Friday, September 29, 2006
It just get's worse...
Bloody Mai FM!
There was an earthquake near Samoa last night. It was even reported on the news last night that a tsunami HAD hit Samoa, but it was very minor... sea level was measured as having risen just 8cm.
This morning Mai FM's news reported that people in Samoa were still nervously waiting to see if they were going to be hit by a tsunami following the earthquake, but that the Hawaiian Tsunami Watch Centre would continue to monitor sea levels...
For crying out loud!!! Tsunamis do not just randomly 'decide' to appear sometime over the 48 hours following an earthquake. You don't have to sit around nervously wondering if there is going to be a tsunami for days after an earthquake. And the of course Hawaiian Tsunami Watch Centre are going to continue monitoring sea levels... that's what they do - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! They don't go "oh, bugger me! There's been an earthquake, let's switch the equipment on!"
There was an earthquake near Samoa last night. It was even reported on the news last night that a tsunami HAD hit Samoa, but it was very minor... sea level was measured as having risen just 8cm.
This morning Mai FM's news reported that people in Samoa were still nervously waiting to see if they were going to be hit by a tsunami following the earthquake, but that the Hawaiian Tsunami Watch Centre would continue to monitor sea levels...
For crying out loud!!! Tsunamis do not just randomly 'decide' to appear sometime over the 48 hours following an earthquake. You don't have to sit around nervously wondering if there is going to be a tsunami for days after an earthquake. And the of course Hawaiian Tsunami Watch Centre are going to continue monitoring sea levels... that's what they do - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! They don't go "oh, bugger me! There's been an earthquake, let's switch the equipment on!"
Why is our media so crap?
Poor reporting really bugs me.
Between when I left work yesterday and this morning four instances of a complete lack of professionalism by people in the media have really got my goat up.
Firstly, as I was driving home yesterday, Willie Lose on Radiosport was talking about how the NZRU, Sky Sports, SANZAR and New Zealand Cricket had worked together to resolve a scheduling conflict. New Zealand play Australia in the second Chappel-Hadlee cricket match at the cake tin on Friday February 16th, and the Hurricanes were scheduled to play the Blues in a Super14 match at the same ground on the same night. The clash was resolved by moving the rugby game to Saturday night.
Willie Lose, is employed as a host on Radio Sport, and therefore it is his job to comment on sport everyday. I think this then puts the onus on him to know what he is talking about when it comes to sport... it's his profession. He then asked viewers: "Which would you rather watch in February? A one day cricket test match, or a Super14 rugby game?"
What!!?? A 'one day cricket test match'? What sloppy work! One day cricket matches are called One Day Internationals. Cricket 'Test Matches' last 5 (sometimes 6) days. There is no such thing as a one day cricket test match!
I was so incensed by Lose's idiocy that I changed channels to Mai FM only to hear them claim that since daylight savings starts this weekend "It will be getting lighter earlier in the mornings"
Huh!? I just turned my radio off at that point..
Then, on the news this morning there was a story that the Labour Party had come out and said that one of the 'large donators' to the party's election fund could be crossed of the list of possible suspects for the mystery 'large donator' who allegedly offered the Maori Party $250,000 to side with Labour after our last general election. The President of the Labour Party said that he had spoken to Glen Owen (in London) at 2am this morning and that he had said "he did not know who Tariana Turia was, and he had certainly never met Tariana Turia".
If I was the Labour Party, I'd be trying to distance my known contributors from the scandal too. What I can't believe is: given that when the Tariana Turia made her comments revealing the approach on National Radio yesterday she clearly stated that she had not met with the potential donator, but that the approach had been made through a third party, that the reporter(s) taking the quote from the Labour Party President didn't immediately say "Yes, but Tariana Turia said she did not know who the potential donator was, and she said she had not met with him, but with a third party...so your comments prove nothing with regards to Glen Owen's involvement (or not)."
Finally, Miles Davis was on Radio Sport this morning. Admittedly he is a complete gumby, and is employed as a clown rather than a serious sports reporter. Also, he is admittedly a self-confessed football knob who knows little if anything about Rugby. Nevertheless there has been close to immersion coverage this week regarding the Ranfurly Shield. If you are involved in sport, and the sports media in anyway, it is hard to conceive how you could possibly have missed hearing that QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby will not have a shield challenge until early next season.
Tony Veitch commented that he thought that Waikato would smash QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby this weekend (which he was correct about, of course) due to the shield holders being hung over from the euphoria of winning the shield. Miles Davis then said "Well I hope that doesn't happen. It would be a shame for them not to hold onto it for at least a little while."
*shaking my head in dismay*.
Between when I left work yesterday and this morning four instances of a complete lack of professionalism by people in the media have really got my goat up.
Firstly, as I was driving home yesterday, Willie Lose on Radiosport was talking about how the NZRU, Sky Sports, SANZAR and New Zealand Cricket had worked together to resolve a scheduling conflict. New Zealand play Australia in the second Chappel-Hadlee cricket match at the cake tin on Friday February 16th, and the Hurricanes were scheduled to play the Blues in a Super14 match at the same ground on the same night. The clash was resolved by moving the rugby game to Saturday night.
Willie Lose, is employed as a host on Radio Sport, and therefore it is his job to comment on sport everyday. I think this then puts the onus on him to know what he is talking about when it comes to sport... it's his profession. He then asked viewers: "Which would you rather watch in February? A one day cricket test match, or a Super14 rugby game?"
What!!?? A 'one day cricket test match'? What sloppy work! One day cricket matches are called One Day Internationals. Cricket 'Test Matches' last 5 (sometimes 6) days. There is no such thing as a one day cricket test match!
I was so incensed by Lose's idiocy that I changed channels to Mai FM only to hear them claim that since daylight savings starts this weekend "It will be getting lighter earlier in the mornings"
Huh!? I just turned my radio off at that point..
Then, on the news this morning there was a story that the Labour Party had come out and said that one of the 'large donators' to the party's election fund could be crossed of the list of possible suspects for the mystery 'large donator' who allegedly offered the Maori Party $250,000 to side with Labour after our last general election. The President of the Labour Party said that he had spoken to Glen Owen (in London) at 2am this morning and that he had said "he did not know who Tariana Turia was, and he had certainly never met Tariana Turia".
If I was the Labour Party, I'd be trying to distance my known contributors from the scandal too. What I can't believe is: given that when the Tariana Turia made her comments revealing the approach on National Radio yesterday she clearly stated that she had not met with the potential donator, but that the approach had been made through a third party, that the reporter(s) taking the quote from the Labour Party President didn't immediately say "Yes, but Tariana Turia said she did not know who the potential donator was, and she said she had not met with him, but with a third party...so your comments prove nothing with regards to Glen Owen's involvement (or not)."
Finally, Miles Davis was on Radio Sport this morning. Admittedly he is a complete gumby, and is employed as a clown rather than a serious sports reporter. Also, he is admittedly a self-confessed football knob who knows little if anything about Rugby. Nevertheless there has been close to immersion coverage this week regarding the Ranfurly Shield. If you are involved in sport, and the sports media in anyway, it is hard to conceive how you could possibly have missed hearing that QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby will not have a shield challenge until early next season.
Tony Veitch commented that he thought that Waikato would smash QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby this weekend (which he was correct about, of course) due to the shield holders being hung over from the euphoria of winning the shield. Miles Davis then said "Well I hope that doesn't happen. It would be a shame for them not to hold onto it for at least a little while."
*shaking my head in dismay*.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Shield Fever? - The People's Trophy
Well, it's finally happened.
QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby have won the Ranfurly Shield for the first time. And, also for the first time, in just over a week the hallowed shield will be on display at QBE Insurance North Harbour Stadium when QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby play their home quarter-final in the Air New Zealand Cup. Of course, listening in the media you could be excused for thinking that QBE Insurance have not stumped up what is presumably a significant wodge of cash to become the naming rights sponsor for both the stadium and the union's rugby team. So far, in this week in which QBE Insurance should be receiving a bonanza of exposure as the media interview the CEO of QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby, the coach, the Mayor of North Shore City... I have not heard any of them refer to the stadium, or the team, by there contractually agreed names.
I wonder why companies like QBE Insurance bother backing New Zealand rugby by sponsoring stadiums and teams when the administrators are, a decade or so into the professional era, still completely unprofessional about things like this. The marketing department of QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby need a real bollocking, I think. They should have been in the CEO's, the coach's and the mayor's ears and reinforcing their obligation, having gratefully accepted QBE Insurance's cash, to insist that people referred to the stadium not as "North Harbour Stadium" but as QBE Insurance North Harbour Stadium.
When you ring ticketek to book a ticket at the stadium, or when you use their website, the ground is not listed under 'N' for North Harbour Stadium, it is listed under 'Q' for QBE Insurance North Harbour Stadium. When you are at the ground the ground announcer and the scoreboard call the home team "QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby".
I think the lack of professionalism displayed in this week is criminal. It should have been the week in which QBE Insurance got the most bang for their buck, but instead they have been ignored.
That said, what a wonderful result for the union. I listened to an interview on Radio Sport the other night when I was driving home in which Willie Lose was talking to the CEO of the Canterbury Rugby Union. They discussed how Canterbury had, and how QBE Insurance Rugby should (although, of course, they just said 'North Harbour') leverage the shield. It made my skin tingle... I'm not a North Harbour fan, I'm a dedicated Mooloo man, but just the proximity of the shield has me excited. Not for me, but for all the fans north of the bridge.
Canterbury's CEO talked about how during their time with the shield they had tried to get as many people from their area to touch the shield as possible. He said it didn't spent a single night in the trophy cabinet. That every day that it was not out in a school, or an RSA or a rugby club it was sitting on the front desk in reception at the Canterbury Rugby Union's offices, and that he could not tell you how many people had come in to look at, touch, hold and have their photo taken with the shield.
This is what is so special about the Ranfurly shield. It's the people's trophy... in most sports, when teams win cups or shields they go into a trophy cabinet for a year. The thing with the shield is you never know how long you are going to have it. It could just be days, or it could be years... that uncertainty is what moves people. They want to see touch and feel the shield, and because it might be gone next week, for who knows how long, you need to get busy and make the most of your opportunity with it while you can.
That's what sparks shield fever.
People say shield fever is dead, but it's just not true. Every single time a smaller union, or a union who has not had the shield before wins it, people in that region go ballistic. It's their time in the sun, and while they might not be able to claim that they are the best in the country, they've got the shield... they won it, and they won't be giving it up until someone wins it off them. The genius of the shield structure - running in parallel to the normal league competition as a challenge trophy is so special.
I hope QBE Insurance North Harbour stadium is jumping next weekend. I hope it's full. I hope the people of North Harbour come out in numbers and show that they are proud to have entered the shield holder's club now.
I'll be there. It reminds you of what it is like to be alive when you are at events like that.
QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby have won the Ranfurly Shield for the first time. And, also for the first time, in just over a week the hallowed shield will be on display at QBE Insurance North Harbour Stadium when QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby play their home quarter-final in the Air New Zealand Cup. Of course, listening in the media you could be excused for thinking that QBE Insurance have not stumped up what is presumably a significant wodge of cash to become the naming rights sponsor for both the stadium and the union's rugby team. So far, in this week in which QBE Insurance should be receiving a bonanza of exposure as the media interview the CEO of QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby, the coach, the Mayor of North Shore City... I have not heard any of them refer to the stadium, or the team, by there contractually agreed names.
I wonder why companies like QBE Insurance bother backing New Zealand rugby by sponsoring stadiums and teams when the administrators are, a decade or so into the professional era, still completely unprofessional about things like this. The marketing department of QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby need a real bollocking, I think. They should have been in the CEO's, the coach's and the mayor's ears and reinforcing their obligation, having gratefully accepted QBE Insurance's cash, to insist that people referred to the stadium not as "North Harbour Stadium" but as QBE Insurance North Harbour Stadium.
When you ring ticketek to book a ticket at the stadium, or when you use their website, the ground is not listed under 'N' for North Harbour Stadium, it is listed under 'Q' for QBE Insurance North Harbour Stadium. When you are at the ground the ground announcer and the scoreboard call the home team "QBE Insurance Harbour Rugby".
I think the lack of professionalism displayed in this week is criminal. It should have been the week in which QBE Insurance got the most bang for their buck, but instead they have been ignored.
That said, what a wonderful result for the union. I listened to an interview on Radio Sport the other night when I was driving home in which Willie Lose was talking to the CEO of the Canterbury Rugby Union. They discussed how Canterbury had, and how QBE Insurance Rugby should (although, of course, they just said 'North Harbour') leverage the shield. It made my skin tingle... I'm not a North Harbour fan, I'm a dedicated Mooloo man, but just the proximity of the shield has me excited. Not for me, but for all the fans north of the bridge.
Canterbury's CEO talked about how during their time with the shield they had tried to get as many people from their area to touch the shield as possible. He said it didn't spent a single night in the trophy cabinet. That every day that it was not out in a school, or an RSA or a rugby club it was sitting on the front desk in reception at the Canterbury Rugby Union's offices, and that he could not tell you how many people had come in to look at, touch, hold and have their photo taken with the shield.
This is what is so special about the Ranfurly shield. It's the people's trophy... in most sports, when teams win cups or shields they go into a trophy cabinet for a year. The thing with the shield is you never know how long you are going to have it. It could just be days, or it could be years... that uncertainty is what moves people. They want to see touch and feel the shield, and because it might be gone next week, for who knows how long, you need to get busy and make the most of your opportunity with it while you can.
That's what sparks shield fever.
People say shield fever is dead, but it's just not true. Every single time a smaller union, or a union who has not had the shield before wins it, people in that region go ballistic. It's their time in the sun, and while they might not be able to claim that they are the best in the country, they've got the shield... they won it, and they won't be giving it up until someone wins it off them. The genius of the shield structure - running in parallel to the normal league competition as a challenge trophy is so special.
I hope QBE Insurance North Harbour stadium is jumping next weekend. I hope it's full. I hope the people of North Harbour come out in numbers and show that they are proud to have entered the shield holder's club now.
I'll be there. It reminds you of what it is like to be alive when you are at events like that.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Hayes Bannister & 'The Perfect Romance'
It has been claimed that Hayes Bannister is 'ruggedly old scool' and that he is 'the epitome of [the] ultimate romance'.
I refute this claim on the following grounds...
Firstly, let's define 'The Perfect Romance'.
The. - this is the singular form of 'them'. Dropping the 'm' off the end makes it singular. Like you might say: 'Them perfect romances what used happen back in the days'; or if you only wanted to talk about one of those perfect romances you'd just say "The perfect romance...". If you add letters to the end of 'the' you can modify it in all sorts of ways. As already shown, if you add an 'm' it makes it plural. If you add 're' on the end of 'the' however it changes it from pertaining to you, to pertaining to somone else:
e.g. "There perfect romances were no where near as good as the one I had with Hayes Bannister."
And if you add "ir" onto the end of "the" it shifts the object in space:
e.g. "The perfect romance happened over their..."
So, that shows that "The perfect romance" is a deeply personal thing, that happens once, and once only, to you, here. Dig?
Now let's move on and look at Romance. 'Romance' is the plural of Roman, who were the Italians before they decided they were going to change sides mid-way through wars. So, you might say:
"Them Romance over there look like da baddest bruthas in the hood!"
Which means, roughly translating, means: "See dose mafia dudez wit da greasy long hair over dere? Don't mess wit dem bro 'cos dale fcuk you up bad!"
Clearly, no sensible blood wants to be having companionship with fullas like that! This proves that Romance are not the sort of people you wanna get involved with. No relationships with them, no companionship niether!
So that brings us to what 'Perfect' means? Perfect means better than really good. It means the most bestest things imaginable. It means ain't nothin' wrong with that sh1t whatsoever at all!
Perfect Romance therefore is hard thing to get your head around. 'Specially since you don't wanna be messing with the Romance in the first place, eh? But Perfect Romance do exist. If they really are the bad-ass muther-fcukers we think they are, then the Perfect Romance is dead romance! And since we are looking for the epitome of the ultimate Romance, like they had 'back in the days', then as we all know, even bad ass muther-fcukers don't live forever, right? And therefore all those dudes like Hayes Bannister, and Olivier Mulligan Predergast III and their crips - they MUST be dead by now, 'cos 'back in the days' was a long time ago. So those Romance are dead, so they are the perfect Romance!
Now the only area where I think my theory is even remotely vulnerable is that it is claimed that Hayes Bannister was 'ruggedly old scool'. Now I've seen the Romance, and quite a few of them are diego wops who ain't never gonna be considered rugged. Maybe in winter, when they is really cold - then they might be rugged up to keep warm, but the rest of the time those Romance usually just wear open chested bright coloured shirts and gold chains around their necks.
Nevertheless, sooner or later those Romance boys are gonna get cold as! Then they will be rugged. So they're rugged, they are Romance, and since they are dead now, that's gotta make them perfect 'cos they can't be messing with us once they is dead.
Boom-Shanka!!! The Perfect Romance does exist!
Told you so.
:)
I refute this claim on the following grounds...
Firstly, let's define 'The Perfect Romance'.
The. - this is the singular form of 'them'. Dropping the 'm' off the end makes it singular. Like you might say: 'Them perfect romances what used happen back in the days'; or if you only wanted to talk about one of those perfect romances you'd just say "The perfect romance...". If you add letters to the end of 'the' you can modify it in all sorts of ways. As already shown, if you add an 'm' it makes it plural. If you add 're' on the end of 'the' however it changes it from pertaining to you, to pertaining to somone else:
e.g. "There perfect romances were no where near as good as the one I had with Hayes Bannister."
And if you add "ir" onto the end of "the" it shifts the object in space:
e.g. "The perfect romance happened over their..."
So, that shows that "The perfect romance" is a deeply personal thing, that happens once, and once only, to you, here. Dig?
Now let's move on and look at Romance. 'Romance' is the plural of Roman, who were the Italians before they decided they were going to change sides mid-way through wars. So, you might say:
"Them Romance over there look like da baddest bruthas in the hood!"
Which means, roughly translating, means: "See dose mafia dudez wit da greasy long hair over dere? Don't mess wit dem bro 'cos dale fcuk you up bad!"
Clearly, no sensible blood wants to be having companionship with fullas like that! This proves that Romance are not the sort of people you wanna get involved with. No relationships with them, no companionship niether!
So that brings us to what 'Perfect' means? Perfect means better than really good. It means the most bestest things imaginable. It means ain't nothin' wrong with that sh1t whatsoever at all!
Perfect Romance therefore is hard thing to get your head around. 'Specially since you don't wanna be messing with the Romance in the first place, eh? But Perfect Romance do exist. If they really are the bad-ass muther-fcukers we think they are, then the Perfect Romance is dead romance! And since we are looking for the epitome of the ultimate Romance, like they had 'back in the days', then as we all know, even bad ass muther-fcukers don't live forever, right? And therefore all those dudes like Hayes Bannister, and Olivier Mulligan Predergast III and their crips - they MUST be dead by now, 'cos 'back in the days' was a long time ago. So those Romance are dead, so they are the perfect Romance!
Now the only area where I think my theory is even remotely vulnerable is that it is claimed that Hayes Bannister was 'ruggedly old scool'. Now I've seen the Romance, and quite a few of them are diego wops who ain't never gonna be considered rugged. Maybe in winter, when they is really cold - then they might be rugged up to keep warm, but the rest of the time those Romance usually just wear open chested bright coloured shirts and gold chains around their necks.
Nevertheless, sooner or later those Romance boys are gonna get cold as! Then they will be rugged. So they're rugged, they are Romance, and since they are dead now, that's gotta make them perfect 'cos they can't be messing with us once they is dead.
Boom-Shanka!!! The Perfect Romance does exist!
Told you so.
:)
Monday, September 18, 2006
Wahi Tapu Pakeha?
I am nearing the end of reading Michael King's 'The Penguin History of New Zealand' and the section I have just read resonated deeply with me.
In the section 'Post History', chapter 30, 'Configurations Old And New', King writes:
'Having passed through an era, up until the 1970's, in which the Treaty was not observed or honoured, however, and into one in which that deficit was being rectified, the country became aware of a strong Pakeha aspiration for the values and imperatives of their culture too to be recognised and taken as seriously by the government and the country as a whole as that of the tangata whenua. This impulse came from a growing conviction among Pakeha that their culture, like that of Maori, is no longer the same as the cultures of origin from which it sprang - that it has become, in fact, a second indigenous culture by the same process by which East Polynesian people developed Maori culture: transplanting imported concepts and values from one place to another, observing them change over time in a new land and new circumstances, and eventually focusing attention away from the ancestral home and fully on the contemporary homeland.
That this increasing valuing of their own heritage should lead Pakeha to become advocates for their culture was something of a surprise. The assumption that most Pakeha grew up with was that their culture was strong enough and pervasive enough to persist through and despite any vicissitudes or challenges it might encounter. And perhaps it was. They imagined the special measures undertaken as a Treaty obligation to protect and strengthen Maori language and culture were necessary because of their vulnerability, and that such measures would not in any way threaten the viability of Pakeha culture.
Then a series of events, none of them directly related, appeared to suggest the former imbalance was being corrected by the creation of another imbalance. In 1997 the Treaty Negotiations Minister, Doug Graham, was quoted as saying that Maori had spiritual feelings for mountains, lakes and rivers that Pakeha lacked - a statement strongly resented by the large number of non-Maori New Zealanders who habitually took their recreation in such places and regarded them with a respect and reverence that at least equalled and in some instances exceeded that displayed by Maori. Then, in 1998, in the same month that the national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, refused to remove from display in a visiting exhibition of contemporary British art the sculpture Virgin in a Condom, which was giving strong offence to some Christians, the Waikato Museum of Art and History withdrew a Dick Frizzell exhibition because moko on the face of a caricatured Four Square grocer offended Tainui kaumatua.
Four years later Transit New Zealand postponed work on State Highway 1 near Mercer on the ground that local Tainui people believed such work would disturb a taniwha or guardian spirit. At almost the same time North Shore City Council announced that it would proceed with the widening of Esmonde Road in Takapuna, even though that would carve six metres off the front of Frank Sargeson's section, including the legendary 'hole in the hedge' and the area of former garden in which his ashes had been interred.
Both sets of events arose from different decisions by different officials in different institutions. But those in favour of Maori interests all grew out of Treaty-based obligations in legislation or mission statements to consult with Maori and to observe the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. In the case of State Highway 1, the relevant factor was the obligation to respect wahi tapu or scared places.
Most Pakeha had little difficulty accepting that. The problem they identified was that the country by this time had legislatively based procedures to protect the values and sensibilities of one culture and not the other. They did not want to see anything taken away from Maori, just to ensure that the measures of protection and respect extended from the one culture to embrace both cultures: to see wahi tapu of significance to Pakeha, such as Frank Sargeson's grave, given as much protection as wahi tapu of significance to Maori; and to have the history and experience of Pakeha New Zealanders valued by the country as a whole, and by its institutions, as much as those of Maori.'
Michael King writes a lot of things in this book, some of which I disagree with strongly, and many of which I find myself nodding in agreement with. I am somewhat disenchanted by his comparatively cursory coverage of such subjects as 'Think Big' and the 1981 Springbok tour, which I feel are two significant contributors to the shape and nature of the modern history and contemporary culture of New Zealand.
However this section of writing by King I think is an outstanding piece of capturing history as it is happening. I feel he had his finger right on the pulse of the nation as history was being played out in capturing that shift in the national consciousness.
In the section 'Post History', chapter 30, 'Configurations Old And New', King writes:
'Having passed through an era, up until the 1970's, in which the Treaty was not observed or honoured, however, and into one in which that deficit was being rectified, the country became aware of a strong Pakeha aspiration for the values and imperatives of their culture too to be recognised and taken as seriously by the government and the country as a whole as that of the tangata whenua. This impulse came from a growing conviction among Pakeha that their culture, like that of Maori, is no longer the same as the cultures of origin from which it sprang - that it has become, in fact, a second indigenous culture by the same process by which East Polynesian people developed Maori culture: transplanting imported concepts and values from one place to another, observing them change over time in a new land and new circumstances, and eventually focusing attention away from the ancestral home and fully on the contemporary homeland.
That this increasing valuing of their own heritage should lead Pakeha to become advocates for their culture was something of a surprise. The assumption that most Pakeha grew up with was that their culture was strong enough and pervasive enough to persist through and despite any vicissitudes or challenges it might encounter. And perhaps it was. They imagined the special measures undertaken as a Treaty obligation to protect and strengthen Maori language and culture were necessary because of their vulnerability, and that such measures would not in any way threaten the viability of Pakeha culture.
Then a series of events, none of them directly related, appeared to suggest the former imbalance was being corrected by the creation of another imbalance. In 1997 the Treaty Negotiations Minister, Doug Graham, was quoted as saying that Maori had spiritual feelings for mountains, lakes and rivers that Pakeha lacked - a statement strongly resented by the large number of non-Maori New Zealanders who habitually took their recreation in such places and regarded them with a respect and reverence that at least equalled and in some instances exceeded that displayed by Maori. Then, in 1998, in the same month that the national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, refused to remove from display in a visiting exhibition of contemporary British art the sculpture Virgin in a Condom, which was giving strong offence to some Christians, the Waikato Museum of Art and History withdrew a Dick Frizzell exhibition because moko on the face of a caricatured Four Square grocer offended Tainui kaumatua.
Four years later Transit New Zealand postponed work on State Highway 1 near Mercer on the ground that local Tainui people believed such work would disturb a taniwha or guardian spirit. At almost the same time North Shore City Council announced that it would proceed with the widening of Esmonde Road in Takapuna, even though that would carve six metres off the front of Frank Sargeson's section, including the legendary 'hole in the hedge' and the area of former garden in which his ashes had been interred.
Both sets of events arose from different decisions by different officials in different institutions. But those in favour of Maori interests all grew out of Treaty-based obligations in legislation or mission statements to consult with Maori and to observe the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. In the case of State Highway 1, the relevant factor was the obligation to respect wahi tapu or scared places.
Most Pakeha had little difficulty accepting that. The problem they identified was that the country by this time had legislatively based procedures to protect the values and sensibilities of one culture and not the other. They did not want to see anything taken away from Maori, just to ensure that the measures of protection and respect extended from the one culture to embrace both cultures: to see wahi tapu of significance to Pakeha, such as Frank Sargeson's grave, given as much protection as wahi tapu of significance to Maori; and to have the history and experience of Pakeha New Zealanders valued by the country as a whole, and by its institutions, as much as those of Maori.'
Michael King writes a lot of things in this book, some of which I disagree with strongly, and many of which I find myself nodding in agreement with. I am somewhat disenchanted by his comparatively cursory coverage of such subjects as 'Think Big' and the 1981 Springbok tour, which I feel are two significant contributors to the shape and nature of the modern history and contemporary culture of New Zealand.
However this section of writing by King I think is an outstanding piece of capturing history as it is happening. I feel he had his finger right on the pulse of the nation as history was being played out in capturing that shift in the national consciousness.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Burning Down the House!!!
Slimy Will contacted me last week and suggested we go to the Battle of Bridge together at Eden Park on Friday night. A few phone calls and emails saw the numbers swell to include my flatmate Ian and his girlfriend with four names, Shernett the Pernett, and maybe Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy (a.k.a 'A-coupla-Khans'). The plan had also been expanded to include dinner at Taiko before the game, and the group further expanded to include Slimy Will's wife Roberta and possibly a couple of other Brazilians...
Kermit was going to check with the lovely Miss Piggy on Thursday night. However, he is a muppet, and since it was late when she got home he didn't bother. When I rung him on Friday morning to enquire why I hadn't heard back from him Kermit explained it had been too late to call me, yadda yadda yaddie...
So I explained, again, that the table we had booked could seat up to 14, and we currently had only 8, maybe 10 counting the Brazilians... so there was plenty of room... he said he'd check with Miss Piggy when she got home and would probably see us at the restaurant.
Dinner rocked, as usual at Taiko, and midway through the second half I got a txt from Kermit explaining that he was truly a muppet of the finest order, and he'd forgotten about it... until then.
For the record, Auckland broke Slimy Will's heart, again...
Saturday lunchtime I get a txt from the Wonkey-Donkey, fat handed man a.k.a. Dangerous Dan Khan, a.k.a Kermit the Frog saying "To make up for last night's stuff up, how about you come over tonight for games et. al.?"
So at 6.30pm I picked up Seanie-Pawnie and we drove out to The Attic. Dan made a valiant attempt to explain why he was outside, in the dark, caressing his body with tree branches and leaves by saying "errr Hi. I was just.... gathering firewoood"... Due to the 3 games in one hand and the Limburgs in the other I, rather rudely, failed to stop and appreciate the new pebbles and grasses Miss Piggy had been planting next to the already treacherous, but beautiful, stairs down to The Attic. I also failed to soak up the import of the newly painted mushrooms on top of the lights. Such a fillistyne!!!
We had a long over due catch-up-yarn and then introduced a coupla-Khans to Villa Paletti. Before the commencement of play Brother-Di was in charge of (a) putting some of Dan's freshly collected 'firewood' on the fire and (b) placing some of the (it turned out not to be) damp logs on top of the firebox to "slowly, but in an entirely safe and controlled manner, dry out ready for burning LATER."
Villa Paletti was magnificently successful. A huge amount of fun, and an ideal way to begin proceedings. For the record - best pillar withdrawal definitely went to Brother-Sean who, when all felt sure that none of the three pillars on the bottom level could be removed safely challenged my "I need to add the green floor" assertion and did in fact pull one of his pillars out leaving just two pillars on the bottom level. Kermit's turn was next - and he decided not to go for full glory, and claimed he could not remove another pillar from the bottom level (leaving just one).
Orange and Green!
Eventually the whole house came crashing down around our ears.
No, not the Muppet's house, although, that was a close run thing......
I meant the Villa Paletti. Sean just got too carried away after the glory of his earlier heroics and bit off a little more than he could chew... Brother-Di took the first win of the night. See page 2 of the Miscellaneous folder in the akl-german-games Photos page at Yahoogroups.com for photos of Villa Paletti. (http://games.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/akl-german-games/phot...)
Game 2 was Santiago, and early on I began enjoying the faint aroma of tea-tree bark smoking. I do love fires. As the game went on, the intensity of the aroma built, and built, and built... Without actually setting off any mental trip wires I actually took note that it was becoming rather difficult to see Sean across the table from me. He was slowly drifting in and out of focus through the thick aromatic smoke that was filling the room.
Suddenly, a smoke alarm went off. Kermit leapt to his feet and dashed downstairs to the fire... He yelled over his shoulder to Miss Piggy "Go up to the bedroom..." Which was quite funny really, because Di had been really rather outdoing herself in suggestive innuendo in the lead up to the out break of the fire, and I thought to myself that Dan was rather cool under pressure if he was sending the Missus up to the bedroom at a time like this, especially with guests over and all... but you know, it's their house...
He then called out again... "Di... quick... go up to the bedroom... and turn the smoke alarm off."
It turned out that the wet logs Miss Piggy had put out to dry were either not very wet, or dried faster than anticipated and were apparently actually glowing red on their undersides when Kermit arrived to take corrective action.
A close call!
Santiago was also a game of much hilarity. You are allowed to keep your money secret you see. Kermit had a shirt with a chest collar and took to keeping his Escudos in his pocket, and theatrically fishing out a few when needed. I had my wallet sitting on the table so I began keeping my hard earned Escudos in there - I think it should be a house rule from now on when we play Santiago that everyone must have a wallet to keep their Escudos in. It was very entertaining.
My use of my wallet proved decisive, scraping to a 113 - 104 final margin over Brother-Di, with Seanie-Pawnie and Brother-Kermie way back there. Incidentally, and somewhat controversially, I am actually claiming an extension of my lead in a precedent setting 'next day take-back' move... when I went to pay for breakfast on Sunday I found I still had Dois Escudos in my wallet... so I was actually on 115! I am very glad Miss Piggy didn't pip me by one...
We then decided to play Ys+ with the delightful glass gems. It's only the second time we've played with the Ys+ expansion but I have to say I am impressed. Having a larger range of Character cards, plus the event cards available makes for a lot more depth in the game. For example in this game the "Speculation" event card came into play for the first time. This lead to a LOT more activity in the market than is usual. It reads:
"Each player may secretly choose a gem in the stock and place it behind their screen. At the end of the game, players reveal their choices. If a player’s gem corresponds to the highest gem on the market (draws are tackled normally), they earn 3 victory points. Players who have not chosen the right gem lose 2 points. Players who did not choose a gem neither earn nor loose any points."
It came out in the second turn, and it became apparent that I had selected a Blue gem, Sean had selected a Yellow gem and I suspected that Di had selected a Green gem. It coming out early was interesting, firstly because it was very difficult to asses which coloured gem was likely to end up as the most valuable, and secondly because having made our selections (Dan chose no gem) it was soon very obvious what we had chosen as we all made strong plays to affect the market to our advantage.
In the third turn the "indiscretion" event card also came into play. It reads:
"Indiscretion: When counting the columns, the one the players have bet the most on rises by 4 instead of 2; the second column rises by 2 instead of 1. Draws between columns are treated normally, like columns whose value must be reduced (-1, -2)."
This saw the market completely filled for the first time I can remember. It was also interesting that for the first time I can remember there was a situation where it was crying out that the best thing for me to do was be first in the turn order - In the final turn Yellow gems were currently the top priced gem on the gem quotation scale, with Blue gems second.
I bid two of my 1 brokers for the turn order auction - carefully NOT bidding either of my zeros. It turned out that I actually came second in the bidding behind Di, as both Seanie-Pawnie and Kermit bit 0 - 1. Di selected 4th, and I immediately took 1st position. My first action was to place two 0 brokers in the market in the Yellow column. This left only one space for a broker in the market, which Sean promptly filled with a 4. He had none of his zero brokers left, having placed one in the throne room earlier, and used his other one in the bidding in phase 2. This meant I was able to manipulate the market to make Yellow drop and Blue rise ensuring Blue gems finished as the top coloured gem. This resulted in a 5 point swing between Sean and I.
Unfortunately while I was busy bashing Sean, Brother-Di was creaming the gem collection in the city in the last round. Before the count in the throne room, I was 4 points ahead of her. She finished second in the throne room, collecting 7 points, and I finished 3rd, collecting 3. We were level on points tied for the lead, and the tie-breaker is total gems collected by each player. I had 27 and she had 29!!! Her second victory of the night.
I then dashed home for the All blacks test.Great night. Great fun. Good to catch up with the muppets!
BC
Kermit was going to check with the lovely Miss Piggy on Thursday night. However, he is a muppet, and since it was late when she got home he didn't bother. When I rung him on Friday morning to enquire why I hadn't heard back from him Kermit explained it had been too late to call me, yadda yadda yaddie...
So I explained, again, that the table we had booked could seat up to 14, and we currently had only 8, maybe 10 counting the Brazilians... so there was plenty of room... he said he'd check with Miss Piggy when she got home and would probably see us at the restaurant.
Dinner rocked, as usual at Taiko, and midway through the second half I got a txt from Kermit explaining that he was truly a muppet of the finest order, and he'd forgotten about it... until then.
For the record, Auckland broke Slimy Will's heart, again...
Saturday lunchtime I get a txt from the Wonkey-Donkey, fat handed man a.k.a. Dangerous Dan Khan, a.k.a Kermit the Frog saying "To make up for last night's stuff up, how about you come over tonight for games et. al.?"
So at 6.30pm I picked up Seanie-Pawnie and we drove out to The Attic. Dan made a valiant attempt to explain why he was outside, in the dark, caressing his body with tree branches and leaves by saying "errr Hi. I was just.... gathering firewoood"... Due to the 3 games in one hand and the Limburgs in the other I, rather rudely, failed to stop and appreciate the new pebbles and grasses Miss Piggy had been planting next to the already treacherous, but beautiful, stairs down to The Attic. I also failed to soak up the import of the newly painted mushrooms on top of the lights. Such a fillistyne!!!
We had a long over due catch-up-yarn and then introduced a coupla-Khans to Villa Paletti. Before the commencement of play Brother-Di was in charge of (a) putting some of Dan's freshly collected 'firewood' on the fire and (b) placing some of the (it turned out not to be) damp logs on top of the firebox to "slowly, but in an entirely safe and controlled manner, dry out ready for burning LATER."
Villa Paletti was magnificently successful. A huge amount of fun, and an ideal way to begin proceedings. For the record - best pillar withdrawal definitely went to Brother-Sean who, when all felt sure that none of the three pillars on the bottom level could be removed safely challenged my "I need to add the green floor" assertion and did in fact pull one of his pillars out leaving just two pillars on the bottom level. Kermit's turn was next - and he decided not to go for full glory, and claimed he could not remove another pillar from the bottom level (leaving just one).
Orange and Green!
Eventually the whole house came crashing down around our ears.
No, not the Muppet's house, although, that was a close run thing......
I meant the Villa Paletti. Sean just got too carried away after the glory of his earlier heroics and bit off a little more than he could chew... Brother-Di took the first win of the night. See page 2 of the Miscellaneous folder in the akl-german-games Photos page at Yahoogroups.com for photos of Villa Paletti. (http://games.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/akl-german-games/phot...)
Game 2 was Santiago, and early on I began enjoying the faint aroma of tea-tree bark smoking. I do love fires. As the game went on, the intensity of the aroma built, and built, and built... Without actually setting off any mental trip wires I actually took note that it was becoming rather difficult to see Sean across the table from me. He was slowly drifting in and out of focus through the thick aromatic smoke that was filling the room.
Suddenly, a smoke alarm went off. Kermit leapt to his feet and dashed downstairs to the fire... He yelled over his shoulder to Miss Piggy "Go up to the bedroom..." Which was quite funny really, because Di had been really rather outdoing herself in suggestive innuendo in the lead up to the out break of the fire, and I thought to myself that Dan was rather cool under pressure if he was sending the Missus up to the bedroom at a time like this, especially with guests over and all... but you know, it's their house...
He then called out again... "Di... quick... go up to the bedroom... and turn the smoke alarm off."
It turned out that the wet logs Miss Piggy had put out to dry were either not very wet, or dried faster than anticipated and were apparently actually glowing red on their undersides when Kermit arrived to take corrective action.
A close call!
Santiago was also a game of much hilarity. You are allowed to keep your money secret you see. Kermit had a shirt with a chest collar and took to keeping his Escudos in his pocket, and theatrically fishing out a few when needed. I had my wallet sitting on the table so I began keeping my hard earned Escudos in there - I think it should be a house rule from now on when we play Santiago that everyone must have a wallet to keep their Escudos in. It was very entertaining.
My use of my wallet proved decisive, scraping to a 113 - 104 final margin over Brother-Di, with Seanie-Pawnie and Brother-Kermie way back there. Incidentally, and somewhat controversially, I am actually claiming an extension of my lead in a precedent setting 'next day take-back' move... when I went to pay for breakfast on Sunday I found I still had Dois Escudos in my wallet... so I was actually on 115! I am very glad Miss Piggy didn't pip me by one...
We then decided to play Ys+ with the delightful glass gems. It's only the second time we've played with the Ys+ expansion but I have to say I am impressed. Having a larger range of Character cards, plus the event cards available makes for a lot more depth in the game. For example in this game the "Speculation" event card came into play for the first time. This lead to a LOT more activity in the market than is usual. It reads:
"Each player may secretly choose a gem in the stock and place it behind their screen. At the end of the game, players reveal their choices. If a player’s gem corresponds to the highest gem on the market (draws are tackled normally), they earn 3 victory points. Players who have not chosen the right gem lose 2 points. Players who did not choose a gem neither earn nor loose any points."
It came out in the second turn, and it became apparent that I had selected a Blue gem, Sean had selected a Yellow gem and I suspected that Di had selected a Green gem. It coming out early was interesting, firstly because it was very difficult to asses which coloured gem was likely to end up as the most valuable, and secondly because having made our selections (Dan chose no gem) it was soon very obvious what we had chosen as we all made strong plays to affect the market to our advantage.
In the third turn the "indiscretion" event card also came into play. It reads:
"Indiscretion: When counting the columns, the one the players have bet the most on rises by 4 instead of 2; the second column rises by 2 instead of 1. Draws between columns are treated normally, like columns whose value must be reduced (-1, -2)."
This saw the market completely filled for the first time I can remember. It was also interesting that for the first time I can remember there was a situation where it was crying out that the best thing for me to do was be first in the turn order - In the final turn Yellow gems were currently the top priced gem on the gem quotation scale, with Blue gems second.
I bid two of my 1 brokers for the turn order auction - carefully NOT bidding either of my zeros. It turned out that I actually came second in the bidding behind Di, as both Seanie-Pawnie and Kermit bit 0 - 1. Di selected 4th, and I immediately took 1st position. My first action was to place two 0 brokers in the market in the Yellow column. This left only one space for a broker in the market, which Sean promptly filled with a 4. He had none of his zero brokers left, having placed one in the throne room earlier, and used his other one in the bidding in phase 2. This meant I was able to manipulate the market to make Yellow drop and Blue rise ensuring Blue gems finished as the top coloured gem. This resulted in a 5 point swing between Sean and I.
Unfortunately while I was busy bashing Sean, Brother-Di was creaming the gem collection in the city in the last round. Before the count in the throne room, I was 4 points ahead of her. She finished second in the throne room, collecting 7 points, and I finished 3rd, collecting 3. We were level on points tied for the lead, and the tie-breaker is total gems collected by each player. I had 27 and she had 29!!! Her second victory of the night.
I then dashed home for the All blacks test.Great night. Great fun. Good to catch up with the muppets!
BC
