Posts by Petra

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  • OnPoint: On Freedom of Speech,

    Who are your ugly sexy men?

    Marilyn Manson, Jack Nicholson 20 years ago, Iggy Pop, Mick Jagger, Alan Rickman, Gene Simmons...


    I know, I'm a sick puppy. *shrug*

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report

  • Hard News: Extraordinary Powers,

    The lack of investigative journalism is appalling here in NZ.

    You might enjoy this short "and likely unfair" history of journalism. It focuses on TV journalism, but can apply to print as well.

    [T]he journalists have given up on their job of explaining the world to us.


    Good on the NBR for doing some investigative legwork and getting results. In doing so, they've given the SFO more info to work with, through the article published - now they have to do more of their own legwork, and see if they can make pieces fit. Getting the NBR reporter's sources may help them this time, but if whistleblower's don't feel protected then this job will be easy but future jobs will be harder as fewer people will be willing to come forward, and those that do will spill less beans.

    Does NZ have any laws protecting whistleblowers?

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Can't see what the Government is going on about, they borrow the equivalent of a Hobbit project every 3 weeks - I dread to think who from...

    Where can that kind of info be found? I'd love to know who we owe, how much, and what the small print is...

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report

  • Hard News: Extraordinary Powers,

    Oh, please please please show The Daily Show and Colbert Report on free to air telly.

    *Gets on knees and prays*

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Seems to me that actors should be taking action against their unions...

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Look, let's get one thing straight. Film work pays well.

    Oh, I agree. Just trying to point out to Brendon that whatever he thinks of film industry workers - there are high paying and highly skilled specialist jobs that he's obviously not prepared to consider. To him it's all low paying slave labour, it seems.

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/8196457/pm-critical-of-unions-using-hobbit-as-a-plaything/

    Mr Key is to meet several high-powered executives from the film's main producer Warner Brothers and head of production company New Line, Toby Emmerich.

    "It's a fairly heavy duty team that's actually come down to New Zealand and I think that's actually a good thing," Mr Key told Breakfast on TV One.

    "If they were just coming to say 'no' then they wouldn't bother actually to send such a senior team."

    [...]

    One area the Government was willing to look at was amending the definition of a contractor following a successful court case where former Weta Workshop model maker James Bryson was deemed to be an employee, not a contractor.

    "There's no question that industrial relations issues around the definition of a contract vis a vis an employee run to the heart of this whole issue," Mr Key said.

    Issues around getting a direct line to Government for the movie makers would be easy to fix but any push for movement on money was more tricky, he said.

    "The reality is we don't make a lot of money out of this movie, the (tax) breaks are any where between $60 million and $80m at the moment which is a 15 percent subsidy. Essentially what that means is it is a wash from the Government's point of view, what we earn we give back to them."

    There were wider benefits to the economy, for example through a higher tourism profile.

    "You have to ask yourself at what point would you want to write out a cheque to have these movies and what would it do to the fundamental scheme that operates for every other movie company that wants to come here. Once you start negotiating really you are in no-man's land, really there is a limit here."

    It's not as bad as I thought it would be...

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Randy Quaid:

    "We are requesting asylum from Hollywood star whackers,"

    Sorry to tell you, Randy, but... where ever you go, there you are.


    *EDIT: heh, just realised he means murderers when he says whackers. On first read, I took whackers to be crazies (but not necessarily murderous ones, just long term drug-induced psychosis ones, that happen to be Hollywood Stars).

    Time for bed, methinks. Tired brain keeps tricking me.

    G'night. :)

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Gotta love The Onion, Dexter. It never fails to lift me up when I'm down. :)

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report

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