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Dick Smith, spies and rugby

The retail chain which carried the name of Australia's Dick Smith is, as we all know by now, kerput.

However, it seems that the brand itself may live again. Young Aussie entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan, 32, has spent some of his estimated $315m wealth on purchasing the name from receivers.

Kogan reckons he'll be able to rebuild the brand as an online-only retailer but to be honest, I think he's dreaming. After the fiasco that marked the last few months of DSE's trading history I would have thought the brand was terminally damaged. Having said that, Kogan has $315m and I don't even have $315 so the evidence would suggest that his skills and insight in this area are far superior to my own.

Now about that big, fat, gray US jet that touched down in NZ yesterday...

It seems that, for at least a brief period of time and despite our attempts at remaining clean, New Zealand had the Clapper for a while.

I'm not talking about a venereal disease (although some might say it was just as bad). I'm talking about James Clapper, the United States' Director of National Intelligence.

This is the guy who, when asked whether the NSA was collecting and storing data on US citizens, replied with a very clear and emphatic "no". In light of Ed Snowden's disclosures and subsequent revelations -- can we really believe *anything* this guy might say to our leaders while he's here?

Of course Mr Clapper did apologise for his "mis-speaking" but I guess he, like so many of those who aspire to a position of power, live by the mantra "it is better to ask forgiveness than permission". Sorry... this is NOT acceptable.

What a coincidence that he rolls up just a week or so after the government announces its intentions to let the GCSB loose on Kiwis -- giving them a statutory right to snoop on you, me and every other resident and citizen of the land, for whatever purpose they deem important.

How wonderful that our spooks are probably being inspired by someone who thinks that lying to his employers and fellow countrymen is acceptable behaviour. Will this raise or lower the standards of our own security services? You tell me.

Finally in today's pot pouri of topics... rugby.

Conclusive links between head injuries suffered while playing rugby and the risk of dementia have been announced this week. It seems that this game could be having an even larger effect on our health than the usual array of broken limbs, spinal cord injuries, cuts and bruises.

Yet strangely enough -- rugby is not only legal, it is celebrated as a national sport.

Meanwhile, those who would smoke marijuana to relieve the pain of a terminal illness are considered to be criminals because *they* have no right to subject their bodies to such abuse.

What the hell?

Go damage your body and your brain playing rugby and you're a national hero.

Engage in an activity that has been proven to produce no damage when used as an end-of-life palliative care and you're a criminal.

I'm sorry but, based on the contents of today's column... the world is really in a bad way. People pay a fortune for a name that everyone hates. Lying is deemed okay if you're in a position of power and authority and those suffering serous pain as a result of a terminal illness might as well go play rugby if they want to ease that pain.

Crazy!

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