It’s the Herald. Hide is just one of many commentators the Herald will parade telling Northlanders not to vote for Peters.
The media will be one to watch here. They’ve been taken by surprise a bit by the polls and they don’t have much time to influence the by-election. They’ll be spitting tacks if their nemesis wins
I think we can expect to see an upsurge in negative comments about Winston Peters from the media over the rest of the month. The next weekend Herald will be one to watch, Roughan and O’Sullivan were busy defending their Godboy this week but I suspect they’ll have a different target next time.
Midweek I’m guessing we’ll have the likes of Armstrong and Trevett putting the boot in to Peters, with advice for Northlanders from the likes of Hoskings and the odd cameo appearances.
I’d like to believe that but experience shows the media have more power and influence over voters than we can be comfortable with. The corporate media will certainly have been quietly congratulating themselves over the hatchet job they did on David Cunliffe… it worked.
totally agree but the TV1 poll just published says Winston 36 Nats 36 Lab 20. Some tactical voting and a few subtle hints by Little (and others) should see Winston sail home. Lets see what Little says on TV1 in 2 minutes…..and he is subtly saying vote Winston.
Interestingly, Bearded Git, Andrew Little was saying exactly what Willow-Jean has on her leaflet for distribution around Northland households ie “Its time to send a message to the government that Northland deserves better”. This leaflet was printed out well before Winston appeared on the scene with a similar message on his bus !
Oh come on Jenny-he didn’t say vote Labour. He said vote for the person who is likely to beat National, which is the only way a message can be sent. And that person is Winnie.
It was a clever piece of repositioning. Little sounded like a PM in waiting to me.
Andrew Little is a good man. Fair and thoughtful. What more does anyone want? He will be a very good Prime Minister, liked by people of all persuasion. Trust me on that. You heard it here first!
Hide has as an obsessive hatred of Peters which goes back to the Winebox saga. He was a full time economic adviser to Alan Gibbs prior to him entering parliament, and was an integral part of that whole tax evasion/avoidance scene in the 1980s and early 1990s. He was placed in the ACT headquarters by Gibbs for the express purpose of becoming… Gibbs’ man in parliament. It worked for a while then it all (thankfully) turned to dust. I wouldn’t be surprised if they blame Winston Peters for that too.
Anne
Thanks for that historical snippet.
Most people don’t know or have forgotten Gibb’s puppetry with Rodney Hide.
We need reminding every now and then.
We need reminding of Key’s support for the invasion of Iraq, his taking out a new mortgage for an apartment he already owned because of a parliamentary perk, English’s Wellington home etc….etc..
Andrew Little needs to enforce standards in the Labour Party on matters surrounding donations. A scandal in this area could undo his good works.
Letting Mallard, Cosgrove and Nash get away with dodgy donations is not a good precedent.
Sadly Robertson counts on them as supporters. If Robertson gets a top 4 role in the November reshuffle, following King’s planned step-down, Robertson will rehabilitate Cosgrove. Cosgrove has tooooo much on Robertson.
Just seen Corrin Dan on Q&A announce that Andrew Little would be the next speaker
I do like the unbiased introduction by Dan, Andrew Little, former Union Boss. Perhaps next time Key comes on he will introduce Key as the former, and still is money trading spiv
I like that, but he Still is, and if Dan Dan the lavatory man has to introduce that prat from Epsom (Rimmer) they play the signature music of Red Dwarf
The Ruskies think that Nemtsov was followed the whole day by several cars who interchanged positions as they tracked him. So there is much more yet to come.
That is NOT what Andrew Little said, fisiani. He said instead that NZ had previously had a fairness in legislation that allowed for a trial period at a workplace, and that is what he wants to see reinstated.
When Labour Party supporters ‘do an Epsom’ and vote strategically in Northland, Winston Peters will romp in.
When Winston Peters takes Northland off National, they will be left with 59 out of 121 MPs and will be politically ‘wing-clipped’ in terms of passing their pro-corporate / anti-worker legislation.
Why on earth would Labour not be pulling out all the stops in order to help this happen – by promoting ‘STRATEGIC’ voting in Northland?
I for one am not saying Labour’s Willow-Jean Prime should ‘stand aside’ or not continue to advocate and publicise Labour’s policies.
But this Northland by-election is FAR bigger than Northland.
Labour – do NOT stuff it up for the majority of New Zealanders!
Why Obama wants to broker peace with Iran. Why Israel is opposed . Who is supporting ISIL?….a very good discussion with Peter Lavelle moderating:
“So close, yet so far. Iran and the West are close to accomplishing what so many in Washington and Tel Aviv are terrified of – a negotiated end to the Western standoff with Iran. Israel’s Netanyahu has made it clear: war is better than peace. Can Washington finally say ‘yes’ to peace?”
CrossTalking with Mohammad Marandi, Gareth Porter, and Chuck Freilich.
Saudi Arabia would also hate US corporates having full access to Iran to sack Iran’s resources and send profits from its vast oil and gas fields back to Wall St.
My very amateur over view on Israel’s position around its neighbours is to keep them unstable , divided and weak.
I bet Iran and Iraq working together on the IS problem is worrying Israel big time
My last blog post on medicinal Cannabis for a while, this time not based around pain, but the Anti Nausea and appetite stimulating effects and their positive impact on a patient suffering from HIV
Sorry, but have stopped reading until the entanglement with Pete George is gone. By all means post on his site too, but when you link like you do, here of all places, it’s a distraction and plain rude (I suspect you don’t fully understand the extent of the trouble PG has caused here).
I think it’s been pointed out to you a number of times. My comment isn’t about you posting at yawnz, it’s about how you link here. Your choice of course.
I would have thought it important for the people of Northland to understand the implosion around the National Party people in Northland, and in particular Mike Sabin. The reasons he left. And what and when the National Party people knew about it.
Otherwise it is nothing but a bullshit-extension of the same….
Oh, no nothing like that, just important facts concerning the organisation so many people in Northland seem hell bent on electing back in. i.e. the National Party
It is the GIANT elephant in the room making so much difference — seemingly not to be mentioned or even alluded to by msm. I’m thinking Winston is somehow going to challenge the silence — it is after all, the sole raison d’etre for this by-election. He tried several times in the House but Carter cut him off at the pass … maybe this week or next in the House ? Winston is surely more canny than the rest of them combined.
(Have been wondering if a an airplane towing a message drogue would constitute breaching name suppression — is it publishing in the air ?? And yes, I am half-serious.)
I am sure it could be done in a way that didn’t breach any suppression orders. You’d probably need your own plane, because I suspect anyone renting them out in Northland would be an ardent Tory. If I was still there, I’d be putting up signs at night. Or maybe even during the day. The legal situation is very unclear.
A brilliant article by guest author Sam Goldham at the Daily Blog shows clearly why Tony Abbott and John Key are criminals and even worse, war criminals.
I would like to add multiple cases (past, present and future) of the criminal act of financial terrorism to John Key’s name!
This, in large part, is the triumph of capitalism over democracy, as Lebowitz calls it. Through the corporate mass media – particularly television news (and particularly cable TV news) – the “masters of the universe” capitalists embed a world view in enough voters to create the semblance of a democracy. In reality the real decisions are being made upstairs, where the money is counted and continues to pile up to the rafters.
But I believe that people mistake when capitalism triumphed over democracy:
In order to do this, the Patriot leaders of the Revolution used ‘a language inspiring to all classes, specific enough in its listing of grievances to charge people with anger against the British, vague enough to avoid class conflict among the rebels, and stirring enough to build a patriotic feeling for the resistance movement’ (1999: 68). But this was a difiicult game for the Patriot leaders to play because it required a balancing act, maintaining broadly popular support for the War of Independence and Revolution by appealing to universal notions of liberty and democracy, on one hand, while simultaneously defending the sanctity of property and the rule of a rich capitalist minority, on the other.
History of Democracy by B. Roper
It can. IMO, be said that we’ve never had democracy because the rich didn’t want us to have it and they still fight against it whenever it pops up. A good example of this fight against democracy by the rich is the firing of ECan by this government.
ffs, when you delete comments that are already replied to you screw up the bottom of the thread and all subsequent comments. Instead, edit the content (replace everything with a full stop if you have to).
I happened to be in Palmerston North yesterday and attended the TPP march which was pretty well attended I think. At least not less than 500 in my guess.
There were lots of people with videos and cameras and two people who took my picture with my nice placard told me they would be putting the photos on line and one said it would be on face book. I wonder if any one of you knows where I can find the photos from Palmerston North to see if I am there !
Thanks in advance for your help.
P.S :
There was a lovely band which played there with great music. The female singer was very talented and very pleasant to listen to. Well done, singer, who ever you are. Great job!
The male singer was good too with quite clever political songs. well done!
It also shows the effects a universal basic income has had on many Native American communities. Many Native American reservations operate casinos and pay every resident a dividend, which has reached $10k a year in some communities. The benefits have been amazing.
Turkish government gives senior ISIS commander hospital care
Says that it is what any Turkish citizen deserves. (The ISIS commander is one of approx. 1000 Turkish citizens currently fighting with ISIS).
Meanwhile a Turkish medical student who went to give medical assistance to the Kurds in Kobani is being arrested by the Turkish Government for terrorism.
Turkey would rather support AL-Nusrah & probably even Da’ish than the Kurds and various autonomous cantons. They want Assad gone, the Kurds suppressed, a Sunni state in Syria, and the Syrian refugees sent home. They’re hovering dangerously around wanting to have their cake and eat it as well. Erdogan is showing every sign of being a Turkish Mubarak or even a Turkish Putin.
That said it seems unclear what the fate of the Da’ish commander ultimately will be. Receiving medical treatment is of course the humanitarian thing to do – if he is then released to re-cross the border that would be another thing entirely.
Our Labour Party branch down here in Dunedin South watched part of that interview. Just outstanding. Binney is incredibly talented and moral. People like him give me huge respect for some of the citizens of the USA.
So what becomes of you, my love?When they have finally stripped you ofThe handbags and the gladragsThat your poor old granddadHad to sweat to buy you, babySongwriter: Mike D'aboIn yesterday’s newsletter, I expressed sadness at seeing Golriz Ghahraman back on the front pages for shoplifting. As someone who is no ...
It’s Friday and time for another roundup of things that caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If you’d like to support our work, you can join ...
Note: This Webworm discusses sexual assault and rape. Please read with care.Hi,A few weeks ago I reported on how one of New Zealand’s richest men, Nick Mowbray (he and his brother own Zuru and are worth an estimated $20 billion), had taken to sharing posts by a British man called ...
The final Atlas Network playbook puzzle piece is here, and it slipped in to Aotearoa New Zealand with little fan fare or attention. The implications are stark.Today, writes Dr Bex, the submission for the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill closes: 11:59pm January 16, 2025.As usual, the language of the ...
Excitement in the seaside village! Look what might be coming! 400 million dollars worth of investment! In the very beating heart of the village! Are we excited and eager to see this happen, what with every last bank branch gone and shops sitting forlornly quiet awaiting a customer?Yes please, apply ...
Much discussion has been held over the Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB), the latest in a series of rightwing attempts to enshrine into law pro-market precepts such as the primacy of private property ownership. Underneath the good governance and economic efficiency gobbledegook language of the Bill is an interest to strip ...
We are concerned that the Amendment Bill, as proposed, could impair the operations and legitimate interests of the NZ Trade Union movement. It is also likely to negatively impact the ability of other civil society actors to conduct their affairs without the threat of criminal sanctions. We ask that ...
I can't take itHow could I fake it?How could I fake it?And I can't take itHow could I fake it?How could I fake it?Song: The Lonely Biscuits.“A bit nippy”, I thought when I woke this morning, and then, soon after that, I wondered whether hell had frozen over. Dear friends, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Asheville, North Carolina, was once widely considered a climate haven thanks to its elevated, inland location and cooler temperatures than much of the Southeast. Then came the catastrophic floods of Hurricane Helene in September 2024. It was a stark reminder that nowhere is safe from ...
Early reports indicate that the temporary Israel/Hamas ceasefire deal (due to take effect on Sunday) will allow for the gradual release of groups of Israeli hostages, the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails (likely only a fraction of the total incarcerated population), and the withdrawal ...
My daily news diet is not what it once was.It was the TV news that lost me first. Too infantilising, too breathless, too frustrating.The Herald was next. You could look past the reactionary framing while it was being a decent newspaper of record, but once Shayne Currie began unleashing all ...
Hit the road Jack and don't you come backNo more, no more, no more, no moreHit the road Jack and don't you come back no moreWhat you say?Songwriters: Percy MayfieldMorena,I keep many of my posts, like this one, paywall-free so that everyone can read them.However, please consider supporting me as ...
This might be the longest delay between reading (or in this case re-reading) a work, and actually writing a review of it I have ever managed. Indeed, when I last read these books in December 2022, I was not planning on writing anything about them… but as A Phuulish Fellow ...
Kia Ora,I try to keep most my posts without a paywall for public interest journalism purposes. However, if you can afford to, please consider supporting me as a paid subscriber and/or supporting over at Ko-Fi. That will help me to continue, and to keep spending time on the work. Embarrassingly, ...
There was a time when Google was the best thing in my world. I was an early adopter of their AdWords program and boy did I like what it did for my business. It put rocket fuel in it, is what it did. For every dollar I spent, those ads ...
A while back I was engaged in an unpleasant exchange with a leader of the most well-known NZ anti-vax group and several like-minded trolls. I had responded to a racist meme on social media in which a rightwing podcaster in the US interviewed one of the leaders of the Proud ...
Hi,If you’ve been reading Webworm for a while, you’ll be familiar with Anna Wilding. Between 2020 and 2021 I looked at how the New Zealander had managed to weasel her way into countless news stories over the years, often with very little proof any of it had actually happened. When ...
It's a long white cloud for you, baby; staying together alwaysSummertime in AotearoaWhere the sunshine kisses the water, we will find it alwaysSummertime in AotearoaYeah, it′s SummertimeIt's SummertimeWriters: Codi Wehi Ngatai, Moresby Kainuku, Pipiwharauroa Campbell, Taulutoa Michael Schuster, Rebekah Jane Brady, Te Naawe Jordan Muturangi Tupe, Thomas Edward Scrase.Many of ...
Last year, 292 people died unnecessarily on our roads. That is the lowest result in over a decade and only the fourth time in the last 70 years we’ve seen fewer than 300 deaths in a calendar year. Yet, while it is 292 people too many, with each death being ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob HensonFlames from the Palisades Fire burn a building at Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The fast-moving wildfire had destroyed thousands of structures and ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Regulatory Standards Bill, as I understand it, seeks to bind parliament to a specific range of law-making.For example, it seems to ensure primacy of individual rights over that of community, environment, te Tiriti ...
Happy New Year!I had a lovely break, thanks very much for asking: friends, family, sunshine, books, podcasts, refreshing swims, barbecues, bike rides. So good to step away from the firehose for a while, to have less Trump and Seymour in your day. Who needs the Luxons in their risible PJs ...
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the Auckland City Centre Advisory Panel and a director of Greater Auckland In 2003, after much argument, including the election of a Mayor in 2001 who ran on stopping it, Britomart train station in downtown Auckland opened. A mere 1km twin track terminating branch ...
For the first time in a decade, a New Zealand Prime Minister is heading to the Middle East. The trip is more than just a courtesy call. New Zealand PMs frequently change planes in Dubai en route to destinations elsewhere. But Christopher Luxon’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 5, 2025 thru Sat, January 11, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The decade between 1952 and the early 1960s was the peak period for the style of music we now call doo wop, after which it got dissolved into soul music, girl groups, and within pop music in general. Basically, doo wop was a form of small group harmonising with a ...
The future teaches you to be aloneThe present to be afraid and coldSo if I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists…And if you tolerate thisThen your children will be nextSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Do you remember at school, studying the rise ...
When National won the New Zealand election in 2023, one of the first to congratulate Luxon was tech-billionaire and entrepreneur extraordinaire Elon Musk.And last year, after Luxon posted a video about a trip to Malaysia, Musk came forward again to heap praise on Christopher:So it was perhaps par for the ...
Hi,Today’s Webworm features a new short film from documentary maker Giorgio Angelini. It’s about Luigi Mangione — but it’s also, really, about everything in America right now.Bear with me.Shortly after I sent out my last missive from the fires on Wednesday, one broke out a little too close to home ...
So soon just after you've goneMy senses sharpenBut it always takes so damn longBefore I feel how much my eyes have darkenedFear hangs in a plane of gun smokeDrifting in our roomSo easy to disturb, with a thought, with a whisperWith a careless memorySongwriters: Andy Taylor / John Taylor / ...
Can we trust the Trump cabinet to act in the public interest?Nine of Trump’s closest advisers are billionaires. Their total net worth is in excess of $US375b (providing there is not a share-market crash). In contrast, the total net worth of Trump’s first Cabinet was about $6b. (Joe Biden’s Cabinet ...
Welcome back to our weekly roundup. We hope you had a good break (if you had one). Here’s a few of the stories that caught our attention over the last few weeks. This holiday period on Greater Auckland Since our last roundup we’ve: Taken a look back at ...
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partnerSometimes I feel like my only friendIs the city I live in, The City of AngelsLonely as I am together we crySong: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, Flea, John Frusciante.A home is engulfed in flames during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area. ...
Open access notablesLarge emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra, Torn et al., Nature Communications:Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Over the holidays, there was a rising tide of calls for people to submit on National's repulsive, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, along with a wave of advice and examples of what to say. And it looks like people rose to the occasion, with over 300,000 ...
The lie is my expenseThe scope of my desireThe Party blessed me with its futureAnd I protect it with fireI am the Nina The Pinta The Santa MariaThe noose and the rapistAnd the fields overseerThe agents of orangeThe priests of HiroshimaThe cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fireSongwriters: Brad ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkGlobal surface temperatures have risen around 1.3C since the preindustrial (1850-1900) period as a result of human activity.1 However, this aggregate number masks a lot of underlying factors that contribute to global surface temperature changes over time.These include CO2, which is the primary ...
There are times when movement around us seems to slow down. And the faster things get, the slower it all appears.And so it is with the whirlwind of early year political activity.They are harbingers for what is to come:Video: Wayne Wright Jnr, funder of Sean Plunket, talk growing power and ...
Hi,Right now the power is out, so I’m just relying on the laptop battery and tethering to my phone’s 5G which is dropping in and out. We’ll see how we go.First up — I’m fine. I can’t see any flames out the window. I live in the greater Hollywood area ...
2024 was a tough year for working Kiwis. But together we’ve been able to fight back for a just and fair New Zealand and in 2025 we need to keep standing up for what’s right and having our voices heard. That starts with our Mood of the Workforce Survey. It’s your ...
Time is never time at allYou can never ever leaveWithout leaving a piece of youthAnd our lives are forever changedWe will never be the sameThe more you change, the less you feelSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan.Babinden - Baba’s DayToday, January 8th, 2025, is Babinden, “The Day of the baba” or “The ...
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...
Everything is good and brownI'm here againWith a sunshine smile upon my faceMy friends are close at handAnd all my inhibitions have disappeared without a traceI'm glad, oh, that I found oohSomebody who I can rely onSongwriter: Jay KayGood morning, all you lovely people. Today, I’ve got nothing except a ...
Welcome to 2025. After wrapping up 2024, here’s a look at some of the things we can expect to see this year along with a few predictions. Council and Elections Elections One of the biggest things this year will be local body elections in October. Will Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Canadians can take a while to get angry – but when they finally do, watch out. Canada has been falling out of love with Justin Trudeau for years, and his exit has to be the least surprising news event of the New Year. On recent polling, Trudeau’s Liberal party has ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Much like 2023, many climate and energy records were broken in 2024. It was Earth’s hottest year on record by a wide margin, breaking the previous record that was set just last year by an even larger margin. Human-caused climate-warming pollution and ...
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...
Ooh, baby (ooh, baby)It's making me crazy (it's making me crazy)Every time I look around (look around)Every time I look around (every time I look around)Every time I look aroundIt's in my faceSongwriters: Alan Leo Jansson / Paul Lawrence L. Fuemana.Today, I’ll be talking about rich, middle-aged men who’ve made ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Hi,The thing that stood out at me while shopping for Christmas presents in New Zealand was how hard it was to avoid Zuru products. Toy manufacturer Zuru is a bit like Netflix, in that it has so much data on what people want they can flood the market with so ...
And when a child is born into this worldIt has no conceptOf the tone of skin it's living inAnd there's a million voicesAnd there's a million voicesTo tell you what you should be thinkingSong by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.The moment you see that face, you can hear her voice; ...
While we may not always have quality political leadership, a couple of recently published autobiographies indicate sometimes we strike it lucky. When ranking our prime ministers, retired professor of history Erik Olssen commented that ‘neither Holland nor Nash was especially effective as prime minister – even his private secretary thought ...
Baby, be the class clownI'll be the beauty queen in tearsIt's a new art form, showin' people how little we care (yeah)We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fearLet's go down to the tennis court and talk it up like, yeah (yeah)Songwriters: Joel Little / Ella Yelich O ...
Open access notables Why Misinformation Must Not Be Ignored, Ecker et al., American Psychologist:Recent academic debate has seen the emergence of the claim that misinformation is not a significant societal problem. We argue that the arguments used to support this minimizing position are flawed, particularly if interpreted (e.g., by policymakers or the public) as suggesting ...
What I’ve Been Doing: I buried a close family member.What I’ve Been Watching: Andor, Jack Reacher, Xmas movies.What I’ve Been Reflecting On: The Usefulness of Writing and the Worthiness of Doing So — especially as things become more transparent on their own.I also hate competing on any day, and if ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by John Wihbey. A version of this article first appeared on Yale Climate Connections on Nov. 11, 2008. (Image credits: The White House, Jonathan Cutrer / CC BY 2.0; President Jimmy Carter, Trikosko/Library of Congress; Solar dedication, Bill Fitz-Patrick / Jimmy Carter Library; Solar ...
Morena folks,We’re having a good break, recharging the batteries. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday period. I’m not feeling terribly inspired by much at the moment, I’m afraid—not from a writing point of view, anyway.So, today, we’re travelling back in time. You’ll have to imagine the wavy lines and sci-fi sound ...
Completed reads for 2024: Oration on the Dignity of Man, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola A Platonic Discourse Upon Love, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola Of Being and Unity, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola The Life of Pico della Mirandola, by Giovanni Francesco Pico Three Letters Written by Pico ...
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Welcome to the official half-way point of the 2020s. Anyway, as per my New Years tradition, here’s where A Phuulish Fellow’s blog traffic came from in 2024: United States United Kingdom New Zealand Canada Sweden Australia Germany Spain Brazil Finland The top four are the same as 2023, ...
Completed reads for December: Be A Wolf!, by Brian Strickland The Magic Flute [libretto], by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder The Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Owl’s Ear, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Waters of Death, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Spider, by Hanns Heinz Ewers Who Knows?, by Guy de Maupassant ...
Well, it’s the last day of the year, so it’s time for a quick wrap-up of the most important things that happened in 2024 for urbanism and transport in our city. A huge thank you to everyone who has visited the blog and supported us in our mission to make ...
Leave your office, run past your funeralLeave your home, car, leave your pulpitJoin us in the streets where weJoin us in the streets where weDon't belong, don't belongHere under the starsThrowing light…Song: Jeffery BuckleyToday, I’ll discuss the standout politicians of the last 12 months. Each party will receive three awards, ...
Hi,A lot’s happened this year in the world of Webworm, and as 2024 comes to an end I thought I’d look back at a few of the things that popped. Maybe you missed them, or you might want to revisit some of these essay and podcast episodes over your break ...
Hi,I wanted to share this piece by film editor Dan Kircher about what cinema has been up to in 2024.Dan edited my documentary Mister Organ, as well as this year’s excellent crowd-pleasing Bookworm.Dan adores movies. He gets the language of cinema, he knows what he loves, and writes accordingly. And ...
Without delving into personal details but in order to give readers a sense of the year that was, I thought I would offer the study in contrasts that are Xmas 2023 and Xmas 2024: Xmas 2023 in Starship Children’s Hospital (after third of four surgeries). Even opening presents was an ...
Heavy disclaimer: Alpha/beta/omega dynamics is a popular trope that’s used in a wide range of stories and my thoughts on it do not apply to all cases. I’m most familiar with it through the lens of male-focused fanfic, typically m/m but sometimes also featuring m/f and that’s the situation I’m ...
Hi,Webworm has been pretty heavy this year — mainly because the world is pretty heavy. But as we sprint (or limp, you choose) through the final days of 2024, I wanted to keep Webworm a little lighter.So today I wanted to look at one of the biggest and weirdest elements ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 22, 2024 thru Sat, December 28, 2024. This week's roundup is the second one published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, ...
The Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
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Rodney Hide concludes Peters wants to come second in Northland. They pay this guy for this drivel?
see: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11413598
It’s the Herald. Hide is just one of many commentators the Herald will parade telling Northlanders not to vote for Peters.
The media will be one to watch here. They’ve been taken by surprise a bit by the polls and they don’t have much time to influence the by-election. They’ll be spitting tacks if their nemesis wins
I think we can expect to see an upsurge in negative comments about Winston Peters from the media over the rest of the month. The next weekend Herald will be one to watch, Roughan and O’Sullivan were busy defending their Godboy this week but I suspect they’ll have a different target next time.
Midweek I’m guessing we’ll have the likes of Armstrong and Trevett putting the boot in to Peters, with advice for Northlanders from the likes of Hoskings and the odd cameo appearances.
@ DH
agreed-and which will simply boost Peter’s profile.
I’d like to believe that but experience shows the media have more power and influence over voters than we can be comfortable with. The corporate media will certainly have been quietly congratulating themselves over the hatchet job they did on David Cunliffe… it worked.
@dh
totally agree but the TV1 poll just published says Winston 36 Nats 36 Lab 20. Some tactical voting and a few subtle hints by Little (and others) should see Winston sail home. Lets see what Little says on TV1 in 2 minutes…..and he is subtly saying vote Winston.
Neck and neck. it seems! I was keen to watch but having ‘signal’ problems! Hazy. Thanks for the info. Would like more info if possible.
Interestingly, Bearded Git, Andrew Little was saying exactly what Willow-Jean has on her leaflet for distribution around Northland households ie “Its time to send a message to the government that Northland deserves better”. This leaflet was printed out well before Winston appeared on the scene with a similar message on his bus !
Oh come on Jenny-he didn’t say vote Labour. He said vote for the person who is likely to beat National, which is the only way a message can be sent. And that person is Winnie.
It was a clever piece of repositioning. Little sounded like a PM in waiting to me.
Yep – Bearded Git – he sounded like a PM in waiting to me, too !
Andrew Little is a good man. Fair and thoughtful. What more does anyone want? He will be a very good Prime Minister, liked by people of all persuasion. Trust me on that. You heard it here first!
I hoped it first in my heart Clemeogin when I voted for him at the leadership ballot after the election.
@ScottGN
Good on you. Shows that great minds think alike. [although fools seldom differ too!]
Bearded Git @ 1
Hide has as an obsessive hatred of Peters which goes back to the Winebox saga. He was a full time economic adviser to Alan Gibbs prior to him entering parliament, and was an integral part of that whole tax evasion/avoidance scene in the 1980s and early 1990s. He was placed in the ACT headquarters by Gibbs for the express purpose of becoming… Gibbs’ man in parliament. It worked for a while then it all (thankfully) turned to dust. I wouldn’t be surprised if they blame Winston Peters for that too.
+100…thanks Anne …very interesting!
Anne
Thanks for that historical snippet.
Most people don’t know or have forgotten Gibb’s puppetry with Rodney Hide.
We need reminding every now and then.
We need reminding of Key’s support for the invasion of Iraq, his taking out a new mortgage for an apartment he already owned because of a parliamentary perk, English’s Wellington home etc….etc..
Andrew Little needs to enforce standards in the Labour Party on matters surrounding donations. A scandal in this area could undo his good works.
Letting Mallard, Cosgrove and Nash get away with dodgy donations is not a good precedent.
Mallard Cosgrove and Nash are like manyoo centre halves, wear the red shirt but regularly gift the opposition goals.
They should be nowhere near a labour ministerial team sheet when the time comes.
Sadly Robertson counts on them as supporters. If Robertson gets a top 4 role in the November reshuffle, following King’s planned step-down, Robertson will rehabilitate Cosgrove. Cosgrove has tooooo much on Robertson.
Just seen Corrin Dan on Q&A announce that Andrew Little would be the next speaker
I do like the unbiased introduction by Dan, Andrew Little, former Union Boss. Perhaps next time Key comes on he will introduce Key as the former, and still is money trading spiv
“Union boss” is such a telling phrase, isn’t it?
That instruction went out the day little won, TVNZ use it across the board at times heard the blonde evening news muppet use it recently.
Imagine if it was done consistently….former curreny trader, former disgraced policeman, former treasury analyst/Nat party leader, former hologram etc
former disgraced policeman? I prefer disgraced former policeman.
Wait till the process runs its course…..it’s just a question of where the disgraced goes….before policeman, minister etc.
former office ?? ( sorry, can’t resist!)
“former hologram”
I like that, but he Still is, and if Dan Dan the lavatory man has to introduce that prat from Epsom (Rimmer) they play the signature music of Red Dwarf
As predicted, the Chechens did it!!!!
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102485952
Thank god for scapegoats
The Ruskies think that Nemtsov was followed the whole day by several cars who interchanged positions as they tracked him. So there is much more yet to come.
…interesting….like spy who dunnit…my bet it wasnt Putin
Russian speakers on another forum posted about the killers Chechen/Putin connection.
google translate;
Here, Rashid Nurgaliev and Kadyrov was awarded the military government awards of the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic.
http://www.chechnya.gov.ru/page.php?r=126&id=8314
google translate:
Kadyrov collects Basmachi the stadium , then one of the leaders of his combat unit kills the leader of the opposition
Георгий АлбуровVerified account @alburov
Кадыров собирает басмачей на стадионе, затем один из руководителей его боевого подразделения убивает лидера оппозиции
https://twitter.com/alburov/status/574301485762232321
So Andrew Little wants to keep the 90 day right to prove yourself law. Whodathunkit?
Wake up, fisi, you’re dreaming. Little has just confirmed on Q+A that the Fire at Will provision is going.
you have to admire the brevity of fisi’s troling though.
That is NOT what Andrew Little said, fisiani. He said instead that NZ had previously had a fairness in legislation that allowed for a trial period at a workplace, and that is what he wants to see reinstated.
So the nasty tories want to treat people as if they are a tradeable commodity like plastic buckets.
No wonder their lives are so shallow – they have no humanity (or rather they are incapable of recognising it)
This is what you and your people have done and continue to do fisiani.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDd64suDz1A
In NZ Ernie Abbot 1982
In NZ Fred Evans 1912
Your lot are scum. Rot in hell.
When Labour Party supporters ‘do an Epsom’ and vote strategically in Northland, Winston Peters will romp in.
When Winston Peters takes Northland off National, they will be left with 59 out of 121 MPs and will be politically ‘wing-clipped’ in terms of passing their pro-corporate / anti-worker legislation.
Why on earth would Labour not be pulling out all the stops in order to help this happen – by promoting ‘STRATEGIC’ voting in Northland?
I for one am not saying Labour’s Willow-Jean Prime should ‘stand aside’ or not continue to advocate and publicise Labour’s policies.
But this Northland by-election is FAR bigger than Northland.
Labour – do NOT stuff it up for the majority of New Zealanders!
The nation is watching ….
Penny Bright
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/andrew-little-gives-big-hint-left-voters-peters-support-6249844
I see a post has just gone up on this, but thought I would post this link anyway.
This stance is perfection from Andrew Little.
Be afraid National be very afraid. That add’s up to another 16% to Winston’s lead.
AND this is before a suppression order is lifted in the week before the election!!!
it will be extended……
It’s already been lifted, but publication has to wait for the prominent NZer’s appeal against the lifting to be unsuccessful. Here’s hoping.
+100 Penny
Does the Labour Party put the needs of the vast majority of New Zealanders above the Labour Party’s needs?
Redline collection of articles on women’s liberation, socialism. . .
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/03/08/marxism-and-womens-liberation/
Why Obama wants to broker peace with Iran. Why Israel is opposed . Who is supporting ISIL?….a very good discussion with Peter Lavelle moderating:
“So close, yet so far. Iran and the West are close to accomplishing what so many in Washington and Tel Aviv are terrified of – a negotiated end to the Western standoff with Iran. Israel’s Netanyahu has made it clear: war is better than peace. Can Washington finally say ‘yes’ to peace?”
CrossTalking with Mohammad Marandi, Gareth Porter, and Chuck Freilich.
http://rt.com/shows/crosstalk/238281-bibi-iran-war-peace/
Saudi Arabia would also hate US corporates having full access to Iran to help Iran fully develop its vast oil and gas fields to compete with it.
Another example of how Israel and Saudi Arabia’s interests line up very neatly.
….and support of ISIL ?…but they better be careful because ISIS could be a snake by the tail…and mutate into something which has a nasty back bite
Saudi Arabia would also hate US corporates having full access to Iran to sack Iran’s resources and send profits from its vast oil and gas fields back to Wall St.
FIFY
My very amateur over view on Israel’s position around its neighbours is to keep them unstable , divided and weak.
I bet Iran and Iraq working together on the IS problem is worrying Israel big time
My last blog post on medicinal Cannabis for a while, this time not based around pain, but the Anti Nausea and appetite stimulating effects and their positive impact on a patient suffering from HIV
http://yournz.org/2015/03/08/medical-marijuana-munchies-vs-hiv-munchies-wins/
Alternate address for those not fond of beige.
https://mmj4chronicpain.wordpress.com/2015/03/08/medicinal-marijuana-and-the-munchies-vs-hiv-munchies-wins/
Sorry, but have stopped reading until the entanglement with Pete George is gone. By all means post on his site too, but when you link like you do, here of all places, it’s a distraction and plain rude (I suspect you don’t fully understand the extent of the trouble PG has caused here).
To this day I am still blissfully unaware sorry. I only sign in to write my piece, then i’m out again until next week….
I think it’s been pointed out to you a number of times. My comment isn’t about you posting at yawnz, it’s about how you link here. Your choice of course.
He chooses to not heed good advice so rather apt he continues to points to the beige site as a sure sign of fingers in the ears going la la la la….
+ 1 yep no point trying to help someone who doesn’t want help imo
I would have thought it important for the people of Northland to understand the implosion around the National Party people in Northland, and in particular Mike Sabin. The reasons he left. And what and when the National Party people knew about it.
Otherwise it is nothing but a bullshit-extension of the same….
yes but what is your comment in reference to vto?
northland election
I know that, it just seemed like it was in reference to something someone had said, or a news report, or something.
Oh, no nothing like that, just important facts concerning the organisation so many people in Northland seem hell bent on electing back in. i.e. the National Party
It is the GIANT elephant in the room making so much difference — seemingly not to be mentioned or even alluded to by msm. I’m thinking Winston is somehow going to challenge the silence — it is after all, the sole raison d’etre for this by-election. He tried several times in the House but Carter cut him off at the pass … maybe this week or next in the House ? Winston is surely more canny than the rest of them combined.
(Have been wondering if a an airplane towing a message drogue would constitute breaching name suppression — is it publishing in the air ?? And yes, I am half-serious.)
I am sure it could be done in a way that didn’t breach any suppression orders. You’d probably need your own plane, because I suspect anyone renting them out in Northland would be an ardent Tory. If I was still there, I’d be putting up signs at night. Or maybe even during the day. The legal situation is very unclear.
v interesting ..
I’ve been slipping a few Sabin comments into the stuff comments it’s surprised the hell out of me that some of them are getting past the moderaters .
well done ..
A brilliant article by guest author Sam Goldham at the Daily Blog shows clearly why Tony Abbott and John Key are criminals and even worse, war criminals.
I would like to add multiple cases (past, present and future) of the criminal act of financial terrorism to John Key’s name!
On Andrew Krieger, Currency Wars And Financial Terrorism Or Why John Key Is A Criminal In More Than One Way.
+100 travellerev….good articles …pretty sobering
Fran Lebowitz: Capitalism Triumphed Over Both Communism and Democracy
But I believe that people mistake when capitalism triumphed over democracy:
It can. IMO, be said that we’ve never had democracy because the rich didn’t want us to have it and they still fight against it whenever it pops up. A good example of this fight against democracy by the rich is the firing of ECan by this government.
See that Key was in the parliamentary library this am and his pant caught on fire.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/67098957/fire-in-parliament-library
Hmmmm perhaps we could give this wee little topic a breather for a few days?
Fair enough CR I will delete it
🙂 chur!
ffs, when you delete comments that are already replied to you screw up the bottom of the thread and all subsequent comments. Instead, edit the content (replace everything with a full stop if you have to).
It wouldn’t lose much content 😛
I happened to be in Palmerston North yesterday and attended the TPP march which was pretty well attended I think. At least not less than 500 in my guess.
There were lots of people with videos and cameras and two people who took my picture with my nice placard told me they would be putting the photos on line and one said it would be on face book. I wonder if any one of you knows where I can find the photos from Palmerston North to see if I am there !
Thanks in advance for your help.
P.S :
There was a lovely band which played there with great music. The female singer was very talented and very pleasant to listen to. Well done, singer, who ever you are. Great job!
The male singer was good too with quite clever political songs. well done!
I know people who went to the Palmerston North protest 🙂
BTW did you see any National Party signs around???
No, I didn’t. (or as Banks and Key would say, “I don’t recall”. “Don’t remember”. “I am too clever”. ‘I wasn’t born in a cabbage boat”. ” Amnesia”!)
Curious as to why you asked that?
Can you ask your Palmy friends if they have URL links for those photos?
Great article from CNN advocating for a universal basic income: http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/01/opinion/sutter-basic-income/index.html
It also shows the effects a universal basic income has had on many Native American communities. Many Native American reservations operate casinos and pay every resident a dividend, which has reached $10k a year in some communities. The benefits have been amazing.
Turkish government gives senior ISIS commander hospital care
Says that it is what any Turkish citizen deserves. (The ISIS commander is one of approx. 1000 Turkish citizens currently fighting with ISIS).
Meanwhile a Turkish medical student who went to give medical assistance to the Kurds in Kobani is being arrested by the Turkish Government for terrorism.
And this is what NZ is stepping into.
http://rt.com/news/238713-isis-commander-turkey-hospital/
Turkey would rather support AL-Nusrah & probably even Da’ish than the Kurds and various autonomous cantons. They want Assad gone, the Kurds suppressed, a Sunni state in Syria, and the Syrian refugees sent home. They’re hovering dangerously around wanting to have their cake and eat it as well. Erdogan is showing every sign of being a Turkish Mubarak or even a Turkish Putin.
That said it seems unclear what the fate of the Da’ish commander ultimately will be. Receiving medical treatment is of course the humanitarian thing to do – if he is then released to re-cross the border that would be another thing entirely.
It’s a f*@king shambles though.
Help save this 500 yr old kauri tree.
Local Auckland @LocalAuckland
Auckland City, New Zealand
@AklCouncil Hey guys please comment on the Kauri issue, is there anything that you can do? https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=445615775587060&id=379993285482643&substory_index=0 … How was consent given?
https://twitter.com/LocalAuckland/status/574442538691530753
SJT
@simonjtapp
URGENT: Protest to SAVE this 500 yo kauri. 40 Paturoa Rd, Titirangi. 7am TOMORROW Monday 9th March. Pls RT & attend!
https://twitter.com/simonjtapp/status/574437699802681346
An interview with NSA whitleblower William Binney.
Our Labour Party branch down here in Dunedin South watched part of that interview. Just outstanding. Binney is incredibly talented and moral. People like him give me huge respect for some of the citizens of the USA.