Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: Metiria's Problem, in reply to simon g,
Amen.
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Oh, nice. Each of the Facebook events for the Disasteradio tour is illustrated with a different closeup detail from Luke’s 3D rendered image for the album cover.
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Speaker: Low-quality language on immigration, in reply to Neil,
Even now, given the opportunity of new leadership, Ardern can’t bring herself to emphatically reject the Chinese sounding names episode
That was lamentable. It was a perfect opportunity to renounce the whole stupid thing, and she didn’t. Maybe she didn’t want to throw Twyford under the bus or something, but I think it’s almost her only false move as Labour leader.
The weird thing is that Labour's migrant MPs and candidates did actually have a role in drafting its policy – but no voice in its communication. That's a real failure.
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Speaker: Low-quality language on immigration, in reply to Moz,
My preference is to first accept immigrants we desperately need (the “really really skilled immigrant” category), then those we have an obligation to (former colonies in the Pacific, those we’ve invaded), then those with connections here (family reunion), then refugees.
It is a little ironic that National hasn't copped more flak for holding down the refugee quota and indefinitely suspending the family reunification category. I think they've done it by basically not talking about it.
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Speaker: Low-quality language on immigration, in reply to Harkanwal Singh,
I came as an international student and I agree that reform is needed in the area, but the language used by political parties is not constructive. It’s demeaning. An arbitrary way of deciding that we need only tertiary-educated students is not very helpful either.
I’m fine with the idea of obliging PTEs to demonstrate that they reach a reasonable standard and and are not in fact visa rackets – but my sense is it’s not necessarily that simple. It does seem relevant that the current set of problems seems to have kicked off in 2013, when NZQA loosened oversight.
Policy is important in this area, but before we get to that how about a bit of human decency.
Absolutely.
I was appalled recently when Trevor Mallard went off an a rant on Back Benches about seeing Indian students working at the service station, as if they were the problem rather than who was possibly exploiting them.
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Thanks KR. This is fascinating – and helpful to me. I do a lot of thinking about my sons, education and work.
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Speaker: Low-quality language on immigration, in reply to Moz,
I keep thinking this so I have to say it: the combination of the label “Golden Dawn” and politics, especially the politics of immigration, is an unfortunate one.
Oh, you're not the first to say so. But the name predates the Greek neo-Nazi party (it's an Aleister Crowley thing). Its full title is The Golden Dawn Tavern of Power.
Locally, it's a rock-solid brand. The Ponsonby bar that hasn't been overrun by the hordes from the Viaduct.
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Thanks Jogai. I think you’re right, it’s more careless than measured – Louisa Wall somehow slipped over from talking about low-quality tertiary courses to apparently talking about low-quality people – but it’s really not okay. Language matters a lot in this area.
It was a shame the crazy weather deprived us of the chance to put that to them in the concluding panel, so I’m really glad you wrote this.
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Hard News: Friday Music: Down the Hall…, in reply to Hugh Wilson,
Things are a bit murky, but greater availability would be great. Japan’s dub store reissued Roland Alphonso’s ‘Rocksteady ABC’ album earlier this year which was produced by Sonia Pottinger
Oh! Thanks for the tip. Downloading that from Bandcamp as I type.
Do you have say a top three of Pottinger productions to chase down?
I actually have two on CD: Put on Your Best Dress and the High Note compilation. But I always want to recommend them to others ...
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Hard News: Friday Music: Down the Hall…, in reply to Hugh Wilson,
Cracked the seal on a reissue of the Paragons ‘On the beach’ (Treasure Isle) album at the weekend, lovely stuff, amongst the cream of rocksteady
What I want to know is when Sonia Pottinger's estate gets sorted out and the beautiful, beautiful rocksteady she produced is given a proper setting. As far as I know, all of it's currently unavailable, even on the streaming services. I love Duke Reid's productions, but I love Mrs Pottinger's more.
