Open mike 12/06/2010

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 12th, 2010 - 13 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

Comment on whatever takes your fancy.

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Step right up to the mike…

13 comments on “Open mike 12/06/2010 ”

  1. More Monckton madness as climate deniers morale is massacred by Monbiot.
    .
    And how about this for a quote:

    “Lord Monckton is a fantasist, a blethering popinjay useful only for amusement. He can be safely ignored in all serious scientific debate. But it reflects badly on those people who want seriously to argue against the science of climate change that this capering jester is among the public figureheads of their movement. If I were, for example, m’colleagues James Delingpole or Christopher Booker, I would publically wash my hands of Lord Monckton, and soon.”

  2. ianmac 2

    Armstrong on Welfare Reform:
    John Armstrong’s take on the Credit card was disappointing to me, but he seems to have redeemed himself with this piece in todays Herald on Bennett’s Welfare reform:
    “In expressing fears that the debate could turn ugly, Bennett was trying to denigrate opponents of welfare reform without directly saying so. The attempted spin was rather transparent. It was also somewhat disingenuous.”
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10651270

    • just saying 2.1

      Thanks for posting that ianmac.

      It may turn out that civil unrest over welfare reform will be the justification for an early election.
      What a frightening thought. If they manage to peak the issue at the time of the “rioter” courtcases, they could turn it into the ugliest election leading to the biggest swing to the right since Act 1 in the 80s.

      And they could win because if (or when) that line in the sand is drawn, Labour will try and straddle it by offering to bash the poor and Maori harder, but not as hard National would, and lose the haters and the left flank in one fell swoop.

  3. Herodotus 3

    http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/7386448/plan-to-repeal-gift-tax-welcomed/
    Obviously the lenght of time to protect assets takes too long, lets let the such as Finance Coy directors/owners hide the assets even quicker, all this on the pretense of taking better care of our farmers, and the many of us who have won lotto!!!
    So the rich and open to legal remedies against them can still drive the flash cars, live and holiday in expensive places BUT not own them.
    I did not see this in the tax review, whos idea is this?

  4. ianmac 4

    If Nact can get away with no consequences for things like 3 Strikes or the ECan abolition, maybe they will get off scot-free for thumping beneficiaries. They will hammer the huge number (mythical!) of bludgers and the people will say good on yer Nact. Strong leadership! Do we have faith in the compassion of the populance?

  5. Olwyn 5

    They seem to me to be shaping up for an early election, unless governance for NACTs these days means an unceasing PR campaign from go to whoa. My pick would be a fall out with the Maori party over the foreshore, since they already have an “And after all we’ve done for them!” line to spin.

    It is horrible to reflect upon how morally bankrupt the right has become. Where they were once the conservatives, opposed to reforms that might rock the status quo, they now seem to simply be out to bat for the rich guys, informed by no overall vision as to how things should be. Consequently, they are quite unable to engage in honest debate. I think they may seek a new mandate before the effects of their projected reforms are fully felt, so somewhere between October and May.

  6. lprent 6

    The outage today happened after I did a routine warm reboot to apply the security updates for the last couple of weeks. The server didn’t come up again.

    Apparently the system started and stopped on the bios post. Eventually a tech stopped doing the remote things, went down, and pulled the plug to do a cold reboot. Then it worked. They will be looking at the system in the next few days to replace the hardware at fault.

    After it got running again I started the upgrades I was planning.

    I’ve now shifted to word press 3 RC3. I’ve been running the last two candidates in the development system for weeks without any issues. Let me know if you spot anything.

    The contact us and contribute screens are getting their forms back, but they may look a bit ugly because of CSS and JS caching. Press shift and click the refresh button to force them to update or wait a day. There are a number of other changes that I will push through after I finish regression testing them.

    The IP number of the site will change tonight to get around the routing issues that we had a few weeks ago – but no one should notice as the old and new ones should all remain active for a while.

    Typing on the iPad is a bit hairy. I wonder if I can use a Bluetooth keyboard?

  7. just saying 7

    http://gpjanz.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/exposing-right-wing-lies.pdf

    Mike Treen’s analysis of the continuing neoliberal agenda in NZ

    (hattips to Marty G)

    Read it and get angry – there really is no alternative.

    • ianmac 7.1

      I scanned it. Read the graphs. A bit frightening when facts are brought out by Mike Treen. Perhaps it is the real agenda for Neoliberal Key. Every one apparently buys it that the lower taxes means a better deal. Like in Auckland if you lower rates you get a better deal even if you do have to pay more for water and loose your Public Library! I wonder how we curb the trend?

      • just saying 7.1.1

        I wish I knew ianmac. But things are definitely speeding-up must reach a head within the next few years.

        Aren’t those graphs amazing. With an effective unbiased fourth estate……

  8. SHG 8

    LOL. Total radio silence from Red Alert on the credit-card scandal since the abuses were publicised.

    #OpenLabour my arse.

  9. Anne 9

    Rubbish SHG
    Post on 11 June… 300 comments last time I looked.
    Goff’s not in the country mate! Arives back today, Sunday. Then he’s got to have a day to recover. Have a full briefing Monday. Make full statement later Monday or Tuesday.

    Apart from a response at the outset by Annette King, it’s Goff’s job to front the media.

    I have no doubt whatsoever that Key waited for Goff to be out of the country before he released the documents. Make it as difficult for Goff as possible.

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