Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Holiday Open Thread 2: Chewing over the News

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  • BenWilson, in reply to ScottY,

    Bloody typical, isn't it? We finally have the chance to win the Rugby World Cup on our home turf after decades of pain, and then the End Of Days comes along and ruins everything.

    If we win, then it's the perfect point to end time. If we lose, then judgment day will surely come anyway. Preferably before the final.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    If we lose, then judgment day will surely come anyway.

    Can I be on the jury. Oh thats right it will be a judge only trial.
    Whoops wrong thread..

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Heavy Metal you say?

    The Four Horsemen (of the apocalypse?)

    As a sign the world is truly ending, they also did an acoustic version.

    [#Rehash_tag]

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __,

    The Four Horsemen (of the apocalypse?)

    I’m pretty sure they don’t mean Mark Todd and 3 of his buddies. :-)


    “Horsemen are drawing nearer
    On leather steeds they ride
    They’ve come to take your life
    On through the death of night
    With the Four Horsemen ride
    Or choose your fate and die
    OH, YEAH YEAH!!

    …..

    Gather ’round young warriors now
    Saddle up your steeds
    Killing scores with demon swords
    Now is the death of doers of wrong
    Swing the judgment hammer down
    Safely inside armor, blood, guts and sweat”


    I thought to make an amusing parody I would put these words in the Travesty Generator, but the result was indistinguishable from the original. Perhaps Ian D can do better.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Time
    Famine
    Pestilence
    Death

    And home in time for tea...

    Reading The Guardian of the Dead. It's all a bit real,

    Falling from Ranginui in his wrath,
    the fish, fowl and flood,
    with hollow eyes come dancing,
    and boiling in my blood.

    ...or something.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to recordari,

    Time
    Famine
    Pestilence
    Death

    And they say Death rides a pale horse. Which brings us back to Julian Assange...

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    In another vein, I watched the Prince's Trust Rock Gala last night (well, there wasn't much of anything else on and I was too knackered from waterblasting the deck to change channels anyway) and was very pleasantly surprised by Sir Tom Jones, with a fine John Lee Hooker number, and Tom Chaplin from Keane performing with Brian May and Roger Taylor, doing an uncanny Freddie homage - vocally, at least. Apart from that, and a nice couple of numbers from Clapton, it was all pretty forgettable, really.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Article about political poll reveals continuing confusion amongst both public and journos about how MMP works.

    Two-thirds of voters polled last month by Horizon Research believe National will be able to govern after the election, expected to be held in November.

    But when asked to reveal their personal voting intentions, the result makes the election too close to call. National is by far the single most popular party, with 40.4% of the 1718 people polled saying they will give it their party vote, compared to just 28.3% for Labour. But the poll also predicts 8.9% for both the Greens and New Zealand First, 2% for Act, 1.7% for the Maori Party, and 1.2% for United Future.

    When those parties are taken into account, a Labour-Greens-New Zealand First alliance (46.1%) would be a whisker ahead of a National-Act-Maori Party-United Future coalition (45.3%).

    And Hooten gets handed another chance to lobby for getting rid of that pesky impediment to two-party rule - and to instruct Epsom's voters. Thanks, Fairfax.

    But right-leaning political analyst Matthew Hooton said that although he had some qualms about Horizon's polling practice of asking "undecided" voters to indicate their preference, the results showed that "small parties will continue to have a huge impact on the result of the election".

    He said for that reason alone, New Zealand should reject the MMP proportional representation voting system.

    If Peters were to be cast in a kingmaker role, it would show that fringe parties with no public support, rather than the voters, get to choose the prime minister.

    Similarly, Hooton said, Horizon's numbers suggested the result in Epsom would be "absolutely decisive".

    "If National voters in Epsom vote for a National candidate, Goff will be prime minister; if they vote for Hide, Key will be prime minister."

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    Oh no.

    Versions of this image are currently winging around Twitter at roughly the speed of light.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Sam F,

    Justement, Sam. Guns+rhetoric of fear=bad shit every time.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    On another note, we’ve found the Cem Erbay story pretty distressing.

    Cem and his mother, Sharon, lived a few doors down from us.

    He was a lovely kid; his natural exuberance carefully kept within bounds by Sharon. I know the diagnosis of his heart condition was hard for him – I’ve never met a more naturally athletic child – but he moved on. It just breaks my heart that Sharon should have done such a wonderful job of raising her only son into a young man only to have him taken away like this.

    Thanks Russell, Cem was a young friend I have known since he was 5. Yes, couldn't have asked for a more devoted mother either. It has hit a lot of us pretty hard. His funeral is tomorrow at St Matthews in the City.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    I'm shocked by the disbelief expressed in official reactions in the States. Surely this was the very definition of the phrase "only a matter of time". Which doesn't make it any less horrifying, but.

    Oh and on the subject of Palin's gunsights, look at the lovely campaign event Giffords' opponent organised in June of last year.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    Big hugs, my Sof.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to giovanni tiso,

    I'm shocked by the disbelief expressed in official reactions in the States. Surely this was the very definition of the phrase "only a matter of time". Which doesn't make it any less horrifying, but.

    Quite. But a great many people have a stake in pretending something like this wasn't inevitable, because it says things about the toxicity of political discourse that no-one wants to deal with.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to giovanni tiso,

    I'm shocked by the disbelief expressed in official reactions in the States. Surely this was the very definition of the phrase "only a matter of time".

    Also not helped when it appears the newly elected Speaker of the House is a feckless jellyfish:

    Williams: I'm curious as to how much responsibility you feel specifically because of something that happened this morning. During the reading of the Constitution, Congressman Frank Pallone of New Jersey, was reading a portion of the document, interrupted by someone who heckled from within the chamber. It was to express doubt over the president's American citizenship. Provided you believe the president is an American citizen, you've got 12 members co-sponsoring legislation that does about the same thing, it expresses doubt. Would you be willing to say, "This is a distraction, I've looked at it to my satisfaction. Let's move on"?

    Boehner: The state of Hawaii has said that President Obama was born there. That's good enough for me.

    Williams: Would you be willing to say that message to the 12 members in your caucus who seem to either believe otherwise or are willing to express doubt and have co-sponsored legislation?

    Boehner: Brian, when you come to the Congress of the United States, there are 435 of us. We're nothing more than a slice of America. People come, regardless of party labels, they come with all kinds of beliefs and ideas. Uh it's, it's the melting pot of America. It's not up to me to tell them what to think. [Emphasis added]

    Anyone who's read Robert Caro's Master of the Senate (the third volume of his biography of Lyndon Johnson) should have a solid basis to call bullshit on Boehner. LBJ may have been a 110-proof son of a bitch in many ways, but his role as Senate Majority leader in the passage of the 1967 Civil Rights Act is awe-inspiring.

    Meanwhile, if Boehner (and the rest of the GOP's congressional leadership) can't -- or won't -- exercise any control over the Tea Baggers, I can only hope their reap the bitter harvest of what they sow.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Boehner: Brian, when you come to the Congress of the United States, there are 435 of us. We're nothing more than a slice of America. People come, regardless of party labels, they come with all kinds of beliefs and ideas. Uh it's, it's the melting pot of America. It's not up to me to tell them what to think. [Emphasis added]

    So he'd be totally cool and just as hands-off if members of Congress espoused, ooooh, neo-Nazi views, right? Because that's just another kind of "belief and idea"?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    More from Horizon political poll, this time the emotional responses that candidates evoke.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Lucy Stewart,

    So he'd be totally cool and just as hands-off if members of Congress espoused, ooooh, neo-Nazi views, right? Because that's just another kind of "belief and idea"?

    To be perfectly cynical, I think Boehner is perfectly happy with shit-bats like Michaelle Bachmann serving Kool-Aid to the base (and opening their wallets) as long as he has plausible deniability and electoral distance. I think he's going to find that may work in the short term, but the mid- to long-rage damage to the GOP is going to be nasty. It's not just the Democrats the Tea Baggers have in their sights, so to speak, but any moderate reality-based Republican who dares to open their mouth. Now, the likes of Ted Olson and Senators Snowe and Collins can flick them off without much effort. There's a lot of other people who can't -- or won't -- fight off this rabid pack of poop-flinging howler monkeys every damn day.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Sacha,

    Don't know about anyone else, but I'd love to see Keith or one of PAS's resident polling/stats nerds doing a critical look at this Horizon outfit. There's something that niggles me about their methodology, but can't quite put my finger on it.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Meanwhile, if Boehner (and the rest of the GOP's congressional leadership) can't -- or won't -- exercise any control over the Tea Baggers, I can only hope their reap the bitter harvest of what they sow

    Unfortunately, it's more likely that people like Gabrielle Giffords will be the recipients.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    In other news, Herald media columnist (and Russell's BFF) John Drinnan unearths Public Address' role in the downfall of civilization:

    LANGUAGE, LANGUAGE

    A sign of the times. In the online world the trendy folk of Public Address voted recently for a sexual insult "twatcock" as its word of the year.

    Being lectured on good taste by a rag noted for its balls-deep vulgarity, illiteracy and a tendency to treat facts with the fastidious disdain a kosher butcher would show towards a Christmas ham, makes me want to proffer this cheery New Years wish:

    [Redacted on the grounds of gross defamation of Shetland ponies, the men who love them too much & a range of drug-resistant venereal infections.]

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    In other news, Herald media columnist (and Russell's BFF) John Drinnan unearths Public Address' role in the downfall of civilization:

    And also writes:

    Taxpayers gave Annabel Fay's record company

    and a few words later follows it with:

    but gives subsidies for pop pap to people who can afford to pay their own way

    suggesting that a business column may not be the best place for someone confused by the chasm between the two.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Don't know about anyone else, but I'd love to see Keith or one of PAS's resident polling/stats nerds doing a critical look at this Horizon outfit. There's something that niggles me about their methodology, but can't quite put my finger on it.

    I think that would be a good story. They're clearly different: they approach "don't know/vote" in a different way to other local polling companies, and produce different results. Are the two things related?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Russell Brown,

    They're clearly different: they approach "don't know/vote" in a different way to other local polling companies, and produce different results. Are the two things related?

    If it's true that Horizon are the only polling outfit that called the Megatropolis election for Brown correctly, then there's obviously something in their method that's an improvement on what the other buggers do.
    I found it nice to read an article that wasn't "Key's going to romp home because National are polling streets ahead of Labour", with justifications for the equivocation.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    On the Arizona shooting, I would say that I hope Palin feels like a right twatcock, but I'm not convinced she's actually got the introspective capability to grasp the significance of her batshittery in relation to this tragedy.
    AZ has some of the loosest firearms laws in the whole US (and we all know that that's saying something), so it's not entirely surprising that this happened there, but it is cruelly ironic that it happened six months after a further relaxation of their firearms laws; concealed carry no longer requires a permit, as of the end of last July.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

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