Open mike 03/11/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 3rd, 2015 - 72 comments
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72 comments on “Open mike 03/11/2015 ”

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  1. gsays 1
    3 November 2015 at 7:16 am

    so the police are commenting on the increase of time spent dealing with citizens with mental health issues.
    they seem to view this time as wasted.
    when will they apply the same approach (grizzling about the waste of time and resources) to cannibis law enforcement.

    btw i would like to see an increase in funding and a higher priority placed on mental health.

    • whateva next? 1.1
      3 November 2015 at 9:55 pm

      and yet so many more suicides despite all the work from police and increasing numbers of people seen by Mental Health Services? could it be that society is affected by the ever decreasing resources and jobs? Do the police and the public have to keep expecting that Mental Health Services can make people feel better about the disintegration of society? Getting people to blame MHS is distracting from the causes, and loading up people with a formal psychiatric diagnosis doesn’t always help either?

  2. Tautoko Mangō Mata 2
    3 November 2015 at 7:19 am

    Glenn Greenwald twitter “Yanis Varoufakis on why demand all politicians be “centrist” is so anti-democratic: UK context but widely applicable ”

    “Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has said new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is a “conviction politician” like Margaret Thatcher was.

    He said anti-austerity and anti-war MP Mr Corbyn is someone viewed as extreme but who could shift the political scenery like the former Conservative prime minister.
    http://news.sky.com/story/1551836/varoufakis-why-corbyn-is-like-thatcher”

    Authenticity matters to anyone who has a functioning BS detector.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.1
      3 November 2015 at 11:23 am

      Authenticity matters to anyone who has a functioning BS detector.

      Although true no one actually has such a detector:

      People are pretty lousy lie detectors. In ordinary social interactions, when all we have to go by is what the other persons are saying and how they are saying it, our judgments of whether someone is lying or telling the truth are correct only a little more often than chance. My colleague Charlie Bond and I discovered that when we summarized the results (link is external) of all of the studies that had ever been done on the topic, in which more than 24,000 people had participated. By chance, accuracy would have been 50 percent; the average accuracy across all of the studies was 54 percent.

      Basically, humans are really bad at detecting when they’re being lied to.

  3. Rodel 3
    3 November 2015 at 7:35 am

    Now that the world cup is over maybe JK will leave Richie MCaw (Peace be upon him) alone and next week divert his attention to gaining vicarious glory from Charles and D… Sorry -Camilla. (peace on them too) .

    Hey JK…How about a knighthood for Prince Charles? Now there’s a vote catcher.

  4. Tautoko Mangō Mata 4
    3 November 2015 at 7:38 am

    This article by Chris Hedges about Sheldon Wolin is excellent reading.
    Inverted totalitarianism is different from classical forms of totalitarianism. It does not find its expression in a demagogue or charismatic leader but in the faceless anonymity of the corporate state. Our inverted totalitarianism pays outward fealty to the facade of electoral politics, the Constitution, civil liberties, freedom of the press, the independence of the judiciary, and the iconography, traditions and language of American patriotism, but it has effectively seized all of the mechanisms of power to render the citizen impotent.

    “Unlike the Nazis, who made life uncertain for the wealthy and privileged while providing social programs for the working class and poor, inverted totalitarianism exploits the poor, reducing or weakening health programs and social services, regimenting mass education for an insecure workforce threatened by the importation of low-wage workers,” Wolin writes. ”
    http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/11/02/sheldon-wolin-and-inverted-totalitarianism.”
    ….
    “Political campaigns rarely discuss substantive issues. They center on manufactured political personalities, empty rhetoric, sophisticated public relations, slick advertising, propaganda and the constant use of focus groups and opinion polls to loop back to voters what they want to hear. ”

    The whole article is well worth reading as I have just picked a couple of aspects out of it.

    • greywarshark 4.1
      3 November 2015 at 10:00 am

      The workforce threatened by worldwide supplies of imported low wage/no wage labour. Bad enough and a no-win situation for those involved in job allocation. But worse, and we shouldn’t forget this, is the trend to automate.

      Humans are destroying themselves, losing their souls, putting money, objects, pleasure and advantage ahead of accepting themselves and others as amazing beings with potential for wisdom that most will never reach out for. And making that their goal.

      Eventually the flame of soul will be lost. Already we are watching television and films playing with ideas that are negative to the beauty of the human spirit and it is not the way that intelligent beings should behave. We are being pressured by soulless people, and never finding the fullness of our lives and the joys of our wonderful world. Grey, black, are our colours – money is our god. Distaste is felt for the poor and untidy. The mask of smooth, clever, appearance suitability and superiority passes as the real being.

      Sorry but this has been turning over in my head as I watch the daily parade of events that advance and recede continuously with no improvement for we people, who are confused as to what to do to turn this around, if that can be done.

      • tracey 4.1.1
        3 November 2015 at 10:04 am

        sigh

      • One Two 4.1.2
        3 November 2015 at 1:02 pm

        Certainly raises many questions about ‘who and what we are’

        Harmful energy dominates, but it wont remain so

        Change will come but it requires active participation. There are ever greater numbers realising the threat to existence is real, and non discriminating and must be removed

        Keep the faith, and focus on those you can spread light onto

  5. Xanthe 5
    3 November 2015 at 8:27 am

    Things are looking up for kim Dotcom, his defence has made a few good hits yesterday bringing more crown dishonesty to light and it looks like the intenet party is waking up again with an AGM this saturday

  6. Tracey 6
    3 November 2015 at 9:05 am

    Australia is abolishing Knighthoods and Damehoods. We are hosting the Prince of Wales just in time for the Flag Referendum…

    • Puckish Rogue 6.1
      3 November 2015 at 9:42 am

      Don’t forget Sir Steve and Sir Richard 😉

      • tracey 6.1.1
        3 November 2015 at 10:03 am

        ah yes… but not til Richie officially retires… it’s almost like Key has pulled off the biggest double bluff in the history of the world… he always wanted to KEEP our flag 😉

        • Puckish Rogue 6.1.1.1
          3 November 2015 at 11:15 am

          http://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11538536

          Prime Minister John Key has confirmed that All Black skipper Richie McCaw will be offered a knighthood after leading New Zealand to two Rugby World Cup wins, describing him as “truly one of the all-time greats of the game”.

          He indicated coach Steve Hansen was also likely to be offered a knighthood when he retires from coaching.

          Labour leader Andrew Little concurred with both suggestions.

          John Keys a smart guy all right 🙂

          • tracey 6.1.1.1.1
            3 November 2015 at 11:22 am

            Did he mention Helen Kelly? 😉

            Irene Van Dyke?

          • Psycho Milt 6.1.1.1.2
            3 November 2015 at 11:26 am

            Well, if shits like Talley can have one, I can’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be distributed to professional sports players. Knighthoods can’t really get any more debased than they are.

            • tracey 6.1.1.1.2.1
              3 November 2015 at 11:51 am

              Great point

            • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1.1.2.2
              3 November 2015 at 12:23 pm

              True. It’s probably at the point where we should simply start gaoling anybody being given a knighthood.

              • tracey …
                3 November 2015 at 12:53 pm

                Think of the money we can save on investigations

              • alwyn …
                3 November 2015 at 1:55 pm

                I started to think “What a silly comment”
                Then I thought about “Sir” Michael Cullen and it began to seem a good idea.

              • Paul …
                3 November 2015 at 5:40 pm

                Fay
                Richwhite
                Talley
                Shipley
                Douglas

                All were knighted.
                Sounds like a rogue’s gallery rather than honourable supporters of NZ’s community.

            • vto 6.1.1.1.2.3
              3 November 2015 at 1:19 pm

              Agree that knighthoods have become a joke, exemplified by Key telling the world he is going to give one to McCaw

              And further indicated by Australia’s dumping of them (and Key’s reinstatement of them while maintaining we need a new flag)

              wtf?

          • logie97 6.1.1.1.3
            3 November 2015 at 1:11 pm

            Given his apparent total lack of interest in things Rugby in 1981, on what grounds does Key base his judgement of “Richie as one the greatest All Blacks of all time…”

          • David H 6.1.1.1.4
            3 November 2015 at 4:09 pm

            Lets hope that Ritchie realises it’s just another JK photo op and publicity ploy, and tells him where to stick it.

  7. savenz 7
    3 November 2015 at 9:12 am

    The Nash drama has become even more enlightening to his personality and views on voters – he’s just responded and attacking people calling them EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN a selection of his insults….. Little needs to get him a minder.

    no – that’s far left nutbags like Ure. Living under a rock. Be careful, occasionally the ground that a rock rests on collapses…

    (FAR LEFT NUTBAGS LIVING UNDER A ROCK??)

    As for getting real… you have no idea. About anything.

    (UNBELIEVABLE COMMENT!)

    Hami,
    Goodness me – where to start…
    First of all who the hell are you to comment on Walter? I bet you haven’t even read Sinclair’s great book. And no, vote splitting didn’t deliver me the seat of Napier: I got back into parliament because I raised a shit load of money, worked bloody hard and concentrated on the issues that were important to the good hard working people of Napier. Now that may seem an anathema to you and your lot, but that is how one wins. Not sitting around whining and whinging about everything under the sun.

    We actually DO know what Kiwis want, and we work extremely hard to make sure we deliver.

    (If Labour did KNOW WHAT KIWIS WANT Labour would have won the ELECTION!)

    I knew exactly what I was doing when I wrote this post (so don’t insult my intelligence), but I just wanted to once again confirm that there still exists a far-left fringe who are so divorced from political reality that they really don’t want to win the treasury benches. Ever.

    (I just wanted to once again confirm that there still exists a far-left fringe who are so divorced from political reality…. THEY ARE CALLED VOTERS)

    You don’t pay my salary and I am not your servant. I am very proud to serve those Kiwis who are aspirational for the future and who love our country with the passion I do. If you think I represent your brand of whinging negativity, then you are sorely mistaken. Because I don’t and I never ever will.

    (ONLY INTERESTED IN TALKING TO ASPIRATIONAL KIWIS – I GUESS IF YOU LOSE YOUR JOB, OR HAVE A PROBLEM YOU ARE JUST WHINGING NEGATIVITY – GOOD LUCK GETTING HELP FROM HIM).

    • Hami Shearlie 7.1
      3 November 2015 at 10:33 am

      Yes, who knew that humble little me had their very own “lot”!! LOL – I’m still trying to work out who and where my “lot” are! I’m very far away from far left! Most members and supporters are not extremists, they just want the MPs to express THEIR thoughts and opinions and not just the MPs private views – aren’t they supposed to be OUR representatives? So you would think they would be keen to express OUR position in Parliament – that’s what they are there for, or is it?? Nash doesn’t seem to think so, he thinks we are good enough to deliver and fold pamphlets and the rest of the time should be seen and not heard like children of the Victorian Age or something!

      It’s rather funny to announce that comments must not be made about Walter Nash, a former Prime Minister , Labour Leader and a public figure. But apparently one must only comment after reading a certain book. Stuart Nash was 10 months old when his adoptive grandfather Walter Nash died, so I can’t imagine how Stuart Nash can be a fountain of first-hand knowledge regarding Walter Nash’s career and public life in NZ! Really great people like Walter Nash, Michael Joseph Savage and Edmund Hillary don’t ever feel the need to trumpet their achievements, they are apparent for all to see without personal preening!

      I wonder how many have left the Party after reading Nash’s little article? I have never met him and don’t think I want to. The arrogance and overkill trumpeting of his so-called “win” and all this ME ME ME stuff reminds me of a certain Mr Gilmore!

      • savenz 7.1.1
        3 November 2015 at 10:54 am

        Yes, who are ‘your lot’ is he referring too ‘people who want a functioning health, welfare and society??? or anyone who is not an oil donor giving him ‘shitloads of money’ for his ‘hard work’?

        I would consider myself a centrist and not hard left too! Maybe it is the centre, they are trying to alienate? Have voted Labour the most over the years but only gave my Labour my electoral vote last election.

        What Labour don’t seem to realise is that people still bothering complaining about them are their current or ex voters telling them why they are not winning!!!!

        Nash should read how to ‘lose friends and alienate people’.

    • marty mars 7.2
      3 November 2015 at 10:42 am

      gnasher ain’t here to make friends – they diminish and get in the way of SUCCESS and WINNING the goal we should ALL have – getting gnasher to the top – come on people let’s work as a team and do it his way

      • savenz 7.2.1
        3 November 2015 at 11:14 am

        World famous for inequality
        Until the 1980s, New Zealand used to be one of the most equal countries in the world (although that equality didn’t extend to all groups). But in the two decades from the mid-1980s on, the gap between the rich and the rest increased faster than anywhere else in the developed world.

        Unequal societies are less functional, less cohesive and less economically sound than their more equal counterparts. Wide income gaps weaken trust, and divide communities, making it harder to get things done. They encourage competition and consumption, and lead to a more stressful, less healthy society. They stifle opportunity and ability. And they weaken the economy by depriving it of the full range of talents. These weaknesses affect every one of us.

        http://www.inequality.org.nz/understand/

        • marty mars 7.2.1.1
          3 November 2015 at 11:40 am

          I probably should have put /sarc

          but to continue the theme 🙂

          inequality strengthens us by weeding out the weak – look at dogs – are they equal? No! there is alpha and then the rest. Animals aren’t equal – birds have wings for instance – sure some don’t fly but they have wings so therefore are not equal to non-winged animals, they are better – sure insects have wings too but they don’t have beaks so the birds still win.

          This argument can be mapped onto the political environment in the Bay.

          anyway enough sillyness…

        • Draco T Bastard 7.2.1.2
          3 November 2015 at 3:46 pm

          +1

          Competition breaks society as we’ve seen time and time again and yet we still fall for the psychopaths need to get rich.

    • weka 7.3
      3 November 2015 at 11:40 am

      SaveNZ, it’s almost impossible to make sense of you comment without lots of backwards and forwards between here and teh TDB thread because you haven’t made it clear which are your words and which are Nash’s.

    • vto 7.4
      3 November 2015 at 1:01 pm

      Ha ha Stuart Nash comes across as a tosser with an out of balance ego.

      He also comes cross as a shallow person with little depth, as seen in his very first line… “Let’s be clear about one thing: politics is about winning”

      What a simpleton
      What a fool
      What silliness

      Politics is many many things to every person on the planet. It is about achieving what society needs, about the art of the possible. It is about negotiation and cooperation, boldness and striking out alone. It is about human relations, it is about how we talk and negotiate and agree ways forward. It is about many many things, all to do with the interaction of people.

      I think if you asked most people what “politics is …” they would certainly not say “politics is about winning”

      Nash is simply wrong in his very first sentence.

      …….

      further… he is clearly in the wrong party … evidence one: “… is about winning”. Isn’t that Key’s mantra? Key is a winner /sarc. evidence two: “aspirational” – isn’t that Keys slogan too?

      Stuart Nash should bugger off to the right wing parties

  8. greywarshark 8
    3 November 2015 at 9:45 am

    Interesting interview on electricity usage with Kathryn Ryan this morning. Interviewee, keen young man, wants to help consumers make the most cost effective choices. Choice remark – if people instal solar systems they are not paying their share to the electricity companies! Sounds like he and they are wanting to maintain their hold on the cash cow of electricity provision. (The Greens are such a brake on rising profits and monopoly of necessities.)

    How it works is if not enough people are using electricity then there isn’t enough cash going in for managing and building infrastructure. Under a profit system, then the standard of supply would then go down for those without solar. Oh dear. Why did we turn it into a profit business instead of running it in a businesslike way as a not-for-profit, which would set prices at necessary levels, not levels nice to have (for those selling back to us what we originally built for all.)

    And one of the ideas is to get cheaper electricity by having batteries drawing it off in off peak times, and then using that when demand pushes price up. That sounds a bit like the ripple controls for the water heaters and hall heaters we had, a lot lower than the usual at one time, now about 1 cent cheaper.

    Uuugh.

    • savenz 8.1
      3 November 2015 at 9:51 am

      The best thing for people to do is to go completely off grid if they can. Because the daily electricity charges are so high because the electricity companies are anticipating less power being used in the future but still want to maintain their profits! If you are completely separate you are completely independent.

      • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1
        3 November 2015 at 4:02 pm

        That would be the best thing under a capitalist system of profits before people, i.e, the present system.

        But the actual best system is a nation wide smart grid owned by the state and run at cost. This smart grid includes solar power on housing/buildings, wind generators (both on and offshore) and hydro. The hydro would effectively be the batteries needed because of the variability of renewable systems although having the generation distributed across the country would decrease that to some degree.

  9. ianmac 9
    3 November 2015 at 10:51 am

    In the middle of installing solar electrical panels. The insignificant buyback of 8cents per kw is not really on our radar. Increase daytime use of solar power to heat all of the hot water. Maybe time-switch fridge etc.
    Telsa are bringing upgraded storage batteries so that eventually the night time use could come off daytime excess. Most other countries have Government subsidy of some sort. Not here. Market rules don’t you know?

    • katipo 9.1
      3 November 2015 at 12:49 pm

      Article about the economics of the ‘Tesla Power Wall’
      http://rameznaam.com/2015/04/30/tesla-powerwall-battery-economics-almost-there/

      “Here’s a map from BNEF of sunshine vs grid electricity rates. Countries above the 2015 line have cheaper solar electricity than grid electricity today. But a number of those countries, including Australia, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Brazil have no or severely limited ability for solar home owners to sell extra power back to the grid. In those sunny, policy-light countries, Tesla’s batteries make economic sense today, and will help drive rooftop solar. ”

      NZ is not on the graph but I’m sure we would be close to the line too

      Like solar the price of electricity storage is dropping fast, so unless power companies wish people go off-grid they had better keep their prices down and the amount their generation buyback price up.

    • greywarshark 9.2
      4 November 2015 at 11:51 am

      Here market drools!

  10. vto 10
    3 November 2015 at 1:16 pm

    .

    Every five years or so the All Blacks team of the time gets called the greatest ever….

    How does that work?

    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

    • weka 10.1
      3 November 2015 at 1:37 pm

      it’s like climate change events, 100 year floods every few years 😉

    • Puckish Rogue 10.2
      3 November 2015 at 2:25 pm

      Well the first team to win back to back world cup titles plus the comfortable manner in which they did it is a pretty good arguement

    • weka 12.1
      3 November 2015 at 6:04 pm

      re Joe90’s comment above,

      Also, Newsweek reported on Monday night that Anonymous has denied responsibility for the link published by a Twitter user identified as “Amped Attacks.” The online activist group did, however, say it would release its own list of Klan members on Thursday.)

  13. millsy 13
    3 November 2015 at 4:48 pm

    Incidentally, back in about 2001/02 I was told that a high up member of the police force in New Plymouth had ties to the KKK.

  14. joe90 14
    3 November 2015 at 5:16 pm

    Congratulations Michelle Payne, the first woman to ride a cup winner.

  15. joe90 15
    3 November 2015 at 5:33 pm

    Didn’t take long.

    CNBC Now ‏@CNBCnow 5h5 hours ago

    BREAKING: TransCanada requests suspension of U.S. permit for KeystoneXL pipeline; request could end pipeline bid for now, beyond 2016 – DJ

    https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/661336295017455616/photo/1