Actually, I'm increasingly drawn to my first conclusion, but perhaps could put it a bit more succinctly.

Arse!

Entirely fair there, Russell. I just wish the likes of Ms. Woodham and Mr. Laws would extend the same courtesy all the way round. Making false criminal complaints and committing perjury are far from trivial offences.

And I cannot disagree with a word of that.

Without disagreeing with any of the above sentiments, I'd be grateful if we could stop short of bringing down a rape conviction on the basis of a thing we heard on the news.

Entirely fair there, Russell. I just wish the likes of Ms. Woodham and Mr. Laws would extend…

It's obviously what Woodham was commenting on, though, no? In a pretty appalling level of abstraction. But I'm not assuming the guilt of anybody about anything – the allegations, hearsay, call it what you want, are simply the context of Woodham's piece.

Fair enough. I'm just mindful that all I…

cheerful intellectual

pleased to see the phrase getting another trot..

I'd be grateful if we could stop short of bringing down a rape conviction on the basis of a thing we heard on the news.

It's obviously what Woodham was commenting on, though, no? In a pretty appalling level of abstraction. But I'm not assuming the guilt of anybody about…

Yes, because the columnists of the Sunday papers never tried, convicted and assassinated Louise Nicholas' character as a mentally unstable, vindictive whore...

Really only Michael Laws, from what I can recall. The Star Times actually made a lot of the early running on the historic police rape cases.

the spirited defense of cheerful intellectuals.

There are some occasions where there just simply isn't an irony tag big enough to do it justice.

This was a particular highlight;

It is little wonder the media have become a distrusted profession in recent years. Their hypocrisy reeks.

Look in the mirror,…

Megan:

To confound my stupidity, I read the "reader comments".

I try not to do this at the Herald, the Guardian, or Salon. I don't know who sent around the memo to all the whining MRAs, but that's where they hang. Blurgh.

Wonder what those nice misters McVicar or McCockrie think about this, representing 1% of the…

And as for Mr Lhaws – Pot. Kettle. Black.

How have I survived all these years as a flaming faggot, without the restraining balm of a slutty (yet demure) angel of the hearth to keep my bestial instincts under control?

Well, you know I am always here for you, darling.

I really don't want to start this fight again,…

Oh, crap. I saw all the tweeting about that on Sunday, and had managed to avoid actually reading it. Then I clicked on your link, and now I have a sore head. From all the banging, you see.

I personally find it rather hard to argue with the headline that…

If you're going to just wantonly click on any old link you deserve everything you get. It's just common sense.

Oh my god, Stephen, you are right! God. I should stop being such a victim. Wait, no, I am confused.

To confound my stupidity, I read the "reader comments". Now…

The Herald is full of it

Oh, crap. I saw all the tweeting about that on Sunday, and had managed to avoid actually reading it. Then I clicked on your link, and now I have a sore head. From all the banging, you see.

I couldn't have said it better had I received a frontal lobotomy myself.

"slapper's remorse"
...willing teens...
...a breed of feral females...

Oh, apparently this one.

In brief, this

Yeah, Michael Laws the brave speaker of truth to power. We all know he prefers to smear "brown slugs", parents who don't live up to his exquisite moral standards and people he can get rid off with a dump switch.

And I've got reason to think that…

[Redacted. I can't be arsed either. In brief, this]

[Coat of arms]

NZFC Review

Having heard Graeme Mason from the NZFC on The Arts On Sunday I can't imagine that the NZFC is ready for the true soul-searching required.

There's a fundamental flaw in having the subject of a review being in charge of implementing the recommendations; namely that the more changes…

>> Talking of skating...I ran into this yesterday.

>Damn! That's pretty much THE toughest downhills in Auckland City.

Hell yeah, that was awesome. No fear. Bomb it.

Good to see Levi still carving. Takes me back...

Craig Y ;)

What drove me barmy (and call me a pedant, if you will) was the continuous misuse of it's for its. This is Grammar Error No. 1

It's in bits is it is, isn't it?

Wish we had this series in NZ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgNaVR2q23U&feature=PlayList&p=05AAFCE7B8379237&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=34

It's Peter Jackson – I'm pretty sure he could buy Grammar and have it changed if he wanted to.

What! He's redoing Little Red Riding Hood?

I did keep reading on, in the review of the NZFC, in the hope that I might encounter a hint of gratitude or some mild praise--but it generally is one long whinge..and some good, final recommendations.

It's a bit of a whinge, but warranted, I'd say. It seems clear that…

You're curiously bent? I know it's Friday and all, but still, won't someone think of the children?

It's OK, he was just making himself curiously bent for the duration.

So you need to make yourself interested, at least for the duration.

Ah, that makes a little more sense.

I am of a naturally curious bent ;-)

You're curiously bent? I know it's Friday and all, but still, won't someone think of the children?

Which just goes to show what a fantastic judge of talent I am.

You're our very own Simon Cowell :-) With better taste in T-shirts.

I'm just a little confused. I didn't think personal interest in a subject matter was (necessarily) a qualifier for something making it onto Media 7...

If you're not interested in a discussion you're running, it'll show. So you need to make yourself interested, at least for the duration.

Fortunately, I…

"Obviously, you have to be interested in the subject matter to run a panel discussion,"

I'm just a little confused. I didn't think personal interest in a subject matter was (necessarily) a qualifier for something making it onto Media…

have it changed if he wanted to.

Have its changed, surely?

What drove me barmy (and call me a pedant, if you will) was the…

Thanks, Tim!

Yes, seconded. And there's a free download of track one from Phil Selway's (Radiohead) album Familial for download just back there <<<-

Dr Who? Just to counter the disturbing Zoological links above, here's the bloody Timelords.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqJagwCegYA&feature=related

'Specially for Danielle, to help her with that bad-feminist thing ... the Xx vs Notorious B.I.G.

Heh, awesome. That "fulfilled my fantasies without that nigga Mr Roarke"!

(I like this "Russell discovers cool shit for me to listen to" service. No finder's fee?)

Here everyone, have a listen to Method…

I'm looking forward to seeing the next issue of Metro under the guidance of Simon Wilson. Things can only get better with the last issue

But without Metro, how else would we know that apparently not all lesbians look like dykes? And that some lesbians also like men? And gosh,…

There's John Cale, Serge Gainsbourg, Joni Mitchell, Sandy Denny and Randy Newman covers too.

And at the risk of being bitchy, if Jackson wants to talk about "rewarding mediocrity" then I hope he got paid DGA scale for The Lovely Bones.

After skimming through the review, I've noticed that a number of the quotes attributed by the media to the review's authors – including…

That link might need a warning. That's a dead prem baby elephant. Or a fake.

At birth baby elephants stand about three feet tall and weight 30 – 50kg.

More like 100kg. Here's an actual birth and it's not gentle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97CRwd_U2FU

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slim_go5im4

The device used here is sometimes known as a "Zeusaphone", because of the, uh, lightning bolts!

According to Wikipedia:

"Zeusaphone, also called a Thoremin, is trademark for a high-frequency, solid state Tesla coil, when its spark…

Does metro have an online version of the magazine? I'd be keen to subscribe to it (and willing to pay for it), even in PDF form.

The physical mag (http://www.magshop.co.nz/Metro), though nice and uniquely large in size (and definitively Metro), is a bit clumsy and not ideal for shipping to…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH0Yxk-C5y0

More or less safe for work, by the way.

if there was some fool-proof algorithm for determining which films would be artistic and commercial successes, everyone would be doing it.

Which is why, as I've always said, they need an entry-level funding stratum which funds a lot more filmmakers for cheap, less-than-commercial projects. That way they'd have a much…

That link might need a warning.

Oh, no! But it's smiling!

Sorry.

May I draw attention to Sir Pete's Film Commission review?

You certainly may. I'm sure there's PASers out there who are much more informed about the local film industry than I. but while the report most definitely is *cough* provocative and full of think-food, am I the only one wondering…

Also, here is a picture of a newborn elephant.

That link might need a warning. That's a dead prem baby elephant. Or a fake.

At birth baby elephants stand about three feet tall and weight 30 – 50kg.

The physical mag (http://www.magshop.co.nz/Metro), though nice and uniquely large in size (and definitively Metro), is a bit clumsy and not ideal for shipping to…

Or, speaking of music downloads, I wrote a song about the Gulf Oil Spill and made what I hope is a charmingly amateurish recording. Remixable!

Actually this issue of Werewolf has a bunch of weekend-read goodness.

She's got it right though, he's got more funk in the trunk than just about any…

The Review itself (PDF).

NZH: Call for overhaul of Film Commission.

Stuff: Jackson review criticises Film Commission.

Also, here is a picture of a newborn elephant.

Here it is:

I propose a standing ovation for those gerberas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqHxkD5_obs&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27m1842awf8

Good to see Levi still ripping it up in Auckland.