Comments on: Open mike 10/12/2009

By: Quoth the Raven

Quoth the Raven — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:12:23 +0000

How the burearats and politicians are getting around in Copenhagen

On a normal day, Majken Friss Jorgensen, managing director of Copenhagen’s biggest limousine company, says her firm has twelve vehicles on the road. During the “summit to save the world”, which opens here tomorrow, she will have 200.

“We thought they were not going to have many cars, due to it being a climate convention,” she says. “But it seems that somebody last week looked at the weather report.”

Ms Jorgensen reckons that between her and her rivals the total number of limos in Copenhagen next week has already broken the 1,200 barrier. The French alone rang up on Thursday and ordered another 42. “We haven’t got enough limos in the country to fulfil the demand,” she says. “We’re having to drive them in hundreds of miles from Germany and Sweden.”

And the total number of electric cars or hybrids among that number? “Five,” says Ms Jorgensen. “The government has some alternative fuel cars but the rest will be petrol or diesel. We don’t have any hybrids in Denmark, unfortunately, due to the extreme taxes on those cars. It makes no sense at all, but it’s very Danish.”

The airport says it is expecting up to 140 extra private jets during the peak period alone, so far over its capacity that the planes will have to fly off to regional airports — or to Sweden — to park, returning to Copenhagen to pick up their VIP passengers.

By: The Chairman

The Chairman — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:14:35 +0000

Who is Blythe Masters?

http://tinyurl.com/yfyjgth

[lprent: this looks a lot like link-whoring. But the link is interesting. ]

By: randal

randal — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:56:57 +0000

an open letter to david cunliffe.
yes I was listening to the radio last night and I was mightily impressed by russell normans speech and d yours and then the the nifty knife job on some government department by a lady who’s name I didnt catch.
now thats not very gallant.
anyway.
keep it up.
Chris Carter might very well be minister of oversaes thingy if you mainatin this level of debate and get it out there.
Even keeth locke stepped up to the plate with his defence of bahais. they must be doing something right. locke that is. bahais around here are drongos.

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:58:12 +0000

So anything involving possible “political considerations” by your reckoning means “a vast right-wing conspiracy” does it gitmo. Grow up mate.

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:45:50 +0000

Have they all enrolled in the Rodney Hide School of Dancing?

Nah. The boot on your foot is just to hold you in place as the other knee rises sharply into your groin area.

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:33:26 +0000

You notice how TVNZ spun increased average temperatures over the decades?

it went something along the lines of “And this decade is zero point zero five degrees warmer than the 1980′s.” (Cut to league table…actually, merely a list… of last four decades with this one at the top and the 80′s in the next top spot)

So over 30 years the average temp has risen 0.05 degrees (and remember to emphasise those zeros!)…everything is A-OK kids.

By: r0b

r0b — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:18:49 +0000

Indeed. Stories of unethical rorting lying Nats are a dime a dozen these days. It’s just not news any more…

By: Stacktwo

Stacktwo — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:39:22 +0000

Interesting choice of words by Big Gerry Brownlee about his electricity market “reforms”: “Putting the boot back on the consumer’s foot.”

The government has been doing quite a lot of that this year, blundering about, putting their boot on the consumer’s foot in ACC, the ETS, education, the “Super-City,” etc, etc.

Have they all enrolled in the Rodney Hide School of Dancing?

By: gitmo

gitmo — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:24:29 +0000

Yes it must be a vast right wing conspiracy or alternatively no one gives a crap

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:20:57 +0000

As far as I can tell the MSM have avoided the Melissa Lee story. I use the word ‘avoided’ because they will be well aware of The Standard revelations of last Sunday. It would be interesting to speculate as to the reason why. Laziness, incompentence, or does their silence have something to do with political considerations?

By: r0b

r0b — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:13:39 +0000

Probably because our national news media is among the worst in the world oob.

By: outofbed

outofbed — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:11:46 +0000

Why is it that I have to go the Guardian website to get decent coverage of what is happening In Copenhagen
It wasn’t even an item on TV news
The “Danish text’ agreed by key developed nations (including NZ) is causing outrage in developing countries. I would have thought that was newsworthy
It the most important get together of humans the world has seen but who tiger woods has shagged seems to be more important.

By: r0b

r0b — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:03:26 +0000

Yes and no. The turnout was OK and full credit to SignOn and the organisers. But I would have preferred a great turnout to be sure.

I didn’t post on it (though I did draft one) because my draft was very similar to this post after the 350 events…
http://www.thestandard.org.nz/350-day-of-action-a-media-lament/
… another media lament, and I don’t like to repeat myself (too often!).

By: Scribe

Scribe — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:26:57 +0000

Not sure if I missed it, but given all the blog chatter beforehand, I was surprised there wasn’t any coverage on The Standard of the march last weekend for the planet.

r0b, you posted on it at least twice. A bit disappointed with the turnout, maybe?