Open mike 23/04/2011

37 comments on “Open mike 23/04/2011 ”

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1. Carol 1

   23 April 2011 at 6:24 am

   CERA has been criticised as being a militaristic and “bureauratic” by Lianne Dalziel & overseas experts at an international conference in Christchurch.
    

   However, at a Lincoln University conference attended by international disaster recovery experts, Cera was damned as “completely the wrong approach” and “far from best practice” by critics such as Christchurch East Labour MP Lianne Dalziel.
    
   Speakers at the Resilient Futures conference on Monday included United States Centre for the Study of Natural Hazards and Disasters executive director Gavin Smith, San Francisco consultant Laurie Johnson, a veteran of rebuildings from Chile to China, and Massey University professor Bruce Glavovic, the Earthquake Commission (EQC) chairman in natural hazards planning.
    
   Johnson said international experience showed that governments often had a top-down, fast-track approach to rebuilding and recovery when it should be a grassroots process, the community being actively involved in the creation of the plan.

   …
   Johnson said a rush to make decisions created losers because the lack of consultation meant only the voices of the organised and powerful were heard.

   The experience of other disasters was that “existing inequalities grow”, she said.

    
    
   • ianmac 1.1

     23 April 2011 at 10:32 am

     Johnson said international experience showed that governments often had a top-down, fast-track approach to rebuilding and recovery when it should be a grassroots process, the community being actively involved in the creation of the plan.

     Boy does that sound familiar! It seems to be NAct policy to bypass consultation and the consultees get brushed off like pesky flies. And of course having Brownlie in charge makes it even worse. Help. Fix it Carol.
2. ZeeBop 2

   23 April 2011 at 8:08 am

   Unusually quiet night this Easter weekend, woken up again at 2.30am maybe a late night rush of someone who heard the PnS was open and not taking cash. About 5.30am heard the drone of a fan (probably someones shower), and went out to look see whereupon a number of loudish racer type cars could be heard in the distance wonder why they are up so early and wasting fuel, thought they liked an audience. But the rest of the night was unusual by the quietness, like most homes were either empty maybe more students than I thought live around and are away. Wondering if in future years with petrol prices going up even the boy racers will be gone and the silence of a night as I remember returns.
   • Draco T Bastard 2.1

     23 April 2011 at 12:55 pm

     I’m figuring that the boy racers will go away with rising oil prices and lowering wages.
     • M 2.1.1

       24 April 2011 at 2:07 am

       Lowered wages Draco? They’ll be lucky to have jobs and may resort to burglary to feed their habit. We’ve had some avgas thefts in our neck of the woods so they’re feeling the pinch.

       Seems to me that few jobs will be safe, maybe supernmarket jobs as people have to eat but all bets are off for anything else.
3. chris73 3

   23 April 2011 at 8:17 am

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4919946/Quake-know-how-aid-for-Japan
   Good to see the right-wing out there helping to actively improve peoples lives
   • Morrissey 3.1

     23 April 2011 at 12:07 pm

     Could you explain the “right-wing” connection?
     • Colonial Viper 3.1.1

       23 April 2011 at 12:10 pm

       Yes the Right Wing are helping by not saying stupid inane things like: Government should not be leading rebuilding, the private sector should, at a profit!
     • chris73 3.1.2

       24 April 2011 at 9:42 am

       Sam Johnson, leader of the Student Volunteer Army, said he and volunteer Jason Pemberton would be in Japan for two weeks to implement a large-scale cleanup programme similar to the Christchurch operation.

       Sam Johnson is a member of the National party
4. PeteG 4

   23 April 2011 at 8:27 am

   The Act Party are lining up some fresh new talent.

   Don Brash makes bid for comeback as ACT leader
   Dr Brash confirmed yesterday that if he was offered the ACT leadership he would take it.
   There is also speculation that former Auckland mayor John Banks would be keen to stand in Epsom if approached by ACT, suggesting he could be on a Brash ticket.

   In 2025 Brash will be 85.
    
   • ianmac 4.1

     23 April 2011 at 10:37 am

     Brash 71, will be a good mate for Roger Douglas and might even persuade Roger to not retire. Whoopee!
5. The Voice of Reason 5

   23 April 2011 at 9:42 am

   Lest we forget the real message of Easter:
   http://rickygervais.com/eastermessage.php
   • ianmac 5.1

     23 April 2011 at 10:56 am

     A bit unexpected from Ricky. Good point he makes or rather good 10 points. As an atheist I totally agree with him. (Thinks of George W Bush &Blair- hypocrite)
     Recently reading about the Pope of the day around 1000 years ago using the Crusades to destroy/massacre Muslims in the name of Christianity. (Most un -Jesus lke.) Really a grab for (oil) land power. What has changed VOR?
     Note: Strike through doesn’t work.
     • The Voice of Reason 5.1.1

       23 April 2011 at 11:10 am

       I don’t think anything has changed, religion has always been a fig leaf for the brutal ambitions of the powerful throughout history. The original essay (why I’m an atheist) is excellent as well. The comments that follow are markedly un-christian, I would have thought.
        
       Ooooh, deus ex machina moment! The spell check won’t let me write ‘un-christian’. Insists on ‘Christian’.
        
       • Pascal's bookie 5.1.1.1

         23 April 2011 at 11:20 am

         My favorite part of the easter story is when all the zombies climb up out of their graves and go for a wander about ye olde Jerusalem Towne. (Matt:27:52).
         They never put that bit in the movies. They should.
       • Vicky32 5.1.1.2

         24 April 2011 at 5:46 pm

         The spell check won’t let me write ‘un-christian’. Insists on ‘Christian’.

         Wow, a spell-check with a sense of courtesy! It’s simply manners, but I am not surprised you don’t get that…
         Why was I at all surprised that y’all ‘celebrate’ Easter with links from organised atheism? Do you really all like being so predictable? I suppose it was a bit much to hope that you could have just left it alone, instead of making with all the hate…
         • felix 5.1.1.2.1

           24 April 2011 at 8:38 pm

           I prefer to celebrate Easter with chocolate rabbits and Patti Smith.

           But is it any more predictable that atheists would contemplate atheism on a religious holiday than it is that religious people would contemplate their faith?

           I don’t see why either is a problem. Why can’t you just enjoy your holy day in your way and let others do the same?
     • Draco T Bastard 5.1.2

       23 April 2011 at 1:08 pm

       Note: Strike through doesn’t work.

       You can edit it in using HTML after posting. The editor seems to remove it.
6. Campbell Larsen 6

   23 April 2011 at 11:34 am

   Always look on the bright side of life
   
   ….A wonderful piece of Easter themed advice that we will surely need if Johnny Rotten is elected again in November – and while I would hate to give them ideas this song pretty much sums up the Nats approach to policy and the economy!
7. todd 7

   23 April 2011 at 1:35 pm

   Police Exclusion Orders Withdrawn

   http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2011/04/police-exclusion-orders-withdrawn.html

   Environmentalists have had another victory in the battle against oil exploitation in what is turning out to be an extensive campaign. Their protest came about in response to calls from East Cape iwi Te Whanau a Apanui, who oppose deep sea oil drilling. National has received considerable criticism for not undertaking a proper consultation process concerning the venture.
   • todd 7.1

     23 April 2011 at 2:24 pm

     What a crap article in the Herald today: Police monitor oil protestors

     http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10721118&ref=rss

     A police spokesman said three ships were protesting off the East Cape today and they were continuing to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of both the protesters and the survey ship. He said they were communicating with both parties and there had been no threat to safety.

     I wouldn’t say that ordering vessels on a collision course is particularly safe.
8. Peter 8

   23 April 2011 at 3:01 pm

   On being Prime Minister
   http://www.bryangould.net/id152.html
   More thought provoking comments from Bryan Gould.
   • ianmac 8.1

     23 April 2011 at 4:04 pm

     Good stuff well spotted Peter. Wonder how our PM fits in. Wonder if his meteoric rise and position, is a set-up for a meteoric descent.
9. todd 9

   23 April 2011 at 3:50 pm

   Update: Iwi Fishing Boat Disrupts Oil Survey Ship

   Via Mike Smith on Facebook… From onboard San Pietro, te Whānau ā Apanui tribal leader Rikirangi Gage radioed the Captain of the Orient Explorer and said, “You are not welcome in our waters. Accordingly and as an expression of our mana in these waters and our deep concern for the adverse effects of deep sea drilling, we will be positioning the te Whānau ā Apanui vessel directly in your path…We will not be moving, we will be doing some fishing. That’s what our waters are for, not for pollution… This is not a protest. We are defending tribal waters and our rights from reckless Government policies and the threat of deep sea drilling, which our hapū have not consented to and continue to oppose…” (1)

   The Orient Explorer did not stop as police on two inflatables boarded the San Pietro.

   Mr Gage said, “Te Whānau ā Apanui oppose Petrobras’ deep sea oil prospecting and drilling for good reasons. Our ancestors didn’t instruct us to be selfish in the way that the Government is thinking, risking so much and thinking of so few. A longer term perspective shows that bringing up oil from under the deep sea floor to be burnt will cause harm to ourselves, our resources and the world around us.”

   “The Government have abused their power by first ignoring us, then apologising to us, now blaming the people out here with their heads on the line who want this to stop. Our mana is not for sale. What kind of people are we if the gifts we give to the next generations are beaches covered with oil and a dead sea? Or big floods, storms and droughts? The first thing we must always do is protect our food resources. Survival comes first.”

   “Today a net of a new generation goes fishing, one that will catch the lies and one we intend to stop deep sea oil prospecting in its tracks.”

   “Our ancestors did not agree to a Treaty that would ignore the wishes and needs of future generations and our environment. They carefully positioned us to continue to make good decisions that would enable the future of our peoples and our cultures.”

   San Pietro, is the longliner owned by East Coast iwi, Te Whānau ā Apanui and is part of the flotilla including Greenpeace and the Nuclear Free Flotilla, in its third week of opposing deep sea oil drilling.

   Stuff reports: Police make arrest on protest ship.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4921260/Police-make-arrest-on-protest-ship

   Police could not go into further detail of what activity was being carried by the protest vessel or what the skipper would be charged with.

   Probably because they have no authority.
10. Fat Uncle 10

    23 April 2011 at 5:14 pm

    Surely some opposition can follow up on this?!?

    From no right turn:

    ” they [Petrobras] admitted that they had no way of capping the well if there was an accident, and no plans to bring the latest technology to do so to New Zealand. Their assessment:

    “if you had a major catastrophe, it’d be just as bad as you had in North America”
    
    • todd 10.1

      23 April 2011 at 5:29 pm

      Manu Caddie writes: Bring it on!
       
      http://manu.org.nz/2011/04/22/bring-it-on/
       
      The main claims the politicians and lobbyists are clinging on to now seem to be: (a) the economic potential outweighs the risks; (b) adequate regulations will be in place before any drilling commences; and (c) any environmental or economic risks associated with their activities are born entirely by the mining companies and their insurers. Let’s look at those claims…
      • Fat Uncle 10.1.1

        24 April 2011 at 11:24 am

        have we had an adequate follow up on the economic benefits and who they will get to vs the economic and ecological carnage if fisheries/marine life and our 100% brand is destroyed in an oil spill?
11. Pascal's bookie 11

    23 April 2011 at 5:33 pm

    Millionaires fail to move to avoid higher marginal tax rate. Effect of tax increase on migration of millionaires? 

    The tax rate, they concluded, had no measurable impact.
    “This suggests that the policy effect is close to zero,” the study says.

    Prediction: Economists to scratch heads momentarily, then pretend data doesn’t exist. 

    http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2011/04/20/millionaire-tax-didnt-chase-the-rich-from-new-jersey-study-says/
    • Colonial Viper 11.1

      23 April 2011 at 5:39 pm

      As far as I know the rich tax had no effect in Oregon either.
       
      Why? Because it makes no difference to these people’s life styles whether their after tax income is $34,000 p.w. (under a high millionaires tax regime) or whether it is $37,000 p.w. (under a much lower tax regime).
       
      Also, they know that any year, the new place they move to could also raise taxes on them. So what are they going to do then? Move to the next lowest income tax district until they end up in Somalia?
12. todd 12

    23 April 2011 at 5:59 pm

    Elvis has been arrested

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10721149

    San Pietro captain, Elvis Teddy, was arrested and taken back to the navy warship HMNZS Taupo, and returned to Tauranga police station, a Greenpeace campaigner told NZPA.
13. rosy 13

    23 April 2011 at 10:57 pm

    I went for a 20 min jog today. A lot of people won’t care much about that, but I’ve had a few months off due to joint problems so had to stop for a while (this has happened periodically over the last few years). It got me thinking about the free trade agreement with the USA that has the potential to neuter pharmac. The drug I take that keeps me out of a wheelchair, able to tap away on a computer and hold off on joint surgery costs the country $45.00 a month.  I filled a prescription for the same drug in Europe – 104 Euros. I’d be very interested to see if this sort of price difference is replicated in other drugs categories. It would have to be a pretty good deal to risk losing Pharmac’s pricing ability*.

    *There’s a lot to be debated about Pharmac’s access criteria for new, very expensive drugs, for me that means I can’t get a really efficient drug in NZ that I’m eligible for in Europe. In part that is because Pharmac won’t bring brands on to the market until they can do a deal and in part because they simply don’t have the money to give them to all who may benefit.
    • chris73 13.1

      24 April 2011 at 9:49 am

      Have you tried lifting weights as well as jogging? I’ve found its less stress on the joints
      • rosy 13.1.1

        24 April 2011 at 4:31 pm

        I know I should, but….. I think it’s because I get a greater sense of achievement from a jog, however short.
        • Carol 13.1.1.1

          24 April 2011 at 4:44 pm

          A good example of the importance of retaining Pharmac.  I use a stepper machine (and somertimes cycle), because they are low impact but still keep me fairly flexible.
          • rosy 13.1.1.1.1

            24 April 2011 at 6:25 pm

            I like the freedom of outdoor exercise so yes, cycling is on the list, I need one of those commuter-type ones so there is no pressure on the wrists. I enjoyed pottering along last summer in and will do again very soon.
        • chris73 13.1.1.2

          24 April 2011 at 8:05 pm

          Trust me (I’m a right-winger) you get an awesome sense of achievement when you write down an amount to lift, work towards it and make it
          • rosy 13.1.1.2.1

            24 April 2011 at 8:23 pm

            Trust me (I’m a right-winger)

             
            yeah, ok I’ll think about how I could make that work (wrists are a bit munted, but feeling quite good at the moment thanks to meds). 

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