The Mighty Mighty Boss Tone

Mayor Laws was off the topic of Samoan families in South Auckland today, and there was a collective sigh of relief, from not only myself, but his listeners too. (There wasn't.) Today's topic was childhood obesity, Government intervention, and what you can do.

Mayor Laws actually liked the idea that the Government was banning the sale of unhealthy foods in school canteens, likening the whining of teachers to something you wouldn't expect unless they'd had a 10% pay-cut. A little harsh methinks, but no-one else did.

Anyway, the general consensus was that there are many causes for these fat little tykes, most of the lazy parents who just don't know how to cook. Not that many answers were proffered to address the issue. The one Miguel liked the most was a fat tax. Like cigarettes. Like liquor. Kind of like drink-driving. You know, two-pronged approach. Education and regulation. Carrot and stick. A voice of reason in the face of those barking mad libertarians who think that because they can make an informed choice on everything they do (they lead blameless lives), everyone else can too.

Tax the fat people. It will only make them skinny.

How loonies get the vote

Well, Monsieur Laws is not too impressed with the hijacking that took place on his show today. You, the people, have decided not to really address the immigration question that he wanted to know about. Damn those Asians, and damn those Poms. All they do is cause crime and go back to their country, respectively of course.

Instead, you the people wanted to talk about mental illness. You've decided to complain about how easy it is to get an invalids benefit. You've decided to complain about how there is a lack of understanding of mental illness. And Miguel has decided to sit on the fence, with too many people diagnosed with mental illness, and not enough real cases of mental illness being recognised.

It's this kind of schizophrenic response that prove we've got a real problem with 32,000 mentally unwell people in the country. (I know I've misused the word schizophrenic. It just doesn't seem appropriate to put [sic] next to it. Sorry, my bad.)

So remember, everything's wrong in the case of mental illness. There are no right answers. What we really think is that the mounting billions being plunged into healthcare are not being properly utilised. I'm sure we can infer that it's all a cause of the burgeoning bureaucracy. And dammit, things like quality spending on mental health just isn't occurring.
Oh, and we should probably sterilise those people with mental illness because we know it's hereditary. Thank you Miguel. Always a pleasure doing business with you. And a lot of people just think they have mental health problems when they really can't handle the stress of everyday life. (I'm not too sure about that one. It isn't often that Michael quotes anyone in a "namby pamby organisation like the Mental Health Foundation", but he has on this occasion, without using my quotation marks. Crazy.)

thereisnocurethereisnoendinsightrepentpeoplerelentmaybepopsomeprozacjustkeepclearofthehospitalsandmajorleaguebaseball

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.

Once more into the breach, dear friends.

Well the Mercury Energy thing continued to be a blight on New Zealand today, and the media got in with their chops ready for the licking.

Sean Plunket on Morning Report gave his usual attack dog approach, questing for the answers to yet another blunder from the system. All hail the little man. Admittedly, he did seem somewhat pleased that the PM was laying the blame on the middleman. No-one likes contractors at the best of times really. What you should do: trust the little guy.

Meanwhile, Michael Laws over on RadioLive's morning talkback spiel decided it was merely one of those things that happens. Awfully sad, but let's get over it and move on. While I have to admit I do agree with him to an extent, I was worried by the overwhelming support his listeners gave the energy company. Whatever happened to trusting the little guy first, especially when power companies are involved. And the Government to boot. Whoops, I forgot that it was a Samoan family. Tolerant New Zealand doesn't particularly like Islanders, unless they're playing rugby or league for whatever team we support (I may be overstating the level of racism in this country a lot, but there is a definite stream of xenophobia around). Who to blame: the little guy.

Hewitt Humphrey and Sarah Bristow on Radio New Zealand's Midday Report took the State broadcaster's usual approach that things are not so hunky-dory for the big guy, and the lil' guy's takin' them to court to get some payback. While Radio NZ strives for that airy goal of objective reporting, they always fail to reach it. (I suppose that's why I like them so much. Always good to follow the Beeb's left-leaning ways.) What's the little guy to do: sue.

Aside from that, talkback tended to veer away from the Muliaga family today. (Not that I'm complaining.) And the blogs don't have too much to say either. Everyone's just waiting waiting waiting for more info. How sedate. What's the infoweb going to do: wait.

(I am ignoring the huge photos the daily metropolitans are running of the Muliaga family in their time of need, while, of course, giving nothing but the facts. Go figure.)