Posts by Russell Brown
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Field Theory: Four Years Ago, in reply to Ross Mason,
If I am correct people had to catch a train INTO Britomart and then OUT to Eden Park??? And all this at the same time as millions were arriving at the waterfront for the big show???
Jeez Wayne.
Yup. In retrospect, it all seems so clear, doesn’t it?
But what this did show is that Aucklanders will flock to their new waterfront precincts. We need better means of getting them in and out and of handling them while they’re there.
I really do think that last night showed that the CBD rail loop is a vastly higher priority than Joyce’s stupid bloody Puhoi highway. Auckland needs that upgrade.
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Field Theory: Four Years Ago, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
Excuse me? If by that you mean I do actually listen when my partner talks about the industry he’s worked in for over forty five years, yes I do. If you’re insinuating I’m being some kind of political hack – be a darling and shove off.
Woah. I don't think Jack was saying that.
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That was quite a day. I'm so glad I headed out on my bike.
Did Eden Park then along the fan walk to K Road, which was jumping with Tongan mamas. Wonderful.
The funniest thing I saw on the way down on Queen Street was the usual Friday Hare Krishna crew with a much bigger and much more enthusiastic entourage than usual.
Got to Quay Street at 3pm and immediately started seeing families and thinking "your young children shouldn't really be here".
I saw the waka arrive from the balcony of the Viaduct Events Centre at Wynyard Quarter, then head back to the Chev.
I barbecued -- chicken and hazelnut sausages and a great slab of scotch fillet -- and we watched coverage until it was time to jump in the car and head north of Meola to see the fire works. We had a perfect spot looking over the reef from a street near Coyle Park. Standing with about 50 locals while we all applauded the marvel we'd just seen was really wonderful.
Then back to watch the game. We'd missed the cranes and John Key.
And the All Blacks' start? It'll do.
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Hard News: Towards the Truth, in reply to Richard Aston,
On another note how the hell did you get Sir Bruce up for this ?
It was our producer's idea -- and he maintains he always knew Sir Bruce would says yes. But, well, we were a wee bit surprised ...
On the other hand, because he's retired, he does have some room to unburden himself that perhaps certain others do not.
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Hard News: Those were different times ..., in reply to Joe Wylie,
When "Captain Starlight" or some such took a mildly dismissive tone towards things punk ...
Captain Starlight!
He had a mobile disco and played out at least into the late 80s. I know this because our floor manager recently bought a box of his old 7"s on Trade Me. It's full of all the other records released by various one-hit wonders from the 80s ...
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Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad, in reply to DCBCauchi,
I imagine tins of soup would be extremely nervous about people wielding can openers with intent but not about can opener collectors. Just as I’d be extremely nervous about David Gray but not about a military paraphernalia collector per se.
I imagine the trick would be knowing the difference.
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Just to update the original post:
We will now also be joined by erstwhile NZDF chief former Air Marshall Sir Bruce Ferguson, who will respond to the claims in the book.
Then we'll get them all together to talk further for a Media7 online-only extra.
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Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
This guy, whose offending (selling guns to (other) criminals) must have been at the very top end of the scale, got 21 months.
Hmmm ...
And this police employee got a discharge without conviction for having illegal machine guns hidden in his house.
He will also lose his job, appropriately.
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Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad, in reply to DCBCauchi,
That sounds perfectly harmless to me. The collecting impulse is deeply strange. All sorts of people collect all sorts of things, out of a fascinated interest in the things themselves. For the things themselves, not to use them on some fantasy rampage.
Except for the odd person who collects all those things and isn't "perfectly harmless" -- David Gray, for example. There are legitimate uses for power gel explosive, but it's not good stuff for anyone to "collect" and have lying around the house.
I am no more nervous of this guy than I would be of a can opener collector if I were a tin of soup.
That's an impenetrable metaphor ...
But there is no indication that this guy was talking about the violent use of the weapons he was obtaining, no.
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Up Front: One, in reply to BenWilson,
It’s a very Kiwi thing, that we don’t think it’s OK to look at people in trouble or misery, that it takes something from them, their pride or dignity. We’ve got a whole set of cultural expectations about where people are allowed to point their eyes, even in public places.
Nah. I don’t think anyone in the world likes being reminded of their grief by becoming an involuntary spectacle.
And yet, I was startled to realise on the Sunday trip to the Red Zone I did with Emma and Karl that many of the people peering through the fences were Christchurch people, who may have been seeing the destruction for the first time. People do have to see. I think Emma has it right – the CBD is everyone’s, but don’t go crawling around suburbs looking for sadness.