Open mike 06/08/2010

36 comments on “Open mike 06/08/2010 ”

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1. Bored 1

   6 August 2010 at 7:44 am

   Cassandra time: A challenge to the right wing fraternity who infest this blog …TS, Gross etc read these links.

   http://www.energybulletin.net/node/53693
   http://www.energybulletin.net/node/53646

   This is a life and death issue, it is not left nor right but collective humanity. Tell all your right wing buddies, your NACT MPs etc. Ask them if they really care about the planet. Send it to Brownlee, Key and Smith etc, ask what they intend to do? When you have post their replies.

   And those on the left, do the same.
   • jimmy 1.1

     6 August 2010 at 10:15 am

     This well made docco which outlines the how oil and coal was made was on Maori TV a couple of days ago and fits in very nicely with the links.

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUUoRYD9VBc&feature=related

     We really need to start burrying carbon or mother nature will do it for us.
   • Gosman 1.2

     6 August 2010 at 11:44 am

     Although I don’t subscribe to the alarmists side of the debate which your articles seem to come from I do agree that this matter is something that both the left and right need to tackle together.

     However I think it is fine for the people on the right of the political spectrum to prefer more private sector solutions to the problem just as it is valid for people on the left to push the statist approach.

     It is likely a mixture of both of these will achieve the optimum outcome, (obviously I think the more private sector approach the better though ;))
     • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1

       6 August 2010 at 12:22 pm

       No, it’s not a mixture of both. Private business has prove itself incapable of doing anything that remotely hinders it’s ability to turn a profit and yet that is exactly what we’re talking about. We have to stop trying to make a profit, we have to stop economic growth and we have to do it now.

       It’s private business that has brought us to this point. Private business won’t pull us back from the ecological collapse that it has initiated. It, quite simply, can’t.
   • Draco T Bastard 1.3

     6 August 2010 at 12:01 pm

     How we wrecked the oceans – Part 1 of the second link. Watch the video.
     • eye saw 1.3.1

       6 August 2010 at 8:04 pm

       Dial up means no watch,but I can’t help wondering about that Hopi prophecy,it seems to be accurate to this point,what do you think?
2. jcuknz 2

   6 August 2010 at 9:13 am

   I got the wrong end of the stick from yesterday’s report about Missouri Health vote and today’s Op-Ed clarifies the situation …

   “But it also seems fair to interpret the vote as a ringing endorsement of Americans’ inalienable right to avoid buying private health insurance and instead get medical care from public emergency rooms where the cost will be passed on to the taxpayers. Maybe it’s time to rethink the single-payer plan now that we have evidence that 71 percent of Missourians support the concept of socialized medicine.”
   http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/opinion/05collins.html?th&emc=th
   So along with the court ruling about Gay marraige that’s two ‘good news’ stories 🙂
3. ak 3

   6 August 2010 at 9:25 am

   Unbelievable. If you thought Fire at Will was a stab in the back, now they’re twisting the knife with reckless venom. From Red Alert:

   ….rest and meal breaks will be taken at times agreed by employees and employers but in the absence of such agreement it must be at a reasonable time or duration as specified by the employer.

   Far too far NACT. Beyond slavery. People will march over this. Even the cotton fields had a vittles bell. Time to get really, really angry.
   • jcuknz 3.1

     6 August 2010 at 9:45 am

     If you believe that all bosses are bad then you have reason to be concerned, but that was not my experience in the workforce. Though of late I have heard of arrogant supervisors behaving in un reasonable ways, in supermarket and hardware store in front of customers, which indicates a lack of proper training in customer relations. A little power goes to the head? In your quote ak I would highlight ‘at a reasonable time or duration’ rather than what follows.
     • felix 3.1.1

       6 August 2010 at 11:36 am

       “If you believe that all bosses are bad then you have reason to be concerned,”

       Not so. This change does not affect good employers at all.

       If you believe that any bosses are bad then you have reason to be concerned.
     • ak 3.1.2

       6 August 2010 at 12:02 pm

       Oh I’ve no doubt most bosses are “good”. As, probably, were most slave owners. But if you imply that legislating for all employers the right to fire and to determine the length and timing of meal breaks – without any explanation or possibility of redress – won’t result in widespread abuse, then sorry JC, your “experience in the workforce” has been extremely limited.
       • jcuknz 3.1.2.1

         6 August 2010 at 1:03 pm

         “Right to Fire” .. I think it is quite reasonable for both worker and employer to end their working relationship during the first 90 days without penalty to either. But I do think it is also reasonable that a reason should be given. If that reason infringes on other laws then there should be consequences.
         ‘Meal Breaks” I repeat that the words before those you highlighted satisfy me.
         Perhaps my lack of experience of the bad employer arose out of my attitude to work and authority though until I found my niche in the workforce I had many employers as I skipped from job to job. Those were happier times than today for the worker with plenty of vacancies.
         I imagine that the current situation of high unemployment does give rise to petty dictators at the supervisory level which the worker needs protection from. [As I mentioned in another post]. .
       • jcuknz 3.1.2.2

         6 August 2010 at 1:11 pm

         Your attitude ak, when you talk about ‘slave owners’, seems to match the ‘Reds under the bed’ argument of the opposition. Sadly your life experience seems to have led you to one of the extremes.
     • prism 3.1.3

       6 August 2010 at 1:58 pm

       How many times do we hear someone chirping “that was my experience” about good conditions enjoyed somewhere followed by a dissing of efforts to protect other people’s rights to have human and humane conditions?

       It is so stupid to offer a personal, or one anecdote of good experience, as a template for general conditions affecting others. Taking cognisance of others stories and experiences would be likely to show that there are frequent bad experiences which harm those others lives. So backing lack of regulation, voluntary guidelines and throwing education at grimy, ingrained behavour is pie in the sky.
4. jcuknz 4

   6 August 2010 at 9:36 am

   Though I believe the War in Afghanistan is wrong, and the wrong way to solve the problem articles such as this http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/world/asia/05afghan.html?th&emc=th
   raise doubts in my mind. Likely we will see the actual article on bookshops and stalls around the country
5. Anne 5

   6 August 2010 at 10:35 am

   I see Labour MP, George Hawkins is standing for the Manurewa local board. For God’s sake vote him in will you?
   • felix 5.1

     6 August 2010 at 11:45 am

     That’s his local innit? He should piss it in.
     • Anne 5.1.1

       6 August 2010 at 1:00 pm

       @ felix
       Yes it is. If he gets elected he’s going to step down from national politics next year. I like the man. He’s worked hard in his electorate, but he should’ve stepped aside in 2005/2008 to help with Labour’s re-newal process.
       • prism 5.1.1.1

         6 August 2010 at 2:03 pm

         Did you hear Geoff Robinson talking to George Hawkins this morning? I thought it was a bit off – something like ‘if you don’t win an Auckland council position we’re stuck with you as an MP are we?’

         Pollies like Hawkins deserve more respect. He’s not my top billing but I see him as an honest tryer and worker.
6. joe90 6

   6 August 2010 at 12:13 pm

   The Pseudo-Conservative Revolt
   From the 1954-55 winter issue of The Scholar so the masturbaiter really is living in the past.

   The restlessness, suspicion and fear manifested in various phases of the pseudo-conservative revolt give evidence of the real suffering which the pseudo-conservative experiences in his capacity as a citizen. He believes himself to be living in a world in which he is spied upon, plotted against, betrayed, and very likely destined for total ruin. He feels that his liberties have been arbitrarily and outrageously invaded. He is opposed to almost everything that has happened in American politics for the past twenty years. He hates the very thought of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He is disturbed deeply by American participation in the United Nations, which he can see only as a sinister organization. He sees his own country as being so weak that it is constantly about to fall victim to subversion; and yet he feels that it is so all-powerful that any failure it may experience in getting its way in the world — for instance, in the Orient — cannot possibly be due to its limitations but must be attributed to its having been betrayed.

   from
7. salsy 7

   6 August 2010 at 1:03 pm

   Cunliffe sounding really strong on the wire (BFM), nice friendly style but very authoritative and believable – speaks well on finance issues. Id certainly be hoping that our friends over at Labour have some kind of measuring device to see how people are percieving him. Id say pretty positively – excellent balance of authority and accessibility.
   • eye saw 7.1

     6 August 2010 at 7:56 pm

     Who would be his running mate?
8. randal 8

   6 August 2010 at 1:39 pm

   who read the tripe on the op ed page of the dompost written by vernon small yesterday.
   it came very close to toadying to the government and politicising the speaker is not good for democracy in this country.
   if lockwood smith wants to have a say then he should resign the speakers office.
   and vernon small is completely misreading the the nation if he thinks anyone begrudges chris carter two months sick leave.
   it is not his job to start making new rules to satisfy his political masters in their designs.
   after 15 years of listening to maxed out crap and having the press on his case then chris carter deserves a really good holiday.
   vernon samll should watch out if he wants to be taken seriously.
   this sort of nonsense is why people dont believe in newspapers anymore.
   doing product placements is not good fro ones credibility at all.
   • Gosman 8.1

     6 August 2010 at 1:47 pm

     Tim Selwyn of Tumeke obviously begrudges chris carter two months sick leave.

     In fact he wrote quite a robust attack on the MP on this very point. (See: Carter takes leave of his senses, constituents – and lastly parliament —TS http://tumeke.blogspot.com.)

     So your view is inaccurate wouldn’t you agree ?
9. john 9

   6 August 2010 at 2:31 pm

   Brilliant Interview with Sea shepherd’s Paul Watson on the Japanese Whale poaching operation,have to listen to financial stuff first though link:
   http://maxkeiser.com/2010/08/05/kr66-keiser-report-markets-finance-zombies/
10. Clarke 10

    6 August 2010 at 4:34 pm

    Translation of John Key’s recent comments about unemployment from PR-speak into English

    Quote:

    The Household Labour Force Survey which recorded a sharp rise in unemployment to 6.8 per cent yesterday is “notoriously volatile”, Prime Minister John Key says.

    Translation:
    I don’t give a shit about unemployment.
    • Draco T Bastard 10.1

      6 August 2010 at 4:48 pm

      IMO, the translation is probably closer to:
      Facts? Who cares about facts.
      • Clarke 10.1.1

        6 August 2010 at 7:09 pm

        Or perhaps, “159,000 people out of work is an intended outcome of a deliberate policy, not an accident.”
        • Herodotus 10.1.1.1

          6 August 2010 at 7:30 pm

          This is the same survey that stated household incomes had increased by 4.6%. So the average household according to statistics is gaining wealth at a rate greater than inflation. So we are winning !!!!!, or is it that our diminishing wealth has slowed down in pace “other data released this week showed that household incomes roughly rose 4.6% in the June quarter on a
          year ago for wage and salary earners”
          NZ is creaming it according to the master econ=mist. Inflation lowest in 2 years.
          I wonder if Bollard is having 2nd thoughts regarding increasing the OCR last week.
          Both the govt and opposition could gather ammunition from this report. Everyones a winner !!
          http://www.bnz.co.nz/binaries/w050810.pdf
        • eye saw 10.1.1.2

          6 August 2010 at 7:59 pm

          Paulas doing her job well,the figures are up.
11. gobsmacked 11

    6 August 2010 at 7:33 pm

    New Morgan poll out.

    Labour’s total TURMOIL (copyright all self-appointed MSM commentators, plucking evidence from arse), has hit them so badly that …

    They’re up 2%.
    • Draco T Bastard 11.1

      7 August 2010 at 12:32 am

      So’s National. Greens down 2.5%
12. eye saw 12

    7 August 2010 at 2:49 am

    China is developing an aircraft carrier killing missile called the Dong Feng 21d.
    Designed to be fired in salvos at a fast moving carrier from land bases.With a 1500 mile range.

    Found it through rense.com.Report is from the Hindu news.
    • Draco T Bastard 12.1

      7 August 2010 at 9:31 pm

      The War Nerd over on The Exiled.

      The Chinese military has developed a ballistic missile, Dong Feng 21, specifically designed to kill US aircraft carriers: “Because the missile employs a complex guidance system, low radar signature and a maneuverability that makes its flight path unpredictable, the odds that it can evade tracking systems to reach its target are increased. It is estimated that the missile can travel at mach 10 and reach its maximum range of 2000km in less than 12 minutes.’ That’s the US Naval Institute talking, remember. They’re understating the case when they say that, with speed, satellite guidance and maneuverability like that, “the odds that it can evade tracking systems to reach its target are increased.’

      You know why that’s an understatement? Because of a short little sentence I found farther on in the article—and before you read that sentence, I want all you trusting Pentagon groupies to promise me that you’ll think hard about what it implies. Here’s the sentence: “Ships currently have no defense against a ballistic missile attack.’

      Or, as someone once put it, there’s two types of naval craft – subs and targets.
      • Draco T Bastard 12.1.1

        7 August 2010 at 9:43 pm

        As an addendum to that I’d just like to add this thought:

        A modern war doesn’t use ships, or tanks or even aircraft – it uses missiles. They’re cheaper, faster and you don’t lose as many highly trained personnel.

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