Christmas

Cry babies: Ming Xi and the City Mission tourists 

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We started our Saturday by paying our respects to Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., the hard-charging US Army general whose forces smashed the Iraqi army in the 1991 Gulf War.  He died aged 78.  At The Standard 2012 Worst Political Blog Mike Smith is told some home truths about long term grass-roots Labour families heading for the Greens.  A quick vid on how to put out a boat fire the Kiwi way is next, followed by a vote for Best Minister.  The winner, at 52%, is Judith Collins.  The Whale Week That Was summarised all the stories this blog covered in the previous seven days.  A quite active Saturday Debate (for the time of year especially) led a post calling for nominations for Best Political Blog.  Those who see WOBH as any sort of threat to them (and those that don’t too), should take heed of this Malcolm Tucker quote: “marshal all the media forces of Darkness to hound them to an assisted suicide”.  A CNN piece showing Teachers in Utah taking a class on gun use shows some common sense around the gun debate.  A reader has taken yesterday’s US Fiscal Cliff graphic and created one for New Zealand – great work.  As Cameron Slater predicted from the outset, the Aussie Hoax DJs will not face charges.  The NZ Herald continues to amuse – this time a car crashed into a poll.  The blog then introduces us to two sexy taxidermists showing you don’t have to look like a front row forward to deal with dead animals.  And you’d think we’re picking on an incompetent NZ Herald, and you would be right.  This time they have Jesse Ryder beating himself at Eden Park in Wellington.  Then a hilarious story about a Queensland woman who fell into the longdrop and was there for two hours before being discovered by her husband.   Turns out that during the Falklands War the French tried to send missiles to Argentinia behind Margaret Thatcher‘s back.  Commerce first eh?  The last post of the day highlights a report of a man holding up a Countdown Supermarket with a hammer.  Our readers get fired up about the idea of hammer banning.

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The blog started Saturday by having a look at a number of Christchurch people taking pictures up women’s skirts at malls.  And wouldn’t you know it?  A teacher was arrested as well.  Iain Lees-Galloway shows he is a slimy git by opening a Burger King and then refusing to take a bite, preferring to preach sensible food choices.  Cam then called for nominations for Worst Political Journalist, and Barry Soper and John Campbell appeared hot favourites.   Next we had a vote on Best Political Journalist, which Larry Williams took out with a massive 47% of the vote.  Graham McCready withdrew litigation against John Banks because it made no sense to anyone – as in – they couldn’t understand what it said.  Whale then claims a win on his Hekia Parata predictions and wonders why Key has let this train wreck happen.  We raise our eyebrows about Nelson looking for a scooter riding bottom pincher and then watch a video of what happens to a pig at the bottom of the sea over 7 days.  Next a post where Greens are fighting Greens over the Google solar plant.  On the one side: solar energy.  On the other? Turtles.   Charles Krauthammer explains why gun control alone isn’t the solution to mass shootings.   A MENSA spokesperson calls people with low IQs carrots and the BBC feels they have to apologise.  There is a property for sale next to Kim Dotcom‘s place.  Cam suggests the GCSB or the US should have bought it to set up spying operations.   WOBH is calling for The Whale Army to send in their holiday snaps, in a new feature called Snapped!  Cam takes a brief look at who will enter parliament if Tim Groser leaves for the WTO.  To close the day, a WhaleTech post looks at a the cull-de-sac that’s the QII roll-up keyboard. Read more »

The media love to pimp the poor. We have seen endless attempts by John Campbell and Simon Collins all year. The latest pimping of the poor though is at Christmas and at the City Mission annual dinner…which they love to pimp up as being for the under privileged.

The City Mission aren’t much better themselves sending out media packs with helpful phrases to use when reporting their Christmas dinner.

The news gushes that record numbers attended, but what the hell do you expect? they have run wall to wall coverage of a free feed for Christmas. The City Mission has sent, by my count going through my inbox at least 6 press releases pimping their main event to the media.

But are they really needy people?

Check this tweet from Brian Edwards:

At the City Mission lunch, watched a woman filming her kids opening their presents – on her Ipad. Hmmm.

— Brian Edwards Media (@brianedwardsmed) December 25, 2012

There are always those having a lend…

and this one from Felix Marwick about a bus load of Chinses tourists who swelled the numbers for a gawk and a free feed.

Tour groups at the city mission’s xmas lunch – what the hell?

— Felix Marwick (@felixmarwick) December 25, 2012

I don’t know why Felix is upset, media organisations have pimped the poor for years, parading them in front of the cameras…some enterprising tour operator is just extending that idea…next thing they will be running tours of Clendon Park. At least Marcus Lush seems to see some sense:

Could not watch the network news tonight … I don’t like how the city mission dinners become a freak show for the bulletin #banthecamera

— Marcus Lush (@marcuslush) December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas to all our emergency personnel.  Those who can’t be with their families today, and are helping those that aren’t having a very good Christmas themselves.

Onya.

NSFW, eject or earmuff the kids