Hard News: Event Season
194 Responses
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... or, you know, not base political analysis on a single poll :-)
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Russell Brown, in reply to
... or, you know, not base political analysis on a single poll :-)
Allow me some punditry, sir!
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Henry Barnard, in reply to
not base political analysis on a single poll :-)
Must be something about Spring and Autumn then :)
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Also, I think the Cunliffe result was pretty predictable. Certainly most pundits were predicting it. But the catamaran race - that was breath-taking. So "yes" the news bulletins got it right, I think.
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Tell me again why we should be interested in the bloody Americas Cup
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We were talking the other day about how the Americas Cup boats keep getting bigger and bigger, more and more expensive and how the govt. is subsidising what's basically a rich man's sport.
We decided that if NZ wins it's time for a reset, I suggested nominating P-class yachts, a friend suggested Lasers - I think that P-classes armed with industrial strength lasers would be really cool .....
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The thing now would be not screwing it up.
Quite. Not Labour's strong point over the last few years, sadly, but they may have learned their lesson.
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So much for all the "polling" that featured so heavily in TV media showing Shane Jones comfortably second over Grant Robinson
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I have a theory that interest in the America's Cup is inversely proportional to actual sailing experience. It seems to just be a national victory ritual that could as easily be enacted over Formula One, tiddlywinks or cane toad racing.
(Did anyone notice how stable fore-aft the AC-whatsit was on its near capsize, compared to a small cat like a Dart, which tends to dig a hull in and cartwheel at the slightest provocation. That wasn't commented on at all).
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As a member, albeit not a particularly active one, I was really pleased with the process, the conduct of the candidates and their boosters, and agree the platform is there for Labour to be effective. I'd have preferred Robertson to win but with a 51 per cent result on the first count, Cunliffe's got the clear endorsement he needed. All the arguments about caucus ignore the simple fact that the process involves three electoral colleges.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Also, I think the Cunliffe result was pretty predictable. Certainly most pundits were predicting it. But the catamaran race – that was breath-taking. So “yes” the news bulletins got it right, I think.
And then, after I wrote that, race 2 this morning. Ye gods.
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Have to say, I rather think that announcement was a little mmm, flat? Like, sure, Tim Barnett in a room at Fraser House is pretty adorable, but I wouldn't have minded slightly more razzmatazz.
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
Tell me again why we should be interested in the bloody Americas Cup
You personally don’t have to be, unless you care that many others in your country are interested, either because they sail themselves or because they like seeing New Zealanders excel. No you don ’t have to care about things your group cares about but that is one of the characteristics of social animals – much the same a liking same music or clothes as your peers – cheering when the rest of the crowd cheers – it binds you closer to the group.
For me, the shear awe at the science and engineering of those boats is enough to keep me fascinated.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
You personally don’t have to be, unless you care that many others in your country are interested, either because they sail themselves or because they like seeing New Zealanders excel.
It's also a hell of thing to watch. I'm not generally a follower of yachting but I felt like I'd had five coffees after the second race this morning.
I'm also in no doubt that the regatta coming here would be good for Auckland. I remember how it was last time: several years of colour and money.
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kiwicmc, in reply to
For me, the shear awe at the science and engineering of those boats is enough to keep me fascinated.
And it's science and engineering on both boats that originates from New Zealand, for me, having that occurring right in the Bay Area, where all my company's work comes from is invaluable...
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see I feel the opposite - something like that means that free seats on the AKL<->SFO flight are harder to come by should one need one at little notice
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Geoff Lealand, in reply to
I would be more convinced if the science and engineering was put to better use eg the proposal to have sail-assisted merchant ships, to cut down on fuel consumption--rather than a bunch of rich pricks sailing around in circles on floating billboards (which ought to include "$36million paid for by NZ taxpayers").
Biut I realise this may well be a minority opinion..... -
Bart Janssen, in reply to
if the science and engineering was put to better use
Well that's the argument that is used against formula one racing and even against space flight. The counter argument is that it really doesn't matter what the use is that drives extreme tests of engineering and science the end result is a trickle down into day to day life. It's probably about the only field where trickle down actually works.
Meanwhile it is just awesome.
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Labour haven't really had "momentum" in the polls. The story of the past 6 weeks has been National down, Greens and NZ First up (Labour up initially along with the Greens in the GCSB debate period, then in a holding pattern while the leadership race was on). I think the best Roy Morgan link is the one that has party support of all the polling periods
http://www.roymorgan.com/morganpoll/new-zealand/voting-intention-summary -
Gary Young, in reply to
Granted, yes and in full agreement, especially with respect to sail assisted merchant ships... But....
I'm watching it as best I can on my work computer with an intermittent and fitful broadband stream with the other guys from the workshop clustered round. I am a long time sailor so my enthusiasm is a given but the others would normally have no interest in water-based sports. These are guys who spend every lunchtime, every day, in the smoko room talking about cars and motorbikes, nevertheless they are still drawn in by the drama and the prospect of kiwi success.
The Cup should not be dismissed too lightly. It is much more than just rich bods on expensive boats.
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I have a theory that interest in the America's Cup is inversely proportional to actual sailing experience. It seems to just be a national victory ritual that could as easily be enacted over Formula One, tiddlywinks or cane toad racing.
I'm pretty excited by it, having sailed a fair few different small yachts. It's almost been enough to get me back on the water (Dad and I stopped sailing about 15 years ago - you can only have one captain on a boat).
As for its role as a Government funded technology demonstrator: sure, why not? We're not going to invest in a space-race, we don't develop conventional weapons of mass destruction that fly around the world, and attempts to have wheeled vehicles go round in circles quickly haven't succeeded that often in recent decades. That this huge construction of carbon-fibre literally levitates while careering forward at above 80km/h gives it even more of a boost.
I'm no expert in this area, but I hope the Government is working with the sector to help them transfer their knowledge and skills to markets around the world. The tragedy would be if this isn't occurring.
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
living on a lean too...
(which ought to include “$36million paid for by NZ taxpayers”)
It's probably there, on the hull, in 12pt black Letraset®, varnished over, kinda like hiding search words...
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Howard Edwards, in reply to
I have a theory that interest in the America's Cup is inversely proportional to actual sailing experience. It seems to just be a national victory ritual that could as easily be enacted over Formula One, tiddlywinks or cane toad racing.
If you measured interest by numbers, then you are probably right as there are far more NZ nonsailors than NZ sailors. But if you measured it by proportions then I seriously doubt your hypothesis.
And as for AC beating Cunliffe to the top of the news - at least they were leaning seriously to the left at the time! (Although you could say that they moved back to the centre immediately afterwards - a predictor for Cunliffe's furture behaviour perhaps?)
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Islander, in reply to
For me, the shear awe
There *is* a difference btwn. shear & sheer, folks...
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
There *is* a difference btwn. shear & sheer, folks…
doh! But kind of apt when you consider the forces applied to that boat.
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