Island Life by David Slack

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Island Life: Big Little City, Big Little News Service

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  • simon g,

    Around about now, Paul Henry should be fluffing up the cushion for his pal John.

    Summary for those who missed it:

    Paul: Richard Worth? Mt Albert? Politics?

    John: My son bought my tie. Do you like my tie, Paul? Look at the tie, people, the tie!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Jono,

    When my partner and I moved in together three years ago from separate flats with neither of us owning a tv, she convinced me we could live without. I disagreed but said I would give it ago.

    We still dont have one and that is more than fine with me.

    I say this as former huge tv fan, a regular 45+ hour a week watcher, and pourer of scorn on relatives and school friends who didn't have tv's when I was growing up...hippies, weirdos, Christians and homeschoolers!

    I doubt I could go back now, the state of news and current affairs would do my head in, as would reality tv. Yelling at the radio is bad enough but I dont have the time or energy to waste on tv now (dog, then baby etc). I do admit to sometimes feeling a little disconnected from what the national community is experience/talking about but I suspect that I know as much as your average person about what is going on (a little conceit, but perhaps I know even a little more) but without all the noise and lights and breathlessness and emoting (Katherine Ryan notwithstanding)

    Whangarei • Since Oct 2008 • 20 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    Does anyone else wonder why John makes such frequent (and frequently irrelevant) reference to his kids? Is it some kind of effort to distinguish himself from his predecessor?

    I assume Phil Goff's kids have grown and flown the coop (I don't ever recall him talking much about them). Perhaps he could sire another for good measure, or introduce a "Cousin Oliver" for the cuteness factor?

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Then on Thursday night I turned on the set, and was greeted by Wendy Cheerleader-Airpunch standing outside the Christchurch High Court

    Auberon Waugh once said that the British media had two settings towards the Royal Family: Tongue firmly inserted in anus, or trying to rip their throats out. Discuss with reference to Messers Bain, Peter Ellis and David Dougherty etc.

    For extra credit: Find examples of irony, unintentional humour and psychotic lack of self-awareness in media tut-tutting about "sloppy Police work" when the meta-narrative around the investigation into the deaths of the Kahui Twins, was the lack of an arrest.

    When you're done, go watch an episode of CSI where magic swabs in surrealistically well-resourced labs convict killers by the end of an hour of commercial television.

    That said, I nonetheless I have a proposition. John Banks as Super City mayor is just too dismal a notion.

    Ain't democrazy a bitch? I'm still rather embarrassed we've apparently got an over-caffeinated Tourette's case for a mayor, but I'm even more embarrassed that I picked a bad time not to vote.

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I assume Phil Goff's kids have grown and flown the coop (I don't ever recall him talking much about them). Perhaps he could sire another for good measure, or introduce a "Cousin Oliver" for the cuteness factor?

    Um, Goff had quite a bit to say when his nephew was killed in Afghanistan and I didn't see anything particularly wrong with that. I take your point, as far as it goes -- I cringe at the sight of political candidates toting their families around like human handbags on the hustings, and I really don't give a damn what Michelle O. and Mme. Sarkosay consider D-Day chic-- but there also seems to be an element of damned if you do, damned if you don't, damned whatever the hell you do.

    And since you brought up Helen Clark, her husband -- and his sexy shower habits -- sure seemed to get served up to the media beast every three years.

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

  • Leopold,

    John: My son bought my tie. Do you like my tie, Paul? Look at the tie, people, the tie!

    At least it wasn't a moustache this time....

    Since Jan 2007 • 153 posts Report Reply

  • Nathaniel Wilson,

    Thank god I've converted to the high-brow Crowd Goes Wild rather than watch Mr Campbell or Mr Sainsbury conduct (un)insightful interviews. Lawyer after lawyer repeating the need to prove innocence to gain compensation rather than prove reasonable doubt dominating the first ten minutes of 3 News on Saturday, just in case, ya know, we didn't get it the first three or four times, was more than enough to get me down.

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    What appointments has he made in 195 days?
    What percentage of those have been women?

    And don't forget to ask about their race: apparently that's very important.

    Around about now, Paul Henry should be fluffing up the cushion for his pal John.

    Oh, please please please never mention Paul Henry, John Key and "fluffing" in the same sentence again!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Wasn't Ms Petrie's "yes" gesture just relief that she managed the live cross without, ahem, fluffing it? Either that or she'd just pulled.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • David Slack,

    It was before the verdict, so whatever it was, it wasn't related to that. I say so just in case anyone apprehends I meant otherwise.

    Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Apparently John Key thinks a mandate is Rodney Hide having coffee with John Banks.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Public Servant on a tea-break.,

    "When you're done, go watch an episode of CSI where magic swabs in surrealistically well-resourced labs convict killers by the end of an hour of commercial television."

    One of my pet peeves with forensic programmes too, the Super CSI Lab (where looking for clues is best done in the dark by attractive people with torches).

    My other one is the pet 'Computer Techie', who can apparently research anything on-line at just the right time for the plotline. Even if the information researched is a 40 year old newspaper clipping about a minor fire that someone, for no reason what-so-ever, digitised. Or, of course, the secret government files on the Rosicrucians and their monastic assassians...

    All of which is freely available on the web, apparently.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I love the way people type fast on computers in movies and telly - miraculous control.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Apparently John Key thinks a mandate is Rodney Hide having coffee with John Banks.

    Starbucks, Gloria Jean's, or Instant?

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    It was before the verdict, so whatever it was, it wasn't related to that.

    Seriously, I wonder if reality tv is having a subtle influence on the expectations of editors about previously sacrosanct matters like showing scenes in the order they really occured. Kinda like North Shore's Top Model:

    "Sometimes it was like, okay, it wasn't actually like that. I swear they cut little bitchy faces in (to the show) and put them in after comments where they actually weren't."

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Westie Super Mayor...
    isn't that like some big holiday camp in England?
    does Auckland really wanna go that way?
    The Daydreamteam: Gather Morgan (a suitable case for treatment) by day & Swney for nightmayor then...
    It's all relative...
    I'd be more worried if Richard Worth had any
    alleged "Nieces" - nudge, nudge...
    Pillow talk...
    I can think of a good way of getting rid of those featherwights Paul and John - you give fluffy to me...
    I have pressing business

    yrs
    Peter Cushion
    Bring back the Pillowry Campaign

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Apparently John Key thinks a mandate is Rodney Hide having coffee with John Banks.

    But no fluffers?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Fluffers? Found under the table at many an Auckland establishment according to creative gossip columnists, Andrew.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    so slow and exaggerated it made a pre-school teacher sound positively highbrow and obscure.

    Hey! I can be highbrow and obscure with the best of them.

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

  • Danielle,

    Hey! I can be highbrow and obscure with the best of them.

    'OK everyone, onto the mat. It's time for our afternoon reading from Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations . Shall we try another chapter in the original German?'

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Dianna Sutherland,

    delivered her words in a tone so slow and exaggerated it made a pre-school teacher sound positively highbrow and obscure.

    This has been going on for a few years now. I've assumed its part of the general reduction in content of docos and news items - spin whatever content you have out as long as possible, and fill in with moody scenes. Oh yes, and repeat everything from the previous segment at the start of the next one. I reckon 1 hour of documentary delivers 5 mins of content. And 10 mins of news delivers 5 mins of the All Blacks.

    Since May 2009 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • David Slack,

    Hey! I can be highbrow and obscure with the best of them.

    None meant, Jackie. And I have no doubt you'd sound better yet en Francais.

    Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    It's time for our afternoon reading

    Bloody librarians. :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Stewart,

    As opposed to "their afternoon calcium"?
    (It is from some ad. I thought WTF?? Afternoon calcium ?? Why, sir, I never heard such nonsense.)

    Te Ika A Maui - Whakatane… • Since Oct 2008 • 577 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Ain't democrazy a bitch?

    I don't know. How about we tried it?

    Like not electing a mayor on a postal ballot using bandwagon voting, with an out-of-date register and major parties that refuse to descend into the slime and contest the elections.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

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