Posts by Roger
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
And a "Merry Christmas" and a "have a great break" to you all!
Thank you all for a great year of entertainment.
-
I have always felt very conflicted when referred to as 'safe'!
-
Thanks Emma! I knew that someone would have it. So what does it say?
For Christchurch - Total: before the law change 375 workers, after the law change 392. Street workers: before the law change 106 workers, after the law change 100.
Right then, that looks like a doubling to me!
-
If anything, the law reform seems to have drastically reduced the number of street prostitutes in favour of (presumably) workers in licensed brothels
I do not have the study paper at hand, but my understanding is that street prostitution has dropped, in the few parts of the country where it actually was a feature. As far as it goes for brothels the number of 'dive' establishments seems to have fallen while more 'up-market' licensed places may have risen slightly.
There has been apparent increase in small operations working out of residential addresses, but this is probably only an 'apparent' increase as it may well be that it is the same number that is now just a bit more visible because it is legal.
In Auckland, at least, the large well patronised establishments of the 90s are now large well patronised legal establishments.
-
I’d been going to do a column on the ghastly British reaction to Belle de Jour’s coming out, and particularly the bizarre “facts” being touted about prostitution in New Zealand
I think that the growing frustration for the year is the increasing trend of opinion journalism that relies on just making stuff up! Particularly when it is stuff where even the most cursory investigation shows that it is just bollocks. This piece is a prime example:
"Conservative estimates say that the number of street prostitutes in Auckland, New Zealand, has doubled since 2003"
Oh please!!
As far as 'sordid past' stories go... it is far too thin a line between just sordid and stuff that hurt others, so I think that I should resist the temptation.
-
Because this is the Friday thread I'd like to know what people think of this.
There sounds to be a degree of over reaction going on there if the veracity of the article can be believed. A code that states:
it is unacceptable for employees to comment on government policy if it constitutes a "personal attack" on a minister, work colleagues or other state servants..
… does not appear to be an overly onerous test, unless I am missing something? It is certainly a long way from an:
..."teachers should shut up and follow orders" editorial line.
-
this Chinese news item, re-creating Tiger Woods' unfortunate incident, is the freakiest thing I've seen all week
And don't the accompanying comments paint such an attractive picture of some of the US society?
-
"It took a few months in Australia for me to realise that leaving the house without cash was a bad idea."
I understand that in NSW at least they still have, and actually use vagrant laws for people with no cash. A friend claims to having recived a ticket in the last 5 years in Sydney.
Some Australian readers might like to confirm?
-
But they use the metric inch .... (exactly 2.54cm) ....
One of my biggest pet hates... how difficult could it be to get Microsoft to switch to metric when you set metric! Perhaps someone could start a campaign?
-
On the cancelled credit cards...
ASB Bank told me that several customers had had fraudulent activity on their cards and that the only vendor that they had in common was ACC Parking, so that seems to back up what the media is saying.
What really pissed me off though was parking in the ACC Mercury Lane carpark a couple of weeks ago and on leaving - finding a sign saying:
"Credit cards out of order - see the cashier"
A little tricky when the Mercury Lane carpark is unmanned!
The walk back into Queen Street to find an ATM to get cash doubled my parking time... AND parking fee