I See Red

If modern ad agency was designing a Stop sign

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Home Truths: 100 gay All Blacks?

For those who missed this article, Home Truths, by Matt Suddain on Sunday, I thought some of you may enjoy it.

Some highlights below.

1. On the whole, we'd have been better off French.  Sure, we would have had to put up with an, at times, oppressive colonial master, gay-ass berets, and a country that glows in the dark, but that, mon ami, is a small price to pay to not be British subjects.

3. Statistically speaking, of the roughly 1000 All Blacks that have served our country, roughly 100 have been gay.  I have no point to make here, I just wanted to see the look on your face. Priceless.

8. Brian Tamaki would make a great PM.  And speaking of brain-drain, I think it's time we gave Bishop Brian Tamaki, God's answer to the Fonz, a bit more credit. Ultra-nationalist, ultra-conservative governments are huge right now. We need a leader who's as rigid and righteous as the sultans of China, Russia, and the US. We need a black/white thinker, someone willing to switch off the rational part of his brain and to answer our most complex socio-political questions with a set of basic, pre-conceived principles lifted straight from an ancient book of Jewish folk stories. Adoption for same-sex couples? Just don't do it. Sex education for teens? Just don't have sex. See? Easy.

Cool new refrigeration technology on the way

This is pretty cool, two more efficient ways of creating refrigeration than the method we've used for over 100 years.  One uses sound:

The result is something called thermoacoustic or sonic refrigeration. Instead of needing a nasty chemical with certain properties, it can use sound to compress and expand helium. Metal plates get hot and cold depending on the motion of the pressure wave; the cold ones refrigerate the fridge.

Ben & Jerry's unveiled its new Sounds Cool freezer during Earth Day in New York. Will you be seeing Sounds Cool refrigerators in Sears anytime soon? Probably not for a few years, but it's nice to know that a clean, efficient, safe new technology is at least in the prototype stage.

The other uses gadolinim-germanium-silicon-iron and a magnet:

They put the gadolinium-germanium-silicon-iron powder into a wheel, then spun the wheel through a high-powered permanent magnet. Part of the wheel got hot. While still in the magnetic field, water was used to cool off the hot part, which was then rotated into the refrigerator. When it leaves the magnetic field it gets cold, as does the inside of the fridge.

So instead of noisy, power-guzzling compressors, this magnetic refrigerator needs a couple of low-power motor to spin the wheel and circulate the water. It's quiet, efficient, and doesn't need any nasty chemicals.

Battle at Kruger

I was hoping the cheeky croc would get one of the lions...

Daughter held captive for 24 years

Sick, sick, sick.  A father has admitted holding his daughter captive for 24 years and fathering 7 children with her.  His wife was unaware that the daughter and 3 children were living in the basement.  He adopted another three children, after telling his wife they were dropped off by his missing daughter.

Bad Powerpoint - I've sat through too many!

Hat Tip: Like to the Lark

RIP Ed

A lot has been said.  I don't feel I need to add much.  This time last year I blogged on Sir Ed being one of my favourite people.  I'm sure we'll all take some time to reflect on the kind of person he was and his impact on NZ and the world.

Goodbye and thanks David

David Russell is one of New Zealand's unsung heroes.  Today was his last day as head of the Consumer Institute after a generation battling for ordinary mum and dad New Zealander.  A man of integrity and intelligence - his farewell blog is here with a number of supportive comments.

Oddjob

I came across this neat website today.  It's called www.oddjob.co.nz and is a place for people to find or offer services for odd jobs!  Like trade me, but for services, rather than goods.

Police - clever tactic

Putting aside the actual issue for a moment, I did think that it was a clever tactical move of the police to have an all female police team at the Wellington Police Station to confront/block those protesting the police and justice system.  The image on the news was a powerful one and visually demonstrated how the police have changed over the past 20 years.  It would have been quite different if it was an all male police lineup. 

In fairness to the police, I do think that the culture within the police has changed a lot in the past 20 years.  There are still some bad eggs - and I've heard the most horrible stories in MPs electorate office of abuse of power by police (particularly towards woman and young people) - but there are now more women police, greater ethnic diversity, 'diversity offices', and better systems and processes.  The gay and lesbian community in particular has noticed a real shift in attitudes over the past 3-4 years and seen a softer and more community focused police force.

My view is that while the police still need to change, it is the justice system and wider issues that should be the focus.  On the specific issue itself that has dominated our headlines, my view is little different from the vast majority of New Zealanders - people like Just Left, Russell Brown, No Right Turn, Span, and others have already done very good posts on the actual issue.  It made me feel sick to the stomach - and in my view Rickards can never return to his role as a policeman.

UPDATE: Span has a report on the hope she felt on what was a difficult march for her to attend.