Posts by Sacha
-
any more than I can take Boullee's design for a monument to Sir Isaac Newton out to see a provocative motion picture followed by an amusing meal and stimulating conversation at a quaintly idiosyncratic restaurant leading to a delightful session of passionate lovemaking in my charmingly-appointed home in a discrete cul-de-sac.
How I have missed you
-
I'm sure the government could use info from our births registrar to determine primary school numbers. That and perhaps council information on which citys are growing or shrinking.
Many New Zealanders move house between when they are born and when they start school. And Councils get their demographic information from.. you guessed it, the Census.
Thank goodness non-functioning potheads aren't usually in charge of policy.
-
Truthiness, 5 years on.
This Sunday marks the fifth anniversary of the premiere episode of "The Colbert Report," Stephen Colbert's endlessly entertaining sendup of political pundit programs. On that episode, Colbert introduced the word "truthiness," which has proved so popular that it has entered the latest edition of the New Oxford American Dictionary.
...
BZ: Why do you say "truth" wasn't dumb enough?SC: I wasn't talking about truth. I wanted a silly word that would feel wrong in your mouth. You know, "truthiness" sounds wrong, because truth should be absolute — even though we all have truths and mine isn't the same as yours. "What is truth?" said Pilate. But even though we all have our own truths, they are absolute. By saying "truthiness," you're implying that what you're saying is only an "ish" of the absolute.
What I liked it about it was, it names that what I'm saying is not accurate. It names that what I'm saying is not really true. But what's really true is not important. The "-iness" overtly states that.
BZ: That "-iness" has now been called the Colbert Suffix. I don't know if you've seen that.
SC: No, I have not. That's wonderful. I've got to tell my English-major wife that.
-
How many times did Henry apologise again?
None, if you mean a real one.
-
Some unbelievable stories
Your book/doco...
-
The Sunday Star Times displays interesting postmodernist editorial standards with an interview/non-interview with Paul Henry a la Alice in Wonderland.
SST: Is there any chance that we could have a catch-up?
PH: Look, I really haven't got anything to say to be honest. I've made the decision that, unlike Chris Carter, I will go quietly.
...
PH: This isn't an interview now, is it?
SST: Well, I'm taking notes, but I am curious given money is no object ...
PH: It's important to me that I don't, I don't want to say anything now, I don't want this to turn into an interview.
SST: Well, we didn't say we were off the record.
PH: In which case there's absolutely no chance that you would get the interview (laughs).
SST: So aren't you happy for me to quote...
PH: Clearly this is an interview now so I'm going to have to end it because I don't want to give an interview.
-
I'd heard that techno-meister Derrick May was a bit up himself too. Then he pulled off one of the most masterful gigs I've ever experienced and I thought "fair enough".
-
I don't mind anyone deciding to dodge the Census, so long as they don't think that makes them some big crusading hero rather than an irrelevant delusional clown.
If you want to change things, then do it. Holding your breath until you turn blue doesn't count.
-
Two more views on the supercity mayoral campaigns.
Fran O'Sullivan about Brown's engagement with the business community.
One of the great untold stories of Len Brown's mayoralty campaign is the series of private lunches he held at Tony Astle's superb Antoine's restaurant to woo some of Auckland's most influential business people.
Antoines is also John Key's favourite Parnell haunt. With wife Bronagh, he is a frequent Sunday night diner.
Aucklanders won't know for a couple of months yet just how successful Brown was in converting those hardcore business people into financial supporters. But good taste counts.
And ex-journo Scott Campbell diaries the Banks campaign as its pragmatic media manager.
Tonight Banks and Brown battle one last time - television's Close Up with Mark Sainsbury. The polls aren't looking flash. Banks needs "his voters" - Auckland City and the Shore - to start posting their ballots. Time for a last ditch call to arms?
In his final comment Banks lets loose-he has little support in the South so no harm in calling it a social disaster. Does it work? Not sure, but we're up against it. Why not?
-
Then we talk about how music today is a recycling of the past--not to damn it, but to recognise that popular culture is not about invention, but re-invention.
Illustrated by this brief Nina Paley clip of dancing statuary - can't embed here.