Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…
So Bevan Chuang appears to have wisely backed away from Slater. The money trail would be interesting to see because Slater said he was paying Chuang’s accommodation expenses and I do not believe that Stephen Cook would be doing this out of his perception of what is in the public good.
Is there a frustrated Woman’s day deal in the pipeline? Is Slater’s frustration because the pay day will not now happen?
Mr Wewege had also been involved in the campaign for Simon O’Connor, the National MP for Tamaki.
Others described him as an acolyte of Simon Lusk, a campaign strategist for right-wing political candidates, saying he had attended several of Mr Lusk’s summer camp training sessions.
Summer camps? Youth movements?
Next we’ll be hearing albout the colour of shirts Lusk gets them to wear.
Our New Democratic right wing – New Zealand’s tea party
+1…Greek tragedy….if he hadn’t been so good….. ( at his job defending the ……) ….it wouldnt have been so bad
….many things can be solved with a holiday away from everything to get some perspective and get some insight as to what needs changing, where to go next, how to get balance etc
Agree with both Chooky and Miravox. With a society so focused on the individual and upon performance / success / other pressures, what chance do we have?
As a society / community we are so self obsessed that we don’t look around and take the strain from those who need it. And those in pressure positions guard the gates to their life’s / professions to stay where they are against competitive elements….
And then we all go through the dark moments of the soul, on our own. We don’t need to.
the trouble is that it’s a fine line between being deeply scarred by becoming acquainted with some of the stuff that people do to each other, and becoming defensively calloused.
I was moved, and a little surprised, when I read about these findings the other day. Still, depression (and ill-health, a million ‘obese’ New Zealanders now) are epidemic.
The first comment below the report offers some advice to Brits reading the article.
“He’s an idiot, my advice is enjoy NZs environment while you can before this man and his party destroy it.”
Best quote from the article: “For some reason my political staff don’t think me diving off a bridge screaming would be great footage, in case I ever have a big dip in the polls.”
One would suspect that bungy has dropped, Prime Minister…
…Three of the MPs walked out in protest yesterday after Speaker David Carter first put co-leader Metiria Turei on the naughty step and then turfed her out – without explaining why.
All she had done was to ask a question in which she described the Government’s SkyCity casino deal as “sleazy”. Carter disallowed the question, so Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia asked whether the word – a great favourite on all sides of the House – was now unparliamentary.
Carter said it wasn’t. But when she asked what had been wrong with her question, Carter tersely told her not to challenge his ruling…
…After a series of tetchy exchanges, Carter’s seeming inability to specify the nature of the sin was getting embarrassing. Acting Leader of the House Anne Tolley obliquely tossed him a lifeline, saying she believed Turia’s phrasing of the question had fallen foul of Section 377 (1)(b) of Standing Orders, which forbade using imprecations, invective, sarcasm and the like in parliamentary questions.
But Carter didn’t grab the rope, and after a further polite but unwelcome inquiry from Turia, he threw her out
Yeah, that’s the new version. The old one is deleted. Take a look at the text I copied and the equivalent sentences at the new url.
Clifton’s original piece confused Turei with Turia e.g.
article 1:
“Carter disallowed the question, so Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia asked whether the word – a great favourite on all sides of the House – was now unparliamentary.”
article 2:
“Carter disallowed the question, so Turei asked whether the word – a great favourite on all sides of the House – was now unparliamentary.”
Bit of a big deal for a seasoned political journalist. Does she get someone else to take notes or write her stuff? And why did Stuff just change it without mentioning the edits?
It’s all edited offshore now, yes? Do we suspect a simple spelling error caused the subeditor to add the explanation of who Turia is? That is, Clifton has mistyped ‘so Turia asked…’ instead of ‘so Turei asked…’ and the editor has added the rest thinking they are being helpful…
Maybe. I’d like to blame it on off-shoring the subs.
They should have issued a correction, not deleted and relocated the corrected article without explanation. Bad manners that, and a bad look for Jane Clifton.
Everything You’ve Been Told About How to Eat Is Wrong
How bad science created a misinformed national diet – and did nothing to slow the growth of obesity.
The protein leverage hypothesis
S. J. Simpson & D. Raubenheimer
Summary
The obesity epidemic is among the greatest public health challenges facing the modern world. Regarding dietary causes, most emphasis has been on changing patterns of fat and carbohydrate consumption. In contrast, the role of protein has largely been ignored, because (i) it typically comprises only ~15% of dietary energy, and (ii) protein intake has remained near constant within and across populations throughout the development of the obesity epidemic. We show that, paradoxically, these are precisely the two conditions that potentially provide protein with the leverage both to drive the obesity epidemic through its effects on food intake, and perhaps to assuage it. We formalize this hypothesis in a mathematical model. Some supporting epidemiological, experimental and animal data are presented, and predictions are made for future testing.
Thanks. Reading this I started wondering if Atkins had misread this paper and used it for the basis of his diet. But the Atkins diet was based on a paper done in 1963. Curiously that paper doesn’t seem to have much of a relationship to the high protein, high fat Atkins diet either.
+100%…agree philip ure….all kids should be taught home economics….given the obesity epidemic…how to eat cheaply , healthily and vegetarian and (Vegan)…simple Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mexican etc healthy yummmy recipes also …..all the options!!!!.. (personally I steer well clear of sugar but my partner loves to bake cakes and slices and desserts…certainly better than buying them)
I went to a vege shop recently and bought $60 worth of veges …the young very well built lovely Maori guy behind the counter said that that was an awful lot to spend on veges and seemed impressed…. and then he said brightly that he had spent that much on Friday night eating at McDonalds….he looked very delighted at the memory…I told him his money would have been better spent on the veges…but felt a bit of a school teacher and spoiler
Here are some links on preventing alzheimers naturally ( my friends father …a former professor of commerce and law…died of it recently , so it is no respecter of brain power )…may help or not ….but interesting
But given that the so-called healthy diet that is “low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars, and controls portion sizes” is based on bollocks, I’m sticking with dripping on toast for breakfast.
The report defined obesity as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres.
So it’s complete bollocks, then. (For the uninitiated: BMI is a crock of shit. Richie McCaw (30.9) and Ma’a Nonu (32) would be counted as “obese” by this “study”.)
+5
Ross’s five fellow Labour candidate for the Whau Local Board also got in.
That gives Labour five of the seven seats on that board.
This is the first time a Labour slate was run there.
For those ouside of West Auckland the Whau rhymes with Clow.
“The Whau Local Board comprises the suburbs of New Lynn, Green Bay and Kelston, Rosebank, Waterview, Avondale, New Windsor and Blockhouse Bay. The name Whau is from the estuarine arm of the Waitemata Harbour, which extends into the area.”
It is predominantly in David Cunliffe’s New Lynn electorate with parts in David Shearer’s Mt Albert and Phil Goff’s Mt Roskill.
i would pronounce Whau as Faa-u, the u pronounced as you without the Y,of course my bones are from Whanga-nui-a-tara where different emphasis might be placed on different letters…
Yes. I think it’s hard to recreate the exact pre-European pronunciation of the Whau area, as the river was largely a transit route and location of seasonal camps used by several iwi.
Older New Lynn residents do pronounce it “Wow”, and it’s possible that for some iwi it did/does rhyme with Clow.
I recall as a 50s kid my mother at the end of her tether loudly exclaiming at the naughty antics of me and my brother – “You’ll have me in the bloody Wow !”
I later understood this to be a reference to a psychiatric hospital in “Avondale” (1950s – whisper whisper – “Oh, so and so’s in Avondale”). Near enough to the Whau. Might in fact have been the later Carrington, part of it now the Mason Clinic.
While we’re on this can just tolerate “Wongaray” used by many of the successive generations of Northland Pakeha – habit etc.
What really gets me as a well intentioned but poor effort is the one used by a member of the Northland Judiciary – “Fongaray”. “Faaarng-are-rare-e”, please !
Maybe it’s also a good thing that most of the old Whau Board are gone. I see Bevan Chuang coordinated/s the New Lynn Night Markets in conjunction with the Whau Board – I think as contract work for her company. The Herald is raising questions about that.
Mr Brown and Mr McKay also refused to say if Ms Chuang had a council contract at the New Lynn market. She claimed to be paid $500 a week by the council as a co-ordinator at the market.
Would Len Brown have anything to do with such local initiatives? Derek Battersby -still on the Whau Board – seems to have had a lot to do with it.
Mr Battersby has met the mayor’s 32-year-old former mistress. Miss Chuang has been the co-ordinator of the New Lynn Night Markets since they first opened in June this year.
Auckland Council spokesman Glyn Walters says Miss Chuang was employed through the Community Development Project and the Whau Local Board was keen to support the markets.
“She would have been appointed a few months ago when the project started,” he says. “It was a normal procurement process for a contractor and there is no evidence to suggest mayoral involvement.”
However Mr Battersby says the initial idea of the ethnic night markets had little support from the board as it had plans for its own Saturday market.
Mr Battersby says they had no choice in the matter. “We accepted it and got on with it. It was a bit tongue in cheek and we weren’t particularly chuffed.”
Mr Battersby says now that Miss Chuang has become a public person she might need review her position.
and to Tom Belford, elected to the HBRC following counting of the ‘specials’ (in by 61 😉 from memory) ; now Four of the Nine councillors a re opposed to the RWSS, :-D. Now, that’s democracy, of sorts.
Look what happens when the whacko pollies powered by that fabulous fuel mix booster Money and Religion get into power. The guy introduced the bill, but wasn’t really serious about it.
A Republican state senator in Idaho has introduced legislation that would require all high school students in the state to read an Ayn Rand novel that has become popular with the Tea Party movement.
State Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde (R-Coeur d’Alene) introduced legislation Tuesday that would require the reading of Rand’s 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged by every high school student in the state, and the passage of a test on the book, in order to graduate, The Spokesman-Review reported. Goedde said that he only introduced the bill as a way to send a message to the state over a series of recent decisions, and not to force the reading of Rand’s book
And to show some of the other thinking and events in this country of large historic democracy and huge intellectual and philosophical capability –
Huffington Post side headings –
* 10 Things only women with big boobs can understand.
* Men got us into the shutdown women got us out
* Stenographer removed for shouting on House floor
* Principal raped boy in office while parent was outside: Cops
If they won’t ban Richie Mccaw for persistent cheating at the breakdown, it’ll take a lot more than a few more brain damaged kiwis to halt the game.
Though a precedent has been set with the motorbikers and acc levies, or did the government capitulate? I can’t recall, and it has nothing to do with heading a football.
I played for years, explains a lot…head knocks and all that. That was a lot more dangerous than riding a bicycle, which I am forced to wear a stupid bloody helmet on. Who will save me from meddling “safety” commissars from OSH and ACC?
Ennui, you do know that wearing helmets in American football only makes that game MORE dangerous, indeed lethal? Certainly rugby is terribly dangerous, and there is no one thing in sport more dangerous than a rugby scrum, but wearing helmets is NOT the way to go…..
Sleaze oil – making friends and influencing people wherever he goes. From the (now Slaterless Truth, yesterday:
[…] Fact: Slater’s father John was also on Palino’s campaign staff.
Fact: Slater (junior) has a hard on of hate for Brown.
Fact: Slater (junior) is calling on Brown to resign from the mayoralty.
Fact: ACT Leader John Banks has been ordered to stand trial for electoral fraud.
Fact: Instead of lambasting him, Slater (junior) has patted him on the back for resigning from his Ministerial Portfolios, saying Banks has “more integrity” than Brown.
Question: If Brown is expected to resign from the mayoralty then, by the same standards set by Slater (junior), should Banks resign from Parliament?[…]
We know the true-blue Slaters, er … dislike lefty Len Brown* and are, as a family, great friends of John Banks, whom Mr Brown so robustly defeated for the first Auckland ‘super city’ mayoralty three years ago (and who, it was announced today, will stand trial on charges of [allegedly] filing a false electoral return. Tsk.)
We shouldn’t, I guess, be surprised that the fetid swamp that is Slater junior’s hate blog will never, ever get around to ‘reporting’ (gag) — with or without affidavits — a pattern of night-time disturbance (‘No, this isn’t the right apartment’) which apparently so miffed Jenny Shipley back in the days her Wellington apartment was in proximity to that of one of her Parliamentary colleagues.
No, of course not. There are lines that shouldn’t be crossed.
Well this just proves that Slater is the victim of an attack campaign. And it’s even worse that he first thought, with tentacles reaching far beyond the entire Herald staff.
Either that or he’s just a gutless horrible worm and no-one has any time for him. Who knows?
That’s the trouble if the line gets crossed, politicians private lives are now fair game.
We should try and not descend to that level.
Except of course in the case of Nick Smith . He needs an extension to his wardrobe for all those skeletons 🙂
He’s actually having a serious go at Auckland’s Mad Right. Watch out Rudman ! The elephant without a trunk (well, some say not when he’s up to HIS “fun”), SlaterPorn that is, he and his ilk never forget a slight.
Glad that Rudman is fronting up. There are precious few in the media have the opportunity, ability or will power…Note also according to todays business ‘news’ or that funky little bs gossip section that Bridges is a National hero for taking it to John Campbell.
True. I saw/heard that somewhere too Newsense. About which I don’t give a shit because THEY would. They’d stoutly maintain all sorts of kaka to maintain the “born to rule” psychosis. That’s the way it is in these days of ShonKey Python’s “higher standards”.
Cleverly, you just deny. If hard pressed you just forget. Never mind. Ugly I know but have pity. They’re just consoling themselves in the niggling knowledge that the Great Feet are now the Clay Feet. Truth is most of the canned laughetr behind him have never picked up such fat salaries. Greedy little wannabee Geckos are shitting. Seriously.
Thing is Wee Simon didn’t look good in the eyes of those who’ve not sipped the KoolAid. Shouty little Mini-Matthew Hooton. A very shouty little boy minister.
It’s ANOTHER intimation of how fucked and spiralling down is the ShonKey Python Flying Circus. Just like the early 60s bodgie the “Out Of His Depth Mr Speaker Carter”. He exemplifies it. ShonKeyness.
This government is a bunch of tired, dying, malevolent, incompetent, fucks.
Labour MP’s are now openly ‘toying’ with the House Speaker during the Parliament’s Question Time, the Speaker,(snigger, in my honest opinion), is having trouble differentiating His political leanings form His duty as Speaker to deliver impartial rulings from within the Parliaments Standing Orders,
Metiria in the face of a Government who to all extents and purposes are all functional idiots either by design or birth, has taken to openly giggling at the stupidity contained in answers being given in the Chamber by Government Ministers,
If there is one thing that the stuffed shirts of the right cannot abide by it’s having their own views of themselves as the ‘power’ in the land being openly laughed at…
Winston Peters telling unintended funnies via RadioNZ National news this morning, it’s ‘Conference time’ for NZFirst this weekend and Winston appears to be G-ing up the troops with a rousing declaration that NZFirst will decide who the next Government will be, balance of power stuff and all that,
On another planet He also goes on to declare NZFirst will double it’s numbers in the House after November 2014,
The first of course would depend entirely on the second as far as coming to pass is concerned and as NZFirst has largely become an irrelevancy in the last few months as a resurgent Labour has hogged all the political airtime just getting across the 5% thresh-hold for NZFirst is likely to become to big an ask,
Given the latest Roy Morgan, NZFirst’s very survival after 2014 may depend upon it being able to show in the Parliament that it can work in a Labour/Green coalition…
I’m actually picking that next year will be the last election that WP will contest. If he doesnt get tipped out (this depends on the political climate this time next year), he will retire in 2017.
marsman, i suggest you read the link in Penny Bright’s comment at 16 for background.
The S-G was requested to take over the case by McCready and co in June; but deferred a decision on this until the case was committed for trial. Hence the S-G is now considering taking over.
Back in june IIRC Penny provided a link to the formal request for the S-G to take over, but I don’t have time to find that link. It will no doubt be somewhere on the blog site of the link at 16, but the Archives list doesn’t seem to include June 2013.
I also have concerns that if the S-G takes over the case that this could lead to bias or cover-up , Karol.
However, it was McCready who formally requested that the S-G take over the case back in June in line with legal provisions for this to happen IIRC. (Haven’t had time today to track down McCready’s formal request to verify the reasons, legal provisions etc – but it will be there somewhere on the blogsite Penny linked to). Legal costs obviously would be a major reason as stated/implied in McCready’s latest release on Penny’s link.
I don’t really understand the system but does the SG have any power to refer this back to the Police who then shove Banks onto diversion or something similar.
something wrong with our parliament when the speaker cannot give the reasons for his rulings.
The present speaker is probably representative of all the lightweights populating the national party caucus but the country expects more than petulant bullying from the supposedly objective officials.
time for national to pick up its money pack up its tent and piss off.
Great links Joe – the only ‘f’ word we should be concentrating on is fracking. I wonder how long before we see the same thing here – blockades, confrontation – so far most of it is below the radar but the time is drawing near where there will have to be more visible action to stop the exploiters. We have shown with the tour that people will stand up and fight when they want to and overseas many examples of brave people are there. We either stop them or we stop them – no other choice on this one. Kia kaha.
1) It apparently came after a vague reference to Len Brown and “Asian beauties” in a WO post during the last week of the council elections.
How would the text sender know that WO was referring to Chuang?
2) The sender seems to be certain that Chuang has been talking “to the Slaters”.
And yet, according to Chuang, it was Luigi that was pressuring her and he had said that he had people set up to go with the story. And Chuang says she only decided to agree to signing an affadavit after the election results came out on the Sunday.
Why did the text sender seem certain that Chuang had been talking to the “Slaters” (plural) before voting ended for the elections?
Those texts to Chuang and others did not ‘compute’ to me from my first hearing of them – and still don’t.
IMO the sender is probably an ‘insider’ within the Slater/Luigi et al camp to put further pressure on Chuang in a perverse/reverse manner to reveal all – and at the same time setting up a red herring as to who else knew. The timing of the texts is too coincidental to WO’s post about Asian beauties. Probably a cheap prepay phone thrown away once the texts had been sent.
But something else that does not now compute to me that popped into my head as I was writing the above:
– Slater senior supposedly also received a text from the same number as Chuang last week;
– but he has also claimed that he knew nothing about the affair until WO informed him an hour or two before WO released his substantive post with the full details this week.
There was a time when nothing happened inside the National Party or its local body shadow, the Auckland Citizens and Ratepayers organisation, without Mr Slater’s knowledge. Not any more.
This week, after the Len Brown scandal erupted forth from his son Cameron’s blog, Mr Slater confessed to the Herald that his very own, hand-made Frankenstein had not bothered to consult him beforehand about it, or the ongoing dirty tricks campaign to try to bring Mayor Len Brown to his knees.
[…]
Which does beg the question, if Mr Palino can’t even keep track of what his tiny campaign team are up to, what does it say about his ability to keep on top of a business employing more than 8000 staff and an annual budget of $4.5 billion?
Martyn Bradbury is suggesting that some Brown allies sent the texts after getting wind of how much of a smear campaign Luigi, slaters et al were trying to run.
Bradbury can be spot on sometimes. i think that post on Wewege is based on some stuff he’s getting in his tip line. In that post, though, I think he takes to much notice of Hooton’s spin.
Slater Jnr says the txt to his father was too vague about who was involved for him to really be clued in to what was going on. OTOH, apparently Chuang’s father also got one of the threatening txts, which makes it seem like they came from someone closer to Chuang.
Unknowable. Burner phone so it all comes down to character of the various actors I guess, and people will make their own judgements about who was most likely.
things aren’t looking good for team dirty tricks in that regard I suspect.
it is interesting that John (my hands are off this ) Key said (on 3News) “is not pushing for” Len’s resignation and “he’ll be back on the horse as soon as he possibly can”.
why are the anti-people party, the burn the barn to
make a profit, eat several Earths party, one might
say future murderers and pillage party, the most likely to
fear the prison population will vote. Are they putting innocent
people in prision, planning to? Well duh, I mean if you believe
you’ve stolen wealth, then obviously you want to do everything
to stop the opposition taking you to rights, so you create
a cult and culture of removing and extinguishing those rights.
Protest on the seas, be locked up, and denied the vote at the
election. Its a pincher, increase crimes and decrease rights,
has historically been motivated by illegitimate governments
and power blocks.
It once signaled the close relationship/brother-sisterhood between Australians and New Zealanders – empathy, compassion, co-operation et al.
The pollies love it. For me its becoming a label the politicians can use at will to piss on my ancestors’ graves.
The Howard 2001 law changes that see contributing NZers living in Australia disadvantaged and ineligable for some pretty basic ‘services’ and benefits available to Australians living in NZ.
– doesn’t seem very compassionate or cooperative to me.
– the pathetic representations made by Shonkey on NZers behalf
Those ANZAC symbols and totems erected on various bridges and elsewhere are fast becoming meaningless and merely reference points for pollies to draw on nationalism and supposedly feelings of patriotism in order to ease their consciences for doing SFA for veterans welfare, etc.
I’ve just listened to some deekhead called Tarn Yabbit – who apparently has a Koiwoi woifey giving a speech at some Legacy Club in Brissie.
NOT ONCE in all of that speech did the name NZ get mentioned. (Btw … Canada did).
I guess “AAC” would be kid of hard to pronounce.
I find myself having to laugh at times when I see the various trolls that visit here mock Russell Norman – using his birthplace as their justifcation.
In my mind, Norman would have more of an understanding what that “Spirit” is than many.
It seems the right probably just think of CER, Australian vestmint tunetees, flogging off as much turf and assets to transTas cuzzies as possible alongside a few sporting events and Crosby Textor type ‘mateship’.
ANZAC “spirit” indeed! Crapola! The Okkers can’t even spell Labour correctly these days!
Hmmmmmm Commodore Kevin Kent has been found guilty on 5 of 8 charges brought against him, but no sign of anything in Granny Herald as yet, though it is on the Radio N Z and Stuff webpages. Thought the Herald is supposed to be up with keeping us informed, but they seem to be eternally stuck on the Slater, Chuang, Wewege, Brown saga and who sent that text message. I note it was sent in ‘complete’ text, not txt speak.
If you haven’t seen this post from Peter Aranyi, you really owe it to yourself to take a look. The post itself has some good links and makes some good observations. The poster at the end though, is simply unmissable:
In the messages between Bevan and WEdgie, he asked her to tape record conversations. Surely there’s something illegal about that..trying to get someone to do something illegal? Also, surely that’s a story taht should be ripe for exploring – hunt down Wedgie and Palino who have been in hiding ever since the story backfired on them. The journos are hounding Len, so how about appplying their hounding equally
Well what the journalists should really be asking is how “Spray and walk away” Len voted during the sky city deal and was it coincidental he had sexy, fun time at the hotel…
But the journalists won’t of course, they’ll wait to see what Cameron Slater comes up with first and pretend its their work
Let me explain why its not rascist…while the phrase was popularized by a stereotypical asian man that’s not how I’m using it (though I can see how you might jump to that conclusion)
I’m using spray and walk away in reference to his habit of blowing a load on a woman and then leaving like shes some sort of prostitute ie spray (blow the load) and walk away (from the hooker)
PS Dirty Len was the one calling a chinese woman “geisha girl” and “manchu girl” so you might like to consider the rascist or at the very least demeaning aspects of 4/10 Lens personality
“Hey darling”
“Yes dear”
“What would you rate my love making abilities?”
“You spend far too much time on blogging sites and what do you want for dinner?”
“Yes darling and I feel like pasta tonight”
Recordings? Remember that through the US, our govt security services have access to all of the calls and txts between Brown and Chuang. This is what the system is there for.
Had to have a chuckle today. The hard-copy New Zealand Fox News Herald “Business” section has the stock market listings on pages B7 – B9 and, without interruption, the next two pages show the the horse racing events, field and form. Seems apt.
Seen a few tweets from Herald and tv3 journos hinting this is all going to blow up again soon.
Questions they are saying they have an answer to is : ‘Was this all a right wing conspiracy, and how deep, who knew, who lied about knowing, and who’s keeping quiet even though they know quite a bit’
‘The Pearl Fishers Duet’ by Georges Bizet from the Opera “Les Pecheurs De Perles” -Yes it is she the most fascinating and beautiful goddess-who has brought us together….. our fates are linked ? Kiwirail?
saw something a while ago, on kickstarter I think, where some dudes were raising money to make a movie about his epic dungeons and dragons one, playing it straight to the script.
Strange old Chris73 there……..the closer we get to about 7% for the former 62% Man, the PM you’d crow about ’73, and crow and crow and crow………that’s right……. your Cult Cargo ShonKey Python……….your subliminal if not conscious prophet.
Well it’s just that your expressions now are much more general, even as a troll. Suggestive of a mature standing back, an intelligent appraisal. Not into the KoolAid in quite the same way what ? Very nice.
Your well known lower standards and your kupapanui wouldn’t have you a scab on Johnny Boy would they ?
Some of those questions are somewhat irrelevant as we don’t give a shit about the how’s and why’s. What’s more important is who else did he tup and did he make any entries into the probity register or did he just cash them in.
Dave, do you mean the “Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute” and ” Doing Good Fellows” (True title) Wewege as the Founders of these organisations?
Ironical that he took the second organisation’s title a little to the extreme.
This is the same Wewege that is also on the International Youth Council.
His profile -: ” How do you want to get involved ? Connect with other global-minded leaders, Contribute Knowledge and/or Resources. What issues are important to you? Education, Media, Sustainability, Leadership, Partnerships, Policy”
A fine role model and representative of NZ youth to the world ?
Yes and I was being cynical about Wewege and the organisations and businesses he drags down with him.
The 99ers should have removed him too, rightly so!
Wewege one of the elite chosen global top 99 for 2013 “…. a community of some of the brightest and most innovative minds of the time….our third class of 99ers continues to prove to the world the power of breaking traditional models and thinking outside the box for new solutions to old problems. Bring a group of 99ers together in a room, and feel the world shift….. each and every one a gleaming ray of hope … ”
innovative
breaking traditional role models
new solutions for an old problem
His Bio on the Diplomatic Courier says he is. Long, impressive Bio. Shame.
Check Daves ‘google’ cached address above. That page has now been removed from the “Diplomatic Courier” itself
WIMP WALLOPING
Wimp: Jeremy Elwood. Walloper: Nevil Gibson The Panel, Radio New Zealand National, Friday 18 October 2013
Jim Mora, Jeremy Elwood, Nevil Breivik Gibson
JIM MORA: It’s Susan Baldacci, with what the WOOOOOOORLD’s talking about! SUSAN BALDACCI: Well the first story today is a rather sad one. It seems that slavery is still rife around the world. MORA: Slavery? SUSAN BALDACCI: Y-y-yes. And the country with the most slaves is India. MORA: Is it India that has the most slaves? SUSAN BALDACCI:[betraying slight irritation] Mmmmm. …. [Pause]….The country with the highest proportion of slaves is Mauritania. It has five to twenty per cent of the population as slaves. MORA: Five to twenty per cent of the population of Mauritania are slaves?
…..[Pause]…..
SUSAN BALDACCI: Mmmm.
…..Some minutes later….
MORA: Mmmmmmm, mmmmmm! SUSAN BALDACCI: Mmmm, mmmm! JEREMY ELWOOD: Mmmmm! MORA: Mmmmmmm! This is delicious cake! Who brought it in? NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: I did! MORA: What, is it your birthday? NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: It is. MORA: Happy fiftieth birthday! Ha ha ha ha ha! NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Ha ha. MORA: I mean, happy FORTIETH birthday! Ha ha ha ha! NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Ha ha.
A couple of minutes later, as the music gradually rises to usher in the 4 o’clock news, the Panelists are discussing the stunning revelation that we’ve been lied to for the last hundred years about a crucial historical event….
MORA: So if the band on the Titanic didn’t play “Nearer My God to Thee”, what DID they play? JEREMY ELWOOD: “Sailing”. NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Heeeeeeeeeeeee! MORA: That was the resident comedian on the program, Jeremy Elwood. Back after the news!
……4 o’clock News…..
After the four o’clock news, Mora always drags his hapless guests through a mandatory ritual of introductory or (more commonly) catch-up chit-chat. This would be pretty dull at the best of times, but seeing that he has a small roster of Panelists, this is also (almost always) a wasted seven or eight minutes.
However, these informal chats occasionally reveal some highly interesting aspects of character, or lack of character. Yesterday (Thursday October 17th), for instance, right wing Stuff business editor Ellen Read and that grouchy old hippie-hater and scourge of progressive thinkers, Rosemary McLeod, took the opportunity to boast about all the books they had not read. First of all they dealt to The Bone People, defiantly announcing that they found it boring, over-rated and unreadable. If they had stopped there, their little excursion into book criticism would have been reasonable and unexceptionable. But this pair of Mother Grundys were incapable of stopping there; they couldn’t help themselves. Warming to the task, McLeod announced she would never ever look at anything by Pope or Dryden. Ellen Read warmly endorsed this strident declaration of philistinism.
That, however, was as bad as it got yesterday. For the rest of the program, Read and McLeod were considered and reasonable in their comments. Long-time listeners would have been not only surprised at this, but also a trifle disappointed. Ellen Read has a particularly nasty, acerbic personality and has in the past unloaded both barrels on opponents, or amiable victims like Tim Watkin. So her failure to deliver on yesterday’s program left many listeners sans our fix of righteous right wing raving. Listening to a young lout playing nice and agreeing with everything an old lout says is nobody’s idea of entertainment, surely. If we wanted that, we’d just listen in on Cameron Brewer sucking up to Don Brash.
Many of us sufferers were no doubt hoping that today’s extreme right wing guest would come through with the good stuff, i.e., the crazy stuff. After all, with Nevil Breivik Gibson on board, the probability of a demented comment is extremely high.
Today’s post-four o’clock chat revealed (1) that Jeremy Elwood recently met Dan Marino and Dan Ackroyd, and, more interestingly, (2) that Nevil Gibson has visited Ireland recently. That trip provided the springboard for Gibson to make one of his trademark cock-eyed observations, a paean to the “excellence” of Ireland’s Sunday newspapers. That would have come as a surprise to anyone who has actually read an Irish Sunday newspaper, which to any literate Irish person is a synonym for “crap”.
Still, as Breivik Gibson comments go, raving about the quality of crap Irish papers was pretty mild. More extreme stuff was to come just before the end of the show. Before that, though, there was a bit of excruciating banter with the host….
JIM MORA: Nevil Gibson, happy birthday. That’s a nice cake you’ve brought in for us. Did you bake it yourself? NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: No, no, I got it from Hollywood. MORA: You got it imported?!?!???!? NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Heeeeeeeeeeee! Actually it’s the bakery chain! MORA: Oh!
The bulk of the program was pretty run of the mill. There was something about Len Brown, and both Gibson and Elwood made bland contributions for the “Soabbox” segment. It seemed that, apart from Gibson’s endorsement of substandard Irish rags, this was going to pass away into the space-time continuum without leaving a trace.
But then THIS happened……
In the last five minutes, Mora brings up the subject of the Republican extreme right and its determined assault on civic and public life in the United States, AKA “the government shutdown.” Just as I suspected he would, Nevil Gibson takes up the opportunity to deliver one of his crazed homilies—this time on behalf of the Tea Party loons. He embarks on an utterly untrue and fantastical speech, asserting that Ted Cruz and his cronies, far from being thugs and vandals, represent a significant section of the U.S. population. “Don’t they have a right to be heard?” he pleads, his voice croaking with emotion.
Gibson would never have gotten away with such nonsense if the other Panelist were, say, Gordon McLauchlan or Gordon Campbell or Mai Chen. But his interlocutor today is that nice Jeremy Elwood, a man who goes out of his way during his comedy appearances to make it clear he is a concerned and thoughtful liberal thinker. Unfortunately, Elwood has a dismal track record of going out of his way to “find common ground” with people who are philosophically and morally opposite to him. A few years ago Elwood brought down ignominy and contempt on himself after he cravenly voiced agreement with every single thing uttered by the bullying ex-cop Graham Bell during one of Bell’s infamous swingeing rants against liberals, conservationists and young people.
It was always a forlorn hope that Elwood would show a bit of courage and actually argue with Gibson. And so, just as we knew he would, he caved in. Instead of challenging him, Elwood joked lamely that there are huge numbers of Americans that take no notice of the government, and don’t need it in their lives. “They got on just fine during the shut-down,” he snickered. Nevil Breivik Gibson guffawed his approval.
Mercifully, the insistent sound of Carmina Burana wells up. Time to sign off…
JIM MORA: Nevil Gibson, happy birthday. Thank you for bringing in the cake!
Yesterday, I took action, on my own. I went outside the Avondale WINZ office, to do a picket and protest. I held up a sign warning of “hatchet doctors”. There was nobody else, but I know a few others keep up the fight. I only wanted to raise awareness, and was there between 10,20 to 11.30 am on Friday.
Only 10 or 15 minutes into the action I was approached by a security person, one of the WINZ ones, coming out of their office. I had a sign and already handed out a few flyers (all stating the truth). He asked me, after staring at me for a few minutes, whether he could have one of my flyers. I gave him one. Then he disappeared, and I am sure he reported to the manager.
Soon after he came back, he tried to start a nonsensical chat, but held a pen and paper in his hands, and he took notes of the words on my sign. This all happened in a totally public place, on the footpath, which is a fair few steps away from the WINZ office. I had lots of people interested and handed out many flyers.
But what really SCARED ME, was the fact this security guy took record of all, reported to his manager, while I was in a public place. I am disturbed, and also angry, as this country is supposed to be democratic and “free” country. I did nothing wrong, and I also heard of others in the same area, at various WINZ offices being harassed.
Now, I ask you here, as NZers, is this what you condone? Is this what you want your country to be like? I have been out on the street in a few places recently, and while I got a lot of support, I also faced much hostility and frowning. I am afraid now to go out of my place, as my impression is, that this is no longer a free country. We are being persecuted and stigmatised, being beneficiaries, we are apparently hunted down.
Now, dear Labour, where do you stand on this, same on the welfare reforms, I hear little or nothing, and I honestly feel I live in a bloody dictatorship. I come from Europe and wish I had never come back to this horrible place, as I experience it as a beneficiary “bludger”. Better kill me and other, and get rid of us, if you do not like us!
My impression is that NZers have sold their country, are not even caring to fight for it, and thus are a gutless people, not worth of the soil you live on.
If you would all bloody care, you would fight and take a stand, I see NONE of it. David Cunliffe will not deliver what he talks about, I can tell you now, you are all falling for a big fat lie and another disappointment. There is no “true left” in this country, is is just fashionable wannabe stuff, as one real leftist told me long ago. Learn from Chile and other places, as you all need learning lessons, and who by the way, of all of you “bothers” to take to the street these days, I see NONE, cowards!
@X,
It’s not that they sold out so much is that NZers are up against a carefully cultivated climate of suspicion regarding beneficiaries. To give an example at the place where I volunteer I quickly noticed that any new clients we get keep reassuring us that they ARE doing everything they can to get a job, and that they are not like those “other” beneficiaries.
The problem is that the “other” beneficiaries (those that don’t want to work and are sponging ungratefully off the system) don’t appear to exsist outside of the media spin. Since I started a few months ago I haven’t met any of the “others”, just broken and stressed out people trying to get essential needs met.
X doesn’t seem to realize that beneficiaries are the hardest group of people in our society to organize, most are seriously looking for work and the ‘churn’ in the demographic always means that today’s beneficiary is tomorrows worker,
i don’t take kindly to the deliberate insults X has taken to tossing around and have deliberately, having ‘had words’ with that one previously where he/she has gone off the deep end, shrugged off the insults,
If he/she is thrown into a paranoid fear fit over a simple conversation with a WINZ security guard then i would suggest he/she discontinues the activity…
Not to be found in NZ, yet! Mucha forca, mucha forca, wake up, dear people and take action, if you can bother, beyond the “comfort zone”. Maybe life is “too easy” in NZ after all???
Battery farmed cows could be coming to NZ soon. Just a short note to encourage anyone as horrified as I am about these magnificent and sacred beasts being treated this way to make a submission to the Ministry of Primary Industries (address on website below) before December 3rd.
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
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The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
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This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
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Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
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Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
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Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
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The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
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So Bevan Chuang appears to have wisely backed away from Slater. The money trail would be interesting to see because Slater said he was paying Chuang’s accommodation expenses and I do not believe that Stephen Cook would be doing this out of his perception of what is in the public good.
Is there a frustrated Woman’s day deal in the pipeline? Is Slater’s frustration because the pay day will not now happen?
Mr Wewege had also been involved in the campaign for Simon O’Connor, the National MP for Tamaki.
Others described him as an acolyte of Simon Lusk, a campaign strategist for right-wing political candidates, saying he had attended several of Mr Lusk’s summer camp training sessions.
All roads lead to Lusk/Slater
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141900
Summer camps? Youth movements?
Next we’ll be hearing albout the colour of shirts Lusk gets them to wear.
Our New Democratic right wing – New Zealand’s tea party
instead of ‘tea-party’..
..should we call then nzs’ ‘coffee-clutch’..?
phillip ure..
a len brown question..
..if as claimed..sky city was providing on-call/free bonking-rooms to len brown..
..does this..and their obvious knowledge of his extra-marital bonking..
..do both/either of these facts..provide some explanation for why brown supported that pokie-deal..?
..did they already ‘own’ brown..?
..surely not..!
..eh..?
phillip ure..
phillip, just heard on RNZ news that Brown and Key met today at the Skycity Hotel and scoped out the political bonking schedule for the next month.
“exhausted, unwell, disillusioned, depressed and haunted”.
Son, husband, father and by all accounts one of the good guys.
Greg King. A man with all that intellect couldn’t see a way to work through his crisis of values, physical ill-health and depression.
So very, very sad.
+1…Greek tragedy….if he hadn’t been so good….. ( at his job defending the ……) ….it wouldnt have been so bad
….many things can be solved with a holiday away from everything to get some perspective and get some insight as to what needs changing, where to go next, how to get balance etc
Agree with both Chooky and Miravox. With a society so focused on the individual and upon performance / success / other pressures, what chance do we have?
As a society / community we are so self obsessed that we don’t look around and take the strain from those who need it. And those in pressure positions guard the gates to their life’s / professions to stay where they are against competitive elements….
And then we all go through the dark moments of the soul, on our own. We don’t need to.
VERY. We actually need more criminal lawyers like him… not ones who feel nothing about what they do.
aye.
the trouble is that it’s a fine line between being deeply scarred by becoming acquainted with some of the stuff that people do to each other, and becoming defensively calloused.
I was moved, and a little surprised, when I read about these findings the other day. Still, depression (and ill-health, a million ‘obese’ New Zealanders now) are epidemic.
Planet Key
$500 rounds of golf
Helicopter rides
5 start luxury resorts
Yup, just your ordinary kind of guy, John.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/australiaandpacific/newzealand/10382216/John-Keys-Queenstown-My-Kind-of-Town.html
The first comment below the report offers some advice to Brits reading the article.
“He’s an idiot, my advice is enjoy NZs environment while you can before this man and his party destroy it.”
And the response to that comment?
Best quote from the article: “For some reason my political staff don’t think me diving off a bridge screaming would be great footage, in case I ever have a big dip in the polls.”
One would suspect that bungy has dropped, Prime Minister…
Also covered in the Herald today – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141801
Nice for some – not ordinary Kiwis.
While John Key witters on in The Telegraph about rich-listers fun in Queenstown, Eleanor Catton has a lovely piece about her NZ in The Guardian.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/17/eleanor-catton-booker-new-zealand
enjoyed the extract I read of her book yesterday. I read today she had a childhood “without a car or television”.
Thanks Andrea Vance for the pap piece on Super Botox Man. Thought by now you’d be chary about piffling on for seedy old hypocrites.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9295606/Banks-comes-out-swinging
Corporate puppet.
As for Jane Clifton…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/9297151/Testing-Speakers-temper-ill-advised
What’s going on there?
Broken link. It’s here.
Hmm – not a broken link – they’ve edited it. Glad I copied it instead of just linking.
Btw, isn’t it meant to be good form to list edits to a published article rather than deleting it and putting up a corrected copy?
The url changed. It’s now under dominion-post/news instead of national.
Yeah, that’s the new version. The old one is deleted. Take a look at the text I copied and the equivalent sentences at the new url.
Clifton’s original piece confused Turei with Turia e.g.
article 1:
“Carter disallowed the question, so Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia asked whether the word – a great favourite on all sides of the House – was now unparliamentary.”
article 2:
“Carter disallowed the question, so Turei asked whether the word – a great favourite on all sides of the House – was now unparliamentary.”
Bit of a big deal for a seasoned political journalist. Does she get someone else to take notes or write her stuff? And why did Stuff just change it without mentioning the edits?
Yes I noticed the appalling errors in the bits you quoted.
Hmmm…. just looked at the scan of today’s Dom Post on Press Display – the glaring Tariana Turia errors are there in print. Jane Clifton
It’s all edited offshore now, yes? Do we suspect a simple spelling error caused the subeditor to add the explanation of who Turia is? That is, Clifton has mistyped ‘so Turia asked…’ instead of ‘so Turei asked…’ and the editor has added the rest thinking they are being helpful…
Maybe. I’d like to blame it on off-shoring the subs.
They should have issued a correction, not deleted and relocated the corrected article without explanation. Bad manners that, and a bad look for Jane Clifton.
so..we have one million people people who are obese..
..next landmark 1.5 mill..?
..and still no reason to reconsider the nz-‘diet’/’food’-marketing practices…?
..and..bacon and saussies for breakfast..?
..a big mac/fries for lunch..?
..a pizza/ice-cream dinner..?
..mmm!!..
..big/blubby fat..!
..eh..?
..and lots of it..
..you do know it’s driving you to an early grave..
..eh..?
..we do all know that that much is not in any doubt..
..eh..?
..so..what to do..?
..over to you..!
..eh..?
..phillip ure..
Not necessarily …
From Alternet.org
Everything You’ve Been Told About How to Eat Is Wrong
How bad science created a misinformed national diet – and did nothing to slow the growth of obesity.
http://www.alternet.org/food/we-dont-know-what-eat
You may be interested in this:
The protein leverage hypothesis
S. J. Simpson & D. Raubenheimer
Summary
The obesity epidemic is among the greatest public health challenges facing the modern world. Regarding dietary causes, most emphasis has been on changing patterns of fat and carbohydrate consumption. In contrast, the role of protein has largely been ignored, because (i) it typically comprises only ~15% of dietary energy, and (ii) protein intake has remained near constant within and across populations throughout the development of the obesity epidemic. We show that, paradoxically, these are precisely the two conditions that potentially provide protein with the leverage both to drive the obesity epidemic through its effects on food intake, and perhaps to assuage it. We formalize this hypothesis in a mathematical model. Some supporting epidemiological, experimental and animal data are presented, and predictions are made for future testing.
https://insects.tamu.edu/REU/ARTICLES/SIMPSON-2005-OBESITY%20THE%20PROTEIN%20LEVERAGE%20HYPOTHESIS.PDF
Thanks. Reading this I started wondering if Atkins had misread this paper and used it for the basis of his diet. But the Atkins diet was based on a paper done in 1963. Curiously that paper doesn’t seem to have much of a relationship to the high protein, high fat Atkins diet either.
this is also relevant..
..and what has also been done here..
http://www.alternet.org/how-fast-food-industry-destroyed-home-ec-hook-americans-processed-crap
phillip ure..
+100%…agree philip ure….all kids should be taught home economics….given the obesity epidemic…how to eat cheaply , healthily and vegetarian and (Vegan)…simple Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mexican etc healthy yummmy recipes also …..all the options!!!!.. (personally I steer well clear of sugar but my partner loves to bake cakes and slices and desserts…certainly better than buying them)
I went to a vege shop recently and bought $60 worth of veges …the young very well built lovely Maori guy behind the counter said that that was an awful lot to spend on veges and seemed impressed…. and then he said brightly that he had spent that much on Friday night eating at McDonalds….he looked very delighted at the memory…I told him his money would have been better spent on the veges…but felt a bit of a school teacher and spoiler
On subject of health : Alzheimers
Here are some links on preventing alzheimers naturally ( my friends father …a former professor of commerce and law…died of it recently , so it is no respecter of brain power )…may help or not ….but interesting
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmeric-produces-remarkable-recovery-alzheimers-patients
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2012/january/coconut-oil-touted-as-alzheimers-remedy/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/13/alzheimers-dementia-treatment.aspx
“so..we have one million people people who are obese..”
[citation needed]
Found one …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11142268
But given that the so-called healthy diet that is “low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars, and controls portion sizes” is based on bollocks, I’m sticking with dripping on toast for breakfast.
The report defined obesity as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres.
So it’s complete bollocks, then. (For the uninitiated: BMI is a crock of shit. Richie McCaw (30.9) and Ma’a Nonu (32) would be counted as “obese” by this “study”.)
some more Big Fat Lies (no, not the NZHerald in general, although…)
Congratulations Ross Clow, councilor for Whau – lead has held by 51 votes. Bye bye Raffills.
Final Auckland Council results.
I know little about Clow, but alot about the politics of Raffills, who will not be missed by anyone paying attention, and who cares for men and women.
Bravo!
+5
Ross’s five fellow Labour candidate for the Whau Local Board also got in.
That gives Labour five of the seven seats on that board.
This is the first time a Labour slate was run there.
For those ouside of West Auckland the Whau rhymes with Clow.
“The Whau Local Board comprises the suburbs of New Lynn, Green Bay and Kelston, Rosebank, Waterview, Avondale, New Windsor and Blockhouse Bay. The name Whau is from the estuarine arm of the Waitemata Harbour, which extends into the area.”
It is predominantly in David Cunliffe’s New Lynn electorate with parts in David Shearer’s Mt Albert and Phil Goff’s Mt Roskill.
http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/representativesbodies/LocalBoards/Whaulocalboard/Pages/default.aspx
“For those ouside of West Auckland the Whau rhymes with Clow.”
Actually these days it’s usually officially pronounced “foe”. Said to be the pronunciation of local iwi. Though not all people accept that.
i would pronounce Whau as Faa-u, the u pronounced as you without the Y,of course my bones are from Whanga-nui-a-tara where different emphasis might be placed on different letters…
Yes. I think it’s hard to recreate the exact pre-European pronunciation of the Whau area, as the river was largely a transit route and location of seasonal camps used by several iwi.
Older New Lynn residents do pronounce it “Wow”, and it’s possible that for some iwi it did/does rhyme with Clow.
My family always pronounced it “Wow”.
But then they also said “Wockatarny” and “Wongaray” so I wouldn’t put much stock in that.
I recall as a 50s kid my mother at the end of her tether loudly exclaiming at the naughty antics of me and my brother – “You’ll have me in the bloody Wow !”
I later understood this to be a reference to a psychiatric hospital in “Avondale” (1950s – whisper whisper – “Oh, so and so’s in Avondale”). Near enough to the Whau. Might in fact have been the later Carrington, part of it now the Mason Clinic.
While we’re on this can just tolerate “Wongaray” used by many of the successive generations of Northland Pakeha – habit etc.
What really gets me as a well intentioned but poor effort is the one used by a member of the Northland Judiciary – “Fongaray”. “Faaarng-are-rare-e”, please !
Ngunguru is fun for the retired pakeha who have made it home.
And Clow rhymes with Foe!
Oh. I always read Clow as rhyming with Wow. Thanks, Not a PS. Now I will not embarrass myself by mis-pronouncing Clow.
Maybe it’s also a good thing that most of the old Whau Board are gone. I see Bevan Chuang coordinated/s the New Lynn Night Markets in conjunction with the Whau Board – I think as contract work for her company. The Herald is raising questions about that.
Would Len Brown have anything to do with such local initiatives? Derek Battersby -still on the Whau Board – seems to have had a lot to do with it.
Western Leader:
never upset to see a raffills out of politics
and to Tom Belford, elected to the HBRC following counting of the ‘specials’ (in by 61 😉 from memory) ; now Four of the Nine councillors a re opposed to the RWSS, :-D. Now, that’s democracy, of sorts.
At least Mr Brown seems to have paid for the rooms where he was having sex with Bevan.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141904
NZ’s proudest daily paper of journalism.
NZ’s Journal of Record (toryness).
Salacious sex sells.
One of my grandchildren is covering Brave New World and 1984 at school at the moment… both still as relevant today as they ever were.
Brave New World AND 1984 at the same time? OMG, what are they trying to do to these poor kids? 🙂
A whole lot better than Atlas shrugged, which is apparently on the way in Idaho.
Look what happens when the whacko pollies powered by that fabulous fuel mix booster Money and Religion get into power. The guy introduced the bill, but wasn’t really serious about it.
A Republican state senator in Idaho has introduced legislation that would require all high school students in the state to read an Ayn Rand novel that has become popular with the Tea Party movement.
State Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde (R-Coeur d’Alene) introduced legislation Tuesday that would require the reading of Rand’s 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged by every high school student in the state, and the passage of a test on the book, in order to graduate, The Spokesman-Review reported. Goedde said that he only introduced the bill as a way to send a message to the state over a series of recent decisions, and not to force the reading of Rand’s book
And to show some of the other thinking and events in this country of large historic democracy and huge intellectual and philosophical capability –
Huffington Post side headings –
* 10 Things only women with big boobs can understand.
* Men got us into the shutdown women got us out
* Stenographer removed for shouting on House floor
* Principal raped boy in office while parent was outside: Cops
So neo-liberal Randism is a religion now.
The gospel according to Ayn.
No, it was always a religion, from the start. Especially the neocon version.
Probably time to ban rugby. All those ACC claims are killing us taxpayers.
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/oct/17/rugby-union-nfl-lawsuit-concussion
If they won’t ban Richie Mccaw for persistent cheating at the breakdown, it’ll take a lot more than a few more brain damaged kiwis to halt the game.
Though a precedent has been set with the motorbikers and acc levies, or did the government capitulate? I can’t recall, and it has nothing to do with heading a football.
I played for years, explains a lot…head knocks and all that. That was a lot more dangerous than riding a bicycle, which I am forced to wear a stupid bloody helmet on. Who will save me from meddling “safety” commissars from OSH and ACC?
Ennui, you do know that wearing helmets in American football only makes that game MORE dangerous, indeed lethal? Certainly rugby is terribly dangerous, and there is no one thing in sport more dangerous than a rugby scrum, but wearing helmets is NOT the way to go…..
Sleaze oil – making friends and influencing people wherever he goes. From the (now Slaterless Truth, yesterday:
And what is this incident that is referred to on the paepae blog yesterday?
Well this just proves that Slater is the victim of an attack campaign. And it’s even worse that he first thought, with tentacles reaching far beyond the entire Herald staff.
Either that or he’s just a gutless horrible worm and no-one has any time for him. Who knows?
That’s the trouble if the line gets crossed, politicians private lives are now fair game.
We should try and not descend to that level.
Except of course in the case of Nick Smith . He needs an extension to his wardrobe for all those skeletons 🙂
Brian Rudman in fine form. Maybe the rights grip on Auckland really is on the slippery slope.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11141823
OOps. Sorry Northshoreguynz. Posted below before reading your post. Saw the same thing. Very funny and shrewd is Mr Rudman.
He’s actually having a serious go at Auckland’s Mad Right. Watch out Rudman ! The elephant without a trunk (well, some say not when he’s up to HIS “fun”), SlaterPorn that is, he and his ilk never forget a slight.
Glad that Rudman is fronting up. There are precious few in the media have the opportunity, ability or will power…Note also according to todays business ‘news’ or that funky little bs gossip section that Bridges is a National hero for taking it to John Campbell.
True. I saw/heard that somewhere too Newsense. About which I don’t give a shit because THEY would. They’d stoutly maintain all sorts of kaka to maintain the “born to rule” psychosis. That’s the way it is in these days of ShonKey Python’s “higher standards”.
Cleverly, you just deny. If hard pressed you just forget. Never mind. Ugly I know but have pity. They’re just consoling themselves in the niggling knowledge that the Great Feet are now the Clay Feet. Truth is most of the canned laughetr behind him have never picked up such fat salaries. Greedy little wannabee Geckos are shitting. Seriously.
Thing is Wee Simon didn’t look good in the eyes of those who’ve not sipped the KoolAid. Shouty little Mini-Matthew Hooton. A very shouty little boy minister.
It’s ANOTHER intimation of how fucked and spiralling down is the ShonKey Python Flying Circus. Just like the early 60s bodgie the “Out Of His Depth Mr Speaker Carter”. He exemplifies it. ShonKeyness.
This government is a bunch of tired, dying, malevolent, incompetent, fucks.
Don’t hold back
I know this is a couple of days old but I aint sure if anyone has covered this:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141685
Rolinson is 1 class act . NOT
Backed by 1 Jenny Bloxham ex MP ,ex CHCH Independant Councillor hopeful
Both are vile and a friend of mine has some shit on these 2
What is a 12 year old boy doing in a political party???
Labour MP’s are now openly ‘toying’ with the House Speaker during the Parliament’s Question Time, the Speaker,(snigger, in my honest opinion), is having trouble differentiating His political leanings form His duty as Speaker to deliver impartial rulings from within the Parliaments Standing Orders,
Metiria in the face of a Government who to all extents and purposes are all functional idiots either by design or birth, has taken to openly giggling at the stupidity contained in answers being given in the Chamber by Government Ministers,
If there is one thing that the stuffed shirts of the right cannot abide by it’s having their own views of themselves as the ‘power’ in the land being openly laughed at…
Ooops, how did this get here, was supposed to be in the ‘Point of order Mr Speaker’ Post…
A very funny piece by Brian Rudman ties in with the Herald Cartoon.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11141823
The cartoon from (Emmerson?) “I know Nothing.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11141862
Winston Peters telling unintended funnies via RadioNZ National news this morning, it’s ‘Conference time’ for NZFirst this weekend and Winston appears to be G-ing up the troops with a rousing declaration that NZFirst will decide who the next Government will be, balance of power stuff and all that,
On another planet He also goes on to declare NZFirst will double it’s numbers in the House after November 2014,
The first of course would depend entirely on the second as far as coming to pass is concerned and as NZFirst has largely become an irrelevancy in the last few months as a resurgent Labour has hogged all the political airtime just getting across the 5% thresh-hold for NZFirst is likely to become to big an ask,
Given the latest Roy Morgan, NZFirst’s very survival after 2014 may depend upon it being able to show in the Parliament that it can work in a Labour/Green coalition…
I’m actually picking that next year will be the last election that WP will contest. If he doesnt get tipped out (this depends on the political climate this time next year), he will retire in 2017.
FYI
Latest developments with the private prosecution of ACT Leader, MP for Epsom, John Banks.
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/corruption/solicitor-general-to-take-over-case/
(Please read carefully Cameron Slater?
‘vexatious’ litigation by Graham McCready?
Can I respectfully suggest that you don’t use words you apparently don’t understand? )
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
Can’t be vexacious if two different judges have seen cause to proceed AND the SG is looking at taking over.
I wondered about the SG taking over, heard it on the news last night. Wonder what the reasoning for that is Tracey?
marsman, i suggest you read the link in Penny Bright’s comment at 16 for background.
The S-G was requested to take over the case by McCready and co in June; but deferred a decision on this until the case was committed for trial. Hence the S-G is now considering taking over.
Back in june IIRC Penny provided a link to the formal request for the S-G to take over, but I don’t have time to find that link. It will no doubt be somewhere on the blog site of the link at 16, but the Archives list doesn’t seem to include June 2013.
I think NRT tweeted that he had some concerns about the SG taking over the prosecution – worried about some bias or cover up to protect Banks.
I also have concerns that if the S-G takes over the case that this could lead to bias or cover-up , Karol.
However, it was McCready who formally requested that the S-G take over the case back in June in line with legal provisions for this to happen IIRC. (Haven’t had time today to track down McCready’s formal request to verify the reasons, legal provisions etc – but it will be there somewhere on the blogsite Penny linked to). Legal costs obviously would be a major reason as stated/implied in McCready’s latest release on Penny’s link.
I don’t really understand the system but does the SG have any power to refer this back to the Police who then shove Banks onto diversion or something similar.
Thanks veutoviper. I share your concern re political interference if the SC takes over.
Penny
When I clicked your link at that site to the decision a blank pdf loaded, no words. Would love to read it.
Works for me. Opens a standard web page.
MORE!!
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/corruption/banks-is-going-to-trial/
See today’s NZ Herald editorial?
Good on you Graham McCready!
Cheers!
Penny Bright
something wrong with our parliament when the speaker cannot give the reasons for his rulings.
The present speaker is probably representative of all the lightweights populating the national party caucus but the country expects more than petulant bullying from the supposedly objective officials.
time for national to pick up its money pack up its tent and piss off.
Anti-fracking protests – jackboot response.
http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2013/10/17/elsipogtog-solidarity-is-spreading-across-canada/
#ElsipogtogSolidarity
#Elsipogtog.
#mikmaqblockade
#idlenomore
Great links Joe – the only ‘f’ word we should be concentrating on is fracking. I wonder how long before we see the same thing here – blockades, confrontation – so far most of it is below the radar but the time is drawing near where there will have to be more visible action to stop the exploiters. We have shown with the tour that people will stand up and fight when they want to and overseas many examples of brave people are there. We either stop them or we stop them – no other choice on this one. Kia kaha.
pigs
Camo police: “crown land belongs to the government not to f*cking natives”
https://twitter.com/osmich/status/390846422666715137
http://www.progressive.org/canada-sends-armed-paramilitaries-to-clear-fracking-protesters#.UmAwwz29aBo.twitter
Probably better than than the Parlimentary term…..
Camo police: “crown land belongs to the government not to f*cking [house niggers] “.
The Crown has a history of evil in Canada.
http://rense.com/general92/geno.htm
pigs
Pig. The Pig of Chunky Mark The Artist Taxi Driver.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD4Hk69_7UA
Good for a laugh (and a cry) about Hurrah Henry Cameron’s UK privatisation. Looking after his best man aye ? Low bastard.
chicken-wings
The NZ Herald is trying to draw on the wisdom of the crowd to find out who sent the threatening text to Bevan Chuang.
Two things puzzle me about the text
1) It apparently came after a vague reference to Len Brown and “Asian beauties” in a WO post during the last week of the council elections.
How would the text sender know that WO was referring to Chuang?
2) The sender seems to be certain that Chuang has been talking “to the Slaters”.
And yet, according to Chuang, it was Luigi that was pressuring her and he had said that he had people set up to go with the story. And Chuang says she only decided to agree to signing an affadavit after the election results came out on the Sunday.
Why did the text sender seem certain that Chuang had been talking to the “Slaters” (plural) before voting ended for the elections?
Those texts to Chuang and others did not ‘compute’ to me from my first hearing of them – and still don’t.
IMO the sender is probably an ‘insider’ within the Slater/Luigi et al camp to put further pressure on Chuang in a perverse/reverse manner to reveal all – and at the same time setting up a red herring as to who else knew. The timing of the texts is too coincidental to WO’s post about Asian beauties. Probably a cheap prepay phone thrown away once the texts had been sent.
But something else that does not now compute to me that popped into my head as I was writing the above:
– Slater senior supposedly also received a text from the same number as Chuang last week;
– but he has also claimed that he knew nothing about the affair until WO informed him an hour or two before WO released his substantive post with the full details this week.
On the last point. Brian Rudman today – heh.
I know nuzzink!
I read Rudman this morning but did not notice that bit! So yet another ‘discrepancy’!
Also loved the “I know nothing” cartoon this morning.
Martyn Bradbury is suggesting that some Brown allies sent the texts after getting wind of how much of a smear campaign Luigi, slaters et al were trying to run.
Pity Martyn Bradbury keeps opening his mouth when quite often shut is the best position.
Bradbury can be spot on sometimes. i think that post on Wewege is based on some stuff he’s getting in his tip line. In that post, though, I think he takes to much notice of Hooton’s spin.
Ha. Couldn’t resist:
Slater Jnr says the txt to his father was too vague about who was involved for him to really be clued in to what was going on. OTOH, apparently Chuang’s father also got one of the threatening txts, which makes it seem like they came from someone closer to Chuang.
Perhaps Len had advice of what was going to happen and sent his PR henchmen loose? Just a thought.
Unknowable. Burner phone so it all comes down to character of the various actors I guess, and people will make their own judgements about who was most likely.
things aren’t looking good for team dirty tricks in that regard I suspect.
it is interesting that John (my hands are off this ) Key said (on 3News) “is not pushing for” Len’s resignation and “he’ll be back on the horse as soon as he possibly can”.
why are the anti-people party, the burn the barn to
make a profit, eat several Earths party, one might
say future murderers and pillage party, the most likely to
fear the prison population will vote. Are they putting innocent
people in prision, planning to? Well duh, I mean if you believe
you’ve stolen wealth, then obviously you want to do everything
to stop the opposition taking you to rights, so you create
a cult and culture of removing and extinguishing those rights.
Protest on the seas, be locked up, and denied the vote at the
election. Its a pincher, increase crimes and decrease rights,
has historically been motivated by illegitimate governments
and power blocks.
…. just an observation:
The so-called “ANZAC SPIRIT”.
What has it come to mean now?
It once signaled the close relationship/brother-sisterhood between Australians and New Zealanders – empathy, compassion, co-operation et al.
The pollies love it. For me its becoming a label the politicians can use at will to piss on my ancestors’ graves.
The Howard 2001 law changes that see contributing NZers living in Australia disadvantaged and ineligable for some pretty basic ‘services’ and benefits available to Australians living in NZ.
– doesn’t seem very compassionate or cooperative to me.
– the pathetic representations made by Shonkey on NZers behalf
Those ANZAC symbols and totems erected on various bridges and elsewhere are fast becoming meaningless and merely reference points for pollies to draw on nationalism and supposedly feelings of patriotism in order to ease their consciences for doing SFA for veterans welfare, etc.
I’ve just listened to some deekhead called Tarn Yabbit – who apparently has a Koiwoi woifey giving a speech at some Legacy Club in Brissie.
NOT ONCE in all of that speech did the name NZ get mentioned. (Btw … Canada did).
I guess “AAC” would be kid of hard to pronounce.
I find myself having to laugh at times when I see the various trolls that visit here mock Russell Norman – using his birthplace as their justifcation.
In my mind, Norman would have more of an understanding what that “Spirit” is than many.
It seems the right probably just think of CER, Australian vestmint tunetees, flogging off as much turf and assets to transTas cuzzies as possible alongside a few sporting events and Crosby Textor type ‘mateship’.
ANZAC “spirit” indeed! Crapola! The Okkers can’t even spell Labour correctly these days!
SlaterPorn’s brood. Not cute !
Hmmmmmm Commodore Kevin Kent has been found guilty on 5 of 8 charges brought against him, but no sign of anything in Granny Herald as yet, though it is on the Radio N Z and Stuff webpages. Thought the Herald is supposed to be up with keeping us informed, but they seem to be eternally stuck on the Slater, Chuang, Wewege, Brown saga and who sent that text message. I note it was sent in ‘complete’ text, not txt speak.
If you haven’t seen this post from Peter Aranyi, you really owe it to yourself to take a look. The post itself has some good links and makes some good observations. The poster at the end though, is simply unmissable:
http://www.thepaepae.com/i-think-its-outrageous-that-poor-simon-lusks-name-gets-dragged-into-these-dirty-shabby-venal-nasty-political-schemes-time-and-time-again-how-must-he-be-feeling/32938/
You’re welcome.
hhahahha! Young Nat poster! Man how we all change with age!
And, as we are on Luigi & McCully, this.
In the messages between Bevan and WEdgie, he asked her to tape record conversations. Surely there’s something illegal about that..trying to get someone to do something illegal? Also, surely that’s a story taht should be ripe for exploring – hunt down Wedgie and Palino who have been in hiding ever since the story backfired on them. The journos are hounding Len, so how about appplying their hounding equally
Jared Savage at the NZ Herald has also been looking at Wewege.
Well what the journalists should really be asking is how “Spray and walk away” Len voted during the sky city deal and was it coincidental he had sexy, fun time at the hotel…
But the journalists won’t of course, they’ll wait to see what Cameron Slater comes up with first and pretend its their work
Of course they’ve asked that.
Love the way this issue has allowed righties to think it’s now OK to take their inner racist out for walkies. Very revealing.
true enough
only Skin Deep
I like how they can’t think of nicknames so they use ones they’ve heard people call John Key.
like Fu-
Let me explain why its not rascist…while the phrase was popularized by a stereotypical asian man that’s not how I’m using it (though I can see how you might jump to that conclusion)
I’m using spray and walk away in reference to his habit of blowing a load on a woman and then leaving like shes some sort of prostitute ie spray (blow the load) and walk away (from the hooker)
PS Dirty Len was the one calling a chinese woman “geisha girl” and “manchu girl” so you might like to consider the rascist or at the very least demeaning aspects of 4/10 Lens personality
Let’s face it Chris. You bloody dream of being a 4/10.
Let me check:
“Hey darling”
“Yes dear”
“What would you rate my love making abilities?”
“You spend far too much time on blogging sites and what do you want for dinner?”
“Yes darling and I feel like pasta tonight”
Sorry its a bit inconclusive
lol
You wanting to apply broadcasting standards to sexual partner pillow talk now, c73? Talk about nanny state!!!
Naughty nanny state perhaps 🙂
And, of course, WO’s right on to Banks’ corruption trial, and digging to find every bit of dirt on that. Not waiting for the journalists…. 🙄
You don’t think hes a little busy at the moment?
Recordings? Remember that through the US, our govt security services have access to all of the calls and txts between Brown and Chuang. This is what the system is there for.
‘
Had to have a chuckle today. The hard-copy New Zealand Fox News Herald “Business” section has the stock market listings on pages B7 – B9 and, without interruption, the next two pages show the the horse racing events, field and form. Seems apt.
What an excuse for journalism.
Seen a few tweets from Herald and tv3 journos hinting this is all going to blow up again soon.
Questions they are saying they have an answer to is : ‘Was this all a right wing conspiracy, and how deep, who knew, who lied about knowing, and who’s keeping quiet even though they know quite a bit’
awwwwkwaaard.
TV3 saying to watch The Nation 2moro. Clever move. Gives WO time to sweat and type and type and sweat.
Sounds like TV3 are going whale hunting with whale-seeking harpoon missiles 😀
underground railguns
Awesome…with neutronium projectiles…
ha ha! get you you card.
On the subject of rails, saw a great ad on tv just now (do not miss ads though) for kiwirailscenic.co.nz, passenger service.
“Take A Train”.
Yes RT saw it earlier. Backgrounded with an aria from Puccini’s Madam Butterfly? Someone will correct me if I have the wrong opera. 🙂
‘The Pearl Fishers Duet’ by Georges Bizet from the Opera “Les Pecheurs De Perles” -Yes it is she the most fascinating and beautiful goddess-who has brought us together….. our fates are linked ? Kiwirail?
Goodness me. That was a wrong call. Must refresh my operatic knowledge. Whatever, it is a truly beautiful aria, and a perfect foil for the Ad.
Yup, that’s one of the most beautiful tenor-baritone duet and it is from Bizet’s Pearl Fishers (Act One, Scene IV).
Oui, c’est elle!
C’est la déesse qui descend parmi nous!
Son voile se soulève et la foule est à genoux!
(And correctly translated by ‘Not Another Sheep’.)
I don’t recognise the singers but a quick search reveals Youtube stating they are our local folks, Moses MacKay and Pene Pati.
And Moses and Pene are having fun here, with Pene’ brother, Amita:
You are certainly Not Another Sheep.
Could be a black sheep..hahaha….
Love the other link Jim Nald. Talented lads and a crack up trio here. I wasn’t sure who performed the backing music.
Bradbury reckons we “won’t see this twist coming”….. ?
Word from Russell Brown is; Palino knew.
Tomorrow morning’s Herald may shed considerable light on this issue, if not with respect to Slater Snr, then certainly wrt John Palino.
http://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-everybodys-machiavelli/?p=298505#post298505
Isn’t it exciting, I can’t wait to see what happens next
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ShockingLenBrownTwist
How cool would it be if Len Brown was Cthulhu…
Probably not very cool at all actual. We could only pray to be eaten first.
http://www.rubbersuitstudios.com/ptcct.htm
I spent a good part of a night going through all his comics…probably the closest you can get to trippin’ without drugs
Mind you he doesn’t use this one anymore, its so wrong on so many levels (yes even more than his others) so be warned its quite heavy going:
http://jackchick.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/chick-tract-review-lisa/
fucking hell. the dude is seriously fucked up.
saw something a while ago, on kickstarter I think, where some dudes were raising money to make a movie about his epic dungeons and dragons one, playing it straight to the script.
Strange old Chris73 there……..the closer we get to about 7% for the former 62% Man, the PM you’d crow about ’73, and crow and crow and crow………that’s right……. your Cult Cargo ShonKey Python……….your subliminal if not conscious prophet.
Well it’s just that your expressions now are much more general, even as a troll. Suggestive of a mature standing back, an intelligent appraisal. Not into the KoolAid in quite the same way what ? Very nice.
Your well known lower standards and your kupapanui wouldn’t have you a scab on Johnny Boy would they ?
Sorry what?
“Word from Russell Brown is; Palino knew”
His fiancee is/was friends with Bevan, plus ‘friends’ with his campaign advisor. Hard to see how he didn’t at least have an inkling.
A possible pick the texts… if Team Palino thought it had lost control of the situation.
What was it Tucker used to say? Never become the story?
Oops.
That, and fuckity fuck fuck.
Some of those questions are somewhat irrelevant as we don’t give a shit about the how’s and why’s. What’s more important is who else did he tup and did he make any entries into the probity register or did he just cash them in.
“we”
laugh.
Bluee Mountain Charcoal
Yes. Sorry to see that.
Lol @ John Key’s freudian slip on checkpoint tonight.
He’s got NZFirst on the brain.
Luigi Wewege is in trouble.
Original page
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:pOHs5asHZLoJ:www.diplomaticourier.com/lists/top-99-under-33/2013/1761-luigi-wewege+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=nz&client=firefox-a
New page
http://www.diplomaticourier.com/lists/top-99-under-33/2013/1761-luigi-wewege
Dave, do you mean the “Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute” and ” Doing Good Fellows” (True title) Wewege as the Founders of these organisations?
Ironical that he took the second organisation’s title a little to the extreme.
This is the same Wewege that is also on the International Youth Council.
His profile -: ” How do you want to get involved ? Connect with other global-minded leaders, Contribute Knowledge and/or Resources. What issues are important to you? Education, Media, Sustainability, Leadership, Partnerships, Policy”
A fine role model and representative of NZ youth to the world ?
I mean yesterday they removed Wewege from the top 99 under 33 list.
Yes and I was being cynical about Wewege and the organisations and businesses he drags down with him.
The 99ers should have removed him too, rightly so!
Wewege one of the elite chosen global top 99 for 2013 “…. a community of some of the brightest and most innovative minds of the time….our third class of 99ers continues to prove to the world the power of breaking traditional models and thinking outside the box for new solutions to old problems. Bring a group of 99ers together in a room, and feel the world shift….. each and every one a gleaming ray of hope … ”
innovative
breaking traditional role models
new solutions for an old problem
He sure does that ! Wonder if the IYC know too?
Wow!
do you mean the “Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute” and ” Doing Good Fellows” (True title) Wewege as the Founders of these organisations?
Read somewhere today that the AYLI have said he isn’t a member let alone a founder
His Bio on the Diplomatic Courier says he is. Long, impressive Bio. Shame.
Check Daves ‘google’ cached address above. That page has now been removed from the “Diplomatic Courier” itself
WIMP WALLOPING
Wimp: Jeremy Elwood. Walloper: Nevil Gibson
The Panel, Radio New Zealand National, Friday 18 October 2013
Jim Mora, Jeremy Elwood, Nevil Breivik Gibson
JIM MORA: It’s Susan Baldacci, with what the WOOOOOOORLD’s talking about!
SUSAN BALDACCI: Well the first story today is a rather sad one. It seems that slavery is still rife around the world.
MORA: Slavery?
SUSAN BALDACCI: Y-y-yes. And the country with the most slaves is India.
MORA: Is it India that has the most slaves?
SUSAN BALDACCI: [betraying slight irritation] Mmmmm. …. [Pause]….The country with the highest proportion of slaves is Mauritania. It has five to twenty per cent of the population as slaves.
MORA: Five to twenty per cent of the population of Mauritania are slaves?
…..[Pause]…..
SUSAN BALDACCI: Mmmm.
…..Some minutes later….
MORA: Mmmmmmm, mmmmmm!
SUSAN BALDACCI: Mmmm, mmmm!
JEREMY ELWOOD: Mmmmm!
MORA: Mmmmmmm! This is delicious cake! Who brought it in?
NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: I did!
MORA: What, is it your birthday?
NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: It is.
MORA: Happy fiftieth birthday! Ha ha ha ha ha!
NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Ha ha.
MORA: I mean, happy FORTIETH birthday! Ha ha ha ha!
NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Ha ha.
A couple of minutes later, as the music gradually rises to usher in the 4 o’clock news, the Panelists are discussing the stunning revelation that we’ve been lied to for the last hundred years about a crucial historical event….
MORA: So if the band on the Titanic didn’t play “Nearer My God to Thee”, what DID they play?
JEREMY ELWOOD: “Sailing”.
NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Heeeeeeeeeeeee!
MORA: That was the resident comedian on the program, Jeremy Elwood. Back after the news!
……4 o’clock News…..
After the four o’clock news, Mora always drags his hapless guests through a mandatory ritual of introductory or (more commonly) catch-up chit-chat. This would be pretty dull at the best of times, but seeing that he has a small roster of Panelists, this is also (almost always) a wasted seven or eight minutes.
However, these informal chats occasionally reveal some highly interesting aspects of character, or lack of character. Yesterday (Thursday October 17th), for instance, right wing Stuff business editor Ellen Read and that grouchy old hippie-hater and scourge of progressive thinkers, Rosemary McLeod, took the opportunity to boast about all the books they had not read. First of all they dealt to The Bone People, defiantly announcing that they found it boring, over-rated and unreadable. If they had stopped there, their little excursion into book criticism would have been reasonable and unexceptionable. But this pair of Mother Grundys were incapable of stopping there; they couldn’t help themselves. Warming to the task, McLeod announced she would never ever look at anything by Pope or Dryden. Ellen Read warmly endorsed this strident declaration of philistinism.
That, however, was as bad as it got yesterday. For the rest of the program, Read and McLeod were considered and reasonable in their comments. Long-time listeners would have been not only surprised at this, but also a trifle disappointed. Ellen Read has a particularly nasty, acerbic personality and has in the past unloaded both barrels on opponents, or amiable victims like Tim Watkin. So her failure to deliver on yesterday’s program left many listeners sans our fix of righteous right wing raving. Listening to a young lout playing nice and agreeing with everything an old lout says is nobody’s idea of entertainment, surely. If we wanted that, we’d just listen in on Cameron Brewer sucking up to Don Brash.
Many of us sufferers were no doubt hoping that today’s extreme right wing guest would come through with the good stuff, i.e., the crazy stuff. After all, with Nevil Breivik Gibson on board, the probability of a demented comment is extremely high.
Today’s post-four o’clock chat revealed (1) that Jeremy Elwood recently met Dan Marino and Dan Ackroyd, and, more interestingly, (2) that Nevil Gibson has visited Ireland recently. That trip provided the springboard for Gibson to make one of his trademark cock-eyed observations, a paean to the “excellence” of Ireland’s Sunday newspapers. That would have come as a surprise to anyone who has actually read an Irish Sunday newspaper, which to any literate Irish person is a synonym for “crap”.
Still, as Breivik Gibson comments go, raving about the quality of crap Irish papers was pretty mild. More extreme stuff was to come just before the end of the show. Before that, though, there was a bit of excruciating banter with the host….
JIM MORA: Nevil Gibson, happy birthday. That’s a nice cake you’ve brought in for us. Did you bake it yourself?
NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: No, no, I got it from Hollywood.
MORA: You got it imported?!?!???!?
NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Heeeeeeeeeeee! Actually it’s the bakery chain!
MORA: Oh!
The bulk of the program was pretty run of the mill. There was something about Len Brown, and both Gibson and Elwood made bland contributions for the “Soabbox” segment. It seemed that, apart from Gibson’s endorsement of substandard Irish rags, this was going to pass away into the space-time continuum without leaving a trace.
But then THIS happened……
In the last five minutes, Mora brings up the subject of the Republican extreme right and its determined assault on civic and public life in the United States, AKA “the government shutdown.” Just as I suspected he would, Nevil Gibson takes up the opportunity to deliver one of his crazed homilies—this time on behalf of the Tea Party loons. He embarks on an utterly untrue and fantastical speech, asserting that Ted Cruz and his cronies, far from being thugs and vandals, represent a significant section of the U.S. population. “Don’t they have a right to be heard?” he pleads, his voice croaking with emotion.
Gibson would never have gotten away with such nonsense if the other Panelist were, say, Gordon McLauchlan or Gordon Campbell or Mai Chen. But his interlocutor today is that nice Jeremy Elwood, a man who goes out of his way during his comedy appearances to make it clear he is a concerned and thoughtful liberal thinker. Unfortunately, Elwood has a dismal track record of going out of his way to “find common ground” with people who are philosophically and morally opposite to him. A few years ago Elwood brought down ignominy and contempt on himself after he cravenly voiced agreement with every single thing uttered by the bullying ex-cop Graham Bell during one of Bell’s infamous swingeing rants against liberals, conservationists and young people.
It was always a forlorn hope that Elwood would show a bit of courage and actually argue with Gibson. And so, just as we knew he would, he caved in. Instead of challenging him, Elwood joked lamely that there are huge numbers of Americans that take no notice of the government, and don’t need it in their lives. “They got on just fine during the shut-down,” he snickered. Nevil Breivik Gibson guffawed his approval.
Mercifully, the insistent sound of Carmina Burana wells up. Time to sign off…
JIM MORA: Nevil Gibson, happy birthday. Thank you for bringing in the cake!
Seen this?
Final election results for Auckland Council:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1310/S00694/auckland-council-election-final-results.htm
Cheers!
Penny Bright
Hallo – again
Yesterday, I took action, on my own. I went outside the Avondale WINZ office, to do a picket and protest. I held up a sign warning of “hatchet doctors”. There was nobody else, but I know a few others keep up the fight. I only wanted to raise awareness, and was there between 10,20 to 11.30 am on Friday.
Only 10 or 15 minutes into the action I was approached by a security person, one of the WINZ ones, coming out of their office. I had a sign and already handed out a few flyers (all stating the truth). He asked me, after staring at me for a few minutes, whether he could have one of my flyers. I gave him one. Then he disappeared, and I am sure he reported to the manager.
Soon after he came back, he tried to start a nonsensical chat, but held a pen and paper in his hands, and he took notes of the words on my sign. This all happened in a totally public place, on the footpath, which is a fair few steps away from the WINZ office. I had lots of people interested and handed out many flyers.
But what really SCARED ME, was the fact this security guy took record of all, reported to his manager, while I was in a public place. I am disturbed, and also angry, as this country is supposed to be democratic and “free” country. I did nothing wrong, and I also heard of others in the same area, at various WINZ offices being harassed.
Now, I ask you here, as NZers, is this what you condone? Is this what you want your country to be like? I have been out on the street in a few places recently, and while I got a lot of support, I also faced much hostility and frowning. I am afraid now to go out of my place, as my impression is, that this is no longer a free country. We are being persecuted and stigmatised, being beneficiaries, we are apparently hunted down.
Now, dear Labour, where do you stand on this, same on the welfare reforms, I hear little or nothing, and I honestly feel I live in a bloody dictatorship. I come from Europe and wish I had never come back to this horrible place, as I experience it as a beneficiary “bludger”. Better kill me and other, and get rid of us, if you do not like us!
My response is by these messages from a more cultured society and country:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWlkWPXfvXc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8y_0y-cT5g
My impression is that NZers have sold their country, are not even caring to fight for it, and thus are a gutless people, not worth of the soil you live on.
If you would all bloody care, you would fight and take a stand, I see NONE of it. David Cunliffe will not deliver what he talks about, I can tell you now, you are all falling for a big fat lie and another disappointment. There is no “true left” in this country, is is just fashionable wannabe stuff, as one real leftist told me long ago. Learn from Chile and other places, as you all need learning lessons, and who by the way, of all of you “bothers” to take to the street these days, I see NONE, cowards!
Great way to make friends in low and high places, you should get more sleep…
@X,
It’s not that they sold out so much is that NZers are up against a carefully cultivated climate of suspicion regarding beneficiaries. To give an example at the place where I volunteer I quickly noticed that any new clients we get keep reassuring us that they ARE doing everything they can to get a job, and that they are not like those “other” beneficiaries.
The problem is that the “other” beneficiaries (those that don’t want to work and are sponging ungratefully off the system) don’t appear to exsist outside of the media spin. Since I started a few months ago I haven’t met any of the “others”, just broken and stressed out people trying to get essential needs met.
X doesn’t seem to realize that beneficiaries are the hardest group of people in our society to organize, most are seriously looking for work and the ‘churn’ in the demographic always means that today’s beneficiary is tomorrows worker,
i don’t take kindly to the deliberate insults X has taken to tossing around and have deliberately, having ‘had words’ with that one previously where he/she has gone off the deep end, shrugged off the insults,
If he/she is thrown into a paranoid fear fit over a simple conversation with a WINZ security guard then i would suggest he/she discontinues the activity…
Fascismo Chileno:
Una fuerca revolutionario:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBih0c689cI
Not to be found in NZ, yet! Mucha forca, mucha forca, wake up, dear people and take action, if you can bother, beyond the “comfort zone”. Maybe life is “too easy” in NZ after all???
Battery farmed cows could be coming to NZ soon. Just a short note to encourage anyone as horrified as I am about these magnificent and sacred beasts being treated this way to make a submission to the Ministry of Primary Industries (address on website below) before December 3rd.
http://www.safe.org.nz/Campaigns/dairy-farming/LatestNews/