Please give me more information, governmental people

There are two major issues in the news that, right now, are driving me insane due to lack of information.

Firstly, the whole situation in Chad. The Government of Chad is saying that these French (and Spanish) nationals are kidnapping these children, who still have parents, and are not from the Sudan, and possibly selling them on for organ harvesting and to pedophiles. What? The hell is that about? That sounds mighty suspicious, but if they were trafficking these children for such means, you think they'd be doing it a bit more surreptitiously than that. So, what's the real story? Was this aid organisation intentionally taking these kids, knowing full well that it was illegal, and they weren't orphans? Or were they trying to help, and just a bit useless? Is there anything behind these accusations of the organ harvesting and pedophilia? Or is it when a Government lays pointless charges against western workers in order to get them out of the country, like calling aid workers spies? The French government hasn't been particularly helpful in combating these charges. What the hell actually happened?

Likewise, the Anti-Terror raids of about two weeks ago. The police are saying these were training grounds for separatists, who were learning military tactics and firearms use. The locals say they were just learning how to hunt and track. Who do you believe? The NZ police are notorious dicks, especially with regards to the manner in which they treat Maori. But they claim they have substantial evidence, backed by over a year of surveillance. Yet in the time since the raids, they haven't presented any of it. Instead, we are left wondering why they targeted these groups, as they haven't shown anything concrete to indicate there was a solid Terrorist threat. Instead, in the interim, there have been large protests against the actions taken. It seems to me that if the police had brought forth the evidence in a timely manner after the arrests, and explained to the public why they thought there was a threat from these groups, people would have been a lot more understanding.

Instead, we're left scratching our heads, wondering what the hell just happened, and why they won't tell us if this is a credible threat. If there's someone out there training in a paramilitary manner to attack the people of NZ, I can agree that that's a reason to send in the police. However, without any such evidence, no conclusions can be reached. What the hell actually happened?

So, I plea to Governments: be transparent! Show us your evidence! Explain what's occurring! Don't leave your people in the dark.

-TB

Sugar high...

And I have searched both far and wide
And I’ve explored the deepest caverns of my mind

Last night I had a halloween party. Yes, it was a Wednesday. Don't judge me. I was a good boy, I didn't drink too much. And there was a massive, massive stack of sweets, courtesy of a friend who does some work for Cadbury, and provided a couple of kilos of sugar.

To try and find an explanation why
I get this funny feeling deep inside

I only had a few drinks, but I ate way too much sugar. Then I didn't sleep last night because of that. I woke up this morning, my head aching, my mouth gritty, my face sweaty, my eyes swollen shut. I though, this isn't right, I can't be hungover. I drank almost nothing. Then it hit me. A sugar hangover. I haven't had this much of the sweet stuff in me since I was wee and living in America. I was having the worst case of sugar crash imaginable.

When you kiss me goodbye
And when I lick between your thighs

And I still have a massive mound of leftovers. This cannot end well.

sugarhigh.....sugarhigh.....sugarhigh.....sugarhigh....shhhhhhhhhhhhhh
-Sugarhigh, Coyote Shivers

I can haz itenerary?

Yes, finally got my tickets sorted for my travels to America! Now I can start sorting out who to bludge off!

If anybody cares, it looks a bit like this
San Francisco Jan 16
Oregon 19 Jan
Minneapolis/Wisconsin Feb 2
NY 10 Feb
Philadelphia 17 Feb
Boston 24 Feb

After that? Who knows? It's going to be a hell of a trip, that's for sure!

Dear Dunedin Landlords...

Ignoring the obvious issues with the landlords of Dunedin, I do have one thing I'd like to say.

A studio apartment is not a room with a toaster and a kettle. A studio apartment, by definition, needs its own bathroom and cooking facilities. Cooking facilities are not a microwave, toaster, kettle and fridge. You at least need a sink and a hot plate. Taking an old flat, doing minimal low quality renovations, bunging in some furniture than charging through the nose does not make this okay! This is not a fucking studio apartment! In fact, studio flats are meant to be cheap! Instead, you add $80 a week for "unlimited heat". Fucking hell, if I were to spend an extra $320 a month of heating, my flat would be like the bloody Sahara! For the life of me, I cannot understand how these dickhead landlords can justify charging that much extra for a furnished room with marginal facilities and unlimited heat. It's fucking ludicrous. And the whole thing survives solely by taking advantage of foreign students who don't know any better.

Fuck you, landlords of Dunedin. You're a bunch of dicks.

Good lord, this is embarrassing

Well, at the request of Ms. Orchard, the comic I mentioned in my first post. This is quite honestly one of the most embarrassing things I've ever posted online. Keep in mind, I was a wee bairn of only 18 years, full of rage but not talent. This was before I had completely converted to the path of writing.

On the history of the Internet, Interactivity and Democracy

This is taken from an email conversation between myself and the wondrous Alex Franzen about her podcast on Virtual Politics. I thoroughly suggest you download and listen to it, because it's a damn interesting audio-article about the new political equality afforded to the users of the Internet.

In response, my views on the history of the internet and its links to interactivity and democracy.

...
The Internet, in my mind, has gone through three distinct paradigms
over its history.

Originally there were the BBSs and usenet groups. These were, essentially, places were people would post information and talk to large numbers of people. They were precursors to the modern forum software you see so heavily across the internet. They were interactive and democratic to the extreme, as all the content was user generated. However, it only reached a small percentage of the population.

Then, once the Internet started spreading, there was the evolution into passive browsing. Information was presented to you. The Internet was interactive in the same way reading a newspaper isn't interactive. You went to websites and listened to what other people had to say. The people who made those websites. There was no free exchange of ideas. Sure there were little buttons you could click, and little things you could do, but it was essentially a pre-packaged experience.

And now we have the so-called Internet 2.0 phenomenon, where once again it's all about user generated content and everyone being on an equal footing, but now there's a user base large enough that this spreads universally. Like you said, a random YouTuber has just as much chance of getting their views heard as Kucinich. Everything is linked
through spider-ine networks of friends, memes and messages passing throughout the internet, and allowing for something resembling democratic conversations, warts and all.

I think I see parallels between the history of democracy in America to this as well. If you look at the early days of campaigning, where candidates actually had to travel to areas to get there votes, to actually meet the people, when there was no effective wide means of disseminating information. You had a chance for true discussion, but
only on a small and local level.

Then came radio and TV, where the advertising became passive, and you accepted the words without any real chance to debate them, except with those immediately around you.

Finally the two paths converge in the Internet, with something vaguely resembling equality of discussion.
...

-TB/AC

I shall not stumble...

I had surgery. Nothing big, a bit of fixing some breathing problems on my nose. Was laid up for a while on a wonderful cocktail of painkillers that made me sleepy and floaty. Those, combined with a drug patch on my left shoulder, have left me feeling decidedly light headed, and wobbly on my feet. So my excursion to the Critic party on Friday promised to be difficult, what with the uncertain balance, and extremely easily damaged nose. And then the wondrous Alex Papanastasiou provided me with a cane. My goodness, it was fantastic. I could stroll down the boulevards with something to lean on should the need approach me. And what conversations it struck up! I felt almost popular! Though everyone assumed I had a trick knee or something, but nonetheless...

So, unnatural hate for the world. And a cane. Who does that remind everyone of...


He's my hero, that man.

I might have to start carrying a cane everywhere, just because it's awesome.

You know, it's been a week since my reveal (two since photos of me were published) and not a single person has commented on the fact that I'm Arthur Curry. So much for being a campus celebrity!

Peace in,
-Tripod Arthur Curry

My secret revealed!

And so I have been unmasked, for secretly Arthur Curry was in fact a bastard of a decidedly lesser extent!

To those of you who have actually read my columns, welcome back! Here you shall find the tales of travels over a time span to follow, where I hurl myself at the nation of stars and stripes, and see what arises.

For those of you who have yet to encounter my infamous hate filled tirades, well then, look no further than here.

Seeing as this is my first post, I should perhaps recount how this column, and my eventual small-town-notoriety came about.

As I had written for Critic extensively as the Games and Tech editor, I was privy to the email requesting new columns for 2007. And so, an idea that had been percolating in my head for some time was slowly brought forth. It was originally part Spider Jerusalem's I Hate It Here and part Matt Groening's Life In Hell, and had evolved from a comic I drew in first year called "My Private Hellhole"*. Fortunately, my wondrous Editor, Dave, demanded a point and some structure to the column rather than pointless ranting. Instead, we hit upon making it a column calling Otago students to task for their stupidity, their douchebaggery, and for their belief that this was all their right as a scarfie. And so the title was decided, a play on the concept of Manifest Destiny that has caused so much strife during the expansion of America.

And thus was a great thing started.

Of course, I did need a pseudonym, considering the blatantly inflammatory things I planned on saying, so I settled for Arthur Curry, being the most badass of super heroes: Aquaman! Plus, a nod to those of a geeky inclination.

And I was very good about keeping that identity secret for the first half of the year. In fact, almost no one knew. Then I realised it was boring without feedback and adulation, so I told my friends. Chaos and entertainment then ensued with their assistance.

So that's the story of Arthur Curry and Manifest Density. Hope to see you next time for more fun and learning. Well, maybe not so much learning.

-TB/AC

*said comic was me ranting about the Carrington in a rather unpleasant manner. And it was hideously drawn. Suffice to say when the administration got their hands on it, they were decidedly unimpressed, and threatened to kick me out. Bastards. I have held a grudge to this day. If anyone cares, I can post the offending item.