The Day in Review Sept 13

- Prime bucked the trend by leading with Damien O'Connor's humble return to Parliament where he offered his most sincere apologies for being rather dim. No-one else was too interested by DO'C anymore.
- Because the SIS decided Ahmed Zaoui wasn't that much of a risk anymore, and decided to leave him be. We got Zaoui's history, the background of the case, a few more tidbits that hadn't been released to the public, and an assertion that he had put any dodgy dealings behind him, swearing on the Qur'an. The PM wasn't saying too much, aside from the fact that she was confident in Warren Tucker's ability as the Director of the SIS. Winston was none too pleased, as he, unlike many other MPs, hadn't read the memo that circulated last night. As our wonderful networks tend to do, the story went into overkill, with Deborah Manning having much to say, but Amnesty was strangely silent (despite them issuing a press release and attending the hoopla).
- 3 threw in a couple of Asian P convictions and an earthquake in Indonesia into its opening segment before moving on to the RWC. One waited until it had lauded Leighton Smith (an effort in itself) for talking to a woman in the midst of a suicide attempt; reported on an inquiry into a parolee who committed a little violent crime (what's murder between friends); and ran a piece on a police pursuit, before getting into Portugal's chances against the All Blacks.
- The depositions hearing for the Edgeware Road hit and run got a little coverage, and 3 went on about Professor Keith Woodford's book on the evils A1 milk while One talked about the 1080 protesters threatening to unleash the dogs on poor unsuspecting kiwi, otherwise it was more on the McCanns.
-Apparently the Reserve Bank held the OCR as is, but you wouldn't really know.
- The wireless ran with Zaoui. Nat Radio for (sorry, RNZ). NewstalkZB against. David Farrar probably had the most sensible thing to say about it on his blog (I see the irony).
- Campbell and Close Up played milk and Zaoui tag, with John having a wonderul conversation with Ahmed and his fesity, yet lovely and attractive, lawyer Deb before talking hard and fast about the dangers of milk with Professor Woodford. Sainsbury did it in reverse.
- I'm sure I had an insipid moment, but really, the saddest thing I saw today was on the New Zealand Herald's web-site (usually a fine place to find news, despite the typos) where Simon Cowell's comment that Britney's career was over made today's top ten stories. Lamentations abound.
Good night.

The late Mr. McBeth

Yeah, kind of couldn't be bothered writing up more of the same on Thursday and Friday. Don't worry, it'll change. A handful of people actually read this stuff. And here I was thinking I was just inflating my own ego and shooting letters off into the void.

Anyway, Leighton wanted less state, more market (read money in his hands), and a return to the normal (read 1950s nuclear family dominated by a patricarchal oppressor).

Holmesie wanted, well, he wanted, well, he didn't really know what he wanted. Maybe a juicy story. Maybe a return to TVNZ, maybe a decent replacement for him on TVNZ. Maybe an end to this PC nonsense. Maybe he really wants the America's Cup. Maybe his precious To be honest, I (and by association, you) was not paying much attention.

Miguel Laws was on a rant. He really does not like us liberal PC types who have (and this is in his Sunday Star-Times column) a covert racism against Islanders. We're patronising you see. Pepole in the loweset socio-economic brackets don't want help. Nor do they want to be condescended to. They want a straight-talking reactionary conservative telling them that they should either fill in the underclass and do the jobs we (meaning us white people (really, us white middle-aged male people who never should have given the vote to anyone else)) don't want to do. This was on the Muliaga thing, of which I will say no further. Until later on that is.

I can't remember too much else. My mind often purges itself of the banalities that confront it every day, but rest assured, I will improve. Tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow, for tomorrow is another day.

Oh, and listen to Marcus Lush. Please. I hate the thought that he rates comparably with John Banks (and RadioLive does). He is well worth it, even if it's just for Roger Whittaker's stirring rendtion of New World in the Morning.

Hermes is a better name

Mercury Energy, the gift that keeps on giving. By now, you will all know that Folole Muliaga's funeral was held today, and our PM made an appearance, paying tribute to the family for daring to forgive. Not something done too regularly in New Zealand. Well the media continued, well and truly, to dig deep in this story. There are still things to come out, and it is with baited breath that we wait.

Paul Holmes continued his stream of consciousness on the issue, tapping the spirit that is NewstalkZB's political editor, Barry Soper, to update the issue. Barry's a good Labour man, so obviously Helen was looking after the issue well (he is loathe to condemn her), and he gave us a quick rundown of how the Government plans to stop their heartless SOEs from squeezing the bejeezus out of us. I actually thought Fran O'Sullivan's column on the issue (thank you Mr. Farrar) summed up the dichotomy of trying to run an efficient business while being socially responsible fairly well (it surprised me too). Next up the gnome on the hill had Shane Jones and Katherine Rich punch out their predictable party lines. Nothing new for the punters to read there.

Leighton (and the thought does make me a little ill) held his line that there were a number of factors in the death of Folole Muliaga, although he did have the tact not to criticise her obesity in light of the fact that her funeral was held today. Credit's always given when it's due. The Government, of course, was making the wrong decision in regulating. Why can't they just privatise everything and be done with it. The market is a much better decider than any kind of socially responsible collective. Oh, and local government's no better with the ratcheting of water rates, and rates in general. Just in case you couldn't figure that one out.

Willie and JT over on RadioLive roused their usual rabble. JT managed to get the first half hour by himself, as Willie was at the funeral, and managed to dish out a salient ramble on how Ms. Clark had no other choice under the current realpolitik but appear and speak at the funeral, but man it's sad that she has to do so. Willie, when he finally stormed in, roundly condemned JT and his sycophantic callers, all heartless bastards the lot of them, before standing up and saying Helen really does care for us all. And she's doing good things for his underprivileged Samoan brothers. Bit of a headtrip listening to the Brown Brothers. One works for the evil forces of the Right, the other for the extreme forces of the Left. What's a simple media monitor to do?

Gone in 60 Seconds

Well, Leighton, marvellous Leighton, decided that the topic of the day was reports that Junior Bailey Kurariki was getting bailed next month. This was pure hearsay based on an overnight talkback caller claiming to be Bailey's uncle. (You remember Bailey don't you? The child killer. Or is it killer child? I forget.) Anyway, this was all kicked off by a story on 60 Minutes that had Bailey's mother adopting a three-year-old child (a nephew according to all accounts). Outrage abounded on the wireless. Absolute mayhem. Where was CYF? Where were the police? What were the courts doing? It's all the Government's fault. Everything would be better if we just had less government, and more of our money.

I hope you can handle it, True Believers. I only had an hour, but my vitriol levels were nearing redneck capacity.