Posts by Paul Williams
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An excellent post Russell but if, as you say, all the key decision makers know the story is a misrepresentation, surely they've got some responsibility to edit it accordingly? Even if Ms Croskery's quotes were to be included - she has every right to her outrage and grief - this story should not have appeared as it did. I guess dispairing at the lack of journalistic standards is only as credible and lamenting the loss of milk in bottles but at least I'll enjoy myself next time a reporter tells me that blogs don't do real news.
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Lucky bastards. Until recently I was doing weekly trips around Australia, often only short flights however. I'd love to have been able to plug in my iPod to watch my own video content. Qantas coach and business class don't have this function and so you're stuck with 'blockbuster' movies on tiny screens.
As an aside, the 'business class' crew is oddly diverse on some routes - none more so that Sydney to Perth where, thanks to the impact of skill shortage, you're just as likely to be seated next to a sparky as you are a day-trader (possibly more so given the recent sharemarket performance).
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Knives don't kill people. Frustration-over-the possibility-of-minor-vandalism kills people.
Genius. Do you think that extends to frustration-over-the-__gross-lack-of-talent__ kills people
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I guess you have to at least admire Laws' breadth of knowledge on these matters; he's clearly read third-hand reports of aged executive summaries from largely discredited psuedo-science-based policy.
Interestingly, in the mid-90s when Guiliani appeared to be making progress in NYC and the Wisconsin mob were in the ascendency, the Ministry of Justice in NZ was, briefly, all over it. Fortunately, and despite Peter McArdle, wiser heads prevailed including Doug Graham (a usually sensible Minister but for some spectacularly ill-judged comments).
I agree Russell, celebrity writers are simply bad. Even when they can write, they often have little to say. I'd in fact prefer a less clever piece were it at least about something interesting (and perhaps even new, I'm sure Laws is simply rehashing something Rosemay McLeod's written at least a thousand times before).
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Regarding the discussion of Buffy, I'm not particularly a fan although I've enjoyed it from time to time but I once caught an episode of the spinoff, Angel, where he was turned into a muppet... I've never, never, laughed as much. It was a piece of comic genius!
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the traditional birthday dinner
Ahh...... happy birthday perhaps?
Indeed.
And you've no need to review your sensibleness/sensibilities, just some of your commentary is a bit beyond me, however; I know funny when I see it even if I don't entirely understand it!
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David and others, thanks for saving me the burden of reading either the book or other less dramatic and entertaining reviews.
Craig, I wish I knew what this meant--
Nope, Andrew. At the risk of semi-Godwining myself (and giving Wishart the change to play free speech martyr), the Protocols of the Elders of Zion were exposed as a nasty farrago of hateful lies a very long time ago. But its still doing a brisk trade among anti-Semitic idiots.
--however not knowing hasn't stopped me being thoroughly amused.
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Great post David.
My wife and I spent most of Saturday evening at our local hospital with my daughter who, fortunately, only has a bad virus. Initially, when I was worried it was something worse, and during that time, I resented every single person, regardless of their age or their apparent state of health, who was seen before my daughter. Later, as I watched kids on oxygen, kids in significant distress and kids who were simple silent, I grew less resentful and more and more thankful.
We waited for Xrays and tests but were increasingly certain that we'd leave later that evening with possibly a different antibiotic or other take-home medicine. I dread the prospect that someday we might face a protracted stay in hospital or worse. One of my colleagues lost her son to an congenital heart disorder - he went to school one day and didn't come home.
Since having kids I've entered into planned giving with the local oncology unit in Sydney. It's not much; it's never going to be enough (and I always donate my change to Ronald McDonald House) but I hope it helps (I also hope I never need it myself) as I also hope this exhibition helps.
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I figured this thread would be as good a place as any to post this little beauty. I've been laughing pretty damn hard.
There's nothing so enjoyable as laughing your arse of at something you think your friends wouldn't find funny.
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The management-speak is a distraction and "learnings" is stupid but it's the timing that annoys me. It's taken me half a season, a season where my beloved 'Canes are doing pretty well I might add, to get enthusiastic about rugby again and now this - this hugely distracting statement of the obvious. Bollocks to it I say.
Over here, in what Jed Thian so eloquently refers to the land of crooks, we have the retreaded John O'Neill announce the private float of Super 14 franchises.
We need to push for an expansion of Super Rugby and explore the introduction of private equity, which has not previously been permissible under ARU policy. Private equity is not a dirty word. When managed correctly, it has been a major contributor to the success of various sports around the world. “We are now a mature professional sport. It is time to look at embracing it.”
I guess that's what you do when you have a pretty poor product in a very competitive market. However, watch out RSA and NZ 'cause John also says:
"Clearly, any changes to Super 14 require the agreement of our SANZAR partners and inevitably they will have their own ideas for change. “We look forward to sharing an exchange of views.”
I think we know what this means and we know what it means particualrly when an Australian says it (full story is here)