Southerly: Sign this Petition
108 Responses
First ←Older Page 1 2 3 4 5 Newer→ Last
-
Lilith __, in reply to
the flageolet (which is a member of the fipple flute family, in case you were wondering)
I found this picture. I figure you swing it around your head? ;-)
-
Bart Janssen, in reply to
In anticipation of emulating Stevenson I have already begun to learn his favourite instrument, the flageolet (which is a member of the fipple flute family, in case you were wondering).
your plan is to torture the guards with the instrument until they plug their ears with cheese and can no longer hear your escape?
-
Rich Lock, in reply to
I see it more as a mad scramble by the railway children, through dense bracken and against the clock, to alert the Honeytown Express driver that the Mad Meccano Mob have been tampering with the supports of the upcoming viaduct, bridging the vast chasm of disbelief and ennui.
A structure already strained by prevailing winds, and non-Euclidean geometry.
They were alerted to this by snuffy, their feral fox friend finding felonious fingerprints in filched files…
Now they know they have to act…
If they make it they could at least slow it down a bit, to minimise the inevitable trainwreck… even stop it.We'll keep the red flag flying here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=GVOWas1ZyQA#t=61
-
Richie McCaw puts his hands in the ruck and prevents the evil Bok's/Wallabies spinning the ball out the unmarked player on the blindside. The referee doesn't see, he blows the full-time whistle and the All Blacks are the heroic victors again. Good on ya' Richie you saved us again. Sure you cheated, but it's for the best because the right team won.
Readers please feel free to guess how this rugby metaphor relates to the New Zealand political landscape.
-
Honestly, it would be better for everyone's health if we were to focus on the positive and what could/should be, rather than what shouldn't be, otherwise we just feed the negativity.
It's time for us to move on. Accentuate the positive and the good in life. Harness the energy (that is otherwise wasted on dirty politics and the like) for the greater good.
The only party to win in this is the Herald (which has been vigorously feeding the dirty politics monster).
-
Bart Janssen, in reply to
Accentuate the positive
For clarity - who exactly is Mr in-between?
-
Dismal Soyanz, in reply to
But we are focusing on the good. The good that we live in a democracy where we can hold our representatives to account. Because we don't live in a fairy candy-floss land of sweetness and light where everyone is super nice to each other all the time and no one cries.
If we force the door open and allow the light to shine on what was previously kept in the dark, I think that's a win for democracy and every single person in this country.
Sure it's not past your bedtime?
-
Dismal Soyanz, in reply to
For clarity – who exactly is Mr in-between?
Oh you know, the guy being messed with.
-
Yeah, this is going to get messy. Vegetarians and those of a nervous disposition look away now.
-
TracyMac, in reply to
I agree that there should be positive messages out there, and frankly, the major opposition party doesn't do a fantastic job of that,
But saying to move on when the crap is actively flying, and there is no indication that the culture and ethos of the perpetrators as changed one iota seems a little ... soon. Ok, so Collins has been booted from Cabinet. Whoopee. She hasn't been booted out of Parliament, or out of the party, and has undoubtedly been promised a wet bus ticket slap with the purported investigation.
And I think the indications are that the buck doesn't stop with her. Are we trying to pretend that she is not in the slightest bit emblematic of a certain variety of right-leaning types with a healthy dose of entitlement, arrogance and a desire for self-aggrandisement? Not to mention the toxic culture of that "me first" group in Parliament in terms of ethics and a serious lack of accountability (except to one's own mates and one's wallet).
-
izogi, in reply to
Honestly, it would be better for everyone’s health if we were to focus on the positive and what could/should be, rather than what shouldn’t be, otherwise we just feed the negativity.
Really? Let’s check an example: Please explain how ignoring this will be better for the health of all those cleaning workers who were cheated out their union agreement to be paid reasonably, thanks to character assasinations and secret attack lobbying of Collins and Bridges to kill Rule 67, carried out by Carrick Graham and Cameron Slater, [allegedly] at the secret behest of and with funding from Grant McLauchlan of Crest Commercial Cleaning.
Beyond this I, for one, would like to see an executive branch of the government that can be held to account, at the very least for adhering to the law let alone established guidance protocols (like the Cabinet Manual) for its conduct, without relying on politically motivated oversight that’s riddled with conflicts of interest.
What’s so non-positive about that?
-
Quote from the above post:" Political editors of both newspaper chains have gone so far as to declare the election already over (nothing to see here, and don’t even bother voting)."
Yes, have we not seen, heard and read this before?
Democracy in New Zealand has become a total farce. As a matter of fact, if you examine it closely, it is the mainstream media, or at least large parts of it, that sets the agenda, adopts certain positions, pushes opinions and ultimately decides elections now. The media is led by certain senior editors, opinionated radio and TV hosts and presenters, same as various other print "journalists", who follow "trends" and "signals" - sent by their predominantly commercial interest following owners and advertisers.
Most leading and even lower ranking media workers are now predominantly right leaning, or at least "centrist" from a right wing kind of perspective, and claim that they represent what the public want and believe. They do this arrogantly, ignoring the diversity there actually is. They do it partly for their own interest, as it fits their personal view of things and situations.
We have had this phenomenon determine the last two general elections, and having followed the reporting closely, there has been damned little in depth reporting on policy of parties, there was a kind of discrediting effort by many media members towards David Cunliffe, same as there has for years been against the Greens and Labour.
And until the Hager book on Dirty Politics came out, Key was held up high, as "king" and "great leader", so what we got with the revelations did only temporarily "stain" the image, and like blind followers of a sect, most in the media, same as in the wider public, swiftly 'moved on", once Judith Collins was finally forced to resign. They do not want to hear and see the truth, that they may have been and still are being manipulated, it would scratch their own confidence. So it is ahead with determination, blinkers on, to vote Key and his lot in for a third term, no matter what. Only a few have lost faith, but instead of voting progressive, they protest vote Winston First and Colin Craig's Conservatives now. NO wonder, when "political commentators" are narcissistic self promoters, drumming the same dumb messages into people's ears, and when there is damned little information presented and discussed, what parties and candidates actually stand for.
It can make informed, enlightened and forward thinking individuals despair, all this, it is like a spell that has caught this country, and once the rest will wake up from the "dream" on political drug taking, the fall back into reality will be hard and devastating.
-
Stephen Franks.
I’m actually speechless. What a vile and foul human being.
Hey, his buddy Jim Mora has him on all the time. He’s an intellectual you see. knows all about the law, he does.
Anyone who listens to Franks speak for a few minutes quickly realises he is a deeply unlikeable, nasty and arrogant toss pot in love with his own sense of superiority.
In other words, another day, another ACT supporter. And that is something important for us all to remember. The climate of born-to-rule arrogance, deep cynicism, loathing of the demos, arrogant superiority and authoritarian capitalism that has led to Slater began with Douglas, Prebble, Bassett, De Cleane, Hide, Franks, Garrett and their ilk in ACT. It looks like this time ACT won't hold Epsom. Getting rid of ACT, and it's evil influence on democracy, is an important part of rooting out the dirty politics in New Zealand.
-
Oh Marc. Your wailings precisely fit that code of behaviour that prescribes..."when despair sets in, shoot the messenger or in this case, messengers. No editor in any media organ has to deliberately undermine the Labour party in 2014. They do it effortlessly all on their own. They have been close to a shambles for many a year, lacking genuine leaders who inspire. Goff, Shearer and now Cunliffe are all cut from the same mediocre cloth. They are a party that as every poll shows, have scant traction with voters. So much so, in the last 48 hours, the Greens are making the odd overture aimed at John Key, giving the impression that they could work with the Nats on certain issues outside of a formal coalition arrangement. Even they are fearful that Cunliffe is not going to come near leading this country for the next 3 years. My advice for what it's worth Marc, is direct your frustrations to the real culprit, the current Labour parliamentary party and its dysfunctional performance.
-
Stewart, in reply to
lacking genuine leaders who inspire. Goff, Shearer and now Cunliffe are all cut from the same mediocre cloth.
As opposed to the positively Churchillian Mr Key?
You're having a laugh.
-
izogi, in reply to
Greens are making the odd overture aimed at John Key, giving the impression that they could work with the Nats on certain issues
They already do, don't they? (Home insulation being a flagship one, until National canned it.) It's not exactly a natural alliance, but behind the brick wall of the National Party's frontage, there are various factions which are at least capable of discussing detail on some of what the GP champions. That's how the Nats have sub-groups like the BlueGreens.
A difficulty with National as a party, where voters are concerned, is that it's a very blunt thing to vote for in an MMP system. Deals between factions happen on the far side of the wall instead of where voters can influence them. Obviously some see that as a feature, though.
-
If either Cunliffe or Goff or Shearer had reached over 60% approval in any poll at any stage, hell would have well and truly frozen over by now.
-
You are confusing 'bearably beerable' with 'leadership'.
-
Jake Starrow, in reply to
???
-
Chris Waugh, in reply to
???
Stewart can correct me if I'm wrong, but here's my interpretation: Could you sit down and share a beer with the guy, or does he show real leadership skills? The two are not mutually exclusive, but they're certainly not the same thing.
-
Jake Starrow, in reply to
???????????????????????
-
!
-
There's no contradiction at all between 1) being thoroughly unimpressed with the performance of too many Labour MPs, and 2) seeing the evident, unashamed bias to the Right of APN, Fairfax etc. The editorials tell us where they stand, they don't hide their political preference, so why should we?
And BTW, "shoot the messenger" is one of the the most misused phrases in modern discourse. The original messenger had no say in the content of the message sent. Whereas the message delivered by the media is entirely their own.
-
Lucy Telfar Barnard, in reply to
(Home insulation being a flagship one, until National canned it.)
National haven't canned it, yet. It just has more limited availability, and is now just insulation rather than clean heating as well. It probably won't run for much longer though, so if you're eligible, get in quick!
-
Jake Starrow, in reply to
When the media, whatever branch it maybe, reports on the dismal performance of the Labour party and then apportions blame in editorials etc, that is not showing bias but simply reporting the situation as it is.
In that respect, it is tantamount to shooting the messenger to cast aspersion on that reality.
Since Clark, the Labour Party has been in free-fall and no lashing out at other fictitious reasons for blame will alter that fact.
Post your response…
This topic is closed.