Open Mike 02/09/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 2nd, 2016 - 112 comments
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112 comments on “Open Mike 02/09/2016 ”

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  1. Nck 1
    2 September 2016 at 8:07 am

    Natz have a slimy lying, 2 faced creep for a leader…. Morning

    • Reddelusion 1.1
      2 September 2016 at 9:02 am

      Cheers Nick have a nice day and may Jk be with you….morning

    • James 1.2
      2 September 2016 at 9:10 am

      And yet he is preferred to anything the left can offer election after election after election … and probably for at least for one more.

      Enjoy your day. Its easier when you dont wake up bitter.

      • Leftie 1.2.1
        2 September 2016 at 2:47 pm

        “And yet he is preferred to anything the left can offer election after election after election … and probably for at least for one more.”

        Well… that’s what the spin says, James.

        • James 1.2.1.1
          3 September 2016 at 8:44 am

          Actually that’s what the results show. He’s PM and the labour leaders keep falling away.

          • Leftie 1.2.1.1.1
            3 September 2016 at 8:58 am

            “Actually that’s what the results show. He’s PM…”

            Being PM is a temporary position James and Key had to use dirty politics to cling to it.

            “the labour leaders keep falling away.”

            As did the Nat leaders when National were in opposition for 9 years.

    • Leftie 1.3
      2 September 2016 at 9:56 am

      Morning Nck, that’s very true, lets kick him out next year. It’s what he deserves.

    • Bearded Git 1.4
      2 September 2016 at 11:11 am

      That will teach you to listen to Leighton Smith.

  2. Ad 2
    2 September 2016 at 8:25 am

    The New Zealand First annual conference is in Dunedin this weekend.

    Should be some good speeches about the decline of rural life and the loss of land to foreigners.

  3. save nz 3
    2 September 2016 at 8:47 am

    Just reading this scary article makes you want to demand a banking transaction tax (and why the UK has capital gains taxes, stamp duties, taxes on taxes, but zero financial transaction taxes). This is the world that John Key made his money in. No wonder there is this .01% mentality and inability to change during the GFC from the banks.

    “Top graduates missing out on banking jobs for lacking ‘polish”

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/01/top-graduates-missing-out-on-banking-jobs-for-lacking-polish

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1
      2 September 2016 at 9:17 am

      That’s happening more and more across all industries. Getting a job is now more about socialisation than about being able to do the job. And the preferred socialisation is being exactly the same as the person hiring you.

      We’re seeing the rise of conformity and the conformity is to be a psychopath just like your boss.

      • Colonial Viper 3.1.1
        2 September 2016 at 11:24 am

        Massive groupthink on the bridge of the Titanic…and on all the lower decks too…

        • save nz 3.1.1.1
          2 September 2016 at 2:47 pm

          Social mobility for the lower and middle classes has stalled. Upper class has not changed, nor will it, by the looks of things in this article. Not really what you expect in 21st century of supposedly classless society. We are going backwards to Victorian times.

  4. ianmac 4
    2 September 2016 at 9:24 am

    Just listening to Key live on Leighten Smith. A first!
    Key plays with figures to explain “not defensively” the housing not being a crisis.
    A shifty tricky chap. Can you stomach him?
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11702996

  5. Leftie 5
    2 September 2016 at 9:50 am

    National have announced it’s usual pre election bene bashing policy….

    Beneficiaries will be helped to find work

    A new service will be trialled next year to help beneficiaries with diagnosed mental health conditions become independent and find work.

    The two year trial is expected to cost $3.2 million and will be available in the Auckland, Waikato, Central, Canterbury and Southern regions.

    Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says Work to Wellness will be a contracted service and will help around 1000 people a year.

    She says it will provide coaching and mentoring, job search services and assistance to help people into work.

    Beneficiaries will be able to opt-in through Work and Income, a referral from their GP or self-referring direct to the provider.

    <a href="https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/32498892/beneficiaries-will-be-helped-to-find-work/#page1

    If the comments on yahoo’s linked Facebok page is anything to go by, it doesn’t look like the Nats are going to get the kind of vote winning reaction they thought they will get…

    Azaelia Mackereth There is no low this shitty government will go to, people with mental illness struggle enough just to get out of bed and function with life as it is, forcing them into a dead end job will just make them worse and then that vicious cycle starts all over again! People without mental health problems like this stupid tart never understand
    38 · 23 hrs
    5 Replies · 9 hrs

    Debbie Jane Lomas oh and another point…mental health patients had plenty of support until you idiots wiped out virtually all the mental health agencies around the country…you are a disgrace….
    20 · 16 hrs

    Brian McFarland $3.2 million to find jobs for 1,000 people. So the government is going to pay a contractor $3,200 per person to find them a job? Sounds like they have budgeted inefficiencies nicely into the program. Better to just give $3,200 grants to those thousand people to improve their standard of living for a little while.
    2 · 10 hrs

    Arthur C. Charlton HOW. I may ask. Imported trash is draining the country’s overseas funds and ruining manufacturing jobs. Good luck with that. Please note a real job is not part time. 40 hours please.
    13 · Yesterday at 13:50

    Atra Dash Bunch of cunts. Bad enough people with mental health problems have issues and these fuckers want them to go back to work. This government needs to go and it needs to go quick smart.
    3 · 15 hrs
    3 Replies · 3 hrs

    Carolyne Moran Once again National a going to Strip Kiwis from help and force them into jobs that have no guaranteed hours which is just what someone with mental health issues need.
    5 · 22 hrs
    1 Reply

    Raumahoe Rose Williams aparently this stupid women has never worked with those with mental health..you cannot expect someone with this unwellness who is drugged to the eyeballs to be able to hold a decent job let alone a mundane one..they can only focus for a few minute at a time…so go tell that to yourself ..selfish twit…
    7 · 22 hrs
    2 Replies · 9 hrs

    Deb Hartigan surely there must be some people that can be helped into work……….not saying everyone with the illness, but there would be some that with some help would love to get back into some type of work………..as a person said earlier in this thread it took him 3 years to find a job……..this may help shorten that time……….if one person out of 100 can be helped out then thats great isn’t it………….
    2 · 22 hrs · Edited
    9 Replies · 11 hrs

    Estella Kingi So sick of the government right now. Tired of words being spoken by Aotearoa but never heard by ignorance. Hand enough, roll on elections, can’t come any faster or can it? Wishful thinking or is it?…..
    14 hrs · Edited

    Robin Aldridge Actually it’s hard to convince employers to take on people if they have been unwell. I know I have been an employment consultant looking for jobs for people with mental health issues. There is so much discrimination out there. And that adds more stress…See more
    3 · 21 hrs

    Lorraine Sami silly cow anne tolley try getting unemployed into work but noooooooooooo you want to bring in migrants who rort the immigration system, dumb down our society, allow employers to lower wage rates disingenuous cow
    3 · 20 hrs
    1 Reply

    Danielle Pike Yes. Sounds bloody perfect. Instead of reinstating the help these people have lost because of the government over the years, they’re going to force them all to work whether they’re ready or not. Sounds like a plan. A really stupid fucked up plan.
    1 · 10 hrs

    Greg Giles It took me three years to find work, and I had to move from Hamilton to Auckland, any absence from work after an illness, or accident takes a lot to fit back in. Work is a necessary evil, and even more so with coping with unrealistic expectations. Being self employed should be considered and funded.
    4 · Yesterday at 14:04
    1 Reply

    Charlie Boy Batt What a total load of crap. Have had ongoing vacancys listed with Winz work brokers for the last two years. Be lucky if they have referred two people. Both only lasted a week and were never seen again.
    21 hrs

    Jeanne Hill The problem is there needs to be jobs for them this is the government being oh so choosy.
    17 hrs

    Madonna Meikle if those without m-h probs cant find work how will those with m-h probs find work
    9 · Yesterday at 14:03
    1 Reply

    Leonie Jones How the hell can they do that when most normal people themselves cannot find work. Pull the other one please 😛
    7 · 23 hrs

    Invoker’s Better Half Some are just unemployable and needs to be left alone just like permanent injury via acc need to be left alone !!
    7 · Yesterday at 14:27
    Rae Adams I got a degree and experience and still cant find a job. Maybe they should help us older workers as well.
    2 · 9 hrs

    Derek-Kim Hickling In small towns especially, jobs are limited. Makes it hard for everyone…thats why many jump the ditch to OZ.
    3 · 23 hrs

    Ramari Te Rupe Wiringi Stupid politicians…too much money not enough brain matter.
    2 · 19 hrs

    Graeme Trask Employers looking for cheap labour no doubt. Another wave of exploitation.
    1 · 14 hrs

    Joyce Marina OMG WTF what’s this stupid government thinking of.Next they’ll be wanting the elderly to find work
    1 · 9 hrs

    Jay Belmont Whatever. What about the non-mentally impaired that are unemployed, homeless??? Yeah….right!!!
    1 · 12 hrs

    Taruke Mafi Oh come on WTH THIS GOVERNMENT sux our Mental Health now but that doesnt surprise me the government will try anything
    1 · 18 hrs

    Deborah Smitheram I am so surprized no ones shot one of these fukwits already if anyone deserves a bullet they do
    3 · 22 hrs

    Jill Riggs This is already happening sad to see all the negative comments lots of people with mental health issues hold down jobs
    1 · 15 hrs
    1 Reply

    Roberta Tau Get them into work, bossess will take advantage of them, they’ll be fired then can’t get back in assistance 🙁
    15 hrs

    David Simmonds Looks like that face above has been attacked by a pit bull,ug ug ug bloody ugly to say the least.Looks like it had just kissed G Brownlee
    10 hrs

    Glenys Epiha Toa Of all the dumbest things you’ve done..this takes it.
    14 hrs

    Cat Lamb And I hope they are serious about “helping ” and not just BULLYING
    16 hrs

    Horomona Kingi and what does she think they can do? most jobs now are taken up by immigrants
    10 hrs

    Debbie Jane Lomas just a way to kick the disabled off their benefits..
    7 · 23 hrs

    Lui Ikenasio What bloody jobs??
    6 · Yesterday at 14:11

    Garry Craig She should watch out. More competition for her job.
    5 · Yesterday at 13:42

    Brian Stowe more money wasted .
    4 · Yesterday at 14:04

    Nell Smith-Hughes More sheltered workshops!

    Why were so many closed??
    1 · 17 hrs
    1 Reply

    Karenza Mcleod Able bodied people need to get a job
    2 · 19 hrs

    Sharon Solomon What work? and where is it?
    2 · 16 hrs

    Christine Williams Arent that the truth Atra Dash.
    3 hrs

    Christine Williams You are right Azaelia Mackereth. When i saw this article i suddenly felt anxious and thought what the hell are they playing at now. You are right, people who don’t suffer from mental illness will never understand and us that suffer from the illness have to suffer more because of their stupidity .
    3 hrs

    Ray Harrison I have a feeling not many will be “opting in”
    19 hrs

    Damos Reddington Fkn idiot. It seems reality has leftthe building
    2 hrs

    Kath Garrity Another stupid intiative..
    12 hrs

    Louise Gordon You lot are a joke
    17 hrs

    Carl Zijlstra That’s an old old line
    13 hrs

    Jill Riggs What do they think we’re doing now…
    15 hrs

    Lee Anne Wikaira there definition of help is forced
    11 hrs

    Stanley G Foster What a joke
    17 hrs

    Dave Moke Fck bullshyt policies
    5 hrs

    <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YahooNewZealand/

  6. Chooky 6
    2 September 2016 at 10:55 am

    Israel and Facebook lose a satellite:

    ‘Facebook satellite lost in SpaceX explosion at Cape Canaveral (VIDEO)’

    https://www.rt.com/usa/357893-spacex-explosion-platform-launch/

    “A Falcon 9 booster rocket exploded on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, as tropical storm Hermine bore down on the area.

    An Israeli satellite that was to provide Facebook broadband to Africa was lost in the explosion, SpaceX confirmed…

  7. Lanthanide 7
    2 September 2016 at 10:58 am

    @Lynn, when you’re on the main landing page, all the default geometric gravatars show up, but when you visit an article page, they don’t.

    I expect it’s some caching thing.

    • swordfish 7.1
      2 September 2016 at 1:53 pm

      Strangely enough, on the current (Open Mike) page, I’m seeing your usual gravatar / identicon, as well as CV’s, Draco’s, and ianmac’s, but everyone else (including my good self) are rendered as anonymous white figures against a grey background. What makes you 4 so special ??? – Bloody Teacher’s Pets !!!

      • lprent 7.1.1
        2 September 2016 at 2:08 pm

        The gravatars and identicons are effectively generated remotely at gravatar, stored locally on my system after generation because gravatar were slowing down the page load too much, and then cached on a CDN (content distribution system) in Sydney.

        Because I just shifted this site to https and especially http2, if something doesn’t arrive in time you get the default.

        In this case it looks like you are seeing a bug. I’ll remove a layer and see what happens.

        Edit: Ok, setting it to “monster”, clearing the cache, then reverting to identicons, and clearing the cache appear to have fixed it. I’ll have a look to see if I get widespread reversion to default icons.

      • lprent 7.1.2
        2 September 2016 at 2:15 pm

        Nope. Ummm removed the local cache.

      • Lanthanide 7.1.3
        2 September 2016 at 2:59 pm

        CV, Draco, ian and myself have all configured non-default gravatars.

        If you are using the default one, then it generates an icon based on your email address (and also username?). It was the default geometric thing that wasn’t working properly.

        • swordfish 7.1.3.1
          2 September 2016 at 3:16 pm

          “CV, Draco, ian and myself have all configured non-default gravatars”

          Ahhh, of course !

          When you think about it, that was ridiculously stupid of me.

    • lprent 7.2
      2 September 2016 at 2:22 pm

      Wow!

      The Http/2 is really dealing with the gravatars well without the local cache. I had to shift to that a few years ago as they were slowing the page loads so much after getting a few hundred people on a comments page.

      I’ve just been looking at pages with 300 comments from way back and getting no page load lag. I also see a massive amount of parallelism off to gravatar.

      I really like HTTP2. It beats the hell out of SPDY and I don’t have to compromise the site setup.

  8. joe90 8
    2 September 2016 at 11:03 am

    He’s not one to miss an opportunity to tell a lie.
    /

    Mexico will pay for the wall!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2016

    Repito lo que le dije personalmente, Sr. Trump: México jamás pagaría por un muro. https://t.co/IJNVe0XepY— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) September 1, 2016

    Translation: “I repeat what I said personally, Mr. Trump: Mexico would never pay for a wall.”

    • save nz 8.1
      2 September 2016 at 11:29 am

      Maybe Trump will nuke em, if they don’t pay for the wall.

      Of course more “civilised” US policy does this behind closed doors, and uses torture and rendition by friendly intermediaries towards people they don’t like and wars to countries they don’t like.

      In this context maybe a wall to try to keep the outside world out, is better than trying to infiltrate and control the outside world under current US foreign policy.

      Our planet is not looking in good shape and nor is equality or democracy under US control.

      If only Klein or Sanders had a chance.

    • alwyn 8.2
      2 September 2016 at 11:54 am

      The Donald is probably like most people contributing on this site.
      Not being able to speak Spanish he might have tried to interpret it as if what the words sounded like in English was the translation.
      The last sentence therefore came out as “Mexico jamas (hm. jumps at?) pagaria(paying) for a wall.
      Not that speaking Spanish seems to make much difference of course. Both George W and brother Jeb were fluent in the language.

      • lprent 8.2.1
        2 September 2016 at 2:23 pm

        Yes, they were. It was a pity about their inability to express themselves clearly in English.

        Mind you the Donald seems to spend his time repeatably saying “I am a pretentious loudmouth narcissistic dickhead” in whatever language he is trying to grunt at the time. Has anyone ever seen him talk about anything apart directly or indirectly referring to himself and what he is gonna do?

        FFS: even Yankees don’t deserve this cretin.

      • North 8.2.2
        2 September 2016 at 10:41 pm

        It’s extraordinary isn’t it…….I know what Alwyn would say if Trump dropped his trou’ and defecated on the stage at a huge rally…….

        While almost drowned out by the cheers of a very ugly thousands – Alwyn (maybe CV too) – “Ummh…….Err Err Err……you know……you must consider that The Donald was never potty trained……..you know…….to be fair.”

        Love Friday nights. Such fun. Good feed. Coro’ Street. Loving family of 6. Warm. In the people-mover in the park. Alwyn.

        We really do live in the 8th happiest country in the world aye Alwyn ? …….respectful nod to the National Party Cabinet (Club). 10th without you and me though aye Alwyn…….?

    • joe90 8.3
      2 September 2016 at 12:15 pm

      Trumper has an idea…..

      @realDonaldTrump The wall just got 10 feet taller! pic.twitter.com/H51d415EO4— Neil Turner (@NeilTurner_) September 1, 2016

    • Tom 8.4
      2 September 2016 at 1:56 pm

      Maybe he will pay for it with aid that used to go to Mexico US dollars 209,432,920, build a nice wall for that!

  9. Anne 9
    2 September 2016 at 11:08 am

    This site is being inundated by less than savoury attacks on various commenters by one commenter in particular. His (can’t imagine a ‘she’ stooping to such puerile language) level of debate is often personal and comes across as deliberate stalking of selected individuals. Likely to be putting off readers from coming here.

    His latest example:

    Ooh! Another Labour-can-do-no-wronger! Thought you might’ve been, you little piece of poo… It’s fuckwits like you who’re responsible for fucking this country. No analysis, no critical faculty. Just blind support for a neo-liberal opposition that fucks our democracy. I suggest it’s you who should fuck off to the sewer where you belong. Hey, you might even meet Leftie there. You two could snuggle up, keep warm, hope you’re not eaten.

    https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-01092016/#comment-1226860

    [lprent: I have been noticing his (feels like a dickhead) comments. To date, he seems to have been reacting to others blowing their volcanoes. I tend to not moderate against reactions unless they get too consistently inflammatory and look like someone trying to ignite a flamewar.

    I’m always ready to give people time to learn to hang themselves – it is better for the training of all observers. 😈 ]

    • Bearded Git 9.1
      2 September 2016 at 11:19 am

      @Anne You know Chris and Alwyn have lost the argument when they attack you. Simply ignore the attacks and answer with facts and logic. That confuses them!

      Incidentally I regard your post as sexist.

      • Leftie 9.1.1
        2 September 2016 at 3:14 pm

        “@Anne You know Chris and Alwyn have lost the argument when they attack you. Simply ignore the attacks and answer with facts and logic. That confuses them!”

        Agree with you there Bearded Git, and I know it’s wrong to feed the trolls, but they make themselves very hard to ignore. Hitting back with logic and facts seem to fuel them into a tizz and then they get even more abusive.

      • Leftie 9.1.2
        2 September 2016 at 3:16 pm

        “@Anne You know Chris and Alwyn have lost the argument when they attack you. Simply ignore the attacks and answer with facts and logic. That confuses them!”

        Agree with you there Bearded Git, and I know it’s wrong to feed the trolls, but they make themselves very hard to ignore. Hitting back with logic and facts seem to fuel them into a tizz and then they get even more abusive.

        I do not however, believe that Anne’s post was sexist in any way. We all know who she is talking about after all.

    • Anne 9.2
      2 September 2016 at 11:27 am

      @lprent
      To date, he seems to have been reacting to others blowing their volcanoes.

      In this and some other instances yes, but not always…

      • Leftie 9.2.1
        2 September 2016 at 3:08 pm

        For sure Anne, there is no doubt about it, he stalks/trolls to abuse. Some comments don’t even necessitate such abuse either, which can and do come out of the blue as well.

    • Leftie 9.3
      2 September 2016 at 2:58 pm

      +1 Anne, very pleased you have raised this issue.

    • North 9.4
      2 September 2016 at 10:56 pm

      It was difficult to tell given the early/late comments, to whom that comment was directed. It did seem to be in lock with mine responding to a “deluded Helen” comment catatonically issued by someone else. It just occurred to me that unlike Key Helen never got on global television and giggled about a murderer/child rapist being on the run from justice…….

      Chris ain’t no prob’. I love his/her waste of energy.

  10. Anne 10
    2 September 2016 at 11:24 am

    It was an attack on someone else BG.

    If you regard my tongue in cheek comment as ‘sexist’ then you are being overly sensitive. It’s normal in my world for the genders to joust with one another. No sexism involved.

  11. swordfish 11
    2 September 2016 at 1:44 pm

    From recent (mid-late August) YouGov Polling:

    Favourable to Clinton, unfavourable to Trump: 37%

    Favourable to Trump, unfavourable to Clinton: 35%

    Unfavourable to Both: 21%

    Favourable to Both: 4%

    Unsure: 2%

    >
    >

    Presidential vote intention among registered voters who have an Unfavourable opinion of BOTH Clinton and Trump:

    Will Vote

    Trump 20%

    Johnson 19%

    Clinton 17%

    Stein 12%

    Other / Unsure 26%

  13. marty mars 13
    2 September 2016 at 1:59 pm

    Interesting perspective

    “When I refuse to eat animals, I refuse to indulge in a system that profits off objectification. When I associate with my diet only ethical standards, and not guidelines on how to be the most ‘feminine’ according to patriarchal benchmarks on the slenderness of a woman’s physique; I reclaim my body. I nourish it for reasons beyond weight loss and dieting. I cater not for the gaze of toxic masculinity, but for the well-being of women and animals alike. Rather than eating for the eyes of my oppressor – he who too oppresses animals – a vegan lifestyle provides me revenge in solidarity. In my nourishment, I quietly protest.

    Whilst the system’s prime concern is in ensuring masculinity is content and pleased, neither gender equality or animal equality will ever exist.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/life/83820068/i-dont-eat-meat-because-im-a-feminist

    disclaimer : I am vegetarian for 36 years, never been vegan.

    Personally I have always thought the relationship and correlation between meat eating and violence in society was a bit of a no brainer. The objectification argument makes sense to me.

    • weka 13.1
      2 September 2016 at 2:19 pm

      “When I refuse to eat animals, I refuse to indulge in a system that profits off objectification.”

      Sorry, but she obviously is ignorant about the realities of industrial grain and soy growing. Monsantoed monocrops are objectification too.

      • marty mars 13.1.1
        2 September 2016 at 2:33 pm

        Can she be correct about what she says and not bring the other argument (you bought in) in?

        • weka 13.1.1.1
          2 September 2016 at 2:41 pm

          Not if instead of eating meat she is eating industrial grain, soy etc (which she almost certainly is).

          Edit, tbh I didn’t find her general argument about oppression of women and animals that compelling (the way she did it).

          • marty mars 13.1.1.1.1
            2 September 2016 at 2:50 pm

            It is true that you don’t like vegans who push their philosophy though isn’t it? My reading of your comments on vegans is that you don’t really think much of them, their choices, or philosophy. Perhaps I’m wrong though.

            Objectification of animals and womens bodies seems on a continuum to me and profiting off either is not something I’d endorse.

            • weka 13.1.1.1.1.1
              2 September 2016 at 3:47 pm

              “My reading of your comments on vegans is that you don’t really think much of them, their choices, or philosophy.”

              I like people that make thoughtful ethical choices about what they eat (vegans, vegetarians, locavores, slow foodies etc). I don’t like fundamentalists. Much of my arguments about veganism on ts centre around arguing with fundamentalists.

              I also don’t like people misuing facts in one area to push underlying agendas eg Cowspiracy trying to say that it’s saving the planet while the underlying message is that everyone should be vegan. Animal rights ethics and environmental ethics are not a neat overlap and it does piss me off when they get conflated.

              That’s me and vegans in general. I don’t know anything about the woman who wrote the article.

              Perhaps I could have framed my response differently. Something like, there are similarities between objectificaiton of women, animals, the land and ecosystems, she appears to be focussing on two of them, and because some fundamentalist vegans pick and choose their ethics around objectification I wonder if she does too.

              In terms of the article overall, I didn’t like the stuff about women’s tactics to not be seen as ‘appetising’ or prey. I don’t think most women frame themselves as meat, so her argument seemed off there to me. There are really obvious parallels in terms of oppression of women and animals, and how the dominant culture enforces and sanctions that, but she seemed to be falling into the thing she was objecting to by the way she framed her argument.

    • Puckish Rogue 13.2
      2 September 2016 at 2:33 pm

      I thought it was one of the best trolling efforts I’d ever read

      • marty mars 13.2.1
        2 September 2016 at 2:34 pm

        in what way was it trolling?

        • Leftie 13.2.1.1
          2 September 2016 at 3:22 pm

          It’s not trolling.

        • Puckish Rogue 13.2.1.2
          2 September 2016 at 3:32 pm

          If you don’t want to eat for whatever reason that’s fine but to say “I don’t eat meat because I’m a feminist” is drawing one helluva line in the sand don’t you think (does that mean if you do eat meat then you’re not what she considers a “real” feminist?)

          How about the gross generalisations contained within, for example I work in a male dominated, very macho industry yet I haven’t had any conversations at all long the lines of being a leg or breast man or anything remotely similar

          “Men (particularly white men) have historically felt entitled to the land and bodies of “others”;

          Really, particularly white men? So the mongol hordes were white, how about the (but not limited to) tribes of Zulu, how about the Barbary slave trade, Japan invading China, China invading Korea etc etc etc

          This and her other ideas are what has led me to think shes trolling, no one could possibly take her seriously and if they do then well done to her

          • marty mars 13.2.1.2.1
            2 September 2016 at 3:46 pm

            being provocative isn’t trolling

            her argument on objectification (whether you agree or not) are an argument that supports that particular headline (quite possibly chosen by subeditor for its provocative nature).

            your ignorance and ununderstanding show when you try to be high brow and discuss historical entitlements to land and bodies – do you know what the word ‘particularly ‘ means because I’m not sure it interpreted correctly by you there – hint – it doesn’t exclude.

            • Puckish Rogue 13.2.1.2.1.1
              2 September 2016 at 3:50 pm

              I was using the that as an example of her trolling, she could have just left it at men but nope she threw in white men because she knew it would provoke a reaction

              Anyone can eat what they like but when you start throwing massive generalisations around like she has it just shows shes trolling

    • Leftie 13.3
      2 September 2016 at 3:20 pm

      +1 Marty Mars.

    • te reo putake 13.4
      2 September 2016 at 4:02 pm

      Good on ya, marty. I’ve been a vegetarian since my late teens. I didn’t get into it for ethical reasons, but that’s been the driver for quite a few years now. I wrote a post here a few years back suggesting you couldn’t be socialist and a meat eater. Annoyed a few people, as I recall, but it was worth challenging some ingrained beliefs.

      • marty mars 13.4.1
        2 September 2016 at 4:16 pm

        thanks to you both – I might look that one up for a laugh trp

        • te reo putake 13.4.1.1
          2 September 2016 at 4:28 pm

          Here ya go: https://thestandard.org.nz/world-vegetarian-day-october-1st/

          It was one of one of my first efforts. Looking back at it, I was a bit pompous and overbearing. Glad I’m not like that now 😉

          • marty mars 13.4.1.1.1
            2 September 2016 at 4:53 pm

            Good fun reading that. I havent changed much either and i miss some of those commenters.

            • Leftie 13.4.1.1.1.1
              2 September 2016 at 6:10 pm

              I enjoyed reading that too. I liked your post and I thought Rocky’s and Philip Ure’s responses were very good. In fact, the following quote from Philip Ure was excellent!!

              ” i’ve been vegan for ten years..vegetarian for twenty before that..

              i know people who have been vegan for 40+ years..

              and lots of other vegans..

              one thing they have in common..

              is glowing good health..

              i also have three vegan dogs..

              one 10 yrs old..her six yr old daughter..

              and another 2 yr old..

              the mother was vegan during the pregnancy..

              these dogs could do centrefolds for ‘dog monthly’..

              their coats are so shiny..you need to wear shades.. ”

              Lol I thought that was hilarious!!!

          • Leftie 13.4.1.1.2
            2 September 2016 at 6:13 pm

            Thanks for the link Te Reo Putake, enjoyed that.

      • Leftie 13.4.2
        2 September 2016 at 6:17 pm

        Been a vegetarian since my teens too, and I wouldn’t want to live any other way.

    • Psycho Milt 13.5
      2 September 2016 at 8:26 pm

      Interesting perspective

      Well, it was interesting in the sense that it’s rare to see such a level of pompous, smug self-indulgence compressed into such a small piece of text, but apart from that – not really.

  14. mauī 14
    2 September 2016 at 2:19 pm

    A powerful climate change doco shown on Al Jazeera (47 mins):

    Refusing to fall victim to the weather, Kisilu, a Kenyan smallholder farmer, uses a camera to capture the human impact of climate change.

    Filmed over four years, he documents floods, droughts and storms that menace his and his community’s farms, forcing some to stop tending the fields and seek work in towns and cities.

    https://youtu.be/Ccgsh-YafRk

  15. marty mars 15
    2 September 2016 at 4:08 pm

    Hey waggy – this is a bit funny doncha reckon

    500 cows – how many trucks to move them? How long would that take?

    “Police investigating the disappearance of 500 dairy cows from an Ashburton farm will be following a milk trail worth $900,000 as they keep an open mind on a popular theory that the in-calf cattle went to the meat blackmarket.

    All-up, the cows represent a loss of around $2 million to their owners.

    The missing friesian-cross mixed-age cows – which number more than the average New Zealand dairy herd – went from a winter grazing property adjacent to their owners’ Norvo Farm in mid-Canterbury.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/83805047/police-follow-milk-or-meat-theories-in-2m-cow-theft

  16. North 16
    2 September 2016 at 6:12 pm

    Ain’t it beautiful how $43 million can fix any ‘little’ (huh!) irregularity in one’s status and tenure in New Zealand. These Indian students are palpably victims on an horrific scale. The ruination of them and very probably their families back in India as well.

    “Oh so what ?” Having no capacity to make anonymous ‘donations’ to some anonymous ‘party’ (I use the word pointedly) is an insufferable culpability, the penalty for which must be sheeted home at once !

    Remember folks……”On Planet Putea we must, simply must, protect the vaunted but illusory integrity of our systems……oh, in the absence of substantial expressions of ‘goodwill’ the way of those who ‘matter’ that is.”

    It would be karmic were this to come back in a big way on that excuse for a man Key (represented on Checkpoint tonight by the dark creature Joyce).