Comedy Review

Went to a superb comedy gig tonight:

http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2011/apr/wellington/wellington-raw-comedy-quest-finals

The winner was Sam Smith but I preferred the runner up Aaron Pike, did some very edgy stuff, try Hitler, BBQ retail chains 100 years into the future and horrendous gas bills and something to do with `Droppin it while it's Hot!'

Dan Shen -Ton was very cool - he definitely ventured over to the dark side, made even more humourous given his hutt valley bent on dodgy porn, big future for Dan, any small town pub in the country - he will go off...

Jim Stanton was the MC and boy has she got some style now, she also has a dark side, but dressed so nicely and done so tastefully, see you Jimmy.

Jerome Chandrahasen

is doing the business alright, Wellington comedy has never been in better shape at the fringe level, bloody good son.

Solicitor General in the Ureweras.

The solicitor-general is not commenting on a request for him to stop the prosecution of 18 people accused of taking part in camps where firearms were allegedly used in the Ureweras.  Law Professor Jane Kelsey and lawyer Moana Jackson say they have the backing of 150 prominent Maori, academics, and social justice campaigners in asking Dave Collins QC, to halt the trials. A spokesman for Dr Collins said he had received the letter and did not want to comment on it as he was still smelling it.

source: Dom Post

Wonder who the other 148 are?  Possibilities include, Nicky Hager, that greenpeace chick with the mustache, Syd and Willie maybe? Any ideas? 

ACTing Up

You can Rod but you can't Hide.  The Rod or the Brash, hard call - might need to kick the tyres on this one eh Sharkey.

Cuts signal end to global dominance

Outstanding article in the Dom Post today (print only) from the Times detailing how the Trillions that the U.S. now owes China are having an impact - FINALLY - on Pentagon budgets.  

Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, (always liked the use of the word joint for that very reason) stated, `The most significant threat to our national security is our debt.'

Now they just gotta learn how to say that in Chinese and make sure y'all keep up with the weekly payments or there's gonna be a lot more Crouching Lackey, Hidden Trumpy going on.

The Line Up

1. Annette Sykes has never been far from the front-line of Maori activism.

    Ms Sykes is Tame Iti's lawyer in the upcoming Tuhoe terror raids trial. 

    She advised activist Mike Smith after he chopped down the tree on 

    One Tree Hill.

2. Veteran activist Angeline Greensill. Ms Greensill learnt the trade off her 

    mother Eva Rickard, who once declared their tribal area near Raglan 

    an independent state.

3. Harawira loyalist Merana Pitman – a long-time activist for Maori 

    sovereignty – is   good to go in Ikaroa-Rawhiti. 

So it really will be a war between the Mana and the Maori parties this election – the so-called truce, where they wouldn't stand against each other is all but over.

Now watch for the Maori Party to fight back.

Their words not mine and yea it shall cometh and I will strike down with great vengence and fuuurious anger.... those who attempt to destroy my brothers...

And while they are staunch activists, Mr Harawira says Pakeha have nothing to fear.  Cue Tui Billboard.

source: http://www.3news.co.nz/Harawira

Hone's new crew

Wooh Hoo Hone's bringing it.  Fierce line up so far for the new party - now I'm looking forward to this election, this could definitely be the last MMP election I reckon.  Tino rasta tira tanga.

Feeding Frenzy

Maybe the Roxy should think about a pre featurette, Weta could make the piranhas dressed as parkwise wardens having a feeding frenzy while they are parked up in the theatre.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4907565/Miramar-moviegoers-ticketed

And then we get this from the Wellington ratepayer funded Grow Wellington web site

Screen and Digital

Wellington is home to world-class screen industry talent and technology.  We lead or contribute to sector-wide projects that: connect our industry to global markets, assist in project or corporate financing, provide infrastructure and coworking facilities and enhance our region’s educational offering.
We support a range of  initiatives including industry event, AnimFX NZ , and the NZSO’s orchestral scoring stage developments. Our aim is to double the revenue of the industry by 2025 and to make Wellington globally recognised as a centre of excellence in the screen and digital sector.

Except when you open a new suburban cinema where you are supposed to be able to park after 6.00 p.m. for free, unlimited time right? No, no no this is a fleecing opportunity, go the Wellington Parking enforcement contractors, got the best revenue figures in the country, now that's something to be proud of eh?

Royal Fucking Wedding

'Ere's a laff for ya.  On the Telegraph today the invites are all out and a wide spectrum of  guests have received an invitation, including the postman, pub landlord and butcher but not Blair and Brown - brilliant fuckin news bet Squishy Bushy won't be there either:)

.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/

Anzac Day

Yep it's Anzac Day and this year especially I think these lyrics seem very fitting, almost like some kind of prophecy maybe - jah rastafari.

War lyrics by Bob Marley
What life has taught me
I would like to share with
Those who want to learn...

Until the philosophy which hold one race
Superior and another inferior
Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned
Everywhere is war, me say war

That until there are no longer first class
And second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man's skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes
Me say war

That until the basic human rights are equally
Guaranteed to all, without regard to race
Dis a war

That until that day
The dream of lasting peace, world citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion
[-  -]
To be persued, but never attained
Now everywhere is war, war

And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique,
South Africa sub-human bondage
Have been toppled, utterly destroyed
Well, everywhere is war, me say war

War in the east, war in the west
War up north, war down south
War, war, rumours of war

And until that day, the African continent
Will not know peace, we Africans will fight
We find it necessary and we know we shall win
As we are confident in the victory

Of good over evil, good over evil, good over evil
Good over evil, good over evil, good over evil
(From http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/bob-marley-lyrics/war-lyrics.html )

Oh and another Thing

While Pascoe was being given the budget to spend up large on his special wee operations group in the Ureweras there was an actual gunman with actual bullets running around actually shooting people and his name is Graeme Burton...Painting with Broad brush stokes indeed....

Taika's joining the Fray

So Taika has decided to fight the good fight.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/features/4916738/Enter-the-taniwha

Good that he's chosen an issue close to home thereby giving him a great deal more cred than others in the movie business that attach themselves to the cause du jour believing their `star' power will somehow influence the great unwashed to jump on board - where's that Tui billboard when you need it?

Operation 8 - Deep in the Forest

This is the review the Whale chose not to publish.

I have just watched the world premiere of Operation 8.

http://www.cutcutcut.com/Operation8.html

This trial has the potential to divide this country in the same way that the 81 tour did dovetailing so nicely into the lead up to the RWC.  When you can get John Minto and Ross Muerant to agree on the complete abuse of State Power you know you're on to something really big.

The theatre was full of the usual suspects, the left wing mal-contents, the leading Wellington politeratti, a fair chunk of  white middle class suburbanites and one police plant. He was the only one that didn't clap at the end and asked the only contrary question in the Q&A at the conclusion of the screening.

Remember when we all became familiar with the term `to cherry pick intelligence' remember when Rumsfeld wanted us all to know more about the known unknowns?  Or was it the unknown unknowns' I can't remember but anyway he got his special operations group to cherry pick enough lies to make up a nice we power point presentation for Colon at the UN.

Well Detective Sergeant Alan Pascoe is guilty of exactly the same offence and Broad was our Rumsfeld in the whole affair.

So why do I believe that this could be as big as the 81 tour?  Because this is not a Taika Waititi movie about some hard case kids on the coast that we can all laugh at, this is going to divide Maori in this country like nothing else since 81.  On one side you will have Tama, Hone, Moana Jackson and everyone else who thinks those white mofos have been ripping them off for years and on the other side you will have Parata, Solomon and all the other toadies who want to protect their suction rights within the state trough.

Very well made doco that will have the same cinematic significance as PATU.

review by Gaskranken