Open mike 20/01/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, January 20th, 2013 - 73 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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Step right up to the mike…

73 comments on “Open mike 20/01/2013 ”

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  1. tc 1
    20 January 2013 at 7:05 am

    Granny’s found a psychology lecturer to put Shonkeys latest brain fade in Antarctica possibly down to fainting then listed some other major memory lapses but not them all as that’d probably take up too much room and remind folk how often and conveniently it occurs.

    Bending over backwards to help as always granny, trying to play the health card on his behalf, how about some medical opinions not behavioural ones.

    • karol 1.1
      20 January 2013 at 7:29 am

      Although, the brain fades the article does mention are pretty significant:

      While in Antarctica, Key spoke of how he was affected by news of the Air New Zealand flight which crashed into the side of Mt Erebus.

      Flight TE901 was destroyed on impact, killing all 257 passengers and crew.

      “I know I was starting School C at around that time – it’s a memory that’s lasted with me till now,” Key said this week.

      John Key was born on August 9, 1961, and the Erebus disaster was on November 28, 1979 – meaning he would have been 18 at the time. Students usually sat School Certificate examinations about the age of 15….

      Brain fades

      • Key sat through a briefing on the Kim Dotcom case weeks after a high-profile police raid on the internet mogul’s property in Key’s Helensville electorate. He said he completely forgot about it.

      • Last October, Key told reporters he had voted for the drinking age to be raised to 20 but Key had voted for it to remain at 18.

      • During an election debate in 2008, Key said he could not remember how he felt about the 1981 Springbok rugby tour. At the time of the contentious tour, Key was attending Canterbury University – a hotbed of protests. Pressed for an answer Key said he was “probably mildly pro-tour”.

      • Also in 2008, when questioned about sham foreign exchange deals, Key said he was not working at Elders when the deals were made. Labour proved Key was still at Elders at the time.

      • freedom 1.1.1
        20 January 2013 at 8:16 am

        If a B-Com takes three years and he graduated in 1981 then he left School in 78, no?. Which means he was at University when Erebus occured. How can he not remember if he was at University or High School at the time of that disaster

        More pathetic Journalism. No fact checking, not even bothering to do basic arithmetic

      • felixviper 1.1.2
        20 January 2013 at 9:34 am

        To be fair to the PM, the four events listed aren’t “brain fades”.

        It’s a little unfair to blame his failing health for what are really just out and out lies told by Mr Key.

        • bad12 1.1.2.1
          20 January 2013 at 10:28 am

          +1, spot-on, my belief is that Slippery is a compulsive one as well, it’s a gambler, Psycho/sociopath thing with that one as far as i can see,

          Compulsive’s, liars that is, have to keep testing the boundaries of what ‘they’ can get people to believe,

          The way i see it is He is heading for a major stress related coronary partly brought about by the ‘will they believe this one’ anxiety inherent in the ‘gamble’ of continually talking s**t…

      • millsy 1.1.3
        20 January 2013 at 10:45 am

        That’s weird.

        If was was born in 61, when he would have been sitting School Cert in 77 (he could have got Erebus mixed with Tenerife – that happened in 77 and killed 500+ people — A KLM jet collided with a Pam Am jet). He would be sitting Bursary in 79.

        • bad12 1.1.3.1
          20 January 2013 at 11:14 am

          Perhaps Slippery’s suitcase of intellectual rigor is as empty as what it would seem to be and He had to sit the school cert year a number of times, before in exasperation, ‘they’ just gave up and gave it to the little failure…

          • Jackal 1.1.3.1.1
            20 January 2013 at 11:32 am

            Or perhaps this is just more spin to make him appear more like the common man than the actual conniving and calculating prick he is.

            Playing the sympathy card at the same time to make people concerned for his health would seem a masterstroke. Three doctors couldn’t explain Key’s fainting? Please!

            The question should be: do we want either a deluded and bumbling fool with a potential health condition that makes him faint and forget things or a master right wing manipulator and compulsive liar as Prime Minister?

            My answer in both cases would have to be no!

        • freedom 1.1.3.2
          20 January 2013 at 2:31 pm

          He was most likely accredited from sixth form
          in order to be at Uni in ’79 in order to graduate in ’81

  2. North 2
    20 January 2013 at 7:53 am

    What a laughable, twisted old blow-hard is Garth McVicar of the Sensible Sentencing Trust.

    His out-of-left-field prognostications that gay marriage will increase crime confirms that his prescription for a decent society invokes selectively applied inequality, discrimination, exclusion, bullying. Such morals !

    McVicar is a notorious, over-indulged, redneck clown perfectly suited to the bigotry of US tea party politics where any old shit is true the second some dinosaur zealot chooses to say it is.

    Pray that the cruddy old people-hater sells up and relocates to the wilds of Wyoming where to his heart’s content he can run periodically passing aged-hippies, gays, profile-meeting blacks and other dangerous types out of the county on the end of a shotgun. And otherwise batten down against the world.

    • yeshe 2.1
      20 January 2013 at 8:03 am

      Here’s the link: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8199943/Lobbyist-links-gay-marriage-to-crime-rise-in-NZ

      You beat me to the post and thanks for your lovely writing .. what a hate-filled message he sends. Horrible.

      • Dr Terry 2.1.1
        20 January 2013 at 9:18 am

        Like all marriage, Gay marriage is an act of Love. The stuid McVicar (who is best ignored, except that The MSM hang on his every word), is in effect spouting forth that “loving marriage, ipso facto, is likely to end up in criminality”. That is the extent of this pathetic soul’s logic.

    • The Al1en 2.2
      20 January 2013 at 8:09 am

      Never trust a man prepared to whore out someone else’s grief for a sound bite on the news.

      • chris73 2.2.1
        20 January 2013 at 9:55 am

        [IrishBill: you were banned for a week for calling an author a liar. See you next Saturday]

      • muzza 2.2.2
        20 January 2013 at 11:04 am

        Never trust a man prepared to whore out someone else’s grief for a sound bite on the news.

        McFlock, Felix, QoT – As self appointed sentinels of the, who is offended, by what, and how, security assessment services, what’s your positon on the above reference to, *whore out* ?

        • The Al1en 2.2.2.1
          20 January 2013 at 12:02 pm

          Is there a problem with what I’ve written?

          • The Al1en 2.2.2.1.1
            20 January 2013 at 12:05 pm

            Form wiki

            Verb
            whore out (third-person singular simple present whores out, present participle whoring out, simple past and past participle whored out)
            (informal, transitive) To prostitute, take advantage of, exploit, show off; to hire out or provide to others like a whore

          • muzza 2.2.2.1.2
            20 January 2013 at 12:08 pm

            TA – I would suggest you await the security (hate speech assessment services) team, to deliver their judgement – I’ve highlighted the possible threat, to one of the members!

            I’m surprised at the tardiness of response today, perhaps its because only one of them appears to be around currently, and is unable to deliver a unilateral response!

            • The Al1en 2.2.2.1.2.1
              20 January 2013 at 12:14 pm

              No offence, but if it’s all about an e-peen fight, I don’t want anything to do with it.
              I’d rather I wasn’t quoted to make point scoring bombs.

              As a weapon of massively good looking distraction, I’m strictly handle with care. 😆

              • muzza …
                20 January 2013 at 12:26 pm

                TA – Even though this is the virtual space, it is important that should handles feel it appropriate to throw around the serious accusations of bigotry and so on, that accusers are evaluating regulary, and without bias, hyocracy or other, the basis for their accusations, as they are a serious impediment to societal healing.

                Highlighting your choice of words, is, in my opinion necessary, as I would like to understand if there is consistancy, should there be a response from those I named. No response, will speak visibly for itself, on their behalf!

                Apologies to have to involve you (handle) under these conditions, I mean you no ill.

            • McFlock 2.2.2.1.2.2
              20 January 2013 at 10:42 pm

              fucktard, I’ve only just turned on the computer, and you already know the fucking answer.

              Funnily enough, while you might be “surprised” at the “tardiness”, my life doesn’t revolve around your fantasies.

          • Te Reo Putake 2.2.2.1.3
            20 January 2013 at 12:10 pm

            Nothing wrong at all, Al1en. Muzza is just trying to reinforce his No1 tool status.

          • QoT 2.2.2.1.4
            20 January 2013 at 2:24 pm

            What muzza’s alluding to is that he was called out for uncritically copy-pasting an article title using the phrase “rent boy”.

            As with the phrase “whore out”, this is problematic because it uses sex work as shorthand for immorality or exploitation, per the definition you quoted below.

    • millsy 2.4
      20 January 2013 at 10:10 am

      McVicar is out of control and must be stopped. He will stop at nothing into imposing a return to the 1950’s and all the associated misery the era has inflicted on people for a crime free utopia, especially for those who were packed off Lake Alice and had 500 volts put through them because they couldnt spell ‘cat’ properly.

  3. GeoffC 3
    20 January 2013 at 8:57 am

    les Amis de l’ABC (the Friends of the ABC), a group of students dedicated to making political changes in France. In the original French, the name of the group is a pun on Les Amis de l’abaissé, the friends of the debased, “that is to say, the people”,

    From les mis. The irony that we have our own red clique. Perhaps history will repeat itself and throw together various left wing idealist that hear the drum beat and bring about change.

    • Colonial Viper 3.1
      20 January 2013 at 9:18 am

      Yep. NZ Labour Party ABC’s have their own group of vehement Young Labour student supporters which fit under this name. Many in Young Labour spoke and voted against the 40% threshold during Conference.

      • KhandallaViper 3.1.1
        20 January 2013 at 10:36 am

        +1CV
        That was one of the most shocking aspects of the Conference, seeing the Youth fight against democracy and membership power.

        Sad.

        Youth wings are normally the instigators of change and radicalism, not the backers of conservative power players.

        Their “leaders” must have been got “confused”.

        I’m sure clarity will prevail at the Summer School.

        • Anne 3.1.1.1
          20 January 2013 at 10:46 am

          More likely they are looking for a career in a Labour minister’s office (after 2014) and then a possible further career move to the Labour Party caucus some time after that. In the meantime they must butter-up said ministers’ political egos.

          Lets face it, they took most of the principles out of politics back in the 1980s…

          • Fortran 3.1.1.1.1
            20 January 2013 at 12:52 pm

            Anne

            Good comment – it appears from this blog that there are two Labour wings firstly the real Labour Party, and secondly the Parliamentary Labour wing.
            Are these getting further apart – looks like it possibly ?

            • Anne 3.1.1.1.1.1
              20 January 2013 at 3:01 pm

              Yes Fortran that is what is happening and I find it very sad. There are good people on both sides of the leadership fence, but a small group inside the caucus seem intent on fostering disunity for the sake of their own personal egos – at least I suppose that is the basic reason. Their attitude (as demonstrated immediately after the Conference late last year) is an insult to many members because it showed what they really think of us. We are useful fodder during election campaigns – letter box stuffers, canvassers, meeting arrangers, money donators and that’s about all.

              As far as I can see, the only person who can change it now is David Shearer. The olive
              branch must be extended to David Cunliffe preferably by way of a return to the Front Bench. What happens after that we will have to wait and see…

          • Murray Olsen 3.1.1.1.2
            20 January 2013 at 5:48 pm

            Spot on, Anne. I think principled young left activists these days are more likely to head towards Mana/Greens or even some of the non-parliamentary movements. The activism exists, but why would they look to participate in Labour when senior figures such as Mallard see them as potential customers for any spare tickets he has lying around? I think those looking for paid positions inside the machine will gravitate towards Young Labour, and this will become even worse as the slightest hint of radicalism continues to be purged from caucus.

            • Piwakawaka 3.1.1.1.2.1
              21 January 2013 at 9:20 am

              The uninformed criticisms of Young Labour here are just staggering. Are these commentators even involved in the Labour Party – certainly not the one that I am a proud member of.

              Young Labour activists are some of the most principled, hard-working, intelligent members of this party. We are integral to so many campaigns around the country, we organise events where the big ideas within the party are discussed (Campaign School, Summer School, Winter School etc.), we push for the most progressive policies at conference and usually do well at getting support, we actually do stuff to help the party instead of writing whinging comments on political blogs.

              The members I know in Young Labour are not in it for themselves but for the progressive ideals that we get to push for. Why don’t you come help us?

      • Te Reo Putake 3.1.2
        20 January 2013 at 11:38 am

        Even more likely is that they realised that 50% plus one is the norm in most democratic elections, Anne. The 60% level is a wank. It appears it was pushed by those hoping DC could use it to his short term advantage in forcing a leadership contest.

        But, as I’ve pointed out earlier, it actually means DC can never lead Labour, because his minority support could never be lifted high enough to meet the 60% hurdle in caucus. An unintended consequence, I believe that’s called.

        • Lanthanide 3.1.2.1
          20 January 2013 at 11:57 am

          “But, as I’ve pointed out earlier, it actually means DC can never lead Labour, because his minority support could never be lifted high enough to meet the 60% hurdle in caucus. An unintended consequence, I believe that’s called.”

          The 60% + 1 threshold only applies for the constitutionally mandated leaders vote at the start of the year immediately following the election, eg once every 3 years. If DC wins the leadership and loses the next election, he’s gone-burger anyway (just as DS will/would be) so it doesn’t really matter.

        • Anne 3.1.2.2
          20 January 2013 at 12:14 pm

          It appears it was pushed by those hoping DC could use it to his short term advantage in forcing a leadership contest.

          .
          And who came up with that one TRP? Someone from the ABC camp perchance?

        • RedLogix 3.1.2.3
          20 January 2013 at 3:08 pm

          TRP….You may want to consider what is currently the threshold in other Labour Parties overseas. My understanding is that something like 60% is the norm.

          • Te Reo Putake 3.1.2.3.1
            20 January 2013 at 7:12 pm

            You may be right, RL, but the NZLP has current and historical links to the union movement. There, the norm is 50% plus one. The 60% pass rate seems arbitrary at best and, as I say above, probably intended for DC’s short term gain. (ie its the figure his numbers pre-conference could muster).

            • Colonial Viper 3.1.2.3.1.1
              20 January 2013 at 7:33 pm

              Which sounds like tripe to me, TRP.

              The UK Labour Party has far stronger and longer ties to the union movement than the NZLP (affiliates there have long had a real vote in choosing the UK Labour Leader).

              A UK Labour MP leadership contender can initiate a leadership challenge with just 20% initial backing of the Labour caucus. The decision then goes to the wider membership.

              The NZLP has a long, long way left to go in democratising its Leadership and candidate selection processes.

              • Te Reo Putake …
                20 January 2013 at 8:07 pm

                And yet the UKLP is regarded as being anti-democratic and top down and, in Government, the caucus has the legal right to ignore the party. And, as I said, 50% is the norm in unions in both countries. So what’s your point?

                CV, I have a terrible feeling you think democracy means ‘the one I want wins’.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  20 January 2013 at 9:03 pm

                  And yet the UKLP is regarded as being anti-democratic and top down and, in Government, the caucus has the legal right to ignore the party.

                  They are however far more democratic than the NZLP, including using a far lower leadership trigger threshold.

                  And it looks like your “union 50% + 1” meme is false, as demonstrated by the UKLP 20% threshold (which the unions over there support).

                  CV, I have a terrible feeling you think democracy means ‘the one I want wins’.

                  I suggest just one basic tennet for democracy: all Labour Party members get a say about the Leadership, not just 34 of them.

                  If the wider party backs Shearer in a leaderhip vote than he is my man through to 2014. But will we even be given that chance by the 34.

                  What exactly is your problem with that?

                  • Te Reo Putake …
                    20 January 2013 at 9:10 pm

                    You appear to know little about unions, CV. No reason you should, I suppose, but it leaves your ‘meme’ comment knackered. A simple majority is the norm in the union movement.

                    When was the last time the UKLP caucus used the trigger, CV?

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      20 January 2013 at 9:16 pm

                      UK Labour leadership candidate hustings 2010

                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a128paHGoEs

                      Answering directly to the party members. This is the kind of thing that many associated with Labour seem deathly afraid of in 2013. And which TRP you seem to consider “anti democratic”.

                      When was the last time the UKLP caucus used the trigger, CV?

                      Quite some time ago I think; it may be that the UKLP 20% is actually too high a threshold.

                    • mickysavage …
                      20 January 2013 at 9:20 pm

                      TRP unions have internal votes only. They do not have to participate in decision making where three different sectors of an organisation have to decide on something. Besides the vote is only a trigger for a contest and does not decide the contest.

                    • Te Reo Putake …
                      21 January 2013 at 7:51 am

                      CV: The point I was making is that the trigger has not been used, as far as I know. It’s meaningless in the UK and arbitrary at best here.

                      MS: Unions participate in multi-faceted decision making all the time. Unions are represented on all sorts of organisations, including ITO’s, community groups and boards. And many negotiations are multi party, either more than one union or more than one boss.

  4. millsy 4
    20 January 2013 at 10:19 am

    The tendency for schools to have exclusive stationery deals with single supplier is disturbing, and another reason why Tomorrow’s Schools should be reviewed.

    Parents should be able to source stationery for their children through whatever source they see fit. Whether it be calculators through trademe, compasses and protractors from the $2 shop, or books from the Warehouse. Forcing financially burdened parents to go through one supplier is totally wrong.

    I would actually stick my neck out and say that school kids have too much stationery. It would be better to have the MoE supply pre printed curriculum workbooks for specialist subjects, and just have the parents buy refill, pens and rulers.

    • Lanthanide 4.1
      20 January 2013 at 3:48 pm

      I’m not sure how the schools can prevent you from buying stationary from elsewhere? What are they gonna do, kick your kid out?

      I’m sure nothing like this happened when I went to school. They did have stationary that you could buy from the school, presumably they partnered up with a retail chain to offer this. But they always gave you the price list so you could choose to go elsewhere.

  5. muzza 5
    20 January 2013 at 10:23 am

    Teen refused bail on murder charge

    Following on from the, “unexpected arrest”, the youth allegedly involved in the Sina Solomona murder as now been denied bail, “in spite of the “legislative bias” in favour of granting bail to young people.”

    The arrest was reported on 20/12/12, court appearance 14/1/13, and prosecution given until 25/2/13 (5.5 weeks extension), when prosecutor Andrew McRae “sought an extension of three or four weeks for the filing of police evidence”. He sought extra time because of the extensive investigation and forensic analysis that was still being done.

    1: Why was the additional time granted, over and above what the prosecutor had sought?
    2: If the prosecution are sure enough the youth is the perpetrator to keep him on remand, then why is the extended investigation necessary? (surely if there is such a “powerful public interest”, resources would have been working this case since mid December when it happened, around the clock)
    3: How long do forensic investigations of a single individual take to match to a victim and place at a crime scene?
    4: Why in Christchuch, just weeks earlier (to the youths appearance for alleged murder) was a “convicted paedophile given bail after appearing in court accused of abusing dozens of young boys, and in Northland, a man accused of sex crimes against children was bailed to an Auckland address despite police opposition”
    5: Why is it that repeat paedophile gets home detention for molesting a 7 year old girl (based on poor health (apparently), into the community he is from, and the victim’s mother is devastated and says “she is concerned about the safety of the Tauranga community” ?.
    6: Why are health concerns seemingly more a factor, over the obvious safety/health concerns of a young teen on remand for many months, at risk of potential mental, and physical harm!

    • marty mars 5.1
      20 January 2013 at 4:41 pm

      I don’t care about your issues with QoT and McFlock, although I agree with both of them, but why are you continuing to use this case to push your meme? I’ve read your questions and they are leading – to whatever conclusion you have reached – just say it. Is this sort of stuff part of the social experiment you claim you are conducting – the last person that did that was pete george if I remember correctly. You do remind me of him in a weird way.

      Oh and please spare me the usual “don’t shoot the messenger” stuff or use americanisms like “cool your jets”. I used to think you were onto the real issues muzza – I feel quite disappointed in you to tell you the truth. Sorry to personalise it but we aren’t bots are we.

      • muzza 5.1.1
        20 January 2013 at 6:01 pm

        Hi Marty, perhaps have a look inside if you feel let down bro, search as to why you associate the emotion to my comments. What meme exactly do you believe I’m pushing Marty, you have yet to make any concrete comments, instead just waffling around.

        If you believe the questions to be leading, then point out which ones, and why, tell me what you believe to be better questions to ask, or answer some of the questions, a combo is good. Again you have fed back nothing, just jumped in and expressed your bias, which seems to have been triggered by my letting you down in some way, come on bro, you can do better than that!

        Perhaps I should have asked the question – Who is more dangerous to society/bigger flight risk etc, a previously convicted , elderly white paedophile, who we know has a passport, the means to travel, a network of sorts (salvation army), with some health problems or a young brown kid, unknown previous, unknown passport holder, or means to travel, or what, if any his connections are, who is under suspicion of murder!

        FYI – I have reached no conclusion at this stage, however there is to me some rather poor reporting of this situation going on, hence I have some questions, because it feel off to me!

        Don’t apologise if you actually mean what you say Marty, I’m picking there is more to it than that!

        • marty mars 5.1.1.1
          20 January 2013 at 10:11 pm

          Ta muzza

          yes I have thought about why your comment triggered me. My conclusion is that this case was first raised by you for no good reason, which I mentioned at the time, and on the other occasions when you have bought it up the use of the case has shifted so that it now has become a “poor brown boy” story, which it wasn’t when you originally mentioned it. That implies to me that the story is useful to you because it helps you promote your ideas and I am not okay when innocent victims are used to score points for any viewpoint. If I come across that type of behavior I normally ignore those postings but I had unrealistic expectations of the stuff you post and therefore began to comment then, and now. Some commenters I engage with for a while until I realise that it is a waste of time for me – vto is one and mate I’m putting you in the same bucket. I don’t wish either of you ill it’s just that I’m more interested in making changes in society and communities and going over 101 areas is just so boring – I’m sure you feel the same.

          I hope you leave the defenseless alone and go after those with defenses – they are worth the trouble – kia ora.

          • muzza 5.1.1.1.1
            21 January 2013 at 4:04 pm

            Hi Marty,

            As information about this sad situation progresses, and is reported on, is it not probable that questions will develop around the pregressing information releases. Surely this is not shifting, it is commenting on the developments via the media, as I interpret the details, from what I’m reading.

            It’s unfortunate that you’re unable to fathom, that my posts, are actually aimed at those with the defenses you refer. The posts were/are intended, to get generate thinking about what the MSM has been reporting, and how the low quality of reporting begs questions about its innaccuracies and gaps, and how those gaps will shape the views of readers who absorb it!

            My focus is firmly on the establishments, and those with the ability to deliver/create/protect injustice, because not only are individuals corrupted, but the systems they operate inside of are systematically broken. Those same systems, seek only to protect themselves, no matter the collateral damage to the rest of us, who they pretend to serve and protect!

            The reality is Marty, that the changes you (and I), are looking to be invovled with, can’t begin to happen, until what is keeping the changes from gaining traction, (because it must subvert reality in such ways, to keep control), are clearly understood for the barriers, and the theats that the establishment system are.

            Take another look Marty, and if you are able to do so without predjudice, you should be able to tell where my intentions lie!

            • marty mars 5.1.1.1.1.1
              21 January 2013 at 5:11 pm

              Hey muzza

              yes granted that situations change and perceptions of those situations change. The initial post from you on that case was well before much had come out – it was ghoulish, disrespectful and unnecessary – but that was then…

              maybe you are trying to be too tricky – just a thought because your middle three paragraphs above are pretty coherent – perhaps if you wacked out those then your evidence/questions it might flow better, for me anyway.

              Are you a believer of the “to save a family/town/country a person/family/town can be sacrificed” mode of thinking?

              See for me using a recently deceased innocent victim of a terrible crime as a flail against mine enemies within the fray is just not on. You may consider me over sensitive and too pc but for my sensibilities I’d rather use the recently pulled out appendage of the enemy to slot them around the head. But hey we are all different and my lines are my lines, as are yours.

              I hope you go all neo on the owners of the foot across most of our throats 🙂

              • muzza …
                21 January 2013 at 8:32 pm

                Are you a believer of the “to save a family/town/country a person/family/town can be sacrificed” mode of thinking?

                Quintessentially, no, however its not that simple in reality. If you apply that premise 100%, then justice would be very difficult to see done. Jimmy Saville for example, there are many victims alive, should people ignore what was done, and what will be the fallout from his evil, because the victims are innocent? You can apply the same measure to almost any situation where there are victims, and there would be few perpetrators punished for crimes!

                See for me using a recently deceased innocent victim of a terrible crime as a flail against mine enemies within the fray is just not on.

                Marty, that’s ok, I accept your view, and understand your position, but mine is that I was not using the deceased victim. I spend alot of time reading through articles, and it felt like there was more to this one, so I went about finding, reading, cross referencing as many write ups as I could, and then posted my thoughts/views. Whats not on for me, is the pathetic so called reporting around such terrible events, and the fact questions are not asked, and that people do not think, because it allows injustice to flourish!

                You may consider me over sensitive and too pc but for my sensibilities I’d rather use the recently pulled out appendage of the enemy to slot them around the head. But hey we are all different and my lines are my lines, as are yours.

                It takes all types of approach to get messages out there Marty, as you and I show, that we have different ways to express ourselves, so there are different ways that people receiving (hearing) those messages, might be swayed, or jolted into thinking more deeply.

                IMO, the more varied the message delivery we can get, but with the constant intent to promote positive , the higher chance of reaching, even more minds.

  6. Sanctuary 6
    20 January 2013 at 11:14 am

    And the Orwell prize for neo-liberal bullshit goes today to… Rodney Hide!

    “State house policy must free tenants from rentals”

    That’s right, the poor in tin and tar paper shanties without power or sanitation are free! FREE I TELL YOU!!!

    he also manages to tell a nasty little lie in an attempt to smear Michael Joseph Savage, a man who he clearly very, very jealous of.

    PS I am not linking to his nasty little piece of shit because the HoS shouldn’t be encouraged by the site hits.

    • Murray Olsen 6.1
      20 January 2013 at 5:57 pm

      Hide’s dishonest piece on state housing is just part of a broader effort which fetishes ownership and aims to further curtail tenancy rights. If he and his acolytes get their way, Housing Corp will end up managing emergency night shelters with a maximum of one week stay. Or maybe contracting out the management of these to a private provider?

    • millsy 6.2
      20 January 2013 at 6:12 pm

      Utterly predictable. But this from a man who has openly admitted that the 1840’s were a much better time because it was without all that ‘government interference’.

  7. ianmac 7
    20 January 2013 at 11:30 am

    Mega upload. Have I got this right? New rules a year or so ago meant that if an “authority” believed that a person was downloading illegally the the internet provider was contacted, the downloader warned, and ex-communicated if she persisted. This was how Kim Dotcom cooperated with the “authorities” who then shat all over him in spite of cooperation.
    So now Mega is launched with 100,000 registrations in the first hour. Wow!

    But the new Mega has no open-ness to any authority not even to Mega itself.
    Is this huge, very huge, given the wish for USA (and National) want to to control the internet?
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10860260

  8. Rogue Trooper 8
    20 January 2013 at 12:17 pm

    Rock and Roll ‘aint Noise Pollution
    (to me it makes good good sense) 🙂

  10. millsy 10
    20 January 2013 at 6:25 pm

    Found a copy of the infamous Picot Report in the local library today. Which was good, as before I had an OIA request for it turned down by the min of ed.

    A few interesting points:

    All support services for schools, that were provided by the old Department of Education, or the local education boards, were chopped, and school boards given extra cash to ‘purchase their own services’.

    The education advisers employed by the above effectively became consultants/independent contractors, selling their services to schools.

    The education service centres that were to replace the education boards are/were basically privatised versions of the latter, some of them set up by old Education Board staff.

    It was intended that community education forums would be set up and help so the local community can have a say in the running of the education system. This measure, not implemented, could have made a difference to Mallard’s school closing frenzy 10 years ago, the Parata’s school restructuring in Christchurch.

  11. xtasy 11
    21 January 2013 at 1:17 am

    This is not really what I agree with and like, but I came across it, and I think it is important to remind ourselves of what historic events once happened.

    We are busy, sometimes with perhaps trivial political stories, but the history of fascism, and what it led to is something that must never be forgotten.

    Rommel was not a fascist as such himself, Hitler even hated him in the end, but he was an instrument, just like many in modern NZ society are instruments also in introducing and implementing “reforms” of a welfare kind, that have elements of fascism in them. Few get the message, I am afraid.

  12. xtasy 12
    21 January 2013 at 1:38 am

    They killed the Jews, and this is what some of them got in return:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=YpxX4cg9JqY

    Maybe lucky to get away alive. The history of human kind (vermin like kind) is full of hatred, war, destruction and exploitation, some try to put a nice gloss on it. So where do we go from here???

    Free “western” NZ, UK, USA ???

  13. xtasy 13
    21 January 2013 at 2:03 am

    Yet another, more friendly perspective. “Die Prinzen”, one of the more favourite bands from there, I know of. Always witty, a bit cynical and critical but always measured and sound.

    So where do we get this here? I love Mr Bean also, good old UK humour, and there is some good program on TV3 on Fridays now, but hey, get a bit into the global sphere, there is so much more, and worth listening to, even if you may (at first) not understand the language.

    NZ is needing to climb up the learning curve a bit more. Get onto it, and you cannot lose.

  14. xtasy 14
    21 January 2013 at 2:28 am

    We want revolutionary spirit, nothing else, so please enjoy:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY9K8CjXHkM
    (over 1 million downloads is impressive)

    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=el+pueblo+unido+jamas+sera+vencido&oq=el+pueblo&gs_l=youtube-reduced.1.1.0l4.121108.125107.0.128120.9.5.0.3.3.0.1174.2030.1j1j1j1j7-1.5.0…0.0…1ac.1.3lKKd_8s9Jc

    (for search options)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWlkWPXfvXc

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWlkWPXfvXc

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mOjijV4jA0

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSRVtlTwFs8

    Why is The Standard not sufficiently promoting socialist or social democratic ideas, as it proclaims it is. We must move further to take a stand, I sadly see a too weak and mellowed down approach. Remember your bloody heritage, PLUS what the international development has shown.

    Viva el pueble, viva la revolution.

  15. xtasy 15
    21 January 2013 at 2:47 am

    THE TRUTH or El Veridad –

    This is a MUST view documentary, before anybody goes about adopting biased and anti social comments:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=6QfuOOJzByg

    El Che was MURDERED by CIA, so also in Chile we had Pinochet establish later a fascist dictatorship, supported and created by USA!!!

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