Open mike 03/07/2012

76 comments on “Open mike 03/07/2012 ”

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1. Jenny 1

   3 July 2012 at 6:41 am

   International employers group declare declare class war, by turning a blind eye to the murder, torture and arrest of trade unionists.

   New Zealand employers join an international cabal of employers refusing to denounce, (or even let them be identified) human rights abusers, for murdering, torturing and arresting workers for organising. Instead, grizzling about “employer abuse” in countries like Venezuela.

   What a bunch of scumbags

   When the rich and powerful start posing as victims……

   …..History shows, the vulnerable and downtrodden of the world need to be afraid.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/7208334/Employer-stance-at-ILO-forum-hypocritical

   This filthly behaviour needs to be openly condemned, combated and most importantly… DEFIED!.

   Phil OReilly needs to learn that when working people are being abused and tortured and exploited that New Zealander trade unionists when called on, will not ignore it, no matter how much he would wish they would.
   • Uturn 1.1

     3 July 2012 at 10:11 am

     What they metaphorically do, is sharpen the knife and hold it to their own throats, then go round looking for things to bump into.

     It amazes me how employers today hold fast to anachronistic patriarchial power plays and ignore the conflict they attract to themselves when they do; a conflict that will end their businesses as they know it. Imagine consciously entering into a battle of several fronts, outnumbered, with no communication pathways at all with the enemy; in an environment where your allies give you no practical support and have an active interest in you being wiped out. Even if you win, you’ll need new slaves and then your next battle will be with well armed competitors. The Old People would call it “death ground”, where there is no choice but to die or win, only this modern version has no chance of being won.

     And while this is going on, employers also want to pontificate about “knowledge” and swapping ideas and value and progress and innovation. Spell it out as many times as you like, patriarchial tradition blinds them to the fact that being at war with the population, with your employees, isn’t good business sense. One man at the top, ruling them all, is neither good business sense or strategically viable once that end is reached. Yet that is what the fight is all about. As they once said in the old days, the old patriarchial days:“Courage, that spoils for a fight is immature”. It all falls on deaf ears.

     And for NZ to be involved in it, saying the things they do from the comfort of our – compared to global events – relatively benign environment; does the cowardice have no end? Why think when you can kill. Why kill when you can support killers. It’s easier, but not very profitable or smart and it certainly doesn’t engender envy.
   • joe90 1.2

     3 July 2012 at 10:21 am

     Mark Ames: The Left’s Big Sellout.
2. muzza 2

   3 July 2012 at 7:40 am

   If Helen Clark did nothing else, she restored the country’s trust in its government and John Key has been careful to maintain it. Long may it last.

   “The endorsement of the Government’s direction is perhaps the most remarkable since it reflects the state of the economy and the Government’s response”

   -Either the polls are complete spin, or people are complete morons….I would suspect both!

   With all the opportunities to drive the hammer down, where is the opposition, who is the opposition.

   What we are seeing is the result of and owned political stage, where the actors simple play their role.

   Who are these editors who love to fellate John Key…John is that you self fellating in your spare time!
3. BLiP 3

   3 July 2012 at 7:49 am

   .

   Heh! Tim Grosser was bleating on the other day about “enemies within” disrupting the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign . . . neck minit:

   The Government has indefinitely postponed key stages of the emissions trading scheme . . .

   Tim, Tim, Tim . . . NO U !!!111!!!
4. Dv 4

   3 July 2012 at 8:06 am

   So the National Standards data are ‘ropey’
   Who would have expected that.

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10816964
   • Stephen Doyle 4.1

     3 July 2012 at 9:13 am

     Is that door they open to let in national testing? Now that would cause a real shit fight.
   • Logie97 4.2

     3 July 2012 at 10:39 am

     And isn’t it funny how the focus has changed. Now for “The parents need to know how THEIR CHILD is doing” read “how THE SCHOOL is performing”

     “Mr Key said the Minister of Education told him data was not up to scratch – “it’s extremely patchy and in different formats and that will make it very difficult to interpret – but over time the Government hopes it will be more consistent because the purpose of having information is to give parents a better sense of how their school is performing”.
     • Dv 4.2.1

       3 July 2012 at 11:06 am

       “Mr Key said the Minister of Education told him data was not up to scratch

       But he was told that last year.

       I wonder if a trial would have helped?
     • prism 4.2.2

       3 July 2012 at 11:59 am

       Parents wanting to know how their children are doing – this is such a strange comment that they – pollies – come out with regularly. It reminds me of that knee-jerk phrase from the time of the Iraq war, always referred to with ‘weapons of mass destruction’.

       About the reports from school, they were always there for me as a parent, and also time to speak to the teachers made available by the school, and apart from that the option of requesting a personal interview for discussion when felt necessary. All this other sh…t I
       think is about the idea that teachers need harrassing to do a good job, which probably includes in the parents mind, instilling their child with some standards of behaviour and strength of character as well as high marks from deep motivated study that the school should oversee. So how the schools seem to be achieving that becomes the important issue. The concern and effort is all directed outward to the education servants not inward by the parents looking at adding value to their child raising.

       And I notice a lack of self responsibility in other ways and wonder if many, not all, parents lay it on others at all ages. The thing I have noticed is how, too many, mothers and fathers with toddlers let them run far ahead of them on a street. Backing out, a driver would never see them, they would not show through the rear window, or if the child reaches a corner before the parent it might just run right into a car. The parent calls out trying to control it, but it seems ineffectual and slack parenting care to me. And as a driver, it would be terrible if I caused injury and I know who would be regarded at fault. It would be me and not the casual parent.
       • Draco T Bastard 4.2.2.1

         3 July 2012 at 3:22 pm

         If the parents really want to know how their child is doing they’ll go down to the school and ask. Anything else is bollocks.
       • Vicky32 4.2.2.2

         3 July 2012 at 6:17 pm

         And I notice a lack of self responsibility in other ways and wonder if many, not all, parents lay it on others at all ages. The thing I have noticed is how, too many, mothers and fathers with toddlers let them run far ahead of them on a street

         Yes, I have seen that! The ineffectual bleating of the child’s name, ignored, is as you say – worse!
5. mickysavage 5

   3 July 2012 at 8:10 am

   Former Chief Executive Mark Weldon recently sold $12.5 million worth of shares in NZX, shares he had accumulated during his reign.

   Of course the NZX is in that bad shape that we have to dump strategically vital publicly owned assets into it so that it works better.

   A more effective metaphor for how the sale of power shares will enrich the already wealthy I cannot imagine. 
   • Dv 5.1

     3 July 2012 at 8:29 am

     Any one know how much Weldon raised from the rich Listers for Christchurch?

     If I remember he took time off.
     The scheme was announced with great fanfare, and then it disappeared and has not been heard of since.
   • millsy 5.2

     3 July 2012 at 10:08 am

     The asset sales seem to be to be more about benefiting the NZX rather than anything else.
6. mickysavage 6

   3 July 2012 at 8:10 am

   Oops appeared twice …
   • tc 6.1

     3 July 2012 at 8:20 am

     Yes and smarmy weldon has also been swallowing rural publications that were hostile to listing Fonterra so they could ‘leverage’ their business to their own end.

     The NZX is in poor shape because he hasn’t given it credibility and rigour as a transparent market in his time at the helm. He’s watched feltex, finance companies, sky city and other shaky affairs like Richmond meats being taken by PPCS and done nothing making the NZX an international joke.

     Jokes on us with our power companies going onto it as his and keys banker mates line up for the spoils it has always been a plaything for the connected 1% not the everyday punter who will lose as they aren’t in the 1% club.
7. mike e 7

   3 July 2012 at 8:53 am

   Conman Key says increasing the price of alcohol won’t solve the problem.
   YEAH RIGHT
   same argument as tobacco industry puts up!
   ShonKey and Nactional are in the alcohols back pocket
8. vto 8

   3 July 2012 at 9:43 am

   Drug testing is a pile of horse shit.

   The requirement is to be unimpaired by drugs or alcohol at work. But drug testing does not do this, it tests whether there is any residual thc in a persons system, NOT whether they are impaired by drugs or alcohol. The two things are completely different.

   Why has this glaring and fundamental flaw not been raised?

   Methinks a benficiary or disgruntled worker should take winz or their employer to court to test it and correct it.
   • travellerev 8.1

     3 July 2012 at 10:12 am

     Here’s my take on it! What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
   • John72 8.2

     3 July 2012 at 5:56 pm

     VTO, If you were about to travel on an aircraft and another passenger told you that they had spent the previous night with the aircraft pilot, drinking large quantities if alchohol, would you be happy to travel?

     Anyone in any service has a responsibility to those for
     whom they are providing the service.
     They are expected to be free of any self inflicted injury.
     Using any drug, including alcohol, results in a self inflicted injury.
     Self inflicted injuries have been a problem for 100’s of years. Why does this generation think that it is so clever and so knowledgeable?
     All they are doing is demonstrating that only-children and children from small families are immature and self-centered. That is what modern birth control is doing for the world.
     Obviously there is a lot more to the subject. If it could be described and solved on one page, there would not be a problem.
     When people start using drugs, where does one “draw the line”? This has always been a problem.
     If you have a solution, perhaps you could offer it.
     Regards
     • vto 8.2.1

       3 July 2012 at 6:09 pm

       John72, I think you missed my point, which is this …

       Just because a person has smoked dope or drunk booze at some random earlier point, it does not mean they are under the influence.

       Pot stays in the system long long long after there is any effect. All it does is measure whether somebody has smoked it some point over the previous three weeks. Alcohol disappears much quicker.

       If you are right and anyone who has been smoking or drinking the previous three weeks was not allowed to provide a service, do you know what would happen????? All the buses, planes, cars, taxis, foresters, bankers, wankers, accountants, mummies, daddies, cleaners, builders, diggers, miners, politicians, … would stop. Stop.

       Except for those teatotallers out there.

       Over to you though – if that is what you want. Anyone who has smoked or drunk in the last whatever and irrelevant but immaterial time period is not allowed to provide a service then so be it. But it would be a world history first. Puritanical in the extreme.

       I do have a solution. It is carry out an “under the influence” test, not a “have you indulged recently” test. The test must be whether a person is under the influence – that is it. Like a blood test for alcohol, which is pretty good. The drug test does nothing of the sort.

       Hopefully I have explained myself there…
       • weka 8.2.1.1

         3 July 2012 at 6:24 pm

         Makes sense to me. I would say though that alcohol testing does show current impairment (or at least current blood alcohol levels that are assumed to equate to impairment). That’s why police use it and it stands up in court. Cannabis is the tricky one because it is so widely used and as you say there is not test that shows current levels that equate to impairment.
          
         I was interested to hear that legalise cannabis advocate from Timaru say on National Radio that she smoked while driving buses for a living, and considered that she had no impairment (which got The Panel twitching). I think it is likely that some people can in fact smoke small amounts of cannabis and not be impaired, but unfortunately someone else could smoke the same amount of the same cannabis and be impaired. It’s complex. I also think that some people are not affected over the long term by cannabis use and others are. I don’t know how one would test that.
          
         btw, read this the other day…

         As reported in my first installment of the Cannabis Chronicles on Sunday, I had been asked by Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich to help determine whether, and how, marijuana impairs driving. He recruited more than two dozen police officers from various Southern California agencies and the CHP to bear witness and study the differences between driving while high and driving while drunk.

         http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/20/local/la-me-1020-lopezcolumn-20101018
          
          
          
       • John72 8.2.1.2

         4 July 2012 at 10:08 am

         vto, I have expanded my thoughts on the use of drugs in a reply to QoT.
         • vto 8.2.1.2.1

           4 July 2012 at 2:45 pm

           John72, this thread is very specifically about drug or alcohol impairment in the workplace.

           This thread is not about durg use in society.

           But by engaging as if it is, you have fallen straight into the trap, as has pretty much everyone else.

           one more time – drug testing does not test alcohol or drug impairment in the workplace.
     • Draco T Bastard 8.2.2

       3 July 2012 at 6:25 pm

       That is what modern birth control is doing for the world.

       What has birth control got to do with drug testing? Or, in fact, to do with any of the waffle that you just spouted?
       • QoT 8.2.2.1

         3 July 2012 at 8:49 pm

         Apparently … and this is fascinating … Back In The Day everything was fine and no one got high on the job because there weren’t as many only children, which I suppose is logical because then there was less disposable income to spend on booze for the kids?

         Whatever the case, clearly it’s all feminism’s fault and if bitches got back in the kitchen society would be pure and wholesome again.
         • vto 8.2.2.1.1

           4 July 2012 at 12:28 am

           I’ll do the kitchen stuff QoT, pick me pick me.
         • John72 8.2.2.1.2

           4 July 2012 at 9:58 am

           QoT, self-inflicted injury has been a problem for 100’s of years. We now have a generation that is less prepared to accept responsibility for it’s actions.
           No one has ever been perfect. I am suggesting that standards are changing.
           It is sanctimonious to suggest that they are only changing for the better.
           So many of today’s youth are only concerned about self satisfaction.
           There have always been people living in hardship and poverty and there still are people living under bridges or in cars.
           Why do people on a Student Loan, Solo Mother Benefit, Old Age Benefit, etc., need money for drugs?
           Why does anyone need drugs? They did not need it 100 years ago. Some might have used it but the world did not need them.
           They do not need the drugs. The money spent on drugs goes to the rich?
           If you think that you NEED drugs, you have a problem. Life is an adventure for so many people who never touch drugs. Grow up and move on.
           Once you become trapped by drugs, you are locked into a habbit and it becomes difficult to go out and explore the world. Grow up and move on.
           • McFlock 8.2.2.1.2.1

             4 July 2012 at 1:02 pm

             Drugs weren’t needed a hundred years ago? No more than now, anyway.
           • mike e 8.2.2.1.2.2

             4 July 2012 at 1:08 pm

             J72 a 100+ years a go good spin NZ women were fed up with their husbands coming home drunk (alcohol NZ’s Most dangerous Drug after tobacco)and beating them and their children up.
             So they banned alcohol through temperance to try and deal with the problem.
             No problems for 100’s of years YEAH RIGHT.
             NZ has a problem with legal and illegal drugs and always has.
             In your small dream world drugs are not addictive if that were the case there wouldn’t be a problem.
           • QoT 8.2.2.1.2.3

             4 July 2012 at 7:46 pm

             You are so right, John, these stoopid yoof just don’t understand how good they have it. They should just … stop being biologically addicted to things! And stop having such desperate existences that brain-chemistry-altering is a pretty attractive option!

             Also, Socrates put it better than you. Which could be telling, if you wanted to actually get off that high horse.
       • John72 8.2.2.2

         4 July 2012 at 9:20 am

         Draco,You are quoting out of context. Are you illiterate or just baiting me?
         The rest of your comment is personal criticism. Is the the monotor setting the standard of The Standard?
         • McFlock 8.2.2.2.1

           4 July 2012 at 12:56 pm

           I think we’re just intrigued that you seem to think birth control has something to do with drug abuse.
         • Draco T Bastard 8.2.2.2.2

           4 July 2012 at 8:03 pm

           You are quoting out of context.

           No I didn’t. You said something about small families and then went on about drug abuse being due to birth control. You failed to say what this had to do with drug testing.

           Are you illiterate or just baiting me?

           Neither, I was pointing out that you’re an idiot.
9. Frida 9

   3 July 2012 at 10:34 am

   Snort:

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10816925

   Mind you, it’s a shame that the (mostly) good people at the Crown Law Office have been tarnished by a combination of this Government and their previous, incompetent, eager-to-please his masters, Leader (now a High Court Judge)
   • deuto 9.1

     3 July 2012 at 11:38 am

     LOL – and snort!

     But I agree that not all at Crown Law are idiots; there are actually some exceptionally good people there as well.

     However, I now see that Crown Law has contracted out the Kim Dotcom extradition legal work ….

     http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10816989
10. Logie97 10

    3 July 2012 at 10:35 am

    NACTIONAL STANDARDS

    “Mr Key said the Minister of Education told him data was not up to scratch – “it’s extremely patchy and in different formats and that will make it very difficult to interpret – but over time the Government hopes it will be more consistent because the purpose of having information is to give parents a better sense of how their school is performing”.

    Isn’t it funny how the focus has changed. Now for “The parents need to know how THEIR CHILD is doing” read “how THE SCHOOL is performing”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10816964
    • Logie97 10.1

      3 July 2012 at 12:09 pm

      ( “delete” apparently didn’t work) sorry…
11. prism 11

    3 July 2012 at 12:11 pm

    On Radionz http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/109799/nz-shell-companies-favoured-for-money-laundering we are revealed as becoming a haven for rotten criminals overseas doing their nasty money laundering through our compliant complacent naive stupid system of low or non regulation on this important matter of probity and control of business.

    I have heard pollies say in a self-congratulatory way how easy it is for businesses to set up in NZ. This is a good thing and shows how smart people going forward behave in government by cutting pesky bureaucratic controls.

    And just what standards are we prepared to drop to do business and made a buck. Note the background to the agent for buying the Crafar farms. Is this the sort of business person we want to be dealing with. Tongans were criticised for selling passports to raise capital, what are we up for in the drive by some to make squids (for themselves)?
12. Logie97 12

    3 July 2012 at 12:58 pm

    Don’t cry for me …

    Guess what John, not many here will shed a tear either when you have finally moved on

    http://jtc.blogs.com/just_left/2008/10/smiling-assassi.html
13. the pink postman 13

    3 July 2012 at 2:08 pm

    I have waited in vain,of course!, for some comment by the loud mouth Garth McVicar regarding the road rage hit by the Parnell resident millionaire who twice ran over a man in a moment of road rage. Just imagine if this angry driver had been Brown or unemployed the Sensible Sentence Chairperson would have been uttering his vitriolic mouthing on all media channels . However let us not forget how he championed the white business man who knifed a young Maori tagger to death , McVicar thought that was ok.Its time this loudmouth was shut up completely .
    • Vicky32 13.1

      3 July 2012 at 6:46 pm

      I have waited in vain,of course!, for some comment by the loud mouth Garth McVicar regarding the road rage hit by the Parnell resident millionaire who twice ran over a man in a moment of road rage

      Well said!
14. Adrian 14

    3 July 2012 at 2:08 pm

    Strange! Why would Key say he didn’t cry when he left Merrill Lynch? You don’t cry when you leave somewhere voluntarily. Was he given the boot? Is this another bit of “I forget” on the CV ?
15. joe90 15

    3 July 2012 at 3:08 pm

    Interesting article on the bankruptcy of libertarianism.

    Let It Bleed: Libertarianism and the Workplace.

    Related: Fuck me or you’re fired!.
16. hellonearthis 16

    3 July 2012 at 5:44 pm

    I was reading http://lancewiggs.com/2012/07/02/more-data-on-our-wonderful-energy-system/ and thought the numbers from the MED where off. http://t.co/KhiWFiY9 but that MED PDF is just number juggling.

    NZ uses 149700 barrels per day and has a production of 1700000 which is %3 of 554640500 total barrels, not 43% of domestic oil demand.
    The MED does have a fine print note on page 44 about how they didn’t count the oil consumption for non-energy use. So the 43% domestic oil demand is well off base. But is a great feel good figure.

    So NZ is using 149700 barrels of oil a day, of which the MED day 1424657 are used in non energy related stuff. That seems a bit strange.

    Oil use chart: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2174rank.html
17. Vicky32 17

    3 July 2012 at 6:14 pm

    The verdict is in, Ewen McDonald has been found not guilty, and Scott’s father gets to make a 3 minute speech on the news.
    Seriously!
    Ever since the Scott Guy murder happened, the media have been completely obsessed (just as with the ‘Blenheim friends’ in 1998-9… Why? That’s what I don’t get. No other person on trial for murder has ever been treated so kindly and gently by the media, and whereas lower class people on trial are referred to by solely their surname, Ewen McDonald has always been referred to by his full name. The victim is ‘Mr McDonald. The media have been blatting on and on about the huge public interest, people elbowing each other aside at the door of the public gallery etc – I believe this is because the media were telling them it was a big deal! It was hardly fascinating in and of itself… 🙂
    Is it a class thing? That’s the only thing I can think of… they must either be rich, or related to someone important.
    Let’s hope we don’t have a week of post-mortems!
    
    
     
    • Anne 17.1

      3 July 2012 at 7:41 pm

      Well said Vicky 32.

      The huge public interest was indeed because the media was making such a big deal out of it. Every night on TV for the past 3 weeks (at least) it has been the No.1 item because they wanted to turn it into a sensational whodunnit melodrama. Why? Because they are an attractive looking white middle class family with close associations to the National Party – the born to rule party.

      In other words it is a class thing. I have made a point of turning off the TV every night at 6pm until the trial was over. Unfortunately I think you are right. We will now have to put up with nightly post-mortems for the next week at least.

      I sympathise deeply with the wife’s distress etc., but she made a statement this evening which left me staggered. She said something to the effect: “it is terrible to think something like this could happen in NZ.” What about the many hundreds – thousands – of NZers who have lost husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends as a result of murder or manslaughter. Don’t they count because many of them are poor or brown – or maybe because they support the wrong political side?

      I’m reminded of the murder of the Trade Unionist back in the 1970s (I think) at a time when
      the Cold War was pretty much at it’s zenith. The murderer(s) were never caught or so we were told. I would not be surprised if the police at the time were told or were gently nudged into… not conducting a full blown investigation.
      • Anne 17.1.1

        3 July 2012 at 9:05 pm

        Found this piece on Wikipedia. The Trade Union murder was 1984 – shortly before the 84′ snap election.

        Wellington Trades Hall bombing

        On 27 March 1984, a suitcase bomb was left in the foyer of the Trades Hall in Wellington. The Trades Hall was the headquarters of a number of trade unions, and it is most commonly assumed that they were the target of the bombing, although other theories have been put forward. Ernie Abbott, the building’s caretaker, was killed when he attempted to move the suitcase, which is believed to have contained three sticks of gelignite triggered by a mercury switch.[6] To this day, the perpetrator has never been identified. Those elements of the New Zealand Police responsible for preventing and investigating such crimes were headquartered in the building across the street.

        Surprise, surprise. The police never arrested anybody. Don’t kid me ‘the establishment’ didn’t have a pretty good idea whodunnit.
        • Vicky32 17.1.1.1

          4 July 2012 at 3:14 pm

          Surprise, surprise. The police never arrested anybody. Don’t kid me ‘the establishment’ didn’t have a pretty good idea whodunnit.

          I remember that… and I was not then, and am not now surprised that there has never been a proper investigation. I am very sad though!
      • Te Reo Putake 17.1.2

        3 July 2012 at 10:00 pm

        “Because they are an attractive looking white middle class family with close associations to the National Party – the born to rule party.”
         
        What associations, Anne?
         
        I think the intense media interest was because of the nature of the case, which, as I’ve said before, is quite Shakespearean. Or possibly biblical, if you are that way inclined. A family divided, prodigal son, etc.
        • Anne 17.1.2.1

          4 July 2012 at 6:38 pm

          I understand they were a farming family associated with the National Party. Indeed one of the Guy siblings was recently a National Party candidate.

          Do you honestly believe that : given commensurate circumstances the intense media interest would have been anything like as intense if the family had been either:
          a) black or brown.
          b) relatively underprivileged.

          The answer is a very definite no.
    • millsy 17.2

      3 July 2012 at 10:55 pm

      The verdict was a surprise I have to admit. I almost certainly thought he would be convicted.

      Mind you I cannot see him turning up to the Guy Family Christmas dinner this year…
18. bad12 18

    3 July 2012 at 7:35 pm

    Ah it is such a long way down on that roller coaster and it’s time to fasten the seat belts for another downward screamer,

    Manufacturing data from the US,Europe,and, China has all three of the big economic powerhouses showing a slow down,

    In a quixotic turn New Zealand’s manufacturing figures have shown a 1% rise but joyful times it ain’t as weak prices for dairy showed that export earnings from that 1% rise in manufacturing fell 400 million dollars for the period,

    Ah we all just have the love the global free trade played out upon the level playing field right…
19. bad12 19

    3 July 2012 at 7:48 pm

    Thanks Slippery for such wonderful words of knowledge and leadership, having our Prime Minister comment on anything of a factual nature is a fraught experience akin to opening an empty suitcase seeking enlightenment,

    On 3 news there was a piece of how a number of nations are engaging in naval exercises with the US navy along with New Zealand and how our contribution Te Kaha has been forbidden docking rights at the Pearl Harbor naval facility and instead must dock elsewhere at a civilian wharf,

    Attempting to throw off criticism that NZ and it’s navy are being deliberately snubbed by the US over our Nuclear ships ban Slippery dropped the clanger that naval exercises take place at sea,

    Nah i don’t believe that, i was always of the opinion that naval exercises took part in sone really big bath-tubs with plastic model ships.

    After listening again to the Prime Ministers voice inflections i can only add that the closet isn’t locked wee John, you can come out now if you want…
    • prism 19.1

      3 July 2012 at 10:24 pm

      Are the USA Navy and associates actually refusing Te Kaha a place to dock alongside the others taking part in their war games? Probably they don’t have enough facilities for the team that they have drummed up. But the USA can hold onto vindictive attitudes for a long time. They have kept Cuba at the end of a bargepole for how many years – about fifty? There’s no fury like that of a hegemonic country scorned.
20. rosy 20

    3 July 2012 at 9:40 pm

    Interesting…

    Lord Adair Turner, head of the Financial Services Authority (on whose watch the Libor rate-rigging took place), has just condemned the scandal – and admitted that the true scale of City wrongdoing is much greater.

    Turner told the FSA’s public meeting this morning that the full investigation into what went wrong will take years.

    Here’s the key quotes:

    The LIBOR scandal has caused a huge blow to the reputation of the banking industry. The cynical greed of traders asking their colleagues to falsify their LIBOR submissions so that they could make bigger profits – has justifiably shocked and angered people, in particular when we are facing hard economic times provoked by the financial crisis.

    But sadly it is clear that the behaviours evidenced in the LIBOR case were not, in the years before the crisis, confined to this specific area of financial activity.

    My bolding. Rumour is the Barclay’s COO is next on resignation watch.
    • prism 20.1

      3 July 2012 at 10:11 pm

      The piece on Compliance not for Banks yesterday plus Alex cartoon that hit the nail as usual – it started me wondering – if the financial people start mea culpa’ing where will it end and will the
      financial people ever find their mojos again? Forbes comment on mojos –

      What’s more, mojo is often tied to emotions like pride in a job done well, endurance at sticking with something, satisfaction or a feeling of contributing to something greater than ourselves.

      Though along with the above, the adherence to rules of engagement with clients and seekers of financial advice would be an excellent thing.

      For some reason it made me think of Lewis Caroll and the Walrus and the Carpenter and the way they encouraged tender naive oysters to walk with them and then enjoyed eating them with bread and butter.
      In the meantime, the Walrus and the Carpenter wake from their gluttony sadly.
      “I weep for you,” the Walrus said:
      “I deeply sympathize.”
      With sobs and tears he sorted out
      Those of the largest size,
      Holding his pocket-handkerchief
      Before his streaming eyes.

      “O Oysters,” said the Carpenter,
      “You’ve had a pleasant run!
      Shall we be trotting home again?’
      But answer came there none–
      And this was scarcely odd, because
      They’d eaten every one.
    • Te Reo Putake 20.2

      3 July 2012 at 10:25 pm

      Diamond is now free to speak without restraint at tomorrow’s Treasury committee hearing. He’ll be dropping the Bank of England in it, according to the Guardian. They suggest that Barclay’s were given the nod to go ahead with the LIBOR manipulation by senior staff at the B of E.
    • bad12 20.3

      3 July 2012 at 10:34 pm

      His Lordship can wring His pink little fingers in abject horror for as long as he likes, but, that will neither clean up or out the criminality of those in the City of London’s financial ‘Firms’,

      Neither will such crocodile tears stop the International criminality of the Global Banking System, as is done to any conspiracy of cheap crooks whether they deal in mere 1000’s of dollars or mega-millions, billions, or, trillions, the Banks themselves should be seized lock stock and barrel as being the proceeds of criminal behaviour,

      Until such time as the extent of such criminal offending is known in it’s totality and recompense, redress,restitution,and, suitable punishment meted out and served by both the individuals and institutions then we all are simply awaiting the next round of economic chaos caused by these people who are not a minority offending alone for personal gain but are institutional criminal organizations,

      They may be masquerading behind the legitimate facade of ‘business’ but show us any such criminality in the history of the Western World that has brought the whole concept of Western civilization as we know it a hairsbreadth away from going back to the future of creating debt bonds a mere whisker away from the point where we re-trade these as debt bombs…
      • Colonial Viper 20.3.1

        3 July 2012 at 10:40 pm

        Go Max and Stacey! Latest Keiser Report lands bullseye after bullseye on Barclays and their governmental and media mates.
        • mike e 20.3.1.1

          4 July 2012 at 12:30 am

          Conmankey nothing more than a high flying insider trading bank robber
      • vto 20.3.2

        4 July 2012 at 12:20 am

        .
        But conspiracies dont exist bad12

        ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
21. millsy 21

    3 July 2012 at 10:38 pm

    Whoa — just had a bit of a shake here — still having it, things are swaying…
22. millsy 22

    3 July 2012 at 10:39 pm

    still going….
23. Te Reo Putake 23

    3 July 2012 at 10:41 pm

    Wow, decent earthquake! Rocking and rolling for a minute, then a few seconds of swaying motion.
    • millsy 23.1

      3 July 2012 at 10:44 pm

      I hope that was all we got. The last thing we need is another Christchurch…
    • bad12 23.2

      3 July 2012 at 10:45 pm

      Wellington rocks!!, i fully expect once the big un has done it,s stuff on Te Upoko O Te Ika to be living on an island again…
24. millsy 24

    3 July 2012 at 10:48 pm

    According to GeoNet:

    Magnitude 6.5, Tuesday, July 3 2012 at 10:36 PM (NZST), 60 km south of Opunake.
25. Te Reo Putake 25

    3 July 2012 at 10:53 pm

    Well, that was impressive. Have to pick up all my CD’s off the floor; first time I’ve touched ’em in years, ha!
     
    • rosy 25.1

      3 July 2012 at 11:22 pm

      Lol. NZ news sites are a bit slow on it… I’ve found out more about it sooner on here and Facebook from family in Wellington. Old media needs to get it’s act together.
      • Vicky32 25.1.1

        4 July 2012 at 3:21 pm

        Old media needs to get it’s act together.

        The first I knew of it was Radio NZ this morning – after numerous items about Fielding and the Scott Guy soap opera…
        What mad priorities! The public relations woman in Fielding spoke as if the trial had been something like the Christchurch earthquake. “We’ll get through it” she said bravely. I felt a bit sick when I heard that.
         
         
26. prism 26

    3 July 2012 at 10:58 pm

    The latest review says that it was magnitude 7 depth of 230 km. Heard a boffin talk about the possible 8 expected within the next fifty years. One of a series about 300 years apart.
    • happynz 26.1

      3 July 2012 at 11:06 pm

      Felt it here in Christchurch. A bit different then the usual shakers. This was more of a rolling sensation.
27. mike e 27

    3 July 2012 at 11:56 pm

    More news that Key was deeply embedded in banking scandal BBC world radio
    Investment bankers that didn’t play the game were sacked given 5 mins notice to clean out office space.
    Key smiling assassin was the enforcer so must have been in on it
    • Draco T Bastard 27.1

      4 July 2012 at 12:56 am

      Well, he wasn’t sacked anyway.

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