Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: If you can't say something nice ...

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  • mark taslov,

    seasons 1-5 of The Wire sitting on my desk, came highly recommended, maybe this weekend is the time to break it open. Thanking the lord for less stringently policed anti piracy laws. and US creativity.

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I take the view that this is one of those things that will simply be brought about by custom. Nearly everyone already refers to civil union ceremonies as "weddings" anyway.

    Russell, stop it! Do you give matches to pyromaniacs for fun, too? You bad bugger. :)

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

  • Ian MacKay,

    Mikaere:"be done with Dunne."
    I nice poetic ring don't you think?

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Does anyone think we should have STV for constituencies (as well as MMP, not instead of)?

    I'd be quite happy to have STV instead of MMP, which was always my proportional representation choice. If you really want to talk about "if you can't say anything nice...", I always loved the way voters were smart enough to "get" MMP but were far too stupid to wrap their heads around STV.

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

  • Public Servant on a tea-break.,

    I'd like to thank the Public Address regulars who have commented on the "American Spectator" article. If that is what passes for informed comment in the U.S. - I shudder.

    As for Ohariu: I was told that the Labour candidate, Charles Chauvel was making ground, but I didn't realise how much until 8 November. Given Peter Dunne's public statements on the Greens, I'm surprised more of that party's support didn't vote tactically for Chauvel. They may chose to in 2011 though, now it has been shown to be obviously possible to remove Dunne from that seat.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    you can't legally refer to your CUPcake as your "wife" or "husband", because that's only for civil marriage.

    Really? Legally? Bugger, I'm a hard core repeat offender -- and all because I was too lazy to come up with some new vocabulary. (The people I really pity are the guests who had to find a suitable card for the occasion. There's money to be made there...)

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    a fresh Labour candidate would have a rather good chance in the electorate in 2011.

    But you shouldn't assume the party is going to select any such thing. I still believe the National Party members who launched Brian Connell on his inglorious (and mercifully brief) political career should have to pass drug and alcohol tests before the next selection meeting.

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

  • giovanni tiso,

    Really? Legally? Bugger, I'm a hard core repeat offender -- and all because I was too lazy to come up with some new vocabulary.

    Yeah, I would have racked up some fines too. All because what the English language has to offer me is the inadequate word "partner" (no, we're not in business together), where the Italian has the beautiful compagno/compagna, which happens to be the same word for political comrade.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    So is this the official Friday Fun thread? In that case ...

    New Zealand's election: the view from wingnut world

    There was one thing i liked about that site...

    ...and that was the click-through banner ad to this.

    Lovin' it. A new addition to my christmas list.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I take the view that this is one of those things that will simply be brought about by custom. Nearly everyone already refers to civil union ceremonies as "weddings" anyway.

    Yeah. Not yet having been part of the Civil Union Ceremony, I found it strange the use of the word 'wife', but each to their own :)

    I wonder if a better tradition might be finding a more inclusive word. Husband and wife point back to heterosexual relationships, maybe more ownership of the word 'partner' by heterosexual couples in formal relationships could be a good thing.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    All because what the English language has to offer me is the inadequate word "partner" (no, we're not in business together), where the Italian has the beautiful compagno/compagna, which happens to be the same word for political comrade.

    I needed you in 2005! Spent 6 months around Italy with my girlfriend-then-fiancee (grazie Lago di Como!), and finding the appropriate word for her was rather challenging...
    Fidensata (sp?) apparently wasn't appropriate prior to engagement.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    I had the same problem when I got married (back in 1984) - took several years before I could use 'my wife' without cringing (and largely because by then we were in the US and 'partner' just confused everyone)

    I'd like to encourage everyone to steal the words 'marriage', 'weddings', etc even 'wife' and 'husband' back from the fundies - apply them to civil unions with wild abandon until no one can tell the difference

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I wonder if a better tradition might be finding a more inclusive word.

    I'd rather have genuinely inclusive legislation, and let the semantics take care of themselves. But I did say I was going leave this alone, and should be out in the garden anyway...

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

  • Ian MacKay,

    Seeing that its Friday my friends told me this about a Christchurch family:
    Being a Saturday, Mum, Dad and the kids decided to spend the afternoon at the Antarctica Centre at Harewood. Stuart was particularly keen and being a 14-year old autistic lad he had a keen eye for the unusual.
    After a time the parents realised that Stuart was missing. They hunted around all the exhibits calling and asking. They were very relieved when Stuart reappeared all intact including his trust back-pack. Mum asked him where he had been but Stuart wasn't answering.
    "Oh well," said Mum. You are back now so we had better stick together. "By the way Stuart. Why are your jean legs so wet?"
    No answer so they carried on.

    When they all arrived safely home, Stuart said he thought he would have a bath. Dad was a bit surprised but said, "Go for it son."
    A short time later when Dad passed the bathroom door he heard noises that he couldn't quite identify, so he knocked politely on the bathroom door and went in.
    Stuart was in the bath all right but swimming around his legs was a Little Blue Penguin.
    "Holy Hell!" said Dad.
    "My God!" said Mum "Do something George!"
    They phoned the Antarctic Centre and the woman's response was startling.
    She said airily," Oh thats alright. Kids do it all the time."
    "Uh?" said Dad. "All the time kids pinch penguins from the Antarctic Centre??"
    "Oh yes. They come into the Gift shop and are attracted to the penguin soft toys all the time."
    "Umm. Well this time I have to tell you that my son has brought home a real live penguin! He must have had it in his back-pack."
    "Uh??!"

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    (and largely because by then we were in the US and 'partner' just confused everyone)

    I spent a week in the US banging on about "my partner" (I'm rather fond of her, it seems) and I only discovered on the last day that it made everybody assume that I was gay. And that New Zealand has very inclusive adoption laws (no harm done on either count, obviously).

    Fidensata (sp?) apparently wasn't appropriate prior to engagement.

    Fidanzata is not quite as strict as fiancee, I think they ought to have let you get away with it (a foreigner to boot... c'mon!), but also serviceable are morosa, ragazza, donna. Compagna implies a live-in arrangement and no expectation of getting married, so it suite as to a tee.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Dinah Dunavan,

    Here's a happy story to lighten Craig's mood.

    Dunedin • Since Jun 2008 • 186 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    I think they ought to have let you get away with it (a foreigner to boot... c'mon!), but also serviceable are morosa, ragazza, donna.

    Morosa is a new one to me - ragazza and donna didn't seem to give her any special status (but I freely admit that was more due to my inability to subtly intimate the necessary meaning in the wonderful manner that Italians can). Still, I think most people got the idea!
    It was just quite noticeable when I was in hospital up there - as my "unmarried/unengaged partner" she wasn't of any import to them. Once la mamma mia showed up, different story.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Rachel Prosser,

    I'd like to encourage everyone to steal the words 'marriage', 'weddings', etc even 'wife' and 'husband' back from the fundies - apply them to civil unions with wild abandon until no one can tell the difference

    I'm with Russell. Friends of mind who had a civil union called it a "wedding", some of the time, and read the bridal magazines for planning purposes. It's not unusual to hear someone refer to the other party to their civil union as their husband or wife.

    On other times I've heard people refer to a "husband" or "wife" with implied quotation marks, using it metaphorically, but those quotation marks will slowly dissolve I suspect.

    In any case - which law precisely says you can't call someone your husband unless you're married? Loads of de facto couples used to do it (and probably still do!)

    The thing is, we need some good jargon to replace the terms "Civil Union Ceremony". "Union" sounds like you mean the EPMU. Civil Union sounds a bit formal. Uniting Party sounds a bit Peter Dunne..

    Christchurch • Since Mar 2008 • 228 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Awww... that's damn fine. And, no disrespect to anyone here who is quite happily civilly unionised or living in unmarried bliss, but for me the point is always that Peg Oliveira and Jennifer Vickery got to make a real choice about their lives, and their commitment to each other.

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

  • LegBreak,

    Friends of mind who had a civil union called it a "wedding", some of the time, and read the bridal magazines for planning purposes

    Sorry, but this is what I don’t get.

    I’d have thought the main purpose of a heterosexual civil union was to avoid the clichéd, tacky multi-million dollar industry as preached by those ghastly magazines.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    But you shouldn't assume the party is going to select any such thing.

    The chance of an average time-server being put up in Auckland Central are pretty low, I'd have thought -- and still less a criitter like Brian Connell.

    Labour has a number of very capable young people who've done their apprenticeship in unwinnable seats and would give everything as candidates in a seat like that.

    Phil Twyford would be one possibility, but he may be the candidate for Mt Albert in three years' time.

    But wonder if the word will go out to the affiliated trade unions about the humdrum candidates they've offered up -- and supported to little avail.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    I’d have thought the main purpose of a heterosexual civil union was to avoid the clichéd, tacky multi-million dollar industry as preached by those ghastly magazines.

    It's also an institution with a fairly specific, and at the very least non-inclusive, history. My partner (ach) and I gor civilly united on a weekday morning with a couple of friends in tow to serve as witnesses, I'd have to check the date and the year... but we also have friends who went the whole hog and still chose the civil union over marriage.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    All because what the English language has to offer me is the inadequate word "partner" (no, we're not in business together)

    For a long time, I referred to my partner as my lover. For some reason, that seriously weirds people out.

    but for me the point is always that Peg Oliveira and Jennifer Vickery got to make a real choice about their lives, and their commitment to each other.

    Me too, couldn't agree more.

    The two bits of excitement I had on election night (that were results-related) was watching the tight battle in the electorate we were drinking in, and seeing Charles push Peter Dunne so hard in Ohariu. Go him.

    See, positivity. We had our neighbour's stereo confiscated before lunchtime today. Now they're working on losing the second one.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    . . . the humdrum candidates they've offered up . . .

    There used to to be a nice Australian phrase for that sort of thing - "Sending an empty bottle to Canberra".

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I'd rather have genuinely inclusive legislation, and let the semantics take care of themselves. But I did say I was going leave this alone, and should be out in the garden anyway...

    I'd presume that most same-sex couples wouldn't call each other 'husband' and 'wife' if married so that wouldn't change, legalised same-sex marriage or not.

    Your claims to leave this alone, while still commenting intrigues me. I have a picture of you walking away from the computer only to be mysteriously dragged back to just make a tiny point, honest!

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

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