Posts by Heather Gaye

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  • Yellow Peril: Bai bai,

    Best of good fortune at [redacted], I really appreciated getting a more mature, nuanced perspective on race issues in NZ. I'm only sorry there are still large pockets of the country that have yet to catch up.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report

  • Word of the Year 2007,

    Godwin, the verb, more by virtue of demonstration than usage. There was someone at the EFB protest wielding a swastika banner; it feels to me that NZ politics has become so rabidly polarised, and the media get so histrionic, that every little argument gets ramped up to a godwin stalemate really quickly now.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report

  • Hard News: Farce About,

    He said music on the DVD and in Clocks were both in F minor

    WTF?? No they're not!

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report

  • Hard News: Farce About,

    from the herald article re: clocks...

    National Party campaign manager Jo de Joux said the music was composed by "an Auckland artist" and paid for by the production company which produced the DVD.

    WTF? There are a bajillion musicians in Aucks who could provide a catchy ripoff that's nowhere near such an obvious litigation magnet. Either they roped in an extremely shit musician, or a left-wing one. OK, if you broke it down statistically, I bet the latter is far more probable than the former.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Bottom is a Magic Place,

    "All this bollix about fascicles is making me teste."

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Bottom is a Magic Place,

    fascicle

    Since the typo overlaid an incorrect spelling of "farcical", can I suggest the new word "fascical". It'd be the perfect adjective for describing a godwined thread.

    "I'm calling theatre on this fascical argument."

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report

  • Hard News: Fake Fiona Rae,

    I had filed a report claiming a theft.

    Yeah, I omitted a few steps in my logic in that post, and a couple of assumptions. Point is I don't think it should be up to the public to determine what steps the police "should" be taking as part of their job, especially if the rationale is that it's so quick and easy to sift through someone's cellphone records.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report

  • Hard News: Fake Fiona Rae,

    (ricky gervais voice) how is a cop finding the guy accused of stealing something 'doin' a favour'
    its their job.

    ...but there's a procedure to follow, in place specifically to uphold the rights of both complainant and accused. A couple of years back I asked for advice about abusive text messages and emails I was getting, and the police-guy told me that in order for them to do anything, I'd need to press charges - they weren't able to just call up and give the offender a caution. And fair enough, I didn't think the situation was serious enough to warrant charges. Eventually turned out ignoring the messages had the desired effect anyway.

    Ben's story sounds similar, except it sounds like the police-guy decided it was no skin off his nose to take a shortcut - and while I'm ok with an occasional helping hand, (the same kind of helping hand I've gotten from recruitment agents and bank tellers on occasion) they're not the kind of shortcuts I'd feel comfortable with the police exercising willy-nilly.

    I think Ben's main point has ended up being that in, say, such a circumstance as mine, a lot of people instantly snap to their belief that the police are being near-deliberately officious & uncooperative, whilst ignoring the fact that this policeman is currently standing behind a counter that backs onto a hideously taxing, boring, bureaucratic, high-pressure work environment, where he's expected to prioritise people's pain and frustration on a daily basis, no less. & case in point: Ben tells a story with a positive outcome and instantly everyone starts railing against a lazy & corrupt police force that'll only help if you help them first. As much as there is infinite scope for a policeman to be more (and yet more) pleasant & helpful in your time of crisis, it doesn't mean that he's not doing his job if you don't get the ideal resolution.

    you're just trying to wind ben up aren't you, ..... keep him going a little bit longer,

    Actually, I have a wee internet-crush. (blush)

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report

  • Hard News: Fake Fiona Rae,

    The way you told it it made it look like you doing the cop a favour was the reason he did his job.

    I'm with Ben on this one. How many of you are sitting at work, posting on publicaddress to procrastinate from some minor-but-annoying jobs? Got any customer queries in your to-do list that have been sitting around for weeks, after not finding an obvious fix at first glance?

    I suspect what police-guy did wasn't strictly within the scope of his job description; checking cellphone records and having a wee chat with the offender most likely falls outside official police procedure. Ben's story is nothing to do with bribery; just a personal favour (using one's workplace resources, possibly in a manner that might be met with mild disapproval by one's superiors) in return for a personal favour.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report

  • Hard News: Fake Fiona Rae,

    The last time was when I returned a found wallet with $120 in it. Despite being the only person waiting at the Community Constable's office, it was 20 minutes before the guy got off the phone, and then he gave me all kinds of grief...

    If there's a bank card inside, take it into the local branch. I did that once & the teller was practically kissing my feet with delight. They'll contact the owner in quick-smart time too, rather than just hiffing it into lost&found.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report

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