If the forces of cyberspace have brought you here, then welcome! After spending an increasing amount of time in the blogsphere of late, I've decided that it's time to have my own presence. The General Election is now not much more than a year away, and if the Labour Government manage to push through the Electoral Finance Bill in its current form, this may be the only place where one can safely and legally criticise. New Zealand's mainstream media are strangely silent about this obnoxious peice of legislation, so it's time for the man or woman in the street to leave the safety of the silent majority - that's the theory, at least!
What can you expect from me? I have opinions, and I'm not backwards in expressing them. I'm deeply disturbed by the course that the Clark Labour-led government has taken New Zealand, and I want to see the back of them in 2008, or sooner! I'm not averse to a good, old-fashioned argument. Work commitments will limit me to some degree, but I hope to post most days. It won't all be politics, especially when there is a Rugby World Cup to be won in a few weeks! Likewise, where there's a news item of interest, I'll have my ten cents worth.
Once again, welcome, and do visit again!
Four years; whew! It's been a great ride so far, and it's far from finished. As was the case when we began, the Rugby World Cup is just around the corner, but there will be no Cardiff in 2011! And the countdown is on to the General Election at the end of November; both events will feature strongly here. The battle on the Electoral Finance Bill, which was our raison d'etre may have been lost, but the Labour government was defeated a year later, and that brought considerable satisfaction.
We've put a fair amount of effort into this blogging caper. Since we began there have been 4681 posts, nearly 17,000 comments, and we're closing in on our half-millionth visitor, with close to 600,000 page views. We didn't install Sitemeter until we'd been in business for around four months.
We enjoy blogging, but it would be far less enjoyable without the interaction we have with those who visit and comment. We don't agree with all the comments, and it's pretty obvious on occasions that commenters don't agree with us and that's great. Away from the comments section, we have e-mail contact with a wide range of people who visit here; even a chap from Riverton whose brain we will be picking when we move in a couple of months to a property with a small orchard! Though we may have different political opinions than some who visit, there are always areas of common interest to be found.
So thank you one and all for your support and encouragement. We look forward to a memorable fifth year!
8 comments:
I used to comment at Laughing Stock but this place is devoid of anything approaching worthwhile. INV2 you are disingenuous and dogmatic. You fly in the face of reason and evidence so have nothing positive or relevant to contribute. I think the net is closing in as to your identity which will be hilarious when my people in Wanganui approach you with cameras! I've made a sound decision to end contributions to this conservative right wing blog. But I'll keep an eye on it. It's places like this which throw up nutters who act on their deep seated fear and hatred every now and then, in the name of right wing christian conservatism usually.
Congratulations Iv2 and my thoughts are with Mrs Iv.
Your figures are testament to your relevance in what, if some pollies could have their wicked way, would be shut down.
Your tolerance, your content and your arguments fill a niche in the genre.
Well done, as I have said previously when the load threatened your continuing, I was not alone in my dismay, but great you came back with a vengance and asked questions that without you and similar would be buried by the inaction, lazyness or a different agenda in the MSM.
Have a great day, regards, M.
Thanks for the effort IV2.
Happy birthday, and hang in there, even in the face of the types of comment that Jeremy may make.
At the risk of sounding glib, I do not always agree with your comments, but I support your right to make them.
At least you allow rebuttal which is more than can be said of some of those left wing nutter types who fly in the face of reason and evidence and who have nothing positive or relevant to contribute.
You know, those kinds of blogs which throw up left wing nutters, who act on their deep seated fear and hatred every now and again.
Cheers
Lofty
Well done Inv - you provide a valuable contribution to the blogsphere.
Jeremy C - I assume you have been one of the anonymous trolls so your departure from the blog is welcomed by this reader. Your stalking of Inv is childish to say the least then again that old saying - small things amuse small minds probably rings true in your case.
Then again thinking about it the tone of your 9.04 comment resembles that of Robert Guyton - are you he.
Many happies I2.
Four years of regular and reasoned posting (albeit with a wee break last year) while running your own business, paying due attention to family, church, community - and the odd game of golf - is a significant achievement.
Happy Birthday to KS and Inv2. I don't always agree with everything that you say and write but that makes me enjoy your blog even more.
As for people like Jeremy Curtis - the fact that you have them coming back to KS over and over again just goes to show how good you are at what you are doing!
Keep it up!
X
I2,
Well done and keep up the good work.
Good stuff. Keep it up!
Cadwallader
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