Terror alert: That jar of Marmite could be a bomb
One of the most infuriating things about air travel is having to jump through hoops for agents of the criminal state. The cartoon is from the Manawatu Standard of December 28, 2012.
2012 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 13,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 3 Film Festivals
Colonel Blimp (Ret) says . . .
Colonel Blimp (Ret) says . . .
More about ‘irrational Maori ghastliness’
Surely, when someone speaks of “irrational Maori ghastliness with spitting, smugness, self-righteousness and the usual neurotic Maori politics…” he’s launching a diatribe, rather than initiating a debate. I’m not sure how one engages with a person who makes that sort of statement, or even whether one should bother to do so. Perhaps the best thing to do with “broadcaster” Paul Holmes — who once described former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a “cheeky darkie” — is ignore him*. Incidentally, why are New Zealand’s newspaper op-ed pages (totally?) dominated by right-wing columnists like Karl du Fresne — a man who apparently doesn’t realize that the answer to the plight of the Palestinian refugees is justice, not charity. But that point aside, why should the Arab states — or any states, for that matter — facilitate the Zionists’ ethnic cleansing of Palestine?
Returning to the subject of Maori, I find the statement: “No-one in their right mind wants to see Maori fail; every New Zealander has a vital stake in Maori succeeding…” patronizing and condescending. I feel like responding: “But it’s easy to ensure Maori succeed. All you have to do is pat them on the head and give them sixpence. Then, if they don’t perform as expected, you give them a good boot up the backside.” As in much colonialist literature, the statement treats the “native” as a museum specimen, who really should do the “decent thing” and stay in his glass case.
* In September 2003, he [Holmes] repeatedly referred to then-United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a “cheeky darkie” during a rant on his radio show, as well as using “darkie” to refer to black people generally. — Wikipedia.
The brave new world of body scanners
The above editorial is from the Manawatu Standard of February 8, 2012. My reply, which was published on February 10:
Warwick Rasmussen should keep a copy of his editorial Better get used to body scanners (February 8). With a few minor adjustments, he will be able to use it again when the Surveillance State decides to install body scanners in other locations. The United States is already installing scanners at courthouses, and has hinted at the possibility of deploying them at train and subway stations. The entrances to shopping malls are also likely to see the technology introduced.
Don’t worry about the (imposed) dose of radiation you receive every time you pass through one of the devices. It’s unlikely to do you any harm – unless, of course, the machine malfunctions. And your loss of privacy shouldn’t bother you, unless you’re a member of the transgender community, or a person with breast prostheses, prosthetic testicles, a colostomy bag or a catheter. People in the latter category will probably have to have such equipment physically inspected.
Yes, indeed, a small price to pay for safety.
Wall Street protests put Administration in a panic
Cartoon from the Manawatu Standard of October 8, 2011.
Al-Awlaki assassination another blow to the rule of law
My letter to the Manawatu Standard, published on October 6, 2011. Of course, the United States Administration resorts to all sorts of devices and dodges to put a “legal” stamp on its blatantly illegal act (see New York Times article ). Even in this deeply cynical age, it’s shocking to see Obama violate the Constitution he has sworn to uphold.
Bin Laden family’s plan followed with interest
Cartoon from the Manawatu Standard of August 5, 2011.
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