Our Members, which art in Confusion,
Restless be thy Mood
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done for the next election,
Though it hasn’t since ’08.
Give your MPs your daily thoughts.
And don’t forgive manipulation,
As you have bit your lip while the Clique trespassed against us.
And stop Trevor &co lead us into another failure,
But deliver us from careerists
For this is your Constitutional Right,
The power, and the leverage,
For a members vote in February
Amen.
A counter…
Just before Xmas I spoke to the few.
On the feb vote, I hope we get the vote too.
For the people’s voice i speak of unity
A new direction, a pathway maybe a cup of tea.
Time for our say, members and all.
Time for hope and to stand tall.
Our pollies are our hope
They must talk what we dream.
But I say to you all.
Time for unity, one voice, one dream.
So in bright early feb give me just one united team.
Hang on… A man assaults his wife repeatedly and gets discharged without conviction with a comment by the judge that the charges will probably have an effect on his chosen career path of training to be a surgeon.
A transgendered woman will have to serve 2 years & 1 month in a men’s prison for a single instance of assault after a fight broke out after an argument at home. A month less and the sentence could have been reduced to home detention. The judge recognised that a transgendered person might be at risk in a men’s prison, but sent her there anyway.
Two questions:
1. Will the prosecution appeal the first sentence because it’s inadequate and domestic violence needs to be taken seriously?
2. Will the defence have the money to appeal the second sentence because it’s dangerous and therefore wrong?
There are separate standards applied in New Zealand justice. One standard for those who are so-called professionals and one for those are so-called mere workers.
If a conviction is likely to cause a problem for someone’s job then tough. I would expect that an assault conviction is easier to turn a blind eye to by the NZ Medical Cartel than it is for a lowly delivery driver to avoid losing his job and not being able to find another.
It is like back when the Amercias Cup was here and that rich billionaire fulla got caught with some pot. The useless judge let him off, and got name suppression because it would have a detrimental to him and his business. Well, frikkin’ duh, it would actually have no impact on a billionaires life. And such a similar event for a local Manuwera lad would have a massive impact on his life.
So the judges are full of shit.
In fact Judge Cooper said this “”It is fair to say any conviction is going to impact adversely on your employment.” So if that is the, what do you call it, reason for the decision (latin term?), then I look forward to seeing it applied equally across the land. Convictions have a greater impact on those less well off than those at the top of the pile, completely and totally contrary to the current understanding of our judiciary.
I wonder how many of these example it will take until people accet that the judiciary in NZ are in fact corrupted, and working for/to a completely differnent agenda.
As shown by the links I posted about the SFO Prosecutor, and the bizaare events in the court room as allowed by Judge Mary Beth Sharp
On Tuesday, via her QC Paul Davison, Killeen pleaded guilty in the Auckland District Court to forgery. However, Judge Mary Beth Sharp discharged her without conviction, describing her as an exceptional person in an exceptional case. The judge accepted Davison’s submissions that Killeen had suffered a rare psychological reaction to a powerful fertility drug she was taking, which can affect 1 per cent of women with symptoms including irrationality, forgetfulness and obsessive behaviour.
I guess some people are more exceptional than others when committing crime!
You are hopelessly wrong. Justice is not linear. Ever crime has different context and differing evidence, remorse, etc. Second guess courts and replacing it with some mob internet rule is just dumber than dumb, its been tried over and again to replace courts and it never works because those with the most money win.
Past behavior is indicative of future behavior, past good civil interactions are always going to add weight to remorse displayed. However if you live a marginal life, then of course your lack of remorse is going to play even more against you. Its one of the problems I believe with the high Maori crime rates, Maori culturally aren’t clued up on how to express good standing and remorse to courts.
While I agree, putting a person who looks and behaves like a women in a man jail does require the prison to take exceptional measures to protect them.
I think you miss the point there aerobubble, as is evidenced by your statement ” However if you live a marginal life, then of course your…….”
The post of muzza and that of mine are (assumed for muzza) based on all else being equal. There is no evidence in the media presentation of these cases that the wife-beater lived a good civil life (simply being a doctor does not equal that – that is just bigotry) or that the tranny lived a less than civil life.
Your assumption that this is the case would seem to be the same assumption that judges always make. I posted a further example of that with the billionaire. This is the exact problem.
I hold the judiciary in high regard. However in this exact area it has failed for a long long time and it was time it was highlighted. Best example being the wildly random application of name suppression and the justifications for and against. It is shit.
The generalization that courts could produce consistency is farfetched given that each crime has its own circumstances, evidence, people, and I doubt we’d want the dictatorship of consistency. Half the court process is just stressing out the accused, lumbering them with costs, putting their lives on hold, even before the case gets going.
Yeah, and wonder how the collecting of that crime levy is going.
The very thing we cannot go into detail about, individual cases, is they very reason we put up a court system to deliberate all the fact in a impartial way. Now yeah, for sure, the Bain of cases comes along too, nobody should think courts are perfect, or could be made that way.
That’s why I took a stance on your general bullshit that courts are all out of kilter with your world view. Poor you, its called a process of compromises, and its never going to be clean or pretty.
What is reasonable, a person who turns up to work, does detailed, highly professional work day in day out for decades, or some transient who hits people to solve their problems. Sorry but people have been around long enough to know that drugs will effect people and they can make mistakes of judgment. But violence, whole different level.
As for the running over, people do, yes even millionaries, have brain fazes when confronted with violence. A very important part, surely of courts, is to find who instigated it. A father with his kid, is more likely to flight than fight, and so if a person is desperate, angry, running at them, avoiding them is only one of the constraints.
Can’t say I agree with you aerobubble. Laws are made and appeals won because courts must show some sort of consistency in sentencing. Of course there are extenuating circumstances in some cases – obviously the reason lawyers argue for them.
My problem with these two cases is that consistency doesn’t seem to be apparent in these cases, and that someone has no sentence for domestic violence because of his status, not because of the crime, and someone else has sentence that, because of her status is unduly harsh. It may even appear bigoted – 2 years + the 1 month so home detention cannot be considered.
Courts hear all the information. Also it doesn’t matter that you can pick out two cases that seem to look inconsistent. Citizens who own their own homes, have savings, are more civil minded because they have more to lose, and so punishing unnecessarily harshly when the mere lose of status in gaining a criminal conviction
would see their career prospect shrink, their kids look question their parents…
As for the puzzle. A person who has nowhere to serve out home detention, and is already give a 15% reduction on their sentence, should necessity a lot of publicity to keep their jailers keen that nothing averse does happen to them when incarcerated.
You see each persons punishment is best contexted to their circumstances, a father has children, children could be harmed and punished too, they lose in other ways that a prison sentence cannot. Like I said, just being accused is punishment (exceptions like attention seekers, sociopaths), so should judges take this into account, the lack of remorse shown by the sociopathic attention seeker self-victim? So unless and until I see every damn piece of evidence I trust in the judges in these trials to weight up decisions. Now, sure if there is a clear skew over time in lots of cases, and fathers are walking scot-free, and trans-sexuals are getting beaten in jail (or worse), then sure no problem it would merit looking at the sentencing, and sacking some managers in the jail system.
One problem with home detention is its consider punishment, so what the country is saying is someone who lives holed up in their home, severely socially inhibited, and effectively the same as punishment to another citizen for the crime of
assault? So I point to you beware making generalizations, I’m sure some will
take it as quite offensive that home detention is offer to people how have been
at the hard end of violence, as they personally may fear leaving their homes
as a result.
aerobubble: Citizens who own their own homes, have savings, are more civil minded because they have more to lose, and so punishing unnecessarily harshly when the mere lose of status in gaining a criminal conviction
would see their career prospect shrink, their kids look question their parents…
Thanks for dismissing all us renters as lacking in community spirit. Actually, the fear of losing one’s home and savings is supporting more of an individualistic focus on what’s in it for themselves and their families. People who rent, and have less savings could be more aware of the need for community-support, caring for others etc.
Certainly I agree that horses for courses, some want to acquire wealth, and thats okay as much as someone who wants to rent. My point was that its not punishment if it doesn’t change their circumstances. A social phobic would be more harshly punished in a prison, but also home detention would be a breeze. So a judge could stipulate limits on say internet access while on home detention, this would be more severe than for most people whose whole community wasn’t online say. Its little point giving home detention to a paraplegic.
So nobody here wants to help me start the ‘Sweet as’ revolution in Hamilton West?
On my home world, we’d call you all mouth and no trousers.
Two minutes silence for fallen internet warriors, but two fingers up at food in kids bellies.
Priorities, nice.
Second track on my website – Games I play.
Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes it’s rough.
Sometimes it breaks your heart inside. You’ve got to break your heart or hide.
Some people come easy, like some people go.
Some people break apart in sight. They have to run away in fright. But not me.
‘Cause you know? It’s just like a game I play.
‘Cause I know we’re just here to fade away.
‘Cause I’m only here for so long.
Been too lonely here, for too long.
‘Somethings’ aren’t easy. ‘Somethings’ aren’t wrong.
‘Somethings’ can’t fake a hurt inside. They’ve got to take a pain with pride.
Some people go easy. And some people don’t.
Some people make a stand and fight. They have to hold their ground and fight. Just like me.
‘Cause you know? It’s just like a game I play.
‘Cause I’m no way here just to fade. No way.
‘Cause I’m only here for so long.
‘Cause I’m lonely here, but I’m strong.
‘Cause I’m only here for so long.
I’m still standing here, so come on.
So come on.
One by one. All at once, I’ll take you all on.
One by one. All at once, until you’re all gone.
And I win.
Or a ‘special investigation’ by a ‘special branch’ that the pm will never get an email, text or phone call about, even if he makes jokes about it, that no-one heard or saw footage of, even while they we’re destroying it just in case.
For the record, I am an alien, but I’m a permanent resident al1en.
I’m also not a ‘predator’ type teeth gnasher and I never consume humans – It’d be like eating less intelligent Dolphin.
Don’t worry, friend. I’ve got your festive customs nailed down.
Every December, all the politicians get to fuck off on holiday and all the hungry kids don’t.
Whew. I have been working on a post (on media bias -difficult topic) for a couple of weeks. Was working on it just now and made quite a few revisions – clicked save, took forever as all the typing disappeared, leaving me with a blank post. However, I opened the post in another tab and the latest version is all there. Gave me a fright.
Remember to take advantage of our position relative to the international dateline to login at midnight onto every form of social media and start making panic stricken reports of massive earthquakes, huge volcanic eruptions and armies of zombies emerging from nowhere.
Obviously not been out walking or anywhere near large swaths of the public recently…Zombie like they are, all head in some screen or another, mindlessly wandering around..
Better watch out you don’t have to eat humble pie like Nick Smith did last year on March 20th. He said Ken Ring’s prediction of a greater risk of increased earthquake activity around this date was that of a fool so he and others went and had a picnic on the Port Hills of Christchurch to thumb their noses at him.
Unfortunately for them there were several earthquakes that day, including the biggest aftershock since Feb 22, and it was Nick Smith and his cronies that had to back down and admit they didn’t know what they were doing.
Let’s see what happens.
You are aware I’m sure that this date tomorrow is solely a measure of a confluence of astronomical cycles. It is simply a physical measurement of stars and planets and galaxies spinning through space. It is as real and as simple as measuring the trajectory of a ball thrown in a backyard.
Ha ha, yep, that’s what many people suggested. Even if they had picniced at the bottom of the Port Hills would have had more cred. There have been many rockfalls at the slightest shake or rain now that the hills have been shattered like a glass block courtesy of the Great Earth Monster.
Not very convincing when they go to the very safest place to go nyah nyah nyah to possible earthquakes. But then again, like John Key, Nick Smith has never come across as a courageous man. In fact the opposite as exhibited here – cowardly.
Actually, this government can be characterised by this and the bully boy tactics described in the Wellington Cuncil thread. They are cowards and bullies, as is so often the case with bullies.
“Unfortunately for them there were several earthquakes that day, including the biggest aftershock since Feb 22”
Really? I live in Christchurch – and I remember the Port Hills stunt, but I don’t remember any big aftershocks. Ring is full of shit, but even a broken clock can be right twice a day.
Well you need to check your facts Pop. Biggest aftershock since Feb 22, one of the largest for a long time in kaikoura and activation of an old similar fault system in McKenzie Basin.
Also, if Ring is full of shit then so too is Isaac Newton.
Tell me Pop, why do you think Ring is full of shit? Some detail and solid points if you could ta.
Wasn’t this all discussed at the time?
The guy is so vague in dates, location and magnitude that it’s like the met office saying “some rain will occur somewhere on the Pacific Rim this week”. And if a typhoon breaks in Fiji, folks jump on the interwebz to say how accurate he is. You can’t predict a chaotic system based on relatively minor influences, compared to say fucking great loads that might or might not already exist on a particular fault.
And that’s without his “read your cat’s future in its paws” book.
“You can’t predict a chaotic system based on relatively minor influences, compared to say fucking great loads that might or might not already exist on a particular fault.”
Fault systems aren’t chaotic. Example, see Alpine Fault measured movements over time.
Relatively minor influences? Sheesh, ever heard the sayings about straws and camels backs? Then place that into context.
The thing about straws and camel’s backs is that there are many other straws on the camel’s back, too. focusing on one and “predicting” that one like it will eventually break the back is just stupid. There are much bigger straws that planetary alignment.
Fault systems are chaotic. Example, Saharan rainfalls over time.
The point is that there are many factors that affect the friction either side of the fault. Then there are the inner earth magma currents affecting tectonic forces. And different rock densities. All obeying basic and predictable laws of physics, but in exponentially compounding combinations are not even roughly predictable on a slide rule with an astrological chart.
“Tell me Pop, why do you think Ring is full of shit? Some detail and solid points if you could ta.”
Science. All Ring does is fling vague scattershot figures around and sometimes they stick. Sideshow psychics do pretty much the same thing. There are earthquakes of varying magnitudes everyday somewhere in the world. And comparing him to Sir Isaac Newton? You win the arsehat prize for that – the second in the space of a week.
Do you know what Newton was about? I am not a fan of Ring but what he says is simply that when the moon is closer to the earth there is an increased gravitational effect. This has a gravitational effect on the air. This has a gravitational effect on the water. This has a gravitational effect on the land.
It is as simple as that.
His underlying proposition is not shit, it is sound. Tell me how the above is not right.
As for arsehat prize – keep it. I see others have you lined up for similar prize. Egg
Sound proposition, but not significant according to the observed data. 1% attribution? Try forecasting weather based on the albedo of roofs in the area.
sanctuary
Don’t frighten the horses. There are enough real and terrible things happening without merry japes as you mention. Not funny. Watch some Mitchell and Webb or something and have laughs at people and politicians to occupy your spare time.
“…. former South Korean military di– uh, ruler”
Language censorship on Television One Breakfast
Television One Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., Thursday 20 December 2012
Newsreader Melissa Stokes read the following: “South Korea has elected its first woman president. Park Geun-hye is the daughter of a former South Korean military di– [pause] uh, ruler.”
The change was so sudden, and Melissa Stokes seemed so momentarily nonplussed, that there’s only one plausible explanation: her actual script said “former South Korean military dictator” but some producer urgently hissed into her earpiece “Don’t call him a dictator, call him a RULER!”
Why would Television One’s administration be reluctant to call a dictator a dictator?
That guy’s not funny. He’s even unfunnier when you look at his actual (not “satirical” or “ironic”) support for the mass murder perpetrated by his favorite real-life regime.
I did think he was funny until I realized how hardline and shameless he is in real life. He actually IS Borat, with all of Borat’s brutal anti-Semitism and callous disregard for others. In the same way that some Jewish people cannot listen to Wagner, I just can’t respect Baron Cohen since I learned what a vicious person he is.
Mozza, you appear to be unaware that Baron Cohen is jewish (and a socialist). He’s not anti-semitic and I think you are going to struggle to find any evidence of him supporting mass murder. He has also won a Golden Globe for comedy, something neither of you is ever likely to do. So, objectively, he is funny. He’s got an award for it and made millions making people laugh. And saying he’s not funny, then admitting that you ‘used to’ think he was funny is pretty funny in itself, Moz.
Is there the slimmest chance that Sacha Baron Cohen is actually the funniest comedian Britain has produced in the last twenty years and you two are humourless bores?
I respect your intellect, my friend, but in this case you don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll return to this later, with citations you are more than capable of finding for yourself, were you to allow yourself to get out of hero worship mode towards this moral imbecile.
Right now, I have to leave for a few hours, I’m afraid.
Meanwhile, you need to do a little research into Sacha Baron Cohen, that unfunny fraud.
Zionism is inherently Anti Semitic. Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians, Syrians and other Arabs living in the Levant are all Semites.
Added to that the Semitic Jews who lived with the Arabs for 2000 years are equally discriminated against by the criminal ruling elite of Israel because the are anti Zionist.
Sasha Baron Cohen is a hardcore Zionist (well documented) and I have always avoided his nasty kind of humour.
I call this speech brilliant in that it describes the US (Which he regards as and which behaves as a Zionist slave state) and most Americans have no idea he is talking about them and their regime (1% is in total control).
But tracellerev, Jews are Arabs too. They are not their own separate race, no matter how much that may suit their aims and ends. Why is this such a problem for people?
No actually, TRV let’s not move on. For those of you interested Sasha Baron Cohen a Habonim boy and his work, every film he made one way or another was intended to ridicule Islam and Muslims.
His impact is huge and he defends Israel and attacks Muslims so to say he is neutral is hypocrite to say the least. You want to move on from this discussion that is fine but for those of you curious hit the search button
God you don’t talk halfshite. Militia, ZOG (fucked if I know what that stands for) and how you’re so disappointed. Are those the new catchphrases your are told to use. Militia, Preppers AND 911 truthers are now primed to be the next terrorists with their wilkd weapon collecting blahblah blah (I hear the mother of the SH shooter was a prepper too! Is that how you have been told to typecast people who want a new and independent investigation into the events of 911?
And the disappoining thing, is that so people will get the impression you are a patient lot but them preppers, militia and 911turhters are such a trying lot?
(ROFL) You don’t know me, you don’t know what I do in my daily life (Or maybe you do…) and you have the gall to be “Disappointed”?
Fuck you PB, Fuck you and your sad and futile attempts to typecast me or those of us who want to have a new and independent investigation into the events of 911.
Well, ignoramus is a harsh word to describe Ev, but, yes, I am playing her. But only in the sense of fish/barrel, you understand.
Any chance you’ve found the cites you reckon you were gonna provide? Just curious, because my brief google search finds nothing to support your various and contradictory descriptions of Baron Cohen.
Great, Ev. Perhaps you’d like to share some of the ones that prove SBC is a “hardcore zionist”. Skip the ones that are just opinion, and just cite the factual ones. Preferably quotes from him saying “I’m a hardcore zionist”. Bet that takes more than 0.26 seconds.
Well, ignoramus is a harsh word to describe Ev, but, yes, I am playing her.
“Her”? [Straightens tie, rubs Brylcreme through hair] “Travellerev” is a GIRL?!?!?!?!??
But only in the sense of fish/barrel, you understand.
C’mon, Te Reo, seriously—stop messin’ about.
Any chance you’ve found the cites you reckon you were gonna provide? Just curious, because my brief google search finds nothing to support your various and contradictory descriptions of Baron Cohen.
Baron Cohen is a racist, extreme supporter of the Holy State. There is nothing “various” or “contradictory” about any of those positions.
What is the problem with being a hardcore Zionist TRP? Why is that something that has to be proven. What is a Zionist other then someone who supports the state of Israel as the homeland of the Jews? And as a consequence has to support the discrimination of Arabs, Palestinians especially?
Tell you what. Here is a link from Jews sans frontieres and people who read this and want to know more to form their own opinion can Google Sasha Baron Cohen and Zionism and draw their own conclusions.
I wouldn’t call my self a “girl”. That has come and gone but yes, I’m of the female gender and I thank you for the sentiment expressed. 🙂
Fair enough, Ev, I get where you are coming from. Like you, I think Zionism is bigotted, but I don’t think all Jews are Zionist, nor all Israelis. I think its unfair to call Baron Cohen a Zionist (and therefore, a racist) without evidence. And there really doesn’t seem to be any evidence. Lots of opinion, sure, but nothing that confirms that he is any other than an excellent comedian who has a Jewish heritage.
I call this speech brilliant in that it describes the US (Which he regards as and which behaves as a Zionist slave state) and most Americans have no idea he is talking about them and their regime (1% is in total control).
I’m not sure what you mean by this Eve, but it really is an unfortunate turn of phrase. On the off chance you aren’t aware of why, please take the time to read this:
I know that you read Alex Jones (or at least you used to) so you may have picked up some of this stuff from some of the things he publishes and links to, or not, I don’t really care. But what I do care about is that when people are researching conspiracy stuff, they practice discernment. There really really are some nasty people manipulating things and pushing memes, and using codes. Don’t be one of their dupes. Please.
There certainly is a lot of conspiratorial, anti-Semitic rubbish in cyberspace. This idea that the U.S.A. is “manipulated” by Israel (which is basically Mearsheimer & Walt’s thesis) is plain wrong, but it’s at the root of a lot of noise on the internet.
However, it is not conspiratorial or paranoid to see that Sacha Baron Cohen is a brutal and unapologetic supporter of Israel, and a ruthless defamer of the Holy State’s victims.
For your information. Alex Jones is married to a Jewish lady if I’m correct and goes through great pains to avoid the Israel controversies.
He is actually accused of being a Zionist shill for that reason even though he has no problem pointing out obvious crimes such as the shelling of Gaza.
So please back off with your patronising shite.
For those of you wanting to know more about how the US is duped into being Israels bully boy here is some information you don’t get from the MSM about one of the most powerful Lobbying groups in the world AIPAC
Oh and PB, over the years you have never given any “conspiracy nutter” as you call them the benefit of being able to have discernment so fuck off about that too.
America is Israel’s slave state and while Netanyahu may not like Obama and that is mutual in the end America will abide by what Israel wants to do. End of story.
And Morrisey. wipe the shit out of your eyes and start doing some proper research about Israel and it’s puppet masters. You’re smart, use your brain!
Fits with some of the other militia inspired crap you’ve endorsed over the years, ( OMG FEMA camps etc) so it’s not really a surprise, but disappointing all the same.
My course of reading to get you up to speed has begun today, with the Steven Salaita piece from Electronic Intifada. I’ll put more up for you each day. Of course, you are entirely capable of doing this for yourself, but I get the feeling this is a case of having to lead a horse to water.
Mozza, you appear to be unaware that Baron Cohen is jewish (and a socialist). He’s not anti-semitic
Yes, he is. He is virulently anti-Arab, and most relevantly, anti-Palestinian. As a state-friendly clown, he is absolved from the necessity to even pretend he gives a damn about the victims of his callous “humour”, and doesn’t have to make any false statements that he cares about Palestinians (like Alan Dershowitz keeps claiming about himself) or pretend to be troubled by Palestinian deaths (like the official spokespersons for the Holy State routinely do even as they justify the killings).
…and I think you are going to struggle to find any evidence of him supporting mass murder.
The evidence is irrefutable. Hopefully, after you’ve read today’s introductory article, you will engage in a little more extensive reading for yourself.
He has also won a Golden Globe for comedy,…
I grant you, Sacha Baron Cohen can be funny, but the old Aristotelian device of Arguing from Awards is unwise. Barack Obama won a Nobel Prize for ….. (WAIT FOR IT!) ….. Peace. Martin Devlin and Murray Deaker have both won awards for sports journalism. Some of the direst songs ever written have won Academy Awards for “Best Song”. I could go on, and may well do so at a later date….
….something neither of you is ever likely to do.
WHAT?!!??!?!? Now that is hurtful.
So, objectively, he is funny.
So, by the same logic, Martin Devlin and Murray Deaker are, objectively, outstanding sports journalists; “Into the West”, “My Heart Will Go On” and “You Light Up My Life” are, objectively, top-notch songs; and Barack Obama is, objectively, a Man of Peace.
He’s got an award for it and made millions making people laugh. And saying he’s not funny, then admitting that you ‘used to’ think he was funny is pretty funny in itself, Moz.
I can see he’s funny, and I don’t criticize you for seeing the same thing. However, he clearly has an agenda—and it’s a brutal one, that needs to be called out.
Is there the slimmest chance that Sacha Baron Cohen is actually the funniest comedian Britain has produced in the last twenty years…
Not a chance. Have you never heard of Jack Dee? Or Frankie Boyle? Or Steve Coogan? Or Ricky Gervais? Or Mitchell and Webb?
…and you two are humourless bores?
I have systematically and seriously made a case for the careful examination and reconsideration of a comedian who is lionized by the establishment. You can call me a “humourless bore” if you want, just like Jimmy Savile used to do about anyone who had the temerity to criticize him.
You could start with evidence, mozza. Any evidence at all would be good. But so far … nothing.
If you were a lawyer, you would be admonished (at the very least) for contempt of court. I have argued with you in good faith, and provided an excellent scholarly analysis of Sacha Baron Cohen’s political agenda for you to read—but you have simply closed up and retreated into your shell.
I leave it to others to see who is arguing, and backing his argument with evidence, and who is cynically trying to stymie any argument.
Oh dear, this is well below your usual standard, Mozza. No evidence at all? Surely you must have found at least one quote from the man by now. Nothing? Really?
M, TRP is a shill. This is what he does. He is an excellent tool to give people who read them links but he will always sidestep, accuse, malign and avoid. Still he keeps threads alive and that means more people will eventually get the information they need to make up their own minds. And many over here have done over the last five years.
For those of you interested in understanding the likes of Te Reo Putake here is a nice list of 25 hallmarks of shill behaviour
This is what he does. He is an excellent tool to give people who read them links
Really? Recently, he has refused to read links, or simply denied their validity.
but he will always sidestep, accuse, malign and avoid. Still he keeps threads alive and that means more people will eventually get the information they need to make up their own minds. And many over here have done over the last five years.
You’re being very charitable, travellerev.
For those of you interested in understanding the likes of Te Reo Putake here is a nice list of 25 hallmarks of shill behaviour.
Or, to see a shill in action, simply observe Sacha Baron Cohen’s behaviour.
No, you are right HE won’t read the links but others will and those are the ones I aim for.
Don’t try to win over the haters, you’re not the jerk whisperer is my motto but over the backs of the haters you can actually reach those who are willing to learn.
I apologise for telling you to wipe the shit out of your eyes and start doing research about Israel but I do mean you should do mor9e research on the state of Israel.
Here is a facebook friend of mine. His name is A href=”http://www.gilad.co.uk/”>Gilad Atzmon. He is Jewish and Israeli. He is also a great musician and writer and he recently published a book called: The wandering who? You might want to start there!
WHERE IS HE?
Whither Populuxe1?
Mass Murder Advocate Fails to Front His Critics
I note with some concern that poor old Populuxe1 has failed to surface after being keel-hauled by all and sundry on Tuesday.
I can see five possible explanations for his failure to mount an argument in defence of himself and his outlandish statement on Open Mike:
1.) He lacks the wherewithal to mount a coherent argument;
2.) He is “on leave”, a la the Rt. Hon. Hekia Parata;
3.) Professor Stuart McCutcheon has gotten wind of Populuxe1’s extra-curricular nonsense, called him in for a talk and delivered a stern warning: “If you continue to make a fool of yourself like this, Dr. Hoadley, even under a preposterous surname, we will have to look at your position a little more rigorously….” ;
4.) He is licking his wounds and preparing for an AWESOME comeback, where he sprays around even more awesomely absurd epithets;
Thank you for that, Lanthanide. While we’re on the subject of errors, I note another grievous one, where I show Prof. McCutcheon warning Dr. Hoadley that he must not make a fool of himself, even under the cover of “a preposterous surname“.
Of course, Prof. McCutcheon, a highly educated man, would have used his words far more accurately.
This is what he would have said: “If you continue to make a fool of yourself like this, Dr. Hoadley, even under a preposterous pseudonym, we will have to look at your position a little more rigorously.”
My apologies for the careless error in the original post.
This line of comments offends me greatly. Not only are you speculating on identities based on the flawless logic “I disagree with H, P disagrees with me, therefore P=H”, you also seem to have constructed a fantasy about H’s legislated academic freedom being interfered with by M, who is connected to you only by virtue of being H’s boss’s boss.
Here’s a thought – lose the obsessive vendetta part of your shiny hat. You might be less of a jerk.
This line of comments offends me greatly.
I’ve already admitted out that my (entirely reasonable) speculation was wrong.
Not only are you speculating on identities based on the flawless logic “I disagree with H, P disagrees with me, therefore P=H”, you also seem to have constructed a fantasy about H’s legislated academic freedom being interfered with by M, who is connected to you only by virtue of being H’s boss’s boss.
As I’ve already said, it was a reasonable supposition. Not many in academia, bar a couple of certifiable cases at Waikato, are as ideologically extreme as Steve Hoadley; our friend Populuxe1 made a stunningly foolish and extreme anti-Palestinian comment; Populuxe has made a point of telling this online community that he works in a university, ergo it was a reasonable inference that the extreme anti-Palestinian Populuxe1 was the extreme anti-Palestinian Steve Hoadley.
Happily, Populuxe1 assures us that he is now “on the side of the innocent civilians, both Palestinian and Israeli”, so assuming he is not lying, there will be no more erroneous assumptions by anyone that Populuxe1 is Steve Hoadley.
Here’s a thought – lose the obsessive vendetta part of your shiny hat.
That was a reasonable inference. You can call it “obsessive”, but on reflection I think you’ll recognize that is not a fair portrayal of my stance.
I work at a university. Am I Hoadley?
There are literally thousands of academic and general university staff, if P was even telling the truth about the sector they worked in at the time they wrote it.
And yeah, inventing conversations between real people based on the fact that you disagree with one person’s pseudonym and another person’s media comments, so therefore it’s a “reasonable supposition” that they are the same person. That’s obsessive.
But nice to know you genuinely believe you were trying to “out” a Standard commenter’s identity. Jerk.
I do not think so. Unlike Populuxe1, you have not been making Hoadley-esque public statements pouring scorn on the victims of state terror.
There are literally thousands of academic and general university staff,
There would be only half a dozen of them that are so brazen and shameless in their public praise of the Holy State.
And yeah, inventing conversations between real people based on the fact that you disagree with one person’s pseudonym and another person’s media comments, so therefore it’s a “reasonable supposition” that they are the same person. That’s obsessive.
No, it is reasonable to assume that an academic brazen enough to publicly state (on radio) that he supports the state that is engaged in the mass murder of imprisoned, ghettoized untermenschen might be foolish enough to come on a popular forum like this and make similar statements, as well as spraying the ridiculous accusation of “anti-Semitism” at anyone who protests at the Holy State’s campaign of terror. That’s what our friend Populuxe1 did.
You can call that “obsessive”, but that slur carries as much critical heft as our friend Te Reo Putake’s repeated claim that any and all evidence is “no evidence”.
But what about pseudonymous comments? With no career reputation to worry about? And besides, I reckon you vastly undercount the number of right-wingers in academia.
No, it is reasonable to assume that an academic brazen enough to publicly state (on radio) that he supports the state that is engaged in the mass murder of imprisoned, ghettoized untermenschen might be foolish enough to come on a popular forum like this and make similar statements,
That is indeed a reasonable assumption. But the assumption you made was that any person who uses a pseudonym to state similar (for a given margin of error) opinions is probably therefore the same person who uses their own name and academic freedom in mass media. Not to mention the defamatory assertion of a vice chancellor interfering in the freedom of an academic to express his opinions.And at least I stated exactly why, with reference to specific facts, I thought you were obsessing over this. Inventing defamatory conversations on the illogical leap you made is not healthy.
But you merely make the assertions, and almost never relate them to verifiable specific facts. Also known as “evidence”.
And I don’t know who Hoadley is, but I ain’t he. However isn’t that sort of speculation against the rules here? Usually the moderators are all over that.
You don’t know who Hoadley is? He’s a far-right commentator from the University of Auckland, who during the recent escalation in Israeli terror against the citizens of Gaza, came onto Radio Rhema (which laughably calls itself the Christian station) and expressed his support not for the victims, but the killers.
Your irrational response the other day led me to think he was you. Seeing you live in Christchurch, obviously that was a mistake.
Anyway, in answer to your vitriol, I condemn Israel’s excessive use of force against the Palestinians and their continued illegal colonisation of the West Bank. It’s bizarre that you assume I would just because I find the continued one-sided generalisations about Israel from you to be irritating, antisemitic and smacking of obsession. FYI Bebe and his Likudniks do not represent the entirety of Jewish or even Israeli opinion.
However I also condemn Hamas for its continued provocations of Israel with little regard for the ordinary Palestinians they were foolishly elected to represent, and for the continued climate of fear it creates for ordinary Israelis. I regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation and I lose no love on them.
I am on the side of the innocent civilians, both Palestinian and Israeli. Now go fuck yourself you presumptive freak.
The vitriol is entirely yours, my friend. I simply held up a mirror.
… I condemn Israel’s excessive use of force against the Palestinians and their continued illegal colonisation of the West Bank.
“Excessive use of force”? What, are you suggesting that there is an ACCEPTABLE use of force that an illegal invading force can use against a civilian population?
It’s bizarre that you assume I would just because I find the continued one-sided generalisations about Israel
What you reflexively and stupidly damned as “anti-Semitism” was in fact a careful, scholarly analysis of systematic bias by the BBC.
… from you to be irritating, antisemitic and smacking of obsession.
I’ve posted some things about Israeli state crimes, as well as crimes by other countries. That’s “obsessive”? You have no strategy other than spraying lame epithets at me?
FYI Bebe…
That’s “Bibi”, actually.
…. and his Likudniks do not represent the entirety of Jewish or even Israeli opinion.
As if we did not KNOW that. So who are Mark Regev, Tzipora Menache and Israel’s other ghastly apologists for state terror representing—the Likudnik regime that runs Israel—or those who belong to the humane, liberal, thoughtful Jewish tradition?
However I also condemn Hamas for its continued provocations of Israel with little regard for the ordinary Palestinians they were foolishly elected to represent, and for the continued climate of fear it creates for ordinary Israelis. I regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation and I lose no love on them.
You don’t know what you’re talking about. You would have condemned the French Resistance, the Yugoslav partisans and the Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto.
I am on the side of the innocent civilians, both Palestinian and Israeli.
High time you said so, sir. We can look forward to an improvement in the quality and morality of your posts, no doubt.
Now go fuck yourself you presumptive freak.
That sort of abuse is fine when used against, say, Araboushim, or, if you like, untermenschen. Here, all it does is re-emphasize the poverty of your argument.
It’s a lovely day out. Why don’t you get a book on New Zealand birds and go twitting… Or even some bark rubbings. I think you need to get outside in the fresh air more.
It’s a lovely day out. Why don’t you get a book on New Zealand birds and go twitting… Or even some bark rubbings. I think you need to get outside in the fresh air more.
I keep telling folks that Greece should play the exact same game. They should build a printing press right in the middle of the city square of Athens, wind it up and churn out mountains of euros, then drive it by the truckload to the German border and tip it out.
That will expose the system for exactly what it is.
Debt is the most heinous evil inhabiting and inhibiting the world today.
Does it not register with people that money is;
1. issued by privately owned banks and
2. is backed only by a printing machine and
3. must be paid for with interest (even though it is only printed paper backed by nothing. Paying for nothing).
It is the western world’s achilles heel. And nobody even fucking knows!
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 10
At some point, should any fellow poster with editing rights have a moment to spare… I’m having the same old, same old problem with scheduled posts not publishing themselves at the designated time I set them for.
There was one slated to go up around 9 O’Clock this morning that didn’t ‘go’. I’ve reschedueled it for tomorrow morning at 8 O’Clock.
Thing is, this same problem has happened previously. Is there something really obvious I’m overlooking in the settings that causes this? I can’t figure it. So…if you have a moment and the inclination, I’d appreciate somebody going into ‘dashboard’ and having a wee look at the post I’ve re-scheduled for tomorrow morning and letting me know if there’s something I’ve not done right or overlooked on the settings front.
I’m getting an effect of tiny white balls falling over my screen from the top noticeable against a dark background. Christmas snowflakes? How cute. By the way Happy Christmas to all and a 2013 year that offers improvements and hope for good direction and achievements in 2014.
Yep. It was a feature that snuck in on wordpress 3.5.
Up in this hemisphere I thought it would be psychological air-conditioning in the sweltering heat. Down in those chilly northern climes it might be a different story as I suspect the storms will be extreme in their winter this year.
Actually I suspect that they will get some quite large snowstorms this year. The oscillating jetstreams have more energy at this phase of the solar cycle and on top of the warming of the Arctic, they’re quite a bit further south. So they’re pushing cold air from the Arctic further south and then it hits more wet air coming up off land and the gulf stream….. Guess what I think will happen.
I agree. We’ve had snow much earlier than usual this year, but have hit a warm-ish period so it’s raining. Pretty boring just before Christmas. It’s an odd climate here with the continental effect enhanced by mountain ranges creating foehn winds up from the desert and then the Siberian/Artic blasts coming the other way.
I’ve been looking around for some graphics of how the oscillating jetstreams are (mis)behaving this year, but there’s not a lot beyond the focus of Britain’s early summer rains.
You saying the outside of the screen will be twitching and black dots will rain across the screen from different directions – whenever I’m at the Standard……until Jan 4?!
US v. Pfc. Bradley Manning is being conducted in de facto secrecy. For more information on the lack of public and press access to United States v. Pfc. Manning, visit the Center for Constitutional Rights, which filed a petition requesting the Army Court of Criminal Appeals (ACCA) “to order the Judge to grant the public and press access to the government’s motion papers, the court’s own orders, and transcripts of proceedings, none of which have been made public to date.”
This transcript of Pfc. Bradley Manning’s testimony at his Article 13 motion hearing was taken at Fort Meade, Maryland on November 29th and 30th, 2012.
[DEFENSE EXAMINATION OF PFC. BRADLEY MANNING ON NOVEMBER 29, 2012]
Defense (Coombs)
Pfc. Manning I know this is a little nerve racking. So what we are going to do, is we are going to ease into this, and just take a little bit of time. Okay?
Pfc. Bradley Manning
Yes, sir.
Defense (Coombs)
Alright, I want to first start off by asking some questions about when you were detained in Iraq. Okay?
Pfc. Bradley Manning
Yes, Sir.
Defense (Coombs)
Alright, do you recall the date that you were initially detained by [Army] CID?
Pfc. Bradley Manning
It was May 27 of 2010.
Defense (Coombs)
And, how did CID first approach you?
Pfc. Bradley Manning
CID first came to– well I was first in the Supply– I was in the Supply office at the Brigade annex, which was a separate building from Brigade headquarters at FOB Hammer in Iraq, and I was– and then, I was escorted by the Supply NCOIC [Non Commissioned Officer in Charge] to an interview room. It was a conference room that had been turned into an interview room. And, I knew that–
Defense (Coombs)
When you walked in, what did you see– when you walked into that?
Manning has supporters from all over the world. Luckily for him, he has not had to rely on the U.S. branch of Amnesty International, which is a compromised and confused organization, to put it very charitably….
Anyone else hear this Mad, Bad and Sad Santa?
NewstalkZB, Thursday 20 December, 10:40 a.m.
NewstalkZB’s notorious supercrank Leighton Smith never turns down an opportunity to turn any occasion into a soapbox for his crazed theories about the world.
But you would have thought that station management would have warned the old loon that it was off-limits to attempt to pound his anti-science, anti-reason, anti-academic agenda into the heads of children, and that it was distasteful, even immoral, to dress a global warming denier up as St. Nick and let him loose on a programme aimed at little children.
Apparently, however, anything goes at NewstalkZB. Absolutely anything….
LEIGHTON SMITH: Ummmm, ahhhh, ummmm…. Here’s a letter, Santa, and I’d ummmmm, aaaahhhh, really ahhhhhmmmm like to, ummmmm, hear what you have to ummmm, say. It says: “How is the state of the polar ice-cap, given that we are told so much about global warming?”
SANTA CLAUS: Oh there is no problem here in the North Pole! There’s PLENTY of ice! All this talk of global warming! What a lot of nonsense!
LEIGHTON SMITH: Thanks for clearing that up, Santa. You’re quite right, this global warming is a load of nonsense. Okay, ummmm, ahhhhh, on the ummmmm…. phone we have another child. Jessica, what do you want to ask Santa?
INTERESTING FACT:
One of NewstalkZB’s many mottoes is “Tune Your Mind.”
Morrissey Thanks for the reports from the front. How you can bear to listen to it beats me. You deserve a medal. Watch out that you listen extensively or you will suffer a bad case of post traumatic stress disorder – too much could blow your receptor valves.
And that bit about Tune Your Mind. Makes me think of the old large console radios that had a function of a green light that brightened as you turned the knob to the optimum station reception. Guess now we’ll have those transplanted in our young so we can receive the sacred murmurings of our old western gurus like Leighton Smith. China had Confucius, Greece had Socrates, we have LS.
Thanks for that, Mr. Nose. I sent an admonitory e-mail to the great broadcaster, but he did not deign to reply.
Luckily for aficionados of the unhinged rant, however, I have a few of his on-air comments and e-mails from some time back, relating to other topics. If you or anyone else is interested, I will give them another airing.
Economic historians instead trace the “lump-of-labor fallacy” back to an 1892 publication by a certain D.F. Schloss who was discussing workers’ attitudes toward piece work. In the first decades of the 20th Century, the National Association of Manufacturers adapted this concept to its fight against the eight-hour day. Economists such as Samuelson unthinkingly picked up arguments from that discussion. The “lump-of-labor fallacy” was just public-relations rhetoric in service to a now discredited cause.
So, the Lump of Labour Fallacy starts off as anti-worker PR and then gets picked up as gospel by the economists but never actually questioned. Sounds like almost everything in economics – stated as fact and yet reality differs and yet the economist fail to note the differences.
Another ‘FarCup’ by the big man with the big stick in chch, his appeal has been lost on the
re-zoning near the airport.
This story is on the TV3 web site.
Sorry can’t link.
The move marks a stark reversal to the neoliberal policies of the 1990s, when a large number of German municipalities were convinced to sell their public services to large corporations. The result was skyrocketing water and power prices.
Well, at least some governments are waking up to the lies of the neo-liberals. Unfortunately, our government happens to be the neo-liberals and they’re the source of the lies and the actions that doom us to increasing poverty.
Fresh from its court victory on asset sales, the Government is considering selling all three state-owned electricity companies next year.
Finance Minister Bill English linked the possibility of three sales to buoyant financial markets and the plan would also mean the most controversial sales were over before election year.
Earlier this month the High Court dismissed a bid by the Maori Council to delay the float of Mighty River Power, now scheduled for the first half of 2013.
The council is appealing to the Supreme Court, but the matter could be resolved in February.
Mr English said this could clear the way for at least two floats in 2013 as previously signalled, while a third was now being considered.
“We’d certainly do two [sales in 2013], the question is whether we do three. Some people have suggested it,” Mr English said.
“I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, [but] the market’s suggesting it might be possible. That will all get tested if we get through the Supreme Court case.”
Treasury advise against the sale of all three power companies due to flat market and low return rate from the sale.
Hopefully the referendum will stall the sale and or polarise the electorate. Roll on 2014.
Road rage man seeks job back or $600,000
By Matthew Theunissen
Guy Hallwright was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard.
Former Forsyth Barr financial analyst Guy Hallwright is seeking his job back or about $600,000 in lost earnings after being dismissed following his conviction for running over a man with his car.
Wonder what the sentence had been if a patched gang member had done the same thing to Guy Hallwright?
Let’s change the scenario…….
‘Mongrel Mob member XXXXX – in a fit of ‘road rage’ – runs down senior Forsyth Barr analyst Guy Hallwright, and breaks both his legs.
Mr Hallwright has multiple operations since the 2010 incident.
Mongrel Mob member XXXXX is sentenced to 250 hours community work, disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay victim Guy Hallwright $20,000 reparation after a jury finds he unintentionally ran Hallwright down with his car in September 2010.”
Seems to be QUITE a different story/ sentence if you swap the patched jacket for a pin-striped suit ……?
Facebook is so intensively tracking readers and commenters on this site, for profile details, with background scripts they use to do this. It is a real worry.
Like a WSJ article on 07 Dec. rightly reported, the internet is anything but free and anonymous anymore, and rather becoming a large grazing ground for information gathering for commercial profiling, advertising and so forth.
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Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
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 ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
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 ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
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)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, 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 up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
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Our Members, which art in Confusion,
Restless be thy Mood
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done for the next election,
Though it hasn’t since ’08.
Give your MPs your daily thoughts.
And don’t forgive manipulation,
As you have bit your lip while the Clique trespassed against us.
And stop Trevor &co lead us into another failure,
But deliver us from careerists
For this is your Constitutional Right,
The power, and the leverage,
For a members vote in February
Amen.
Amen +1
Amen.
Amen
For thine is social democracy,
The power and the material glory,
Redistributed.
Forever and ever,
Amen
A counter…
Just before Xmas I spoke to the few.
On the feb vote, I hope we get the vote too.
For the people’s voice i speak of unity
A new direction, a pathway maybe a cup of tea.
Time for our say, members and all.
Time for hope and to stand tall.
Our pollies are our hope
They must talk what we dream.
But I say to you all.
Time for unity, one voice, one dream.
So in bright early feb give me just one united team.
Hang on…
A man assaults his wife repeatedly and gets discharged without conviction with a comment by the judge that the charges will probably have an effect on his chosen career path of training to be a surgeon.
A transgendered woman will have to serve 2 years & 1 month in a men’s prison for a single instance of assault after a fight broke out after an argument at home. A month less and the sentence could have been reduced to home detention. The judge recognised that a transgendered person might be at risk in a men’s prison, but sent her there anyway.
Two questions:
1. Will the prosecution appeal the first sentence because it’s inadequate and domestic violence needs to be taken seriously?
2. Will the defence have the money to appeal the second sentence because it’s dangerous and therefore wrong?
Surely you don’t think we live in A land of one rule one law for everyone do you..
Justice in NZ is not blind, it is retarded.
@ HS – Actually no, its completely corrupted!
This is appalling. Judge Cooper is full of shit.
There are separate standards applied in New Zealand justice. One standard for those who are so-called professionals and one for those are so-called mere workers.
If a conviction is likely to cause a problem for someone’s job then tough. I would expect that an assault conviction is easier to turn a blind eye to by the NZ Medical Cartel than it is for a lowly delivery driver to avoid losing his job and not being able to find another.
It is like back when the Amercias Cup was here and that rich billionaire fulla got caught with some pot. The useless judge let him off, and got name suppression because it would have a detrimental to him and his business. Well, frikkin’ duh, it would actually have no impact on a billionaires life. And such a similar event for a local Manuwera lad would have a massive impact on his life.
So the judges are full of shit.
In fact Judge Cooper said this “”It is fair to say any conviction is going to impact adversely on your employment.” So if that is the, what do you call it, reason for the decision (latin term?), then I look forward to seeing it applied equally across the land. Convictions have a greater impact on those less well off than those at the top of the pile, completely and totally contrary to the current understanding of our judiciary.
Judge Cooper is a brainless fool.
I wonder how many of these example it will take until people accet that the judiciary in NZ are in fact corrupted, and working for/to a completely differnent agenda.
As shown by the links I posted about the SFO Prosecutor, and the bizaare events in the court room as allowed by Judge Mary Beth Sharp
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10853717
Blames fertility drug…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10853492&ref=rss
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10854173
I guess some people are more exceptional than others when committing crime!
You are hopelessly wrong. Justice is not linear. Ever crime has different context and differing evidence, remorse, etc. Second guess courts and replacing it with some mob internet rule is just dumber than dumb, its been tried over and again to replace courts and it never works because those with the most money win.
Past behavior is indicative of future behavior, past good civil interactions are always going to add weight to remorse displayed. However if you live a marginal life, then of course your lack of remorse is going to play even more against you. Its one of the problems I believe with the high Maori crime rates, Maori culturally aren’t clued up on how to express good standing and remorse to courts.
While I agree, putting a person who looks and behaves like a women in a man jail does require the prison to take exceptional measures to protect them.
I think you miss the point there aerobubble, as is evidenced by your statement ” However if you live a marginal life, then of course your…….”
The post of muzza and that of mine are (assumed for muzza) based on all else being equal. There is no evidence in the media presentation of these cases that the wife-beater lived a good civil life (simply being a doctor does not equal that – that is just bigotry) or that the tranny lived a less than civil life.
Your assumption that this is the case would seem to be the same assumption that judges always make. I posted a further example of that with the billionaire. This is the exact problem.
I hold the judiciary in high regard. However in this exact area it has failed for a long long time and it was time it was highlighted. Best example being the wildly random application of name suppression and the justifications for and against. It is shit.
The generalization that courts could produce consistency is farfetched given that each crime has its own circumstances, evidence, people, and I doubt we’d want the dictatorship of consistency. Half the court process is just stressing out the accused, lumbering them with costs, putting their lives on hold, even before the case gets going.
Yeah, and wonder how the collecting of that crime levy is going.
The very thing we cannot go into detail about, individual cases, is they very reason we put up a court system to deliberate all the fact in a impartial way. Now yeah, for sure, the Bain of cases comes along too, nobody should think courts are perfect, or could be made that way.
That’s why I took a stance on your general bullshit that courts are all out of kilter with your world view. Poor you, its called a process of compromises, and its never going to be clean or pretty.
What is reasonable, a person who turns up to work, does detailed, highly professional work day in day out for decades, or some transient who hits people to solve their problems. Sorry but people have been around long enough to know that drugs will effect people and they can make mistakes of judgment. But violence, whole different level.
As for the running over, people do, yes even millionaries, have brain fazes when confronted with violence. A very important part, surely of courts, is to find who instigated it. A father with his kid, is more likely to flight than fight, and so if a person is desperate, angry, running at them, avoiding them is only one of the constraints.
Can’t say I agree with you aerobubble. Laws are made and appeals won because courts must show some sort of consistency in sentencing. Of course there are extenuating circumstances in some cases – obviously the reason lawyers argue for them.
My problem with these two cases is that consistency doesn’t seem to be apparent in these cases, and that someone has no sentence for domestic violence because of his status, not because of the crime, and someone else has sentence that, because of her status is unduly harsh. It may even appear bigoted – 2 years + the 1 month so home detention cannot be considered.
Courts hear all the information. Also it doesn’t matter that you can pick out two cases that seem to look inconsistent. Citizens who own their own homes, have savings, are more civil minded because they have more to lose, and so punishing unnecessarily harshly when the mere lose of status in gaining a criminal conviction
would see their career prospect shrink, their kids look question their parents…
As for the puzzle. A person who has nowhere to serve out home detention, and is already give a 15% reduction on their sentence, should necessity a lot of publicity to keep their jailers keen that nothing averse does happen to them when incarcerated.
You see each persons punishment is best contexted to their circumstances, a father has children, children could be harmed and punished too, they lose in other ways that a prison sentence cannot. Like I said, just being accused is punishment (exceptions like attention seekers, sociopaths), so should judges take this into account, the lack of remorse shown by the sociopathic attention seeker self-victim? So unless and until I see every damn piece of evidence I trust in the judges in these trials to weight up decisions. Now, sure if there is a clear skew over time in lots of cases, and fathers are walking scot-free, and trans-sexuals are getting beaten in jail (or worse), then sure no problem it would merit looking at the sentencing, and sacking some managers in the jail system.
One problem with home detention is its consider punishment, so what the country is saying is someone who lives holed up in their home, severely socially inhibited, and effectively the same as punishment to another citizen for the crime of
assault? So I point to you beware making generalizations, I’m sure some will
take it as quite offensive that home detention is offer to people how have been
at the hard end of violence, as they personally may fear leaving their homes
as a result.
aerobubble: Citizens who own their own homes, have savings, are more civil minded because they have more to lose, and so punishing unnecessarily harshly when the mere lose of status in gaining a criminal conviction
would see their career prospect shrink, their kids look question their parents…
Thanks for dismissing all us renters as lacking in community spirit. Actually, the fear of losing one’s home and savings is supporting more of an individualistic focus on what’s in it for themselves and their families. People who rent, and have less savings could be more aware of the need for community-support, caring for others etc.
Perhaps we should go back to the good old days where only property owning (Christian men) could vote.
Certainly I agree that horses for courses, some want to acquire wealth, and thats okay as much as someone who wants to rent. My point was that its not punishment if it doesn’t change their circumstances. A social phobic would be more harshly punished in a prison, but also home detention would be a breeze. So a judge could stipulate limits on say internet access while on home detention, this would be more severe than for most people whose whole community wasn’t online say. Its little point giving home detention to a paraplegic.
So nobody here wants to help me start the ‘Sweet as’ revolution in Hamilton West?
On my home world, we’d call you all mouth and no trousers.
Two minutes silence for fallen internet warriors, but two fingers up at food in kids bellies.
Priorities, nice.
Second track on my website – Games I play.
Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes it’s rough.
Sometimes it breaks your heart inside. You’ve got to break your heart or hide.
Some people come easy, like some people go.
Some people break apart in sight. They have to run away in fright. But not me.
‘Cause you know? It’s just like a game I play.
‘Cause I know we’re just here to fade away.
‘Cause I’m only here for so long.
Been too lonely here, for too long.
‘Somethings’ aren’t easy. ‘Somethings’ aren’t wrong.
‘Somethings’ can’t fake a hurt inside. They’ve got to take a pain with pride.
Some people go easy. And some people don’t.
Some people make a stand and fight. They have to hold their ground and fight. Just like me.
‘Cause you know? It’s just like a game I play.
‘Cause I’m no way here just to fade. No way.
‘Cause I’m only here for so long.
‘Cause I’m lonely here, but I’m strong.
‘Cause I’m only here for so long.
I’m still standing here, so come on.
So come on.
One by one. All at once, I’ll take you all on.
One by one. All at once, until you’re all gone.
And I win.
Is it snowing on The Standard? 🙂
It stops and then comes back again
And the screen is twitching.
Glad you’ve got it too, I thought I might have picked up a bug.
Ain’t a twitch. It’s a shiver 😉
Or a ‘special investigation’ by a ‘special branch’ that the pm will never get an email, text or phone call about, even if he makes jokes about it, that no-one heard or saw footage of, even while they we’re destroying it just in case.
For the record, I am an alien, but I’m a permanent resident al1en.
I’m also not a ‘predator’ type teeth gnasher and I never consume humans – It’d be like eating less intelligent Dolphin.
😉
The Allen
Merry Christmas dude. Find some earthling to explain it to you and then enjoy it.
Don’t worry, friend. I’ve got your festive customs nailed down.
Every December, all the politicians get to fuck off on holiday and all the hungry kids don’t.
Enjoy yours though, if you conscience lets you.
it seems to be following the cursor
Wind from the NE this time!
Gone from twitching/shivering to fitting at the bottom of the screen.
Calling Dr LPrent if you have a minute.
Firefox, vista home premium.
A feature that’s gone rogue??
On OSX 10.6.8, Safari it’s still a nice snow shower…sorry hear it’s stormy elsewhere…
And it’s behaving using Firefox 14.0.1 on the same O/S.
Whew. I have been working on a post (on media bias -difficult topic) for a couple of weeks. Was working on it just now and made quite a few revisions – clicked save, took forever as all the typing disappeared, leaving me with a blank post. However, I opened the post in another tab and the latest version is all there. Gave me a fright.
Happens. I was fixing a problem with a plugin update last night and the system was a bit upset.
The back button often works if you have to walk backwards…
If you have a wordpress account you can go here and turn off the snow for blogs you look at (I assume this doesn’t work if you log out):
https://wordpress.com/#!/settings/ (untick the snow box)
Eta: doesn’t work 🙁 although it is supposed to http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/its-getting-cold-in-here/ Is this a wordpress.org thing?
Yes. You’d have to login to the site to do that here.
Remember to take advantage of our position relative to the international dateline to login at midnight onto every form of social media and start making panic stricken reports of massive earthquakes, huge volcanic eruptions and armies of zombies emerging from nowhere.
Obviously not been out walking or anywhere near large swaths of the public recently…Zombie like they are, all head in some screen or another, mindlessly wandering around..
Better watch out you don’t have to eat humble pie like Nick Smith did last year on March 20th. He said Ken Ring’s prediction of a greater risk of increased earthquake activity around this date was that of a fool so he and others went and had a picnic on the Port Hills of Christchurch to thumb their noses at him.
Unfortunately for them there were several earthquakes that day, including the biggest aftershock since Feb 22, and it was Nick Smith and his cronies that had to back down and admit they didn’t know what they were doing.
Let’s see what happens.
You are aware I’m sure that this date tomorrow is solely a measure of a confluence of astronomical cycles. It is simply a physical measurement of stars and planets and galaxies spinning through space. It is as real and as simple as measuring the trajectory of a ball thrown in a backyard.
Port Hills? They lack the courage of their convictions. Sitting under the Cathedral would have been more impressive.
Ha ha, yep, that’s what many people suggested. Even if they had picniced at the bottom of the Port Hills would have had more cred. There have been many rockfalls at the slightest shake or rain now that the hills have been shattered like a glass block courtesy of the Great Earth Monster.
Not very convincing when they go to the very safest place to go nyah nyah nyah to possible earthquakes. But then again, like John Key, Nick Smith has never come across as a courageous man. In fact the opposite as exhibited here – cowardly.
Actually, this government can be characterised by this and the bully boy tactics described in the Wellington Cuncil thread. They are cowards and bullies, as is so often the case with bullies.
Cowardly bullies
“Unfortunately for them there were several earthquakes that day, including the biggest aftershock since Feb 22”
Really? I live in Christchurch – and I remember the Port Hills stunt, but I don’t remember any big aftershocks. Ring is full of shit, but even a broken clock can be right twice a day.
Well you need to check your facts Pop. Biggest aftershock since Feb 22, one of the largest for a long time in kaikoura and activation of an old similar fault system in McKenzie Basin.
Also, if Ring is full of shit then so too is Isaac Newton.
Tell me Pop, why do you think Ring is full of shit? Some detail and solid points if you could ta.
Wasn’t this all discussed at the time?
The guy is so vague in dates, location and magnitude that it’s like the met office saying “some rain will occur somewhere on the Pacific Rim this week”. And if a typhoon breaks in Fiji, folks jump on the interwebz to say how accurate he is. You can’t predict a chaotic system based on relatively minor influences, compared to say fucking great loads that might or might not already exist on a particular fault.
And that’s without his “read your cat’s future in its paws” book.
“You can’t predict a chaotic system based on relatively minor influences, compared to say fucking great loads that might or might not already exist on a particular fault.”
Fault systems aren’t chaotic. Example, see Alpine Fault measured movements over time.
Relatively minor influences? Sheesh, ever heard the sayings about straws and camels backs? Then place that into context.
The thing about straws and camel’s backs is that there are many other straws on the camel’s back, too. focusing on one and “predicting” that one like it will eventually break the back is just stupid. There are much bigger straws that planetary alignment.
Fault systems are chaotic. Example, Saharan rainfalls over time.
The point is that there are many factors that affect the friction either side of the fault. Then there are the inner earth magma currents affecting tectonic forces. And different rock densities. All obeying basic and predictable laws of physics, but in exponentially compounding combinations are not even roughly predictable on a slide rule with an astrological chart.
“Tell me Pop, why do you think Ring is full of shit? Some detail and solid points if you could ta.”
Science. All Ring does is fling vague scattershot figures around and sometimes they stick. Sideshow psychics do pretty much the same thing. There are earthquakes of varying magnitudes everyday somewhere in the world. And comparing him to Sir Isaac Newton? You win the arsehat prize for that – the second in the space of a week.
Do you know what Newton was about? I am not a fan of Ring but what he says is simply that when the moon is closer to the earth there is an increased gravitational effect. This has a gravitational effect on the air. This has a gravitational effect on the water. This has a gravitational effect on the land.
It is as simple as that.
His underlying proposition is not shit, it is sound. Tell me how the above is not right.
As for arsehat prize – keep it. I see others have you lined up for similar prize. Egg
Hey did you note that you are lighter when the moon is over head.
Sound proposition, but not significant according to the observed data. 1% attribution? Try forecasting weather based on the albedo of roofs in the area.
sanctuary
Don’t frighten the horses. There are enough real and terrible things happening without merry japes as you mention. Not funny. Watch some Mitchell and Webb or something and have laughs at people and politicians to occupy your spare time.
“…. former South Korean military di– uh, ruler”
Language censorship on Television One Breakfast
Television One Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., Thursday 20 December 2012
Newsreader Melissa Stokes read the following: “South Korea has elected its first woman president. Park Geun-hye is the daughter of a former South Korean military di– [pause] uh, ruler.”
The change was so sudden, and Melissa Stokes seemed so momentarily nonplussed, that there’s only one plausible explanation: her actual script said “former South Korean military dictator” but some producer urgently hissed into her earpiece “Don’t call him a dictator, call him a RULER!”
Why would Television One’s administration be reluctant to call a dictator a dictator?
There are no dictators any more. Here is a brilliant speech from the Dictator! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEUKZCFqyIw
That guy’s not funny. He’s even unfunnier when you look at his actual (not “satirical” or “ironic”) support for the mass murder perpetrated by his favorite real-life regime.
I totally agree but he is of course describing the US as it really is. Brilliant the speech is but funny he is not!
I did think he was funny until I realized how hardline and shameless he is in real life. He actually IS Borat, with all of Borat’s brutal anti-Semitism and callous disregard for others. In the same way that some Jewish people cannot listen to Wagner, I just can’t respect Baron Cohen since I learned what a vicious person he is.
Citaions needed. Lots of them!
Mozza, you appear to be unaware that Baron Cohen is jewish (and a socialist). He’s not anti-semitic and I think you are going to struggle to find any evidence of him supporting mass murder. He has also won a Golden Globe for comedy, something neither of you is ever likely to do. So, objectively, he is funny. He’s got an award for it and made millions making people laugh. And saying he’s not funny, then admitting that you ‘used to’ think he was funny is pretty funny in itself, Moz.
Is there the slimmest chance that Sacha Baron Cohen is actually the funniest comedian Britain has produced in the last twenty years and you two are humourless bores?
I respect your intellect, my friend, but in this case you don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll return to this later, with citations you are more than capable of finding for yourself, were you to allow yourself to get out of hero worship mode towards this moral imbecile.
Right now, I have to leave for a few hours, I’m afraid.
Meanwhile, you need to do a little research into Sacha Baron Cohen, that unfunny fraud.
An antisemitic practicing orthodox Jew????
Populuxe, please look on the thread below. You have a case to answer.
Zionism is inherently Anti Semitic. Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians, Syrians and other Arabs living in the Levant are all Semites.
Added to that the Semitic Jews who lived with the Arabs for 2000 years are equally discriminated against by the criminal ruling elite of Israel because the are anti Zionist.
Sasha Baron Cohen is a hardcore Zionist (well documented) and I have always avoided his nasty kind of humour.
I call this speech brilliant in that it describes the US (Which he regards as and which behaves as a Zionist slave state) and most Americans have no idea he is talking about them and their regime (1% is in total control).
Nope Sasha is as wrong as it gets!!!
But tracellerev, Jews are Arabs too. They are not their own separate race, no matter how much that may suit their aims and ends. Why is this such a problem for people?
No actually, TRV let’s not move on. For those of you interested Sasha Baron Cohen a Habonim boy and his work, every film he made one way or another was intended to ridicule Islam and Muslims.
His impact is huge and he defends Israel and attacks Muslims so to say he is neutral is hypocrite to say the least. You want to move on from this discussion that is fine but for those of you curious hit the search button
To PB,
God you don’t talk halfshite. Militia, ZOG (fucked if I know what that stands for) and how you’re so disappointed. Are those the new catchphrases your are told to use. Militia, Preppers AND 911 truthers are now primed to be the next terrorists with their wilkd weapon collecting blahblah blah (I hear the mother of the SH shooter was a prepper too! Is that how you have been told to typecast people who want a new and independent investigation into the events of 911?
And the disappoining thing, is that so people will get the impression you are a patient lot but them preppers, militia and 911turhters are such a trying lot?
(ROFL) You don’t know me, you don’t know what I do in my daily life (Or maybe you do…) and you have the gall to be “Disappointed”?
Fuck you PB, Fuck you and your sad and futile attempts to typecast me or those of us who want to have a new and independent investigation into the events of 911.
Wow.
I guess it’s the Zionists telling me what to say huh?
Watch out Eve, the Jews are coming for yer shootn arns.
“Sasha Baron Cohen is a hardcore Zionist (well documented)”
So you’ll have no problem providing proof, then, will you, Ev?
You’re playing the ignoramus, Te Reo. That’s never a charming look.
Well, ignoramus is a harsh word to describe Ev, but, yes, I am playing her. But only in the sense of fish/barrel, you understand.
Any chance you’ve found the cites you reckon you were gonna provide? Just curious, because my brief google search finds nothing to support your various and contradictory descriptions of Baron Cohen.
That’s funny TRP because my quick google search comes back with 250.000 results in 0.26 of a second!
Great, Ev. Perhaps you’d like to share some of the ones that prove SBC is a “hardcore zionist”. Skip the ones that are just opinion, and just cite the factual ones. Preferably quotes from him saying “I’m a hardcore zionist”. Bet that takes more than 0.26 seconds.
Well, ignoramus is a harsh word to describe Ev, but, yes, I am playing her.
“Her”? [Straightens tie, rubs Brylcreme through hair] “Travellerev” is a GIRL?!?!?!?!??
But only in the sense of fish/barrel, you understand.
C’mon, Te Reo, seriously—stop messin’ about.
Any chance you’ve found the cites you reckon you were gonna provide? Just curious, because my brief google search finds nothing to support your various and contradictory descriptions of Baron Cohen.
Baron Cohen is a racist, extreme supporter of the Holy State. There is nothing “various” or “contradictory” about any of those positions.
Evidence, Mozza, evidence! No point you having a crack at Populuxe for not backing up his/her arguments if you can’t do it yourself.
And, yes, Ev is a woman. Is if that mattered. 🙄
What is the problem with being a hardcore Zionist TRP? Why is that something that has to be proven. What is a Zionist other then someone who supports the state of Israel as the homeland of the Jews? And as a consequence has to support the discrimination of Arabs, Palestinians especially?
Tell you what. Here is a link from Jews sans frontieres and people who read this and want to know more to form their own opinion can Google Sasha Baron Cohen and Zionism and draw their own conclusions.
I wouldn’t call my self a “girl”. That has come and gone but yes, I’m of the female gender and I thank you for the sentiment expressed. 🙂
Fair enough, Ev, I get where you are coming from. Like you, I think Zionism is bigotted, but I don’t think all Jews are Zionist, nor all Israelis. I think its unfair to call Baron Cohen a Zionist (and therefore, a racist) without evidence. And there really doesn’t seem to be any evidence. Lots of opinion, sure, but nothing that confirms that he is any other than an excellent comedian who has a Jewish heritage.
Anyhoo, time to move on?
I call this speech brilliant in that it describes the US (Which he regards as and which behaves as a Zionist slave state) and most Americans have no idea he is talking about them and their regime (1% is in total control).
I’m not sure what you mean by this Eve, but it really is an unfortunate turn of phrase. On the off chance you aren’t aware of why, please take the time to read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionist_Occupation_Government
I know that you read Alex Jones (or at least you used to) so you may have picked up some of this stuff from some of the things he publishes and links to, or not, I don’t really care. But what I do care about is that when people are researching conspiracy stuff, they practice discernment. There really really are some nasty people manipulating things and pushing memes, and using codes. Don’t be one of their dupes. Please.
There certainly is a lot of conspiratorial, anti-Semitic rubbish in cyberspace. This idea that the U.S.A. is “manipulated” by Israel (which is basically Mearsheimer & Walt’s thesis) is plain wrong, but it’s at the root of a lot of noise on the internet.
However, it is not conspiratorial or paranoid to see that Sacha Baron Cohen is a brutal and unapologetic supporter of Israel, and a ruthless defamer of the Holy State’s victims.
For your information. Alex Jones is married to a Jewish lady if I’m correct and goes through great pains to avoid the Israel controversies.
He is actually accused of being a Zionist shill for that reason even though he has no problem pointing out obvious crimes such as the shelling of Gaza.
So please back off with your patronising shite.
For those of you wanting to know more about how the US is duped into being Israels bully boy here is some information you don’t get from the MSM about one of the most powerful Lobbying groups in the world AIPAC
Oh and PB, over the years you have never given any “conspiracy nutter” as you call them the benefit of being able to have discernment so fuck off about that too.
America is Israel’s slave state and while Netanyahu may not like Obama and that is mutual in the end America will abide by what Israel wants to do. End of story.
And Morrisey. wipe the shit out of your eyes and start doing some proper research about Israel and it’s puppet masters. You’re smart, use your brain!
So you were endorsing a ZOG thesis then.
Fits with some of the other militia inspired crap you’ve endorsed over the years, ( OMG FEMA camps etc) so it’s not really a surprise, but disappointing all the same.
Citaions needed. Lots of them!
My course of reading to get you up to speed has begun today, with the Steven Salaita piece from Electronic Intifada. I’ll put more up for you each day. Of course, you are entirely capable of doing this for yourself, but I get the feeling this is a case of having to lead a horse to water.
Mozza, you appear to be unaware that Baron Cohen is jewish (and a socialist). He’s not anti-semitic
Yes, he is. He is virulently anti-Arab, and most relevantly, anti-Palestinian. As a state-friendly clown, he is absolved from the necessity to even pretend he gives a damn about the victims of his callous “humour”, and doesn’t have to make any false statements that he cares about Palestinians (like Alan Dershowitz keeps claiming about himself) or pretend to be troubled by Palestinian deaths (like the official spokespersons for the Holy State routinely do even as they justify the killings).
…and I think you are going to struggle to find any evidence of him supporting mass murder.
The evidence is irrefutable. Hopefully, after you’ve read today’s introductory article, you will engage in a little more extensive reading for yourself.
He has also won a Golden Globe for comedy,…
I grant you, Sacha Baron Cohen can be funny, but the old Aristotelian device of Arguing from Awards is unwise. Barack Obama won a Nobel Prize for ….. (WAIT FOR IT!) ….. Peace. Martin Devlin and Murray Deaker have both won awards for sports journalism. Some of the direst songs ever written have won Academy Awards for “Best Song”. I could go on, and may well do so at a later date….
….something neither of you is ever likely to do.
WHAT?!!??!?!? Now that is hurtful.
So, objectively, he is funny.
So, by the same logic, Martin Devlin and Murray Deaker are, objectively, outstanding sports journalists; “Into the West”, “My Heart Will Go On” and “You Light Up My Life” are, objectively, top-notch songs; and Barack Obama is, objectively, a Man of Peace.
He’s got an award for it and made millions making people laugh. And saying he’s not funny, then admitting that you ‘used to’ think he was funny is pretty funny in itself, Moz.
I can see he’s funny, and I don’t criticize you for seeing the same thing. However, he clearly has an agenda—and it’s a brutal one, that needs to be called out.
Is there the slimmest chance that Sacha Baron Cohen is actually the funniest comedian Britain has produced in the last twenty years…
Not a chance. Have you never heard of Jack Dee? Or Frankie Boyle? Or Steve Coogan? Or Ricky Gervais? Or Mitchell and Webb?
…and you two are humourless bores?
I have systematically and seriously made a case for the careful examination and reconsideration of a comedian who is lionized by the establishment. You can call me a “humourless bore” if you want, just like Jimmy Savile used to do about anyone who had the temerity to criticize him.
You could start with evidence, mozza. Any evidence at all would be good. But so far … nothing.
You could start with evidence, mozza. Any evidence at all would be good. But so far … nothing.
If you were a lawyer, you would be admonished (at the very least) for contempt of court. I have argued with you in good faith, and provided an excellent scholarly analysis of Sacha Baron Cohen’s political agenda for you to read—but you have simply closed up and retreated into your shell.
I leave it to others to see who is arguing, and backing his argument with evidence, and who is cynically trying to stymie any argument.
Oh dear, this is well below your usual standard, Mozza. No evidence at all? Surely you must have found at least one quote from the man by now. Nothing? Really?
Playing dumb does you no credit, my friend.
M, TRP is a shill. This is what he does. He is an excellent tool to give people who read them links but he will always sidestep, accuse, malign and avoid. Still he keeps threads alive and that means more people will eventually get the information they need to make up their own minds. And many over here have done over the last five years.
For those of you interested in understanding the likes of Te Reo Putake here is a nice list of 25 hallmarks of shill behaviour
M, TRP is a shill.
I am well aware of that. Thanks for the heads-up.
This is what he does. He is an excellent tool to give people who read them links
Really? Recently, he has refused to read links, or simply denied their validity.
but he will always sidestep, accuse, malign and avoid. Still he keeps threads alive and that means more people will eventually get the information they need to make up their own minds. And many over here have done over the last five years.
You’re being very charitable, travellerev.
For those of you interested in understanding the likes of Te Reo Putake here is a nice list of 25 hallmarks of shill behaviour.
Or, to see a shill in action, simply observe Sacha Baron Cohen’s behaviour.
No, you are right HE won’t read the links but others will and those are the ones I aim for.
Don’t try to win over the haters, you’re not the jerk whisperer is my motto but over the backs of the haters you can actually reach those who are willing to learn.
I apologise for telling you to wipe the shit out of your eyes and start doing research about Israel but I do mean you should do mor9e research on the state of Israel.
Here is a facebook friend of mine. His name is A href=”http://www.gilad.co.uk/”>Gilad Atzmon. He is Jewish and Israeli. He is also a great musician and writer and he recently published a book called: The wandering who? You might want to start there!
WHERE IS HE?
Whither Populuxe1?
Mass Murder Advocate Fails to Front His Critics
I note with some concern that poor old Populuxe1 has failed to surface after being keel-hauled by all and sundry on Tuesday.
I can see five possible explanations for his failure to mount an argument in defence of himself and his outlandish statement on Open Mike:
1.) He lacks the wherewithal to mount a coherent argument;
2.) He is “on leave”, a la the Rt. Hon. Hekia Parata;
3.) Professor Stuart McCutcheon has gotten wind of Populuxe1’s extra-curricular nonsense, called him in for a talk and delivered a stern warning: “If you continue to make a fool of yourself like this, Dr. Hoadley, even under a preposterous surname, we will have to look at your position a little more rigorously….” ;
4.) He is licking his wounds and preparing for an AWESOME comeback, where he sprays around even more awesomely absurd epithets;
5.) In his shame and desperation, the poor oaf has actually shown some courage and taken the time-honored option, viz. …..
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Giotto_-_Scrovegni_-_-47-_-_Desperation.jpg
Conoisseurs of the bizarre and deranged can peruse the poor chap’s comment by clicking here….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18122012/comment-page-1/#comment-564232
Sorry, but Hekia is only Hon., not Rt. Hon.
But she is a real Right One.
Thank you for that, Lanthanide. While we’re on the subject of errors, I note another grievous one, where I show Prof. McCutcheon warning Dr. Hoadley that he must not make a fool of himself, even under the cover of “a preposterous surname“.
Of course, Prof. McCutcheon, a highly educated man, would have used his words far more accurately.
This is what he would have said: “If you continue to make a fool of yourself like this, Dr. Hoadley, even under a preposterous pseudonym, we will have to look at your position a little more rigorously.”
My apologies for the careless error in the original post.
This line of comments offends me greatly. Not only are you speculating on identities based on the flawless logic “I disagree with H, P disagrees with me, therefore P=H”, you also seem to have constructed a fantasy about H’s legislated academic freedom being interfered with by M, who is connected to you only by virtue of being H’s boss’s boss.
Here’s a thought – lose the obsessive vendetta part of your shiny hat. You might be less of a jerk.
This line of comments offends me greatly.
I’ve already admitted out that my (entirely reasonable) speculation was wrong.
Not only are you speculating on identities based on the flawless logic “I disagree with H, P disagrees with me, therefore P=H”, you also seem to have constructed a fantasy about H’s legislated academic freedom being interfered with by M, who is connected to you only by virtue of being H’s boss’s boss.
As I’ve already said, it was a reasonable supposition. Not many in academia, bar a couple of certifiable cases at Waikato, are as ideologically extreme as Steve Hoadley; our friend Populuxe1 made a stunningly foolish and extreme anti-Palestinian comment; Populuxe has made a point of telling this online community that he works in a university, ergo it was a reasonable inference that the extreme anti-Palestinian Populuxe1 was the extreme anti-Palestinian Steve Hoadley.
Happily, Populuxe1 assures us that he is now “on the side of the innocent civilians, both Palestinian and Israeli”, so assuming he is not lying, there will be no more erroneous assumptions by anyone that Populuxe1 is Steve Hoadley.
Here’s a thought – lose the obsessive vendetta part of your shiny hat.
That was a reasonable inference. You can call it “obsessive”, but on reflection I think you’ll recognize that is not a fair portrayal of my stance.
You might be less of a jerk.
Oooff! Now THAT hurt. I now have hurt feelings….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8sShWY6llE
I work at a university. Am I Hoadley?
There are literally thousands of academic and general university staff, if P was even telling the truth about the sector they worked in at the time they wrote it.
And yeah, inventing conversations between real people based on the fact that you disagree with one person’s pseudonym and another person’s media comments, so therefore it’s a “reasonable supposition” that they are the same person. That’s obsessive.
But nice to know you genuinely believe you were trying to “out” a Standard commenter’s identity. Jerk.
I work at a university. Am I Hoadley?
I do not think so. Unlike Populuxe1, you have not been making Hoadley-esque public statements pouring scorn on the victims of state terror.
There are literally thousands of academic and general university staff,
There would be only half a dozen of them that are so brazen and shameless in their public praise of the Holy State.
And yeah, inventing conversations between real people based on the fact that you disagree with one person’s pseudonym and another person’s media comments, so therefore it’s a “reasonable supposition” that they are the same person. That’s obsessive.
No, it is reasonable to assume that an academic brazen enough to publicly state (on radio) that he supports the state that is engaged in the mass murder of imprisoned, ghettoized untermenschen might be foolish enough to come on a popular forum like this and make similar statements, as well as spraying the ridiculous accusation of “anti-Semitism” at anyone who protests at the Holy State’s campaign of terror. That’s what our friend Populuxe1 did.
You can call that “obsessive”, but that slur carries as much critical heft as our friend Te Reo Putake’s repeated claim that any and all evidence is “no evidence”.
But what about pseudonymous comments? With no career reputation to worry about? And besides, I reckon you vastly undercount the number of right-wingers in academia.
That is indeed a reasonable assumption. But the assumption you made was that any person who uses a pseudonym to state similar (for a given margin of error) opinions is probably therefore the same person who uses their own name and academic freedom in mass media. Not to mention the defamatory assertion of a vice chancellor interfering in the freedom of an academic to express his opinions.And at least I stated exactly why, with reference to specific facts, I thought you were obsessing over this. Inventing defamatory conversations on the illogical leap you made is not healthy.
But you merely make the assertions, and almost never relate them to verifiable specific facts. Also known as “evidence”.
Have you changed your meds recently?
And I don’t know who Hoadley is, but I ain’t he. However isn’t that sort of speculation against the rules here? Usually the moderators are all over that.
You don’t know who Hoadley is? He’s a far-right commentator from the University of Auckland, who during the recent escalation in Israeli terror against the citizens of Gaza, came onto Radio Rhema (which laughably calls itself the Christian station) and expressed his support not for the victims, but the killers.
Your irrational response the other day led me to think he was you. Seeing you live in Christchurch, obviously that was a mistake.
Anyway, in answer to your vitriol, I condemn Israel’s excessive use of force against the Palestinians and their continued illegal colonisation of the West Bank. It’s bizarre that you assume I would just because I find the continued one-sided generalisations about Israel from you to be irritating, antisemitic and smacking of obsession. FYI Bebe and his Likudniks do not represent the entirety of Jewish or even Israeli opinion.
However I also condemn Hamas for its continued provocations of Israel with little regard for the ordinary Palestinians they were foolishly elected to represent, and for the continued climate of fear it creates for ordinary Israelis. I regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation and I lose no love on them.
I am on the side of the innocent civilians, both Palestinian and Israeli. Now go fuck yourself you presumptive freak.
Anyway, in answer to your vitriol,
The vitriol is entirely yours, my friend. I simply held up a mirror.
… I condemn Israel’s excessive use of force against the Palestinians and their continued illegal colonisation of the West Bank.
“Excessive use of force”? What, are you suggesting that there is an ACCEPTABLE use of force that an illegal invading force can use against a civilian population?
It’s bizarre that you assume I would just because I find the continued one-sided generalisations about Israel
What you reflexively and stupidly damned as “anti-Semitism” was in fact a careful, scholarly analysis of systematic bias by the BBC.
… from you to be irritating, antisemitic and smacking of obsession.
I’ve posted some things about Israeli state crimes, as well as crimes by other countries. That’s “obsessive”? You have no strategy other than spraying lame epithets at me?
FYI Bebe…
That’s “Bibi”, actually.
…. and his Likudniks do not represent the entirety of Jewish or even Israeli opinion.
As if we did not KNOW that. So who are Mark Regev, Tzipora Menache and Israel’s other ghastly apologists for state terror representing—the Likudnik regime that runs Israel—or those who belong to the humane, liberal, thoughtful Jewish tradition?
However I also condemn Hamas for its continued provocations of Israel with little regard for the ordinary Palestinians they were foolishly elected to represent, and for the continued climate of fear it creates for ordinary Israelis. I regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation and I lose no love on them.
You don’t know what you’re talking about. You would have condemned the French Resistance, the Yugoslav partisans and the Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto.
I am on the side of the innocent civilians, both Palestinian and Israeli.
High time you said so, sir. We can look forward to an improvement in the quality and morality of your posts, no doubt.
Now go fuck yourself you presumptive freak.
That sort of abuse is fine when used against, say, Araboushim, or, if you like, untermenschen. Here, all it does is re-emphasize the poverty of your argument.
It’s a lovely day out. Why don’t you get a book on New Zealand birds and go twitting… Or even some bark rubbings. I think you need to get outside in the fresh air more.
It’s a lovely day out. Why don’t you get a book on New Zealand birds and go twitting… Or even some bark rubbings. I think you need to get outside in the fresh air more.
TRANSLATION: “I got nothing.”
That’s a clever response.
Pretty much a literary correlative to Option 5, really.
Now I know where DunnoKeyo got his fiscal directions from ….
Australia will be a casualty of the currency wars
He’s copying the Australian reserve bank example note for freakin note M8’s!
The NZ MSM should take note of a real article written by real journalists as well!.
I keep telling folks that Greece should play the exact same game. They should build a printing press right in the middle of the city square of Athens, wind it up and churn out mountains of euros, then drive it by the truckload to the German border and tip it out.
That will expose the system for exactly what it is.
Debt is the most heinous evil inhabiting and inhibiting the world today.
Does it not register with people that money is;
1. issued by privately owned banks and
2. is backed only by a printing machine and
3. must be paid for with interest (even though it is only printed paper backed by nothing. Paying for nothing).
It is the western world’s achilles heel. And nobody even fucking knows!
I have the worst hangover in the history of the world.
LOL. It cannot be that bad because:
1. It is not even 9.30am
2. You are obviously able to turn on your computer or other device
3. You typed that comment without spelling errors!
Food, lots and lots of water and paracetemol.
With sympathy
VV
Get up, stagger, eat, stagger around a little bit more, go back to sleep for a while longer, wake up ….. et voila !
Umm.. Talking about zombies…
So, vto – what dooo youuu eat..
At some point, should any fellow poster with editing rights have a moment to spare… I’m having the same old, same old problem with scheduled posts not publishing themselves at the designated time I set them for.
There was one slated to go up around 9 O’Clock this morning that didn’t ‘go’. I’ve reschedueled it for tomorrow morning at 8 O’Clock.
Thing is, this same problem has happened previously. Is there something really obvious I’m overlooking in the settings that causes this? I can’t figure it. So…if you have a moment and the inclination, I’d appreciate somebody going into ‘dashboard’ and having a wee look at the post I’ve re-scheduled for tomorrow morning and letting me know if there’s something I’ve not done right or overlooked on the settings front.
Cheers.
Ummm there is both the basic system and a backup system that sends them off when they overshoot.
I’ll start having a look at scheduled posts.
Just had an embarrassing thought. (cough) It wouldn’t be that I’m meant to hit the publish button to make it load to the schedule would it?
Bugger! Guess not. Oh well.
After you schedule it, the button changes from “Publish” to “Schedule”, and yes that has to be pressed 😈
I’m getting an effect of tiny white balls falling over my screen from the top noticeable against a dark background. Christmas snowflakes? How cute. By the way Happy Christmas to all and a 2013 year that offers improvements and hope for good direction and achievements in 2014.
Yep. It was a feature that snuck in on wordpress 3.5.
Up in this hemisphere I thought it would be psychological air-conditioning in the sweltering heat. Down in those chilly northern climes it might be a different story as I suspect the storms will be extreme in their winter this year.
It will turn itself off on Jan 4
In these northern climes it makes up for the rain outside when it should be snowing 😉
Actually I suspect that they will get some quite large snowstorms this year. The oscillating jetstreams have more energy at this phase of the solar cycle and on top of the warming of the Arctic, they’re quite a bit further south. So they’re pushing cold air from the Arctic further south and then it hits more wet air coming up off land and the gulf stream….. Guess what I think will happen.
I agree. We’ve had snow much earlier than usual this year, but have hit a warm-ish period so it’s raining. Pretty boring just before Christmas. It’s an odd climate here with the continental effect enhanced by mountain ranges creating foehn winds up from the desert and then the Siberian/Artic blasts coming the other way.
I’ve been looking around for some graphics of how the oscillating jetstreams are (mis)behaving this year, but there’s not a lot beyond the focus of Britain’s early summer rains.
Umm. I will try to track some down. Was last looking at it when Sandy hit the US. Usually NOAA is the best source.
You saying the outside of the screen will be twitching and black dots will rain across the screen from different directions – whenever I’m at the Standard……until Jan 4?!
Anything I can do to mitigate Lprent?
Ok – that isn’t the effect it is meant to be happening. Sounds like a meteor shower. What browser and operating system?
I’ll turn it off.
Many thanks for turning off the storm LPrent!
No, it’s just irritating.
Grinch 😀
WITCH TRIAL
Witness | Pfc. Bradley Manning’s Testimony, Article 13 hearing Nov. 29 and 30, 2012
US v. Pfc. Bradley Manning is being conducted in de facto secrecy. For more information on the lack of public and press access to United States v. Pfc. Manning, visit the Center for Constitutional Rights, which filed a petition requesting the Army Court of Criminal Appeals (ACCA) “to order the Judge to grant the public and press access to the government’s motion papers, the court’s own orders, and transcripts of proceedings, none of which have been made public to date.”
This transcript of Pfc. Bradley Manning’s testimony at his Article 13 motion hearing was taken at Fort Meade, Maryland on November 29th and 30th, 2012.
[DEFENSE EXAMINATION OF PFC. BRADLEY MANNING ON NOVEMBER 29, 2012]
Defense (Coombs)
Pfc. Manning I know this is a little nerve racking. So what we are going to do, is we are going to ease into this, and just take a little bit of time. Okay?
Pfc. Bradley Manning
Yes, sir.
Defense (Coombs)
Alright, I want to first start off by asking some questions about when you were detained in Iraq. Okay?
Pfc. Bradley Manning
Yes, Sir.
Defense (Coombs)
Alright, do you recall the date that you were initially detained by [Army] CID?
Pfc. Bradley Manning
It was May 27 of 2010.
Defense (Coombs)
And, how did CID first approach you?
Pfc. Bradley Manning
CID first came to– well I was first in the Supply– I was in the Supply office at the Brigade annex, which was a separate building from Brigade headquarters at FOB Hammer in Iraq, and I was– and then, I was escorted by the Supply NCOIC [Non Commissioned Officer in Charge] to an interview room. It was a conference room that had been turned into an interview room. And, I knew that–
Defense (Coombs)
When you walked in, what did you see– when you walked into that?
Read more…
http://www.alexaobrien.com/secondsight/wikileaks/bradley_manning/witness_profiles_us_v_pfc_bradley_manning/pfc_bradley_manning_testimony_article_13.html
Bradley Manning – does he have a support group – like amnesty international?
Manning has supporters from all over the world. Luckily for him, he has not had to rely on the U.S. branch of Amnesty International, which is a compromised and confused organization, to put it very charitably….
http://electronicintifada.net/content/amnesty-urged-reject-tainted-funds-leonard-cohen-concert/978
Anyone else hear this Mad, Bad and Sad Santa?
NewstalkZB, Thursday 20 December, 10:40 a.m.
NewstalkZB’s notorious supercrank Leighton Smith never turns down an opportunity to turn any occasion into a soapbox for his crazed theories about the world.
But you would have thought that station management would have warned the old loon that it was off-limits to attempt to pound his anti-science, anti-reason, anti-academic agenda into the heads of children, and that it was distasteful, even immoral, to dress a global warming denier up as St. Nick and let him loose on a programme aimed at little children.
Apparently, however, anything goes at NewstalkZB. Absolutely anything….
LEIGHTON SMITH: Ummmm, ahhhh, ummmm…. Here’s a letter, Santa, and I’d ummmmm, aaaahhhh, really ahhhhhmmmm like to, ummmmm, hear what you have to ummmm, say. It says: “How is the state of the polar ice-cap, given that we are told so much about global warming?”
SANTA CLAUS: Oh there is no problem here in the North Pole! There’s PLENTY of ice! All this talk of global warming! What a lot of nonsense!
LEIGHTON SMITH: Thanks for clearing that up, Santa. You’re quite right, this global warming is a load of nonsense. Okay, ummmm, ahhhhh, on the ummmmm…. phone we have another child. Jessica, what do you want to ask Santa?
INTERESTING FACT:
One of NewstalkZB’s many mottoes is “Tune Your Mind.”
Morrissey Thanks for the reports from the front. How you can bear to listen to it beats me. You deserve a medal. Watch out that you listen extensively or you will suffer a bad case of post traumatic stress disorder – too much could blow your receptor valves.
And that bit about Tune Your Mind. Makes me think of the old large console radios that had a function of a green light that brightened as you turned the knob to the optimum station reception. Guess now we’ll have those transplanted in our young so we can receive the sacred murmurings of our old western gurus like Leighton Smith. China had Confucius, Greece had Socrates, we have LS.
Thanks for that, Mr. Nose. I sent an admonitory e-mail to the great broadcaster, but he did not deign to reply.
Luckily for aficionados of the unhinged rant, however, I have a few of his on-air comments and e-mails from some time back, relating to other topics. If you or anyone else is interested, I will give them another airing.
Just for a laugh.
The Alleged “Lump-of-Labor Fallacy”
So, the Lump of Labour Fallacy starts off as anti-worker PR and then gets picked up as gospel by the economists but never actually questioned. Sounds like almost everything in economics – stated as fact and yet reality differs and yet the economist fail to note the differences.
Another ‘FarCup’ by the big man with the big stick in chch, his appeal has been lost on the
re-zoning near the airport.
This story is on the TV3 web site.
Sorry can’t link.
Lies and hatred from a coward and a bully. 2 more months untill the Messiah returns
[lprent: Context free silly comment – moved to OpenMike. ]
Oops
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/rebuilding-christchurch/8104255/Brownlee-changes-unlawful-Court-of-Appeal
Is this it VV
Berlin to buy back grid and go 100 percent renewable
Well, at least some governments are waking up to the lies of the neo-liberals. Unfortunately, our government happens to be the neo-liberals and they’re the source of the lies and the actions that doom us to increasing poverty.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
This could be put to Key by one of our esteemed regular interviewers of our PM, say like that radio station The Rock. Ffs.
And here is what Bill English is up to, no doubt hoping to slide this in ‘under the rader’ at this time of year.
Hidden deep in the Business section of Stuff today
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8101449/Possible-sale-of-three-SOE-power-companies
For this “… the market’s suggesting it might be possible…”
Read … the brokers and investment banks want to get in as quickly as possible.
For fucks sake that is like listening to real estate agent advice. They only aim for their fee.
The market, the market, the market is best,
So up with the market and down with the rest.
(Apologies to Flanders and Swan)
Treasury advise against the sale of all three power companies due to flat market and low return rate from the sale.
Hopefully the referendum will stall the sale and or polarise the electorate. Roll on 2014.
Possibly the most encouraging global-Left news all year.
Great stuff.
What do folks think of this one?
Road rage man seeks job back or $600,000
By Matthew Theunissen
Guy Hallwright was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard.
Former Forsyth Barr financial analyst Guy Hallwright is seeking his job back or about $600,000 in lost earnings after being dismissed following his conviction for running over a man with his car.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10855219
________________________________________________________________________________
Wonder what the sentence had been if a patched gang member had done the same thing to Guy Hallwright?
Let’s change the scenario…….
‘Mongrel Mob member XXXXX – in a fit of ‘road rage’ – runs down senior Forsyth Barr analyst Guy Hallwright, and breaks both his legs.
Mr Hallwright has multiple operations since the 2010 incident.
Mongrel Mob member XXXXX is sentenced to 250 hours community work, disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay victim Guy Hallwright $20,000 reparation after a jury finds he unintentionally ran Hallwright down with his car in September 2010.”
Seems to be QUITE a different story/ sentence if you swap the patched jacket for a pin-striped suit ……?
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Was this a first time offence for Guy Allright! Some leniency to suit guy please! /sarc
Facebook is so intensively tracking readers and commenters on this site, for profile details, with background scripts they use to do this. It is a real worry.
Like a WSJ article on 07 Dec. rightly reported, the internet is anything but free and anonymous anymore, and rather becoming a large grazing ground for information gathering for commercial profiling, advertising and so forth.
I just wonder how many here are aware of this.