Posts by Felix Marwick
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You say that like it's a bad thing. It's supposed to be hard for the police to get inception powers, and it's only ever justified when something really terrible seems likely to happen.
Actually Stephen I was just adding information with no inferences whatsoever. You may be reading a little too much into what I wrote.
Though FWIW I guess this means any evidence/intercepts gathered in this manner will now be inadmissable in Court. That's another can of worms in and of itself.
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An interesting point from Collins yesterday.
It seems police sought to use the TSA because they used it as the basis for many of their interception warrants. Collins did say they looked but there was no other statute that would have allowed them the approach they took.
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I've posted about the bad, now it's time for the good.
This is a little gem I picked up from a chef I worked with in Scotland about 10 years ago. It may sound a bit weird but is absolutely delicious.
First take one large chunk of pork belly/loin (skin on). Score the skin and rub all over liberally with coriander, salt, pepper, and freh ginger. Marinate for at least one day in copious anounts of brandy and orange juice. Remove from liquid (don't throw it out as it can be used for the sauce) and pat dry. Wrap securely and tightly in tinfoil and slow roast for 4-5 hours. For the last 20-30 minutes remove from wrappings and crisp the skin (mmm crackling).
For the sauce reduce a good red with diced shallots, add a bit of demiglace, and the juices from the marinade. When the pork is done remove the fat from the pan and deglaze and add the leavings to the sauce mix. Strain to get rid of all the chunky bits and further reduce until you get a nice rich sauce.
Serve on a kumara blue cheese mash, garnished with caremalised red onions, and a nice fresh salad on the side.
I swear to god the pork will be the tenderest you've ever eaten and will literally dissolve in your mouth.
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Regarding the comments from politicians on the security raids.
It is interesting to note that National, and Labour have been very reserved in their public comments. Compare this to the Greens and the Maori Party who have been somewhat more forthright with their opinions.
Now remember both Key and Clark were briefed ahead of the police operation while the minor parties were not. It kind of stands to reason they might be keeping shtum because they know things that the others don't.
And as for the Labour Party conference fracas well I guess it'll be more fertile ground for political humour (eg "it was a smashing success" or "delegates really hit it off").
Well done to the camera blokes that caught it all on tape though - it so deals to all the spin and excuses that are inevitably forthcoming in such cases.
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David Farrar has been told that "all blogspot blogs" are being blocked at Parliament with a Websense filter. It actually appears that not all such blogs are being blocked, but a number of political blogs, including No Minister and Michael Earley's blog are. But why are grown-ups being denied access to anything that's not outright pr0n?
FWIW,
the word from the techie types at parly is the problem was caused by a database update. Apparently an exploit threat was detected on one blogspot site and that's where issues have stemmed from.Definitely nothing sinister or deliberate
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Mark Burton -
Official version: he made a decision some months ago to concentrate on holding his seat at the next election. (Taupo is very marginal under the recent boundary changes)
Unofficial version - got the boot due to a poor performance in his justice portfolio and for making a pigs ear of handling the Electoral Finance Bill once it was released.
make up your own minds as to which version you want to believe
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Russell, regarding Parekura on cool heads over the police raids.
It was reported by precisely no one ...
Yes it was. I distinctly remembering running a line from his office before he went into Monday's cabinet meeting and then interviewing him immediately afterwards.
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Does loving to cook for men make me a bad feminist?
Did my mother's inability to cook make her a good feminist?
It certainly ensured that I picked up few abilities in the kitchen.
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Ah student cooking - the horror, the torture, the humiliation. Oh the inhumanity!
Even the mists of time have failed to soften the memory of a meal a new flatty cooked for us when he first moved into our residence. This was back in the days when I was an undergraduate at Canterbury University and was sharing a place with three other blokes (a recipe for disaster if there ever was one).
Anyway the new chap, Damien, was delegated to cook Thursday nights and on his first attempt he managed to come up with the second worst meal I have ever eaten in my entire life.
The concept was fairly simple. Mince, boiled potatoes, carrots, and mixed veg'. Not haute cuisine by any means but not the sort of meal that you'd expect would be too challenging to execute.
Unfortunately poor Damien was flatting for the first time and had come straight from one of those upbringings where mum did all the cooking. The whole concept of seasoning was well beyond his capabilities so the mince turned out as a grey anaemic mush.
Another thing that he was culinarily challenged on was the necessity to clean vegetables before cooking them. Into the pot went the unwashed potatoes with clumps of mud still tenaciously attached. The spuds too ended up dull shade of grey, though with an extra gritty texture.
The water that had been used to boil the potatoes was then used to cook the carrots (also unwashed and unpeeled) and the mixed veg'. I had never before, nor have I since, ever seen carrots, peas, and corn, prepared in such a way that they end up grey in colour. How he managed it was quite beyond us all.
The look of trepidation upon our faces as he dished up this frightening fare was a sight to behold. We were a little reluctant to berate a person who'd just moved in (after all we needed to pay the rent) but the spectacle was such that something had to be said.
"Umm Damien"
"Yeah"
"Dude, WHAT THE FUCK!"And to prove that we were young and stupid we even let him try cooking one more time. That's when he made the worst meal I have ever encountered in my life.
But that's another story.
(Thursday subsequently became fish and chip night)
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I think an entire can of petrol may have been used so it'd be hard to tell