Posts by Mike Howe

  • Up Front: Lighting the Dark, in reply to Emma Hart,

    The temptation for any individual to blame other people for their failures is very strong. When you’re basically handed the script?

    The script is pervasive. For men it is to take vengeance on those who he sees as having wronged him. This "hero" often chooses to act in a violent and indiscriminate manner. Any extreme action is justified in our eyes and the "prize" should be sweet revenge (and of course the girl).

    Reality check: this "hero" needs psychological help and possible incarceration to protect society.

    This is how it plays out in media. But even in day-to-day life society accepts this.

    Golden Bay • Since Nov 2006 • 5 posts Report Reply

  • Up Front: Lighting the Dark,

    Thanks for the great post Emma.

    And there we’ve kind of hit the heart of it, in that old feminist cliché: it’s about seeing women as people.

    More specifically, I think it’s about teaching our kids to see all people as people first, and their gender well down the line.

    Absolutely.

    I personally believe, at a deeper level, it's about teaching our kids to take responsibility for their own emotional reactions. The best approach to lighting the way is to lead by example.

    If I am rejected by a woman and I feel rejected then that is my emotion to own.

    Our society currently states that it's the others fault I feel bad. They are to blame and deserve punishment because they made me feel this way. Revenge is justified. That's BS!

    It would be great if stepping up and being a man (human) translated to 'taking responsibility for our emotions and actions'.

    Golden Bay • Since Nov 2006 • 5 posts Report Reply

  • Capture: BOTY Potty.,

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    Looks like a young one to me.

    Golden Bay • Since Nov 2006 • 5 posts Report Reply

  • Capture: BOTY Potty.,

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    It's not uncommon for a bunch of these young rascals to land on our roof and set about deconstructing whatever they can get their beaks into. I climbed up to join them one afternoon and got close enough to look this one in the eye.

    Golden Bay • Since Nov 2006 • 5 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Something up with Apple?,

    I'm hoping we see Apple taking the NZ market seriously. I recently tempted a Windows friend to switch over to a MacBook. Now two months later his hard drive died right in the middle of a critical project. We managed to retrieve the data but it was going to take THREE WEEKS (yes THREE) in order for Apple to get a replacement drive (via Aussie). After he complained directly to Apple Australia about the delay it has been reduced to two weeks. This is outrageous - two weeks for a tiny laptop hard drive that everyone agrees needs to be replaced. Why?

    Golden Bay • Since Nov 2006 • 5 posts Report Reply