Open mike 25/10/2014

Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, October 25th, 2014 - 86 comments
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86 comments on “Open mike 25/10/2014 ”

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  1. Once Was Tim 1
    24 October 2014 at 11:50 pm

    Looks like RNZ/ Kim Hill’s “Saturday” might be worth a listen right through from start to finish tomorrow (as opposed to doing a coitus interruptus to accommodate Lisa Owen and a load of egos and TV ‘stars’).
    Catch her while you can I guess ….. ‘cos off-peak and weekends are next on the Natzis programme of attack (stacking the board, making things difficult for those deemed not to have ‘the right poltuks’; Murry TV; TVeNZ airtsaucung; old boy’s/bois club…… yep – catcha woil ya can

    • phillip ure 1.1
      25 October 2014 at 9:31 am

      mind you..in defence of rnz…and credit where credit is due..

      ..jesse mulligan..(he who used to be on seven blunts)..is a welcome addition to moras’ panel..

      ..he has a quick wit mixed with (seeming) humanist-values..

      • Once Was Tim 1.1.1
        25 October 2014 at 5:41 pm

        he wasn’t too bad sitting in for Mr (I’m exBBC Mercep doncha know) Mercep the other day either. I imagine Mr Morass was off doing some reality TV somewhere perhaps?
        I really need to get out of this place I think @ Phil. It’s not doing my attitude towards fellow Kiwis any good at all.
        I was just listening to RNZ focus on Politics, and I find it hard to understand why/how people can ekshly take our Proim Munsta sere-issly.
        It took me a while to ekshly click that he was talking about ISIS ( when I switched the wireless on I kept hearing a Key-like voice talking about Terrace Groups.
        Fuck me!!!! How do Kiwis (including some in the MSM) see this guy as ‘charasmatic’? It’s fucking beyond me. Accent is one thing and something we SHOULDN’T be ashamed of, but complete fucking laziness and blase ettit-youd is something completely different. It’s an indication of arrogance and a lazy mind. The pillock comes across so often as being half cut

  2. phillip ure 2
    25 October 2014 at 7:50 am

    rightwinger fran o’sullivan has turned on her ‘captain..my captain!’..

    ..over his ‘now i am prime minister/now i am not’ charade/avoidance of slater-questions trick..

    and i have come up with a solution for those harried/busy journos left wondering just who it is they are speaking to at any given moment..

    ..i have called it ‘the flash-card solution’..

    (excerpt:..)

    ‘(perhaps key should carry around a series of flash-cards for journalists..?

    ..he cd hold up the appropriate-card for for whoever he is at that instant..

    ..cards ranging from ‘prime minister’ – thru to ‘just some rich rightwing-prick from parnell’..)’

    (cont..)

    http://whoar.co.nz/2014/rightwing-commentator-turns-on-key-for-his-i-was-not-the-prime-minister-at-that-moment-in-time-defense/

    • Manuka - Ancient Order of Rawsharks 2.1
      25 October 2014 at 10:34 am

      It must get confusing for him at times. “I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed several times since then” – The Mad Hatter.

      Media interviews look set to be a riot.
      No more automatically addressing him as “Prime Minister” – will need to check first. maybe even at various points during the interview.
      Reporter: “Prime Minister, what comment do you have to make on …..”
      JK: “Sorry, he’s not here right now.”
      Reporter: “When will he be back?”
      JK: “I can’t tell you that.”
      Reporter: “Will the Prime Minster’s Office know?”
      JK: “Highly unlikely. Now, I must collect my hat. I have a business meeting to attend to .”
      (paging the royal bearer of The Hats)

      • seeker 2.1.1
        25 October 2014 at 3:48 pm

        lol “The Mad Hatter” – scarily apt Manuka .
        I had thought of Worzel Gummmidge with his interchangeable turnip, swede etc. heads, but Hydra and Hatter are so much bettter and leave poor old Worzel in the paddock with the birds. Besides Worzel has too much depth to be likened to key.

  3. phillip ure 3
    25 October 2014 at 8:36 am

    you go..!..you good james cameron..!..

    ..with the vegan-thing..on nat-rad..

  4. marty mars 4
    25 October 2014 at 8:37 am

    JMG has an excellent essay up.

    I’m going to spend this week’s post summarizing the the decline and fall of industrial civilization…

    … The overfamiliar cry of “but it’s different this time!” is popular, it’s comforting, but it’s also irrelevant. Of course it’s different this time; it was different every other time, too. Neolithic civilizations limited to one river valley and continental empires with complex technologies have all declined and fallen in much the same way and for much the same reasons. It may appeal to our sense of entitlement to see ourselves as destiny’s darlings, to insist that the Progress Fairy has promised us a glorious future out there among the stars, or even to claim that it’s humanity’s mission to populate the galaxy, but these are another set of faith-based claims; it’s a little startling, in fact, to watch so many people who claim to have outgrown theology clinging to such overtly religious concepts as humanity’s mission and destiny…

    …In the real world, in the course of ordinary history, these things happen. So does the decline and fall of civilizations that deplete their resource bases and wreck the ecological cycles that support them…

    http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.co.nz/2014/10/a-pink-slip-for-progress-fairy.html

    The timeframes are interesting – imo we expect everything yesterday, our patience is thin, our capacity to look up and out is diminished by the now. Pushed into selfishness we forget the transient nature of our personal existence, we think it’s all about us – and at this moment in time, it is.

  5. phillip ure 5
    25 October 2014 at 9:05 am

    f.y.i..(meme-bust/spoiler-alert..!..)

    ..that chocolate milk that some seem so excited over..

    ..it is not only eye-wateringly expensive..

    ..it has 87 grams of sugar in it..

    ..that is three oz + of sugar..

    ..in each drink…

    ..21 teaspoons of sugar..

    ..whoar..!..eh..?..

    ..kind of like the ‘crack’ of sugar…eh..?

    ..if you drink three bottles on the trot..

    ..will you kiss the sky..?

    ..or drop down dead..?

    • adam 5.1
      25 October 2014 at 9:12 am

      Philip the main argument against veganism is – life is short. Enjoy what you eat.

      • phillip ure 5.1.1
        25 October 2014 at 9:21 am

        @ adam..yeah..?..so some say…?..(not that i’ve heard that particular argument before..but i’ll take yr word 4 it..)

        ..i guess i just don’t ‘enjoy’ eating dead-animals/flesh/fat/cartilage etc..and assorted bye-products that flow from the suffering/killing of those animals….

        ..so that argument doesn’t really hold any water..for me..

        ..and believe me..i ‘enjoy’ well-made vegan food..

        here ya go..!..get some gourmet-vegan recipies into ya..!

        ..take ‘enjoy’ to a whole new plateau..

        http://whoar.co.nz/?s=vegan+recipies

        • adam 5.1.1.1
          25 October 2014 at 9:42 am

          I eat some dead animal as you say – only the ones I’m willing to kill myself. So no beef, as the idea of shooting an animal in the head before you slit it’s throat, is not something I’m willing to do. Pig is another – anyone who can kill a pig themselves is as far as I’m concerned, welcome to eat it – I’ve killed a farm raised pig once, and I would never do it again. They sound they make is like a child in pain, and the screeching is nerve wracking – really not my cup of tea.

          I do however have no qualms about cutting the head of a chicken or slicing the neck of a sheep. Or bashing a fish in the head – these thing I can and do, do. That said I don’t eat a lot of meat, and there are other ways to feel full and get protein.

          And yes philip some vegan dishes are lovely, I agree. I like food, and cook a lot different dishes.

          I think about corporate farming regularly – and the corporate farming of grains, vegetables, and other core vegan mains stays, is an event which looks more likely with each passing day.

          • phillip ure 5.1.1.1.1
            25 October 2014 at 9:54 am

            that link has gourmet vegan thai/japanese/indian etc etc..

            ..james cameron was also interesting talking about his conversion of dairy farms in the wairarapa..into farms growing non-animal food..

            ..and how he is experimenting in that environment with lots of different crops..

            ..to see what works best..in that environment..

            ..and how he will be open-sourcing the results of those growing experiments..

            ..so other farmers/early-adopters of the inevitable..can see the way ahead a bit more clearly..

            • Chooky 5.1.1.1.1.1
              25 October 2014 at 1:38 pm

              well this is good…i am all for James Cameron and his Vegan farms…and I am all for Vegans…enjoy your food!

              diversification is the way to go with NZ farm land …and non exploitation of animals…and non exploitation and conservation of rivers and lakes and waterways

              but really pontificating Vegans have to provide competition with existing foods …haranguing and guilt tripping is not the way to go…where are those Vegan sausages in all the supermarkets??

              • phillip ure …
                25 October 2014 at 1:48 pm

                are you saying cameron was ‘haranguing and guilt tripping’..?

                ..and do you have some examples of how you wd like this issue to be framed/worded..

                ..so as not to be ‘haranguing and guilt tripping’..?

                • Chooky …
                  25 October 2014 at 1:52 pm

                  I didnt hear the interview and I doubt Cameron would “harangue” or “guilt trip”….he doesnt seem that sort of guy !

                  …but you do!…(and often)…and you know it!

                  • phillip ure …
                    25 October 2014 at 2:05 pm

                    i repeat..

                    ..how wd u like to see the issue framed/talked about..?

                    ..(it at all..?..)

                    ..just how do you perform the verbal-gymnastics of talking about slavery..

                    ..without mentioning slaves..?

                    ..and if you are feeling an instinctual-guilt from killing/eating animals that have lived/suffered short/cruel/brutalised lives just so you can eat them..?..(as you should..)

                    ..that is yr problem/awakening..not mine..

                    • Chooky …
                      25 October 2014 at 2:28 pm

                      mmmmm…i love my honey …and i dont think the bees mind either

                      have a spoonful of honey ….go on! ( sweeten you up)

                    • phillip ure …
                      25 October 2014 at 2:39 pm

                      i asked you a simple question..twice..

                      ..and you come back with simplistic-shit like that..?

                      ..you fucken moaned about how i frame this issue..

                      ..i asked you how i shd frame it..

                      ..and that is yr fucken answer..?

                      ..right up there with cleanpower..eh..?

                    • Clemgeopin …
                      25 October 2014 at 3:22 pm

                      i dont think the bees mind either

                      How can you know that?
                      So, what was the point of the bees struggling relentlessly for days and days, gathering a little drop of rector each to meticulously build up their very hard built stock of food? To what end? Just to satisfy your love of honey?
                      I bet you love bird nests too. Some say it makes great soup.

                    • Chooky …
                      25 October 2014 at 3:45 pm

                      @Clemgeopin…you dont eat honey?…you are a Vegan?…too! (OMG)

                      fyi…no i dont eat bird nests

                      …yes i do eat honey…yes i have been a beekeeper….yes i have made sure my bees are kept in dry wooden houses with frames …and are protected from AFB( American Foulbrood)

                      …..and no i dont think bees begrudge me some honey ( I gave up beekeeping when the Varroa mite arrived on scene…because this requires a lot more bee protection and hive management)

                      …incidentally Varroa has just about wiped out wild bee colonies in New Zealand …so the kept bees have it very good!

                      What do you know about bees?!…. that makes you think they begrudge some of their honey….afterall bees regularly swarm ie take off with a new queen and set up new hives out in the wild without honey ( that is unless the beekeeper provides them with a new house …consider the honey as rent money for a new house provided gratis…so the bees dont have to build their own…if they dont like it they can always leave …but they dont …because they like it!!!)

        • Clean_power 5.1.1.2
          25 October 2014 at 12:12 pm

          Nothing beats a good roasted chickens and a pile of fries. Enjoy life, pu.

          • Belladonna 5.1.1.2.1
            25 October 2014 at 12:31 pm

            Vegans do enjoy life CP, at least those who can cook do. Vegan food can be delicious. I love to cook and eat and have no problem finding really good recipes both in recipe books and from vegan blogs.

          • phillip ure 5.1.1.2.2
            25 October 2014 at 1:38 pm

            @ clean power..

            ..i haven’t eaten chicken for over thirty yrs..

            ..i wd likely projectile-vomit were i to..

            ..so..dead bird..and fried potato-slices..is yr culinary-everest..eh..?

            ..basically..k.f.c..

            ..whoar..!

            ..i think you need to eat out more..

            ..and how wd you describe yr body-shape..?

            ..from athletic..to obese…?

            ..just how many dead birds and fried potato-slices have you eaten..?

            • rawshark-yeshe 5.1.1.2.2.1
              25 October 2014 at 3:28 pm

              phillip .. a while back you mentioned a delicious vegan sausage recipe .. was it from greywarbler maybe ? please, can you post it for me .. searched your blog, but could not find one. mny thx ..

              • Chooky …
                25 October 2014 at 4:11 pm

                i gave him a recipe…from memory it had a mix of boiled and drained brown rice, red kidney beans, brown lentils,( other beans optional ) chilli, coconut oil, herbs, garlic , salt, pepper …all coarsely minced …put in vegetarian casings

                (…still waiting on the philip ure vegan sausage to hit the supermarkets)

          • Chooky 5.1.1.2.3
            25 October 2014 at 4:02 pm

            +100 Clean power….yummy roast chicken and fries….and spinach….and tomato salsa …and red wine …and cheese …and honey cake and cream… mmmm!

            …honey baklava

            http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baklava/

            • greywarshark 5.1.1.2.3.1
              25 October 2014 at 10:20 pm

              @ Chooky
              Just the words you have written in your comments seem good enough to eat. I wonder if a restaurant looking for different effects might have a menu with edible ink on a sort of wafer that you could eat while waiting for the meal. And the words could taste like their name.

              There have been some interesting vegan comments on Radionz lately. And an interesting and sort of mad piece this morning where they do studies of how people are affected by certain settings or atmosphere in a restaurant.
              One was that though everyone had the same meal at the same time and atmosphere, the settings were in two separate groups, one with heavy, solid cutlery and the other with lighter. The ones with heavy cutlery were very pleased with their meal and felt that it was excellent. The others were just satisfied. Conclusion from this, and other experiments – that people’s responses are affected by more than food.

              • Chooky …
                26 October 2014 at 1:34 pm

                @ greywarshark

                yes agree settings are important ….and best of all is having the meal made for you and the dishes washed

                ….although that said a barbeque on the stones on the beach is lovely or a sausage sizzle in the riverbed under the willows

                ….also good when everyone one brings a little something special for a pot luck tea

                flowers add a little something…and a new recipe…or a lunch with a friend at an ethnic cafe ….something hot with chillie adds a zip

                …unusual salads and appetisers…pastries

                ….also good to slob it and eat not much at all ..or pick when you feel like it …after having visitors for a while

                …and great having the visitors cook for you!

                • greywarshark …
                  26 October 2014 at 3:24 pm

                  @ Chooky
                  Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

                  Or Brits with Mungo Jerry and bit on the rougher,not so plastic feel.
                  (Wow – those sideburns and the hair.)

                  Not to forget Over the Rainbow with Israel ‘Iz’ Kamakawiwo’ole

  6. vto 6
    25 October 2014 at 9:35 am

    When countries declare war on people they get attacked by those people.

    Witness;
    USA
    UK
    Australia
    Canada
    as recent examples

    They all throw their hands up in horror and cry “oh no, why us? you murderous nasty people attacking us, you must be a terrorist.. blah blah blah”

    Quite why they are surprised I do not know. You go to war – you get attacked.

    Anyways, all this gnashing and wailing can be curtailed if these countries actually accepted that their country is at war (instead of sitting in front of the tele, sipping on their lattes, and thinking life should carry on just like before being at war) and carried out other wartime measures to protect themselves….

    … these measures include locking up sympathisers, like we did in WW2 and others.

    Clearly, these supposed domestic “terrorists” are known to the authorities and are sympathisers. Lock them up.

    Lock up the sympathisers while at war.

    Just stop the frigging wailing and crying – you went to war – you get attacked. Grow up and get real. Idiots.

  7. phillip ure 7
    25 October 2014 at 9:45 am

    good to see that argument i have been boring people here with..has broken thru into the mainstream..

    ..namely how our dairy industry is fucked..a sunset-industry..(for a variety of reasons..)

    ..the guy from fonterra is dying on screen on the nation..

    ..and all he is showing..

    ..is that he is in total denial about these factors fucking dairy..(and soon..!..)

    ..and hasn’t got a fucken clue about what to do about it..

    ..(it’s must-watch television..and a harbinger of our future..

    ..our near-future..)

  8. phillip ure 8
    25 October 2014 at 9:56 am

    ew..!..ew..!

    former actite-mp heather roy..

    ..is now a pimp for big-pharma..

    ..ew..!..conspiring to sell-out new zealand..

    ..to the big international drug-cartels..

    ..(i guess there is a consistancy there tho’..)

  9. wekarawshark 9
    25 October 2014 at 10:01 am

    arrrrgggghhhhhhhhhh, not S*nt*

    It’s still only October 👿

  10. Morrissey 10
    25 October 2014 at 10:29 am

    “There isn’t much profundity coming from us on this unfortunately.”
    The Panel grapples with the Ottawa shootings
    Radio NZ National, Friday 24 October 2014
    Jim Mora, Jane Clifton, Jesse Mulligan

    Those shootings in Ottawa were the inevitable consequence of Canada’s involvement in the destruction of Iraq and Afghanistan? Perish the thought. Don’t even DARE say what you’re thinking. Especially if you work for the media.

    Over the last few days, we poor media “consumers” have been bombarded with assurances that the attack on Canada’s parliament was the work of a deranged individual, acting alone, a “lone wolf”, as the BBC and Al Jazeera and every other respectable news organization is calling him. Jim Mora, like practically every “journalist” at Radio New Zealand, has been solidly on message, parroting the line established immediately by the Canadian government: “There’s no credible connection between these shootings and Canada’s commitment to military intervention against ISIS,” he announced on Wednesday afternoon’s show.

    There was a perfect example of this resolute refusal to avoid the glaringly obvious during the final three minutes of today’s edition of The Panel. We join the show at the end of a discussion about Air New Zealand’s decision to ban electronic cigarettes…..

    JANE CLIFTON: There’s lots of things you shouldn’t be able to do on planes, like chew gum loudly and you know. [Snort]
    JIM MORA: Yeah, but Jesse’s right isn’t he, it is such the LOOK now to frown on, you can imagine the looks on the planes. …..[Pause, followed by long intake of breath to indicate moving on to a REALLY serious topic]….. Now I, I’ve left this for last and I don’t expect miraculous profundity but as you can imagine, in Canada they’re trying to analyze the anatomy of terrorism.
    JANE CLIFTON: [anguished tone] Oooooohhhhh.
    MORA: A headline from the Canadian National Post: “Radicalized young people feel like a speck of dust in an uncaring universe,” before joining organizations like ISIS. [pause] Ah, er, do you have any thoughts on what’s going on, beyond the usual, you know, These are the children of anomie and they’re rebelling against empty materialism and they’re getting purpose from radical Islam? Do you think that’s basically it? Do you have any particular thoughts about what is happening?
    JANE CLIFTON: I, I, the pathology probably varies wildly—widely—but I think to be able to kill someone in cold blood, you have to have a degree of, you know, madness. For want of a better, you know—
    MORA: Yeah.
    JANE CLIFTON: You know, if you have a bad personality disorder, you can’t just, you know, there are a lot of things you can do about anomie without killing, torturing, you know….
    MORA: Yeah.
    JESSE MULLIGAN: Yeah. Do you thing religion is that leap of faith thing, you know, you talk about people who are vulnerable being drawn into systems where there’s some structure, and maybe the addition of religion when there’s someone telling them God wants you to do this maybe that’s what they need, rather than madness, to move on and kill.
    JANE CLIFTON: Hmmmmm.
    MORA: [deep sigh] Structure and promise, of course, I suppose.
    JESSE MULLIGAN: Mmmmm.
    MORA: And there is interesting analysis going on. We probably have heard that it’s not immigrants or even their children. It’s the children of the children. Once the migrant’s gratitude’s disappeared. But part of that’s the multi-cult— the failure of aspects of the multi-culture. Because these people are still ostracized, often,
    JANE CLIFTON: Yeahhhh.
    MORA: And they feel ostracized. Ahhh, and the other thing out today out of Canada, aaahh, there IS university research going on and evidence suggests jihadist converts are NO MORE LIKELY to have psychiatric problems than others.
    JANE CLIFTON: Ooooohhhhh!
    MORA: But seem to be searching, as you’ve just said, for some kind of personal meaning or a MORBID BRAND of immortality or sometimes just adventure.
    JESSE MULLIGAN: Hmmmmmm.
    JANE CLIFTON: [snorting to convey weary perplexity] It’s just interesting isn’t it. I mean it’s just hard to, you know, killing in cold blood for that sort of reason, it just doesn’t seem like a normal human thought pattern to me.
    MORA: No.
    JANE CLIFTON: But I suppose there is war, which is kind of the same thing. Only, you know, God!
    MORA: Hmmmmm….

    ……[End of program music swells up]……

    JANE CLIFTON: No, you’re right. There isn’t much profundity coming from us on this unfortunately. [snort]
    JIM MORA: No, there was a good response from the two of you though. But it’s going to take a long time to sort this out. Don’t you think?
    JANE CLIFTON: Yeah.
    JESSE MULLIGAN: Sure.
    MORA: As you say, Jane, it’s not one size fits all. Jane Clifton, have a lovely long weekend!
    JANE CLIFTON: THANK you!
    MORA: You too Jesse Mulligan!
    JESSE MULLIGAN: Thank you very much.
    MORA: Have a great trip to Hong Kong if we don’t see you first.
    JESSE MULLIGAN: Thanks, I’m off on Sunday morning actually….

    In case the above depresses you, be assured that there are still real journalists, who have actually done some serious thinking about this….
    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40032.htm

    • vto 10.1
      25 October 2014 at 1:15 pm

      Exactly Morrisey, that link says it all.

      It is stunning that Canada acts all shocked and bewildered when they have been at war with these people for 13 years.

      And it is absolutely NOT terrorism – both the Canadian events were clearly aimed directly at the military. Not even a hint of threat to civilians.

      More lies from the authorities to justify more war themselves. Just like Key has done and is doing.

      If Key takes us to war then Key will be bringing war to our country. Here.

  11. Draco T Bastard 11
    25 October 2014 at 10:37 am

    Key’s Parliamentary dodge sends dubious signal

    That is an extraordinary extension of state power, and an extension of a somewhat arbitrary nature. Parliament, for all its many, many faults, is still where ministers have to go to justify their actions. Mr Key’s approach this week was more than just a minor dodge: it undercuts Parliament in a way more in keeping with the actions of a radical left wing government with scant respect for the rule of law and Parliamentary democracy, than those of a government committed to the tenets of liberal conservatism.

    Despite his rather partisan and delusional attack on the left (It’s more the parties of the right that believe that the law doesn’t apply to them – just need to look to National to see that but partisans never like looking to themselves) it’s not a bad breakdown of John Key dodging personal responsibility.

    • wekarawshark 11.1
      25 October 2014 at 10:50 am

      The longer this goes on the more I think that the righties are experiencing with the current NACT govt what the left experienced with Labour in the 80s. They’re going to wake up in a decade and go what the fuck has happened? And of course NACT have 3 decades of experience on the 80s, and are far smarter.

    • Manuka - Ancient Order of Rawsharks 11.2
      25 October 2014 at 5:07 pm

      Excerpt from Draco’s linked page:
      “To take a completely random example, off the top of the head: If a government official wants to leak information to, say, an enterprising, diligent and much loved business journalist, that government official could just say they are doing so, but not in their capacity as a public servant.”

      Is this para a veiled ref to Collins? If JK gets away with it then she can claim “I was not wearing the Minister of Justice hat”, and so escape accountability or justice.

    • RedBaronCV 11.3
      25 October 2014 at 5:44 pm

      Anybody else get the feeling that Key has had his shield slightly lifted by those who run the MSM so that a few attacks are being allowed to home in. A warning to others perhaps – as to whom the real imperial overlords are? Speculation of course.

      • Manuka - Ancient Order of Rawsharks 11.3.1
        25 October 2014 at 6:19 pm

        I think he has done this all by himself with these latest responses, – brought a whole new level of farce to a sometimes shaky house of cards. By referring to being PM as something that he can put on or remove at will, and declaring himself the decider of when he may or may not be upholding the role of PM, he has invoked a kind of partial, bits-&-pieces abdication. It reveals a level of contempt for the role of PM of NZ.

        It’s possible that Bill English is feeling a tad upbeat this weekend, for no particular reason 🙂

  12. Clemgeopin 12
    25 October 2014 at 11:20 am

    Regarding TPPA, why not have separately negotiated mutually benefitting agreements on equal terms between two countries at a time like we did with China?

    That way, we may be able to preserve more of our independence and sovereignty without compromising our freedom, fairness and laws.

    The process may take longer but wouldn’t that be preferable and in our own interest in the long term, rather than be under the control of other nations, especially USA and their overall interests?

    • phillip ure 12.1
      25 October 2014 at 11:43 am

      @ clem..that is why i am not all that reassured/comforted by the ‘it will never happen!’-claims..

      ..’cos i worry about what the fall-back position is..

      ..shd tpp as a big-deal fall over..

      ..what unilateral/sell-out deals key wd do country-to-country..

      ..that is what to look out for..

      • Clemgeopin 12.1.1
        25 October 2014 at 12:13 pm

        That is why deals like these that have far reaching implications for the country should not be done by just the party in power, but with input and at least one representative from the main opposition party too. That will represent about 47+25=72% of the population in the present parliament.

        • Colonial Rawshark 12.1.1.1
          25 October 2014 at 6:26 pm

          corporations want a single global playground that they can control and be the biggest players in. A system of bilateral agreements which preserve the dignity and sovereignty of individual nations is not preferred.

  13. greywarshark 13
    25 October 2014 at 11:33 am

    Nicky Hager’s total fund above $60,000!

  14. Clemgeopin 14
    25 October 2014 at 11:59 am

    Interesting interview with Russel Brand. The media has condemned the interview, but I thought it was very good and gutzy. Read the report and listen to the interview.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/62688630/Russell-Brand-causes-controversy-over-9-11-comments-in-TV-interview

  15. marty mars 15
    25 October 2014 at 12:17 pm

    The non-plastic Māori blog has an open letter to Taika Waititi regarding disney’s upcoming Moana movie – worth a read, pretty hard hitting but full of many truths.

    http://thenonplasticmaori.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/for-whom-the-taika-roars-an-open-letter-to-taika-waititi/

  16. Colonial Rawshark 16
    25 October 2014 at 1:19 pm

    Madrid local govt sold 5000 council houses to Wall St slum lords

    Surprise surprise, the poor and vulnerable of Madrid are now getting fucked over with rent increases and evictions, all for private hedge fund profits.

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-10-24/spanish-tenants-wake-horror-wall-street-landlord

  17. Cogito 17
    25 October 2014 at 1:39 pm

    http://www.3news.co.nz/world/stephen-harper-hid-in-closet-during-attack-2014102508#ixzz3H7184haG

    “Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was shoved into a closet…”

    Any closets at the Beehive that could be used for Key & co?

  18. annie 18
    25 October 2014 at 1:45 pm

    Why is no one referencing the elephant in the room – Hone and his staff appointments?

  19. annie 19
    25 October 2014 at 2:02 pm

    Why is no one referencing the louse in the attic – Hone and his staff appointments?

    • blue leopard 19.1
      25 October 2014 at 2:09 pm

      …well that is definately an improvement on your last comment, lol

      Perhaps commenters’ time and attention are being taken up by the recent breathtaking prevarication and shirking of responsibility of our PM, or the horrible policies being pushed through, taking away small mercies for, and collective rights of, workers, or perhaps it is the serious warmongering that is going on, or perhaps people are too concerned about the poverty and increasing wealth disparity and eroding of opportunities occurring in NZ? Or perhaps others are too taken up trying to work out how a large proportion of those who voted would re-elect a government who pursue such things?

    • joe90 19.2
      25 October 2014 at 2:12 pm

      The sewer >>>>
      //

      • annie 19.2.1
        25 October 2014 at 2:21 pm

        Why is no one referencing the louse in the sewer – Hone and his staff appointments?

        • joe90 19.2.1.1
          25 October 2014 at 2:27 pm

          If you want to discuss Hone and his staff appointments fill ya boots – the sewer’s >>>>.

        • blue leopard 19.2.1.2
          25 October 2014 at 2:27 pm

          Why are you not responding to Marty Mars or my comments and simply repeating yourself using different words?

          • marty mars 19.2.1.2.1
            25 October 2014 at 4:18 pm

            Indeed blue leopard very good question. These gnat bots are most ingenious these days. I wonder what the plural of louse is? And do louse really live in the sewer – perhaps they live on rats that live in the sewer but I have to admit it doesn’t make much sense to me.

        • Brigid 19.2.1.3
          25 October 2014 at 3:00 pm

          Maybe it’s because nobody cares to refer anybody to the odious kiwiblog.

    • Clemgeopin 19.3
      25 October 2014 at 3:05 pm

      No, just a white ant actually.

  20. Chooky 20
    25 October 2014 at 3:09 pm

    ‘Ideological Blitzkrieg – Privatization of state housing, more charter schools & more union crushing employment law’

    By Martyn Bradbury / October 25, 2014

    “Each of these areas, Charter Schools, work testing beneficiaries, privatising state housing and more antiUnion employment law are all examples of National’s ideology trumping empirical evidence, none of what they are doing here helps with child poverty, educational achievement, homelessness or safe work places….

    – See more at: http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/10/25/ideological-blitzkrieg-privatization-of-state-housing-more-charter-schools-more-union-crushing-employment-law/#sthash.ob263j8A.dpuf

  21. odysseus 21
    25 October 2014 at 3:27 pm

    Just received a nicely presented card in the mail from David Parker.
    Of note, the verbiage ( the expected aspirational stuff ) includes quotes from all of the other leadership contenders. What a nice man, got my vote for sure.

  22. joe90 22
    25 October 2014 at 3:38 pm

    This is good.

    .

    The update’s most astonishing finding: micropower now produces about one-fourth of the world’s total electricity

    […]

    For micropower as for cellphones and personal computers, the race goes to the quick—but photovoltaic power worldwide is scaling up even faster than cellphones. Advocates who assume renewables can’t do much without a breakthrough in bulk storage of electricity are in for a rude awakening.

    http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2014_10_20_micropowers_quiet_takeover

    edit: nuclear huh

    http://blog.rmi.org/Content/Images/2-micropower.png

  23. millsy 23
    25 October 2014 at 3:46 pm

    Ban now over, I just want to say that whoever wins the leadership of the NZLP. I hope they dont ditch the NZ Inc proposal. To be honest. I only voted for them because of that policy, a true example of building up not tearing down.

  24. lprent 24
    25 October 2014 at 8:15 pm

    It really really didn’t like that network card change

    Ok – that looks all ok

  25. lprent 25
    25 October 2014 at 8:17 pm

    However all ok now…

    Extra raid disk all ok…

    Off to see “dead lands”

  26. greywarshark 26
    25 October 2014 at 9:45 pm

    I was looking at a past interviews on Radionz.
    Thre was one from Reed Kroloff who is an architectural critic.
    He gave an address on recovery from difficulties – Lessons from adversity : looking at New Orleans and Detroit.

    He made a list of things to remember for rebuilding after a disaster to keep your mind focussed. I thought they definitely forced you to think. I couldn’t get access to the address. But an article in stuff showed how his experience with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has been brought to bear when considering Christchurch’s next moves. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10270645/Avoid-the-kneejerk-rebuild

    His messages were:

    1 Sympathy lasts for ten minutes.
    2 Governments don’t care, people care.
    3 Money is thicker than water.
    4 Planning is important.
    5 Stop planning already.
    6 Be prepared.
    7 Get a story.
    8 People are resilient.