Hard News: For the kids, if nothing else
156 Responses
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BenWilson, in reply to
I'm definitely quite curious what his porn collection will be like.
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enhanced interrogation
Weasel words. The correct term is torture, and what is torture is if not individualised terrorism ? What's that ? You might get some information from the torture ? Got it now, terrorism is OK if it can be justified. Irony-nui.
If you want to call that “craven Nazi butt licking”, then I say, Sir, you have no decency and invite you to return to your bridge immediately.
Well said, Craig.
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JackElder, in reply to
relatively sophisticated techniques such as stenography
*cough* Steganography. Stenography is reasonably sophisticated, but I don't think you're just referring to taking notes in shorthand.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
*cough* Steganography. Stenography is reasonably sophisticated, but I don’t think you’re just referring to taking notes in shorthand.
Giggle. Trivial typing error completely changes meaning of sentence …
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nzlemming, in reply to
Lots of chicks in sheets
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webweaver, in reply to
Snigger. The mental image of a classic '60s stereotypical secretary, hair in a bun, glasses on, short tight skirt, high heels, sitting on a chair in the cave next to Bin Laden as she replicates his pontifications in shorthand on a notepad was... odd, to say the least :)
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
You really think they model their organisation on the New Zealand Defence Force or the Jupiter Mining Corporation?
What you mean they don't have to submit a travel report after delivering timing devices and they don't have to keep receipts for their expense claim???
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James Butler, in reply to
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Gareth Ward, in reply to
I was fourteen in 2001.
http://www.xkcd.com/647/
And even that was two years ago... -
James Butler, in reply to
Or this?
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Snigger. The mental image of a classic ’60s stereotypical secretary, hair in a bun, glasses on, short tight skirt, high heels, sitting on a chair in the cave next to Bin Laden as she replicates his pontifications in shorthand on a notepad was… odd, to say the least :)
I have an image of a New Yorker cartoon in my head. One of the caption-contest ones ...
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Lucy Stewart, in reply to
http://www.xkcd.com/647/
And even that was two years ago…Also, this, though I'm not sure it's really aimed at you lot.
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On a slightly serious note. One of the big problems with US relations with the middle east was the failure to recognise that people with different upbringings and religions could deeply offended to the point of violence by casual disregard of their ideology.
Don't park your bum on your Maori host's dining table, don't spit on kiwi sidewalks. Little stuff matters and ignoring it does real harm.
The thing that I found somewhat heartening in the death of bin Laden is that someone took the time to think about how best to do this without inflaming more hatred than necessary. They didn't immediately release gory photos of triumphant SEALs with a dead body and there have been times when they have behaved that way.
The simple act of treating the body with respect shows that even if the US military hasn't learned to actually care about the sensibilities of others then they recognise that ignoring them can cause more harm. Small steps.
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Rich Lock, in reply to
Would you have gone out of your way to give Joseph Mengle or Heinrich Himmer a nice burial? I wouldn't have.
Been spending a bit of time gazing into the abyss recently, James?
Probably would have been better to torture them to death, eh? Make them scream. That'll learn them. Luvely jubbly. Maybe turn their skin into a nice lampshade?
Those who fight monsters....
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I first started feeling old the year I realised that most school leavers would have been born after Labyrinth.
That was a long time ago.
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On a less serious note, I remember going to Star Wars IV, I think it was at His Majesty's on Queen Street.
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recordari, in reply to
Battlestar Galactica at the Civic with Sensaround. Booyah!
I was 10.
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Most of the assorted "late night" hosts I find cringingly unfunny, aside from the slightly demented Craig Ferguson. But they've managed to come out with some decent one-liners on this topic so, in the interests of making light of slaughter...
Jay Leno:
Osama bin Laden was apparently shot twice in the face. It looks like Dick Cheney may have been involved.
For their honeymoon, the royal couple wants to go somewhere they can have complete privacy and no one in the country will give away their location. I think they’re going to Pakistan.
Conan O'Brien:
Osama bin Laden is dead, which means the No. 1 threat to America is now the KFC Double Down.
The news of bin Laden’s death interrupted this week’s episode of [Donald Trump's] “Celebrity Apprentice.” Which begs the question, how do we kill bin Laden again next Sunday?
David Letterman:
There’s already been some trouble for Osama bin Laden in the afterlife. There was a mix up and he was greeted by 72 vegans.
Craig Ferguson:
Dick Cheney said he hasn’t been this happy since he saw the YouTube video of the girl throwing puppies into the river.
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nzlemming, in reply to
I remember Ice Station Zebra, at the Plaza in Manners St (they mentioned Christchurch - I was stoked that Hollywood knew about NZ!), and I'm told the whole famdamily went to The Sound of Music on first release at the State in New Plymouth (but I don't know whether I really remember that or have seen it too many time since).
I remember Star Wars (the original) at the Cinerama in Courtenay Place - wi-i-i-de screen, big sound. I was about 16, I think (checks wikipedia - yep 1977)
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BenWilson, in reply to
On a less serious note, I remember going to Star Wars IV, I think it was at His Majesty's on Queen Street.
I remember queuing so long for it that I missed the start. Ah, those were the days.
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Rex Widerstrom, in reply to
there are common decencies that are not negotiable. Like not treating human bodies like trash
I wonder how much of the moral basis of that comes from religious tradition, even for the non-religious?
Since I don't believe any part of me is headed for rencarnation, floating about playing a harp, communing with 72 virgins or anything else, I'd quite like my body to be treated like trash.
That is to say, recycled where possible (I'm a donor) and then run through one of those tree shredders, or something, and used for compost. The Swedes do it already though not in quite that way.
I don't go so far as the environmentalists who want Soylent Green to become a reality, but driving past a cemetery yesterday, all I could think was "what a terrible waste of a beautiful public open space". And cremation's a waste... even sprinkling the ashes provides no real plant nutrients.
(I get that your point is about the indignity of the way this partcular matter was handled, but just sayin'...)
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BenWilson, in reply to
That is to say, recycled where possible (I'm a donor) and then run through one of those tree shredders, or something, and used for compost. The Swedes do it already though not in quite that way.
You've still invested some thought into a disposal that suits your "belief system". Just sayin' :-)
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
But I do think there are practicalities involved which, at least in this case, favor respecting the customs of the culture from which the dead person came. For starters, tit-for-tat is a likely outcome of disrespect.
Quite -- I believe Homer is still required reading at West Point, and there's still a nasty kick to Achillles dragging Hector's corpse behind his charriot for twelve days around the walls of Troy; the wretched humiliation visited on Priam begging for his son's body to be returned so the funeral rites can be performed. Even the Gods are disgusted by his impiety.
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Nice reference Craig.
The other point that looms large is that when your opponent is trying to convince his co-religionists that you hate their religion, it’s not rocket surgery to avoid acting like a spiteful dick WRT their religion.
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Islander, in reply to
Whilst agreeing with other parties to this discussion about respect to dead humans, I’d like to extend the discussion a wee bit:
*why limit it to dead humans? We tend to teat certain animal bodies with dreadful disrespect (and I am NOT speaking about turning them into meat-
why not acknowledge that being highly disrespectful to dead human bodies has been part of humanity ever since we were mere homonoids? And, especially here in AotearoaNZ?
* I’ve been been bothered about the way we dispose of loved people’s corpses ever since my father was deposited in Ruru Lawn cemetry (I was 11 at the time.)
While I sort of agree with elements of your scenario Rex Widerstrom – there is still a need for *other people* to deal with the remains…Mind you, I cant see whyever not our actual public cemetries arnt turned into well-planted native bush right now- good for the birds, & good for us-
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