Open Mike 08/11/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 8th, 2018 - 186 comments
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186 comments on “Open Mike 08/11/2018 ”

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  1. WeTheBleeple 1
    8 November 2018 at 6:27 am

    Hosking: Banks aren’t crooks.

    NZ Herald: New Zealand’s fastest growing real estate listings site, OneRoof.co.nz, today announced a strategic partnership with Bank of New Zealand (BNZ).

    This marks the beginning of a long-term relationship that will enable both organisations to achieve a joint vision of helping more New Zealanders into their own homes.”

    Housing crisis solved! Thanks BNZ and NZH, with NZ in both your names I know you have NZ as your core interest. How much do you think you can get for it?

    • Bearded Git 1.1
      8 November 2018 at 9:28 am

      More zeros on an Australian bank’s profits….if they had partnered with Kiwibank I would have been impressed.

  2. WeTheBleeple 2
    8 November 2018 at 6:36 am

    “The easy fix … is to look at further engineering marvels or medical approaches and more technology to counter the root cause, when all we need is to go back to basics.”

    This business has certainly identified a need. Quite sure that advice (go back to basics) applies to adults too. Possibly prohibitively expensive: “relatively low fees” but time will tell.

    Anyway, hats off for trying. I recommend gardening and walking in parks for adults with tech malaise who are probably not allowed to attend this pre-school, it helps.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12156192

    • WeTheBleeple 3.1
      8 November 2018 at 7:49 am

      Haha. I like this I thought of the same idea but as a service for a laugh; and to wind up those lefties in the pronoun debate. Like there’s not enough BS to contend with. I reckon he’s having a bit of a wind up himself. Bit of a creep though.

      I thought I might identify as a black, handicap, gay, female: for funding purposes. It’d certainly help if I was also younger.

      Now watch very boring people lose their shit over this non issue in a world gone mad.

      • I feel love 3.1.1
        8 November 2018 at 8:19 am

        Why don’t you try it then if it’s so easy to get funding, bet you don’t coz reality is not what’s imagined in your head. And no, I’m not wound up, I just find you idiotic.

      • Sacha 3.1.2
        8 November 2018 at 11:33 am

        Your frequent foot-shooting might qualify you as disabled.

        • WeTheBleeple 3.1.2.1
          8 November 2018 at 12:40 pm

          That’s sharp, and funny.

          I do have a disability, part of that being a lack of filter. I also possess the capacity to be wrong and say so, which can be rare round these parts.

          Some users also fail to understand a piss-take, while others are clever indeed. I’m not gonna dumb it down or censor myself into mediocrity.

          Neither gay nor disabled nor minority folk in general have asked to be the poster children of bored PC pushers. It’s patronizing and separating.

          • solkta 3.1.2.1.1
            8 November 2018 at 12:43 pm

            Neither gay nor disabled nor minority folk in general have asked to be the poster children of bored PC pushers.

            I would be fascinated to know what that actually means.

            • WeTheBleeple 3.1.2.1.1.1
              8 November 2018 at 1:29 pm

              Fascinated, or hoping for something to pick at?

              I guess the subject of my satirical ire was not made clear as it cropped up in a response to James comment concerning a man trying to change to the age he ‘identifies with’.

              This guy is likely taking the piss out of the Canadian debate on new laws enforcing the use of a persons preferred pronoun e.g. he, she, shim (there’s a list out there); the debate which subsequently saw Jordan Peterson’s rise to fame in that he opposed this law.

              Now the mere mention of this man’s name get’s people howling for blood round these parts only attack articles and regurgitating all sorts of reviews and articles hating on him seem allowed. They call him transphobic.

              I like to know what people are saying, he is an interesting enough fellow who popped up on the youtube radar.

              What fascinated me the most was the amount of hate generated towards a man who, agree with him or not, tried to make a rational debate about free speech. Rallies were organised, speeches disrupted, anger vented!

              With Peterson’s fame came lots of correspondence. Not all hate mail. Persons in the LGBT community were expressing to him that the issues radicals were taking him to task for were not their issues at all and they wanted to be left alone not thrust in the spotlight.

              This rang bells re: disabilities, tokenism, et. al… being patronized.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.2
      8 November 2018 at 11:28 am

      So, we can have 5 year olds voting and going to the pub?

      • In Vino 3.2.1
        8 November 2018 at 4:00 pm

        Provided they genuinely feel that they have been born into the body of an 18-year-old and can convince counsellors and facilitators of that fact, why on earth not? We must endeavour to be inclusive, and encourage diversity in our Brave New World…

  4. Dennis Frank 4
    8 November 2018 at 7:11 am

    “A deceased brothel owner and reality television star has won a state assembly seat in Nevada in the midterm elections. Dennis Hof, who owned seven legal brothels in the state, died last month during his 72nd birthday celebrations.”

    “Hof ‘crushed his opponent from the great beyond’ says campaign manager”. Just goes to show that spiritual leadership can produce political success, eh? “Nevada is the only state in the US where prostitution remains legal in some areas.” Must be a hot-bed of liberalism!
    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/midterms-2018/midterm-election-results-denis-hof-dead-wins-nevada-assembly-seat-brothel-a8621461.html

    • Andre 4.1
      8 November 2018 at 7:29 am

      Repugs are real big on forgiving the sinner. As long as he’s their kind of sinner. Recently getting indicted in an ongoing criminal investigation with the risk of substantial jail time is no obstacle to re-election.

      https://thinkprogress.org/four-of-last-nights-house-republican-winners-may-not-even-serve-their-full-terms-fb1a487dc00f/

    • greywarshark 4.2
      8 November 2018 at 9:06 am

      Dennis Frank
      A dead man wins a political place in the USA. Priceless. As WeTheBleeple says ‘a world gone mad’. Though WTB don’t be so cynical about everything that you’re putting down systems and people using them, trying to struggle on will you.

      • WeTheBleeple 4.2.1
        8 November 2018 at 1:38 pm

        Yeah good point I’m just realizing I’m on the offensive too much lately. Balance required.

        • greywarshark 4.2.1.1
          8 November 2018 at 6:28 pm

          I am am a fan of the rant. Usually the ranter is saying what many are thinking. There is a feeling of solidarity and that somebody in the world can see things from one’s own POV. And sometimes having said or written it, the whole matter becomes clearer and one can see where the logical points are missing or a new line to take that is as cunning as a Backadder joke!

          Edmund: Oh, please, please tell me what your plan is, please tell me, please tell me.

          Percy: All right: I go along to the Infanta’s room and tell her that you’ve gone mad.
          She comes to the door, and you meet her disguised as a little pig.
          Then — and this is the cunning bit — instead of saying `oink oink’,
          you say `mooooo’!
          http://blackadderquotes.com/i-have-a-cunning-plan

          As long as we can think up ideas like that, we can go forward with confidence,
          and regain our balance (after we have rolled around laughing).

  5. Dennis Frank 5
    8 November 2018 at 7:20 am

    German Greens seem to be resurgent at long last, and social democrats are heading down the gurgler: “The social democratic SPD has been the biggest loser in recent years. Once dominant, it has struggled to attract voters. Its 13 per cent score in the Forsa poll is the lowest recorded by the party since it was banned by the Nazis.”

    “One survey by pollsters Forsa found the CDU/CSU on 27 per cent, while the Greens were on 24 per cent, up three. The far-right AfD trailed on 13 per cent, the same score as the centre-left social democrats. The leftist Die Linke and centre-right liberal FDP were both on 9 per cent each.”

    “Another poll by Emind told a similar story, with Ms Merkel’s Christian Democrats on 25 per cent, the Greens on 21 per cent, the AfD on 15 per cent, the SPD on 14 per cent, Die Linke on 10 per cent, and the FDP on 9 per cent.”
    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/green-party-conservative-angela-merkel-germany-polls-latest-a8618846.html

    • Dennis Frank 5.1
      8 November 2018 at 7:57 am

      End of an era in Germany, when Merkel departs in a few weeks. Here’s a voter analysis from Oct 1st that outlines the emerging political terrain. One graph depicts an already-established populist majority – dramatically illustrating Fukuyama’s thesis that identity politics are now playing out on the political right (more than on the left):
      https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-political-center-sways-toward-populist-fringes-study/a-45696487

      “One in three voters now sympathizes with populist policies, according to a new study by the Bertelsmann Foundation.” The writer is only referring to one portion of the three-way split shown in the graph. Not mentioning the third of voters that self-identify as `partially populist’ seems as likely to be willful misrepresentation as incompetence. What’s wrong with popularity anyway?? Why so scared?

      Commentators routinely dismiss populism as banal or a bizarre trend. Winston, our local exemplar, has proven consistently that it ain’t so. Google’s definition: “In politics, populism refers to a range of approaches which emphasise the role of “the people” and often juxtapose this group against “the elite”. There is no single definition of the term, which developed in the 19th century”.

      “The survey, which sampled 3,400 voters in May and August, measured populist attitudes around an individual’s tendency to sympathize with three core factors: anti-establishment attitudes, anti-pluralism and the desire for more sovereignty.”

      Interesting insight to the trend here: ” women are increasingly supporting right-wing populist parties, and they are often more radical than their male peers.”
      https://www.dw.com/en/women-increasingly-drawn-to-right-wing-populist-parties-study-shows/a-45284465

    • marty mars 6.1
      8 November 2018 at 7:54 am

      RIP Kain.

      You were trying to help by doing this and sadly you have paid the ultimate price. It must be very hard for your family and friends at this time – kia kaha

    • Ankerrawshark 6.2
      8 November 2018 at 8:16 am

      Ed I couldn’t agree more. I find boxing repugnant. It’s not just the risk of significant head injury which can lead to death, second one recently. It’s that fighting is regarded as sport/entertainment.

      • KJT 6.2.1
        8 November 2018 at 8:53 am

        Rugby and soccer are ritualised fighting also. Ban them to?

        • Bill 6.2.1.1
          8 November 2018 at 11:06 am

          ‘Soccer’ is a non contact sport. Rugby has changed rules in attempting to deal with head injuries.

          You or I can freely play ‘soccer’ or rugby on the street or over at the park. But we don’t get to play boxing. That’s called “arrested and up in court”.

          Just an observation.

        • ankerawshark 6.2.1.2
          8 November 2018 at 12:18 pm

          KJT………………..I can’t agree with that. You are not allowed to hit someone on the rugby or soccor field. The whole point of boxing is to hit someone, actually to knock them out. Boxing condones hurting someone………………… so the psychological message it sends people is that this is acceptable. The aim of rugby etc is to score points through running, kicking a ball etc. Of course they are contact sports so there will be injuries, but there are rules to minimize these injuries.

          I agree about head injuries in those sports, and in an ideal world I probably would ban them, particularly rugby , but realize there is little or no chance of that.

          • KJT 6.2.1.2.1
            8 November 2018 at 2:12 pm

            Bit of hair splitting going on here.

            • Ankerrawshark 6.2.1.2.1.1
              8 November 2018 at 4:13 pm

              I am not sure what you mean by hair splitting kit. The whole aim of boxing is to hit your opponent hard with the view to knocking them out. Sports such as rugby there is no intention to hit your opponent ideally to knock them out. In fact if you did this you would likely be sent off……..

              None of the other sports people list down this thread include physical violence……….archery as someone mentioned is about hitting a target, not a person.

              I am not saying we should ban sports cause of risk. For me it’s that I find fighting ie hitting another person, actually aiming to punch them in the head and knock them out vile and repugnant……………..it is the one sport I would ban if I could…….

      • Chris T 6.2.2
        8 November 2018 at 9:00 am

        I don’t think boxing is the problem here

        It’s a bunch of non-trained novices trying to box that is the problem

        • bwaghorn 6.2.2.2
          8 November 2018 at 12:08 pm

          That would be true if no pros ever died or where damaged seriously.
          I love a good boxing match though
          Maybe all charity fights should have big helmets as a rule and thicker gloves.

          • McFlock 6.2.2.2.1
            8 November 2018 at 2:54 pm

            That’s one of the suggestions floating around, and should have been done years ago. The other suggestion a couple of trainers came up with was longer training requirements before the bout, licensed trainers, and better attention to matching competitors.

            The Eds of the world just don’t seem to get how much of an art there is to most of the pugilistic sports. It really is just as much chess as thumpythumpy.

            • marty mars 6.2.2.2.1.1
              8 November 2018 at 2:59 pm

              I watched an early Tyson training vid with Kevin Rooney the other day – it was scarey and beautiful at the same time.

              And yes to compulsory headgear and bigger gloves.

              • BM …
                8 November 2018 at 5:41 pm

                This was my favourite knockout

                Insane hand speed and power.

                • McFlock …
                  8 November 2018 at 6:05 pm

                  And by that stage in the fight Boyd was already out of attack ideas for quite some time.
                  That’s the real thing about Tyson – nobody could figure out how to hit him without getting thumped themselves.

                  • BM …
                    8 November 2018 at 6:26 pm

                    Yeah, He ruled the heavyweight division for a good 5+ years.
                    Tyson was my favourite boxer by far, loved his speed, power, quickness, movement combined with tremendous balance.

                    Lennox Lewis was about the only guy who could deal with Tyson, height and reach and a really controlled game plan.

                    Awesome, intelligent boxer, just a bit mechanical for me.

              • McFlock …
                8 November 2018 at 5:51 pm

                The thing is that pugilistic sports are sports, not combat. So put in the protective gear, so mistakes aren’t fatal. And minimise those mistakes with comprehensive training.

                The one I’ve not usually been partial to is cage-fighting – they remove most of the safety measures, but still ban things that would give a quick end to a real fight. And sometimes it just becomes a gross-out contest, too. So it’s sport, but between beavis and butthead. And no, this is not something I would say to their faces, as I’m not looking for injury 😉

            • Andre 6.2.2.2.1.2
              8 November 2018 at 3:22 pm

              I might have guessed you’d be a fan.

              https://youtu.be/t7ZwMVLMezI

        • james 6.2.2.3
          8 November 2018 at 9:14 pm

          Chris T – 100%

    • Adrian 6.3
      8 November 2018 at 8:24 am

      So should horse riding, tramping, mountaineering, rugby, cricket, walking across the road, surfing ,swimming, cycling, long distance running, helicopter flying, parachuting, hanggliding , wind surfing, driving anything, working , eating, drinking, swimming, drug taking of any kind, lying on the couch for hours, basicly anything you can think of.
      They all kill people one way or another, the only solution is to end it all right now.
      Or grow up and get some perspective.

      • Ed 6.3.1
        8 November 2018 at 8:30 am

        Utter nonsense.
        These things are not comparable.

        • KJT 6.3.1.1
          8 November 2018 at 8:51 am

          Rubbish. Of course they are. Many sports are based on former military necessities. Archery, Judo, Karate, Rugby.

          Rugby has a higher injury rate than boxing. And like most ball sports, designed to increase agility and fitness for warfare.

          Let’s ban that also.

          • Ed 6.3.1.1.1
            8 November 2018 at 8:59 am

            So tramping is comparable to assault.
            Of course….

            • KJT 6.3.1.1.1.1
              8 November 2018 at 9:05 am

              If it was really about that, you would also be demanding an end to any sport which is ritualized warfare, which may cause injury, . I.E. all team sports, for one.

        • One Two 6.3.1.2
          8 November 2018 at 9:42 am

          Ed, they are directly comparable

        • ankerawshark 6.3.1.3
          8 November 2018 at 12:19 pm

          I just find it vile that there is a sport that is about deliberately hitting someone.

          • mary_a 6.3.1.3.1
            8 November 2018 at 1:39 pm

            ankerawshark (6.3.1.3) … Absolutely agree 100%. How people can sit there and cheer as someone gets beaten is beyond me!

            Abhorrent authorised violence I call it.

          • One Two 6.3.1.3.2
            8 November 2018 at 2:26 pm

            Actually, it’s about two people making a conscious decision to engage in a form of hand to hand combat. I would not refer to it as sport, as such… nor would I refer to it as vile…that is overly dramatic…

            As a point of reference, for my opinion…..’vile’ is waging warfare around the globe murdering, maiming and displacing hundreds of millions of people in relatively short time-frame….

            Vile (not exhaustive or exclusive)

            Economic/financial warfare
            Conventional warfare
            Guerilla warfare
            Covert warfare
            Weather warfare
            Space warfare
            Environmental warfare
            Legal warfare
            Political warfare
            Ideological warfare
            Ad Nauseum

      • Treetop 6.3.2
        8 November 2018 at 8:43 am

        , basically anything you can think of. You could add a surgical procedure/operation to the list.

        An alternative other than boxing to raise funds is worth serious consideration.

      • Adrian 6.3.3
        8 November 2018 at 10:34 am

        I’m strongly left and have been since I took my first breath when I hit the ground ,
        (thanks Bruce ), but the main thing that fucks me off about a large section of the overly concerned ” left ” is that they want to STOP things, all sorts of things that actually do not personally affect them.
        Sure people tragicly die doing stuff that they freely want to do but that is their choice. Or we could ban Free Choice, now there’s the permanent political wilderness right there.

      • Ankerrawshark 6.3.4
        8 November 2018 at 4:17 pm

        Adrian. No to banning those sports…..they don’t involve intentionally hurting someone else.

        My husband and I saw a group of young guys in an organised fight in Brisbane. We stepped in because there was concrete beneath them and it could have been a tradgey. I am proud that we did. They said to us that they knew they shouldn’t be doing it.

        If boxing is ok, why is hitting another person not? Just curious about the rationale

    • Treetop 6.4
      8 November 2018 at 8:38 am

      Time to stop using a boxing match to raise money for charity. There are better alternatives. The personal cost is to high when a death occurs.

    • gsays 6.5
      8 November 2018 at 10:03 am

      banning isn’t the answer.
      prohibition never works.

      in this example, training for a year is a way to mange risk.

  7. WeTheBleeple 7
    8 November 2018 at 7:59 am

    When you look at pro footballers who have received brain injuries causing all manner of residual problems…

    “Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive hits”

    “There’s a range of CTE symptoms, from forgetfulness to violent behavior”

    “Of the 202 [footballers] brains, 177, or nearly 90 percent, were diagnosed with CTE”

    https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/2/2/16956440/concussion-symptoms-cte-football-nfl-brain-damage-youth

    The case is clear. About 90% of our contact sports people will develop CTE.

    And please note: The above stats were from a sport wearing helmets.

    That !@#$%@#$% Chch counsellor Mike Davidson calling for better boxing match-ups. What, so they can punch each other indefinitely?

    • Pete 7.1
      8 November 2018 at 8:10 am

      “The case is clear that about 90% of our contact sports people will develop CTE”?

      Which are the contact sports?

      • WeTheBleeple 7.1.1
        8 November 2018 at 8:16 am

        You can work that out Pete, unless you played sports a long time; then working stuff out might be more difficult.

        • Pete 7.1.1.1
          8 November 2018 at 9:55 am

          I think that’s an idiotic smart-arse response. I watch enough netball and basketball to note the physical clashes, the contact in ‘non-contact’ sports. I watch a lot of football (soccer) to see the perpetual heading of the ball as well as the collisions, often involving heads.

          So if the case is “so clear” with about 90% of our contact sports people developing CTE be clear and tell us if you’re including netball, and basketball, and football and judo and whatever other sports?

          • WeTheBleeple 7.1.1.1.1
            8 November 2018 at 10:13 am

            Yes OK, I was being a jerk. But I think you borrowed calling me idiotic from the ironically named ‘i feel love’ and that’s plagiarism buddy.

            So your point is the term contact sport does not encompass enough activities where players are at risk of CTE. Agreed.

            I’m not butting heads about how many people are out there butting heads, I don’t know the extent of it.

    • tc 7.2
      8 November 2018 at 8:10 am

      Footballs ignoring it also. Sterling uni in Scotland did a study where they had a machine flight corners in and 20 footballers took I think 10 headers each

      Then cognitive testing showed more than 75% of them suffered a loss of function.

      One small exercise…..imagine a life of it from childhood up.

  8. Observer Tokoroa 8
    8 November 2018 at 8:18 am

    Hi Ed

    Do you know if the Boxing Event Promoters in Christchurch had insured the life of each contestant ? Or did the dead boxer die penniless ?

    Are all those involved in the event, including the contestants, just there for the excitement of the destruction of Heads and Brains ?

    Bashing Heads and Brains should be a serious crime – and never a sport.

    • KJT 8.1
      8 November 2018 at 9:03 am

      OK. Ban rugby, Ice hockey and yachting.

      • WeTheBleeple 8.1.1
        8 November 2018 at 9:49 am

        Education of parents concerning the extremely high risks involved would be a good start. This would get the ball rolling on government interest via the noise parents might then make. I’m all for (informed) freedom of choice; but minors are also involved in vast numbers and so probably need some Government oversight for the benefit of their safety.

        The popularity of contact sports is undeniable.

        Do Yachties get hit in the head a lot?

        • Andre 8.1.1.1
          8 November 2018 at 10:40 am

          “Do Yachties get hit in the head a lot?”

          Not as often as rugby players, say, but when they do cop a whack it’s often quite a solid one from a boom or pole or flying pulley block. Not to mention losing appendages to taut ropes going around hard things.

        • greywarshark 8.1.1.2
          8 November 2018 at 11:06 am

          I guess we got this far by being energetic using violence. It can only be contained with some protections properly policed. The world is coming to an end anyway, as we know it, we face floods, fires, starvation. Why do you still think along 20th century lines? Let people go for it, as I say with limitations. Soon we won’t have the range of jobs that are already lower than around 1970s. Earning money by physical sport will be an accepted career even with risks. As Auden says
          “Hunger allows no choice
          To the citizen or the police;
          We must love one another or die.”

          Living is an option in a damaged world and society without much love. People must be able to support themselves, and boxing and physical sports are ways of necessity, as well as personal advancement even with the risks.
          Practically it is foolish to go on about banning them, just try and protect those involved from egregious harm, and provide suitable care for the injured.

          Thinking about the replacement of mental, sedentary work and pasttimes in place of the manual, hands-on, physical reminds me how recent and wide-ranging this change has been. It has destroyed the society we had and I don’t think we will recover from the damage.

          I am getting discursive here thinking about the love-hate relationship we have with this technology. I note that computers became mainstream with PCs around 1980. My sons played around with Amigas which were great but never got the breakthrough in the competitive world of tech.
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_personal_computers#VIC-20_and_Commodore_64

          And this is where the most bruising fighting is going on, in the machine and ether world, rather than the physical. Now physicality of anything is up in the air so to speak, physical labour, books and knowledge, everything being downgraded by use of ‘clouds’. And we can only watch this fighting, large corporations battling for the dominance of the world’s everything.

          (A memory of the Amiga RIP. Commodore’s later product line, the Amiga platform, ran a GUI operating system by default. The Amiga laid the blueprint for future development of personal computers with its groundbreaking graphics and sound capabilities. Byte called it “the first multimedia computer… so far ahead of its time that almost nobody could fully articulate what it was all about.”[56]

    • ankerawshark 8.2
      8 November 2018 at 12:23 pm

      Observer Tokoroa 100 +++++

      It is beyond me that anyone would want to watch such stuff.

      • Adrian 8.2.1
        8 November 2018 at 12:34 pm

        You might be onto something Greywarshark, my prediction is that E-Sports, computer gemes etc are going to kill more people than all other adventurous pastimes combined. The indolence, lack of exercise and fitness will all have a heavy cost in lower life expectantcy.

        • Draco T Bastard 8.2.1.1
          8 November 2018 at 6:12 pm

          What indolence?

          All the gamers I’ve ever known have been seriously into sports and keeping fit.

        • WeTheBleeple 8.2.1.2
          8 November 2018 at 6:23 pm

          That’s a really good point. Exercise not only improves physical health, but mental health as well. It probably benefits society far more than the downsides. Love to see that study.

          I’d rather get out in the garden or bush than a boxing ring myself. If I get gored by a pig or a thistle it’s my own stupid fault. I know the risks.

          But this (sport related brain injury) does seem like one of those things it’s more comfortable not to talk about in ‘polite society.’ Like Israel, China, and the 80’s.

      • KJT 8.2.2
        8 November 2018 at 2:09 pm

        You can make everyone play, risk free, computer games instead. The lack of exercise will probably fuck up more people, than boxing ever has.

        • Ankerrawshark 8.2.2.1
          8 November 2018 at 4:20 pm

          Kit it’s not just about risk for me. Punching someone in the head is deeply repugnant to me.

          There is no other sport I know of that is violence

          • McFlock 8.2.2.1.1
            8 November 2018 at 5:57 pm

            One of the reasons I don’t like rugby was getting kneed in the face at school, because that was how it was played.

            TKD, muy thai, karate, judo, kung fu, tai chi, wrestling… the list of pugilistic arts is long.

          • KJT 8.2.2.1.2
            8 November 2018 at 5:57 pm

            Kickboxing, Judo, Karate, Ice Hockey?

            I don’t think children should be allowed to play rugby and similar contact sports BTW.

            The risks of head and back injury is very high.

  9. greywarshark 9
    8 November 2018 at 9:01 am

    Lead in our water and our standards which are double those of China and Scandinavia, aren’t being policed by MoBie. High lead in our drinking water is not coming from old pipes in the ground which one might think would be the source, but uncontrolled standards on taps especially the mixer ones, I have one to be installed that I bought earlier on special, so how do I know that it is up to standard. Is there any authoritative and responsible body that I can ring?
    /sarc

    The thing is that the government regulations have placed the responsibility on the working plumber to be installing product that is lawful (and I don’t know if it mentions health). But where is the screen and list of tested, reliable product that a plumber could refer to for a check as to lawful brands?

    Lab testing has found taps that leach a lot of lead into drinking water. The Master Plumbers industry group says theses are just some of the many dangerous products on the shelves and the Government must act urgently.
    https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018670288/lab-tests-find-taps-leaching-lead-into-drinking-water

    • SaveNZ 9.1
      8 November 2018 at 9:52 am

      +1 greywarshark

      Great link. There are so many worries for government and opposition MP’s like Stadiums, conventions centres, defending the rights of drug lords, it seems that poisoning with fake products (children in particular are effected by lead) does not seem to be high on the agenda.

      Know someone who was nearly killed by an incorrect fitting off an imported gas oven. Probably widespread but not much interest in addressing anything at source.

      But hey, products come from companies and often overseas made and NZ has been the poster child for neoliberalism and trade for decades now and against any regulations on ‘trade’ you know like stopping bad or incorrect products coming in and poisoning unsuspecting consumers.

      Synthetics-contaminated cooking utensil poisoned Porirua children

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12142693

      • SaveNZ 9.1.1
        8 November 2018 at 10:01 am

        More on this – NZ ‘voluntary’ regulation standards…

        “Currently New Zealand adherence to standard is voluntary. Products are not being tested and as a result, there is a high risk that unsafe products are readily available to consumers both instore and online,” Wallace said.

        “We believe that there will be other tapware and pipe systems out there that will also fail this standard.”

        A mandatory water mark on all plumbing products was implemented in Australia following several high-profile cased of poor-quality products in its public water systems.

        Wallace said he believed New Zealand should have a compulsory third-party testing and verification process for all plumbing products sold on the market.

        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12156494

  10. Andre 10
    8 November 2018 at 9:03 am

    That didn’t take long. The moment King Con gets confident he can get a compliant replacement confirmed, Attorney General Sessions is gone. Watch out for attempts to end the Mueller investigation.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/07/politics/sessions-resign/index.html

    • Cinny 10.1
      8 November 2018 at 9:06 am

      And please don’t talk about my tax return.

      • Andre 10.1.1
        8 November 2018 at 9:17 am

        I don’t want to talk about his returns. I just want to look at them. Better yet, I want a group of deeply cynical financial experts to spend however long it takes for a thorough look at them, Fortunately, the new Dem-majority House is about to do that for me.

        Gawd I’m sick of popcorn. Any suggestions for an alternative?

        • Cinny 10.1.1.1
          8 November 2018 at 12:53 pm

          But, but, but…… *shredder machine sounds in the background* …nothing to see here, move along please, lmao.

          Popcorn alternatives? Pics Peanut Butter, that stuff tastes amazing.

          Deepest condolences to Texas.

        • veutoviper 10.1.1.2
          8 November 2018 at 1:09 pm

          Popcorn alternatives?

          Roasted garlic chickpeas, Marakku chickpea snacks – any form of chickpea snacks IMO!

          Plus nuts, pretzels, etc … New World loose bulk snacks and mixes are wonderful. LOL

          • Andre 10.1.1.2.1
            8 November 2018 at 6:29 pm

            Pretzels? Little hard crunchy things? Ugh. If you’re ever in Philadelphia, be sure to get a big old genuine soft pretzel. With some mustard. After that, those little hard ones will forever just seem wrong.

        • marty mars 10.1.1.3
          8 November 2018 at 1:26 pm

          “But during a testy news conference, he vowed to adopt a “warlike posture” if Democrats investigated him.”

          http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46132054

          Sounds like a challenge worth taking up. Investigate.

          • Dennis Frank 10.1.1.3.1
            8 November 2018 at 2:11 pm

            I’m guessing that the new Democrat majority in the House means it now has the option of establishing its own investigation in case Mueller’s becomes a fizzer? If so, sending a macho signal akin to the Maori haka is understandable. I agree it would be entertaining to call his bluff and see how his 70 year old frame performs!

            But really, the offer of bipartisan legislation is intended to break gridlock, so the Democrats will look churlish & petty if they fail to reciprocate. All he’s doing is signalling pragmatism, and the return to traditional politics. Seems a mutual-benefit scenario to me. Why not make democracy work for a change?

            • marty mars 10.1.1.3.1.1
              8 November 2018 at 2:41 pm

              Nah investigate. I think t.rump is scared and probably rightly so.

              I have to say that I sorta want gridlock and his policies and plans stopped – I really have zero time for t.rump – I’d monkey wrench every single thing he wants to do.

              And I understand your sentiment – you may be a better, kinder man than me I think.

              • Dennis Frank …
                8 November 2018 at 3:39 pm

                Doubt it, just non-partisan. I rarely approve of his messaging and behaviour. But I remember him hosting fund-raisers for the Clintons. He’s an opportunist more than anything, I reckon.

                The Herald has analysis from “Timothy J. Lynch, Associate Professor in American Politics, University of Melbourne” onsite, but here’s where it first appeared: https://theconversation.com/the-us-midterms-show-the-power-of-trumps-divisive-messages-106161

                “The bad news: he now looks to have a better chance at staying in office until 2025. This year’s midterm elections broke for Trump much more than expected.” “Also, the midterms should make it a near-certainty that no serious Republican will challenge Trump for the presidential nomination in 2020. He has proven once again that he is an impressive electoral campaigner with a crude but effective grasp of strategy.”

                This all hinges on whether the Republican establishment has a better option than Trump. Given that he has outperformed Obama at this stage of the cycle (roughly half the swing against), they may well read it as evidence that he’s not as flaky as he seems.

  11. greywarshark 11
    8 November 2018 at 9:15 am

    Victim mentality. I caught a brief excerpt from a piece on Radionz – a woman, sounds young, outlining some supposedly sexist behaviour, like ‘He shook the hand of my male colleague but didn’t shake mine’. Women who acted to advance the feminist wishes for respect in the world for women did not suggest that they should wait to be given it. Women need to learn to be assertive and put themselves forward when appropriate, not just whinge.

    It has not been common for men and women to shake hands, and if this man did not and she wanted to be greeted and establish a friendly basis to their interaction, then she should have put her hand forward, and nodded or smiled to him which would have indicated that she had agency and was going to be a person who would be involved and responsible. Problem solved, established standing indicated in a small gesture. He would not have refused to shake her hand unless he was a moron and a weird, patriarchal-cult type.

    • ianmac 11.1
      8 November 2018 at 9:32 am

      Perhaps he was scared that touching her uninvited would have him accused of assault?

      • bwaghorn 11.1.1
        8 November 2018 at 12:18 pm

        Possible or maybe was attracted and his muppet boy brain shut him down like a rabbit in the spot light . Been known to happen to me.

    • Pingao 11.2
      9 November 2018 at 7:20 am

      Perhaps he didn’t acknowledge her. I didn’t hear the piece though and maybe she used a bad example. I have experienced plenty of times when I have been ignored or apparently have been invisible owing to gender.

      On the other hand social niceties are a peculiar thing. I always offer my hand and although sometimes the other party looks briefly surprised, we shake hands and get on with business.

  12. SaveNZ 12
    8 November 2018 at 10:04 am

    Hit the banks with a $100m annual levy, says Shane Jones after review

    “Banking strategists in this country and overseas are conscious that New Zealand is one of the few developed countries that do not have a banking levy. Aussie banks pay it in their own country, but they get a free good in our country. Make them pay for it.”

    Australia has introduced a bank levy of 0.06 per cent on the liabilities of major banks, expected to raise about A$1.5b annually.”

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12155528

    And hit all those that live or profit from NZ a micro financial tax for all moneys (aka profits) going in and out of this country.

    Might make current players invest more in NZ if they have to pay a bit more tax to take their profits or legal money laundering debt deals, out.

  13. marty mars 13
    8 November 2018 at 10:30 am

    Bloody hell.

    “A police officer “drove dangerously” at 200kmh during a pursuit in which two people died, an official review has found.

    The officer drove at speeds reaching 200kmh in an 80kmh area during the pursuit which ended in a crash which left two dead and three injured on October 23.”

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/auckland/108261240/police-officer-was-driving-dangerously-during-fatal-pursuit-says-ipca

    • greywarshark 13.1
      8 November 2018 at 11:22 am

      Since when have police sat down and reviewed this car chasing behaviour. Ever? Why are they so concerned about cars being stolen? Caring about property before people?

      Do they take the malicious attitude that ‘There’s another no good useless young crim off our books’ when the joy-riders get over-excited and scared and try to flee, like they have seen shown on reality tv? These people are being incited to suicide, and the police should be made culpable. Stopping this would not be going soft on crime, the work of crime prevention would continue, but it should not extend to enticing police to what is a murderous response, assymetric to the crime they are facing. (We have seen this before in the case where a dedicated graffitist was knifed to death by a householder defending his fence and aggravated by this vandalism.)

      The whole car chase thing and unrealistic targets for proactive prevention of crime is monstrous and brings the police into bad repute and they disgrace themselves by continuing this unacceptable behaviour.

  14. marty mars 14
    8 November 2018 at 10:44 am

    Awesome initiative.

    “Ngāi Tāmanuhiri has worked alongside the Ministry of Education to create an educational resource, targeted at 9-11-year-old te reo Māori learners, called ‘He Putanga nō Uki’, which is a story about the discovery of the Horouta waka.

    Ngāi Tāmanuhiri Chief Executive Robyn Rauna says they are delighted to have been given the opportunity to tell their story, their way.

    “He Putanga nō Uki is one of those stories we were raised on. To be able to capture it as an educational resource is invaluable and it’ll enhance not only our Māori kids and mokopuna, but contribute to the local history of this region.”

    http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/ngai-tamanuhiri-launches-horouta-waka-resource

  15. ScottGN 15
    8 November 2018 at 10:55 am

    From the “Tory Bastards are all the Same” file Doug Ford, the recently elected Conservative Premier of Ontario has been accused of covering up sexual misconduct allegations against a senior minister by saying he was taking leave to deal with addiction/medical issues.

    “But in an unusual move, some ministers were assured Friday by a senior official that the “public story” would be the drinking, which is what was shared with the media, while the “real story” was the complaint by the male staffer.“

    https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2018/11/06/tories-go-to-ground-amid-swirling-scandals-at-queens-park.html

  16. A 16
    8 November 2018 at 11:12 am

    Last day for welfare /winz submissions is tomorrow. Don’t miss it!

    http://weag.govt.nz

  17. Andre 17
    8 November 2018 at 11:38 am

    Here’s an early look at whether it was better to run as a moderate or progressive Democratic when trying to flip a district held by a Republican.

    Spoiler: the moderates did better. A lot better. The time and place for progressives to win is in the primaries of solidly Democrat districts.

    https://www.vox.com/2018/11/7/18071700/progressive-democrats-house-midterm-elections-2018

  18. adam 18
    8 November 2018 at 11:52 am

    1.5 BILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    That was the money spent on the midterms, and funny enough in some cases it just didn’t matter.

    https://apps.publicintegrity.org/where-money-mattered/

  19. soddenleaf 19
    8 November 2018 at 12:16 pm

    lol. The rail proposal for hamilton Auckland. They are planning the 99% rail connection. You’d think they take it the last hundred meters and connect it with the bus terminal. You know actually create a integrated public service. There is a empty plot of land between the cricket ground and hamilton school. just next to the kmart and over tge road, yes, of the main bus terminal. Its not rock science, its catchment area, Look i get that future stations in e.hamilton, Nawton, the base, are priorities, but really, 99% of the way. Why bother if your not serious?

    • Sacha 19.1
      8 November 2018 at 12:50 pm

      Isn’t there already an unused underground rail station in central Himilton?

    • SaveNZ 19.2
      8 November 2018 at 1:08 pm

      @Soddenleaf, sounds like a good idea to get the trains 100% into integrated public transport. Why is public transport run and designed by imbeciles in NZ who fail to understand any concept of customer experience?

      • soddenleaf 19.2.1
        9 November 2018 at 11:40 am

        Easy. Middle managers run nz, they churn rent for themselves by distorting best practice. Oh, Look how much extra money I’ve just made varying price, quality, availability, service, consistency, and thus creating a on paper debt that is immediately fill by the new plan that exports rent, and thus bonuses.

    • Exkiwiforces 19.3
      8 November 2018 at 1:19 pm

      I think it’s to with the lack of carrying capacity ie, the lack of a double track in places from Hamilton to to the outer Suburbs of Auckland, the lack of the 3rd and 4th mainline on the Southline within Auckland itself and the main Auckland station being rather on the small size doesn’t help either.

      Then is the rolling stock as well, is there going to be Wifi on broad? refreshments on broad? And a luggage Van for those going to Auckland Airport or those that want to carry their bicycle?

      Yes the whole setup has too be integrated with other public transportation like the bus connection to Auckland Airport etc etc.

      • SaveNZ 19.3.1
        8 November 2018 at 1:49 pm

        In Auckland the officials spend all their money on buildings like Britomart then fail to put enough care into the design of the actual transport. They are more interested in spending the money on construction of the building terminal itself than what the money is for, aka well designed train services.

        Auckland is an example of what not to do with public transport. But the council and government keep giving AT and others more money even though they have proven they are incompetent. Even the AT’s own chairman has his own speech written for him and released without him reading it.

        More money ain’t going to create any better outcomes on public transport when our biggest problem is bad leadership and appalling decision making, poor benefits to customers, poor long term planning and risk management and toxic culture.

        Public transport incompetence is spreading to Wellington with their screwed up decision making coming through with diesel buses and a new bus service it sounds like people are not happy with.

        Possibly to do with extensive lobbying by private sector developers on everything in NZ,. Had to laugh when seeing the unasked for Auckland Stadium developers on TV stating it would not cost ratepayers a cent, (just billions in free MT Eden land) and then next sentence saying they wanted funding from the council for a feasibility study! It’s laughable but the officials and MSM lap it up.

        Greedies are so enabled now, that they don’t even wait for the council but just get ‘an idea’ then lobby the crap out of it, which remarkably seems to work here and we get white elephant after white elephant, not fit for purpose because it’s all designed around greed and giving away public money to private interests and networks, not what is needed.

        • Exkiwiforces 19.3.1.1
          8 November 2018 at 4:05 pm

          If you think Wellywood’s public transport system a mess, then CHC’s is a shit fight atm thanks to ECAN who couldn’t organise a piss up in the local brewery with a fistful of fifties let alone organising root at the Atami Bath House.

          There busses aren’t coordinated, with long term vision and let alone long term planning. The Suburban and InterCity Rail has been kicked into touch without any thought at reserving, de-conflicting or preserving the RoW which is mad given current tends atm around Canterbury Region.

        • soddenleaf 19.3.1.2
          9 November 2018 at 11:53 am

          I thought they’d, in their genius decide to increase the walking distance from the ferries to the track in brutamart in the new plan. Geez, why not site the intercity bus stop up the top of the hill away from any significant… …oh, wait, they did already. Hey, instead of worrying about public transport, coz they are on top of all that so badly, let’s pedestrianize Queen street. Final a good idea, totally off the cuff and without any actual pressure. The fact that a dual highway hasn’t decreased the public transit time between auckland and hamilton is astonishing, like they don’t plan. Just wet tgeir pants with some bug idea. The solution is simple, Run a bus down the Waikato highway tgat makes minimum time stopping, so no round the one way system. I.e To get future customer, Run a bus from the side of the te raps highway one, walking distance from the base bus terminus (plus put a walkway in) and have the bus stop briefly by coming off the state highway, connect to local buses near on ramps etc. Then time it, avoid the airport, create a regular timetable, advertize it, set the price, not 1 dollar nonsense so nobody knows the real price. You know what competitive economies do to reduce costs for everyone and drive growth. Rent seeking behavior is the problem with the nz economy.

      • WeTheBleeple 19.3.2
        8 November 2018 at 1:50 pm

        Seems to me the smart way would be to do the hubs and integrative planning first then.

        • soddenleaf 19.3.2.1
          9 November 2018 at 11:57 am

          Start with using buses to create Patrons for the corridor, cut out the time lost and use the new highway to cut the direct time from the large town, to the large city.

    • BM 19.4
      8 November 2018 at 2:47 pm

      I realise this is the Labour government and they have little interest in value for taxpayers dollars.

      But before anyone forks out 80 million has there actually been any market research or feedback on how many people will use this train service to travel to Auckland for work or if it’s even remotely what commuters want?

      I was going to write why this service will be a complete flop but saw this comment which summed up what I was going to write.

      Who goes to Papakura? No one., 2hrs 29m to downtown Auckland, plus the time to get to the station and park. Let’s allow another 30m. that’s 3 hrs.

      Then what do I do when I get there? wait for a bus, pay for a cab, get on another train? Whichever, allow a further 30m to get to my first destination.

      Then how do I get to my next destination? Pay for another cab and allow another hour at least.

      Then get my way back to the train station, in getting close to 5.00pm traffic and do it all again in reverse?

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/108292102/hamilton-to-auckland-passenger-rail-service-takes-another-step-closer

  20. SaveNZ 20
    8 November 2018 at 1:16 pm

    Apparently there is a record boom for home alterations and extensions creating “high-quality larger dwellings”… so record building does not necessarily equate to affordable housing or energy efficiency, in fact, I’d guess the opposite…

    Sounds like basic standards like lead levels in tap ware are not being inspected or any interest in scams like counterfeit building materials. Wonder how long it is before the rate payers and government and health workers will be called upon to rectify the latest building scandal and health effects, while the businesses bringing in dodgy materials get away scott free by liquidating their companies.

    “Nearly a quarter of consented alterations in the June quarter, 1,437 in total, were carried out in the Auckland region where the average value of nearly $134,000 per project was more than two-thirds above the average project spend nationally.

    The second highest number of alterations were carried out in Wellington, where 846 building consents were issued in the June quarter, the highest quarterly number since 2004. At a combined value of $62 million, alteration projects account for 20 percent of all residential building work in the region – well above the percentage nationwide.

    In Canterbury, 829 consents were granted for alterations worth a total of $44 million. The average project value of less than $53,000 is well below the national average, and the scale of alterations has eased up significantly since averaging up to $85,000 per project as recently as three years ago.

    Meanwhile, Otago is in the grip of its own record-breaking home do-up craze. Both the 594 alterations consented in the June quarter, and the combined project value of $27 million, far surpassed anything seen since the Statistics NZ records began in 1990.”

  21. Draco T Bastard 21
    8 November 2018 at 1:24 pm

    Treasury warnings over billion-dollar film subsidies ignored

    Treasury calls to review a subsidy scheme that has seen $1 billion paid out to Hollywood producers since 2004 were over-ruled by Economic Development Minister David Parker.

    Documents released under the Official Information Act show Treasury officials considered that a long-delayed evaluation of the high-profile scheme was flawed. They believed its claimed return of $2.50 for every government dollar spent might actually be a 10c loss, and the scheme was spurring investments that would be better directed elsewhere.

    Surprise, surprise.

    Government subsidies to foreign multi-national corporations costs us more than we get back.

    But this government is going to keep them.

    So, who’s this government ruling for? Us or the corporations?

    The neo-liberal ‘free-market’ hypothesis that the 4th Labour government brought in and every government since has kept specifically rules out government subsidies for business.

    • Ad 21.1
      8 November 2018 at 2:20 pm

      Film is an industry that is now pretty big in New Zealand. It touches a whole bunch of trades.

      We really only broke into it with Xena Warrior Princess 20 years ago, and carefully sustained it after the great Jackson boom began.

      They are the most mobile of industries, who scoop subsidies from any country they can find, so we really will lose them if we don’t keep subsidising them. Note: if your studio is in Wellington, it’s a tax efficiency. If it’s anywhere else it’s a subsidy. Not fair and almost true.

      We subsidise most industries, some more than others, some more directly than others.

      Would still be good to see the Cabinet paper that rolled the subsidy scheme over.

      • Draco T Bastard 21.1.1
        8 November 2018 at 4:50 pm

        I’m not really against subsidising film production (Or anything as long as doing so is in the national interest) in NZ but I’d make the subsidy only available to NZ firms with NZ content. I see no point in subsidising already successful foreign multi-nationals.

        I also happen to think that subsidising local talent would do more for the nation.

        • WeTheBleeple 21.1.1.1
          8 November 2018 at 7:01 pm

          Yes.

          We have an amazing talent pool. Let’s support them.

        • Ad 21.1.1.2
          8 November 2018 at 8:49 pm

          Screen entertainment broadly is one of the most subsidized industries we have.

          Those subsidies apply both locally and internationally.

          Locally, we have the whole of TVNZ, Maori TV, NZ On Air and its equivalent maori agency, NZ Film Commission, as well as smaller enterprises such as the 24 Hour Film Competition, and bunches of others. Throwing millions and millions per year at it, as they have for decades. Then of course there’s public sponsorships for all those film festivals, particularly the main one.

          These subsidies generate massive studio houses, particularly in Auckland for tv. They include scriptwriters, grips, producers, set designers, catering, logistics and travel, actors, scouts, wardrobe, jewelers, the whole 9 yards.

          Internationally, we have tax breaks that have helped form Wellywood and the entire world-beating empire in Miramar, who win work from around the world and bring it here in partnership with others. And no, we’re never going to have the capacity to write, produce, direct, market, and distribute all by ourselves. We are always going to be a small slice of bigger deals.

          Then of course there’s the tax-and ratepayer funding that gets poured into publicly-owned film studios, such as the one operated in Henderson.

          Tote all of that up. I can’t say Im comfortable when I start setting out the taxpayer $$ per actor. But then, I do see it as an industry worth supporting.

          LIke I support dump trucks of taxpayer $$ being poured into totally unprofitable industries like rail and public transport.

  22. halfcrown 22
    8 November 2018 at 1:30 pm

    I see the Reserve Bank is keeping the official cash rate at 1.7% because, ” However, core consumer price inflation remains below our 2 per cent target mid-point, necessitating continued supportive monetary policy. ”

    What an utter load of fucking BULLSHIT we all know prices are increasing like 5 of the grocery items we bought this week had between a 15-20% price increase then our rates are going up by 10% and insurance had just increased by 25%
    These neoliberal fucking prats in the Reserve Bank are not even putting their heads out the window to see if it is raining. They just regurgitate the Neo crap amongst themselves and believe it as fact
    Get the arseoles off their aresoles to walk around a few supermarkets and then they will see the REAL and TRUE inflation rate.
    This so-called inflation rate is designed to let the banks justify paying low-interest rates on savings and also to keeps the wages low
    Utter fucking crap, it is about time that sewer had a great sort out.

    https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/news/2018/11/official-cash-rate-unchanged-at-1-75-percent

    • Herodotus 22.1
      8 November 2018 at 1:42 pm

      You obviously don’t buy the same basket that the Reserve Bank uses
      https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/monetary-policy/about-monetary-policy/explaining-new-zealand-s-monetary-policy/what-is-inflation
      “This records the change in the price of a weighted ‘basket’ of goods and services purchased by an ‘average’ New Zealand household. The percentage change of this index is typically referred to as ‘CPI inflation’.”
      halfcrown, you need to take a few overseas holidays and buy a few large TV’s then you will achieve a life that will mirror the CPI inflation 🤑
      http://archive.stats.govt.nz/survey-participants/survey-resources/cpi-resource.aspx
      There are about 690 goods and services included in the basket. They are classified into 11 groups:

      • Draco T Bastard 22.1.1
        8 November 2018 at 10:36 pm

        One of the reasons why I think going cashless is necessary is because it would give an accurate rate of inflation right down to the local level. Would be able to measure inflation in each individual shop.

    • One Two 22.2
      8 November 2018 at 2:52 pm

      The OCR will remain low, because raising it will lead to ‘severe outcomes’…

      RBNZ, along with most (all) Central Banks, are making decisions using a failed and flawed set of policy and guidelines… They are stuck with the limited changes and levers they have available between the proverbial rock and hard place….the problems are systematic…..they will not change….indeed they cannot change….

      Central bank decisions will become further divorced from what the ‘real economy’ is experiencing and living through….

  23. marty mars 23
    8 November 2018 at 2:54 pm

    Southern cross fail. The truth is it is ALL about profit.

    “Just six days before Auckland mum Anna Jobsz was due to have her ovaries removed she was told her insurer wouldn’t pay.”

    Southern Cross Health Society chief marketing officer Chris Watney said “Once the lifetime allowance was reached, any further procedures would not be funded, This would place too much of a burden of cost on the collective membership of our society – raising premiums significantly.”

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/auckland/108419837/mum-told-six-days-before-ovarian-surgery-that-insurance-wont-cover-it

    • Naki man 23.1
      8 November 2018 at 10:07 pm

      “Southern cross fail. The truth is it is ALL about profit”

      I might be wrong but the way i understand it Southern cross is NOT for profit.
      Southern cross is pretty good, they are much better than the shit company i have medical insurance with.

      • marty mars 23.1.1
        8 November 2018 at 10:34 pm

        I stand corrected and withdraw and apologise.

        Should always check these things twice. Thanks.

      • Draco T Bastard 23.1.2
        8 November 2018 at 10:41 pm

        It may not be about profit but it is about keeping costs down.

        Jobsz has been insured with Southern Cross Insurance since 2001, with a $120 monthly premium. The plan originally provided unlimited surgical treatment for cancer.

        In 2016 Southern Cross created the cap of between $30,000 and $50,000 per lifetime, depending on the member’s plan, for preventative operations.

        Proof positive that private insurance doesn’t work. For profit private insurance is even worse because of the dead-weight loss of profit.

  24. James Thrace 24
    8 November 2018 at 3:53 pm

    So now Iain Lees-Galloway

    1) didn’t read the full file
    2) made the decision the same day he was told about it
    3) apparently spoke with the PM because he was so conflicted over it
    4) relied on the advice of Immigration NZ staff
    5) now has in inquiry into the INZ process around it
    6) but had the information there to read himself
    7) limitation of deportation liability didn’t need to be made right away considering Sroubek is still in prison.

    The whole thing is a clusterfuck.

    Still though, doesn’t mean he should resign. He should admit he fucked up and explain what he’s going to do to ensure that INZ don’t cause Ministers to fuck up in the future, rectify the matter, and then resign.

    And yet people say that NZ1st was going to send NZ to hell in a handcart. Seems like Labour is doing that pretty well on their own.

    • Cinny 24.1
      8 November 2018 at 4:39 pm

      Sounds like someone gave him shite advice, one would think one could trust ministry staff, especially those who have been doing it for years.

      How many desks would an application like that cross?

      Am still concerned national allowed pedos to remain in the country. Did the same staff give advice on that as well?

  25. patricia bremner 25
    8 November 2018 at 9:29 pm

    I will be accused of being a “Jacinda fan”. So be it!! I am. Why ? go to her facebook page.
    There is a brilliant video of children”s responses to her request for a Christmas card design showing a NZ Christmas. WOW and WOW!!

    What a great idea and person she is.
    Overseas people, especially Aussies compared her with Scomo in his bus seeking votes.

    She radiates her love of Children, and a wonderful ability to connect, especially with the Mum who missed the deadline and sent a photo of her child’s efforts.
    Jacinda’s comments were so supportive. “Don’t beat yourself up as a Mum.” And doing a screen shot of their effort. She is indeed gold. She is genuine.

    Now some will say “What about …..?” You fill the gap. But guess what, everyone of those parents know her as special.

  26. Ed 26
    8 November 2018 at 9:43 pm

    If the U.S. had an independent media….

    “the election would be about the dangerous situation created by Washington that has caused two militarily powerful countries to prepare for war with the US. This is the most serious development of my lifetime.”

    If the U.S. had an independent media….

    “the election would be about the American police state that, based on the 9/11 lie, the weapons of mass destruction lie, the use of chemical weapons lie, the Iranian nukes lie, the Russian invasion of Ukraine lie, was accepted by the insouciant Americans. Those responsible for these lies, which have caused massive war crimes, for which US administrations should be indicted, are feted and rich. The rest of us have experienced the loss of civil liberty and privacy. Any individual in the way of the police state is mowed down.”

    If the U.S. had an independent media….

    “the election would be about the de-industrialization of the United States. Today the offshoring of American manufacturing and industry has reduced the US military to dependence on Chinese suppliers.”

    If the U.S. had an independent media….

    “the election would be about the 20 years of US and NATO/EU war crimes against Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Syria, and Yemen, and US and NATO support for Israel’s war crimes against the remnants of the Palestinian people, and US and NATO/EU support for the neo-nazi regime established by the Obama regime in Ukraine to commit war crimes against the breakaway Russian provinces, the populations of which refuse to become victims of Washington’s overthrow of the democratic elected Ukrainian government and installation by “America’s first black president” of a neo-nazi regime.”

    If the U.S. had an independent media……

    “the election would be about the orchestrated demonization of Iran. The completely stupid dope that Trump appointed Secretary of State just declared (the utter fool should not be permitted to open his mouth) that Washington was going to drive Iran into the ground unless the government agreed to behave like a normal state.”

    If the U.S. had an independent media….

    https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/11/05/what-this-election-is-about/

    • te reo putake 26.1
      8 November 2018 at 10:07 pm

      Roberts is one of the most readable righties, but mostly only if you squint and pretend its satire. On economics, he’s very similar to Don Brash. Politically, he pitches himself as being an independent conservative, with a sideline in left hate and wacky conspiracy theories, including that the CIA owns all the media.

      The reason I find him interesting is that he’s been around a long time. He was working for Reagan during the rise of the neo Cons and seems to vaguely resent that the modern right don’t give him the props he thinks he deserves. This means he does occasionally put a good shot across the bows of his fellow conservatives.

    • Bill 26.2
      8 November 2018 at 10:17 pm

      As I wrote at the time, Trump vastly over-estimates the power of the president.

      And so do most people. When the President is “in tune” with institutional power, then stuff is on steroids.

      And as I’ve pointed out before on numerous occasions, the “take down” of Trump would have been attempted on Sanders too. I think people miss the point.

  27. eco maori 27
    9 November 2018 at 7:31 am

    Kia ora The Am Show
    There you go the gun control laws in America are not protecting the people that the LAW Maker’s are elected to do. Not line the rifle association pocket’s there you go money over live’s alcohol was a factor to the shooting happened in a bar .
    Well O that’s correct the most important issue that will cause the most damage to OUR society Global Warming and Nothing from the media the WestCoast heavy rains and floods who is suppressing this reality .
    I agree that most farmers pro a healthy environment and clean water ways and a better future for the descendants.
    The only problem with the smoking in car’s ban is the police will have another tool to hit the poor common person on the head with at there discretion Its not like they are all Honorable people .
    The Maori AllBlacks are playing in Brazil ka pai lets hope they are hosted well I think its good getting Aotearoa’s presents known in Brazil .
    There you go Andrew Becroft alcohol the damage it does to people and the unborn child is a tragedy .
    judy is full of it she will dig as deep as she could to get into power no matter who she walk’s on.
    Ka kite ano

  28. eco maori 28
    9 November 2018 at 7:44 am

    Here you go a link to back up my word’s about the shooting ka kite ano

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46135459

  29. eco maori 29
    9 November 2018 at 8:17 am

    Eco Maori is pro wind and solar its cheaper and safer that nuclear
    UK nuclear power station plans scrapped as Toshiba pulls out
    Here is a excerlint opportunity to use solar and wind power generation to full the gap in the power sector in the UK
    Firm’s nuclear arm to wind up next year and scrap Cumbria plant leaving big hole in UK energy plans
    Some industry watchers said the collapse of the scheme should be seen as an opportunity rather than a risk, for the UK to prioritise renewables instead.

    Jonathan Marshall, an analyst at the ECIU thinktank, said: “Shifting away from expensive, complicated technology towards cheaper and easier to build renewables gives the UK the opportunity to build an electricity system that will keep bills for homes and businesses down for years to come.”

    The government’s infrastructure advisers recently urged ministers to rethink their nuclear plans and focus on renewables instead.
    Ka kite ano link below

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/08/toshiba-uk-nuclear-power-plant-project-nu-gen-cumbria

  30. eco maori 30
    9 November 2018 at 8:31 am

    This crab could save your life – if humans don’t wipe it out first few people in the world are aware their wellbeing may one day depend on a blue-blooded crab that looks like a cross between the facehugger from Alien and a gigantic louse. Fewer still realise this ancient creature now faces its greatest threat in more than 450m YEAR’s .
    This is one reason why I say we have to protect OUR biodiversity all creatures should be treated like Dimonds Ka kite ano links below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/03/horseshoe-crab-population-at-risk-blood-big-pharma

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/03/stop-biodiversity-loss-or-we-could-face-our-own-extinction-warns-un

  31. eco maori 31
    9 November 2018 at 9:44 am

    IT was a good start to Equality for all with Wahine and minority cultures who have won power in the American mid term election’s THIS IS JUST the start we have to keep fighting for Equality for all people and mother earth creatures ka kite ano.
    P.S You no I say Wahine are more humane and intelligent than men

  32. eco maori 32
    9 November 2018 at 10:09 am

    This is what I call innovation and thinking out side the square the new generation who wont let the old generation stop OUR world’s progress to a better future for all .
    A underground road tunnel it save’s the environment no vital land use big + there is heaps of room underground and electric vehicles also it limits the weather damage that roads get from bush fires tornadoes hurricanes in theory less maintenance cost
    Ka kite ano Link below

    Elon Musk says his first tunnel will open in December

    https://www.euronews.com/2018/10/23/elon-musk-says-his-first-tunnel-will-open-december-n922726

  33. eco maori 33
    9 November 2018 at 4:07 pm

    Here is how the Crown treated Tangata Whenua Sir Āpirana Ngata proposed the Crown set apart a portion of the lands it acquired from Māori for settlement by Māori veterans or that it purchase land from Māori explicitly for the purpose of rehabilitation. But the government, including the prime minister, refused to change any of its policies to support the needs of Māori
    In some cases, Māori made gains, while others expressed frustration the sacrifices made for the price of citizenship never came to pass .For his book, Soutar says it was difficult to get the families of veterans to talk about what life was like growing up with someone who was probably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition more widely considered now but ignored during and after World War I
    In the place they called “Hell”, the Somme in France, Soutar say the pioneers worked in harrowing conditions.
    Bodies had been lying on the ground, shells exploding. So the bodies are getting blown up again and again..
    “A skull would just appear while they were digging out the wall of a trench, bones everywhere.
    The smell of the place, bodies that had rotted. They became so used to it.”
    The pioneers performed grim tasks as they made their way across France and Belgium.
    They were going up two ridge lines with a valley in between, trying to take out the Turkish trenches. One lot started a haka on one ridge, the Māori on the other side heard it. So when they were going to take a trench they’d do a haka also.

    “It was during the night and if you’ve never heard a haka before, like the Turks, how frightening it must have been.” There is a need for the wrong’s that was dish out to Maori and Pacific tangata after World WAR 1 & 2 to be acknowledged apologized & compensation for there unfair treatment . Brown people were not aloud to drink in the same pub as white people . Ka kite ano link below. P.S I Know a lot of my tipuna Whano went to both War’s
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/108363904/maori-soldiers-great-war-battle-for-equality

  34. eco maori 34
    9 November 2018 at 5:33 pm

    Black girl magic’: 19 black women ran for judge in Texas county – and all 19 won Democrats won all 59 judicial races in Harris county in Tuesday’s midterm elections. In one of the most eye-catching and significant results, the long-time incumbent Republican county judge, Ed Emmett – in effect, the county’s chief executive – lost to Lina Hidalgo, a 27-year-old first-time candidate who immigrated from Colombia as a teenager Ka kite ano link below Mana Wahine

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/08/black-women-texas-judge-harris-county

  35. eco maori 35
    9 November 2018 at 5:46 pm

    Kia ora Tekaea It was cool watching the pepei waiata and haka .
    I don’t like talking about War as I don’t want to give the act any oxygen and hopefully it will drift into our history book’s
    Uawa Awa tuna are sweet its good to see there are a few tuna in the Awa and to see the Wahine teaching the tamariki facts about tuna.
    The new Wellington Hospital being built from the good donor and the government is going to benefit the people ka pai
    Ka kite ano P.S I have tau toko the Maori AllBlacks in Eco Maori yesterdays post

  36. eco maori 36
    9 November 2018 at 6:38 pm

    Kia ora Newshub West Coast flood’s= Global Warming
    Tragic that shooting in America condolences to the people who lost love one .
    There you go Chris Finlayson I can see right through him he thinks people in jail don’t have rights and is using the topic of voters right as a political missile and he made the new laws to block the rights to vote for prisoners.
    judey looks like you will have to find another way to line your pockets the Ancient Kauri export ban of unfinished Kauri products that law being upheld is going to save alot our wetlands .
    That forest fire in Northen California is a shame condolences to the people who lost love ones and property .
    There you go Prince Charles thinks about his and our grandchildren future ka pai .
    I agree with the German man we should educate the youth about the tragedies of war
    the way I see it the common poor suffered great losses .
    Good on the Russian adventure for setting sail around the world from Aotearoa I liked watching the Royal albatross gliding above the water to .
    Ka kite ano

  37. eco maori 37
    9 November 2018 at 7:03 pm

    Kia ora Wairangi and Anna got to go pick up te mokopuna’s ka kite ano
    Eddy Jone’s and Coach lol

  38. eco maori 38
    10 November 2018 at 9:23 am

    What a big spin its the Banks & business that have most the wealth from OUR fast rising house prices that have being artificially inflated over the last 10 years.
    national increased immigration sold off the state houses to private enterprises and ignore the fact of a housing shortage and you create a banker & real estate agents wealthy person’s DREAM land making billion’s mean while we have a tsunami of people living under a bridge and our personal dept is huge did this researcher take that out of the equation we were at the top of the list in the 60 70’s .Some did not like a country that had better living standards per person that them so they decided to throw a spanner in the works an what do you know we have heaps of people underthe bridge
    Feeling wealthy? New Zealand ranks sixth in global wealth report Ka kite ano.
    link below.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/108487187/feeling-wealthy-new-zealand-ranks-sixth-in-global-wealth-report

  39. eco maori 39
    10 November 2018 at 10:20 am

    Kia ora Newshub Nation I have already said the made my view’s on the teachers strike .
    Yes I agree with that statement that employee’s should be the focus it the people the people but I say people should not expect corrections in inequality of pay to happen over night I see some people using this phenomenon as a political missile .
    Technology is going to change the employment landscape and Maori & Pacific people will be displaced the most from this technology that’s why I back a Universal wage so we will be able to survive on part time seasonal work. Robots are coming on fast.
    Michel I agree Auckland needs a night shelter like the one that Tini is running in Rotorua called the Hub it is working good to.
    Ka kite ano

  40. eco maori 40
    10 November 2018 at 2:44 pm

    sandflys thank’s for the Vip escort when I went to pick up the mokopuna’s I smelt them as soon as I got on the state highway .
    I have eased up on the factual stories about there bad behavior’s as it can affect other’s
    But they keep using every dirty lying cheating trick in there book to damage my whano name and my good character. There are many story about there bad behavior’s I’m holding back till the time is correct .
    I had one car at the back and 2 in front they plant a cop car were it can not be seen by a over taking lane and the driver in front slows down to get me to over take them an on goes the cop cars lights given me a speeding ticket for being 3 km over the speed limit while over taking the slow car . They have pulled once on me before but I won’t fall at trick for that trick twice . Muppets ka kite ano

  41. eco maori 41
    10 November 2018 at 2:56 pm

    I see the sandflys puppets all over the place they are lapping up the sandflys lies and cheating way’s . These people are jealous of Eco Maori sweet truthful music from my Flute Muppets. Ka kite ano

  42. eco maori 42
    11 November 2018 at 6:49 am

    The sandfly’s will lock up a brown person as soon as look at them convicted as far as the law can see bounse more putea .
    The sandflys will never give up there false harassment suppression and smear campaign of Eco Maori and his immediate whano.
    Why because I have let the whole world know that the policing force around the whole world is corrupt can’t have a Brown person get away with that .
    They will protect there false image links below.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=152016

    https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2018/04/20/feds-arrest-paterson-cop-drug-dealing-charges/536253002/

    https://nypost.com/2018/04/20/fbi-busts-cop-for-allegedly-dealing-drugs-out-of-his-cruiser/

    Why won’t they put tracking devices in cop cars it will make them more accountable for there action’s it will make there job safer and safer for the public .
    But know they cant be caught with there pant;s down at a crime seen at the same place and point in time that could be tracked and traced the data would be stored and can be retrieved at a later date who cares about safety protecting there image is what counts first to the NZpolice.
    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2018/10/revealed-no-gps-trackers-in-nz-police-fleet.html.
    The sandfly’s have cost me jobs they have cost my son jobs and are still giving my children underarm bowls me and my SON would have been managing Farm;s if the sandflys did not play God and spread lie’s about my family $70.000 +each I will be raging on there ASS from now on they don’t give a shit about what they are doing to my kid;s so they can go get————————————————————————— .
    ECO MAORI will win this WAR Bob Marley was one of the worlds greatest Prophets
    every thing he said is TRUE

  43. eco maori 43
    11 November 2018 at 8:02 am

    Eco Maori Music fo the minute .

  44. eco maori 44
    11 November 2018 at 8:43 am

    New Zealand Council of Civil Liberties lawyer Michael Bott said “surveillance creep” is a worry and that people risked accepting being monitored “24 hours a day, seven days a week”. Ka kite ano This is what the sandflys are doing to me and my whano and worse they are adding lies and spinning this propagandize to anyone they can sell it to.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/108380437/councils-eye-up-realtime-satellite-monitoring-for-compliance-matters

  45. eco maori 45
    11 November 2018 at 9:17 am

    Kia ora R&R I had my plans changed I was not going to comment today .
    Transport is a good topic .
    Eco Maori back’s Electric car and trains charged by renewable energy as hydrogen has to many losses when making the gas and storing it .
    You lose %7 to %10 making the gas and more when its used for energy making electricity out of it. so I say stick with electricity and battier power storage’s .
    The efficiency of electric is gaining every year and so is battier technology is advancing fast. Hydrogen will have its place in our transport mix but I predict that electricity will be the main stay .
    The oil baron’s have suppressed electric transport tec for many year’s The total efficiency % losses will be about %20 to %30 thats way to high to waste
    Ka kite ano P.S hope my post did not show you our scary reality

  46. eco maori 46
    11 November 2018 at 9:37 am

    Kia ora The Hui this is a good topic its is cool to get the facts out about FetalAlcohol syndrome is a big problem for the unborn child .
    Its worest than PEE coke a lot of man made substances as the story is being told on the show.
    The big picture to our reality is the Booze baron have being suppressing this knowledge of the evil affects alcohol has on the human body’s systems .
    Ka kite ano. Yes this will affect Maori tamariki more than other cultures.

  47. eco maori 47
    11 November 2018 at 10:10 am

    Kia ora Jenny from Marae Sir Ngatta Love was a tool that was used as a missile to damage Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa Mana and image .I bet if it was a old European leader it would have been white washed the justice system protects ITS OWN .
    And worst still he died in Jail he should not have been put in Jail .
    This is going to change and we are going to change it .
    It was a week after he was buried before we found out he had died .
    Yes I say the system does not respect and understand Tangata Whenua Culture
    Ka kite ano P.S Kia kaha

  48. eco maori 48
    11 November 2018 at 5:33 pm

    2018 was a WAY better election for Democrats than most people seem to think.
    Bernie Did say don’t count your chickens and he was correct It was a big blue wave Ka pai for the Socialist Democrats for a big effort on the trumexit it look’s like he has a blue——-banned on now Ka kite ano link below

    https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/09/politics/2018-democrats-midterms/index.html

    https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/09/politics/democrats-midterm-statehouse-gains/index.html

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