Posts by Paul Williams
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Hard News: The Wall and the Paper, in reply to Sacha,
the Simon Uptons
Precisely, where's he nowadays?
If you’re talking Lhaws, that’s private flogging *by* page 3 grrls
Too many years ago, I met Antionette Beck, the alter-ego of Lhaws Exec Secretary and the person he blamed for his lies to Parliament. I wonder if she doesn't pretend like that never happened? Honestly, how's a complete prat like him ever attain any standing? It is beyond my comprehension.
-
Who, the globe-trotting financier biker that the Listener has turned into a permanent advertorial for?
I don't read the Listener anymore, don't know this. I used to read his print stuff and often disagreed but generally his perspective was at least rooted in some analysis and not trotted out to play to the crowds. I was mostly focused on the logic of his views, not their literary qualities (I tend to think an interesting view, even poorly drafted is vastly superior to gloriously scripted crap).
McLeod? One in a blue moon she's great, but I generally don't both any more. She was tremendous in the 70s.
I'm sure she was, I recall her cartoons particularly, but aren't there new people coming through? Almost everyone who writes here does so with more coherence, passion and reason than Laws, McLeod et al. Perhaps the problem is the nature of the ideas, not so much the quality of writing. Where is the articulate and reasonable right?
-
Wasn't Haden just a grumpy old man but, rather than being some sort of principled constructive commentator? He just seemed to say Bah Humbug, it was better in my day... I might be doing him a disservice.
My view was that Gareth Morgan was worth reading for a couple of reasons. Firstly, his deeds seem to match his words. Secondly, he often took a very empirical approach even if alternative empirical arguments could be made. It has been a while since I've been out of the country but...
-
Hard News: The Wall and the Paper, in reply to David Herkt,
Paul, there was a certain level of facetiousness in my reply, sorry not to have signalled it more... But in those knitting and sewing columns, which I did specify, Ms McLeod at least had some feel of authenticity, more so than those many of those paid to manufacture weekly opinion.
Sorry I missed that David, can see it now on re-reading.
There is nothing more unpleasant than those who fake opinions with regularity. And the SST's columns have seemed to devolve over the last few years to the opining of the 'will-say-anything-for-cash' brigade, of which Laws is now the pure exemplar.
Couldn't agree more. I will conciously read the views I'm inclined to disagree with if they expressed with good faith. A shill of any variety is a pain in the arse.
-
Hard News: The Wall and the Paper, in reply to David Herkt,
Strangely, I do miss Rosemary McLeod...
I disagree. McLeod's not said anything new, constructive or insightful for years. She mightn't be as regularly offensive as Laws but I recall this thoroughly trivial piece full of false praise for Helen Clark (and including gratuitous criticism of Grant Robertson's win in Wellington Central). Trite bullshit.
-
Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Matthew Poole,
US expat Tracey Barnett writes about what our response to the quake shows us all about being New Zealanders.
You are so yesterday afternoon. I linked to that five posts into page 21 :P
I'd missed it so thanks; really wonderful insights.
-
Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Che Tibby,
nah, i'm fairly certain it's the demographic of the school roll.
they work out from the roles where the parents live, then drawn average incomes from Census meshblocks.
this means that some meshblocks near the school could be entirely excludedIn case you're professionally interested Che, the new Australian myschool website now includes financial information.
-
Alongtime ago, Kracklite asked...
I'm desperately looking at the demographics myself and I think that I might just be able to fall into the crack between "Baby Boomer" and "Generation X". Phew! A close shave that! How about you?
No such luck, demographically and culturally an Xer.
And having read all the comments since, can I just join back in at the end and say:
Yes, that happens in Auckland too. Kings College is right next to Otahuhu College
Is there a DMZ between them?
No, but there's a train station that's seen plenty of school brawls - actually there's two stations, one shared with my old school De La Salle. Our kids were on the platform heading south, there's were heading north.
-
Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Kracklite,
Jim Hopkins, Paul Henry, Paul Holmes, Lindsay Perigo, Joe Bennett... Ker-rist! I'm a middle-aged, middle-class white male.
Ahem, I suspect I'm a middle class white male and I'd really rather not be associated with this bunch... aren't they at least boomers?
-
Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Emma Hart,
What has impressed me? Metiria Turei. Drove up from Dunedin with piles of lunches, and she and about twenty Greens went straight to work with the volunteer army digging silt out of retirement flats in Woolston. TV cameras nil, shovels lots.
Good that you've at least mentioned this - I saw the twitter exchange but wondered what had happened? Turei continues to impress me as a person of words and deeds.