Open mike 04/04/2021

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 4th, 2021 - 33 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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33 comments on “Open mike 04/04/2021 ”

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  1. KSaysHi 1
    4 April 2021 at 10:15 am

    He has a point. Why shouldn't ACC pay the same for over 65s? It’s a clearly discrimination on the basis of age and it’s not like their ACC levy is lower to compensate.

    And while we are all about change, completely unrelated to the article below all ACC lump sum payments should be tied to inflation. A 10% impairment in the 1980s was $10,000, which is the same $ amount today. That's money ACC takes for profit that should be paid out.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/124579078/working-over65s-dont-get-full-benefit-of-acc-levies-says-campaigner

    • Sacha 1.1
      4 April 2021 at 6:57 pm

      Why shouldn't ACC pay the same for over 65s? It’s a clearly discrimination on the basis of age

      As is the pension, yes.

  2. Sabine 2
    4 April 2021 at 10:30 am

    Happy Easter, may you all find lots of eggs.

    • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 2.1
      4 April 2021 at 12:48 pm

      The Messiah being played on RNZ Concert at the moment! A highlight that makes Easter worth looking forward to.

      • In Vino 2.1.1
        4 April 2021 at 7:59 pm

        Good stereo sound, too. Thank heavens the barbarians did not succeed in pushing Concert FM back onto mono, lo-fi AM.

    • Treetop 2.2
      4 April 2021 at 1:42 pm

      I was given a 400g egg and I am very happy with it. The problem is once I break into it I may over indulge.

    • Johnr 3.1
      4 April 2021 at 11:45 am

      To be fair, there seems to be so many cowboys in this field is any SPF any good.

      Loose clothing and a broad brimmed hat would seem to be more effective

    • Chris T 3.2
      4 April 2021 at 1:43 pm

      I take it it is a slow news day in Aussie.

  4. Adrian Thornton 4
    4 April 2021 at 12:26 pm

    Here is one that is bound to get the juices flowing for some of our local Putin antagonists (but in all likely hood secret admirers)…..

    Vladimir Putin is voted Russia's SEXIEST man: Survey of 2,000 Russians finds president is country's most good looking male

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9432607/Vladimir-Putin-voted-Russias-SEXIEST-man-survey-2-000-Russians.html

    • Sabine 4.1
      4 April 2021 at 12:45 pm

      and Prince William is the sexiest bold man, oh yeah baby….

      • Adrian Thornton 4.1.1
        4 April 2021 at 10:47 pm

        Can't say there one royal alive today that I know of, that would term sexy..can't get the thought of all that royal inbreeding out of my mind I guess…sort of ruins the mood broken heart

    • Stuart Munro 4.2
      4 April 2021 at 2:12 pm

      The body partially disrobed as a visual strategy for self-branding is the theme of this article. During Fascism, photography, in synergy with the communications industry ante-literam, was an essential part of the construction of the cult of the leader that transformed the figure of Mussolini into an icon. Mussolini’s partial nudity is considered here as a powerful political tool. The Duce, in anticipation of our celebrities today, did not hesitate to undress and display his torso in what Valerie Sperling calls ‘iconic public-relations stunts’ that were both exhibitionistic and voyeuristic (Sperling 2014, 21).

      Figured out what you're a fan of yet?

    • Incognito 4.3
      4 April 2021 at 4:46 pm

      A comment such as this is generally on par with having a cheap and lazy go at one of the Kardashians or Gwyneth Paltrow, of all goopy people. In this case, however, it is more like an attempt to target and wind up a select group of other commenters who cannot and will not resist taking the bait. In other words, you have no interest in debating but only in continuing a shit fight. Please suggest how this site should respond to that. I have my own ideas but I’d like to consult the relevant parties [plural] first …

      • weston 4.3.1
        4 April 2021 at 5:47 pm

        How should you respond etc Incognito ?Keeping your sense of humour would be a good start imo since thats obviously the spirit in which the comment was offered .

        • Incognito 4.3.1.1
          4 April 2021 at 6:13 pm

          Yes, fair comment. OTOH, see whether you can keep your sense of humour after a site search on “Putin” and you have viewed the numerous and endless shit fights here. There’s a handful of commenters who seem to enjoy slagging each other as soon as one mentions something about Putin (or Assange, for that matter). In addition, it spills over to other commenters who like to join the fray from time to time. I don’t think that is funny or positive for this site.

        • Sacha 4.3.1.2
          4 April 2021 at 7:02 pm

          obviously, your honour

          bound to get the juices flowing for some of our local Putin antagonists

      • Adrian Thornton 4.3.2
        4 April 2021 at 10:28 pm

        Well here I was on a sunny Easter Sunday afternoon, just having a little bit of fun with the new revelation, that it turns out that a bunch of TS commenters are in very very close geo political alignment with the UK conservative party, which, after all the often quite tense exchanges (shit fights) with them on this left leaning forum over the year on that very subject, I find hilarious, not to mention, also an extremely damning illumination of where they actually stand politically… but as I was saying, here I am having a little fun with that, until of course I get you following me about, critiquing my comments as usual, which is wearing real thin, especially as I often read things you write that I find stupid and annoying as well, but you don’t see me jumping all over you all the time, because I respect your right to say what you want here, within reason, as it is mine.

        Maybe if you don’t like my style of commenting then don’t read my comments, I am sure if I step out of line as far as the rules go, someone will make you or other moderators aware of that soon enough…..until then, please leave me alone.

        • The Al1en 4.3.2.1
          4 April 2021 at 11:18 pm

          I think most people who have watched us post here over a good few years, will know your attempts at baiting, using a false narrative constructed on our behalf, to make out we're not left of centre and tories in drag is a stretch too far, even for someone prattle prone like you.

          https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03-04-2021/#comment-1786566

          [link fixed]

          “It really has become quite apparent to me over the previous few days, that you, Mcflock, Joe90, Al1en and a couple of others on TS are in fact, in your geopolitical beliefs (the ones you express on TS anyway) for want of a better description, are some sort of postmodern (liberal) imperialists. It was always obvious that you guys had some pretty seriously flawed world views, but when I saw recently, exactly how closely nearly all your geopolitical standpoints matched with the UK Conservative parties own positions”

          Thornton, I see you. Arms outstretched to their limit, forever reaching for that which is just beyond your taking, all the while unable to see what is right in front of your face.

          Enjoy your bank holiday Monday.

        • Incognito 4.3.2.2
          5 April 2021 at 3:01 pm

          Maybe if you don’t like my style of commenting then don’t read my comments …..until then, please leave me alone.

          If I don’t read your comments then the shit fights here don’t exist? That’s very Zen.

          Do you suggest this to everyone who reads and/or comments here? To all the silent readers of this site who have to scroll past your lengthy and many shit battles? You don’t think these might be slightly off-putting?

          Winding up others is neither fun nor Zen.

          So, I’m afraid I can’t oblige your request to leave you alone as long as you keep having these shit fights. I’m not doing this because I enjoy annoying you; I do it because I think the site needs these shit fights like a hole in the brain and because my pleading has not made any difference.

          Luckily, Moderators have a few tools available, thanks to Lprent, and I intend to use them as wisely and effectively as I can to try lift the quality of discourse on this site. I’m not going to die on this hill but I will make an effort to improve things here. Whether you’re on board or fight back is entirely up to you; it is nothing personal to me.

    • Anne 5.1
      4 April 2021 at 9:45 pm

      An appropriate place to leave this link to the hauntingly beautiful Nocturne No 20 by the famous Polish composer, Chopin.

      This was the last piece of music played on Warsaw Radio during the destruction of Warsaw. It was not heard from again until after WW2 was over.

      The German Officer protected "The Pianist" and many other Jewish people until the war was over. He ended up in a Siberian Labour Camp courtesy of the Bolsheviks where he died of sickness and starvation.

  6. greywarshark 6
    4 April 2021 at 6:29 pm

    Latest as RadioNZ trumdles in the tumbril towards the guillotine – a high-class act that we should hole onto to not pollute with television and semi- commercialism.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018790008/public-media-plan-moves-forward-behind-closed-doors\

    The government’s plan moved a step forward this week when seven media people were appointed to oversee and scrutinise a business case which the Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister Kris Faafoi wants on his desk by mid-year.

    He plans to take it to Cabinet for approval before the end of the year and last Wednesday Faafoi confirmed he wants a new outlet up and running by 2023.

    The Strong Public Media Business Case Governance Group is chaired by former NZ First party deputy leader Tracey Martin, who pledged to speed up the process.

    “People are frustrated that it has taken this long and the minister is as frustrated as everybody else,” she told reporters.

    Tracey Martin is frustrated that government should be frustrated in its desire to run over our heads with a bulldozer. I have not caught Tracey Martin saying anything of note – have you? Seems just another functionary for the efficiency gang of neolib stripping us of all the features of civilisation that we hold dear.

      • greywarshark 6.1.1
        6 April 2021 at 11:05 am

        The image of Collins receiving a citation needed them to be shuttled around somewhat. A bit to the right and Collins would have been right under the wide goldish light, rather like a halo which it seems that he deserves.

    • Adrian Thornton 6.2
      4 April 2021 at 10:59 pm

      Thanks for that information, although I think RNZ has been dumbed down dramatically over the past decade, it is still of some use and could even be hopefully revived again one day if we ever get a genuine progressive left wing govt (probably not in my life time), but that would never happen if it is 'semi- commercialized', which would of course quickly lead to it's complete commercialization.

      Fucking Labour..what a compete disappointment, even when my hopes were set so very low to start with.

  7. Incognito 7
    4 April 2021 at 8:06 pm

    @ Grafton Gully,

    I strongly believe in live and learn.

    If you wish, you can write a genuine apology and explain what was wrong with your comment.

    Let me know, and I’ll lift your ban so that you can submit it through the Pre-Mod filter.

  8. greywarshark 8
    4 April 2021 at 9:35 pm

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/439807/resources-stretched-as-fire-crews-battle-blazes-across-south-island

    Three properties are being evacuated near the South Canterbury town of Fairlie, as fire crews battle a forestry plantation blaze.

    As Foreign owners grow forestry for carbon offsets etc. are we going to be providing cheap fire fighting services for their plantations? We may achieve lower net emissions, but at a continuing cost to us. What fire prevention plans are there, and what officious regulatory body is going to make sure that they are carried out properly and timely too? I think we have to get back to the officious type with everything, all this working with business starts to get wet round the edges – a bit soggy.

    When government owned there used to be fire watching towers. I guess now there could be drones checking, but those drones are going to be disliked and distrusted now on principle, because they are up there and it is so easy to spy, and it is nice to feel part of the world and look at the birds without those little machines buzzing overhead.

    • Sacha 8.1
      4 April 2021 at 9:40 pm

      ECan. Good luck with that..

    • Sabine 8.2
      4 April 2021 at 11:02 pm

      The guys fighting this fire since this morning are the voluntary firefighters. You won't find much cheaper.

      • greywarshark 8.2.1
        6 April 2021 at 11:00 am

        Yes, they have an outdated sense of what's important; 20th century standards for men and women doing the hard yards while often the executives float round like butterflies, and sting like bees and call it efficiency.