Posts by Paul Rowe
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Hard News: Incomplete, inaccurate and misleading, in reply to BenWilson,
Not sure which one is Key and which one is Joyce, though.
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It’s a rotten time, but Radio NZ National has this tonight.
James Gardner traces a personal path through the evolving world of electronic music – and meets some of the people who made it happen: Everything Audible in the World Becomes Material – Recording and electricity crack open the world of sound. What happens next?ETA: A quick search found the stream.
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Speaker: An Open Letter To David Cunliffe, in reply to giovanni tiso,
It was for those MPs to acknowledge that the party had passed a pretty big vote of no confidence on them and that their job was to be loyal to the leader. Which some of them very plainly weren't. And "oh but Cunliffe wasn't either!" really doesn't cut it
For me, this is exactly it. MPs had to learn to play under the new rules of MMP. Now the Labour caucus has to play under the new rules of the Labour parliamentary leader selection process, which means that if you lose, you get over it and on with the job.
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I do wonder (I have no data to back it up) whether some National voters in Epsom gave their electorate vote to Labour or the Greens because they didn't want to hold their noses and vote for Act. They had been told not to vote for the National candidate, and did so, but just couldn't go the extra yard and vote yellow. Just a thought. These voters, after all, will tend to be well-educated and high-income earners, so will know how the system works. They get their desired outcome but still get to say they refused to be gamed by the system.
Also...a question. Dunne caused the overhang this election, with just 0.22% of the votes. In a closer election would that overhang have had the potential to cost National the Treasury benches? If that's the case, at what point does an accommodation to a minor party become a disadvantage when you are aiming for 50% +1 seat? This must be a consideration in 2017 with Act & UF having the potential to create two overhanging seats (all things remaining equal). Just curious.
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Speaking of a vibrant 4th Estate:
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Hard News: Dirty Politics, in reply to Kumara Republic,
There were a little over 2 years between the Watergate break-ins and the resignation of Tricky Dick, and all sorts of denials, cover-ups and obstructions of justice in between. How much faster would the Internet make things happen?
And what really moved the process beyond rumours reported by journalists was the realisation by mid-level employees at CRP or the White House that they were facing jail and potential ruin for doing what those further up the chain told them to do (or broadly hinted at what they needed doing) while the President's closest advisors (particularly Erlichman and Halderman) could deny all knowledge. Once John Dean realised he was in the firing line he went to US attorneys and the Grand Jury.
It helped that investigations were being run by independent journalists, the FBI, Justice Dept and Congress into the allegations, oh that we had such equivalents here!
Oh, and I highly recommend Vonnegut's novel Jailbird, the story of Walter F Starbuck, the least celebrated of the Watergate conspirators. -
That's a nice item Ian, I have those cards somewhere in the garage, along with a calendar from about the same time I think...
In lieu of me bidding, can I ask 2 questions of the group on FN ephemera?
(you can't answer, so I'll go ahead anyway)
1. The 15th anniversary etched 7" records - were there 5 or 6? I can only find five and I'm sure there was one more?
2. My copy of Boodle Boodle Boodle has a copy of the comic, but I've always wondered if it was the original copy or a photocopy. Any way to tell?
These are important questions for tragics... :(
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Thanks for this reminiscence and reminder about such a great musician, and thanks to Peter for getting back on the performing horse.
My brief Xpressway period coincided with what seems to be one of Peter's most active times as a performer, back in the mid 90s. I saw him play in Hamilton for some reason (we drove down from Auckland) and at Squid in Auckland performing with Mecca Normal (Squid must have been the last one, because it's the only time I saw him play piano and drums and sing at the same time), must have been 1994ish. Best was seeing the 3-gig tour put on by Peter, Alistair and Sandra Bell, in New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Wellington. Fabulous nights, all the more because it was so hard to see those acts live in the North Island at the time (I never saw the Dead C for instance). I met him at Squid and Alistair at Palmerston North, both lovely chaps. Alistair in particular seemed very touched that we had travelled from Auckland to follow them around the country. Alistair & Peter put on a brief Plagal Grind reuinion for us in Palmy, after I asked if they'd thought about it.
It's a bit sad, though I understand the reasons, that TKP records will change hands for $200 or more these days, with the artists not receiving anything at all, beyond the $7 they'd sold the original vinyl to Flying Nun for back in the day.
If there's a petition to get Peter and Shayne and the rest down to Dunedin, add my name to it. The irony is not lost on me that back in the 90s I aspired to live in Otago for the music, but by the time I moved down 20 years llater they would be playing in Auckland.
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The issues of importance to Young People
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Hard News: Friday Music: Changing Times, in reply to Simon Grigg,
I’ve licensed it to Raw Power (Simon Kay) who always does these things well.
Having done a bit of digging, I have to agree.
I picked up the Suburban Reptile 7" ep that came out in 2004 and the Move to Riot compilation from the Rough Trade shop off Portobello Road and they are great.
