Perky Nana

Belated congratulations to Cactus Kate for winning the inaugural Air New Zealand Bloggers Award. Well deserved. I am proud of the grey hairs that she gave me when she was just a wee contributing writer to the old Prebble's Rebels newsletter back in the 90s, and I was the litigation-averse editor. Even back then the Mallard-baiting was there. Her defamatory byline from back then is seared into memory; "Mallard is a duck that needs to be shot down." A baker's dozen years later, the Mallard & Cactus pot stews on with flavour and vigour.

Can't fault runner up Dim Post either. Danyl has earned a pop on the podium for unrelenting wit, something that still eludes the criteria for a Queen's Birthday gong. You'll never get a CBE for shitstirring and short of a paid writing gig this is as good as it gets.

I'll take the judges' word for it on Whale Oil as runner-up as well. I don't read Whale Oil for the same the reason I don't read The Standard. Sure, I'll link them in the sidebar, but the signal to noise ratio is just too much for me.

Or maybe it's the symmetry that bothers me. I have met Cameron once, whilst considering joining the Blogmobile before the last election. That instant recognition of Child of Politics Syndrome. That mercurial will to make a difference mixed in with Oedipus and Dagg knows what else. Suffice to say that I quickly relised we could not share a confined space for the lengths of time required. Each to their own but bugger that. Besides, I had no-one to look after the cat.

And thank you to the judges of the Blog Awards for the constructive criticism for my entry in the awards. It's more than I get from my CVs or job interviews. Damnit, I knew I should have entered The Alcocop Paradox instead of the Dick Cheney thing, but oh well. But I must single out Tim Selwyn's comment:

A decent mix of liberalism, or a liberal mix of decency - perhaps both. The humour has its moments, but ironically the style in these posts - in this day and age and in this medium - are not really that Gonzo at all.

Allow me to retort.

Firstly, it's goNZo not Gonzo. Secondly, does it count if it written on the spur of the moment? Does it count if every single goddamn post ever written has been under the influence of illegal substances? Shit, maybe I've been too inarticulate, not grasping the Zeitgeist or something.

OK, here's a bone, and it fits into the MP perk feeding frenzy going on over the last Labour Government. Forget that this is historical navel gazing is at a time of belt tightening looking back at an era of boom times and artificial growth during the mid-Noughties.

Have a read of the history of Trev and how he got kicked off the Palmerston North City Council over a poaching bust with US pop star PJ Proby. Have a look at Google Street View at the place I spent my first four years of life and how the gate lanterns look identical to the Palmy Lagoon lighting that was also bought with city funds in that era:


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Right-sizing the expectations

Just back from having lunch with DPF and Whale Oil about the Blogmobile trip.

On the way there, I got lost and ended up accidentally walking past the touring vehicle in question. I was expecting something bigger for $174,000. As it sits, the Winnebago is slightly smaller than my old man's old campervan. Mr Whippy, as it was called, was arguably New Zealand's first campervan with an overhead sleeper. A Bedford truck base with a custom slab of portable accommodation on top, the vehicle doubled as a portable electorate office and advertising vehicle during campaigns.

No time for a look-in, I'm white rabbiting to the cafe late as it is. Finally meet the prolific Whale Oil. Schedules are outlined, reality is consulted. There's been a lot of interest in the Blogmobile, and fair go. There's a lot of potential there. A few provisional gigs sorted out. I'm hoping to get up to Palmy sometime to cover what could be a very interesting race between Iain Lees-Galloway and Malcolm Plimmer.

We head on back for a look inside the blogmobile, and where the $174,000 went becomes more obvious. This is a Wanderluster's wet dream. DPF presses a button and the beast breathes out, expanding by about half a metre. While you still couldn't fit a full leaders debate inside, there's enough room for a few head-to-heads, if the egos are left outside with the gumboots.

Except the feisty Aro Valley Meet the Candidates meeting, there's sweet FA wildcards in these increasingly presidential-style elections. Away from the the confines and controls of the TV formula medicine, give me the soapbox over the idiot box any day. Away from the filtered and moderated input for the TVNZ YouTube debates, give me the stump speeches that sways an audience, not preaches to the converted.

I'm hoping the blogmobile becomes a fixture of future election circuits, sort of a neo-BLERTA of journalism. Even now, the squeaky dog toys of war are getting prepared.