Posts by David MacGregor
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The city has certainly changed alright. I used to live in the old Brooklyn apartment building at the top of Emily Place between 83-85 and the closest supermarket was either Devonport by ferry or, dunno, Lynn. The ferry was easier - carting groceries on a motorcycle wasn't any easier then than now. I have since lived in the Heritage hotel, that big old ugly building on the bend between Beach Rd and Anzac and two stints at 2 Queen Street opposite the ferry terminal - now I look back at the skyline from Stanley Bay…Nice idea to promote a sense of community. Must move back one of these days.
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It's a curious that ACT feel the need to say anything at all to the electorate when the party will be gifted Epsom at the very least - like some idiot bastard child of le Comte de Cupidité, l'Avarice et la Bigoterie having an estate and title conferred in said Ancien Regime.
For all his smug cleverness it's hard not to think of that old Twainism ""Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
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Hard News: A wretched editorial, in reply to Russell Brown,
My point was simple:
The interview seemed hasty - per Russell's editorial comment on various media outlets homing in for the 'scoop'. There were various threads and agendas going on and, as I said, I was left baffled by the item's purpose.As for 'trolling', or having some pro-rape culture view well, to quote Russell 'Ugh' that's just nonsense and vile nonsense at that - I am simply acutely aware of how language and unspeak affects public discourse.
I'm perfectly happy to hear from the subject of the story herself. It offers another perspective. And my remark about her being telegenic was an observation about how news uses looks to great effect to reinforce stereotypes - look at the attention given to the Reeva Steenkamp or Allison Baden-Clay murder cases - attractive people gain greater sympathy. It was a comment about media, not the subject.
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Hard News: A wretched editorial, in reply to Danielle,
Thanks for referring me to the Wikipedia. I now understand that the term 'rape culture' has been in use since the 70's. Delving deeper I feel the criticisms of users of the expression is applicable in New Zealand "Rape is caused not by cultural factors but by the conscious decisions, of a small percentage of the community, to commit a violent crime" (the quote from the US Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). It seems an hysterical term applied in New Zealand - spurious correlationships being drawn from sketchy data.
But the real point of my comment about the 3rd Degree story was that is was a potpourri of topics - a topical grab bag…if 'rape culture' is the axe you are grinding, or partisan distaste for Murray McCully or the current government…grind away. So eager to get the woman on camera were TV3 that anything she had to say would be ok. No doubt it helped that she was telegenic. -
As a layperson - not a journo or a poli or jurist - I saw the interview and wondered a couple of things:
a) what is the point here?
Was it an item about the 'diplomat' (who seemed to be a functionary, rather than an envoy) and his flight from New Zealand's justice system after allegedly burglarizing a property and attempting to molest its female occupant?b) what is the point here?
Was it to promote the interview subjects views about 'rape culture' (whatever that neologism really means)?c) What is the point here?
Has media become such a circus that there is no point questioning it. Politicians won't front up. News outlets don't care because when they do show up they come so addled by scripted 'talking points' penned by handlers that they might as well not have bothered - because viewers have become conditioned to prefer the naked honesty of My House Rule's couples at the emotional brink…
Activists seek any opportunity to promote their cause and will fill the vacuum at the drop of a spat. In my view if this pushes extended coverage of kiwi butchers winning a trade show prize in the UK further back in the show - or out of it altogether then the cause has been just.The whole thing is a jumbled mess. The public are none the wiser. As for the 'sub judice' commentary…sigh…it's all just piffle. The case wasn't discussed and if every person with an allegation were denied a right to utter an opinion or a venue to vice it then governments would be using parking tickets to silence detractors.
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Why burn books about subjects you don't like when you can repress the likelihood that they will be written in the first place?
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Politicians are commissioned by the electorate to have confirmation bias. The facts don't matter much if they will upset the fundamentalist mob that elected you. Objectivity has no place in adversarial politics.
The scientific community is also riven with political in-fighting for scarce resources and patronage. I know one CSO who thinks Gluckman shouldn't have have his role with the government because his science is no good. Word is that funding is determined (or pre-determined) by cronyism. The PM told the BBC that Mike Joy is wrong and that he could always buy a scientist with a view that aligned with his own politically motivated biases.
We're probably doomed. Or not. Depending on who you choose to listen to.
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Thank you Russell.
Love and loss seem to go together.
Like bitter and sweet. -
Thank you Russell.
Love and loss seem to go together.
Like bitter and sweet. -
Interesting reference to causality and correlation "Professor Fergusson had found no correlation between use of alcohol and committing crime" .…post hoc ergo proctor hoc "after this, therefore because of this" or cum hoc ergo proctor hoc "with this, therefore because of this"…more simply torture statistics and they will confess to anything.
Worrying about the health effects of most things seems to be a little pointless. Leave the majority of people alone with their little perversions and the overall harm to society is negligible.
The desire to control and regulate everything might be the actual problem (church and state will do that) - oh and a bias towards over-analysis.
Still, gives people something to do with their degrees and offers a sense of esteem, companionship and order. The light refreshments are nice too.