Open mike 21/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 21st, 2012 - 96 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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Step right up to the mike…

96 comments on “Open mike 21/10/2012”

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  1. Morrissey 1
    21 October 2012 at 7:16 am

    http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=288598

    The official term for piracy is now “taking control”

    Israeli Navy boards Gaza-bound ship ‘Estelle’
    by YAAKOV LAPPIN, The Jerusalem Post 10/20/2012 18:16

    Navy seizes Swedish ship carrying 30 pro-Palestinian activists after it refused to change course, tows it to Ashdod. PHOTO: COURTESY IDF

    The Navy took control of a Swedish ship carrying pro-Palestinian activists towards Gaza on Saturday, and towed the vessel to Ashdod instead.

    The activists refused all Israeli requests to divert their course, and had declared that their intention was to violate Israel’s naval blockade on the Gaza Strip. ….

    Read more from Israel’s Pravda by clicking here….
    http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=288598

    • karol 1.1
      21 October 2012 at 7:57 am

      Ah, yes.  But of course, there are always two sides (at least) to a story.  I aw the Al Jazeera version on my TV this morning, as in the video here, aor with the print report here.
       

      “The Estelle is now under attack – I have just had a message from them by phone,” Victoria Strand, a Stockholm-based spokeswoman for the Ship to Gaza Sweden campaign told the AFP news agency on Saturday.
       
      According to Dror Feiler, another spokesperson, the SV Estelle, whose passengers included five parliamentarians from Europe and a former Canadian politician, was boarded at around 08:15 GMT. 

      “Five or six military vessels surrounded the Estelle. Soldiers wearing masks are now trying to board the ship. The attack took place on international water: N31 26 E33 45,” Feiler said. The Israeli military confirmed that the ship was boarded.

      • Morrissey 1.1.1
        21 October 2012 at 8:05 am

        Thanks for that, karol. I posted a brief and polite response on the Jerusalem Post comments section. I wrote: “‘Taking control’—the new term for piracy.”

        Instead of being immediately published, as no doubt all the racist and bloody-minded anti-Palestinian posts were, my comments were “put into moderation”.

        No wonder their comment section is so overwhelmingly pro-government. And no wonder the Jerusalem Post is dismissed by thinking people as Israel’s Pravda.

        • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1
          21 October 2012 at 9:55 am

          Democracy in Israel has long long since gone. And a lot of Israeli’s are very unhappy about it.

          • Dr Terry 1.1.1.1.1
            21 October 2012 at 11:32 am

            Israel, politically, has long enjoyed the full backing of the United States. (I have no argument with the Israeli people as a whole). To his credit, Obama has been distancing the brutally minded Netanyahu in more recent times, especially on that man’s pressing desire to attack Iran. (It is Israel that possesses the nuclear weapons, not Iran). Now we should really worry with Romney looking a possibility for President. The Israeli government will welcome him with glee. With Romney the world would become, generally, in greater danger (not to mention the rich becoming richer and yet more powerful). This would be likely worse than the rule of George Bush. Yes, yet again, we have to bewail the short memories of human kind!

          • the pink postman 1.1.1.1.2
            21 October 2012 at 3:06 pm

            Interesting .that many Jewish people world wide now refer to Jews who live in Isareal as Israelies.

      • Jenny 1.1.2
        21 October 2012 at 11:10 am

        Thanks for this Morrissey, It must be terribly disappointing and possibly very frightening for the those aboard the Estelle, but when it comes to enforcing the siege on Gaza Israel is no longer all powerful.

        While the sea going route to the territory of Gaza is still blocked by Israel and it’s allies.
        Less widely reported in the Western media is their weakness in enforcing the siege on land. What has not been reported in the Western median media is that the internationall convoy movement has had much more success breaking the siege of Gaza by the overland route through Egypt and across the Sinai Desert.

        Before the fall of Mubarak International aid convoys of trucks filled with medical and other aid were stopped by the Egyptian police and army at the border and turned back. If they refused to turn back they were beaten and arrested by by Mubarak’s riot police who enforced the siege on the territory at the border between Egypt and Gaza in agreement with and on behalf of Israel.

        Despite this they persisted.

        In one dramatic encounter in 2009 after being attacked by Egyptian riot police the international convoyers fought back and captured numbers of police and even one senior officer who they agreed to release if the police released all the arrested convoy members.

        Unable to be moved on by the Egyptian authorities the convoyers through sheer persistence and determination and with the support of the Egyptian people forced the Mubarak regime to back down and let the International Aid convoy enter Gaza.

        After this defeat for the Mubarak authorities Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit tried to play down this defeat in the Arab media describing the international aid convoys as “farcical” and said Egyptian authorities would no longer allow such solidarity convoys.[16]

        Leading up to, and since the Arab Spring, despite continuing resistance from Egyptian authorities particularly within the army and the police who still hold loyalties to the old regime, several more land convoys have been able to break through the siege and successfully enter Gaza through the northen Egyptian border.

        In defying the internationally illegal siege, New Zealand’s own Kia Ora Gaza headed by team captain Roger Fowler have since participated in two successful international overland convoys, one in 2011 in open defiance of Mubarak’s ban and one since his overthrow.

        As in the overthrow of the apartheid regime in South Africa, through their courageous and defiant actions New Zealanders can also claim some small part in the overthrow of the oppressive Mubarak regime.

        Though the land seige hasn’t been broken, the international convoy movement’s efforts have seriously weakened the enforcement of the siege at the Egyptian border allowing more and more people and goods to get through into Gaza across the Sinai.

        Internationally renowned scholar Noam Chomsky is the latest person to defy the siege and enter Gaza through northern Egypt. In 2010 Chomsky was prevented from entering Gaza through the Israeli controlled border. Chomsky is due to defiantly deliver an address today at Gaza university his topic will be the significance of the Arab Spring.

        No doubt like every other successful breach of the illegal Israeli siege of Gaza a media cone of silence will descend.

        However a full report will be carried on the Kia Ora Gaza website when it comes to hand.

        Thanks for this Morrissey, It must be terribly disappointing and possibly very frightening for the those aboard the Estelle, but when it comes to enforcing the siege on Gaza Israel is no longer all powerful.

        While the sea going route to the territory of Gaza is still blocked by Israel and it’s allies.
        Less widely reported in the Western media is their weakness in enforcing the siege on land. What has not been reported in the Western median media is that the internationall convoy movement has had much more success breaking the siege of Gaza by the overland route through Egypt and across the Sinai Desert.

        Before the fall of Mubarak International aid convoys of trucks filled with medical and other aid were stopped by the Egyptian police and army at the border and turned back. If they refused to turn back they were beaten and arrested by by Mubarak’s riot police who enforced the siege on the territory at the border between Egypt and Gaza in agreement with and on behalf of Israel.

        Despite this they persisted.

        In one dramatic encounter in 2009 after being attacked by Egyptian riot police the international convoyers fought back and captured numbers of police and even one senior officer who they agreed to release if the police released all the arrested convoy members.

        Unable to be moved on by the Egyptian authorities the convoyers through sheer persistence and determination and with the support of the Egyptian people forced the Mubarak regime to back down and let the International Aid convoy enter Gaza.

        After this defeat for the Mubarak authorities Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit tried to play down this defeat in the Arab media describing the international aid convoys as “farcical” and said Egyptian authorities would no longer allow such solidarity convoys.[16]

        Leading up to, and since the Arab Spring, despite continuing resistance from Egyptian authorities particularly within the army and the police who still hold loyalties to the old regime, several more land convoys have been able to break through the siege and successfully enter Gaza through the northen Egyptian border.

        In defying the internationally illegal siege, New Zealand’s own Kia Ora Gaza headed by team captain Roger Fowler have since participated in two successful international overland convoys, one in 2011 in open defiance of Mubarak’s ban and one since his overthrow.

        As in the overthrow of the apartheid regime in South Africa, through their courageous and defiant actions New Zealanders can also claim some small part in the overthrow of the oppressive Mubarak regime.

        Though the land seige hasn’t been broken, the international convoy movement’s efforts have seriously weakened the enforcement of the siege at the Egyptian border allowing more and more people and goods to get through into Gaza across the Sinai.

        Internationally renowned scholar Noam Chomsky is the latest person to defy the siege and enter Gaza through northern Egypt. In 2010 Chomsky was prevented from entering Gaza through the Israeli controlled border. Chomsky is due to defiantly deliver an address today at Gaza university his topic will be the significance of the Arab Spring.

        No doubt like every other successful breach of the illegal Israeli siege of Gaza a media cone of silence will descend.

        However a full report will be carried on the Kia Ora Gaza website when it comes to hand.

        http://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/us-academic-noam-chomsky-visits-gaza-for-conference/

    • Vicky32 1.2
      22 October 2012 at 7:51 pm

      The official term for piracy is now “taking control”

      Oh, why am I not surprised? 🙁

  2. Logie97 2
    21 October 2012 at 7:47 am

    Well, well, well – will the opposition be able to level the “nanny-state” at this administration at last. There are clubs up and down the country that have as one of their door raffle prizes “An annual membership” which will be worth a lot more than this $500 limit.

    Key is going to get an avalanche of correspondence on this one and watch him try to get it dropped immediately … his mates in golf clubs will be livid.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10841884

    And aren’t the hunting lobby United Future’s constituency?

    • David H 2.1
      21 October 2012 at 8:34 am

      Now thats a shame as it just puts the kibosh an a great week end. Yes there’s some big prizes but everyone has the same chance. Unlike Pokies where the machine has the best chance, and will break up families. Yep thats the Anti Nanny state at work, break up the family, get more Pokies out there. Don’t allow the fishing comps to continue, they are against the Anti Nanny State.

    • Lanthanide 2.2
      21 October 2012 at 9:22 am

      Where is there any evidence of involvement from the government in this? Just seems like a department enforcing laws already on the books.

    • marsman 2.3
      21 October 2012 at 1:52 pm

      Owners of pokie machines complained. Government Department protecting the interests of pokie machine owners. Corporate Fascism.

  3. Morrissey 3
    21 October 2012 at 8:21 am

    The Wynne “Sensible” Gray Award for Pretentious Writing
    Entry No. 1: JACK TAME

    Jack Tame: Slow down that war

    It was as quiet and calm as a cliche. Somewhere distant a train click-clacked in steady rhythm. Birds hopped between leafy old trees. ….

    Read more, if you can bear it, here…

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10841827

  4. mickysavage 4
    21 October 2012 at 8:31 am

    Brian Edwards yesterday posted praising the interview ability of Rachel Smalley on TV3’s the Nation.

    I found myself totally in agreement with him.  Rachel has a low key but direct approach to interviewing that IMHO produces much more information than otherwise.

    I am just watching her discuss with a panel including Kennedy Graham and Federated Farmers William Rawlston discussing carbon credits.  She effectively showed how shallow Fed Farmer’s rationale for opposing Farming being part of our system.  Their rationale is if we make it more expensive for farmers production will flood overseas to countries with less carbon efficient farming techniques.  There is no analysis of how much more expensive, or the relative cost of production in different countries compared to her, just a bald statement that if they have to pay a modest ETS price all farms will shut down.

    Kennedy Graham had the perfect response.  He said shocks have happened in the past and how some countries, notably the Social Democratic countries, are reducing emissions.  In NZ they are growing.  He talked about the need for behavioral modification change.

    He also talked about how countries could be world leaders, fast followers, apathetic spectator or willful obstructionists.  He thought NZ was somewhere in the middle.  I believe he meant that NZ is between apathetic spectators and willful obstructionists. 

    • tinfoilhat 4.1
      21 October 2012 at 9:31 am

      Absolutely right, John key and his bunch or traitors are ruining this country.

      Why can’t we have an ETS for our farmers when all those other countries have got one in place.

      • mickysavage 4.1.1
        21 October 2012 at 10:10 am

        Why can’t we have a government who is actually prepared to do something about climate change when all those other countries have one.

        • tinfoilhat 4.1.1.1
          21 October 2012 at 10:21 am

          Exactly.

          There’ll come a time in the near future when key and his gang will be put on trial for their crimes against NZ and the environment.

        • muzza 4.1.1.2
          21 October 2012 at 10:35 am

          Micky and what would you suggest we do about our 0.2% contribution, which won’t put further pressure on our major export industry, followed by higher consumer prices, which will hit those who are already struggling most?

          • Colonial Viper 4.1.1.2.1
            21 October 2012 at 10:43 am

            Climate change isn’t the issue. NZ will do very well out of climate change, thank you very much. Liquid fossil fuel depletion is.

            Its when diesel goes up to $4/L – $5/L which is the problem. Without massive socio-economic restructuring NOW, our transportation, farming and industrial systems grind to a halt and unstoppable pressure comes on to convert coal to diesel and go deep sea drilling.

          • mickysavage 4.1.1.2.2
            21 October 2012 at 11:04 am

            Um Muzza you are making the exact mistake Federated Farmers made.

            The rationale you present is that if farmers have to pay for greenhouse gas emissions they will immediately become unprofitable and will have to flood overseas and defoliate large parts of the Amazon so they can set up farms under a more benign administration. 

            Whereas it seems to me that farming in NZ is extremely profitable and all that we will be doing is reducing private profit slightly.

            And yes we only contribute .2% of the world’s GHGs.  But we comprise only .06% of the world’s population.

            Of course we should do our bit.  If we do not then why should anyone in the world do “their bit”? 

            • muzza 4.1.1.2.2.1
              21 October 2012 at 11:14 am

              Of course we should do our bit. If we do not then why should anyone in the world do “their bit”?

              Except they’re not going to do that are they, and if NZ does or does not is hardly an influence!

              And the mistakes being made are by people swallowing copius loads of BS on all sides!

              @ CV – Yeah about that liquid fossel fuel depletion – Making sure NZ loses access to its own oil/gas reserves, certainly assists in ensuring that NZ continues to be at the mercy of those who control those resources globally!

              We need to restructure the dependancies, but thats not on the cards currently is it!

              • mickysavage …
                21 October 2012 at 11:25 am

                So you think that we should do nothing to save our planet from environmental ruin because we are only doing a bit of damage (albeit at the rate of three times as much as the rest of the people on the planet) and besides some others are not doing their share either?

                • tinfoilhat …
                  21 October 2012 at 11:36 am

                  You go girl.

                  When the greens and labour get back into power we’ll show the filthy farmers and Key and his mates how to lead the world in clean green living.

                • muzza …
                  21 October 2012 at 11:50 am

                  So you think that we should do nothing to save our planet from environmental ruin because we are only doing a bit of damage (albeit at the rate of three times as much as the rest of the people on the planet) and besides some others are not doing their share either?

                  Many times I have repeated a stance on the pollution/destruction which is wrecking this planet, so ill say it again.

                  Absolutely it needs to stop, only it won’t, not under current systems/conditions that control all aspects of our lives, it should become very clear by now that TPTB are not especially interested, for the time being!

            • tinfoilhat 4.1.1.2.2.2
              21 October 2012 at 11:19 am

              Especially as all those other farmers in the social democratic countries overseas are doing their bit, it’s a disgrace that our farmers are being let off.

              • Colonial Viper …
                21 October 2012 at 12:36 pm

                Of course, focussing just on farmers is bullshit. As it is, only two more generations of farmers (max) will have access to large quantities of fert and the diesel needed to spread it with. One way or another, NZ farming is going back to its low intensity roots.

                What I want to see is for more city dwellers to give up their personal transport. And to quit buying stuff which has to be made and shipped from 10,000 km away.

                For all of these things to happen without major unpleasant disruption we need to seriously restructure our entire economy and economic infrastructure NOW.

          • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.2.3
            21 October 2012 at 3:59 pm

            Change our export industry to one that’s less damaging. Of course, we have to do that anyway as we have to cut down the number of farms so that we can clean up our rivers and lakes and bring NZ back to having a pristine environment.

    • Mikesh 4.2
      21 October 2012 at 10:17 am

      Attempted to watch The Nation on TV3 this morning but they seem not to be broadcasting today. Neither are 4, 9 and 8. What gives?

  5. karol 5
    21 October 2012 at 8:35 am

    Bernard Hickey is onto the UK Starbucks’ tax evasion story today, and asks if we should be getting onto such evasions in NZ.
     

    Google, for example, made losses for tax purposes in New Zealand in the last two years, despite advertising industry estimates that last year it made revenues from NZ of more than $100 million. Last year it paid just $109,000 in tax in NZ.
     
    Perhaps it’s time NZ consumers and taxpayers targeted companies such as Google and Facebook that don’t pay their fair share of tax globally.

    Meanwhile, speaking of Facebook and business, Dotcom shows he’s not really aligned with the left, but with making money out of social networking.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1
      21 October 2012 at 9:54 am

      Hickey is a damn good guy.

      Hopefully no one mistook Dotcom to be “aligned with the Left”. We just need him to help hold crony politicians to account, whether they are Left, Centre or Right.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.2
      21 October 2012 at 4:08 pm

      Dotcom shows he’s not really aligned with the left

      That should have been fairly obvious from the fact that he donated to Banks.

  6. just saying 6
    21 October 2012 at 9:47 am

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10841815

    A really good colunn from Matt McCarten today about the destruction of our local communities by shopping corporations like the Warehouse. It reminded me how much has changed in the 20-odd years I’ve lived where I do. I particularly miss the little gardening shop in my local shopping centre. A mine of local and more general gardening information, and quite a social spot. It shut down about ten years ago, and since that time, other than the chain-shops, cheap import outlets, and the op-shops, very few retailers have survived. There are always a few empty shops at any given time. Businesses regularly start up, but sadly you know it’s probably not going to be long until the closing down sale, and it seldom is.

    Recently, I started making more effort to buy from old-fashioned grocery, butchery, and fruit and vege shops rather than the ubiquitous supermarket. I have to admit the first thing I noticed was how much dearer pretty much everything was, and I wondered if I could afford to shop according to my conscience. Not without cutting back, anyway.

    The problem is this very viscious circle in which, due to a variety of community-destructive practices, supermarkets, the Warehouse etc. are significantly cheaper, and out-compete and drive out community enterprises. At the same time wages are down and unemployment is up, many people are struggling, and those cheaper prices are an essential part of making ends meet. And the big chains employ fewer people the the old community shopping centres did, at reduced wages, in worse conditions………….. and so it continues.

    • Bill 6.1
      21 October 2012 at 11:05 am

      In the closest main center to me, you simply cannot buy any hardware materials within any reasonable walking distance of the city center. And there was, until very recently, only one greengrocer’s…located in a suburb about an hour’s walk away. Things moved forward with the establishment of a single non-supermarket outlet for vegetables within walking of the city center.

      And to think that in the township I live there used to a butcher, a baker, a post office, a general store…all gone bar the dairy. Thankfully, at least the dairy owner is committed to serving the locals and sourcing stock accordingly – as opposed to stocking the vastly overpriced tatt from the usual dairy store suppliers.

      Lower priced peripheral land being exploitable due to a car culture won’t last forever!

      • Colonial Viper 6.1.1
        21 October 2012 at 12:39 pm

        As American suburb dwellers are being forced to discover. With no footpaths in many suburbs, no where to go even if there were, $5/gallon gasoline is going to be a real shock for them. (Even though I think we basically pay that in NZ now, the US has been sheltered from the true price of fossil fuels due to theirs being the oil reserve currency of the world).

  7. Herodotus 7
    21 October 2012 at 9:51 am

    Only observational : But it is here !!!
    Ater the property bubble of the 2003-7 we experienced perhaps even a 10% rebalancing. Over the last 6 months + there has been a marked increase in properties (excluding mono plastered properties) Just review local Auckland property presses and the lack of properties with stated selling prices – Tender & Auctions dominate the means of addressing pricing. Banks have returned to past practices plenty of cheap money flowing into NZ reflecting in extremely low rates of NZ just above 5%.
    http://www.interest.co.nz/borrowing
    http://www.3news.co.nz/Housing-bust-could-be-looming/tabid/421/articleID/260837/Default.aspx
    I have seen properties selling 20% above expectations Valuations/vendor and estate agents. I know Key struggles to remember what he voted on 2 months ago
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10841405
    Yet here we are 5 years on and forgetting what happened last time. We worry about selling a few $ of SOE assets yet here we are indirectly selling so much more of NZ offshore, only here it is disguised in bank loans. Should the market collapse NZ equity is lost as the banks have 1st claims on any sales obtained and then able to repay their backers. And if times get really tough “To Big to Fail”
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Too_big_to_fail

    • Colonial Viper 7.1
      21 October 2012 at 10:45 am

      When the property owning middle class feel richer again, as in the midst of a housing asset bubble, incumbents are returned to power.

      Cullen used the same tactic.

  8. mickysavage 8
    21 October 2012 at 9:53 am

    Labour’s Shane Jones and the Greens Gareth Hughes are on Q&A discussing New Zealand’s approach to declaring parts of the Ross Sea off limits for commercial fishing.

    Murray McCully was invited to attend but said that he was too busy.  His Government is in the unusual position where its proposal is less protective than the United States position.

    The Government should not be too concerned, Jones is doing a good line of trotting out their lines and defending their position.  Apparently the science is settled and reducing the number of tooth fish by about half is somehow “sustainable fishing”.

    As Mike Smith said recently Jones needs to work out if he is a Labour Party MP or a sea lord MP.

  9. Brett Dale 9
    21 October 2012 at 9:56 am

    Three more years.

    October 21st 2015 is the day, the greatest
    day in the History of Earth, no day on
    earth will be happier for all the earth’s humans.

    You see October 21 2015 is the day that (according
    to the movie back to the future 2) we finally get
    HOVERBOARDS!!!

    Sure, here on October 21 2012, some physics
    professors,such as Michio Kaku might say, “We
    aren’t that advanced yet and we won’t have
    Hoverboards by 2015”

    Well I say “Not with that attitude”

    I believe in Marty, Doc and Jennifer, I believe
    the date October 21 2015 was picked for a
    reason, I believe that on every corner of the
    planet, we will have Hoverboards, some
    might even have pitbulls, and the future
    will be here.

    We won’t have flying cars, or clothes that
    dry themselves, or any other gadget like
    that, but we will have HOVERBOARDS!

    So to the world’s scientist’s, to the Geeks,
    to the engineers, to the brainiest people
    on earth, stop worrying about creating
    what you have been creating, it is now, October
    21 2012, you have three more years, three
    more years, till you give the people of earth,
    the greatest invention in HISTORY.

    HOVERBOARDS!

    THREE MORE YEARS!!

    THREE MORE YEARS!!

    THREE MORE YEARS!!!

    UNTIL…..

    HOVERBOARDS!!!!

    • PlanetOrphan 9.1
      21 October 2012 at 10:09 am

      Theoretically possible today, some kind of Magno repeller board.

      Scary power requirements, would have to enclose the magnetised floor space.

      Probably cost upwards of $10million for a small hall space … But possible Bud 🙂

      If they can do it with a commuter train they can do it with a “HoverBoard” M8

      You should take up surfing instead bud !

    • millsy 9.2
      21 October 2012 at 2:19 pm

      Wouldn’t mind the hydrateable pizzas myself…

    • Draco T Bastard 9.3
      21 October 2012 at 4:22 pm

      We won’t have flying cars, or clothes that
      dry themselves, or any other gadget like
      that, but we will have HOVERBOARDS!

      Two words: Power Supply

      The day you can fit a couple of megawatts of generation onto a skateboard without vaporising the rider is the day you can have hoverboards.

  10. muzza 10
    21 October 2012 at 10:07 am

    the date October 21 2015 was picked for a reason

    The important part of the date is to do with the numbers: 21 2015 = 2 +1+2+0+1+5 = 11

    Hollywood or the people behind it are seriously into numerology, among other things!

    Hope you get that hoverboard sometime!

    • Jim Nald 10.1
      21 October 2012 at 10:44 am

      Kabbalah numerology and Jewish dominance of Hollywood!

      • muzza 10.1.1
        21 October 2012 at 11:06 am

        Hi Jim,

        Kabbalah seems to be more exclusive than that, and tied to the Khazars who are possibily impersonating being “Jewish”.

        Whatever it is thats going on, it gets played out in hollywood, on, and off the screens on a regular basis. The history of abuse, murder, and the overt in your face numerology, and paganistic symbolism in movies/tv, not to mention the satanic overtones which have become so blatant in the pop music industry of late!

        • Rogue Trooper 10.1.1.1
          21 October 2012 at 6:39 pm

          another capitalisation and distortion of Abrahamic Monotheism (not spoken to; spoke to themselves)

      • Colonial Viper 10.1.2
        21 October 2012 at 12:29 pm

        😯

  11. Brett Dale 11
    21 October 2012 at 10:35 am

    Im still hopeful, maybe not like the movie, but maybe in 40 years time, some multi billion dollar theme park will create that controlled indoor environment.

  12. NickS 12
    21 October 2012 at 10:47 am

    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/flexible-timetabling-cards-schools-5143830

    Another bad case of the Derps from the Ministry of Education.

    Why build more class rooms and hire more teachers when you can just run schools like factories instead?

    • Dv 12.1
      21 October 2012 at 1:22 pm

      AND add this from the education amendment bill

      Section 156A replaced (Minister may merge schools)

      Replace section 156A with:

      “156AMinister may merge schools

      “(1)Subject to sections 156B and 157, the Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, merge 1 or more State schools (merging schools) that are not integrated schools with another State school (the continuing school) that is not an integrated school, if the Minister is satisfied that—
      “(a)each board of a school concerned has made reasonable efforts to consult the parents of students (other than adult students) enrolled full-time at the school about the proposed merger; and
      “(b)the consultation that has taken place has been adequate in all the circumstances; and
      “(c)the creation of a single school by the proposed merger is appropriate in the circumstances.

      • Dv 12.1.1
        21 October 2012 at 1:34 pm

        AND this in a Cambell blog

        http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2012/10/17/gordon-campbell-on-secrecy-about-charter-schools-and-dotcom/

        Oh, and each child under six will be assigned “a national student number.”

        But I cant work out if it is a serious comment
        Can anyone say if a national student number is in the bill?

        • Dv 12.1.1.1
          21 October 2012 at 1:45 pm

          yep found it

          supports the uptake of early childhood education by allowing a national student number to be allocated to children who are identified as being likely to benefit from attending an early childhood service, but who are unlikely to attend such a service;

          • PlanetOrphan 12.1.1.1.1
            21 October 2012 at 1:55 pm

            How are they gonna pull that one off?, other than retrospectively classifying them.

            They’ll be “Testing” 2 year olds next.

            Promoting elitism in 2-5 year olds, start them early M8!

            • Dv 12.1.1.1.1.1
              21 October 2012 at 2:01 pm

              I suspect it is to tie in with the children at risk data base.

              • PlanetOrphan …
                21 October 2012 at 2:07 pm

                Which already exists, it just needs appropriate interpretation.

                These policies are so stupid is daunting, the people trying to force them on us are morons.

                Abuse/Hiding of this data in the community will be the only result.

  13. Jim Nald 13
    21 October 2012 at 11:07 am

    The next time Monsieur Matthew Hooton gets on radio, he should be asked how deep Natz MPs will be reaching into their wallets and handbags to fund the next election.

    *Thanks to ‘fatty’ pointing out the link to Citizen A (http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20102012/comment-page-1/#comment-537069):

    @ 25:48

    “… the National Party has started to realise that potential donors and its traditional donors are not committing to its donor fund for its fighting fund … as it builds up towards the 2014 election.

    “National party MPs have been requested by the party apparatus to contribute $30,000 over the next year – to contribute to the fighting fund for 2014. (Labour at its worst was – its MPs were asked to contribute around $5000.)

    “These people [ie Natz] are running scared and that information is from the inside.”

    • Draco T Bastard 13.1
      21 October 2012 at 4:31 pm

      I thought the parties with MPs ran a tithing system already so would this $30k be over and above that?

  14. muzza 14
    21 October 2012 at 11:57 am

    Christchurch, New Zealand; A City Possessed and the travesty that simply refuses to die

    But to continue with it as Banks and certain others did, a decade later, when Ellis and his legal team (with overwhelming public support), were pushing to have his named cleared, well frankly that defies political commonsense. Its a behaviour that just doesn’t add up; unless of course one factors in the possibility that there had been other powerful stakeholders with interests and agenda’s of their own in judicial mix….which, readers, is not that uncommon in New Zealand; a remarkably small group of people have held far to much power for far to long, and they’ve all been intent on selfishly protecting their thrones.

    In cases of wrongful conviction in New Zealand there are always dangerous undercurrents hidden from sight. People and events that are concealed and protected from the public’s steely glare. We believe that in the Peter Ellis miscarriage of justice case, perhaps more than any of its contemporaries, this “protection racket” may be behind Mr Ellis’s inability to obtain justice. Post trial and Ellis’s release from prison (starting with the ‘Eichelbaum Report‘) the events, the officials attitudes, the politicking and the governments actions have never quite stacked up (at least in the minds of the intelligent Kiwi’s we’ve spoken with); the question is why?

    And still these same people are wrecking lives, and still the apathy of Kiwis allows it to continue. Yet more excellent work from the LF Team, on “No Corruption NZ”

    • marsman 15.1
      21 October 2012 at 2:07 pm

      UHT milk tastes foul, I don’t blame the kids for not drinking it. Fonterra should maybe have done a bit of market research to see whether what they are offering is going to be palatable to those receiving the milk.

      • chris73 15.1.1
        21 October 2012 at 3:19 pm

        At various times I’ve had to drink UHT and powdered milk but then the cost came out of my own pocket.

        • mike e 15.1.1.1
          21 October 2012 at 3:47 pm

          C73 you continue to prove new research showing right wingers have simplistic answers for complex problems while claiming at the same time to be better educated and more intelligent than the the rest of us.
          Selfishness is all your up to nothing more!

          • chris73 15.1.1.1.1
            21 October 2012 at 4:26 pm

            I see free milk being rejected because “it tastes different”, simple as that.

            • McFlock 15.1.1.1.1.1
              21 October 2012 at 5:10 pm

              So the recipients of corporate marketing largesse can’t be choosers.
                         
              It’s such a shame that primary school kids don’t conform to your expectations, C73. 

              • chris73 …
                21 October 2012 at 5:19 pm

                Then stop complaining about what they eat (or lack of) if they were in such a bad way as Labour likes to crow about then drinking some UHT milk wouldn’t be such a hardship

                First world problem springs to mind

                • McFlock …
                  21 October 2012 at 6:30 pm

                  You might have a point if none of the kids drank the milk.
                       
                  As it is, it would seem at least some are hungry enough to drink milk that they don’t like.
                             
                  Weak tory effort to pretend that if some are not in hardship, none are in hardship springs to mind. By your logic if someone quits a job, nobody is unemployed and really looking for a job.

                  • chris73 …
                    21 October 2012 at 6:39 pm

                    Boo hoo if the milk they don’t pay for isn’t what they like. Its free, its good for them so maybe they should be a little more greatful

                    This is one of the problems of the left, a company gives out free milk (yes its good publicity but its still free milk) but some kids don’t like the taste because its not what they’re used to (now if it tasted like an energy drink…) so its blame the company

                    To paraphrase Bob Jones: If $50 dollar notes fell from the sky you lefties would complain it wasn’t $100 dollar notes

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      21 October 2012 at 6:50 pm

                      Hey chris73, I thought you liked the idea that the ‘customer was always right’ and that it was important to take feedback into account to ‘continuously improve the service that one provides’.

                      Good private sector values, you know. Try using them sometime.

                    • McFlock …
                      21 October 2012 at 6:56 pm

                      Well, from my perspective is that an ill-suited corporate marketing ploy is being operated in place of any government efforts in the area. And that tories like you are arguing that a high dropout rate in this imperfect pilot scheme is evidence that there is no problem that the government should be addressing.
                             
                      Of course, if you weren’t such a blinkered arsehole you’d know that the success of any scheme involves providing the good or service in  a manner that is appropriate to the audience, not just in the manner that’s convenient for the supplier.

                • seeker …
                  21 October 2012 at 6:52 pm

                  Don’t worry Chris73, some children are so hungry they really appreciate this horrible tasting milk, so please don’t scorn this initiative and perhaps stop it.If you had read further down the article you would have found this information and not needed to post such a sarcastic comment.

                  Several schools, although having seen numbers level off, consider the programme a massive success.

                  At Manaia View School at least 90 per cent of the children have milk every day.

                  “I’ve got lots of kids who ask for more as a reward,” said Ian Bird, the teacher in charge of milk.

                  At Kaitaia Primary School milk was reaching those most in need.

                  “We are decile 1C for a good reason.

                  “We have a number of families who struggle financially, and with the cost of fresh food and milk they just can’t afford it,” principal Brendon Morrissey said.

                  Chris73, please notice the sentence “We are decile 1C for a good reason.”

                  I knew a simple minded, cynical, wanna- play- Nact -mindset would pick this badly written, misleading, dogwhistle article up and try to present it’s headline and first part as ‘evidence’ that children are not hungry. Shame on you. Try and aim for higher morals Chris and a more becoming point of view. Perhaps the journalist who wrote this could think a little more too, rather than ‘muddy the waters and end up writing what I have heard are “coloured” articles. In this case, it was coloured navy blue and faded yellow.

    • Bill 15.2
      21 October 2012 at 2:25 pm

      I’m picking the whole thing is ‘a have’ that will not incidentally benefit Fontera on the publicity front. Y’know, roll out a system that is deliberately set up to fall over so that in the future, when somebody raises the issue of milk in schools, the finger can be pointed at the ungrateful ingrates who refused to drink the milk those nice guys at Fontera provided ‘last time we tried that’.

      Meantime, why not Fontera’s best approximaton of real milk alongside the necessary refrigeration (which would cost sweet f.a. in the scheme of things) and whatever flavourings that might have been necessary in order that the kids considered it palatable or potable?

    • Draco T Bastard 15.3
      21 October 2012 at 4:46 pm

      “I am beginning to wonder if kids are so used to sugar that they don’t want to drink milk anymore,” said principal Barbara Bronlund.

      Or it could be just that milk is just really horrible to drink.

      … putting recycling programmes in place for the packaging, which has also unexpectedly proved a problem.

      No, it didn’t “unexpectedly proved a problem” it’s that the numbskulls putting the scheme in place didn’t think about the natural results of supplying more rubbish to the schools. Now, if we still had milk in glass bottles the recycling wouldn’t be such a problem.

    • Treetop 15.4
      21 October 2012 at 5:12 pm

      A good alternative would be a segment of edam cheese, the only down side would be the sodium.

  16. PlanetOrphan 16
    21 October 2012 at 3:25 pm

    This’ll make ya laugh LPRent ….

    The cursor in my edit windows stops working when I have Windows Media Center on watching TV.

    Only happened to iexplore of course, Good old Windoze 🙂

  17. joe90 17
    21 October 2012 at 4:20 pm

    Shane Bauer, one of three Americans who were detained in Iran in 2009, writes:

    Solitary in Iran Nearly Broke Me.Then I Went Inside America’s Prisons.

    When Josh Fattal and I finally came before the Revolutionary Court in Iran, we had a lawyer present, but weren’t allowed to speak to him. In California, an inmate facing the worst punishment our penal system has to offer short of death can’t even have a lawyer in the room. He can’t gather or present evidence in his defense. He can’t call witnesses. Much of the evidence—anything provided by informants—is confidential and thus impossible to refute.

  18. captain hook 18
    21 October 2012 at 5:14 pm

    2 good items in todays Sunday Star Times.
    one says that kweewees diamond has lost its shine and the other is a large leader on the govt CEO pay.
    it says that the justifications for the sums being payed to these presumed titans and would be captains of industry are just piffle.
    what more can one say.
    its our money and National is just handing it out to their mates for no good reason.
    time to reign them in.
    bring it up at the next Labour Party meeting you attend and dont let go.

  19. karol 19
    21 October 2012 at 6:40 pm

    Interesting that 3 News included this story in it’s 6pm bulletin tonight.  And Dunne at the end acting all surprised..?!
     

    New research reveals tax dodgers are ripping off the country at up to 150 times the rate of welfare fraudsters, but are being jailed much less often.
    So why are our courts showing more tolerance to tax evaders? One is not giving what you should; the other is taking what you shouldn’t.

     
    They also had a report on the anti-austerity demo in London this weekend.  But why use a report from US TV and not one from the UK?  Or even Al Jazeera?
     

    Nurses, cleaners, librarians and ambulance drivers were among those who joined the march and a rally in London’s central Hyde Park, in one of the biggest anti-austerity protests this year. Organisers estimated that 150,000 people took part.

    Marches also took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Glasgow, Scotland. Police said the London march had passed peacefully and they expected to report a low number of arrests in a bulletin later.

    Trade union leaders are trying to use the rally to pile more pressure on Cameron, telling protesters the government’s economic plan has failed and only prolonged Britain’s recession.

     

    • Vicky32 19.1
      22 October 2012 at 8:11 pm

        But why use a report from US TV and not one from the UK?  

      That’s what 3 News always does. Never do they air any reports from the UK, only the USA, for some strange reason!

      • fatty 19.1.1
        22 October 2012 at 8:19 pm

        Its cause TV3 aim towards younger viewership. Older people lean towards the UK, younger people towards the USA.
        In the end there is little difference. UK & USA are both imperialistic forces which shape our current form of liberal democratic capitalism. Ignoring that Fox News comedy channel, BBC and USA news are not that much different.
        Al Jazeera and RT are worth a watch.

  20. chris73 20
    21 October 2012 at 7:02 pm

    “Hey chris73, I thought you liked the idea that the ‘customer was always right’ and that it was important to take feedback into account to ‘continuously improve the service that one provides’.

    Good private sector values, you know. Try using them sometime.”

    I don’t think the customer is always right (I’ve spent a few years in customer service) I think the customer is generally a greedy, grasping moron.

    But that aside a customer is defined as:

    A customer (also known as a client, buyer, or purchaser) is the recipient of a good, service, product, or idea, obtained from a seller, vendor, or supplier for a monetary or other valuable consideration.

    So unless the kids or schools are paying (I don’t think the free publicity counts) for the milk they ain’t customers.

    If Fonterra was using “Good private sector values” they’d be charging the schools but they’re not

    • McFlock 20.1
      21 October 2012 at 7:11 pm

      “If Fonterra was using “Good private sector values” they’d be charging the schools but they’re not”
               
      Just shows your simple mind. See, what they did was identify a need that the government refuses to acknowledge. They use the “oh look, we’re being nice to the kiddies” to make its consumers feel better about being reamed by a near-monopoly.
           
      Such a shame their programme is a bit off the mark. What’s the humanitarian equivalent of “greenwashing”, I wonder? 

       

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