We do, he’s called Paul Holmes with 3 subtle differences:
1. He thinks he funny but isn’t
2. He think’s he relevant but isn’t
3. He thinks he’s fresh and unbiased etc etc
Yes thanks indeed for that link. Have been looking forward to this debate so thanks for making it easy to access.
Been a fan of Jon Stewart for many years but its hard to access unless you want to sit in front of a computer of an evening. Have finally sorted some kind of computer sorcery that will allow me to watch on telly from the comfort of the couch.
Agree with Anne that we need a Jon Stewart in NZ. Or any political satire in fact. I guess theres no room on nz tv these days for politcal satire as “dancing-with-the-celebrity-chefs-whose-got-americas-next-big-ridges-propertymakeover-mykitchensux-theGC-NZ’s-got-idiots have anihilated any smart and funny programming.
Rosie: Agree with Anne that we need a Jon Stewart in NZ. Or any political satire in fact.
Â
Bomber’s view on this posted today:
Sharp political satire that goes that extra mile can rate but few NZ broadcasters have the courage to produce it and the furore NZ on Air received over a child poverty documentary means they are highly unlikely to risk more political pressure by funding something that openly mocks the Government.
It’ll happen, but it will require a broadcaster with some vision.
Hey thanks Karol! Good timing. That was a good article. I noted what they said about 7 days. It is irreverent and essentailly not that political but I do watch it. I agree that theres too many dick jokes, especially when that creepy sleezy guy from Taranaki is on it. Ben Hurley I think it is. Some of the humour can be quite demeaning to women at times and that makes me a little uncomfortable. I wasn’t paying attention fully last Friday night but I am sure I heard the host call Shonkey a liar. What ever it was, it was said with serious intent. They haven’t gone that far before and I hope they continue to step up the criticism. The section of the show where they wheel a politician out to answer qustions without saying yes or no is quite funny and often smart.
Rosie, I used to be a fan of the UK and Aus equivalents (Have I Got News for You, and Good News Week). I tried watching 7 Days a couple of times way back when it started, but but got put off by the juvenile dick-level jokes, and masculine slant. If they are starting to be more mature and politically critical, maybe should start watching?
“…………….maybe should start watching?”
Hmmm, maybe give it a go if you’ve nothing better to do and can deflect the cringey bits. If you consider shows where there is a panel of comedians participating in a set of games you’ll find 7 days at the other end of the spectrum from say, QI. I just watched a bit of the last episode on TV on demand to see what the host did have to have to say and it was “we’ll be right back with plenty of celebrity and criminal themes and funnily enough John Key fits both those categories”. I think as the mood changes and the public perception of the performance of Key & Co changes they probably will become more critical and the Key govt will provide more comedy fodder for a show such as this.
It would be fantastic though to see a show fully committed to political satire. The silence is deafening.
joe90
Thanks – I had a tingling in my palms but wanted to confirm it. I wonder how Bill Rosenberg would be described? Is this serious enough for you Petra?
From the CT/U bio – Bill Rosenberg Economist and Director of Policy
Bill Rosenberg was appointed Economist and Director of Policy at the CTU in May 2009. He holds a B.Com in Economics, a BSc in Mathematics and a PhD in Mathematical Psychology. Bill was previously Deputy Director, University Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Canterbury, a Member of the Institute of Directors, a Commissioner on TEC, and was a member of the Regional Land Transport Committee of Environment Canterbury.
Bill Rosenberg is widely published on globalisation, trade and e-learning and has been an active trade unionist for 30 years including the Tramways Union and Association of University Staff where he was National President for several years.
Whereas the spokesperson for the NZ Institute of Economic Research from the right has been practising for 11 years (and mightn’t ever play it right.)
Shamubeel [Eaqub] holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Management with Honours in Economics from Lincoln University. He has worked as a macro economist in the private sector since 2001, both in New Zealand and Australia. His focus and interest is in analytical frameworks to aid economic forecasting, commentary and incisive research into topical areas of economics.
Incidentally the bio on Wikipedia of the USA William Rosenberg is an indication of how someone with chutzpah could get on there. (Thought – Peter Jackson also has chutzpah. Maybe we should be encouraging chutzpah!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rosenberg
He was forced to leave school to help support his family in the Great Depression. At 17 he started selling ice cream and at 21 became the Branch Manager.
He became Union Delegate at Bethlehem Steel Works in World War 2 and eventually Contract Co-Ordinator.
After that he borrowed some money to add to his own and started a business of mobile industrial catering. Soon he had 140 trucks. But he noticed that 40% of turnover came from coffee and doughnuts so he started Dunkin Donuts which he then franchised after opening six shops. There are now five thousand outlets.
In 1960, he founded the International Franchise Association.
We need more William Rosenbergs I think.
Shamubeel Eaqub is what you call a bank economist only puts forward ideas that benefit vested interests!
Any ideas that are outside those vested interests these bank economists become propaganda experts rubbishing those ideas with scare tactics.
Ganesh Nana is an economist not a bank economist he says we are getting screwed over by the devaluing economies!
Hollywood movie director James Cameron on RNZ news yesterday touting for more NZ taxpayer hand-outs for him and his Holywood mates. Instead of enriching the already rich even more and further backing the production of Hollywood crap we should be putting that money into our own movies, our own arts, our hospitals, our railway, our children. James Cameron you should be ashamed of yourself, greedy rich prick.
Agree marsman. An intervention on behalf of yank studio bosses from a usually âhands offâ prime minister.
Sell socially profitable assets built over generationsâfine, send kiwi rail workers down the road and buy dodgy imported rolling stockâfine. Gut the public serviceâfine. âNot ruling it in, or ruling it outâ is ShonKeyâs regular weasel line, he has certainly ruled in more taxpayer assistance for the bloated studios and Lord Jackson.
Cameron is an experienced producer/director and knows how to follow the money trail, you can’t blame him he’s just following johnnylocks’ trail of taxpayer money crumbs.
Beware the diversions kids…..sparkles has come back with his masters script and rehearsed lines to play the red herring while they plunder more assets.
Tiwai and Norske skog should be front and centre, job losses and smashes the wholesale power market.
I just posted (on Karol’s Hollywood Rules post here) a link to a post by Gordon Campbell on Scoop this morning in which he quotes a Guardian article revealing that Cameron has recently been in China pursuing more US-Chinese co-productions.
Education Secretary Ron Tomalis’ change, made without federal approval, might have skewed the results of the 2011-12 PSSA scores to make it appear charter schools were outperforming traditional public schools, according to a Morning Call review of publicly available test score data.
Front page commentary on the US election…run up! Good God is there NOTHING else we can report on? Anything!? Please send us a natural disaster…or let Hekia speak again.
What proportion of New Zealander’s care deeply, if at all, about some aging reptilian overlords fighting a highly manipulative PR war with the blindfolded public over an aging and soon to be ex-superpower? Their nation clearly suffers from a misplaced sense of patriotism….is is absolutely necessary that their pathetic puppet politicians are inflicted upon a NZ public, or is this preparation for who has real influence over us with the signing away of our sovereignty that comes with the TPPA?
Though the name of the Federal Reserve includes the word “federal,” it’s not actually part of the government. It’s an independent institution tasked with something very simple, but very huge: Creating money out of thin air. And during this last financial crisis, the leaders of the Fed did things that they would never have considered doing in the past. Alex Blumberg and David Kestenbaum report on what the Fed usually does, and how, since 2008, it’s taken a trip to what amounts to Fed Crazytown. (26 minutes)
Gisborne people are fighting to keep their rail access. They make good points. Kiwirail is too scared to persevere with this practical infrastructure that is needed by this region isolated from the main transport lines.
The government should be putting funds into infrastructure like this as well as improving the roads. But they are a comedy team, with the boss for entertainment jobs like a theatrical agent, and any effort to look seriously at our economy and unglamorous and permanent jobs in the rural fastness of the country is called ‘voodoo economics’.
By the way Steven Joyce says he knows all about the exchange rate and exporting as he has been an exporter. Does anyone know in what? He has been in tourism, but that’s all I could see that could qualify from his bio. By the way he lives in Albany so that new northern motorway will be a boon for him while getting to the airport. Or does he have his own jet, yet?
Our experts.
John Key is apparently becoming a clinical psychologist as every solution suggested is termed “Loony” or “Wacky”. (Acshly, to his credit, more than single syllable words.)
And then there is Tina there-is-no-alternative Joyce.
Here’s one for both of them. Reinstate the tax levels to the 2008 state and also tax the multinationals before they ship their monies offshore.
Here’s another “Loony” one for starters. Given that the evil of fast-food hamburgers is with us for some time, why not have a government funded and run chain of hamburger joints modelled on McDonalds. Ultimately have PPP franchises to New Zealanders. That way, all the profit remains in New Zealand.
Government burgers? No thank you. Im not that left wing. Believer in the common ownership of production distrubution and exchange as I may be, I am no more keen on government run takeaway shops as someome like Farrar is.
Though, a co-operative farmer and grower owned fast food chain (perhaps collectively owned by Fonterra, Silver Fern Farms, Inghams and the like), , or even a Maori owned hangi takeaway chain, sounds like a good idea.
So how did this heading for RW Aotearoa page get featured in the Comments listings after
Colonial Viper on Govt defends tax haven?
Russell Norman Channels His Inner Mugabe, The Left Wing Bloggosphere Goes Agog and Reason Leaves the Building. So what is QE and Why Is It Destroying The Global Economy? « Aotearoa: A Wider Perspective on Greens call for new tools, QE to save jobs
karol
Thanks – weird to see though interesting seeing the firepower on Aotearoa being manned to shoot down any new economic forays. Can’t disturb the present system that suits so many suits so can’t tear through the Ideological Curtain (like the Iron Curtain but with a Right Wing design this time).
Food in Schools
So KidsCan are pleased that the government has seen that there is an alternative. (Wonder how Tina Joyce feels about that.)
However, a close look at just what the well-meaning Kids-Can actually provides for schools should be made before the government climbs on board. From what we saw on Campbell Live, it is snack food and lunch-box fillers – not wholesome food.
Suspend the Middle Classes (they are in detention anyway) that they might share their play-lunch
money.
(i have said it before, that Canterbury V.C is an unhelpful man; cross me)
I dont know why the prospect of food in schools make people cringe? I see it as an extension to other popular social programs in our education system: the school dental service, eye and hearing tests, MMR vaccinations (remember lining up and getting them back in ’92), school nurses and the now defunct milk in schools program (though those who benefited from all tend to bitch and moan about how sour the milk was, or how the milk monitors were little Hitlers).
Though I would keep KidsCan out of it, better to have the schools do it themselves.
I think its unlikely. Carmel Sepuloni is hugely popular out West.
Tamihere’s claim on Q&A that Waitakere is a safe Labour seat and Labour should have won it just isn’t true any more. The demographics of the electorate have altered since the last boundary changes. Carmel did extremely well to come within 9 votes of winning the seat. Indeed if Labour wasn’t so cash-strapped and had been able to afford a judicial recount, then I’m picking she would have won the seat.
I heard that a number of Polynesian votes were not counted on the grounds they were incorrectly cast or their intention was (supposedly) unclear. From past experiences, there was a strong chance many of them would have been accepted at a recount.
Anne
I can imagine that some people keen to cast their vote might put a line or a cross over whom they didn’t want, to make it clear that the one they ticked got in.
And of course that is not following the instructions. Possibly some people can’t read too well and though there’s an example shown with the tick only, the importance of that may not have registered.
Yes prism that is the sort of thing that goes on – especially amongst our immigrant population.
I heard about a large Polynesian family in the Waitakere electorate who were so keen to vote for Carmel they went and voted as soon as the polling booths opened. Later that day they went to another polling booth and voted again because they thought they had done it wrong the first time and their votes wouldn’t be counted. They ended up having none of their votes counted of course. I understand their first votes would have been counted, so if they hadn’t voted again Carmel would probably be the MP for Waitakere.
Anne
What a pity. I would have thought that one of their votes would have been accepted. It isn’t a case that it can be assumed that illegality is intended.
Well I guess the view was… the law is the law. No matter the law is an ass sometimes, if you vote twice you’re gone – end of story. That’s the sort of thing a judicial recount can – and often does – overturn. But its something that can never be guaranteed so I understand why Labour (and Carmel) felt they couldn’t take the risk.
In my view it’s wrong that some political parties and their candidates can’t get electoral justice because they lack the money, while others (namely the Nats) can do so whenever they choose. Hardly a level playing field.
There would be a rebellion out west if head office went for Tamihere. Â The locals support Carmel and do not like Tamihere. Â With one interview he managed to write off the support of women and gays. Â God knows hoe much damage he could cause if he really tried.
Yesterday or Friday? on Radionz there was a discussion on the Novopay new electronic program that is paying teachers salaries. So many stuff ups. One teacher had to hang on for two hours to reach someone at a call desk, the accent was hard to understand, when it was understood the desk person didn’t know what they were talking about. Double fudge.
Incidentally the word is that Novopay hadn’t fixed all the bugs, knew it wasn’t ready to fly, but the MOE (Ministry of Exclamation, Expiration, Expiation, Excitation, Education, Effectuation, Elimination, Vexation – dunno, one of those) insisted on it being released – perhaps they thought they would use it as a beta model.
Not so good when you’ve got accounts to pay and food to buy and transport or car registration or children’s needs or the electricity. Perhaps people like leading Light in the MOE getting over $500,000 p.a. (not over her lifetime) don’t worry about these. Just set up a direct debit and suck it out you tradespeople. No worries.
Missed out Ministry of Evacuation – that’s meaningful in a number of ways after the Christchurch
announcements about possible closures – Ministry of Expose, Exposure. They feel out in the cold down there.
Let’s be perfectly clear, Smith resigned to avoid an investigation into the extent of his corruption. Without an investigation, Smith can never be exonerated, which should mean he never again returns to a position within cabinet…
As it is now clear the LA dinner was not a quiet social event with a few studio heads perhaps Peter Jackson would like to share the full message that was shown to all and sundry?
Yeah, didnt think Chavez would make it across the line this time, but he did. The Bolivarian Revolution is safe — for now. Though the guy needs to start realising that he is not immortal and needs to start planning for the future, ie sorting out a successor.
Not a successor but more democracy and he seems to be doing that. From the WSJ link:
Mr. ChĂĄvez, who will have been in power for 20 years by the next election, has vowed to give more power to grass-roots community councils to carry out social programs with state money. Critics say that would undermine democratically elected mayors across the country.
The rich are getting pissed off that their system of dictatorship is being undermined.
Melissa Rock ⥠â@MeowwItsMelissa
I’m starting to believe there’s no morals in this world at all. How can Chavez win when it’s evident 99.9% of the country voted Capriles?!
Kinda sad looking at all the Caprilles supporters crying fraud. From what I’ve read most of the polls leading up to the election had Chavez winning and only one with Caprilles. There’s fraud alright but it isn’t from the Chavez camp.
Dunne-“legitimate to avoid taxes” Done!
Slippery-” well from my university days” ($180 annual tuition fees that Mum saved)”there is tax evasion and then there is tax avoidance” ????
He Wept. (NAct supporters caudally lured by hemipenes)
The reason that the economic recovery is coinciding with middle class decline is increasingly clear. America is creating jobs, but they are bad jobs: retailing, food preparation, and table waiting, for exampleâin other words, jobs that donât pay much.
Which is exactly what’s been happening in NZ since the advent of neo-liberalism under the 4th Labour Government. The reduction in manufacturing and R&D has seen to that.
That’s a model which will inevitably lead to consumerism. Make people want more in order to sell them more, so that we can make more things for more money using more of the world’s constrained resources.
the only people making anything in NZ are the National Party gang making a killing out of their share parcels when they sell the states assets that they thieved from the legitimate owners..
Lprent, are you looking into the issue of the “too many redirects” issue that your Chrome readers are experiencing? There are plenty of examples scattered around the threads and comments. I like reading your site but I’m getting a bit tired of having to launch IE just to read it.
This is the error that a lot of Chrome users are experiencing when accessing your site. Please have a go at sorting it out as Chrome is one of the most widely used browsers and you’re losing out on viewer stats by having this happen…
Sheryl bleep you are not the only one that’s having problems I use fire fox and msn its the standards server its always having teething problems.
You just have to be patient it takes lots of money and or time to keep a sever functioning optimally!
That is likely to be the posting problem. New or edited posts cause a hell of a load on the primary server because it informs damn near everyone that a post has been posted or live edited. It meant that there was a flood of requests at the primary server for everything from search engines to RSS feeds. Shows up as a server unavailable error to readers and as a major spike in queries and CPU.
I moved the SEO system from event driven to periodic last week and that seems to have helped by time offsetting of the server.
This week or next, I am going to move the RSS to feedburner and remove direct RSS feeds from the main server. It will redirect automatically once I have it running. And before anyone asks, I know about the feedburner API change and that isn’t really an issue. We currently don’t count RSS in page stats. And I haven’t seen any other RSS sevice that is comparable. It also means that we can start looking at RSS more closely on analytics.
Clear the cookies for the site on your Chrome. I had it show on one machine once (I use Chrome as my default browser across 4 systems). When I was tracking it, it would disappear as soon as some or all of the cookies for the site were cleared. You can either ean all of your cookies, just the ones for the site, or down to individual ones. I will link to pages for the latter when I get off the pad if I aren’t beaten to it.
After repeated restores and testing last week, it appears to have been one of a group of cookies set by chrome for the site caching by google on chrome rather than anything put out by the site – which explains why it only showed on chrome. It also expired during testing, so I presumed it had a finite lifetime and would eventually clean itself up.
BTW: I ran comparisions of weekly code snapshots backups. There were no changes in any cookie management for the last month in the sites code. I love diffzilla on slickedit.
I offer this salient piece of advice to Dear Leader and the National Party; if we expect commitment from New Zealanders â then, as a nation, we must show commitment to our young folk, and to each other.
That involves old fashioned concepts and values such as pride in our country. Not just our flag or rugby team or latest successful movie by Peter Jackson â but pride in a nation that invests in each citizen with universal, free education; food in schools programmes; decent housing; comprehensive free healthcare for our young people; fair wages sufficient to raise a family on; everyone paying their taxes (no exceptions for capital gains, sorry), and ensuring that no one is left behind.
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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 âneither Holland nor Nash was especially effective as prime minister â 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 ...
Welcome to 2025, Aotearoa. Well… what can one really say? 2024 was a story of a bad beginning, an infernal middle and an indescribably farcical end. But to chart a course for a real future, it does pay to know where we’ve been… so we know where we need ...
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 itâs 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, ...
We’ll have a climate change ChristmasFrom now until foreverWarming our hearts and mindsAnd planet all togetherSpirits high and oceans higherChestnuts roast on wildfiresIf coal is on your wishlistMerry Climate Change ChristmasSong by Ian McConnellReindeer emissions are not something I’d thought about in terms of climate change. I guess some significant ...
KP continues to putt-putt along as a tiny niche blog that offers a NZ perspective on international affairs with a few observations about NZ domestic politics thrown in. In 2024 there was also some personal posts given that my son was in the last four months of a nine month ...
I can see very wellThere's a boat on the reef with a broken backAnd I can see it very wellThere's a joke and I know it very wellIt's one of those that I told you long agoTake my word I'm a madman, don't you knowSongwriters: Bernie Taupin / Elton JohnIt ...
.Acknowledgement: Tim PrebbleThanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..With each passing day of bad headlines, squandering tax revenue to enrich the rich, deep cuts to our social services and a government struggling to keep the lipstick on its neo-liberal pig ...
This is from the 36th Parallel social media account (as brief food for thought). We know that Trump is ahistorical at best but he seems to think that he is Teddy Roosevelt and can use the threat of invoking the Monroe Doctrine and “Big Stick” gunboat diplomacy against Panama and ...
Don't you cry tonightI still love you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightDon't you cry tonightThere's a heaven above you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightSong: Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so”, said possibly the greatest philosopher ever to walk this earth, Douglas Adams.We have entered the ...
Because you're magicYou're magic people to meSong: Dave Para/Molly Para.Morena all, I hope you had a good day yesterday, however you spent it. Today, a few words about our celebration and a look at the various messages from our politicians.A Rockel XmasChristmas morning was spent with the five of us ...
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 KÄinga 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. âNew 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 Zealandâs most popular baby names for 2024. âFor 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 ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âA new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. âThe death of a ...
Uia te pĆ, rangahaua te pĆ, whakamÄramatia mai he aha tĆ tango, he aha tĆ kÄwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rÄtÄ whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pĆ, ngĆ« te pĆ, ue hÄ! E te kahurangi mÄreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. âIt sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the governmentâs largest ever investment in Pharmac. âPharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,â says Mr Seymour. âWhen this government assumed ...
MÄ mua ka kite a muri, mÄ muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. MÄori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. âI know ...
From 1 January 2025, first-time tertiary learners will have access to a new Fees Free entitlement of up to $12,000 for their final year of provider-based study or final two years of work-based learning, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. âTargeting funding to the final year of study ...
âAs we head into one of the busiest times of the year for Police, and family violence and sexual violence response services, itâs a good time to remind everyone what to do if they experience violence or are worried about others,â Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence ...
Parliament's justice committee will find out tomorrow how many submissions were made on the Treaty Principles Bill after the deadline was extended by nearly a week after website issues. ...
A parent shares their experience and fears as public submissions are sought on the use of puberty blockers for gender-affirming care. Both the author and daughterâs names have been changed to protect their privacy.When my daughter Marie was born, everyone, including me, thought she was a boy. She started ...
Thrice thwarted previously, the Act Partyâs Regulatory Standards Bill is set to pass in 2025, ushering in a new â and potentially controversial â era for government rule-making. Hereâs everything you need to know. Before public submissions for the Treaty principles bill came to a close on Tuesday, a separate ...
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Summer reissue: Adopted in 1834 the first national flag of New Zealand (Te Kara o Te Whakaminenga o NgÄ HapĆ« o Nu TÄ«reni) symbolises more than just necessity â it represents MÄori autonomy and a legacy of self-determination that continues today.The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying ...
Summer reissue: Shortsightedness in kids is skyrocketing overseas. Is New Zealand next? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.âHey bro, are you blind now?â ...
While mediator Qatar says a Gaza ceasefire deal is at the closest point it has been in the past few months â adding that many of the obstacles in the negotiations have been ironed out â a special report for Drop Site News reveals the escalation in attacks on Palestinians ...
In our latest in-depth podcast investigation, Fractured, Melanie Reid and her team delve deep into a complex case involving a controversial medical diagnosis and its fallout on a young family. While Fractured is a forensic examination of this case here in New Zealand, the diagnosis that started it all is ...
While last year was termed the âyear of electionsâ, 2025 will see some highly significant elections set to take place throughout the world that could have significant impacts on countries, their regions, and the wider global picture.AfricaThe presidential elections in Cameroon this October see the worldâs oldest head of state ...
ANALYSIS:By Ali Mirin Indonesia officially joined the BRICS â Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa â consortium last week marking a significant milestone in its foreign relations. In a statement released a day later on January 7, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that this membership reflected Indonesiaâs ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney Imagine a gathering so large it dwarfs any concert, festival, or sporting event youâve ever seen. In the Kumbh Mela, a religious festival held in India, millions of Hindu pilgrims come ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Motortion Films/Shutterstock You may have seen stories the Australian dollar has âplummetedâ. Sounds bad. But what does it mean and should you be worried? The most-commonly quoted ...
Summer reissue: Lange and Muldoon clash, two days after the election. Our live updates editor is on the case. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gina Perry, Science historian with a specific interest in the history of social psychology., The University of Melbourne ‘Guards’ with a blindfolded ‘prisoner’.PrisonExp.org A new translation of a 2018 book by French science historian Thibault Le Texier challenges the claims of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Jordan, Professor of Epidemiology, The University of Queensland Peakstock/Shutterstock Many women worry hormonal contraceptives have dangerous side-effects including increased cancer risk. But this perception is often out of proportion with the actual risks. So, what does the research actually say ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kiley Seymour, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Behaviour, University of Technology Sydney Vector Tradition/Shutterstock From self-service checkouts to public streets to stadiums â surveillance technology is everywhere. This pervasive monitoring is often justified in the name of safety and security. ...
South Islanders Alex Casey and Tara Ward reflect on their so-called summer break. Alex Casey: Welcome back to work Tara, how was your summer? Tara Ward: Iâm thrilled to be here and equally as happy to have experienced my first New Zealand winter Christmas, just as Santa always intended. Over ...
Summer reissue: Five years ago, we voted against legalising cannabis. But what if the referendum had gone the other way? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a software developer shares his approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Male. Age: 34. Ethnicity: NZ European. Role: Software developer. Salary/income/assets: Salary ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Cassidy-Welch, Professor of History and Dean of Research Strategy, University of Divinity Lieven van Lathem (Flemish, about 1430â93) and David Aubert (Flemish, active 1453â79), Gracienne Taking Leave of Her Father the Sultan, 1464 The J. Paul Getty Museum Travellers have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian A. Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University Goami/Shutterstock On hot summer days, hitting the beach is a great way to have fun and cool off. But if youâre not near the salty ocean, you might opt for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Loc Do, Professor of Dental Public Health, The University of Queensland TinnaPong/Shutterstock Fluoride is a common natural element found in water, soil, rocks and food. For the past several decades, fluoride has also been a cornerstone of dentistry and public health, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ladan Hashemi, Senior Research Fellow in Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau PickPik, CC BY-SA Children with traumatic experiences in their early lives have a higher risk of obesity. But as our new research shows, this risk can be ...
Further interest rate cuts are coming, but why does everything still feel so bleak? Stewart Sowman-Lund explains for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The year ahead: On a small boat in an oyster farm devastated by storms, ANZ’s boss learns about the importance of adapting to change The post Making the world your oyster appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Two key events in February will set the direction of New Zealand’s clean, green reputation for the rest of the year â and perhaps even many years to come.First, the Government must announce its next emissions reduction target under the Paris Agreement by February 10. Then, later in the month, ...
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To complete our series looking back at 2024 and gazing forward to 2025, we asked our big political commentary brains to nominate the three issues that will loom large in the year to come. Madeleine Chapman (editor, The Spinoff)The Treaty principles bill just wonât rest, and will start the ...
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Comment: With the right leadership, local government can be a genuine part of democratic community life. With a little effort, anyone can contribute to that. The post Don’t shrug your shoulders over local government appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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The Guardian has a story and link to the big US election debate. No, not Obama/Mittens, Bill O’Reilly vs Jon Stewart.
Crikey Te Reo Putake. You caused me to spend 1:33hrs watching a fascinating encounter. Couldn’t stop watching. Thanks – I think?
Ditto: Just wasted a whole morning but every moment worth it. Oh for a Jon Stewart in NZ!
We do, he’s called Paul Holmes with 3 subtle differences:
1. He thinks he funny but isn’t
2. He think’s he relevant but isn’t
3. He thinks he’s fresh and unbiased etc etc
Same but NOT a waste of time. But it also allowed me to find some of the Clinton Interviews and they are great. Especially this one..
Love Jon Stewart’s ..”They can’t privatize the profits but socialize the losses..”
Many thanks for that link.
I think NZ has the same quality of idiots as in USA politics but not the quantity to make a full length daily programme.
Cheers, guys, I knew you’d like it, though I figured only CV would have time to watch it during the day đ
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Yes thanks indeed for that link. Have been looking forward to this debate so thanks for making it easy to access.
Been a fan of Jon Stewart for many years but its hard to access unless you want to sit in front of a computer of an evening. Have finally sorted some kind of computer sorcery that will allow me to watch on telly from the comfort of the couch.
Agree with Anne that we need a Jon Stewart in NZ. Or any political satire in fact. I guess theres no room on nz tv these days for politcal satire as “dancing-with-the-celebrity-chefs-whose-got-americas-next-big-ridges-propertymakeover-mykitchensux-theGC-NZ’s-got-idiots have anihilated any smart and funny programming.
Rosie: Agree with Anne that we need a Jon Stewart in NZ. Or any political satire in fact.
Â
Bomber’s view on this posted today:
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Hey thanks Karol! Good timing. That was a good article. I noted what they said about 7 days. It is irreverent and essentailly not that political but I do watch it. I agree that theres too many dick jokes, especially when that creepy sleezy guy from Taranaki is on it. Ben Hurley I think it is. Some of the humour can be quite demeaning to women at times and that makes me a little uncomfortable. I wasn’t paying attention fully last Friday night but I am sure I heard the host call Shonkey a liar. What ever it was, it was said with serious intent. They haven’t gone that far before and I hope they continue to step up the criticism. The section of the show where they wheel a politician out to answer qustions without saying yes or no is quite funny and often smart.
Rosie, I used to be a fan of the UK and Aus equivalents (Have I Got News for You, and Good News Week). I tried watching 7 Days a couple of times way back when it started, but but got put off by the juvenile dick-level jokes, and masculine slant. If they are starting to be more mature and politically critical, maybe should start watching?
“…………….maybe should start watching?”
Hmmm, maybe give it a go if you’ve nothing better to do and can deflect the cringey bits. If you consider shows where there is a panel of comedians participating in a set of games you’ll find 7 days at the other end of the spectrum from say, QI. I just watched a bit of the last episode on TV on demand to see what the host did have to have to say and it was “we’ll be right back with plenty of celebrity and criminal themes and funnily enough John Key fits both those categories”. I think as the mood changes and the public perception of the performance of Key & Co changes they probably will become more critical and the Key govt will provide more comedy fodder for a show such as this.
It would be fantastic though to see a show fully committed to political satire. The silence is deafening.
Petra rules !!!!
signing off the PM slot today: ” Thank you Prime Minister. Next we speak with a serious Economist”
Lol. Did she say that with a straight face?
freedom 2
Don’t leave us in suspense. Who was the Serious Economist?
This bloke.
http://nzier.org.nz/user/shamubeeleaqub
joe90
Thanks – I had a tingling in my palms but wanted to confirm it. I wonder how Bill Rosenberg would be described? Is this serious enough for you Petra?
From the CT/U bio – Bill Rosenberg Economist and Director of Policy
Bill Rosenberg was appointed Economist and Director of Policy at the CTU in May 2009. He holds a B.Com in Economics, a BSc in Mathematics and a PhD in Mathematical Psychology. Bill was previously Deputy Director, University Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Canterbury, a Member of the Institute of Directors, a Commissioner on TEC, and was a member of the Regional Land Transport Committee of Environment Canterbury.
Bill Rosenberg is widely published on globalisation, trade and e-learning and has been an active trade unionist for 30 years including the Tramways Union and Association of University Staff where he was National President for several years.
Whereas the spokesperson for the NZ Institute of Economic Research from the right has been practising for 11 years (and mightn’t ever play it right.)
Shamubeel [Eaqub] holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Management with Honours in Economics from Lincoln University. He has worked as a macro economist in the private sector since 2001, both in New Zealand and Australia. His focus and interest is in analytical frameworks to aid economic forecasting, commentary and incisive research into topical areas of economics.
Incidentally the bio on Wikipedia of the USA William Rosenberg is an indication of how someone with chutzpah could get on there. (Thought – Peter Jackson also has chutzpah. Maybe we should be encouraging chutzpah!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rosenberg
He was forced to leave school to help support his family in the Great Depression. At 17 he started selling ice cream and at 21 became the Branch Manager.
He became Union Delegate at Bethlehem Steel Works in World War 2 and eventually Contract Co-Ordinator.
After that he borrowed some money to add to his own and started a business of mobile industrial catering. Soon he had 140 trucks. But he noticed that 40% of turnover came from coffee and doughnuts so he started Dunkin Donuts which he then franchised after opening six shops. There are now five thousand outlets.
In 1960, he founded the International Franchise Association.
We need more William Rosenbergs I think.
Shamubeel Eaqub is what you call a bank economist only puts forward ideas that benefit vested interests!
Any ideas that are outside those vested interests these bank economists become propaganda experts rubbishing those ideas with scare tactics.
Ganesh Nana is an economist not a bank economist he says we are getting screwed over by the devaluing economies!
Prism: some NZIER mouthpiece.
weka: straightface but i suspect once dear Petra realised what was said the smile dropped somewhat.
Hollywood movie director James Cameron on RNZ news yesterday touting for more NZ taxpayer hand-outs for him and his Holywood mates. Instead of enriching the already rich even more and further backing the production of Hollywood crap we should be putting that money into our own movies, our own arts, our hospitals, our railway, our children. James Cameron you should be ashamed of yourself, greedy rich prick.
Agree marsman. An intervention on behalf of yank studio bosses from a usually âhands offâ prime minister.
Sell socially profitable assets built over generationsâfine, send kiwi rail workers down the road and buy dodgy imported rolling stockâfine. Gut the public serviceâfine. âNot ruling it in, or ruling it outâ is ShonKeyâs regular weasel line, he has certainly ruled in more taxpayer assistance for the bloated studios and Lord Jackson.
Driver 8
Cameron is an experienced producer/director and knows how to follow the money trail, you can’t blame him he’s just following johnnylocks’ trail of taxpayer money crumbs.
Beware the diversions kids…..sparkles has come back with his masters script and rehearsed lines to play the red herring while they plunder more assets.
Tiwai and Norske skog should be front and centre, job losses and smashes the wholesale power market.
But what game is Cameron really playing?
I just posted (on Karol’s Hollywood Rules post here) a link to a post by Gordon Campbell on Scoop this morning in which he quotes a Guardian article revealing that Cameron has recently been in China pursuing more US-Chinese co-productions.
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2012/10/08/gordon-campbell-on-the-chinese-shadow-over-john-keys-trip-to-hollywood/
Campbell’s post is well worth reading as it explores the possible ramifications for the film industry here – and also raises the TPPA question.
No You Are Not Entitled To Your Opinion
Perhaps some of our esteemed MSM political opinionists/apologists should
check this out!
https://theconversation.edu.au/no-youre-not-entitled-to-your-opinion-9978?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+8+October+2012&utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+8+October+2012+CID_60ffcd79d48271bf59b81d744da589d1&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=its%20here
Having trouble…no worries….we’ll change the rules.
Education Secretary Ron Tomalis’ change, made without federal approval, might have skewed the results of the 2011-12 PSSA scores to make it appear charter schools were outperforming traditional public schools, according to a Morning Call review of publicly available test score data.
Front page commentary on the US election…run up! Good God is there NOTHING else we can report on? Anything!? Please send us a natural disaster…or let Hekia speak again.
What proportion of New Zealander’s care deeply, if at all, about some aging reptilian overlords fighting a highly manipulative PR war with the blindfolded public over an aging and soon to be ex-superpower? Their nation clearly suffers from a misplaced sense of patriotism….is is absolutely necessary that their pathetic puppet politicians are inflicted upon a NZ public, or is this preparation for who has real influence over us with the signing away of our sovereignty that comes with the TPPA?
Asleepwhilewalking 6
+1
This American Life on Quantitive Easing: Weekend at Bernanke’s
Though the name of the Federal Reserve includes the word “federal,” it’s not actually part of the government. It’s an independent institution tasked with something very simple, but very huge: Creating money out of thin air. And during this last financial crisis, the leaders of the Fed did things that they would never have considered doing in the past. Alex Blumberg and David Kestenbaum report on what the Fed usually does, and how, since 2008, it’s taken a trip to what amounts to Fed Crazytown. (26 minutes)
Gisborne people are fighting to keep their rail access. They make good points. Kiwirail is too scared to persevere with this practical infrastructure that is needed by this region isolated from the main transport lines.
The government should be putting funds into infrastructure like this as well as improving the roads. But they are a comedy team, with the boss for entertainment jobs like a theatrical agent, and any effort to look seriously at our economy and unglamorous and permanent jobs in the rural fastness of the country is called ‘voodoo economics’.
By the way Steven Joyce says he knows all about the exchange rate and exporting as he has been an exporter. Does anyone know in what? He has been in tourism, but that’s all I could see that could qualify from his bio. By the way he lives in Albany so that new northern motorway will be a boon for him while getting to the airport. Or does he have his own jet, yet?
Our experts.
John Key is apparently becoming a clinical psychologist as every solution suggested is termed “Loony” or “Wacky”. (Acshly, to his credit, more than single syllable words.)
And then there is Tina there-is-no-alternative Joyce.
Here’s one for both of them. Reinstate the tax levels to the 2008 state and also tax the multinationals before they ship their monies offshore.
Here’s another “Loony” one for starters. Given that the evil of fast-food hamburgers is with us for some time, why not have a government funded and run chain of hamburger joints modelled on McDonalds. Ultimately have PPP franchises to New Zealanders. That way, all the profit remains in New Zealand.
Government burgers? No thank you. Im not that left wing. Believer in the common ownership of production distrubution and exchange as I may be, I am no more keen on government run takeaway shops as someome like Farrar is.
Though, a co-operative farmer and grower owned fast food chain (perhaps collectively owned by Fonterra, Silver Fern Farms, Inghams and the like), , or even a Maori owned hangi takeaway chain, sounds like a good idea.
So how did this heading for RW Aotearoa page get featured in the Comments listings after
Colonial Viper on Govt defends tax haven?
Russell Norman Channels His Inner Mugabe, The Left Wing Bloggosphere Goes Agog and Reason Leaves the Building. So what is QE and Why Is It Destroying The Global Economy? « Aotearoa: A Wider Perspective on Greens call for new tools, QE to save jobs
prism, as far as I can see it’s a link from that site, listed at the bottom of the Green QE post.
karol
Thanks – weird to see though interesting seeing the firepower on Aotearoa being manned to shoot down any new economic forays. Can’t disturb the present system that suits so many suits so can’t tear through the Ideological Curtain (like the Iron Curtain but with a Right Wing design this time).
Food in Schools
So KidsCan are pleased that the government has seen that there is an alternative. (Wonder how Tina Joyce feels about that.)
However, a close look at just what the well-meaning Kids-Can actually provides for schools should be made before the government climbs on board. From what we saw on Campbell Live, it is snack food and lunch-box fillers – not wholesome food.
Suspend the Middle Classes (they are in detention anyway) that they might share their play-lunch
money.
(i have said it before, that Canterbury V.C is an unhelpful man; cross me)
I dont know why the prospect of food in schools make people cringe? I see it as an extension to other popular social programs in our education system: the school dental service, eye and hearing tests, MMR vaccinations (remember lining up and getting them back in ’92), school nurses and the now defunct milk in schools program (though those who benefited from all tend to bitch and moan about how sour the milk was, or how the milk monitors were little Hitlers).
Though I would keep KidsCan out of it, better to have the schools do it themselves.
JT essentially confirmed he is running for 2014.
Will he get Waitakare?
I think its unlikely. Carmel Sepuloni is hugely popular out West.
Tamihere’s claim on Q&A that Waitakere is a safe Labour seat and Labour should have won it just isn’t true any more. The demographics of the electorate have altered since the last boundary changes. Carmel did extremely well to come within 9 votes of winning the seat. Indeed if Labour wasn’t so cash-strapped and had been able to afford a judicial recount, then I’m picking she would have won the seat.
I heard that a number of Polynesian votes were not counted on the grounds they were incorrectly cast or their intention was (supposedly) unclear. From past experiences, there was a strong chance many of them would have been accepted at a recount.
Anne
I can imagine that some people keen to cast their vote might put a line or a cross over whom they didn’t want, to make it clear that the one they ticked got in.
And of course that is not following the instructions. Possibly some people can’t read too well and though there’s an example shown with the tick only, the importance of that may not have registered.
Yes prism that is the sort of thing that goes on – especially amongst our immigrant population.
I heard about a large Polynesian family in the Waitakere electorate who were so keen to vote for Carmel they went and voted as soon as the polling booths opened. Later that day they went to another polling booth and voted again because they thought they had done it wrong the first time and their votes wouldn’t be counted. They ended up having none of their votes counted of course. I understand their first votes would have been counted, so if they hadn’t voted again Carmel would probably be the MP for Waitakere.
Anne
What a pity. I would have thought that one of their votes would have been accepted. It isn’t a case that it can be assumed that illegality is intended.
Well I guess the view was… the law is the law. No matter the law is an ass sometimes, if you vote twice you’re gone – end of story. That’s the sort of thing a judicial recount can – and often does – overturn. But its something that can never be guaranteed so I understand why Labour (and Carmel) felt they couldn’t take the risk.
In my view it’s wrong that some political parties and their candidates can’t get electoral justice because they lack the money, while others (namely the Nats) can do so whenever they choose. Hardly a level playing field.
Will he get….? For John Tamihere to get anything from Labour would be clear signal to voters that Labour don’t want to govern.
There would be a rebellion out west if head office went for Tamihere. Â The locals support Carmel and do not like Tamihere. Â With one interview he managed to write off the support of women and gays. Â God knows hoe much damage he could cause if he really tried.
Yesterday or Friday? on Radionz there was a discussion on the Novopay new electronic program that is paying teachers salaries. So many stuff ups. One teacher had to hang on for two hours to reach someone at a call desk, the accent was hard to understand, when it was understood the desk person didn’t know what they were talking about. Double fudge.
Incidentally the word is that Novopay hadn’t fixed all the bugs, knew it wasn’t ready to fly, but the MOE (Ministry of Exclamation, Expiration, Expiation, Excitation, Education, Effectuation, Elimination, Vexation – dunno, one of those) insisted on it being released – perhaps they thought they would use it as a beta model.
Not so good when you’ve got accounts to pay and food to buy and transport or car registration or children’s needs or the electricity. Perhaps people like leading Light in the MOE getting over $500,000 p.a. (not over her lifetime) don’t worry about these. Just set up a direct debit and suck it out you tradespeople. No worries.
Missed out Ministry of Evacuation – that’s meaningful in a number of ways after the Christchurch
announcements about possible closures – Ministry of Expose, Exposure. They feel out in the cold down there.
MOE should take payroll in-house. It is the obession with outsourcing that leads to things like this.
Nick Smith out of the dog box?
Let’s be perfectly clear, Smith resigned to avoid an investigation into the extent of his corruption. Without an investigation, Smith can never be exonerated, which should mean he never again returns to a position within cabinet…
Ol’Lizard eyes is on the way back scum will always float to the top!
Slithering his way back into the snake pit Nationals caucus!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/c19.0.403.403/p403x403/399631_484015698298548_2046534845_n.jpg
Feed Your Head
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HmJQyS8QVw
Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. To the Romans 14:22
-the Cheshire Cat đ
()
As it is now clear the LA dinner was not a quiet social event with a few studio heads perhaps Peter Jackson would like to share the full message that was shown to all and sundry?
Kind of happy about this http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/08/hugo-chavez-wins-venezuelan-election
Yeah, saw that on WSJ which is pretty much just rant on just how evil Chavez is.
Amen (guess the CIA do not have the pull in S.A they tugged before)
They obviously gave him a cure rabble type of Cancer.
Yep anyone who pisses of Wall Street, the right wing MSM and the oil industry at the same time while feeding the poor is doing alright …
Yeah, didnt think Chavez would make it across the line this time, but he did. The Bolivarian Revolution is safe — for now. Though the guy needs to start realising that he is not immortal and needs to start planning for the future, ie sorting out a successor.
Not a successor but more democracy and he seems to be doing that. From the WSJ link:
The rich are getting pissed off that their system of dictatorship is being undermined.
The poor wee things # Capriles aren’t happy.
Melissa Rock ⥠â@MeowwItsMelissa
I’m starting to believe there’s no morals in this world at all. How can Chavez win when it’s evident 99.9% of the country voted Capriles?!
Kinda sad looking at all the Caprilles supporters crying fraud. From what I’ve read most of the polls leading up to the election had Chavez winning and only one with Caprilles. There’s fraud alright but it isn’t from the Chavez camp.
Dunne-“legitimate to avoid taxes” Done!
Slippery-” well from my university days” ($180 annual tuition fees that Mum saved)”there is tax evasion and then there is tax avoidance” ????
He Wept. (NAct supporters caudally lured by hemipenes)
Little Conversations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNC5H-3gCUs&noredirect=1
“Shekinah”
đ
(Bolt that Gatorade down: NOT)
Will we really have to endure a full blown depression and a major conflict?.
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2012/oct/02/our-crisis-bad-jobs/
When global debt levels are this high, widespread armed conflict is the rule, not the exception.
approaching Thanksgiving and Turkey’s on the table.
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTx6TPQxdR5AZnoJ-AMMIIHN_LQlaLTuiqSQ9kSIulljdHofKeq
(out in the “book” of life now; thesis signature)
Dreadful parallels with another time.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/next-economy/essay-the-growing-income-gap-in-the-u-s-harms-the-economy-20120927
Which is exactly what’s been happening in NZ since the advent of neo-liberalism under the 4th Labour Government. The reduction in manufacturing and R&D has seen to that.
Yes, bascially we need to be making things that people want to buy, not paying each other to do each other’s laundry.
That’s a model which will inevitably lead to consumerism. Make people want more in order to sell them more, so that we can make more things for more money using more of the world’s constrained resources.
Sound familiar?
At this moment 8:40 John Ansell is getting a hearing on Native Affairs Maori TV
the only people making anything in NZ are the National Party gang making a killing out of their share parcels when they sell the states assets that they thieved from the legitimate owners..
Lprent, are you looking into the issue of the “too many redirects” issue that your Chrome readers are experiencing? There are plenty of examples scattered around the threads and comments. I like reading your site but I’m getting a bit tired of having to launch IE just to read it.
This is the error that a lot of Chrome users are experiencing when accessing your site. Please have a go at sorting it out as Chrome is one of the most widely used browsers and you’re losing out on viewer stats by having this happen…
http://i.imgur.com/xd9me.png
Sheryl bleep you are not the only one that’s having problems I use fire fox and msn its the standards server its always having teething problems.
You just have to be patient it takes lots of money and or time to keep a sever functioning optimally!
I use Firefox and have very few issues with this site.
@ Beryl
The general advice that I’ve been able to determine so far is to reinstall Chrome as it seems to be Chrome that’s having the problem.
That is likely to be the posting problem. New or edited posts cause a hell of a load on the primary server because it informs damn near everyone that a post has been posted or live edited. It meant that there was a flood of requests at the primary server for everything from search engines to RSS feeds. Shows up as a server unavailable error to readers and as a major spike in queries and CPU.
I moved the SEO system from event driven to periodic last week and that seems to have helped by time offsetting of the server.
This week or next, I am going to move the RSS to feedburner and remove direct RSS feeds from the main server. It will redirect automatically once I have it running. And before anyone asks, I know about the feedburner API change and that isn’t really an issue. We currently don’t count RSS in page stats. And I haven’t seen any other RSS sevice that is comparable. It also means that we can start looking at RSS more closely on analytics.
I wasn’t aware that it was still an issue.
Clear the cookies for the site on your Chrome. I had it show on one machine once (I use Chrome as my default browser across 4 systems). When I was tracking it, it would disappear as soon as some or all of the cookies for the site were cleared. You can either ean all of your cookies, just the ones for the site, or down to individual ones. I will link to pages for the latter when I get off the pad if I aren’t beaten to it.
After repeated restores and testing last week, it appears to have been one of a group of cookies set by chrome for the site caching by google on chrome rather than anything put out by the site – which explains why it only showed on chrome. It also expired during testing, so I presumed it had a finite lifetime and would eventually clean itself up.
BTW: I ran comparisions of weekly code snapshots backups. There were no changes in any cookie management for the last month in the sites code. I love diffzilla on slickedit.
I have chrome and its never given me any problems here at all.
Republican Lullaby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnepPZChA5U
night.
âSpin me a brain exchangeâ, said Dear Leader!
Damn good stuff. I can see Shearer pushing these exact lines later this week.
A simple philosophy but extremely valid for us all. If David Shearer could get passionate about this and spark a following then….