Open mike 17/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 17th, 2012 - 87 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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Step right up to the mike…

87 comments on “Open mike 17/10/2012 ”

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  1. captain hook 1
    17 October 2012 at 7:37 am

    Is Binky a dead cat?
    Is Kweewee still “loving it”?
    looks like the nact coalition is on the run.
    they have adopted the position that theY are not responsible to anyone but themselves and now the chickens are coming home to roost.
    They think government is like working in an ad agency but if they knew their history then they should know that the BIG LIE will ALWAYS OUT.

  2. karol 2
    17 October 2012 at 7:50 am

    I’m not a business person, and don’t know how much NZ’s tax system allows for this sort of thing, but  I’d be interested to know.
     
    The Independent has an article about Starbucks paying little/no tax to the UL for it’s UK-based businesses:
     

    Starbucks has exploited accounting tricks to pay almost no UK tax on the millions of coffees, sandwiches and cakes bought by the British public over the past decade, it was
    revealed yesterday.

    An investigation showed that the coffee company has paid only £8m in corporation tax to HMRC in the 14 years since it arrived on British high streets, despite generating sales of £3 billion.
    …
     
    In common with other large companies, Starbucks appears to be exploiting differing tax regimes around the world. The coffee company’s UK unit, for instance, is required to pay a royalty rate of 6 per cent of sales to Starbucks for using its intellectual property. It is not clear where this money goes.
     
    However, there is concern in the US that some American firms are using tax havens such as Switzerland – where tax on royalties can be 2 per cent – to collect charges for intellectual property.
     
    Starbucks UK also repays loans to Starbucks at an interest rate set at Libor (London InterBank Offered Rate) plus 4 percentage points, more expensive than similar arrangements at KFC, where the rate is Libor plus 2 percentage points, and McDonald’s, where the rate is at or below Libor.

     
    So how do multi and transnational companies benefit from doing business in NZ, and how much money is being siphoned out of the country as a result?
     

    • marsman 2.1
      17 October 2012 at 8:37 am

      Karol. I am sure that overseas companies operating in NZ would do much the same as Starbucks in the UK. In fact I reckon there would be a number of NZ companies and NZ individuals doing the same.

      • Lanthanide 2.1.1
        17 October 2012 at 11:37 am

        The multinational companies that indulge in this sort of thing tend not to have NZ offices at all, or don’t do any sales from the NZ offices.

        • insider 2.1.1.1
          17 October 2012 at 12:04 pm

          Google in NZ has been fingered for similar deals where they use licences rather than sales and pay those fees back to another country (probably Singapore).

          IRD is well aware of this and issues like manipulating transfer pricing to increase costs in one country so reducing taxable profits. It’s hard to do in commodities where there are well established benchmarks that pricing can be measured against, but in services it’s probably a bit harder – what is the market value of a google licence? I believe IRD have pretty strong powers to make declarations on the value of such things so could stamp on it if they thought a rort was happening.

    • Bill 2.2
      17 October 2012 at 3:30 pm

      On ‘the guardian’ website there’s a graphic showing turnover, pre-tax profits and tax paid as a %age of turnover. I’m guessing the %age would be much the same in NZ as in the UK.

      facebook 18.1%
      google 0.9%
      apple 7.2%
      starbucks 0%
      McD. 3.4%

      http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/oct/16/tax-biggest-us-companies-uk#zoomed-picture

      Meanwhile, the lowest paid worker in NZ, if they have a debt from education and are in kiwi saver pay what? Around 30%?

  3. Te Reo Putake 3
    17 October 2012 at 7:52 am

    Ways to avoid extradition to the States, part 94:
     

    Hide in an embassy
    Lie to your friends and cost them thousands
    Er,
    That’s it

     
    No, wait … you could always put your case and win your freedom.

    • karol 4.1
      17 October 2012 at 7:59 am

       
      Yes, but with a slight sting in the tail at the end:
       

      Many other professions offered public funding for new proposals would jump at the chance.
       
      But if teachers do not take it, others will. It will be up to the minister to ensure the legislation is a charter for ventures that are educationally respectable and worth a try.

       
      So it’s all up to Parata?
       
      And would other professions… doctors, for instance, jump at a chance to set up dodgy practices, with many of the staff unqualified, and no need to comply with professional standards required elsewhere?

      • framu 4.1.1
        17 October 2012 at 8:14 am

        which is a totally dishonest way for the herald to put it.

        Its not “public funding for new proposals” – its public funding to open the doors to crack pots, profit seekers and unqualified teachers

        • karol 4.1.1.1
          17 October 2012 at 8:27 am

          And in contrast, it’s worth looking at Green MP Catherine Delahunty’s list of dubious things included in the same Bill.  These are just some in her list:

          Protection for these ‘sponsors’ from public accountability as they will not be included in the Official Information Act or audited by the Ombudsman,

          Students being required to attend school at the hours set by the ‘sponsor’ which could include any day of the week,

          A requirement that school boards ensure every student attains the highest standard of educational achievement – which is code for making them meet National Standards or face closure,

          Additional powers around surrendering and retention of student’s property including electronic devices and the information on them,

          Third parties will be allowed to use Crown land to build ECE centres, presumably for profit.

           
           
           

    • marsman 4.2
      17 October 2012 at 8:41 am

      Education for profit. There is a wealthy American living in NZ who owns a string of Charter Schools in the USA what’s the bet he’ll be setting up the same business here as well. Disgusting!

  5. Ad 5
    17 October 2012 at 8:38 am

    I love the smell of growing black seeping emulsifying suppurating weeping un-lanced enfungurated black creeping skin-bubbling gangrenous deoxygenated fibrous spreading rot from a National government. Makes for a fine Labour weekend.

    Any word out there on the asset petition finalisation?

    • marsman 5.1
      17 October 2012 at 8:47 am

      Great string of adjectives Ad. Yes I was wondering about the referendum petition too. When I saw the rorting double dipping Bill English mouthing his ‘we’re pushing ahead with asset sales’ on the late news the other night the phrase ‘nasty little turd’ came into my tired head.

    • karol 5.2
      17 October 2012 at 8:51 am

      At the Job Crisis Summit last Friday, Russel Norman said … [goes to dig out my notes – yes, it’s as I remembered it]…. Russel said that the petition for a referendum on asset sales should be finished by the end of this month.

      • Ad 5.2.1
        17 October 2012 at 8:54 am

        Truly looking forward to that day. Will be a great rallying moment for everything progressive and pro-sovereignty.

  6. Pascal's bookie 6
    17 October 2012 at 8:49 am

    Any one else having a problem getting the linked NZH video to play from this post:

    http://thestandard.org.nz/one-video-exposes-key-gcsbs-banks-dotcom-lies/

    • karol 6.1
      17 October 2012 at 8:59 am

      Works for me.

    • freedom 6.2
      17 October 2012 at 9:11 am

      It plays ok. On a related note: a mate of my friend’s second cousin’s mechanic apprentice’s girlfriend’s hairdresser told me it appears the new player on the NZH site (and numerous others) means that vids are now immune to the video download helper that Mozilla uses, so for anyone trying to mantain a record of events, life just got that little bit harder.

      not that anyone would ever consider breaking copyright by downloading a video from the web 🙂

      • David H 6.2.1
        17 October 2012 at 10:10 am

        I use FlashGot 1.8 with FF 16, and I just umm tested it out, and it still works. Its deleted now. Honest.

        • freedom 6.2.1.1
          17 October 2012 at 10:57 am

          thanks, flashgot works sweet according to my friend’s second cousin’s mechanic apprentice’s girlfriend’s hairdresser

    • ianmac 6.3
      17 October 2012 at 9:14 am

      Its OK. Interesting in the light of circumstances now.

  7. ak 7
    17 October 2012 at 8:50 am

    So. Unprecedented government meltdown and the leaders of the NUFACT-Liar Coalition loudly and clearly called LIARS outside the house by senior MPs and myriad others, but on Garner-the-tories’-blessing it’s all about Shearer. Looking “rattled”, of course.

    Most sickeningly blatant right-wing propaganda since granny’s red front page.

    • freedom 7.1
      17 October 2012 at 9:16 am

      Tell you who is not rattled, and based on his quick visit to the morning report he has even more fuel for the fire. Looks like it’s gonna be a fun day in the House for Winnie. If the Speaker deigns to follow the rules that is.

    • Blue 7.2
      17 October 2012 at 9:35 am

      Shearer walked right into that one, and it’s no-one’s fault but his own. If a leftie politician gives the right-wing press an opportunity to attack them instead of one of their own, they will take it and roll in it like pigs in mud.

      All the right-wing journos were squealing with joy that they could use their column inches and speaking slots to attack Shearer rather than write/speak about Key’s stuff ups again.

      Just when the Dotcom scandal was really biting Key, now half the headlines are about Shearer’s screwup. Great work by the Labour strategy team, as always.

    • Ad 7.3
      17 October 2012 at 9:43 am

      Shearer made a fuckup, but the MSD digital debacle will cover that. Actually getting something wrong but winning the overall fight actually makes me like him more, oddly…

      Fran Mold was the problem. Sold out her lover, her lover’s mate, and undercut her boss, all for a story that backfired on her. No one wins over it except the political undertakers who installed her in the Leaders’ office in the first place.

      Don’t get rid of Shearer. He ain’t everything but he’s it. But Fran Mold should fall on her sword and quit. Today.

  8. muzza 8
    17 October 2012 at 9:18 am

    Inland Revenue IT outsourcing questioned

    Oh look – More corporate welfare, and more people joining the dole queue.

    Amazing how this story comes the day after the efforts to make the MSD IT Department look like a bunch of incompetants.

    Its as if this stuff is scripted eh!

    • Draco T Bastard 8.1
      17 October 2012 at 2:16 pm

      “Free markets usually operate for a reason, they operate that way because it’s the best answer for shareholders,” he told Computer World magazine this month.

      It just fails to be the best option for the society that the shareholders live in and hiring an offshore firm for government work isn’t the best option for NZ.

      However, Norman said MSD could have used a New Zealand company rather than cut costs by developing software internally.

      It wasn’t software that was developed in NZ – it was standard Windows settings that they fucked up.

      • muzza 8.1.1
        17 October 2012 at 5:35 pm

        “Free markets usually operate for a reason, they operate that way because it’s the best answer for shareholders,” he told Computer World magazine this month.

        It just fails to be the best option for the society that the shareholders live in and hiring an offshore firm for government work isn’t the best option for NZ.

        I saw that and WTF is he doing talking about shareholders and free markets anyway…Who are NZ’s shareholders, might be the question to ask

        However, Norman said MSD could have used a New Zealand company rather than cut costs by developing software internally.

        It wasn’t software that was developed in NZ – it was standard Windows settings that they fucked up

        I think RN was referring to IRD not the MSD SNAFU – IRD will be developing and testing software/releases etc, just now much of it will happen offshore, which is lost jobs without a doubt.

        BAD for NZ inc, but very good for the people who own the companies, which own the companies, this outsourced work will be provided by !

  9. Rogue Trooper 9
    17 October 2012 at 9:19 am

    To McFlock
    No offense intended (my assumption; high probability screening not for saving lives)
    🙂

  10. ianmac 10
    17 October 2012 at 9:22 am

    The fracas at the beginning of Question Time yesterday was because Peters was trying to bring a complaint about Key’s deceit before the Privileges Committee. (Sweet irony there if that happened!)
    They had to get a point of order in first. Key neglected to call for a point of order first before his Correction. Therefore all the others were trying to call Points of order to be first as P of O have precedence. Lockwood refused to accept their P of O hence the fuss. Peters on Morning Report said that the matter is not closed and there is more to come. Watch this space today at Question Time.
    http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mnr/mnr-20121017-0821-winston_peters_reacts_to_being_kicked_of_session-048.mp3

    • karol 10.1
      17 October 2012 at 9:34 am

      Indeed, ianmac.  Will be watching.

    • insider 10.2
      17 October 2012 at 1:32 pm

      The speaker can recognise whoever he wants. First in not necessarily first served. He covered himself by saying he deemed it a PoO, which are heard in silence (although often not). Peters got turfed for challenging the chair. Again. Nothing will come of this, despite Peter’s threats. Again

  11. vto 11
    17 October 2012 at 9:33 am

    Sheesh, I dunno. Everyday I wake up there is more stuff to complain about. Where is it all going to end?

    • Ad 11.1
      17 October 2012 at 9:50 am

      +100. So droll!

    • marty mars 11.2
      17 October 2012 at 9:54 am

      On one level, the day you don’t wake up is the day it ends. But I think it pays to put some perspective in – my neice diagnosed with a golfball sized brain tumor had most of it successfully removed last week, now onto chemo but for a while there that 6 year old was riding the line. My mother had her 4th stroke last week and she was looking like she could not look after herself – but very determined is she and the assessment yesterday showed that through that determination she had healed enough to still be able to look after herself – for a while there it was looking really dicey indeed. Those examples are wakeup calls for us all. Love. Embrace your loved ones. Hug them with everything you have because too soon they, and we, give up this mortal coil.

      • Ad 11.2.1
        17 October 2012 at 10:14 am

        Only took my Dad hospitalised with an angina attack yesterday to remind me politics is just feathers in the wind.

        • ianmac 11.2.1.1
          17 October 2012 at 10:49 am

          So true @ marty and @ Ad, but the price of democracy is eternal vigilance- and all that. Your relatives need your help on their behalf.

      • vto 11.2.2
        17 October 2012 at 1:21 pm

        some fine perspective there mr marty.

  12. Dave Kennedy (bsprout) 12
    17 October 2012 at 11:32 am

    Leading up to the election we are going to have the rightwing and even Labour try to put the Greens in their place. They will say that they should stick to their knitting and only speak out about the environment, but this is only revealing their ignorance about how dependent the economy and our general wellbeing is on the environment.
    http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/the-greens-and-knitting.html

  13. ianmac 13
    17 October 2012 at 11:57 am

    Question 2 today: Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister responsible for the GCSB: Specifically, have there been staff issues associated with the Government Communications Security Bureau and Dotcom affair brought to his attention by the Government Communications Security Bureau or members of the New Zealand Police, in which such staff members no longer work in their previous capacity for the Government Communications Security Bureau or any government agency; if so, what were the circumstances?

    That looks interesting. Trying to guess where that is heading.

    • karol 13.1
      17 October 2012 at 12:07 pm

      Yes, it’ll be interesting.
       
      Also, question 5 from Parker relates to simple and elaborate manufactured exports.  At the EPMU job crisis summit on Friday, it was claimed that it is these sectors that will result in a better economy for NZ, not growth in post-primary production.

    • insider 13.2
      17 October 2012 at 1:35 pm

      Answer: As the minister I do not get involved in staffing issues at Minstries/ will not discuss the operations of GCSB for reasons of security (Clark’s usual line)

      it;s the supplementaries that wil be interesting when names start being bandied aroudn

  14. Tim 14
    17 October 2012 at 1:19 pm

    Can I just draw your collective attentions to this:

    http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/not-just-any-illiterate-moron.html

    I’m surprised that IS should express such surprise!.

    After all, we’ve had semi-competant imbeciles on high salaries ‘overseeing’ gubbamint departments and minstries since corporatisation of the public service came into fashion a quarter century ago or more!
    Most departments and Minstries work IN SPITE of their senior ‘management’ rather than BECAUSE of them. The GCSB example here is just another one as a case in point.
    Now we hear there’s an ACC CEO on a salary bordering on a million. We’ve had a decade of a TPK incompetent – who (at least when he started) couldn’t speak Te Reo, apponted in an era of political correctness; who hardly ever knew who half his staff were; had a complete ignorance of who amongst his TPK whanau were bullshitting him and who were genuine; who took credit for any successes,but who blamed every-one else for failures………
    STANDARD FARE really!
    Should I go through other departments? (TPK has always been an easy target) but … Health? Education? MED? Immigration? …. name me a gubbamint entity in the ‘corporatised’ public service that HASN’T been a complete fuckup and where Joe Average Public Servant doesn;t try t do his/her best in an environment where they work IN SPITE of their CEO and Snr Mgmnt, rather than because, or thru’ them.

    Those of you who are old enough will remember all the catch phrases that abounded about how our new PS would be DE-POLITICISED, MORE ACCOUNTABLE, MORE FISHINT and FEKTIV.

    How has all that worked out then?

  15. freedom 15
    17 October 2012 at 1:29 pm

    WTF !!!
    i have no idea about Denmark but something sure as hell stinks over here
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7827706/Huge-ACC-salaries-revealed

    • Draco T Bastard 15.1
      17 October 2012 at 2:44 pm

      An annual report from the embattled state insurer shows big wage increases in the last year

      Um, no, ACC in not an insurer no matter how much you want it to be.

  16. Rogue Trooper 16
    17 October 2012 at 1:40 pm

    Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer
    -Sun Tzu

    AA.hhhhh Thanatos
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanatos

    We had a saying; It is a weak engineer who blames his tools (just give me a Rock)
    🙂

    “What is true” asked Pilate (Banks would sell out The Lord for a campaign donation and a cup of tea)

  17. just saying 17
    17 October 2012 at 1:59 pm

    I see Danyl at the Dimpost is predicting that Shearer’s leadership will last just weeks.

    If that is the case, sadly, I believe Robertson will be wheeled out as the third interchangeable puppet of the right of the party , within which I include the various advisory and strategising staff members.

    However my fear, and being a pessimist when it comes to politics, my prediction, is that Shearer will still be limping along in the front when Key calls a snap election, the campaign is even more embarrassing than the Goff led one, a left coalition will scrape in for one miserable term in which nothing but window-dressing is changed, and the elite collectively sigh with relief over their cocktails.

  18. captain hook 18
    17 October 2012 at 2:03 pm

    fran mold always thought she was better than she was.
    David Shearer must be ruthless.
    I dont know where he got his team from but he needs to review them and fire the dross.
    just because they did this or that has nothing to do with it.
    if he is inpolitics then he must be able to sum them up immediately and give the wannabees the boot on the spot.
    thats what it means to be the boss.

  19. captain hook 19
    17 October 2012 at 2:26 pm

    If that is the case then he should tell her to pick up her time.

  20. Brett Dale 20
    17 October 2012 at 2:31 pm

    Wahoo, President Obama is kicking Romney’s butt!!!

  21. captain hook 21
    17 October 2012 at 2:33 pm

    and…
    Time New Zealand gave Winnie a vote of thanks for his comments this morning on RNZ that New Zealand is one of the oldest parliamentary democracy’s in existence and not some shonky bank doing business with buy and sell orders and yellow stickers.
    Our democracy is being eroded by the tory gang and it is being aided and abetted by stupid nitwits with tight underpants and socks pulled up so high that the blood supply is being cut off from their heads.
    too much soap and not enough sweat.
    Mold and the rest of the PRECIOUS gang who have been hanging out at parliament for so long they think they are the the people must go.
    They have outlived their usefullness.

  22. Draco T Bastard 22
    17 October 2012 at 3:08 pm

    A good post at Auckland Transport about stalled rail patronage. It seems that when more rail services are put on more people use them and that, if services are increased as planned, then capacity will be reached sometime around 2020 if the CRL (and I really do wish that that had never been called a loop as it isn’t) isn’t built.

    And a good post up on Positive Money explaining in simple terms Hyman Minsky’s Financial Instability Hypothesis and it’s effects. The effects that we’re seeing with the collapse of the global financial system.

  23. Rogue Trooper 23
    17 October 2012 at 3:21 pm

    NAct approach to rail- “Train in Vain”

  24. Dv 24
    17 October 2012 at 3:36 pm

    From Scoop

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1210/S00101/cheapest-is-not-necessarily-best.htm

    Last month the minister of tertiary education Steven Joyce announced that only six polytechnics out of eighteen and only one wananga would receive funding to tender funding to teach level 1-2 course next year, but 17 for profit private providers would get funding that had previously gone to publicly owned polytechnics.

    Today, when the commission released more information about the successful tenders, it is clear that one of the deciding factors was the ability of an institution to teach its course more cheaply than its competitors.

    My bold

  25. Rogue Trooper 25
    17 October 2012 at 4:20 pm

    When you take into account this polytechnic tendering
    -the rationalization of arts courses at uni
    -the ever increasing dumbing down of state broadcasting
    -the trend to less informative Sky
    -the sensationalist, trite, national rags
    -the promoting of television celebrities to current affairs and political commentators
    -the proliferation of women’s magazines
    -in fact, there is a magazine for just about every niche
    -speaking of niche’s, have you seen what people do, and allow others to do to them in internet porn content? (curiouser and curiouser)
    -the permissibility of narrow range Charter school curriculums
    -the abundance of consumption cooking and home renovation shows
    -the Ridges, a cliff too far
    -AIG to sponsor the All Blacks (to continue to grow the game Tew argues)
    -the absolute rubbish that most of the “religious” television programming is
    -the absolute infotainment that passes for national televised news
    -young people walking the world with their eyes and ears glued to mobile social networking devices
    -the marketing and promotion of sugar-dense foods and beverages
    -and a lifestyle product for just about every conceivable distraction
    you have to wonder….

    • Ad 25.1
      17 October 2012 at 5:25 pm

      I mean the world today, it’s just gone to pack.

      No arche, no telos, no eschatological drive, Nichomachean Ethics on the morning and Judo lessons before supper, I mean back in the day it was scriptural hermeneutics for Africa, Listen With Mother, Scrabble in the evenings, scones with butter … None of this fiddle-faddle…

      … ahhhh those were the days.

    • PlanetOrphan 25.2
      17 October 2012 at 6:47 pm

      Escapism promoted as “Lifestyle”

  26. Logie97 26
    17 October 2012 at 5:36 pm

    Who do we believe?

    Apparently Shearer is besmirching the security guy, or is Key just conveniently hiding behind them.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10841014

    Fortunately for Shearer, given his short political life, he does not yet have a history of being economical with the truth, whereas Key (with an only slightly longer political life) has developed a tidy profile of publicly shady interviews.

    For example, watch him struggle here…
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrPgK3bf9_4

    and here…
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GwcCNdTYyQ

    and here…
    http://www.3news.co.nz/Secret-GCSB-recording-catches-Key-out—Labour/tabid/370/articleID/272405/Default.aspx

    Seems Key is uncomfortable about his replies until he can get a watertight rehearsed
    speech prepared for him.

    Could be said that Key has done more to damage the services through his failing memory and unassured responses and vagueness about events than any voices at large.

  27. Rogue Trooper 27
    17 October 2012 at 7:06 pm

    while I’m here;
    Talk about Radical; Outlaws joining the po po (Mob and Mangu Kaha have had access for decades;it is a whanau thing; spend some time in the cells and you get the drift)
    teleologically speaking; guys that were discriminated against by our school pedants are now Prez locally)
    (interestingly, I suggested months ago that the outlaws will outpace the mainstream)

    Amnesty http://www.amnesty.org.nz/ they’ve got a template that can assess what on your face book would get you “sanctioned” overseas.

    Spy vs Spy on “gardening leave” ; absolutely wonderful

    Key’s position on alcohol purchasing age must be the most Honest thing he has uttered for months.

    ol’ Tug Henare aye?

    and what is this with the MSM labelling the imprisoned “criminals”? ( a bit rich)

    Smith and Smith http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism

    Veto Bill-before due parliamentary process; Now that’s Democracy in The Brave New World, Sue.

    Are these increasingly strong equinoxial winds AGW?

    Marmageddon-these Reformed Dutch free-marketers are so hypocritical; bring on
    Mao-tse TungMite
    🙂

    (and sausage rolls too; the Africans are Loving the Gospel)

  28. Logie97 28
    17 October 2012 at 8:21 pm

    Here is a question that should be put to Joky Hen, at least once a week till 2014.
    “If NZF hold the balance of power at the next election, will you consider inviting Winston Peters to form a coalition with you? Yes or No ?”

    Ask him each week so he can be assured that he can remember what his reply was…

    • prism 28.1
      17 October 2012 at 8:30 pm

      Well on the other hand Winston does present differing opinions not the unchanging set text from RWNJs which can be refreshing from the usual stale diatribe. Winston keeps both the government and us on our toes. And I have to listen to him to find out the latest, I can’t take his views for granted.

    • PlanetOrphan 28.2
      17 October 2012 at 8:44 pm

      Only Winston could ask that question M8! 🙂

  29. prism 29
    17 October 2012 at 8:26 pm

    ACC top pay gone up from $680,000 p.a. to $750,000 p.a. Police have a wage rise of 2% over three years – as I remember it. And no more pocket money even to allow them to keep up with inflation. WTF.

    How come we are in this position of a group of big-noters getting into positions of power and decision for our government and gouging us all? I remember Bob Jones making snide remarks about civil servants being inefficient, slow and lacklustre in their home-made cardigans. Now we have sharp suits and an air of confidence and smooth PR and niche inflation in this particular area. Is this what he had in mind? And they may not even be NZs in the position, executive tourism going from one country to another seems the thing. Longstone (originally British), Rebstock (Canadian) and men as well.

    Did anyone notice the flip remark that Chris Finlayson made while being questioned on Radionz today? Asked if a 5% allocation of shares for all Maori choosing that settlement option he said well it’s better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick. Sounds very matey and relaxed. Do Maori negotiators feel like this?

  30. jaymam 30
    17 October 2012 at 8:42 pm

    In Parliament a few minutes ago –
    John Banks: “The good people of Epsom didn’t vote for Labour
    The good people of Epsom didn’t vote for the Greens
    The good people of Epsom didn’t vote for New Zealand First”

    Why didn’t somebody stand up and say “The good people of Epsom didn’t vote for National”?
    (P.S. they voted for ACT, if you didn’t know)

    • blue leopard 30.1
      17 October 2012 at 10:12 pm

      …Yeah, or he could have mentioned that some good people who would have normally voted for Labour/left swallowed what must have been a very bitter pill and voted for the local… cough …National…splutter…candidate, to try and ensure that nasty piece of knitting, (commonly referred to as Mr Banks), didn’t get in.

  31. captain hook 31
    17 October 2012 at 8:57 pm

    I bet they regret voting for that nasty little piece of work now.

    • muzza 31.1
      17 October 2012 at 9:43 pm

      NO chance, they love it…look at the history of those the Epsom mob have elected over the years!

      • PlanetOrphan 31.1.1
        17 October 2012 at 10:03 pm

        Now be carefull M8! , they should be considering their civilised options surely?

        All for one M8!, vote Labour!.

      • muzza 31.1.2
        17 October 2012 at 10:09 pm

        I doubt it – they were sucked in by Rodney, and again by Banks – The people of the Epsom electorate relate to Banks/Hide et al, because they see themselves in the same light, and they belong to the same clubs, and go to the same functions

        They get sucked in, they repeat the cycle voting for the next waste of space…Regardless, its a blue seat, so National win by default next time around even if they have actually had enough of Banks

        Like the people of North Shore who will vote for anything wearing blue, Maggy Barry, the situation is a bloody joke, just like the sad political system we have had in NZ for decades!

        EDIT: Vote Labour , NOT a chance under current circumstances!

        • PlanetOrphan 31.1.2.1
          17 October 2012 at 10:12 pm

          Still, they “voted” for Banksie, We don’t want to tell them who not to vote for now do we?
          Brazen I know but he y… “VOTE LABOUR M8!”
          (*need-spy-in-jacket-with-placard-emoticon*)

        • muzza 31.1.2.2
          17 October 2012 at 10:23 pm

          People can vote for who they want – thats the illusion of democracy eh!

          And the country will go further down the toilet on the back of decisions made by selfish vain uninformed people, thats how democracy works!

          Choice

  32. Rogue Trooper 32
    17 October 2012 at 9:41 pm

    “But food does not bring us closer to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do”
    -Cor.

    “I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat then you are no longer acting in Love”
    -To The Romans

    “What business is it of mine to judge those outside of the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside.” (expel the wicked man from among you)
    -back to the Corinthians

    -Lectio Divina (something helpful to come from Rome )

    (now, to that Porterhouse Steak and some Brocoli; forgive me Father, it has been a week since my last Pork strips)

    • Ad 32.1
      17 October 2012 at 10:21 pm

      Nikos Kazantzakis’ proposed that real fasting in the desert generated trippy hallucinations for holy ones. The book is far better.

      Whereas those Pauline letters had authors with overactive hygiene/anal drives.

      The great political intersection for Jesus was being flown with the Devil to the top of the temple, and be offered the city, which is named by Jacques Ellul ‘The supreme work of man.’

      Guilt received in the mouth is the most savoured pleasure, for there one both abases and transforms the raw into the cooked, transsubstantial-like.

      Stop writing with your mouth full.

  33. Rogue Trooper 33
    17 October 2012 at 10:01 pm

    oops,
    Beware the extended omentum; significant multi-layered health implications

    Beware the SSRI’s and atypical anti-psychotics (small sample, I know); A; withdrawels B; Anger.

    (St John’s Wort is helpful, sans, contra-indications)

    night John-Boy, Night Elizabeth

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