Open mike 07/09/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 7th, 2011 - 64 comments
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64 comments on “Open mike 07/09/2011 ”

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  1. AAMC 1
    7 September 2011 at 6:37 am

    ‘Japanese Innovation Could Make Wind Power Cheaper Than Nuclear’

    http://www.geekosystem.com/japanese-wind-power/

  2. logie97 2
    7 September 2011 at 7:29 am

    Congratulations must go to our government and media.
    The man who holds the most important role in the world,
    someone who is asked by the whole world to lead them is
    in New Zealand.

    What was the amount of publicity given to his coming here?
    Where was Joky Hen?

    Seems the World famous in New Zealand RWC was more important
    an event.

    Welcome to New Zealand Ban Ki Moon.

  3. travellerev 3
    7 September 2011 at 8:23 am

    Nobody seems to notice,nobody seems to care.
    Ladies and Gentlemen I give you George Carlin in what is arguably one of his finest moments: The American dream, you have to be asleep to believe it!!

    • marsman 3.1
      7 September 2011 at 9:41 am

      Excellent video clip!

    • uke 3.2
      7 September 2011 at 2:55 pm

      Yeah, he’s to the point – but isn’t it all a bit weird with the well-dressed audience cheering away and whistling. Shouldn’t they be getting angry? Guess they’re not that touched by the recession yet. I wonder how a hungry crowd at a Detroit tent city would respond to the same spiel. 

  4. Peter 4
    7 September 2011 at 9:12 am

    Fracking Hawke’s Bay

    Oil and gas exploration throughout Hawkes Bay announced

    http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/news/search-for-bays-black-gold/1092929/

    Possible issues include water contamination from unknown commercially sensitive chemicals and skin disease.

    • aerobubble 4.1
      7 September 2011 at 9:38 am

      Its a give away. Pretty much anyone with any integrity knows oil is running down,
      so in a decade or two when these oil and gas wells are at maximum capacity
      we’re be wanting to lynch the b@stards who sold it so cheap. These resources
      should be government owned since after all when the mistakes do happen the
      tax payer is going to have to pay for the cleanup.

    • prism 4.2
      7 September 2011 at 9:38 am

      @Peter – ” unknown commercially sensitive chemicals and skin disease.That is an interesting point.” Not to be even able to get information on what is causing the trouble, and the possible downstream further troubles from some process. Well that leaves us as unknowing and helpless as the heritage tribes in forests and jungles having the rich smart guys utilising the natural resources around without a second thought, after the first one “I can make money from this.”

    • uke 4.3
      7 September 2011 at 2:56 pm

      Interesting there’s a fracking apologist popping up in the comments to that HBT article with a gas industry website link and all.

  5. Rijab 5
    7 September 2011 at 9:34 am

    Anyone else notice the brilliant display of journalism on stuff re:Carter’s departure?

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5575001/Former-Labour-MPs-farewell-swipe-at-Goff

    Headline: “Former Labour MP’s farewell swipe at Goff”

    Only reference in the entire article: “He did not name Mr Goff, but after a reference to the qualities that make for strong leadership, he said loyalty was “a two way process. It is earned and not an automatic right”.

    • prism 5.1
      7 September 2011 at 9:42 am

      @Rijab – That isn’t good reporting or journalism that’s playing pin the tail on the donkey, once the blindfolded one gets near the target, chooses the spot and then checks whether he found the arse-end, the rest of the donkey doesn’t count.

    • prism 5.2
      7 September 2011 at 12:29 pm

      @Rijab – Yes poor journalism from the school of sports and sensation – will Carter sock Goff on the jaw? And the easy reference to overspending on travel. He was criticised but undertook that as part of his role didn’t he? Before the rise of outraged taxpayers baying for politicians blood. Politicians do have to know what the world is up to, here at the bottom of the world. Who do the citizens hate today?

    • Puddleglum 5.3
      7 September 2011 at 10:16 pm

      I heard the National Radio political reporter saying that all the journalists went along to see Carter take a swipe at Goff but, to the Nat Rad journalist’s credit, he noted that Carter did not.

      He also noted that the only point in the speech that you could in any way read a swipe at Goff was the quote you’ve just noted that stuff picked up on. His view was that you’d have to be really stretching to read that into it. In his words, that phrase was only a ‘swipe’:

      “If you tried desperately to look for a hidden shot at Phil Goff” (obviously the stuff journalist was feeling a bit desperate)

      but

      “you would have to draw a long bow to see anything bitter in that”

      (those quotes start about 1min 40secs into the interview).

      Here’s the interview here 

  6. prism 6
    7 September 2011 at 10:06 am

    Bullying in school. Extremely bad. Not dealt with by Board of Trustees or Principal. Not reported to the police or authorities. Neither controlled by teachers who were afraid of retaliation, or by the school management with action against it such as suspension with social workers dealing with the family of the bully, an agreed anti-bullying program in school spelling out acceptable behaviour, approaches to help counteract it first personally, and then with backing from a supportive team in the school. Also looking at personal standards and respect and then showing respect for others.

    The Ombudsman has found serious examples of bullying at Hutt Valley High School out of Wellington. These came to a head in December 2007. This revelation confirms my opinion that Tomorrow’s Schools policy has a serious flaw in leaving all matters relating to a school in the control of trustees.

    Ultimately we as a nation want our children educated, and in behaviours that are at a higher level than for a life short and brutish, as well as facts and symbols and methods of learning we need to know for a complex ‘advanced’ society. The government through its Ministry of Education should be on the scene fast to ensure a change of direction when things go wrong, not come reluctantly after serious damage is done to students self-image and psychology, and that refers to both the bullied and the bullies.

    Young people who break the invisible barriers of personal control and responsibility, and find they can disrespect others with impunity have learned a toxic skill that they may go on to use for their advancement and personal satisfaction throughout life. But amoral people in society are destructive to the fabric of a good society that relies on trust, though we usually don’t recognise this. There has been work done on measuring possible levels of psychopathology in businesses. The detrimental things that such people initiate have become very noticeable over the years.

    And the methods used in the police raid on Tuhoe show a definite psychopathic tendency by police management, even if the ‘grunts’ were simply under orders. But my remark on the continuing effects of successful bullying on the bully would apply to most of those police officers, who have broken the barriers of reasonable behaviour in their treatment of other citizens.

    • NickS 6.1
      7 September 2011 at 11:58 am

      http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/pupils-subjected-torture-and-sexual-abuse-report-4388462

      And what makes it even worse is that the media once again avoid the “rape” word, because males can’t possibly be raped…

      • freedom 6.1.1
        7 September 2011 at 12:12 pm

        personallty i find it of serious concern that the lack of action against the offenders was occuring under the nose of a senior CYF staffer who was also Chairwoman of the School Board. Forget about the conflict of interst crap, why wasn’t she dealing with an obvious problem with the fullness of her resources and capabilities?

        • vto 6.1.1.1
          7 September 2011 at 12:20 pm

          Because they were all quite rightly terrified of the Mongrel Mob dogs who were the parents of the offending teenagers.

          You can hardly blame a bunch of teachers for being scared of these animals. Dealing with such a situation would surely be beyond the scope of any teacher’s abilities or requirements. But that doesn’t mean someone capable of dealing with this situation, like the Police, could not have been brought in.

          Why do we put up with the Mongrel Mob?

          • freedom 6.1.1.1.1
            7 September 2011 at 1:14 pm

            I did not mention teachers. I referred to the Board Chairwoman who is also a CYF staffer. A person you would think is uniquely qualified in a community to bridge the three fields of Community, School and Police. I have no knowledge of any details in the reported complaint, nor do i care at this juncture. What i am concerned with is the apparent failure to employ resources that would be available to her position and the failure of all the adults that allowed it to continue.

            The lack of will to acknowledge and act against violence is all too common in our society.
            It may be more disturbing than the details of the assaults themselves.

            • vto 6.1.1.1.1.1
              7 September 2011 at 1:31 pm

              Oh yes, so you didn’t. Nevertheless perhaps the person you describe was also scared to death of the deadly mongrel mob. I agree with your point about the failure to deal with crime being more disturbing than the actual crime itself. And perhaps it is this which permits the mob to think they can intimidate great swathes of the community, in the Hutt and elsewhere in NZ, with impunity.

        • prism 6.1.1.2
          7 September 2011 at 1:16 pm

          One mother of a bullied Year 9 girl thinking of suing the education authorities as has been done in Australia.
          http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/bully-victim-s-mother-considers-suing-school-4247418

          Sounds like a good idea as nothing but a monetary sanction seems to have any impact on these callous people in authority. I think this quote from the school trustees president prompts thought of what their attitudes are to the principle of respect for all people in a society that either considers itself classless despite evidence, or doesn’t care provided they are near the top.

          School Trustees Association president Lorraine Kerr said the Australian case might set a precedent but “bullying is bigger than you, me and our schools”.
          “We need to consider whose problem is it really.”
          The whole community needed to get together to deliver a coordinated response, because principals were busy.

      • Lanthanide 6.1.2
        7 September 2011 at 1:16 pm

        It doesn’t look like any of them were actually raped, though, so using the word ‘rape’ wouldn’t be correct anyway.

        • prism 6.1.2.1
          7 September 2011 at 1:41 pm

          @Lanthanide – I think that the word rape should be precisely used, not just used as a descriptive term for every abhorrent act. Do you think that it’s serious meaning of sexual penetration without consent is lessened when it’s used by the public to refer to any sexual violation?

        • NickS 6.1.2.2
          7 September 2011 at 1:57 pm

          How is it that forcibly penetrating another person’s anus without their consent in a way that leaves little doubt in my mind that it involves sexualisation not rape?

          [insert feminist rant about “sexual assault” here].

          /grumble.

          • McFlock 6.1.2.2.1
            7 September 2011 at 2:15 pm

            legally, “rape” involves a penis: “the penetration of person B’s genitalia by person A’s penis” (Crimes Act 1961 s128). Otherwise it’s “unlawful sexual connection”. However, they are both classed as “sexual violation” which has a 20 year maximum (s128b).

            • NickS 6.1.2.2.1.1
              7 September 2011 at 2:26 pm

              Which is utter shit, as it basically proclaims rape as only something a (intact, not with a strap-on…) male can do, and effectively makes male on male rape not rape…

              /sigh

              Eh, at least it seems they carry similar legal penalties though…

          • prism 6.1.2.2.2
            7 September 2011 at 4:17 pm

            @NickS Penetration with anything front or back, should be regarded as rape I think. It’s an abuse against the person whatever.

    • prism 6.2
      7 September 2011 at 12:37 pm

      Great sounding ideals, but empty words at the time the attacks happened. They have a new principal now. Wonder where the previous one went to and whether he has learned to cope with this toxic behaviour now. And I notice it has 1750 students, a big school, it may be that this size leads to unmanageability and isolation of management from knowing the students. There has in the past been a belief that having girls in a secondary school provide a saner more balanced level of behaviour. Seems not now!

      Welcome to the web site of Hutt Valley High School. Since 1926 we have been a leading school in our region.
      Hutt Valley High is a co-educational, decile 8 state school of 1750 students for Years 9 to 13. As a well established school, it has a very pleasant campus and excellent facilities and operates an enrolment scheme. It has great pride in its past and strong hopes and aspirations for its future.

      The School is committed to doing the very best for its students. It seeks to provide them with many opportunities for development, to offer a programme that allows each student to experience success, and to instil in them enthusiasm for life-long learning.
      “To inspire and lead our students to develop their academic, cultural and sporting abilities and to grow their skills, knowledge, values and character to enable each student to be the best that they can be. To be the school of choice within the Hutt community.”

  7. rd 7
    7 September 2011 at 11:14 am

    Provost jumps into political sharks’ tank

    Auditor-General Lyn Provost and Prime Minister John Key may find themselves at loggerheads over just who is really to blame for the $1.78 billion the taxpayer stumped up to bail out depositors in the failed South Canterbury Finance.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10749902

    This will be interesting.

    • marsman 7.1
      7 September 2011 at 6:20 pm

      If Bill English is found to be to blame will he go to jail ? The Double Dipper Double Bunking ?

  8. vto 8
    7 September 2011 at 12:04 pm

    So Hutt Valley High School suffered terrible bullying. Transpires that the bullies were children of Mongrel Mob, who intimidated all and sundry at the time.

    And three female tenants at that place also in the Hutt who have been the subject of eviction notices and court action (as far as the Supreme Court no less) were associates of the Mongrel Mob, and were well versed in the art of initimidation.

    And the shooting at the rugby match in Wairoa two weekends ago was also by Mongrel Mob.

    So what is being done about these rodent dogs? Why do we let them co-exist with us? Are even the police scared of them? Politically scared? Physically scared? Why does our community not come down on them and somehow drive them out? Why do we put up with it?

    • Mutante 8.1
      7 September 2011 at 12:44 pm

      Well we’ve already seen that heavily armed anti-terrorist squads prefer to terrorise remote settlements in the Ureweras. You’re not going to get your expensive Blake’s 7 shock trooper outfit dirty waving automatic weapons at kids.

      Surely you’re not suggesting that these brave boys be deployed against real trouble who might, heavens forbid, get a bit stroppy.

      • vto 8.1.1
        7 September 2011 at 1:01 pm

        I don’t know the answer mr mutante, but the current situation is very bad and not sustainable.

        • Mutante 8.1.1.1
          7 September 2011 at 3:59 pm

          I grew up in a neighbourhood known for gang violence. I’m usually mister peace and understanding but I’d send in the tanks on those guys.

  9. joe90 9
    7 September 2011 at 12:37 pm

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb and Mark Spitznagel: The great bank robbery.

    For the American economy – and for many other developed economies – the elephant in the room is the amount of money paid to bankers over the last five years. In the United States, the sum stands at an astounding $2.2 trillion. Extrapolating over the coming decade, the numbers would approach $5 trillion, an amount vastly larger than what both President Barack Obama’s administration and his Republican opponents seem willing to cut from further government deficits.

  10. marsman 10
    7 September 2011 at 1:04 pm

    If a Hollow Man (Richard Long) praises another Hollow Man (John Key) is it Hollow Praise or Hollow Words ?

  11. Jum 11
    7 September 2011 at 1:43 pm

    Question at Parliament today. Let’s see how many people can be ignored – 14,000 people or none?

    ” CLARE CURRAN to the Chairperson of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee: Has he requested any written submissions on the petition of George Laird, signed by nearly 14,000 people, calling the Government to retain the Hillside and Woburn workshops? ”

    What value the worker? What value the New Zealander quality of workmanship that trains are built in foreign countries even though they could have been built here in a time of huge unemployment?

  12. The Voice of Reason 12
    7 September 2011 at 2:14 pm

    I’d hate to pre-empt the Jackal, but here’s my candidate for arsehole of the week. This week or any week, actually. I saw his partner at a service station in Whanganui many years ago and the tattoo is the most horrific thing I think I have ever seen. Not at all unlike the tattooing of concentration camp prisoners in both affect and intent. I hope the prick puts up a fight when he’s found and there aren’t tazers handy, just guns.

    • Tiger Mountain 12.1
      7 September 2011 at 2:45 pm

      A highly unsavory character for sure VOTR. And you can squiggle off the hook of cheering the police on as you have seen the chilling sight of this thugs handiwork. It is understandable for families of victims to want capital punishment, vigilantism etc but it is not for the rest of us.

      The NZ cops are happy enough to execute people, but it is not usually for being extremely unpleasant or even an extensive criminal record. It is usually for non compliance i.e. “put down that hammer”, no? bang, heart shot. Or being mentally ill, or young and polynesian and in the wrong place. Or being chased at high speed till driver error results in a fatal crash.

      • The Voice of Reason 12.1.1
        7 September 2011 at 3:14 pm

        I’ve actually been in vigilante mode for this guy ever since I saw the tattoo. He wasn’t with her at the service station or else I’d have taken to him then and there. No kidding, I looked for him in the servo, but she eventually drove off alone. It was just that bad, TM, and it’s just so hard to describe. You know that painting in the AK Art Gallery ‘to the victor the spoils’? That bad.
         
        I’ve seen some pretty awful things in my time, but nothing even close to that and I guess you can tell it has had a long lasting affect on me. It really pisses me off that he had to kill her to go to jail, the tattoo alone should have been good for a long stretch.
         
         

    • grumpy 12.2
      7 September 2011 at 2:58 pm

      vto

      Q.E.D.

  13. Joe Bloggs 13
    7 September 2011 at 4:14 pm

    .

    What the hell’s Sue Moroney thinking?!Slagging off National for Labour’s failure at Hutt Valley High School?

    • ropata 13.1
      7 September 2011 at 10:59 pm

      This egregious story shows that National Stds are a total red herring when schools have serious issues like this to deal with.
      What parent would give a f#$& about their kid knowing the capital of Kazakhstan, when they are subjected to serious abuse and violation

  14. Draco T Bastard 14
    7 September 2011 at 9:21 pm

    Seems that it’s not just me that’s been noticing increasing attacks on democracy from the Right Wing Authoritarians.

    The first of these was by far the most blunt. At the conservative website “American Thinker,” Matthew Vadum argued on September 1 that “registering the poor to vote is Un-American:”

    Registering them to vote is like handing out burglary tools to criminals. It is profoundly antisocial and un-American to empower the nonproductive segments of the population to destroy the country — which is precisely why Barack Obama zealously supports registering welfare recipients to vote.

    On September 4, libertarian news site “The Daily Bell” published an interview with influential investment advisor Doug Casey. The interview provides a wide-ranging discussion of coming social and economic apocalypse (and how you can invest now!), and in the midst of it we get the following:

    Daily Bell: Is democracy a good thing?

    Doug Casey: No. Democracy is just mob rule, dressed up in a coat and tie.

    • millsy 14.1
      7 September 2011 at 9:49 pm

      IMO the growing calls for restricting the franchise is rather disturbing.

      I always thought that Paul Quinn’s nasty little bill was a the thin end of the wedge for me. Personally I dont think prisoners really care about whether they can vote or not (too busy trying to avoid being stuck with home made knives), but once you start taking voting rights of people, it gets very hard to stop.

      • Colonial Viper 14.1.1
        7 September 2011 at 9:53 pm

        Only white, property owning, Christian men should be permitted to vote, just as it rightfully once was the case.

        BTW whether or not a prisoner cares to vote is beside the point (as I am sure you know). For instance, a lot of 18 year olds couldn’t care less about voting for a bunch of useless old gits in limos far far away either, but that does not mean they deserve the franchise any less.

  15. millsy 15
    7 September 2011 at 9:45 pm

    I see in the news that a survey by the slum-lords union, aka the Property Investors Federation showed that most landlords intended to raise rents by 3-5% this year.

    I dont know about anyone else here, but I tend to wonder if it was, say our trade unions wanting a 3-5% payrise for their members during a recession (in which the poor and the workers have been expected to make the biggest sacrifices), the government and their supporters in the media (and on the blogosphere, etc) would be screaming blue bloody murder. Indeed they did when the PPTA seeked a 4% payrise last year.

    If only people who call for workers to show wage restraint could tell the same to our landlords as well.

    As an aside, this news comes as eligibility for state housing is being massively tightened, with thousands of families being dumped off the list, and driven into the arms of the slum-lords.

    • Colonial Viper 15.1
      7 September 2011 at 9:54 pm

      Apart from Auckland, landlords have no hope on collecting on such a rent increase. In Auckland…bad luck fellas.

  16. logie97 16
    7 September 2011 at 9:51 pm

    In 2007, the Nats opposed dietary supplement control. Today they announce legislation to do it …

  17. RTM 17
    8 September 2011 at 2:55 pm

    It’s Tongan Language Week, but government policies are perpetuating linguistic imperialism:
    http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/2011/09/language-lessons.html