that your ear is too close to the wrong end of the horse

I have much more favourable odds for "eh?"

I was reading Lloyd Jones latest book which estimates drownings possibly in the thousands annually. Maybe he's exaggerating, or…

Don't know, but was shown on the discovery channel two days ago, and will apparently be repeated this Sunday and Monday.

You might also be interested to know that the US military has now pulled out of the Korengal Valley. But don't…

Oh, that's fine then.

For the record, our imprisonment rates are – as I'm sure you know – 5th out of 30 in the OECD.

ETA: We're also a long, long way short of the high-water mark set…

Seriously though, we're probably not far off a Special Patrol Group/sus law, NZ-style.

In some states in the US, a felony conviction disenfranchises you for life, though this practice is fortunately not nearly as widespread as it was. It's also been upheld as constitutional. We're not quite…

Shame Calvert's speech apparently carried the day. How luke warm can you get?

Sorry, I mean conscience.

why the hell implement this policy in the first place?

Have you considered what happens when we build super massive prisons to deal with taggers and the buggers outvote the good burgers of the electorate they're visiting? Huh?

You wanna have the boss of cell block D4 elected and pulling…

this just has to be about restoring integrity :)

All in good time. Baby steps.

If the answer to both questions is no, why the hell implement this policy in the first place?
Stop being so…

Of course it is.... but so is putting someone in prison.

It's not an argument I agree with, but I can understand someone thinking that if you have transgressed the behavioral norms sufficiently…

Without actually doing anything to help reduce it.

Just to highlight the opposing forces on this, here's two sides of the argument in Parliament last night. (HT David Slack)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57B8yP_MYtE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIE0fsIGu9k

I'm sure Wayne Mapp (well, his team ayway) did check and they know exactly what they are doing. It's just a cynical attempt at appearing tough on crime.…

Nope – although I'm very keen to do so. Is it officially available in NZ in any form yet?

Excuse the sarcasm, but yes, our representatives might have been expected to check, and Wikipedia now needs updating to show New Zealand…

+1 from…

Proving my ignorance, I was even shocked to learn it is already the case for prisoners with sentences over 3 years. There are so many 'what if' scenarios running through my head, I…

I highly recommend the experience

Anyone who clams that it is surely logical that if A then B is by default wrong. Doubly so in this case.

So no one wants to pick this up? Some activity on Twitter. I'll go feed my indignation over there.

You may have noticed me bolting the second the credits ended and leaving them to it…

If only they'd resumed hostilities while we were applauding for the credits – cameras were well off by that time.

I ended up chuckling a couple of times…

After which the combat promptly resumed on the steps of the set. There was some vigorous gesticulating and after I heard the word 'credibility' a couple of times I decided to make for cover.

Wow, so Media 7 is going all Sally-Jessy? If there's going to be biffo I might…

After which the combat promptly resumed on the steps of the set. There was some vigorous gesticulating and after I heard the word 'credibility' a couple of times…

Prisoners banned from voting.

National's Wayne Mapp, the only minister to speak during the debate, said offenders who were sent to jail lost their fundamental rights.

"It is surely logical that when you…

The transition from Garth and Jon in mortal combat to Sarah Daniell discussing bad literary sex with Emily Perkins was particularly pleasing.

surely that'll just be some dude beating up a pensioner?

not that i don't think he deserves it.

uppercut Jon, uppercut!!

Yes, it is. Haven't had time to update the blog post.

PB first on embedded journalism, then JS and GG having it out.

OK, the UK armed forces document for journalists is called the green book.Copy here.

As it states, it was produced as a co-operative document between the army and various journalist organisations. But that notwithstanding, it has…

Well, it's not like that theory lacks examples to support it.

Reporters with UK forces have to abide by a set of conditions outlined in a publication…

So what's the difference between that and a freelancer?

An independent journalist is a journalist who isn't contracted to a particular outlet. Doesn't necessarily mean they're particularly activist, just that they have to sell their output story by story. Which means they have to…

which could just as well describe Michael Laws. Not that I would mind if he called himself an independent journalist, that would not make up for being a complete dick.

I suppose I'm really aiming at the crusading journalists such as…

independent journalist", how does that differ from "political activist"?

Someone who asks questions and interpretes the multiple realities as opposed to someone who writes a short succinct phrase on a placcard?

This would be a clue wouldnt it?

Were you perhaps intending to mention they would be your guests on a…