Daily Review 15/02/2017

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1. marty mars 1

   15 February 2017 at 6:10 pm

   Think about it – is spicer so thick he can’t get the names right for the heads of other countries – or is he deliberately doing it to belittle them?

   “During his address, which he was reading from prepared notes, Spicer then offered an alternative name for the Canadian leader.

   “Yesterday the President had an incredibly productive set of meetings and discussions with Prime Minister Joe Trudeau of Canada, focusing on our shared commitment to close cooperation in addressing both the challenges facing our two countries and the problems throughout the world,” Spicer said.

   It’s an insulting blunder Malcolm Turnbull is only too familiar with.

   Earlier this month, Spicer repeatedly mispronounced the Australian Prime Minister’s name as “Trunbull” at a press briefing as he discussed a refugee deal between the two countries.

   The following day, he repeated the error again, saying: “We have a tremendous amount of respect for the people of Australia, for Prime Minister Trunbull.” Days later, the Office of the Press Secretary then published a statement online referring to “The President of Australia”.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/89437214/sean-spicer-refers-to-canadian-pm-joe-trudeau-in-latest-embarrassing-gaffe

   prepared notes – I repeat PREPARED NOTES

   This is one of the dirtier tricks the right uses to ridicule its opponents – it starts with getting their names wrong and ends with ???
   • weka 1.1

     15 February 2017 at 6:27 pm

     It could also be that they’re hyper-stressed and their cognitive functioning is dropping.
     • marty mars 1.1.1

       15 February 2017 at 6:40 pm

       Hard to see how he could function with it that low though
       • weka 1.1.1.1

         15 February 2017 at 8:05 pm

         Maybe he also doesn’t given shit. I haven’t been watching video of them, so I don’t have sense of it, just putting it out there. Forgetting names, not being able to read off a script well, those can be signs of stress. But yes, your idea too makes sense. And their general incompetency. It’s incredibly chaotic.
     • Anne 1.1.2

       15 February 2017 at 7:32 pm

       Or their cognitive functioning was never there in the first place.
     • Once was and others etc 1.1.3

       15 February 2017 at 7:49 pm

       “It could also be that they’re hyper-stressed and their cognitive functioning is dropping.”
       Gawd Strewth and Jesus H Christ @ Weka. I admire your willingness to try and see the best in people, but just consider the possibility that it might be clouding your judgement and ability to see the bleeding obvious.
       May you live in comfort
       • weka 1.1.3.1

         15 February 2017 at 8:02 pm

         One of the alternate US govt twitter accounts said something the other day about the White House possibly needing to start handing out literature about looking for signs of suicide ideation in others. I think the stress levels in that place will be higher than they ever have been. That’s the staff. But I don’t think Team Bannon will be stress free just because they have the power. Things are chaotic and often going badly. Just because someone is an evil bastard doesn’t mean they’re not susceptible to stress. And it’s not about seeing the best in them, it’s about understanding what can happen to the human brain when there is this degree of trauma. I actually find the idea that they might be that stressed far more scary than marty’s idea. These are the people with the friggin launch codes.
         • Chris 1.1.3.1.1

           15 February 2017 at 8:26 pm

           Don’t worry. Work’s well underway on getting Trump black-opped out. He’ll be gone by Christmas. Then everyone can just relax!
         • Tamati Tautuhi 1.1.3.1.2

           15 February 2017 at 9:23 pm

           This Barron seems an interesting sort of a character, sounds a bit dangerous to be Donald’s chief advisor, like you say people make bad decisions when they are under stress.
     • McFlock 1.1.4

       15 February 2017 at 10:28 pm

       That’s a really interesting idea, especially for Spicer. Assertions have been made that his job is on the line since SNL lampooned him.

       The “wrong names” thing is pretty thin, imo: they seem to be more tumbled pronunciation. It’s not like he said “David Trudeau” clearly. And if he was initially unfamiliar with how to pronounce “Trudeau” he might have been trying hard to remember “trew-doh”. So he’s crapping himself, aware there’s a pitfall coming up, jumps the gun and stumbles.

       Couldn’t happen to a nicer regime.
       • marty mars 1.1.4.1

         15 February 2017 at 10:48 pm

         mate he got his name so wrong – come on, Joe? really?
         • McFlock 1.1.4.1.1

           15 February 2017 at 11:13 pm

           Listen to it. His fumble starts at the end of “Prime Minister”.

           A linguistics person would better explain it, but I reckon it’s plausible that if he was thinking hard about Trudeau (lol let’s face it, several of my female friends sure do), coupled with his lazy pronunciation of “Ministr”, it could well be a fumble not a memory issue. “T”, “d”, “ch”, “zh”, “j” all have really close tongue positions.

           So another way of writing it might be “Prime Ministr(d+tr)eau [shitfuck, restart] Trudeau”

           Either way Melissa McCarthy has more material…
2. Draco T Bastard 2

   15 February 2017 at 7:12 pm

   Rocket law could stop you taking photos if a rocket crashes

   New Zealand is one step closer to entering the space race, but a proposed new law to regulate rocket launches could spell a leap backward for freedom of information, opponents say.

   A clause in the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Bill would make it an offence to take a photo or make any record of a space craft that crashes. Government approval would be needed to take photos or record what happened.

   Head of Journalism at Massey University James Hollings said: “It’s a completely ludicrous clause because what it means is, if some company screws up and is careless and drops something on a city, we’re not allowed to talk about it. It’s just silly.”

   So, I wonder which major corporation is pushing this censorship and how much they donate to the National Party through which anonymising service.

   EDIT:

   Beck was asked by Labour MP David Cunliffe why a space craft crash was not the same as a car crash.

   “Because with a traffic crash, there’s a lot of cars and a lot of people who know how to make cars. There’s a very select group of people that are able to develop technology for space launch vehicles,” Beck said.

   The majority of people don’t know how cars work either. Those who can work out how cars work from pictures can probably work out how rockets work from pictures – and there’s millions on the internet already.

   Then, of course, there’s actually also quite a lot of information available about how to make rockets as well.
   • bwaghorn 2.1

     15 February 2017 at 8:25 pm

     this is why people switch off from politics, what a fucking waste of time law, and on a brighter note who would copy a rocket that crashed ffs
     • McFlock 2.1.1

       15 February 2017 at 10:33 pm

       If it was a software problem, people might be interested in the turbopumbs or gimble system.

       But my impression is that anyone who can say “oh THAT’s how we can sort out the lox cavitation corrosion issue!” from a news report would probably have already found another solution.
       • bwaghorn 2.1.1.1

         16 February 2017 at 6:54 am

         ” lox cavitation corrosion issue!” ” crc and hammer should solve that
     • Draco T Bastard 2.1.2

       16 February 2017 at 2:03 am

       Well, when the corporations are pushing for it, and RocketLab is owned by a major US corporation, then they obviously don’t think that it’s a waste of time. The excuse given is a load of bollocks and thus we have to ask just WTF they’re trying to hide?
3. Chris 3

   15 February 2017 at 8:16 pm

   Gerry Brownlee taking responsibility and leading from the front. The guy’s a legend:

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/89461019/civil-defence-minister-gerry-brownlee-perplexed-by-response-to-christchurch-fires
   • marty mars 3.1

     15 February 2017 at 8:45 pm

     talk about fiddling while rome burns – geeze gerry
   • weka 3.2

     15 February 2017 at 11:40 pm

     I can’t understand what he is on about there. Is that all waffle, or is he trying to do a power play in the middle of a civil emergency?
     • Chris 3.2.1

       16 February 2017 at 2:32 am

       The authorities were completely unprepared for what’s happened and Brownlee as civil defence minister is covering his arse by blaming others, in exactly the same way McCully blamed MFAT staff for failing to adequately convey Trump’s travel ban. Whether it was reasonable to expect to be prepared for either doesn’t matter. It probably wasn’t. But Brownlee being the arrogant fuck that he is thought he’d try to get in first by putting it all on to others. Ironically, the fact that he did that suggests he thinks there should’ve been a greater level of preparedness in Christchurch, in which case the buck in fact stops with him. The guy’s a total piece of work.
       • weka 3.2.1.1

         16 February 2017 at 3:23 am

         “The authorities were completely unprepared for what’s happened”

         Can you expand a bit on that?
         • Chris 3.2.1.1.1

           16 February 2017 at 12:32 pm

           Well, so far eleven houses have been destroyed and the fire’s still not under control. I’d say that suggests there’s at least an element of unpreparedness there. But that’s not really the point. I don’t think anyone could reasonably have been expected to know this could happen. The point is that Brownlee must’ve sensed he was going to get flak over the response so lashed out at officials in a way we’ve come to expect from self-serving right-wing pricks like him and McCully.
           • weka 3.2.1.1.1.1

             16 February 2017 at 1:13 pm

             Fair points.

             I’m not sure about the unpreparedness. Sometimes you can’t control fire. Unless there were specific things that could have been done but weren’t, I think calling it unpreparedness rather than bad luck is a problem.

             Of course it might be unpreparedness. Still gobsmacking that NZ doesn’t have an integrated system for dealing with tsunamis. Although I see that CD now says on the FP of its website that if a quake goes on for longer than a minute or you can’t stand up, and if you live by water, you should head to high ground immediately and not wait for a warning.

             And that is aimed specifically at people on the coast. They’re not yet talking about what to do if you are by a lake.
4. Nic 181 4

   15 February 2017 at 8:26 pm

   The National, Government by the rich, for the rich and bugger everyone else!!
   My sarcastic election year slogan.
   • adam 4.1

     16 February 2017 at 12:14 am

     national the party of austerity, making you pay! For every mistake they make.
   • bwaghorn 4.2

     16 February 2017 at 6:55 am

     the thing is most of their voters will see that as a positive slogan
   • Red 4.3

     16 February 2017 at 3:58 pm

     Must be a lot of rich and happy poor people as national keep wining and will again
5. marty mars 5

   15 February 2017 at 8:50 pm

   I’ll also say I am concerned for everyone in Ōtautahi – these fire and evacuations are scary and serious. Sending best wishes and hopes to everyone down there.
   • mauī 5.1

     15 February 2017 at 11:31 pm

     I had been taking the she’ll be right attitude, but it has fast turned tragic. 40 houses have gone up on Worsleys Rd so far.

     Thoughts for the cantabs and those worried about their house 🙁
6. joe90 6

   15 February 2017 at 9:43 pm

   Tommy reminds the world.

   Relax and enjoy the ride. We have a ringside seat to the ultimate test of the Constitution of the USA.— Tommy Chong (@tommychong) December 16, 2016

   Trump is giving all Americans a lesson in the Constitution. A lesson badly needed. We will survive.— Tommy Chong (@tommychong) January 21, 2017

   Now it begins. Life in the Trump world. A extreme testing of the constitution. We will survive and prosper.— Tommy Chong (@tommychong) January 23, 2017
7. Tony Veitch (not the partner-bashing 3rd rate broadcaster 7

   15 February 2017 at 9:45 pm

   Now that night has fallen, we can see the fires glowing on the Port Hills of ChCh from where we live near Belfast, in the north of the city!

   Dare I suggest that this is what climate change will/is going to look like! I read somewhere that the east coast of New Zealand will be drier, due to changes in the climate – so maybe we shall have to get used to dramatic events like this! Hawkes Bay likewise.

   Like Marty says, this is scary and serious!
   • Red 7.1

     16 February 2017 at 4:00 pm

     Chill out Vietchy it’s just a fire, not the first and won’t be the last,
8. marty mars 8

   15 February 2017 at 10:04 pm

   Bloody good

   “Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox is threatening to walk away from the Government over new legislation that doesn’t ensure Maori children are placed with whanau when the state removes them from their home.

   Prime Minister Bill English isn’t budging on the wording in legislation to overhaul Child, Youth and Family (CYF), which would remove the priority to place a child with a member of their family or wider hapu if possible or someone with the same cultural background.

   “Just because we want to provide a safe and loving home doesn’t make it mutually exclusive to a Maori home,” Fox said.

   “We’re not talking about putting a child back into an unsafe home – that’s stupid – but just because it’s a Maori home doesn’t make it an unsafe home and that’s where we want to make it explicit in the law.””

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/89450483/marama-fox-threatening-to-walk-away-from-the-government-if-vulnerable-children-legislation-doesnt-change

   A lot of people won’t get this – they will wail against the MP, say they have propped up the gnats and they should have acted sooner and so on – all true and SO WHAT.

   THIS is the issue – not the other issues and Māori aren’t going to accept racist, bigoted policy from anyone – even the tick from dipton.

   This policy is leading in one direction only – http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2017/02/justice-for-canadas-stolen-generations.html
   • Peter Swift 8.1

     15 February 2017 at 10:12 pm

     MP trying to distance themselves from the nats they’ve propped up and supported for three terms to no one’s real benefit but themselves.
     Looks like the first example of the Willie Jackson effect swinging in to play.
     I guess once you get a taste of the trough you don’t mind whose scraps you’re existing off.
     • marty mars 8.1.1

       15 February 2017 at 10:46 pm

       oh peter are you that one dimensional – sad, so sad, almost sad sad

       try looking at what they are moaning about

       what would YOU know about troughing eh – all talk I bet
       • Peter Swift 8.1.1.1

         15 February 2017 at 11:05 pm

         Nearly nine years of supporting Key :shrug:
         Honestly, keep a straight face and tell me Maori wouldn’t have been better off under a labour government. I dare you. And when you’re done talking one dimensional, then you can do a routine on gullible an naive. 🙄
         • marty mars 8.1.1.1.1

           15 February 2017 at 11:12 pm

           There was no labour government dim – go back to your crayons ffs
           • Peter Swift 8.1.1.1.1.1

             15 February 2017 at 11:20 pm

             They could have pulled the pin at any time across three terms, but the MP votes helped keep the nats in power for no real gain at the expense of worsening poverty for all and especially Maori.
             This is their shame. This is how they are to be rightfully judged.

             You can dance on the head of a pin, throw tantrums and insults my way if you like and talk around the facts of the matter all you want, but for all of us who have been let down by the bauble chasers, the clock is ticking on that particular ministerial limo meter.

             Hopefully enough voters in Rotorua will agree that their lives are shit because of TF and vote accordingly and end his gravy train.
             • weka …

               15 February 2017 at 11:39 pm

               Facts? There was no Labour govt for the Mp to choose. So they chose National in order to work with the govt for Māori. It’s not a choice between a left and right govt, it’s a choice between a right govt or getting no gains at all.

               If there was one issue to walk on, it makes sense to me that this would be it. I wonder if you can get past your personal politics and understand why.
               • Peter Swift …

                 15 February 2017 at 11:44 pm

                 What gains have they got? Really? SFA and we all know it.
                 My personal politics lol Identity me lol lol

                 Fact is, MP have propped up the nats for nigh on nine years. Shame.
                 But do feel free to support their position and their part in making kiwis lives more miserable.
                 They could have sat on the opposition benches and achieved exactly what they have under the nats, a big fat fuck all (except mucho mana), but of course you don’t get a beemer that way.

                 No, through their complicity, I think the MP, like Dunne, like act, are nothing but shit. That’s the end of it.
                 Accountable for their actions should just the beginning of it.
               • Peter Swift …

                 15 February 2017 at 11:59 pm

                 “So they chose National in order to work with the govt”

                 You would accept that from the greens?
                 As a green party member, I know I wouldn’t.
                 • weka …

                   16 February 2017 at 12:02 am

                   Of course not, but the Greens have nothing to gain from supporting a National govt.

                   What do you think L/G should do if they need the Mp to form govt this year?
                   • Peter Swift …

                     16 February 2017 at 12:09 am

                     “Of course not” Exactly my point given the great gains achieved by the MP while poverty has increased exponentially over nine years.

                     “What do you think L/G should do if they need the Mp to form govt this year?”

                     I’d hope they’d be wiped out and thus statistically irrelevant, but if it came down to it, like I’d vote Willie if it ultimately made the difference in getting the nats out, then though they are shit, I’d deal. Plenty of time over the course of a parliament to shaft them to irrelevancy. But last cab of the rank is still a catchy sound bite, except now there’s a shady history behind the rhetoric.
                   • weka …

                     16 February 2017 at 12:12 am

                     There’s no time left to hate.
                   • Peter Swift …

                     16 February 2017 at 12:14 am

                     I’m not a hater, more a realist unbounded by bullcrap.
                     But do I dislike intensely the nat buddy, self serving MP, yeah, no shit, Sherlock.
                   • weka …

                     16 February 2017 at 12:22 am

                     either way, we’re out of time for that degree of castigation.
                   • Peter Swift …

                     16 February 2017 at 12:27 am

                     You might be, but hopefully there’s enough voters out there who know a sack of shit when they see one to make a difference.
             • adam …

               16 February 2017 at 12:21 am

               Woohoo, another dude, telling Māori what to do. Like that has worked out for Māori up to this point. Like any of it has actually worked for Māori up to this point.

               So the shoulda, woulda, and coulda politics is not really a winner. For anyone, let alone Māori.
               • Peter Swift …

                 16 February 2017 at 12:26 am

                 I’ve told nobody what to do, so stop with the race baiting framing. It’s not needed here.
                 Sometimes you just have to accept that a minority party is full of self serving shit. The majority of Maori electorate voters at the last election agree.
                 Perhaps you should try and shame them into silence, knob. lol
                 • adam …

                   16 February 2017 at 2:02 am

                   Did you know why the Māori Party are in government? Any clues?

                   With your statements, I’m guessing not.

                   I framed it that way because you sound like a know it all, racist git, and yeah, nothing you have said has done anything to disprove that.

                   I like the touch of poor me from you, so touching.
                   • Leftie …

                     16 February 2017 at 4:02 am

                     Disagree and Peter Swift didn’t sound “poor me” at all.
                   • Peter Swift …

                     16 February 2017 at 6:44 am

                     I don’t need to attack this ‘adam’ character to remake a point that’s been hammered home already.

                     He can go ahead and advocate for the nat enabling MP all he likes.
             • marty mars …

               16 February 2017 at 7:31 am

               yes Peter it is all about YOU isn’t it

               “but for all of us who have been let down by the bauble chasers”

               own your bigotry at least you poor wee let down thingy
               • Peter Swift …

                 16 February 2017 at 7:39 am

                 Do keep up. It’s about how the MP are full of shit for propping up national for three terms and how they are, in reality, no friends to the poor and down trodden in society.

                 But like adam, you can pretend it’s about bigotry and racism and advocate for the MP based on their success in alleviating Maori poverty, for example. Whenever you’re ready. lol
                 • marty mars …

                   16 February 2017 at 7:44 am

                   you said you had been let down by The Māori Party because they are bauble chasers didn’t you? Is my quote wrong? nah didn’t think so.

                   good that you are so concerned about the poor and downtrodden (on that we agree) – who are you voting for again – I’ll critique THEIR policies and actions for the poor and downtrodden if you like LOL
                   • Peter Swift …

                     16 February 2017 at 7:53 am

                     I did write that, because it’s true, we have been let down by the limo chasers. All of us, but especially poor (as in not rich) Maori themselves. So at least that’s one thing you’ve got right today. lol

                     I’m a green party voter, so go ahead with your mission. It will be amusing to see you contort yourself in to positions where you spin a left wing, social conscience party as worse than a bunch of bauble collecting government collaborators, but remember to list those MP success stories first and recall for us all the tales of how they led their people from poverty. :jackass:
                   • marty mars …

                     16 February 2017 at 8:01 am

                     seems to me you have a lot of unresolved issues there pete – good luck working through them.

                     I’m not going to engage with you anymore
                   • Peter Swift …

                     16 February 2017 at 8:12 am

                     Well you can’t engage in all good conscience, can you?
                     Not until you can demonstrate the real worth of the MP and how they’ve made lives better for the poor in society.
         • Bearded Git 8.1.1.1.2

           15 February 2017 at 11:16 pm

           Agreed Peter. The MP support for the RMA changes is particularly egregious.
           • Peter Swift 8.1.1.1.2.1

             15 February 2017 at 11:21 pm

             Complicity I’d call it.
             • Leftie …

               16 February 2017 at 3:57 am

               +1000 on all of your comments Peter Swift.

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