And several sandwiches short of a picnic.

Dammit, I knew I shouldn't have gone upstairs to feed the cats before answering stephen! ;-)

Very well, if it's bullet paragraphs you require, then it…

TROLL!

Ya think? ;-)

so far as i can see there is nothing incoherent in what i say

Unfortunately the test of effective communication isn't whether you can understand what you're on about, it's whether the rest of us are getting a worthwhile signal-to-noise ratio from your posts.

It took me a while, but…

Try these people. They're good.

You might get a better reception, however, if you:
– don't criticise everyone else
– especially don't stray off topic for the sole purpose of attacking RB (he's like our guru, man!)
– write coherent, short…

I wouldn't be at all surprised, for example, if it turned out that his children had never slept in the parental bed because it was too dangerous for his own sproggen.

I suspect the reason might be more that I can't imagine anyone would ever want to sleep with Lhaws.

Coming from the guy who got an MA in creative writing at the institute of modern letters.

I'd say it's cognitive dissonance that supercharges Laws' attacks on anyone who publicly displays evidence of higher learning.

well-honed anecdote from Laws which demonstrates Common Sense is proof that you're merely an ivory-tower academic

Coming from the guy who got an MA in creative writing at the institute of modern letters.

See, in the Laws-o-verse, if you study something, and you confirm the common wisdom…

It's like medical authorities trying to scare parents not to share beds with their children. Yes, some drunk, drugged insensate mums do roll over and asphyxiate their kids, but most of us don't.…

Now take your pills, and if the authoritarian streak's still there in the morning, go pick on someone else.

Well played, sir. Classy.

Yeah, but off-one's meds cute has its limitations.

At the cost of coming across as a little self-important (yeah, I know, what else is new), could you not use that particular expression? I find it quite offensive. It's up there with "spastic" in my book.

I like how you got the words imminent and immanent into the same post.

Yeah, but off-one's meds cute has its limitations.

i thought the religion of civility and deference you know, like, 'prevailed here'..

Dude, I don't know if you know anything about blog comment etiquette. I'm really hoping you don't, because you've basically wandered in and crapped all over it. You're off topic, you're starting an argument with yourself, and…

Little p – what are you offering in contradiction to Charles Darwin's extraordinary well-backed-up (from his own…

the very-much flogged dead horse of Darwin's theory

When did this horse die? Did I miss something?

You know, pfj, it's okay to use full stops on this site. We promise not to judge you (for that, anyway).

to RB himself i apologise for hastily & clumsily written sentence regarding the very-much flogged dead horse of Darwin's theory, but i will re-word that in an imminent post

One with carriage returns and conventional sentence case? That'd be cool.

Apology not necessary, but always nice.

"pre-shrunk" godless ones

Have to say, I rather prefer being preshrunk. I would make showering or bathing a bit difficult otherwise.

Perhaps I could have chosen 'hand-wash only'? ( oo-err, missus! nurse! the screens! etc etc etc).

At any rate, I would rather strongly debate that religion enjoys "exceedingly complex relations to the theory of biological evolution in its now myriad forms" if that is meant to say that religion explains biology. It doesn't.

So is that what s/he was trying to say...

a learned, dedicated ignorance

…

Thank y'all, but I'm more mystified than anything by pfj.

I smell a fundy invasion in the near future, as we "pre-shrunk" godless ones must be brought to the light of Jeebus. Bugger.

Though I am of a mind to see "pfj" as "pimply faced jugend" – too much BOFH…

At any rate, I would rather strongly debate that religion enjoys "exceedingly complex relations to the theory of biological evolution in its now myriad forms" if that is meant to say that religion explains biology. It doesn't.

So the lower-case mr jarvie can 'p forrester' off IMO.

well would someone please elucidate for me the reasons that this Mr Laws' column on epidemica is a monument of "comprehensive ignorance"?

If god hadn't meant there to be swine flu (s)he'd've given pigs hands, so they could take Lhawsie's advice & wash 'em.

are more often than not the product of something perhaps more pernicious still

No, we have it on good authority that Mr Brown buys his whisky, rather than distilling his own.

Did God tell you to say that?

I may not understand a word they're saying but at least I'll have something pretty to nod and smile at.

You're so shallow.

I'm going to hide in Public Address until I can find a better source of news.

So, yes, TV3 interviewed TWO people, on location, about Tony Ryall's dress sense.
Gotta get balance in the story, can't just report one side's opinion on the matter!

Hey at least they only went to the spiritual heart of the new super city. Gotta know whose opinion counts, right?

There's an article on Stuff – in the "Business Day" section, no less – about who is NZ's hottest business woman.

Unbelievable.

I thought Cameron Brewer's tie was just a bit too bright and jumpy-outy for someone complaining about another's dress sense...

The pot calling the kettle lurid?

His followers, reassured with the knowledge that Wenck's 12th army is indeed coming the rescue, have of course declared victory.

I used to have a manager like this. We all thought he was cultivating a "wacky" persona. Then we found that he was profoundly colourblind.

Anecdotally, I gather that Richard Prebble had the exact same problem – his wife used to pair his shirts and ties for him each day.…

So, yes, TV3 interviewed TWO people, on location, about Tony Ryall's dress sense.

Gotta get balance in the story, can't just report one side's opinion on the matter!

That was actually not-publicity-shy Cameron Brewer of the Newmarket Business Association. He'd probably agree to being interviewed naked if it got him on the telly.

Actually, Kerry is referring to the guy from Working Style. So, yes, TV3 interviewed TWO people, on location, about Tony Ryall's dress sense. And it…

his predilection for colourful ties and mismatched shirts.

I used to have a manager like this. We all thought he was cultivating a "wacky" persona. Then we found that he was profoundly colourblind.

To the point of interviewing some male fashionista about this worrying state of affairs – who got free advertising for his 3 shirts for $300 deal emblazoned on his shop window beside him.

That was actually not-publicity-shy Cameron Brewer of the Newmarket Business Association. He'd probably agree to being interviewed…

What can this mean? Can we trust Ryall more, or less, because of his ties? Is he under stress and getting dressed in the dark?

I suppose it's altogether possible the Minister has more important things to concern himself with than what colour tie he is wearing. I didn't see…

And is there a word for the sin of pride in one's own comprehensive ignorance?

I knew Mr Laws slightly at Uni, he was arrogantly leaving as I arrived and his arrogant ignorance was on fine display in the debating society. Part of the reason I gave it up as…

Average wage or median wage?

Mean I guess.

(Ideally, i'd support a completely open border. However, in the present world, it's likely that employers would import cheap workers if we had no form of wage/skill floor. Also, it's not in the best interests of migrants to encourage them to come…

I don't have any…

The guy really is a national treasure.

More like fool's gold. I've suspected for some time he gets his radio listeners to compose his opinion pieces.

'dirty, dirty country'

I just couldn't help recalling the episode of Black Books with The Cleaner: "Very, very ... DIRTY!". But back to the topic: that "leaning on lattes" piece was the most transparent, egregious piece of cynical non-news that I'd read in a long time. We've all come to…

For the record, here is the full text of the section 11 exemption

The licensing requirement has been around for months. You do have to wonder why so few advisers have bothered to register.

From the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act:

In this Act, immigration advice—
(a) means using, or purporting to use, knowledge of or experience in immigration to advise, direct, assist, or represent another person in regard to an immigration matter…

OK... so the story actually seems to be Nat MP seems to be a pretty decent landlord.

Ah, but you have to read the story to find that out ...

No, I get it; a National MP who does not exploit sex workers by over-charging rent in hovel really is…

$1995? who was the adviser on this? Stephen Tindal?.

What's wrong with that, it seems fairly reasonable if they are doing some diligence as to whether the advisers a crook or not?

My point was about the price point. Why not just call it $2000? I mean its a bit…

Someone needs a cold shower.

Which means that he must find (most of) the Third World terrifically exciting.

$1995? who was the advisor on this? Stephen Tindal?.

What's wrong with that, it seems fairly reasonable if they are doing some diligence as to whether the advisers a crook or not? A lot of advisers *have* turned out to be pretty dodgy, and it gives the country a bad…

The guy really is a national treasure.

Aye.

Here he is laying down the lhaw:

Which is why medical authorities and the media need to get a grip. Their insane and unnatural desire to always adopt the worst-case scenario is eroding our confidence in both them and their judgement. Mexico…

0.9% is the optimum solution, apparently.

Thanks 3410. I think I've been over-salting.

Ah, but you have to read the story to find that out ...

Pshaw... :) I'm actually kind of disappointed we don't a Parliamentary pimp — if the world could handly a transgendered former prostitute holding public office...

The guy really is a national treasure.

Speaking of ignorance, Ian Wishart's new book Air Con: The Seriously Inconvenient Truth About Global Warming gets disembowelled by Gareth Renowden on Hot Topic.

I see Gareth Morgan puts forward his views on global warning in the latest Listener. God, I am tired of seeing his articles there; he's as…

Man dies in fire at yachtsman's property if you search for Coutts on the Harald website you can see they improved on it later.

The Immigration Advisers Licensing Act requires mandatory licensing of all immigration consultants, Many are part-timers who have been put off by the $1995 cost…

interestingly, the story didn't make it to the website – perhaps web editors were more sceptical than the subs who put the print edition together?

OK, apologies to Stuff, you do know the difference between Magnet and Magnate after all ... (and ruin my fun).

What happens when media orgs start sacking the subs, episode 37:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/2382509/Supermarket-magnet-wins-Panama-election

I manage mostly to keep them away by sluicing my nostrils warm salty water as soon as I get that sore feeling at the back of my nose. You don't have to drown yourself. Just sniff it gently till you get some in your mouth

0.9% is the optimum solution,…

Pig ignorance?

Oi! Some of my best friends are pigs, and I shall thank you not to offend them so.

It did actually travel around the world quickly and relatively effectively, unlike the bird flu bug.

That might be because the H5N1 virus that broke out a few year's back never actually managed the whole human-to-human transmission thing.

OK... so the story actually seems to be Nat MP seems to be a pretty decent landlord.

Absolutely. He sounds way better than mine.

actually I think the story as written is "shock horror politician sex"

'Cos clearly politicians shouldn't have sex. Or be landlords. Actually, come to think of…

OK... so the story actually seems to be Nat MP seems to be a pretty decent landlord.

Ah, but you have to read the story to find that out ...

I suppose it's a story, given that John Key has agreed he should have been informed; but a shock-horror lead? Hardly.

OK... so the story actually seems to be Nat MP seems to be a pretty decent landlord.

Lhauteur?

And is there a word for the sin of pride in one's own comprehensive ignorance? Michael Laws' column on swine flu would take it.

Pig ignorance?