Open Mike 03/05/2017

49 comments on “Open Mike 03/05/2017 ”

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1. Andre 1

   3 May 2017 at 6:32 am

   Real journalists are too professional to respond when the Chump throws schoolboy insults in their face. Stephen Colbert is not a journalist…

   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stephen-colbert-donald-trump_us_5907f22fe4b05c397681d231?section=us_comedy
2. Gosman 2

   3 May 2017 at 6:48 am

   The sort of leftist thinking I see here every day from the likes of Draco and others.

   http://www.herald.co.zw/si-64-boosts-job-creation-bimha/

   I especially like the quote abiut digitalisation creating 4 milluon jobs in the broadcasting sector. That reminds me of Draco’s brilliant ideas of where new jobs in NZ could come from.
   • Johan 2.1

     3 May 2017 at 8:02 am

     Gosman is it too early for you to post something sensible or is the above comment typical of all your comments?
     • Gosman 2.1.1

       3 May 2017 at 8:17 am

       What problem do you have with my post?
3. Jacob 3

   3 May 2017 at 6:59 am

   I’ll just leave this here….

   Scroll down to comment by “Winston_Key”

   https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/2ua3zh/land_of_the_wrong_white_clowns_anger_apathy_and/
   • David Fingers 3.1

     3 May 2017 at 10:57 am

     So you are saying that the NSA are leaking like a sieve… to prove to us all that they are really out there saving the whales?

     http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/04/new-zealand-spied-on-japan-at-whaling-forum.html

     Such lovely blokes.
4. Carolyn_nth 4

   3 May 2017 at 8:35 am

   Breaking from various MSM twitter accounts: Fairfax-NZME merger declined. Thank goodness.

   Edit: Commerce Commission press release:

   “Having reviewed all the evidence, our primary concerns remain that this merger would be likely to reduce both the quality of news produced and the diversity of voices (plurality) available for New Zealanders to consume. Competition between NZME and Fairfax leads them to produce higher quality content than would otherwise exist with the merger. This competition incentivises investment in editorial resources, motivates journalists and editors in their day-to-day work and acts as a safeguard to plurality.

   “In our view, the merged entity’s competitors would not be able to constrain it in any real way from making cost-cutting decisions that reduce quality and plurality. The extent of internal plurality is also discretionary on the part of the media owner and we do not regard promises to maintain current levels as a sufficient safeguard on future editorial decisions.

   “While we cannot weigh in dollar terms the net benefits against the detrimental societal impacts we expect to see, in our assessment this is not a finely balanced decision. We decline to grant authorisation.”

   And there needs to be changes to the Commerce Act, still. Media is not just about commerce, it’s about the public interest and the media’s role in democratic processes, access to information important for society, etc.
   • gsays 4.1

     3 May 2017 at 8:40 am

     Excellent news.
     It was surprising it got this far.
     • Tamati Tautuhi 4.1.1

       3 May 2017 at 8:45 am

       The Commerce Commission is part of the NZ Old Boys Network and basically rubber stamps everything ?
       • greywarshark 4.1.1.1

         3 May 2017 at 10:31 am

         Newspapers may be just fish and chip wrappers of a sort, but, only after they have been read, after they have revealed whatever, and what’s more after the option of the item being torn or cut out and kept for easy archiving and hands-on reference.

         Carolyn-nth
         And there needs to be changes to the Commerce Act, still. Media is not just about commerce, it’s about the public interest and the media’s role in democratic processes, access to information important for society, etc.

         I agree wholeheartedly
         • Rosemary McDonald 4.1.1.1.1

           3 May 2017 at 11:17 am

           “Newspapers may be just fish and chip wrappers…”

           Sadly, hardly ever these days. I used to view reading the paper around the grease spots as a bonus to the enclosed culinary delights.

           The demise of the newspaper chip wrapper is probably as much to do with some wonky food safety rule as it is the lower sales of newspapers…although most going tabloid size may be also a factor.

           The last takeaways we got wrapped in the news was a a Chinese language publication….
           • mosa 4.1.1.1.1.1

             3 May 2017 at 1:45 pm

             +100
   • Ad 4.2

     3 May 2017 at 9:15 am

     LPrent I would be interested to hear you view as to whether this decision will seriously weaken the viability of the NZ MSM, or whether overall it will encourage smaller ventures like Scoop and indeed this website to increase their impact?

     Also, do you see the decline of the public need for news being siphoned off onto Twitter commentary – particularly with the rise of it as a dominant commentary platform for the US President?
     • tc 4.2.1

       3 May 2017 at 9:51 am

       public broadcasting enshirned into legislation is the only way to ensure quality objective material.

       These are 2 private entities attempting to maintain returns by slashing jobs and costs rather than invest in their output quality. Voda/sky is the same situation.
       • Ad 4.2.1.1

         3 May 2017 at 10:30 am

         A small part of the problem.

         Major problem is cohorts under 40 don’t engage with the news.

         And those remaining that do, do so not by reading but via clips of less than 2 mins.
         • greywarshark 4.2.1.1.1

           3 May 2017 at 10:38 am

           There are more of us over 40! If we can hold onto what is important in the society, it gives the youngsters a chance to grow up and become wiser citizens, who are always in a minority, hopefully a large one.
       • greywarshark 4.2.1.2

         3 May 2017 at 10:36 am

         Maintaining returns? Fairfax bought TradeMe and I thought was getting good returns from its advertising revenue but then sold it.

         This example of irrational and erratic behaviour by oligarchs like Gina R and her cohorts is why we should have newspapers owned by the irrational citizenry, probably a a Trust, and at least we balance each other out in our own country!
5. Tamati Tautuhi 5

   3 May 2017 at 8:43 am

   Gosman are you on a full time wage with either National or the ACT Party ?

   Your comments appear to be deliberate attempts to divert rational discussion on the TDB I suggest you look up Kiwiblog or Whaleoil Websites you would be far better suited to making valuable contributions to those websites/blogsites rather than bothering people on the TDB especially this early in the day.
   • BM 5.1

     3 May 2017 at 8:50 am

     Gosman has been posting here for a very long time

     So long, in fact, iprent honoured him by creating this rule.

     The Gosman (hypocrisy) ruling.

     People using a pseudonym to comment who then claim that other people commenting/posting anonymously (or any words construed to mean that) will have their own comments treated as being anonymous. Since this site does not allow anonymous comments, they will receive an immediate long ban.

     https://thestandard.org.nz/policy/
     • ianmac 5.1.1

       3 May 2017 at 9:01 am

       As Brian Easton says, “There is a well-established research finding of ³group polarisation²: when like-minded people get together, and speak and listen only to one another,…”
       We have to be aware that this could apply to us. So I quite like the “different” viewpoint offered by some commentators here. Know what our enemies are thinking.
       • BM 5.1.1.1

         3 May 2017 at 9:09 am

         It’s why I like to read different views.

         Very easy to end up getting tunnel visioned if you only surround yourself with similar people who share similar views.

         Know what our enemies are thinking

         I’m not a great fan of that sort of baby boomer thinking, I don’t consider anyone here as my enemy, maybe some a bit extreme and fruitcakey but certainly not an enemy.
         • mac1 5.1.1.1.1

           3 May 2017 at 9:12 am

           BM, what is ‘baby boomer thinking’? How is “know what our enemies are thinking” an example of this, whatever it is?
         • ianmac 5.1.1.1.2

           3 May 2017 at 9:25 am

           Enemy in the sense that if you vote for the other side you are the enemy. Does the National Party see Andrew Little as an enemy? Think so or they would not send in their proxies to “bring him down”.
           I think that I am too old to be a Baby Boomer.
         • RedLogix 5.1.1.1.3

           3 May 2017 at 10:17 am

           @BM

           Every now and then you post something I agree with 100%.
       • r0b 5.1.1.2

         3 May 2017 at 9:39 am

         Quite agree. Right wingers are a valuable resource!
         • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1.2.1

           3 May 2017 at 10:34 am

           Yep, helps me clarify my own thoughts through more reading and research.
           Or, as Douglas Adams put it:

           “There really wasn’t a lot this machine could do that you couldn’t do yourself in half the time with a lot less trouble,” said Richard, “but it was, on the other hand, very good at being a slow and dim — witted pupil.”
                 Reg looked at him quizzically.
                 “I had no idea they were supposed to be in short supply,” he said. “I could hit a dozen with a bread roll from where I’m sitting.”
                 “I’m sure. But look at it this way. What really is the point of trying to teach anything to anybody?”
                 This question seemed to provoke a murmur of sympathetic approval from up and down the table.
                 Richard continued, “What I mean is that if you really want to understand something, the best way is to try and explain it to someone else. That forces you to sort it out in your own mind. And the more slow and dim-witted your pupil, the more you have to break things down into more and more simple ideas. And that’s really the essence of programming. By the time you’ve sorted out a complicated idea into little steps that even a stupid machine can deal with, you’ve certainly learned something about it yourself. The teacher usually learns more than the pupil. Isn’t that true?”

           They’re still wrong but you can’t have everything.
           • greywarshark 5.1.1.2.1.1

             3 May 2017 at 10:43 am

             When you say ‘they’re’ you aren’t meaning Richard et al DTB? I guess you mean all the festering, feisty, fulminating RWs with their slabs of intellect that they keep chucking at us. Sort of like schoolkids with defensive positions on the playground throwing things at each other and TS is our playground!
           • McFlock 5.1.1.2.1.2

             3 May 2017 at 12:31 pm

             When programmers (and allied trades) get into a shit-loop, there’s a procedure called the “rubber duckie step” to kick yourself out of the fixation before bothering anyone else with it:

             You have a rubber duckie on your desk.
             You explain to the rubber duckie how to do what you’re doing.
             The act of explanation often identifies exactly where your shit-loop begins.
             You continue on your way.
   • Gosman 5.2

     3 May 2017 at 9:39 am

     Ummm… this is The Standard not TDB.
     • Ad 5.2.1

       3 May 2017 at 10:05 am

       Stick with it Gosman you stop the echo chamber.
       • greywarshark 5.2.1.1

         3 May 2017 at 10:45 am

         Yes Gosman you perform a useful purpose so that Ad can measure himself against you and know when he is leaning too far right and might fall over!
     • Tamati Tautuhi 5.2.2

       3 May 2017 at 10:09 am

       Technical error but shows you are on the ball this morning.
6. ianmac 6

   3 May 2017 at 8:55 am

   “NZME and Fairfax merger declined by Commerce Commission today.”

   Our very good provincial paper is owned by Fairfax. From 1st May the paper is printing local news and only publishing on Mon. Wed. Friday. For 2 weeks we are getting the Press for Tue. Thursday. Fairfax has upped the online/email delivery of its news.
   Interesting to see how that pans out especially when the new subs for the Express/Press are published? Pay more for less?
   • r0b 6.1

     3 May 2017 at 9:41 am

     Post on this shortly.
7. AsleepWhileWalking 7

   3 May 2017 at 10:32 am

   Housing bubble (Canadian version) is popping.
   A prelude of what is to come to NZ.

   http://www.caseyresearch.com/articles/the-cancer-thats-spreading-across-canada
8. AsleepWhileWalking 8

   3 May 2017 at 10:37 am

   Fun fact of the day: The SWIFT system that banks use to transfer money runs on Windows Vista. This from Simon Black who discovered just how archaic the banking system is when he started his own bank.

   “When my bank received its SWIFT code, we were told that we had to have a computer running Vista in the office in order to connect to SWIFT.

   It was such an absurd exercise to find an obsolete computer running an obsolete operating system to connect to the supposedly most advanced and important international payment network in the world.

   Unsurprisingly, SWIFT has been hacked numerous times, both by the NSA as well as private hackers who have stolen a great deal of money from their victims.

   Last year a bunch of hackers famously penetrated the SWIFT network and stole over $100 million from the Bangladesh central bank.

   And that was nowhere near an isolated incident.

   This is the big hidden secret of banking: despite the shiny veneer of online banking, the institutions that literally control your money are run on outdated, inefficient, obsolete technology.”

   https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/i-never-knew-how-screwed-up-global-banking-was-until-i-started-my-own-bank-21494/
   • AsleepWhileWalking 8.1

     3 May 2017 at 10:39 am

     What does RealMe run on? Personally I’ve never trusted having all my info in one place. For a fuddy duddy like myself it just seems to borrow trouble so I’ve avoided it thus far.
     • The Weatherman 8.1.1

       3 May 2017 at 12:00 pm

       Apache server linked to .a bunch of Windows machines that haven’t been patched in yonks.
   • Rosemary McDonald 8.2

     3 May 2017 at 11:11 am

     “…an obsolete computer running an obsolete operating system…”

     Hey! The laptop I am using runs (very well) on Vista.

     However, for the right number of $$$, I may be willing to put sentiment aside and help this guy out.
   • saveNZ 8.3

     3 May 2017 at 2:10 pm

     +1 – not just banks, insurance and a lot of big companies. Apparently one ginormous insurance company was shopping around to upgrade it’s legacy but it was so old and risky that nobody would take it on. It was such a joke someone just put on a cartoon with ‘you’re fucked’.

     Behind the glossy real estate of most big firms, the actual transaction sides which is run by IT, is often in a dire state. Or it’s still on paper records like old man Hubbard who bought down South Canterbury Finance.
9. greywarshark 9

   3 May 2017 at 10:50 am

   Australians commitments of cordiality and co-operation are not worth the sand they are written on.
10. Takere 10

    3 May 2017 at 11:58 am

    The Greens have sold out their members/followers by supporting Nick Smith & his Pt England Development Enabling Bill where any public park, reserve, National Parkland & DoC managed land is up for sale to the highest bidder!
    Marama & Metira have traded-in their Environmental & Conservation Credibility to chase the Maori vote by supporting a treaty settlement thats not a Treaty Settlement with a private entity called the Ngati Paoa iwi Trust Board.
    Chris Finlayson has bank rolled this trust with only 2 board members for the past 6 years, with $33m of tax payers money.
    When I’ve questioned him about the probity of the cuzzies negotiating & these kinds of deals masquerading as a “Settlement”, he just ignores the issue and says he is comfortable with “it”?

    Its great Labour (Phil T. & Peeni Henare, Priyanca ) came out and changed their position & opposed the bill as well as NZF. But the biggest WTF moment was with the Greens? A No Brainer?! WTF!
    Anyway, I meet with Marama a few times and gave her an insight of the shenanigans the cuzzies are up too. Not interested! So I told her, when this turns to custard as it is about too because there are 3 boards, two negotiators, 4 mandates & 3 deeds in play … an implosion is inevitable. The NPiTB has keep no minutes and record of major transactions & have not presented Audited Financial Accounts for 6 years! All of this (risk) is on the taxpayer(s).
    I did say that I’d make sure that there will be plenty of shit going around after the implosion and any party on the wrong side of this Bill, I’ll be sending plenty of it their way! This was all before RM’s polling came out last week. Greens -1.5%. Not claiming all of it but for the last 4 months of campaigning, I’ll take 0.5%! Haha!

    So I’d appreciate it if you good folks get this out there into the public area … am doing it too myself at local meetings in GI/Pt England, twitter, social media, marae too.

    It is a National issue when your local park & reserves can be confiscated by the Crown. Sound familiar?

    The Bill needs killing & the Greens as well as anymore progress with the Ngati Paoa iwi Trust Boards negotiations. They’ve gone rogue, off the reservation and not listening to the iwi.
    • saveNZ 10.1

      3 May 2017 at 2:30 pm

      scary stuff. What the fuck is happening to the Greens??? At a time when everyone wants to vote Green too.

      Firstly public parks, reserves, National Parkland & DoC land should not be for sale. Secondary, if it was it should be for the community interest NOT for the highest price.

      A lot of residential land is being sold to residents offshore. My neighbour although probably the nicest neighbour we had, is a permanent resident of China and the house is sitting empty for months, my aunt was saying that their neighbour’s from Japan bought their house next door, went back to Japan and they haven’t seen them since.

      There is a moral issue about keeping land and housing available for those living and working in this country, first. surely??? This highest bidder debate has consequences for the local community. Meanwhile we keep making more houses to be sold offshore and everyones rights have been taken away at a local council level to keep up with the monopoly board real estate sell offs.

      The idea of greater taxes, isn’t popular when you are competing with off shore middle class who don’t earn or pay any income taxes in NZ but as a local you are expected to pay more taxes and have higher mortgages and higher interest rates to stem the gap of offshore land ownerships – oh and expect lower services, longer for retirement, longer health waiting lists, more ‘donations’ to support schools. Mow your own berms…

      Just because our governments signed our rights to control land away in free trade agreements for magic beans, does not make it right. And the government needs to reverse it. It’s gone too far.
11. Matthew Whitehead 11

    3 May 2017 at 2:50 pm

    Something those of you not listening to RNZ may have missed-
    Yesterday Peters laid down on Checkpoint a bottom line that he won’t go into coalition with any party that doesn’t allow re-entry into the Pike River mine. Given that National are opposed but Labour and the Greens are onboard with re-entry, this is a pretty clear declaration that Peters is leaning towards dealing with Labour and the Greens, but is keeping his options slightly open in case he manages to force the government into a u-turn on this issue.

    Basically, if all three parties can hold onto or increase their vote share, we have ourselves a change of government.
    • Takere 11.1

      5 May 2017 at 10:02 am

      If there is a threat of another National Government been put back into Office … it’ll be the Green’s that’ll do that! Selling out their Environment & Conservation credibility by supporting Nick Smiths Pt England Bill for the Crown to be able to confiscate any land, council, private & be able to revoke the Reservation Status too … smells of desperation by the Greens(already) to get into “Government!”
      They’ve also picked up the habit of backing corruption too. Enabling a rogue iwi trust to pretend they’re negotiating a genuine Treaty Settlement when its not & Finlayson especially get the taxpayer to underwrite more than $38m+ on “tick” without any Audited Financial Accounts for 6 years!

      So, this is why I’m confident that if the Greens are in a position to cut NZF’s lunch & Labours too, they return a national led Government!

      Don’t let this happen.
      • Matthew Whitehead 11.1.1

        5 May 2017 at 3:20 pm

        …the Greens are explicitly against another National government, but they are pragmatic in which bills they support, and sometimes that means voting for things you don’t entirely like to meet a greater goal, like with Labour’s ETS. I’d have to look more into their reasons for supporting the Point England bill to comment about whether they make sense to me, but I am a member of the Greens and the only real ideological concern I have as one is the small faction of the party that has pseudoscientific beliefs about health, and the larger faction that comes to the correct conclusion about the inadvisability of genetic engineering but for the wrong reason. (it’s largely a marketing problem for NZ to engage in GE farming, as GE techniques are likely only marginally more dangerous than selective breeding, which isn’t to say there’s no danger, but it’s likely of things like the forthcoming extinction of bananas rather than of sudden ecological imbalance)

        The Greens have already committed to changing the government, and I don’t see the membership ever supporting National except in extraordinary circumstances, like say, National had a legitimate plan to do dramatically more on climate change than Labour, which I don’t think will practically ever happen. I suppose you could argue that support of this particular bill could somehow increase support for National, but I doubt if it’s as flawed as you say, really the practical effect is that it will shift a few votes to any parties that don’t vote for it, or if it passes unanimously, it’ll discourage voters who really cared about the bill.

        I’ll look into the Point England Bill though, seeing as your comments do suggest it would violate Green values to support it, and have a word with the relevant MP if it concerns me. You should definitely send off an email (I think it would be best sent to Catherine Delahunty as Te Tiriti spokesperson) to let her know of your reasons for opposing the bill, as the Greens are very concerned with honouring the principle of treaty partnership in good faith.
        • heman 11.1.1.1

          15 May 2017 at 1:53 pm

          Welld did you have a look at the pt eng bill? Be interested to hear what you think of it. tks
12. joe90 12

    3 May 2017 at 3:02 pm

    Huuuge….
13. stever 13

    3 May 2017 at 5:22 pm

    This is about the UK (sorry), but it’s very worrying…

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/03/true-conservatives-fake-ones-destroying-britian-theresa-may-real-patriots?CMP=soc_3156

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