Cracker by Damian Christie

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Cracker: Spotted

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  • Sacha, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    I get annoyed at the petulant teen demands for attention - like they have some sort of divine right to force me to listen to their looniness. Does seem cultish.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to BenWilson,

    “If you haven’t considered being right wing by the time you’re 20 you’ve got no brain, and if you’re still right wing by the time you’re 40 you’ve got no soul”.

    I tend to agree with that statement.
    We went to the Back Benches debate last night and I was quite astounded to see so many sweet young things wearing blue tee shirts emblazoned with the slogan “I’m a Key person”. My first thought was “they are not old enough to remember the last time National fucked the country over” but then thought “the folly of youth, they will grow out of it” unfortunately that won’t happen this side of the election, bloody Key Holes.
    Key hole n. Like an asshole but blue.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Back Benches

    It was indeed a scrabble-y affair.

    My interactions with the crowd of politicised future hopes consisted of;
    "Hey Djokovich, nicely played."
    and a young man who every time I walked past said;
    "I love you man."

    I was filled with hope and... give me strength.

    I have to commend the hosts in maintaining a level of control amidst the rabble though. Especially the night after one of them became a father. Well done.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to JacksonP,

    I would have said Hi but I was working on a triple word score with a 7 letter word with an X in it, init.
    Hi
    ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Hi
    ;-)

    Hey, you smiled and waved, which seemed par for the course in the circumstances.

    7 letter word with an X in it

    Fixated?
    Expunge?
    Extinct?

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to JacksonP,

    Anthrax.
    ;-)
    Neighbourhood bar tonight?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Neighbourhood bar tonight?

    House bound this evening. Have a good one.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Neighbourhood bar tonight?

    How late you staying? I have a meeting at 6:30, but would pop in later if some peeps are going to be there.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to BenWilson,

    Shall be there 6 till they chuck us out ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Oh damn, I won't be there by 7! :-)

    Seriously, I'll see you later then, don't know when this meeting's going to end, but I'll drop in to see if you're still around after.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    And a fine night was had by all, did we ever decide what Art was?
    ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie, in reply to Richard Aston,

    Damian discovered girls.

    And perhaps drugs and rock and roll.

    Sorry for the late reply here, I've been swamped with raising a newborn. It's awesome!

    But let's see. No, I fell out with the Libertarianz, well, Lindsay Perigo who'd been something of a broadcasting and political mentor (I still think he's very capable at least at the former) when the whole thing started getting a bit silly, a bit paranoid, and quite literally "you're either with us or against us". Lindsay would claim he could prove objectively that certain music, or art, or literature, was better than others, and that the other stuff was 'evil', but often it was just repeating what Ayn Rand had said. Ayn Rand, because she's such an awesome literary talent.

    And it got especially silly when I said I didn't agree with the stated policy to change the name of NZ to "New Freeland" on the event of a Libertarianz victory. Apparently that was objectively, rationally the only correct course, and disagreement was treason. So I thought, fuck that.

    I still believe in lots of libertarian philosophy, especially the social freedoms (the freedom to have sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll). And I would believe more in the economic freedoms if we weren't starting from such an inherently inequitable position. "Land is theft", that was probably my real awakening (although I have a nice little bit of it in Mt Roskill). Give me a 100% inheritance tax and we'll talk. But simply cementing the existing inequities ain't freedom, not by my definition.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Damian Christie,

    when the whole thing started getting a bit silly, a bit paranoid, and quite literally “you’re either with us or against us”.

    I do recall when Perigo's radio show was cancelled and he ranted about it being the work of "my enemies". The idea that the owners of the business had made a commercial decision didn't seem to be worth countenancing.

    Meanwhile, Lew at Kiwipolitico gets a visit from a couple of the furious adolescents who hang out at Solo Passion. Ick.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie, in reply to BenWilson,

    Somehow I was so much more of a breadhead when I was a kid.

    Totally. As a 13 year old Alex P Keaton was my hero. When the crash came in 87 I mourned the fact I would never be a yuppie. Personally I think it was the fact that I was a bit of a geek at school, and so knowing I'd never be an All Black, getting rich was the only way I could stick it to all those f**kers who were making my life a misery at the time.

    I still like money, don't get me wrong, but I have long since realised that it's more important to be happy doing what you do. Hence why I'm no longer a lawyer. Fortunately my chosen replacement profession isn't tooooo slummy.

    @Steve - nice to see you and Sofie the other night, and thank you again for the lovely presents. Can't wait to dress him up in his red woolly jersey. Take that, Perigo.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    @RB - I remember working for Radio Liberty, and that great hero of freedom, Dave "I fought the taxman" Henderson wouldn't pay us. And then would lie to us about having paid us. Such a great intro to the perfect libertarian society, chasing some rich c**t for my minimum wage.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Meanwhile, Lew at Kiwipolitico gets a visit from a couple of the furious adolescents who hang out at Solo Passion. Ick.

    When you hold a mirror to those Randroid types, it’ll crack. I made a couple of comments in that post, and they didn't even bother rebutting, instead veering dangerously close to Reductio ad Stalinum.

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

  • Sacha, in reply to Damian Christie,

    I would believe more in the economic freedoms if we weren't starting from such an inherently inequitable position.

    Cheers. A shame that piece of wisdom isn't more widespread.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Damian Christie,

    Ayn Rand, because she's such an awesome literary talent.

    Right up there with L Ron Hubbard.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • DCBCauchi,

    In my experience (mostly 1988–91) libertarians are silly kids from wealthy families who unthinkingly repeat the self-serving things daddy says at the dinner table. I do not want to speculate on what kind of mental image they have of themselves. Vile.

    I reckon they should be more outspoken, not less. In that link, Lew had the right idea with the edits to the comments but letting them stand.

    What a bunch of plonkers.

    Since Feb 2011 • 320 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    And a fine night was had by all, did we ever decide what Art was?

    Hell, I never even tried to answer that kind of question as a philosophy student. I can't see it going anywhere useful, other than perhaps to signal what you're into, so that like-minded people are attracted. I always feel isolated in those kind of discussions, expecting at any moment that people will work out I like the wrong kind of music or TV shows, have the wrong taste in books, etc.

    Lindsay would claim he could prove objectively that certain music, or art, or literature, was better than others, and that the other stuff was 'evil', but often it was just repeating what Ayn Rand had said. Ayn Rand, because she's such an awesome literary talent.

    Yeah, or that shit happens.

    Totally. As a 13 year old Alex P Keaton was my hero.

    Thomas Edison was mine. Not just because he invented so many useful things, but also because he made it pay for him. I never even knew he was quite such a crazy crackpot until recently.

    I am not actually like him, though. Much, much more middle class and risk averse.

    When the crash came in 87 I mourned the fact I would never be a yuppie. Personally I think it was the fact that I was a bit of a geek at school, and so knowing I'd never be an All Black, getting rich was the only way I could stick it to all those f**kers who were making my life a misery at the time.

    I was a nerd, rather than a geek. My school was full of rich kids, and physical bullying virtually unknown. The crash didn't really raise a ripple, other than bankrupting the stadium we were building (financed by Chase). There was no rugby team at all because the hippies who ran the place were bitter on the Tour. There's never been anyone to stick it to. I can't explain an ACT flirtation other than as I have, that it was a reaction to parental authority. Pretty short lived, in my case, maybe 2 years.

    Such a great intro to the perfect libertarian society, chasing some rich c**t for my minimum wage.

    I had a similar unpleasant brush with an ACToid, who nearly bankrupted me on a property deal when I was 22. The worst part was his tireless niggling, and his bitterness that he'd only made $100,000 out of me losing about $50,000. My lawyer, who was also an ACToid, lost some of his taste for it, during his dealings with the fellow. I think he started to realize even then that being a ruthless old arsehole isn't really that great a model for society.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Russell Brown,

    furious adolescents who hang out at Solo Passion

    whiny little pricks, aren't they

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Sacha,

    Solo Passion

    As has been noted before, the name says it all. A party for those enamoured by the passion of Onan.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • DCBCauchi, in reply to BenWilson,

    Hell, I never even tried to answer that kind of question as a philosophy student. I can’t see it going anywhere useful, other than perhaps to signal what you’re into, so that like-minded people are attracted.

    Yeah, there is an element of like-mindedness, otherwise known as taste. Certain kinds of personalities respond to certain kinds of art. But that doesn’t mean it’s a useless discussion to have.

    The best analogy I’ve come across is with law. Law is all made up and subjective (except for mathematical laws (heh heh)). But that doesn’t mean we can’t discuss them sensibly. That’s what court cases are: two people put forward rival cases, and a supposedly reasonable and disinterested person decides who’s made the better case.

    Art works and the philosophy of art are like case law and legislation. They provide the framework that the rival cases are presented within and the criteria for deciding which is the better case.

    Unfortunately for art, the philosophers and theoreticians have not been doing their job, for quite some time, leading to the parlous state we find ourselves in.

    As a result, my friends and I have had to become philosophers of art as well as artists. That’s fine by me. I love talking about that stuff. So do most of my friends.

    I just don't want to write about it. I hate the written word.

    Since Feb 2011 • 320 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to BenWilson,

    Hell, I never even tried to answer that kind of question as a philosophy student.

    Next Thursday...
    The Universe, is it really big?.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Sacha,

    furious adolescents who hang out at Solo Passion

    whiny little pricks, aren’t they

    To be fair, it's a rich trove of unintentional humour if you're looking to kill some time.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

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