Posts by Stephen Judd
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How is the court going to come to an opinion on allegations that are six years old?
One way would be with documentary evidence from the accused. Hence the police search and seizure.
Anyway, courts "come to opinions" -- reach verdicts, even -- on sex abuse cases that are far futher in the past, with no physical evidence, purely on the basis of testimony. This case will be straightforward by comparison.
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You're right, that is what I was getting at. Judging by things dyan has written in the past, I'm sure she knows that too. It was bad of me to use that ambiguous word "average" without qualification. China's not just enormous but diverse - "average Chinese" is like "average European" (Swedish or Sicilian?) or "average African" (Masai or Bushman?) and I know there are plenty of groups of people in China who are markedly different from their compatriots. What I said implied a certain amount of uniformity which was unfortunate, and that's how I'm taking dyan's comment.
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The thing about the underage Chinese gymnasts is that it is possible they're just really slow developers. There are more than a billion people in China. If there's only one kid in a million who has aptitude, physique, AND a freaky hormonal wotsit, there will be more of those kids in China than any other country in the world, and a totalitarian approach to talent spotting means they will be found. Eg see the Chinese basketballers. You can't tell me the average Chinese person is very tall, but sheer population size means there are far more people on the extremes of the bell curve than anywhere else.
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PS: etymologically, the gymnasts SHOULD be naked.
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Lucy: yes, from the POV of perfect development I think the men's gymnasts are hard to beat. Strength, co-ordination, grace, they have it all.
The only thing is, because they need to have the best possible power-to-weight ratio, they tend to be on the short side.
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There are about 255,000 people in NZ on unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, invalid benefit or DPB. 1% of that number is 2,500, leaving another 252,500 people.
I think the onus is on you, Grant, to:
- say why you think those 252,500 people shouldn't be getting a benefit (or what qualifies the deserving 2500)
- say what you think should happen to those not in "genuine need"
- explain what you think the consequences of removing benefits is.Most people HAVE considered the consequences, and very quickly arrived at the conclusion that they would be bad. If you think differently, outline why - don't blame other people for not laying out your argument for you.
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rodger, angus: fer sure. Imperialism with a paint-job of idealism. Although I think a genuine neoconservative has to really believe it's for foreigners' own good, not just cynically claim it.
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Yes, it's the overlay of moral superiority and the conviction that American interests are everybody's interests which distinguishes the neo-con. Nominally, at least, you are being invaded for your own good. Unless the Russians are making statements about bringing the benefits of Russian democracy (to scare-quote or not to scare-quote...) to South Ossetia I don't think you can count them as neocons.
The most recent historical parallel I can think of is the British Empire, which as we know only existed to bring englightenment and the benefits of civilisation to those who desperately needed it.
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Emma: did you ever hear the story written by the primary school pupil who knew that "frugal" had to do saving?
There was once a prince who was out riding when he heard a princess crying out "Frugal me! Frugal me!" So he frugalled her, and they lived happily ever after.
We can all do with a good frugalling now and then.