Posts by Tom Semmens
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One of the reasons the Bushites made so much use of "civilian contractors" (A.K.A. Mercenaries) was to cynically manipulate casualty figures for propaganda purposes.
The figures for U.S. loses in Iraq since 2003 - around the 4,300 with an astonishing 44,000+ wounded - does not include about another 1,000 "contractors" killed along with several thousand more wounded.
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Meanwhile, here at Tolley watch we see our stellar education minister demonstrating her grasp of her portfolio by dismissing not one but two school boards within her first 100 days.
The fact that these schools are either low decile or alternative and therefore do not conform to her dismally narrow minded provincial view of schools probably has nothing to do with her decisions.
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Realising you are first world country comes from all sorts of little observations. I had a friend here from a "developing" country recently and sanitation rated high for her to - specifically the fabulous public facilities up at Mathewson's Beach near Matakana. She was astonishised that a society would bother to invest in and mantain public toilets, for her it was a sure sign were a first world country.
She asked me what the noise was when the pedestrian crossing went green at the traffic lights in the city. When I was explained it was so the blind could cross the road safely, she was impressed that we bothered to care about the blind. In her country, the blind have to ask for assistance or just take their chances.
And really, having visited plenty of developing and third world countries I think that is the difference. We bother.
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I refuse to listen to commercial talkback on stations like ZB and radio live as long as fascists and cretins like Leighton Smith and Michael laws are employed by them, so I was left with the cricket on Radio Sport and downloaded TV shows.
However, due to the God awful drivel served up by Radio NZ over January I was driven from the airwaves. Simon Morris might be a brilliant film critic, but his afternoon show plumbed new depths of muscial banality. It was literally unlistenable for hours at a time. The only people who appeared to having any fun were him and his mates, who seemed to revel in a month long orgy of bad covers and obscure rubbish bands from their youth.
memo to RNZ: Most people are not interested in listening to middle aged men wallowing through the nostalgic deitritus of their salad days.
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I think today was a really good reason to be cheerful. The weather was just so beautiful.
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A mate and myself have just been on the bright Street pedestrian overbridge over the Northwestern Motorway and itis like a scene out of "I am legend" - not car to be seen on fourteen traffic lanes, at 3:50pm, on a Friday, at the beginning of a long weekend, in Auckland...
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Sorry... I couldn't resist it... He left a big neon sign up and I walked in and took it... In my defence, history indicates if the boot had been on the other foot he would have done the same.
Seriously, I was in the supermarket today and it hit me (pun intended) - I hadn't seen a single kid hit, and even more I have not heard a single kid THREATENED in public. I am sure it isn't just anecdotal to me. If it isn't just anecdotal, then so much for Mr. Ralston, eh?
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Except maybe the quality of people we mingle with...
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While we are on the subject of "ineffectual" PC campaigns, am I the only person who has suddenly realised he has not seen one child smacked in public since the section 59 repeal?
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I detect a distinct dissonance between this report and the views of most of my friends. Anyone who has been around for a while knows the only reason a promoter would "limit" a venue to 5,000 less than its capacity would be to avoid the embarrassment of it being reported that his crap line was being punished by a significant no-show. Promoters will always jam another few hundred in if they can get away with it, it is the nature of the beast.
Which isn't to say everyone didn't have a good time. It is just to say that thousands of people interested in music didn't go to this years BDO because they thought the line up was the minimum a complacent promoter thought he could get away with and still sell-out the venue.
Hate to be a bit of a curmudgeon, but this year the emperor had no clothes.