Archive for March, 2011

Credit where it’s due

Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, March 21st, 2011 - 18 comments

On Friday, the government sent out a Request for Proposal for building companies to build 2,500 temporary modular homes in Christchurch. It looks like step towards the rebuilding plan I and others have been suggesting for the past couple of weeks. Now, lets see an aggressive timetable and a plan for what comes next.

Vanishing rebuilding rhetoric

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 21st, 2011 - 7 comments

We’ve had the memorial service. Now we need action.  Now we need the plan.  Christchurch needs rebuilding.  How is it going to happen?  Does the current government have the will?  I went looking for clues in John Key’s three big speeches to date.  What I found was not encouraging…

Open mike 21/03/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 21st, 2011 - 40 comments

Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Shrieking harpies to abort Labour’s election chances

Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, March 20th, 2011 - 604 comments

Queen of Thorns says..

Believe it or not, audience-made-up-of-a-shitload-of-privileged-dudes, New Zealand’s abortion laws are shite, they are outdated, they do fuck up women’s lives, and it is time for a fucking change.

The mannequin candidate

Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, March 20th, 2011 - 35 comments

Key was full of excuses and vague promises for Christchurch on Q+A. He ruled out a levy and indicated the rebuilding would be funded out of savage cuts to our public services. He stuck to his script. Maybe the earpiece he was wearing helped. What was being whispered in his ear? And who was telling our PM what words to mouth?

Hartevelt swipes Nats’ elitism

Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, March 20th, 2011 - 32 comments

The SST’s John Hartevelt is shocked by National’s decision to pay out millions for Christchurch rugby business while ordinary people live in shattered homes and lose their jobs with meager support. He asks whether the Nats have lost their moral-political bearings. In fact, this is a perfect example of National’s elitist philosophy.

Action in Libya

Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, March 20th, 2011 - 69 comments

US, UK and French forces have begun attacks on government targets in Libya. French planes flew reconnaissance yesterday and fired the first shots today.  They have destroyed a number of armoured vehicles and tanks. UK submarines have attacked air defence targets and their planes have fired missiles.  In total US & UK forces have fired […]

20 March

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, March 20th, 2011 - 94 comments

Here’s my prediction for 20 March 2011.

Open mike 20/03/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 20th, 2011 - 34 comments

Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Caption Contest

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, March 19th, 2011 - 62 comments



Who will do the rebuilding?

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, March 19th, 2011 - 38 comments

Who will plan, oversee and administer the rebuilding of Christchurch?  Public servants.  The kind of “back room bureaucrats” that the Nats love to hate.  But governments can’t get anything done without them.

Open mike 19/03/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 19th, 2011 - 26 comments

Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Ceasefire in Libya

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 am, March 19th, 2011 - 18 comments

If you’re like me, you just got home and were watching Te Karere with your nightcap. When it ended they cut to BBC with a live press conference of Libyan Foreign Minister Mussa Kussa (awesome name) who declared a unilateral ceasefire and called for talks with the rebels.

Three Wise Men of Kurow

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, March 18th, 2011 - 16 comments

Well-known Wellington artist Bob Kerr has produced a series of paintings on “The Three Wise Men of Kurow”, Davidson the teacher, McMillan the doctor and Nordmeyer the clergyman; three  friends whose conversations in the small South Island town in the 1930’s laid the foundations for New Zealand’s welfare state. They are on brief show at […]

The battle for Benghazi

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, March 18th, 2011 - 11 comments

The Arab League turned against Gaddifi this week, calling for a no-flight zone. But the UN Security Council voted it down. The US voted against that proposal but is now talking about possibly talking about air strikes. As the West dithers the moment, to borrow from the Bard, is now very now. The rebellion is being snuffed out. Update: UN authorises air power against Gaddifi.

Children First

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, March 18th, 2011 - 67 comments

I was going to have my first post on the economy, but that will have to wait until the weekend as I’m all inspired after hearing Judy Bailey give a Brainwave Trust presentation this week.  The incredible importance of providing the best possible start to our children in those very early years was good to have reinforced…

Who’s bulldozing Christchurch business?

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 18th, 2011 - 73 comments

There’s a large number of reports coming out of Christchurch of businesses that have been demolished without Civil Defence consulting with the owners, as is procedure, and giving them a chance to recover vital equipment and records first. Disturbingly, some of these demolitions seem to have been carried out by ‘cowboys’ without CD approval.

Christchurch memorial service

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, March 18th, 2011 - 183 comments

A memorial service will be held in Hagley Park today to pay tribute to victims of the February quake.  Proceedings begin at 10:30am, with the service starting at 12:30, and two minutes silence at 12.51pm.  This event has strongly polarised opinions in Christchurch…

Open mike 18/03/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 18th, 2011 - 28 comments

Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Killer Cars?

Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, March 17th, 2011 - 39 comments

While media speculates on how many deaths in Japan will eventually be attributable to the earthquake, the tsunami and radiation exposure, I’ll warrant that one major contributory factor to the total death toll will escape any mention or comment.

Fukushima crisis deepens

Written By: - Date published: 10:46 am, March 17th, 2011 - 48 comments

In American football, there’s a move called the ‘Hail Mary pass’ – throw the ball down field and pray. That’s what filling the Fukushima reactors with sea-water has been described as, a Hail Mary pass. It just doesn’t seem to be coming off. Reactor 3 has started emitting more radiation, 4 is on fire, the core may be breached in 2. Even 5 and 6 pose a risk.

Land of the free?

Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, March 17th, 2011 - 26 comments

With so much going on in terms of large scale disasters at the moment, it is easy to lose track of the stories of a mere individuals.  But there are two individuals who’s stories should not be forgotten.  They are facing the full might and anger of the American establishment.  Their “crime” was to tell the truth.

Open mike 17/03/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 17th, 2011 - 123 comments

Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

The building blocks of new Christchurch?

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 pm, March 16th, 2011 - 97 comments

Me & others: How come the government seems to have no plan for rebuilding Christchurch or desire to get one?
Righties: Well, um, Key’s awesome and, anyway, what’s your plan, smart-arse ?
Me: I’m not the government, rebuilding Christchurch isn’t my job. But here’s where I would start.

Re-run: Unemployment up, productivity up

Written By: - Date published: 2:42 pm, March 16th, 2011 - 9 comments

As I predicted in this post last year, productivity has risen sharply in the latest stats but for all the wrong reasons.The Herald gushes “NZ employers squeeze more out of fewer workers” but that’s fundamentally wrong. We’re getting less out of even fewer workers. “Labour input” fell 4.3%, while GDP fell 0.8%. Why anyone would think this is a Good Thing is beyond me.

Shine my shoes, f*ckface

Written By: - Date published: 1:04 pm, March 16th, 2011 - 100 comments

Bill Maher takes a swipe at the ‘Undercover Boss’ and ‘Secret Millionaire’. “TV used to give Americans the reverse fantasy: what if you, normal person, were a millionaire. Now it says, oh who are you kidding? You’re lucky to hold your job frying chicken parts. But what if you were briefly introduced to a millionaire? You could touch his garments.”

The Wrong Stuff

Written By: - Date published: 12:03 pm, March 16th, 2011 - 17 comments

This week’s Sunday Star-Times was full of stories about unaffordable food, housing and fuel affecting the country’s urban dwellers, nowhere more so than in Auckland. Meanwhile the shortage of housing after the earthquake promises huge rent and house price hikes for Christchurch, assuming the locals don’t flee and push up house prices elsewhere.

Continuing nuke crisis in Japan

Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, March 16th, 2011 - 63 comments

Every day brings a new disaster from the Fukushima No 1 nuclear power plant. Four reactors have now experienced an explosion and/or fire and/or partial meltdown. Yesterday saw the first significant radiation release, from Reactor 4. It’s a complex situation, so I’ve tried to summarise it as it stands this morning.

Christchurch RWC

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, March 16th, 2011 - 76 comments

I don’t think that anyone who has been paying attention to events in Christchurch could seriously have expected the city to host a major sporting event like the RWC within a few short months.  So why is John Key the last person left in the country who is denying the obvious?

Open mike 16/03/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 16th, 2011 - 17 comments

Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Labour exposes planless Key

Written By: - Date published: 12:04 am, March 16th, 2011 - 128 comments

There’s been increasing concern over the past week or two that not only has the government failed to communicate its plan for the Christchurch recovery, it doesn’t actually have one, and isn’t particularly worried about getting one. Yesterday in the House, Labour took Key to task on this important issue. And he was found terribly wanting.

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  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
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  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
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  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
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