Open mike 14/04/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 14th, 2013 - 79 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner).

Step right up to the mike…

79 comments on “Open mike 14/04/2013 ”

  1. AsleepWhileWalking 1

    Welcome to the dream: Kiwi Park, Sydney’s humanitarian disaster

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/8542785/Homeless-Kiwis-live-under-a-Sydney-bridge

    • AsleepWhileWalking 1.1

      “Because of their inability to claim the dole and an expensive housing market – a bed at an unlicensed boarding house costs $175 to $200 a week and a basic one-bed flat, $300 to $375 – Kiwis are easy targets for black-market employers offering just $75 a day. “That’s the only way they can support themselves,” says Macklin. One worker has heard some job agencies are incentivised by the government to get people off the dole – so have no particular desire to give jobs to Kiwis. “

    • AsleepWhileWalking 1.2

      PLEAS FOR COMPASSION REJECTED

      By popular demand, a monthly homeless services hub in Woolloomooloo offers immigration-specific advice. O’Hallloran says the Welfare Rights Centre also sees a lot of New Zealanders, at least two a week, seeking advice after “falling through the cracks”. They often apply to the state for “active grace”, where claimants are allowed a short spell of claiming benefits in recognition of dire need. “These are routinely rejected, although we make them for extreme cases; we think that’s completely inhumane. We’ve not had a successful one for a New Zealander in three years and that includes some very extreme cases of abuse, homelessness, violence, and some very sorry stories.”

      Having reluctantly accepted the law around benefit provision won’t change for most Kiwis, the centre is lobbying for young people who arrived as minors and those facing sudden change beyond their control who couldn’t reasonably be expected to return to New Zealand to access a discretionary payment called “Special Benefit”.

      To fight their corner, they’ve amassed some shocking case studies: a teenage boy forced into homelessness through sex abuse and another through family violence, both receiving nothing because they didn’t qualify for youth allowances and couldn’t get family tax benefit as they weren’t at home; a builder’s labourer in Australia to be near his child but couldn’t work as he lost an arm in an accident, yet received no disability benefit; and a 19-year-old who had been in Australia eight years, had no family back in New Zealand and who had been diagnosed with bipolar and couldn’t work. “We write up these case studies,” she says, “it is all we can do, and say ‘at today’s date, they remain homeless’. We hear some very shocking stories and there is often a very good reason why they get ‘stuck’. It becomes abundantly clear that it would be inhumane to leave them without any income support. It is inexcusable.”

      Note: “Special Benefit” began being phased out in 2006 and was replaced by TAS (Temporary Additional Support). I think they refer to another type of emergency benefit.

      • Olwyn 1.2.1

        The NZ government is not blameless for this state of affairs, since it has cheerfully used Australia as a safety valve for absorbing our cast-off workers, while at the same time allowing Australian banks here to privilege the so-called property market over manufacturing, thus adding to the numbers of cast-off workers. It could be insisted that from now on kiwis going to Australia must deposit their fare home, so that Australia can send them back if they find themselves out of work, which would not help the ones already there, and which NZ would probably oppose. It could also be agreed that Australia pays for Aussies here, and NZ for kiwis over there, but that would be fiercely opposed by NZ, since the numbers are so stacked against them. Basically, NZ says to the neighbours, “Please babysit our working age population while we go the casino. Don’t ring if anything goes wrong for them, as we are busy waiting for the jackpot.”

    • infused 1.3

      Well what the hell do they expect?

      This shit was widely known.

      • weka 1.3.1

        “This shit was widely known.”

        I suspect not. There was a very good in depth look at this on RNZ a few months ago, and it was an eye opener for me. I think many kiwis still see Oz as an extension of NZ, that they have more rights to be there than other non-Ozzies, and they don’t see themselves as ‘immigrants’. The RNZ interviews showed that many of the NZers that get into trouble in Oz had not understood the consequences of moving there.

      • McFlock 1.3.2

        The bipolar guy who was eleven when his family moved countries should have known better ?
        Classy tory.

    • Murray Olsen 1.4

      Key went across to sort this out. He returned after having given Queensland access to NZ Police records. With him on our side……….
      Kiwis in Oz pay the full tax rates, yet are denied many of the services that these taxes pay for. Even in terms of their beloved user pays philosophy, this is not right. They could at the very least give a tax rebate.

      • infused 1.4.1

        If they are living under a bridge, they are obviously not paying any tax are they? If they have a job, they are choosing to be there.

        • weka 1.4.1.1

          Do you believe that all NZers living in Australia are unemployed and living under a bridge? I think that makes you a supreme idiot.

        • Murray Olsen 1.4.1.2

          Did you read the article, idiot? One guy had been doing senior IT work, but fell victim to depression. Maybe if he’d started a hate blog instead of helping people, you’d respect and follow him.
          The point is that they all would have been working, they all would have been paying taxes, and some still are. Now run along and find something else to get totally wrong.

          • felix 1.4.1.2.1

            It disturbs me how many of our right-wing friends appear to believe in a static universe.

  2. Tim 2

    The NZ in ANZAC has definitely gone missing – it only turns up on ANZAC day for some strutting about at the break of day.
    Still – why worry? Wonder Boy is comfortable with it and Joolia sees no need to change things.

  3. Colonial Viper 3

    Economics and the Powerful: how the elite skew economic and financial policies

    An outstanding presentation organised by the INET group. Insights not into economics as such, but how economics has been used by the elite and disseminated to ignore the reality of peoples lives in society and consequently screw the 99%.

    (starts about 3 mins in)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj2E6donYOQ

  4. (this is a good-news/how-to/visionary/futurist-story..that i found on my rounds this morn..and that you may not otherwise come across..)

    http://whoar.co.nz/2013/lessons-for-building-a-solar-economy/

    (explanation of link..)

    “..Hawaii generates more of its power from the sun than any other state.

    Here’s what the rest of us can learn from the obstacles that came up along the way –

    – and and what’s being done to overcome them..”

    (and of course those preferring to avoid my ellipses-scattered/capital letter/traditional-sentence-structure-devoid website..can also find the story at the alternet website..

    ..alternet is a progressive news-website i rely on/read/link to each day..

    ..and – as an aside – i would highly recommend alternet to those interested in such matters..)

    phillip ure..

    • Lanthanide 4.1

      …. too irritating, didn’t read ….

      • weka 4.1.1

        ..too irritating, didn’t read..

        ..fify..

        ..and ditto..

        • DH 4.1.1.1

          It’s not really relevant to NZ, covers the problems they had with their grid and we wouldn’t have the same sort of issues here.

          It’s a shame NZ isn’t embracing solar while the opportunity is there. With our $NZ being so high and Chinese manufacturers desperate for sales they’re incredibly cheap and may not be that way for long. Buying in bulk it’s possible to land all the hardware for a grid tie system for a depreciated cost of well under 5c Kw/hr. Households are paying 25-30c and wind costs over 10c.

  5. halfcrown 5

    Just seen another Tui Advert by Key on the Party Political Broadcast on behalf of the National Party called Q&A

    “I am honest and up front” Yeah Right

    • marsman 5.1

      Add that to the list of John Key’s lies.

    • ghostrider888 5.2

      The Nation : The Leader (Atom secrets, secret leaflets, Have the boys found the leak yet the molehill sets the wheel in motion His System of a Downfall picks up Locomotion)
      pearls of wisdom from Mai Chen
      -“the Kitteridge Report is a damning report”
      -“we should not be giving the GCSB anymore powers”

      -Colloidal Cruiser ( Hot Stuff, it’s only Rock and Roll but I like like it yes I do)

      korea
      XIAMING HUAN
      -“diplomatic rhetoric is important in trade with China”

      Hearn-shaw
      -“NK people are just normal people, warm-hearted, friendly, (if a little hungry)”
      -“incorrectly portrayed buy Western media”
      -“military believe they can extract concessions” (Sky City?)
      -“while all-out war may be unlikely, skirmishes are possible”

      back to the CC CP freak-show; “party not initially keen to talk about their platforms, what they stand for; a lot of Colin Craig appearances and little of the party board; “too busy” / “not comfortable with the story” (Three times before the atomic rooster crows “What is conservative about Rankin’s dress sense?”) an turn of phrase “he’s not playing politics, he’s deadly serious” lol (but he just has to run up the skirts of his press secretary first) cos’ there is sitting-room only at his party’s brow-beatings due to the Nationalistic message on the manufactured Lindauer pai-pai (sic)

      Gavin Elllis, “said, said, said” (what other commentators say) if Key fell down the sh*t-house he would come back up grasping a a gold chain.

      Q+A : Jane says… 😉 , on FTA with China / Asia, “quid pro quo, not just talking about trade” Chop Chop
      while as Clinton Hillariously reminds us re the TPPA
      -“re-militarization” in the region
      (Johansen agrees, with Jane) Elephant Boy.
      Aus. is forming military alliances with CHINA; yes Fran, NZ is not (like you) the centre of at tension.

      ask Kenneth Wells, a very warm and funny man (Korean Historian) “different degree now, verging into a different kind” (at least they are finally interviewing people who DO actually know something about these topics and not the freakin elected troughers)

      Graphene
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphene
      cook-a-too
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galah
      AL EX
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_(parrot)

      • Tim 5.2.1

        “the Kitteridge Report – a damning report”

        Aye …. and one that should be considered in relation to a remark Paul Buchanan made (on Firstline from memory – during the week just gone). A good description on how ‘those powers that be’ become captured by those that eventually make decisions.
        I well recall a ‘spook’ (1 degree of separation rather than 2 in that it was a ‘spook’ relative relaying his/her frustrations), telling me how during the early 2000’s, it had been made clear that ‘un-PC’ type activity was verboten and that activity was pretty much limited to checking out the suitability of various senior public servants. (Btw … they weren’t listened to all the time either – hence the various bugger’s muddles at various times).
        Still – no matter! we’ll outsource to another (such as the GCSB).
        Police: same shit different stink with a cheer leader named Greg egging it all on.

    • tc 5.3

      What’s the point of having a state broadcaster if you can’t get your message put out there all wrapped around with pasty questions so it looks like the fawning interviewer is ‘satisfied’.

      • Tim 5.3.1

        tc – confusion between ‘state broadcaster’ and ‘public broadcaster’. The difference is often used by the neo-libs to justify it’s demise.
        It might be publicly owned, but its priority is the commercial/populist imperative.
        But before you jump to the ‘what’s the point’ bit – consider that it’s used as a justification for flogging off the asset.
        Far better to flog off those that attempt to commercialise (TVNZ management and its disciples), keep the asset, and insist those that follow have an understanding of the nature of Public Service Broadcasting).
        Hint: they won’t be the likes of Bill Ralston

        • tc 5.3.1.1

          Nice idea but I reckon we’ve gone beyond the point of being able to make TVNZ a public broadcaster.

          We lack the talent in content production, mostly outsourced and swallowed now by foreign production houses (South pacific being the latest) and political will to fund it.

          labour had a limp attempt with the charter but mahreney and others made a pigs ear of that.

          • Tim 5.3.1.1.1

            I take your point – there is still a bit of talent around, and a few that could well be lured back should there be a commitment to PSB properly funded.
            You’re correct about labour’s attempt.
            Why flog off any more of our assets though. At the very least – keep the buildings and chattels within or the next thing you know Sky City will be turning them into pokie galleries

    • Murray Olsen 5.4

      A bald person doesn’t have to tell anyone they’re bald.
      A fat person doesn’t have to tell anyone they’re fat.
      A tall person doesn’t have to tell anyone they’re tall.
      It’s obvious as soon as you meet them.
      An honest upfront person has to tell everyone they’re honest and upfront. Hmmm.

      • Hami Shearlie 5.4.1

        Maybe he’s not telling the public so much as trying to convince himself – Message to Jonkey – It’s not working! OR as in Little Britain, – “Computer says NO”!!

  6. johnm 6

    The Artist Taxi Driver Another U$K Austerity Class War dispatch

    Lord Freud Ukuncut Thatcher Obama Drones+Witches; Weekend B
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAexf0AIWdE&list=UUGThM-ZZBba1Zl9rU-XeR-A&index=1

    Loads of room to talk! Bedroom tax Tory Lord Freud lives in eight-bedroom country mansion
    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-tory-lord-freud-1545677

    “Freud is the grandson of Sigmund Freud and has relatives who are married into the Murdoch and Rothschild family. It should not take much imagination to understand which ethnicity they belong to.”

    “The idea that everybody should receive a basic income is out there. If you wish to have more than the basic income then you can work. The idea is that no person should starve, freeze or be uneducated.”

    • johnm 6.1

      Glenda Jackson launches tirade against Thatcher in tribute debate

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDtClJYJBj8

      The industries that brought us most of our GDP, gone so now we live on a false economy of credit and stock.. High sustained rates of unemployment, powerless workers, evicted from their homes, the three most dramatic and destructive recessions in our history, the banking crises caused by financial dergulation, part time jobs replaced stable jobs, prices for basic necessities hugely inflated annd thousands of pensioners and some young people dying from the freezing cold and all this masked .

      • johnm 6.1.1

        ” Margaret Thatcher the tax snatcher? Mystery of her £6m house with links to THREE tax havens
        13 Apr 2013 00:00

        Financial experts said it could have been a scheme which would help her estate avoid millions of pounds in inheritance ”

        http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/margaret-thatcher-tax-snatcher-mystery-1828441

      • halfcrown 6.1.2

        Thanks for pointing us to that site Johnm. I think Glenda Jackson makes some classic statements which I am sure will be quoted in the future. Apart from the one “The price of everything, and the value of nothing” I also liked the one “Hogarth would recognise London if he was alive” Hogarth died in the 1700’s Glenda Jackson told those Tory prats in no uncertain terms that Thatcher had turned the clock back at least 200 years and was being continued today by Camoron. But of course that would have gone over their heads.

        • Hami Shearlie 6.1.2.1

          Glenda was an amazing actress – Remember her Elizabeth the First? She must be a great MP too!! A very clever woman!!

  7. Morrissey 7

    Tim Bale’s pro-Thatcher apologetics this morning
    Radio New Zealand National, Sunday, 14 April 2013

    How do you find someone, other than a craven politician, to speak positively about a notorious politician who denigrated Nelson Mandela as a “terrorist”, yet supported Suharto, Pinochet, Begin, Shamir, Saddam and Reagan?

    The answer is, of course, you find an amenable academic. Now, there are tractable professors right through this country, from Wyn Hoadley in Auckland, down through crazy Ron Smith and Dov Bing at Waikato, Lance Beath at Victoria, right down to Otago’s mealy-mouthed Robert Patman. But Chris Laidlaw’s producers decided to bypass these dependable fellows and go for someone who is actually in the midst of the national celebr—, errr, mourning. He spoke to one Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary College in London, formerly a lecturer at VUW.

    Much of what Bale said was too bland and anodyne to bear repeating, but something of his moral character can be gauged by the following exchange which came near the end of the interview….

    CHRIS LAIDLAW: The sinking of the General Belgrano. There’s not much said in Britain about that. I regard it as a war crime.

    TIM BALE: [irritated tone] Hmmmm. [slowly and pompously] I don’t think you would find many people in Britain who think that. Most people think it was a good idea that she took the Falklands back from what was pretty much a fascist regime. Whatever you think of her, the British people actually LIKE conviction politicians.

    CHRIS LAIDLAW: [skeptically] Mmmmmmmm. Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary College in London, formerly a lecturer at Victoria University, thank you!

    • Tim 7.1

      Some sort of panel discussion would have been a little more appropriate me thinks. I suspect someone at RNZ just read ‘Cameron and the Conservatives since 1945′ and thought “ooooo, I know – we’ll get Tim’. The 9 o’clock time pips seemed the most appealing thing for me in that little discussion! (tik tok tik tok as it really does come closer to all turning to shit).
      Good on CL though for getting in the war crimes quip – no matter how one feels about the Faulklands

      • Morrissey 7.1.1

        I forgot to mention that Thatcher, obediently following the lead of her Washington master, also supported the Khmer Rouge.

        • swordfish 7.1.1.1

          Yes, she was a biiigggggg supporter of that vicious old nazi, Pinochet.

          Shame about Tim Bale – a former lecturer of mine at Vic. Something of a Blair supporter too, if I remember rightly.

  8. vto 8

    As if we needed another piece of evidence of the way this deceitful and dishonest government works.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/8547471/Secrecy-over-milk-DCD-scare-revealed

    • vto 8.1

      It seems the government has finally become that big ugly thing. It has become self-serving, existing solely to preserve and enhance itself, no matter its original purpose. It has become a large ugly wart that just wants to keep growing and growing, eating up all that wanders near. Yuck.

    • Dv 8.2

      I thought Guy comment about the DCD not being at a dangerous level was curious and bizarre.
      If it wasnt dangerous why the secrecy?…..

  9. chris73 9

    http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2013/04/the-abortion-story-that-the-msm-wont-cover/

    This is not a left vs right debate but be warned its a hard read (and not because its a whaleoil story) but an interesting one

      • chris73 9.1.1

        Fuckwit, considering the scope of the case I’d have expected a lot more coverage.

        • Murray Olsen 9.1.1.1

          If you want more coverage, paint it up on a sandwich board and stand in the middle of the street. Take your sense of entitlement somewhere else, get off your lazy entitled bum and just do it.

      • joe90 9.1.2

        And I’d like wall to wall coverage of the ASP and the NZKB too.

        • chris73 9.1.2.1

          Nice one dipshit

          • Pascal's bookie 9.1.2.1.1

            Yeah well, this complaint would have more merit of it wasn’t just an obvious rightwing freak out of the day:

            http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/41853_Breitbart.com_AWOL_on_Gosnell_for_Past_Two_Years_Suddenly_Dozens_of_Posts

            Case has been going on for quite some time, very little interest from the right wing, then all of a sudden it’s everywhere, even down to little old failoil and his circus of derp.

            Has he covered that apparent terrorist attack againts the nurse in Auckland who works at a clinic, per chance/

            That story had one report on TV1. I’d say that’s a more under-reported story than this one.

            Another under-reported terrorist attack was that bombing attempt on a Martin Luther King parade. Way more developed than any number of failed attacks where the FBI are involved with some muslim dude.

            Bombs were made and in place, only failed to go off because someone noticed the bags. Whaleoil cover that?

    • joe90 9.2

      See fool, this isn’t about abortion, it’s about the greed and crime that flourished in a pro-life state which denied women access to safe, legal abortion services.

      • chris73 9.2.1

        Piss off wanker, stop seeing shit that ain’t there

        • weka 9.2.1.1

          chris, you’re being disingenuous. Please explain how this doctor would have been able to practice in a state where abortions were legal, equitably accessible, and managed in the same way as other health care. Of course this is about politics and restriction of women’s reproductive rights by US right wing prolifers.

          • chris73 9.2.1.1.1

            I get the feeling this guy would have operated the same regardless of the legal situation. To do what he did suggests theres something wrong upstairs. If a baby is born (or however the medical profession consider it) and healthy then I’d imagine the Hippocratic oath comes into play.

            I’m just surprised no ones tried to link John Key or Pauls Bennet to it…

            • Arfamo 9.2.1.1.1.1

              I’m just surprised no ones tried to link John Key or Pauls Bennet to it…

              So far you’re the only one who has…?

            • Draco T Bastard 9.2.1.1.1.2

              I get the feeling this guy would have operated the same regardless of the legal situation.

              Actually, he wouldn’t have been able to as the women wouldn’t have needed to seek him out.

              • weka

                Exactly. This isn’t hard to grasp chris. Women needed late term abortions, and were desperate enough to go through a horrendous experience to get one. Why do you think that is?

                As for the hippocratic oath, I suggest you read up on the technicalities of late term abortions.

            • Murray Olsen 9.2.1.1.1.3

              In a more rational state, the women would have had better options. When the crazy make women’s reproductive health care almost impossible, is it at all surprising that crazies will start providing the horrible level of service that we see here?
              We used to see med students struck off alcoholic doctors, and worse providing terminations in Aotearoa not that long ago. We had plenty of horror stories right at home. That story is our future if rabid dogs like the Conservatives ever get their way.

              • LynWiper

                +1 It wasn’t that long ago in NZ the wealthy could fly to Aussie and all the others had to find another way.

        • joe90 9.2.1.2

          That’s not my conclusion, it’s the grand juries…anyhoo…do tell me how hard you’ve worked.

      • weka 9.2.2

        “See fool, this isn’t about abortion, it’s about the greed and crime that flourished in a pro-life state which denied women access to safe, legal abortion services.”

        +1000

    • fender 9.3

      Chris you seem obsessed with linking to the sewer every other day, it’s gross.

      Have you got up to speed on the latest blunder by the stinky one you adore?

      It’s here he’s a fool and you need a new hero.

      • chris73 9.3.1

        And your point is?

        If I stopped reading a blog everytime someone got something wrong…well I wouldn’t be reading this one for a start

        *cue link please*

        • felix 9.3.1.1

          He doesn’t get things wrong. It’s not a mishap.

          He makes up complete bullshit and you swallow it daily.

    • Daveosaurus 9.4

      The only surprising thing about all of this is that anybody still so much as gives the Welfare Whale the time of day, never mind actually believing a word it says.

      • felix 9.4.1

        Those who post links to whaleoil do tend to be the more gullible of our visitors.

  10. ghostrider888 10

    Criusing Colloidally,
    if the Straijacket Fits She Speeds through Bailterspace Lightfootedly
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8jBuAWuaZU

    mysky? “Equilibrium” before The Fall to Higher Ground (or Higher Learning)
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1562568/ http://www.higherground.org.nz/
    ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113305/ )

    Empire (from the History Channel) Records “doing good, by force if necessary”

    The Fun-Lovin Criminals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHDYfoRYcqQ Cougar
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mellencamp Revolution Revolution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVKLmpALMFc from a Small Town
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CVLVaBECuc

    Lines of untold history
    http://www.google.co.nz/#hl=en&gs_rn=9&gs_ri=psy-ab&cp=9&gs_id=y&xhr=t&q=the+untold+history+of+the+united+states&es_nrs=true&pf=p&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&oq=the+untol&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45175338,d.aGc&fp=f2b169560604df12&biw=996&bih=499

    by RT; Russia produces list of US officials now sanctioned for Human Rights Breaches
    Breaking The Set
    http://www.youtube.com/user/breakingtheset

    ” a hard rains gonna fall”

    (Super) Nova
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfy7Dxy57aE

    …now Normie, if we can just establish who your Friends are, Kirstie (without withdrawel they just wanna possess your bits).

  11. ghostrider888 11

    Cruising Cooloidally,
    if the Straitjacket Fits She Speeds through Bailterspace lightfootedly
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8jBuAWuaZU

  12. ghostrider888 12

    mysky; Equilibrium before The Fall to Higher Ground (or Higher Learning)
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1562568/?ref_=sr_1
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113305/?ref_=sr_1

    http://www.higherground.org.nz/

    “Empire” (from the History Channel) records “doing good, by force if necessary.”

  13. ghostrider888 15

    Super (Nova) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfy7Dxy57aE

    …Normie, if we can just establish who our “Friends” are, Kirsty, (without withdrawel they just wanna possess you b*ts).

  14. Rogue Trooper 16

    got stuck-in.moderation
    updated from the air-fixed recollection machine,
    The Spitfire Grill
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117718/
    “and that’s a Cold Shot babe, we’ve let our love go bad!”

    • Tim 17.1

      Don’t do it! You’ll simply add to the statistics that justify the self-indulgent Cameron’s ‘rasion d’etre’

      There is actually NOTHING to see there other than an ideologue all propped up with medication in an attempt to convince us how ‘relevant’ he is.

      Give it a miss. (Just like Facebook if you’ve no other reason to earn a crust by means of ‘networking’)
      twitter twitter twitter twit …. oooops truncated by an error 404 – or similar). Seriously – give it a fukn miss

  15. joe90 19

    Interesting read.

    http://www.alternet.org/print/media/propaganda-system-has-helped-create-permanent-overclass-over-century-making

    Important intellectuals of the era then became principally concerned with the issue of propaganda during peacetime, having witnessed its success in times of war. Propaganda, wrote Lippmann, “has a legitimate and desirable part to play in our democratic system.” A leading political scientist of the era, Harold Lasswell, noted: “Propaganda is surely here to stay.” In his 1925 book, The Phantom Public, Lippmann wrote that the public was a “bewildered herd” of “ignorant and meddlesome outsiders” who should be maintained as “interested spectators of action,” and distinct from the actors themselves, the powerful. Edward Bernays, the ‘father of public relations’ and nephew of Sigmund Freud got his start with Wilson’s CPI during World War I, and had since become a leading voice in the fields of propaganda and public relations. In his 1928 book, Propaganda, Bernays wrote: “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.” Modern society was dominated by a “relatively small number of persons… who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses,” and this was, in Bernays’ thinking, “a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized.” Bernays referred to this – “borrowing” from Walter Lippmann – as the “engineering of consent.”

  16. ghostrider888 20

    return of the Police Investigation Groups
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10877273

    ONE : “the working poor being employed does not provide enough income to put food on the table”
    -Salvation Army
    Ardern- “still 20000 more people on main benefitts than before nats terms.

    3 : cut down on carbohydrates 😉
    -insulin leads to fat storage 😉
    -sat. fat may lead to lipid profile stabilisation

    Hulks perspective on Sunday : “Where Ships Go to Die” -Bangladesh (no national iron ore)
    -47c per hour
    -12 hours a day, 7 days a week (to fulfil their dreams)
    -amputations, burns, toxic heavy metals, asbestosis.

    “How can we tolerate this,?” asked The Navigator.

  17. One Anonymous Knucklehead 21

    Nice one Labour. Caveat emptor 🙂

  18. ghostrider888 22

    Live At Red Rocks! Hit The Electric Co’s . Gloria!!!

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-25T00:16:58+00:00