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….
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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).
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”.
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.
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.
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:
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!”
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’ . . . . .
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!
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.
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.
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).
Quick work by the US authorities. Seems like the bad guys were total amateur hour. Did they not have an out after the op? They just stayed in the neighbourhood? What were they going to do, just turn back up to classes as normal next week?
And from Kyrzygstan…this is going to be interesting.
All I know is that the dorm mates of one suspect say he was an ordinary guy they hung out with, ate with, and played sport with.
Apparently the suspect turned up to classes as normal after the bombing and even went to a party, even as he must have known that FBI CCTV footage was appearing on air. This is frakking weird.
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.
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
Fuck’s sake, CV, he’s 19 and we have no fucking idea why the bombings took place. It’s a bit early in the piece to be getting all smug about how un-hardcore a suspect is, don’t you think?
You know, your professions of concern for that little boy would carry some weight if you were not on record applauding the killing of hundreds of little boys and girls in Gaza.
We need to carefully consider a couple of pertinent questions: 1.) Why is there a TANK on the scene? 2.) Who is in the wrong: the soldier inside the tank or the peasants trying to repel the tank?
Are you saying that 19 year old soldiers who don’t die ‘lose their nerve’?
Frankly, I don’t give a shit. David Frum, George Bush’s speech writer who coined the axis of evil phrase made the same point you made. So that’s the company you’re in.
I think you might be reading far too much into CV’s comments there, but there is no equivalence between a nineteen year old soldier and a nineteen year old terrorist.
oooo, a few anarchist threats in there joe; Excellent link. I heard recently from the Sky that the Feds see the Earth Liberation Front (The Elves) as their number 1 targets of attention. btw, do you think that there has been an a-typical frequency of large earthquakes just recently; off Japan, now China…
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.
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.
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.
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 😀
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?
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.
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.
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.
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?)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
cool link Lanth. I will be well armed with that. Thanks. much appreciated. puts components in perspective. sigh. such a learning curve. oh well, coulda stayed out-of-it 🙂 you guys, wotta ya like aye, wotta ya like. Excellent thinkers, thats what you are like (kinds and all that)
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.
“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)
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.
“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.”
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
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 in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
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Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
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By Jo Moir, RNZ News political editor, and Craig McCulloch, deputy political editor New Zealand’s Labour Party is demanding Winston Peters be stood down as Foreign Minister for opening up the government to legal action over his “totally unacceptable” attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. In an interview on RNZ’s ...
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The Wellington-based Reserve Force soldier is now almost three years into his New Zealand Army career with 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. ...
"The Government needs to release the review immediately as this reckless approach to change risks disjointed decision making and creates more distress and uncertainty for staff," Fitzsimons said. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Jeremiah Manele has been elected Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, polling 31 votes to 18 over rival candidate and former opposition leader Mathew Wale with one abstention. The final result of the election by secret ballot was announced by the Governor-General, Sir David Vunagi, ...
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The NZQA proposal released to staff today would involve a net loss of 35 roles. There are 66 roles being disestablished with 13 of those currently vacant, and 31 new roles proposed, said Fleur Fitzsimons Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga ...
Alex Casey talks to Loren Taylor, the writer, director and star of new film The Moon is Upside Down, about assembling her dream ensemble cast, toilet paper pads and turning literal dreams into reality. There’s a moment in The Moon is Upside Down where frazzled anaesthetist Briar (Loren Taylor) gets ...
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As the government tries to get the country back on track with a school phone ban, Tara Ward has an idea for where they should turn their attention to next.New Zealand students returned to school on Monday morning, but their cellphones did not. The government’s new phone ban began ...
The Labour Party is demanding Peters be stood down, saying "he's embarrassed the country" with a "totally unacceptable" attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. ...
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The PSA is concerned that the voluntary redundancies being offered to staff by Stats NZ will impact on the agency’s ability to deliver on its core functions. ...
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The Urban Habitat Collective was an attempt to built an innovative new form of apartment building in Wellington. Here’s why it failed, and why the idea could still work, writes co-founder Bronwen Newton. When we started the Urban Habitat Collective in November 2018, we thought we were starting a revolution, ...
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Why has New Zealand slipped from third to 12th on Quality of Death Indexes over the past decade or so? Hospice New Zealand Chief Executive Wayne Naylor has a list of reasons. “We don’t have a current national strategy – the Government hasn’t renewed our 2001 strategy, so we don’t ...
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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
So what should Obama have said?
Post up your own speech for comparison.
Otherwise it’s just looks like rage.
Read the article. Carefully.
If you can’t post what OB should have said, we’ll just call it morning rage and move on.
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.
“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.
For some reason I can’t edit “and it’s really easily” to read ‘and it’s really easy’
Alien, you have to read the article very carefully. On mushrooms.
“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.
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.
“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’ 😆
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.
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).
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
It is a shame to see Amnesty International damaging their brand like this.
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.
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.
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
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
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!
Yeah, we all hate it when social experiments go wrong.
Who are you representing, exactly , other than yourself, by using *we all* ?
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.
Alex Jones will set you free!!
Oh, and who is this Marshall Law that we hear about so much?
Nice guy. I played water polo with his brother Johnny in in high school.
I fought johnny once, but the Law won.
😀
Predictive got me there, poor proofing on my part.
As for Alex Jones, personally I don’t use his site, I’ve had that conversation with people here before, could have even been you, Murray!
DON’T BREAK COVER!!! DON’T BREAK COVER!!! YOU’LL GET US ALL LIQUIDATED!!!
Fusion centers will be working overtime taking it all in….the baseless allegations will be used as “proof” at a later date no doubt.
Another reason to be thankful to live in a small backwater country.
What does Sandy Hook and the Boston marathon have in common?
http://i.imgur.com/WedLF8K.jpg
Sad crazy people trying to make out both are a US Government hoax?
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.
yes, Mozza, I listened to that interview (was gonna link it) 🙂 and I was disappointed with Kim.
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.
Podcast re Lennox http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/sat/sat-20130420-0815-john_lennox_maths_science_and_god-048.mp3
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!”
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?
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.
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.
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!
You may like this
http://truth.co.nz/knucklegate-the-media-labour-and-cronyism/
Whailoil????
Yep.That was really inter….zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Would he able to stop laughing long enough to say anything?
😈
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.
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.
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.
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).
Looks like the second bombing suspect has been found, shots, tear gas and an ambo heading into the locked down area.
Quick work by the US authorities. Seems like the bad guys were total amateur hour. Did they not have an out after the op? They just stayed in the neighbourhood? What were they going to do, just turn back up to classes as normal next week?
And from Kyrzygstan…this is going to be interesting.
Anyone know what the motive was?
All I know is that the dorm mates of one suspect say he was an ordinary guy they hung out with, ate with, and played sport with.
Apparently the suspect turned up to classes as normal after the bombing and even went to a party, even as he must have known that FBI CCTV footage was appearing on air. This is frakking weird.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/04/19/bombing-suspect-attended-umass-dartmouth-prompting-school-closure-college-friend-shocked-charge-boston-marathon-bomber/8gbczia4qBiWMAP0SQhViO/story.html
From kyrzygstan? Well best we invade pakistan then. Or, no, afghanistan. Hang on, we already done that. I know.. Iranistan, let’s get those bastards!
And the two earliest known suspects are brothers.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/04/19/older-bombing-suspect-may-have-had-child-with-rhode-island-woman/EExLtob82SMvdsCmxjtPuI/story.html
Here’s a photo of one of the suspects accepting a Golden Gloves boxing trophy in 2010.
lol
Send them back to Africa.
lolz
“Seems like the bad guys were total amateur hour.”
Ideal patsies.
Invade Kazakhstan immediately, I say.
Radio, With Pictures
Chechnya actually, so it’s already gotten interesting
A senior politician, unbelievable.
https://twitter.com/GrahamBlog/statuses/325348075197583361
https://twitter.com/GrahamBlog/statuses/325346404644048897
Crikey. It’s just like kiwiblog
The comments are interesting. 4:1 to say that the suspect is a US citizen who should not be stripped of their constitutional rights.
Oh dear.
http://www.mzv.cz/washington/en/czech_u_s_relations/news/statement_of_the_ambassador_of_the_czech.html
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.
meh, it’s clear that all the -stan’s are terrorist countries no?
Let’s pray that will not include anything to do with metropolitan or even Manhattan.
Seems he’s in the boat.
https://twitter.com/TimWilliamsCBS/status/325399138139271168/photo/1
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
Well done to the Boston Police for capturing the second suspect. Hats off to them.
Captured alive. Which means the perp lost his nerve late in the piece.
Fuck’s sake, CV, he’s 19 and we have no fucking idea why the bombings took place. It’s a bit early in the piece to be getting all smug about how un-hardcore a suspect is, don’t you think?
The family members of of Martin Richard, Lingzi Lu, Krystle Campbell and Officer Sean Collier are glad that he has been caught and will face justice.
well let’s see if the US applies constitutional justice or mob justice.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/325399795051147264
fundamentally, across the ditch, “where the bloody hell are they?
Australia is ahead of NZ in the sold out sense, so this is no surprise from them!
War/Terror/*Intelligence* – BIG BUSINESS.
Gotta control the worlds population somehow, and this along with the monetary supply monopoly (aka the central banking system), is how its done!
I see and hear the *drift” muzza
Martin Richard had something to say.
You know, your professions of concern for that little boy would carry some weight if you were not on record applauding the killing of hundreds of little boys and girls in Gaza.
..o’rly ..and where and what did I applaud…?
I think he was replying to Brett.
I think he’s talking to Brett Dale.
Yeah, having a re-read he probably was
.
If so, apologies Morrissey
That’s okay, joe. I wasn’t aiming at you, but our confused friend Brett Dale.
Just making an observation QoT. And 19 year olds destroy tanks and launch bombs all the time.
We need to carefully consider a couple of pertinent questions: 1.) Why is there a TANK on the scene? 2.) Who is in the wrong: the soldier inside the tank or the peasants trying to repel the tank?
No CV, you were being a dick.
Are you saying that 19 year old soldiers who don’t die ‘lose their nerve’?
Frankly, I don’t give a shit. David Frum, George Bush’s speech writer who coined the axis of evil phrase made the same point you made. So that’s the company you’re in.
I think you might be reading far too much into CV’s comments there, but there is no equivalence between a nineteen year old soldier and a nineteen year old terrorist.
Perspective.
https://twitter.com/DougSaunders/status/325342086293508096/photo/1
oooo, a few anarchist threats in there joe; Excellent link. I heard recently from the Sky that the Feds see the Earth Liberation Front (The Elves) as their number 1 targets of attention. btw, do you think that there has been an a-typical frequency of large earthquakes just recently; off Japan, now China…
anyway
more Police And Thieves ies
Recent major quake, Iran/Pakistan border
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/457788/20130416/iran-pakistan-earthquake-21-dead-death-toll.htm
Wonder what their definitions of ecoterrorism and anarchoterrorism are. Or even right wing (I assume it included attacks on abortion providers).
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….
The main people who need to read this clarification is the Pentagon…you know, so they don’t accidentally invade Iran.
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.
I presume it’s because the Czechs are about to join NATO.
And what about their Warsaw Pact obligations?!?!????!?!?!??!?
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
Re Maccas
Think about that for a bit.
WTF is a company taking out a loan to pay dividends?
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.
Great to see the people of boston cheering on their police force, instead of wearing FTP teeshirts, like the boyracers do here.
Feed The People? Free The Protesters?
File Transfer Protocol.
It’s probably something to do with Kim Dotcom.
yay for unionised civil servants.
“instead of wearing FTP teeshirts”
Fuck any arsehole bully who pushes little girls faces into the ground, I say.
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 😀
guess that’s a no then…
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”.
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?
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 🙂
ran out of edit time: yet “more RAM, more RAM”, the voices in my head keep calling…they keep calling 😀
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.
“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.
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?)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
If you’re on a budget skip the Intel chips and go for AMD. Much cheaper both for the motherboard and the CPU.
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.
cool link Lanth. I will be well armed with that. Thanks. much appreciated. puts components in perspective. sigh. such a learning curve. oh well, coulda stayed out-of-it 🙂 you guys, wotta ya like aye, wotta ya like. Excellent thinkers, thats what you are like (kinds and all that)
Good resource.
I’d also reiterate what The Al1en said (implied) about graphics cards – if you’re not a serious gamer you don’t really need one.
One could always become a serious gamer…
Or keep your gaming on a console and leave your PC for other stuff. If you got kids stops them filling up your PC with crap.
Boring
😈
And I thought you supported diversity!
http://www.ign.com/videos/2013/02/23/crysis-3-graphics-comparison-ps3-vs-pc-vs-360
What would cause people to wear FTP t-shirts?
Shit like this and this?.
Yeah, thats what people do when the cops actually catch genuine bad guys.
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.
“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)
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.
“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
Unbelievable – in a good way
http://www.universetoday.com/101594/zoom-into-the-moon-with-this-insanely-high-resolution-mosaic/
the fishing don’t look too good.
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?
Laal – Dehshatgardi Murdabad
Junior Brown – Hung it Up
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.
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
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.
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.
A succinct analysis of a hollow man.
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.
FYI:
Interesting Keiser this week – i.e both KR on RT, and Paxman and Keiser on Newsnight (bbc)