Author Archive
Fozzie Bear: John Key’s secret fursona
Written By: - Date published: 6:19 am, November 21st, 2007 - 13 comments
From Boing Boing: Furries get no respect. Usually, when you hear about people who dress up like life-sized stuffed animals, it’s in the context of an unfriendly internet joke, a sex gag on Entourage, or an insult that ends with “yiff in hell.” But Brooklyn-based filmmaker Marianne Shaneen has spent more than two years following […]
Miro: free, opensource video platform
Written By: - Date published: 5:45 am, November 21st, 2007 - 4 comments
Miro – a free, opensource video platform has recently been released. It’s a piece of software that allows you to download, manage, and watch video content and it runs on Microsoft Window, Mac OS X and Linux. Their pitch is “Miro: turn your computer into an internet TV… watch free internet video channels and play […]
Labour’s website: too smart for its own good?
Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, November 20th, 2007 - 30 comments
Someone just sent me this blog readability test. It cl/aims to tell you what level of education is required to read your blog/website/myspace page. Here at The Standard we scored “College (undergrad)”, as did Kiwiblog. The real interest was the Party sites though. Depending on your point of view I suppose, Labour’s site fared pretty […]
Pascal’s Wager on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, November 20th, 2007 - 1 comment
Fortunately we have a government that’s prepared to act on climate change rather than gamble with the future. Nevertheless here’s an interesting take on the importance of a meaningful response to climate change based on everybody’s favourite PHIL101 poser: Pascal’s Wager. He’s also done a follow-up to answer some of the questions and objections that […]
Electoral Finance Bill changes welcomed
Written By: - Date published: 6:14 am, November 20th, 2007 - 20 comments
Stuff reports that “Key non-political critics have welcomed changes to the Government’s electoral finance reforms.” Both the Human Rights Commission and Coalition for Open Government are pleased with the revisions to the Electoral Finance Bill. Coalition spokesman Steven Price said the changes were a great improvement especially measures to open up anonymous donations… “This bill […]
Fairfax poll
Written By: - Date published: 5:43 am, November 17th, 2007 - 70 comments
The Dom Post reports that: National’s support slid from 50 to 45 per cent in a Fairfax Media-Nielsen poll released today. Labour jumped four to 40 per cent from Fairfax’s September poll, close to the 41 per cent it scored in the 2005 election. There is also surprising opposition to tax cuts – despite Labour’s […]
Pretend polling
Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, November 16th, 2007 - 32 comments
Dodgy online polls seem to be becoming a staple of political reporting here in New Zealand. The story earlier this week on poll “hacking” sent me in search of an insightful opinion I’d heard previously. So today, we have a guest author on The Standard – BPGP, on “Pretend polling”. Pretend Polling BPGP So for […]
Looking for: whatever he can get
Written By: - Date published: 4:10 am, November 16th, 2007 - 43 comments
In perhaps his strongest signal yet to potential coalition partners, John Key has set his Facebook ‘Looking for’ status to “Whatever I can get”. Puzzled by the phrase “Whatver I can get” I looked it up in the urban dictionary: “A phrase popularly used on the networking college site facebook.com. It refers to an individual’s […]
Hollow man beachtowel
Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, November 15th, 2007 - 4 comments
Make your National MP’s holiday season with one of these fantastic towels. Currently out of stock but don’t doubt for a minute that it’ll be back.
Google Australia launches election tools
Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, November 15th, 2007 - Comments Off on Google Australia launches election tools
Google’s launched some great new online tools for the Australian election. Check out: www.google.com.au/election2007 where you’ll find Google maps called maplets, with electorate boundaries, seats held and margins as well as electorate profiles and member information. Links are also provided to videos and associated electorate information. Great way to waste a day! Quick YouTube overview […]
Electoral finance: link roundup
Written By: - Date published: 3:45 am, November 15th, 2007 - 48 comments
Tony Milne’s got a good piece on the Electoral Finance Bill over at his blog I See Red – electoral finance reform is a way to safeguard democracy: “New Zealand history tells an interesting story about the battle for democracy. Whenever progressive forces have mobilised to extend the franchise or the ideal of ‘one person, […]
SCRABBLE success
Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, November 14th, 2007 - 7 comments
Nigel Richards, formerly of Christchurch, has become our first world Scrabble champion. Richards apparently led from the start, needing just three of the five available games to clinch victory. Stuff reports that “In the final game, Richards got four bonus scores for getting all seven letters out & for dirtiest, overapt, recopies and equinias” Clearly […]
The cost of the war in Iraq
Written By: - Date published: 5:09 am, November 14th, 2007 - 5 comments
From the BBC: “The US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are costing nearly double the amount previously thought, according to a report set to be released by Congress”. The Washington post has the full story: The economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, […]
Sharpen up your climate change arguments
Written By: - Date published: 4:22 am, November 14th, 2007 - 3 comments
The BBC has a good roundup of the top 10 climate change denier arguments with rebuttals from scientists who agree with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: that it’s happening, it’s due to us, and the potential damage is serious. Worthwhile reading for those who still find themselves in these kinds of arguments in the […]
Robertson to win Wellington Central candidacy
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 pm, November 11th, 2007 - 74 comments
Charles Chauvel has withdrawn his nomination for Wellington Central. This leaves Grant Robertson the uncontested Labour candidate, likely to be confirmed on November 17th. Chauvel will instead seek to re-enter Parliament by means of the Party list.
International flip-floppery
Written By: - Date published: 12:02 pm, November 11th, 2007 - 8 comments
Thought that we had a worldwide monopoly here in NZ on right wing flip-floppers with Don Brash, John Key et al? Think again. Turns out the right wing flip-flopper isn’t as rare as you might have thought – they’re found in other continents too. The US Democrats are running an auction of a Mitt Romney […]
Benson-Pope won’t run as an independent
Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, November 11th, 2007 - 3 comments
The Herald reports that “Dunedin South MP David Benson-Pope says he will not stand as an independent if he is not selected as the Labour Party’s candidate in the seat.” There was speculation following the nominations of Clare Curran, Olivier Lequeux, Don Pryde, and Keith McFadyen that if B-P failed to gain the candidacy he […]
Belated Halloween post – vampire maths
Written By: - Date published: 12:42 pm, November 10th, 2007 - 4 comments
Vampires can’t exist. It turns out that their existence would contradict ours. Here’s the maths to prove it: “Let us assume that a vampire need feed only once a month. This is certainly a highly conservative assumption, given any Hollywood vampire film. Now, two things happen when a vampire feeds. The human population decreases by […]
Quoting out of context
Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, November 10th, 2007 - 19 comments
DPF and the National Party have made much of a Helen Clark quote unearthed from her conference speech in 2000 on tax cuts. I’ve just read it on Kiwiblog and was puzzled by the elipsis in the middle. DPF writes: “Tax cuts are a path to inequality… They are the promises of visionless and intellectually […]
Kerik indictment likely to tarnish Guiliani
Written By: - Date published: 10:28 am, November 10th, 2007 - 4 comments
Bloomberg reports that Bernard Kerik, the former police commissioner under New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani who withdrew his nomination to head the Department of Homeland Security, has been charged with fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy. Kerik once led the largest U.S. police department. Giuliani – who’s currently seeking the Republican nomination for president – […]
Larry Lessig talks creative freedom at TED
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, November 10th, 2007 - 1 comment
About a year ago I discovered the TED website. It’s rapidly become a staple in my internet diet. From their ‘about‘ page: TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and […]
Record low unemployment: 3.5%
Written By: - Date published: 3:09 am, November 10th, 2007 - 3 comments
From Ruth Dyson’s press release: The latest Household Labour Force Survey quarterly results from Statistics NZ confirm the Labour-led government’s employment policies and responsible economic management, says Social Development and Employment Minister Ruth Dyson. “The record low level of unemployment of 3.5 per cent is the lowest rate since the Survey began.”
Labour’s earworm
Written By: - Date published: 3:59 pm, November 5th, 2007 - 35 comments
powered by ODEO Written by Chris Knox, the song should come with a warning. Having heard it once, you’re unlikely to be able to forget it. Download it here (MP3 – 2Mb). Lyrics below. It’s a Better Way with Labour Chris Knox We’re a part of the Pacific Independent, proud and free And no power […]
National doublespeak
Written By: - Date published: 12:46 pm, November 3rd, 2007 - 31 comments
It’s happened again. The Nelson Mail reports that: National MP and former principal Allan Peachey has broken ranks with front-bench colleague Katherine Rich over education policy, arguing in favour of the bulk-funding of teacher salaries… The Tamaki MP and associate education spokesman… publicly endorsed the controversial model of funding schools. This directly contradicted Ms Rich, […]
Barnett not standing in Chch Central
Written By: - Date published: 2:29 pm, October 31st, 2007 - 2 comments
Latest reports suggest that Tim Barnett will not be standing for Christchurch Central in next year’s election but may still stand on Labour’s list.
Gaybourhood Halloween party cancelled
Written By: - Date published: 2:08 pm, October 31st, 2007 - Comments Off on Gaybourhood Halloween party cancelled
From the NY Times: This Halloween, the Glindas, gladiators and harem boys of the Castro — along with untold numbers who plan to dress up as Senator Larry E. Craig, this year’s camp celebrity — will be celebrating behind closed doors. The city’s most popular Halloween party, in America’s largest gay neighborhood, is canceled. The […]
Reshuffle
Written By: - Date published: 12:39 pm, October 31st, 2007 - 28 comments
Three new cabinet ministers (Maharey’s retiring, Burton’s returned to the backbench, and Benson-Pope’s old place was still open): Steve Chadwick becomes Minister of Conservation, Women’s Affairs, and Associate Health Maryan Street becomes Minister of Housing, Minister for ACC, along with Associate Minister for Economic Development and Associate Tertiary Education Shane Jones becomes Minister for Building […]
“Ethical Facebook” for businesses
Written By: - Date published: 12:28 pm, October 30th, 2007 - 1 comment
Actics.com is an online neworking site for “ethical” businesses. Businesses that sign up choose to nominate themselves as expressing various corporate values and also describe how they embody them. Users, clients and investors then get to rate the businesseson these criteria. The site’s meant to help individuals find businesses with values they share as well […]
UK cannabis reclassification causes decline in use
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, October 29th, 2007 - 1 comment
The Guardian reports that: Cannabis use among young people has fallen significantly since its controversial reclassification in 2004, according to the latest British Crime Survey figures published today. The Home Office figures showed the proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds who had used cannabis in the past year fell from 25% when the change in the […]
National still to scrap GP fee cap
Written By: - Date published: 3:18 pm, October 27th, 2007 - 17 comments
Peter Bradshaw, at the Guardian, reviews Michael Moore’s movie Sicko: Last week in this paper, Seumas Milne reported on the boa-constrictor-sized parasites of US private health insurance seeking to get their fangs into the British NHS. This magnificent new film from Michael Moore is a timely reminder of the grotesque mess that Americans have made […]
Turia weighs in
Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, October 26th, 2007 - 13 comments
So now Tariana is calling for a police probe into the Mallard/Henare incident. Mallard came clean yesteday about his role in the incident but we still haven’t heard much in the way of detail from Tau bar this kind of thing: “He just said to me ‘come outside’, and I went outside and, in the […]
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