Open mike 22/02/2015

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, February 22nd, 2015 - 189 comments
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189 comments on “Open mike 22/02/2015 ”

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  1. phillip ure 1
    22 February 2015 at 7:54 am

    “..The 10 Most Hilarious Stoner Comedy Films of All Time..

    ..The stoner comedy celebrates everybody’s favorite herb-

    – and the best are comedic gems..”

    (cont..)

    http://www.alternet.org/drugs/10-most-hilarious-stoner-comedy-films-all-time

    • Clemgeopin 1.1
      22 February 2015 at 12:47 pm

      Hi Phil,

      I saw a recipe and thought of you!

      Here it is.

      Ingredients

      MOONG dal: 1 cup [Heard of that stuff at all? It is half a moong bean!]

      Rice: 1 cup ; Turmeric powder:1/4 teaspoon

      Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon ; Cumin seeds: 1/2 teaspoon

      Asafoetida (hing): 1/4 teaspo; Whole black pepper (lightly crushed): 1/2 teaspoon

      Curry leaves: 10-12; Ginger (grated):1 inch piece; Salt;

      Water (more if required): 8 cups

      Method

      Lightly toast the moong dal in a dry pan for a few minutes, stirring continuously till it gets slightly deepened in color.

      Put rice, moong dal, turmeric powder and water with a pinch of salt in a pressure cooker and cook for six whistles (15 to 20 minutes).

      If you don’t have a pressure cooker then you can cook them in a large pot on the stovetop on medium flame for about 45 minutes till the dal is well cooked and soft, in which case it needs to be monitored and stirred occasionally.

      For the seasoning, heat a small, heavy bottomed pan. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and stir until they crackle.

      Then add asafoetida powder, crushed black pepper, curry leaves and grated ginger and toast them for a few seconds.

      Add salt and the seasoning to the cooked rice/dal and mix well. Add more water if required and allow simmering for a few minutes. Serve hot with vegan curd and some optional electric puha on the side if so inclined.

      Here is a picture:

      http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01719/14BGMVEGAN_1719500e.jpg

    • phillip ure 1.2
      22 February 2015 at 2:00 pm

      “..Curing the fear of death: How ‘tripping out’ could change everything..

      ..A chemical called ‘psilocybin’ –

      – shows remarkable therapeutic promise.

      Only problem?

      It comes from magic mushrooms..”

      (cont..)

      http://www.salon.com/2015/02/21/curing_the_fear_of_death_how_tripping_out_could_change_everything/

  2. dv 2
    22 February 2015 at 8:20 am

    Re fruit fly outbreak.
    Didn’t the NATs cut down on screening as a cost cutting a couple of years ago?

      • idlegus 2.2.1
        22 February 2015 at 9:10 am

        john key was in the media a few days ago saying “don’t blame customs, they do a good job”, yet no one was blaming customs, the blame lies at the feet of john key & nathan guy.

      • dv 2.2.2
        22 February 2015 at 9:14 am

        From the news talk link

        “We’ve had four finds in our traps over three years. In the previous 14 years when we had the 100 percent screening in place, we didn’t find any.”

        “Sure that’s going to cost some money, but we also have to look at every time we’re responding here is between $1 million to $1.5 million for the response that we’re putting in place.”

        So how much has been saved by not screening 100%

      • Molly 2.2.3
        22 February 2015 at 7:51 pm

        We have our fifth annual visit from Biosecurity happening next week. A team of about six scientists from around NZ, come up to check the surrounding neighbourhood for an Australian termite.

        An outbreak happened at a neighbouring property, when the kitchen wall collapsed due to infestation. Source of the termite was determined to be the imported Australian landscaping sleepers.

        The cost must be phenomenal. They are usually on our small property for 1.5-2 hours and the infestation occurred about 500m down the road.

    • tc 2.3
      22 February 2015 at 9:40 am

      Yes and other supporting areas, its not like its an impotant part of our economy or anything when we can be a financial services powerhouse.

      Tell those kiwifruit farmers that.

    • tc 2.4
      22 February 2015 at 9:40 am

      Yes and other supporting areas, its not like its an impotant part of our economy or anything when we can be a financial services powerhouse.

      Tell those kiwifruit farmers that.

  3. Gosman 3
    22 February 2015 at 8:42 am

    Who here was claiming the recent election in Greece heralded a major change?

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-bailout-greece-and-eurozone-creditors-reach-deal-10060734.html

    Looks like you may have been correct. Seems Germany has decided to stop playing the good guy in Europe.

    • Skinny 3.1
      22 February 2015 at 9:09 am

      The Greeks would be advised to steer well clear of one of your colleague’s Gosman. The loan shark down under called Wewege. This guy would sharpen his teeth on his own Grand Mother.

    • tricledrown 3.2
      22 February 2015 at 11:08 pm

      Gooseyerman.
      Once again you only read 1/2 the story
      The Greek ‘s wanted 6 month extension the Germans no extension.
      The Greeks got a four month extension.
      If that is Germany not backing down what is.
      Germany is talking tough but giving in is the reality.
      Once again undone by your own links.
      You must know no one reads your links.
      Otherwise you wouldn’t bother posting them.
      Because it proves your an idiot who can’t read beyond the headlines.
      Now you have 2 apologies owing on your verbal contract.
      All asset sales stopped in Greece.
      Germany backs down moves from hardline of no extension to 4 month extension.
      Come on man of personal responsibility.
      Be a man not a goose honour the promise you made!

      • nadis 3.2.1
        22 February 2015 at 11:42 pm

        tricledown – you are completely and utterly wrong. So wrong.

        Here you go, read these:

        http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/greece-got-outmaneuvered

        http://www.cnbc.com/id/102444539

        http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/21/syriza-greece-debt-deal-eu-alexis-tsipras

        Please explain again where Germany (and the European Commission) backed down? Quite hard to take you seriously when you admit to not reading links that prove the point you are wilfully not understanding. Are you going to say “no-one reads my links” too, therefore the things you imagine in your head are the truth rather than, you know, actual quotes from German and Greek politicians and inconvenient things like that?

        As I’ve said before, when you are a bankrupt beggar (that’s Greece in case you are wondering) relying on handouts from your rich neighbour ( that’s Germany), and you’re bargaining tactics are “give me some money or I’ll burn down your garage” (thats an exit from the Euro), well guess what. When you admit that’s only a threat and you’ll never do it, then guess what. You have no negotiating power.

        Does that explanation make it easy for you to understand?

        • tricledrown 3.2.1.1
          23 February 2015 at 12:40 am

          You are only showing one guardian article not Gosmans link.
          This extension allows more time for Greece to renegotiate.
          The cost repayments required is higher than the bailout money.
          So Greece would be better off doing what Iceland an Argentina did walking away and setting up their own currency.
          You forget that Tsaparis’s coalition partner is the equivilent of our ACT party.
          Tsaparis on his first day in office went up to a war cemetry in Athens.
          And had said since that Germany is treating us badly again.
          The exchequer of the Bank of England said the same thing saying keeping the Greek economy in permanent recession is Damaging the EU while not achieving the aims of rebuilding the Greek economy.
          The Spanish elections will be very soon a left leaning govt their will put more pressure on the EU.
          Then UK and Scottish elections all going left.
          Thats why Germany is jawboning because if it gives to much to Greece it will have to elsewhere.
          Meanwhile hypocritical Germany is behind this massive nz $1.8 trillion quatitive easing money print.
          1 Rule for the rich countries keynsian socialism.
          Another Rule for the poor downtrodden country Tory Austerity!

          • Colonial Rawshark 3.2.1.1.1
            23 February 2015 at 12:46 am

            If you control the printing presses and the levers of credit, who cares which political party is in government.

  4. te reo putake 4
    22 February 2015 at 8:54 am

    They never started being the good guy, Gossie. There was never anything altruistic about Germany’s position. All the ‘aid’ to Greece was just more debt. And the debt is racked up by the rich and paid for by the poor.

    • nadis 4.1
      23 February 2015 at 12:01 am

      I’m not claiming Germany is without blemish but “just more debt” to a large degree is what has kept Greece’s government functioning over the last 5 years. Also bear in mind the following facts:

      – Greece has already over 100 billion EUR of debt written down (2011) where private sector banks took almost all of the hit

      – current Greek debt is held 76% by Germany, the IMF, ECB and other European countries

      – only 2.4 billion euros is owned by non-greek commercial banks (greek banks own 11 billion of Greece sovereign debt.

      So the idea that further loans from Germany/EU/ECB is enriching the private sector is plain wrong. Now you are probably right when you allude to the corrupton endemic in Greece which means a small politically connected group has made out like bandits while the rest of Greece is in a state of distress. But that isn’t the Germans fault – its the previous Greek governments, and will be Syriza’s curse too if they can’t start collecting taxes, cut subsidies to the wealthy, stop doing sweetheart deals with cronies etc.

      • Colonial Rawshark 4.1.1
        23 February 2015 at 12:34 am

        So the idea that further loans from Germany/EU/ECB is enriching the private sector is plain wrong.

        I read that the German state development bank is one of the biggest holders of Greek debt outside the Central Banks. Is that public or private?

        Anyhows I understand that the vast majority – up to 90% – of “bailout” funds provided to Greece over the last few years went straight to international creditors in the form of debt repayments, not to the Greek people or into the Greek economy. Does that sound about right to you?

        • nadis 4.1.1.1
          23 February 2015 at 11:52 am

          I don’t know the exact numbers off the top of my head, but in a sense its a bit of a moot point. Without the bailout funds Greece would not be able to pay interest on its debt, would default and enter bankruptcy, hius the bailout, becasue bankruptcy within the EURO has no sensible ending I can construct.

          Lets say Greece pays 3% on the debt – thats 10 billion annually in interest.

          And tricledown, the “wealthy north european banks have paid for their reckless lending – they have written off over 110 billion euros already. Contrary to popular opinion, most greek debt is now owned by other governments, their agencies or supranational organisations. when bailout funds it goes to one of two places – the Greek national budget for governmental spending on services (and corruption based subsidies) or as interest payments back to the people giving the bailout money.

          • Colonial Rawshark 4.1.1.1.1
            23 February 2015 at 12:01 pm

            Was there a process in 2012(-ish) where many private banking holders of Greek debt moved them off their own balance sheets and on to the balance sheet of the sovereigns and various European institutions?

            I came across a reference to it this morning but don’t know anything else about it.

            • nadis 4.1.1.1.1.1
              23 February 2015 at 12:13 pm

              Yep – but my recollection is they sold the debt to the bailout fund for cnets in the dollar – i.e., the banks wrote down the difference between purchase price and sale price. Not all of it was sold to the bailout fund – a lot was sold to private investors too.

              Just saw a reference that of the second bailout package 25% went straight to creditors, 75% to the Greek Govt.

      • tricledrown 4.1.2
        23 February 2015 at 12:52 am

        Its a Corrupt Goldman Sachs and their corrupt ratings Agency mates who conned the wealthy Northern European Banks into lending to a country that could not afford these loans.So now Goldman Sachs is now asset stripping Greece at firesale prices.
        Reducing Greek govt income further making it harder to pay back corrupt loans.
        The Greek lotteries commission worth €25 billion was sold of by the same corrupt politicians who racked up the debt.for a pawltry €2 billion.
        Greece is being Screwed over.

  5. Sanctuary 5
    22 February 2015 at 8:58 am

    Are my ears deceiving me, or is Wallace Chapman doing an advertorial for Dilmah tea on NatRad?

    • mac1 5.1
      22 February 2015 at 9:22 am

      Yes, Sanctuary. “Let your teabags steep for three minutes to allow all the anti-oxidants to escape from the tea bag.” I’ve just followed Mr Dilmah’s advice. Cheers!

    • Skinny 5.2
      22 February 2015 at 9:23 am

      Yeah they played him not sure they paid him though. It’s all about the black gold to father & son Dilmah tea peddler’s. It works looking forward to my cup of dilmah tea and some vogel toast with a spread of raspberry jam & peanut butter.

      Oh I do like a jolly good lazy Sunday morning.

      • greywarshark 5.2.1
        22 February 2015 at 12:07 pm

        Skinny
        I did hear them say that their Dilmah workforce in Sri Lanka was unionised whatever that means there.

        And while you are here, did you say when you were an organiser you sometimes had a stopwork for no particular reason, just to show the employers that you could? If so do you feel that you may have been a facilitating cog in the demolishing wheel that has attacked unions?

        • Skinny 5.2.1.1
          22 February 2015 at 1:51 pm

          Grey a little confusion there, I have never said I was a paid organiser. I have and still do hold a leadership role within a Union however. It is important that rank and file members stand up to the bosses which I’ve been willing to do on behalf of the membership. Pulling stop work meetings i.e. downing tools is important in the power struggle between the bosses and the workers.

          Possibly I was a little loose with saying “just to let the bosses know you still have the workers ear.” Without going into too much detail, in a safety critical industry where good men die because of system failures you need to be vigilant against further negligent behaviors. Too bean counters workers are just numbers on a spreadsheet as are lives lost. So it pays not to piss about if your members flag safety concerns and for whatever reason the bosses dilly dally. Having delt with a grieving widow with young kids it hardens your approach. So cutting to the chase using the blunt instrument of stopping work is my preferred choice to the procrastinating the management often put up. In a fair world there would not be the need of flexing ones muscle, however you get a quick result and the workers feel empowered when the bosses ego’s get deflated bringing them back down to earth.

          • greywarshark 5.2.1.1.1
            23 February 2015 at 10:29 am

            @ Skinny
            Thanks for reply and background. I felt a bit queasy as I feel that a casual use of power may have been used by some of the unions in the past and led to negative attitudes from both employees and employers that ultimately rebounded on both, but particularly the workers.

            I get your point about safety concerns. It seemed to me that not insisting on maintaining good safety practices and gear in Pike River Mine led to that tragedy, and the deaths. The financial loss and shutting down of the company might have happened earlier, as unwelcome reality emerged if the miners hadn’t battled on making do, and even apparently circumventing systems in an effort to meet production requirements. Their determination to put the company and the task first was their downfall, and still the project failed, so all for nothing.
            edited

      • rawshark-yeshe 5.2.2
        22 February 2015 at 12:44 pm

        I love Dilmah too, but was really pissed when I called them about a bad batch of green tea I had bought. Like everyone, I assumed from their ads that all their tea was grown in Sri Lanka on their own estates .. but no, it’s not. Their green tea is imported from China which they do not disclose any where in any way .. the only tiny line on the box says “May include imported ingredients”.

        Have never bought it again. Actually, I wanted to lay a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority about their open deception, but ran out of energy with everything else that goes on !

        But it isn’t all grown on their Sri Lanka estates. Very far from it. But the ads still tell the lies.

        • phillip ure 5.2.2.1
          22 February 2015 at 3:52 pm

          the food-miles story from last week that grabbed my attention.

          ..is that berries are grown in sth america..are frozen/shipped to china..

          ..where they are packaged..and then shipped to australia..

          ..that makes sense..eh..?

      • phillip ure 5.2.3
        22 February 2015 at 1:18 pm

        next week chapman is doing ‘cardies’..

        ..it’s all part of his stage-play..

        ..that gritty/gripping saga of growing up louche in dunedin..

        ..’a cuppa and a cardie was all i needed’…

        • Once was Tim 5.2.3.1
          22 February 2015 at 4:21 pm

          louche – what a bloody good word @ PU – all following on from those romantic recollections of Fiji.
          However we should not pillory dear Wallace too much – at least he makes an effort and comes up with some bloody good stuff often. We should probably have just packed him and Damien C off to Fiji for a few months to live on Suva Streets with the down and outs.

      • phillip ure 5.2.4
        22 February 2015 at 4:44 pm

        f.y.i..

        ..kenya bold by bell is the best commercial tea on the market..

        ..it is grunty..where so many others are wishy-washy..(i’m looking @ u..chanui..!..)

  6. phillip ure 6
    22 February 2015 at 8:59 am

    new national party slogan:..

    ‘the national party:

    ..’we privatise profit – and socialise loss.’.

  8. Paul 8
    22 February 2015 at 9:59 am

    Four years since the Christchurch earthquake.
    All the stories the Herald mentions are of earthquake refugees.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11405801

    It would be good to see a thread on this written by a Christchurch based writer.
    We know they’re staging the World Cup, but everything as rosy as we are told by the MSM?

    4 years on…have the insurance companies paid up yet?
    Do people in East Christchurch have homes to live in?
    Love to hear from someone who lives in Christchurch about how life is now.

    • tc 8.1
      22 February 2015 at 10:27 am

      I spoke to someone who was there over xmas, he came away depressed as it reminded him of treatment he thought he’d left behind when he moved to nz.

      provoked a fascinating chat about education, health, scf, water quality, skycity etc as like many sheeple he had fallen for the DP/KDC msm lines at the GE.

    • te reo putake 8.2
      22 February 2015 at 10:34 am

      The doco When a City Falls is on Maori TV tonight at 8.30. Well worth a look.

    • veutoviper 8.3
      22 February 2015 at 10:37 am

      I agree that it would be good to see a thread by a Christchurch based writer. Hoping …

      In the meantime, although this is written by another earthquake refugee. I almost cried when I read this extremely poignant Press article by a former Press reporter who wrote some exceptional articles at the time and following the earthquake.
      (h/t Jess McAllen’s twitter feed for the link)

      http://t.co/xG1LFlznqH

    • millsy 8.4
      22 February 2015 at 4:56 pm

      They all seem to be middle class types, who have the finances to be able to ride out a major disaster like that earthquake.

  9. Penny Bright 9
    22 February 2015 at 10:40 am

    In my considered opinion, the Draft Wellington Reorganisation Proposal has become a rotting, fetid, slimy corpse – that Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair Fran Wilde politically has been left hug all on her lonesome.

    How come Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett has ‘legged it’ and is no longer part of the ‘FOR’ Team, in the upcoming Wellington PUBLIC DEBATE on the ‘Supercity’, to be held Monday 23 February 2015, 7.30pm at Saced Heart College Lower Hutt?

    Seen this?

    Article here from ‘right-wing’ Auckland Councillor Cameron Brewer (11 October 2014), which makes points very similar to those I have been making (for years)
    on the ‘out-of-control’ Auckland Council CCOs:

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503459&objectid=11341037

    Cameron Brewer: Keep local in local government

    Saturday, 11 October 2014

    Last year the Local Government Commission released its draft proposal to merge Hawkes Bay’s five councils into a single regional authority.

    This proposal followed some legislative amendments made in 2012 which eased the process for council reformation. It has caused an outcry from some smaller councils, worried that changes could be forced upon them.

    Auckland’s experience of amalgamation has been a mixed bag. It came with its own specific legislation so is somewhat different but nonetheless there are things to watch out for and lessons to learn.

    Four years on and ratepayers are still waiting for Mayor Len Brown to deliver the cost reductions and increased efficiencies promised in the lead up to 2010.

    Critics consistently point to skyrocketing debt and that elected representatives now struggle to influence both big and small decisions.

    Auckland’s seven Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) which look after key assets and infrastructure are now so powerful they have become a force unto themselves – sometimes competing with council rather than working for it.

    …..

    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    AS A 2010 AUCKLAND MAYORAL CANDIDATE – I WARNED THAT CCO’S WOULD BE THE MECHANISM FOR THE (CORRUPT) CORPORATE TAKEOVER OF THE AUCKLAND REGION:

    EVIDENCE:

    Here is a rather prophetic Press Release that I sent out, as a 2010 Auckland Mayoral candidate on 6 July 2010, and was published by Scoop:

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1007/S00068.htm

    Auckland will be run by business for business
    Tuesday, 6 July 2010, 5:22 pm
    Press Release: Penny Bright

    “There is simply no way that this Auckland ‘Supercity’ corporate framework, where 75% of Auckland regional rates are to be paid to 7 unelected Council-Controlled Organisations (CCOs), can be made to serve the public majority or the public interest,” says Auckland Mayoral candidate, Penny Bright.

    “These unelected CCOs are the corporate mechanism by which the Auckland region will be run like a business, by business – for business,” she continued.

    “Those who support CCOs support the corporate takeover of the Auckland region, which was forced upon the public without our consent.

    DEMOCRACY AND THE CCO MODEL: THE FACTS:

    The public majority of the Auckland region have still never had our lawful right to a binding poll on whether or not we wanted our existing Councils abolished and replaced with the one ‘Auckland Council’, with unelected CCOs proposed to to run 75% of council functions.

    (See the Local Government Act 2002 s 24 Reorganisation Proposal’ Schedule 3, s49 ‘Polls must be held”.)

    The public majority of the Auckland region have never had any vote or final ‘say’ on whether or not we want Auckland infrastructure /assets under the corporate CCO model.

    The public majority of the Auckland region have no say in the ‘selection’ of the unelected Chairs/Deputy Chairs and Directors of the CCOs.

    The public majority of the Auckland region have no say in the formulation of the ‘Statements of Intent’ which govern the relationship between the proposed Auckland Council and the CCOs.

    This is on top of the rather pivotal fact that there has never been a ‘cost-benefit’ analysis of the CCO model, which confirms the ‘cost-effectiveness’ of this model for the public majority, carried out by:

    The Royal Commission on Auckland Regional Governance.
    The Office of the Auditor-General. (OAG)
    The Department of Internal Affairs. (DIA)
    The Auckland Transition Agency. (ATA)
    Any of the 8 Councils in the Auckland region.
    The NZ Treasury.

    The corporate agenda is first CCOs then PPPs.

    Remember the ‘commercialise, corporatise -privatise’ retrogression under ‘Rogernomics Mark 1’?

    How billion$ of public assets held at central government level were transformed into private sector companies?

    CCO (Council Controlled Organisation) is the local government equivalent of SOE (State Owned Enterprise).

    But this time – the assets aren’t being set up for SALE (lock stock and barrel), but for long-term LEASE under PPPs (Public Private Partnerships).

    Key questions the public should ask are:

    Where is the income stream going?

    Who is benefitting?

    Since the last Council amalgamations in the late 1980s, since all the contracting-out of Council services and introduction of CCOs – have rates for the public majority – gone up or down?

    That is why I am standing for Mayor of the Auckland Council – to help lead a Rate$ Revolt – to stop this corporate takeover of the Auckland region.

    The majority of citizens and ratepayers (as electors under the Local Electoral Act 2001) must have the final say on the proposed abolition of Auckland, Manukau, North Shore and Waitakere City Councils, and Papakura, Rodney and Franklin District Councils, with their proposed ‘reorganisation’ into one ‘Auckland Council’, thus the NZ House of Parliament must repeal the Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau) Reorganisation Act 2009 forthwith.

    When the growing numbers of Aucklanders who object to becoming a giant ‘ca$h cow’ – ‘all pay – no say’, start taking non-violent direct financial action to uphold the fundamental principles:

    ‘The will of the people is the basis of the authority of government’
    and “No taxation without representation!’

    by disputing and witholding rates payments – then this New Zealand will see some really effective, unprecedented and historic ‘People Power’.

    ‘WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW – RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY!’”

    ________________________________________________________________________________

    MORE EVIDENCE!

    Who REALLY runs the Auckland Region are the hugely powerful private sector lobby group – the Committee for Auckland.

    Check for yourself their membership, and how the Auckland Council CCOs are directly interwoven with the Committee for Auckland, whose member companies contract to Auckland Council and Auckland Council CCOs.

    http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership/members

    EVIDENCE THAT MEMBER COMPANIES OF THE COMMITTEE FOR AUCKLAND CONTRACT TO AUCKLAND COUNCIL AND AUCKLAND COUNCIL CONTROLLED ORGANISATIONS (CCOs):

    https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=18afffb768&view=att&th=1444c69bdb8897a7&attid=0.2&disp=inline&realattid=f_hrv79y4n1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P-I5Cd-lIWIP7LzmJSi9erv&sadet=1424551884953&sads=Q_lQWmY4tl57rVnURgQ7zo0vOhA

    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    (Apologies for the length of this post – but am rather busy and decided to put all the relevant info in one post).

    Penny Bright

    http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz

    • Chooky 9.1
      22 February 2015 at 10:46 am

      +100 Penny …democracy under attack…you ask the core questions

      “How billion$ of public assets held at central government level were transformed into private sector companies?”

      ….this is what it is all about!

    • greywarshark 9.2
      22 February 2015 at 12:15 pm

      Seems appropriate to put this news item from Radionz on Len Brown under Penny B’s.

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/266712/auckland-mayor-defends-contract
      …Mayor Len Brown was unaware of Mr Jenkins’ new job, but Ateed’s chief executive, Brett O’Reilly said it was unusual to go into operational detail with the mayor….

      Ateed said Grant Jenkins, who resigned last year and moved his family back to England, is on a 12-month pilot contract with an aim to try to attract investment and jobs to Auckland.

      This gap between the organisational/operational matters and the person fronting the organisation, the Mayor, and the others representing the people directly, the Councillors, seems a regular occurrence in Councils. Not to mention central govt.

    • millsy 9.3
      22 February 2015 at 4:59 pm

      Looking back on it, we kinda should have stuck with the old counties and boroughs.

  10. ropata:rorschach 10
    22 February 2015 at 10:52 am

    Kshama Sawant, Seattle City Councillor and outspoken socialist (it’s a dirty word in America), writes a brilliant “agony aunt” column
    https://twitter.com/stuarthorrex/status/569119971197857792

    In contemporary America, the differences between Republicans and Democrats are obliterated by both parties’ identical enslavement to war-mongering corporate masters whose power is derived from the blood of exploited workers. […] the political world that worships the free market turns the 99 percent into slave laborers and plunges the world into climate-change-based chaos

  11. tc 11
    22 February 2015 at 10:59 am

    The blindsiding of len brown continues with 2 issues in a week and no surprise to see brewster sticking it in.

    banksy jnr will be eyeing up the big chair using his new DP aligned PR practice, funding from the usual suspects and the CCO’s loaded with hide/key installed helpers.

  12. ropata:rorschach 12
    22 February 2015 at 11:07 am

    Cantabs doing a “Run to Remember” today. Go visit James Dann’s blog for the untold side of the rebuild story.

    • greywarshark 12.1
      22 February 2015 at 11:39 am

      Can a Cantab tell me what road that blue bridge is in – as featured in James Dann’s blog?

      • DRUM 12.1.1
        22 February 2015 at 12:14 pm

        Greywarshark…the bridge in the photograph has been added (photo-shopped?) into the photograph. There used to be a “bridge” (aerial walkway) across Colombo St at the Cashel St corner.

      • ropata:rorschach 12.1.2
        22 February 2015 at 12:35 pm

        It’s real, not photoshopped.
        Looks like that part of Colombo St has been restored.
        2007: https://goo.gl/maps/h7K2u
        2014: https://goo.gl/maps/X7XT0

        • greywarshark 12.1.2.1
          22 February 2015 at 8:13 pm

          Just a thought to some feisty Chch resident with a project to be funded. Ask the Council if something simple as an advert for Bluebridge the shippers could be painted on the actual blue bridge and get Bluebridge to front with money for the work and for the project. It would be feel-good asdvertising for them, permanently in people’s faces. Something simple like Sail with Bluebridge or Bluebridge for You, would be all that was allowed so not to distract drivers. And it could be kept fresh by donating to further projects as old ones complete.

  13. weka 13
    22 February 2015 at 11:37 am

    A Māori trans woman gets her arm broken by police/security at the Pride Parade while protesting against police taking part in the parade, and the usual institutional prejudiced actions follow from, the police, the hospital, the MSM and the Pride organisers. Very sad, appalling, and a classic case study in power relations and how far we still have to go in being human.

    What it’s about is three people who went to protest the police presence. One of the three, Emmy, is a Maori trans woman (and a friend of mine, full disclosure. I also know at least one of the other protesters and they are both super solid people). Security and police targeted her when the three jumped a barrier. They broke her arm. A bystander was filming this and was subsequently arrested; when they asked why they were told he was “being a twat”. Then they arrested Emmy too. It took forty five minutes of her screaming in pain from her broken arm before they decided to get her medical attention. As of quarter to nine she’s just arrived at Auckland Hospital with one of her fellow protesters, she’s been given gas but is still in pain.

    This is such a fucking joke. Police are allowed to march in Pride like the criminal justice system isn’t fucking toxic to queers of colour every single day. Three people protest – three, this was not exactly a big scary riot – and they go after the Maori trans woman.

    http://www.thelittlepakeha.net/2015/02/21/police-show-their-pride-side/

    Turns out emmy has a fracture that will require surgery. This is transmisogynistic, racist violence and at a PRIDE PARADE.

    So yep thats was auckland pride in 2015. A maori trans woman got brutalized by security for protesting against the inclusion of police and correctional officers.

    Welcome to neoliberal gay hell. The white cis gay men have won, they have their pretty parade. What the fuck do trans woman of colour have?? broken bones

    http://communistjewishgirl.tumblr.com/post/111651300078/auckland-pride-2015

    http://thehandmirror.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/its-raining-racism-and-transphobia-on.html

    • sabine 13.1
      22 February 2015 at 12:17 pm

      that cop or these cops should be given their marching orders into the next winz office to file for unemployment.

      the ministry of police should pay for the surgery, recoup time and any other cost the trans women has in regards to her broken arm. If the ministry has an issue with this and would like to roll the costs over to acc, they can always garnish the wages of the police officers involved in the assault.

      also a formal complaint for assault should be lodged.

      simply as that.

      file complaint for assault
      file complaint with the IPCA (i hope I have that one right)
      request that the offender be put on un-paid leave as clearly they are a hazard to the comunity
      request that the offender be forced to attend a anger manangement course
      request that the offender aid the transwomen in all daily activities that she can not complete due to having surgery i.e. clean house, make bed, buy and cook food, etc etc etc.

    • adam 13.2
      22 February 2015 at 12:20 pm

      This does not surprise me.

      The pride parade is suppose to help the queer community showcase themselves as good little consumers – and enablers of good capitalist spin off’s.

      How dare anyone question that?

      How dare anyone – and especially a Māori trans woman – dare question authority and the orthodoxy?

    • marty mars 13.3
      22 February 2015 at 5:58 pm

      Terrible so horrible – kia kaha and arohanui Emmy and all who support her

      The thing is, though? The police aren’t even actually the real villains here. The police kept Emmy from an ambulance, but they didn’t break her arm. Emmy’s arm was broken by Pride security. Pride security broke her arm because they didn’t want her to protest, because they didn’t want anybody to protest. Because Pride is nice day, for celebrations, and absolutely no sad or bad things ever, and that’s the rule now, that’s the thing we’re all supposed to say about queerness now. We don’t admit that the movement centres cis people, and white people, and people who aren’t opposed to the way the state runs. We’re legit, we’re mainstream. The state doesn’t throw us in jail anymore, it marches with us.

      http://blog.squareplanetcomics.com/shame-on-auckland-pride-parade/

  14. idlegus 14
    22 February 2015 at 11:46 am

    yacht racing, cool; cancer, bit of a downer – paul little, brilliant piece.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11405789

    • ropata:rorschach 14.1
      22 February 2015 at 1:39 pm

      It’s hard for the elites these days.

      Auckland’s Mayor, Len Brown, Saturday came out in support of the city council having its very own man in London, at a cost to ratepayers of more than $230,000.

      Auckland Council’s economic development arm has created a special contract in London for one of its senior executives, Grant Jenkins, who has moved his family to England.

      His English-born wife, Kate, was homesick and had been longing to return home for several years, according to a former council staffer.

      The Jenkins have set up home with their two children outside London in the village of Bourne End in Buckinghamshire.

      As well as paying about $196,000 for a 12-month contract, ratepayers are picking up Mr Jenkins’ work expenses and office costs at New Zealand Tourism’s headquarters in New Zealand House near Trafalgar Square.

      Ratepayers have paid an administration fee of about $15,000 for his contract and contributed $19,841 to the family’s relocation costs.

  15. greywarshark 15
    22 February 2015 at 11:52 am

    This morning on radionz a woman who is fat, takes part in athletic events and also blogs talked about hate responses and, I suppose, ‘difference’ hate blogs. She said that people on fat hate blogs arre invited to say rude and vicious things to other bloggers talking about their lives. And so all these phychos will deluge someone so passing on the product of their diseased minds with attacking comments even putting death threats.

    I am not going to make any comments any more about fat, neither mine or anyone else’s and perhaps even in food! I didn’t realise that it was being used as a Nasty-type propaganda device to funnel the negatives in people and dump them on some chosen victim. This is not something I want to endorse in any way.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20168196
    Ragen Chastain – Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness ( 17′ 10″ )
    09:40 Self-described size diversity activist, Los Angeles based Ragen Chastain is a writer, blogger and professional choreographer and is in training to be an ironman athlete. She’s also had to face fat shamers – people who have a negative view of larger people.

    • ropata:rorschach 15.1
      22 February 2015 at 1:51 pm

      Obesity is a side effect of inequality and developing into a public health disaster. NZ has the third highest rate of obesity in the world. Public health officials are calling for increased regulation of the food and beverage industry. Heart disease is the number one cause of death, so why don’t we clamp down hard on fast food like we do with cigarettes?

      In a society where up to 29% of people are obese, people making rude comments are likely to be squashed…

      • Psycho Milt 15.1.1
        22 February 2015 at 4:22 pm

        Heart disease is the number one cause of death, so why don’t we clamp down hard on fast food like we do with cigarettes?

        Because, although there’s very strong evidence that smoking causes heart disease, there’s no evidence that diet has anything to do with it. There are some people who firmly believe that dietary fat causes heart disease, but a belief is all it is.

        • ropata:rorschach 15.1.1.1
          22 February 2015 at 4:37 pm

          Your point about heart disease is conceded, but here’s the WHO:

          Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese.

          Obesity will overtake smoking as a leading cause of death very soon…

          • Psycho Milt 15.1.1.1.1
            22 February 2015 at 5:34 pm

            That’s another one that puts a rip in my nightie – what’s the WHO doing calling obesity a cause of death? What’s the mechanism by which someone dies “as a result of being overweight or obese?” It’s like saying someone who starved to death died “as a result of being underweight.”

            Sorry, I’m not trying to get at you – I just get annoyed at the ongoing festival of correlation = causation errors that is the field of diet-based epidemiology. There’s definitely a problem of too many fatties, and whatever is making them fat is increasing their mortality, but the “what’s making them fat?” part is heavily-disputed territory. Most likely, no progress will be made on the issue until the current generation of epidemiologists and dieticians is retired or dead.

            • phillip ure 15.1.1.1.1.1
              22 February 2015 at 6:43 pm

              would you like a bacon-buttie with that..?..

              ..fries..?

            • Chooky 15.1.1.1.1.2
              22 February 2015 at 8:41 pm

              i had a skinny Calvinist grandma who ate healthily and her veges and was very intelligent and educated ….and a fat indulgent granny who wasn’t educated but was still intelligent …but liked cakes not veges…she was very very fat….

              …guess who lived the longest ?…fat cake eating granny lived to 94 and skinny careful eating granny lived to about 78

              ….both ate meat

    • Stephanie Rodgers 15.2
      22 February 2015 at 3:46 pm

      Ragen Chastain is a fantastic blogger, and I highly recommend her site to anyone still wanting to make ~hilarious~ fat jokes or sweeping statements about how ~obesity is an epidemic~.
      https://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/

      • ropata:rorschach 15.2.1
        22 February 2015 at 3:54 pm

        Good on her for having a healthy self image but obesity is a huge indicator of all sorts of health risks. Hell, I am carrying too much pork but there’s no sense in pretending it’s all good. Or is TS becoming a science denial conspiracy outlet?

        • Stephanie Rodgers 15.2.1.1
          22 February 2015 at 6:23 pm

          You should actually try reading her blog, ropata. It’s a bit smarmy to sneer “good on her” – when the fact is she *is* a completely healthy, athletic woman who’s in training for an ironman.

          Height, sex and ethnicity are all risk factors for a “huge number” of “health risks”. Why not go bother someone about the tallness epidemic? Or, a radical notion, why not focus on actual health issues instead of pre-judging people’s medical histories based on their appearance?

          • phillip ure 15.2.1.1.1
            22 February 2015 at 6:32 pm

            “.. the fact is she *is* a completely healthy, athletic woman who’s in training for an ironman…”

            u r hardly trying to sell that as the norm for the obese..r u..?..

            ..if that were the case..no worries..!..

            ..but it ain’t..

            “..Height, sex and ethnicity are all risk factors for a “huge number” of “health risks”..”

            ..yes..they are factors..that in many cases bad diet exacerbates..

            ..but i know vegans of all ages/sizes/ethnicities..

            ..and it it not about any ‘ideal’ body-shape..

            ..it is about the health of those people within..

            “..Or, a radical notion, why not focus on actual health issues instead of pre-judging people’s medical histories based on their appearance?..”

            the fact is that most of those ‘heath-issues’ can be treated by adopting a healthy diet/moderate-exercise..

            ..trying to address this problem without addressing diet..wd be totally self-delusional..

            • Psycho Milt 15.2.1.1.1.1
              22 February 2015 at 7:02 pm

              ..but i know vegans of all ages/sizes/ethnicities..

              ..and it it not about any ‘ideal’ body-shape..

              ..it is about the health of those people within..

              It certainly is. Still, if you enjoy being under-nourished and having dry skin and lank hair, by all means…

          • Psycho Milt 15.2.1.1.2
            22 February 2015 at 7:01 pm

            Meh. If she’s happy being fat, great. Most fat people aren’t.

            • Stephanie Rodgers 15.2.1.1.2.1
              22 February 2015 at 8:33 pm

              It’s shocking, isn’t it, how people who are consistently, repeatedly told they’re evil, unhealthy, immoral, failed, lazy, weak-willed drains on society might have self-esteem issues. 🙄

              • phillip ure …
                22 February 2015 at 8:46 pm

                they are your words..

                ..i haven’t seen anyone saying/intimating anything anywhere like that..

                ..and if people are in that state..that is what is making them feel bad..

                ..not what they think people are saying about them..

              • Psycho Milt …
                22 February 2015 at 9:30 pm

                Well, I guess it’s possible that fat people would actually be chuffed about having to cart tens of kilos of whatever-the-human-equivalent-of-lard-is around with them everywhere they go, if only the hell that is other people didn’t exist – but I doubt it. Every fat person who’s expressed a view on it to me would rather not be carrying that superfluous extra baggage, and I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be carrying it myself. Personally, I blame officially-mandated “experts” giving us dietary advice, not the individuals carrying the extra weight, but no doubt that’s cold comfort to the individuals.

              • ropata:rorschach …
                22 February 2015 at 10:49 pm

                I hate the idea of “fat-shaming” too, obesity affects people from all walks of life, but it seems weird to deny it’s a problem.

            • marty mars 15.2.1.1.2.2
              22 February 2015 at 8:34 pm

              I don’t think that is true.

          • ropata:rorschach 15.2.1.1.3
            22 February 2015 at 11:35 pm

            Having run the odd marathon in my time, and mixed with ironman types, I can tell you that she will either
            a) train properly and become very lean or
            b) kid herself and fail to complete the event.

            Completing an ironman is a life changing experience, physically and mentally. You do not see people completing the event in her present condition (going by the photo on her blog).

      • phillip ure 15.2.2
        22 February 2015 at 4:12 pm

        @ s.r..

        oh..!..ok..obesity isn’t an ‘epidemic’ of sorts..?

        ..are u kidding..?

        ..and it doesn’t have to be that way..

        ..if you go to the nzonscreen archives and look at news footage from just the fifties..

        ..and marvel at how healthy everyone looks..

        ..crap-food sold by greedy/couldn’t-give-a-fuck food corporations..

        ..aided and abetted by useless politicians..

        ..and a craven advertising industry..

        ..and poverty..(+ of course the unhealthiest food/drink is always the cheapest..)

        .have got us to where we are now..

        ..so..if you wouldn’t call it an ‘epidemic’..?

        ..what would you call it..?

        ..a passing-phase..?

        • b waghorn 15.2.2.1
          22 February 2015 at 5:18 pm

          “..crap-food sold by greedy/couldn’t-give-a-fuck food corporations..”
          No ones holding a gun to there head to go and buy shit food .
          Eating crap food is a choice in this country.
          People need to learn about personal responsibility.

          • phillip ure 15.2.2.1.1
            22 February 2015 at 6:23 pm

            an interesting exercise is to do a walk-thru in a supermarket in a wealthy area..

            ..and then go and walk thru a supermarket in a poor area..

            (try that supermarket in otara..whoar..!..)

            ..the differences are both stark and disturbing..

            ..but even in the supermarkets in upmarket areas..

            ..most of the stuff on sale is processed/sugar/salt/fat-laden unhealthy-crap..

            ..(it just has more expensive packaging/pricing..)

            ..but if looking for healthy-options..the upmarket supermarkets have what the poor ones don’t go near..

            ..and the only solution to this merry-go-around of madness..

            ..is to regulate those unscrupulous bastards in the ‘food’-peddling into some sort of order..

            ..one thing is for sure..

            ..those afor-mentioned ‘bastards’ will not clean up their act..of their own accord..

            ..the big ones might have to be threated with being nationalised/massive-penalties….if they don’t do it..

            ..nationalise/slam one or two..

            ..and watch the others fall into line..

            ..(this is known as the putin-tactic..brutal on the examples..

            ..but effective..

            • nadis 15.2.2.1.1.1
              22 February 2015 at 10:13 pm

              Thats odd. I recently had cause to stop at PaknSave Mangere after a drop off at the airport and did a shop there.

              On my list were a whole bunch of fruit and vege, a leg of lamb, minced beef, rice, tea bags, low fat milk, cans of chick peas, pasta, canned tomatos, some crazy frozen Qorn stuff for my vegetarian daughter, and some sparkling water.

              I didn’t seem to have trouble finding any of it.

          • ropata:rorschach 15.2.2.2.1
            22 February 2015 at 7:29 pm

            The real “fat shaming” is ignoring the obesity epidemic.
            Wishful thinking doesn’t magically make obesity a healthy way to live.

            PS: I’m off to Burgerfuel 😀

            • McFlock 15.2.2.2.1.1
              22 February 2015 at 7:46 pm

              Here’s the thing, though: big data doesn’t translate to a guarantee for specific individuals.

              If she has good cardio fitness and blood pressure etc while being large, she could well outlive us all.

              Me, anyway – I find that if I get over a certain weight my BP becomes harder to control and all that jazz. But then I have a lot of visceral fat, which seems to have a greater association with health problems than subcutaneous. But even then I could live until 90 or drop dead tomorrow. Funnily enough my cholesterol is ok-ish (certainly not what one would naively assume based solely on BMI).

              Body fat by itself is one indicator. Not a guarantor. And we’re still learning about the exact mechanisms by which it impacts on health (or doesn’t).

              • phillip ure …
                22 February 2015 at 8:32 pm

                not many obese old people..are there..?

                • McFlock …
                  22 February 2015 at 9:12 pm

                  lol actually old folks have all sorts of body shapes. Visit a retirement home sometime.
                  I’m surprised you don’t have any vegan friends or relatives to go visit.

                • Chooky …
                  23 February 2015 at 8:45 am

                  @phillip …the fatso oldies are at home enjoying life into their 90s as was the case of my fat granny….she died at 94 but only had a few weeks in a rest home

                  …the skinny grandma who died at 78 was in ailing health and in care for a few years…i loved her dearly…i think she had artificial sweetners and Parkinsons

  16. philj 16
    22 February 2015 at 12:33 pm

    National Radio RNZ is living up to its name. Increasingly it is becoming commercially and business oriented as well as trivial eg Jim Moras lightweight giggle on The Panel. Dilma tea! Next week Griffins gingernuts, or Cadbury Dark chocolate? How RNZ has sunk recently.

    • phillip ure 16.1
      22 February 2015 at 1:33 pm

      i understand act have booked some airtime for their play/opus..

      ..’the story of act..’..

      ..it will be presented as part of radio new zealands’ series of..

      .. ‘five-minute-plays’..

      ..other titles in the series are:..

      ..’the wit and wisdom of john key’..

      ..’how andrew little ‘found’ charisma’..(or did charisma find andrew little..?..)

      ..’colour us chartreuse!’ – the story of the green party you’re having – when you aren’t really having a green party..

  17. Pascals bookie 17
    22 February 2015 at 1:52 pm

    Here’s a couple of videos fro 9/11 truthers to watch, coz I have couple of questions about them.

    they are only seconds long, it’s not some thesis being presented, just data points.

    First, from AE911’s site of a controlled demolition, to show what they look like:

    http://www2.ae911truth.org/ppt_web/2hour/slideshow.php?i=29&lores=1

    Second is another clip of the same demolition, albiet from a different angle etc

    Q1: See how in that demolition, the whole building moves. That doesn’t compare at all the twin towers where it is clearly a progressive collapse, the bottom floors don’t collapse until they are crushed one by one as the building collapses. I’ve never been told why, if the twin towers were a controlled demo, they don;t actually look like other controlled demos. So what gives?

    Q2: Why, in the AE’s vid, are the demolition charge sounds barely audible. All the controlled demo vids I’ve seen have those tell tale sounds. Not present in the AE911 vid there, or for the collapses on 9/11. Weird huh?

    • Colonial Rawshark 17.1
      22 February 2015 at 1:57 pm

      1) WTC7 presents observable dynamics far more like a typical controlled demolition.
      2) There have been many eye witness reports of explosions inside the twin towers before the collapse. Also, it has been postulated that the use of a more incendiary style nanothermite halped minimise the need for standard explosive charges.

      • Pascals bookie 17.1.1
        22 February 2015 at 2:08 pm

        1) so what? What about the twin towers?
        2)why aren’t the explosions heard up in any of the videos? And surely, the collapse would have been straight after the explosions?

        • Colonial Rawshark 17.1.1.1
          22 February 2015 at 2:14 pm

          I understand that you accept the official narrative of the collapse of the twin towers. I understand that you don’t believe that controlled dems can make a target building “dance” in different directions and from different levels as per the requirements of a given project.

          No probs.

          • Pascals bookie 17.1.1.1.1
            22 February 2015 at 2:20 pm

            Wait, are you saying that the fact it looks like no other controlled demo is evidence for it being a controlled demo?

          • Paul 17.1.1.1.2
            22 February 2015 at 7:37 pm

            What’s with these people who accept the official story.
            They appear so aggressive.
            Yesterday I received verbal abuse from ‘nadis’ for simply pointing out that the Dubai tower had not collapsed after a massive fire.
            The event reminded me that no steel structured buildings have ever collapsed from fire…except on 9/1.
            What are they scared of?

            • McFlock 17.1.1.1.2.1
              22 February 2015 at 7:54 pm

              oh, look what I found. In short:

              A challenge to conspiracy theorists:

              1) Find a steel frame building at least 40 stories high

              2) Which takes up a whole city block

              3) And is a “Tube in a tube” design

              4) Which came off its core columns at the bottom floors (Earthquake, fire, whatever – WTC 7)

              5) Which was struck by another building or airliner and had structural damage as a result.

              6) And weakened by fire for over 6 hours

              7) And had trusses that were bolted on with two 5/8″ bolts.

              And which, after all seven tests are met, the building does not fall down. Anyone dissecting this into 7 separate events is lying to you.

              Anything less than meeting these seven tests is dishonest because it’s not comparing apples with apples. Showing a much lighter 4, 5 or even 15 story building which doesn’t even take up a city block, and has an old style steel web design leaves out the massive weight the 47 story WTC 7 had bearing down on its south face columns. Yes, this is “moving the bar”, back to where it should have started.

              • Paul …
                22 February 2015 at 9:13 pm

                Explain WTC7.
                Please.

                • te reo putake …
                  22 February 2015 at 9:22 pm

                  Explain what, Paul? A large lump of a larger building hits a smaller one and the smaller one falls down.

                  btw the Dubai Tower fire wasn’t “massive” and it didn’t involve thousands of litres of jet fuel delivered at high speed. Only two buildings have ever experienced that. They both collapsed shortly after. Weird, huh?

                • McFlock …
                  22 February 2015 at 9:37 pm

                  read the link
                  Then wikipedia the wtc7 wikipedia entry.

                  • Paul …
                    22 February 2015 at 9:43 pm

                    The words ‘conspiracy theorist’ are used to shut down debate.

                    By the way, people who follow the official line are also conspiracy theorists. Their conspiracy involves Osama Bin Laden hatching a conspiracy from a cave in Afghanistan.

                    Many people who don’t follow the official line are actually not conspiracy theorists. They admit they don’t know what happened and simply have seen sufficient evidence to not accept the official conspiracy theory.

                    • te reo putake …
                      22 February 2015 at 9:52 pm

                      Have to disagree with you on calling those who have a handle on reality conspiracy theorists. There was a conspiracy. It worked pretty bloody well. My current theory on 9/11 truth denial is that, at heart, it’s racist. The American right simply can’t believe that a bunch of towel headed A-rabs put one over on the good ol’ USA.

                    • McFlock …
                      22 February 2015 at 9:56 pm

                      well, if there are words you don’t like in the link (reality can be uncomfortable sometimes), use wikipedia. Or does that entry call you uncomfortable things, too?

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      22 February 2015 at 10:26 pm

                      So we’re back to the basics. Two planes, three skyscrapers, two completely different architectures, differing assymetrical damage to each one, complete and symmetrical collapse for every one, all in one day, never happened before due to fire, never happened since due to fire.

                      The official conspiracy theory says – everything significant about the building failures above has been satisfactorily explained via theory and computer modelling.

                      I say – you can only agree with that if you close your eyes to the video evidence, physical evidence and eyewitness testimony from that day.

                    • McFlock …
                      22 February 2015 at 10:38 pm

                      You don’t actually know what “symmetrical” means, do you.

                    • Paul …
                      22 February 2015 at 10:40 pm

                      If you question 9/11 you get attacked cr

                    • McFlock …
                      22 February 2015 at 10:46 pm

                      if you abuse the english language you get attacked, more like

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      22 February 2015 at 10:54 pm

                      Highly assymetrical damage from the planes, falling debris and office fires somehow resulting in highly symmetrical and simultaneous collapse of each part of the skyscrapers.

                      Paul – it’s a mix of fear and intellectual arrogance.

                    • McFlock …
                      22 February 2015 at 11:06 pm

                      not “symmetrical”. For a start.

                      🙄

                    • te reo putake …
                      22 February 2015 at 11:11 pm

                      No, CV, it’s a combination of rationality and evidence. Your right wing mentors have neither. It’s a shame to see someone with such a good heart go down this path.

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      22 February 2015 at 11:14 pm

                      TRP – cheers for your condescension and concern. Oh and the insincerity too.

                      McFlock – of course the building collapses were highly symmetrical. Anyone can see that for themselves from any of the angles of the skyscraper collapses captured on video. Usually, a highly trained team of dems experts would be used over weeks to plan and collapse a building in that fashion.

                    • te reo putake …
                      22 February 2015 at 11:45 pm

                      Sorry you see it that way, CV. Should I have just said get well soon?

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 12:42 am

                      I’m glad you pointed out that video McFlock.

                      Notice how symmetrical the collapse of the central section of WTC7 was. Yes, there is a slight variation in timing but the overall effect is highly symmetrical, within the time frame of tenths of a second.

                      The “kink” formed is a classic tell of a controlled demolition. It occurs when an entire set of internal columns has been destroyed precipitating the collapse of the central part of the building ahead of other parts of the building.

                      This is done to allow the outer sections of the building to tend to fall inwards, minimising damage to nearby buildings and preventing a situation where the building might collapse to one side.

                    • McFlock …
                      23 February 2015 at 12:51 am

                      So if it’s symmetrical it must be a controlled demolition, but if there’s a kink it must be a controlled demolition, too. The fact that it’s kinked and symmetrical just doubly proves it was a controlled demolition… 🙄

                      It’s the very definition of doublethink to believe that something was symmetrical and kinked at the same time.

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 1:07 am

                      Have you ever lived in the real world McFlock? You know, the one where material processes take time to unfold in order to demonstrate their symmetry?

                      I bet that to you, a painting of a circle wouldn’t be symmetrical because the artist started with a brush stroke at one end of the canvas. Look! At how that paint is going on! It’s not symmetrical!!!

                    • McFlock …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:26 am

                      None of the collapses started symmetrically. None of the rubble piles were symmetrical. None of the bits in between were symmetrical. You haven’t drawn a perfect circle, you’ve left a puddle of piss on the floor and claimed that it’s a perfect circle. And that the fact it’s uneven supports your claim.

                      Seriously, you don’t have any idea what are”symmetrical” means, do you?

                • nadis …
                  22 February 2015 at 11:12 pm

                  Ok Paul, one last try. Read this summary:

                  http://www.nist.gov/el/disasterstudies/wtc/faqs_wtc7.cfm

                  If not convinced, read the full reports linked within.

                  Then read the numerous eye witness reports about WTC7 here. If you really are the critical thinker you claim to be, read this series of documents:

                  https://sites.google.com/site/wtc7lies/eyewitnessaccountsofwtc7fires

                  Just read through the docs – there are even pictures of heat expanded buckled steel beams from the WTC. Apply your critical thinking capabilities, think about the preponderence of real, hard evidence for the “official conspiracy theory” as you describe it, then think about how much evidence actually exists for your theory, and assess which is more likely.

                  Also note that the the NIST study was authored by an MIT educated Civil Engineering PhD who runs the Building and Fire research division at NISTand assisted by:

                  “The investigation, led by Dr S. Shyam Sunder, drew upon in-house technical expertise as well as the knowledge of several outside private institutions, including the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (SEI/ASCE); the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE); the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA); the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC); the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH); and the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY)”

                  The WTC7 report runs to more than a 1000 pages. Are all these professionals part of a wider conspiracy?

                  Read those links and then discuss from an evidence based perspective rather than your gut feeling shaped by watching youtube videos.

                  Lastly, count up how many people would be required as part of the original conspiracy, how many more would be required to cover up the conspiracy ex post, and that a conspiracy requires all of them to be corrupt and keep a secret, and what are the chances of that happening?

                  • Paul …
                    23 February 2015 at 5:02 am

                    I am merely stating I don’t believe the official story.
                    It does not explain what happened on 9/11.
                    It is you who believe in a conspiracy theory…that of Osama Bin Laden and 19 co conspirators.
                    I do not believe that conspiracy theory.
                    And until a full and proper inquiry occurs, no amount of verbal abuse by yourself will persuade me otherwise.

              • Colonial Rawshark …
                22 February 2015 at 10:29 pm

                You forgot to include Jupiter and Neptune being in alignment in your list of irrelevancies.

                • McFlock …
                  22 February 2015 at 10:44 pm

                  lol seriously, you think that the mechanism of damage or the structural design are “irrelevancies”?

                  • Colonial Rawshark …
                    22 February 2015 at 10:55 pm

                    You apparently do – that’s my point.

                    • McFlock …
                      22 February 2015 at 11:11 pm

                      You accused me of quoting a list of irrelevancies.
                      Mechanism of damage and stuctural design were on that list.
                      Now you claim that your point is that I think they are irrelevant.

                      Nice pivot, and to return to your original claim:
                      What items on that list were irrelevant?

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 12:44 am

                      Oh its all irrelevant, as you’ve already made up your mind that there are no major questions left to be answered.

                    • McFlock …
                      23 February 2015 at 12:54 am

                      pretty fucking weak, dude.

                      You can’t point to anything in the list that was irrelevant and pretend you didn’t just pivot like nureyev. And you say I’m the unreasonable one.

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 12:58 am

                      Like I said, you think all significant questions surrounding the WTC building collapses have been satisfactorily answered; I in contrast do not.

                      I have no problem with this.

                    • McFlock …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:15 am

                      If you really had no problems, you would not have made shit up and pivoted before claiming to like not look bovvered in your best Catherine taite impression.

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:24 am

                      So what do you think about the NIST pancake theory of floor collapse that OAB etc. accept. Does it really address all of your questions on the collapse of the twin towers? I personally think it is rubbish.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:26 am

                      “Accept” – is that what we do? Nah, this is just you inserting snide projections into every single comment you make because you’re talking shite.

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:30 am

                      OAB – so you don’t accept the official pancake floor collapse theory as being adequate? Pretty sure you were keen on it yesterday.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:34 am

                      How about you stop putting words in my mouth?

                      McFlock is in the process of demonstrating that you don’t know what the word symmetrical means. I doubt you understand the engineering reports.

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:44 am

                      So you do have some unanswered questions around the collapse of the twin towers? What are they? Perhaps I can help.

                      On the other hand if you do think that the official narrative about the WTC collapses on the day is correct, just say so.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:45 am

                      I have a question: do you know what symmetrical means?

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:50 am

                      Well a skyscraper is a large physical structure. One can see in any video of confirmed controlled demolitions that some asymmetry during the process of collapse occurs. This is due to the sequential timing used for the cutting charges and the staged process required for collapsing a building.

                      However, the collapse is relatively very symmetrical compared to a “natural” and uncontrolled building failure – which you would expect since that is the purpose of a controlled demolition.

                      Now let me ask you a question: are you aware that you can measure relative amounts of symmetry and that the question is not that of perfect symmetry versus no symmetry?

                    • nadis …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:56 am

                      Given pretty much every floor in WTC7 was ablaze by the time it collapsed (eye witess NYFD accounts), how was a controlled demolition done? Bear in mid controlled demo;itions require miles of wires and det cord, plus strategically removed columns and key suppports to make the demolition work….. where was all that and who did it?

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:56 am

                      Nope. You promised to answer questions. If you have questions of your own, Google them.

                      My next question is, which engineering software are you using?

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 9:22 am

                      Not just how was it done Nadis; the fact is that the planning and execution of such an operation on WTC7 may have taken a dozen people. On the twin towers, far more.

                      Yet no one has squeeled?

                      That to me is what makes the controlled dems theory particularly hard to believe.

                    • nadis …
                      23 February 2015 at 11:25 am

                      That to me is what makes the controlled dems theory particularly hard to believe.

                      Wow – this is a massive back down for you – you now don’t accept the controlled demolition theory? Big progress, well done!!

                    • McFlock …
                      23 February 2015 at 2:24 pm

                      The thing is that CR’s magnanimous doubt that WTC1&2 were controlled demolitions, and Paul’s simple professed doubt as to the “official explanations” (while refusing to commit to alternative theories) are simply variations on the cowardly anti-vax talking point “but I’m not anti vaccines, I just don’t think all of them are perfectly safe yadda yadda”.

                      It’s having one’s cake and eating it too, as an attempt to make people relitigate every single point in an infinite loop while simultaneously trying to appear responsive to reasonable debate.

                      The fact is that doubting the “official version” is in itself a conspiracy theory, just as believing the “official version” or suggesting one’s own version are conspiracy theories. Doubting the official version means that the majority of people involved in every official investigation consistently made such serious errors in analysis that the real story is fundamentally different from the “official version”, while at the same time these glaring errors were easily identifiable by anyone with an internet connection, even if the viewer did not know what big words like “symmetrical” actually mean.

                      In order for such glaring errors to be consistent across so many investigators, the odds against it happening by chance are infinitesimal.

                      And I suggest that the number of people who would have to be actively involved in coordinating such an effort, again without squealing, would be significantly larger than 20 hijackers, a few support staff and planners, and a bunch of after-the-fact charlatans and nutbars who get money, fame or just a hobby from the deaths of a few thousand people.

                      Occam sez AQ wot dun it.

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 2:27 pm

                      And I suggest that the number of people who would have to be actively involved in coordinating such an effort, again without squealing, would be significantly larger than 20 hijackers,

                      Quite a few of the 19 hijackers identified were shown to be alive after 9/11. Up to 7 of them I believe. But that’s detail you’re not interested in, and why ask uncomfortable questions?

                      In order for such glaring errors to be consistent across so many investigators, the odds against it happening by chance are infinitesimal

                      You simply design and curtail the scope and reach of the investigation, limit the budget available, organisationally limit the roles of individual investigators, edit out the interim reports submitted, file stuff which doesn’t fit as minor footnotes in appendices, etc. You know how it’s done.

                    • McFlock …
                      23 February 2015 at 2:43 pm

                      Yes, it would be easy to limit the scope of a report into why the buildings collapsed to strictly why the buildings collapsed. And the answer would be restricted to ‘big fucking jet, big fucking fire’.

                      As to your claim about 7 of the actual hijackers being alive, that would indeed be a game-changer. If it were true.
                      If it were true.

                • tricledrown …
                  22 February 2015 at 11:32 pm

                  Coronial tryharder.
                  Today it looks like you have your head up Uranus.
                  For man of science,Your overlooking the laws of Physics,gravity and chemistry thermodynamics as well!
                  For a CON spiracy theory!
                  Their were thousands of different Cameras all focused and filming 9/11.
                  You have completely lost any respect I’ve had for you.
                  Claims like these are in the Gosman territory.

                  • Colonial Rawshark …
                    23 February 2015 at 12:30 am

                    Believe the officially sanctioned narrative, I don’t care. You may think all the questions around the collapse of the WTC buildings has been answered but I do not.

                    BTW I don’t require nor want your respect, and I would be useless at asking required questions if that was my concern.

                    • tricledrown …
                      23 February 2015 at 1:27 am

                      Private individuals cameras.
                      Each of the twin towers weighed 1/2 a million tons empty with fixtures and fitting added thats a good deal more.
                      The weight above the planes impact area at least a 100,000 tons as water has to be stored up the top in case of fire.
                      Given that steel distortes at relatively low temperatures once you have mass ×momentum +gravity it would take very little momentum to get collapse going when it does occur it gains exponentially every ten metres double the energy.
                      A 300metre building collapsing has to dissapate that energy some where.
                      Its a complicated equation given the differential between the height of the top floor which falls 300 metres and the bottom floor only 10 metres but i would take a median figure of around 180 metres to estimate the energy dissipated.
                      So that would be 300,000 tons to the power of 18.
                      more than enough to destroy any nearby buildings.
                      Physics.
                      Rough estimate but I thought you had a degree in science CV.
                      Conspiracy Villain.

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 1:39 am

                      That’s impressive maths. It’s equally impressive with all that gravitational potential energy stored in the mass of skyscrapers around the world that no other steel framed tower has ever fallen totally collapsed due to the mechanism of fire weakened steel allowing vertical acceleration of building mass before 9/11, three did on the day, and none have since.

                      So that would be 300,000 tons to the power of 18.
                      more than enough to destroy any nearby buildings.
                      Physics.

                      Deformation and work. You forgot about the deformation of a total of 250,000 tons of steel and pulverisation of many hectares worth of concrete with rebar to a fine microscopic scale dust.

                      Your explanation also fails to explain why many areas of the the twin tower rubble reached over 1000 deg C and stayed that way for weeks during the clean up operation.

                      Rough estimate but I thought you had a degree in science CV.

                      I’ve got a degree in problem solving. And you ain’t solved any of the significant problems.

                      This guy, Professor Steve Jones, has however.

                    • greywarshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 9:39 am

                      I am surprised to read this September 2001 argument cropping up again and with such heat. (A bad sign that it happened so soon after the celebration for a new millenium that was going to be so good! What a silly idea.) So much discussion has gone on since 9/2001 and interesting technical information arisen but it won’t be settled definitely on TS. Meanwhile back in the boondocks….

                      Did you hear Professor Guy Standing on the Precariat on Wallace Chapman yesterday? He started talking about it in the 1980s!
                      Guy Standing – The Precariat Charter ( 32′ 41″ )
                      10:20 Professor Standing argues that 800 years after the Magna Carta the time has come for a new charter representing the interests of those facing job insecurity and disenfranchisement internationally.
                      http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20168199

                  • Realblue …
                    23 February 2015 at 1:33 am

                    CV isn’t an Engineer or a scientist. He’s s chiropractor who still claims to be a “doctor” (illegally). He’s as far from science as it gets.

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 1:45 am

                      The NZ Ministry of Health has previously considered the chiropractic use of the title “Dr” and has allowed it on condition that we are clear in its usage that we are not medical practitioners.

                      CV isn’t an Engineer or a scientist.

                      Of course I am. More so than you are anyway, I suspect.

                    • tricledrown …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:26 am

                      Coronial SniperIt shows 300,000 tons to the power of 18 is a enough energy to fry your looney conspiracy theory.
                      The type of construction is no longer used the New York fire dept asked the New York city officials to stop building this type of building.
                      Long lift shafts turned the building into a bessemer furnace.
                      Hello two planes full of avgas blows your fire theory out of the sky.

                    • nadis …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:38 am

                      “a degree in problem solving” – that would be what exactly? Philosophy, opereations research? Do tell……..

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:40 am

                      Bessemer furnace? What do you mean? There were 250,000 tons of steel in the construction and no way to heat more than a tiny fraction of it to maybe 400 to 500 deg C, in the official narrative at least.

                      50% or more of the av gas carried by the planes would have been expended in the first few seconds after impact via the huge initial fireballs. The rest would have been burnt off within the first 10 minutes.

                    • nadis …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:52 am

                      Can you provide scientific evidence of your burn times or are they your “gut feel”?

                      many areas of the the twin tower rubble reached over 1000 deg C and stayed that way for weeks during the clean up operation

                      You know that claim is fake right? Alex Jones just made that up and used doctored photos to “back up” his claims. See here:

                      https://sites.google.com/site/wtc7lies/canofficefirescauselargesteelcolumnsandb

                      And as for Steven Jones: https://sites.google.com/site/wtc7lies/stevene.jones%27thermitethermateclaims

                      For someone normally so critical of capitalist motives it amazes me you dont see what is obvious about the industry promoting conspiracy claims in general and 9/11 particularly.

                      They are in if for the money…… the ringleaders of the conspiracy promotion idustry make a living out of this by stoking the fears of uneducated americans- watch out! the govt is coming for your guns! FEMA is setting up concentration camps. I know thee secret activation codes that will get the military rounding up dissidents! Obama is communist muslim!

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      23 February 2015 at 8:59 am

                      That first article’s opening paragraph says that infra red surface readings after collapse reached 1375 deg F.

                      Temperatures underneath the exposed surface might have been 100 or 200 deg F hotter than that you know.

                      Do you accept that.

                    • Realblue …
                      23 February 2015 at 9:56 am

                      CV I’m a chartered Civil Engineer and an academic. I also have a doctorate. So unlike you I dont fraudulently use the title. As an engineer I can tell you almost everything you have said about the 911 building collapse is wrong. It reads like the ravings of a madman, delusional, unscientific and feeds on its own paranoia.

                    • nadis …
                      23 February 2015 at 11:22 am

                      That first article’s opening paragraph says that infra red surface readings after collapse reached 1375 deg F.

                      Temperatures underneath the exposed surface might have been 100 or 200 deg F hotter than that you know.

                      Do you accept that.

                      Of course I do, it’s sourced from numerous independent obeservers and observations.

                      What I dont accept is your commment:

                      reached over 1000 deg C and stayed that way for weeks during the clean up operation.

                      of which there is no evidence, apart from doctored photos provided by the fraudulent Alex Jones.

            • nadis 17.1.1.1.2.2
              22 February 2015 at 10:01 pm

              It wasn’t abuse. I thought your ramblings were a cry for help and I was trying to be helpful. See millions of other comments for the difference between WTC and Dubai.

              On a more interesting note, here is the Syriza Greek government negotiation process with the Troika explained in simple detail:

      • Chooky 17.1.2
        22 February 2015 at 8:36 pm

        +100 CW

  18. The Murphey 18
    22 February 2015 at 1:58 pm

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/11427479/Sex-pest-cases-fraud-or-porn-but-Eurocrats-keep-their-jobs.html

    European Commission officials have fiddled their expenses, sexually harassed colleagues and watched hundreds of hours of pornography in the office – yet kept their jobs.

    Disciplinary records obtained by the Sunday Telegraph show how dozens of senior officials at the European Commission accused of serious misconduct have escaped with little more than a slap on the wrist.

    They include officials who submitted false invoices and attempted to secure jobs for family members on contracts they managed.

    • Chooky 18.1
      22 February 2015 at 8:35 pm

      in other words corruption rife in European Commission…prognosis bad for Europe

      • The Murphey 18.1.1
        22 February 2015 at 9:30 pm

        Just another example of how corruption has become insidious

        No part of our planet and no industry is immune to the organizational corporate fraud and corruption which is carried out by those who occupy the levers of power and control

  19. Chooky 19
    22 February 2015 at 2:43 pm

    ‘Unforgetting Libya’

    http://rt.com/shows/crosstalk/233867-libya-failed-state-terrorism/

    “Islamic State filling the gap of Libya’s predictable dissolution”

    “Collapse of intellectual culture in the West”

    “American intervention created ISIS”

    “Interventionists in the West should shut up”

    • phillip ure 19.1
      22 February 2015 at 2:53 pm

      “Interventionists in the West should shut up”

      ..especially leftwing interventionists..

      ..their libyan mistakes/miss-calls should have the effect of sewing their interventionist-lips shut for the forseeable future..(if they have any insight/self-awareness of their frailties/the outcomes..)..

      ..(and a special shout-out to all those lefties here in nz who drank/swallowed the cia-propaganda-kool-ade around gadaffi/libya..eh..?

      ..and then joined in the fretting-choruses of:,

      ,’something must be done to stop him..!’..’if not us..?..who..?’..)

      ..a very special ‘you-dumbarses!/w.t.f.-were-u-thinking-award’ to all of you..

      ..form a queue..on the left..(of course..!..)

      and of course..fucken goff unthinkingly tutt-tutted along/sang in the chorus.. right on cue..

      ..couldn’t/shouldn’t you retire..?..phil..?

      ..haven’t you ‘done enough?’..surely..?..

      ..’more than enough’ some would say..eh..?..

      ..why don’t you just slap on that gold-plated pension..

      ..with all of that free local/international travel..

      ..why don’t you just piss-off and enjoy that..eh..?)

  20. joe90 20
    22 February 2015 at 4:59 pm

    Surprise surprise.
    /

    For years, politicians wanting to block legislation on climate change have bolstered their arguments by pointing to the work of a handful of scientists who claim that greenhouse gases pose little risk to humanity.

    One of the names they invoke most often is Wei-Hock Soon, known as Willie, a scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who claims that variations in the sun’s energy can largely explain recent global warming. He has often appeared on conservative news programs, testified before Congress and in state capitals, and starred at conferences of people who deny the risks of global warming.

    But newly released documents show the extent to which Dr. Soon’s work has been tied to funding he received from corporate interests.

    He has accepted more than $1.2 million in money from the fossil-fuel industry over the last decade while failing to disclose that conflict of interest in most of his scientific papers. At least 11 papers he has published since 2008 omitted such a disclosure, and in at least eight of those cases, he appears to have violated ethical guidelines of the journals that published his work.

    The documents show that Dr. Soon, in correspondence with his corporate funders, described many of his scientific papers as “deliverables” that he completed in exchange for their money. He used the same term to describe testimony he prepared for Congress.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/us/ties-to-corporate-cash-for-climate-change-researcher-Wei-Hock-Soon.html

  21. joe90 21
    22 February 2015 at 9:09 pm

    John Kiriakou speaks out. (audio)

    The Takeaway spoke to Kiriakou from his home in Virginia and asked him why he was the only CIA employee to be imprisoned during Obama’s presidency.

    “My case was not about leaking. It was about torture,” says Kiriakou. “The CIA never forgave me for going public with the torture program, and they investigated me over the course of four years and just waited until I made a mistake.”

    http://www.thetakeaway.org/story/ex-cia-officer-john-kiriakou-released-jail/

  22. Penny Bright 22
    22 February 2015 at 11:34 pm

    FYI folks – another upcoming debate on the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity’:

    Amalgamation – what’s in it for Otaki?

    Public Meeting 6.30pm, Tuesday February 24, at Otaki Golf Club, Old Coach Rd, Otaki. All welcome.

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1502/S00279/amalgamation-whats-in-it-for-otaki.htm

    Friday, 13 February 2015, 11:40 am

    Press Release: Otaki Promotions Group

    Amalgamation – what’s in it for Otaki?

    Otaki – a vibrant contributor to a big Wellington council or a forgotten outpost?

    Fran Wilde and K (Guru) Gurunathan will discuss at a public meeting in Otaki on Tuesday, February 24, what Otaki could look forward to in a proposed amalgamation of Kapiti Coast with eight other councils in the Wellington region.

    Fran is chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council and a strong advocate of the Wellington region’s councils merging to form a large council. Guru, a Kapiti Coast District councillor, is skeptical of the merger.

    Will Otaki, as the town farthest north in a proposed merger, be able to retain any kind of local governance? Will it benefit by being part of a large council that has the clout to advocate on its behalf to central government, or attract facilities that would never be possible as part of Kapiti alone?

    Ian Carson, who is chair of the Otaki Promotions Group, which has organised the meeting, says the issue is important for Otaki.

    “We have fantastic natural assets, a vibrant shopping district and events that attract international participants and visitors, such as the Otaki Kite Festival and Maoriland Film Festival,” he says. “We want to ensure we build on our attributes and get the best outcomes for our community.

    “The amalgamation debate is important, and with submissions to the Local Government Commission on the current proposal closing on March 2, this meeting might be the last chance for people to make up their mind.”

    • The meeting is 6.30pm, Tuesday February 24, at Otaki Golf Club, Old Coach Rd, Otaki. All welcome.
    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    Seems that the groundswell against the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity’ is growing.

    I understand that another major political party will come out against the Draft Wellington Reorganisation Proposal late this week.

    Full credit where it is due to NZ First, who came out against the Draft Wellington Reorganisation Proposal on 4 December 2014, the same day the Local Government Commission announced it.

    Seems that support is slipsliding away on the Greater Wellington Regional Council, and those who oppose it may now be the majority?

    Looking forward to what should be THE debate on the proposed Wellington Supercity – tomorrow night, Monday 23 January 2015, 7.30pm at the Sacred Heart College, Lower Hutt.

    Fran Wilde, Chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) – FOR
    (plus two others – not politicians)
    vs
    Ray Wallace (Mayor of Lower Hutt) and Wayne Guppy (Mayor of Upper Hutt) AGAINST (plus one other – not a politician).

    I predict Fran Wilde will be politically SKEWERED on the issues, because these two Hutt Valley Mayors, in my view, have been impressive in their ‘stand up and stand out’ leadership of their respective communities, and know their stuff.

    This is going to be QUITE a week in politics ……..

    Penny Bright

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