have almost anything you want as long as you plan ahead and save for it.
Take a look at this Bloomberg article from last year to check the difference between the $8m and then some CEO and the plight of the minimum wage workers that increases shareholder profits for him.
I hereby resign in protest effective immediately……..
I have served the post-911 Military Industrial complex for 10 years, first as a soldier in Baghdad, and now as a defense contractor……
……I have always believed that if every foot soldier threw down his rifle war would end. I hereby throw mine down……
……Recent revelations by fearless journalists of war crimes including counterinsurgency “dirty” wars, drone terrorism, the suspension of due process, torture, mass surveillance, and widespread regulatory capture have shed light on the true nature of the current US Government. I encourage you to read more about these topics at the links I have provided…….
Brandon M. Toy Stryker Engineering Project Management
General Dynamics Land Systems
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Though on a smaller scale. Our own military and security agencies are just as complicit in these crimes. The efforts of one of our own top journalists to expose our complicity is met by deliberate counter efforts by NZ military commanders to smear and cast him cast him as a liar. What Defence Force Chief Lietenant General Rhys Jones and the like are frightened of, are that following the revelations revealed by Jon Stephenson, are that Kiwi versions of Brandon Toy, Edward Snowden, and Bradly Manning within our own military, security and surveillance agencies will be moved to also put down their rifles and speak out.
In May 2011, a Metro magazine article by Mr Stephenson said SAS troops in Afghanistan took prisoners who were handed over to authorities known to use torture…..
……Mr Stephenson is suing the Defence Force for defamation, saying its press statement on the subject suggested he “made stuff up”. He is seeking damages of $500,000…..
stuff.co.nz
Reading the defence force press releases and statements in court reveals inconssitencies and backtracking in their testimony that speak of deliberate lying. Jon Stephenson deserves the full amount of compensation he is seeking as a lesson to the deliberate liars and defenders of our role in torture and abuse and assault on civil liberties here and around the world.
On May 2, 2011, General Jones issued a press statement that said: “The CRU commander denies speaking with this journalist. The journalist has provided no evidence that he has ever entered the CRU base. We have evidence that he was denied entry.”……
….Lawyer Hugh Rennie, QC, who is representing Defence Force chief Lieutenant General Rhys Jones and the Defence Force, said Colonel B could not be found. However, he said General Jones now accepted that, on the face of it, from what he had heard in court since Monday, Mr Stephenson did go to the base and probably spoke to the colonel……
So our defence force spoke to the CRU colonel, who they claim denied that he was interviewed by Stephenson. Yet now, despite this unequivocal statement, admit that Stephenson probably did talk to him. If they had actually talked with the CRU colonel as they claimed, they would have known that what they now admit was “probably” true, was actual fact all along.
Len – as usual is all about him
Uesifili – good stuff about southern auckland and diversity
John Minto – great points, well made
John Palino – interesting how he made the same general points as John Minto but somehow I think his motivation is different
Penny – you were certainly the only one talking about the stuff you talked about
for sure Auckland will get the mayor they deserve.
Wow, such insight. It needs no citation, it is unfortunately true throughout the industry. But it is certainly not a so what moment, the fact that, in gender ratios, the two lists would be the complete opposite, is not a slam dunk moment Winnie. Back to school and up your national standards before we drug test you at your own expense for being such a numpty.
The Iron Man series of films have been blockbusters. Unfortunately, films with female leads often fail to lead annual box office charts. That suggests a whole other set of issues. Including the fact that female leads in movies are usually younger than male leads and get paid less.
I did have a chortle when you pointed that out because I hadn’t realised. In any case, though, it’s still interesting that the top eight are still men:
There’s no doubt that the whole industry is skewed towards “leading men” in the movies. The way they make the real big bucks is by getting a % of the box office takings. In the case of films like Iron Man that means big ongoing pay packets after a film is released.
Even in ensemble films like The Avengers, women are typically paid less.
Ever since the success of Star Wars in the ’70s, studios have banked on young men aged 13 to 25 to drive the box office, says Oliver Lyttelton at Indie Wire. But of this year’s Top 15 moneymakers, only three were aimed at that demographic — The Avengers, Men in Black 3, and Wrath of the Titans — and the latter two have earned significantly less than their franchise predecessors. And while action movies Battleship and John Carter flopped, female-targeted films like The Hunger Games, The Vow, Think Like a Man, and Magic Mike all surged past expectations. Studios would be wise to ease “off the relentless targeting of teenage boys, and start courting the ladies.
It’s thought that, when women go to the movies with men (eg on dates), it’s the male choice that tends to dominate.
In contrast, TV is seen as more of a medium that attracts women – being mostly viewed in the domestic sphere – that is why soap opera formats have been strong. Soap operas originally targeted housewives. In the later part of the 20th century, many TV genres included a “soap” element (focused on relationships and human behaviour). So ongoing dramas of all sorts tend to have that kind of an element included. Ditto “reality TV” etc.
A smile always rises when any group of humans gets all hot under the collar because their “culture” or their “heritage” or their “tradition” gets told to sharpen up as it is today inappropriate inhumane abusive racist sexist etc.
Latest example being Poland banning Halal and Kosher slaughtering of animals. The Jews are getting all hot under the collar bleating like the entire world is after them. The Muslims are…. well, don’t know because the news article concentrated on the Jews.
Never mind the poor animals eh. Culture and tradition must survive.
Culture and tradition is very often like a big vast empty tub into which anything can be tossed, worthy or otherwise.
And just as often culture, tradition and heritage are just euphemisms for religion, because the latter is meant to be kept out of politics, so can’t be openly cited as the ‘reason’ for opposition.
It’s quite clear to me you have no idea what you are talking about. Kosher slaughter specifies that animals must be slaughtered with “respect and compassion” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shechita
Also, given neither Jews or Muslims eat pork, that creates a whole category of cruel and inhumane farming practices that both are entirely innocent of. Nor does the flowing of blood and unconsciousness suggest any more suffering than death by electrocution or a clumsy bolt to the brain.
You also seem to be ignoring the rather unhappy history of the Jews in Poland, and that they might have a point about people being out to get them – precedence and all.
Still, now I can add to the list of things VTO doesn’t like:
Gays wanting to get married
South Island Maori land owners
Jews eating.
Muslims eating.
“Well either you are denying them religious freedom or you are condemning them to vegetarianism”
I’m doing neither actually Pop. As I stated, I don’t know enough about animal slaughter to have much of an opinion.
Take the emotive language out (condemning?? You fucking drama queen), and all vto is saying is that religious freedom should not supersede animal welfare.
It’s a far fucking cry from saying they should not eat.
So you admit you haven’t got a clue about the practice that supposedly should not trump animal welfare and are just arguing for the sake of arguing. You’re no better – you are trying to impose another set of beliefs on another by pretending it’s somehow more ethical when you have admitted a priori you have no idea whether this is the case or not.
I have made a clear case that halal and kosher slaughter is no more and possibly less stressful on the animal than other more widely used methods. I have demonstrated the hypocrasy of th elaw change given Poland actually flauts EU animal welfare laws in the secular context. I am arguing from the specific example vto is gloating over, not some abstract hypothetical situation.
“you are trying to impose another set of beliefs on another by pretending it’s somehow more ethical when you have admitted a priori you have no idea whether this is the case or not.”
No, I’m not. I simply don’t have a view on it.
As I’ve explained very clearly twice already, my comments have nothing whatsoever to do with halal/kosher issues in any way shape or form.
My comments are purely about your misrepresentation of vto’s comment, as it’s an example of something you do here with monotonous regularity.
Your repeated misrepresentations of mine on this topic are illustrating the point beautifully, thank you.
Oh poppet, you’ve got me all wrong. I’m not misprepresenting your arguments at all, I’m just not fucking interested in them because all you are doing is trying to derail my small, simple truth that in this case the law change may very well be religious persecution and vto shouldn’t be so quick to gloat.
VTO said something I found repellant – I proceeded to show why using his Polish example. You don’t like me, so you attack on sight even though you “simply don’t have a view on it”. Business as usual. Fuck off you addlepated carbuncle.
If you used that tiny little brain it might occur to you that if kosher or halal food is not available, Jews and Muslims are forbidden to eat it, THEY CAN NOT EAT IT – am I getting through? It sounds very much like a ploy to force them out altogether.
Of course you’re getting through. I never had any trouble understanding you, it’s just that you’re objectively wrong.
Not eating halal meat =/= not eating.
Now you don’t have to like that but it’s a fucking fact, so how about you behave like an adult and argue with what vto actually said for once in your life.
So they should become vegetarians?
No, if you can’t actually comprehend that a Muslim is about as emotionally able to eat non-halal meat as you are of eating one of your own children roasted, I’m going to ignore you. It’s a mortal sin, taboo. And lamb and goat in particular are central to the cuisines of most Muslim nations. I’m sorry you can’t grasp that some people are not prepared to give up a central element of their culture and their very core identity just to please bigots, or in your case stubborn dickheads who think you can be empirical about ethics – it’s a matter of human rights.
None of that is relevant to my comments in any way whatsoever.
For the fourth time (ffs) my only concern is that you accused vto of saying muslims and jews shouldn’t eat, and that’s blatantly objectively self-evidently bleeding-obviously a lie.
If you read closely Pop and stop letting your amazing knowledge of everything in the entire world getting in the way of your brain, you will see that I used this as an example of the absolute hubris and bullshit that gets tossed into the overused tub of culture and tradition from time to time… In this instance the apparently barbaric manner of animal slaughter that is involved in halal and kosher slaughter.
Nothing more nothing less.
But don’t let that stop you from adding all of that other crappola you have added in your above posts. You seem to confuse knowledge and understanding…
But really I suspect it was the Jewish connection that got you wasn’t it. Objectivity eh, such a tricky thing to master..
No I didn’t, that is what the poles did, according to the media article. I merely passed comment on the poison that variously gets dumped into the culture and heritage tip across all peoples. I used the pole example as an example.
And it is true.
Some cultural traditions are horribly sexist, some are racist, some are barbaric.
But yes maybe you and pop are right and culture and tradition trumps everything, no matter the effects on other peoples and living organisms on this wee planet, as pop says here ……. ” I’m sorry you can’t grasp that some people are not prepared to give up a central element of their culture and their very core identity just to please bigots, or in your case stubborn dickheads who think you can be empirical about ethics – it’s a matter of human rights.”
You see mcflock? It is all about us. Fuck everyone else. As Pop said one other time – get in first because if you don’t then someone else will. I mean, that’s right isn’t it. Go hard, go first, we’ve got the bomb and all that ………
the MO becomes very clear. Especially in Pop’s case.
You made that argument here. And repeated it. No source, no reasoning as to why kosher or halal slaughter is more cruel than standard industrial practises, nothing. Pop has provided several links, you provided nothing. And yet you still argue that it’s a case of “culture and tradition trumps everything, no matter the effects on other peoples and living organisms”.
mcflock, where did I say I agree with the poles that halal and kosher slaughter is barbaric, or inhumane, or should that be inanimale?
The Poles have banned those slaughters on those particular grounds. I merely passed comment on the reaction to it by jewish and muslim communities and their treasured traditions – on the fact that at times peoples get upset when out of date traditions etc get told to change with the times.
Do you see? The comment was made on the reaction to the issue, not the actual issue. Comprehendez vous?
I am merely pointing out that you chose to comment on the issue that “at times peoples get upset when out of date traditions etc get told to change with the times”, rather than the issue that sometimes nations use enlightened justifications to impose restrictions on the cultural expressions and practices of minority groups (animal welfare in this case, women’s rights and secularism in France regarding hijab, and visual resource management in Switzerland regarding minarets), but upon examination the enlightened pretext doesn’t hold up nearly so much as a desire by parts of the majority culture to limit the expression of others.
Given that you have presented no basis for preferring one perspective over the other, I merely asked if there was some basis for your choice to do so.
Its been a long time since you have written something sufficiently annoying enough to cause me to respond. How we kill animals in this country is neither humane nor animal focused. The utilitarian benefit we attach to animals translates to mechanised slaughtering on such a massive scale that the NZ animal welfare code reads like a horror tale.
As it happens, New Zealand is, apparently, one of the world’s largest exporters of halal sheep meat in the world. Your culture and tradition obviously continues to suffer from delusions of moral superiority.
You see the problem Adele is that people so often misread, make assumptions and see things in posts that are not there and are not even remotely commented on. Your post is a classic example of this.
Who said anything about New Zealand’s morality in this issue? Not me. That is your assumption, mis-reading, lack of focus…..
In fact to the contrary, what you say there enforces the point I originally made.
My apologies for taking so long to get back to you. Lets me count the ways that your missives ever say what they mean:
.
.
.
–
Perhaps you should take up knitting instead.
Kiaora Adele
Haven’t read you lately. You always have something stern to bring us into line. Probably needed. Like your icon. It’s a particularly attractive koru I think.
I guess you are vegetarian? Killing things is never noble. How should we kill our animals?
I am an avowed meat eater although I remain conflicted in terms of liking pigs and loving pork.
I kill fish, my female boss shoots ducks, my sister works in the bush and hunts pigs. My dad and uncle owned butcher shops.
I have recently moved back to my turangawaewae in the East Coast of the North Island and it appears that the only household that doesn’t have a gun is Tame Iti’s.
Killing animals is not the issue. Its western society fooling itself that it is more humane in its killing practices in comparison to other cultures that would rather confront the death of an animal face on than to sanitise the reality through mechanised killing factories.
“Coming up: heartbreak all over New South Wales as Queensland wins the deciding State of Origin!”
—Rachel Smalley tries to talk up the world’s most boring two-horse race.
TV3 Firstline, 8.15 a.m., Thursday 18 July 2013
Humbug Corner is dedicated to gathering, and highlighting, the most striking examples of faux solicitude, insincere apologies, and particularly stupid recycling of official canards. It is produced by the Insincerity Project®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
More humbugs….
No. 17 Jay Carney: ““He is not a human rights activist, he is not a dissident.”
No. 16 Barack Obama: “I wish Muslims across America & around the world a month blessed with the joys of family, peace & understanding.” http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11072013/#comment-661330
No.15 John Key: “They know this is an issue of national security…”
No. 14 Charles Saatchi: “I abhor violence of any kind against women…”
No. 13 Toyota New Zealand: “The more Kiwis that lean, the more motivated our ETNZ crew will be to win.”
No. 12 Pem Bird: “We’re there to do the business of advancing our people.”
No.11 Whenua Patuwai: “They’re my brothers and to see one of them goes [sic]—it’s tough.”
No. 10 [REMOVED]
No. 9 [REMOVED]
No. 8 Barack Obama: “…people standing up for what’s right…yearning for justice and dignity…” No. 7 Barack Obama: “Nelson Mandela is my personal hero…”
No. 6 John Key: “Yeah well the Greens’ answer to everything is rail, isn’t it.”
No.5 Dr. Rodney Syme: “If you want good, open, honest practice, you have to make it transparent.”
No. 4 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton’s… integrity beyond reproach…such great character…”
No. 3 Dean Lonergan: “Y’ know what? The only people who will mock them are people who are dwarfists.”
No. 2 Peter Dunne: “What a load of drivel and sanctimonious humbug…”
No. 1 Dominic Bowden: “It’s okay to be speechless.”
Why would I do that? I know nothing about him, his politics, or his motivations. However I suspect his actions will have far greater impact on basic human rights and freedoms more sorely needed than those of Bonnie Prince Snowden. Of course, the main difference is that the US government needs to keep its shenanigans secret from its public whereas Mugabe can pretty much steal from and massacre thousands of Zimbabweans with complete impunity – that says rather a lot about your comparison.
I would never normally cite a professional philosophy troll like Slavoj Žižek, but in this instance his take down of Numb Chumpsky nails perfectly the reasons that make you a tosser
And yet he’s absolutely right about you and Chomsky – you pretend you are being empirical but really you are just not interested in inconveniently subjective things like context or intent. You are a sad inflexible muppet.
If by “inflexible” you mean “not prepared to abandon all standards of decency and humanity just because the State Department instructs one to” then you are right on the money, my friend.
Actually, that IS what you mean. I am not joking at all here.
For those feeling ennui! about politics and would like to wash the dirty dust off their person – here is someone campaigning for clean water who is 150% sparking compared to the rest of us. He is motivational and we could all do something worthwhile being involved with a campaign like this.
Radionz http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
10:05 Tara Okan – waste water scientist and magician
Tara Okan is a waste water scientist working for DCM Process Control Limited.The company has high-tech machines which can measure the waste products from sewage treatment and industrial plants.
In his spare time he is also a magician. (And that is fascinating too.)
I don’t have a car and if I go to town at night I usually take a taxi. Most of the time by that hour the drivers are Afaghni, and because I speak a little Pushtun and Farsi I quite often strike up a conversation. Innevitably the story about home and the Taleban is exactly the same – it isn’t a fantasy, it’s all true and very much what life was like under the Taleban. The only loon is you.
Oh, would those be the Afghans who worked as translators? While I’m not blaming them for anything I have to say that those who collaborated with the Germans in Holland during the occupation ended up in jail or covered with tar and feathers and bald if you where a female. Much nicer than the Afghans would deal with the people who had to leave Afghanistan and all they had known for their entire life because the threw in their lot with the invaders.
When Māori rituals are undertaken without context – misunderstandings and misinformation occurs. Whose job is it to ensure that participants and those involved understand that context? Well I think the iwi do, but the general public don’t and king definitely doesn’t. The Government has a responsibility to help people understand but they don’t and haven’t because it doesn’t add to the divisiveness they require and that has been both labour and national. Now I’m not actually talking about pōwhiri here because that is just the particular battleground on this day and believe it or not Māori have been and are debating and discussing this for quite a while imo.
Interesting to note that King has decided what is best for tangata whenua
Labour MP Annette King said she was not comfortable with the “segregated nature” of the welcoming.
“In no way would this have happened during Helen Clark’s day,” she said.
Ms King said she would strive for gender equality for future Powhiri’s so that they could “accurately reflect” the House of Representatives.
“A change is long overdue, in my opinion,” she said.
Great mighty mars. You have to give clear direction to all these middle class women coming from a professional level as they tend to think they know everything and have reached the heights of understanding with only one-way interaction between them and others – downwards from their two and a half pillars of wisdom.
And I mention women because now that many have had the chance to move up from the lower positions once held, they have become more self-satisfied than men because they are so proud of that new achievement.
I can’t tell if you are being serious or sarcastic Rt sorry – imo all inequality is wrong and should be addressed in whatever way it can be by those who suffer from, and advocate for the removal of, that inequality. That includes gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, age and all of the others. But it is not the oppression-olympics and privileged people cannot impose solutions that they like onto other groups less privileged.
Well I’m being serious and not at all sarcastic. And I think your approach is really good. Mighty! It is not for Annette King to impose cultural behaviour in the name of Maori, it should be Maori who approve it. I have heard Maori say that it would be better not to have a powhiri at all rather than do a half-pie version.
This should be a matter for discussion with Maori to find what would be a suitable ritual. If one of the problems is the length of time required for a true powhiri, which sometimes is hard for timetabling that needs a discussion with those concerned.
Middle class women more “self-satisfied” and arrogantly pontificating,…. than…. whom? Gerry Brownlee? Simon Bridges? Ranting shock jock Laws? etc, etc? Peter Dunne?… etc, etc.
And then there’s Metiria Turei, Jane Kelsey, Anne Salmond….. etc, etc.
Karol, people need to make no mistake, the woman in politics, by and large, are chosen for for certain traits they have, and share many of the male politicians.
One only has to look at the female power players, in NZ and abroad, to see they are every bit, as poor quality, and corrupted as the men.
I know people believe that equality is a path to , well, equality, but thats too simplistic.
Certain types are chosen to rule over us, male/female, make no difference, because its got nothing to do with it, other than keep the little people snapping each others heels…
We gotta get rid of the sociopaths and such like, which means the system, has to go, because the players won’t change!
Oh those wicked women not knowing their place, not gratefully accepting the right to vote and resignedly slinking back off to the kitchen to be seen and not heard /sarc
But it sounds like you’re saying Maori tikanga is dead and static. I always understood it to be adaptive and evolving – you know, a living culture. I don’t know many Maori under the age of 35-40 who would still buy into that gender segregation crap.
Of course it is a living culture and continually evolving – you know that and you know I think that. It isn’t gender segregation – bloody hell why does everything have to be filtered through your particular worldview. The debate is there within Māoridom with strong advocates on all sides. Have you actually considered any of those views? Have you considered for instance that, as some argue, the whole debate about who gets to speak is based on a context where male behaviour is used as the norm against which female behaviour is judged. Or how about the idea that within an oral culture there are many ways to speak not just the obvious one and that women speak in many ways throughout pōwhiri and within a Māori cultural context – but oh it doesn’t fit the ‘right’ way to speak which is based upon an imposed western cultural system which is assumed to be the best way. Anyway there are many other angles and points around this other than the knee-jerk – oh look at the gender segregation. A living culture is able, entitled and obligated to evolve within its own parameters and worldview without interference from those who assume a superiority that isn’t deserved or matched with the realities they create in the world they dominate.
Woman’s mag editor humiliates dyspeptic old sod
“Let’s Ditch the Royals” The Vote, TV3, Wednesday 17 July 2013, 8:30 p.m.
I swear this dog of a program only ever gets worse. I just cannot sit through the whole vacuous, advertising-larded hour, but here are a few of the “highlights” I garnered from brief looks at last night’s travesty.
For the Moot: Duncan Garner, Louise Wright, Ron Mark, Simon O’Connor
Against the Moot: Guyon Espiner, Laila Harré, “Sir” Robert Jones, Shane Jones
Moderator: Linda Clark
Like a fish, a show rots from the head. Linda Clark has a law degree and is actually quite bright, but you would never know it by watching her on this program. Guyon Espiner might as well not even be there, he’s so disinterested. And Duncan Garner’s sole idea is to shout, “You’re a HYPOCRITE, Sir Bob!” intermittently throughout the hour.
As if Clark, Garner and Espiner aren’t substandard enough, just take a quick gander at the “talent” the hapless producers have lined up for this show. Louise Wright? She’s the particularly vacuous editor of a vacuous magazine, the Women’s Weekly. “Sir” Robert Jones? He’s unpleasant, cantankerous, and often physically violent. Linda Clark hinted the other day that Jones “behaved very badly” during this show; perhaps he will actually “do a Rod Vaughan” on Ron Mark or Simon O’Connor. Louise Wright is probably safe, though—even “Sir” Robert would probably not punch a woman on television. Ron Mark is notorious as a vacuous motormouth who has that rare ability to keep talking, even though he is actually saying nothing that makes sense. His too long tenure in parliament was marked by only one thing: his extraordinarily lengthy, anacoluthonic masterpieces during Question Time. Mark evidently considered himself to be quite clever. As anyone who listened to his questions, or managed to sit through last night’s program will know, he is anything but. In contrast to those three, Simon O’Connor, Laila Harré and Shane Jones should perform reasonably well.
So the choice of Wright, Mark and “Sir” Robert is a stark demonstration that the producers have absolutely no commitment to producing a serious show. Perhaps, though, the “talent” will confound us….
Actually, Louise Wright does exactly that, when she deals to the dreadful old property millionaire. She is vapouring on interminably about the love New Zealanders have for the Queen, and the great affection the Queen has for New Zealanders, when this happens…
SIR ROBERT JONES:[scowling and spluttering] Arrrrrghhhh! You would have been big on DOLLS when you were a little girl!
There is an uncomfortable silence. Just as animals in the wild can sense when a creature is rabid, the audience has quickly divined that Jones is slightly unhinged. Linda Clark dutifully breaks the tension…
LINDA CLARK:[nervously] Ha ha ha ha ha! AUDIENCE:[hesitantly] Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! LOUISE WRIGHT:[icily] Your charm is exceeded only by your beauty. SIR ROBERT JONES: Arrrrrrrrggghhhh! Harrrumph! [He scowls and slumps into a resentful, glowering silence.]
For the rest of the program, Sir Robert mostly retreats into his shell. He has been upstaged and humiliated by not only a woman, but the editor of a woman’s magazine. For someone who labors under the ridiculous impression that he is an antipodean Evelyn Waugh, that is a catastrophic humiliation. Occasionally he will emerge from his glowering silence to snarl out angrily, “Arrrrrgggghhhh!”, “Pass the vomit bucket!” and “That’s ridiculous, RIDICULOUS!”
Perhaps the funniest thing Sir Robert says all night—funny because he is absolutely serious—is when he utters a threat: “You all heard that, there’s a defamation suit going out next week!” and then waved his arms in angry dismissal of the whole assembly. For a more disturbing display of pathetic, even heart-rending anger, you’d have to watch Twelfth Night, with the humiliated Malvolio swearing, “I’ll be revenged on the lot o’ you!”
The rest of the program was, as I suspected it would be, simply dreadful. Ron Mark has gotten even more full of himself since leaving parliament. Now he sports a natty Van Dyke, which somehow serves to underline his glibness and vacuousness. He embarked on one of his trademark wandery locutions, and would not have stopped if Linda Clark had not intervened. As Mark rambled on, Jones buried his head in his hands.
DUNCAN GARNER: Are you saying we should throw out everything from England, Shane? SHANE JONES: No I’m not. I’m talking about an organic set of changes. DUNCAN GARNER: Well what does THAT mean? “An organic set of changes”.
After that, there is an especially witless exchange between Guyon Espiner and Ron Mark, mercifully broken up by the ever cheerful “moderator”…. LINDA CLARK: All right! Let’s cut it there! LOTS to think about when we come back….
After the break, Sir Robert Jones is back on the warpath. Having failed against the woman, he sets his sights on the youthful National MP for Tamaki, Simon O’Connor…. SIR ROBERT JONES:[dyspeptic, choking on bile] He’s wearing BROWN SHOES, for God’s sake! AUDIENCE:[uneasily] Ha ha ha ha ha! SIR ROBERT JONES: You’re a thirty-five-year-old octogenarian! If you are the future of the National Party, then—- arrrrrrrggghhh! AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha! SIR ROBERT JONES: This is NONSENSE! The question is ABSURD! [choke, splutter, snarl] Arrrrrrgggghhhh. It’s ABSURD! LINDA CLARK: Pause! Just PAUSE!
….Advertising…..
Sir Robert Jones’ epically funny meltdown was cringe-inducingly bad, but someone even more pathetic was to come. Regular listeners to Jim Mora’s Panel and Larry Lackwit Williams’ dire Huddle segment on NewstalkZB will have recognized the hapless figure that featured next: Tim Watkin unconvincingly pretending to “work the phones”, frenetically updating viewers on the “live voting”—no numbers ever supplied— for the New Zealand “Head of State” if we ever became independent: “A lot of votes for Mateparae, lots for Apiata….” he shouts breathlessly, as if he’s in the middle of a conflagration in a war zone. As Watkin spews out this garbage, he is backed by urgent music, to underline the high drama of the occasion. Then it’s back to the top-level debate….
SIR ROBERT JONES: Look, I don’t want to be unkind, so I’ll just be FACTUAL. Look, most of them are quite STUPID! AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha! SIMON O’CONNOR: Look, Prince Charles earned hundreds of millions of pounds last year for charity. He is a man who LOVES New Zealand. He has promoted New Zealand wool…. SIR ROBERT JONES: Arrrrrrgggghhhh! AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha! LINDA CLARK: Ha ha ha ha ha! Sir Robert, you’re like that grumpy old bastard from the Muppets! AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha! LINDA CLARK: I was tempted to come down and do a Rod Vaughan on you! AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!
At the end of the program, all the voting is tallied up—-no actual numbers given, mind you—-and the pro-monarchy side has triumphed by 59 percent to 41. Nobody is surprised.
DUNCAN GARNER: I’m going to continue the debate on my Radio Live Drive program tomorrow. Thanks for watching The Vote. GUYON ESPINER: Good night!
This government is contracting out more and more of essential state services. It really is to the point to ask if the government is doing this because of these malpractices that boost profit.
Fraud, cherry picking ….
AS IF we haven’t been through it ALL before. (User pays in the health system during the 90s – for example).
Dear dear ole Helen had SUCH an opportunity in her third term to reverse some of those ills. It’s a shame she chose to have a lay down and a cuppa – it gave the likes of the ABC a foot in the door.
Now Labour are wondering why the masses are ditching them.
– Having a lay down in the third term
– 3rd Wayism
– Losing the principles on which they were founded (and that allowed most of them their careers)
– Continued sense of having ‘payed their dues’ and entitlement – all the while forgetting that they were ‘elected representatives’ (quaint idea I know).
$250, $225, $220, $215, $195, $175, $165, $150….hundreds of independents, all just chewing up Auckland dime!
Even some administrators around $100ph
Of course, once you map out the relationships, and all the alumni, it becomes clear that council, is run over by corporate types, most with no public sector experience what ever, and many only recently arrived in NZ!
The best way to honour Nelson Mandela would be to do what he used to do: struggle for justice. For instance, you might like to drop a line to New Zealand’s best journalist, John Stephenson, who is currently battling in court against the New Zealand Army, which has slandered him. Or you might sign up for this petition…. http://www.bradleymanning.org/featured/nyt-ad
Suggesting that John Key, who is the absolute antithesis of Mandela, “do something to celebrate Mandela’s achievements” is utterly inane.
Morrissey
Okay. You have been working so hard exposing the triviality of some on our airwaves probably you’ve got overheated. Turn off and drop out for a while. Did you listen to the clip link I put up for Bob Dylan and the lyrics too?
Forget the morality, worry about the ACCENT
Noelle McCarthy on the case
On today’s edition of The Panel, Noelle McCarthy chortles, they will be talking about Benedict Cumberpatch’s new movie role: as Julian Assange. What is exercising McCarthy’s mind is not whether this is another hatchet job on Assange, which is what a serious and intelligent journalist would be concerned about. No, what Noelle McCarthy is worrying about is whether or not Cumberpatch can do a passable Australian accent.
And don’t expect any intelligent or humane contributions from Zoe Ferguson, Chris Trotter or Lisa Scott, either. Ferguson is as determinedly frivolous and as reflexively right wing as Susan Baldacci, and as for Trotter and Scott, well, here’s how they went last time they were on the programme…. http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-14062013/#comment-648511
As you read these transcripts, or sacrifice valuable time listening to their witless witterings, just remember that this is where YOUR tax money is going.
the company has tipped its hand and shown us the dark side of a culture where books are only available in electronic form. If the WhisperNet service from Kindle allows the company to delete books silently from your device, what other information might they have access to? Can the company monitor what you’re reading and when – and then hand that over to law enforcement? Can it replace a book file with a different file whose content is changed?
In the world of today, that final question "Can it replace a book file with a different file whose content is changed? "is a largely overlooked concern. Who regularly checks all their folders to see if any contents have changed? A recent spring cleaning of storage devices of various ages was an excellent reminder of how much data a person can collect. Even legally acquired/created data quickly piles up to the point there is no way a person will be able to reliably track what it is in their possession. (Add illegal movies and tunes into that mix and it is even more challenging)
History is written by the *winners*, nothing has changed, other than now, those who control history, can re-write it or delete it, and no one will realize!
We are in the very dangerous time of existence, which so many are blinded by the gadget bling, they simply can’t see where its all going to finish up.
Once life is fully digital, its good night from me, and its goodnight from him!
Just heard Matthew Hooton on the radio saying if the Pakeha Party gets into the game they’ll be taking votes from Winston Peters.
lolz. 50,000 facebook likes didn’t come from NZ First supporters you fool.
Would anyone like to hazard a guess which party the large numbers of i’m-all-right-jack, middle nz, anti-treaty, it’s-pc-gawn-mad, one-law-for-all, casually racist bbq dickheads have voted for in the last, oh let’s say three elections?
What I find concerning is that it’s the third consecutive RM fall for Labour (even if still above 30). Haven’t previously had consecutive falls this term. Although the descent seems to be slowing, so we’ll see, but it’s still concerning.
Well, I suppose I have a little happiness matrix regarding election2014:
🙂 🙂 🙂 Optimum outcome is a Lab/grn coalition under Shearer, just to laugh at the chicken littles.
.
🙂 🙂 Second-tier result is lab/grn coalition under someone else (C/R/who gives a shit). You’d be insufferable, but the nats would be out.
.
:)Third-tier is lab/grn/nz1 govt under anyone.
.
🙁 🙁 Fourth-tier (and first negative) result is Nat govt with Labour campaigning under C. I’d be insufferable, but the nats would be a third term govt.
.
🙁 🙁 🙁 Worst result is a nat govt with Labour campaigning under S. A third nat term and you’d be insufferable.
… and I suppose it’s never occurred to some of the Labs that they might start getting more traction by actually calling the Government to account for its incompetence, instead of indulging in an orgy of tragic butthurt because their favourite missed out on the Party Leader job…
Hang on Daveosaurus – its all those pro-Shearer Labour MPs who are NOT taking on the Nats, and who should be – that’s the real problem with the Labour caucus
Two options:
A) whine on the internet and pass as much ammunition as possible to the greasy cetacean and his ilk; or
B) use one’s political brilliance by caning the branch selection process and winning a seat to show the sluggards how it’s done.
It would appear that very few commenters here have chosen method B.
Look at posts on The Standard. Every day around 80% of posts are bleating on about real or imaginary faults of the National Government.
Left leaning folks use every opportunity to bag Key and his ‘cronies.’
Sadly though this is all preaching to the faithful.
The general public aren’t buying the bleating so it is ineffective and much hot air.
This is primarily why 2014 will go to Key and then the divided (and reduced) Labour caucus will flap around like fish out of water trying to decide how they lost election number 3.
I think you are all a callus bunch of dreamers , leave Shearer alone he and his party are doing a grand job.
With the labour getting on so with the greens our futures are all secure .
This combination will get the result they truly deserve at the next election .
Earths atmosphere is already loaded with radio active isotopes, its only lies and such which keeps people from understanding the real danger we have been in, since science began earth, sea and sky with nuclear weapons!
Thousands of detonations over many decades, add chernobyl, etc!
ABRE has the potential to create 21,000 high value engineering and manufacturing jobs; maximize the UK’s access to a conservatively estimated £13.8 billion launcher market over the next thirty years; and provide economic benefits from spill-over technology markets.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, we need our own, government funded, space program.
The massive amount of resources and people we have sitting idle would tend to indicate that we could do the space program while also addressing those other areas. Funding really isn’t the problem – government just needs to create the money, spend it and possibly raise taxes slightly.
I’m not for the idea of developing a highly toxic, polluting industry for the sake of importing lots of printed overseas dollars, and which does little (or nothing) to help us adapt to climate change or fossil fuel depletion. There’s got to be a better way.
1.) It’s not highly polluting if you do it properly
2.) I really couldn’t care less about the imported dollars but while we’re trading in the world then we actually do need them
3.) Last time I looked James Hansen was employed by NASA so I’d say that there was a high probability that a space program would help us adapt to climate change
There’s got to be a better way.
Perhaps you’d prefer it if we went back to living in caves?
In a “Rejoinder to Noam Chomsky” in early October, Christopher Hitchens put up two sentences regarding my own writing, as follows:
“Mr. Herman has moved from opposing the bombing of Serbia to representing the Milosevic regime as a victim and as a nationalist peoples democracy. He has recently said, in a ludicrous attack on me, that the ‘methods and policies’ of the Western forces in Kosovo were ‘very similar’ to the tactics of Al-quaeda; an assertion that will not surprise those who are familiar with his style.”
This packs a lot of misrepresentation into two sentences. Nowhere in my writings have I ever used any one of the three words “nationalist peoples democracy” to describe the Milosevic regime and never would, so Hitchens’ language is straightforward fabrication and misrepresentation. For Hitchens I must be an apologist for Milosevic because I have “opposed the bombing of Serbia,” just as one might be called an apologist for Saddam Hussein for objecting to the “sanctions of mass destruction.” But of course he is not an apologist for NATO and Bill Clinton for supporting the bombing of Serbia.
Notice also that he speaks of my making the “Milosevic regime” the “victim” of NATO bombing rather than the people of that regime. But I have never focused my sympathy on the regime as victim, just the people killed, injured and traumatized. Imagine how Hitchens would assail for outrageous insensitivity to the real civilians massacred an individual who spoke sarcastically of somebody being bothered by the recent New York/Washington attacks which only “victimized” the “Bush and capitalist regimes.”
Hitchens says that I equate the tactics of Al-Quaeda with those of the Western forces “in Kosovo.” But the text that he is criticizing was comparing the attack on civilians in New York and Washington with the systematic NATO bombing of civilian facilities in SERBIA, not the military operations in Kosovo. In both the attacks on New York/Washington and Serbia, civilian “collateral damage” was either entirely acceptable or positively desired. In the Serbia bombing case there is solid evidence that the destruction of civilian facilities and inevitable civilian deaths and injuries were planned for and seen as positive….
Christopher Hitchens is/was a common prostitute to the ruling money class.
One of these people who are so flakey as to be “look at me look at me” wahanui Trots’ and Commies early on and then jump heaps of fences clear to the other side of the political spectrum. Announcing their arrival with redoubled tino wahanui as though no one’s noticed. Classic con-men/women. For example Rob Campbell…….Progressive Youth Movement back in the day……..latterly a seriously malevolent right wing Ports of Auckland schemer.
I must have got it wrong but I thought the unappealing egomaniac Hitchens died a couple of years ago. If you want some fun have a look on YouTube at the debate at some US university – Hard out George Galloway and Mr Pompous Narcissist Hitchens.
Beautiful ! In keeping with the narcissism Hitchens thought he’d won. HaHaHa !
I thought the unappealing egomaniac Hitchens died a couple of years ago.
He did indeed, but not before writing a particularly stupid autobiography. It looks like the poor fellow spent most of his last few months trying to get even with all those who had humiliated him over the last shameful decade of his life.
And by the way, no one considered that Hitchens got the better of Galloway in that epic confrontation in 2005. The person who, more than anyone else, realized that Galloway had vanquished him was Hitchens himself.
That laughable autobiography of his fires a few limp shots at Galloway, but I think even as he composed his bilious and dishonest prose, the dying Hitchens realized he was flogging a dead horse.
I recommend it if you want a good laugh, or indeed, a melancholy look at what happens to the venal and unfeasibly self-important.
National education data shows schools are not meeting the ambitious targets set by the government as part of its better public service targets…
Just what does Hekia hope to glean from these figures? Apparently she said the data was for regions to look at and understand. Well she could start by telling the journalists to provide us with some accurate data. (Apart from the percentage of children who can stand on their heads while reciting the magna carta and drink through a straw.
Take a look at the national standards for these central regions. They have an awful symmetry about them.
Manawatu – Wanganui:
National standards 2012:
Reading – 77.4 per cent
Maths – 73.6 per cent
Writing – 70 per cent
and Wellington:
and Tasman:
and Marlborough:
and Nelson:
and West Coast:
and Canterbury:
and Otago:
Exactly the same figures for them all … lazy journalism, bad cut and paste, or meaningless data.
The schools warned that she would misuse the data and this is obviously a starter.
In the round this is at least a moral win for Stephenson……….”the authorities” have had to admit that the ShonKey Python style of governance, the stock bizo ……. “deny and mock” ……. is shit.
Just hope he’s able to negotiate David’s legal costs being met by Goliath. Otherwise it’s a case of them cynically calling him a liar………he goes to court to force them to admit that he’s not, they admit they were wrong and they finally admit he’s not a liar like they said, then it costs him his entire worth.
Lives in Parnell..so well out of South Auckland, then. Indeed as he admits himself, he now lives among the wealthiest. Hope they have not put him up to split the Pacific Island vote and let a wingnut in.
Apparently a recent drone crash in the US was that of a QF-4. Its a full size Phantom F-4 jet fighter kitted out to be flown remotely from the ground. This makes me wonder what other full size jet planes they can fly remotely…
This makes me wonder what other full size jet planes they can fly remotely…
Any and all. All they need is the plane to have fly-by-wire and it’s easy to convert. If it doesn’t then it’d be slightly harder.
BTW, those military drones aren’t small. One of the bigger ones mentioned is described as having the wingspan of a 727. It’s not as big as a 727 but pictures I’ve seen of them would indicate that it’s bigger than a Beechcraft Baron.
They’ve been flying QF-4s for years. They’re basically just a supersonic target, following a line begun years ago and passing through the Queen Bee, a drone Tiger Moth (which certainly lacked fly by wire). They don’t have any of the offensive capabilities or autonomy found in Obama’s latest toys.
Drones can be as big as they like. They typically make them big enough to do the job, and no bigger. They start at about the size of a mosquito, which obviously won’t have much range or payload.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17072013/#comment-664319
I posted this overnight, but reckon it’s worth doing again. McDonalds agrees workers require two jobs to to make a living in the U.S. …
According to their helpful budget you can work two jobs and
Take a look at this Bloomberg article from last year to check the difference between the $8m and then some CEO and the plight of the minimum wage workers that increases shareholder profits for him.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/07/16-5
Though on a smaller scale. Our own military and security agencies are just as complicit in these crimes. The efforts of one of our own top journalists to expose our complicity is met by deliberate counter efforts by NZ military commanders to smear and cast him cast him as a liar. What Defence Force Chief Lietenant General Rhys Jones and the like are frightened of, are that following the revelations revealed by Jon Stephenson, are that Kiwi versions of Brandon Toy, Edward Snowden, and Bradly Manning within our own military, security and surveillance agencies will be moved to also put down their rifles and speak out.
Reading the defence force press releases and statements in court reveals inconssitencies and backtracking in their testimony that speak of deliberate lying. Jon Stephenson deserves the full amount of compensation he is seeking as a lesson to the deliberate liars and defenders of our role in torture and abuse and assault on civil liberties here and around the world.
So our defence force spoke to the CRU colonel, who they claim denied that he was interviewed by Stephenson. Yet now, despite this unequivocal statement, admit that Stephenson probably did talk to him. If they had actually talked with the CRU colonel as they claimed, they would have known that what they now admit was “probably” true, was actual fact all along.
Here you go folks!
Those of us who have announced our candidacy for Auckland Mayor, were each given 300 words by the NZ Herald to explain why people should vote for us.
(I’ve listed the Auckland Mayoral candidates alphabetically.)
Split vote could lead to close mayoral contest
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10899525
Why you should vote for me: Penny Bright
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10899523
Why you should vote for me: Len Brown (incumbent)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10899535
Why you should vote for me: John Minto
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10899529
Why you should vote for me: John Palino
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10899534
Why you should vote for me: Uesifili Unasa
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10899531
Cheers!
‘Her Warship’ 😉
Penny Bright
http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz/
Thanks Penny I enjoyed reading all of those.
Len – as usual is all about him
Uesifili – good stuff about southern auckland and diversity
John Minto – great points, well made
John Palino – interesting how he made the same general points as John Minto but somehow I think his motivation is different
Penny – you were certainly the only one talking about the stuff you talked about
for sure Auckland will get the mayor they deserve.
Even the top ten highest paid actors are men. What a coincidence.
http://nz.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/article/-/18029478/robert-downey-jr-named-highest-paid-actor/
So what? The industry pays actors what they think they’re worth which is why the porn industry pays women more.
[citation needed]
Wow, such insight. It needs no citation, it is unfortunately true throughout the industry. But it is certainly not a so what moment, the fact that, in gender ratios, the two lists would be the complete opposite, is not a slam dunk moment Winnie. Back to school and up your national standards before we drug test you at your own expense for being such a numpty.
The Iron Man series of films have been blockbusters. Unfortunately, films with female leads often fail to lead annual box office charts. That suggests a whole other set of issues. Including the fact that female leads in movies are usually younger than male leads and get paid less.
That and you picked an exclusive male only list, Mary. Forbes does another list for “actresses”.
I did have a chortle when you pointed that out because I hadn’t realised. In any case, though, it’s still interesting that the top eight are still men:
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mfl45gdgh/angelina-jolie-30-million/
There’s no doubt that the whole industry is skewed towards “leading men” in the movies. The way they make the real big bucks is by getting a % of the box office takings. In the case of films like Iron Man that means big ongoing pay packets after a film is released.
Even in ensemble films like The Avengers, women are typically paid less.
Generally, in recent decades, Hollywood movies predominantly target a (fairly young) male audience:
It’s thought that, when women go to the movies with men (eg on dates), it’s the male choice that tends to dominate.
In contrast, TV is seen as more of a medium that attracts women – being mostly viewed in the domestic sphere – that is why soap opera formats have been strong. Soap operas originally targeted housewives. In the later part of the 20th century, many TV genres included a “soap” element (focused on relationships and human behaviour). So ongoing dramas of all sorts tend to have that kind of an element included. Ditto “reality TV” etc.
Thats what happens when ideology meets the real world because I’m guessing you think its wrong that female actors arn’t paid as much as male actors.
The studios are there to make money and they give people what they they want and this is what they want.
Most (but not all of course) movies wouldn’t make as much money if the male leads were replaced by females.
Are you sure about that or is it your inbuilt sexism talking?
A smile always rises when any group of humans gets all hot under the collar because their “culture” or their “heritage” or their “tradition” gets told to sharpen up as it is today inappropriate inhumane abusive racist sexist etc.
Latest example being Poland banning Halal and Kosher slaughtering of animals. The Jews are getting all hot under the collar bleating like the entire world is after them. The Muslims are…. well, don’t know because the news article concentrated on the Jews.
Never mind the poor animals eh. Culture and tradition must survive.
Culture and tradition is very often like a big vast empty tub into which anything can be tossed, worthy or otherwise.
And just as often culture, tradition and heritage are just euphemisms for religion, because the latter is meant to be kept out of politics, so can’t be openly cited as the ‘reason’ for opposition.
You can be rest assured that whilst their response has not been reported, Muslims are strapping on the bomb vests as we speak.
well, that comment did not improve my impression of you, KK*.
Hes not probably not wrong though, plenty of naive, misguided fools well be whipped into a frenzy over this
Really? What are you planning to do?
KK shows his age and breeding yet again.
It’s quite clear to me you have no idea what you are talking about. Kosher slaughter specifies that animals must be slaughtered with “respect and compassion”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shechita
Nor does Halal slaughter cause any more and possibly less trauma than other practices
http://www.mustaqim.co.uk/halalstudy.htm
Also, given neither Jews or Muslims eat pork, that creates a whole category of cruel and inhumane farming practices that both are entirely innocent of. Nor does the flowing of blood and unconsciousness suggest any more suffering than death by electrocution or a clumsy bolt to the brain.
You also seem to be ignoring the rather unhappy history of the Jews in Poland, and that they might have a point about people being out to get them – precedence and all.
Still, now I can add to the list of things VTO doesn’t like:
Gays wanting to get married
South Island Maori land owners
Jews eating.
Muslims eating.
Carry on.
I’m no expert on animal slaughter so I’ll leave that well alone.
However vto saying people shouldn’t slaughter animals in a certain way is not at all the same thing as saying people shouldn’t eat.
It’s that same old set/subset/superset thing you often have so much trouble with.
Well either you are denying them religious freedom or you are condemning them to vegetarianism, based almost entirely on some very dubious views about the cruelty of a practice. Poland, for example, has, along with Italy, ignored EU regualtions against battery farming http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/03/egg-producers-challenge-imported-battery
and other practices
http://www.ciwf.org.uk/news/beef_and_dairy_farming/polish_investigation_reveals_cruelty.aspx
So I can only conclude that these Polish law changes are motivated by bigotry, and vto’s cheering them on is only making him/her/it complicit in that bigotry.
“Well either you are denying them religious freedom or you are condemning them to vegetarianism”
I’m doing neither actually Pop. As I stated, I don’t know enough about animal slaughter to have much of an opinion.
Take the emotive language out (condemning?? You fucking drama queen), and all vto is saying is that religious freedom should not supersede animal welfare.
It’s a far fucking cry from saying they should not eat.
So you admit you haven’t got a clue about the practice that supposedly should not trump animal welfare and are just arguing for the sake of arguing. You’re no better – you are trying to impose another set of beliefs on another by pretending it’s somehow more ethical when you have admitted a priori you have no idea whether this is the case or not.
I have made a clear case that halal and kosher slaughter is no more and possibly less stressful on the animal than other more widely used methods. I have demonstrated the hypocrasy of th elaw change given Poland actually flauts EU animal welfare laws in the secular context. I am arguing from the specific example vto is gloating over, not some abstract hypothetical situation.
“you are trying to impose another set of beliefs on another by pretending it’s somehow more ethical when you have admitted a priori you have no idea whether this is the case or not.”
No, I’m not. I simply don’t have a view on it.
As I’ve explained very clearly twice already, my comments have nothing whatsoever to do with halal/kosher issues in any way shape or form.
My comments are purely about your misrepresentation of vto’s comment, as it’s an example of something you do here with monotonous regularity.
Your repeated misrepresentations of mine on this topic are illustrating the point beautifully, thank you.
Oh poppet, you’ve got me all wrong. I’m not misprepresenting your arguments at all, I’m just not fucking interested in them because all you are doing is trying to derail my small, simple truth that in this case the law change may very well be religious persecution and vto shouldn’t be so quick to gloat.
VTO said something I found repellant – I proceeded to show why using his Polish example. You don’t like me, so you attack on sight even though you “simply don’t have a view on it”. Business as usual. Fuck off you addlepated carbuncle.
If you used that tiny little brain it might occur to you that if kosher or halal food is not available, Jews and Muslims are forbidden to eat it, THEY CAN NOT EAT IT – am I getting through? It sounds very much like a ploy to force them out altogether.
Of course you’re getting through. I never had any trouble understanding you, it’s just that you’re objectively wrong.
Not eating halal meat =/= not eating.
Now you don’t have to like that but it’s a fucking fact, so how about you behave like an adult and argue with what vto actually said for once in your life.
So they should become vegetarians?
No, if you can’t actually comprehend that a Muslim is about as emotionally able to eat non-halal meat as you are of eating one of your own children roasted, I’m going to ignore you. It’s a mortal sin, taboo. And lamb and goat in particular are central to the cuisines of most Muslim nations. I’m sorry you can’t grasp that some people are not prepared to give up a central element of their culture and their very core identity just to please bigots, or in your case stubborn dickheads who think you can be empirical about ethics – it’s a matter of human rights.
None of that is relevant to my comments in any way whatsoever.
For the fourth time (ffs) my only concern is that you accused vto of saying muslims and jews shouldn’t eat, and that’s blatantly objectively self-evidently bleeding-obviously a lie.
If you read closely Pop and stop letting your amazing knowledge of everything in the entire world getting in the way of your brain, you will see that I used this as an example of the absolute hubris and bullshit that gets tossed into the overused tub of culture and tradition from time to time… In this instance the apparently barbaric manner of animal slaughter that is involved in halal and kosher slaughter.
Nothing more nothing less.
But don’t let that stop you from adding all of that other crappola you have added in your above posts. You seem to confuse knowledge and understanding…
But really I suspect it was the Jewish connection that got you wasn’t it. Objectivity eh, such a tricky thing to master..
What’s so “barbaric” about halal/kosher methods of slaughter?
It’s routinely done in NZ, in accordance with animal welfare guidelines.
ask the poles
You’re the one who framed it here as a conflict between animal welfare and cultural practise.
No I didn’t, that is what the poles did, according to the media article. I merely passed comment on the poison that variously gets dumped into the culture and heritage tip across all peoples. I used the pole example as an example.
And it is true.
Some cultural traditions are horribly sexist, some are racist, some are barbaric.
But yes maybe you and pop are right and culture and tradition trumps everything, no matter the effects on other peoples and living organisms on this wee planet, as pop says here ……. ” I’m sorry you can’t grasp that some people are not prepared to give up a central element of their culture and their very core identity just to please bigots, or in your case stubborn dickheads who think you can be empirical about ethics – it’s a matter of human rights.”
You see mcflock? It is all about us. Fuck everyone else. As Pop said one other time – get in first because if you don’t then someone else will. I mean, that’s right isn’t it. Go hard, go first, we’ve got the bomb and all that ………
the MO becomes very clear. Especially in Pop’s case.
Which and whose cultural traditions are racist?
sorry, I ended up going out for the night.
You made that argument here. And repeated it. No source, no reasoning as to why kosher or halal slaughter is more cruel than standard industrial practises, nothing. Pop has provided several links, you provided nothing. And yet you still argue that it’s a case of “culture and tradition trumps everything, no matter the effects on other peoples and living organisms”.
mcflock, where did I say I agree with the poles that halal and kosher slaughter is barbaric, or inhumane, or should that be inanimale?
The Poles have banned those slaughters on those particular grounds. I merely passed comment on the reaction to it by jewish and muslim communities and their treasured traditions – on the fact that at times peoples get upset when out of date traditions etc get told to change with the times.
Do you see? The comment was made on the reaction to the issue, not the actual issue. Comprehendez vous?
I am merely pointing out that you chose to comment on the issue that “at times peoples get upset when out of date traditions etc get told to change with the times”, rather than the issue that sometimes nations use enlightened justifications to impose restrictions on the cultural expressions and practices of minority groups (animal welfare in this case, women’s rights and secularism in France regarding hijab, and visual resource management in Switzerland regarding minarets), but upon examination the enlightened pretext doesn’t hold up nearly so much as a desire by parts of the majority culture to limit the expression of others.
Given that you have presented no basis for preferring one perspective over the other, I merely asked if there was some basis for your choice to do so.
It appears not.
Kiaora vto
Its been a long time since you have written something sufficiently annoying enough to cause me to respond. How we kill animals in this country is neither humane nor animal focused. The utilitarian benefit we attach to animals translates to mechanised slaughtering on such a massive scale that the NZ animal welfare code reads like a horror tale.
As it happens, New Zealand is, apparently, one of the world’s largest exporters of halal sheep meat in the world. Your culture and tradition obviously continues to suffer from delusions of moral superiority.
You see the problem Adele is that people so often misread, make assumptions and see things in posts that are not there and are not even remotely commented on. Your post is a classic example of this.
Who said anything about New Zealand’s morality in this issue? Not me. That is your assumption, mis-reading, lack of focus…..
In fact to the contrary, what you say there enforces the point I originally made.
’til next time
Kiaora, vto
My apologies for taking so long to get back to you. Lets me count the ways that your missives ever say what they mean:
.
.
.
–
Perhaps you should take up knitting instead.
Kiaora Adele
Haven’t read you lately. You always have something stern to bring us into line. Probably needed. Like your icon. It’s a particularly attractive koru I think.
I guess you are vegetarian? Killing things is never noble. How should we kill our animals?
Kiaora, Rose-tinted
I am an avowed meat eater although I remain conflicted in terms of liking pigs and loving pork.
I kill fish, my female boss shoots ducks, my sister works in the bush and hunts pigs. My dad and uncle owned butcher shops.
I have recently moved back to my turangawaewae in the East Coast of the North Island and it appears that the only household that doesn’t have a gun is Tame Iti’s.
Killing animals is not the issue. Its western society fooling itself that it is more humane in its killing practices in comparison to other cultures that would rather confront the death of an animal face on than to sanitise the reality through mechanised killing factories.
Humbug Corner
No. 18: RACHEL SMALLEY
“Coming up: heartbreak all over New South Wales as Queensland wins the deciding State of Origin!”
—Rachel Smalley tries to talk up the world’s most boring two-horse race.
TV3 Firstline, 8.15 a.m., Thursday 18 July 2013
Humbug Corner is dedicated to gathering, and highlighting, the most striking examples of faux solicitude, insincere apologies, and particularly stupid recycling of official canards. It is produced by the Insincerity Project®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
More humbugs….
No. 17 Jay Carney: ““He is not a human rights activist, he is not a dissident.”
No. 16 Barack Obama: “I wish Muslims across America & around the world a month blessed with the joys of family, peace & understanding.”
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11072013/#comment-661330
No.15 John Key: “They know this is an issue of national security…”
No. 14 Charles Saatchi: “I abhor violence of any kind against women…”
No. 13 Toyota New Zealand: “The more Kiwis that lean, the more motivated our ETNZ crew will be to win.”
No. 12 Pem Bird: “We’re there to do the business of advancing our people.”
No.11 Whenua Patuwai: “They’re my brothers and to see one of them goes [sic]—it’s tough.”
No. 10 [REMOVED]
No. 9 [REMOVED]
No. 8 Barack Obama: “…people standing up for what’s right…yearning for justice and dignity…” No. 7 Barack Obama: “Nelson Mandela is my personal hero…”
No. 6 John Key: “Yeah well the Greens’ answer to everything is rail, isn’t it.”
No.5 Dr. Rodney Syme: “If you want good, open, honest practice, you have to make it transparent.”
No. 4 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton’s… integrity beyond reproach…such great character…”
No. 3 Dean Lonergan: “Y’ know what? The only people who will mock them are people who are dwarfists.”
No. 2 Peter Dunne: “What a load of drivel and sanctimonious humbug…”
No. 1 Dominic Bowden: “It’s okay to be speechless.”
🙄
Populuxe1 will no doubt be joining in the campaign against THIS whistleblower
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-17/mugabe-offers-243002c000-for-outing-of-anonymous-whistleblower/4824498
Unless he’s a canting hypocrite, of course.
Why would I do that? I know nothing about him, his politics, or his motivations. However I suspect his actions will have far greater impact on basic human rights and freedoms more sorely needed than those of Bonnie Prince Snowden. Of course, the main difference is that the US government needs to keep its shenanigans secret from its public whereas Mugabe can pretty much steal from and massacre thousands of Zimbabweans with complete impunity – that says rather a lot about your comparison.
Ha! Just as I thought.
You condemn yourself with every craven sentence you write.
I would never normally cite a professional philosophy troll like Slavoj Žižek, but in this instance his take down of Numb Chumpsky nails perfectly the reasons that make you a tosser
http://esjaybe.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/zizeks-response-to-chomsky/
You are out of your depth. You already know that painful fact, of course, but it needs to be said.
Quoting a poseur like Žižek is of no help to your already shattered credibility.
“Numb Chumpsky”? Oh I see what you’re doing! You’re quite the wit.
And yet he’s absolutely right about you and Chomsky – you pretend you are being empirical but really you are just not interested in inconveniently subjective things like context or intent. You are a sad inflexible muppet.
If by “inflexible” you mean “not prepared to abandon all standards of decency and humanity just because the State Department instructs one to” then you are right on the money, my friend.
Actually, that IS what you mean. I am not joking at all here.
Ha! Just as I thought.
You condemn yourself with every craven sentence you write.
…the US government needs to keep its shenanigans secret from its public
Ha! Just as I thought.
You condemn yourself with every craven sentence you write.
For those feeling ennui! about politics and would like to wash the dirty dust off their person – here is someone campaigning for clean water who is 150% sparking compared to the rest of us. He is motivational and we could all do something worthwhile being involved with a campaign like this.
Radionz http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
10:05 Tara Okan – waste water scientist and magician
Tara Okan is a waste water scientist working for DCM Process Control Limited.The company has high-tech machines which can measure the waste products from sewage treatment and industrial plants.
In his spare time he is also a magician. (And that is fascinating too.)
very interesting interview, thanks
Weird letter from a Taliban leader apologising for shooting Malala Yousafzai, but still claiming it was her fault. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/17/taliban-letter-malala-yousafzai
A bit embarrasing for the loon posting here the other day claiming the shooting never happened. Shamed by the Taliban; a world first.
“You made me shoot you”
– Sounds depressingly familiar
We hear it every day from the U.S. president.
Are you still buying this, Voice.
The Teleban leader apologised, what a crock of shite!
You can smell the stench on the Malala story a mile away!
The loons are those taken in by these, stories, which is all they are, fantasy to sucker in the believers!
I don’t have a car and if I go to town at night I usually take a taxi. Most of the time by that hour the drivers are Afaghni, and because I speak a little Pushtun and Farsi I quite often strike up a conversation. Innevitably the story about home and the Taleban is exactly the same – it isn’t a fantasy, it’s all true and very much what life was like under the Taleban. The only loon is you.
Oh, would those be the Afghans who worked as translators? While I’m not blaming them for anything I have to say that those who collaborated with the Germans in Holland during the occupation ended up in jail or covered with tar and feathers and bald if you where a female. Much nicer than the Afghans would deal with the people who had to leave Afghanistan and all they had known for their entire life because the threw in their lot with the invaders.
Pop, notice, I am not saying the Teleban, are/are not for real, or that they are good/bad/ugly.
I am only stating my opinion on this particular point – That is, the Malala story, is piffle!
Designed and timed, for whatever reason, to serve whatever purpose!
When Māori rituals are undertaken without context – misunderstandings and misinformation occurs. Whose job is it to ensure that participants and those involved understand that context? Well I think the iwi do, but the general public don’t and king definitely doesn’t. The Government has a responsibility to help people understand but they don’t and haven’t because it doesn’t add to the divisiveness they require and that has been both labour and national. Now I’m not actually talking about pōwhiri here because that is just the particular battleground on this day and believe it or not Māori have been and are debating and discussing this for quite a while imo.
Interesting to note that King has decided what is best for tangata whenua
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1307/S00226/youth-parliament-gender-segregated-powhiri-wrong.htm
Short answer from me is, get stuffed king, you don’t get to tell tangata whenua what to do.
Great mighty mars. You have to give clear direction to all these middle class women coming from a professional level as they tend to think they know everything and have reached the heights of understanding with only one-way interaction between them and others – downwards from their two and a half pillars of wisdom.
And I mention women because now that many have had the chance to move up from the lower positions once held, they have become more self-satisfied than men because they are so proud of that new achievement.
I can’t tell if you are being serious or sarcastic Rt sorry – imo all inequality is wrong and should be addressed in whatever way it can be by those who suffer from, and advocate for the removal of, that inequality. That includes gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, age and all of the others. But it is not the oppression-olympics and privileged people cannot impose solutions that they like onto other groups less privileged.
Well I’m being serious and not at all sarcastic. And I think your approach is really good. Mighty! It is not for Annette King to impose cultural behaviour in the name of Maori, it should be Maori who approve it. I have heard Maori say that it would be better not to have a powhiri at all rather than do a half-pie version.
This should be a matter for discussion with Maori to find what would be a suitable ritual. If one of the problems is the length of time required for a true powhiri, which sometimes is hard for timetabling that needs a discussion with those concerned.
Cool – I agree with your comment.
Middle class women more “self-satisfied” and arrogantly pontificating,…. than…. whom? Gerry Brownlee? Simon Bridges? Ranting shock jock Laws? etc, etc? Peter Dunne?… etc, etc.
And then there’s Metiria Turei, Jane Kelsey, Anne Salmond….. etc, etc.
Karol, people need to make no mistake, the woman in politics, by and large, are chosen for for certain traits they have, and share many of the male politicians.
One only has to look at the female power players, in NZ and abroad, to see they are every bit, as poor quality, and corrupted as the men.
I know people believe that equality is a path to , well, equality, but thats too simplistic.
Certain types are chosen to rule over us, male/female, make no difference, because its got nothing to do with it, other than keep the little people snapping each others heels…
We gotta get rid of the sociopaths and such like, which means the system, has to go, because the players won’t change!
Oh those wicked women not knowing their place, not gratefully accepting the right to vote and resignedly slinking back off to the kitchen to be seen and not heard /sarc
But it sounds like you’re saying Maori tikanga is dead and static. I always understood it to be adaptive and evolving – you know, a living culture. I don’t know many Maori under the age of 35-40 who would still buy into that gender segregation crap.
Of course it is a living culture and continually evolving – you know that and you know I think that. It isn’t gender segregation – bloody hell why does everything have to be filtered through your particular worldview. The debate is there within Māoridom with strong advocates on all sides. Have you actually considered any of those views? Have you considered for instance that, as some argue, the whole debate about who gets to speak is based on a context where male behaviour is used as the norm against which female behaviour is judged. Or how about the idea that within an oral culture there are many ways to speak not just the obvious one and that women speak in many ways throughout pōwhiri and within a Māori cultural context – but oh it doesn’t fit the ‘right’ way to speak which is based upon an imposed western cultural system which is assumed to be the best way. Anyway there are many other angles and points around this other than the knee-jerk – oh look at the gender segregation. A living culture is able, entitled and obligated to evolve within its own parameters and worldview without interference from those who assume a superiority that isn’t deserved or matched with the realities they create in the world they dominate.
Woman’s mag editor humiliates dyspeptic old sod
“Let’s Ditch the Royals”
The Vote, TV3, Wednesday 17 July 2013, 8:30 p.m.
I swear this dog of a program only ever gets worse. I just cannot sit through the whole vacuous, advertising-larded hour, but here are a few of the “highlights” I garnered from brief looks at last night’s travesty.
For the Moot: Duncan Garner, Louise Wright, Ron Mark, Simon O’Connor
Against the Moot: Guyon Espiner, Laila Harré, “Sir” Robert Jones, Shane Jones
Moderator: Linda Clark
Like a fish, a show rots from the head. Linda Clark has a law degree and is actually quite bright, but you would never know it by watching her on this program. Guyon Espiner might as well not even be there, he’s so disinterested. And Duncan Garner’s sole idea is to shout, “You’re a HYPOCRITE, Sir Bob!” intermittently throughout the hour.
As if Clark, Garner and Espiner aren’t substandard enough, just take a quick gander at the “talent” the hapless producers have lined up for this show. Louise Wright? She’s the particularly vacuous editor of a vacuous magazine, the Women’s Weekly. “Sir” Robert Jones? He’s unpleasant, cantankerous, and often physically violent. Linda Clark hinted the other day that Jones “behaved very badly” during this show; perhaps he will actually “do a Rod Vaughan” on Ron Mark or Simon O’Connor. Louise Wright is probably safe, though—even “Sir” Robert would probably not punch a woman on television. Ron Mark is notorious as a vacuous motormouth who has that rare ability to keep talking, even though he is actually saying nothing that makes sense. His too long tenure in parliament was marked by only one thing: his extraordinarily lengthy, anacoluthonic masterpieces during Question Time. Mark evidently considered himself to be quite clever. As anyone who listened to his questions, or managed to sit through last night’s program will know, he is anything but. In contrast to those three, Simon O’Connor, Laila Harré and Shane Jones should perform reasonably well.
So the choice of Wright, Mark and “Sir” Robert is a stark demonstration that the producers have absolutely no commitment to producing a serious show. Perhaps, though, the “talent” will confound us….
Actually, Louise Wright does exactly that, when she deals to the dreadful old property millionaire. She is vapouring on interminably about the love New Zealanders have for the Queen, and the great affection the Queen has for New Zealanders, when this happens…
SIR ROBERT JONES: [scowling and spluttering] Arrrrrghhhh! You would have been big on DOLLS when you were a little girl!
There is an uncomfortable silence. Just as animals in the wild can sense when a creature is rabid, the audience has quickly divined that Jones is slightly unhinged. Linda Clark dutifully breaks the tension…
LINDA CLARK: [nervously] Ha ha ha ha ha!
AUDIENCE: [hesitantly] Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
LOUISE WRIGHT: [icily] Your charm is exceeded only by your beauty.
SIR ROBERT JONES: Arrrrrrrrggghhhh! Harrrumph! [He scowls and slumps into a resentful, glowering silence.]
For the rest of the program, Sir Robert mostly retreats into his shell. He has been upstaged and humiliated by not only a woman, but the editor of a woman’s magazine. For someone who labors under the ridiculous impression that he is an antipodean Evelyn Waugh, that is a catastrophic humiliation. Occasionally he will emerge from his glowering silence to snarl out angrily, “Arrrrrgggghhhh!”, “Pass the vomit bucket!” and “That’s ridiculous, RIDICULOUS!”
Perhaps the funniest thing Sir Robert says all night—funny because he is absolutely serious—is when he utters a threat: “You all heard that, there’s a defamation suit going out next week!” and then waved his arms in angry dismissal of the whole assembly. For a more disturbing display of pathetic, even heart-rending anger, you’d have to watch Twelfth Night, with the humiliated Malvolio swearing, “I’ll be revenged on the lot o’ you!”
The rest of the program was, as I suspected it would be, simply dreadful. Ron Mark has gotten even more full of himself since leaving parliament. Now he sports a natty Van Dyke, which somehow serves to underline his glibness and vacuousness. He embarked on one of his trademark wandery locutions, and would not have stopped if Linda Clark had not intervened. As Mark rambled on, Jones buried his head in his hands.
DUNCAN GARNER: Are you saying we should throw out everything from England, Shane?
SHANE JONES: No I’m not. I’m talking about an organic set of changes.
DUNCAN GARNER: Well what does THAT mean? “An organic set of changes”.
After that, there is an especially witless exchange between Guyon Espiner and Ron Mark, mercifully broken up by the ever cheerful “moderator”….
LINDA CLARK: All right! Let’s cut it there! LOTS to think about when we come back….
After the break, Sir Robert Jones is back on the warpath. Having failed against the woman, he sets his sights on the youthful National MP for Tamaki, Simon O’Connor….
SIR ROBERT JONES: [dyspeptic, choking on bile] He’s wearing BROWN SHOES, for God’s sake!
AUDIENCE: [uneasily] Ha ha ha ha ha!
SIR ROBERT JONES: You’re a thirty-five-year-old octogenarian! If you are the future of the National Party, then—- arrrrrrrggghhh!
AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!
SIR ROBERT JONES: This is NONSENSE! The question is ABSURD! [choke, splutter, snarl] Arrrrrrgggghhhh. It’s ABSURD!
LINDA CLARK: Pause! Just PAUSE!
….Advertising…..
Sir Robert Jones’ epically funny meltdown was cringe-inducingly bad, but someone even more pathetic was to come. Regular listeners to Jim Mora’s Panel and Larry Lackwit Williams’ dire Huddle segment on NewstalkZB will have recognized the hapless figure that featured next: Tim Watkin unconvincingly pretending to “work the phones”, frenetically updating viewers on the “live voting”—no numbers ever supplied— for the New Zealand “Head of State” if we ever became independent: “A lot of votes for Mateparae, lots for Apiata….” he shouts breathlessly, as if he’s in the middle of a conflagration in a war zone. As Watkin spews out this garbage, he is backed by urgent music, to underline the high drama of the occasion. Then it’s back to the top-level debate….
SIR ROBERT JONES: Look, I don’t want to be unkind, so I’ll just be FACTUAL. Look, most of them are quite STUPID!
AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!
SIMON O’CONNOR: Look, Prince Charles earned hundreds of millions of pounds last year for charity. He is a man who LOVES New Zealand. He has promoted New Zealand wool….
SIR ROBERT JONES: Arrrrrrgggghhhh!
AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!
LINDA CLARK: Ha ha ha ha ha! Sir Robert, you’re like that grumpy old bastard from the Muppets!
AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!
LINDA CLARK: I was tempted to come down and do a Rod Vaughan on you!
AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!
At the end of the program, all the voting is tallied up—-no actual numbers given, mind you—-and the pro-monarchy side has triumphed by 59 percent to 41. Nobody is surprised.
DUNCAN GARNER: I’m going to continue the debate on my Radio Live Drive program tomorrow. Thanks for watching The Vote.
GUYON ESPINER: Good night!
“For the Moot … Against the Moot” – you had a 50% random chance of getting that one right.
For the record, this writer, i.e. moi, is FOR the moot.
I/S is on to it again:
This government is contracting out more and more of essential state services. It really is to the point to ask if the government is doing this because of these malpractices that boost profit.
Fraud, cherry picking ….
AS IF we haven’t been through it ALL before. (User pays in the health system during the 90s – for example).
Dear dear ole Helen had SUCH an opportunity in her third term to reverse some of those ills. It’s a shame she chose to have a lay down and a cuppa – it gave the likes of the ABC a foot in the door.
Now Labour are wondering why the masses are ditching them.
– Having a lay down in the third term
– 3rd Wayism
– Losing the principles on which they were founded (and that allowed most of them their careers)
– Continued sense of having ‘payed their dues’ and entitlement – all the while forgetting that they were ‘elected representatives’ (quaint idea I know).
Yep – it’s time to CUT OUT THE CONTRACTORS!
At both central and local government.
Penny Bright
Good luck with that Penny.
Top independent rates I see around
$250, $225, $220, $215, $195, $175, $165, $150….hundreds of independents, all just chewing up Auckland dime!
Even some administrators around $100ph
Of course, once you map out the relationships, and all the alumni, it becomes clear that council, is run over by corporate types, most with no public sector experience what ever, and many only recently arrived in NZ!
I wonder if Serco are adopting the same sort of practices in running the NZ prison as they are accused of in the UK.
I wonder if Serco are adopting the same sort of practices in running the NZ prison as they are accused of in the UK.
There has been a suggestion that people in South Africa do something for each other or the country to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s great achievements.
I wonder what John Key would provoke or enthuse people to do for each other in NZ.
The best way to honour Nelson Mandela would be to do what he used to do: struggle for justice. For instance, you might like to drop a line to New Zealand’s best journalist, John Stephenson, who is currently battling in court against the New Zealand Army, which has slandered him. Or you might sign up for this petition….
http://www.bradleymanning.org/featured/nyt-ad
Suggesting that John Key, who is the absolute antithesis of Mandela, “do something to celebrate Mandela’s achievements” is utterly inane.
Good job that Rt didn’t suggest that then.
Good job that Rt didn’t suggest that then.
Oh God, I’ve flown off the handle without checking carefully, yet again. Sorry, Rosetinted. I thought you were smarter than that, and you are.
As “Sir” Robert Jones would say: “Arrrrrrrggggghhhh!”
Morrissey
Okay. You have been working so hard exposing the triviality of some on our airwaves probably you’ve got overheated. Turn off and drop out for a while. Did you listen to the clip link I put up for Bob Dylan and the lyrics too?
Morrissey link here for Bob and great poetry I reckon.
http://thestandard.org.nz/sick-bastards/#comment-664450
Thanks for that, Rosetinted. I’ll tune in, drop out and turn on your link.
Forget the morality, worry about the ACCENT
Noelle McCarthy on the case
On today’s edition of The Panel, Noelle McCarthy chortles, they will be talking about Benedict Cumberpatch’s new movie role: as Julian Assange. What is exercising McCarthy’s mind is not whether this is another hatchet job on Assange, which is what a serious and intelligent journalist would be concerned about. No, what Noelle McCarthy is worrying about is whether or not Cumberpatch can do a passable Australian accent.
And don’t expect any intelligent or humane contributions from Zoe Ferguson, Chris Trotter or Lisa Scott, either. Ferguson is as determinedly frivolous and as reflexively right wing as Susan Baldacci, and as for Trotter and Scott, well, here’s how they went last time they were on the programme….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-14062013/#comment-648511
As you read these transcripts, or sacrifice valuable time listening to their witless witterings, just remember that this is where YOUR tax money is going.
Doctor’s advice Morissey:
Don’t listen – you’ll do yourself an injury! I just turned her off after Van Morrison.
Let her pump her ego. It’s all the rage
Don’t listen – you’ll do yourself an injury!
Thanks, Dr. Tim. But I have to listen, and I have to transcribe. It’s a kind of sickness, I know, but I have to do it….
http://io9.com/5317703/amazon-secretly-removes-1984-from-the-kindle
In the world of today, that final question "Can it replace a book file with a different file whose content is changed? "is a largely overlooked concern. Who regularly checks all their folders to see if any contents have changed? A recent spring cleaning of storage devices of various ages was an excellent reminder of how much data a person can collect. Even legally acquired/created data quickly piles up to the point there is no way a person will be able to reliably track what it is in their possession. (Add illegal movies and tunes into that mix and it is even more challenging)
Indeed, Freedom!
History is written by the *winners*, nothing has changed, other than now, those who control history, can re-write it or delete it, and no one will realize!
We are in the very dangerous time of existence, which so many are blinded by the gadget bling, they simply can’t see where its all going to finish up.
Once life is fully digital, its good night from me, and its goodnight from him!
Just heard Matthew Hooton on the radio saying if the Pakeha Party gets into the game they’ll be taking votes from Winston Peters.
lolz. 50,000 facebook likes didn’t come from NZ First supporters you fool.
Would anyone like to hazard a guess which party the large numbers of i’m-all-right-jack, middle nz, anti-treaty, it’s-pc-gawn-mad, one-law-for-all, casually racist bbq dickheads have voted for in the last, oh let’s say three elections?
Anyone?
How many of those “likes” were for trolling purposes, though?
No way of knowing, but I wouldn’t imagine it’s a huge number compared to 50,000.
I’d like to think a lot of that number were just clicking like because they thought it was a laugh and they weren’t really thinking too much about it.
But then I remember 2005…
Latest Roy Morgan is out. National up to 47%, Labour down to 31%, Greens drop 1.5% to 11.5%.
Not good …
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/new-zealand-morgan-poll-july-18-2013-201307180442
Bugger.
What I find concerning is that it’s the third consecutive RM fall for Labour (even if still above 30). Haven’t previously had consecutive falls this term. Although the descent seems to be slowing, so we’ll see, but it’s still concerning.
At least it’ll cheer up CV.
Not fussed mate; I see the true level of support for Labour as sitting around 32%-33% so this falls exactly in line with my expectations +/- 2%.
However once National pile on the pressure in election year (Labour not fit to govern etc.) I expect that figure to drop by quite a bit.
lol
There you are, back to happily predicting another national government.
I’m hoping Robertson uses his sway in caucus to move Shearer on and initiate a leadership primary, instead of letting that Shearer based defeat occur.
Well, I suppose I have a little happiness matrix regarding election2014:
Man, you’re thorough if nothing else, mate.
The Labour Party caucus is a sick man…with constipation
Perfect numbers for the right wing dead wood of Labour who would get to sidle up to Winston and lock themsleves in for another few years…
Coup watch from Duncan Garner about to intensify
And yet you seem to be ignoring that NZF economic policy is well to the left of Labour’s
… and I suppose it’s never occurred to some of the Labs that they might start getting more traction by actually calling the Government to account for its incompetence, instead of indulging in an orgy of tragic butthurt because their favourite missed out on the Party Leader job…
I’ve read that several times but it still doesn’t make any sense.
Who is not calling the government to account? Or, who is?
Who isn’t? All the people who are whining about Shearer when they should be taking on the Nats, that’s who.
Hang on Daveosaurus – its all those pro-Shearer Labour MPs who are NOT taking on the Nats, and who should be – that’s the real problem with the Labour caucus
Under-performing caucus in your opinion?
Two options:
A) whine on the internet and pass as much ammunition as possible to the greasy cetacean and his ilk; or
B) use one’s political brilliance by caning the branch selection process and winning a seat to show the sluggards how it’s done.
It would appear that very few commenters here have chosen method B.
Rubbish that is happening.
Look at posts on The Standard. Every day around 80% of posts are bleating on about real or imaginary faults of the National Government.
Left leaning folks use every opportunity to bag Key and his ‘cronies.’
Sadly though this is all preaching to the faithful.
The general public aren’t buying the bleating so it is ineffective and much hot air.
This is primarily why 2014 will go to Key and then the divided (and reduced) Labour caucus will flap around like fish out of water trying to decide how they lost election number 3.
Robertson holds the key to not losing election number 3.
Go Grant!
Go Go GO!!
Let’s do it!!!
Not a surprising result, National have started campaigning and have scored some easy points against a pathetic Labour Leader.
I think you are all a callus bunch of dreamers , leave Shearer alone he and his party are doing a grand job.
With the labour getting on so with the greens our futures are all secure .
This combination will get the result they truly deserve at the next election .
Don’t ya just love it.
Should we be concerned?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/8936213/Steam-rising-from-Fukushima-reactor
The Japanese Government has assured people that they are safe and that the situation is stable and closely monitored.
Who are we to disagree?
No not really.
Earths atmosphere is already loaded with radio active isotopes, its only lies and such which keeps people from understanding the real danger we have been in, since science began earth, sea and sky with nuclear weapons!
Thousands of detonations over many decades, add chernobyl, etc!
No wonder they are replacing there nuclear power stations with coal fired generation , Germany the same.
You can always count on coal.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10899523
Who are members of the Committee for Auckland – who are the real corporate controllers of the Auckland region?
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership/member-organisations
Check for yourself………………
Penny Bright
Does Shearer need a “I’m with Stupid –>” T-shirt?
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2013/07/does-he-mean-the-start-of-the-bbq-season/
Spending time in the sewer is not good for you.
Yes Wolf, but perhaps with the arrow pointing upwards.
ps pay no attention to Lusk, he’s a coward who hides behind a fool.
UK Invests in World’s First Air-Breathing Rocket Engine
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, we need our own, government funded, space program.
Just like our own advanced semiconductor industry? No, I don’t think so.
Got a reason why not?
The massive expense of a space program in light of other areas that are in desperate need of funding is a start.
The massive amount of resources and people we have sitting idle would tend to indicate that we could do the space program while also addressing those other areas. Funding really isn’t the problem – government just needs to create the money, spend it and possibly raise taxes slightly.
They’re always going to object to ideas that create jobs and use our resources for our own advantage.
If you want the likes of TheContrarian to support it you’ll have to find a way to funnel the profits and benefits offshore.
I’m not for the idea of developing a highly toxic, polluting industry for the sake of importing lots of printed overseas dollars, and which does little (or nothing) to help us adapt to climate change or fossil fuel depletion. There’s got to be a better way.
No doubt there is. Perhaps a massive investment in solar energy and catskin farming.
Catskins are renewable and while solar is not, it should be good for another couple of hundred million years.
Damn right it’s renewable. We feed the rats to the cats and the cats to the rats and get the cat skins for nothing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qii5us2lB4
Well,
1.) It’s not highly polluting if you do it properly
2.) I really couldn’t care less about the imported dollars but while we’re trading in the world then we actually do need them
3.) Last time I looked James Hansen was employed by NASA so I’d say that there was a high probability that a space program would help us adapt to climate change
Perhaps you’d prefer it if we went back to living in caves?
Yeah, right. Funnel money offshore. Uh-huh.
Say what? Do some MSM journalists have a sufficient understanding of out political system? Or is the problem off-shore copy editors?
NZ Herald Amelia Wade article on out of control wheel clamping in Mt Roskill:
Or did Phil just switch sides?
Switch sides to what?
Here’s his facebook post.
Of course, neither Goff nor the MSM seem to realise that the actual problem is people using cars to pick up their kids from school.
“Minister” rather than “Member” seems to be the issue.
Ah, missed that 😳
Morgan poll is hardly surprising. It looks like even Shearer has given up …
https://twitter.com/DavidShearerMP
Did anything happen in July? Apart from government pissing on the law, shafting the poor and other trivial matters?
He lost his phone a few weeks ago. His staff are gonna get another one, no hurry though.
And none of them know how to use Twitter from a computer instead.
Yeah but they have to set up a new twitter account for him. He lost his phone.
And they’ll get him a new phone once they find the insurance policy and make the required claim?
Yep, and if they wait another 6 months they can still get the no-claims bonus for this year.
Long term strategic thinking they call it.
Did they check the Sky City corporate box?
Yeah they found the smashed up remnants of a phone but it was beyond identification.
Looked liked it had been hurled at the wall by a passionate man in a manly fit of passion.
I hope it was just his phone.
Am beginning to feel more despondent for Labour.
Unforgettable Ass-Kickings
No. 1: Ed Herman deals to Christopher Hitchens
Rejoinder To Christopher Hitchens
by EDWARD HERMAN, 25 August 2008
http://www.zcommunications.org/rejoinder-to-christopher-hitchens-by-edward-herman
In a “Rejoinder to Noam Chomsky” in early October, Christopher Hitchens put up two sentences regarding my own writing, as follows:
“Mr. Herman has moved from opposing the bombing of Serbia to representing the Milosevic regime as a victim and as a nationalist peoples democracy. He has recently said, in a ludicrous attack on me, that the ‘methods and policies’ of the Western forces in Kosovo were ‘very similar’ to the tactics of Al-quaeda; an assertion that will not surprise those who are familiar with his style.”
This packs a lot of misrepresentation into two sentences. Nowhere in my writings have I ever used any one of the three words “nationalist peoples democracy” to describe the Milosevic regime and never would, so Hitchens’ language is straightforward fabrication and misrepresentation. For Hitchens I must be an apologist for Milosevic because I have “opposed the bombing of Serbia,” just as one might be called an apologist for Saddam Hussein for objecting to the “sanctions of mass destruction.” But of course he is not an apologist for NATO and Bill Clinton for supporting the bombing of Serbia.
Notice also that he speaks of my making the “Milosevic regime” the “victim” of NATO bombing rather than the people of that regime. But I have never focused my sympathy on the regime as victim, just the people killed, injured and traumatized. Imagine how Hitchens would assail for outrageous insensitivity to the real civilians massacred an individual who spoke sarcastically of somebody being bothered by the recent New York/Washington attacks which only “victimized” the “Bush and capitalist regimes.”
Hitchens says that I equate the tactics of Al-Quaeda with those of the Western forces “in Kosovo.” But the text that he is criticizing was comparing the attack on civilians in New York and Washington with the systematic NATO bombing of civilian facilities in SERBIA, not the military operations in Kosovo. In both the attacks on New York/Washington and Serbia, civilian “collateral damage” was either entirely acceptable or positively desired. In the Serbia bombing case there is solid evidence that the destruction of civilian facilities and inevitable civilian deaths and injuries were planned for and seen as positive….
Read more….
http://www.zcommunications.org/rejoinder-to-christopher-hitchens-by-edward-herman
Christopher Hitchens is/was a common prostitute to the ruling money class.
One of these people who are so flakey as to be “look at me look at me” wahanui Trots’ and Commies early on and then jump heaps of fences clear to the other side of the political spectrum. Announcing their arrival with redoubled tino wahanui as though no one’s noticed. Classic con-men/women. For example Rob Campbell…….Progressive Youth Movement back in the day……..latterly a seriously malevolent right wing Ports of Auckland schemer.
I must have got it wrong but I thought the unappealing egomaniac Hitchens died a couple of years ago. If you want some fun have a look on YouTube at the debate at some US university – Hard out George Galloway and Mr Pompous Narcissist Hitchens.
Beautiful ! In keeping with the narcissism Hitchens thought he’d won. HaHaHa !
I thought the unappealing egomaniac Hitchens died a couple of years ago.
He did indeed, but not before writing a particularly stupid autobiography. It looks like the poor fellow spent most of his last few months trying to get even with all those who had humiliated him over the last shameful decade of his life.
And by the way, no one considered that Hitchens got the better of Galloway in that epic confrontation in 2005. The person who, more than anyone else, realized that Galloway had vanquished him was Hitchens himself.
That laughable autobiography of his fires a few limp shots at Galloway, but I think even as he composed his bilious and dishonest prose, the dying Hitchens realized he was flogging a dead horse.
I recommend it if you want a good laugh, or indeed, a melancholy look at what happens to the venal and unfeasibly self-important.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10899904
National education data shows schools are not meeting the ambitious targets set by the government as part of its better public service targets…
Just what does Hekia hope to glean from these figures? Apparently she said the data was for regions to look at and understand. Well she could start by telling the journalists to provide us with some accurate data. (Apart from the percentage of children who can stand on their heads while reciting the magna carta and drink through a straw.
Take a look at the national standards for these central regions. They have an awful symmetry about them.
Manawatu – Wanganui:
National standards 2012:
Reading – 77.4 per cent
Maths – 73.6 per cent
Writing – 70 per cent
and Wellington:
and Tasman:
and Marlborough:
and Nelson:
and West Coast:
and Canterbury:
and Otago:
Exactly the same figures for them all … lazy journalism, bad cut and paste, or meaningless data.
The schools warned that she would misuse the data and this is obviously a starter.
In the round this is at least a moral win for Stephenson……….”the authorities” have had to admit that the ShonKey Python style of governance, the stock bizo ……. “deny and mock” ……. is shit.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8935989/No-decision-in-Defence-defamation-trial
Just hope he’s able to negotiate David’s legal costs being met by Goliath. Otherwise it’s a case of them cynically calling him a liar………he goes to court to force them to admit that he’s not, they admit they were wrong and they finally admit he’s not a liar like they said, then it costs him his entire worth.
Not right !
On the Herald…..Why you should vote for me: Uesifili Unasa
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10899531
“As a young migrant from Samoa, growing up in Kelston, ministered in Mangere, living in Parnell
Lives in Parnell..so well out of South Auckland, then. Indeed as he admits himself, he now lives among the wealthiest. Hope they have not put him up to split the Pacific Island vote and let a wingnut in.
The Drone That Killed My Grandson
Apparently a recent drone crash in the US was that of a QF-4. Its a full size Phantom F-4 jet fighter kitted out to be flown remotely from the ground. This makes me wonder what other full size jet planes they can fly remotely…
http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/Where-Have-All-the-Phantoms-Gone.html
Any and all. All they need is the plane to have fly-by-wire and it’s easy to convert. If it doesn’t then it’d be slightly harder.
BTW, those military drones aren’t small. One of the bigger ones mentioned is described as having the wingspan of a 727. It’s not as big as a 727 but pictures I’ve seen of them would indicate that it’s bigger than a Beechcraft Baron.
They’ve been flying QF-4s for years. They’re basically just a supersonic target, following a line begun years ago and passing through the Queen Bee, a drone Tiger Moth (which certainly lacked fly by wire). They don’t have any of the offensive capabilities or autonomy found in Obama’s latest toys.
Drones can be as big as they like. They typically make them big enough to do the job, and no bigger. They start at about the size of a mosquito, which obviously won’t have much range or payload.