Any opinion on Hi5?
I like Kellie the most, but feel that Charli, especially, would be a tiger.

Cast list has changed, neither is a current member of Hi5.

Anyone else seen that live concert footage where halfway through, they do "Eagle Rock" with Captain Feathersword flying around the stage? Classic, absolutely classic.

I have indeed. It's on 'The Wiggly Big Show', a concept album, where they took the band in a new and exciting direction.

Although aspects of…

Coincidentally, the other night we discovered and purchased this poster. It makes me laugh every. single. time. I look at it. If we hang it by the TV I could do myself an injury.

Spot the parent that knows more about the Wiggles than his own actual favourite bands.

I know the syndrome well.

Did you know if you play 'Big Red Car' backwards you can hear them telling the kids to eat their brocolli?

So a top-to-bottom (ie left-to-right) tom roll "ba-dah, ba-dah, ba-dah..." goes "L-R, L-R, L-R.."…

I do know a couple of (very very good) drummers who may commit harikiri if you ever find that Bonham quote though =)

Check out the original track

That original vocal demo (which I think is the same backing track as the Starr version) goes pretty well to the argument that Ringo is underated: that intro, the guitar and then the drum roll, even if you'd never heard it before, could only possibly…

Agree on all that Scott – Ringo was the RIGHT drummer for the Beatles, didn't make him a GREAT drummer.

Others disagree:

Drummer Steve Smith said:
“ Before Ringo, drum stars were measured by their soloing ability and virtuosity. Ringo's popularity brought forth a new paradigm in how the public…

I shall entertain myself, watching Captain Feathersword and Dorothy the Dinosaur. I have long held a suspicion they are more than friends, and will be looking for any signs of this.

I'm not sure about Dorothy, but the person playing Captain Feathersword has changed a couple of times. Originally it…

cheers!

I was actualy pleasantly suprised how good Daltry and Townsend still were on stage. You'd excuse a couple of guys in their 60s if they kind of took it easy and just took the money. But they were filled with energy and played a solid set.

I'm not pretending they…

But I sort of feel they'd never live up to the albums, now. (I don't though feel the need to sneer at anyone who does go, esp. if they enjoy themselves. Each to their own. )

Understand. I was actualy pleasantly suprised how good Daltry and Townsend still were on…

And I've always liked this solo track:

Check out the original track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p5yzdCa2GE

Someone (don't remember who) once quipped that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles.

I think that was Lennon.

I love a lot of Ringo's drumming on Abbey Road. Esp. 'Come Together' – McCartney's bass work on that track too.

Was in a pub a while back and…

Re Tivo, very interesting. Feels like a smart play for me – it's testing the boundaries of TVNZ's "we're content, not platform" approach but makes sense to be just one player in order to make it happen.

Yes, it's a mature platform with a strong brand and good partners.

Question…

I'm afraid I would agree with the guy next to you. Someone (don't remember who) once quipped that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles. And how can we ever forgive the execrable "Octopus's Garden?"
His son though did a great job -…

I too was struck by the resemblance of the minister to Jonkey (does anyone else hear the PM's name as one word?).

No, just as I've never heard Helen Clark's name as "Hullen Klark" (said in an uber-butch raspy bass-baritone if you can manage it).

- A service-delivery platform via broadband — so you can order pizza from the lounge (why is it always pizza?)

Yes. I demand a "fetch slippers and the paper" facility.

Add-ons include a 1TB hard drive and home networking.

Cloppity-cloppity-cloppity (the sound of an Italian thirty-something gallopping to the nearest…

TVNZ is a one-third shareholder (with Australia's Channel Seven) in Hybrid Television, which is the exclusive licence-holder for TiVo in Australia and New Zealand. The stake cost $8 million, and TVNZ will provide about $19 million worth of advertising airtime for the…

It is Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman's laissez-faire approach to the portfolio and the likelihood he will curtail a fundamental review of broadcasting regulation initiated by the last government that is forcing TVNZ to consider high risk strategies.

Unless TVNZ and fellow…

Ten years ago, at a broadcasting symposium organised by New Zealand on Air to agonise over the parlous state of public television, broadcaster Ian Fraser – who was later to be TVNZ chief executive from 2002 to 2005 – declared that…

Take, for example, the Sunday morning current affairs show Agenda. That was produced by an independent production company on contract to TVNZ using charter funding and cost around $25,600 an episode. TVNZ decided to make the show in-house itself, scrapped Agenda and…

..and I was thinking, "Why not Paul instead?"

By hokey, them's fightin' words, Dr Lealand!

Look, one day soon Paul will die, and then we will be able to forget what a giant douchey cheeseball he is (although at least *he* didn't totally abandon his first son, start over with…

I found the guy from Unitec quite impressive, myself.

That is Peter Thompson. He does know his stuff and was responsible for coordinating the review of the TVNZ Charter last year. The kind of academic I like, who gets engaged in public debates. Brian Edward---hmmm?

I remember the day Lennon…

Poor old TVNZ could use a bit of…

Brian Edwards and Paul Norris are considered authorities to be ignored in some circles

I found the guy from Unitec quite impressive, myself. The Minister I guess has authority because, well, he's the Minister. I would like to understand their positions better.

But it wasn't me who raised "authority". I'm…

Hmm no discernable differences in behaviour.
Not yet it seems.

Seriously tho, I'll go as far as to agree Ringo has a solid tradesmanlike drumming style. But you aint gettin' more than that from me.

1. We missed Hello Sailor, but fuck I hate Adam Duritz.

He certainly needs to find a happy place and preferably stay there.

6. Zac Starkey is an almighty badass. Although I got into a small debate with the guy next to me who felt the need to dis Ringo…

1. We missed Hello Sailor, but fuck I hate Adam Duritz.
2. Sad not to hear 'I Can See For Miles'.
3. I loved some of the films created for the backdrop. The one for 'My Generation' was particularly awesome – lots of…

Ah, so three broadcasting specialists don't have any authority. Strange universe you inhabit there, Craig.

Oh, quit fucking trolling Sacha. Believe it or not, I don't actually think Paul Norris or Brian Edwards cause solar eclipses when they clench their buttocks. And if you really want to get into why…

Were Hello Sailor any good, 3410?

Missed both support acts.

I was lucky enough to catch all the acts.

Hello Sailor went down well with the crowd. They played the tunes everyone knew and loved.

The Counting Crows were alright, but the crowd felt a bit flat throughout. I'm not…

Were Hello Sailor any good, 3410?

Missed both support acts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKiUnbTMIVI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duH9z-qjJiM

Way to sidestep the main question, Craig.

Sasha: I don't take fatuous appeals to authority seriously, and don't intend to start dignifying them with a response. I was trying to be nice about it...

It's good that Key's not averse to it it, even if he and English canned pretty concrete plans for such a specific scheme made by the previous Govt. And…

I, for one would rather see homes insulated as part of a stimulant package, making our homes more energy efficient would reduce home expenditure on heating and increase discretionary spending.

But that was a Labour-Green idea, and therefore part of the nanny state Helen knows best agenda. Just like energy…

Why do you think they responded to the Minister's argument that way?

Way to sidestep the main question, Craig.

can we have Paula Bennett? She is minister for, what, four ministries? I want to know what she thinks about the portfolios she runs, why she thinks it, what she sees as the future for them...

Bennett''s only responsible for one Ministry: MSD. She has three portfolios – Social Development…

Craig, I have seldom seen such a unified reaction from three quite separate experts who did not seem to have colluded beforehand.

*sigh* Who needs to collude? I'll quite cheerfully admit that I don't follow the minutiae of broadcasting policy, but if Norris or Edwards actually said anything they've not…

I think Russell ran it all brilliantly and I hope he manages to get more Key clones or mavericks to front and defend their portfolio decisions.

John Roughan of the Granny Herald would probably be the royal flush.

Why do you think they responded to the Minister's argument that way?

The only way around that is to start subsidising the broadcast itself — at which point you maybe start thinking it would be better to have a public broadcaster.

I wonder if competition is still important. It'd be nice to see TV3 competing with TVNZ to show NZ programmes. A…

It's all very well for Coleman to mock "academics" (I may occasionally have done that myself) but there's a point where it becomes anti-intellectual. They need to start paying attention to data.

*sigh* With all due respect, Russell, there's also a point where "academics" need to start paying attention to…

For some time there was no long-run hour-long local…

Coleman is clearly thinking of new platforms, but to make a market-oriented approach work could…

And, to be honest, I don't think she's been acquitting herself very well when she actually does have to answer serious questions.

Can't comment on this from distance, but I worry Bennett's a sacrificial lamb. I can't quite work out the tactic, but her Ministerial load's huge for even an…

Sidestepping what 'quality' programming actually is, lets use an example of a series of hour-long in-depth documentaries or current affairs…

If only that were true.

It's all very well for Coleman to mock "academics" (I may occasionally have done that myself) but there's a point where it becomes anti-intellectual. They need to start paying attention to data.

Sounds like the "these guys take pride in being ignorant" level of anti-intellectual...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7STM9Zn7ilY

Agree with Hilary--and, please, can we have Paula Bennett? She is minister for, what, four ministries? I want to know what she thinks about the portfolios she runs, why she thinks it, what she sees as the future for them...

And, to be honest, I don't think she's been acquitting…

The odds seem daunting in the face of an anti-intellectual tsunami.…

How abut those LED sheep, eh?

Made my week.

Maybe it says something about my interests/issues, but I'd quickly grow bored of a diet of politics, media and tech only.

Paul Litterick wrote a nice post this year about people who blog only about politics. It'd drive me nuts, frankly. I do consciously try and mix it up, especially…

If I had a dollar for everyone who told me after the recording that Coleman reminded them of Key, I'd have ... five dollars.

But would you give it to charity?

But this ain't so--there are times on Hard News (and PA generally) when I am in awe of the breadth of knowledge and intelligence of analysis.

That's frequently the case for me too Geoff. PAS, all the writers and the community of commenters, is a truly remarkable collection of voices.…

a whole lot of slightly past it, backslapping insiders who are resting on their laurels

I am not sure what Tom wants us to be slapping instead. The thing about Hard News--and it has been quite an education for me--is that is has revealed a whole new intellectual community to…

If I had a dollar for everyone who told me after the recording that Coleman reminded them of Key, I'd have ... five dollars.

I probably won't rewatch it, but I'm pretty sure it said gummint for government, and along with some of his jibes at academics, it seemed like…

I recall the radio-only Hard News, it might've been different, but then I know I was too.

Pretty much what I was thinking. Given how long Hard News has been around now I'd be worried if it hadn't changed much over the time I've been following it (seven or eight…

Did anyone else find something about Coleman's vocal delivery a little like someone else's? I guess the sandy blond hair kind of helps as well...

If I had a dollar for everyone who told me after the recording that Coleman reminded them of Key, I'd have ... five dollars.

Maybe he's been watching the cricket?

Ah! That's probably it.

I find the personal trivia of foolish people of no interest

Heh. I am so totally the opposite. (We're like matter and anti-matter! If we were ever in the same room, would the universe implode?)

If your heart is no longer in something it is better to get out and do what you are now interested in, than hang onto until Hard News becomes like a once-fine pub that has declined into decrepitude.

Tom, I've been writing something called Hard News for nearly 18 years,…

...Hard News has become like all those big company record executives it likes to criticise – a whole lot of slightly past it, backslapping insiders who are resting on their laurels and when criticised indignantly point to their record, not their current performance.

Heh, I hope you feel a bit…

Jeez Tom, did we lose the Rugby World Cup again or something?

Maybe he's been watching the cricket?

Oh, could you give the pissing machine back to the Kiwiblog wing-nuts for five minutes?

?
Is that the pissing on or the pissing off or the piss off?

Should "Hard News" change its name to something that ore reflects its content these days? To something like "Introspective navel gazing?"

Because it has become as dull as dishwater.

Russell: Leo was brilliant, basically took the questions out of…

When did Moby start doing card tricks?

After he read The Game and thought it would be a better way to pick up girls than negging or peacocking...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voAntzB7EwE

(colour changing card trick

Oh, could you give the pissing machine back to the Kiwiblog wing-nuts for five minutes?

Good show , I wondered if you were tempted to get out a whip at any stage to get those unruly buggers back in line.

I opted to sit back and just watch for a while ...

got quite lively.

It almost got positively noisy. A mini Daily Show almost, with the audience audibly guffawing at a ministerial clanger.

and the minister deserves credit for opting to join the panel after the interview

What he didnt have a ministerial car waiting to whisk him off to another…