The Republican attack on Obama's pick for Secretary of Defence is a particularly blatant example of why the outcome of the 2012 US election was so important for the world. Second term Obama will not be perfect, but the alternative would have been catastrophic.
Read MoreDigital TV's jungle of bungles needs sorting
New Zealand’s switch to digital TV is running smoothly on the home-front – but TV broadcasters are having a rough ride through a jungle of bungles by state agencies.
Read MoreLast words on the Cat Flap
Gwynn Compton's open letter to Gareth Morgan, PR lessons to be learned from failing "quite comprehensively", and a nice response from Tom Cox
Read MoreFrom Dennis Connor to Dotcom: Paul Holmes remembered
When I heard my friend Paul Holmes had died, I needed to write. This is what came out
Read MoreCan't afford a house in Auckland? There's a whole country out there
Auckland's sky-rocketing house prices could do the country a service -- as long as they are not artificially lowered
Read MoreWhy karma will keep on koming for National
It was a killer line about karma from Hekia Parata. Not only did it reveal her true feelings, it encapsulated what the government can expect in 2013 as it heads into its fifth year
Read MoreJust when I thought I was out ... they pull me back in
This is not a post about David Bain. It just looks that way.
Read MoreNew Zealand story: the Rainbow's return
The symbolism of the Rainbow Warrior's return to her spiritual home.
Read MoreAfghanistan – so yesterday’s war …
“Playstation helps Prince Harry be a better gunner” rates headlines – but “Torture on the rise in Afghan jails” barely rates a mention ... How come?
Read MoreCat fight
On the so-called catflap, Gareth Morgan's conversation firestarter - because sometimes, "when the fail is so strong, one facepalm is not enough"
Read MoreMom, apple pie, apprenticeships & not much else
A quick glance of John Key's state of the nation speech reveals a government tipping its hat to next year's election, but with little new to sell
Read MoreJesters do oft prove prophets
Can Pita Sharples afford not to be the co-leader of the Maori Party?
Read MoreSorry, how much? The numbers & impact of global inequality
A new Oxfam report released in time for the World Economic Forum spells out just how vast the inequality divide has become and the urgent need to act. It's just not good for anyone
Read MoreSnowballs in North Africa: Mali's long-term unintended consequences
France's adventure in Mali is both a result, and potential cause, of instability, and highlights once again the often-forgotten issues surrounding foreign military intervention
Read MoreIt betrays a bad mind
Garth McVicar thinks that same sex marriage is just another part of a breakdown in moral values that causes crime. Silly Garth - everyone knows it's not wearing hats that causes crime.
Read More"Messing with Notre Dame football is a bad idea"
In the college football world, the made-up dead girlfriend of a superstar matters more than a real dead young woman. There's something a bit wrong about that.
Read MoreEasing back into the year + Parata & Sharples
Two leading politicians are staying put. Risky stuff. And what I'm doing next...
Read MoreNaming gay All Blacks? Bring It On!
Mike Lee's extraordinarily obtuse article in the Herald this week ignores the importance of rugby in Kiwi culture and the fight for gay rights. John Forde explains why the time is perfect for rugby to come out of the closet
Read MoreIn praise of Judith Collins
My last post of 2012 said some mean things about Judith Collins. Let me make amends by starting 2013 with some nice words.
Read MoreFiji’s dose of khaki democracy
Fiji is getting a strong dose of khaki democracy as its de facto military rulers shift from “go slow” to “go fast” on the road to elections they’ve promised next year. It’s a shift that could create big problems forNew Zealand.
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