There's something about Michael
The Diva's latest onanistic expostulation in the Sunday Star Times is causing quite a bit of debate in comments on a previous post, with lots of selective quoting going on.
So here's the full text of what some commenters call "a pisstake" and others read as an admission of every failing they've ever attributed to the Diva.
Interesting how the same article gets two diametrically opposed interpretations depending on the reader's view of the author; yet in our humble opinion, both miss the point.
Knowing the Diva as we do, The Watchers' take is that it's both - an insight into morality in DivaWorld, albeit deliberately magnified and distorted in a calculated attempt to ruffle the feathers of those who oppose him, done purely for sport.
Written because, in the words of Clive James:Desperate commentators... advance outlandish opinions because they don't write well enough to make a reasonable opinion interesting.
Comments on this post are now closed.
56 comments:
Columnists are paid to write provocatively on issues of the day, to get readers to react, think and respond.
I can only imagine that the Great One (and his editor, well known leftie/liberal Ms Cate Honore) are absolutely delighted at the ensuing discussion in LawsWatch. Now all you have to do is write reams of letters to the editor of SST and your favoured son will get his bonus as well.
Own goal, team.
Columnists are paid to write provocatively on issues of the day.
Whereas Michael writes about Michael and his opinions.
Do we need self opinionated columnists? and what gives Mr. Self-Seeking Laws any rights over any of us. He should go and live in Australia.
I tend to agree anon 5:28
just took the time to read the ML column...I have to say I find it an intelligent exposition, quite thought provoking really.
I don't find it to be the confirmation of moral decay that some of the anons wager. Not a ptake either really apart from a couple of howlers :)
GK is gone by December. Assuming a by-election, everyone has time to organise. can I suggest that we try and support one candidate, rather than splitting the anti-Laws vote.
This strategy has a certain amount of risk attached: Laws may still have enough support to see off challenge against him, but it will be a good dry run for the next election. By December the inevitable River Queen disaster will have happened (big Hollywood party, $700,000 budget, no wait $150,000 but we haven't told the Embassy yet). Michael should have had enough time to shit on a few more groups, we can rub his nose in it as usual. Isn't politics fun?
The River Queen premiere could be a real humdinger: when I told Cliff Curtis that Laws was planning to sell work from the Sarjeant collection, he replied: "Well, he just shit in his pants, didn't he?"
I doubt if Laws had any say in GK's decision: the intelligent ones in Vision have surely realised what a destructive liability he is by now.
You can spin this any way you like, Mickey, but the fact is that one of your old mates from Hawkes Bay times, having been generous enough to give you a second chance, has deserted you the first chance he got. Speaks volumes.
Vision can rely on Rangi to slavishly support ML, so they rally don't need to replace GK. People who would otherwise be Vision supporters, but want to send a message to Mickey about his incompetence, can vote against them and still keep the balance of power.
Why did the Chronicle wait 'til Monday to cover the story? Did Michael forbid them to release it earlier, do you suppose?
They certainly knew about it around about the same time as the Watchers.
I wonder how Sean feels about being Michael's poodle.
anon: I can only imagine that the Great One (and his editor, well known leftie/liberal Ms Cate Honore) are absolutely delighted at the ensuing discussion in LawsWatch. Now all you have to do is write reams of letters to the editor of SST and your favoured son will get his bonus as well.
Own goal, team.
5:28 PM
This sounds like the self-described Great One himself, to me. So, Michael, how much did that well known leftie-liberal pay you for this particular piece of self-serving crap?
FREUDIAN SLIP ANYONE?
The Chron had four days to get the GK story right and even put its most senior local body man onto it.
So what do we get this morning?
1. A side-splitting sub-editorial stuff-up in the paragraph above the heading telling us Graeme ADAMS (head of Michael's Grey Power fan club) "is leaving town". Could this be a Freudian slip, we wonder? Could he be the one being lined up to slip into GK's seat in LawsLand?
2. Senior journalist Dave Laurence's byline on what is just a rehashed press release extolling GK's virtues. Mr Laurence didn't even bother to tell the Chron's readers what the implications are of a councillor resigning mid-term (it's called a by-election, Dave) or to consider who might be likely candidates. (Everyone I've spoken to round town is certain they know that there'll just be an appointment of the next highest polling candidate which, of course, is just bullshit).
So to the Chron and to Dave L (of whom we might expect better) a Big Fat FAIL on this one.
Have they really put heavy breather Graeme Adams in the sub-heading?
Oh dear. Four days preparation only to get it wrong, Mas. Was it worth it?
Adams would be perfect. His annual plan submission informed Vision Councillors that they owe their positions and allegiance to Michael. It wasn't a criticism.
Do you people go to different council meetings and after smoking the pipe? I attended my session of the Annual Plan hearings and if there was one thing I noted it was how tight the Vision team is, and how others like Crs Wills and McGregor are a part of that tightness. Then they all celebrate for the cameras - HOLDING A GLASS OF BUBBLY! - the nil rates increase. Signed off unanimously.
You people need to get some perspective.
Laws is trying to re-invent himself as an Art lover - check the Red Eye story.
Or perhaps this promise to donate money is simply a lie for our own good.
Perhaps it could come out of his salary - which he doesn't take, right?
Anon, sure councillors will be united when there's no disagreement. That they voted for the 'nil' rates increase even has limited significance: if it's a success they can all claim the credit, but if the bow wave breaks and smashes things Vision will get the blame. Nonetheless, there are cracks, even in Vision.
Name one crack. That's the thing that's surprising.
That was a pretty big crack back in January, I think, when Sue Pepperell publicly apologised to the arts community. And apparently suffered accordingly.
And the apparent reluctance of both her and Marty Lindsay to attend committee meetings could indicate they're voting with their feet because they're just too damn scared of the consequences of speaking out.
Oh, and it was interesting to see them make a stand on a couple of points (esp the Film Festival "promise" and Community Contracts) while the Diva was suffering for his art in Tonga. Cue "When the Cat's Away" Chron column public ticking off on his return and no doubt a severe kicking at the next diVision caucus meeting.
....sub editor seen running from building
DL eyes pasture...
Editor bides time ?
The biggest "crack" of all was of course the 12-1 vote against wrecking the Community Contracts process in mid round. This was the first indication that any councillors were becoming wary of Michael's indecent haste. "Unprofessional" was the way he described them in the Chron. the following day. And God only knows what Don McGregor got in return for supporting the CoC decision itself. Some speculation has it that he agreed only in exchange for Laws being firmly told to pull his head in. I wonder how Sundays SST column about acceptable lies is sitting in Fordell.
Editor bides time. I certainly hope it's worth the wait.
Everyone tells lies. Geddoverit.
Anonymous said...
Everyone tells lies. Geddoverit.
10:55 AM
That's true. Public money, however, is subject to the LGA, and telling lies that affect the allocation of public funds is fraud. Which no-one has been accused of, I hasten to add.
Wicker ceiling fans are underated ...
was it Somerset Maugham or Casablanca or something ?
Obviously Holmes did a brilliant job of covering the CoC story: Prime have cancelled his show.
Maybe it's: When the shit hits the fan at 101 Guyton St:-)
So who are the Diva's txting brigade gonna send their nasty little messages to now?
the new devic commode will be have to be located higher if the wicker gets loaded
Will GK carry on on the board of Wanganui Inc? Why didn't the Chron. ask the question?
Questions ?
That is the place of news comentators...
The paper is reporting the facts in a seemly order
Well done to the editors of this site for the gk scoop & story.
...The paper is reporting the facts in a seemly order...
Then why didn't they report the fact that he's one of the directors of the new all-important pork barrel shop?
Curse you all and your wicker fan allusions... now we can't delete the original spam ;-P
We were wondering what brought them here, but then it became obvious... the Diva... ceiling fans... of course... both spin incessantly.
yes and the flinging don't forget the flinging...
All is revealed ..
Right under the GK story that poses more questions than it answers, the Chronic breathlessly tells us that yet more editorial space will be wasted on "new brain teasers" (and pictures of assorted creatures no doubt like today's page 2 swans).
Why bother to buy in "brain teasers", Mas, when you've got such an ace editorial team that everything they write has us scratching our heads with disbelief and/or bewilderment and frustration?
Well, a by-election. Where we all get to find out how people think Michael is doing. I hope Wanganui gives him a hurry-up, but you could have guessed that already. One thing is certain, anyone who wants this by-election to be about them is going to have to work hard at profile profile profile between now and April (?). Because otherwise you're going to be eclipsed by the elephant in the corner.
Politically I think the most successful candidate will be one who, while not Vision, can clearly work with them on basic issues, while (I hope) forcing some accountability and an attempt to work for the good of the whole community.
What if vision don't identify their candidate. i mean, let's face it, the brand's fucked now. maybe they'll run a stealth candidate.
Watch Vision fly in, little one.
You really need some p-e-r-s-p-e-c-t-i-v-e.
All that hate ... it makes one so ugly.
There are at least three Vision candidates from last time who could win a by-election. Think laterally.
Anonymous said...
All that hate ... it makes one so ugly.
That's not what your mother said.
Anonymous said...
Watch Vision fly in, little one.
You really need some p-e-r-s-p-e-c-t-i-v-e.
All that hate ... it makes one so ugly.
3:21 PM
Gee Michael, look at the time. Shouldn't you be getting ready for the council meeting instead of wasting time here, even if you did tell the world how much you enjoy it?
Watch Vision fly in, little one
Freud, were he still with us, would have many interesting things to say about one who seems obssessed with the size of others. Perhaps that also explains the lycra bike shorts addiction...
And youre still pig ugly. Can't you afford plastic surgery. Put it on the benefit.
You kiss your mother with that mouth, sonny?
Which reminds us, she asked us to give you a message.
Let's see - that's a big ballot next March.
1. By-elections: 1 urban, 1 rural
2. Water:
2.1 Flouride or no flouride
2.2 Soft or hard
3. Tangata Whenua:
3.1 'h' or no 'h' in W(h)anganui
3.2 Maori ward or no.
Should be FUN!
Is the Maori ward question going to put to the general vote, or just registered Maori voters?
It seemd they'll be changing the rules again. Or are they going to ask for capital spending priorities on a separate form?
And you're forgetting the Heart of the City, the downtown mayoral office, Mickey's expressed desire to boost the film festival (it's so hard getting decent help these days), and all the other bullshit that spews from the uncontrolled mouth.
Yes, but it is BS that has a nasty way of getting made policy by council, funded by ratepayers & then done!
The Maori ward, according to the LGA 2002 is to be voted on by ALL voters not just Maori. That's the end of that idea then!
Anonymous said...
Yes, but it is BS that has a nasty way of getting made policy by council, funded by ratepayers & then done!
9:55 AM
Looking forward to the downtown mayoral office then. It's coming out of Michael's salary, isn't it? Which he doesn't take, right?
He does not. Good man.
Where does it go then? I only ask because I heard that so far, 100% of the mayoral salary has been paid into the bank a/c of one Michael Brian Laws.
Another unsubstantiated rumour?
Y-e-s.
No-one seriously disputes the mayor foregoing his salary.
From comments made publicly, he donates the nett sum to charitable and constituency purposes. He asked for the entire salary to remain within council but apparently is required to receive & pay tax as per some obscure legislation.
This contrasts with certain councillors trying to double-dip ...
Yeah good on him. We may disagree with some of the things that he does but credit goes where credit is due.
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