Open mike 16/02/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 16th, 2012 - 69 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…

69 comments on “Open mike 16/02/2012 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  2. Pascal's bookie 2
    16 February 2012 at 7:11 am

    Man oh man.

    Prepare for a deluge of outraged skeptics arguing passionately and furiously that leading players in the climate change debate have paid someone $US100k to develop teaching materials specifically designed towards, in their own words, “dissuading teachers from teaching science”

    http://bit.ly/xwkcHZ

  3. phillip ure.. 3
    16 February 2012 at 7:19 am

    http://whoar.co.nz/2012/noam-chomsky-the-imperial-way-american-decline-in-perspective-part-2/

    “
In the years of conscious, self-inflicted decline at home, “losses” continued to mount elsewhere.

    In the past decade for the first time in 500 years –

    – South America has taken successful steps to free itself from western domination – another serious loss.

    The region has moved towards integration – and has begun to address some of the terrible internal problems of societies ruled by mostly Europeanized elites –

    – tiny islands of extreme wealth in a sea of misery.

    They have also rid themselves of all U.S. military bases and of IMF controls.

    A newly formed organization, CELAC, includes all countries of the hemisphere apart from the U.S. and Canada.

    If it actually functions – that would be another step in American decline –

    – in this case in what has always been regarded as “the backyard.”..”

    (cont..)

    [email look alike deleted].

  4. David C 4
    16 February 2012 at 7:55 am

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6426246/Mallard-sells-festival-tickets-online-at-profit

    Mallard seems to have “sell sell sell” sorted!

    🙂

    [lprent: off topic – moved to OpenMike. Don’t waste my time. ]

    • David C 4.1
      16 February 2012 at 7:59 am

      Tho I didnt put this on open mike thru the Standards censorship this where it now resides……

      It was by far funnier on the “sell sell sell” post…:-)

      [lprent: It wasn’t censored, it was moved because it was a classic example of diversion trolling being off topic to anything in the post. You have just wasted my time again having to respond. It is not particularly wise to do that because I tend to take action to reduce the dumbarse problem wasting my time. Read the policy. ]

    • David C 4.2
      16 February 2012 at 8:00 am

      No one held a gun to your head lprent…maybe you need a happy pill in your morning coffee…

      [lprent: Two week educational ban for repeated stupidity. ]

      • hawk 4.2.1
        16 February 2012 at 8:46 am

        Hi Lprent, will Mallard get the same educational ban from Parliament for his repeated stupidity ??

        Just asking.

        [lprent: Ask Lockjaw. He runs the house, I don’t. In much the same way that Lockjaw doesn’t run this site, I do. But your question was rather imprecise. You probably should direct it to the leader of the Labour parliamentary party – David Shearer.

        This is rather obvious. Why are you bothering me with the question (and wasting my time)? ]

  5. Carol 5
    16 February 2012 at 8:00 am

    So TVNZ puts commercial logic over political balance?
    And what’s the it’s not about him “as a person”.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6427529/TVNZ-show-dumps-Labour-leader

    Television New Zealand has dumped the Labour leader’s weekly appearance on its Breakfast show, telling David Shearer it’s not about him “as a person”.

    […]
    In a letter back to Labour, TVNZ said the Prime Minister was a newsmaker in his own right and the state broadcaster was merely doing what it always had.

    The leader of the Opposition had only featured weekly during election years.

    “This is not an issue about the person, merely a decision about the position, and we have been consistent with that through Labour and National administrations.

    “The Breakfast team has already shown its willingness to invite Mr Shearer on to the programme when he is a legitimate newsmaker and is setting the agenda on a story.”

    So Key’s distractions from the significant political issues by chasing photo ops, is not about the person, and is about Key “setting the agenda”?

    • Blue 5.1
      16 February 2012 at 9:23 am

      It’s pretty obvious that TVNZ think Shearer is boring, and they don’t want him on their station unless they absolutely have to have him there, whereas they consider Key to be prime ‘talent’ that will draw viewers regardless of what he’s talking about.

      • Anne 5.1.1
        16 February 2012 at 10:04 am

        It’s pretty obvious TVNZ only take an interest in Opposition leaders in election year because they can’t rule out the possibility they might win and therefore take charge of the purse strings. In the meantime it’s a case of sucking up to JK for all their worth because he’s got his hands on the money bags.

        Experience has taught me to take the most cynical line at all times because it is invariably the right one. 🙂

      • Vicky32 5.1.2
        16 February 2012 at 5:18 pm

        whereas they consider Key to be prime ‘talent’ that will draw viewers regardless of what he’s talking about.

        Oh dear, they’ve failed to take into account people like me. I switch channels the second I see “beloved Leader” appear or hear his voice! 🙂

  6. burt 6
    16 February 2012 at 8:06 am

    Hi guys, I have some tickets to Homegrown – Anyone want to pay me 73% over the face value?

    [deleted]

    [lprent: no emails please. It causes email scraping bots to look at the site. Which reminds me. Time to deal with penny brights habits ]

    • David C 6.1
      16 February 2012 at 8:11 am

      nah thanks burt I am already sorted but I am interested to know if you will be paying tax on your profit?

      • burt 6.1.1
        16 February 2012 at 8:16 am

        David C

        Good question….. How about I write to my MP and ask what they would do. Of course their answer might be different from the legal requirement because it’s different when Labour do it.

    • Te Reo Putake 6.2
      16 February 2012 at 8:12 am

      In breaking news, Burt embraces socialism; decries workings of the free market. Later: Spinning noise heard in Rand crypt, details at ten.

      • burt 6.2.1
        16 February 2012 at 8:24 am

        If I embraced socialism I would have asked you to pay for me to go and I would have made you pay more than the cost of me going to cover the transaction cost of extracting the money from you.

        Then if I discovered you could afford that I would have made you pay for my transport costs to and from the event as well; plus a transaction cost to extract that money from you.

      • burt 6.2.2
        16 February 2012 at 11:56 am

        Actually if I had embraced socialism I would pass a law to make sure other people couldn’t do this then do it myself – And I’d claim it was OK when I did it…..

  7. phillip ure.. 7
    16 February 2012 at 8:23 am

    “
Being a vegan can come with considerable criticism and questions.

    Some are well-founded, but others 
 not so much.

    Let’s debunk some of the more prevalent myths about being a vegan
”

    http://whoar.co.nz/2012/infographic-veganism-myths-debunked/

    [email look alike deleted].

    • belladonna 7.1
      16 February 2012 at 7:05 pm

      A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.
      Leo Tolstoy.

  8. Inventory2 8
    16 February 2012 at 8:34 am

    Maybe it’s not the right day to be talking about people who “sell, sell, sell” 😉

    [lprent: Despite the attempt to make it relevant to the post, it is still off topic. Moved to OpenMike. ]

  9. muzza 9
    16 February 2012 at 9:08 am

    http://www.interest.co.nz/bonds/57929/inaugural-local-govt-funding-agency-debt-auction-attracts-bids-worth-nz132-bln-equivalen

    So they had $300 worth of debt to be sold! – OK

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10729158

    The Auckland council has a $300m hole it its budget from the IT systems blow out…

    “Making matters worse for ratepayers, the council has only budgeted $150 million for the $450 million cost over the next eight years. This has left a $300 million shortfall that will have to be borrowed or paid for from rates at a time of economic hardship”

    Anyone know if this is related?

  10. John Dalley 10
    16 February 2012 at 9:58 am

    Anyoner know if this is related?

    Ask Rodney Hide, he & his transition agency set the budget for this and if i am not mistaken public opinion at the time suggested their budget (150m) was way under.
    Blame RH not the current Auckland Council.

    • tc 10.1
      16 February 2012 at 1:09 pm

      IT was partially and poorly amalgamated until the money ran out then left for the akl ratepayer and the new council to sort out by Hide and co.

      That’s probably why Ford threw his watercare CIO into the top job at Supercity as most other CIO’s would’ve run a mile as it was time bomb as the folk who were rolled off one by one as the money ran out had not finished the task at hand.

      The real elephant is having a unified ratings system across the entire region hooked up to a single billing engine…don’t hold your breath just keep your wallet open ratepayers.

      Another shonky effort to open up land, carve out the water and divert attention away from grabbing more public assets brought to you by the NACT who’ve moved onto chch.

  12. aerobubble 12
    16 February 2012 at 10:36 am

    Eyecandy? Isn’t it great we have a deaf MP, who needs to read lips to follow debates but can’t because its the view of many she should just sit there and look pretty, and damnit, pay for her own eyeglasses (I presume she does already).

    But there is a very low tech solution to the problem, if the speaker had the capitalist gene that is.
    Simple place a camera above and behind the speaker, then have all members talk directly to the speakers chair (using the new MS movement recognition box), it will wind MPs up so much that they’d all put their hands in their pockets to have the already taking of members spoken word to text redirected to her. And would that be so bad, I mean why can’t we get the Maori translation on parliament TV also.

  13. Penny Bright 13
    16 February 2012 at 12:11 pm

    errr…. how do we know those in the photos / videos wearing camo gear and handling guns were the four defendants in the dock?

    How come there has been all this persecution / prosecution of activists whilst it has been impossible to get the Police, the SFO or the Finance Markets Authority to lift a finger and charge John Banks or Don Brash as former fellow Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd, who equally signed Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009, which contained untrue statements?

    So – how come only ONE Director – Peter Huljich – was ever charged?

    How about ZERO TOLERANCE FOR ‘WHITE COLLAR’ CRIME?

    Penny Bright
    [email deleted]

    [lprent: moved to OpenMike. Tacking a sentence on the top doesn’t obviate that the bulk of the comment was well out of content wasn’t anything to do with the post you dropped it in. ]

    • Penny Bright 13.1
      16 February 2012 at 12:54 pm

      [lprent: moved to OpenMike. Tacking a sentence on the top doesn’t obviate that the bulk of the comment was well out of content wasn’t anything to do with the post you dropped it in. ]

      I don’t share your view at all on this point.

      It is to do with the criminalising of dissent whilst effectively doing nothing about the corrupt ‘gang’ of ‘white collar’ criminals who run New Zealand?

      Interesting that it is exactly the same prosecutor in both the Urewera and Occupy Auckland court cases – Ross Burns.

      Ever heard of ‘State capture’?
      The form of grand corruption which, in my considered opinion as an anti-corruption campaigner, is ENDEMIC in NZ?

      ‘State capture’ is where vested interests get their way at the ‘policy’ level – before legislation is passed which serves their interests.

      That’s where the NZ Business Round Table focussed.

      On ‘policy’.

      Take any issue and check out the ‘Regulatory Impact Reports /Statement’ and see with whom policy analysts and the like are ‘consulting’……

      Penny Bright
      Named Respondent
      Auckland Council v The Occupiers of Aotea Square
      CIV-2011-404-8284

  14. Penny Bright 14
    16 February 2012 at 12:16 pm

    FYI

    Interesting how TODAY the ACT Party are announcing their new ‘Leader’?

    Whom exactly the National Party “B” Team ‘Leader’ is going to ‘lead’ is a fair question – is it not?

    Is Catherine Isaac going to be the new ACT Party Leader?

    If so – does Catherine Isaac support ACT stated policy of ‘ONE LAW FOR ALL’?

    (We know that current ACT MP for Epsom John Banks obviously doesn’t).

    Former ACT Leader Rodney Hide does.

    PROOF that the former (deposed) Leader of the ACT Party, Rodney Hide, supports ‘ONE LAW FOR ALL” and agrees that one law for all should equally apply to ACT MP for Epsom, John Banks, and former ACT Party Leader Don Brash, who as fellow former Directors of Huljich Wealth Management equally signed registered prospectuses that contained untrue statements:

    http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Rodney-Hide-and-Willie-Jackson/tabid/506/articleID/25533/Default.aspx

    Rodney Hide was a guest with Willie Jackson on Radio Live, Friday 20 January 2012, from 1 – 3pm.

    I rang and asked the following questions:

    “Rodney, you were the former Leader of the ACT Party.

    Do you believe in ‘one law for all’?”

    Rodney Hide’s reply – “Yes”.

    “Do you believe that one law for all should equally apply to ACT MP for Epsom, John Banks, and former ACT Party Leader Don Brash, who as fellow former Directors of Huljich Wealth Management equally signed registered prospectuses that contained untrue statements?”

    Rodney Hide’s reply – “Yes”.

    (This was on approximately the 85th minute of the show – about 15mm from the end using the ‘position slider’).

    Penny Bright
    [email deleted]

    • Penny Bright 14.1
      16 February 2012 at 12:37 pm

      What’s the problem with the email address?

      Just asking – nicely?

      Cheers!

      Penny Bright

      [lprent: When there are a lot of e-mail addresses on this site I get an increase in bots coming to harvest them for the spam bots. Since there are a lot of them and they almost all come from overseas they impact on my overseas traffic. We get some expensive excess charging on overseas traffic ($3+GST per GB) so I take every opportunity to reduce it because in the worst periods it has nearly doubled our server costs.

      I find that the best way to prevent it being a problem is to not have any identifiable e-mail addresses on the site in recent posts and comments. Then they try, go away, and don’t come back for a while.

      You can put e-mail addresses in human readable form like “waterpressure at gmail”, or even better just point then to the e-mail address page on your site. Even fixing the URL you use so people can click on it (.nzz ?). Just don’t use something that encourages the vermin to come here. ]

  15. jaymam 15
    16 February 2012 at 12:41 pm

    The new leader of the ACT party is…..John Banks!
    Who would have guessed that?

    • Vicky32 15.1
      16 February 2012 at 5:22 pm

      The new leader of the ACT party is
..John Banks!
      Who would have guessed that?

      Goodness I am slow! I thought he already was!

      • Te Reo Putake 15.1.1
        16 February 2012 at 5:32 pm

        It’s not you that was slow, V32, it’s taken three months to find another ACT member to countersign Banksie’s nomination form!

      • paul 15.1.2
        2 March 2012 at 1:13 am

        Vicky32, are you Vicky who checked essays..? If you are her, you will know what I mean.

        • paul 15.1.2.1
          2 March 2012 at 1:27 am

          If you are, there’s a private message for you on a ”belief” portal, thanks.

          • Vicky32 15.1.2.1.1
            2 March 2012 at 5:55 pm

            If you are, there’s a private message for you on a ”belief” portal, thanks.

            Vicky is just my name here, but I have got notification of a message! I am trying to find it now… 🙂 Thanks!

    • grumpy 15.2
      16 February 2012 at 7:33 pm

      How do you define “new”?

      • jaymam 15.2.1
        16 February 2012 at 8:37 pm

        Well there has not been an ACT leader since Don Brash walked away.
        John Boscawen continues as Deputy Leader, indefinitely.

  16. Draco T Bastard 16
    16 February 2012 at 1:04 pm

    This is the type of government services that the government is bringing about with it’s incessant cuts.

    Beverley Wakem says the public watchdog has a bulging backlog of cases because it lacks investigators, with underpaid staff leaving and in some cases literally being worked to death.

    You’ll also note that that’s an article about the Ombudsman – the public service that’s there to hold the government to account.

  17. Rob 17
    16 February 2012 at 1:54 pm

    Labour Aus Stimulus by:
    Gillard and Swan.

    Sometime this year, we taxpayers may again receive another ‘Economic Stimulus’ payment. This is indeed a very exciting program for Australians, and I’ll explain it by using a Q & A format:

    Q. What is an ‘Economic Stimulus’ payment ?
    A. It is money that the government will send to taxpayers.

    Q. Where will the government get this money ?
    A. From taxpayers.

    Q. So the government is giving me back my own money ?
    A. Only a smidgen of it.

    Q. What is the purpose of this payment ?
    A. The plan is for you to use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy.

    Q. But isn’t that stimulating the economy of China ?
    A. Shut up.

    Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the NZ. Economy by spending your stimulus cheque wisely:

    If you spend the stimulus money at The Warehouse, the money will go to China or Sri Lanka …
    If you spend it on petrol, your money will go to the Arabs.
    If you purchase a computer, it will go to India , Taiwan , Malaysia or China ..
    If you purchase fruit and vegetables, it will go to Mexico , Philippines and Australia .
    If you buy an efficient car, it will go to Japan or Korea
    If you purchase useless stuff, it will go to Taiwan ..

    If you pay your credit cards off, or buy stock, it will go to management bonuses and they will hide it offshore.

    Instead, keep the money in NZ by:

    1) Spending it at garage sales..
    2) Going to the footy.
    3) Spending it on prostitutes or
    4) Beer or
    5) Tattoos.

    (These are the only NZ BUSINESSES STILL OPERATING HERE)

    Conclusion:

    Go to a footy game with a tattooed prostitute that you met at a garage-sale and drink beer all day!

  18. Jackal 18
    16 February 2012 at 2:24 pm

    John Key’s internet fantasy

    This looks set to be yet another National failure…

  19. weka 19
    16 February 2012 at 7:25 pm

    Milford/Hollyford/Dart Tunnel: submissions to DOC closes next Monday. DOC have said they intend to grant the concessions for this tunnel, which will be a private road for select tourism operators only. It’s planned to cross two National Parks. This is another contemporary but private ‘think big’, profit-for-the-rich-boys project, with very little benefit to kiwis, and major negative impact to the National parks esp on the Fiordland side. It would also enable the argument to be put for a road to the West Coast, and then the top road from the Coast to Golden Bay.

    I think numbers will really count in the submission process, so if you feel this is important, even a brief submission will be important. The deadline has been extended a month to Feb 20th.

    http://www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/consultations/current/notified-concession-applications/dart-passage-tunnel-milford-dart-ltd/

    More detail/background –

    Guidelines on making submissions http://www.fiordland.org.nz/Files/Submission-guide-on-Dart-Passage-Tunne.pdf

    http://www.fiordland.org.nz/ABOUT-FIORDLAND/Submissions.asp

  21. getwiththeprogram 21
    16 February 2012 at 8:02 pm

    Sell sell sell? Sounds like Trevor and some homegrown tickets? Speaking of which…. Trevor do you have anymore?

    [lprent: off topic – moved ]

  22. Jackal 22
    16 February 2012 at 9:22 pm

    Oh joy! Another “new” think tank consisting of overpaid CEO’s. I can’t wait for them to recommend ways of increasing their own wealth. This bit from Fran O’Sullivan has to take the cake:

    The published “strategies” to engage with major countries like China and India are also woefully silent on strategic “what ifs” and risk analysis.

    And when the Government is having to face down a woefully misinformed public over the realities of bilateral free trade and investment deals – as with the Crafar farms – business has stood on the sidelines.

    Australian CEOs also seem less wary when it comes to engaging with journalists (they are used to operating in a robust environment which at times verges on feral). But in this country they are less forward.

    She thinks a think tank can better strategize on how to sell off our assets. Yeah! What if National ignores the law and tries to manipulate the public with claims of racism, Fran? What if the court rule against the governments decision… are they also woefully misinformed and xenophobic?

    Speaking of engaging, I notice that she didn’t once respond to The Standards excellent post concerning the matter. What a coward!

  23. Jenny 23
    16 February 2012 at 10:03 pm

    Wow!

    A call to arms for all coders

    Coders Your planet needs you

    Something for you Lynn?

    What do you think?

    Don’t make me send you a white feather. (just joking)

    Seriously Lynn what are your thoughts, is this worth a post?

    • Jenny 23.1
      16 February 2012 at 10:17 pm

      Before you say anything consider this:

      ….top environmental scientists bemoan two decades of political failure and say the future is in the hands of grass-roots activists

      New Scientist: 10 February 2012

      Earth Summit is doomed to fail, say leading ecologists.

      ….a panel of leading international environmental scientists declared in London on Friday. The solution, they said, may not lie with governments at all.
      “We are disillusioned. The current political system is broken,” said Bob Watson, the UK government’s chief environmental science advisor, who chaired the meeting.

      The panel, all winners of the prestigious Blue Planet prize, often seen as the Nobel prize for environmental science, were meeting to prepare a statement for the Earth Summit 2012, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June – 20 years after the original Earth Summit in that city.

      The world has wasted the intervening years, the group said. Ecosystems are disappearing ever faster, the world is still warming, and two 1992 treaties, on climate change and species loss, have failed to achieve their aims. Governments, the group said, were largely to blame.

    • Jackal 23.2
      16 February 2012 at 10:29 pm

      Sounds good! Government’s and other factions are becoming ever more controlling of social media networks, which are also becoming more commercialized. Something that can bypass all of that would be great! Having information readily available not dependent on commercial and other manipulatory interests would be helpful.

    • lprent 23.3
      17 February 2012 at 12:43 am

      It’d be fun to write. Probably less fun to deal with the assorted egos of those Who’d be attracted to such a project. But I fail to see why they haven’t just have a look though sourceforge and the like…

      • Jenny 23.3.1
        17 February 2012 at 11:25 pm

        From Scientific American: “Internet Freedom Fighters Build a Shadow Web“

        • Descendant Of Smith 23.3.1.1
          18 February 2012 at 9:03 am

          That got me interested and thinking. You still need an initial access point into the net though as far as I can tell.

          I was thinking though just like we played Doom locally, as to the best of my knowledge still can, by putting in each others phone number, I wonder if it would be possible to set up local mesh networks in NZ that could take advantage of free local calling. The ISP/host type cost would simply be the cost of a second local phone line running 24/7.

          Before the days of broadband I ran a second phone-line 24/7 just for internet.

          There’s clearly more people here who understand this technology better than me but if this was possible I could see that you could set up local peoples networks for instance completely bypassing the normal internet.

          Here’s one place that seems to have saved plenty by using this technology:

          http://www.govtech.com/wireless/99362464.html

      • Jenny 23.3.2
        18 February 2012 at 8:14 am

        Is there a way to make sure that this is not just another talk shop, for “assorted egos” in love with their own cleverness?

        But instead become an international organising centre?

        Could a true Global Commons be able to act on the real world to influence events and bring about change?

        Could it be able to reach into the mainstream media?

        Would it be able to reach across borders even in war time?

        Could it connect people of good will on both sides of seemingly intractable disputes from disparate cultures and languages?

        Could it be a resource informed by the most advanced study and scientific advice on what needs to be done to save our world and society from complete global economic and environmental collapse?

        Could it be a safe haven for whistle blowers and insiders appalled at what is happening to their world?

        Could it mobilise millions and even billions to take actions to save our planet?

        Can it be made immune from governmental shut down or censorship, on behalf of entrenched vested interest?

        Could it combine the best of Wikipedia, Wikileaks, and the Arab Spring on a global scale?

        Could it be a global force for change?

        Lynn, What I am asking, is this a worthwhile project, or not?

  24. hoom 24
    16 February 2012 at 11:31 pm

    Today we have this http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6429541/Govt-says-asset-sales-will-cut-debt
    First & worthy of discussion itself

    drop in finance costs of about $266 million by 2016.

    But the trade-off is the loss of an estimated $200 million in dividends by 2016 and the loss of $360 million in forecast foregone profits in the same year.

    By selling the assets we save $266mil on interest but lose $360mil on profits from owning the assets -> Net position NZ is poorer by $100mil over 4 years unless I’m misreading that.

    Aside from this official admission of the ridiculousness of this asset sale in the first place, this:

    The Government campaigned at the last election on selling a stake in the SOEs and Finance Minister Bill English today defended not making today’s figures available before the election to inform the debate.

    That was because the Government had not made decisions “which would then trigger Treasury incorporating events in the forecast”.

    “Since the pre-election fiscal update the government has confirmed its plans to proceed with cabinet decisions and initial work has now been completed.”

    Wait what?
    Back in November the Ombudsman said the decision has already been made -> is already Government policy -> cannot disclose advice that affects the potential decision.

    But now English says they hadn’t made the decision until after the election so this Treasury advice they had before the election was kept secret.

    This means either:
    1: the Ombudsman has been misled for political gain at the election
    2: the Ombudsman decision was not correct
    3: the Ombudsman participated in misleading the public for political gain in favor of the Government.

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