Open mike 20/04/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 20th, 2013 - 151 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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Step right up to the mike…

151 comments on “Open mike 20/04/2013 ”

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  1. Morrissey 1
    20 April 2013 at 6:26 am

    America’s banal and insincere Consoler-in-Chief
    President Obama comes to Boston
    by BILL VAN AUKEN, 19 April 2013

    Three days after the bombing that killed three people and wounded more than 170 at the Boston Marathon, President Barack Obama flew to Boston to deliver a speech at an interfaith service for the victims and survivors.

    This marks the fifth time that Obama has delivered such an address following a mass killing, beginning with Fort Hood, Texas in November of 2009 and including Tucson, Arizona in January 2011, Aurora, Colorado in July 2012 and Newtown, Connecticut last December.

    The corporate media, which have cynically dubbed Obama the “consoler-in-chief,” hailed his latest speech as “inspiring”, “powerful” and “moving.” It was all they wanted to hear and in no way conflicted with their efforts to frame the events in Boston within the reactionary narrative of the “war on terrorism,” turning them into another justification for war abroad and attacks on democratic rights at home.

    In reality, it was painfully evident that Obama was working off of a template, engaged in a national ritual that is utterly routine, banal and insincere.

    Almost invariably, he begins these speeches by invoking “scripture.”

    “Scripture tells us,” were the first words out of Obama’s mouth after he rose to address the crowd from the pulpit of Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

    “Scripture tells us, ‘Do not lose heart,’” he began his remarks to a prayer vigil for the 26 victims of the Newtown school massacre.

    “Scripture says that ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and….

    Read more…
    http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/04/19/pers-a19.html

    • The Al1en 1.1
      20 April 2013 at 7:16 am

      So what should Obama have said?
      Post up your own speech for comparison.
      Otherwise it’s just looks like rage.

      • Morrissey 1.1.1
        20 April 2013 at 7:31 am

        Read the article. Carefully.

        • The Al1en 1.1.1.1
          20 April 2013 at 7:35 am

          If you can’t post what OB should have said, we’ll just call it morning rage and move on.

          • Morrissey 1.1.1.1.1
            20 April 2013 at 7:43 am

            No, we’ll just call your little tantrum typical laziness on your part, and move on.

            The article was not criticizing Obama’s anodyne words; he is defintely the go-to guy when it comes to sonorous and content-free oratory. He’s unimprovable, in fact.

            The article criticizes the role the media plays in his sentimentalizing and politicizing of these tragedies.

            You would realize that if you actually read it.

            • The Al1en 1.1.1.1.1.1
              20 April 2013 at 8:01 am

              “No, we’ll just call your little tantrum”

              There is no hint of tantrum in any of my posts, unlike your last one. I’m way too accomplished for that.

              “You would realize that if you actually read it.”

              Best way one can make a point, and it’s really easily, is if you actually post it in the first instance.

              “typical laziness on your part”

              We’ll find out if that cap fits, when some one fetches it for me.

            • weka 1.1.1.1.1.2
              20 April 2013 at 8:06 am

              “The article criticizes the role the media plays in his sentimentalizing and politicizing of these tragedies.

              You would realize that if you actually read it.”

              Or you could simply have introduced your comment with that one sentence explanation of what you thought was important about the article.

              I find many of the links without commentary interesting, but it’s not laziness that stops me from reading all of them. I mostly come here for the interaction with other people and to hear their views on current events, politics etc.

              • Morrissey …
                20 April 2013 at 8:39 am

                Fair point, weka and Al1en. I try not to post too often without some kind of preliminary comment; 1.) I don’t want to bomb people with excess articles, and 2.) I don’t want another one-month ban.

                • The Al1en …
                  20 April 2013 at 8:49 am

                  “I don’t want to bomb people with articles.”

                  I renamed my music pc’s recycle bin ‘The hurt locker’ and it retaliated by changing my login to ‘V for vendetta’ 😆

                  • red rattler …
                    20 April 2013 at 10:34 pm

                    What the article shows is the Obama is a cynical bastard using biblical quotes explain away the cause of ‘terror’ as ‘evil’. What he doesn’t do is what Lincoln did i.e. draw the conclusion that that ‘evil’ is an answer to ‘evil’. In Lincoln’s case slavery was the evil and the civil war the answer.

                    What should Obama have said? Nothing different since today the US President has to justify the ‘war on terror’ for the very survival of US imperialism. But assuming that freed from this requirement, and that Obama had Lincoln’s grasp on reality, he would recognise that the ‘terror’ that the US visits on the world in the name of ‘freedom’ is imperialism – the modern equivalent evil of slavery – and that the ‘counter-terror’ that causes all these acts of mass murder, is part of the answer.

                    Of course coming from the Socialist Equality Party, the author stops short of spelling out what would be necessary to answer imperialism fully i.e. not the mayhem of individual mass shootings which are disorganised and counter-productive (eg citizens of Boston wildly cheering the police for dealing to the biblical ‘evil’) but the organised working class forming a popular militia and overthrowing the imperialist state.

    • AsleepWhileWalking 1.2
      20 April 2013 at 9:59 am

      In one of the more cynical moments of Obama’s speech, he invoked a widely circulated image of the youngest of those killed in the Boston bombings, eight-year-old Martin Richard, holding a poster upon which he had written, “No more hurting people. Peace.” Obama repeated the phrase twice.

      The day before he came to Boston, US drones fired missiles into a Pakistani village leveling a house and killing five people inside. Seven others were wounded. On the same day, a drone strike in Yemen demolished a car, killing its five occupants. As is well known, Obama personally selects assassination victims and has arrogated to himself the power to order the deaths of American citizens without charges or trials. The young boy’s plea reads like an indictment of the US president himself.

      Thanks M! I read an analysis of O’s speeches when he first was elected tying the format of the speeches to psychological tactics to disengage critical thinking. Fascinating stuff.

      From memory the scripture part of it wasn’t incorporated in his earlier speeches (at least not as a key feature right at the start of the speech).

  2. Morrissey 2
    20 April 2013 at 6:36 am

    A Contender for Dumbest Statement Ever by Amnesty USA?
    by JOE EMERSBERGER at Apr 19, 2013

    Amnesty USA has called on the Venezuelan government to eliminate post-election violence. The small matter that the violence has been directed at government supporters was comically evaded.

    Showing off its command of the obvious, Amnesty USA stated: “Violent incidents around Venezuela following last Sunday’s presidential elections are only likely to increase unless the authorities carry out prompt, effective investigations and bring those responsible to justice”

    That recent deaths strongly implicate opposition supporters should have been impossible to miss, even for Amnesty USA, given statements put out by Henrique Capriles, the candidate who lost the presidential election to Maduro. Reuters reported that Capriles said: “To all my followers … this is a peaceful quarrel. Whoever is involved in violence is not part of this project, is not with me,…. It is doing me harm.”

    Capriles cancelled a march on the National Electoral Council (CNE) alleging that the government would “infiltrate” it with violent saboteurs.

    HRW put out a similarly fatuous statement condemning Maduro for saying he would forbid the opposition march that Capriles ended up cancelling.

    When it suits them, the human rights industry pretends that governments the USA dislikes are omnipotent – that they exert complete control of opponents and supporters alike and can “guarantee” security for all without the slightest infringement of civil liberties. Weeks prior to the US perpetrated coup in Haiti in 2004, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch, put out statements demanding that Jean Bertrand Aristide, who was just about to be kidnaped by US troops, guarantee the security of his opponents – including people financing terrorists to overthrow him.

    Amnesty USA refuses to make obvious demands of its own government – demands like “disclose who you are funding and working with”, and “stop trying to overthrow democratically elected governments”. That would actually be useful to promoting human rights rather than US-backed coups. That is expecting too much of Amnesty when it cannot even recognize Bradley Manning as a Prisoner of Conscience, or acknowledge that Saudi armed rebels in Syria will inevitably commit atrocities.

    Stupidity is not actually the problem as Chris Hedges made clear when he resigned from PEN after Suzanne Nossel, recently head of Amnesty USA, was appointed to run that group: “Nossel’s relentless championing of preemptive war—which under international law is illegal—as a State Department official along with her callous disregard for Israeli mistreatment of the Palestinians and her refusal as a government official to denounce the use of torture and use of extra-judicial killings, makes her utterly unfit to lead any human rights organization, especially one that has global concerns.”

    It should not be up to Chris Hedges alone to denounce the “hijacking of human rights organizations to promote imperial projects”.

    http://www.zcommunications.org/a-contender-for-dumbest-statement-ever-by-amnesty-usa-by-joe-emersberger

    • Jenny 2.1
      20 April 2013 at 7:46 am

      It is a shame to see Amnesty International damaging their brand like this.

      • Morrissey 2.1.1
        20 April 2013 at 7:51 am

        When she has a moment to spare from her humane work, that great humanitarian Suzanne Nossel might reflect, in the small hours of the morning, that the word AMNESTY anagramizes into NASTY ME.

      • Murray Olsen 2.1.2
        20 April 2013 at 1:02 pm

        Amnesty has had a pretty damaged brand for a long time now. Their insistence that the oppressed remain pacifists and refusal to take on many cases have ended up with them supporting the oppressor, as in Venezuela today. I haven’t had much time for them since they refused to support Marx Jones in 1981.

  3. Te Reo Putake 3
    20 April 2013 at 8:29 am

    Interesting article in the Guardian regarding the many internet wannabee CSIers who got it so badly wrong trying to parse the various photos of the Boston bombing:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/19/boston-bombing-suspects-reddit-social-media

    • Morrissey 3.1
      20 April 2013 at 8:42 am

      Wonder if these basement CSIers were as studiously grim and unsmiling as those fantasy CSI “experts” on those hopelessly dull network shows….

      http://www.dnatestingblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/gtl_csi_effect.jpg

    • muzza 3.2
      20 April 2013 at 8:45 am

      Yet you know the *authorities* loved the fact they were able to see this happen, by that I mean, getting the masses all bagging on eachother while searching for, *the enemy*

      Obamas citizen security force he called for, seems to be rolling out, no dounbt helped by *friendly establishment* agencies all playing their role!

      That and the resultant , marshall law in place in Boston!

      Oh, and don’t forget to look into the regions history/present where the two (soon to be both dead, conveniently, yet again), *accused* are from, and what else is happening is that part of the world.

      Great result for the establishments propgation of fear, violence, troops on the street, unwarranted searched of houses et al!

      Freedom costs a buck O five!

      • Te Reo Putake 3.2.1
        20 April 2013 at 8:52 am

        Yeah, we all hate it when social experiments go wrong.

        • muzza 3.2.1.1
          20 April 2013 at 9:24 am

          Who are you representing, exactly , other than yourself, by using *we all* ?

          • Te Reo Putake 3.2.1.1.1
            20 April 2013 at 9:35 am

            Strange question! I’m part of the NWO conspiracy, muzza. But, hey, you know that already, so it’s weird that you ask, given we’re both in the same black ops unit. If you’ve blown our cover, Obama is going to be well pissed.

            • Murray Olsen 3.2.1.1.1.1
              20 April 2013 at 1:06 pm

              Alex Jones will set you free!!
              Oh, and who is this Marshall Law that we hear about so much?

            • Populuxe1 3.2.1.1.1.2
              20 April 2013 at 4:35 pm

              DON’T BREAK COVER!!! DON’T BREAK COVER!!! YOU’LL GET US ALL LIQUIDATED!!!

      • AsleepWhileWalking 3.2.2
        20 April 2013 at 10:18 am

        Fusion centers will be working overtime taking it all in….the baseless allegations will be used as “proof” at a later date no doubt.

    • weka 3.3
      20 April 2013 at 8:49 am

      Another reason to be thankful to live in a small backwater country.

    • Ugly Truth 3.4
      20 April 2013 at 9:28 am

      What does Sandy Hook and the Boston marathon have in common?
      http://i.imgur.com/WedLF8K.jpg

  4. Morrissey 4
    20 April 2013 at 8:55 am

    BELIEVE IT OR NOT!
    Kim Hill pronounces Michael Burleigh “balanced”
    National Radio, Saturday 20 April 2013

    Kim Hill is a very smart and well read person. I was concerned, therefore, to hear her speak positively, a few minutes ago during an interview with Professor John Carson Lennox, of a book by the notoriously unhinged Michael Burleigh. She gave the impression that Burleigh was “balanced”. Any sane person who has managed to struggle through some of his insane books or articles would dispute that.

    While it is clear that she reads a great many books, comments like that about someone as notorious as Michael Burleigh lead one to wonder if she really does read all of them thoroughly.

    • ghostrider888 4.1
      20 April 2013 at 12:23 pm

      yes, Mozza, I listened to that interview (was gonna link it) 🙂 and I was disappointed with Kim.

  5. ianmac 5
    20 April 2013 at 9:35 am

    Anyway the discussion with Prof Lennox was a fascinating in-depth one. Interesting that the Prof believes that the Resurrection is proof of God. Without the Resurrection presumably the God would become god. But of course there is only the Bible to offer “proof.”
    “John Carson Lennox is a British mathematician and philosopher of science who is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, and Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College, Oxford University. He is the author of a number of books, including and God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? (Lion Books, ISBN: 978-0-82547-912-0) and Gunning for God: Why the New Atheists are Missing the Target (Lion Books, ISBN: 978-0745953229).”
    Not up yet for replay.

  6. SukieDamson 6
    20 April 2013 at 9:57 am

    Michelle Hewitson on Susan “Yeah I am” / “No I [ain’t]!” Devoy this morning

    She is patently aggrieved that people have made up their minds about her and that they think all she is is “someone who wriggles around a little racket” and “the assumption is that I’m white and that I’m right wing.” Well, she is, isn’t she? “Yeah, I am. But I’m not so right wing and I’m not so conservative.” She says she’s worked with disadvantaged people and done a lot of work for Maori organisations. “And they say you’re as Maori as you feel.” But it just sounds daft when she says it. Does she think she’s Maori? “No I don’t!”

    • AsleepWhileWalking 6.1
      20 April 2013 at 10:22 am

      Yeah, her appointment remains the most ridiculous out of all of the cronies so far this year.

      What would Jon Stewart say about this if he were commenting on NZ politics instead of the US?

      • Alanz 6.1.1
        20 April 2013 at 10:40 am

        It dawned on us during our Friday evening dinner that when Natz talk about jobs, they are really talking about their own jobs and their cronies’ . . . . .

        jackie blue

        susan devoy

        ian fletcher

        and coming up next,
        absentee cabinet minister tim groser
        (thanks, working taxpayers, for funding his swanning around internationally to secure that job he wants in august): http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878297

        *feel free to add to this list

        p.s. I’d like to see the opposition parties campaigning to clean up the shit on the government benches.

        • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1.1
          20 April 2013 at 11:56 am

          It dawned on us during our Friday evening dinner that when Natz talk about jobs, they are really talking about their own jobs and their cronies’ . . .

          Yep, National are only about themselves. It’s a pity that such a large part of the population haven’t woken up to that yet.

          • muzza 6.1.1.1.1
            20 April 2013 at 5:51 pm

            A large part of the population, believe they have an idea about issues, the drivers, and hence in their wisdom, decide to vote, in a system which will strangling them, and removing any future for their children etc.

            Most people are clueless, which is what happens when lies are the SOP over extended period of time, the lies in turn dumb them down, and what you have is what we are seeing played out in front of us!

      • Draco T Bastard 6.1.2
        20 April 2013 at 11:54 am

        Would he able to stop laughing long enough to say anything?

        😈

      • Descendant Of Sssmith 6.1.3
        20 April 2013 at 6:40 pm

        I did laugh though when she said she got rung and told she should apply for the job but couldn’t remember who called her.

        She sounded so Prime Mnisterial she did.

    • Morrissey 6.2
      20 April 2013 at 1:20 pm

      She is patently aggrieved that people have made up their minds about her and that they think all she is is “someone who wriggles around a little racket” and “the assumption is that I’m white and that I’m right wing.” Well, she is, isn’t she?

      Susan Devoy is a patently stupid woman. Helen Kelly’s assessment is spot on: Devoy’s appointment is part of a deliberate strategy by the government, i.e. Steven Joyce, to denigrate and lessen the authority of the Race Relations Commission.

  7. AsleepWhileWalking 7
    20 April 2013 at 10:33 am

    Someone asked me if I wanted a dog on Thursday. Lovely mid sized cutie, fully trained and good with kids and came with all it’s doggie stuff.

    The thing is I really do want a dog that needs a forever home <3

    The home or the dog
    But….I have learned there are people in the world who can have dogs, and those who can’t and I most definitely can not own a dog unless I own a house to go with it. There is no way that I can afford to further disadvantage myself in the cray-cray Wellington rental market by having a dog (the cat I took in from a friend who moved is bad enough).

    Landlords don’t like dogs or their owners and will pick an animal free tenant whenever they can so it would be cruel to take in the dog and eventually end up having to make the choice between re-homing my new furry baby or becoming homeless myself.

    I wish someone had explained all this to me when I was younger.

    • vto 7.1
      20 April 2013 at 11:13 am

      Don’t have much time for dogs in cities. Or rather, not much time for their owners handling of their dogs. So much dog shit on the street, barking dogs in our hood BOWOO BOWOWOWOWO waking everyone up, New Zealanders are bloody boofheads when it comes to dog responsibility around others. Neanderthals (actually, I bet neanderthals never put up with such shit from dog owners).

  8. Te Reo Putake 8
    20 April 2013 at 11:15 am

    Looks like the second bombing suspect has been found, shots, tear gas and an ambo heading into the locked down area.

  9. ghostrider888 9
    20 April 2013 at 12:41 pm

    well, according to the nice policeman on Campbell Live, the arrogance of motorists cutting into queues is growing…

    Blessed are the merciful
    for they will be shown mercy
    not likely to be the wisest, or the richest, yet
    a man who has not the wherewithal to be bountiful or liberal
    may be truly merciful.
    partake of the afflictions of our brethren
    have compassion on the souls of others
    pity the ignorant and instruct them,
    the careless, and warn them
    snatch the lost as brands out of a burning forge
    for doing good is one of the most purest and refined delights
    it is more blessed to give than receive
    for with the merciful God will show himself merciful
    the most charitable and merciful cannot pretend to merit

    next follows the pure in heart

    …let me tell you a story about the Joker
    …and the thief in the night

  10. Brett Dale 10
    20 April 2013 at 12:52 pm

    Well done to the Boston Police for capturing the second suspect. Hats off to them.

  12. Morrissey 12
    20 April 2013 at 1:44 pm

    The following clarification needs to be read by listeners to NewstalkZB, the hosts of NewstalkZB, Stephen Franks, Jordan Williams, Neville “Breivik” Gibson, Garth “Gaga” George, Christine “Spankin'” Rankin, Brett Dale and any other bewildered souls out there….

    Statement of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic on the Boston terrorist attack

    19.04.2013 / 21:27

    As many I was deeply shocked by the tragedy that occurred in Boston earlier this month. It was a stark reminder of the fact that any of us could be a victim of senseless violence anywhere at any moment.

    As more information on the origin of the alleged perpetrators is coming to light, I am concerned to note in the social media a most unfortunate misunderstanding in this respect. The Czech Republic and Chechnya are two very different entities – the Czech Republic is a Central European country; Chechnya is a part of the Russian Federation.

    As the President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman noted in his message to President Obama, the Czech Republic is an active and reliable partner of the United States in the fight against terrorism. We are determined to stand side by side with our allies in this respect, there is no doubt about that.

    Petr Gandalovič
    Ambassador of the Czech Republic

    http://www.mzv.cz/washington/en/czech_u_s_relations/news/statement_of_the_ambassador_of_the_czech.html

    See also….

    • Colonial Viper 12.1
      20 April 2013 at 1:49 pm

      The main people who need to read this clarification is the Pentagon…you know, so they don’t accidentally invade Iran.

      • Morrissey 12.1.1
        20 April 2013 at 1:50 pm

        Nice one, Viper. You are now on the Christmas card list.

        By the way, what do you think the Czech ambassador means when he insists that his country is an “active and reliable” partner of the United States? Does that just mean they support the U.S. in its anti-democracy shenanigans at the U.N.? I was also amused by the tag at the end of the following assurance: “We are determined to stand side by side with our allies in this respect, there is no doubt about that.” That sounds extremely like the “don’t you worry about that” phrase used by Sir Les Patterson.

  13. ghostrider888 13
    20 April 2013 at 2:28 pm

    more on Key’s legacy (the former V.C Waikato, must read te Standard)
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10878341

    McDonalds are lovin’it though, John
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10878531

    • Draco T Bastard 13.1
      20 April 2013 at 4:22 pm

      Re Maccas

      …paid a dividend of $32 million to its parent in 2012 following a 2011 payment of $154 million that it funded by taking on a loan.

      Think about that for a bit.

      WTF is a company taking out a loan to pay dividends?

  14. ghostrider888 14
    20 April 2013 at 2:37 pm

    now, being the critic of the medico-technical complex that I am, I didn’t want to link to this
    Horrific Burns
    yet, I am personally aquainted with a wee young lassie, about 2 months of age, who has had
    -an MRI
    -an EEG
    -CSF tapped
    -anti-viral course
    and been seen by two eye specialists and yet they are still unable to determine why she is unable to see more than contrast. a big sigh indeed; where are all these “tele-medicine” benefits we learn of in the MSM propaganda? likely she will have to go to Starship next, while Tony’s royally shafting the health consumer.

  15. Brett Dale 15
    20 April 2013 at 2:53 pm

    Great to see the people of boston cheering on their police force, instead of wearing FTP teeshirts, like the boyracers do here.

    • felix 15.1
      20 April 2013 at 3:15 pm

      Feed The People? Free The Protesters?

    • Pascal's bookie 15.2
      20 April 2013 at 3:40 pm

      yay for unionised civil servants.

    • The Al1en 15.3
      20 April 2013 at 5:30 pm

      “instead of wearing FTP teeshirts”

      Fuck any arsehole bully who pushes little girls faces into the ground, I say.

      • ghostrider888 15.3.1
        20 April 2013 at 5:55 pm

        hey, you’re from outer space where they have all those teccy shape-shifter doo dads; can you, or Draco, or RedLogix, or Lynn, or the Viper, or anybody with some experience in these matters advise some-one back from the other side of minimum specs
        -processor speed
        -Hard drive storage
        -RAM
        -Vid cards
        to run a couple of programs simultaneously, switch effortlessly between say 5 open tabs, maximise fibre potential, optimise viewing of streamed audio / visual and to interface with freeview / satellite tv.
        (just looking for an un-vested opinion)

        Response will be greatly appreciated and chocolate fish (slightly melted) will be apportioned 😀

        • ghostrider888 15.3.1.1
          20 April 2013 at 7:53 pm

          guess that’s a no then…

          • felix 15.3.1.1.1
            20 April 2013 at 8:13 pm

            So many variables.

            eg “run a couple of programs simultaneously” could be anything from Minesweeper and Solitaire all the way to Final Cut Pro and Abbleton Live.

            Do the “5 open tabs” have online games and videos loading or are they text pages?

            You’d have to be pretty specific to get any really useful advice beyond “get as much ram, processing and hard drive space as you can afford”.

            • ghostrider888 15.3.1.1.1.1
              20 April 2013 at 8:22 pm

              thanx felix; i realise it was a fairly lame query; was just a little overwhelmed and did not want to waste what little income I have; seems 2.8Ghz, 2GB RAM, 500GB HD a few drops in the ocean to start with?

              • felix …
                20 April 2013 at 8:38 pm

                Get more RAM, it’s probably the best “bang for buck” upgrade you can do in most cases.

                Just remember to check whether your running a 32bit or 64bit operating system; a 32bit system will only make use of 3GB of RAM no matter how much you put in.

                edit: listen to the voices 🙂

            • ghostrider888 15.3.1.1.1.2
              20 April 2013 at 8:31 pm

              ran out of edit time: yet “more RAM, more RAM”, the voices in my head keep calling…they keep calling 😀

              • Colonial Viper …
                20 April 2013 at 10:40 pm

                Dude. Yeah the problem is the “Windows” tax where you have to pay good money to get the basic operating system.

                The one to get, if you have to buy a copy, is Windows 7 Home 64bit, someone with a student ID may be able to get you an academic price on it, and sometimes the “OEM” price is cheap too. Avoid that frakking loser Windows 8 “let’s pretend your desktop PC is an Android Tablet” shite whatever you do.

                You have a mate who can screw the thing together for you?

                If so this is my suggestion (check for latest prices with pricespy.co.nz):

                AMD “Trinity” processor A8 5600K: budget level quad core with good built in graphics ability. ~$150 This quad core is definitely slower than the Intel quad cores but its pretty fast, cheaper than the Intels and its graphics are also much faster…for casual 3D gaming haha

                ASRock FM2A75M-DGS micro-ATX form factor motherboard ~$98

                G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1866MHz ~$120 total (in this case, for better performance you want 2 x 4GB RAM chips as they give you twin lane communication speed, not 1 x 8GB chip which gives you the same amount of RAM but just at single lane communication speed)

                IN WIN EM020 Black uATX USB3.0 Mini Tower Case with 400W Power Supply built in (insufficient for heavy duty gaming if you want to include a big discrete gaming video card but certainly fine otherwise) ~$115 I think the case will fit in a 2nd and 3rd HDD if you need more storage room (you’ll have to check if the PSU has the cables to power them up but it should do)

                Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA3 ~$100 If you’re going to store a lot (a lot) of video, photos etc then a second 2TB WD Caviar Green internal HDD would be a go. If you’re going to store relatively little, but want very fast performance, forget the traditional HDD and go an Intel 335 SSD (180 GB capacity) for ~$230 is the go.

                A front case fan for about $15 would be useful if the room you run the PC in gets warm, otherwise I wouldn’t bother unless you are planning to run the machine full tilt fairly often.

                Uh no idea about the Freeview stuff (I presume you get an add in tuner card for it???), but this 3.6 GHz quad core box with 8GB RAM will run nice and fast for all home uses. $600 in parts will give you a box faster than most $900 boxes you get from the main street retailers. Oh yeah you still have to add the windows tax on top of that.

                Also do double check that all the parts make sense, I sorta did this in a rush, but should be good.

        • The Al1en 15.3.1.2
          20 April 2013 at 8:20 pm

          “hey, you’re from outer space where they have all those teccy shape-shifter doo dads”

          “-processor speed
          -Hard drive storage
          -RAM
          -Vid cards”

          I’m not a technical, though I did spec, source and build my own desktop unit a year and a half ago.
          I’ve had no issues with my quad core i7 2600 using onboard graphics (no vid card) and stock fan, 8gb ram and 500gb hard drive.
          Using my processor hungry music software, it handles all I throw at it and never at more than 20% cpu usage.

          An i5 would be the minimum I’d suggest, but I’m like Mel.

          • ghostrider888 15.3.1.2.1
            20 April 2013 at 8:29 pm

            thnx. u hav restored my faith in extra-terrestrials; an i5 was recommended as a start, guess i’ll go for more ram and dual-core if drachmas permit (what is the speed of your processor?)

            • The Al1en 15.3.1.2.1.1
              20 April 2013 at 8:47 pm

              If you don’t need/want a 64bit operating system, don’t waste money on lots of ram. 32 bit systems can’t access over 3. something of it, so more than 4gb (2×2) is a waste.

              I believe i7s are quad core with hyperthreading (8 cores), i5s are quad core with no HT and i3s are dual core.
              My chip runs at 3.4, which most of the range seems to run at, or around.

              Good luck.

              • ghostrider888 …
                20 April 2013 at 9:05 pm

                thanx. see i learned somethings elses important.all ya gotta do is ask the right OP 😉
                (reasons i put it out there were, a) gotta fire old gertie up and go into town see a man abouta doo-dad, and then b) he’s a gonna try’n upgrade me to some fancy veehickle I don’t rightly need). Now, ise canna find me one on that new-fangled Trades-whatsa-me-callit, where they done try and sell yoo all sorts of purty trimmins.

                • The Al1en …
                  20 April 2013 at 9:18 pm

                  Window shop online and take the sales sharks out of the equation and then when you’ve found what you want at your price, take the magical mystery tour.

                  • Descendant Of Sssmith …
                    20 April 2013 at 10:41 pm

                    Couple of handy little program’s that don’t use up much space to stop your computer filling up with crap and things being high jacked.

                    I like these two for their simplicity and always add them to a new computer when I get one:

                    Crap Cleaner for cleaning up temp fies, caching, stored web pages, cookies and so on.

                    http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

                    Win patrol which is a nice tidy program that warns you if start page is being high jacked or things are being added to start menu. Also allows you to easily view and control what is in your start menu, what’s running now etc.

                    http://www.winpatrol.com/download.html

                    Both are free to use.

                    I’ve likely got a copy of Office 97 sitting in the garage somewhere if you are interested in it for free. It just might take a bit of finding and I’m away for the next few weeks but happy to dig it out.

                • Draco T Bastard …
                  20 April 2013 at 11:46 pm

                  http://pricespy.co.nz/

                  All you’ll ever need to build a system.

                  BTW, I’d always recommend going for a 64 bit OS. You’re going to have a 64 bit PC you might as well get the full performance out of it.

                  • lprent …
                    21 April 2013 at 12:06 am

                    Yep. Most of the actual benefit is in the memory addressing. I also notice a difference between 32 bit and 64 bit when you get more cores.

                    And to actually get that benefit – use linux. Windows just keeps putting more junk on board until it is effectively the same speed as a old pentium. I just compiled a Qt4/boost program on 32bit windows MSVC2008 on windows7, and it took about 4x as long as g++ did on a 32bit ubuntu 12.04. And I’m not going to even mention the time it took to startup and shut the system down. I’m tempted to pop VC2005 on that system because I’d swear that was faster?

                    But seriously look at putting in even a 32-64GB SSD as a boot. Now those things seriously kickarse for boot and accessing system programs. Too expensive for terabyte storage, but ok for planting the OS.

                    About the only thing that windows is useful for these days is games. I’m too serious for games… 0ad starts…

            • Draco T Bastard 15.3.1.2.1.2
              20 April 2013 at 11:45 pm

              If you’re on a budget skip the Intel chips and go for AMD. Much cheaper both for the motherboard and the CPU.

        • Lanthanide 15.3.1.3
          20 April 2013 at 9:44 pm

          This isn’t going to answer your question outright, but you can use it as a useful guide: http://www.logicalincrements.com/

          Prices are in $US I believe.

          In terms of RAM, you’re going to want a minimum of 4gb. If you’re not planning on playing games, then 4gb is probably fine for your purposes. RAM is pretty cheap though so getting more isn’t a huge imposition.

    • vto 15.4
      20 April 2013 at 5:34 pm

      What would cause people to wear FTP t-shirts?

    • millsy 15.5
      20 April 2013 at 7:46 pm

      Yeah, thats what people do when the cops actually catch genuine bad guys.

    • Descendant Of Sssmith 15.6
      20 April 2013 at 8:23 pm

      Yeah it never rains in Southern California either.

      http://ftp.dailypaul.com/259426/aclu-records-reveal-boston-police-spy-on-political-and-peace-groups

      http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2013/03/boston_police_catfishing_indie_rockers_cops_pose_as_punks_on_the_internet.html?utm_source=tw&utm_medium=sm&utm_campaign=button_chunky

      http://www.metalinjection.net/latest-news/animals-as-leaders-vs-boston-police

      http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Z_A6_CzvpEE&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZ_A6_CzvpEE

      There’s a black cop I remember from a few years back who won’t be cheering either. His two white colleagues beat the shit out of him while he was undercover.

      Then there’s the Boston cops who were dealing in drugs……

      And you somehow think that Boston cops are respected more than ours.

      Yeah we have some crap with our cops as well but it ain’t nothing like the Boston people have to put up with.

      You keep trying to tell us how great the US is and how shit we are. I don’t know who you are trying to convince or why you bother but you are not convincing me.

      • weka 15.6.1
        20 April 2013 at 9:10 pm

        “Yeah we have some crap with our cops as well but it ain’t nothing like the Boston people have to put up with.”

        You might be right Ssssmith, but Rickards and co, as well as some of the stories that have come out of places like Dunedin are pretty damning indictments of the NZ police.

        And it’s not like the cops here aren’t being used to spy on Maori, activists etc.

        It’s not just that we have some crap cops (and some good ones). It’s that the police force culture is very corrupt in some ways (Rickards etc) and highly unethical in others (Tuhoe raids)

        • Descendant Of Sssmith 15.6.1.1
          20 April 2013 at 9:27 pm

          I certainly wasn’t suggesting our cops are all sweet and sugar coated – clearly there are issues from time to time and no question there has been a degree of racism amongst some police for ever.

          I’m always cautious in including Rickards in that group due to the testimony that he had a broken leg in plaster at the time of the particular incident most refer to. It was something that was quite provable and he has always maintained he wasn’t there.

          The others no question about their abysmal behaviour and abuse of power.

          The abuse of power is of course sometimes political as was seen with the use of Maori police at Bastion Point. There’s times when you (generic) need to look beyond the individual police or the police culture.

  16. ianmac 16
    20 April 2013 at 3:46 pm

    “Inland Revenue is not ruling out the possibility of a cyber-attack after it wrongly sent emails to 47 people yesterday.

    The error has prompted the department to shut down all inbound emails while it investigates whether it is the latest Government agency to be hit with a privacy breach.”

    Breeches getting to be the norm?
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10878684

    • vto 17.1
      20 April 2013 at 5:35 pm

      the fishing don’t look too good.

    • ianmac 17.2
      20 April 2013 at 8:07 pm

      I have a very wide screen and truly magnificent lunar travel thanks Marty. But just who were those folk down by the 3rd crater from the right who were waving white flags?

  18. joe90 18
    20 April 2013 at 6:38 pm

    Laal – Dehshatgardi Murdabad

    Junior Brown – Hung it Up

  19. emergency mike 19
    20 April 2013 at 6:43 pm

    I’m not sure if this John Armstrong opinion piece in the Herald got linked to here or not, but I found the first 10 comments interesting.

    Armstrong discusses the sloppiness of John Key’s having given four different answers to the question “How did you get Ian Fletcher’s number?” and the ammunition it gave to the opposition.

    “Politicians – certainly not Prime Ministers – are not supposed to behave in this fashion. They are supposed to have one story and stick to it come hell or high water.”

    It’s not the failure to be truthful that disappoints Armstrong, but the failure to simply stick to one story. He concludes with a “but who really cares how he got the number anyway,” line.

    Of the first ten comments, two agreed with the ‘who gives a toss’ line, one bemoaned who embarrasing our political stories were in general, one lamented Armstrongs propensity to claim that he knows how ‘most people’ feel about a given issue, and the other six pointed out that the issue is not how he got the number, it’s the lying about it – the chronic and consistent failure of credibility.

    What interested me was the relative ‘for and against’ likes in the comments. The two comments agreeing that they couldn’t give a toss got a total of 174 likes, the six comments disagreeing and calling out Key as a liar got a total of 1,947 likes.

    This has given me hope that John Key has indeed jumped the shark.

    • vto 19.1
      20 April 2013 at 7:23 pm

      it is quite clearly all down hill for Key and it has been for some time

      there is now no way back.

      see ya Key, thanks for nothing

      • weka 19.1.1
        20 April 2013 at 9:14 pm

        It’s important to remember that he most likely doesn’t care beyond some in the moment ego bruising. He’s done the job he was sent in to do, and he can still do alot of damage on the way out.

        • emergency mike 19.1.1.1
          20 April 2013 at 10:03 pm

          Absolutely, I’ve been saying here for a while that as soon as his asset sales job is done, Key is off to his next corporate money making scheme with an “Ackshully New Zilund, I’ve been great.”

          I’m just glad the tide is finally turning on his public perception. Once you see the tranzrail eyes, you realise that that’s all there is. He’s not a leader with our best interests at heart, he’s a corporate manager, tasked with making sure the sleepy hobbits don’t blink while he smiles and waves and sells our country to the highest bidder.

  20. Descendant Of Sssmith 20
    20 April 2013 at 10:56 pm

    Mate just told me about this

    http://oceana.org/en/blog/2013/04/victory-offshore-oil-drilling-stopped-in-belize

    Yay to both people power and court process.

    Reinforces the separation of government and the courts as being absolutely essential.

    Now if we could just ensure that the separation of government and parliament was more defined so that select committees weren’t a sham and urgency wasn’t abused.

  21. Tim 21
    21 April 2013 at 1:15 am

    FYI:
    Interesting Keiser this week – i.e both KR on RT, and Paxman and Keiser on Newsnight (bbc)