Open mike 24/04/2013

117 comments on “Open mike 24/04/2013 ”

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1. Saarbo 1

   24 April 2013 at 6:22 am

   “Mr Parker says the current model has led to huge profits from holders of hydro power stations which use water – a public resource – as fuel.

   “The value of that has been captured by the generators and capitalised into their revalued balance sheets.”

   Labour and the Greens’ solution is NZ Power’s “differential” pricing model, where generators would receive payment based on operating costs and a “fair” return on capital.”
   Quote from NZ Herald – Adam Bennett 24/4

   Re Greens/Labour NZ Power – does anybody know whether the “”Fair” return on capital” is going to be calculated on the pre revaluation capital (Historical cost) or the post over inflated revaluation of capital?
   • DH 1.1

     24 April 2013 at 10:50 am

     “does anybody know whether the “”Fair” return on capital” is going to be calculated on the pre revaluation capital”

     They are a bit vague on that aren’t they? I doubt even they know, this is Labour here. When the dust settles people will start asking the right questions and I’m betting they won’t be able to answer them all.

     This is Mighty River’s equity;

     Issued capital 377,561,000
     Retained earnings 487,628,000
     Asset revaluation reserves 2,300,652,000
     Cash flow hedge reserve -118,872,000
     Forex reserve -32,048,000

     Total equity $3.014 billion

     Asset revaluations make up 76% of MRP’s equity. Just what are Labour’s intentions there?

     The Geoff Bertram research paper on power showed the increase in power prices between 1990-2011 came mostly via the rising costs of the retail model, the retail side now making up 40% of the domestic price today (see page 13). NZ Power doesn’t look to be addressing that and Labour want to separate the generators from their retail arms which will add another layer of costs.

     It’s very entertaining listening to the shrieking from the right but Labour will need to come up with the details & numbers sometime and until then it’s just politics IMO. These are, after all, the same people who bled us dry for nine years.
     • grumpy 1.1.1

       24 April 2013 at 11:24 am

       Essentially the same model that is used for Network Companies and that allows for such excessive “line charges”.

       The profits will still be high as under that model it is good business for a Chinese company, closely linked to the Chinese Government to own all of the Wellington electricity network. I wonder who was in power when that lovely deal was done?

       Of course the electricity market is dysfunctional and of course it produces excessive profits for the plethora of so called “power companies”.

       The chief lobbyist on behalf of the proposed “power companies” to Bradford and other idiots was none other than that doyen of the left, Roger Sutton, now head of CERA and part of the Green Party royalty.
     • saarbo 1.1.2

       24 April 2013 at 11:27 am

       That is interesting DH, the Revaluation Reserve dwarfs the actual capital invested in the business…you’ve got to feel for people on low incomes having to pay returns on huge revaluations when they should be allowed to take advantage of low cost hydro electricity, one of our few competitive advantages as a nation. As a former Business Analysts in the Paper industry, if Greens/Labour are successful in reducing the cost of power , this has the potential to drive capacity and jobs away from Aus to NZ. I did a lot of analysis on this sort of thing over the years and because of Bradfords reforms NZ electricity costs were higher than Aussie’s, so we certainly didnt get any benefit in this area when we should have.

       We hear panic from institutions that will take advantage of the MRP Float but we havent heard what industry people such as Graham Hart and SCA have to say about NZ Power. I would imagine that they would be pretty keen on the initiative. Maybe we could see a little more work on this by our hopeless MSM media?
       • ghostrider888 1.1.2.1

         24 April 2013 at 12:09 pm

         you read it here first 😉
       • DH 1.1.2.2

         24 April 2013 at 12:20 pm

         Aye, there is a whole lot more to it than simply reducing generation charges. Mike Smith linked to the Bertram research paper here;

         https://www.dropbox.com/s/82w3do7x96enjv2/LHREnergySectors.pdf

         If you look at page 13 you can see what the residential price of power is made up of. Generation looks to be only about 30% and as grumpy mentions above the ratio of distribution costs has gone up via their asset revaluations etc. To get a 10% cut in domestic retail prices just from generation alone would require something like a 35% drop in the wholesale price.

         Further adding to the problem is Transpower haven’t kept depreciation reserves so now they’re charging for upgrades that should have been paid for by depreciation.

         It may well be workable but there’s a hell of a lot more to it than meets the eye and until we hear some solid details I’m reserving my judgment.
         • grumpy 1.1.2.2.1

           24 April 2013 at 1:39 pm

           Almost cries out for local government owned electricity distributors/retailers and central government owned generators and main trunk distributors eh? Oh….wait…..!
           • Colonial Viper 1.1.2.2.1.1

             24 April 2013 at 9:35 pm

             haha someone with a working memory!
     • BLiP 1.1.3

       24 April 2013 at 2:53 pm

       . . . These are, after all, the same people who bled us dry for nine years . . .

       Seriously, if you take your facts from John Key you run the very real risk of being accused of being a liar. I think you’re just a parrot but if you repeat this sort of nonsense again, my position may have to change. Here’s what Blinglish said when faced with no option other than to tell the truth. . .

       ” . . . In the midst of the horrible outlook and depressing uncertainty about how bad it might get, English was forced to change his message about his inheritance from Labour . . . “In New Zealand we have room to respond. This is the rainy day that Government has been saving up for” he said . . .

       Get that? Labour had done such a good job of running the economy in the nine years prior to National Ltd™ there was room to move and savings on hand.
       • DH 1.1.3.1

         24 April 2013 at 4:13 pm

         “Seriously, if you take your facts from John Key you run the very real risk of being accused of being a liar. ”

         And if you jump to wild conclusions you run the risk of being taken for a troll & ignored.

         I was referring to the price of power, of which we were indeed severely bled during Labours nine year reign. If you want facts see Mike Smith’s graph on it here;

         http://thestandard.org.nz/power-profits-and-the-consumer/

         Note the blip is the Bradford years, the big rise in prices after that is… guess who

         There’s a certain irony in the fact that Labour gleefully banked the bloated profits from the SOEs for nine years & now they’re using that very situation to turn the tables on the Nats. Good for them, I don’t like this Govt either, but you’ll have to forgive my doubts and cynicism when I see people who showed no sign of a conscience over power prices previously now having us believe they’ve developed one. Does a leopard really change its spots?
         • MrSmith 1.1.3.1.1

           24 April 2013 at 9:17 pm

           “Does a leopard really change its spots?”

           Chameleons more like it, but really just one more reason to vote Green don’t you think DH
   • geoff 1.2

     24 April 2013 at 8:30 pm

     Fantastic question! If its only $300 a year saving per person and hydro costs 1c/kWh then I bet it is on the inflated book value.
2. Te Reo Putake 2

   24 April 2013 at 7:00 am

   Yet another one for BliP’s big list ‘o’ lies; it turns out Key met Fletcher for brekkie during the selection process.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8588475/Key-met-spy-candidate-for-breakfast
   • Tigger 2.1

     24 April 2013 at 7:23 am

     The really fun stuff will be when Key’s going/gone and Felcher turns on him.
     • Lanthanide 2.1.1

       24 April 2013 at 12:38 pm

       I see what you did there 😉
   • Te Reo Putake 2.2

     24 April 2013 at 9:40 am

     And now it appears that Key’s involvement in Fletcher’s hiring was covered up even before the scandal broke: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10879399
   • ianmac 2.3

     24 April 2013 at 9:45 am

     I’ve been thinking. Let’s assume that Mr Key believed at the time that he was acting unlawfully in his recruitment. He would feel obliged to duck and dive to avoid scrutiny. And did so until a week after the question was raised, he discovered that what he did was actually legal. Oh the agony! Oh the irony!
     All that ducking for nothing. Fire that PR man and lick your unnecessary wounds.
     • freedom 2.3.1

       24 April 2013 at 10:12 am

       Other events may have highlighted his personality, such as the bufoonery of the threeway, the schmoozing of his crush on Obama but I expect the Fletcher Files have exposed his true character moreso than any of his numerous blunders to date.

       If he had nothing to hide, why did he see fit to hide everything ?
       • emergency mike 2.3.1.1

         24 April 2013 at 10:42 am

         “If he had nothing to hide, why did he see fit to hide everything ?”

         Either:

         a) He does have something to hide.
         b) He thinks he has something to hide but is really just a bit paranoid.
         c) He’s so arrogant about his lying that bullshitting the public is now a default mode for him that he’s confident about slipping into for no good reason.
       • ianmac 2.3.1.2

         24 April 2013 at 11:30 am

         My thought was that Key thought what he had done was illegal. Hence the lying about it. Then found that what he did was legal after all. Ironic?
         • emergency mike 2.3.1.2.1

           24 April 2013 at 12:05 pm

           Yep. The point is that none of these possibilities are a good look for Key.
         • freedom 2.3.1.2.2

           24 April 2013 at 4:35 pm

           I agree ianmac, that is what prompted my reflection on the behaviour displayed and how this is different from the playful gleebug that delivered such clangers as the catwalk and David Letterman. I think we all agree, at the very least, the lies to parliament were an instinctive defence. This was the PM backing up to the electric fence after trying to cut through a siring pen.
3. wyndham 3

   24 April 2013 at 7:08 am

   Chris Trotter on consulting economic “gurus”.

   http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/04/23/no-dog-in-the-fight-whatever-happened-to-academic-expertise/
   • Tigger 3.1

     24 April 2013 at 7:30 am

     Nice piece. So sick of the bank men on network news shows, with their soul patches and smug expressions, acting as though they’re unbiased.
     • vto 3.1.1

       24 April 2013 at 8:49 am

       Banks like to get in the veins of society. That is why they must be heavily resisted and controlled. Like drugs.
       • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1

         24 April 2013 at 11:00 am

         I like your thinking.

         Unfortunately, they’ve long taken over modern society. So this is not about resisting an invader, that was lost when Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act in 1913.

         Now, it’s about ejecting an occupying force who has massive and oversized influence over corporates, governments, central banks and media.
         • geoff 3.1.1.1.1

           24 April 2013 at 8:46 pm

           As well CV knows, look at how little punishment the banking/financial system has received in countries where they have caused far greater carnage than they have, so far, in NZ.
           • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1.1.1

             24 April 2013 at 9:41 pm

             Steal a £15 bottle of Pimms during the London riots, get a year in prison.

             Steal £150,000,000 from workers pension funds, get a knighthood.
             • rosy …

               24 April 2013 at 10:42 pm

               A year for £15 Pimms? – that person got off lightly. How about 6 months imprisonment for £3.50 of water?
4. Jenny 4

   24 April 2013 at 7:36 am

   When it comes to agriculture…. Drought, Flood, Drought, is predicted to be the “New Normal”.

   But who knew they could exist at the same time?

   Drought status likely to remain until September
   • muzza 4.1

     24 April 2013 at 8:40 am

     But who knew they could exist at the same time?

     I would expect the *scientists* behind geo-engineering might have some idea Jenny, at least once the technology had developed, and the opportunity to study decades of *experimental results*, allowed great levels of control.

     New normal – As if any of this is *normal* !
     • joe90 4.1.1

       24 April 2013 at 8:57 am

       New normal – As if any of this is *normal* !

       Absolutely muzza, *normal*.
       • muzza 4.1.1.1

         24 April 2013 at 9:41 am

         Without being able to see the link Joe, hows about you let me know the key points, just a summary will do!
       • Te Reo Putake 4.1.1.2

         24 April 2013 at 10:30 am

         Ha! Don’t know where you dug that one up from, Joe 90, but it’s a classic. Muzza; it’s a video of your mum talking about the link between HAARP and Maurice Williamson’s rainbow. Boy, is she onto it!
         • muzza 4.1.1.2.1

           24 April 2013 at 2:58 pm

           Poor taste use of *the mum comment* aside..

           Do you, jenny, joe90, and any others, like to state your view/position on geo-engineering, or do you want to pretend that its not going on, and attempt to draw conclusions about CC, and the environment, while factoring out, what could be a major influence.

           Or you can continue to throw immature comments around the place..

           Joe90, how’s SFO working out for you, didn’t see that information I asked you provide, perhaps I missed it…

           To be fair if someone asked me to show where an airport, located on the coast was in relation to a pic of supposed contrails, looking like they were crossing the angles of a land-locked location, I would rather not provide it either eh 😉

           You can look up the BBC contrails video, the one which now sells the story, that airline contrails are the *new cirrus clouds*, being seen around the world, and how the *cirrus clouds* were helping protect the earth from solar heat, and *keeping the temp down* – They even cite the planes grounded on 911, as some sort of evidence the *contrails*, are helping keep the earths temperature down. Look it up, and see how many holes you might identify in the propaganda!

           It’s quite something to see the BBC deteriorate to such drivel, Voice you will love it, cos its on the beeb!
           • McFlock 4.1.1.2.1.1

             24 April 2013 at 3:14 pm

             Muzz,
             if it A) exists and B) is a major effect on climate change, then the IPCC and others would need to account for it in their reports to avoid major errors (due to not accommodating “geoengineering”). Do they?

             If it A) exists but B) has no appreciable effect, it is pointless, so why would they bother?

             It’s not my field (nor, I suspect, is it yours), but it seems to me that the major reports and peer-reviewed research have been pretty accurate about the trends, effects and rate of progression of climate change over the last couple of decades without including “geo-engineering”.
             So “geo-engineering” is not necessary to incorporate into any theories about what’s going on with the climate.
             So Occam’s Razor comes into play.
             AND So you’re suggesting that at least thousands of people and dozens of countries are spending millions if not billions or trillions on a global conspiracy that has no appreciable effect.
             • muzza …

               24 April 2013 at 3:57 pm

               McFlock, there are many assumptions in your response, as you could argue there are in my comments, and I would have to accept that.

               Your faith/assumptions in the *system*, scientific community, is well meaning, as always though, its who ever controls the funding, controls the research, and its outputs, and that’s only what the public are told about, such as the IPCC published reports/findings etc.

               Take the FDA as an example, why would the IPCC be any less open to similar takeover or corruption! – To leave out data from any research, is to steal opportunity for full disclosure, which is theft to be avoided at all costs, as it means people forms their views, make decisions, on an imcomplete data set!

               Its a dangerous position for people’s own well being, to think they *know* such things are not happening, my position, if wrong, impacts no-one, not so the opposite position, which impacts everyone!

               TC – Below, yes mate, I come from a family who have spent considerable time in the air (many moon miles awards actually), and in service, working in planes, on planes, and around planes, going back long before WW2

               The lines in the sky these days, are not contrails, you can tell this because the genuine contrails are still rare, and beautiful, and look the same as they ever have, they don’t hang in the sky for hours, days or longer.

               Only the very foolish will believe that nonsense!
               • TheContrarian …

                 24 April 2013 at 4:23 pm

                 “The lines in the sky these days, are not contrails, you can tell this because the genuine contrails are still rare, and beautiful, and look the same as they ever have, they don’t hang in the sky for hours, days or longer.”

                 The same ‘persistent contrail’ phenomena have been observed since World War 2. They looked the same back then as they do now.
                 • muzza …

                   24 April 2013 at 7:06 pm

                   No, they don’t!

                   Amazing how they have only started to show up in NZ looking this way over the past 5-10 years though!
                   • TheContrarian …

                     24 April 2013 at 7:33 pm

                     “No, they don’t!”

                     Well, yeah they did.

                     http://contrailscience.com/contrail-photos-through-history/
                   • muzza …

                     25 April 2013 at 9:18 am

                     Nothing about the recent arrival of these *hybrid* trails in NZ from you then,,,why is that you think!

                     TC – Oh dear, and you call people with my POV conspiracy theorists..

                     At least learn to read through what is an obvious disinfo site, my goodness!
               • McFlock …

                 24 April 2013 at 4:34 pm

                 Muzz,

                 If the IPCC were wrong, then you would be able to point to a massive geo-engineering shaped gap between what they predict and the observed climate. Monckton et al have been trying this for years from another direction, and the only credibility they have eroded is their own.

                 But the real problem, why I give a damn about your delusions, is this:

                 , my position, if wrong, impacts no-one, not so the opposite position, which impacts everyone!

                 Your position, if wrong, is a distraction and diversion from the myriad of problems that exist today, Climate Change probably being the most serious. That does actually impact everyone. So you really need to be objectively correct, with actual evidence and a contiguous, strong case constantly being matched against observations in the real world.

                 Much like the IPCC did with its reports.
                 • muzza …

                   24 April 2013 at 7:20 pm

                   McFlock – Again you’re not addressing my contention which is fraud, and corruption, via control of the information/data sets – I for one do not believe for a minute that there has not been massive fraud inside the scientific community over the CC information flows, research etc, and ultimately the lies which are being sold to the plebs, because thats what incomplete data leads to, lies!

                   The IPCC is as fraudulent as Monkton, the UN is a fraud, the IMF and WB are a fraud etc, there is no differentiating, the funds/backing come from the same place, the power rests in the same hands, really its rather straight forward. In simple terms for you, the world is a mess, because thats how its wanted to be, and if it was peace that was wanted, there would be peace!

                   Its as if you’re pretending to ignore that money controls everything, including science, scientists, the data, the research, and therefore the *results*. I know it hard for people to accept, but science is as controlled as any other industry!

                   *Science will save us* – That’s what many want to believe, it won’t, the system will not allow it to be that way!

                   As for your contention that I’m a distraction, when the truth comes out (note, it is already out), you’ll be wishing that’s what I had been!

                   In the meantime, we all have to live underneath, and with the policies of lies!
                   • RedLogix …

                     24 April 2013 at 7:43 pm

                     I for one do not believe for a minute that there has not been massive fraud inside the scientific community over the CC information flows, research etc, and ultimately the lies which are being sold to the plebs, because thats what incomplete data leads to, lies!

                     You know I’m not wholly unsympathetic with your thinking muzza. But I come from a different background to you, I’ve an engineering degree, I worked for a major science organisation for five years, I’ve worked in science and technology related areas more than 30 years, and many of my closest and most trusted friends are PhD’s who’ve worked directly in various geo-physical fields all their lives.

                     I can count four of them who have all direct field work and specific experience. I’ve had personal one on one conversations with them covering all manner of aspects of this topic. And yet even these four people are just a small random slice of the ‘science community’ whom I personally know by happenstance. The depth and detail they command of this subject, that they know from first-hand work leaves me gasping in their wake.

                     In the most sincere and genuine manner muzza I have to tell you that the idea that all these people are somehow involved in a world-wide conspiracy, over dozens of nations, thousands of institutions and tens of thousands of cranky, highly trained skeptics … is just plain wrong. The idea that all these people have been lying in unison for decades, all telling the same made up yet perfectly synchronised story ….without so much as one scrap of evidence of such a massively coordinated conspiracy anywhere…just cannot be sustained.

                     I’m not attacking you muzza. I’m simply asking you to consider that the science community is something a lot more complex and powerful than you’re imagining. It can make mistakes, it can get things wrong, it can take a while to correct it’s course, but one thing it doesn’t tolerate is fraud.
                   • muzza …

                     25 April 2013 at 10:05 am

                     RL – I appreciate that you’re one of the more open minded on this site, and I respect what you have to say, and your comments and posts on this site. I usually take away a thought provoking angle in your writings.

                     However, with respect, your background lends no more kudos to the discussion than mine does, in real terms, and you have also assumed that I believe there is a wholesale cover up, which is not something I have ever eluded to on this topic!

                     Its needs not be far reaching, in fact given the history of *intelligence/covert* (Operation Popeye) nature of such industry of which details make the public arena, why do people expect that it would be wide spread, or that those involved could not keep it off radar, imagine how much has gone on, and is going on, that we may never hear of Red, that’s my point, always. Human history of top level lies and cover ups, is why I have this view, and it strikes me as naïve when people want to believe such undertakings are not happening!

                     In any case, the old adage that , its simply too big, too many people involved, it must have come out….Take a look at the banking industry Red, people know the fraud exists, heck, its the biggest open *non cover up* in the history of mankind, plus or minus, its in broad daylight, and what’s being done about it so far, NOTHING!

                     Consider the power of the money strings (I know you do), and how those who control the entire global financial structure, might just also use that monetary control in such nefarious ways, that mere mortals, including your PhD friends, and mine, have no understanding of whatsoever! Money controls the world, which includes the scientific, R&D industry, not to mention the tertiary structures of the world.

                     By the time the MSM (controlled by the intelligence industry, through the likes of GE), have rinsed any information, and sanitized it for public consumption, is it any surprise that cover up’s exist, you know as well as I do, it’s not!

                     I also have many PhD level friends, come in Europe, who are very liberal with sharing their research projects, and lab work carried out, where the funding came from etc not only by them, but those they also know, and I can tell that what I hear from them, would blow your mind!

                     Put it this way, I have friends who are CEO’s of huge NZ enterprises, and senior executives in many of the big four banks, and, when we speak, seem relatively supportive of what the neoliberal programme is doing, not exhaustively, but overall, that are good with it. My point is that those inside industry, have a large vested interest in it, and prone to bias, the same as any other, if not more so, science is no different, much as people might want to believe it is.

                     What is more complex and powerful (than any industry named), than you or I can ever imagine Red, is the control over every/any aspect of our existence, by the power players, whose names or faces , are the stuff of *conspiracy* !

                     Science, and scientists want to believe that they’re special, and in many ways they are, but when it comes to being controlled and or corrupted, at an individual level, or as big as IPCC, they are no different from your average human being, when the screws are turned, careers to protect, families to feed, lies to protect!

                     Quite why people need to believe that science, and related industry is above such behavior, can only be down to ego! – Note, this is not aimed at you, this is in a general sense!
           • TheContrarian 4.1.1.2.1.2

             24 April 2013 at 3:25 pm

             Muzza, did you know persistent contrails have been recorded since World War 2?
             • felix …

               24 April 2013 at 5:24 pm

               Every single photograph of a persistent contrail before 1993 is a fake WAKE UP SHEEPLE!!!
       • Bill 4.1.1.3

         24 April 2013 at 11:27 am

         heh – the sirens in the background are kind of appropriate on that one 🙂
   • weka 4.2

     24 April 2013 at 10:50 am

     “But who knew they could exist at the same time?”

     Flooding after drought is typical, esp where you have land management practices that decrease drought resistance (that’s the kind we mostly use in NZ). If you keep pasture short and use other techniques to dehydrate that land, then the soil becomes hydrophobic ie it will repel water instead of absorbing it. Gardeners are usually well familiar with this phenomenon too. So when you get a lot of rain, it simply runs over the top of the ground, hence flooding. Our current river and stream management practices add to the problem, because they are generally kept clear and so water flows through them much faster, taking along with it much of the bank stability and any bare soil it comes into contact with..

     The way around this is to conserve water in the ground all the time, and to build organic matter in the soil (it absorbs water).
   • Populuxe1 4.3

     24 April 2013 at 11:59 am

     Colin Craig says you should blame gay marriage.
   • aj 4.4

     24 April 2013 at 12:42 pm

     A parallel would be losing your job, getting the dole, then picking up another job but continuing getting the dole while you ‘build back your reserves’

     Only for farmers.
5. Morrissey 5

   24 April 2013 at 8:12 am

   Running rings around a naïve Kiwi radio host
   Radio NZ National, Nights with Bryan Crump
   Tuesday 23 April 2013, 8:45 p.m.

   Every two months, Bryan Crump speaks to someone from Israel, to find out what’s happening there. Sounds like a good idea, right?

   Wrong. For some reason, Crump’s producers have seen fit to saddle him with Liat Colliins, a columnist on the extreme right Jerusalem Post. Liat Collins is an utterly notorious propagandist, an uncritical and unceasing booster of the Holy State, and she never loses a chance to get one past Crump, who seems ill-informed and naïve to an almost criminal extent….

   LIAT COLLINS: Ehhhmmmm. We had two rocket attacks from the south last week. Ehhhmmm.

   BRYAN CRUMP: Oh no, have they started launching rockets again?

   LIAT COLLINS: No, no, these were from Egyptian-occupied Sinai. These incidents have increased since the fall of Mubarak.

   BRYAN CRUMP: Ohhhhh, I seeeeee….

   LIAT COLLINS: We had basically a WAR last year.

   BRYAN CRUMP: [sympathetically] Mmmmm, mmmm.

   LIAT COLLINS: It’s only getting worse since the Arab Spring. I was never optimistic about the Arab Spring, I’m afraid.

   BRYAN CRUMP: Mmmmmm, mmmmmm…

   Not one of Collins’ statements is challenged by Crump. Not one.

   Bryan Crump is one of the smartest and most sensitive people on the radio, but when it comes to Israel-Palestine, he apparently knows nothing. Which means people like Liat Collins, who are nothing more than fanatics posing as journalists, just walk all over him.

   Here are a few other observations I have made about Bryan Crump and the dodgy “middle east correspondents” his producers have lumped on him….

   http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-29032011/#comment-314173
   http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-04072011/#comment-347912
   http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-12072011/#comment-352724
6. North 6

   24 April 2013 at 8:47 am

   “I was never optimistic about the Arab Spring, I’m afraid”.

   Oh of course not you poor oppressed thing. Zionist fanatics are optimistic about nothing, to the point where they caricature themselves.

   Except of course as to the singular “exceptionalism” they claim on behalf of the fanatical, oppressed turned oppressors, Zionist state. Where a cold, advised, virulent, evil apartheid prevails.
7. joe90 7

   24 April 2013 at 9:16 am

   This is how you do economic sabotage.

   RT @Didz1234 “AP’s fake tweet erased $136 billion in equity market value in 3 minutes”

   https://twitter.com/Official_SEA6/status/326786844266229760

   https://twitter.com/RodrigoEBR/status/326747829160775681/photo/1
   • prism 7.1

     24 April 2013 at 9:29 am

     Fast recovery though on graph on the Rodrigo twit after that fall – BAU. Fantails say a lot which I don’t understand, human twitters seem likely to be stream of consciousness stuff still hard to comprehend the reasoning.
     • Colonial Viper 7.1.1

       24 April 2013 at 9:32 am

       remember, traders make the most money on volatility not on stability. Price stability actually means frak all profits for the banksters and the money traders. And with high speed automated algorithmic trading, they can cause “flash crashes” at will (or accidentally).
       • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1.1

         24 April 2013 at 10:24 am

         Yep, that $136b loss recovered rapidly – who got the $136b? Somebody did, be very sure of that.
         • Colonial Viper 7.1.1.1.1

           24 April 2013 at 10:28 am

           We can see the stocks traded but because we can’t see the related and highly leveraged derivative activity, its quite likely the transactions around the movement were much larger than that in total.

           But all you hear the RWNJ drum beat for is austerity on the already poor.
     • Ennui 7.1.2

       24 April 2013 at 9:39 am

       I prefer piwakawaka tweets…what they are saying to me as I walk the path is “Be a useful creature and disturb my food so that I might eat”. This of course makes perfect sense.

       Digital tweets I don’t understand, yes the language can be comprehended but the thinking is anybodies guess. You can make noise on any instrument you like but without tuning it and learning to play music…….
   • Colonial Viper 7.2

     24 April 2013 at 9:30 am

     “equity market value”

     as the above events indicates, this “value” is simply a pyramid scheme casino based scam. And RWNJs think that this is what the economy should be all about.
8. prism 8

   24 April 2013 at 9:40 am

   I can see that this is true. Every time there is a change in the market value of stock, someone has an opportunity to hedge or something on a further change. It is very casino-like. Meanwhile the currency that we exchange to provide for our necessities is being turned into monopoly money but we still go on with the game earnestly trying to buy that attractive property here and here and here.
9. just saying 9

   24 April 2013 at 10:19 am

   http://www.thepoliticalscientist.org/

   To anyone interested in National Standards, or education in general, I highly recommend Puddleglum’s three part investigation at ‘The Political Scientist’.

   Note: I have linked to the site rather than one of the three individual posts. The top of the page is part three, so you might want to scroll down to part one if you haven’t already read it.

   A teaser from part three:

   Given that a good part of the justification for introducing National Standards is to do with the so-called ‘long tail’ of underachieving students, it is remarkable that those standards explicitly embody a monitoring and assessment strategy well known – from psychological research – to exacerbate initial inequalities in ‘expertise’, or ‘achievement’. ‘Novices’ will not do well under observation.

   Once again, Gray (2013, p. 133) says it so much better:

   …with their incessant monitoring and evaluation of students’ performance, schools seem to be ideally designed to boost the performances of those who are already good and to interfere with learning…
   of those who are not so proficient*
   ……of those who have somehow already learned the school tasks, maybe at home, generally perform well in this setting, but those who haven’t tend to flounder. Evaluation drives a wedge between those who already know how and those who don’t, pushing the former up and the latter down.

   It gets worse.

   We are, today, almost incessantly told that creativity and innovation are the keys to success in the modern economy – whether as individuals or as nations. An interesting study of rates of creativity in succeeding generations of American children was recently reported by Kyung Hee Kim (2011) – (see her own outline of the research here). Briefly, on all sub-measures of creativity, the evidence is that it is declining in the United States – supposedly the Western home of creativity and innovation.

   *I added my own words here to try and clarify the meaning. I hope that was okay Puddleglum?
   • Draco T Bastard 9.1

     24 April 2013 at 10:41 am

     I have linked to the site rather than one of the three individual posts. The top of the page is part three

     But it won’t be once Puddleglum posts something else and the whole point of the links is so that people can find what you’re talking about.

     Part One
     Part Two
     Part Three
   • ianmac 9.2

     24 April 2013 at 12:13 pm

     Great thanks just saying and Puddlegum. Have bookmarked it and on-posted to those in the trade.
   • Puddleglum 9.3

     24 April 2013 at 2:28 pm

     Thanks just saying. And it’s perfectly ok to add your own words.

     Of course, if this blog was The Civilian you might be hearing from my lawyers. 🙂
10. Polish Pride 10

    24 April 2013 at 11:21 am

    Pink Floyd Animals is an incredible album that is severely underrated in the context of their other work. Its so good it makes the world seem ok when listening to it. =)
    • ghostrider888 10.1

      24 April 2013 at 12:20 pm

      😀 (listened to Half of The Dark Side while hanging curtains this morning; may I recommend Bay FM to you all, again)
11. Morrissey 11

    24 April 2013 at 11:23 am

    Garth McVicar is STILL being treated seriously by Radio New Zealand. Why?
    Radio NZ National, Wednesday 24 April 2013

    I’ve just heard something slimy and extremely unpleasant on the 11 a.m. news. S.S. Führer Garth “The Knife” McVicar is ranting again, and grooming another victim of a violent crime. This time he’s moving on the mother of murdered Christchurch schoolgirl Jade Bayliss.

    There are several reasons why this monster of hypocrisy should not be given any air-time:

    1.) McVicar himself is currently being tried on very serious charges;

    2.) McVicar cannot even remotely be regarded as a “victims’ advocate” (as Radio New Zealand persists in calling him) in light of his outrageous and callous behaviour following the knife-killing of Pihema Cameron in 2008;

    3.) Following his loud and frequently reiterated support for the grave-robber, serial sexual harasser and doctor-basher David Garrett, McVicar surely has no credibility whatsoever.

    But he is being reported, and quoted, on National Radio as if he is a serious commentator.

    Why?
    • felix 11.1

      24 April 2013 at 11:28 am

      “McVicar himself is currently being tried on very serious charges”

      Really? What’s this all about then?
      • Morrissey 11.1.1

        24 April 2013 at 5:02 pm

        A lawyer for the Human Rights Commission has told a court the Sensible Sentencing Trust not only broke name suppression for a convicted paedophile, but breached his privacy by getting his private police record.

        The commission is prosecuting the trust at the Auckland District Court on Wednesday for breaching the rights of the man who was jailed in 1995 for 12 months for five offences that took place in 1975 and 1978 against two girls….

        Read the rest and find out who the S.S. Trust’s lawyer is…..

        http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/133016/sensible-sentencing-trust-broke-suppression-lawyer
        • felix 11.1.1.1

          24 April 2013 at 5:32 pm

          Garrett, isn’t it? That’s how he got on the ACT list in the first place.
          • Morrissey 11.1.1.1.1

            24 April 2013 at 5:49 pm

            Indeed it is. We didn’t need any further confirmation of course, but keeping that discredited, almost universally reviled villain on as a “legal counsel” underlines the fact that McVicar, as well as being completely shameless, lacks even a semblance of common sense.
            • felix 11.1.1.1.1.1

              24 April 2013 at 8:01 pm

              I’m struggling to figure out which of them reflects more poorly on the other.
    • Bill 11.2

      24 April 2013 at 11:39 am

      Why? Well, because he lends himself rather nicely to the culture that relies on vaccuous soundbites that can masquerade as informed opinion. You can’t have thoughtful people ‘entertained’ by todays media. That wouldn’t be entertaining at all, as it would require a level of engagement. Which is to say that the formally passive listener would be afforded the opportunity to invest time, analysis, thought and reflection that would lead to the formation of informed opinions. And at that point, things are getting ‘out of hand’; beyond a comforting nicely packaged presentation that has ‘everything in its right place’ – ie, where everything is more or less ordered and controled.
      • Colonial Viper 11.2.1

        24 April 2013 at 11:44 am

        McVicar, the apologist for criminal mates.
        • ghostrider888 11.2.1.1

          24 April 2013 at 12:22 pm

          China’s Purchasing Managers Index slower than March; a tissue anyone?
          NZ 10-year bonds at all time low yield.
        • Bill 11.2.1.2

          24 April 2013 at 12:24 pm

          Yup. He is. And that requires no great thought or reflection. And that’s then posited against whatever. And it’s the simple juxtaposition that is meant to determine the breadth and depth of your opinions…basically an invitation to indulge in pinning flags to masts.
          • ghostrider888 11.2.1.2.1

            24 April 2013 at 12:31 pm

            hows the villa today Bill; sunny down your way?
        • ghostrider888 11.2.1.3

          24 April 2013 at 12:36 pm

          what about this tragedy whereby some no-nuts has taken the lives of two young people, one in Aus, one here. The lives some people live is unbelievable; very sad.
12. ghostrider888 12

    24 April 2013 at 12:29 pm

    Remember Travelin’ Light? when you were young?
13. freedom 13

    24 April 2013 at 12:30 pm

    Facts are so often fiction these days. It is increasingly difficult to trust the figures in the stated numbers of jobs available. Just now, when going over all the jobs listed on-line for my area, over half of the positions advertised where already filled, or the application date had passed, yet were still listed in the total jobs available. These are the very same listings that are being quoted in Parliament and parroted in the media every week.

    It is kind of sad that the MSM are simply not bothering to investigate the data they report on. Guess there is no real need for reality anymore.
    • ghostrider888 13.1

      24 April 2013 at 12:33 pm

      only the free one we create, or not.
    • Poission 13.2

      24 April 2013 at 12:42 pm

      Guess there is no real need for reality anymore.

      it is being able to differentiate,someone needs to tell the computer models

      http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-23/fake-report-erasing-136-billion-shows-market-s-fragility.html
      • joe90 13.2.1

        24 April 2013 at 12:59 pm

        And all because of a q rather than a g.

        http://jimromenesko.com/2013/04/23/ap-warned-staffers-just-before-ap-was-hacked/
    • kiwicommie 13.3

      24 April 2013 at 2:25 pm

      The only jobs really vacant in New Zealand are to do with farming, IT (though you are underpaid and overworked compared to overseas), crap temporary services jobs (a few months and you are out) and recruitment agencies. Every week skilled, unskilled or highly qualified, everyone is leaving the no job, low pay economy under National. Think of how Romney supporters believed their idol couldn’t lose, National supporters in the MSM are the same…they refuse to accept reality. 😉
    • Tim 13.4

      24 April 2013 at 4:40 pm

      It’s worse than that freedom – and its been going on for years. One job advertised by many different agencies – i.e. the same job.
      Anyone that’s ever placed a vacancy in the hands of agencies should know this – and they’ll be aware of the bullshit you’ve identified as well – i.e. listings still current once the position has been filled. At one time, agencies used to do it in order to get prospective candidates and CVs on their books.

      It’d be useful for one of those ‘consumer watchdogs’ to investigate.
      Oh wait – we don’t have any that are effective, or that have the means to access the necessary information. And IF we did, how the hell would those bank financial gurus be able to justify various ‘business confidence’ claims?
14. framu 14

    24 April 2013 at 12:57 pm

    just for laughs

    visit scarfolk

    a town where time stopped in 1979
    • joe90 14.1

      24 April 2013 at 1:06 pm

      Very clever.

      This too – 1993 – 2013
    • ghostrider888 14.2

      24 April 2013 at 1:08 pm

      they should advertise in “The St Cleve Chronicle and Linwell Advertiser” 😀
15. ghostrider888 15

    24 April 2013 at 1:24 pm

    in light of this new census mooted (“your health records”), these came to mind;
    The Open Society, and it’s enemies and Civilization and it’s Discontents
16. ghostrider888 16

    24 April 2013 at 1:50 pm

    Good Lord! These folk down in Christchurch are doing it hard
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/christchurch-earthquake/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502981&objectid=10879246 and hacking into data-bases (Uni etc) appears to be going through a productive season…
17. freedom 17

    24 April 2013 at 2:35 pm

    It’s 2013, time for the News
    The Neo-Liberal agenda got a solid thirty year opportunity to prove itself. Any basic measure proves complete failure on its stated promise of trickle down economic benefits to the general populace. All benchmarks show real world inflation adjusted incomes are lower, living costs are higher and every single day more and more people are worse off than when the crew of the good ship SelfishFuck put this raft to sea in the early 80’s. It is time to scuttle the ship and swim back to land, there is no new frontier across the way. Just the everyday necessity of work and homes and lives that need protecting and support. The sad part is we increasingly need protecting from those who are elected to represent us.

    here’s Tom with the weather
18. ianmac 18

    24 April 2013 at 2:55 pm

    Stuff: “Justice Minister Judith Collins is calling for law changes to allow the public better access to criminal histories. ”
    Right on schedule?
19. Elizabeth Bourchier 19

    24 April 2013 at 4:18 pm

    That blithering nincompoop Peter Dunne could not organise drinkies in a champaign bar!
    His inability to sort out the “Synthetic Cannabis” nonsense is on par with his incompetence on Revenue.
    Labour should be hitting The Lord of Ohariu like a billio!
    • Morrissey 19.1

      24 April 2013 at 4:38 pm

      That blithering nincompoop Peter Dunne could not organise drinkies in a champaign bar!

      Dunne couldn’t organise a root in a brothel, he couldn’t organise a right-wing rant at a Sensible Sentencing Trust meeting, he couldn’t organise a high tackle in a Samoa versus Tonga football match, he couldn’t organise a glib remark in an episode of Jim Mora’s Panel show, he couldn’t organise an inappropriate remark in a pub conversation involving Bob Clarkson, Winston Peters, Pam Corkery and Richard Prosser.
      • Grumpy 19.1.1

        24 April 2013 at 10:31 pm

        Morrissey, you do have your moments…….
    • Bill the Pill 19.2

      24 April 2013 at 4:42 pm

      Wellington Labour is now afraid to take on Dunne in Ohariu.

      Charles Chauvel would have rolled Dunne at the next election, had he not been pushed out of the party by Grant Robertson.

      Robertson led Labour to THIRD place behind the Greens in Wellington. And he still thinks he should be treated like he is a competent street politician or something! Grant Robertson is still only a back-room jostler and only comfortable between the Westpac Stadium and the Basin Reserve. Outside of there Robertson is a wus and a legend in his own lunchtime.

      Look at the combined Wellington Labour party-vote over the past few elections and you will see ROT. And you will see Grant Robertson.

      Dunne is safe as long as Wellington Labour continues to repeat the same same same .
      • Elizabeth Bourchier 19.2.1

        24 April 2013 at 5:32 pm

        Mmmm, I’ve heard said that Grant Robsetson is better at fighting inside the tent. It’s a bit chilly outside for the weee boy! !
20. Morrissey 20

    24 April 2013 at 4:28 pm

    Will Maurice be required to dance?

    If and when the Brethren-financed National M.P. Maurice Williamson appears on Ellen, will he be obliged to dance his way on to the stage, like every other guest on this horrible, horrible programme?

    Eight minutes of embarrassment HERE….
    
    • Paul 20.1

      24 April 2013 at 4:34 pm

      Looking forward to the next instalment of the Mora show by Morrissey.
      • Morrissey 20.1.1

        24 April 2013 at 4:56 pm

        Thanks, Paul, but today’s show is just too dull to get excited about. So far, anyway. (It’s 4:39 right now.) Highlight so far was when Mora used the word “obesogenic”, which impressed me if nobody else.

        Less impressively, he has again quoted David Brooks, the right wing New York Times columnist. He has done that a lot over the years, and it’s a worry. He invariably quotes Brooks with approval, which raises grave questions about Mora’s judgement, as well as the depth and breadth of his reading.

        Otherwise, the discussions have been pretty ho-hum.
    • freedom 20.2

      24 April 2013 at 4:44 pm

      perhaps Warner Bros will insist he wears Hobbit feet whilst he dances?
      • Morrissey 20.2.1

        24 April 2013 at 5:52 pm

        LOL. At least he won’t be any worse than Pete Hodgson, Marion Hobbs and those other Labour Party conference-goers caught on tape a few years ago.

        Surely not?
21. Paul 21

    24 April 2013 at 4:48 pm

    Did I just hear Jeremy Ellwood say just now that NZers are now more interested in ANZAC Day because we’ve been involved in wars recently…like Iraq?
    Obviously members of the panel are not required to be informed to pontificate on subjects!
    No one picked him up on it either.
    • Morrissey 21.1

      24 April 2013 at 5:06 pm

      Yes, you heard right, my friend. Elwood is not particularly well informed. It’s just a pity that some crusty old right winger wasn’t on the show today, so that Elwood could have bent over backwards to agree with everything the old codger said. That’s when Elwood is at his (unintentional) funniest.
    • clashman 21.2

      24 April 2013 at 5:18 pm

      Jeremy Ellwood, the “comedian”? If thats what he said, I guess we can at least assume his material is improving.
      • Morrissey 21.2.1

        24 April 2013 at 5:38 pm

        Elwood’s schtick on 7 Days consists of sitting with a glum look of rebuke on his puss whenever Dai Henwood and the others veer off into insensitive or politically incorrect territory, which is of course for practically the whole show. The only person who has ever looked unhappier and more dispproving is Elwood’s similarly “right on” partner Michelle Acourt.
    • Pascal's bookie 21.3

      24 April 2013 at 5:28 pm

      what’s there to pick him up on, precisely?

      Or do you think that the war in Iraq stopped after the invasion?
22. Paul 22

    24 April 2013 at 5:28 pm

    I’m surprised a comedian has such a poor grasp and knowledge of Current Events.
    Not in the calibre of Bill Hicks or George Carlin then…
    • felix 22.1

      24 April 2013 at 5:38 pm

      What did he say that leads you to believe he’s uninformed?
      • felix 22.1.1

        24 April 2013 at 7:59 pm

        Soooo…. nothing?
    • Morrissey 22.2

      24 April 2013 at 5:46 pm

      He’s more of the calibre of Mike King, who like Elwood was also co-opted to go over to Afghanistan to entertain our brave troops.

      Elwood has not uttered a word critical of the occupation ever since.
      • Paul 22.2.1

        24 April 2013 at 6:26 pm

        Embedded comedians..
23. karol 23

    24 April 2013 at 6:35 pm

    The US government’s list of “terrorist” suspects is so long, they had one of the alleged Boston Bombers on their list, but he didn’t stand out enough to trigger any action.

    If we are all Spartacus vipertacus, who will they surveil first?
    • Ugly Truth 23.1

      24 April 2013 at 7:33 pm

      He did stand out.
      Former FBI employee says that the Tsarnaev brothers were recruited by FBI

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wZoCIydCgg

      http://www.infowars.com/tsarnaev-aunt-claims-naked-man-in-video-is-tamerlan/
24. karol 24

    24 April 2013 at 7:04 pm

    This arvo, Greenpeace activists have occupied a coal ship bound for Sth Korea. The occupied ship is near Aussies’s Great Barrier reef. They are protesting about Aussie’s coal industry.

    I guess they don’t have to worry about legislation restricting protests.
25. Descendant Of Sssmith 25

    24 April 2013 at 7:15 pm

    More reason not to trust the oil companies

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2013/04/22/what-bp-doesn-t-want-you-to-know-about-the-2010-gulf-spill.html

    That BP lied about the amount of oil it discharged into the gulf is already established. Lying to Congress about that was one of 14 felonies to which BP pleaded guilty last year in a legal settlement with the Justice Department that included a $4.5 billion fine, the largest fine ever levied against a corporation in the U.S.

    What has not been revealed until now is how BP hid that massive amount of oil from TV cameras and the price that this “disappearing act” imposed on cleanup workers, coastal residents, and the ecosystem of the gulf. That story can now be told because an anonymous whistleblower has provided evidence that BP was warned in advance about the safety risks of attempting to cover up its leaking oil. Nevertheless, BP proceeded. Furthermore, BP appears to have withheld these safety warnings, as well as protective measures, both from the thousands of workers hired for the cleanup and from the millions of Gulf Coast residents who stood to be affected.

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