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?