Daily Review 27/08/2015

27 comments on “Daily Review 27/08/2015 ”

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1. the pigman 1

   27 August 2015 at 6:39 pm

   Sure it’s been covered elsewhere but just a wee anecdote re: stuff.co.nz’s news app.

   Last night on my way home from work (11:30pm JST) I opened the lead story, titled “Two journalists killed live on air” (fair warning, one might say, though no “content will disturb” message or anything), which was led by an embedded video of exactly what the headline described (no story, just the footage looped twice) of two people being killed on air in Virginia.

   I had a rather sombre train ride home thinking about how it was a sad reflection of our Game of Thrones society that sex, death and other reptilian-mid-brain-stimulating shit has become the norm for a news media obsessed with click bait and advertising revenue. I had a couple of beers and went to bed, with that footage ticking over in my head.

   I woke up this morning and as usual checked my stuff app for the news stories. In the recommended section, there was not one but THREE stories featuring the killings as embedded footage. Stuff clearly going double down on its quest for clicks.

   Let’s not talk about anything important, let’s not talk about gun control issues in the US, people would much rather watch the last terrifying moments of a couple of young people being put down live on air by an aggrieved narcissist.

   Tellingly, it warranted only a 10 second mention on Jim Mora’s panel just as the credits music rolled into checkpoint:

   “Just terrible,” said Bernard Hickey.

   And that about sums it up.
   • greywarshark 1.1

     28 August 2015 at 9:51 am

     Has the media presented any background on the grievance the man had with the TV station? I noticed some things that might make a scenario for this sad business.

     He is black, he has been a model and has worked to have a good appearance, has worked his way up to hold a good job in the tv station and then been fired. Why? Was it for something that someone else who has pull with the management would have had a warning for, so a sense of grievance built up? He was 41 and would at that age to be in a permanent job as an experienced person as a base to maintaining himself. Did he have children? He has been replaced by much younger people. Did he feel thrown out in favour of cheaper more sexy youngers, perhaps with fun chat going on (which seems favoured by media types these days.)

     Has anyone seen some to this? The news seems to be rotating around the use of social media and its role in copycat behaviour. This morning on Radionz a psychologist was intoning sombrely about stress disorders building from seeing such footage.

     Did PTSD build in the killer? He must have seen awful events. He did refer to the shooting by that shitty white kid of the black church dignitaries who had included him in their meetings. The black guy found that very offensive. Perhaps he put this on social media so that at least it wouldn’t be an event that would be thrown out in fish and chip newspaper style. (And please don’t write in and tell me that they don’t have that in the USA – it’s an analogy.)
2. Weepus beard 2

   27 August 2015 at 7:02 pm

   Firefighters should have stood around laughing while his house burnt down, him wearing a lazy t-shirt like that.

   But they didn’t. They are socially responsible.

   Guy whose house they saved would think nothing of throwing the firefighters families under a bus if they got into trouble.

   Social responsibility > individual responsibility. That’s how societies flourish.
   • joe90 2.1

     27 August 2015 at 8:36 pm

     Firefighters should have stood around laughing while his house burnt down

     These blokes did.

     http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39516346/ns/us_news-life/t/no-pay-no-spray-firefighters-let-home-burn/
     • Muttonbird 2.1.1

       27 August 2015 at 8:50 pm

       Cool. This is the user pays system the likes of Farrar, Hooton, Williams, and the rest of the RWNJs espouse.

       What’s the result? Burned down homes.
     • Draco T Bastard 2.1.2

       27 August 2015 at 9:06 pm

       Ah, the free-market providing everything that’s been paid for.

       //sarc
   • adam 2.2

     27 August 2015 at 9:40 pm

     So are you saying we should have more government in our lives. More spying, more control, more bureaucracy?

     Or more flat taxes, keep raising the g.s.t and make the poor pay more tax?

     The China model is your favourite? Where the state keeps wages low and people oppressed?

     You know a substantial part of the left want less government. For example, little to no military spending, cutting funding to corporate welfare, no tax credits for giving to charity, stop the state funding to charities, no state funding to private schools. The list goes on.

     But no, slag people off for pointing out the state is anti freedom. It is, the state has had a role to play in keeping institutions of oppression alive. Just ask any women – does she have control over her body, any person of colour about institutionalised racism, or any refugee about the oppressive arms of the state.

     Maybe, we should be talking about the type of small state we’d like to see.

     No flat taxes.
     No corporate welfare.
     No state owned enterprises.
     Health as THE core service of the state, so issues are solved – rather than left to fester.
     Put prisons under health – work out who needs a hand up. No locked up.
     Fireman are a health issue too you know – maybe fire man and women could help keeping people fit as well.

     Sounds to much of compromise of my Christian Anarchist beliefs, God forbid people might actually have to think, then they would have to work together, rather than having a bureaucracy do their thinking for them…
     • Ad 2.2.1

       28 August 2015 at 6:01 am

       How would a Christian Anarchist society work?

       1. Are there still cities?
       2. How much wealth disparity will there be?
       3. Which regulatory bodies don’t exist?
       • adam 2.2.1.1

         28 August 2015 at 9:33 am

         Try

         http://www.jesusradicals.com/

         Good jump off point.

         Best of luck with that.
     • JeevesPOnzi 2.2.2

       28 August 2015 at 1:23 pm

       “… substantial part of the left want less government. For example, little to no military spending, cutting funding to corporate welfare, no tax credits for giving to charity, stop the state funding to charities, no state funding to private schools. The list goes on. ”

       The list probably does go on, yes, but nothing you’ve listed has anything to do with ‘less’ government. Just less spending on the things you’ve listed.

       I’m not sure of what your point was, and how could I be – you never made it.
   • millsy 2.3

     27 August 2015 at 11:38 pm

     Bet that the T-shirt wearer has a GPS in his pickup.

     Wait till someone tells him that the GPS system is run by the US government….
3. Muttonbird 3

   27 August 2015 at 7:26 pm

   FAO moderators.

   I’m changing my handle to the one I use on other forums. I think it is no longer fair to Piri Weepu and his family that I borrow his name for the purposes of commenting on a political blog site.

   [All good. The machine recognises you! – MS]
4. RedBaronCV 4

   27 August 2015 at 8:00 pm

   hope they sent him a bill for the full cost.

   Actually all these people who believe in this sort of rubbish should be able to tick a box labeled “bill me for public services” no tax reduction just as a trial and see how many of them find out their true cost to society
5. Muttonbird 5

   27 August 2015 at 8:27 pm

   I’m against changing the New Zealand flag to a meat factory logo but I read this tripe from Mallard today with dismay. I admire the fact he’s taking the fight to John Key but he’s made a few mistakes.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71513225/trevor-mallard-flag-issue-about-pms-ego-not-what-kiwis-want

   Amongst a sprinkling of good points around submission numbers, it is largely a dumb piece of writing. With his analogy of filling Eden Park with the unemployed three times over he’s provided enough ammo to Crosby Textor for them to engineer John Key’s arse on a flag option and it would win.

   Also, Mallard says, “It’s as plain as day that the second referendum will vote to keep the current flag.” He should know better. John Key will stop at nothing to see this thing through because to have his wish defeated will be an appalling loss of face.

   I believe, come second referendum time, the New Zealand flag will be easily defeated having succumbed to a very well funded campaign against it while having no funded campaign to defend it. Trevor Mallard is naive if he this this will not be the case.

   Mallard lastly uses Latin in his argument. A dead language borrowed by a dead politician. Mallard is surely in his last throes, a Brutus who has assassinated more than enough allies to last several political careers.
   • maui 5.1

     27 August 2015 at 8:51 pm

     I thought Mallard’s article was good, he was on point which is what you want from him, not talking about irrelevancies. Particularly this paragraph hammers home what Labour need to be talking about over and over.

     There are 148,000 people unemployed in New Zealand right now, up 50,000 under National. There are 305,000 kids in poverty, up 45,000 under National. Net Government debt is at a record level, up by $58 billion under National. Homeownership is at its lowest level in 60 years.
     • Muttonbird 5.1.1

       27 August 2015 at 9:22 pm

       Yeah, those are the sprinkling of good point I was talking about but then came the irrelevancies which you mentioned…

       Economy declining – Is it? Not for the propertied Auckland baby-boomer voter and investor set and their kids who they lend deposits to with the cash they’ve built up through decades of assistance from the state. No, they’re all loving it.

       Homeownership is at its lowest level in 60 years. – These people, the ones who vote, do not care.

       The fact that fewer than 700 people showed up to the Flag Commission’s multi-million dollar roadshow speaks volumes. – No it doesn’t. That was a screw up of a panel but still irrelevant. The Crosby Textor campaign has not yet begun. Watch out for this…

       He then went on to talk about his job and what he’s been doing, sitting on this committee and that committee.

       Where’s the passion for the flag of New Zealand? Never said he liked it, just don’t change it now, change it later. An argument with more holes than Swiss cheese…

       …and they are a very boring people with a very, very boring flag.
   • the pigman 5.2

     27 August 2015 at 8:52 pm

     +1 to each of those points.

     The comments on stuff really say it all, but can basically be distilled to “OMG LIEBAR DID IT 2!1111”

     It’s off to the glue factory for him, I’m afraid.
   • Bob 5.3

     28 August 2015 at 12:35 pm

     I actually think conty40 sums it up nicely in the comments section:

     “It’s not like the government can do only one thing at a time. You make it sound like the government is focusing 100% of its attention on the flag referendum when it most likely occupies a tiny fraction of it. That’s why the government is split into various departments who can work independently of one another, as an MP you should know this, though that hasn’t stopped you from being intellectually dishonest as an MP.

     And if this is about John Key’s legacy and “ego”, and it’s so obvious the flag won’t be changed, why would he bother continuing? Wouldn’t it be embarrassing for his so-called legacy if the flag referendum fails to change anything? The National party will be using polling data to get the mood of the electorate so they’ll have a pretty good idea of how the referendum will go. Your reasoning makes no sense, is poorly thought-through, and smacks of political posturing; you and your tut-tutting, we-know-better-than-you Labour party cohorts are no better than National.

     Absolute rank hypocrisy and sophistry, but then, no one should be surprised.”
6. maui 6

   27 August 2015 at 9:05 pm

   Nice work Dunners, he needs to be reminded who he’s supposed to serve.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/71524046/prime-minister-john-key-faces-protesters-in-dunedin
7. Sirenia 7

   27 August 2015 at 9:07 pm

   Shameful of the two Maori Party MPs to vote for the Health and Safety Legislation. Remember that, anyone who is tempted to vote for them in the future. They let down the Pike River families and do not deserve any support or respect as a political party. I thought Marama Fox was better than that, but sadly, no.
   • Muttonbird 7.1

     27 August 2015 at 9:29 pm

     Yeah, this Maori party are like those Maori who fought against their own kind alongside British colonisers.

     Nothing has changed.
     • marty mars 7.1.1

       27 August 2015 at 9:40 pm

       apparently they are just like other people 🙂
   • marty mars 7.2

     27 August 2015 at 9:41 pm

     Very poor – they have gone down again
   • tc 7.3

     28 August 2015 at 6:39 am

     Marama fox is just another trougher in the Maori division of the national govt. whanau ora is their reward.

     They represent elite iwi not the Maori people as has been shown time and again in their support of this gov’t.
8. joe90 8

   27 August 2015 at 9:08 pm

   Tom Paxton – DAILY NEWS

   Civil rights leaders are a pain in the neck
   Can’t hold a candle to Chang Kai Shek
   How do I know? I read it in the Daily News

   Ban the bombers are afraid of a fight
   Peace hurts business and that ain’t right
   How do I know? I read it in the Daily News

   Daily News, daily blues
   Pick up a copy any time you choose
   Seven little pennies in the newsboy’s hand
   And you ride right along to never, never land

   We got to bomb Castro, got to bomb him flat
   He’s too damn successful and we can’t risk that
   How do I know? I read it in the Daily News

   There’s millions of commies in the freedom fight
   Yelling for Lenin and civil rights
   How do I know? I read it in the Daily News

   Seems like the whole damn world’s gone wrong
   Saint Joe McCarthy is dead and gone
   How do I know? I read it in the Daily News

   Don’t try to make me change my mind with facts
   To hell with the graduated income tax
   How do I know? I read it in the Daily News

   John Paul Getty is just plain folks
   The UN charter is a cruel hoax
   How do I know? I read it in the Daily News

   J. Edgar Hoover is the man of the hour
   All he needs is just a little more power
   How do I know? I read it in the Daily News
9. Muttonbird 9

   27 August 2015 at 10:59 pm

   With the Serco debacle still simmering, the Nazional party (whoops, z nowhere near t) dirty politics brigade are quietly going about their business dredging up a 4 year old story of a prisoner death under Corrections dept watch at Otago prison.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/71498554/detective-criticises-police-report-into-jai-davis-death-in-otago-prison

   Quite why National party butt-licker, HAMISH MCNEILLY felt the need to update this particular article despite not offering any new news after February (no year) is beyond me. Oh that’s right, TV3 run by John Key fan Mark Weldon OIA requested information about the review into this case.

   I wonder how many other OIA requests have been made by the erstwhile TV3 under Mark Weldon which seek to find instances of failings of departments which the current government wishes to see privatised?

   Reading other threads, this is underway big time on CYFS.

   The conclusion I come to is that it is a prompt by the 9th floor to regurgitate every failing by Corrections in a bid to minimise the extraordinary failings by Serco at MECF which have come to light over the last few weeks.
10. millsy 10

    27 August 2015 at 11:42 pm

    I really wish our media would stop fawning overHilary Kleift’s sob story about not being given the choice of disowning her daughter when she fell pregnant and do some real journalism and follow up this woman’s back story.

    Even a simple Google search would reveal her affiliation with the local Baptist congregation and standing within the pro-life movement.

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