Posts by Damian Christie
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Funny you should mention the shrooms Russell. It's that season again, and any number of people can be seen hunting as I jog past certain spots early in the morning.
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I would ever let an issue of character that did not manifest in any known problems (like violent outbursts or insane behavior) take precedence over policy.
Yeah that's the thing though isn't it Ben. Neither of us know Simon Prast. We don't know whether or not it was simply costing him a little more than he would've liked, delaying his plans for an extension on the house. Or if he was spending days on end chasing the dragon, failing to meet his commitments, letting down family and loved ones. We don't know.
But I would say that of the high profile people I have known who were/are heavy users of P, the general public wouldn't be able to tell in terms of the way they did their job. But spend a day in their company and you will see a string of bad debts, gang involvement, generally untrustworthy or unreliable behaviour and so forth. I'm willing to bet Simon Prast exhibited at least some of these symptoms to those who knew him. And that's why realised, or was told by someone, that he needed to sort himself out.
To quote a former meth cook and dealer I interviewed for a Metro feature a couple of issues back (on drug dealers), "I'm yet to meet anyone who has become a better person as a result of heavy use of methamphetamine."
And let's also assume that Mr Prast's P use wouldn't be common knowledge (before his outing) if it had've only been occasional, and mild.
When it comes to choosing a mayor, I'm much more likely to vote on perceived character than hard policy, because the mayor has no real control over what happens unless they also control the council.
Personally, I'm not going to vote for someone who I think has even an outside chance of using the mayoral credit card for $800 cash withdrawals at 4am...
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@Stephen. Yeah well put, I thought the same thing about stress having someone reaching for the pipe...
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Takes orders well. cares about man and country (ours). and..and photogenic
Yeah... he is a Mowwwwrie though. I just don't think the City of Sails is ready for that ;)
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@Russ: Yeah when I said he "front-footed" it and was being "forthright", I guess I should've said he "eventually fessed up". But he didn't need to at all, was my point.
It is always pretty hard to trust a user, whatever vice
I guess this sums it up for me Sofie. (and @Lucy, @Rich and @Ben) It's about the people who get addicted to addictive stuff (and I'll exclude smoking here, because it *generally* only leads to health problems rather than social ones). I don't think they are cut out to run a major city. If he said he'd tried it once or twice, that's one thing. Smoked it occasionally, that's another. But to say it was becoming a problem, well that just doesn't sound like the sort of person I want in charge of stuff I care about. I'd rather someone who was stronger, with better self-control.
This of course is not my sole voting criteria - "policy" is also useful, but having had a P habit in what can only have been the reasonably recent past is an automatic exclusion from receiving my vote.
If it were a choice between Banks and Prast, I'm sorry to say, I'd vote for Banks. I really would. Thankfully it's not... come on down Andrew Williams!
(joke)
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I don't think I'd be making the same claim if Prast had admitted smoking Pot, Craig. If Obama had said he'd had a wee crack habit before deciding to run, I think we'd probably be looking at the first Female President of the USA.
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Who says that house-pets aren't libertarians?
I think my cat's behaviour could be classified as such... doesn't force anyone to feed her, simply accepts that as she doesn't have the means of production begging is the only option left open, she's ruthlessly individualist, only seeking company on her own terms and for her own benefit... and she always referrs to me as a commie pinko islamofascist lesbian.
(and yes, now we neatly tie into Russell's "about a cat" thread).
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Righto. I wave the mighty sword of closure ...
Ha, I wasn't being literal Russ - just pointing out that when a conversation is reduced to literally two people grunting at each other, it probably ain't going anywhere.
But just in case someone's been away for a day or so and wants to have their tuppence worth, it's still open for business...
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aye?
eh?
Let me be the first to declare this thread... over. :)
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The revered Paul Henry wondered last week how a show about "ugly poor people" could do so well.
I don't watch Coro, and this is not in defence of PH, (in fact can we just forget the PH aspect to this particular issue?) merely an observation about Coro (from someone who doesn't watch it, but that hasn't stopped anyone in this thread so far... ;), but you'd have to remark, wouldn't you, that it is exceptional in its success given that it's not chock full of 'beautiful' people. (quick chorus of "everything is beautiful" mashed-up with "All Creatures Great and Small" just to ensure we all accept that beauty is only skin deep or something...).
Because if you look at the other smash hit drama on TV, Home and Away (which rates ridiculously well and is on par with Coro despite being on before most people get home - long seen as TV3's not-so-secret weapon in its news ratings) is nothing but beautiful people. Then look at anything on MTV/C4.
Is it a generational thing (because the Home and Away viewership certainly skews younger than Coro, but not as young as you might think)? Are the under 30s far more superficial than those over?
I guess they can afford to be. They've still got their looks. Cocky buggers.