Broad's resignation was announced at the end of June, long before the report came out.…

__"There is one school of thought that the next great human rights movement – after civil rights and feminism – will be the fight for the rights of children not to be emotionally stuffed up by their parents. Remember, it…

Paula Bennett on Radio NZ: "In general NZ is best place in the world to bring up kids," [meaningless cliché] "but I do appreciate that for some people life is hard." [that's just…

She’s a mod...

with lung black hair on Lucky's Trike

Wonder if they’re anything like these dreaded amphibians.

Wow! Blaxolotls!!

Or change the RAF logo from a bullseye to crosshairs.

Meanwhile back in New Zealand
people of all ages willingly don these
(also known as the "Target" Audience...)

Tunisian authorities struggled to restore order Sunday, arresting the top presidential security chief and trying to stop gunfights that erupted across the capital. One clash broke out near Tunisia’s main opposition party building, another by the…

...it's blood simple

aaah! as they say on PhageBook
Nothing is more certain
than Death and Texas...

Ditto. And this. Not saying anything, just that it's probably about time for some cake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XUPAsCvDXI&feature=&p=931AD8FC58881F6A&index=0&playnext=1

I…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy3fsj-aGWw

Oh, and thank you Ian for the Marie and the Atom. Has been a while.

Glad someone picked that up. My obtuseness often falls on deft ears ;-) He says, humbly.

Speaking of cytokines, it's blood simple.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj6GmU4DX6g&feature=related

What, so we're done with our musical interleukin?

No, it's great that these proteinager signalling molecules are vibrating and costimulating benignly and good to cytokines (er – sight those music movies) especially as my immunity to the '80s is now at its strongest ;- )

Plus…

We are all too often a slave to freedom and ignorant of our strength.

Metaphorically speaking.

And the way things are going, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength.

War is peace.

I think a bullet in the head ought to fix him
(bad joke).

The Herald headlines a new take on the Lord's Prayer. All to do with the rellies.

What, so we're done with our musical interleukin?

Just as well, it was bordering on self-indulgent. Just 'bordering' mind...

ETA: Gonzo Journalism. He did it his way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdq39OYoIWk

Journalists wanted to turn campaigns into larger narratives, and there was no easier narrative than covering politics as though it were a sport.

Hunter S. Thompson – this is another fine mess you got us into... and that's without even mentioning the guns of Aspen...

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

I suspect so. Sure stands the test of time. IMhO.

Oh go on then...

This took me here. Heaven knows why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5x1F9ohRa4

Embedding disabled. Should play JAMC Happy When It Rains.

It was on the magnificent 2 x 12" (vinyl only). Only 400 pressed and long gone I think.

I loved this at the time and love it more now: perfect pop from Nige, Dave and Trevor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-c-1onVkUI

may not make as much sense on underpowered computer speakers

It does....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e9Ky5Azg9o

And this, without video, but one of my all time favs.

That's me done. Probably. ;-)

ETA: Changed the link to Fall from Grace to 2008 Remastered version, I would say, from the jump in sound quality. Can you still get this?…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLaWZKfPd7g

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8u7MNG-ug8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK_Nya6FRUA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPuA-Zun4rk

The downside to all this is that the likes of Deep Forest built a whole career from all these guys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ADoBW0c-18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rtIN9dWHsw&feature=related

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

From Te Atatu's finest sons – quite grand in its understatement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sFK0-lcjGU

And where would we be without Max?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEPq0FvFm3g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLhYxLE8uCA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

(Hope that works. On iPhone)

Oh, sorry, that's Hugo Ball, not Murray.

Calling someone a Muslim with the intention of it being a slur is like when bigots try to insult someone by calling them a homo…

M’kay… I think the auditions for the Dixie Chicks are being held down the hall. Don’t you just love people like Palin and Coulter going on their book tours and bitching about how their dissent is being “suppressed” by the New York…

" Palin & crew are feeling unjustly blamed for the actions of an extremist. Maybe they can ask Muslims for advice on how to deal w/ that."

Why is that any different to the last comparison? We still have a baseless bit of ignorant name calling using a word that is only a slur if your narrow world…

I am not asking you to compare their credibility, Sam. I agree with you, claims of torture are more credible than…

That would be sad if it wasn't so funny.

Surprised to see it still going – The Rev. Sun announced he was closing it some time back.

update: I see it was sold for a token $1 which given its circulation figures seems about right.

This is simply the latest round of an ongoing pogrom against conservative thinkers.

So awesome! :-D

One side of American politics considers the modern welfare state — a private-enterprise economy, but one in which society’s winners are taxed to pay for a social safety net — morally superior to the capitalism…

But have these changes been a bad thing? There are plenty of reasons to distrust sound bites and the kind of journalism that produces them. First, and most obviously, we miss out on the variety…

Unfortunately that level is at about 90 degrees to accepted reality, which explains the number of people looking at your arguments…

Yes, I awake to this and I'm a little gob-smacked I have to admit.

I'm sticking with my fast hardening earlier notion that Angus may have missed most of the last decade or spent it in a cave with a volume of The Thoughts of…

I've heard a lot of twisted reasoning employed to defend the full-scale immunity which Obama has vested in Bush officials for their chronic lawbreaking. But I doubt even Robert Gibbs would be willing to stand up in public and call it "courageous." Obama's decision…

And according to Urban Archipelago, the Dems should never have bothered with 'NASCAR dads' in the first place, and concentrate on the cities instead.

The study of U.S. assassinations over the last 60 years debunks some key myths about the miscreants behind the attacks. The Exceptional Case Study Project, completed in 1999, covers all 83 people who killed or attempted to kill a…

American gun culture scares the living shit out of me. I recall seeing an american 'Neighbours at War' style show and being shocked that people were shooting at each other. The general tone of the comentary was "It's…

Democrats abandoned gun control years ago, when they decided it lost Gore crucial votes in 2000 and they pivoted to go after the white male vote. Even progressives dropped the issue as hopeless, part…

Not lying so much might help your case.

As to the, erm, substance of your solipsism, none of what you say is relevant. It's not just politicians admitting waterboarding, there are the interrogating agencies for starters. I'm also pretty sure…

unless you can *prove* otherwise

Because American politicians like embarassing the opposition, they have inquiries of everything from were you or have you ever been a member of the... to what is the meaning of is.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid had the opportunity to get Congress making official…

Bush was never at risk of prosecution

Except in southern Vermont. It was a stunt, ok, but go the home state! People tend to forget about American socialism (fair enough- it's hardly defined recent world history:)). And until the tax breaks for billionaires 'filibuster' the media has tended to overlook Vermont…

They admit waterboarding people Angus. So there's one.

The war crime trials after WWII convicted people who waterboarded prisoners to gain information. So there's another.

I'm not an official type with the power to say my conclusions are official, but I can construct a syllogism…

The Starr report was an independent inquiry. Nixon was investigated by a Senate Committee. Evidence was produced and challenged to be verified or rejected.

The "War Crimes" have if GWB been 'investigated" by some people on the internet.

Where is the independent inquiry? Where is…

Seems farfetched. I don't believe he would do such a thing.

So much more likely that his team looked for the evidence and found insufficient proof.

It caused a great deal of dissent and…

This is from the "political issues play no part in decision to prosecute US Presidents" school of thought. See Starr report, Nixon etc.

In…

^^ Sacha

Perhaps you missed the fairly extensive discussions just after Obama was elected where the possibility that Bush might be prosecuted was the…

Eric Holder (and the Democrat run…

Where 'glorious' may also mean 'awe-inspiring, in a bad way'.

That's not fair! He's also a bit too swarthy to be a real American.

And you know who else isn't a real murkin? Muslims, that's who.

Teeworthy

Two unsubstantiable claims side by side.

The US President is:
– a practicing Muslim.
– a murderer, a torturer, a war criminal.

Supposedly we now have hate filled rhetoric in place of the civilised debate of just a few years ago.

I…

Out there somewhere is someone who would love to kill Governor Palin. God forbid they do it. But you and I both know there is some crazy MSNBC watcher and Media Matters reader who even now…

reminds me a lot of the Wiggles

...previously known as the Cockroaches, neatly tying today's threads together.

What is this I don't even

Tuscon Tea Party co-founder Trent Humphries called Giffords’ previous concerns about violent rhetoric “political gamesmenship,” claiming that if Giffords was so concerned, then she is to blame for Saturday’s shootings because she “had no security whatsoever”:

“It’s political…

The person who actually plants the bomb or assassinates the public official is not the stochastic terrorist, they are the “missile” set in motion by the stochastic terrorist. The stochastic terrorist is the person who uses mass media as their means of…

Ah memories – nothing like good old 1980s police brutality. I got a bit of it myself.

On a lighter note the 80's dancing in bright colored shirts thing reminds me a lot of the Wiggles

And of course the huge influx of black folks from the south to the north and to the aircraft factories of California (which didn't ratify the 15th Amendment until 1962!) in the 1940s…

...catering to the tastes of the credulous who invariably will believe the worst of political opposites.

which hadn’t been a consideration in the North for quite some time

I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'quite some time': in many northern states miscegenation laws were still in effect until the mid-1950s, for example. Actually, I see someone has handily broken down the stats here.…

Um, I do have to go out now but I'm going to hit you with…

But, again,…

The economic and police-relationship issues facing blacks across the entire US…

That list is fairly wide ranging and includes events that arguably have parallel roots, albeit still planted in race issues.

True, but that's the point: voting isn't everything. The north just 'waiting for the south to get with the programme' with enfranchisement doesn't really take into account the glorious fuckedupitude…

Circa now, too. And unlike claims that Obama's a closet Muslim, there's actually evidence to support assertions that Bush the Second did, indeed, commit war crimes. Like government officials torturing prisoners-of-war under a policy that originated from the White House.…

The charmingly naive idea that the “lamestream” media had such a pash on for Obambi they all suppressed the irrefutable fact that he spent seven years at Hogwart’s School of America-Hating & Islamofascism. Guess Fox News got hit with a serious Polyjuice potion-based confounding…

Snap, Sacha

Not exactly a parallel though is it Angus? The Bush claims were centred around a fairly hefty war with god knows how many dead, engineered by deceit and a failure to observe the finer points of international law.

The Obama…

The difference is that by most standards, he was.

That list is fairly wide ranging and includes events that arguably have parallel roots, albeit still planted in race issues. The Watts Riots, for example, were not about enfranchisement but economic dis-empowerment and…

I often wonder if the rage of the Tea Party, “birther” loons and the Pa-Lim-Beck Axis of Stupid is (to paraphrase Oscar Wilde) “the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass.” The delicious irony…

Just noticed Bryce's excellent article saying that too. Sorry.

Or George W Bush is a WAR CRIMINAL, circa 2004.

Also, let’s compare and contrast the 1960 Presidential race JFK won by a…

Still didn't see that, but let's please drop it.

I know this isn't quite germane to your point, but I don't think that's entirely true either.

I think you'll find that's Grant Johnston, Key's Chief Policy Advisor.

With the NYP you get what was given to you by Rupert. In that city Murdoch was long infamous for taking a respected tabloid and pushing firmly downwards. That direction, once again, infamously, was not done by some editor down the…

This, I think,…

If anyone's wondering where the nickname originated from...

Fair enough – I meant that the linked story was NOT written by Murdoch, but appeared in a tabloid not exactly known for taste and understatement…

What Russell said!?

And given the acceptable low points that the Murdoch empire sinks to worldwide and…

It simply beggars belief that our PM is so concerned with not being associated with bad news that he can’t even mumble a few words of condolence or support. When this disaster happened, government ministers fell over themselves to…

The disgraceful cynicism of…

Meh… and I’m sure these are the same people who would have been outraged and disgusted (and with some justification) when the nut-roots were equally cynical about President Bush at Ground…

Ditto. Still have the Broadcast EP, and this has been a long term favourite. Saw them on a 'Beach Tour' in 1982-3 (??) where they did under-age gigs in small community halls. Nearly 30 years ago!

I'm not thinking that at all – hence my references to the other bad eras. The US has an awful history of political violence – I read last year an incredible 1400 page history…

The only thing they're missing now is a good supply of large telescreens. They've got everything else in place – unfortunately.

No they don't, simply because I'm not old enough to remember those events first hand so the statement stands.

The ugliness of the 50s and 60s was a very, very long time ago and had largely…

The original statement was: "There is an ugliness near the centre of the US political discourse (if it can now be called that) which I’ve never seen before – Nixon’s rantings, which were not intentionally public, were nothing next to the words…

Seems trite to point out, but I thought it was a pretty darn good speech, overall. (Esp from about 24 min on.) He managed to emphasize that political rhetoric did not cause this to occur, while making points about certain political rhetoric. In doing so…

(speaking of which anyone remember that great McPhail&Gadsby faux ad for "the Red Squad Sings" with their hit rendition of "Send in the Clowns")

Her kiss-off sent heartbroken Jared Lee Loughner into a sick downward spiral of drugs, depression and dark thoughts that dead-ended in mass murder last week.

Kelsey Hawkes, the first and only love of Loughner's young life, yesterday…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dDM8X_wfec

I'd not seen it for 25…

No, Sally, it’s just been pretty denegrating towards a lot of National Party women – MPs, officeholders and…

As we seem to be heading down grief avenue, here's a link to a page dedicated to those missing in the Queensland flood. Facebook and social media does it's bit again.

Queensland Police on FB.
On Twitter.

Can you imagine the same company bringing out a mark II in…

On one level, this response is appalling if not unexpected. On another, it does recognise a reality: Obama's stature has been restored and enhanced by that speech. Sure, he has great…

It was a fine, hopefully, healing moment and perhaps reminded more than a few why they voted for this particular guy over the other option.

I did, however, have the odd gagging 'As the…

Forthwith (?) no more fury from this cherub face.

Okay Craig. I will do this. But I will also say that I meant to make clear my respect for Thatcher-the-pioneer.…

Alternatively, I'm just all touch-feely because I'm watching the Obama speech and crying a little bit.

I'm going to make this request seriously and in good faith. Please read John Campbell's biography of Thatcher – seriously and with an open mind — and tell me if you really think she was just a cock-pleasing she-male with penis envy.

Does this mean I actually said it? Ok, guess it does. Sorry for that. And I didn't mean the whole 307 million people, some of whom I also know, love, and am related to, just those messing with my head on this…

Not saying all men or all women. Thought that went without saying here.
Just trying to say something.
Don't like diamond rings, big or small.

"When you hunt a moose, blood libel to pour out of it," she told reporters.

As long as it doesn't get all over my Death Panel.

Plus a bit of somewhat unfortunate advertising...

The speech itself is excellent. Sincerely hope its message is heard and acted upon.

I listened to it, and damn I had a few tears honestly jerked. Another reminder why it's nice to have an adult in the Oval Office, and not have an attention-seeking flake squatting at 1 Observatory Circle.

America can go get screwed

Yeah, well. There are a few of us with personal connections there, just as you have personal connections in Queensland, so 'fuck them, because *this* is what's really important' is... a problematic outlook. At least for me.

(Please do talk about Queensland, though!)

If you're talking about Christine Rankin, she got her day in court…

The human tragedy and impact for people we know and love, are related to (cousins and aunties in my case), and who recently gave us, and continue to give, quite a…

No; we won't excuse you, Paul.

I haven't been keeping up with the thread since this, but PH on SP is the pits! Sure, I haven't always been PH's most fervent fan – but neither have I been an ardent…

Been there, done that, got all the merchandise. During the election, I would have saved a lot of time if I'd just made up flash cards.…

There are some who would have us believe that the only reason Sarah Palin is being attacked now is because she is a woman.

If we refer to the articles you cited earlier

I am going to link again to both of those articles, so that they can be read in full by those who are interested:

here and here

The Jessica Valenti article…

The rape analogy is brought up almost without thinking, by…

The Fox News Channel today attempted to bust what it called a “mainstream media myth” by reporting that there was no link between matches, gasoline and fire.

“Gasoline and matches don’t start fires,” said Fox host Glenn Beck.…

That was a good one, but the one with the rape-analogy (short version: the left = rapist; the right = victim) is right out there as well. Possibly by a different Anonymous – it’s…

The “I’m not saying the Left are exactly like Hitler,…

Aaargh, that linked post hurt my brain. Then the comments made it hurt even more. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.…

Are you often asked to, up there in Auckland?