If you want to know what is happening ask a taxi driver…..Max Keiser does in the funniest clip for a while. The man is on fire with justifiable rage against the kleptocrats, John Key needs to ride with this man.
Notice this ‘Give us our waterfront campaign’ getting column inches in grannyoid….who are these people?
Coincidental timing with POAL refusing OI requests, gov’t not interested in allowing citizens to see details on the assets they own etc etc
Also Crusher getting ‘tough’ on parole hearings with the mother of murdered girl woodman some years back in wellington being put out their by the media.
Divert, delay, distract, dogwhistle they’ve got it all going on.
And could the opposition ask a direct question on the last day of parliament please…..FFS enough material to light a bonfire and those clowns can’t even get a BBQ underway.
Key on the back foot as Opposition leaders twist knife
By Adam Bennett
5:30 AM Thursday Sep 27, 2012
Mr Key appeared to become confused when asked by NZ First leader Winston Peters when his chief of staff was first told of the Ministerial Certificate issued in Mr Key’s absence last month by his deputy Bill English.
Mr English issued the certificate to prevent details of the GCSB’s involvement in the Dotcom case emerging in court.
“I do not exactly know, but to the best of my knowledge it was on Monday the 17th when I knew,” Mr Key said. He later returned to the House and made a personal statement saying it was only this week that he learned of the document.
Labour deputy leader Grant Robertson last night said Mr Key “looked incredibly uncertain” in answering questions about the involvement in the Dotcom case by organisations of which he had oversight.
Also not so sure tc. Just watched replay of question time and with ShonKey getting so frustrated he starts blaspheming (Colin Craig will be clutching his pearls with disgrace) seems to me they are having quiet a success at scraping off the Teflon.
Opposition? A few minor items from the Dotcom saga to begin with…police apparently lying under oath…’misstatements’ from PM & deputy…US influence in NZ…but will we see any pointed questions from Labour on all this?
Labour, and the other opposition parties have had a great couple of days poking the borax at National in the house and in the media. If you haven’t noticed, that’s not their problem, RR, its yours.
‘But Labour, wah wah …’ is getting pretty tired, particularly when polling such as the latest Roy Morgan shows they are on track to lead the next Government.
Opposition have had a great couple of days and yet I still hear Mr Key get away with saying
“There is insufficient evidence”
“There is insufficient evidence”
“There is insufficient evidence”
“There is insufficient evidence”
“There is insufficient evidence”
“There is insufficient evidence”
and I don’t hear any objection. I don’t hear the question posed “….of what”
He is just allowed to go on his merry way confusing the issue and transmitting his spin.
Mr Key and other National members get to grandstand for minutes on end
Where is the objection to this?
It is obvious when he is about to do it.
Why do the opposition not cut him off with an objection?
This is now a public channel and I consistently see National getting unreasonable airtime for their half-baked notions and spin tactics. I am sorry that our opposition don’t appear to factor in the powerful effect of spin because it makes me furious every time this Government gets time to grandstand in the way they regularly do in parliament when there are sound rules in place to disallow this.
no…I wasn’t being sarky…can see why you thought I was though and there was a little facetiousness involved in employing our Prime Spin Junkie’s favourite saying…
Thanks, your comment makes more sense now that you’ve mentioned the decline.
I am a tad averse to anyone mentioning all Governments are the same because this may be so for the middle section of NZers, but in the least economically endowed the different Governments make quite a bit of difference (or even a small difference means a lot when one doesn’t have much)…also a different atmosphere when we have smug contemptuous types in charge…also tend to hear …and therefore there is no point in voting after it…which admittedly is a serious condition…hearing voices and all….
Take your point though about those at the very bottom, and the differences that even a slower journey with the same co-ordinates could make for them.
If only the middle would stop to think that they too are in the firing line, just a little further along the schedule. If they understood this, then they would be not be pouring scorn on those less off, and they would certainly not be backing the corporate takeover we in NZ are laying witness to.
“If only the middle would stop to think that they too are in the firing line, just a little further along the schedule. If they understood this, then they would be not be pouring scorn on those less off, and they would certainly not be backing the corporate takeover we in NZ are laying witness to.”
I second that-thoroughly agree. If they would think about direction rather than here and now, or look at what has happened to America (as I understand it there are many who used to be comfortably off now sharing houses or without a house at all).
And…needing a distraction from the Kim Dotcom circus the government makes an announcement around welfare recipients. This one is a little weaker than usual. Guess what? MSD is now information sharing with the IRD. Not the best distraction. Perhaps half a million in fireworks would distract the media pack better than the few beneficiaries (and how many is that exactly? 1%? 20%? Perhaps half?) who exploit the system.
I did a quick run through of the numbers yesterday and it ends up, assuming ACT, UF and the MP all retain their current electorate seats, with the Gov’t 58 vs Lab/Greens 55. Winston has 6 seats. So a L/G/NZF coalition would have a reasonable majority. However, if Labour cuts Nationals direct lead over them by a further 2 pts (ie down to a single figure gap), then Winston becomes less relevant and a minority Lab/Green Gov’t is just as likely an outcome.
This poll heaps real pressure on the Maori party, who need to be in Government to be effective. Mana get two seats, btw.
“So a L/G/NZF coalition would have a reasonable majority.”
Am I the only person who remembers Winston Peters categorically refusing to be part of any government that included the Greens. Is there any evidence that this has changed?
Even if NZF were willing, it’s pretty hard to see how that could work.
He did say that he wouldn’t work with the Greens, either in 2002 or 2005, but things have moved on since then. I imagine 3 years in the wilderness may have changed Winston’s stance a little and the Greens are not the same party either in terms of both policy and leadership. And I note Key has switched from ruling NZF out 4 years ago to realizing he won’t be PM without them, so its clearly a dynamic situation!
I think Shearer will have his work cut out keeping unity, but its worth remembering that’s the work he used to do in his earlier job. As long as he can stop them stepping on each other’s toes, then it’s got a chance of success. Giving WP his old Foreign Minister role should keep him happy (and out of the country for long periods). A couple of other NZFers will need associate roles, too. Defence? Revenue?
The Greens would be looking for senior roles, though not the Deputy PM’s job I think, because of the shared leadership system they have. It would cut across that to have one of the two leaders in a clearly senior role to the other. Environment, Education, Social Develeopment?
Labour will want total control over the checkbook and the affairs of state, of course.
And, as I suggested yesterday, I wouldn’t rule out the Maori Party making a pitch to be in the Shearer waka, too. That might give Shearer just enough votes to form a minority Government without Winston or at least play hard ball with him in the negotiations.
One other option that is almost viable on the Roy Morgan numbers is L/G/Mana. The most left wing Government since the Alliance fell apart!
Sleepwalking to victory. I’m not entirely convinced about that as a Labour Party tactic.
What’s needed right now with this massive scandal involving Messrs Key and English and a perjuring policeman, is decisive, resolute leadership. We are seeing that from Mr Kim Dotcom, who is without a doubt the most impressive and lucid speaker involved in this scandal.
The official Leader of the Opposition, on the other hand, when interviewed on the radio yesterday, began by saying: “Ummmmm…”
TRP
I tried to get meaning of putake and looked up the Maori Dictionary on google and it seems the ‘source’ is one of its variants. I thought then that you might be referring to the pure source of reason and truth in the language, and what’s purer and less unsullied than what comes out of the mouths of babes.
Perhaps what you say about Shearer comes from this direct source to truth and wisdom?
Bit convoluted eh. I think it would be simpler to ask what does your pseudonym means?
I switched from ‘The Voice of Reason’ on Waitangi day. TVOR was confusing people, who didn’t get the joke, so I thought I’d celebrate the day by changing to the maori translation. I wasn’t alone, ‘one anonymous bloke’ became ‘kotahi tane huna’ at the same time. We’ve both been accused of being the blogging equivalent of bl00dy maaris by knuckle draggers since then!
ps, prism, you’re not alone in trying to work out the meaning. Check out my stalker! 🙄
(it’s the maori language post, not the go at Micky S. Tellingly, Pete knew what the correct translation was when he wrote the post, but he pretended otherwise)
My understanding of the MMP review is that if National does change the law, the changes will be in place for the 2014 election. One of the proposals is the abolishment of electorate coat-tailing. So unless you can show that Mana is going to win 2 electorate seats, I don’t think it’s wise to suggest they’ll get 2 seats.
If they win Hone’s electorate seat and gain 1.5% of the party vote, they will be allocated another seat, whcih will be an overhang, bringing the total number of MP’s to 121.
That’s the situation now, Lanth, under current law, and that’s what I based my comment on. Yes, it may change, but my analysis is based on currently known facts. I’ve also assumed that the MP, ACT and UF will retain their 5 seats for the same reason. That is also a future unknown, but its the current fact.
Polling was from 10-23rd September so covered the Banks donation scandal but none of the Dotcom spying scandal. Next Roy Morgan will be interesting, often the Govt suffers a dip only to recover in the next poll? But another poll that suggests a centre left coalition at the next election is good news.
Full effect is unlikely to be fully through until late October. I’ve observed on average about a 6 week delay between events and when they start hitting the Morgan polls.
One is reminded of the England Rugby team doing a lap of honour at Old Trafford after being beaten 25-8 by the All Blacks back in 1997.
A L/G government may be a possility, but it is only a mathematical one. The gap between Labour and National is still very large. Were there an election held today, National will still win comfortably, and even if L/G manged to cobble together a coalition, it would be undermined at every corner by the opposition, business and the like. Past (and present) Labor governments with precarious majorites in Australia are a glaring example.
“One is reminded of the England Rugby team doing a lap of honour at Old Trafford after being beaten 25-8 by the All Blacks back in 1997.”
That actually embarrassed many of the England players and supporters. The ridiculous “losers’ lap of honour” sprang from the fertile mind of the egregious Clive Woodward.
Years later, he foisted the disgraced war criminal Alistair Campbell on the British and Irish Lions as a “manager” for their disastrous 2005 tour of New Zealand. Some of the Irish players in particular were incensed by this, and on one memorable occasion de-bagged the bullying creep in front of the whole team.
To me the NZ government appears to be running out of money. Within the last 6 months I have experienced 3 GST refunds being withheld beyond the 20 day period, and when I contacted them the payments were released that day. Other large businesses I have contact with, with also large GST refunds $250k+ are experiencing the same. On making contact the refunds are released. No reasons given for the delay. If we are late there is an immediate penalty 10% then normal penalty rates. When the IRD are late a 2% p.a. interest applies.
Interesting Herodotus. Exact same whispers and non / delayed payments have been around last few months with EQC and other government organisations in Christchurch.
Smoke and fire ……..
Many of us here in Chch fully expect that if/when the final global financial meltdown hits soon all work and money expected for the rebuild here will stop dead.
Best head west …….. at least there is plenty food, water, shelter and wood. Imagine being in the middle of one of our cities when the shit hits the fan and the supermarkets last a single day. Wouldn’t wanna be a nearby farmer no…
Neo-Darwinian biologists and evolutionary psychologists have focused on the self, the, I, . I, is what passes genes on to the next generation, what engages in “reciprocal” altruism, the seemingly selfless behaviour that actually serves self-centred ends. The market is about the choosing, I, The economy is about the consuming , I, The Liberal Democratic (finger down throat) is about the voting, I. Yet, I, is lonely. I, is bad at relationships, in a world of , I’s, marriages do not last. Communities erode. Loyalty is devalued. Trust grows thin, John.
Einstein famously said, “Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind”.
Islam, one of the three Abrahamic monotheistic faiths, spread faster and wider than any religious movement in the lifetime of it’s founder, endowing the world with imperishable masterpieces of philosophy, poetry, architecture and art, as well as a faith seemingly immune to secularisation or decay.
Don Brash, Bob Parker, (take your pick); “on the surface he’s profound, but deep down he’s superficial”.
To paraphrase Wittgenstein, ” The meaning of the system lies outside the system. Therefore, the meaning of the universe lies outside the universe”.
If we are free, then history is not a matter of eternal recurrences. As we can change ourselves,
(see learning Revolution) we can change the world. That is the religious basis of hope.
There are cultures that do not share monotheistic beliefs. They are ultimately, Tragic cultures, for whatever shape they give the powers that they name, these powers are fundamentally indifferent to human fate.
They may be natural forces, human institutions: the empire, the state, the political system or the economy.
They may be human collectivities: the tribe, the nation the race.
Yet, all end in tragedy, because none attaches ultimate significance to the individual as individual.
All end by sacrificing the individual, which is why, in the end, such cultures die.
There is only one thing capable of defeating tragedy, which is the belief in God, who in Love, sets his image on the human person, thus endowing each of us with non-negotiable, unconditional
Human Dignity. -from Jonathan Sacks
1 John 4: 16. God is Love. Whoever lives in Love lives in God and God in (them).
Jokerman – a noble, and probably true statement at the end. I would like to believe it, but how many Government members do you think truly “live in God”? (No comment on God living in them).
Democracy and its values of social justice are not based on the Bible.
It is all based on Humanist philosophy.
I’m suspicious of your Einstein quote.
Here’s what he wrote in a letter auctioned recently at Bloomsbury, in a reply to a philosopher mate:
“The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this.”
“For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people. As far as my experience goes, they are no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything ‘chosen’ about them.”
As for your unctuous bible quote:
“1 John 4: 16. God is Love. Whoever lives in Love lives in God and God in (them).”
Love isn’t an argument. Love is a force – it can go in all directions. The Nazis loved their nation, look what they were willing to do to “protect the Fatherland”.
interesting. unctuous indeed. not a ‘follower’ of Plato or his neo-platonic derivatives; more a Pythagorean.
Sacks suggests the shortcomings following the transliteration of semitic script (written right to left) upon introduction to the Greeks ( evolving to “from left to right”), the introduction of vowels and the implications of both for the dominance of cerebral hemispheres in cultural transmission / development.
Further more,
Simon Baron-Cohen (cousin of Sacha, believe it, or not!)
–
Autism-3/4 are boys
Aspergers-males to females; 10-1
Autism-marked by features suggesting diminished right- hemisphere abilities;
-lack of ability to empathise
-low on social skills
-difficulties in making eye contact
-or stare too long
-often good at Mechanical (repetitive) tasks, mathematics or
-memorising lists
-foreign words
-can be obsessional
-do not understand irony, humour or ambiguity
-tend to treat people as objects
-have difficulty in developing a first-person perspective
-and a self-image
Baron-Cohens Theory? that autism is a condition of hyper-maleness!!!
Hans Asperger and Baron-Cohens theses; that female brain predominantly hard-wired for empathy, male brain for systemising.
-empathisers and systemisers have sharply different skills
– in particular, empathisers relate to people, systemisers to things
(see Carol Gilligan on gender and moral reasoning) or Pinker, “The Blank Slate” on vocational preferences)
Then, there is Jerome Bruner , “Actual Minds, Possible Worlds”, on the difference between two types of mental construction: argument and narrative; point Bruner makes, that narrative is central to human construction of meaning, meaning what makes human condition human.
(see logotherapy)
I could go on… but i gonna read the local paper (check out Bronfenbrenner)
There are cultures that do not share monotheistic beliefs. They are ultimately, Tragic cultures, for whatever shape they give the powers that they name, these powers are fundamentally indifferent to human fate.
They may be natural forces, human institutions: the empire, the state, the political system or the economy.
They may be human collectivities: the tribe, the nation the race.
Yet, all end in tragedy, because none attaches ultimate significance to the individual as individual.
All end by sacrificing the individual, which is why, in the end, such cultures die.
Evidence, links etc. please.
Remembering extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary evidence….
JS I don’t think these are “extraordinary” claims. They seem to me fairly commonplace in the literature. The claim of tragic beliefs made me think of the Greek gods who were fundamentally indifferent to what impact they had on man. The monotheistic God (Jehovah, Allah) has an intimate interest, he created man in his image (or is it the other other way around)????
All good fun, Jokerman might spend a little long with his nose in a volume of Jung methinks.
Could be that too but the number of people who seemingly vote for candidates because of the expressed religion of that candidates does seem to be very high.
Seems to me that in order to suck people, in the puppets have to reference religion or etc, all the while there are religous wars being waged around the globe, all stirred by the same crew who present the politicians we get to choose from at our elections, believing we live in a democracy.
IMO the idea seems to be to destroy religion, which is most likely how it was designed to be used, along with providing cover for other activities and worship. Darkness rules this world of ours, that is very clear to me, so preaching light, which is what “god” is supposed to be, all the while tearing religon apart, would be the work of people who are into something most people would find disturbing, and not comprehend.
To me “god” is everyone and everything, it is all around us, the universe is “god”, and all that is in it, and it seems to me that the great decption is in keeping human beings from realising the togetherness, we all share.What TPTB fear most, is people realising that we are all one, then turning to see who is behind the curtain!
Great work Jman, God always pleases the crowds whether he is called Jehovah, Allah or something simple like Marx. Or maybe Adam with his mates the “Invisible Hand” and the “Market” (an unholy trinity if ever there was one).
And man oh man can we do the cats and dogs thing when the “received words” and “wisdom” meet in the alley. Blood will run.
it appears that your memory is Excellent. ( i began with “blood will run in the streets” in a galaxy far, far away)
and, it may have been u that first replied, to me characterisation of the front bench; i was perpetually surprised that such characterisation was not illegal, yet then, one only has to think of that racist, bigotted, hypocritical, ATTENTION SEEKING dick Laws and the divisive, numb-skull invective that he spouts; Just freakin disgusting (disgust is a natural emotion, in case one is wondering, it leads us to Vomit up that which is unpalatable, unhealthy and harmful.
Thought this quite funny from google on a theme bailey used for his shows.
Bill Bailey | Tour Updates http://www.billbailey.co.uk/tour/
BILL BAILEY – QUALMPEDDLER – 2012 LIVE. Bill Bailey had Doubts about the modern world, but these have now grown into qualms. He will be channeling …
Billy Bragg has a great story that his sons favourite Bragg song is in fact unisex chip shop by bill bailey. They’ve even done it on stage together – it’s very funny.
I love German hokey tokey with I think the real kraftwerk.
Garth McVicar speaking on prison parole – it should be a privilege rather than a right. Actually that phrase should be applied to his speaking to the media. His opinion of no standing and kneejerk thought, is something that should be heard even more rarely than it now is. Why don’t the media follow up the regular talk back radio phone-ins and ask them for opinions? They have many and often strongly worded, so good soundbites, and much on the same level as McVicar.
nzherald article on benefit fraudster, Michelle Hawke, getting kicked out of NZs most expensive state house, there in Orakei. She’s been there for 12 years!!!
“Hawke’s lounge looks out onto the Sky Tower, Orakei Domain, Waiheke Island and towards Bastion Pt, where her relatives occupied the land in 1977.”
She’s got 90 days to bugger off! I’d give her 90 seconds, the lazy, thieving, good for nothing!
On second thoughts, actually I’d make her clean up the filthy mess she and her Whanau have made of a tax payer property that we provided her with for next to nothing. Would probably be the first time in her life she had to get off her lazy bum and work.
“Graffiti adorned fences and the section was covered in rubbish. ”
Wish I could get free housing, but I don’t because I actually work – in a job I dont particularly like with coworkers I don’t particularly like, but hey I turn up in time, presentable, not hung over or on drugs and get the work done.
I have to rent. But I don’t trash the place, I don’t leave rubbish strewn everywhere. I keep it clean and tidy. Isn’t that how a human being is suppose to behave? Even animals keep their nest/den tidy.
Bugger off Ms Hawke, NZ doesn’t need you.
Too bad we can’t push the useless good for nothing out to sea in a leaky dinghy.
“Isn’t that how a human being is suppose to behave”
R u asking bud ?, You sit there on your high horse lording your success over the peasants, and then you ask us if that’s the way you’re meant to behave.
” in a job I dont particularly like with coworkers I don’t particularly like, but hey I turn up in time, presentable”
Well this is surprising, you bitch about your job as well as wour workmates. But make sure you are “presentable” too them, opening your eyes yet Buddy?
“Prometheus is a Titan, culture hero, and trickster figure who in Greek mythology is credited with the creation of man from clay and the theft of fire for human use”
You created them buddy, you tell us why you made them that way.
Blowarse, I’m not talking about them, I’m talking about you.
Ok, sorry for making you angry KP.
(How’s ya hard drive ?)
I applaud you for getting on this board and speaking your mind.
There is a reason no one here validates your whinging, but every one of us actually reads it.
That should tell you something about accepting that other people will make their decisions for their own reasons, they play the cards they are dealt not the ones you were dealt.
If you can accept this simple fact then your heart will stop breaking (Stop Beating, and yes anger will do that), which makes your memory unravel for a few seconds.
The problem with this is you will forever repeat yourself without ever understanding yourself and how you get to those places, so I recommend you undertake Anger Management.
True enough babe, but I don’t want him running off and doing something stupid.
I’m trying to encourage him to open his mind to the world, if he runs away then I’ve failed.
Why do you feel obliged to defend a thieving, lazy, good for nothing?
Who is?
That said, yes the actions, if reported accurately, are atrocious but my thought would be to ask why were they atrocious? rather than to pass uninformed judgement as you did.
k p
What a blood and adrenalin boost you get from dissing the lower classes that you decide are below contempt! Self-indulgent tub-thumping – you’re a waste of space.
Try keeping up that sort of thing about the shonky financiers and business directors funnelling off money that directly belongs to NZ people, it’s not even taxes ‘wasted’ by the government. Let’s ensure fraud and mismanagement doesn’t eat away into our aggregate wealth so ensuring that we will always be a poor country.
And for goodness sake k-p don’t waste our time putting stuff on her that is fit only for a ran t on a talk back session. Yours isn’t political discussion.
k – p
You actually work. That apparently elevates you to a lofty prominence over the rest of us.
I think you are lucky. Lucky to have a job. And you sound like one of the ignorant part of working class who are right wingers and don’t support each other in necessary activity to achieve better conditions and wages for all. Blue collar, red necker perhaps. What do you do – are you a manager or skilled tradesman or barman or self-employed towtruck driver or what?
Interesting point about bad language that I referred to earlier in another thread. I mentioned potty mouth men and women. There was a very heartening item on Radionz this morning about a boxing and training outfit in Naenae.
Radionz on Nine to Noon – Billy Graham runs the Naenae Boxing Academy in Wellington. He has released a new book with Phil Gifford Making Champion Men : How one New Zealand man’s vision is changing boys’ lives, published by Hodder Moa.
The speaker Billy Graham, demands self-discipline including in the choice of speech there, no swearing. He also has to speak to some parents both men and women about constant bad language. He’s written a book about what he does and the interview is a good listen too. We need to hear good news sometimes. And after hearing that, how would this type of enterprise fit into our present education process or into a charter school perhaps?
Talking about life experience and supporting our young people in NZ how did that army guy get drowned if he was wearing a zipped up lifejacket? And if all on the boat didn’t have them, why not? The Army has put recruits at risk before resulting in them dying for lack of proper resources. It should look after its precious resources, people, before sending them off to do the actual work in the killing fields.
It was interesting to hear one recently say that they were not in Afghanistan helping to construct and rebuild which has been the PR I’ve heard. Why can’t the Army be trained in these positive skills? They shouldn’t let their distressing muck-up over the farm bridge that collapsed and killed the beekeeper and cost the farmers their livelihood put them off. I am sure they could succeed and learn how to do it right for long term safety and enable them to do good in the world’s war or climate-torn needy areas.
You dislike “bad language”. I regard infantile expressions like “potty mouth” a greater debasement of the language than an f-bomb.
Not that I give a damn anyway.
As for the army stuff:
a) the most basic circumstances of the case haven’t come to light yet so speculation and finger pointing is a bit premature; and
b) the non-reconstruction army staff in AF would be the SAS “logistics” revenge contingent. The real reconstruction team actually do build schools and so on.
A well placed fekk as a stress on another word can be useful. A Shakespeare or Biblical quote goes well astray 90% of the time (but they are more satisfying to use).
“The speaker Billy Graham, demands self-discipline including in the choice of speech there, no swearing.”
Sure, but it makes sense in that context that he has rules that promote self-discipline – they’re learning a sport where self-discipline is crucial. I already have control over what I do or don’t say, so swearing isn’t about lack of discipline, it’s because I like the language.
If you didn’t already know it, the bloke knows nothing but has been putting the Party Line spin on Dotcom with impunity on the Panel this afternoon.
On a lighter note, The Panel was asked who had the best male singing voice outside Andy Williams.
The Penguin opined, “…well actually Andy Williams was a bit before my time, and I would have to choose between Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. Elvis’s “Return to Sender” does it for me…”
A quick Wiki search shows Cash, Presley and Williams started performing together in 1956. “Return to Sender” was a hit in 1962. As was “Moon River.”
ha ha “David”- try ” i Hurt myself today..like I always do…”( Cash or NINE INCH NAILS)
no wonder the general public is so uninformed considering the people Paid to inform them
Speaking of which- “Close Up” about to go down the “entertainment” drain
apparently 80% of free to air veiwers prefer something light over something substantial according to ol’ pizza brain (oops, thats not very compassionate Jokerman you n0rty boy you)
Fluff, freakin InsulFluff is what they are apparently wanting.
Wow! John Key has just discovered that Radio New Zealand has news shows and whats more, he’s appearing on one right now. Apparently, the illegal spying is just a simple mistake, but it’s also “mind blowing”. And it’s all the legal teams fault and he didn’t need to know about it. What a sap.
A little item on queuing in USA – the way it is changing – on Radionz tonight. In some places they have coloured wristbands you pay for and wear which will give you priority at various locations. Good for queues in the hot sun where other people have to wait longer. The speaker commented on the increasing distance between the strata of society there. This is just another way of making life harder.
Then also there is a fastlane on a motorway in one of the states. This was provided by doing away with the previous car pool lane that had a two people minimum. Now the travel of a non-paying commuter has changed from about half hour to an hour and a half. I think this is what he said.
I can imagine that in public-private partnerships for roads than include tolls, this type of elitist approach to what is a democratic need for transport routes, might be one of the unexpected disadvantages that ordinary citizens have to bear.
In industrial Britain I understand that adults were rejected as cotton mill workers, with their children being employed instead, sometimes being the only workers in the household. They had to walk to the mill and I think were docked serious money if they were late. There weren’t too many watches around then either! Some I believe had to get up at 3 am to get organised for the long walk to work to make sure they were on time. There are so many ways that people can be ground down by harsh conditions. Preference for the better off is one way.
That said if you have to clear customs for fly a commercial jet, you are not “a player” anyway, so it would seem that taking money for such services is taking money from “the self important”
The plane will not leave early, so it makes the possibilites fewer.
I imagine that they are ushered quickly directly to the nearest duty free stores.
To be fair, there are occasions at Uk airports where I could see the reasons why people would want to pay to bypass the mess (because most London airports are horrid), but the reasons won’t be because they are time poor …
Me at the airport = uneconomically viable invisible person
Actually i choose not to fly anymore due to the HUMUNGOUS environmental footprint, which i guess makes me even more invisible (just as well given how uneconomically viable i am)
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
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. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
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. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 19 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
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 ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...
If you want to know what is happening ask a taxi driver…..Max Keiser does in the funniest clip for a while. The man is on fire with justifiable rage against the kleptocrats, John Key needs to ride with this man.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNxVTa54cF8&feature=player_detailpage
I LOVE MAX KEISER!
Bored
Great clip. Very rousing with a wonderful rant. Says it all.
Maybe there is a critical mass of informed angry people arising>
Maybe there is a critical mass of informed angry people arising.
Once the taxi drivers are on to it the establishment is in real trouble. Max Keiser is always good but that driver is the star of this clip!!!
ooh! now Nick Tillsley’s in trouble ( gotta have the mundane intermission in the high drama of national political intrigue)
Notice this ‘Give us our waterfront campaign’ getting column inches in grannyoid….who are these people?
Coincidental timing with POAL refusing OI requests, gov’t not interested in allowing citizens to see details on the assets they own etc etc
Also Crusher getting ‘tough’ on parole hearings with the mother of murdered girl woodman some years back in wellington being put out their by the media.
Divert, delay, distract, dogwhistle they’ve got it all going on.
And could the opposition ask a direct question on the last day of parliament please…..FFS enough material to light a bonfire and those clowns can’t even get a BBQ underway.
I don’t know, tc.
It’s simmering away, and Granny reports some hits from the opposition in the House yesterday:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10836791
Also not so sure tc. Just watched replay of question time and with ShonKey getting so frustrated he starts blaspheming (Colin Craig will be clutching his pearls with disgrace) seems to me they are having quiet a success at scraping off the Teflon.
Opposition? A few minor items from the Dotcom saga to begin with…police apparently lying under oath…’misstatements’ from PM & deputy…US influence in NZ…but will we see any pointed questions from Labour on all this?
None so blind, etc.
Labour, and the other opposition parties have had a great couple of days poking the borax at National in the house and in the media. If you haven’t noticed, that’s not their problem, RR, its yours.
‘But Labour, wah wah …’ is getting pretty tired, particularly when polling such as the latest Roy Morgan shows they are on track to lead the next Government.
Opposition have had a great couple of days and yet I still hear Mr Key get away with saying
“There is insufficient evidence”
“There is insufficient evidence”
“There is insufficient evidence”
“There is insufficient evidence”
“There is insufficient evidence”
“There is insufficient evidence”
and I don’t hear any objection. I don’t hear the question posed “….of what”
He is just allowed to go on his merry way confusing the issue and transmitting his spin.
Mr Key and other National members get to grandstand for minutes on end
Where is the objection to this?
It is obvious when he is about to do it.
Why do the opposition not cut him off with an objection?
This is now a public channel and I consistently see National getting unreasonable airtime for their half-baked notions and spin tactics. I am sorry that our opposition don’t appear to factor in the powerful effect of spin because it makes me furious every time this Government gets time to grandstand in the way they regularly do in parliament when there are sound rules in place to disallow this.
So far, only by default and not because they’ve become any more palatable.
Voice – And what will Labour do that is any different if they are at the wheel…
Other than provide a platform for you to use your pom poms, leading the cheering team!
Gimme a
N O T H I N G
There is insufficient evidence for your comment Muzza
40 years of NZ economic decline, regardless of government you mean!
Oh, you were being sarcastic…
@ Muzza,
no…I wasn’t being sarky…can see why you thought I was though and there was a little facetiousness involved in employing our Prime Spin Junkie’s favourite saying…
Thanks, your comment makes more sense now that you’ve mentioned the decline.
I am a tad averse to anyone mentioning all Governments are the same because this may be so for the middle section of NZers, but in the least economically endowed the different Governments make quite a bit of difference (or even a small difference means a lot when one doesn’t have much)…also a different atmosphere when we have smug contemptuous types in charge…also tend to hear …and therefore there is no point in voting after it…which admittedly is a serious condition…hearing voices and all….
BL – My original response was aimed at TRP…
Take your point though about those at the very bottom, and the differences that even a slower journey with the same co-ordinates could make for them.
If only the middle would stop to think that they too are in the firing line, just a little further along the schedule. If they understood this, then they would be not be pouring scorn on those less off, and they would certainly not be backing the corporate takeover we in NZ are laying witness to.
Cheers
I second that-thoroughly agree. If they would think about direction rather than here and now, or look at what has happened to America (as I understand it there are many who used to be comfortably off now sharing houses or without a house at all).
please take a moment to sign this to protect Marlborough Sounds … urgent today if you will, please …
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/The_Sounds_are_for_All_say_NO_to_nine_new_salmon_farms/?bpyhmab&v=18238
Have done that. Worthy cause yeshe.
Done. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
/signed
And…needing a distraction from the Kim Dotcom circus the government makes an announcement around welfare recipients. This one is a little weaker than usual. Guess what? MSD is now information sharing with the IRD. Not the best distraction. Perhaps half a million in fireworks would distract the media pack better than the few beneficiaries (and how many is that exactly? 1%? 20%? Perhaps half?) who exploit the system.
They have been doing this for a long time – it is not new.
The latest Roy Morgan poll is out.
National is down 3% to 43.5%, Labour up 2 to 33%. Greens are down slightly to 11.5%.
The trend is in the right direction.
The impression that National is on that long slippery slope to defeat is growing stronger …
The balance of power is still with the MP and NZF 🙁
And what kind of Labour will we have in Govt.
And why not the Greens?
I did a quick run through of the numbers yesterday and it ends up, assuming ACT, UF and the MP all retain their current electorate seats, with the Gov’t 58 vs Lab/Greens 55. Winston has 6 seats. So a L/G/NZF coalition would have a reasonable majority. However, if Labour cuts Nationals direct lead over them by a further 2 pts (ie down to a single figure gap), then Winston becomes less relevant and a minority Lab/Green Gov’t is just as likely an outcome.
This poll heaps real pressure on the Maori party, who need to be in Government to be effective. Mana get two seats, btw.
“So a L/G/NZF coalition would have a reasonable majority.”
Am I the only person who remembers Winston Peters categorically refusing to be part of any government that included the Greens. Is there any evidence that this has changed?
Even if NZF were willing, it’s pretty hard to see how that could work.
He did say that he wouldn’t work with the Greens, either in 2002 or 2005, but things have moved on since then. I imagine 3 years in the wilderness may have changed Winston’s stance a little and the Greens are not the same party either in terms of both policy and leadership. And I note Key has switched from ruling NZF out 4 years ago to realizing he won’t be PM without them, so its clearly a dynamic situation!
How do you see a L/G/NZF government working?
Awkwardly!
I think Shearer will have his work cut out keeping unity, but its worth remembering that’s the work he used to do in his earlier job. As long as he can stop them stepping on each other’s toes, then it’s got a chance of success. Giving WP his old Foreign Minister role should keep him happy (and out of the country for long periods). A couple of other NZFers will need associate roles, too. Defence? Revenue?
The Greens would be looking for senior roles, though not the Deputy PM’s job I think, because of the shared leadership system they have. It would cut across that to have one of the two leaders in a clearly senior role to the other. Environment, Education, Social Develeopment?
Labour will want total control over the checkbook and the affairs of state, of course.
And, as I suggested yesterday, I wouldn’t rule out the Maori Party making a pitch to be in the Shearer waka, too. That might give Shearer just enough votes to form a minority Government without Winston or at least play hard ball with him in the negotiations.
One other option that is almost viable on the Roy Morgan numbers is L/G/Mana. The most left wing Government since the Alliance fell apart!
TRP – Your assumption that Shearer will be the Leader bothers me, and I suspect, a good many others.
A bitter pill for you to swallow, Doc? As long as the numbers stay good, Shearer’s home and hosed, so best get used to it.
Sleepwalking to victory. I’m not entirely convinced about that as a Labour Party tactic.
What’s needed right now with this massive scandal involving Messrs Key and English and a perjuring policeman, is decisive, resolute leadership. We are seeing that from Mr Kim Dotcom, who is without a doubt the most impressive and lucid speaker involved in this scandal.
The official Leader of the Opposition, on the other hand, when interviewed on the radio yesterday, began by saying: “Ummmmm…”
Te Reo Putake
Does this mean in English ‘Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings’?
Sorry, Prism, does what mean ‘out of the mouths’ etc?
it was Dylan, off Empire Burlesque (appropriate title)
TRP
I tried to get meaning of putake and looked up the Maori Dictionary on google and it seems the ‘source’ is one of its variants. I thought then that you might be referring to the pure source of reason and truth in the language, and what’s purer and less unsullied than what comes out of the mouths of babes.
Perhaps what you say about Shearer comes from this direct source to truth and wisdom?
Bit convoluted eh. I think it would be simpler to ask what does your pseudonym means?
I switched from ‘The Voice of Reason’ on Waitangi day. TVOR was confusing people, who didn’t get the joke, so I thought I’d celebrate the day by changing to the maori translation. I wasn’t alone, ‘one anonymous bloke’ became ‘kotahi tane huna’ at the same time. We’ve both been accused of being the blogging equivalent of bl00dy maaris by knuckle draggers since then!
I considered changing mine to the NZ sign equivalent too, until it occurred to me that people who sign don’t have a problem with reading 🙂
ps, prism, you’re not alone in trying to work out the meaning. Check out my stalker! 🙄
(it’s the maori language post, not the go at Micky S. Tellingly, Pete knew what the correct translation was when he wrote the post, but he pretended otherwise)
Jeeze, link warning please!
r0b has a post up about NZF/Nats here
http://thestandard.org.nz/key-peters-2014/
How does Mana get 2 seats?
My understanding of the MMP review is that if National does change the law, the changes will be in place for the 2014 election. One of the proposals is the abolishment of electorate coat-tailing. So unless you can show that Mana is going to win 2 electorate seats, I don’t think it’s wise to suggest they’ll get 2 seats.
If they win Hone’s electorate seat and gain 1.5% of the party vote, they will be allocated another seat, whcih will be an overhang, bringing the total number of MP’s to 121.
That’s the situation now, Lanth, under current law, and that’s what I based my comment on. Yes, it may change, but my analysis is based on currently known facts. I’ve also assumed that the MP, ACT and UF will retain their 5 seats for the same reason. That is also a future unknown, but its the current fact.
Polling was from 10-23rd September so covered the Banks donation scandal but none of the Dotcom spying scandal. Next Roy Morgan will be interesting, often the Govt suffers a dip only to recover in the next poll? But another poll that suggests a centre left coalition at the next election is good news.
Full effect is unlikely to be fully through until late October. I’ve observed on average about a 6 week delay between events and when they start hitting the Morgan polls.
One is reminded of the England Rugby team doing a lap of honour at Old Trafford after being beaten 25-8 by the All Blacks back in 1997.
A L/G government may be a possility, but it is only a mathematical one. The gap between Labour and National is still very large. Were there an election held today, National will still win comfortably, and even if L/G manged to cobble together a coalition, it would be undermined at every corner by the opposition, business and the like. Past (and present) Labor governments with precarious majorites in Australia are a glaring example.
If an election were held today, the published poll results would probably look different than what we have.
It’s rather a silly fiction to imagine that the poll results are what parliament would be like if the election had been held.
Correct, it is a game played by the media, because its a mornic distraction, brought into by simple people!
Waste of Time and Energy!
“One is reminded of the England Rugby team doing a lap of honour at Old Trafford after being beaten 25-8 by the All Blacks back in 1997.”
That actually embarrassed many of the England players and supporters. The ridiculous “losers’ lap of honour” sprang from the fertile mind of the egregious Clive Woodward.
Years later, he foisted the disgraced war criminal Alistair Campbell on the British and Irish Lions as a “manager” for their disastrous 2005 tour of New Zealand. Some of the Irish players in particular were incensed by this, and on one memorable occasion de-bagged the bullying creep in front of the whole team.
so when is len brwon going to fire the ports of auckland management and get some proper government servants in to do the job?
Never. He doesn’t have the authority to do that, thanks to Rodney Hide.
To me the NZ government appears to be running out of money. Within the last 6 months I have experienced 3 GST refunds being withheld beyond the 20 day period, and when I contacted them the payments were released that day. Other large businesses I have contact with, with also large GST refunds $250k+ are experiencing the same. On making contact the refunds are released. No reasons given for the delay. If we are late there is an immediate penalty 10% then normal penalty rates. When the IRD are late a 2% p.a. interest applies.
the House always wins mate.
Interesting Herodotus. Exact same whispers and non / delayed payments have been around last few months with EQC and other government organisations in Christchurch.
Smoke and fire ……..
Many of us here in Chch fully expect that if/when the final global financial meltdown hits soon all work and money expected for the rebuild here will stop dead.
Best head west …….. at least there is plenty food, water, shelter and wood. Imagine being in the middle of one of our cities when the shit hits the fan and the supermarkets last a single day. Wouldn’t wanna be a nearby farmer no…
VTO – I don’t reckon there is any intention of rebuilding, because if that were the intention there would be some proof of it by now!
Nah no fuss. That’s what you have your .223, your dogs, good neighbours all around looking out for you, and your extended family on the farm for.
Neo-Darwinian biologists and evolutionary psychologists have focused on the self, the, I, . I, is what passes genes on to the next generation, what engages in “reciprocal” altruism, the seemingly selfless behaviour that actually serves self-centred ends. The market is about the choosing, I, The economy is about the consuming , I, The Liberal Democratic (finger down throat) is about the voting, I. Yet, I, is lonely. I, is bad at relationships, in a world of , I’s, marriages do not last. Communities erode. Loyalty is devalued. Trust grows thin, John.
Einstein famously said, “Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind”.
Islam, one of the three Abrahamic monotheistic faiths, spread faster and wider than any religious movement in the lifetime of it’s founder, endowing the world with imperishable masterpieces of philosophy, poetry, architecture and art, as well as a faith seemingly immune to secularisation or decay.
Don Brash, Bob Parker, (take your pick); “on the surface he’s profound, but deep down he’s superficial”.
To paraphrase Wittgenstein, ” The meaning of the system lies outside the system. Therefore, the meaning of the universe lies outside the universe”.
If we are free, then history is not a matter of eternal recurrences. As we can change ourselves,
(see learning Revolution) we can change the world. That is the religious basis of hope.
There are cultures that do not share monotheistic beliefs. They are ultimately, Tragic cultures, for whatever shape they give the powers that they name, these powers are fundamentally indifferent to human fate.
They may be natural forces, human institutions: the empire, the state, the political system or the economy.
They may be human collectivities: the tribe, the nation the race.
Yet, all end in tragedy, because none attaches ultimate significance to the individual as individual.
All end by sacrificing the individual, which is why, in the end, such cultures die.
There is only one thing capable of defeating tragedy, which is the belief in God, who in Love, sets his image on the human person, thus endowing each of us with non-negotiable, unconditional
Human Dignity. -from Jonathan Sacks
1 John 4: 16. God is Love. Whoever lives in Love lives in God and God in (them).
🙂 🙂 🙂
Jokerman – a noble, and probably true statement at the end. I would like to believe it, but how many Government members do you think truly “live in God”? (No comment on God living in them).
Democracy and its values of social justice are not based on the Bible.
It is all based on Humanist philosophy.
I’m suspicious of your Einstein quote.
Here’s what he wrote in a letter auctioned recently at Bloomsbury, in a reply to a philosopher mate:
“The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this.”
“For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people. As far as my experience goes, they are no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything ‘chosen’ about them.”
As for your unctuous bible quote:
“1 John 4: 16. God is Love. Whoever lives in Love lives in God and God in (them).”
Love isn’t an argument. Love is a force – it can go in all directions. The Nazis loved their nation, look what they were willing to do to “protect the Fatherland”.
interesting. unctuous indeed. not a ‘follower’ of Plato or his neo-platonic derivatives; more a Pythagorean.
Sacks suggests the shortcomings following the transliteration of semitic script (written right to left) upon introduction to the Greeks ( evolving to “from left to right”), the introduction of vowels and the implications of both for the dominance of cerebral hemispheres in cultural transmission / development.
agape’
Further more,
Simon Baron-Cohen (cousin of Sacha, believe it, or not!)
–
Autism-3/4 are boys
Aspergers-males to females; 10-1
Autism-marked by features suggesting diminished right- hemisphere abilities;
-lack of ability to empathise
-low on social skills
-difficulties in making eye contact
-or stare too long
-often good at Mechanical (repetitive) tasks, mathematics or
-memorising lists
-foreign words
-can be obsessional
-do not understand irony, humour or ambiguity
-tend to treat people as objects
-have difficulty in developing a first-person perspective
-and a self-image
Baron-Cohens Theory? that autism is a condition of hyper-maleness!!!
Hans Asperger and Baron-Cohens theses; that female brain predominantly hard-wired for empathy, male brain for systemising.
-empathisers and systemisers have sharply different skills
– in particular, empathisers relate to people, systemisers to things
(see Carol Gilligan on gender and moral reasoning) or Pinker, “The Blank Slate” on vocational preferences)
Then, there is Jerome Bruner , “Actual Minds, Possible Worlds”, on the difference between two types of mental construction: argument and narrative; point Bruner makes, that narrative is central to human construction of meaning, meaning what makes human condition human.
(see logotherapy)
I could go on… but i gonna read the local paper (check out Bronfenbrenner)
Next? 🙂
Just for reference, Simon Baron-Cohen
There are cultures that do not share monotheistic beliefs. They are ultimately, Tragic cultures, for whatever shape they give the powers that they name, these powers are fundamentally indifferent to human fate.
They may be natural forces, human institutions: the empire, the state, the political system or the economy.
They may be human collectivities: the tribe, the nation the race.
Yet, all end in tragedy, because none attaches ultimate significance to the individual as individual.
All end by sacrificing the individual, which is why, in the end, such cultures die.
Evidence, links etc. please.
Remembering extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary evidence….
JS I don’t think these are “extraordinary” claims. They seem to me fairly commonplace in the literature. The claim of tragic beliefs made me think of the Greek gods who were fundamentally indifferent to what impact they had on man. The monotheistic God (Jehovah, Allah) has an intimate interest, he created man in his image (or is it the other other way around)????
All good fun, Jokerman might spend a little long with his nose in a volume of Jung methinks.
nope. not into archetypes and “shadows”; light and darkness, although, An answer to Job awaits,
🙂
From what I’m seeing the biggest threat to humankind and the rest of the world is a belief in god.
No – Thats just what the crew who are pulling the strings want you to think.
Could be that too but the number of people who seemingly vote for candidates because of the expressed religion of that candidates does seem to be very high.
Seems to me that in order to suck people, in the puppets have to reference religion or etc, all the while there are religous wars being waged around the globe, all stirred by the same crew who present the politicians we get to choose from at our elections, believing we live in a democracy.
IMO the idea seems to be to destroy religion, which is most likely how it was designed to be used, along with providing cover for other activities and worship. Darkness rules this world of ours, that is very clear to me, so preaching light, which is what “god” is supposed to be, all the while tearing religon apart, would be the work of people who are into something most people would find disturbing, and not comprehend.
To me “god” is everyone and everything, it is all around us, the universe is “god”, and all that is in it, and it seems to me that the great decption is in keeping human beings from realising the togetherness, we all share.What TPTB fear most, is people realising that we are all one, then turning to see who is behind the curtain!
Hey there big Guy. Still lovin’ your work.
(affect heuristic cycle very droll) 🙂
however, as Bob sang, “you are gonna have to serve somebody ” and His yoke is very light.
I hope that you are not wasting all that brain power and experience? although you have certainly sowed some seeds and resonated with moi
Yay! Robertson got his urgent debate
btw, the reports of education standards for primary schools across the board here in the bay are just freakin shocking!!!
are they Trying to raise mushrooms? keep children in the dark and feed them bullsh# t?
so sad 🙁
Great work Jman, God always pleases the crowds whether he is called Jehovah, Allah or something simple like Marx. Or maybe Adam with his mates the “Invisible Hand” and the “Market” (an unholy trinity if ever there was one).
And man oh man can we do the cats and dogs thing when the “received words” and “wisdom” meet in the alley. Blood will run.
u onto it; from memory, which comes and goes, u are making a difference in your neighbourhood
freakin edit let me down Mr B.
it appears that your memory is Excellent. ( i began with “blood will run in the streets” in a galaxy far, far away)
and, it may have been u that first replied, to me characterisation of the front bench; i was perpetually surprised that such characterisation was not illegal, yet then, one only has to think of that racist, bigotted, hypocritical, ATTENTION SEEKING dick Laws and the divisive, numb-skull invective that he spouts; Just freakin disgusting (disgust is a natural emotion, in case one is wondering, it leads us to Vomit up that which is unpalatable, unhealthy and harmful.
🙂
For fans of Bill Bailey – he’s on Radionz after the 10am news.
Bill Bailey is always reliable for a good ol’ crack up. There was a good interview with him on Radio Active a few weeks back too.
Thought this quite funny from google on a theme bailey used for his shows.
Bill Bailey | Tour Updates
http://www.billbailey.co.uk/tour/
BILL BAILEY – QUALMPEDDLER – 2012 LIVE. Bill Bailey had Doubts about the modern world, but these have now grown into qualms. He will be channeling …
Qualmpeddler – a man for our time.
Thanks Prism. Ha! Cluster qualm. Like it. And the broth of anxiety. BB conveys worldy apprehension and anxiety in such a charming way.
Billy Bragg has a great story that his sons favourite Bragg song is in fact unisex chip shop by bill bailey. They’ve even done it on stage together – it’s very funny.
I love German hokey tokey with I think the real kraftwerk.
Garth McVicar speaking on prison parole – it should be a privilege rather than a right. Actually that phrase should be applied to his speaking to the media. His opinion of no standing and kneejerk thought, is something that should be heard even more rarely than it now is. Why don’t the media follow up the regular talk back radio phone-ins and ask them for opinions? They have many and often strongly worded, so good soundbites, and much on the same level as McVicar.
McVicar succeeds because so many people enjoy the more “sensational” news, particularly when they are so punitively minded.
And the MSM feeds the habit like a dealer.
one awaits the ’vicar’s comment on this unsettling and revolting little account…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7734280/Teens-tell-of-police-ordeal
nzherald article on benefit fraudster, Michelle Hawke, getting kicked out of NZs most expensive state house, there in Orakei. She’s been there for 12 years!!!
“Hawke’s lounge looks out onto the Sky Tower, Orakei Domain, Waiheke Island and towards Bastion Pt, where her relatives occupied the land in 1977.”
She’s got 90 days to bugger off! I’d give her 90 seconds, the lazy, thieving, good for nothing!
On second thoughts, actually I’d make her clean up the filthy mess she and her Whanau have made of a tax payer property that we provided her with for next to nothing. Would probably be the first time in her life she had to get off her lazy bum and work.
“Graffiti adorned fences and the section was covered in rubbish. ”
Wish I could get free housing, but I don’t because I actually work – in a job I dont particularly like with coworkers I don’t particularly like, but hey I turn up in time, presentable, not hung over or on drugs and get the work done.
I have to rent. But I don’t trash the place, I don’t leave rubbish strewn everywhere. I keep it clean and tidy. Isn’t that how a human being is suppose to behave? Even animals keep their nest/den tidy.
Bugger off Ms Hawke, NZ doesn’t need you.
Too bad we can’t push the useless good for nothing out to sea in a leaky dinghy.
you didn’t answer my question here
“Isn’t that how a human being is suppose to behave”
R u asking bud ?, You sit there on your high horse lording your success over the peasants, and then you ask us if that’s the way you’re meant to behave.
” in a job I dont particularly like with coworkers I don’t particularly like, but hey I turn up in time, presentable”
Well this is surprising, you bitch about your job as well as wour workmates. But make sure you are “presentable” too them, opening your eyes yet Buddy?
“Yeah Naaah M8!”
“You sit there on your high horse lording your success over the peasants”
No I’m actually working class.
“you bitch about your job as well as wour workmates. But make sure you are “presentable” too them”
It’s not bitching its just the reality, most people are in a similar situation. But you just get on and do.
Why do you feel obliged to defend a thieving, lazy, good for nothing?
still not answering that question KP? if you can’t back up your claims, that’s cool, it doesn’t really surprise me
“Prometheus is a Titan, culture hero, and trickster figure who in Greek mythology is credited with the creation of man from clay and the theft of fire for human use”
You created them buddy, you tell us why you made them that way.
Blowarse, I’m not talking about them, I’m talking about you.
Ok, sorry for making you angry KP.
(How’s ya hard drive ?)
I applaud you for getting on this board and speaking your mind.
There is a reason no one here validates your whinging, but every one of us actually reads it.
That should tell you something about accepting that other people will make their decisions for their own reasons, they play the cards they are dealt not the ones you were dealt.
If you can accept this simple fact then your heart will stop breaking (Stop Beating, and yes anger will do that), which makes your memory unravel for a few seconds.
The problem with this is you will forever repeat yourself without ever understanding yourself and how you get to those places, so I recommend you undertake Anger Management.
And just for the record my IQ is 600+
“I applaud you for getting on this board and speaking your mind.”
Good god, why?
The only public service that results from KP’s deranged blathering is, as the saying goes, that it removes all doubt…
True enough babe, but I don’t want him running off and doing something stupid.
I’m trying to encourage him to open his mind to the world, if he runs away then I’ve failed.
lol
rocks and greasy slopes spring to mind…
Thanks for the encouragement 🙂
Amen Flockie! (love that man (woman?)
We’ll leave ya guessing I guess
Who is?
That said, yes the actions, if reported accurately, are atrocious but my thought would be to ask why were they atrocious? rather than to pass uninformed judgement as you did.
k p
What a blood and adrenalin boost you get from dissing the lower classes that you decide are below contempt! Self-indulgent tub-thumping – you’re a waste of space.
Try keeping up that sort of thing about the shonky financiers and business directors funnelling off money that directly belongs to NZ people, it’s not even taxes ‘wasted’ by the government. Let’s ensure fraud and mismanagement doesn’t eat away into our aggregate wealth so ensuring that we will always be a poor country.
And for goodness sake k-p don’t waste our time putting stuff on her that is fit only for a ran t on a talk back session. Yours isn’t political discussion.
k – p
You actually work. That apparently elevates you to a lofty prominence over the rest of us.
I think you are lucky. Lucky to have a job. And you sound like one of the ignorant part of working class who are right wingers and don’t support each other in necessary activity to achieve better conditions and wages for all. Blue collar, red necker perhaps. What do you do – are you a manager or skilled tradesman or barman or self-employed towtruck driver or what?
You should lead by example.
Interesting point about bad language that I referred to earlier in another thread. I mentioned potty mouth men and women. There was a very heartening item on Radionz this morning about a boxing and training outfit in Naenae.
Radionz on Nine to Noon – Billy Graham runs the Naenae Boxing Academy in Wellington. He has released a new book with Phil Gifford Making Champion Men : How one New Zealand man’s vision is changing boys’ lives, published by Hodder Moa.
The speaker Billy Graham, demands self-discipline including in the choice of speech there, no swearing. He also has to speak to some parents both men and women about constant bad language. He’s written a book about what he does and the interview is a good listen too. We need to hear good news sometimes. And after hearing that, how would this type of enterprise fit into our present education process or into a charter school perhaps?
Talking about life experience and supporting our young people in NZ how did that army guy get drowned if he was wearing a zipped up lifejacket? And if all on the boat didn’t have them, why not? The Army has put recruits at risk before resulting in them dying for lack of proper resources. It should look after its precious resources, people, before sending them off to do the actual work in the killing fields.
It was interesting to hear one recently say that they were not in Afghanistan helping to construct and rebuild which has been the PR I’ve heard. Why can’t the Army be trained in these positive skills? They shouldn’t let their distressing muck-up over the farm bridge that collapsed and killed the beekeeper and cost the farmers their livelihood put them off. I am sure they could succeed and learn how to do it right for long term safety and enable them to do good in the world’s war or climate-torn needy areas.
You dislike “bad language”. I regard infantile expressions like “potty mouth” a greater debasement of the language than an f-bomb.
Not that I give a damn anyway.
As for the army stuff:
a) the most basic circumstances of the case haven’t come to light yet so speculation and finger pointing is a bit premature; and
b) the non-reconstruction army staff in AF would be the SAS “logistics” revenge contingent. The real reconstruction team actually do build schools and so on.
language is behaviour; behaviour is way into, or out of, Values
A well placed fekk as a stress on another word can be useful. A Shakespeare or Biblical quote goes well astray 90% of the time (but they are more satisfying to use).
“The speaker Billy Graham, demands self-discipline including in the choice of speech there, no swearing.”
Sure, but it makes sense in that context that he has rules that promote self-discipline – they’re learning a sport where self-discipline is crucial. I already have control over what I do or don’t say, so swearing isn’t about lack of discipline, it’s because I like the language.
I’m with McFlock on the term ‘potty-mouth’.
Dear Gordon does the spade work again….
No wonder ShonKey looked so relieved to be kicking for touch via a short time frame enquiry into the “Dottie” affair.
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2012/09/27/gordon-campbell-on-the-flawed-inquiry-into-the-dotcom-security-breaches/
PM eager…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10836884
The Penguin
If you didn’t already know it, the bloke knows nothing but has been putting the Party Line spin on Dotcom with impunity on the Panel this afternoon.
On a lighter note, The Panel was asked who had the best male singing voice outside Andy Williams.
The Penguin opined, “…well actually Andy Williams was a bit before my time, and I would have to choose between Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. Elvis’s “Return to Sender” does it for me…”
A quick Wiki search shows Cash, Presley and Williams started performing together in 1956. “Return to Sender” was a hit in 1962. As was “Moon River.”
Nice one David …, flannel as ever.
Please someone do a photoshop of DF, with “Return to Sender” slapped across it.
ha ha “David”- try ” i Hurt myself today..like I always do…”( Cash or NINE INCH NAILS)
no wonder the general public is so uninformed considering the people Paid to inform them
Speaking of which- “Close Up” about to go down the “entertainment” drain
apparently 80% of free to air veiwers prefer something light over something substantial according to ol’ pizza brain (oops, thats not very compassionate Jokerman you n0rty boy you)
Fluff, freakin InsulFluff is what they are apparently wanting.
Now, go to bed you n0rty boy!
Wow! John Key has just discovered that Radio New Zealand has news shows and whats more, he’s appearing on one right now. Apparently, the illegal spying is just a simple mistake, but it’s also “mind blowing”. And it’s all the legal teams fault and he didn’t need to know about it. What a sap.
And check this out for a bit more sappy awesomeness:
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/close-up-big-dealers-john-key-1987
Principles of false flag attacks
Dedicated to travellerev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UbAgq3u6lQ&feature=g-all-u
A little item on queuing in USA – the way it is changing – on Radionz tonight. In some places they have coloured wristbands you pay for and wear which will give you priority at various locations. Good for queues in the hot sun where other people have to wait longer. The speaker commented on the increasing distance between the strata of society there. This is just another way of making life harder.
Then also there is a fastlane on a motorway in one of the states. This was provided by doing away with the previous car pool lane that had a two people minimum. Now the travel of a non-paying commuter has changed from about half hour to an hour and a half. I think this is what he said.
I can imagine that in public-private partnerships for roads than include tolls, this type of elitist approach to what is a democratic need for transport routes, might be one of the unexpected disadvantages that ordinary citizens have to bear.
In industrial Britain I understand that adults were rejected as cotton mill workers, with their children being employed instead, sometimes being the only workers in the household. They had to walk to the mill and I think were docked serious money if they were late. There weren’t too many watches around then either! Some I believe had to get up at 3 am to get organised for the long walk to work to make sure they were on time. There are so many ways that people can be ground down by harsh conditions. Preference for the better off is one way.
Kaiser Report recently said that US airport immigration was going to introduce VIP processing queues for ‘economically important people’.
And apparently Heathrow airport already does it. 1800 quid and you get the red carpet treatment.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2140228/Heathrow-Airport-queue-crisis-Rich-passengers-offered-secret-backdoor-service.html
Just shows what its really all about innit!
That said if you have to clear customs for fly a commercial jet, you are not “a player” anyway, so it would seem that taking money for such services is taking money from “the self important”
Too easy
muzza – These people would say they are poor too – time poor. Can’t afford the time to stand and wait in line with the ‘ordinary’ people.
The plane will not leave early, so it makes the possibilites fewer.
I imagine that they are ushered quickly directly to the nearest duty free stores.
To be fair, there are occasions at Uk airports where I could see the reasons why people would want to pay to bypass the mess (because most London airports are horrid), but the reasons won’t be because they are time poor …
No they enjoy the use of their money to buy better facilities and service I think, like belonging to the Koru Club here.
NZ already does it to an extent. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/apec/
Me at the airport = uneconomically viable invisible person
Actually i choose not to fly anymore due to the HUMUNGOUS environmental footprint, which i guess makes me even more invisible (just as well given how uneconomically viable i am)