Just been scared of the implications of a Bill rushed through Parliament yesterday regarding the Payment of Families caring for Severely Handicapped Act. (Paraphrased)
Andrew Geddis on Pundit explains it well:
You simply tell the Human Rights Review Tribunal and the courts that they are not allowed to look at the policy and decide whether or not it is unlawfully discriminatory. That’s just what the Government is seeking to get Parliament to do under section 70E(2):
[When this law kicks in], no complaint based in whole or in part on a specified allegation [that the policy unlawfully discriminates] may be made to the Human Rights Commission, and no proceedings based in whole or in part on a specified allegation [that the policy unlawfully discriminates] may be commenced or continued in any court or tribunal.
Yeah it’s crazy. It’s the same bullying, cartel-loving psychology, that Torys are so comfortable with,
which we keep seeing in this 2nd term over and over again. Same with the GCSB law changes. Same with the reaction to NZPower. Same with offshore mining protest laws, etc.
You ain’t seen nothing yet, they’ve got their media mates onside and their chosen leader out front of labour so they will go from strength the strength with every move emboldening them for the next one.
A hitch appears to be how unhinged Shonkey gets all too easily, he wouldn’t know what serious pressure was and buckles under the power puff efforts the nz MSM toss in his direction.
I see this as another foot on the neck of advocacy for better government support of people struggling with getting fair resources. The government wants to silence the ordinary people from asking for more, because it distracts them and diverts money away from ..dah dah ‘the job and wealth creators’.
This is a piece that David Farrar put up about advocacy groups being put out of the Charities Act. (Recently applied to SST I think, and probably similar to the cases in the USA where the IRS was scrutinising the loony Right too much for gaining unfair tax advantages.)
Greens support lobby groups being charities
November 18th, 2012 at 7:00 am by David Farrar
On the one hand the Greens rail against lobbyists, yet on the other hand they say they should be able to be tax free charities. I guess the difference is whether or not they agree with them.
Green MP Denise Roche blogs::
Community organisations already spend much of their time advocating. They shouldn’t be excluded from getting charitable status (and tax exemption) because of this. Organisations of long standing repute including the National Council of Women have been denied charitable status on the basis that advocacy is their primary purpose. Advocacy is not currently deemed a ‘charitable purpose’ under the Act, and therefore they are denied tax exemption for donations.
And this is how it should be. Lobby groups should not be escaping tax. The National Council of Women is one of the most prolific lobby groups in New Zealand. It puts in a submission on almost every single bill before Parliament. Now good on them for being politically active, but allowing them to be a registered charity would be allowing any organisation to be a charity. Would we accept Business NZ being a registered charity?
On the back of the government’s announcement I have drafted a simple Private Member’s Bill to write advocacy into the definition of charitable purpose in the Charities Act as an ancillary purpose. I’ve been holding off for ages because I kept hearing that there would be a review and this would be the main focus of it.
That will make it open slater for every political lobby group in New Zealand to gain charitable tax status.
So government cannot discriminate for those wanting consideration for the strugglers, but no doubt has it’s door wide open to the robber barons and the fatnecks.
The Act comes into force in October. The use of urgency is an absolute affront. And it is that bad that Finlayson actually certified it breached the NZBOR.
Where is Farrar and Slater? I thought they were concerned about unconstitutional behaviour. The issues they jumped up and down about were minor in comparison.
Kim Hill had some good interviews today, started with Jeremy Scahill, and a brave Russian journalist who has been living in Boston and was a mine of information.
Something you can’t get much of in Russia. If the powers that be don’t like your reportage of them they take over your television station or exile you. One such exile went to Britain was found hanged in March this year apparently. The guy who was given radioactive polonium was a failure of that assassination project. He didn’t die quickly enough and lived for a week, which gave the boffins time to check all known possibilities. They found out the cause on his last day. Poor bloke! Society in Russia has been broken down so much over so many years that it is hard for better human standards to come to the fore then prevail.
I guess that’s the modern way. In Britain Margaret Thatcher was announcing a goal as a present reality when she said that there is no such thing as society.
Something you can’t get much of in Russia. If the powers that be don’t like your reportage of them they take over your television station or exile you.
Indeed, in the USA the Justice Dept simply takes journalists’ phone records and tracks down media informants and sources.
btw opposition political party views, coverage of protests and criticisms of Putin’s govt is common on Russian media. As long as you don’t go too far 🙂
Already banned in St Petersburg. And Pussy Riot etc etc So it would appear “too far” isn’t very far at all. Nor am I aware of the US making a habit of assassinating exiled dissidents (if they even have such a thing) with Polonium 210.
interesting review of a biography of Putin on RNZ this morning; “he picks ‘brawls’, withdraws, then starts the fight again at a later time”, was the interesting characterization.
No, Obama uses drones for individuals he doesn’t like, or military coups for governments that try the wrong sort of democracy. In the case of Bradley Manning, I’m sure he’d love to be exiled.
Matt
The USA is a different country, but their methods are not too dissimilar to those of Russia, and have been deteriorating I think since Russia threw out its form of communism. Now the USA doesn’t have to have better standards than the communists – the slogan is Let’s go for maxing the money, who cares what we do. Same in Britain.
When Washington stars taking over TV stations and exiling dissidents, you might have a point, but nah. Certainly the US is nowhere as free as its propaganda would have the world believe, but it’s considerably less violent and oppressive of its citizens than Russia is.
It’s a moot point that USA is less violent than Russia. It just has a different way of doing things. They thought up extraordinary rendition themselves. Declaring war on others. Driving citizens into criminals with harsh drug laws. Accepting prison rape as regular behaviour, kidnapping girls, shooting too many people. I don’t know how the stats mount up compared to other advanced, civilised countries.
So for all those champions of the U-S-A. Keep chanting, if it makes you feel better
Appeared to work in Boston, while the city was being used to test the reaction of deliberate overkill, via the military complex take-over on the streets!
“Kim Hill had some good interviews today, started with Jeremy Scahill, and a brave Russian journalist who has been living in Boston and was a mine of information”
She did – then some vacuous silly bitch called Nancy popped up and tried (unsuccessfully) to derail her – asking Kim to provide her with the giblets she wanted to hear (from a nuZull spektiv).
(Kim persevered with the email – as listener-feedback. I’m afraid it was all about Nancy)
Nancy only wants to hear things that DIRECTLY affect her from a Nu Zull spektiv). Thankfully Natrad has apparently lost Nancy’s undivided attention – she’ll probably have to slum it on talk-back radio.
Natrad is Natrad – except between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
I’m picking Nancy will find solace with the utterly exceptional, EVERY person’s best friend: Jim MORA – and probably, of geatest interest: The Panel, or perhaps that lady with isss yoos – whatshername?…. dear old Keth – ladyskin of the Parliamentary 4th Estate Gallery, who we can trust to represent our best interests.
Not much left on the MSM aye! (Bee!). Thank Christ for weekends, and nights on Natrad.
.
Tim
Yeah Kim is a feisty thing. I love her even when there is something I don’t. A lot of people have never heard or thought about what a good interview is, and how they are done so they are all interesting and not just a list of questions with ten second replies – and which is your favourite whatever?
And it is funny and sad to hear the various moaning minnies and vicious vernons who want to cut her off at the knees. Nancy wasn’t my fancy. Silly woman was talking about wanting information of importance to NZs! Who make our money from selling goods – Overseas, so we can buy just about everything we use from- Overseas. I heard that when you travelled through international airports you had your shoes checked and you couldn’t carry liquids more than 100ml after the terrorist attacks by people from Overseas. Yes, Nancy there are all sorts of reasons to think that Overseas matters from non-fashionable countries are worth noting by us.
Tim don’t be too hard on 9to Noon, some good stuff there. And don’t forget Checkpoint after work. Just turn on at 10 to five and suffer the last of Jim Mora’s panel of beauts, and there may be a gem if you look hard enough, and then the lemonade goes away and the hard stuff gets served.
I attended a couple of Govt “consultation” meetings recentlyabout their proposed changes to the RMA – and these changes are BIG, prominent on economic growth and allowing business (, developers, mining ?) a much easier pathway through the resource consent process, and dismissive of environmental or social/community concerns. This is a hugely important issue for everyone who cares about the environment and what this Govt intends to do in the future to our lovely land.
Please pass on the details of these RMA information meetings being organised by the Green Party, and their Climate Change conference in Wellington, to anyone you know living in these areas.
Stand up for the Environment: RMA meetings
The Government’s proposed changes to the Resource Management Act undermine local democracy and environmental sustainability.
Join Green MP Eugenie Sage and guest speakers for a panel discussion on changes to the RMA and what they mean for local democracy in your community and New Zealand’s environment.
Hamilton When: Monday, May 20, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:15pm Where: Richardson Room at Child Matters, 480 Anglesea Street Hamilton
Nelson When: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where:Trafalgar Park Pavillion, 30 Trafalgar Street Nelson
Invercargill When: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where:Central Library, 50 Dee Street (Northern side entrance) Invercargill
Palmerston North When: Thursday, May 30, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where: Globe Theatre, 312 Main St. Palmerston North
Whanganui When: Thursday, June 6, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm, Email Eugenie Sage at Parliament for address details
Climate change conference When: Friday, June 7, 2013 – 9:00am – 4.30pm
Where: Legislative Council Chamber, Parliament
Kennedy Graham hosts a one-day climate change conference in Parliament on 7th June, with the aim of fostering cross-party and public dialogue on climate change. The conference will feature leading scientists, policy analysts, civil society, and private sector representatives, and will finish with a cross-party political panel. The conference is open to all who wish to attend. Registration is now open via the following link: http://meetingthechallenge.eventbrite.co.nz/#
from the debate on the Crown Minerals Amendment Act, Amendment Bill, Committee Stage Pt,1;
Chris Hipkins- “Simon Bridges stuffed up”, then “the Labour Party does support exploration”.
(Jacinda appeared intoxicated, not, intoxicating).
Sue Moroney- “an applicant who does not have “expertise” will be granted.
Little- amendment “splits Health and Safety, Environmental, from the Prospecting application stage, with applicants only needing to demonstrate that they are “likely” to have technical and financial capability, onus on the applicant”;effectively permits foot-in-the-door, rig on the ground.
Street- 37,000 submissions, 32,000 on provided forms, 5000 unique submissions, ALL NOT CONSIDERED; “Bridges afraid of public opinion”.
Hughes-“no Select Committee Stage”.
Robertson- effectively “it is now up to the Minister to determine if Health and Safety, Environmental requirements are met by new (unknown) players.
Likely to be a bureaucratic oversight, but be assured that the Chinese are playing this for every advantage. After all, it would be a shame for Chinese authorities to have to order the dumping of $2M worth of NZ red meat outside the harbour due to bad paperwork?
Dv
I noted one of the fast changing government entities on the Budget Roundup the other night. The truth about this Chinese matter is no doubt the old saw that constant restructuring loses efficiency and effectiveness as senior positions go, and institutional methods disappear. http://thestandard.org.nz/budget-roundup/#comment-634268
The entry for beehive.govt.nz of 1/6/2010 set out the situation for Wayne Mapp who was the Minister of the Department through its changing monikers. (He is now in Russia, up to what?)
The Minister of Science and Innovation on 1/6/2010 has become –
the Minister of Research, Science and Technology, and from 1 July 2012
this will be the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The government workers can’t provide quality of work and effectiveness when they are being downsized in numbers and re-arranged like pieces in a kaleidoscope.
The trouble is that the political approach has grown to regard the country as a toy, or a potent cocktail that is to be both shaken and stirred. Unfortunately that is dragging up toxic ingredients from the sludge at the bottom of the hourglass.
There was a sugestion one of the reports that the chinese were using the “stuff up” to protect their own markets.
That idea would seem to have some currency as why are the nacts so quiet, guy has not returned any calls, and if it was a ‘simple stuff up,why would it take month to sort?
Dv
Yes that what I thought. The day after they heard about it the gummint trouble shooter for exports to Asia should have had tickets and accommodation for two nights booked and do something to help us sell our things – what we have to do and do and do. F..ks sake thinking she’ll be right and why don’t they read the docs and I’ve explained it over the phone to Mr Li or whoever and he says he understands but then I get another call. It isn’t enough. Some extra effort needed. Go with urgency like the government is using in the House.
Zespri, far from being an innocent party as it has claimed, knew its system for invoicing kiwifruit shipments to China was likely illegal the Star-Times has discovered.
Documents show the Mt Maunganui-based company was worried New Zealand Customs would discover what it was doing and alert its China counterparts.
Sources have revealed that staff tried to warn management that the dual invoicing was a big risk, but were ignored.
Maybe the chinese are now very suspicious ofdocumentation from NZ and that is why the sorting out is slow.
I really wish politicians on the left would put paid to this endless bullshit about taxpayers. Brian Gaynor is another repeating the lies about the top taxpayers;
“The top end of the employment market is strong and this benefits the Crown’s tax take as individuals on $80,000 or more account for 49 per cent of total income tax even though they represent only 11 per cent of the total work force by number”
He likely would have gotten his info from this source;
Those ‘taxpayers’ look to be every individual with an IRD number. It clearly includes all welfare beneficiaries; OAPs, DPB, Dole, Invalids etc. Even a quick glance shows a further 260,000 people with zero income and rather obviously not paying any tax yet these people keep including them all in this so-called ‘workforce’ of 3.375 million.
The true workforce is only around 2million which would make those on $80,000+ around 18% of the workforce by number.
The inclusion of beneficiaries in tax statistics is seriously skewing the numbers because they’ll nearly all appear in the lower income groups and distort the real facts about who pays tax.
Fat Cop
all these Fast-Food workers coming forward confirming how Police accept free fast-food “backhanders” for free security, while the Policeman arrested on P work for the Head Hunters delivered drugs in uniform, in his police-car; his wife a DHB clinician, knowingly spending the proceeds. Bad Boys!
Schools employ Hollywood movies to assist kids to (passively) read. Imagine Dragons ; Radioactive
for example, avoiding paying your student loan can lead to your grades going from 40K to over 100K
(where the bloody hell are ya)
got them High Hopes?
Research finds residential sales, 8% to foreign buyers but “it will grow”.
In Auckland, to address housing, 1/2 of suburbs permitted to be in-filled with buildings of Three Stories (Mixed-Housing Zone) and buildings can exceed 4, 5 and 6 stories in Terraced and Apartment Zones; non-notified, restricted discretionary (regulatory) activity.
Liked this from David Shearer, (National), “full of big-noters, show-boaters and no-hopers”
From Russell Norman- (The Budget) “is a debt train-wreck”!!!
for The Al1en /s (“Cumberbitches”, now there is a generous man) Interestingly, ST, Into Darkness portrays a Shadowplay between the two main protagonists…
Swings and roundabouts; Key knows we’re heading for the bottom, and he’s riding us, yes he’s riding us; The Camptown ladies sing this song Do dah, Do dah. Screaming Trees, “calling me back to my skin”. Isn’t it funny how we dance along the edge of the Pro-lab Dune like Matchstick Men. Thanks for the Trim. Silence is Golden listening to the current On The Radio; Pictures of Lilly, lilly eli Lilly. the Cider House rules, for now Paint the whole world with a Rainbow, Satellite Above. Grease is the word is the word that you heard, it’s got meaning I was walking in the park just the other night Baby (it’s You) , whatta ya think I saw (I’ll leave the light on, easier to feel the fine tolerances), Here, have a banana.
(1)11 is a joke, ring the po-leece and get burgled, double-up, while they come to buy, flavouring the flow, there’s not a minute to spare. Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Swedish House Mafia will “Save The World”, “it’s time that you stop being so important”, We are Scientists, after all, Stylo, is this love electronic? No Problem /s to report on any of the major interchanges, a million miles away you signal in the distance to whom it may concern, learning to walk again, learning to talk again. Those Flaming Lips sing it, yeah, yeah, yeah, Check yo’self ‘fore you wreck yourself, cos shotgun bullets are bad for your health.
-just a little Logo nTherapy, now, Lets Talk About trevor. without Warning, The Wizard walks by, casting his shadow, weaving his spell, funny clothes, tinkling bell. Sleep Comes Down (the Devilskin, never see the light). These are the tells, of love, and loss, and love; love based on a true story, all I do is keep the beat and the Bad Company. Chelsea Princess, Repetition.
-“the world is not a miserable prison; a playground for a non-stop tournament between stupidity and imagination”.
-James Broughton
Show (them) How to Live.
Moby said “we are all made of stars”, and I agree.
ST – The way socialists should want the world to turn out like… After we finish saving it, that is.
Social justice and equality that bypasses nations for the common good.
Why does the future have to taste of dystopia?
cos’ it’s in the ‘scriptures’ and that is what is ingrained in the cultural-historically derived psyches of the collective; “be a good (capitalist, follower of the authorities, individualist, make the Right choices, work hard, gain the credentials, solve the angst of the childless couple with IVF, eat your weeties, fence off those ‘others’ etc) and you will, literally, go to heaven, or damn the lot of you. Nietzsche, the most influential Western philosopher read it before it all unfolded, Confucius and Lao Tzu prescribed what would be necessary, Ellul (amongst others, like Huxley) prophecied what would unfold, Philip K. Dick wrote the story, J.J Abrams directed the film, Jesus Christ offered to set us free (The Kingdom of heaven is within you) and John (alongside others, Greer et al;) watched.
well, the only MPs who appear to have the integrity to stand up to “big corporate” globalization are Green and on the back-burners of Labour; the Right are certainly putting the screws on though, unprecedented High Stakes; wait until the next “Act of God”, environmental disaster “act of man” occurs, then there will be some panic.
Hold all the balls in your mind at once and you can see the Dark Art at work.
I recall hearing a few snippets on the news a few weeks ago re Key suggesting that the government may be willing to finance or part finance a new conference centre in Queenstown. At the time, it seemed weird as there was also indications that the money to build the centre was already sorted. Sorry, don’t have time to find a link right now.
From this latest news item, it seems that “Sky City already owns another casino in Queenstown and is in a consortium which is the preferred group to build a convention centre there.”
So, is the Queenstown situation tied in with the Government’s deal for Auckland?
And they boast about having a bit of a casino monopoly
Entertainment is our core business. SKYCITY has a strong and enviable collection of assets, including some of the most significant urban monopoly casino licences in New Zealand and Australia.
tc
You are right about the eyesore in Christchurch. To get an attractive building in Auckland the citizens up there will have to be in control of the design or it might look like a prison, the one in Christchurch was sterile on the outside.
Nice one Russel Norman. Just referred to Gerry as ‘The Colossus of Roads”. It’s interesting about that petrol tax to be raised. The infrastructure that it should be spent on is public rail and Gisborne line. It’s important that good transport is available to all the regions.
It has been obvious that some people live in a different world than the rest of us.
One where Chicago school economics work! One where you save the village by blowing it up! One where global warming can be stopped, Canute-like, by legislation. One where dropping wages and giving everything to bloated financiers, makes us better off! One where removing money from an economy makes it work better. One where every country is going to get rich by out exporting every other country. One where enabling greater inequality than the dark ages, works!
The one with the trickle down fairy. “Give us the money and we will pee on you”.
The market fairy. “Leave it to the market and we will cut your wages,impoverish your children, and tell you it is a brighter future”.
The Austerity fairy. “We will become better off by becoming poorer”.
The catching-up-with-Australia fairy. “We will catch up with Australia by doing almost the opposite of everything they have done”.
The Democracy fairy. “We will let you vote, to change the names in Government, or on a few social issues which do not affect our making money off you, but not to make any meaningful changes to the way the country is run”.
The privatisation fairy. “We will ensure that the NZ current account is forever in deficit, by selling all the income earning assets”
The debt fairy. “We will cut debt by borrowing $300mill a week, to pay for unaffordable tax cuts, to pay for our Hawaii holidays”.
The Job fairy. ” We will increase the number of jobs by putting thousands out of work, and cutting the unemployment benefit”.
The “We support business” fairy. While ensuring New Zealanders have no money to buy from local businesses, and increasing small businesses costs.
The better future fairy. “We will give you a better future by paying you less, charging you more and cutting services”.
It is pretty obvious which side of the political spectrum is on another planet. Planet Key!
I watched last night, as the government forced through its outrageous anti-protest legislation, formally and preposterously entitled The Crown Minerals Act Amendment Bill 2013 Amendment Bill. Labour and the Greens put up a string of serious, well prepared speakers: Gareth Hughes, Andrew Little, Grant Robertson, Moana Mackey, Chris Hipkins and Maryan Street. After insultingly brief and inadequate speeches by two of its lesser lights, Sam Lotu-Liga and Mark Mitchell, National just sat it out; as well as having no arguments, they had nobody capable of mounting any coherent defence of this assault on our democracy.
The man responsible for this disastrous legislation, Simon Bridges, was in the house, and was asked by every speaker to get up and answer for himself; he was obviously just not up to it. A couple of times the cameras cut to him, furtively shuffling (but not reading) papers, with a perplexed and pained expression.
Mozza, I very much doubt Simon Bridges is responsible for anything, other than bending over on request, being a sock-puppet, a traitor and a coward, who is the servant to the masters…
The masters are not likely to be onshore in NZ, and I would doubt that the core protagonists in the house, see themselves as NZ’ers!
Yeah…….wee Simon’s a puppy who yaps and drools on demand. Not an ounce of balls in him. Former Crown prosecutor you see……it’s all about “winning” and putting people behind bars, deservedly or not, as a reflex. No broad morality. He just follows orders.
Heaps of regard to the perks and the travel and the handsome stipend and the pension however. Prick. Not a gram of principle in him. Lacking balls and principle. Interested only in being a “darling”.
I agree that Bridges is the stooge rather than the instigator; however he is the minister responsible for this, even if it is really Steven Joyce and Peter Goodfellow pulling his strings. If Bridges had an ounce of integrity, he would have resigned by now, but he has stayed on to front this terrible legislation. He will bear the full blame for it eventually, and he doesn’t deserve any sympathy.
And some comments, like “all I can see now are a pair of rubber tits”.
Words fail me. Looking at Roughan’s column, I asked myself, “What kind of animal writes this shit?” and then I read the comments to get the answer: the sort who… never mind, I don’t want to articulate my answer fully.
Roughan…….big fish little pond fuckwit. Intrusiveness is his right…….because he’s big fish little pond fuckwit Roughan with a platform alongside equally egocentric fools. New Zealand is so sick in that regard.
I took it to be largely tongue in cheek. You might remember Clare Curran was thrown out because she wore a football jersey (or some such garment) about a year ago. I thought there might have been a bit of tit for tat going on. Agree though… it was rather stupid.
Andrew Little’s point of order appeared to be quite serious. And for that, ridiculous. The guy needs to get a life. If he wanted to comment on dress, he should have congratulated Gareth Hughes from the Greens who looked particularly fetching (seriously) in his grey suit and black tie, and his speech was impressive too 🙂
Re Little.I was interested that TV3 (I think) picked up on that and costed out the amount that the time taken to deal with the jersey issue would have cost the taxpayer.Can’t remember what it came to, but I don’t understand why the same attention is never given to key when he nuts off on one of his kindy tantrums.Must be costing us a lot more money for the time he wastes.
I wonder why, if Little was gonna raise a point of order about dress at all, he didn’t have a go at Tony-Ryall-Neighbour-Of-Susan.
Note I’m not saying Tones wears a dress. I’m saying that recidivistly he daily commits fashion crime, what with his pinstripes up against checked tablecloth shirts. You gotta go for the real criminals Little.
Not Auchinvole or Sockinhole or whatever his name is. He seemed to love the attention anyway. Compared to Tones he was sartorial inoffensiveness defined.
Re why TV3 made a point of it ? Maybe Mr Bean’s Cuzzy Power (Trip) Gower is personally, darkly, “really angry” about the carry-on in the House and will next cost out the time consumed by ShonKey Python’s rhubarbs, can’t recalls, throat slitting gestures and risible expressions and non-expressions of confidence in Botox Banks.
Oh, Poor Paddy, it’s such a burden being part of the story with the weight of the nation upon him, Gilmore “lying to ME”, Steven Joyce calling HIM aside – “Look PADDY, it’s like this……..”, having to LICK ShonKey’s arse.
Lewis examines a number of hypotheses, from rising incomes to growing female literacy. Those are all moderately correlated with the decline in birthrates and could help explain the shift. But, curiously enough, nothing seems to match up with the trends as neatly as the growth in TV ownership and media exposure.
Television in developing countries is also correlated with:
– reduced acceptability of domestic violence
– reduced son preference
– increased female autonomy
The study thinks it might be more than rising incomes, but television is actually changing cultural norms. (Now there’s a debate that’s been a first world problem for awhile). I wonder if these developing countries have Snookie and ‘The Only Way is Essex’ 😉
Unlike Dave Dobbin, who doesn’t listen to other peoples songs when he’s writing, I will if it’s asked of me 😉
That’s a very spinal tap looking vid. Cut and blow dries for all 😆
The tv series the history of rock (was on prime ages ago at least twice) has an interview with one of the kinks, saying how he used to cut up his speaker cones to get them to distort.
I’d hate to guess what I’d have to slit to get a decent vocal sound.
Thank goodness for software.
“I’m not a number; Ooh, that’s why I’m easy, I’m easy like a Sunday morning.
I’ve paid my dues to make it
I’m not happy when I try to fake it, no
I wanna be free to know
The things I do are right”.
(been some investment)
“Haven’t changed, haven’t much to ‘say’
Plenty of unused thoughts to give away,
Hardly ever Blue, is a greeting from a friend.”
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Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Just been scared of the implications of a Bill rushed through Parliament yesterday regarding the Payment of Families caring for Severely Handicapped Act. (Paraphrased)
Andrew Geddis on Pundit explains it well:
You simply tell the Human Rights Review Tribunal and the courts that they are not allowed to look at the policy and decide whether or not it is unlawfully discriminatory. That’s just what the Government is seeking to get Parliament to do under section 70E(2):
[When this law kicks in], no complaint based in whole or in part on a specified allegation [that the policy unlawfully discriminates] may be made to the Human Rights Commission, and no proceedings based in whole or in part on a specified allegation [that the policy unlawfully discriminates] may be commenced or continued in any court or tribunal.
What! No HRC or Court can examine the legality of this!(Same power as given Brownlie?)
Aren’t you a little bit frightened at this???
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/i-think-national-just-broke-our-constitution#comment-35209
Yeah it’s crazy. It’s the same bullying, cartel-loving psychology, that Torys are so comfortable with,
which we keep seeing in this 2nd term over and over again. Same with the GCSB law changes. Same with the reaction to NZPower. Same with offshore mining protest laws, etc.
You ain’t seen nothing yet, they’ve got their media mates onside and their chosen leader out front of labour so they will go from strength the strength with every move emboldening them for the next one.
A hitch appears to be how unhinged Shonkey gets all too easily, he wouldn’t know what serious pressure was and buckles under the power puff efforts the nz MSM toss in his direction.
I see this as another foot on the neck of advocacy for better government support of people struggling with getting fair resources. The government wants to silence the ordinary people from asking for more, because it distracts them and diverts money away from ..dah dah ‘the job and wealth creators’.
This is a piece that David Farrar put up about advocacy groups being put out of the Charities Act. (Recently applied to SST I think, and probably similar to the cases in the USA where the IRS was scrutinising the loony Right too much for gaining unfair tax advantages.)
Greens support lobby groups being charities
November 18th, 2012 at 7:00 am by David Farrar
On the one hand the Greens rail against lobbyists, yet on the other hand they say they should be able to be tax free charities. I guess the difference is whether or not they agree with them.
Green MP Denise Roche blogs::
Community organisations already spend much of their time advocating. They shouldn’t be excluded from getting charitable status (and tax exemption) because of this. Organisations of long standing repute including the National Council of Women have been denied charitable status on the basis that advocacy is their primary purpose. Advocacy is not currently deemed a ‘charitable purpose’ under the Act, and therefore they are denied tax exemption for donations.
And this is how it should be. Lobby groups should not be escaping tax. The National Council of Women is one of the most prolific lobby groups in New Zealand. It puts in a submission on almost every single bill before Parliament. Now good on them for being politically active, but allowing them to be a registered charity would be allowing any organisation to be a charity. Would we accept Business NZ being a registered charity?
On the back of the government’s announcement I have drafted a simple Private Member’s Bill to write advocacy into the definition of charitable purpose in the Charities Act as an ancillary purpose. I’ve been holding off for ages because I kept hearing that there would be a review and this would be the main focus of it.
That will make it open slater for every political lobby group in New Zealand to gain charitable tax status.
So government cannot discriminate for those wanting consideration for the strugglers, but no doubt has it’s door wide open to the robber barons and the fatnecks.
The Act comes into force in October. The use of urgency is an absolute affront. And it is that bad that Finlayson actually certified it breached the NZBOR.
Where is Farrar and Slater? I thought they were concerned about unconstitutional behaviour. The issues they jumped up and down about were minor in comparison.
Base server out at 0745 right while I was moving to a new server (damnit) that doesn’t crap out so often. Back (finally) at 1155.
Resuming the move. There will be a period later in the afternoon or evening when the server goes off for a short period to effect the change over.
Thanks lprent Hope all goes smoothly.
Kim Hill had some good interviews today, started with Jeremy Scahill, and a brave Russian journalist who has been living in Boston and was a mine of information.
Something you can’t get much of in Russia. If the powers that be don’t like your reportage of them they take over your television station or exile you. One such exile went to Britain was found hanged in March this year apparently. The guy who was given radioactive polonium was a failure of that assassination project. He didn’t die quickly enough and lived for a week, which gave the boffins time to check all known possibilities. They found out the cause on his last day. Poor bloke! Society in Russia has been broken down so much over so many years that it is hard for better human standards to come to the fore then prevail.
I guess that’s the modern way. In Britain Margaret Thatcher was announcing a goal as a present reality when she said that there is no such thing as society.
Indeed, in the USA the Justice Dept simply takes journalists’ phone records and tracks down media informants and sources.
btw opposition political party views, coverage of protests and criticisms of Putin’s govt is common on Russian media. As long as you don’t go too far 🙂
they are about to ban “gay propaganda”.
Already banned in St Petersburg. And Pussy Riot etc etc So it would appear “too far” isn’t very far at all. Nor am I aware of the US making a habit of assassinating exiled dissidents (if they even have such a thing) with Polonium 210.
interesting review of a biography of Putin on RNZ this morning; “he picks ‘brawls’, withdraws, then starts the fight again at a later time”, was the interesting characterization.
Sort of like the musical chairs he plays with Prime Minister rand President.
Meh, Pussy Riot tried to garner western media and popular support, and that alone went down very poorly with the Russian public.
So the fuck what? What kind of fucking populist Nazi argument is that?
An unforced self Godwin. Hilarious.
Poppy, stand up, take a bow son!
Whatever, you’re still a disgusting hypocrite pissing on human rights in Russia
No, Obama uses drones for individuals he doesn’t like, or military coups for governments that try the wrong sort of democracy. In the case of Bradley Manning, I’m sure he’d love to be exiled.
Well I’m sure he could have defected while he was comitting treason
He hasn’t been charged with treason, let alone convicted of it.
“Indeed, in the USA the Justice Dept simply takes journalists’ phone records and tracks down media informants and sources.”
And then takes over your TV station or exiles or assassinates you! Oh.
Matt
The USA is a different country, but their methods are not too dissimilar to those of Russia, and have been deteriorating I think since Russia threw out its form of communism. Now the USA doesn’t have to have better standards than the communists – the slogan is Let’s go for maxing the money, who cares what we do. Same in Britain.
When Washington stars taking over TV stations and exiling dissidents, you might have a point, but nah. Certainly the US is nowhere as free as its propaganda would have the world believe, but it’s considerably less violent and oppressive of its citizens than Russia is.
US government doesn’t need to use violence to intimidate its citizens. Its citizens are too busy intimidating each other.
It’s a moot point that USA is less violent than Russia. It just has a different way of doing things. They thought up extraordinary rendition themselves. Declaring war on others. Driving citizens into criminals with harsh drug laws. Accepting prison rape as regular behaviour, kidnapping girls, shooting too many people. I don’t know how the stats mount up compared to other advanced, civilised countries.
Yes exactly. Please accept my slight edit. When you count how many foreign persons the USA kills weekly, the picture is quite different.
Also, I believe that USA prison and prison labour camps contain far more citizens than Russian ones.
So for all those champions of the U-S-A. Keep chanting, if it makes you feel better.
Appeared to work in Boston, while the city was being used to test the reaction of deliberate overkill, via the military complex take-over on the streets!
USA-USA-USA
That’s kind of ironic coming from someone who claims to be a nationalist
“Kim Hill had some good interviews today, started with Jeremy Scahill, and a brave Russian journalist who has been living in Boston and was a mine of information”
She did – then some vacuous silly bitch called Nancy popped up and tried (unsuccessfully) to derail her – asking Kim to provide her with the giblets she wanted to hear (from a nuZull spektiv).
(Kim persevered with the email – as listener-feedback. I’m afraid it was all about Nancy)
Nancy only wants to hear things that DIRECTLY affect her from a Nu Zull spektiv). Thankfully Natrad has apparently lost Nancy’s undivided attention – she’ll probably have to slum it on talk-back radio.
Natrad is Natrad – except between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
I’m picking Nancy will find solace with the utterly exceptional, EVERY person’s best friend: Jim MORA – and probably, of geatest interest: The Panel, or perhaps that lady with isss yoos – whatshername?…. dear old Keth – ladyskin of the Parliamentary 4th Estate Gallery, who we can trust to represent our best interests.
Not much left on the MSM aye! (Bee!). Thank Christ for weekends, and nights on Natrad.
.
Tim
Yeah Kim is a feisty thing. I love her even when there is something I don’t. A lot of people have never heard or thought about what a good interview is, and how they are done so they are all interesting and not just a list of questions with ten second replies – and which is your favourite whatever?
And it is funny and sad to hear the various moaning minnies and vicious vernons who want to cut her off at the knees. Nancy wasn’t my fancy. Silly woman was talking about wanting information of importance to NZs! Who make our money from selling goods – Overseas, so we can buy just about everything we use from- Overseas. I heard that when you travelled through international airports you had your shoes checked and you couldn’t carry liquids more than 100ml after the terrorist attacks by people from Overseas. Yes, Nancy there are all sorts of reasons to think that Overseas matters from non-fashionable countries are worth noting by us.
Tim don’t be too hard on 9to Noon, some good stuff there. And don’t forget Checkpoint after work. Just turn on at 10 to five and suffer the last of Jim Mora’s panel of beauts, and there may be a gem if you look hard enough, and then the lemonade goes away and the hard stuff gets served.
Is my ban over yet?
[lprent: 12th of June according to the ban notes. ]
I attended a couple of Govt “consultation” meetings recentlyabout their proposed changes to the RMA – and these changes are BIG, prominent on economic growth and allowing business (, developers, mining ?) a much easier pathway through the resource consent process, and dismissive of environmental or social/community concerns. This is a hugely important issue for everyone who cares about the environment and what this Govt intends to do in the future to our lovely land.
Please pass on the details of these RMA information meetings being organised by the Green Party, and their Climate Change conference in Wellington, to anyone you know living in these areas.
Stand up for the Environment: RMA meetings
The Government’s proposed changes to the Resource Management Act undermine local democracy and environmental sustainability.
Join Green MP Eugenie Sage and guest speakers for a panel discussion on changes to the RMA and what they mean for local democracy in your community and New Zealand’s environment.
Hamilton When: Monday, May 20, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:15pm Where: Richardson Room at Child Matters, 480 Anglesea Street Hamilton
Nelson When: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where:Trafalgar Park Pavillion, 30 Trafalgar Street Nelson
Invercargill When: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where:Central Library, 50 Dee Street (Northern side entrance) Invercargill
Palmerston North When: Thursday, May 30, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where: Globe Theatre, 312 Main St. Palmerston North
Whanganui When: Thursday, June 6, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm, Email Eugenie Sage at Parliament for address details
Climate change conference When: Friday, June 7, 2013 – 9:00am – 4.30pm
Where: Legislative Council Chamber, Parliament
Kennedy Graham hosts a one-day climate change conference in Parliament on 7th June, with the aim of fostering cross-party and public dialogue on climate change. The conference will feature leading scientists, policy analysts, civil society, and private sector representatives, and will finish with a cross-party political panel. The conference is open to all who wish to attend. Registration is now open via the following link: http://meetingthechallenge.eventbrite.co.nz/#
from the debate on the Crown Minerals Amendment Act, Amendment Bill, Committee Stage Pt,1;
Chris Hipkins- “Simon Bridges stuffed up”, then “the Labour Party does support exploration”.
(Jacinda appeared intoxicated, not, intoxicating).
Sue Moroney- “an applicant who does not have “expertise” will be granted.
Little- amendment “splits Health and Safety, Environmental, from the Prospecting application stage, with applicants only needing to demonstrate that they are “likely” to have technical and financial capability, onus on the applicant”;effectively permits foot-in-the-door, rig on the ground.
Street- 37,000 submissions, 32,000 on provided forms, 5000 unique submissions, ALL NOT CONSIDERED; “Bridges afraid of public opinion”.
Hughes-“no Select Committee Stage”.
Robertson- effectively “it is now up to the Minister to determine if Health and Safety, Environmental requirements are met by new (unknown) players.
3 News had an interesting item last where lamb shipments are being held at the chinese boarder.
Also on dompost, but not on line.
Apparently it is because the paperwork is not correct after the import certification was changed when the Ministry of Primary Industries was formed.
The Nats have known about it for a month, but have been very quiet.
Is there more to this?, or is it just an ‘oversight’?
Likely to be a bureaucratic oversight, but be assured that the Chinese are playing this for every advantage. After all, it would be a shame for Chinese authorities to have to order the dumping of $2M worth of NZ red meat outside the harbour due to bad paperwork?
Dv
I noted one of the fast changing government entities on the Budget Roundup the other night. The truth about this Chinese matter is no doubt the old saw that constant restructuring loses efficiency and effectiveness as senior positions go, and institutional methods disappear.
http://thestandard.org.nz/budget-roundup/#comment-634268
The entry for beehive.govt.nz of 1/6/2010 set out the situation for Wayne Mapp who was the Minister of the Department through its changing monikers. (He is now in Russia, up to what?)
The Minister of Science and Innovation on 1/6/2010 has become –
the Minister of Research, Science and Technology, and from 1 July 2012
this will be the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The government workers can’t provide quality of work and effectiveness when they are being downsized in numbers and re-arranged like pieces in a kaleidoscope.
The trouble is that the political approach has grown to regard the country as a toy, or a potent cocktail that is to be both shaken and stirred. Unfortunately that is dragging up toxic ingredients from the sludge at the bottom of the hourglass.
Cv and prism
There was a sugestion one of the reports that the chinese were using the “stuff up” to protect their own markets.
That idea would seem to have some currency as why are the nacts so quiet, guy has not returned any calls, and if it was a ‘simple stuff up,why would it take month to sort?
Dv
Yes that what I thought. The day after they heard about it the gummint trouble shooter for exports to Asia should have had tickets and accommodation for two nights booked and do something to help us sell our things – what we have to do and do and do. F..ks sake thinking she’ll be right and why don’t they read the docs and I’ve explained it over the phone to Mr Li or whoever and he says he understands but then I get another call. It isn’t enough. Some extra effort needed. Go with urgency like the government is using in the House.
The delay may be related to the kiwifruit/zespri scam
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/8690353/Suitcases-of-cash-in-kiwifruit-scandal
Zespri, far from being an innocent party as it has claimed, knew its system for invoicing kiwifruit shipments to China was likely illegal the Star-Times has discovered.
Documents show the Mt Maunganui-based company was worried New Zealand Customs would discover what it was doing and alert its China counterparts.
Sources have revealed that staff tried to warn management that the dual invoicing was a big risk, but were ignored.
Maybe the chinese are now very suspicious ofdocumentation from NZ and that is why the sorting out is slow.
RNZ National has covered this in most news over the last 24 hours. This is their latest
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/135469/farmers-confident-about-stranded-meat
I really wish politicians on the left would put paid to this endless bullshit about taxpayers. Brian Gaynor is another repeating the lies about the top taxpayers;
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10884402
To quote;
“The top end of the employment market is strong and this benefits the Crown’s tax take as individuals on $80,000 or more account for 49 per cent of total income tax even though they represent only 11 per cent of the total work force by number”
He likely would have gotten his info from this source;
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/budget/2013/taxpayers/b13-taxpayers.pdf
Those ‘taxpayers’ look to be every individual with an IRD number. It clearly includes all welfare beneficiaries; OAPs, DPB, Dole, Invalids etc. Even a quick glance shows a further 260,000 people with zero income and rather obviously not paying any tax yet these people keep including them all in this so-called ‘workforce’ of 3.375 million.
The true workforce is only around 2million which would make those on $80,000+ around 18% of the workforce by number.
The inclusion of beneficiaries in tax statistics is seriously skewing the numbers because they’ll nearly all appear in the lower income groups and distort the real facts about who pays tax.
Fat Cop
all these Fast-Food workers coming forward confirming how Police accept free fast-food “backhanders” for free security, while the Policeman arrested on P work for the Head Hunters delivered drugs in uniform, in his police-car; his wife a DHB clinician, knowingly spending the proceeds.
Bad Boys!
Schools employ Hollywood movies to assist kids to (passively) read.
Imagine Dragons ; Radioactive
for example, avoiding paying your student loan can lead to your grades going from 40K to over 100K
(where the bloody hell are ya)
got them High Hopes?
Research finds residential sales, 8% to foreign buyers but “it will grow”.
In Auckland, to address housing, 1/2 of suburbs permitted to be in-filled with buildings of Three Stories (Mixed-Housing Zone) and buildings can exceed 4, 5 and 6 stories in Terraced and Apartment Zones; non-notified, restricted discretionary (regulatory) activity.
Liked this from David Shearer, (National), “full of big-noters, show-boaters and no-hopers”
From Russell Norman- (The Budget) “is a debt train-wreck”!!!
Jack , free from 21 😀
Institutions, not only the police, are heavily involved in NZ narcotics *market*, along with some very high profile *professionals*!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8689407/Police-officer-accused-of-working-with-gang
an award winning one at that!
Is anyone else on here NOT surprised?
Tip of the iceberg!
Another low level operator, takes the wrap, as if operating in silo, without any *support*!
Muldoon, was *friendly* with the gangs, this goes back a very long way, and it goes to the top!
for The Al1en /s (“Cumberbitches”, now there is a generous man) Interestingly, ST, Into Darkness portrays a Shadowplay between the two main protagonists…
Swings and roundabouts; Key knows we’re heading for the bottom, and he’s riding us, yes he’s riding us; The Camptown ladies sing this song Do dah, Do dah. Screaming Trees, “calling me back to my skin”. Isn’t it funny how we dance along the edge of the Pro-lab Dune like Matchstick Men. Thanks for the Trim. Silence is Golden listening to the current On The Radio; Pictures of Lilly, lilly eli Lilly. the Cider House rules, for now Paint the whole world with a Rainbow, Satellite Above. Grease is the word is the word that you heard, it’s got meaning I was walking in the park just the other night Baby (it’s You) , whatta ya think I saw (I’ll leave the light on, easier to feel the fine tolerances), Here, have a banana.
(1)11 is a joke, ring the po-leece and get burgled, double-up, while they come to buy, flavouring the flow, there’s not a minute to spare. Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Swedish House Mafia will “Save The World”, “it’s time that you stop being so important”, We are Scientists, after all, Stylo, is this love electronic? No Problem /s to report on any of the major interchanges, a million miles away you signal in the distance to whom it may concern, learning to walk again, learning to talk again. Those Flaming Lips sing it, yeah, yeah, yeah, Check yo’self ‘fore you wreck yourself, cos shotgun bullets are bad for your health.
-just a little Logo nTherapy, now, Lets Talk About trevor. without Warning, The Wizard walks by, casting his shadow, weaving his spell, funny clothes, tinkling bell. Sleep Comes Down (the Devilskin, never see the light). These are the tells, of love, and loss, and love; love based on a true story, all I do is keep the beat and the Bad Company. Chelsea Princess, Repetition.
-“the world is not a miserable prison; a playground for a non-stop tournament between stupidity and imagination”.
-James Broughton
Show (them) How to Live.
“for The Al1en /s”
Moby said “we are all made of stars”, and I agree.
ST – The way socialists should want the world to turn out like… After we finish saving it, that is.
Social justice and equality that bypasses nations for the common good.
Why does the future have to taste of dystopia?
cos’ it’s in the ‘scriptures’ and that is what is ingrained in the cultural-historically derived psyches of the collective; “be a good (capitalist, follower of the authorities, individualist, make the Right choices, work hard, gain the credentials, solve the angst of the childless couple with IVF, eat your weeties, fence off those ‘others’ etc) and you will, literally, go to heaven, or damn the lot of you. Nietzsche, the most influential Western philosopher read it before it all unfolded, Confucius and Lao Tzu prescribed what would be necessary, Ellul (amongst others, like Huxley) prophecied what would unfold, Philip K. Dick wrote the story, J.J Abrams directed the film, Jesus Christ offered to set us free (The Kingdom of heaven is within you) and John (alongside others, Greer et al;) watched.
There’s no point in having two ends to a candle if you’re not going to burn them, we just got to work harder and smarter to make sure we win.
Old red green eyes is back in town.
well, the only MPs who appear to have the integrity to stand up to “big corporate” globalization are Green and on the back-burners of Labour; the Right are certainly putting the screws on though, unprecedented High Stakes; wait until the next “Act of God”, environmental disaster “act of man” occurs, then there will be some panic.
Hold all the balls in your mind at once and you can see the Dark Art at work.
Whitechapel to follow.
Control the cue ball and you control the game.
In amerika, they call spin English, don’t you know?
distortion ist wunderbar; Ramm it home Bass.
Just found this on the RNZ website
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/135436/casino-in-queenstown-bought-by-sky-city
I recall hearing a few snippets on the news a few weeks ago re Key suggesting that the government may be willing to finance or part finance a new conference centre in Queenstown. At the time, it seemed weird as there was also indications that the money to build the centre was already sorted. Sorry, don’t have time to find a link right now.
From this latest news item, it seems that “Sky City already owns another casino in Queenstown and is in a consortium which is the preferred group to build a convention centre there.”
So, is the Queenstown situation tied in with the Government’s deal for Auckland?
So with this, hamilton, the eyesore in akl and chch do they now have a monopoly or is chch owned by another.
Also Adelaide and Darwin.
And they boast about having a bit of a casino monopoly
It’s all a board game really!
Government granted licence to print money at the expense of the poor and struggling.
tc
You are right about the eyesore in Christchurch. To get an attractive building in Auckland the citizens up there will have to be in control of the design or it might look like a prison, the one in Christchurch was sterile on the outside.
Nice one Russel Norman. Just referred to Gerry as ‘The Colossus of Roads”. It’s interesting about that petrol tax to be raised. The infrastructure that it should be spent on is public rail and Gisborne line. It’s important that good transport is available to all the regions.
The magical world of New Zealand’s Neo-Liberal right wing
by KJT
http://kjt-kt.blogspot.co.nz/
It has been obvious that some people live in a different world than the rest of us.
One where Chicago school economics work! One where you save the village by blowing it up! One where global warming can be stopped, Canute-like, by legislation. One where dropping wages and giving everything to bloated financiers, makes us better off! One where removing money from an economy makes it work better. One where every country is going to get rich by out exporting every other country. One where enabling greater inequality than the dark ages, works!
The one with the trickle down fairy. “Give us the money and we will pee on you”.
The market fairy. “Leave it to the market and we will cut your wages,impoverish your children, and tell you it is a brighter future”.
The Austerity fairy. “We will become better off by becoming poorer”.
The catching-up-with-Australia fairy. “We will catch up with Australia by doing almost the opposite of everything they have done”.
The Democracy fairy. “We will let you vote, to change the names in Government, or on a few social issues which do not affect our making money off you, but not to make any meaningful changes to the way the country is run”.
The privatisation fairy. “We will ensure that the NZ current account is forever in deficit, by selling all the income earning assets”
The debt fairy. “We will cut debt by borrowing $300mill a week, to pay for unaffordable tax cuts, to pay for our Hawaii holidays”.
The Job fairy. ” We will increase the number of jobs by putting thousands out of work, and cutting the unemployment benefit”.
The “We support business” fairy. While ensuring New Zealanders have no money to buy from local businesses, and increasing small businesses costs.
The better future fairy. “We will give you a better future by paying you less, charging you more and cutting services”.
It is pretty obvious which side of the political spectrum is on another planet. Planet Key!
http://kjt-kt.blogspot.co.nz/
Excellent.
“The DoC will run better fairy, by cutting it’s budgets and sacking all it’s experienced and specialist staff'”
Hi Morrissey
100% bang on right mate. If our current leaders had another brain and heart both would be lonely the soulless ideological scumbags!
Thank you john, but all the credit goes to KJT. I simply reprinted that from his excellent blog.
Pretty good filibuster in the house this avo. Anyone else been following?
Starting up again at 7.
What’s the bill?
Petrol tax blah blah amendment something?
OK Thanks.
I watched last night, as the government forced through its outrageous anti-protest legislation, formally and preposterously entitled The Crown Minerals Act Amendment Bill 2013 Amendment Bill. Labour and the Greens put up a string of serious, well prepared speakers: Gareth Hughes, Andrew Little, Grant Robertson, Moana Mackey, Chris Hipkins and Maryan Street. After insultingly brief and inadequate speeches by two of its lesser lights, Sam Lotu-Liga and Mark Mitchell, National just sat it out; as well as having no arguments, they had nobody capable of mounting any coherent defence of this assault on our democracy.
The man responsible for this disastrous legislation, Simon Bridges, was in the house, and was asked by every speaker to get up and answer for himself; he was obviously just not up to it. A couple of times the cameras cut to him, furtively shuffling (but not reading) papers, with a perplexed and pained expression.
This bill is proceeding under the cover of post-budget urgency???!!!
Mozza, I very much doubt Simon Bridges is responsible for anything, other than bending over on request, being a sock-puppet, a traitor and a coward, who is the servant to the masters…
The masters are not likely to be onshore in NZ, and I would doubt that the core protagonists in the house, see themselves as NZ’ers!
Yeah…….wee Simon’s a puppy who yaps and drools on demand. Not an ounce of balls in him. Former Crown prosecutor you see……it’s all about “winning” and putting people behind bars, deservedly or not, as a reflex. No broad morality. He just follows orders.
Heaps of regard to the perks and the travel and the handsome stipend and the pension however. Prick. Not a gram of principle in him. Lacking balls and principle. Interested only in being a “darling”.
I agree that Bridges is the stooge rather than the instigator; however he is the minister responsible for this, even if it is really Steven Joyce and Peter Goodfellow pulling his strings. If Bridges had an ounce of integrity, he would have resigned by now, but he has stayed on to front this terrible legislation. He will bear the full blame for it eventually, and he doesn’t deserve any sympathy.
Agree with that Moz – Was not looking to relieve the coward of responsibility, in any way.
No sympathy, here, for any of them!
There you go, some thing that unites us all.
Who’d have thought it would be simon bridges, minister for himself.
Keep fighting M and M 😉
Lotu-Liga…….another up-himself shithead little lawyer. Helping Shonkey Python to shit on his own people. Great guy……
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10884359
Ew. That’s just disgusting.
And some comments, like “all I can see now are a pair of rubber tits”.
Words fail me. Looking at Roughan’s column, I asked myself, “What kind of animal writes this shit?” and then I read the comments to get the answer: the sort who… never mind, I don’t want to articulate my answer fully.
Roughan…….big fish little pond fuckwit. Intrusiveness is his right…….because he’s big fish little pond fuckwit Roughan with a platform alongside equally egocentric fools. New Zealand is so sick in that regard.
Get your nose out of others’ business, dog !
Can someone explain why Andrew Little made a stupid complaint about clothing in Parliament?
If one ever had any doubts about whether Little is a dick, they were laid to rest today.
He appears to have his hang-ups.
I took it to be largely tongue in cheek. You might remember Clare Curran was thrown out because she wore a football jersey (or some such garment) about a year ago. I thought there might have been a bit of tit for tat going on. Agree though… it was rather stupid.
Andrew Little’s point of order appeared to be quite serious. And for that, ridiculous. The guy needs to get a life. If he wanted to comment on dress, he should have congratulated Gareth Hughes from the Greens who looked particularly fetching (seriously) in his grey suit and black tie, and his speech was impressive too 🙂
More interested why TV3 made such a fuss about it… Like we didn’t know.
More likely, Andrew Little is looking for any way to get himself some publicity. Looks like he succeeded.
Re Little.I was interested that TV3 (I think) picked up on that and costed out the amount that the time taken to deal with the jersey issue would have cost the taxpayer.Can’t remember what it came to, but I don’t understand why the same attention is never given to key when he nuts off on one of his kindy tantrums.Must be costing us a lot more money for the time he wastes.
I wonder why, if Little was gonna raise a point of order about dress at all, he didn’t have a go at Tony-Ryall-Neighbour-Of-Susan.
Note I’m not saying Tones wears a dress. I’m saying that recidivistly he daily commits fashion crime, what with his pinstripes up against checked tablecloth shirts. You gotta go for the real criminals Little.
Not Auchinvole or Sockinhole or whatever his name is. He seemed to love the attention anyway. Compared to Tones he was sartorial inoffensiveness defined.
Re why TV3 made a point of it ? Maybe Mr Bean’s Cuzzy Power (Trip) Gower is personally, darkly, “really angry” about the carry-on in the House and will next cost out the time consumed by ShonKey Python’s rhubarbs, can’t recalls, throat slitting gestures and risible expressions and non-expressions of confidence in Botox Banks.
Oh, Poor Paddy, it’s such a burden being part of the story with the weight of the nation upon him, Gilmore “lying to ME”, Steven Joyce calling HIM aside – “Look PADDY, it’s like this……..”, having to LICK ShonKey’s arse.
A bit of a freako-demographics moment?
Why are birthrates falling around the world? Blame television
Television in developing countries is also correlated with:
– reduced acceptability of domestic violence
– reduced son preference
– increased female autonomy
The study thinks it might be more than rising incomes, but television is actually changing cultural norms. (Now there’s a debate that’s been a first world problem for awhile). I wonder if these developing countries have Snookie and ‘The Only Way is Essex’ 😉
I’ve been there, trust me, the only Essex you’ll ever want is David, and only then when he wants to make you a star.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdTg9n0_Rsc
Hah! I had a picture of him on my wall way back when I was about 12 – him and Marc Bolan who doesn’t want to fool the kids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgcxd9wtXUE
Yeah its tv’s fault /sarc!
I call those Waterloo sunset moments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyh__QQD2js
I am in paradise 🙂
Eruption; “I’m ya Ice-cream man, stop me when I’m passing by”. 😉
Unlike Dave Dobbin, who doesn’t listen to other peoples songs when he’s writing, I will if it’s asked of me 😉
That’s a very spinal tap looking vid. Cut and blow dries for all 😆
The tv series the history of rock (was on prime ages ago at least twice) has an interview with one of the kinks, saying how he used to cut up his speaker cones to get them to distort.
I’d hate to guess what I’d have to slit to get a decent vocal sound.
Thank goodness for software.
I like the second-to-bottom line.
One out of seven, that’s nearly more popular than Labour 😆
+1 nice 🙂
“I’m not a number; Ooh, that’s why I’m easy, I’m easy like a Sunday morning.
I’ve paid my dues to make it
I’m not happy when I try to fake it, no
I wanna be free to know
The things I do are right”.
(been some investment)
“Haven’t changed, haven’t much to ‘say’
Plenty of unused thoughts to give away,
Hardly ever Blue, is a greeting from a friend.”
Ah ! A Kinks fan 🙂