Book review: Absolute Power

Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, April 22nd, 2008 - 80 comments
Categories: culture - Tags:

As regular readers will know, we’ve long refused to let Robinsod write for us due to his penchant for filth and gutter politics. But seeing as the book he’s offered to review for us is written by Ian Wishart we felt it was somehow appropriate.

Attempting the unreadable
A literary analysis of Absolute Power

abpower.jpgI had high hopes for Absolute Power, I really did. If Faulkner taught us anything with The Sound and the Fury it was that a tale told by an idiot could be a masterpiece, if Nabokov’s Pale Fire offers us any lesson it’s that an exposition of paranoia and madness can make for damn fine reading.

So it was with great literary expectation that I picked up on the first of the excerpts published on Cameron Slater’s blog. I have to say I was disappointed and further reading just brought further disappointment. I mean sure the idiocy, madness and paranoia are all there. So too the stream of consciousness prose, the wild Pynchonesque explosion of detail beyond logic and the refusal to be bound by traditional narratological process. It should have all added up to some kind of masterpiece.

But it hasn’t.

Take for example the following line:

Like all good serial killers, H2 seldom leaves her paw prints at the scene of a crime

WTF??? So she’s like a serial killer dog? Right? That’s a metaphor we’re all familiar with. Especially since Lassie was picked up for disappearing all those LA hookers (in fact I think Wishart may have covered this in his ‘labour has mob connections’ section). Wrong. It’s just lousy writing.

In the much better exposition of madness that is Nabokov’s Pale Fire the insanity is introduced gradually through ever expanding annotations to a fictional long poem made by its crazy protagonist until finally the reader is overwhelmed by the madness and it’s done beautifully. In The Sound and the Fury the main narrator is a man/child named Benjy who is, through some form of intellectual disability, unable to distinguish between past and present. The narratives of his passages are entirely associative and yet they can be mapped out and with the contributions of other narrators can be made sense of. Sadly although Wishart’s narrator is clearly mad we are not brought into it gradually and so cannot appreciate a Nabokovian “knight-shift of the mind” and his logic, which also seems to be associative, offers no decodable sense or meaning as Faulkner’s does.

I have tried all sorts of tricks to unpackage the text of Absolute Power and tried all kinds of comparisons. I thought it might have been written in the mode of the metafictionalists and so co-read it with William Gass and Robert Coover. But they have a philosophical meta-text that provides a key to their reading. Wishart hasn’t. I tried reading it as self-reflexive pot-boiler and co-read it with Phillip K Dick but there was no self-reflexivity. I even tried reading as a work of magical realism alongside Jorge Luis Borges but it was just too nasty and dull to fit that fine genre. In the end I tried to read it as a cultural object, a novel-length manifestation of the impotent rage that is the Kiwiblog comments section and, while it started to make sense that way, what was the point and why would I subject myself to that? So I swapped to reading the backs of cereal packets just to find some relief.

If there is a common thread between most of the masterpieces that feature insane or impaired narrators it is that they are full of the sound and the fury signifying nothing. Wishart’s work is certainly this. But not in the good clever and existential way. More in the ‘man who has been let down by community care’ way. I really can’t understand why he bothered

80 comments on “Book review: Absolute Power ”

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  1. Steve Pierson 1
    22 April 2008 at 10:45 am

    Guests posts were an awesome idea.

    Thanks, Robinsod, for producing what will surely to be only literary critique of Wishart’s joke of a book.

  2. Daveo 2
    22 April 2008 at 10:50 am

    Might this be the first published review of Absolute Power?

  3. Robinsod 3
    22 April 2008 at 10:59 am

    Wow – thanks guys (even if your intro was a bit backhanded!) I’ve got another piece I’m writing entitled “The Peter Burns Project – Rabalasian Situationalism or Lone Nutter?” if you’re interested.

  4. James Kearney 4
    22 April 2008 at 11:20 am

    Where are all the righties I thought would be over here defending Wishart’s reputation? By the looks of it even they’ve give up on him…

  5. Luke 5
    22 April 2008 at 11:39 am

    Wow…. insightful review….good to see the typical attack the messenger mentality is still alive and well…can you refute any allegation made by Ian?

  6. Tane 6
    22 April 2008 at 11:44 am

    Luke’s right Sod – I hear Labour is rife with mafia connections and Helen Clark’s a lesbian. And that stuff about police officials from 16 years ago was truly riveting, and entirely relevant to a biography of Helen Clark.

    “The most explosive political biography ever released in New Zealand”? Nah, Don Brash’s boiled peas and corned beef were more explosive than this poorly written tripe.

  7. Luke 7
    22 April 2008 at 11:48 am

    Tane….have you read the book at all?

  8. Tane 8
    22 April 2008 at 11:51 am

    Yeah, it’s fascinating. I read last night, twice, in the bath. Good to see it’s lived up to all the hype – I hear the leader of the Labour Party had to resign over the corruption it revealed… oh no hang on, that was the other guys wasn’t it?

  9. Monty 9
    22 April 2008 at 11:54 am

    Happy to defend the book. I started reading it last night – I have finished the second chapter. Wishart details the scheming and ruthlessness of Clark and her Government in respect of DooneGate.

    There is no way you would ever write a postive review of a book that damns to Hell, Helen Clark and her senior Ministers (and Heather). Wishart has been thorough in his research, and presents the Doonegate sage with references to back his expose of the corrupt Labour Government.

    I look forward to the rest of the book.

  10. Robinsod 10
    22 April 2008 at 11:54 am

    Hey Luke – I reviewed it as a piece of fiction because it is indeed a piece of fiction. If you doubt this just take a look at how many of his foot notes use words like “unproven” or “still under investigation”. “Refute any allegation”? What a joke.

    Come to think of it Luke – I could say you have been secretly fucking pigs for years, footnote it as “still under investigation” and then ask you to refute it.

    So Luke care to offer any evidence you have not been fucking pigs…

  11. Absolute Power 11
    22 April 2008 at 11:57 am

    Corruption is a concern for every sane New Zealander. A country cannot be built on corruption. We must have political honesty – so we as a society can move forward for the best interests of all New Zealanders. Robinsod your review was pathetic – although you will feel like a pooh bah. Poor deluded chap.
    Ever thought of treatment or therapy’s?

  12. big bruv 12
    22 April 2008 at 12:03 pm

    I agree with Monty, it is a well researched if somewhat difficult read (more to do with Wisharts writing style).

    The revelations are interesting, I was not living in NZ at the time of the Doonegate affair and to find out now what really happened is somewhat concerning given the way dear corrupt leader has developed over the years, the warning signs were all there from day one.

    She is clearly a very nasty piece of work, thankfully the public of NZ have woken up to her corrupt ways.

  13. Robinsod 13
    22 April 2008 at 12:04 pm

    AP – you are a moron. We don’t live in a corrupt society. In fact we regularly rank in the top three for least corrupt countries. That’s the problem with fools like you boy, you don’t live in the real world. In fact it’s worse than that – you willfully spend time and energy convincing yourself everything is awful when it’s not. Here’s a tip – actively lying to yourself in order to make yourself feel even worse about the world is sick.

  14. Billy 14
    22 April 2008 at 12:06 pm

    “So Luke care to offer any evidence you have not been fucking pigs ”

    Robinsod, proudly bringing you the same joke since 1982.

  15. Robinsod 15
    22 April 2008 at 12:09 pm

    Bruv – it’s not a difficult read it’s an awful read. Also see comment to AP above.

    Note to self – do not engage with thick righties.

  16. Luke 16
    22 April 2008 at 12:12 pm

    Robinsod,Wisharts allegations all have some basis…

    Take the second to last chapter…care to offer and counter argument (with proof) that HC and Labours current social policy wasn’t influenced in a major way by the womens league?

  17. Stephen 17
    22 April 2008 at 12:13 pm

    or name-calling?

  18. Absolute Power 18
    22 April 2008 at 12:14 pm

    robinsod police headquarters in Wellington is very corrupt. The book outlines it and other examples from other credible sources convince both me that is the case.

    You seem a hard case bloke, but surely you cannot defend police corruption and surely it is in the best interests of the country to have a police force that can relied on as a force of integrity and fairness.?

    Helen Clark has manipulated the police for her own political means.

  19. big bruv 19
    22 April 2008 at 12:15 pm

    Its an awful read if you are a lying, corrupt Labour supporter or apologist I will give you that.

    What it will show the people of NZ is that our media is useless, dear leader is corrupt and people like you have a selfish vested interest in keeping her in power.

  20. Lyn 20
    22 April 2008 at 12:19 pm

    I laughed my tea out my nose over this. You guys should make a “Robinsod reviews..” series. I’m sure there’s *lots* of stuff out there that would benefit from his unique rendering of reality.

  21. Absolute Power 21
    22 April 2008 at 12:21 pm

    The book is just as damning of the media as it is concerning police and politicians.

    The public have a right to know the truth and no amount of spin can say that is wrong to enlighten the people who didn’t have a clue to all the shameful skullduggeries.

  22. Steve Pierson 22
    22 April 2008 at 12:26 pm

    The media hasn’t even bothered to cover the book. Hollow Men brought on the resignation of Brash, Absolute Power can’t even get Granny Herald to pay attention.

  23. Robinsod 23
    22 April 2008 at 12:27 pm

    robinsod police headquarters in Wellington is very corrupt. The book outlines it and other examples from other credible sources convince both me that is the case.

    What it will show the people of NZ is that our media is useless, dear leader is corrupt and people like you have a selfish vested interest in keeping her in power.

    Wisharts allegations all have some basis

    See now that’s what I mean by Rabelasien. I really do think you folk are part of some strange performance art project (I call it the Peter Burns Project) and probably have significant arts funding to do what you’re doing. And I appreciate your art. I really, really do. I just don’t understand what point it is making.

    Oh and Billy? I wouldn’t need to keep telling the same joke if fools like Wishart didn’t keep running the same boring pig-f**king arguments.

  24. Tane 24
    22 April 2008 at 12:28 pm

    Steve, you forgot Stuff.co.nz’s coverage: Clark dismisses book by ‘creep’

  25. Luke 25
    22 April 2008 at 12:29 pm

    speaking of art…. any evidence against paintergate and the cover up there?…. oh wait its easy just to call Wishart a nut job isn’t it?

  26. Luke 26
    22 April 2008 at 12:32 pm

    Tane, thats pretty typical of Clark…as outlined in the book she hardly ever provides evidence against ANY allegation put up against the government… take the Enviroment Ministry scandal as an example… governments first move was to attack those involved.

  27. Tane 27
    22 April 2008 at 12:32 pm

    Luke, I think what makes your lot a laughing stock is your insistence on harping back to irrelevant mini-scandals as if they have any meaning today.

    I mean, who honestly gives a damn about whether Helen Clark signed someone else’s painting years ago for a charity auction? And why would you write a book about it now? There’s a lot Labour can be fairly criticised for after eight and a half years in government, but Wishart’s completely off-target and off-message.

    I almost feel sorry for him, he’s obviously put a lot of time and effort into this and all he’s got to show for it is a half-hearted defence from the Kiwiblog Right.

  28. Luke 28
    22 April 2008 at 12:34 pm

    Tane, if paintergate was a one off i would agree with you….however add on corngate, speedogate, doonegate….seeing a common ground here? Labour has trouble with the truth at appears.

  29. Robinsod 29
    22 April 2008 at 12:42 pm

    Luke – You forgot gategate, gategategate and the fiasco that was gategategategate. I’m certainly seeing common ground here. Perhaps we could bundle them all into Lukegate.

    P.S. Gate.

    Oh my god! Captcha is “complain become” – it’s like the right’s philosophy of being has finally been revealed! I whinge therefore I am…

  30. Matthew Pilott 30
    22 April 2008 at 12:45 pm

    I haven’t been paying much attention to “Absolute Power” due to some particularly inane comments; I thought it was a manifestation of some other commentators I’ll forgo mentioning. Are you guys now saying there’s an entire book out by a person with the literary skill to inflict us all with horrors such as ‘shameful skullduggeries‘ and ‘Ever thought of treatment or therapy’s‘? I won’t even start on ‘convince both me that is the case‘…

    Tell me this is some kind of joke.

  31. Tane 31
    22 April 2008 at 12:49 pm

    Matt: I’m not sure whether our commenter Absolute Power is Ian Wishart, or just wishes he was. Either way it’s pretty sad.

  32. r0b 32
    22 April 2008 at 12:49 pm

    The media hasn’t even bothered to cover the book. Hollow Men brought on the resignation of Brash, Absolute Power can’t even get Granny Herald to pay attention.

    Aye Steve. I took a stroll down memory lane to compare the reception of The Hollow Men vs Absolute Power.

    The Hollow Men

    There was plenty of pre-publication coverage, including the full text of the preface by ex National MP Marilyn Waring:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10411765

    I would expect the content of The Hollow Men to be very shocking to a serious number of those in the current National caucus … The book will also shock the good, genuine party people … The focus may be on looking for and condemning the leakers, as opposed to scrutinising an appallingly mendacious [2005 election] political campaign.

    The book had huge pre-orders in major bookshops, and of course the day it was published (Friday November 24 2006) it was the main news story:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10412115

    Hager Book: Brash assisted to power by business lobby

    Nicky Hager’s book The Hollow Men hitting bookshop shelves today aims to give an insight into the dealings behind the National party. …

    The final chapters of The Hollow Men deal with the funding behind the National Party designed to add millions of dollars to the election campaign without breaching National’s $2.24 million legal spending cap

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10412282

    Hager Book: Brash knew of Brethren campaign

    Leading National Party figures received correspondence in May 2005 telling them the Exclusive Brethren were planning a major election pamphlet campaign, investigative author Nicky Hager’s new book says. …

    Mr Hager today said a key claim he could now reveal was that on May 24 the Brethren put their plans for a $1 million campaign in writing to Dr Brash and National’s finance spokesman John Key.

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0611/S00418.htm

    Since the injunction was finally lifted shortly before midday today C.D. Sludge aand the Scoop Team have been furiously speed-reading Nicky Hager’s expose of the life and times of National Party Leader Don Brash a.k.a. Hollow Men: A Study In The Politics Of Deception. …

    The line-reading, message management and general deceptivity that seemingly characterises Dr Don Brash’s conduct as National Party Leader has continued as it were till the final hurdle.

    And of course, the allegations contained in the book were so irrefutable and so damaging that they ended Don Brash’s political career:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10412121

    Don Brash gone at lunchtime

    Don Brash has resigned as leader of the National Party after weeks of speculation about a coup against him.

    Dr Brash, who took over as leader in October 2003 after rolling Bill English in a coup, called a press conference at 1pm after mounting revelations about his leadership in a book by researcher Nicky Hager.

    Now let’s compare that with…

    Absolute Power

    I was going to say nothing nada zip, but that’s not quite true, it did get a mention in an article about the Police Commissioner:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10505173

    Police Commissioner again under fire
    April 20, 2008

    Embattled deputy Police Commissioner Rob Pope has been linked in a new book to a convicted heroin importer

    I hope all those that rushed out and paid for their copy feel they got value for money!

  33. Robinsod 33
    22 April 2008 at 12:50 pm

    Don’t worry MP – I’m pretty certain it’s some kind of convoluted cultural project. I expect it to be presented at the next Venice bienalle though after et al’s braying dunny piece a few years ago they may start thinking we are an artistic one-trick-pony…

  34. Steve Pierson 34
    22 April 2008 at 12:50 pm

    The habit of labelling every mini-scandal ‘x-gate’, no matter how minor or whether it has any similarities to Watergate, is the single worst aspect of New Zealand political debate, except for Peter Dunne.

    So unimaginative, so bloody cliche. And it doesn’t even make any sense – the Watergate is the name of the hotel that republican operatives broke into to steal democratic party information. The ‘-gate’ suffix has nothing to do with the fact that this was a scandal (that brought down Nixon). So why the hell do we end scandals in ‘-gate’?

  35. Tane 35
    22 April 2008 at 12:54 pm

    Steve, probably because if you kept banging on about “that time Helen Clark’s car went really fast to get a rugby match on time” you’d be laughed out of the political debate?

  36. Scribe 36
    22 April 2008 at 12:56 pm

    Tane,

    I mean, who honestly gives a damn about whether Helen Clark signed someone else’s painting years ago for a charity auction?

    It goes to character and judgement. To think it was OK to do such a thing raises serious questions about someone’s character and judgement, IMHO.

    I lived overseas at the time and was gobsmacked when I heard about it.

    Now, of course all politicians do silly things from time to time, as Luke has mentioned (and Ian has tried to compile into his book). But when that person is the sitting PM, it makes me sit up and take notice. And certainly remember it on election day.

    Regarding the time lapse between an action and the ongoing fallout, one could make the same claim about some people’s infatuation with John Key’s views on the Springbok tour. That’s 27 years ago.

  37. r0b 37
    22 April 2008 at 1:03 pm

    It goes to character and judgement

    Does it indeed. So Scribe, what do you make of the character and judgement of a politician who uses their political clout and connections to management to silence a working journalist?

  38. James Kearney 38
    22 April 2008 at 1:05 pm

    Scribe- the issue isn’t about what Key thought 27 years ago, it’s the fact he can’t get his story straight now.

  39. r0b 39
    22 April 2008 at 1:06 pm

    So why the hell do we end scandals in ‘-gate’?

    This is typical of the way that languages just kinda happen. Though I agree that it’s a pretty annoying example!

  40. Absolute Power 40
    22 April 2008 at 1:08 pm

    Brian Edwards: “But is it possible to be totally honest in politics?”
    Helen Clark: “It’s possible never to tell a lie.”

    Yeah right.

  41. Historian 41
    22 April 2008 at 1:08 pm

    The international leaders’ legacy of shame:

    Bush, Blair, Howard – Iraq.

    Clark – a painting.

    Oh, New Zealand, how did we LET THIS HAPPEN? How can you all SLEEP AT NIGHT? It’s like … somebody’s feelings might have been HURT! That’s just like bombing thousands of people and KILLING them ALL! It’s EVIL! Our leader makes me SICK! Where is my MEDICAYSHUN oh god oh god …

  42. Robinsod 42
    22 April 2008 at 1:13 pm

    Brian Edwards: “But is it possible to be totally honest in politics?’
    Helen Clark: “It’s possible never to tell a lie.’

    Yeah right.

    I love that touch – the tui “yeah right” has been so thrashed by mainstream New Zealand that it’s only the very fringes that would employ it without a sense of irony. And yet you do exactly that AP. The genius you show in working that level of detail into your banality shtick is staggering.

  43. Higherstandard 43
    22 April 2008 at 1:15 pm

    Historian

    Perhaps you should spread your net more widely and look at Mugabe, Kim Jong iL and their like in the hall of shame.

    While I realise it’s fashionable to take the Mickey out of Bush, Blair and Howard they are not in the same league as the real despots.

    Captcha ordinance patients.

    Very apt with the arms shipments from China into Zimbabwe.

  44. roger nome 44
    22 April 2008 at 1:17 pm

    Sod – you sure are an esoteric toss-pot, but an entertaining one at that. In any case, thanks for finding my next two novels to paw through (neither of them include “absolute paranoia”).

  45. Absolute Power 45
    22 April 2008 at 1:21 pm

    Staggering that I fail too understand your point robinsod? Oh that’s right, Labour good National bad. Dam it, just can’t resist this review of yours, as that would have to be an irreproachable presumption of fact I presume?

    Are you still learning the art of language?

  46. Scribe 46
    22 April 2008 at 1:23 pm

    r0b,

    So Scribe, what do you make of the character and judgement of a politician who uses their political clout and connections to management to silence a working journalist?

    [I will respond on the assumption that the allegation is true]

    Well, I’d think that he’s within his rights to make such advances and the newspaper/editor/publisher that succumbs to such advances is an embarrassment to the journalistic profession. (Speaking as a working journalist)

    James,

    Scribe- the issue isn’t about what Key thought 27 years ago, it’s the fact he can’t get his story straight now.

    Mike Williams can’t get his story straight 27 hours after the event, so it just goes to show that politicians — and people involved in politics — often duck and weave and bob.

    The fact of the matter is Key is probably better than some politicians and worse than others when it comes to integrity/character/trustworthiness etc.

  47. Historian 47
    22 April 2008 at 1:25 pm

    No Higher Standard only HELEN KLARK is like Mugabe it says so on the billboards and the blogs they speak the TRUTH she is Corupt and much worse than ANY Leader in the WORLD except one or two or many or most or maybe all of them where is my MEDICAYSHUN oh god oh god …

  48. Robinsod 48
    22 April 2008 at 1:26 pm

    Roger – no worries. I reckon you’ll like pale fire the most.

    AP – I don’t recall mentioning either Labour or National in my review. Perhaps you need to get you reading comprehension up to speed. I’d offer to school you some more but I’m getting so very bored of it…

  49. roger nome 49
    22 April 2008 at 1:31 pm

    AP:

    I thought it was well understood that Wishart is nothing more than a paranoid idiot? The guy’s favorite line is “according to a source that has requested to not be named” – any person that doesn’t discount that straight off just has a problem with logic – or their desire to believe has over-powered their critical faculties? Do you understand now?

  50. Absolute Power 50
    22 April 2008 at 1:33 pm

    Robinsod thank you for the kind offer of schooling but I don’t like pre school much. Are you as thick as a brick? Please don’t answer me. Thank you.

    One could argue that the Labourites are not honest people who have retained the penchant for abusive invective and a zest for character assassinations.

  51. Robinsod 51
    22 April 2008 at 1:35 pm

    Ha! that’s right AP. Thick as. Not all smart and right like you is. Just keep telling yourself that bro and I’m sure the spiders won’t come for you again…

  52. Dave 52
    22 April 2008 at 1:46 pm

    AP: ‘One could argue that the Labourites are not honest people who have retained the penchant for abusive invective and a zest for character assassinations.’

    Earlier: AP to Robinsod: ‘Poor deluded chap. Ever thought of treatment or therapy’s?’

    Voting Labour, eh AP?

    Captcha: supportive as

  53. higherstandard 53
    22 April 2008 at 1:46 pm

    No doubt those who bother to read this book will find whatever they want within it’s pages for those who vilify Helen Clark it will confirm their vilification for those that believe she’s a good Prime Minister there will be nothing of any merit.

    Will this book do anything to convince voters one way or another, I have not read it, but I doubt it very much.
    Those of fixed political leanings will continue to vote as they have always done while the swinging voters who decide the election will be more motivated to vote in relation to the state of their finances and standard of living and who they believe will offer them better opportunities over the next four years.

  54. big bruv 54
    22 April 2008 at 1:48 pm

    Fucking get back to work sod, the rest of us are paying your wages and we expect a decent days work out of you.

  55. Joker 55
    22 April 2008 at 2:00 pm

    This review really took me back.

    The last time I remember a reviewer including a mention of every other book they had read in their report was Jenny Watkins review of “Curious George” back in prima two.

    A truly immpresive feat.

  56. Absolute Power 56
    22 April 2008 at 2:03 pm

    Anybody who reads this book and then goes and votes Labour are condoning widespread corruption.

  57. Robinsod 57
    22 April 2008 at 2:28 pm

    Anybody who reads this book and then goes and votes Labour are condoning widespread corruption.

    You’re dead right there AP. No hold on… I just checked the endnotes and that claim is “still under investigation”. Better take a raincheck on that opinion buddy.

    Oh and Joker? That’s really clever. And I mean that. I really do.

  58. r0b 58
    22 April 2008 at 2:40 pm

    I would like to nominate the following quote, apparently Wishart on Wishart, for an award of some kind. I’m open to suggestions as to what kind of award might be appropriate:

    Investigate says Ian Wishart “could face possible arrest and prosecution under the anti-free speech portions of the controversial new law – specifically a clause that covers political books”.

    This little gem appears on the page:

    http://davegee.blogspot.com/2008/03/ian-wishart-investigates-power-hungry.html

    (Note that the only mention of books in the EFA is to exclude them as examples of election advertisements Part 1 Section 5 (2) (e).)

  59. Matthew Pilott 59
    22 April 2008 at 2:54 pm

    Absolute Power, I have a News Flash: The Labour Party Eats Babies. Literally*.

    If you read my post, and then go on to vote Labour, you are condoning the widespread consumption of babies.

    *claim still under investigation

  60. Absolute Power 60
    22 April 2008 at 2:58 pm

    Matthew Pilott, that is so witless I just smacked my face with a wet bus ticket.

  61. higherstandard 61
    22 April 2008 at 3:01 pm

    Mat

    I have already confirmed that it’s John Key and the National party that eats babies, surely Labour aren’t copying this policy.

    Appears you are getting as bored with the mindless attacks from either side as myself we can only hope for some rational debate at some stage. (A vain hope probably)

  62. Billy 62
    22 April 2008 at 3:04 pm

    “I have already confirmed that it’s John Key and the National party that eats babies, surely Labour aren’t copying this policy.”

    It’s all part of a shameful drive to occupy the centre ground.

  63. Robinsod 63
    22 April 2008 at 3:06 pm

    I blame the baby-eating swing voters…

  64. Matthew Pilott 64
    22 April 2008 at 3:16 pm

    Absolute Power – that doesn’t make sense on any level. Did you know that a ‘slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket’ is an allusion to a punishment considered too lenient in comparison to the offence? If so, why the face and not the wrist? Is this trying to make a weak punishment more severe? Granted, it would be marginally less pleasant, and perhaps more degrading if administered in front of a suitably large group, but other than that… And why would you administer a metaphorically weak punishment upon yourself due to a percieved ‘witless’ comment of mine? Shouldn’t you be slapping me with said bus ticket? On a medium such as this you can say you’re doing it without the requirement to physically administer the act, you could have gone with that angle… Or are you doing so in recognition that your original argument was such a fantastic non sequitur that philosophy text books from time immemorial to infinity may use it as an example? If so, I think you deserve more that a wet bus ticket slapping. Even if cranially self-administered.

    higherstandard – probably not on this thread 😉

  65. Jon 65
    22 April 2008 at 3:23 pm

    So the credibility of the source has nothing to do with it? We know Hagar’s source is a criminal hacker or thief, whereas Wishart obviously wont name his (unless legally compelled to).

    If anyone says they would not be embarrassed by something in their personal emails then they are lying (or confused)
    I’m sure Robinsod wouldn’t like anything to be disclosed in his interest in fucking pigs, (and asking Luke if he does it too)

  66. higherstandard 66
    22 April 2008 at 3:26 pm

    MP

    Perhaps tomorrow I hear National have released some policy around Broadband etc which should be worth debating once I’ve seen it – surprisingly quite at work today expected it to be a fiasco with the JD’s striking, touch wood it’ll stay quite for the next 24-48 hours.

  67. randal 67
    22 April 2008 at 3:28 pm

    eventually it will find its way like its magazine infestedmate into the family shop pile of free books and if I’ve got a few spare minutes I will tear the pages out of the cover, roll them them up and make artificial LOGS for the fire with it. At present I am reading several other books with more content in the cover flaps than anything I have ever read by wishart and I dont believe anything has changed. He seems intent of letting the average kiwi view himas a congenital idiot so I will not get in the way of his lifework.
    As for people who read wishart and then promote him they seem to be lowbrows with low iq’s and low opinions of their fellow man and see their mission as domination of anyone unfortunate enough to fall within their purview.

  68. Robinsod 68
    22 April 2008 at 3:43 pm

    Jon – that interest has already been disclosed:

    http://newzblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/pig-fucking/

    And I can tell you that unlike Luke’s it is strictly professional…

  69. Matthew Pilott 69
    22 April 2008 at 3:57 pm

    HS – hope it all goes well! – it’s hard to get a handle on that dispute actually, and what would consitute a reasonable demand/offer…

    There was something on Stuff about broadband today, or maybe the Herald. 1.5 Billion for a fibre-optic rollout maybe. I have an f-o connection – it’s good, but not quite the ducks’ nuts…

    Cap: Platz Outreach – I must be watching The Scorpions’ Wind of Change!

  70. Harrison 70
    22 April 2008 at 5:07 pm

    I don’t think the book could be any worse than Robinsod’s review!

  71. Robinsod 71
    22 April 2008 at 5:12 pm

    The sad thing is that yes it is indeed worse that my review. And considerably so. It also contains less facts (despite having considerably more words in it) and isn’t as funny. In fact I may yet contact Wishart’s publisher to ask them if they would be interested in signing me for a four-book deal.

  72. Psycho.Milt 72
    22 April 2008 at 8:05 pm

    Guys, read back through Absolute Power’s comments while pondering Dad4Justice’s writing style, cleaned up to disguise the author. Just a thought.

  73. lprent 73
    22 April 2008 at 8:28 pm

    My compliments to the commentators. After I saw this post go up this morning, I was fully expecting to have to be heavy-handed with lots of bold and black sometime during the day.

    I wasn’t looking forward to it as I have a bit too much code to do at present. But the comments didn’t step too far over the edge.

    But I didn’t have to waste my time once. And I didn’t see any of the moderators having to do it either.

    The only problem I have is with the steadily growing size of the 5 backups the site sends to my home server every morning. They ran out to 9:32 this morning which means that they ran for over 4 hours. I’ll have to move them to start earlier or get some more bandwidth….

  74. r0b 74
    22 April 2008 at 10:21 pm

    I hear John Key is going to bring fibre to your home Lynn – that ought to sort it (for a while!).

  75. lprent 75
    22 April 2008 at 10:33 pm

    Ah but is it at a price I can afford.

    Mind you it wasn’t that long ago that I had 2 ISDN’s in here (about 1997 ?). That replaced the 4 phone lines that I multiplexed a link to the net with.

    I was really glad to get my first ADSL router – Nokia M1100 (I think that was the number) in 2001 according to the service sticker. Coughs as he hauls it out from under the desk and brushes the dust off. My comms bill went down quite a lot.

  76. r0b 76
    22 April 2008 at 10:39 pm

    What were you doing with so much bandwidth so long ago? No need to answer – rhetorical question – but that’s pretty hardcore geek!

  77. Andrew Bannister 77
    24 April 2008 at 4:31 pm

    “Tane, if paintergate was a one off i would agree with you .however add on corngate, speedogate, doonegate”

    Yes, I see it too. They all contain the word “gate”. Good spotting.

  78. Billy 78
    30 April 2008 at 12:02 pm

    I encourage people to read the comments here:

    http://poneke.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/wish-2/

  79. r0b 79
    30 April 2008 at 2:45 pm

    Not often I agree with Billy. But if you have the time, there’s lot’s going on in that thread.

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