Open mike 15/09/2013

Written By: - Date published: 8:12 am, September 15th, 2013 - 71 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…

71 comments on “Open mike 15/09/2013 ”

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  1. quokka 1
    15 September 2013 at 8:20 am

    Dear Lorde,

    Please Deliver Us

    From Political Folly.

    Amen.

    • karol 1.1
      15 September 2013 at 8:26 am

      Amen.

      Seven Deadly Sins

      Wealth without work
      Pleasure without conscience
      Science without humanity
      Knowledge without character
      Politics without principle
      Commerce without morality
      Worship without sacrifice.

      ― Mahatma Gandhi

      Not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse that I will be at work through the leadership announcement.

      Conserving my energies for the next phase of media diversions, distortions and anti-left attacks.

      • Pete 1.1.1
        15 September 2013 at 11:42 am

        We all want to help one another; human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there’s room for everyone and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone.

        The way of life can be free and beautiful.

        But we have lost the way.

        Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost…

        -Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator

    • mickysavage 1.2
      15 September 2013 at 8:54 am

      Amen to that …

    • Rogue Trooper 1.3
      15 September 2013 at 9:15 am

      19:11. A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his benefit to overlook an offence.

  2. just saying 2
    15 September 2013 at 8:21 am

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/blogs/opinion/9161763/The-secret-diary-of-Grant-Robertson

    A belly-laugh-out-loud -’Secret Diary of Grant Robertson’. Makes me wonder it Steve Braunias is a commenter or a lurker round these parts….
    Wee teaser:

    WEDNESDAY
    O Thorndon! O political beltway of Wellington. How I’ve missed it! It’s so good to be back with people you can trust. Who needs humanity when you have caucus?

    We sat around and analysed latest polling. There was good news and bad news.

    The bad news was that 79 per cent of New Zealanders thought I was inexperienced, shifty, kind of creepy, a bit of a toerag, and probably a really sore loser.

    The good news was that caucus couldn’t care less what 79 per cent of New Zealanders think about anything.

    THURSDAY

    We revised earlier estimates and concluded that caucus couldn’t care less what 100 per cent of New Zealanders think about anything

    edit – moved this to open mike when it suddenly appeared

  3. Eddie 3
    15 September 2013 at 8:29 am

    It seems to me that Farrar participating in the axe the copper tax campaign is a clear sign that the English/Key faction is targeting pro-Collins minister Amy Adams. Between this and Key letting her bury herself over the RMA changes things don’t look good for Adams.

    The rumblings are that the factional war in National stepping up a notch. Presumably as a result of Key’s polling slipping and the threat of a resurgent Labour party. I predict we’ll see Judith Collins increase her PR work but also hit a few carefully planted landmines over the next twelve months.

    • karol 3.1
      15 September 2013 at 8:36 am

      Interesting how the Nats out-source their factional struggles and in-fighting.

      • just saying 3.1.1
        15 September 2013 at 8:48 am

        Strange that the right does it in clear sight, without comment, yet it is the left that is repeatedly accused of it.

        (As if we could be so organised).

        • kenny 3.1.1.1
          15 September 2013 at 9:26 am

          Strange also that in the past the Labour Party was lambasted for allowing the unions to ‘control’ it.

          No-one in the MSM see’s a problem with the National Party being controlled by some very rich business men. These people will be paying very close attention to John Key at the present time, when they can sense some strange stirrings in the political atmosphere which may not bode too well for them.

    • Rogue Trooper 3.2
      15 September 2013 at 9:17 am

      Adams is a shocker!

    • Ron 3.3
      15 September 2013 at 4:49 pm

      Good to see the ABC group have migrated to National Party “Anyone but Collins”

      It seems to me that Farrar participating in the axe the copper tax campaign is a clear sign that the English/Key faction is targeting pro-Collins minister Amy Adams. Between this and Key letting her bury herself over the RMA changes things don’t look good for Adams.

  4. hush minx 4
    15 September 2013 at 8:54 am

    Adams has never been put under real pressure as minister. Good opportunity for a newly focused labour party.

    • tc 4.1
      15 September 2013 at 9:46 am

      Yup its as if labour dont have a telecoms spokesperson.

      They should be dicatating the narrative on UFB as joyce has stitched up the taxpayer to line chorus pockets just like the old days. Chorus need to be brought in line and what happened to the $300m gifted for rural broadband ?

  5. Jim Nald 5
    15 September 2013 at 9:07 am

    Heh. Reading all your comments as at 9:03am. Love ya all!

    Oh, and love to all this afternoon ….. well, erm, aah, except if …. (!!!)

    🙂

  7. muzza 7
    15 September 2013 at 9:17 am

    http://rt.com/news/turkey-syria-chemical-weapons-850/

    A court indictment by the Turkish prosecutors into the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian rebels has once again highlighted fears this week that sarin toxic gas was used by the opposition and not the Assad government.

    The prosecutor in the Turkish city of Adana has issued a 132-page indictment, alleging that six men of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front and Ahrar ash-Sham tried to seek out chemicals with the intent to produce the nerve agent, sarin gas, a number of Turkish publications reported.

  8. bad12 8
    15 September 2013 at 9:36 am

    From today’s Herald online, Bernard Hickey gives some details about the love affair the middle class in Auckland have with the 2nd and 3rd property as a rental investment,

    Berrnard points out that while prices are going up for the actual houses rents overall seem to have dropped 1%, if that fall continues i would suggest that in Auckland such investment in rental investments has reached a point where the ‘rental market’ has reached saturation point,

    The competition between 1st home buyers and rental investors continues at pace,

    ”The surge of former owner-occupied houses becoming rentals was most evident in Mt Eden,(up 19%), Mt Wellington,(up24%), and Remuera, (up 10%)”, unquote: Bernard Hickey,

    What’s next, my pick is interest rates go up, rents start to ratchet up and those who are over-leveraged will be forced to sell the rental or lose their shirts…

  9. phillip ure 9
    15 September 2013 at 9:48 am

    so..’l’-day is here…

    ..the what’s best for nz/labour party has me wanting cunnliffe..

    ..the green/mana part of me wants robertson..(‘cos of the resultant flow of labour-voters to both parties..)

    ..and when indulging in a touch of magic-realism..it’s jones..

    ..’cos then the river of votes heading green/mana-way..

    .. becomes a torrent….(mmm!!!..’torrent..!’..)

    ..phillip ure..

  10. phillip ure 10
    15 September 2013 at 9:52 am

    btw..those americas’ cup commentators are the statler and waldorf of commentating..eh..?

    ..inarticulate grunts/cliches bellowed/harrumphed from the balcony..

    ..with statler (the 70’s hairy-lip one..) notably trailing in the wake of all those he interacts with..

    ..and how about that $35 million up on one pontoon..?

    ..and just about to go into the drink..?

    ..whoar..!

    ..eh..?

    phillip ure..

  11. Colonial Viper 11
    15 September 2013 at 10:07 am

    This is a day of days.

  12. Greywarbler 12
    15 September 2013 at 10:09 am

    On Radionz now – for all people interested in international aid suggestions that might apply to NZ and within NZ to give a way forward, in these difficult times, through community strength.

    10:06 Ideas International Aid – What works and what doesn’t?
    Duncan Green, the author of From Poverty to Power, speaks to Chris Laidlaw about his belief that active citizenship is the key to reversing the world’s growing inequalities; UnionAID’s Helen Wilson describes a project in Tamil Nadu, India that has seen some of the poorest of the poor setting up worker cooperatives; and Professor Stephen Howes, a former World Bank economist, reflects on what works and what doesn’t when it comes to international aid.
    Produced by Jeremy Rose.

    Also check out Polifact.com.au I think this may have something to offer we nz citizens.

  13. Lanthanide 13
    15 September 2013 at 10:14 am

    MediaWatch this morning had a segment about the company Politifact, who do fact-checking on US political statements (particularly around elections), and how they branched out into the recent Australian election.

    The guy was saying that he’d have no problem covering the NZ election next year, if they can partner with someone or be funded by someone wanting to pay the bills.

    Not up on the web yet, but here’s the index, so it should be up later today: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch

  14. ianmac 14
    15 September 2013 at 10:16 am

    What are the odds that there will be a major contentious announcement from National today just at the time that Labour announces a new leader?

  15. Jellytussle 15
    15 September 2013 at 10:16 am

    The idea of a Maori Upper House will never fly but perhaps the current system of separate Maori seats doesn’t offer true bicultural commitment. How about if Maori voters weren’t offered an either or situation with their electoral roll but instead given both. The Maori seats stay, the separate electoral roll remains, but Maori voters also get to remain on the General roll and vote a second time!

    • vto 15.2
      15 September 2013 at 10:25 am

      You’re thinking in the wrong direction jellytussle

    • Quare 15.3
      15 September 2013 at 10:31 am

      And that’s democratic how?

    • Greywarbler 15.4
      15 September 2013 at 10:54 am

      Lose the Jelly. Toughen up, stand firm on good present policy and don’t bring up such ideas that would arouse the ire of large numbers of NZ because it goes against a well understood principle of equal representation.

      People of integrity want fairness for all ensuring that Maori are up there, but not in a way that specially favours their vote over everybody else. People who want Maori to receive the favourable consideration denied for so long want extra care put into organising reparation and ownership and a voice in government, a more bi-cultural approach.

      Maori have options for voting already that give them rights to opt for either the Maori or General Roll, plus 4 guaranteed places for Maori in government, (and I believe this should always remain and perhaps go to 6) which is a base and further Maori MPs are likely to be in parliament if pakeha and Maori on the General Roll elect them.

      We also should see a set minimum representation in local government. But not playing around with the voting system to give each Maori two votes. It would be unwise to tinker with the balanced system we have based on one vote per person. There are some situations where some get two votes in local body elections I think, but this is based on where property owners having a say where they are ratepayers, and would apply to Maori as well.

    • Foreign Waka 15.5
      15 September 2013 at 5:17 pm

      This would be fraud, and you know it! One person, one vote.
      I think NZ should move beyond the self pity stage and enter the grown up scene. To ask for “special” treatment” belittles the ability and skills of Maoris to be forever reliant on some hand me downs to get a piece of the action. Its debilitating and humiliating.

      • Greywarbler 15.5.1
        16 September 2013 at 9:55 am

        FW
        It’s not wrong to ensure that Maori have clear availability and options to use their well- demonstrated ability and skills. It isn’t debilitating and humiliating to ensure that. Sometimes the heavier side on the balance of justice has to take off a weight and put it on the lighter side to even or slightly advantage the previously lighter side.

  16. Anne 16
    15 September 2013 at 10:16 am

    Moira Coatsworth has just sent Labour members a final email. Excerpt:

    With a highly winnable but tough general election only 14 months or less away, it is critical now that we are united going forward and have a relentless focus on the campaign to win a Labour victory for our country. As you reflect on the result this afternoon I ask you to follow our three candidates’ inspiring lead and focus on two imperatives – unity and a Labour victory next year.

    I think that will depend on the Labour caucus Moira.

    If, after the votes have been counted and the final figures published, we find that the caucus has yet again thrown s–t in the face of the majority of the membership and affiliates, then I think your chances of unity will be short-lived.

    If, however the caucus accept that party unity comes first after-all (and not themselves) then there is a chance. A win in 2014 will surely follow. So, lets see if the Labour caucus is up for it.

    Just saying it like it is.

    • weka 16.1
      15 September 2013 at 10:24 am

      I thought the caucus vote numbers weren’t going to be made public.

      • Anne 16.1.1
        15 September 2013 at 10:58 am

        Each sector will have it’s final figures published.That is, the percentage figure for each of the sectors for each candidate. Example: what percentage of the 40% caucus contribution voted for each of the candidates. It will be easy enough to work out the actual numbers.

        At least that’s how I understand it will work.

      • Bunji 16.1.2
        15 September 2013 at 11:03 am

        All sections the vote %ages are to be made public I’ve been told.

        Better than letting the media make it up.

    • vto 16.2
      15 September 2013 at 10:27 am

      It is a measure of a person, their manner in defeat. This will define many.

  17. Morrissey 17
    15 September 2013 at 10:33 am

    Mediocrity Watch: DAVID FARRAR
    Mediawatch, Radio New Zealand National, Sunday 15 September 2013

    Media whores and self-publicists Gareth and Jo Morgan have foolishly gotten themselves into a spot of bother. They have been sponsored by the North Korean government to go to North Korea and have a look at a few Potemkin villages. Predictably, they have made asses of themselves by raving about how wonderful it all was. On Mediawatch this morning, both Morgans were Holmesian in their effusiveness…

    GARETH MORGAN: Their clothes are unbelievable! We were the scwuffiest people in North Kowea without a doubt!

    JO MORGAN: There could be problems in the country that we didn’t see, but what we did see was fantastic!

    How contemptible are people who get paid by brutal regimes to tour around with blinkers on and then speak and write positively of those regimes? Undoubtedly they deserve condemnation for their naïveté and their willful blindness. They deserve rigorous criticism.

    Not all critics, however, are credible. Unfortunately, the producers at Mediawatch went to a notorious apologist for one rogue regime and let him cut loose on the hapless Morgans for their support of another rogue regime. The Morgans deserve to be admonished, but not by this bloke.

    I flicked Chris Laidlaw a quick email to express my, and no doubt many others’, consternation. Keep listening, fellas, and you might hear an on-air slapdown of one of the nastiest hypocrites in the country…

    Dear Chris, 

    While Kim-boosters Gareth and Jo Morgan might well be the modern equivalent of Stalin-bosters Sidney and Beatrice Webb, it was astonishing to hear Mediawatch give the right-wing blogger David Farrar a platform to attack them. Apparently Farrar objects to them being sponsored by the North Korean regime, claiming that this destroyed any credibility they might have had.

    In late 2009, David Farrar accepted the sponsorship of another rogue, pariah regime—Israel—and came back to New Zealand full of praise for a regime which has violated more international resolutions than any other. Farrar chose to stay away from the devastated Gaza strip, which had only months earlier been attacked, including with phosphorous munitions, by Israel in what Israeli spokesmen boasted was “twenty-two days of madness”. He did, however, walk around occupied East Jerusalem and afterwards noted, with resolute Webbian blindness, that “things were generally very relaxed in this area”.

    For Farrar to criticise the Morgans for acting towards North Korea in exactly the same way as he did towards another pariah regime, is an example of gall and chutzpah on the grand scale. Disappointingly, the Mediawatch interviewer failed to challenge Farrar’s hypocrisy. 

    Yours sincerely,
    Morrissey Breen
    Northcote Point

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2009/11/jerusalem.html

    • North 17.1
      15 September 2013 at 10:58 am

      Keenly onto it again I see Morrissey ! Appreciated. Don’t blame poor Farrar too much though. Any problems he didn’t see are surely down to those truly ghastly Gazan youths throwing stones.

    • Tigger 17.2
      15 September 2013 at 12:03 pm

      Wtf?

      JO MORGAN: There could be problems in the country that we didn’t see, but what we did see was fantastic!

      Problems? Like a regime that routinely executes enemies of the state including their leader’s ex ‘girlfriend’? Those ‘problems’? So no one lynched anyone in front of you, Jo? How lovely.

      These media whores need to crash and burn.

  18. marty mars 18
    15 September 2013 at 11:15 am

    Good article

    “The Government has stopped a review of New Zealand’s controversial terrorism laws, a move being greeted with suspicion by critics.”

    “Green party co-leader Russel Norman said the move raises suspicions that the Government is unwilling to risk further public scrutiny of the state’s search and surveillance powers, at a time when it is already under fire over the GCSB Amendment Bill.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9166763/Review-of-terror-laws-stopped

    Yes Russel I think you are correct.

  19. RedBaronCV 19
    15 September 2013 at 12:30 pm

    On something else entirely different, from somebody who hasn’t a clue how to go about it. Any chance of a nice green/purple theme with camillias on Thursday the 19th on here? It’s 120 years after all.

    • LynWiper 19.1
      15 September 2013 at 12:34 pm

      Excellent idea. And it would look a lot prettier than ‘The Teeth!’ 🙂

      • RedBaronCV 19.1.1
        15 September 2013 at 1:03 pm

        I must make some noises at work too – I’ll try to wear the appropriate colours.

        Be nice if we could get other media and social media to recognise it too.
        Might be a way to get more people interested in turning out to vote next time.

        Read up Te Ara. Apparently a quarter of the adult women in new zealand signed the petition.. found some of mine on there. and they were from every two bit place in the country too.

      • weka 19.1.2
        15 September 2013 at 1:05 pm

        What was the significance of the teeth?

        • RedBaronCV 19.1.2.1
          15 September 2013 at 1:13 pm

          Not suffragette day?

        • LynWiper 19.1.2.2
          15 September 2013 at 1:47 pm

          The mic picture was swapped for some evil looking teeth on Friday the 13th…a white camellia would look great for the 19th, a very significant Women’s Suffrage Aniversary

      • North 19.1.3
        15 September 2013 at 4:52 pm

        You bet. I’ve seen those teeth on someone somewhere I’m sure……..that’s it, Potty Gower.

  20. RedBaronCV 20
    15 September 2013 at 1:12 pm

    Found a couple of my great grandma’s

  21. Jim Nald 21
    15 September 2013 at 1:21 pm

    Can someone with the info post links to live streaming and such like please?

    No digital tv at home but keen to watch anything live online.

  22. joe90 22
    15 September 2013 at 1:32 pm

    Honest mistake or not, had the family been at home this would be a story about assault, threatening behaviour, traumatised kids – or worse.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/9166834/Cops-raid-wrong-house-in-GPS-goof

    • Murray Olsen 22.1
      15 September 2013 at 1:50 pm

      In my experience, busting into the wrong house and searching it is reasonably common. Of course, it doesn’t happen in Parnell and the people it does happen to are often easily intimidated into silence.

  23. geoff 23
    15 September 2013 at 1:35 pm

    Here’s why unemployment is never going to significantly drop again:

    http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/515926/how-technology-is-destroying-jobs/

    • Populuxe1 23.1
      15 September 2013 at 2:15 pm

      I’m sure there’s many a robber baron who would like to reintroduce delightful Victorian innovations like sweatshops and serfdom

      • phillip ure 23.1.1
        15 September 2013 at 4:28 pm

        @ ‘sweatshops’ and ‘serfdom’..

        ..don’t we already have both..?

        ..fast-food/supermarket/w.h.y.. slave-wagers..?

        ..farm workers on single-figure dollar hourly-rates..(after ‘seasonal-adjustment’ by the pricks robbing them blind..?..)

        ..we already have our ‘robber-barons’..

        ..and they all donate heavily to key/the national party..

        ..the national party..the enemy of the people..

        ..phillip ure..

  24. The Al1en 24
    15 September 2013 at 2:47 pm

    Removed from Dann’s twit feed, but my reply still shows on mine.
    What a nasty irrelevance this woman Kirsten McKenzie is.

    https://twitter.com/Al1enOrg

  25. lprent 25
    15 September 2013 at 3:25 pm

    Boosted the database which was being a bottleneck. For some reason there appears to be quite a lot of excitement.

    • bad12 25.1
      15 September 2013 at 3:38 pm

      Can’t see why myself it being a slow Sunday and all, had to go through Google to reach the pages which usually works when all else fails…

      • lprent 25.1.1
        15 September 2013 at 3:48 pm

        Yeah it was a pretty slow sunday. I had to double the size of the database to handle the load..

        I might have to head off for a beer. Looks like the results were what I was expecting except Grant didn’t do as well as I expected in caucus. Looks like a pile of votes headed to Jones.

        • bad12 25.1.1.1
          15 September 2013 at 4:09 pm

          i am doing a head scratch all round about support for Shane Jones, i don’t see any point in saying exactly how i feel about all the ‘smoko room Bro’ stuff except to say i cannot believe that some people bought into what is obviously so false,

          Lolz i can only say there must be some very ‘strange’ people in the Labour Caucus, enjoy your beer, i indulged far too heavily in the stuff earlier in this life so i will turn the roast over and have another coffee…

          • phillip ure 25.1.1.1.1
            15 September 2013 at 4:39 pm

            @ bad..

            ..yeah..i wd really like to hear the justifications for pissing their votes up against the wall done by those who voted for the w.t.f!-candidate…

            ..they either seriously think jones was up to it..was really ‘the man’ he pretends to be..’the man’ for this particular moment in time/nz/the labour party..

            ..(in which case they need to be hauled off for some serious diagnoses..)

            ..or they were just playing games..’wanking’ as it were…

            ..treating their ballot-papers/vote like the dog-eared ‘penthouse’-skinmags (seemingly) favoured by who they voted for..

            ..in which case the please explain? might be harder for them..

            .than being hauled off..accused of dementia..

            ..(and..sigh..!..’having indulged far too heavily’ in my earlier life in my favourite..the ‘speedball’..(heroin/cocaine mixed..)..

            ..i flipped the vegan-burgers…and sparked up a celebratory-joint..

            ..it’s a good day…

            ..phillip ure..

  26. vto 26
    15 September 2013 at 5:05 pm

    Did anyone see John Key in his new role last night? He was the third commentator for the All Blacks – Springbok Test on SkyTV. Slumped next to Richie McCaw and the lead broadcaster he appeared somewhat portly and poorly, had bad posture and kept self-consciously adjusting his jacket and tie to try and cover his tummy up, which seemed to want to be part of the action too the way it kept sneaking a peek. His comments were bland and uninspiring and said with a casualness which kind of indicated he was making it up as he went.

    All in all a brilliant performance completely in keeping with his NZ presence elsewhere. It is absolutely the next job he should apply for.

  27. phillip ure 27
    15 September 2013 at 7:33 pm

    sunday on tvnz just did a most-excellent piece of current affairs television..

    ..a piece exposing the follies/insanities of our world-beating rates of imprisonment..

    ..(if we dropped that rate by just 25% we would still be just at the prison-rate of britain..

    ..whoar..!..haven’t the garth mcvicars’..(and that act mp..?..what was his name again..?..)..

    ..haven’t they been so successful with their hysterical hang-’em-high! exhortations..?

    ..and didn’t they plug so successfully into the nastier/punitive aspects of our national psyche..eh..?

    ..and this is what this piece of current affairs/essential-journalism does..

    ..it hangs the barking-madness of mc vicar out to dry/for all to see..

    ..you get to laugh out loud..as mcvicar lies in the face of global crime-dropping stats..

    ..and then gets all over-excited about the possible use of chaingangs here…

    ..(seriously..he isn’t so much ‘barking’..as howling at the moon..)

    ..and when shown footage of swedish prisons..where prisoners are treated with respect/educated..

    ..and they have crime rates the same as us..and an inprisonment rate of one third of ours here in nz..

    ..his disgust is shivering/palpable..

    ..and could we start a facebook campaign or something..?

    ..to get kim workman again made the head of our prison services..?

    ..going on the evidence here..

    ..(oh..!..as a final fiscal-footnote..

    ..this madmen-encouraged campaign of crime/punitive-hysteria costs us $1.2 billion per year..

    ..that figure again..?

    ..$1.2 billion..

    ..eh..?

    ..phillip ure..