Open mike 05/10/2024

69 comments on “Open mike 05/10/2024 ”

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1. Subliminal 1

   5 October 2024 at 7:38 am

   Iran sends around 200 missiles into Israel, all aimed at military targets. One civilian, a Palestinian, dies from shrapnel from an intercepted missile. Israel responds with devastating strikes on apartment blocks in Beirut. Hundreds of ordinary people join the deaths of the thousands in Gaza. In all likelihood, this is only the beginning for Beirut.

   Dr Marandi and his Lebanese host take a walk around the devastation in Beirut. This is what the height of western civilization is. A colonial invading force that demands subjegation and cares not a wit about human decency.

   https://x.com/TVFreePalestine/status/1841937491869499531
   • SPC 1.1

     5 October 2024 at 7:49 am

     Whatever one thinks of the Israeli military actions in Gaza, or Lebanon (and there are critics within Israel), it would be inaccurate to say the more recent actions in Lebanon are the response to Iran firing missiles into Israel.
     • Drowsy M. Kram 1.1.1

       5 October 2024 at 1:52 pm

       Whatever one thinks of the Israeli military actions in Gaza, or Lebanon…

       Campbell reckons recent Israeli military actions aren't much chop in humanitarian terms – that could apply to almost any military conflict, depending on one's PoV.

       On The Perils Of Israel’s War Fever [3 Oct 2024]
       Retaliation, however, seems to be a right the West feels only Israel is entitled to exercise.
       …
       In the usual media calculus that we have seen in Gaza, non-Israeli lives are cheap.
       …
       To repeat: Israel has no diplomatic end game. That’s one reason why getting bogged down in southern Lebanon as winter approaches must be far less attractive to Netanyahu than leap-frogging Lebanon, and triggering a head-on conflict with Iran.

       Three great forces rule the world: stupidity, fear and greed. – Einstein

       Head-on conflict with Iran could be the end of the beginning, and the US+allies would jump in boots and all. Imho, living on spaceship Earth doesn't get any easier from here on out – we don't know how lucky we are, and were – but don't mind me.

       https://www.climatechangeguide.com/wars-over-natural-resources.html
       • SPC 1.1.1.1

         5 October 2024 at 2:31 pm

         I am hoping it is just

         1.a demonstration of strength though their New Year, Oct anniversary and the following religious holiday period (to end of the month)

         2.getting away with an action now, before they are required to be more circumspect by Biden over the winter (when there is a focus on aid) and the arrival of a new POTUS in January.

         They have diplomatic options, or had.
         • Drowsy M. Kram 1.1.1.1.1

           5 October 2024 at 2:42 pm

           All we can do is hope against hope (and evidence?) that "Israel's war fever" will respond to future US urgings/requirements for greater circumspection.

           https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_veto_power#United_States
           • SPC 1.1.1.1.1.1

             5 October 2024 at 2:45 pm

             After Nov 5.

             https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cje3zl0dq2ko
             • Drowsy M. Kram …

               5 October 2024 at 3:07 pm

               A month or more is a long time to wait for a fever to break – here's hoping.

               Israel Will Hit Iran Under Cover of Trump-Harris Election: Analyst [4 Oct 2024]
               "Israel is basically taking advantage of a permissive environment ahead of the U.S. election to get all it can," he told Newsweek.

               He believes this will continue during a "lame duck session," in the period before the new president takes office, when Israel will "continue to step up their attacks, to get all they can."
               • SPC …

                 5 October 2024 at 3:45 pm

                 I suspect he might be wrong about Biden Nov 5 2024 to January 2025. Remember POTUS Obama did not discourage Resolution 2334 Dec 2016.

                 While U.S. President Joe Biden has said he would not support Israel launching a retaliatory strike on nuclear sites in Iran, he has reiterated his support, saying: "Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully supportive of Israel."

                 There is still risk as to other action on Iran before Nov 5. Biden might not prevent that, but probably would try and discourage it – maybe by tying it to Israeli commitments.
                 • Drowsy M. Kram …

                   5 October 2024 at 4:33 pm

                   Remember POTUS Obama did not discourage Resolution 2334 Dec 2016.

                   https://www.un.org/webcast/pdfs/SRES2334-2016.pdf

                   Well intentioned, but, 8 years on, progress has been slow.

                   I suspect Israel's leaders are past the point where "try and discourage" and/or apparent lack of US support looms large in their conflict calculus.

                   Time will tell if that changes after 5 Nov., given that Israel can always count on US administrations to be "fully, fully supportive of Israel."
2. PsyclingLeft.Always 2

   5 October 2024 at 8:05 am

   I am in awe. What an inspiring way to emphasize….

   A Dunedin man has made his submission against the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill while wading through flood-waters in the city and playing Kora's "Politician" over a loud speaker.

   Nevell stands in a suburban street flooded with water wearing headphones and reads his submission over Zoom.

   Cars parked on the road have water up to their tyres, and frontyards are flooded with water nearly up to letterboxes.

   "As politicians, I ask you to consider why is short-term economic benefit of further oil and gas exploration more important than long-term protection from ecological and societal collapse?"

   "Who are you benefiting in the political choices you are making?" he asked, "not me and my neighbours here in Dunedin where we are currently experiencing flood caused by the continued problems of climate change".

   Nevell called for a transition away from greenhouse gases, "the longer we leave it the worse for everyone".

   "The positive economic impact of oil and gas exploration quickly evaporates when the economy and peoples lives are destroyed by these ever more frequent events such as that we are experiencing right now in Dunedin."

   https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/529873/a-different-way-of-storming-the-capital-submission-from-the-floodwaters

   Onya mate. True Respect !
   • dv 2.1

     5 October 2024 at 8:17 am

     ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
   • Patricia Bremner 2.2

     5 October 2024 at 2:30 pm

     100%
3. Jenny 3

   5 October 2024 at 8:22 am

   CCN World, gives the most in depth report on the sabotage of the Gold Apollo pagers that I have read yet. And well worth a look.

   But there was one snippet that particularly caught my eye.

   ….Customs records in Taiwan, cited by the officials, showed that Gold Apollo shipped more than 20,000 pagers from Taiwan to the United States in the first eight months of 2024. More than 5,000 pagers were shipped to Hong Kong, while more than 3,000 pagers were shipped to Australia….

   https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/27/middleeast/israel-pager-attack-hezbollah-lebanon-invs-intl/index.html

   This raised some questions in my mind.

   Did any of the 3,000 pagers shipped to Australia, reach New Zealand?

   Why was there no international recall of these pagers to check for tampering?

   Were the US and Australia and Hong Kong authorities in communication with Mossad, and given an assurance by Mossad that the Gold Appollo pagers they received were guaranteed safe?

   These pagers may present a public health risk.

   These handy compact and relatively cheap and rugged devices are commonly used by On-Call femergency Drs, and other first responders, like volunteer fire fighters and ambulance drivers, especialy in rural New Zealand.

   Did any Gold Appollo pagers enter New Zealand?

   Have our intellingence agencies received an assurance from Mossad that these pagers are safe?

   And was this safety assurance passed on to the pager users?

   Might be well worth an OIA request to the government.

   Land Information New Zealand:

   https://www.linz.govt.nz › About us › Information releases

   The OIA enables citizens, permanent residents, visitors to New Zealand, and body corporates registered or with a place of business in New Zealand to make a request for official information held by government agencies, including Toitū Te Whenua.
   • tWig 3.1

     5 October 2024 at 10:28 am

     The take-home I got from CNN was that explosives were deliberately installed, ie they were bombs, not electronics made to explode.
   • David 3.2

     5 October 2024 at 11:03 am

     Jenny, while it makes for a good conspiracy theory, the reality is different.

     People that are “on call”, ie doctors, firemen, IT technicians etc, all stopped using pagers with the advent of mobile phones. I briefly had a pager in the mid ‘80’s, but from about ’87 we started using mobile phones. I haven’t seen a pager used in NZ since the’90’s.

     Mossad is not out to get you, unless you’re a member of Hamas living in New Zealand and they know you’re part of the leadership of that organisation. So I think you’re safe from the Jews.
     • Subliminal 3.2.1

       5 October 2024 at 12:02 pm

       Being "safe from the Jews" is not the problem. The problem is being safe from the Zionists. Much as you would like to equate them, they are not the same. Zionists include many fundamentalist Christians and as with all fundamentalists they embrace violence. Netanyahu invoking the Amalekites is a prime example. Zionism is a rascist settler colonial movement that seeks to displace the local population by any means including mass murder, as has been amply demonstrated in Gaza and the West Bank
       • SPC 3.2.1.1

         5 October 2024 at 12:23 pm

         Zionism is a rascist settler colonial movement, based on wanting a national homeland in an area where there is also another people (different language and religion).

         The separatist component can make it like apartheid, but the difference here is not race.
     • Jenny 3.2.2

       5 October 2024 at 12:15 pm

       The users of the 3,000 pagers shipped to Australia might beg to differ.

       Pagers: Small; discrete and more durable, and last longer between charges.
       They are also cheaper and the screen is not likely crack. For one-way urgent emergency messaging pagers are the perfect device.

       Smart phones: fragile, bulky and need to be charged every day. Not to mention, expensive.

       I take it you are not a manual worker?

       Say instead that you are a volunteer firefighter working at your day job doing a physical task, and a fire breaks out in your community. You don't have the room in your work clothes for a mobile phone, and you know you may get called to go to the local volunteer fire station at a moment's notice. then a pager is the device for you.

       Even burner phones are not as well suited to this task as a pager.

       The word "Pager", says it all really.
       • Binders full of women 3.2.2.1

         5 October 2024 at 7:11 pm

         Ae…volunteer coastguard I think and still on pagers..
       • Belladonna 3.2.2.2

         7 October 2024 at 3:25 pm

         No doubt you were just as concerned over the importation of high-tops, when they were used by Richard Reid in an attempt to blow up a plane. /sarc/

         https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Reid

         From everything that I've read, the explosives were inserted into a specific consignment of pagers/walkie talkies, which were ordered by Hezbollah. Not into random ones on the production line.

         Unless Mossad is targeting you, deliberately, I don't expect that pagers, etc. imported into NZ are any greater risk than they ever have been.
     • SPC 3.2.3

       5 October 2024 at 12:17 pm

       The term Zionist is more appropriate.
     • Jenny 3.2.4

       6 October 2024 at 7:01 am

       David @3.2

       5 October 2024 at 11:03 am

       …..People that are “on call”, ie doctors, firemen, IT technicians etc, all stopped using pagers with the advent of mobile phones.

       All?

       Now for the facts:

       Who still uses pagers?

       https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/528397/who-still-uses-pagers

       …..the tiny electronic devices remain a vital means of communication in some areas – such as healthcare and emergency services – thanks to their durability and long battery life.

       "It's the cheapest and most efficient way to communicate to a large number of people about messages that don't need responses," said a senior surgeon at a major UK hospital, adding that pagers are commonly used by doctors and nurses across the country's National Health Service (NHS).

       "It's used to tell people where to go, when, and what for."

       P.S. I too like other commenters here, find your effort to conflate Jews with Zionists offensive.

       Not all Jews are Zionists and not all Zionists are Jews.

       At almost every Pro-Palestinian protest in Auckland that I have attended there is a huge banner held by 'Jewish Voices For Peace' calling an end to the genocide in Gaza.
       • David 3.2.4.1

         6 October 2024 at 8:20 am

         I am not conflating Jews with Zionists. Could you point out to me where I did so?

         The comment about you being safe from the Jews not ment to be taken seriously.
4. Kay 4

   5 October 2024 at 9:21 am

   “We’ve had a few clients turn their short-term rentals into long-term rentals because it’s just not worth it anymore to do it through Airbnb.”

   https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/bach-owners-say-airbnb-booking-fees-and-app-tax-are-crushing-them-its-just-not-worth-it-46337

   Good. A policy that has an overall beneficial effect. Hopefully this current mob won't reverse it.
   • weka 4.1

     5 October 2024 at 10:51 am

     "Bach owners… Some are considering selling up"

     So probably not their holiday home eh, but an investment property in a tourist town instead.

     Since April, online marketplace operators have been required to collect the standard 15% rate on listed services. Airbnb and Bookabach have passed the cost onto users in the form of an occupancy or lodging tax, which along with their own service fee adds about 30% to the advertised nightly rate.

     The sites then give the Government 6.5% and pay the remaining 8.5% to the GST unregistered seller to recognise the GST on their costs from supplying listed services.

     I don't really understand that, why is the platform giving 8.5% to the owner?

     I will say that it makes booking more complicated and that might be what is putting people off. The owners could be returning the 8.5% by reducing their nightly rates.
     • tWig 4.1.1

       5 October 2024 at 11:26 am

       From that article: Excellent work Rotorua Council.

       'As well as the GST making it more expensive for people to rent, Rotorua District Council had also started charging commercial rates to properties advertised for at least 60 days a year as short-term accommodation.

       Rates had “pretty much doubled” with people having to shell out anywhere from $4000 to $10,000 more, he said. Lock said they had already lost about 10% of properties because the owners had stopped renting them out short-term because it wasn’t worth it and he expected more to go.'

       This recognition that short term rentals are an accommodation business, and a no-strings (until now) greedy undercutting of motels and hotels by bach owners for big bucks, should be taken by all councils.
       • weka 4.1.1.1

         5 October 2024 at 11:46 am

         interesting. QLDC (another tourist town) did this a long time ago.

         Not sure what various councils do with long term rentals and commercial rates though.
5. tWig 5

   5 October 2024 at 10:34 am

   Like the conspiracy rumours generated (by nutters or by disinfo agents)round the Gisborne floods, the devastation in the SE east US is generating its own multitude. The Guardian says

   'The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) put up a webpage this week to knock down the swirl of rumors it has faced – a sign of the increased myths. The American Red Cross posted on social media to dispel various falsehoods about its work. Members of Congress and state emergency management services have issued statements to insist they are working around the clock on disaster response. Elected officials who serve the area have asked constituents not to spread rumors and instead help each other.'

   This is the type of misinfo and disinfo that is used by external actors and by nasty people on 8chan to push those upset and facing damage into political positions supportive of Trump, who has jumped on this particular bandwagon to make political hay while the sun shines, so to speak.

   The bullshit swirling around Cyclone Gabrielle was eye-opening, including thousands of dead.
   • Descendant Of Smith 5.1

     5 October 2024 at 12:33 pm

     Yeah mate of mine who lives in Hawkes Bay, who also doesn't believe we landed on the moon, told me there were hundreds of bodies floating out at sea and they had built a morgue at the port to cover it up.

     Obviously the cover-up worked well cause it hasn't been reported.
     • tWig 5.1.1

       5 October 2024 at 3:25 pm

       Yeh, perfect dual-fork propaganda strategy. Damned if you do, damed if you don't.
6. tWig 6

   5 October 2024 at 11:10 am

   Politico does an interesting article on the role of the Green Party in US Presidential elections, as vote splitter in marginal electorates.

   'Wisconsin Democrats haven’t forgotten the searing experience of 2016, when Hillary Clinton unexpectedly lost the state to Donald Trump by just under 23,000 votes — a defeat that many attribute to the roughly 31,000 votes Stein won that year as the Green Party nominee.'

   How FPTP damages democratic choice.
   • Bearded Git 6.1

     5 October 2024 at 2:31 pm

     A split vote was also why Al Gore lost in 2000 (though he actually won of course).

     Ralph Nader got 2.8 million votes, taken mostly from Gore.
     • adam 6.1.1

       5 October 2024 at 3:13 pm

       A split vote was also why Al Gore lost in 2000

       Piss off with that bullshit lie. I see you put no proof to back up your point.

       Here watch a video on how the democrats actually lost.
     • SPC 6.1.2

       5 October 2024 at 5:28 pm

       Republican	George W. Bush	2,912,790
       Democratic	Al Gore	2,912,253
       Green	Ralph Nader	97,488

       Florida 2000
   • adam 6.2

     5 October 2024 at 3:21 pm

     Stine won votes from people who would never have voted democrat, so why are you attacking Stine?

     I'm well over this line of crap from people. Why do you think people should automatically vote for one side? They can't think for themselves?

     And if you read the piece the Greens have been building a base via local elections and growing a supporter based based on getting results. Rather than pandering to fear.

     The democrats are like the labour party and their hacks here – blame everyone else for their failing to getting people to vote for them.
     • tWig 6.2.1

       5 October 2024 at 3:27 pm

       Yes, I thought the piece gave a good all-round context to Green strategy. Still, they worry the Democratic party.
     • SPC 6.2.2

       5 October 2024 at 5:36 pm

       Until they are successful in getting preferential voting, they are doing nothing to challenge the duopoly.

       They and Independents could do something.
     • joe90 6.2.3

       5 October 2024 at 8:19 pm

       Greens have been building a base via local elections and growing a supporter based based on getting results.

       *snort*

       /

       Jill Stein Is Killing the Green Party

       With membership at new lows and no electoral wins to their name, it’s time for the Greens to ditch the malignant narcissist who’s presided over its decline.

       Over the last several years, much ink has been spilled over the fact that one of America’s political parties has been captured—if not contorted into an outright cult of personality—by an aging, megalomaniacal autocrat apologist and repeat loser who cares about little outside accruing power and personal enrichment. You are probably conjuring the image of Donald Trump. You’re not wrong, but this dynamic actually applies to two of America’s political parties: the GOP under Trump and the Green Party under Dr. Jill Stein.

       […]

       How has Stein fared as a leader? By AOC’s perfectly reasonable standard, she’s done abysmally. As of July 2024, a mere 143 officeholders in the United States are affiliated with the Green Party. None of them are in statewide or federal offices. In fact, no Green Party candidate has ever won federal office. And Stein’s reign has been a period of indisputable decline, during which time the party’s membership—which peaked in 2004 at 319,000 registered members—has fallen to 234,000 today.

       https://newrepublic.com/article/186004/green-jill-stein-2024-election
       • adam 6.2.3.1

         5 October 2024 at 8:35 pm

         Link to new republic, rofl.
   • joe90 6.3

     5 October 2024 at 8:03 pm

     Stein has no path to win the presidency but, like she did in 2016, she can help tRump win.
     • adam 6.3.1

       5 October 2024 at 8:37 pm

       Bullshit, get a grip on reality. Clinton, was a bloody awful candidate who lost because she was loathed by the US public.

       Stop blaming others for the the uselessness of Clinton.
       • Bearded Git 6.3.1.1

         6 October 2024 at 12:04 pm

         I tend to agree with you Adam about Clinton. She was not a good candidate in that she was not particularly liked, was not a great campaigner and was not eloquent like her husband or Obama. She was, however, smart and may have made a good president.

         However, there is no doubt that Gore lost the presidency because of Nader's presence. It is widely accepted that Nader took more Democrat votes than Republican.

         If the Supreme Court had allowed a proper count in Florida, Gore would have probably won there and so would have been president.
7. Anne 7

   5 October 2024 at 11:40 am

   Oh dear, the plot thickens:

   I saw an item on the Herald online yesterday but it seems to have disappeared. Will have another look.
   • joe90 7.1

     5 October 2024 at 1:11 pm

     Of course Bibi was just a backpacker….

     /

     A listening device was found in Boris Johnson’s personal bathroom at the Foreign Office after it had been used by Benjamin Netanyahu, the former British Prime Minister has claimed.

     Johnson has alleged that when the Israeli Prime Minister visited his department in 2017, his security team found bugging devices in the toilets after he had used the facilities.

     During their meeting in his old office, Johnson says Netanyahu, who he calls Bibi, excused himself to go to the bathroom, which Johnson describes as similar to “the gents in a posh London club” which exist within a “secret annexe”.

     In his book, Unleashed, Johnson writes: “Thither Bibi repaired for a while, and it may or may not be a coincidence but I am told that later, when they were doing a regular sweep for bugs, they found a listening device in the thunderbox.”

     https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/bugging-device-found-in-boris-johnsons-bathroom-after-benjamin-netanyahu-visit/SSGLN5X7JRHAZMFVXBILDQX2DY/
   • tWig 7.2

     5 October 2024 at 3:29 pm

     I saw CNN had a headline briefly that Boris claimed QEII died of bone cancer (how tasteless of B). Then nothing came up in UK news, do guess that was squashed by the Palace pronto.
     • Anne 7.2.1

       5 October 2024 at 5:30 pm

       It was true tWig. She did have bone cancer. That was why she couldn't fulfil most of her public duties in the last year or so of her life. However there is a memorandum of understanding in the British media not to report details of the health problems of Royal Family members. For example we know Charles has cancer but it has not been revealed what sort of cancer.
8. Incognito 8

   5 October 2024 at 12:01 pm

   The Right can’t handle the truth, so they rely on think-tanks to justify their actions.

   This is something I suspect will only become more prevalent as invested interests stoke right wing distrust for research, arguments, and institutions that fail to support their position. This is also how the modern right are justifying think tanks, to the world and to themselves.

   https://sapphia.substack.com/p/the-right-are-furious-that-abuse [from RH Feeds section]

   Interesting perspective and combined with funding (by, for, and with the invested Right parties) it makes sense.
   • tWig 8.1

     5 October 2024 at 3:33 pm

     I read somewhere (possibly at their own website) The NZ Initiative alone has nine employees focussed soley on pumping out rw opinions and propaganda.
     • Incognito 8.1.1

       5 October 2024 at 3:57 pm

       Nine seems OTT; surely, they use genAI to spawn their ‘opinions’.
     • Belladonna 8.1.2

       7 October 2024 at 3:32 pm

       I understand that Greenpeace NZ has more than 30 staff.
       • Muttonbird 8.1.2.1

         7 October 2024 at 9:16 pm

         That just means Greenpeace NZ is an organisation more than three times bigger than The Nutjob Initiative.

         Long may that continue.
         • Belladonna 8.1.2.1.1

           8 October 2024 at 7:57 am

           Just pointing out how useless a figure of X staff is.
       • Drowsy M. Kram 8.1.2.2

         8 October 2024 at 12:12 am

         Gosh, "more than 30 staff" you say. How many staff does Forest&Bird have? Reckon they're gonna be busy.

         https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/fast-track-list-reveal-dark-day-democracy

         https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/stop-fast-track

         https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/support-us/appeals

         I understand that Greenpeace Aotearoa "uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and to force the solutions which are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace’s goal is to ensure the ability of the earth to nurture life in all its diversity."

         Imho, any organisation with such a worthwhile, principled and ambitious mission needs as many staff and as much help as it can get – the terrorists went too far! Time to increase my tiny monthly donation – thanks B for the prompt.

         https://donate.act.greenpeace.org.nz/p4-donate

         Greenpeace 'Bad' (according to some); Putin 'Bad'; "Putin vs Greenpeace" – um…

         On thin ice – Putin vs Greenpeace: the story of the Arctic 30, and why it still matters today [1 Oct 2024]
         Looking at the pictures from that day (smuggled home on a memory card hidden in an activist’s shoe!), it’s hard to believe that all those handguns and helicopters were there to stop a peaceful climate change protest. The brutality of the response is a powerful reminder of why these protests matter: polluters see Greenpeace and its supporters as a real threat to their profits.
         …
         Greenpeace is one of the only groups equipped to confront environmental crimes anywhere in the world. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, we’ll always stand up to the vandals and polluters trying to wreck our shared home.

         The Arctic 30 – go figure.
         • Belladonna 8.1.2.2.1

           8 October 2024 at 7:58 am

           Just pointing out how useless a figure of X staff is.

           If you just want to hate on an organization, because you're politically opposed to them – you don't need random statistics.
           • Drowsy M. Kram 8.1.2.2.1.1

             8 October 2024 at 11:31 am

             Just pointing out how useless a figure of X staff is.

             So that's what you were doing – sometimes it's difficult to tell

             Imho, the number of staff (X) in an organisation can be useful information, but if you don't like how it’s used then by all means (mis)characterise "X" as a "random statistic."

             If you just want to hate on an organization…

             Well yes, your critique of F&B's campaign rhetoric didn’t mention staff numbers – kudos.

             https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/campaigns/stop-the-war-on-nature

             https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/story/luxons-fast-track-war-on-nature/
9. Incognito 9

   5 October 2024 at 12:24 pm

   Tumbleweeds and gallows swinging in the wind in a deserted ghost town where Westies used to roam wild.

   https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/10/05/the-secret-diary-of-the-labour-gang/
10. Shanreagh 10

    5 October 2024 at 3:23 pm

    Just to brighten your day with an artwork of our beloved leader that is yours if you bid enough on the auction. Comes with a good selection of very pertinent questions.

    https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/art/paintings/portrait/acrylic/listing/4945302633
    • Incognito 10.1

      5 October 2024 at 3:51 pm

      surreal
      • SPC 10.1.1

        5 October 2024 at 4:03 pm

        The era of the red dynasty.

        https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-king-charles-iiis-first-official-portrait-too-red-180984364/
    • SPC 10.2

      5 October 2024 at 3:55 pm

      Taking the red pill.
    • Drowsy M. Kram 10.3

      5 October 2024 at 4:48 pm

      Thank you Shanreagh, that’s wonderful, including the Questions & Answers.

      “Very photo realistic, certainly makes an impaction.”
    • joe90 10.4

      5 October 2024 at 7:26 pm

      Rimmer's colonoscopy report …..?
    • Drowsy M. Kram 10.5

      9 October 2024 at 9:00 am

      "Oops! This listing has been withdrawn by an administrator."

      What a shame. Such a wonderful painting, and artist, buttoo 'risky' to last, apparently.

      Painting of NZ PM Chris Luxon Deemed “Risky for Buyers”

      Jeez, Chris – pink- and thin-skinned or what? If only we could reinvent 'A Week of It'.

      
11. gsays 11

    5 October 2024 at 6:38 pm

    Just another heads up.

    On Tuesday Gordon Brittas debates Te Tautohe Tiriti – Te Tiriti o Waitangi with Ngāti Toa Rangatira leader Helmut Modlik on The Working Group.

    I think this will be worth a look for any other political tragics. Last week Matthew Tukaki took Damien Grant to task, reminding us of the hurt he and others feel with the seeming constant attacks on tangata whenua and te reo.

    Simon Wilson chimed in with the idea that Te Tiriti, being between the Crown and Maori, if there is to be a change in Te Tiriti, then it is Maori Rangitira that the Crown should be engaging with first. Not appealing to every redneck and their dog. (My paraphrasing).

    "That’s right folks, The Working Group is proud to announce that we will be hosting the Iwi vs David Seymour Treaty Debate, 8pm October 8th, live-streamed on Rova, Youtube, Facebook, Tictok, Twitter, The Daily Blog AND simulcast live on Sky TV Channel 83 and Waatea Radio!"

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2024/10/05/exclusive-8pm-tuesday-the-working-group-iwi-vs-seymour-treaty-debate-special/
    • Incognito 11.1

      5 October 2024 at 6:51 pm

      Have they sent an invite to David Seymour? He may try to run away again.

      https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/10/04/emails-show-david-seymour-was-invited-to-koroneihana/
      • gsays 11.1.1

        5 October 2024 at 7:07 pm

        If Seymour is as half as intelligent as I give him credit for, he should do a no-show.

        The disingenuous way this has been raised and the cost and time of resources in Parliament for starters.
        • Incognito 11.1.1.1

          5 October 2024 at 7:41 pm

          But that’s exactly what it is, a show, not a genuine debate. Seymour has this in common with Trump, showmanship.
          • aj 11.1.1.1.1

            5 October 2024 at 8:36 pm

            Eventually his giant ego will be his downfall. Seymour, that is.
            • Incognito 11.1.1.1.1.1

              5 October 2024 at 9:06 pm

              Who knows?

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