Suffer Little Children...

Without humour there is no humanity; without humanity there is no humour. I think that just about sums up George W. Bush. Any humour, and indeed humanity, during his eight terrible years in office was mostly unintentional. Mercifully, he is largely forgotten (hidden?) these days though his acts in office are not. Not forgotten—and no longer hidden—the seemingly endless and tragic stream of infants beaten-up and killed by relatives and family acquaintances in this country. Another this week.
One can’t find any humour there nor does one look. Still less: humanity. These people do not have humanity; they seem barely human. Yet it is we in society—implied white society—who are held accountable for these atrocities while they are held as victims to that society. Surely we must bring to an end this resilient, archaic view and face the awful but I think accurate truth that something intrinsic is at work here. God help us, and our children.

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Now playing: Leonard Cohen - The Gypsy's Wife
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The Baron of Boring

Today I am going on a mystery bus tour to a destination that remains, well, a mystery. I have no great aversion to being on a bus, and none at all to my fellow travellers whom are all good people. What I have is an aversion to the unknown. I like to know where I am going. I like to plan and I have no great tolerance for adventure. That makes me I think as boring as a room in Hamilton full of South Africans talking soccer. But that is the way I am; everyman’s John Key, Canada and Hillary Clinton wrapped up in one—the Baron of boring. But it takes people like me to make people like you look exciting. It’s relative. I am sure that with your thirst and passion you feel you live exciting lives. I am sure you have just sprung out of bed and cannot wait to push on into the new day mining it for every gem of adventure and sensation that you think with confidence it will undoubtedly contain. And at the end of the day when you have exhausted it and yourself you will no doubt be replete with stimulating memories and rather than climaxing there you will turn your mind to the next day and be full of eager anticipation. I admire that. I envy that. And if it didn’t make you sound so much like a born-again Christian I might even like that. But anticipation, eager or otherwise, tends to bypass Helensville on a cold Fryday morning. In fact I may just well have seen it go past on a bus. Just not my bus. I think I will go back to bed. Enjoy your day; Kevin have a great birthday.

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Now playing: Mindy Smith - Edge Of Love
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Bain in the Butt

I don’t know whether it is Robin or David Bain who is guilty. I am tempted to say I don’t care, but I suppose I have to believe it is in everyone’s interest that justice is seen to be done and that whomever is responsible for this crime is brought to that justice…provided they are still alive. However I am on surer ground when I say my lack of an opinion can be fully justified because I wasn’t at any of the trials and I never heard the evidence in full, so any opinion I could have would be pure unsubstantiated speculation.
So, I have no opinion.
But what I do have is repulsion for Joe Karam and David Bain’s self-laudatory “defence team.” Karam and that team remind me of Sea Shepherd—disingenuous, irrevocable and patronising. But what really gets me is the news today that they (the Bain team) is suing Trade Me. Why? Because of messages about Bain posted by the public on Trade Me’s message board.
Now, whilst I acknowledge that I have no opinion on this case I also acknowledge that there are others who have. In my view they are entitled to air those opinions in any forum. That’s democracy. If Karam retains the right to say Bain (David) is innocent why is he of the counter view that someone should not be allowed to have a contrary view? It is after all just a matter of opinion and we are all entitled to exercise ours. Aren’t we?
So, for what it’s worth Joe stick to your case and get off ours.

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Now playing: Various Artists - Bad Company - Bad Company
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