Posts by Tom Beard

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  • Hard News: Going Underground,

    Paris has a bit of a history of being a place where people go die.

    So, a bit like Waikenae, but faster and with better architecture.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Sunday Capers,

    'dirty, dirty country'

    I just couldn't help recalling the episode of Black Books with The Cleaner: "Very, very ... DIRTY!". But back to the topic: that "leaning on lattes" piece was the most transparent, egregious piece of cynical non-news that I'd read in a long time. We've all come to expect some sensationalism and sexing up, but that was dangerously close to blatant untruth.

    Headline "X!". Story: "not X".

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Hard News: Goodie Bag!,

    Oh. I've just noticed that I typed "booty camps"

    They're just like boot camps, only a lot more fun.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Hard News: Goodie Bag!,

    I wish 'It's Friday' wasn't filmed in such a characterless void of an apartment. It looks like the worst party ever.

    Oh, I dunno: I like the concrete floor and spiral staircase, at least. Pop in a Stephen Banbury or two and it would be perfect for Urbis ca 2001.

    in a New Zealand style. Instead of swimming pools and booty camps, it's filling the bathtub with ice and moving the furniture

    Au contraire: in Wellington we have plenty of booty on motherfuckin' boats.

    Island Bay! Oriental Bay! Tawa!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Hard News: There is History,

    That tends to happen to people who get flu, however much it may disappoint editors.

    Well put. It reminds me of Editing The Herald, where it was suggested that one story could have had the headline "Boy coughs. Gets better".

    There is officially nothing that irritates me more than the idea that this is a media beat up. It isn't. The WHO for one is not in the business of spreading panic in order to help newspaper sales.

    True, and I think that Poneke's take on this is ridiculous to the point of being dangerous. People are getting sick and people are dying, and even if we only know for sure of 9 lab-confirmed deaths, a new virus which can be transimtted between humans is cause for serious concern. On the other hand, this has been the catalyst for some eye-wateringly contentless blather in the media.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Hard News: There is History,

    That comparison is grossly unfair to all the unfortunate sufferers from phallocranial syndrome.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Hard News: Playing Nice?,

    Which is why I expect "cromulent" to appear soon if it doesn't already.

    Ahem

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Hard News: There is History,

    It already has. I'd say "picture or it never happened", but it's you...

    As the dude said: there is history. Gotta love that Wikipedia.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Hard News: There is History,

    And wouldn't Mexican influenza be offensive to, you know, Mexicans?

    I'd have thought that, based upon the logic of Israel's Rodney Hide, it would be offensive to those who have a religious abolition against eating Mexicans.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Hard News: There is History,

    Wake me when it reaches 11.

    It goes up to 11?

    But seriously, accoridng to the WHO, "Phase 4 is characterized by verified human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus able to cause “community-level outbreaks.” The ability to cause sustained disease outbreaks in a community marks a significant upwards shift in the risk for a pandemic. [my emphasis] Any country that suspects or has verified such an event should urgently consult with WHO so that the situation can be jointly assessed and a decision made by the affected country if implementation of a rapid pandemic containment operation is warranted. Phase 4 indicates a significant increase in risk of a pandemic but does not necessarily mean that a pandemic is a forgone conclusion."

    I'm awake.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

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