Open mike 26/04/2011

57 comments on “Open mike 26/04/2011 ”

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1. Tigger 1

   26 April 2011 at 7:22 am

   Cue shouting down from the righties but I’m blaming National for this…
   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4925261/Police-mayhem-three-crashes-a-day
   Not only has Collins overseen this increase but ultimately what is reckless driving about?  Lack of care, lack of respect.  It’s a direct result of the government we’re living under, a government that doesn’t care about anyone but itself (and it’s mates), one that doesn’t respect diversity, one that is actively encouraging inequality.
   This is the society you’ve created Mr Key.  Congratulations.  As for the rest of you who voted for these people – it’s your fault.  Now wake up.
   • The Voice of Reason 1.1

     26 April 2011 at 7:33 am

     Well, Crusher Collins did promise that lots of high powered cars driven by adrenaline fuelled young people would be taken off the roads. I assumed she meant boy racers, but obviously not.
     • ZeeBop 1.1.1

       26 April 2011 at 8:03 am

       People who waste money on oil still have the buying power to do so, this is a shrinking set of people. And it\’s set to worse since as there is too much money chasing too few assets globally, and too much debt much of which is being taken on by by global governments. The perfect storm is already on its way, America printing of money will be inflationary for all the world, and even if oil prices were to drop the ability of people to afford but it will increase. So the only real reason for boy racers is stupidity and criminality. The need to shake people to sell up and move, gangs targeting suburbs that they see as potential, or drug dealers who need to be noticed and justify the cost of driving around to their clients. But the problem is this is not like any depression before, there is a population problem, people need to eat, so government will have to forcible get food to the people, and gangs will go legal or become threats to the nation state. Parasitical organism in nature only survive if the host species survives. So the wealthy will do everything they can to get food and freedom to their people, those that fail will go to the wall like so many Arab regimes are. So just dob in the noisy cars so our security services can build up a map of the gangs associates when the collapse in oil prices, that fewer and fewer will be able to afford. Oh, and wave at the people in the noisy cars to thank them for showing themselves. A fool is born every minute I\’m told.
       • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1

         26 April 2011 at 1:56 pm

         I read that and I’m still not sure if you had a point. Try using paragraphs to separate and structure your topics.
   • PeteG 1.2

     26 April 2011 at 7:44 am

     Check statistics.Total convictions for dangerous/reckless driving:
     2000  1329
     2008  2993

     What sort of society was created when?
     • joe90 1.2.1

       26 April 2011 at 10:11 am

       What sort of society was created when?

       A 10% reduction in fleet numbers which resulted in highway patrol units being used as I cars.
   • PeteG 1.3

     26 April 2011 at 1:36 pm

     Not only has Collins overseen this increase but ultimately what is reckless driving about?  Lack of care, lack of respect.  It’s a direct result of the government we’re living under

     Has she overseen this? Better-behaved drivers keep road toll down
     • Colonial Viper 1.3.1

       26 April 2011 at 1:45 pm

       Has she overseen this? Better-behaved drivers keep road toll down

       Uh, you figured that Collins’ is responsible for one better than normal weekend?

       OK, I’ll bite, what exactly did she do at the start of last week which made this happen then.
       • PeteG 1.3.1.1

         26 April 2011 at 2:57 pm

         No, I didn’t figure that. It may not have been clear, I have been having problems with the anti-spam being accepted and after multiple attempts missed putting quotes on the first paragraph.
          
         I was having a wee dig at Tigger’s first post of the day blaming National, Collins and Key for three crashes in a day. If they are to blame for one-off bad news then they must deserve credit for the better news.
         • felix 1.3.1.1.1

           26 April 2011 at 4:36 pm

           Pete the liar.

           The article Tigger linked to does not, as you claim, refer to a particular day with three crashes.

           It says:

           Police cars are involved in more than twice as many crashes as they were  six years ago – now having nearly three accidents a day.

           That obviously refers to an average number of crashes per day. But you inserted the “a” into your sentence to make it look like your example and Tigger’s link were referring to the same type of one-off event.
            
           How very dishonest of you, Pete.

           Yet another example of Pete being caught out making a stupid statement and then trying to lie his way out of it.
2. M 2

   26 April 2011 at 8:43 am

   Noam Chomsky on ‘Who Owns the World’ and ‘Too Big to Fail’

   The U.S. and Europe are united in punishing Iran for its threat to stability, but it is useful to recall how isolated they are. The nonaligned countries have vigorously supported Iran’s right to enrich uranium. In the region, Arab public opinion even strongly favors Iranian nuclear weapons. The major regional power, Turkey, voted against the latest U.S.-initiated sanctions motion in the Security Council, along with Brazil, the most admired country of the South. Their disobedience led to sharp censure, not for the first time: Turkey had been bitterly condemned in 2003 when the government followed the will of 95% of the population and refused to participate in the invasion of Iraq, thus demonstrating its weak grasp of democracy, western-style.

   and
    

    While the U.S. can tolerate Turkish disobedience, though with dismay, China is harder to ignore. The press warns that “China’s investors and traders are now filling a vacuum in Iran as businesses from many other nations, especially in Europe, pull out,” and in particular, is expanding its dominant role in Iran’s energy industries. Washington is reacting with a touch of desperation. The State Department warned China that if it wants to be accepted in the international community — a technical term referring to the U.S. and whoever happens to agree with it — then it must not “skirt and evade international responsibilities, [which] are clear”: namely, follow U.S. orders. China is unlikely to be impressed.

   http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175382/tomgram%3A_noam_chomsky%2C_who_owns_the_world/
    
    
    
   • Draco T Bastard 2.1

     26 April 2011 at 2:05 pm

     The U.S. and Europe are united in punishing Iran for its threat to stability,

     Which, of course, means that the US and Europe are punishing Iran for being a threat to their (or, more likely, the US’s) hegemony.
     • Colonial Viper 2.1.1

       26 April 2011 at 2:11 pm

       Its curious when you think that the biggest threat to US hegemony in the coming decade is the US.
   • Vicky32 2.2

     26 April 2011 at 6:30 pm

     My giddy aunt! Thanks, M for that…
     Vicky
3. Carol 3

   26 April 2011 at 9:19 am

   So Key is quick to rule in working with a Brash-led Act Party:
    

   Prime Minister John Key says Don Brash is a political extremist but is not ruling out working with him – either as ACT leader or under the banner of a new party.
    
   ….
   Key said there would always be “a number of parties that throw their hat in the ring” in an election year and National was not concerned about them splitting the right wing vote.
    
   “From National’s perspective we are in a different space. We very much see ourselves as a centre-right party. We are not a political party that follows an extreme right wing doctrine. Whether that’s in the form of a new political party, that’s a matter for whatever that party might be called and their leader.”
   …
   Key previously ruled out ACT MP Sir Roger Douglas as a member of his Cabinet, saying he was too extremist. But he would not be drawn on whether Brash was also too extreme for a National government.

   “Ah look we’ll worry about that when…for a start of there’s an issue about whether he ultimately becomes the leader of the ACT party or whether he ultimately gets back into Parliament.”

    
   And yet he was quick to rule NZ First/Peters out?  And Key hasn’t said anything about Brash being a National Party member & not an Act member?  So should we read this as a National Party attempted take-over of Act (in spite of Key protesting National is a centrist party unlike Act), rather than just a leadership challenge within Act?
   • Tigger 3.1

     26 April 2011 at 9:43 am

     This isn’t National taking over ACT.  It’s just the opposite.  ACT has being poisoning National for years.  Key is an ACT MP in National drag.  So was Brash.  Brash is just coming finally out of the closet.
     • KJT 3.1.1

       26 April 2011 at 10:30 am

       Key, like Brash, is a sock puppet for the money interests who are stealing from us. Brash was sacked and replaced by the more charismatic and sensible sounding Key. Make no mistake though, the agenda remains the same.
        
       http://kjt-kt.blogspot.com/2011/02/neo-liberal-promise.html
       • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.1

         26 April 2011 at 2:19 pm

         “Privatising public services will result in cheaper and better services”.
         Yeah right. Like the US health system. Our rapidly dropping power prices.

         It’s about the Money, not the philosophy
         Specifically, transferring our money to the rich.
   • Draco T Bastard 3.2

     26 April 2011 at 2:14 pm

     We very much see ourselves as a centre-right party.

     Well, that’s what they say. Of course, what they say isn’t actually related to reality. National are a hard right authoritarian party and that was in 2008 when they promised to keep a lot of Labours centre-right policies.

     And yet he was quick to rule NZ First/Peters out?

     Of course he was. NZ1st is actually more to the left than Labour (although more authoritarian) and if they aren’t going to work with Labour they sure as hell won’t work with NZ1st.
      
4. PeteG 4

   26 April 2011 at 9:27 am

   It is not “a leadership challenge within Act”, it’s a leadership challenge with or without Act. More like a takeover bid by the Big Money Rules Party.
    
   Brash and Peters are quite different – Peters has proven to be dishonest, Brash may be a nong but he’s being an upfront and honest (and arrogant) nong.
   • Carol 4.1

     26 April 2011 at 9:46 am

     Brash and Peters are quite different – Peters has proven to be dishonest, Brash may be a nong but he’s being an upfront and honest (and arrogant) nong.
     As Bomber posted this morning, Brash is a known liar and distorter of his, and his backers’, real agenda.
      

     The Hollow Men tells us that National under Don Brash knew who the donors in anonymous trusts were and were aware of secret funding campaigns by religious fanatics while having a plan of denial ready if that information ever saw the light of day. There were also a small bunch of rich right wing ideologues with links to America’s far right who were creating secret agendas for Don Brash and let’s not forget the out right lies and deceit used to hide this “secret right wing agenda” (their words not mine). What about the Maaaaaori get too much racially divisive racist crap where National KNEW what they were saying was bullshit and concocted a story to throw the media off the scent when that bullshit was detected?
   • M 4.2

     26 April 2011 at 10:01 am

     Brash honest? Just ask his two ex-wives about that.
     • Colonial Viper 4.2.1

       26 April 2011 at 2:02 pm

       Wha…? I guess we now know how low PeteG’s standards for “honesty” actually are.
   • mickysavage 4.3

     26 April 2011 at 10:16 am

     I see PeteG you have still not read “the Hollow Men”. Go on, educate yourself.
   • ianmac 4.4

     26 April 2011 at 10:25 am

     Pete. Always interested in the repetition that Peters is dishonest. (Part of your role of course.) But Key has been known to lie.  Ask Key about the National donations from their Trust and he/they deny all knowledge. Yeah right!
     Just what are the lies that Peters has been accused of?
   • KJT 4.5

     26 April 2011 at 10:32 am

     Peters is honest compared to most politicians. Including thieves like Douglas, Brash and Key. Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story though.
5. logie97 5

   26 April 2011 at 9:36 am

   And in the meantime a few older sporting personalities who are involved in the corporate world are being shoulder tapped for ACT.  
   After this morning’s interview with the Party Chairman by Kathryn Ryan, who would want to be aligning with ACT right now.
   • ianmac 5.1

     26 April 2011 at 10:30 am

     Or shoulder tapped by National since, like any College, a member of the first XV must be kosher. Always clever and honest and moral. (Cough cough.)
     • logie97 5.1.1

       26 April 2011 at 12:10 pm

       Understand they could be interested in a former “Coast to Coast” champion.  Perhaps they think he will capture the votes from Greymouth to Waimakariri.

       captcha: rapid (s)
6. Tigger 6

   26 April 2011 at 10:32 am

   Wow, the Queen really is concerned about us…I know this because Key tells me so.  He knows because he’s in tight with her, they’re even gonna have lunch.
   “This will be an opportunity to update her on Christchurch. I know that she is very concerned…and she will be interested in how the rebuilding phase is going and the heart and health of the people in Canterbury.
   “I know she will always want to have an update about the Pike River mine families. She is very concerned about those 29 families”
   So much concern.  Let’s not become a republic after all!
7. joe90 7

   26 April 2011 at 10:37 am

   From 2006, the management myth.

   He offered to double the workers’ wages in exchange for their participation in an experiment. The Hungarians, eager to impress their apparent benefactor, put on a spirited show. Huffing up and down the rail car ramps, they loaded sixteen and a half tons in something under fourteen minutes. Taylor did the math: over a ten-hour day, it worked out to seventy-five tons per day per man. Naturally, he had to allow time for bathroom breaks, lunch, and rest periods, so he adjusted the figure approximately 40 percent downward. Henceforth, each laborer in the yard was assigned to load forty-seven and a half pig tons per day, with bonus pay for reaching the target and penalties for failing.

   When the Hungarians realized that they were being asked to quadruple their previous daily workload, they howled and refused to work. So Taylor found a “high-priced man,” a lean Pennsylvania Dutchman whose intelligence he compared to that of an ox. Lured by the promise of a 60 percent increase in wages, from $1.15 to a whopping $1.85 a day, Taylor’s high-priced man loaded forty-five and three-quarters tons over the course of a grueling day—close enough, in Taylor’s mind, to count as the first victory for the methods of modern management.
   • Draco T Bastard 7.1

     26 April 2011 at 3:22 pm

     Hah, that was good and well worth reading (being one of the people who actually has some of this “management training”) 😀
      
8. Carol 8

   26 April 2011 at 11:36 am

   On Nine-to-Noon, Hooton has identified Tamaki as the elctorate that Brash is likely to stand in.
9. logie97 9

   26 April 2011 at 12:05 pm

   Treasury Forecasts.

   Why are these “opinions” held up as some form of authority on which to base policy.

   Apparently in 2005 “Treasury” advised government that the RWC would see a tax payer input of $75 million.  Today the forecast is $266. (Don’t you just love the precise 266 when the forecast itself was out by nearly 200).

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10721530 

   So the next time we hear English or Key or Goff et al use “Treasury forecasts”, think of Ken Ring and his forecasts. 

   captcha: believing
10. Colonial Viper 10

    26 April 2011 at 12:55 pm

    Half a billion dollar world cup deficit
     
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10721530
     

    According to the Herald count, New Zealand’s ratepayers will provide $288 million of the funding.

    Apparently we can’t help the elderly clean their houses, or afford to give those on the minimum wage a decent increase, but we can blowout a $500M deficit on the RWC, with much of the remaining income going to a few select groups of people e.g. international sponsors.
     
    What a crock.
    • higherstandard 10.1

      26 April 2011 at 1:34 pm

      I called it when the government went after the world cup, it’s all about the agrandisement of the IRB and top bods at the rugby union – what a fucking waste of money.
      • Draco T Bastard 10.1.1

        26 April 2011 at 3:26 pm

        That’s something we can agree on HS.
        • Herodotus 10.1.1.1

          26 April 2011 at 4:45 pm

          Just as well we do not have a new stadium in Auckland to also include. Perhaps those who benefit from this event can contribute a little more out of their goodwill. e.g. Those increasing there room rates from $35/day to$350/day, or those in the hospitality field that will also benefit?
          I hope the IRD are onto it regarding those renting our their homes for the event. Still we do get a plastic fantasic boat out of it for $2m, whilst elsewhere we part paid for another boat for $34m.
          This event has already stuffed up the school year. For what? 3 games to be played over 2 weekends, and these are to take place in our evening.
          With both nat and lab involved just listen to the void as both are culpable.
11. the pink postman 11

    26 April 2011 at 4:03 pm

    editor The anti -spam word is being rejected thre attemps somfar
    • felix 11.1

      26 April 2011 at 4:18 pm

      Perhaps it doesn’t like your spelling…
      • Tigger 11.1.1

        26 April 2011 at 4:21 pm

        Or punctuation.  Or random use of capitals.
        Sorry PP, but your post was literally a sitting duck…
      • the pink postman 11.1.2

        28 April 2011 at 3:10 pm

        Sorry about this it was a computer blimp plus forgetting to editor the post. This is something that happens when you are over 80yrs as I am.
        You may be lucky and find out one day .
12. Olwyn 12

    26 April 2011 at 4:27 pm

    Margaret of K Road died last night:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4927850/Well-known-street-woman-dies
     
    RIP Margaret. K Road will not be the same without you.
    • Vicky32 12.1

      26 April 2011 at 6:53 pm

      I just heard about that on the news, Olwyn… Very sad!
13. joe90 13

    26 April 2011 at 4:31 pm

    No matter how hard you tried you couldn’t make this shit up.

    Well it’s the left; it’s this culture of death. The far-left is livid about killing babies. They want to kill do this, they want to destroy. You go back, and I don’t want to play all this psychological stuff but nevertheless, if a woman is a lesbian, what advantage does she have over a married woman? Or what deficiency does she have?
14. todd 14

    26 April 2011 at 5:04 pm

    Little Blues Found Dead on East Coast

    http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2011/04/little-blues-found-dead-on-east-coast.html

    At least thirteen dead Little Blue Penguins have been found on the East Coast within 200 metres of each other. They washed up yesterday in Waihau Bay, which is located adjacent to Petrobras’ seismic testing zone. Coincidence? I don’t think so. With no storms that could account for the deaths, DOC is reported to be uninterested and will apparently not investigate.
     
     
15. ianmac 15

    26 April 2011 at 5:38 pm

    Good news from Avaaz.org”

    “Two weeks ago, more than 500,000 Avaaz members from around the world called on President Obama to end the brutal isolation and inhumane treatment of Bradley Manning, the alleged source of leaked cables publicized by Wikileaks. Just days later, the US government bowed to mounting pressure and announced that Manning would be transferred to a medium-security prison and receive proper mental health treatment, and members of the press were invited to verify that his torture had ended. Public pressure worked! ”
16. Vicky32 16

    26 April 2011 at 6:36 pm

    I just heard an item on 3 News, and so I turned to look. A street vagrant called Margaret, who used to hang out on K Rd and ask passers-by for money and cigarettes, died last night. I saw I recognised her, and had encoutered her. The reporter mentioned that she used to abuse people who refused her, and I have to say that although I am sure that’s true, she never abused me! (Mind, I wouldn’t always refuse her..) She had a very sad life! R.I.P., Margaret.
    • Olwyn 16.1

      26 April 2011 at 8:52 pm

      She has not been 100% well since she took a fall last year and spent some time in hospital with a broken arm. I have been told that her funeral will be at the Baptist tabernacle off K Road at 10am next Tuesday, and I have also been told that there will be a memorial service for her. Neither from official sources. So I will let you know, Vicky, when I can confirm. Margaret just was who she was, and I will miss seeing her and having a little chat as I go about my business.
      • Vicky32 16.1.1

        27 April 2011 at 5:54 pm

        Thank you, Olwyn! That’s interesting news…
        Vick
17. felix 17

    26 April 2011 at 9:18 pm

    Lynn can we go back to the old comment system please? There was nothing wrong with it that I could tell, whereas this one seems to be developing new problems daily.
    • lprent 17.1

      26 April 2011 at 9:19 pm

      Yeah, good idea. I’ll turn it off. It’s off.

      I’ll do some work to get it so that it can be turned on if people want it.
      • felix 17.1.1

        27 April 2011 at 9:34 am

        Oh joy, I can use the TAB key again! Thanks Lynn!
18. Anne 18

    26 April 2011 at 9:39 pm

    Can’t comment on IB’s latest post. Won’t accept anti-spam. Keeps telling me I’ve got it wrong and I aint got it wrong!
    • Colonial Viper 18.1

      26 April 2011 at 9:42 pm

      Maybe refresh when you go to enter your comment again (to get the current anti-spam word), instead of just pushing “Back”
      • Anne 18.1.1

        27 April 2011 at 7:44 pm

        Just seen your reponse CV. Worked that one out long ago. Nah… think it was playing silly buggers. Blame lPrent 😉
19. Armchair Critic 19

    26 April 2011 at 10:03 pm

    I can’t believe Australia got a holiday today and we didn’t. Catching up? Yeah, right.

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