing more secure (provided the current Government plays ball) than local property.

    Anything else, including gold/forestry/fisheries, just gets screwed byt overseas travail.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • TracyMac,

    @Kaipara Possum - have you actually lived/done business anywhere else in the world? NZ is AMAZINGLY uncorrupt, even with the "mate's rates", "things falling of the back of the truck" and other dodgy deals. It's pretty distinctive compared to Australia - you only need to look at the current NSW state govt.

    While there's plenty of low-level fraud/thievery and outright incompetence in NZ, it's not like Australia, which is not that high up in the corruption stakes in a global sense, but which had to invent the word "rort". Then there are the probable majority of countries, where if you want to get anything done, you have to provide "incentives". Or "governments" that purely conceive of their populace as an income source, and "entreprenurial" Aussies/Kiwis get all shocked and horrified when places like Dubai rip off those who try to get in on schemes there. Frankly, I have no sympathy for those who try to cash in on the misery of others.

    Canberra, West Island • Since Nov 2006 • 701 posts Report Reply

  • Kimberley Verburg,

    @Sam F, close, but there was no legal challenge regarding the word "probably" in the UK. The Committee of Advertising Practice advised them that "the inclusion of the word ‘probably’ makes it less likely to cause offence, and therefore be in breach of the Advertising Code."

    Further, the campaign's creator, Ariane Sherine, says that while it's impossible to prove God exists, it's also impossible to prove non-existence. (Source: Atheist Bus Campaign FAQ)

    I'm not sure about the campaign but would've thought it was more relevant in the UK than in NZ. Judging by the amount of donations in already, I might be wrong. Will be interested to see how it goes.

    Leiden • Since Jun 2007 • 27 posts Report Reply

  • James Millar,

    ...bidding up the price of residential property with money funded offshore is not "investment."

    my understanding of economics is rather limited, but I get the gut feeling that Gareth Morgan is making a good point here about NZ's over-investment in property (given the favourable tax treatment it receives) being detrimental to our economic growth - as it comes at the expense of investment in more productive areas.

    Surely this is more relevant to our lagging behind Australia than Brash's misguided notions of NZ being too regulated or over-taxed...?

    Tāmaki Makaurau • Since May 2007 • 20 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Our banks also prefer to secure funding to our many small businesses against, you guessed it, residential real estate. There's a knock-on effect from changing any mortgage incentives.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    For those with $20K burning a hole in your pocket, I'ld love to see the greatest ad of all time.
    "What would Jesus buy?"

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    Those bible stories make more sense when you see what Frankincense looks like.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Frankincense_2005-12-31.jpg

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Carlos,

    I hate to be one proposing simple answers to complex questions but I strongly believe that the reason NZ can't convert it's near perfect set of conditions into a succesful economy is savings or spectacular lack thereof.

    Australia's compulsory super savings has given them an enormous competitive advantage over us and what is our favoured retirement savings strategy? Borrowing money from a Japanese housewife, via an Australian bank to bid up the price of people's homes. Barking mad.

    CPH.DK • Since Mar 2009 • 27 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Ashby,

    @JustThinking

    Door to door missionaries are not be seen as nuisances, instead you should see them as prey, just as they see you. By knocking at your door in an attempt to proselytise you they open themselves to a counter proselytisation effort from you. I specialise in this. No religious door knocker (unless simply collecting donations) is spared my counter attempt to convert them to the light of reason and knowledge and my offer to free them from superstition and delusion. They often leave quite shellshocked looking.

    Back in the (northern) summer I was accosted in the street by two young Mormons who barely got a word in before I launched my spiel. You can tell you have discomforted them when they offer to refer you to someone more senior at the temple. The aim is not to convert them on the spot, it is to plant the seed of doubt in their minds as well as show them that if they persist in bothering people they risk getting thrown back at them.

    Dundee, Scotland • Since May 2007 • 425 posts Report Reply

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