Nanny state & Shane Warne

Today Garth George comes out of the closet that he has only been hiding in to the terminally stupid. He nails his right wing christian (non denominational) colours very firmly to the mast in his review of 'From Angels to Agents'. This is not so much a review but a series of abstracts from the recent book that chronicles the changing place that children have in New Zealand society. It is an exposition of the attitudes and ideas of the current regime in relation to the shift from protecting children to removing them from society as a category all together. Giving them 'rights' that are equal or, in some cases, superior to their parents, the stupidity and logically untenable ideas behind repealing of Section 59 of the Crimes Act, the quest to give children the vote, its all covered. In addition there is the inescapable idea that if parental resposnibilty is fast being neutered by state legislaton this role has to be taken over by some other institution and what better here than the state. I can find no fault in the arguments and find it very chilling. I have long thought that the current regime's most dangerous side is its tampering with the very fabric of society throwing out sytems that have worked for most people for centuries (like prudent parental disciplne within the framework of a nuclear family) in favour of untried idealogical claptrap thought up in environments divorced from the real world only years or decades ago. Just look at the background of those who run the country at present - it is not representative of the world in which a vast majority of us live. Their ideas and odious ideals come from a different and largely theoretical planet which none of us ever visit. I don't like it one little bit.

A male barrister wearing a skirt is an image guaranteed to get one's attention and it worked for me. This heads a piece about an American lawyer's worldwide legal awards. The beskirted doge is from New Zealand and wins the 'Most Bizarre Behaviour' award. There are some other real pearlers. 'Judge of the Year' went to the joker in the States who was prosecuted for using a penis pump whilst presiding in court; in retrospect he thought this might not have been a good idea. Witness of the year was a woman who described her husband as so boring that his idea of a rollicking Saturday night was looking through the dictionary for high scoring words to be used in Scrabble. Very entertaining.

Shane Warne. Rarely can the sporting world have seen such a Jekyll and Hyde. Complete plonker off the pitch and absolute genius on it. I love my sport but I love the proper contests and not the drubbings. The last Ashes series in the UK wrecked my sleep pattern for weeks as it was so addictive. The first Test in Brisbane was a one sided bore. The second Test was mildly interesting (as it gave hope that the series as a contest was being reborn) until Tuesday arvo. I then could do nothing else but watch it. And mainly I was watching Pie Boy at the absolute peak of his freakish powers. Not only is he not a bad bowler but he uses that gift to the utmost by employing it as a psychological dirty bomb. Take Pietersen's dismissal for example. In the first innings Our Kev thrust his pad outside his leg stump, bat held aloft for hours and Warnie was rendered impotent. Somehow come the second innings the portly one had persuaded Pietersen that just one little sweep would be OK. Bowled round his legs in a Gattingesque diplay - and this fifteen years after his first totally unforgettable ball. Absolute bloody genius. Get Warne the other side of the boundary rope and he is a total waste of space with a private life that wouldn't feature in my worst nightmare - imagine having to go through life like that - yukkk. What the hell is he going to do when he can't play cricket any more? I hope the spectre of George Best is not on the horizon.

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