Open mike 21/02/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, February 21st, 2019 - 65 comments
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Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

65 comments on “Open mike 21/02/2019 ”

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  1. Morrissey 1
    21 February 2019 at 7:21 am

    Concert for Trump, Pompeo, and Abrams

    In 1971 George Harrison and Ravi Shankar organized a concert in New York for the victims of the Pakistan-Bangladesh war.

    Imagine if they’d supported the murderous U.S.-backed Pakistani regime instead.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/20/pink-floyd-roger-waters-condemns-richard-branson-venezuela-aid-concert

    • Jinx 1.1
      21 February 2019 at 7:32 am

      Branson is a pimp for U.S. imperialism.

    • Gosman 1.2
      21 February 2019 at 9:39 am

      The real question is why does Venezuela NEED any aid at all. It is an oil rich country that is not suffering drought and has plenty of arable land available.

      • KJT 1.2.1
        21 February 2019 at 10:10 am

        Because of US sanctions and deliberate sabotage. Just as they did to Allende. You twit.

        Maduro hasn’t helped, but how would any leader cope with the deliberate sabotage of the economy, destruction and repeated coup attempts by a much larger neighbour?

        Don’t believe all you read in Fox news.

        • Tamati Tautuhi 1.2.1.1
          21 February 2019 at 12:02 pm

          …. and Cuba

        • Gosman 1.2.1.2
          21 February 2019 at 12:17 pm

          Nonsense, Till very recently there were no economic sanctions on Venezuela. There were targeted sanctions on members of the Venezuelan regime though. The Venezuelan economy has imploded not because of sanctions and American intervention but due to the policies followed by the Venezuelan regime. If you don’t believe me just ask me about a particular issue and I will show you how it is caused by a particular policy.

          • KJT 1.2.1.2.1
            21 February 2019 at 2:37 pm

            Of course, the US Governments stated intention to “make their economy scream”, had nothing to do with it!

            I have a Northland bridge to sell you, Gossy.

          • left_forward 1.2.1.2.2
            21 February 2019 at 3:32 pm

            How about the opposite Gossy – when a particular policy causes a particular issue.

            When a country decides a policy where its oil reserves and industry are owned by the people. The issue – the US, multi-corporations, and right wing allies don’t like that because they are being denied a slice of the action – and other countries may even follow suit. So they covertly at first destabilise the economy and democracy by inciting violence and unrest, block trade, and then rush in pretending to be the saviours of the people.

  2. Blazer 2
    21 February 2019 at 7:34 am

    Well its February 2019-time for Sir Ray Avery to perform…after all these years of…

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/07/24/164742/can-ray-avery-turn-promises-into-reality

  3. swordfish 3
    21 February 2019 at 7:37 am

    Old Black Magic of the Silver Fox

    In the wake of the latest round of polls … I’ve noticed a lot of loose talk predicting NZF’s apparently inevitable electoral doom.

    So … I’ve gone back and compared the Peters Party’s ratings in Colmar Bruntons at the same (16 month) point following previous Elections (starting with post-1999). While also outlining how those Poll ratings compared with their Party Vote at the subsequent General Election. Might just surprise ya.

    https://sub-zero-politics.blogspot.com/2019/02/old-black-magic-of-silver-fox.html

    • lprent 3.1
      21 February 2019 at 7:54 am

      Nice analysis.

    • That_guy 3.2
      21 February 2019 at 9:49 am

      My guess is that Peters will open some kind of investigation into Jian Yang, timed for maximum effect for the next election.

    • Enough is Enough 3.3
      21 February 2019 at 12:27 pm

      Can you add post 1996 election.

      I ask that because NZ First has been in government three times, 1996, 2005 and 2017.

      They slipped below 5% after their first two times in government so it will be interesting to see if history repeats again.

      1999 they were saved as a result of Winston winning Tauranga and post 2008 they spent three years fishing.

      Unless Winston or Shane win a seat I can’t see them in Parliament at the end of next year.

      • swordfish 3.3.1
        21 February 2019 at 11:30 pm

        Updated to include 1996 data.

        If they follow either their post-96 or post-05 trajectories then (based on their current rating – which is superior to their 1% & 2.2% ratings at the same point into previous Govts) they will, in fact, cross the threshold in 2020.

        (outlined with updated data at bottom of Post)

    • Naki man 4.1
      21 February 2019 at 9:00 am

      Hard left Paradise

      Ryan accused the Labour Party of being “infected” with “anti-Jewish racism” since Corbyn became its leader in 2015. She alleged that the issue did not exist before Corbyn’s election as Labour leader

      https://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/eighth-mp-quits-labour-party

      • mauī 4.1.1
        21 February 2019 at 1:03 pm

        The new Judeophilic Labour Party is polling at 8% – not bad for a party with no policies, no name yet, and a bunch of no names. Our very own Sustainable New Zealand Party must be very encouraged with this result lol.

  5. Jinx 5
    21 February 2019 at 7:56 am

    If you have 45 minutes spare today or want something thought provoking to listen to while completing your chores , here is Derrick Jensen talking to Rachel Stewart about New Zealand’s waterways, farming and future environmental collapse.

    Derrick Jensen’s book Endgame is a must read as well.

    https://t.co/kc7EsuAdPa?amp=1

  7. That_guy 7
    21 February 2019 at 9:33 am

    Just want to alert people to this thing of beauty:

    “Fox News refused to air this full interview with historian Rutger Bregman after Fox News host Tucker Carlson lost his temper, calling his guest a ‘tiny brain…moron’ during the interview.”

  8. Jimmy 8
    21 February 2019 at 9:42 am

    Well I hope that Paul Russell Wilson guy now gets put in jail for good.

  9. Chris 9
    21 February 2019 at 9:56 am

    The nats blaming the government for something the nats introduced, yet again:

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/110753822/is-a-life-worth-47-million

  10. mosa 10
    21 February 2019 at 10:01 am

    Bernie will face another obstacle in his run for the presidency and that is the Democratic party it self.

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/02/20/bernie-sanders-can-beat-trump-the-question-is-will-the-democrats-let-him/

  12. Ad 12
    21 February 2019 at 11:25 am

    capital gains tax here we come.

  13. Cinny 13
    21 February 2019 at 11:33 am

    How would you feel if your friends, neighbours, work colleagues etc could rate your behaviour? Then the government gave you a ranking, gave everyone a ranking, from the opinion of others. Such a ranking would determine where you could live etc. Too bad if you were in a bad mood one day.

    Reminds me of an episode of Black Mirror.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyUi6-Opzzw&list=PLJk1a21GKEZXxT9wwmnVle-zautJw4q12&index=3

    However in China it’s not science fiction, it’s reality.

    Millions of people are punished for alleged bad behaviour under a government monitoring scheme in China.

    Is China taking social monitoring too far?

    https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2019/02/china-social-monitoring-190219184710862.html

  14. marty mars 14
    21 February 2019 at 12:11 pm

    Interesting

    “Strictly speaking, there aren’t strict boundaries between Earth and space. Our atmosphere doesn’t just end at a certain altitude; it peters out gradually. A new study from Russia’s Space Research Institute (SRI) shows that our atmosphere extends out to 630,000 km into space.”

    https://www.universetoday.com/141560/did-you-know-the-earths-atmosphere-extends-beyond-the-orbit-of-the-moon/amp/

    This is interesting in and of itself. And try thinking about this as political analysis. It then becomes about blurred boundaries, extended influence, unlikely connections…

    • McFlock 14.1
      21 February 2019 at 2:01 pm

      So the moon has a tiny bit of wind resistance in its orbit.

      And SOHO orbits a point with nothing in it, wikipedia tells me.

      fun facts for the day 🙂

      • marty mars 14.1.1
        21 February 2019 at 2:40 pm

        A love of science fiction taught me about lagrange points – but your comment made me look them up again – “The L1 point is approximately 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth (about four times the distance of the Moon), in the direction of the Sun. There, SOHO enjoys an uninterrupted view of our daylight star.”

        https://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/about/orbit.html

        nice

        I wonder if politics is about moving that political lagrange point one way or another rather than moving the the parties themselves.

        • KJT 14.1.1.1
          21 February 2019 at 2:56 pm

          What my Chinese mates like to say.

          “In the West you can change the parties, not the policies. In China, you can change the policies, not the parties. In both systems, the rich are in charge”.

        • McFlock 14.1.1.2
          21 February 2019 at 3:08 pm

          Yeah, and “lagrange” is just an independently cool word for scifi.

          I was surprised SOHO isn’t exactly at L1, because it would be a bit unstable and signals would be washed out by the sun, so it orbits L1 – but there’s nothing at L1. Weirdness.

          • Andre 14.1.1.2.1
            21 February 2019 at 3:22 pm

            The stability around an L1 point is a real trip to get your head around. The point itself is unstable, of the radial and tangential directions one is stable and the other unstable. So if you try to park something there it drifts away. But it’s possible to have a stable orbit around the L1 point. In an idealised three body system with perfectly circular orbits, that is.

            But in our real system, the earth’s orbit is not circular, there’s the moon passing between the L1 point and earth, there’s the variable solar wind. So anything orbiting our real-life L1 point needs regular orbital adjustments.

            • McFlock 14.1.1.2.1.1
              21 February 2019 at 3:26 pm

              and don’t forget wind resistance for the earth-moon L1 🙂

              • Andre …
                21 February 2019 at 3:50 pm

                Yeah. But I’m having trouble coming up with any possible reason to want to put anything at the earth-moon L1 point. From a lunar perspective it would just go around and around above the centre point of the hemisphere facing us.

                • McFlock …
                  21 February 2019 at 4:13 pm

                  True.

                  Maybe some sort of staging point / dock that’s handy for a lunar gravity assist? Especially if a nanotube space elevator comes into play – slingshot the payload from the elevator to L1 station, assemble whatever you need to assemble, and then have the moon help the finished vehicle or supply package on its way. All done without a small nuke’s worth of rocket fuel. Not sure why it couldn’t be hiffed immediately from the elevator, though, unless there’s a basic safety principle of assembling things that might go boom well away from your primary orbital system.

                  But all this is on the scientific principle of extraxerunt de ano est, of course.

  16. Muttonbird 16
    21 February 2019 at 3:23 pm

    Baggy Marry to be investigated by Parliamentary Services for using government money to further National Party interests.

    The Nats probably give a huge collective shrug at this sort of behaviour since I’m sure they are all neck deep in it. It’s just how you do things when you belong to the born-to-rule elite.

    The AG did do her a massive favour releasing this letter today of all days…

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/02/auditor-general-recommends-investigation-into-maggie-barry-s-use-of-parliamentary-staff-for-party-purposes.html

  17. Andre 17
    21 February 2019 at 4:36 pm

    Space Cadet Bonespurs isn’t getting his Space Farce after all.

    Bowing to bipartisan concerns in Congress, President Trump retreated Tuesday from his plan to create an independent “space force” in the Pentagon, proposing instead to consolidate the military’s space operations and personnel in the Air Force.

    https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-pol-space-trump-20190219-story.html

    Pretty much all US military operations in space already occurred under the Air Force umbrella.

  18. Macro 18
    21 February 2019 at 5:36 pm

    Hmmm Lime scooters are causing a bit of pain..

    Lime e-scooters hit the streets of Auckland in October last year, followed by mass roll-outs in Christchurch, Dunedin and the Hutt Valley.

    The e-scooters have proved a huge hit but at a cost. The Accident Compensation Authority (ACC) has recorded more than 1,200 injury claims for e-scooters since October last year, at a cost to the public of $566,405. The majority of the injuries – 656 – have been in Auckland.

    The glitch has seen riders break collarbones and jaws, among other serious injuries.

    In particular, there are concerns about the speed at which the scooters can travel (up to 48km/h) and the rising number of accidents.

    “We cannot let cool trump safety,” Auckland Transport chairman Lester Levy told RNZ. “From the outset, I have had serious safety concerns, initially about user behaviour, but recently we’re seeing what could be equipment – either software or mechanical failure. I am very concerned.”

    A loss of balance or personal control was the most common reason listed for an injury claim, but unexpected braking issues were not able to be isolated from the data, ACC said.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/21/auckland-threatens-to-eject-lime-scooters-after-wheels-lock-at-high-speed

  19. Morrissey 19
    21 February 2019 at 5:40 pm

    Is Lisa Owen working for RNZ, or for the National Party?
    Checkpoint, RNZ National, Thursday 21 February 2019, 5 p.m.

    The Tax Working Group is the big news of the day. Lisa Owen stares grimly at the camera and intones:

    “That second holiday property, and farm: all said to be part of the recommended HIT LIST…”

    Yes, it’s RNZ, but in tone and intellectual depth, it sounds like NewstalkZzzzzzB. And, yes, Richard Griffin, a vacuous National Party placeman, is running the show.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12027576

    • mosa 19.1
      21 February 2019 at 7:30 pm

      Lisa Owen and all the others are unofficial National party spokespersons.

      The same old tactics are being applied…..to rouse those who have money and privilege.

      The MSM take their instructions from the National party on how to convey anything that means their rich , privileged supporters are under threat.

      After all it is their country not ours !!!

      • Pat 19.1.1
        21 February 2019 at 7:34 pm

        even at 33% you maintain 67% of your gain, so it will take a little longer (or more risk) to reach your goal, big deal…it hasnt changed the fundamentals….sadly

    • fender 19.2
      21 February 2019 at 7:35 pm

      +1
      Checkpoint has been wrecked, and Lisa induces nausea.

      I can’t stomach it for much longer unfortunately..

      • weston 19.2.1
        21 February 2019 at 8:47 pm

        Whether its checkpoint or morning report my gripe is theres no time to digest anything , within a nanosecond its on to the next topic .Whats the fucking rush ??A bit more balance would be nice also , RNZ seems joined at the hip with bbc and american commentators like the rest of the world doesnt even exist !!

    • greywarshark 19.3
      21 February 2019 at 7:43 pm

      Isn/t Richard Griffin a bit old and tired?

  20. greywarshark 20
    21 February 2019 at 7:40 pm

    Dairy farmers going for efficiency and faster growth in feed had better be careful of a result that has caused cow deaths in the USA.

    High nitrate, mostly concentrated in grass stems, causes quick death, Evans says. Nitrate converts to nitrite in a cow’s rumen. Nitrite in the blood blocks oxygen uptake. Without oxygen, cows die quickly.
    “Testing low-quality forage for nitrate is urgent,” Evans said. “We’re trying to get word out. Producers need to know potential problems.”

    In an MU Extension teleconference with area livestock specialists, Eldon Cole, Mount Vernon, told of two cases in southwestern Missouri. One farmer fed new forage to his herd of 70 cows. Forty were dead the next morning. In another case, 20 cows died.
    In both cases, producers used nitrogen or poultry litter to boost forage growth last fall.

    MU Extension centers may have kits used for testing nitrate in drought areas last summer, Evans said. Those work best on split stems that are still moist.
    Area extension specialists for livestock or agronomy advise producers on testing and forming safe rations.

    MU Extension beef nutritionist Eric Bailey says supplements dilute nitrate in cow diets.

    [BUT] Adding starchy grain speeds up rumen fermentation more than other feeds.

    Hay ferments slowly.
    “Nitrogen is needed by the rumen bugs, and nitrate provides it,” Bailey adds. “Bugs break nitrate down to provide nitrogen. When fermentation is slow, not much nitrate is digested.”

    [BUT] Unused nitrate, converted to nitrite, spills into the blood.
    Adding grain to hay diets speeds nitrate usage.
    http://www.thebullvine.com/news/

  21. Eco Maori 21
    23 February 2019 at 11:09 am

    A tax on captial gains is needed to balance the tax system in NZ at the minute people who have all NZ captial =money get away with paying less % taxes than the common person . When these people gain enough Captial money they FLEE with there money to Island states with minimal tax rates .
    This type of behaviour by the wealthy 00.1 is a huge drain on New Zealands Resorces that leaves the burden of keeping NZ Society functioning on the lower classes shoulders thats a big burden when you have 10% of people owning 95 % of NZ Captial=money. AT the minute its like Big companies have a wopping great hose siphoning many billions out of NZ economy leaving little captial behind to keep the society that they siphoned the Captial from funcing at a healthy humane level anyone can SEE that is not a SUSTAINABLE MODEL as eventually society has no Captial left.
    Look at the power companys shonky sold and made $5 billion that $5 billion has been losted in less than 5 years with the profts losted and the Captial Gains losted to KIWIS. They take that money with out paying taxes .shonky gifted half of OUR stratedic assets to foreigners most people need power these days.
    Don’t listen to simon as national party has showen its true colours time and time again they serve the wealthy weather it ruins OUR country or not
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2kQqPH85gc
    P.S A Captial Gains TAX will keep some of the captial in NZ for te mokopunas and DECENDANT,S to have a happy healthy LIFE

  22. Eco maori 22
    23 February 2019 at 12:31 pm

    The capitalist system is a unsustainable model people think that capital that is gain comes from the organization willing to pay more for thee ASSET in the short term that’s correct .
    Long term all the capital gained comes from the loss of the purchaseing POWER of OUR dollars yesterday we could buy one liter of milk for 80 cents today we have to pay more $1.00 the assets that have been sold at a higher price will charge U.S. more for there product or services that is the phenomenon called inflation in reality it is the 99 % of people paying for the capital flowing overseas it will also be Te mokopunas playing for that capital outflow from Aotearoa. It’s not ROCKET SCIENCE it’s a model dreamed up by the wealthiest to serve the wealthiest people at the expense of the lower class’s .
    That is why we have people who have so much money if they got there money in cash and stacked it in one dollar note the stack would reach Te Marama they could not count there money in ten life times . It is what we have at the minute capitalism so too make that system fair a capital gains tax is NEEDED .Ka kite Ano.

  23. Eco Maori 23
    23 February 2019 at 5:06 pm

    Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.

  24. Eco Maori 24
    23 February 2019 at 6:36 pm

    Kia ora Newshub A bad dease in Otago that’s not on we are a first world nation.
    The airshow lost its main attraction a b52 well that will be less carbon in our inviroment they must burn heaps of fuel.???? Stargazing is free of carbon and putea.
    The container deposit skeem is good but shying away from cutting carbon out of our environment is just soft.
    That’s sad that the Zoo had to put down a barboon.
    Looks like someone is on the attack against the billionaire from America who got busted doing his business I wonder who he has upset with the power to do that to him.
    That was cool the penguins being released they are such unique cute creatures Ka pai.
    The Scarfie flats in Dunedin are classic they have a Kiwi flear and wit Ka kite ano P.S I won’t be commenting on movies till. I watch them

  25. Eco Maori 25
    24 February 2019 at 9:23 am

    Kia ora R&R We do have to stop the short term thinking and make products so they last for years make it so it is best to repair reuse instead of REPLACE.
    Good point on weed I agree. That is a nother good point 1000 liters of Wai to make 1 liter of WINE we could bring down the 400 litres of Wai to grow 1 litre of milk te Papatuanukue needs milk not wine Ka kite ano

  26. Eco Maori 26
    24 February 2019 at 9:33 am

    R&R take the whenua away take there Mana away and you end up with people who don’t like there reality so they get stoned or drunk to get to a different reality /Cause Colonialism is the cause of that problem thats a fact Ka kite ano P.S break a person and they want to hide in a bottle