Open mike 12/08/2011

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, August 12th, 2011 - 86 comments
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86 comments on “Open mike 12/08/2011 ”

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Herodotus 1

12 August 2011 at 6:28 am

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/America:_Freedom_to_Fascism
An interesting piece on tv I found channel surfing
For a fatalist it is not great news, as those running The Fed Res
- Bored 1.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 6:49 am
  
  Nice article, US appears to be one giant fraud. Have a gink at this
  
  http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2011-08-11/con-game
  - Colonial Viper 1.1.1
    
    12 August 2011 at 9:37 am
    
    Sadly the US main product these days is financial fraud.
    
    The equity, futures, commodities and bond markets are also completely manipulated with high speed computerised trading. Ordinary investors have no chance, those ‘markets’ are in reality now casinos where the house always wins and where the punter always loses.
    - freedom 1.1.1.1
      
      12 August 2011 at 10:26 am
      
      Their bank is the biggest fraud of all. The American public, and most of the World, largely believe it is a Federal Agency because they stuck the word in the title. When you get through the haze and actually make an American understand the Federal Reserve is an 100% private Institution that is not accountable to any of their Administration’s frameworks, the slow drawn horror that creeps over their faces becomes strangely exhilarating as you see how much potential there is for change. When you witness the moment that they understand every single dollar that has entered their economy since 1911 has been in the form of a loan, wow, step back and lock up the carving knives because baby is out for blood. Then if you throw the Tax issues on top and explain how there is no actual law requiring Americans to pay Income Tax, or that the entire take of Income Tax only services the interest on the debt and the principal loans still exist, it is a heartless person that won’t offer a hug.
    - aerobubble 1.1.1.2
      
      12 August 2011 at 10:30 am
      
      Key can hardly deny he doesn’t know how speculators make money.
      
      Yet as riots infect Britian partly due to the austerity measures, what is Key doing?
      
      Pushing austerity on benefitaries.
      
      Its like he worships Satan, that’s the only think I’ve got to explain it, he must just
      love sticking it into the poorest, most marginalized, push them into destitution.
      
      So here’s a question for the left, why have they yet found anyone who has lost the
      benefit and is now starving?
      
      And where did all the 7,000 go? australia? Why isn’t Labour making clear that’s
      what happened to them? Or were they claiming the benefit illegally?
      - seanmaitland 1.1.1.2.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 12:10 pm
        
        I can tell you’ve never lived in another country or probably done any serious travel – comparing our situation to London is surely taking the piss. Its so different you couldn’t get much further apart unless you went to Africa.
        
        freedom 1.1.1.2.1.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 1:21 pm
        
        and something tells me with your $125k a year (prev comment by you on this site) you have very little experience of what the vast majority of New Zealanders are actually facing on a day to day basis
  - Draco T Bastard 1.1.2
    
    12 August 2011 at 11:27 am
    
    Financial scams, like Bernie Madoff’s multi-billion-dollar investment fraud, operate according to a similar pyramid structure.
    
    The whole of capitalism operates according to the the same structure and the same lie – work hard enough and you’ll become rich. The majority don’t become rich or even well off – the rich just get richer from everyone else’s hard work.
    - Herodotus 1.1.2.1
      
      13 August 2011 at 12:00 am
      
      Wifi all fixed !! Appologies for incoherent comments 😉 has anyone got s good read regarding the fed I have a few hours on s plane to fill. The little I have found out the more unbelievable it is !!!
      It appears to me that a few (w)bankers are running the world yet no-one is aware of this
Herodotus 2

12 August 2011 at 7:03 am

Amazing what fate has in store the riots have changed travel plans especially when they are in the same area you are staying in. I was amazed or out of touch not to be informed of this. Just like the U.S it appears that no political party cares about the people this should be aired for all who view this site to open many one eyed contributors
- Bored 2.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 7:21 am
  
  Too true. I have been watching and reading from all sides of the old left – right divide…one thing the ascerbic commentators all agree upon is that “finance” (Wall St, the City etc) are all out of control and an increasing danger and menace to our freedom, let alone our economies.
  - Herodotus 2.1.1
    
    12 August 2011 at 7:59 am
    
    Why is it that when the bankers make comment regarding govt policy we have to listen and obey, yet when banks fail we must do everything possable to protect and save them?
    Europe is being told to follow British austerity measures and on the U.k we will see these same austerity measures hopefully bring “relaxed” I only hope it is not only to reverse the planned reduction of frontline police by 20% or 16,000 on number. The current events make the U.S freedom to fascism more relevant.
    Ps how do you delete a comment by phone?
- logie97 2.2
  
  12 August 2011 at 7:31 am
  
  Now if you could put that in English Herodotus… have you been taking lessons from Joky Hen? He has a wonderful command of the mother tongue as well.
  - Herodotus 2.2.1
    
    12 August 2011 at 7:39 am
    
    The wireless keeps dropping out and I was under the impression that the comment was deleted so please ignore my response !!!! 😉
travellerev 3

12 August 2011 at 7:21 am

Kiwi’s in Lala land,

It must be something in the air because reality doesn’t come into it. While the world is collapsing New Zealanders have the highest economic confidence in seven months. Unbelievable!
- Lanthanide 3.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 9:13 am
  
  That just means they think things can’t possibly get worse than they already are. It’s not actually a ringing endorsement.
  - freedom 3.1.1
    
    12 August 2011 at 10:18 am
    
    but it is yet another poll, published in a newspaper that neglects to mention how the information was gathered, a practice that is starting to piss me off. Isn’t there some regulation or a law somewhere that deals with this jejune propoganda, if not , why not? * shakes fist in indignation *
    - Ianupnorth 3.1.1.1
      
      12 August 2011 at 10:29 am
      
      Does that not send a real message that our education sector has created a bunch of sponges who absorb rather than question the information in front of them?
      - freedom 3.1.1.1.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 10:45 am
        
        yup, dey are edukated in gud skools and no wun kan say dey are stoopid kos Mr Keys says we are all brite asperatunol citycins with promis and opotoonites
        
        Ianupnorth 3.1.1.1.1.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 1:37 pm
        
        All except those at Kings College, etc. because they are guaranteed good jobs by virtue of being at a posh school.
        
        freedom …
        
        12 August 2011 at 2:08 pm
        
        like a PM’s daughter who ‘won’ a scholarship year in France to study Fashion Design.
        Still gets my ire up that the trip was awarded to her and not a kid who actually needs the opportunity. Like most of the games that are played today, it just oooozes bullshit
        
        Not saying she was not qualified for the trip ( fashion images released notwithstanding)
        but children of the PM should not be eligible as it can never be seen as impartial. And before anyone plays the pollies kids are off limits card, John has dealt his kids in a dozen times.
  - Puddleglum 3.1.2
    
    12 August 2011 at 2:32 pm
    
    Yes, that could explain the rest of the results:
    
    “Of the 1,048 people surveyed, a net 21 per cent said they were worse off than a year ago, a deterioration from last month’s 14 per cent who felt worse off. Still, a net 27 per cent expect to be better off in a year’s time, compared to 24 per cent seeing better times ahead in last month’s survey.
    A net 2 per cent of respondents said they think economic conditions will deteriorate over the coming 12 months, an improvement from a net 8 per cent who were gloomy on the general outlook in July”
    
    More people now feel that they are worse off than they were a year ago yet fewer think they will be worse off a year’s hence (than in the last month’s survey). It seems that people are hanging onto the claims (from commentators?) that things are/will be getting better, even though they have personally experienced things getting harder up till now.
    - Vicky32 3.1.2.1
      
      12 August 2011 at 5:16 pm
      
      More people now feel that they are worse off than they were a year ago yet fewer think they will be worse off a year’s hence (than in the last month’s survey). It seems that people are hanging onto the claims (from commentators?) that things are/will be getting better, even though they have personally experienced things getting harder up till now.
      
      I am reminded of the (incompetent) couple who ran the serviced offices where I worked – until the collapse of the company I worked for coincided more or less exactly with the election of NACT – and who said, zombie-like, in reponse to my question as to why they’d voted for NACT “Time for a change!” (with high-rising terminal, and dead eyes… 😀 ) Ron’n’Del I call them, middle-aged to elderly conservatives. I often wonder how they like the ‘change’ they voted for?
- The Voice of Reason 3.2
  
  12 August 2011 at 10:27 am
  
  And it simply reflects the fact that the high kiwi dollar makes it a good time to consider making a major home purchase. Note the ‘consider’, it doesn’t actually mean people will purchase anything, just that they recognise the opportunity.
Bored 4

12 August 2011 at 7:32 am

Pom pollies in Lala land….

Apparently there are plans to cut the Met Police force by 16000, the same number on the streets during the riots. This from the BBC….

Senior government sources say the Treasury will not reopen negotiations on the spending review.

And Home Secretary Theresa May has repeated her belief that police budgets can be reduced without damaging their ability to do their jobs.

But the Home Office said the reductions in the police budget were manageable.

Which all goes to show how out of touch our political leadership really is. And the money men are wagging the dog again.
- felix 4.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 8:25 am
  
  But it’s ok Bored, ‘cos they’re going to ban the wearing of masks and give themselves the power to shut down facebook and twitter whenever they like.
  
  So don’t worry about the cuts, they’re still building an effective police state.
  - Bored 4.1.1
    
    12 August 2011 at 8:43 am
    
    LOL Heard one gent interviewed after he as bailed for rioting comment “I was just getting my own bankers bonus”…says it all about the top down state of lawlessness in the UK..
    - travellerev 4.1.1.1
      
      12 August 2011 at 8:49 am
      
      A link to that please. pretty please with a cherry on top
      - freedom 4.1.1.1.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 9:53 am
        
        i have wafers,
        please Bored, where did you hear that one, it’s platinum dipped in gold with rhodium sprinkles
        
        Bored 4.1.1.1.1.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 11:03 am
        
        Al Jazheera last night, get it on cable TV.
        
        travellerev …
        
        12 August 2011 at 11:56 am
        
        possibly still retrievable here
      - joe90 4.1.1.1.2
        
        12 August 2011 at 11:25 am
        
        http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/sep/15/theresa-may-cut-police-budget-without-violent-unrest
        
        joe90 4.1.1.1.2.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 11:39 am
        
        Boris has his say but:
        
        Within hours of his statement, David Cameron insisted the government had no plans to reverse its decision to cut the police budget by £2bn over the next four years, dismissing Johnson’s remarks as the usual pleading by a mayor.
    - felix 4.1.1.2
      
      12 August 2011 at 8:54 am
      
      Indeed.
      
      It seems to me that if politicians who create these conditions of powerlessness and hopelessness in the population while simultaneously handing over trillions to the bankers can’t be charged with inciting riots, then the charge might as well be removed from the statutes.
      - Morrissey 4.1.1.2.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 9:14 am
        
        …if politicians who create these conditions … can’t be charged with inciting riots, then the charge might as well be removed from the statutes.
        
        Good luck with that! However, I do think there is a chance that some of these politicians (from David Cameron on down) will be in serious trouble soon, when the inquiry into the Newscorpse phone hacking and bribery scandal really gets under weigh.
        
        I believe that Cameron has perjured himself, and I’m sure they’ll go after Blair as well. That’s assuming they’re serious, of course.
      - Colonial Viper 4.1.1.2.2
        
        12 August 2011 at 11:30 am
        
        Statutes are there to keep the commoners in check, not the elite.
        
        e.g. as far as I know despite a probable >1M fraudulent subprime loans in the US, where most of the frauds have been perpetrated by the lenders, there has not been a single imprisonment.
        
        Neither have there been any imprisonments of credit rating agency executives who were shown to have given toxic subprime mortgage backed securities “AAA” ratings when they had never even looked at the paperwork backing the actual mortgages.
        
        The US financial system is a corrupt joke; the MSM is feeding us stories about a pretend fair and free market that does not exist.
  - freedom 4.1.2
    
    12 August 2011 at 9:22 am
    
    Putting the burgeoning Police State aside for a moment. Do these people even listen to what they say, or read what is written about what they said?
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/5434148/Facial-recognition-in-use-after-British-riots
    
    In paragraph six they reference an older article discussing the sources of image used in Facial Recognition Software. In the very next paragraph there is the most incredulous statement suggesting the only people to be identified by the technology are already criminals.
    
    A few paragraphs later they say how they are using the technology sparingly and releasing images to the public is the preferred option. They then say they have released a few dozen images. Ok, so how is it that as of last night over 750 arrests had been made?
    
    To finish your snack there is a small cherry on top when the representative from the Olympic Planning Committee is spoken to. This person says they are considering using Facial Recognition in the Olympics. Five years ago they made a documentary on the planning of the Olympics and the technology was to be one of the foundations of the security measures.
    
    you just gotta love their fundamental belif that the public are as thick as they are
    - Bill 4.1.2.1
      
      12 August 2011 at 11:32 am
      
      Assuming that the police have a number of people who they regularily ‘keep an eye on’ as it were. And given the CCTV coverage, then by backtracking individuals from their home address to a riot situation via CCTV footage might not be that difficult in somme cases.
      
      As for police cuts. Cameron has said the army would be considered in future. Meanwhile the establishment left are calling for the police cuts to be reversed. And they will be.
      
      Finally. Is there any focus on the oppressive police culture/ actions? Any questioning of the endless searches etc, etc, etc and the effect that has on people? Na. Course not.
      
      Them kids is criminals is all. Them kids is sick. Them kids need more discipline.
      - freedom 4.1.2.1.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 11:41 am
        
        on BBC radio they were hammering the ‘blame the parents who didn’t teach right from wrong’ as the one and only reason for the criminality. There was a certain volatility to their delivery that for a moment i thought O’Reilly and Hannity were guest hosting
        
        p.s. still no CCTV footage of the Mark Duggan shooting though. Amazing how these cameras only capture criminal acts
        
        Colonial Viper 4.1.2.1.1.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 5:23 pm
        
        p.s. still no CCTV footage of the Mark Duggan shooting though. Amazing how these cameras only capture criminal acts
        
        Oh…ru saying that the police may not have been performing a criminal act in that shootoing? 😛
- Lanthanide 4.2
  
  12 August 2011 at 9:14 am
  
  Police are effectively a legalised gang of thugs.
  
  What do they think is going to happen we we’ve seen these riots with these police doing the direct job of controlling them? In a few month, these thousands of police may not have a job any more…
  - Ianupnorth 4.2.1
    
    12 August 2011 at 10:32 am
    
    Every other public sector has been hammered, now it is their turn; should have stuck to proper policing rather than flying around in choppers chasing minor car thief’s, etc. How about nailing some of the fraudulent bankers?
logie97 5

12 August 2011 at 7:35 am

Cullen Fund. Nats want to invest in SOE’s. Great. Build the publicly owned business up further with public money and then eventually sell it off completely …
tc 6

12 August 2011 at 7:39 am

Notice the nats are making out like the great protectors with this PR about getting tough on loan sharks…….a private member bill they voted down with ACT last year from memory. Great to have the MSM in your pocket when you turn another parties idea into your own after destroying it in parliament.
Colonial Viper 7

12 August 2011 at 8:40 am

Support Adidas! Adidas supports European Sporting Performance

http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/2011/08/T082211.jpg

Look at the matching outfit. Beautiful in so many ways.
- Akldnut 7.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 4:15 pm
  
  lol poetic
- mickysavage 7.2
  
  12 August 2011 at 9:03 pm
  
  This is so appropriate in so many ways …
rd 8

12 August 2011 at 9:04 am

I notice that ANZ are advertising home loans for holidays, renovations, kids etc.
So back to the future!!!
Morrissey 9

12 August 2011 at 9:31 am

Silencing dissent on the BBC and Fox News

First, the impatient handling of Darcus Howe, a West Indian writer and broadcaster. Note how belittling and condescending the BBC host is…

Next, watch how a befuddled Fox News host cuts off an American girl and her aunt who contradict official lies about the South Ossetia conflict in 2008…
Morrissey 10

12 August 2011 at 10:07 am

Charlie Brooker on the American News Media. Funny

You may occasionally wonder why our right wing friends like Pete (“Garth”) George are so unbalanced and unhinged. Well, consider what they watch every day…
freedom 11

12 August 2011 at 10:08 am

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/5434635/Kids-for-cash-judge-gets-28-years-jail

Today is a good day for thousands of families in America as this scum is finally jailed. He still has an appeals process but at least that will be occuring whilst he is behind bars. Sure it will most likely be one of the white collar country clubs and he will not be in general population as law enforcement personnel and officers of the court rarely are, but at least he will get a small taste of the horror and hardship he has caused so many.

If you want a really harrowing weekend look into this guy’s history and consider what the ramifications are if we continue to privatise our prisons and youth assistance programmes.
- Vicky32 11.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 5:32 pm
  
  Today is a good day for thousands of families in America as this scum is finally jailed
  
  Bizarrely, this guy was fictionalised in the TV series ‘Cold Case’ in an episode from (I think) 2009, where he was made out to be innocent – the real villain being his sister who had tricked him! (In American cop shows, the villain is almost always a foreigner or a woman…)
  I assume that many if not most Americans (and probably NZers) who’ve seen that episode will assume the story’s wholly fictional..,
Ianupnorth 12

12 August 2011 at 10:49 am

I see Mr. Key hasn’t quite got round to understanding the need for quality early childhood education
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10744548
Maybe it is going to be an election carrot?
- freedom 12.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 11:16 am
  
  “and we understand how popular it is with parents”
  Mr Key is an idiot, it is not a nice to have, it is a cornerstone of this Nation’s relationship to our childrens’ education. Perhaps if he had raised his children in NZ and not America, Europe or whatever other Bankers’enclave he cowered in, his attitude to people in general would be more compassionate.
- seanmaitland 12.2
  
  12 August 2011 at 12:19 pm
  
  All you need is kindergarten – ECE is a load of bollocks – it does not get any better results, and is simply an expensive childcare program.
  
  I grew up in the 80s without ECE and I’m extremely successful in my career – ECE wouldn’t have made a grain of sand’s worth of difference to how I turned out.
  - freedom 12.2.1
    
    12 August 2011 at 12:57 pm
    
    and every child has the exact same circumstances as every other child right sean? and your life is the eact same life every other person wants to live? ECE allows an option. Are you aware of that word, it resembles another word we apply when promoting independant thought, choice. These are not words that just fill space in a dictionary.
    
    p.s. sean, if they hack at ECE, they will be cutting kindergarten funding also. hell they already removed almost all support for Plunkett’s phone lines and services. there is a trend here, apparently your narrow view of what a society should aspire to probably missed it.
    - Ianupnorth 12.2.1.1
      
      12 August 2011 at 1:32 pm
      
      Sean, Kindergartens have had their funding slashed and have been accused by the government of having lots of money in the bank they should spend fixing their premises and investing in early childhood education (because then the Govt. could get out of doing that for them).
      The other day I heard a radio story about Point Chevallier Kindy, it is being evicted off the primary school grounds because the school needs to expand; the Ministry of Education refused to make the school two storey (too expensive), and because of the new classes the planning laws state they need more car parks, so the kindy must move.
      The kindy in question should be accepting kids at their third birthday, but in reality the average age of entry is 3 yrs 11 months, they are at capacity (190) and have 260 on a waiting list. Auckland City are unable to provide any land for relocating the kindy, so it will close.
      BTW, in the 80’s when you grew up many mothers didn’t go back to work; mothers are now being told to find work or lose benefits. You cannot work unless you have adequate child care. many families are now spread across the country, so the traditional auntie, grandma, etc support is long gone.
      - Vicky32 12.2.1.1.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 5:49 pm
        
        The other day I heard a radio story about Point Chevallier Kindy, it is being evicted off the primary school grounds because the school needs to expand; the Ministry of Education refused to make the school two storey (too expensive), and because of the new classes the planning laws state they need more car parks, so the kindy must move.
        
        In the best example of clustering I’ve ever known in my life, Clive just had a promo for their story on exactly that this very moment…
        Because I didn’t want leave a fatherless child with Aspergers in day care which I would have had to do if I was working, I was on a DPB and I took my son to a parent co-operative pre-school, and then kindy when he was 3 – for his socialisation, and I am very glad I was able to do so! If all else had been equal, I would have been glad to have ECE for him (if I had worked – which I would have done, if I wasn’t a solo parent.)
      - Colonial Viper 12.2.1.1.2
        
        12 August 2011 at 6:49 pm
        
        BTW, in the 80′s when you grew up many mothers didn’t go back to work; mothers are now being told to find work or lose benefits.
        
        You can’t seriously expect Sean Maitland to think beyond the two dimensions of his narrow-ass own precious life can you?
  - Akldnut 12.2.2
    
    12 August 2011 at 4:31 pm
    
    “I grew up in the 80s without ECE and I’m extremely successful in my career”
    
    Your success appears only to be exceeded by your narcissism – blowhard (mind you we only have your word for that)
    
    ECE wouldn’t have made a grain of sand’s worth of difference to how I turned out.
    
    It may have made you more empathetic toward others and less of a bragger.
freedom 13

12 August 2011 at 11:36 am

more reationary ignorance from a National MP
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10463579
you gotta laugh, it got all the way to her writing a letter to the associate health minister ffs
or were they hoping to catch out Mr Anderton?
- Vicky32 13.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 6:07 pm
  
  you gotta laugh, it got all the way to her writing a letter to the associate health minister ffs
  or were they hoping to catch out Mr Anderton?
  
  What an utter moron! (I love the way she spelled touché, as well! 🙂 ) That email was first seen by me back in the 90s, forwarded by a Libertarian, as a dig against Greens – and it’s glaringly obvious to anyone with an intermediate school education what di-hydrogen monoxide is!
jackal 14

12 August 2011 at 11:58 am

Sorry I’m Black

A veritable library has been written about what possible causes could have led to the British riots, so what I’m blogging about shouldn’t be new to those keeping their finger on the pulse. There’s no doubt that various ingredients have amalgamated to form a disastrous recipe of violence, and in my opinion there’s two main factors involved; poverty and racism…
Pete George 15

12 August 2011 at 1:10 pm

We have problems of our own.

Remember Cherie Kurarangi Sweeney? She talked to police about the death of a Ngaruawahia baby and was called a nark. She stood up to that abuse and has continued campaigning for kids and against abuse.

She is organising “This memorial for our children who have died at the hands of someone who was supposed to be caring for them is simple, it does not cost BUT it will have huge impact.”

“STOP the Deaths from Child Abuse! NOW!” (Cherie’s Facebook event page).

Good to see people who are prepared to step up and do something about problems. Cherie deserves a heap of praise and support.
- freedom 15.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 1:44 pm
  
  So you are strongly supportive of her cause Pete, great to see.
  
  Apart from enjoying the powerful symbolism offered by a soft toy at a war memorial, you and others will naturally be calling for increases in funding for Women’s Refuge, or at least demanding the recent cuts get reversed? You will no doubt be asking the Government increases DPB to stay in line with inflation and put all Housing NZ tenancies back into a rent controlled environment. You will of course be marching on Parliament showing that the Government must restrict the sale of Alcohol and ask that all existing licencees be put on a probationary caution leading to loss of licence and or property in compensation, if any of their product is found in possession of an intoxicated person who is later convicted for violence against children? You will naturally be asking for massive increases in Education spending and most importantly you will be wanting an immediate and comprehensive programme for those accused and/or convicted of violence to undergo Literacy and Anger mangement courses.
  
  Or will you just be pressing like on a FaceBook page?
  - Pete George 15.1.1
    
    12 August 2011 at 2:02 pm
    
    Are you doing all that? I agree with most of what you’ve listed, to a degree at least. The standout that I wouldn’t support as you state is “You will naturally be asking for massive increases in Education spending “. There’s obvious limits to money and I prefer smarter targeting anyway.
    
    I won’t just be “pressing like on a FaceBook page”. On this I have been spreading the word, as I did on here. And I have volunteered to help coordinate with Cherie’s memorial down here.
    
    I get more involved in things – for example a couple of years ago I wrote an anti abuse song and performed with a band playing it in a White Ribbon concert.
    
    What point were you trying to make?
    - freedom 15.1.1.1
      
      12 August 2011 at 2:19 pm
      
      i do all i can when i can Pete, and as resources improve i will be doing a lot more.
      
      But you considered and defended your efforts, on this topic and raised others that you have had concern on. For me that is all the build up to the election is about. Getting people to think and react. Right , Left, Fascist or Friendly. I am hungry to have people honest and if that means the occassional prodding with a sharp stick on a sensitive issue , i will prod. I think you get where i am coming from Pete and i would not be at all surprised that we would share some interesting dialogues over a couple of brews if the opportunity ever arose. Have a good weekend and let’s hope the kids do too.
    - freedom 15.1.1.2
      
      12 August 2011 at 2:47 pm
      
      i have replied Pete but it is moderation? i am guessing for use of the F word that labels certain political views of right leaning individuals, computers are not very good at defining context yet
      
      [lprent: Yes it was. Not sure why it got put there. But it is better have auto-moderation than not. The alternatives would be to hold all comments for human scans (ie for a couple of hours). Or to let all messages through – which in the light of this statement on the dashboard
      
      Akismet has protected your site from 101,167 spam comments already.
      There’s nothing in your spam queue at the moment.
      
      5,800 spam comments have been automatically discarded by Conditional CAPTCHA.
      
      I’m not going to do… ]
      - freedom 15.1.1.2.1
        
        12 August 2011 at 3:10 pm
        
        mmmmmmmm auto-moderation,
        has such a calming ring to it, wonder if it could be applied to that long room over by the Beehive
        thanks for the note lprent 🙂
    - Morrissey 15.1.1.3
      
      13 August 2011 at 1:23 pm
      
      What point were you trying to make?
      
      I think it was clear to everyone but you what point he was trying to make: you are a hypocrite, and (even worse) a confused hypocrite.
Ianupnorth 16

12 August 2011 at 1:25 pm

Any want a laugh; the grossly deluded Mr. Brash in full effect!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10744607
Draco T Bastard 17

12 August 2011 at 1:32 pm

Generation F*cked
How Britain is Eating Its Young

“The reason our children’s lives are the worst among economically advanced countries is because we are a poor version of the USA,” he said. “So the USA comes second from bottom and we follow behind. The age of neo-liberalism, even with the human face that New Labour has given it, cannot stem the tide of the social recession capitalism creates.”

Survey proves that the more free-market a society is the worse off it’s children are.
- Ianupnorth 17.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 1:43 pm
  
  But Draco, no point in telling the right, they don’t believe it, they would rather do a green paper and listen to the views of Bob McCroskie, because he knows better!
joe90 18

12 August 2011 at 2:45 pm

Scientific American: Government Fracking Panel Calls for Environmental Impact Study

From increased greenhouse gas emissions to water contamination, hydraulic fracturing to free natural gas poses a range of environmental challenges.

The federal government should begin a major effort to measure greenhouse gas emissions tied to the nation’s booming natural gas industry, a Department of Energy advisory panel said today in a series of proposals on air and water quality issues.

The seven-member advisory panel under Energy Secretary Steven Chu released its first report outlining steps that regulators and companies drilling in vast U.S. shale gas reservoirs should take to avoid significant environmental damage and assuage public concern.

“There are serious environmental impacts underlying these concerns and these adverse environmental impacts need to be prevented, reduced and, where possible, eliminated as soon as possible,” says the report. “Absent effective control, public opposition will grow, thus putting continued production at risk.”.
Ianupnorth 19

12 August 2011 at 3:15 pm

Just when you thought it couldn’t get weirder…
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/82963,people,news,team-america-fags-alec-baldwin-and-matt-damon-have-designs-on-us-politics-michael-moore

Team America FAGs have designs on US politics

In their 2004 film Team America, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, mercilessly mocked the political aspirations of the liberal Hollywood establishment by inventing a fake organisation for bleeding-heart actors called FAG (the Film Actors Guild), which counted the likes of Alec Baldwin, Michael Moore and Matt Damonin its number.

Seven years later it seems as though they picked their targets well. This week, Baldwin announced that he wanted to become mayor of New York and Moore said that he would like to see Damon become president of the US.
Joe Bloggs 20

12 August 2011 at 4:17 pm

Amidst today’s court lists, is yet another grindingly poor, socially deprived rioter, lashing out in rage and despair, ground down by powerlessness and hopelessness:

Among the accused was Laura Johnson, 19, daughter of a successful company director. She lives in a detached converted farmhouse in Kent, with extensive grounds and a tennis court. She is an English and Italian undergraduate at Exeter.

Before that, she attended St Olave’s Grammar, the fourth-best state school in the country, where she studied A-levels in French, English literature, geography and classical civilisation. On Wednesday, at Highbury, she was accused of looting the Currys superstore, in Charlton, of electrical goods worth £5000 ($7800).

Wish I were that deprived…
- Colonial Viper 20.1
  
  13 August 2011 at 1:35 pm
  
  NZ high society kids end up trashed, killing themselves, and dealing drugs. Your point? Bad parenting and other shit happens at every strata of society. But those coming from well to do families have a far better chance of picking themselves up.
  
  For starters, I bet you that “Laura” got highly paid legal representation and a lighter sentence/no conviction as a result, then most of the other kids left to rot in the same circumstance.
jackal 21

12 August 2011 at 4:23 pm

Asshole of the Week Award – Kate Wilkinson

Yesterday Kate Wilkinson failed to answer a question as Minister of Labour, which also related to her roll as Associate Minister of Immigration, because the question was directed to her as Minister of Labour. Wilkinson declined to answer the question concerning relevant and required information to do with her portfolios because of a technicality. What a complete mind fuck!
- freedom 21.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 4:30 pm
  
  Is that not the type of situation that we need a player in the house to provide allowance for a question to be re-tasked to the appropriate hat the particular big head was not wearing at the time of their purposeful obfuscation? You know someone who keeps things on track and makes sure the intent of the parliamentary debate is just and accurate. We could call them, ahh and remember this is just off the top off my head, we could call them The Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives.
jackal 22

12 August 2011 at 6:10 pm

Friday Fun with Photos #12

United Future leader and Associate Minister for Health Peter Dunne said he had smoked cannabis “a couple of times” as a student in the 1970s…
- Bored 22.1
  
  12 August 2011 at 7:48 pm
  
  Dont believe a word of it, he was born a wowser.
Vicky32 23

12 August 2011 at 6:13 pm

That little penis Patrick Gower is creaming his jeans about Key’s up-coming attack on solo mothers – he calls it “helping them”… (He was given what he calls a ‘sneak preview)…
Also, Petulant Bean whining that she’s a good feminist… WTF? I notice she shows the same flat vowels as Key… has she always spoken like her beloved leader?
- Joe Bloggs 23.1
  
  13 August 2011 at 8:20 am
  
  oh great plan, when all else fails attack their diction
  - Colonial Viper 23.1.1
    
    13 August 2011 at 9:26 am
    
    The Left are allowed to be just as mean and petty as some DPB Minister intent on pulling the ladder up after her.
  - Vicky32 23.1.2
    
    13 August 2011 at 11:32 pm
    
    Lolwut? It was an observation! It’s the sort of thing that I notice…
KJT 24

13 August 2011 at 9:20 am

“Is it surprising that after decades of selfishness, meanness, unpunished theft and blatant tax dodging from the top, that those at the bottom follow the example.

You ruin, destroy and steal everything from people, including any hope for a better future. Then you are surprised they turn as mean and self centred as you”.

http://kjt-kt.blogspot.com/2011/08/on-riots.html

“Where England goes, we will follow”..