Aotearoa's Very Own Cause Celebre & Folkhero Kim Dotcom #4

Yes, Kim Dotcom has become more than a bit of a New Zealand folkhero  - as another Newstalk ZK talkback host, Leighton Smith, has suggested, now veritably running NZ Government by default...

God's Own's Very Own Cause Celebre & Folkhero #3

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson had an interesting speech during Parliament's urgent debate on the matter last week, in which he spoke admiringly dispassionately and moreover made the interesting point/observation that it was just as well that the P.M. and his deputy hadn't in fact been more in hands-on command of the issue - i.e. of NZ"s security service apparatus - for surely that would be, or would smack of, the hallmarks of a police state - something people understandably enough accused Rob Muldoon of when he wielded that privileged position of being head of the S.I.S. and occasionally divulged info which suggested he was having a little too much hands-on control of its day-to-day operations.

NZ's Own Cause Celebre & Folk Hero #2

Re Deputy P.M. Bill English: Though accused, understandably enough, of serving as P.M. Key's convenient fall guy for any governmental failing under Mr Key's  "Don't - God Forbid! - let any dirt stick to me" approach to his government's exceedingly successful PR operation, superbly copy-and-pasted from the Australian public relations consultants, Crosby and Textor, at least he straightaway confessed to his own involvement the other day...and likewise, though somewhat seriously sullied by the rental expenses saga a couple years back, was never one of those National MPs implicated in Nicky Hager's Hollow Men. Nevertheless such a matter - even amidst hundreds of others - should surely be rather towards 'the top of the agenda', one would think, when debriefing his leader upon what had transpired in his absence.

New Zealand's Very Own Cause Celebre & Folkhero Rolled Into One: Ruminations Upon Kim Dotcom and the Kim Dotcom Saga

Vis-a-vis P.M. John Key: I concur completely with Newstalk ZB Morning Show host Mike Hosking's assessment of Mr Key's apology: that it was "genuine and decent...the proper and right thing to do"; and in regard to TV1 Headline News that he'd given "a rare apology", that was undoubtedly and all too sadly true, and yet at least he's given even just one, unlike a well-known predecessor of his; and yes, I'm - obviously - not including any of Ms Clark's saying "I'm sorry" to the Samoans and Chinese etc: all fair enough indeed, but hardly requiring great personal humility much less contrition on her part. And looking back, I do believe there were a few, if not half a dozen or so, such 'matters' on her part which did indeed warrant such. 

It's Time For The World To Heed The Clear Warning Signs

The world indeed stands close to the precipice - closer than perhaps any time since the height - or perhaps depths is more apt - of the Cold War between The U.S.A. and the (former) U.S.S.R.. And yes, as unpopular and unsexy as it is today to say so, the Israelis, in particular its rather forcible, frank and formidable leader Benjamin Netanyahu, are right on the money vis-a-vis the imminent threat posed by the apocalyptic-like machinations and ambitions of Iran, with or without its present leader Ahmindinejab. And for anyone doubtful of such a quick perusal of Michael Drosnin's classic The Bible Code, let alone Daniel chapter 11: 40-45, make this abundantly clear. (And only a mention will here be made of that selfsame Older Testament prophet's citing the nations of Libya and Egypt in the very last days, countdown-to-Armageddon scenario. Netanyahu's speech today was reasoned, measured, yet deadly in earnest: let our 21st-Century, Israel-despising world take note. God will ever defend His own - though they fail to turn to Him till the very 11th hour; yet surely we're now closer to midnight - well past five to twelve on the Doomsday Clock - than we even were during that most infamous period of the Cold War.  

And the Js have it also

Good on both Labour's Jacinda Ardern and new Green M.P. Jan Logie for fronting up and putting their wallet where their many professions have been and seizing the ammunition by their incisors and living beneath the 'real' poverty line for, I'm assuming, a whole week; as 1.4 billion of our fellow earth inhabitants also apparently do on a regular, day-to-day basis.

TV Plaudit #4: The one-time "Honourable" John Tamihere's ThinkTank

This one-time would-be leader of the NZ Labour Party and our nation - more's the pity and our loss due to his coming completely unstuck c/o an extremely ill-advised Ian Wishart interview - has finally found his niche. Another ably compered discussion - panel in this instance - Mr Tamihere delivers his show with great style and panache, an ever-polite and exceedingly courteous demeanour and helpful, self-effacing approach. Moreover invariably eliciting intelligent and thoughtful contributions and tete-a-tete from his guests upon subjects of moment generally ignored (or simply never gotten around to) by the mainstream media And the icing upon the cake is surely the intro 'panel', perhaps suggesting John missed his real calling in life on either Get Smart or Mission Impossible. "Eat your heart out, Maxwell Smart" (and Agent 66, or was that 99?)

#3 Plaudit: TV3's (newish) Three60 Show

Much as the ODT's World Focus supplement has proved itself from inception, this newish Sunday morning international current affairs show has been a stunner. Good topics, with useful interviews, and ably compered by the formerly challenged and rather acerbic Guyon Espiner, but from his Q&A interviews - or was that The Nation? - having proven himself increasingly able and on-the-ball and incisive. A good move, folks, but typically probably unknown, unnoted and unrecognized: like most good TV shows.

And while we're on the subject of tv shows...

A thank you to the ever irrepressible Walrus of New Zealand TV himself, Mark Sainsbury, on a good innings and many worthwhile interviews/discussions/topics - amidst admittedly a fair volume of chaff.

An Example Worthy of Emulation: Real Food for Thought

Certainly food for thought - that is, those young gals, and NZ Oxfam Director, on tonight's CloseUp, personally experiencing what it's like to live/survive on a real poverty daily diet, of .70 cents a meal a day. Something it might benefit all of us to do/attempt - on a genuine, real basis - from time to time. Not to mention all the kiddies who still engage in the yearly 48-hour famine, raising funds through sponsors.

An Extra-Special SUPACALIFRAGILISTICEXPEALIDOSHUS to a half-dozen folk (& organisations): In Brevity of Necessity

To: *Prince William and Princess Kate - for especial decorum & self-control & fortitude in response to a blatant disregard of their personal privacy and boundaries by folk whose paparazzi character would and could only have been all too readily reminiscent of those selfsame ilk who pursued and hounded Princess Di to her own untimely death around fifteen years earlier.
    
      *That great and unparallelled document, the U.S. Constitution, which forever enshrines the sanctity of the Western value of freedom of speech and expression, for which priceless/precious value and valued principle people have given their lives throughout generations, especially in that one, unique, World War 11.

      *All those whose livelihoods (i.e. cartoonists, comedians etc - without whom this world would inevitably be immensely the poorer) depend upon and are inextricably associated with this cherished ability and liberty to lampoon one and all with fear of and favour toward none: long may their tribe continue!

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      *J.R.R. Tolkien for his unparalleled masterpieces The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings, etc, and for his sheer determination and utter unwillingness to ever deviate from his implacable desire to have and see his works published as and when and in the style that most suited them and best satisfied him.

      *Peter Jackson for his remaining dignified and above the fray in view of the ongoing disrespectful references to his person (in public speeches) of C.T.U. President Helen Kelly, whose desire to make of Sir Peter an ideological cardboard cutout figure to suit her own political propensities may well make for good theatre - worthy of a cameo appearance in one of Peter Jackson's films no doubt - but does nothing to enhance her credibilitiy as a decent New Zealander, especially in view of the exemplary praise Sir Peter was given during the film row by some of the acting guild leaders themselves - among many others - (for his excellent treatment of his workers on his film sets) but moreover for his recent ongoing efforts, alongside wife Fran (and others) in securing the successful release from death row in the U.S, of the three fellows now known simply as 'The Memphis Three'.

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And last but by no means least to a personal friend and father figure and mentor, Richard Welch, whose birth-anniversary (as he himself ever referred to it) this (i.e. September the 24th) ever was...who died prematurely - but of natural causes and/or lifestyle failings - 18 years ago, I believe, (plus 2 months), while Yours Truly sojourned in 'the land of the free', shortly thereafter penning an ode to his cherished memory at a city park in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, state of my Mum's - also his one-time close friend - upbringing. (A friend in his pro-MMP - unlike my Dad's contrary anti-MMP - crusading to a man, Ian Upton, who visitied me entirely out of the blue a couple weeks ago from a little island off the coast of Auckland.) May he rest in peace, and join in the resurrection of the just on that great day so soon upon us.

Congratula-shuns - and celebrat-shuns

To the beloved Bilbo and Frodo Baggins(es) on their, respective, eleventy-first (111th) and thirty-third (33rd) birth-anniversaries...'hobbitses', to quote the equally beloved, (as irascible as Bilbo) Goolum (Smeagol), ever dear to my own heart...on this, my 44th blog-posting (at least on my own blogsite bulletin board) of the 22nd of September, 2012 - perhaps itself the 'beginning of the end' year of regular earth reckoning - from all (reasonable-sounding) accounts...

May the Good Lord Bless all the true shepherds in the land

As 'the Good Book' itself enjoins accolades upon all true shepherds/pastors of the[ir] flocks, and due opprobrium for all those false to their trust, may this lowly pleb himself  'celebrate' all those real shepherds in Aotearoa who have cared for their tiny lambs at this revisitation of mid-winter chill upon our nation, and likewise invite exposure and shame for all those others who simply couldn't give a damn...
           as said Book of Books puts it: "A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."

Another '9/11' reflection/tribute

To a special brother whose New Zealand birthdate is literally 9/11, i.e. the 9th of November, and to a special lady ('love - from afar - of my life') who happened to have the NZ-equivalent birthdate of  9/11: i.e. the 11th of September...this now infamous day/date will ever be associated, as well as with my ineffaceable memory of that fateful day, which, much like the Moon Landing and JFK's assassination for a previous generation, and Lady Diana's death (for my own) just 4 short years (& 11 days) before, will never be forgotten...

My other 9/11 reflection-tribute

To the underated, (ultimately) politically unsuccessful one-time (9/11) New York City Mayor Rudy Guilliani:

for presiding over the brilliant, ever-so-politically-incorrect, '3 strikes and you're out' New York Citywide crackdown on crime through highlighting and targetting 'small stuff' crime, and thus dealing decisively with the city's longtime scourge of dastardly crime 'stats' or more aptly realities: Thank you - especially from all those who are alive today because you simply refused to adopt a feel-good, namby-pamby approach.

9/11 Revisited 11 Years On (on the 'American' 9/11)

A double-sided brickbat/bouquet is due, the former to governments (plural), the latter to a 'single' individual:

The first to Western Governments generally, who, in their exceedingly indecent haste (in the decade) post 9/11 to be seen to be doing something to make the(ir corner of the) world safer for all their citizenry, overreached themselves to the utmost extent, passing a raft and succession of - ostensibly anti-terrorist, effectively liberty-squashing and destroying laws whose full repercussions will not ultimately be understood in their nefarious implications and repercussions until George W's selfsame nation one day soon(er than we all realize) enacts, quickly followed by other nations around the globe, a national Sunday law, which edict will rapidly precipitate our world into that long-foretold Time of Jacob's Trouble which will itself hurtle our planet and its inhabitants into the culminating events leading up into the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

A Belated "Good-bye" to 'the man in the moon'

You lived and died with a quiet, modest, self-effacing nobility, Mr Neil Armstrong, ever eschewing the publicity-hungry, rapacious media. Apparently even intending to have said: "One small step for a man."
And memorably, when asked by an interviewer, during a rare interview given just months before his death, his view of the moon conspiracy theory, responded, again, in a paraphrase 'to the best of my recollection':
"What chance would there (have) be(en) of keeping 800,000 NASA scientists silent for over 4 decades?"

Good On Ya, John

And to the redoubtable John Banks a word of commendation is due...for saying, in yesterday's afternoon's encomium for our victorious, returning paralympians (I paraphrase Mr Banks, for fear of misquoting him):
                           "what an inspiration they've been to other disabled NZers, who likewise need to know that they too can achieve [whatever goals they set themselves] with the support of the[ir] community." And moreover all credit to you, John, for thus officially floating a new ACT NZ principle; and a revolutionary one at that!

*Numero Uno in der Weldt*

Excuse my poor Spanish/German, folks - but "YIPPEE": we're now #1 in the world: our kiwi paralympians, that is...as in the highest/greatest recipients in the world per capita for medals at the London Games!

Hurrah - bless you - "wunderbar"!!! And "welcome home", fellas & gals! And tough bikkies, Ms Ostapchuk...better luck next steroid, I mean Games; we all win some and lose some: truly.

Now As Far As These Other Fellas Are Concerned...

*Who'd come up with the idea of Tau Henare as Speaker? You're right, Mr Key: no way, Jose. Surely the NZ Parliament has enough thugs without appointing one prime specimen  'to rule over 'em all'...

*Maurice Williamson - Mr Lifetime Licence himself? No, again, somehow I don't think so...sorry, Maurice, nothing personal you understand...

*So it seems to be David Carter by default. Chief assets seem to be: his first name (Remember, 'Mrs McCave had 23 sons, and she named them all Dave'; and it'd certainly take the wind out of the '3 Daves' Labour ship); his surname - related no doubt to that elder gentleman of National party fame, John Carter, (now apparently snorkelling in the tropical South Pacific), also JC of the same namesake as that of the hero of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian books of yesteryear; and - perhaps somehow, somewhere - related to that elder statesman of U.S. presidential politics, the best ex-President America's ever had, Jimmy himself; and besides, he has that sober, detached, thoughtful mien befitting an adjudicator. Which reminds me, Lockwood always had an advantage, being preened for the job from his celebrated days hosting University Challenge in the early 80s (or whenever). NOT FAIR, LOCKWOOD! BUT PLEASE DON'T GO!!!

Oh Lockwood, Wherefore Dost Thou Go?

A mixed bouquet/brickbat. Zero - for taking off to London - though who can really blame you? Full marks - for  running so adeptly the deck of NZ's Titanic: quite possibly the best speaker in my lifetime. We'll miss ya.

But Your Leader's Certainly Onto Something

All credit to David Shearer for a bunch of inter-related proposals that've even earned an unprecedented amount of talkback show (host at least) applause or not downright rejection for once. For making a well thought through, carefully considered and nuanced early policy pronouncement to boot. I'm talking about school lunches in particular. Showing that occasionally the U S of A is, welfare-speaking,  decades ahead of NZ, as it is in terms of food stamps (as opposed to the dole etc). As Mr Shearer so brilliantly pre-empted governmental criticism, sure, giving folks (parents of unfed kids) jobs etc is an important question, no question about it. But that won't feed the kids, folks; and hungry bodies are not well-equipped minds! 

Ms Wall, Please Return To Your Drawing Board

And an accompanying bouquet for Syd (email correspondent to Jim Mora's show this afternoon) for effectively countering Louise Wall, M.P.'s 'bright idea' for kids to begin school at 4 years of age. Though I missed some of said email, the U.S.A. & Oz and even (the once) God's Own - in its 1877 Education Act - have all long realized 'the later the better'. That great patron saint of alternative schooling, the late, great Rudolf Steiner himself, and those educational facilities he set in motion, have long since understood the need for children to begin many activities 'later on' also, at a time more suited to their developing minds and bodies. And as said e-correspondent  aptly concluded, "Give 'em a break - let 'em be kids a little while longer" (or some such thing). The Good Lord knows they're moulded into little adults all too readily anyhow.

Oh Blow Me Home On A Vent Of Hot Air

To those presently making a rather infamous claim to ownership of the wind - what can one say? For their honesty in admitting to a practice most of us would be altogether too embarrassed to, due credit. Hopefully they'll now follow this up with a stake in hot air, as they're fast overtaking that other exceptionally windy critter, homo politicianus. 

Hone, You're - unlike usual - speaking a lotta rot

To accuse your former Maori Party colleagues - in particular, Messrs & Madams Sharples, Flavell & Turia, of being National Party lapdogs is just not true, and by a rural kilometre. If anything, methinks at this point Messr Key et al are wondering just what they got into when entering into a confidence and supply arrangement with the Maori Party. Rather, they've - by their steadfast refusal to budge on certain matters of public note - caused the present govt an endless succession of headaches, and pains in both the posterior and shoulder region. And that's just for starters.

Christopher Finlayson, You're One Heckuva Guy

All credit to the present NZ Govt for having both the balls and the guts to deliver a wonderful outcome for the long-denied and mistreated Tuhoe people...surely a win-win on all fronts, keeping such a pristine 'park' in the peoples' (at large) hands... . (Just as National in the 90s had the courage to actually do something significant for Maori, though they've never been an appreciable National-voting bloc.)

Bouquet To 'Master Wales'

Okay, I'm a pacifist, but nevertheless all credit to Master Harry for being willing to 'put his money where his mouth is' - conspicuously unlike his own former U.K. (& U.S.) commanders-in-chief, i.e. Messrs Bush 'n Blair. The Prince, much like his Old Testament royal 'forefathers' - such as King David - at least has the moral gumption to be in the forefront of his peoples' forays into deadly battle...being prepared to die for the cause, however questionable that cause may well be.

And Brickbats To Our NZ Media - 'With Knobs On': For Essentially Sidestepping the London Paralympics Almost Altogether - Where were ya, folks?!?!?

As per usual, your second guessing of your fellow kiwis has been hopelessly flawed...better luck next time, 'eh...

Plaudits To Our Paralympians!

Great Results Gals 'n Guys - you've done us all proud, plus some!

Ah, those were indeed the days, my friends

A - rather - belated mini-tribute to honour the memory of the late, great kiwi Prime Minister Norman Kirk, a man sharing the same day of decease as Princess Diana, and now apparently the 'ole songwriter Hal Davis, author of at least 3 major 50s/60s tunes & lyrics. Diana's 15th death-anniversary and Mr Kirk's 38th. A popularly much-esteemed leader of Aotearoa, who, unlike probably any other politician in the decades following, built his own house, and in today's earthquake-riddled Kaiapoi, of all places...today similarly commemorating an (in)famous anniversary, i.e., alongside its' fellow Cantabrians, the 2nd year since the first of the major Canterbury/Christchurch quakes. To Mr Kirk's lasting credit, he was one who pursued social conservatism and economic progressivism and international visionary leadership at a time when it was sadly lacking most other places. Here and overseas. 

Oh Me, Myself and I

Serves ya right for not following your own most excellent advice re the absolute necessity of (attempting to) dry(ing) clothes overnight in Dunedin. So, failing to do so the recent Saturday night, they got out late Sunday afternoon, thus ending up relatively sodden by the wee hours of Monday morning: a time at which every sensible man, woman and their dog - and moggy - are, naturally enough, 'up and at 'em rushing out (and back in) from their friendly neighbourhood clothesline. Yeah, right! (Truly - in my case anyhow.)