Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: 2011: The Year Of What?, in reply to Rich Lock,
You’re no fun, Brad, raining on our incipient hysteria with your facts and statistics.
But reassuring all the same. Depending on which way the wind blows, a Taupo eruption is pretty much game over for New Zealand.
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Hard News: 2011: The Year Of What?, in reply to Tom Beard,
Which is an etymologically confusing distinction.
Quite. But you sorta got what she meant ...
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Hard News: 2011: The Year Of What?, in reply to Robyn Gallagher,
Is this amateur speculation or is there something actually worth being worried about here? I.e., citation required.
A GNZ vulcanologist said in 2009 that small earthquakes around Taupo the previous year were an indication the volcano is “slumbering, not dormant”.
Earthquakes would be a part of the build-up to an eruption, but they don’t in themselves mean an eruption is imminent.
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Hard News: Angry and thrilled about Arie, in reply to Stephen Judd,
I think The Press’ headline is… unfortunate. Looter. Really?
Already changed to: All charges dropped against autistic man.
There’s now also a short video interview with an understandably stunned Arie.
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David Clarkson's Christchurch Court News has a good report.
Defence counsel Jonathan Eaton said the case had not been carefully or closely scrutinised.
“If there is a lesson to be learnt out of this case, it is that we just can’t put everyone in the same box,” said Eaton. “Things got a little lost in the system. It was treated as just another earthquake case. There was no careful or close scrutiny of the case.”
Eaton said Smith-Voorkamp now had no interest in pursuing an early allegation that he had been assaulted by the police at the time of his arrest. Film at the time showed him with a black eye.
“During the trauma of the arrest he wasn’t exactly sure how that had occurred. It is not an issue he has formally pursued or has any interest in pursuing.”
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Hard News: 2011: The Year Of What?, in reply to Sacha,
Actually, it's not just the snow, but a year of unprecedented weather extremes.
Including a massive La Nina event that swamped Queensland and brought Auckland its warmest February and May on record. And that's just in this neck of the woods.
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Hard News: 2011: The Year Of What?, in reply to Hilary Stace,
Don’t forget about the disruptive volcanoes around the world, with the latest one currently erupting in Russia, and some worrying shallow earthquakes around Taupo.
The idea of Taupo erupting makes a global financial meltdown seem like a pleasant distraction.
2011 has a long way to play out yet.
That's sort of what I'm afraid of.
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Dan Satherly has also pointed out to me that 2011 has also been The Year of Planking.
Of course. That'll be the one.
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Hard News: 2011: The Year Of What?, in reply to Lara,
181 people (not 163) died in Chch.
Thanks. Amended.
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Hard News: Angry and thrilled about Arie, in reply to Joe Wylie,
Apology from Chch police?
Looks like a simple dropping of all charges for now.