Freemind NZ

I was once a devout royalist, but now...

2005-01-29T21:14:00.000-08:00

...I'm heading towards republicanism.

Why? When I was growing up I simply assumed the Queen was our Queen and to be idolised. My grandfather (an ex-colonial from Kenya) was even more devoutly royalist - when the grandparents came down for Xmas, they'd stand up when the Queen delivered her annual Xmas speech.

But events of the 90s have changed my thinking. Charles and Di's split, her death and the many scandals that have plagued the royals, hyped up by the UK tabloid press, have shown the royals to be human after all, with all the failings humans have. They're now treated like celebrities, the paparazzi tailing them everywhere. However, unlikely movie and rock stars, they haven't chosen to be the centre of this attention - they have to endure it because they were born to their position.

Take the recent scandal concerning Prince Harry and the swastika. Some people have claimed the prince shouldn't have done it because he's a role model. Hell, he didn't chose to be a role model! I wouldn't be at all surprised if Harry and/or William decide one day that they don't want to be a part of this lifestyle at all and want to opt out of the monarchy.

However, I don't think NZ should become a republic right now. Too many Kiwis (esp older ones) still identify with the monarchy, so change can wait a while. But hopefully only while Queen Elizabeth II is on the throne. Not only should we be thinking of the way of life that's been imposed on the royal family, but NZ should strengthen its identity as an independent nation in the South Pacific.

Don Brash speech - what haven't we heard before?

2005-01-26T01:54:00.000-08:00

Pretty predictable Don Brash speech at Orewa - sounds like another attempt to scavenge votes - this time most probably from the few who still vote Act.

Like all previous 'get tough on welfare' speeches, he seems to ignore one segment of welfare recipients - those doing valuable 'unpaid' community work. I'm not talking about all voluntary work - I mean such work done that benefits the community, eg helping at hospitals, tidying up stream banks etc. The kind of work that would be proper paid work if only the money was directly available to pay for it. In fact alot of this work used to be paid work before reforms in the 80s and 90s slashed funding available for councils, hospitals etc. BTW I'm not talking about work done for partisan groups promoting a particular agenda, whether they be political , environmental, or religious.

I also believe that a much better way to make it more attractive to work rather than stay on a benefit, would be to make a proportion, say $5000, of everyone's annual earnings tax free. Actually, only the Greens have that in their policy platform - unfortunately I wouldn't be surprised if some right-wingers might dismiss the idea, only (subconsciously) because they couldn't fathom the idea of agreeing with the Green Party.

Way into the future

2005-01-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what life on earth might be like 5, 50, 100, and 200 million years in the future? I've just been looking at After Man by Dougal Dixon, which postulates, assuming that humans are long extinct, what animals populate the planet in 50 million years time. What sort of creatures then? Well, rabbits have become large grazers, rodents (and some primates) have become the major carnivores, and a species of penguin has become the largest marine creature!

Also by Dixon (and others), The Future is Wild offers snapshots of life 5, 100, and 200 millions years hence. In these scenarios, mammals eventually become extinct, a race of gigantic (about 5 times the size of an African Elephant!) tortoises roam the grasslands, and eventually giant squid leave the oceans to become land creatures! This book is based on a TV series modelled on Walking with Dinosaurs - let's hope we either see it on TV here or at least we can get the DVD.

Some interesting CDs etc

2005-01-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

Another summery day here in Christchurch NZ - must be payback for all the wet wintry weather earlier this summer.

Anyway here's a few recent interesting CDs I've listened to:

A Ghost is Born, by Wilco - Lead guitarist and vocalist Jeff Tweedy should be judged as a guitar legend alongside Clapton and Hendrix going by some of the riffing on this album. Continues the experimental vein of the previous album (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), this time with surrealistic, often bluesy tunes. Takes a few listens to fully appreciate, but worth the effort. But 2 great songs - Hummingbird and Theologians - are instantly catchy, and really stick in your head.

Lifeblood, by the Manic Street Preachers - not one the manics best releases, but still containing a number of powerfully melodic tracks with interesting lyrics.

Let's Bottle Bohemia, by the Thrills - The 1st 4 tracks on this CD are very catchy and powerful, but the rest of the album doesn't disappoint either. Quite a bit more influence from their Irish homeland than on their laidback California style of their previous album.

A bit more

2005-01-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

Hello again

Welcome to my blog site - here's a brief summary of what I'll be like. I'm generally what you'd describe as leftwing as far as politics is concerned, though I veer to the right on a few things, such as the punishment of violent criminals. But my blogs won't be just political rants - I'll also be reviewing music, films and books I've listened to, watched or read.

Intro

2005-01-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

I've just started this blog. Unfortunately, this is all I have to say so far - just give me a bit of time and I'll be back. (to quote the governor of California)