Archive for March, 2012

Iran

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, March 4th, 2012 - 107 comments

Israel and the US have both been ratcheting up their rhetoric against Iran in the past few months and an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities looks highly likely. Just the other day, Obama told Iran to stop its nuclear programme or else adding, “I don’t bluff”. I really, really hope he’s bluffing. Because Iran’s ready to make an attack on it cost the world big time.

Nat revolt over Crafars sale

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, March 4th, 2012 - 70 comments

Remember the hagiographies after the first hundred days of National’s first term? In the second term, things couldn’t be more different. The Sunday-Star Times has printed dozens of emails it obtained (a leak?) that were sent to Key opposing the sale of Crafar farms. Many of them are brutal comments from former National supporters. Key didn’t even provide comment for the article.

Open mike 04/03/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 4th, 2012 - 36 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Vodafone text info scam

Written By: - Date published: 3:19 pm, March 3rd, 2012 - 19 comments

Vodafone appears to be billing for at least two text scams run by the same Greek, Photis Photou who runs a Cyprus law firm specialising in shelf companies and tax business. I haven’t asked for the texts, and wonder why Vodafone is clipping the ticket for Photis and presumably themselves as well.

Weather bomb

Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, March 3rd, 2012 - 113 comments

Keep safe during the “weather bomb”. It will be good practice for the future.

Open mike 03/03/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 3rd, 2012 - 80 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

FIFY

Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, March 2nd, 2012 - 25 comments

Bill English: “A government can’t have a lot of impact on the job market. It is what it is.” He’s only half right.

Weekend social 02/03/2012

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, March 2nd, 2012 - 13 comments

Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?

A fair go for advertisers only

Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, March 2nd, 2012 - 16 comments

National’s New Zealand becomes a scarier place by the day. Clare Curran has revealed that TVNZ ordered Fair Go staff to bear the interests of advertisers in mind when making their stories. Well, there goes the reputation of the gold standard in New Zealand TV. This is what you get from a government that has […]

POAL back to bargaining table

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, March 2nd, 2012 - 47 comments

4 days into 4 weeks of strikes, Ports of Auckland is back at the bargaining table. From usually docking 4 ships a day, they’ve docked 2 in 4 – 88% reduction. POAL can’t provide service. Ships are going elsewhere in our over-capitalised port system and might not come back. The Council will be screaming blue murder at the loss of revenue and business disruption. How long till management folds?

Nats happy with slave-fishing

Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, March 2nd, 2012 - 34 comments

For reasons that I just can’t fathom, iwi fishing quota-holders have decided to use their fishing rights, not to create 2,000 jobs for their own people, but to maximise their profits by employing slave-fishing boats. Our quotaholders are making money from slavery in our waters. The government could eliminate this odious practice. But the Nats […]

Ryall confirms asset stripping on the cards

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, March 2nd, 2012 - 136 comments

So, National wants to re-assure us that, when they sell our assets against our will, they’ll keep 51% and control. But, um, minority shareholders have rights and private boards have to maximise profits ahead of the national interest. If they decide to sell off the dams later they can, and the Nats won’t stop them.

National’s transport priorities revealed

Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, March 2nd, 2012 - 19 comments

Louise Upston had a patsy for Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee about a bridge replacement in her electorate (the Nats have big achievements to crow about, eh?). Upston asked about the project’s benefits. Brownlee responded “First, I would expect re-election of the local member”. Now we know what National sees at those end of those highways to nowhere – swing votes.

Open mike 02/03/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 2nd, 2012 - 47 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Roads to nowhere

Written By: - Date published: 3:34 pm, March 1st, 2012 - 22 comments

There never was a good business case for holiday highways. Now it’s even worse.

Righties cutting themselves on Occam’s razor

Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, March 1st, 2012 - 113 comments

The Left has its fair share of conspiracy theorists – who think that, for reasons tenuously explained at best, various, often opposing, organisations are secretly carrying out massive cons and not being discovered. But we’ve got nothing on the Right. Belief that climate change is world’s most enormous conspiracy, engineered for no good reason, is an article of faith for these guys. If it weren’t so serious, it would be hilarious.

Trial? Why would you bother with that?

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, March 1st, 2012 - 16 comments

No-one wants to see people who are likely to hurt people released on bail. That’s why successive governments have tightened bail rules. Now Sensible [sic] Sentencing wants every charged with a crime bearing 2 or more years locked up without bail. Not the first organisation with those initials to favour guilt upon accusation and punishment without trial. Michael Bott takes up the story.

NRT: Foss lied to Parliament

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, March 1st, 2012 - 48 comments

2 weeks ago, Labour’s Clare Curran asked Broadcasting Minister Craig Foss whether he had received any advice or reports about Stephen McElrea’s potential conflict of interest between his role as John Key’s electorate chair and his role as a board member of New Zealand on Air. Foss replied with a single word: “None”. Yesterday, we found out that that was incorrect.

Wanna stop problem gamblers? Close the casinos

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 1st, 2012 - 133 comments

SkyCity is shrugging its shoulders after 2 adults left 5 children in locked in a van while they gambled in its casino. This is the 25th such incident this year. Yes, these are bad parents. SkyCity profits by problem gamblers acting impulsively and irrationally chasing rewards ignoring the costs – that’s exactly what its customers do when they leave their kids in cars to go gamble.

Open mike 01/03/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 1st, 2012 - 69 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…