Open Mike 26/04/2017

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 26th, 2017 - 95 comments
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95 comments on “Open Mike 26/04/2017 ”

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  1. Antoine 1
    26 April 2017 at 6:32 am

    Interesting article on.housing conditions:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/91799947/rental-properties-in-far-worse-condition-than-owneroccupied-homes-survey-finds

    Worth reading beyond the headline. Says the condition of housing has improved since 2010…

    A.

    • Antoine 1.1
      26 April 2017 at 10:07 am

      Another story, on rental housing. Some interesting (positive) trends…

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/91852630/eliminating-the-errors-made-by-amateur-landlords

    • greywarshark 1.2
      26 April 2017 at 10:48 am

      That first link is a bit shocking because it doesn’t refer to scientific readings, it relies on the perceptions of those visiting the houses. This from BRANZ? wtf.

      meanwhile, 12 per cent of rentals smelt mustycompared to six per cent of owned homes, and just under a third of rentals felt damp compared to 11 per cent of owner-occupied.

      I expect when being presented with definite percentages, that it is meant to be an authoritative measured statistical presentation.

    • mauī 1.3
      26 April 2017 at 10:51 am

      Well I never would have expected the condition of housing to improve in an unspecified manner over time…

      • Antoine 1.3.1
        26 April 2017 at 11:25 am

        BRANZ is pretty credible in my experience. I’d be surprised if they’d skew the scrum.

        A.

    • Sacha 1.4
      26 April 2017 at 11:17 am

      Visible mould in over half of rentals.
      Rockstar!

      • Antoine 1.4.1
        26 April 2017 at 11:35 am

        Yes the mould is not good (especially where it is extensive)

        • Sacha 1.4.1.1
          26 April 2017 at 1:07 pm

          I am surprised it’s so prevalent.

          • greywarshark 1.4.1.1.1
            27 April 2017 at 10:50 am

            Sacha
            On mould. A relative of mine who is a builder (reliable and experienced) , had to pull off Gib board in one house that he had rented out. I think he felt that the house had never been ventilated with open windows, aired when it was sunny etc. It would seem that a short course on being a ‘householder’ would be of benefit to renters, who have never had the experience of ownership and maintenance themselves. And to facilitate this, the smart, thinking landlord would put security stays on all windows. People in poor areas from which most petty criminals arise, know the reality of the statistics that poor areas suffer more from burglaries and other crimes than the wealthy. The wealthy make the biggest fuss, but losing anything when you have little money to replace, and cannot afford insurance causes bigger upsets to those poorer people.

            So two factors leading to mould that should be considered. One that people don’t understand that houses have to be aired, and get sunlight through them just like clean washing. And especially in the bathrooms, they should have extractor fans. (Better with heating with the fan, but often tenants would leave them on and raise their electricity bill needlessly if heater and fan were left on for long time.)
            And secondly, that it becomes habit possibly down the generations, to keep windows closed, partly to defend themselves against the light-fingered.

  2. Andre 2
    26 April 2017 at 6:53 am

    I would have preferred Sanders to Clinton as the Dem candidate. But he was and is still deeply flawed. Those who still think Sanders was some kind of spurned messiah would do well to remind themselves of some of the reasons he is a crap figurehead for the Dems.

    http://www.salon.com/2017/04/24/bye-bye-bernie-the-self-appointed-captain-of-the-democratic-ship-needs-to-stop-chasing-the-great-white-male/

    The Dems need to look to the future, not the past. That future should be more like Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar and Jeff Merkley and Cory Booker and the many others that need the oldies to step away from center stage and give them room to shine.

    • millsy 2.1
      26 April 2017 at 7:15 am

      Cory Booker is on record as supporting privatisation.

      • Andre 2.1.1
        26 April 2017 at 7:50 am

        Yeah, they all have some positions I disagree with. But I also think it’s worth having the argument within the Dems in order to refine and hone their arguments in support of whatever position they settle on.

    • Nick 2.2
      26 April 2017 at 9:09 am

      None of these people you listed ran in the Primary against Clinton. Sanders was 1000% better candidate for the poor and middle class, but not for the dem establishment.

    • swordfish 2.3
      26 April 2017 at 4:07 pm

      Andre

      But he was and is still deeply flawed. Those who still think Sanders was some kind of spurned messiah would do well to remind themselves of some of the reasons he is a crap figurehead for the Dems

      Ad

      25 April 2017 at 4:48 pm

      Hillary wasn’t the fresh, bold charismatic star that the Democrats needed. I sure ain’t saying Sanders or Corbyn was any of that either. All destined to be wrong, wrong, wrong.

      rhinocrates

      20 April 2017 at 2:23 pm

      Sanders would have won’ is delusional at best

      __________________________________________________________________________

      .

      (1) We know from the plethora of polls last year that Sanders performed far better than Clinton in the one-on-one match-ups with Trump (both at the national level and at the crucial swing or purple State-by-State level)

      Calculated from Real Clear Politics

      Clinton vs Trump match-ups

      Sanders vs Trump match-ups

      Monthly Average Lead

      Month ……… Clinton Leads Trump ……… Sanders Leads Trump

      2016

      May …………………..C.. + 2…………………………………S.. + 10

      April ………………….C.. + 7…………………………………S.. + 14

      March ……………….C.. + 10……………………………….S.. + 17

      February …………..C.. + 4………………………………….S.. + 8

      January ……………..C.. + 3………………………………….S.. + 15

      .

      (2) Sanders still significantly more popular with US voters than everyone else

      Latest Poll to measure Sanders’ favourability

      Fox News Poll (March 2017)

      ………………………Favourable …. Unfavourable

      Bernie Sanders……. 61% ……. ……. 32%

      Mike Pence …………. 47% …………… 43%

      Donald Trump ……….44% …………… 53%

      Elizabeth Warren …..39% …………. 31%

      Paul Ryan …………….. 37%…………… 47%

      Nancy Pelosi ………… 33% ……………50%

      Democrats in ………….32% …………….60%

      Congress

      Republicans in ………… 29% ………… 63%

      Congress

      Chuck Schumer ………..26%……………30%

      Mitch McConnell ……….20%…………..44%

      Sanders = majority favourability amongst almost all demographics (along with reasonable minority of Ideological Conservatives, White Evangelicals, Republican supporters and Trump voters)

      • Ad 2.3.1
        26 April 2017 at 4:42 pm

        Sanders didn’t have a one-on-one match up with Trump on anything.

        Would you recommend that Sanders runs against Trump in November 2020?

        • swordfish 2.3.1.1
          26 April 2017 at 6:14 pm

          “Sanders didn’t have a one-on-one match up with Trump on anything”.

          Polls, dear boy, polls. (month after month (2016) … representative samples of US voters at both the national and swing state level told Pollsters they significantly preferred Sanders over the deeply unpopular Clinton and Trump … and darn it – they still do !!!)

          Just ensuring those somewhat inconvenient little facts don’t get “inadvertently” lost amongst all the dutiful Dem Establishment rhetoric

          “Would you recommend that Sanders runs against Trump in November 2020?”.

          In a word … Nyet

  3. RedBaronCV 3
    26 April 2017 at 8:06 am

    Interesting summary of worthy economic outcomes over on pundit by Ganesh Nana

  4. Carolyn_nth 4
    26 April 2017 at 8:20 am

    Rachel Stewart takes aim at the current state of (non) democracy, and doesn’t miss:

    Enduring years and years of corporatocracy winning over democracy does that to voters. It dulls the desire to identify with any political tribe. Watching the steady drip of public wealth – think water, for a start – transferred into private hands has turned many a stomach, and a few worms. Like me.

    Then add in the homeless; families living in cars before they get put up in a motel paid for by us, in a kind of merry-go-round of false economy and galloping governmental geldings who wouldn’t know a testicle if they tripped over one.

    Because democracy should mean elected people looking after people. Instead it has morphed into elected people looking after unelected corporate interests, and themselves. They have fallen for the neo-liberal neonicotinoid. If you think bees are in trouble maybe have a good look around at the current state of humanity.

    Edit: I had to google the meaning of that unfamiliar word in the quote. Got this:

    Neonicotinoids are a relatively new class of insecticides that share a common mode of action that affect the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death.

    • Rosemary McDonald 4.1
      26 April 2017 at 9:08 am

      I’m with Rachel on this….

      “If I thought that most politicians were serving the folks who put them there, and not the powerful money grubbers who both run the world while destroying it, I’d likely enjoy giving their box a tick. As it stands, I’m leaning more towards giving them all the great, big flick.”

      and this….

      “So, democracy devotees, you can talk all you like about what your lot are going to do when they get elected but, frankly, talk is easy. You can dress up to the nines, all Soprano-esque, on the cover of a glossy magazine if you want. I won’t be swimming with your fishes.”

      I may have shared these thoughts before…I personally find it insulting when those who aspire to lead us believe we will all be swayed by PR veneer.

      • Carolyn_nth 4.1.1
        26 April 2017 at 9:50 am

        Agreed. And the article linked below in response to Danyl McLaughlan leans in the same direction – against technocrats just aiming to play the corporate-friendly PR game.

    • gsays 4.2
      26 April 2017 at 9:16 am

      Hi Carolyn, great article, she certainly doesn’t miss.
      Must say, scrolled down the page, to find stories of bachelorette, avoiding a broken penis, a 15 year old getting breast reduction….

      No wonder we seem lost, trivia trumps enlightenment any day.

  5. Karen 5
    26 April 2017 at 9:04 am

    A couple of days ago there was some discussion about the Danyl Mclauchlan review of Max Harris’s book “The New Zealand Project”. As a counter to those supporting Mclachlan’s criticism of the book is this piece in the Huffington Post:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/danyl-mclauchlan-wrong-about-max-bad-for-new-zealand_us_58fe9dbbe4b0f02c3870edca

    • Karen 5.1
      26 April 2017 at 9:27 am

      Plus there’s some clips of the wonderful Kiri Allan who I am hoping will be getting a high place on the Labour Party list.

    • Violet 5.2
      26 April 2017 at 10:51 am

      Thanks for the great link. I would have missed the best rebuttal I have read to Mclauchlan’s review, and I discovered Kiri Allan (better late than never). Both far more inspiring and hopefull than Mclauchlan. Even if not as funny.

      • Karen 5.2.1
        26 April 2017 at 11:23 am

        Mclauchlan is a very good writer – the problem with his review was that he missed the point of the book.

        • weka 5.2.1.1
          26 April 2017 at 12:29 pm

          He also seems to have ignored the elephant in the living room that is the neoliberal in Labour and why lots of voters don’t trust them.

          • Peter 5.2.1.1.1
            26 April 2017 at 3:15 pm

            ( He also seems to have ignored the elephant in the living room that is the neoliberal in Labour and why lots of voters don’t trust them.)

            I would be one of them who does not trust them.

          • Gosman 5.2.1.1.2
            26 April 2017 at 3:23 pm

            Given Corbyn is certainly not neoliberal why don’t the UK voters seem to trust the UK Labour party he leads?

            • weka 5.2.1.1.2.1
              26 April 2017 at 4:23 pm

              UK Labor have the same problem that Labour here used to have. A massive split within the party. Why would people trust them to run the country when the leader that the members elected is constantly being undermined by the centrists in the party?

              • Gosman …
                26 April 2017 at 7:41 pm

                Why didn’t Corbyn purge the party then?

                • weka …
                  27 April 2017 at 2:43 pm

                  How would I know that? Why didn’t Cunliffe? Why didn’t Little?

                • McFlock …
                  27 April 2017 at 2:56 pm

                  lol I suspect the answer is that it’s because the Labour Party (be it UK or NZ) is a democratic organisation that does not give its leader unilateral power to issue proscription lists and damnatio memorae, unlike the Stalinist edifice of a Labour Party that exists in your tory wet dreams.

          • Karen 5.2.1.1.3
            26 April 2017 at 3:53 pm

            Are you talking about Harris or Mclauchlin?

            Who of the current Labour candidates for 2017 do you consider is neoliberal? What evidence do you have that “lots of voters” don’t trust Labour because of Neoliberalism?

            • weka 5.2.1.1.3.1
              26 April 2017 at 4:21 pm

              I meant DM.

              “Who of the current Labour candidates for 2017 do you consider is neoliberal?”

              Haven’t looked closely at who is standing. My comment was more about the breach of trust from the 80s, the subsequent problems with the internal issues that Labour have had, especially in recent terms where the infighting has been obvious. I subscribe to the theory that Labour hasn’t got into govt because they have appeared incompetent and untrustworthy as a result of the L/R split and conflict in the party. Thankfully, that’s changing.

              “What evidence do you have that “lots of voters” don’t trust Labour because of Neoliberalism?”

              I didn’t say that. Explanation above.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 5.2.2
        26 April 2017 at 4:33 pm

        +1

    • rhinocrates 5.3
      26 April 2017 at 1:08 pm

      A nice closing line:

      Convincing other people that it is true involves a lot of hard work with no guarantee of success. If you’ve lost you enthusiasm for doing so, that’s fine. Just don’t dump on those who haven’t. Please.

      There’s an old ironic saying: “I couldn’t, so you mustn’t.”

  6. AsleepWhileWalking 6
    26 April 2017 at 9:06 am

    A group of 40-60 teenage criminals simply took over a train car in Oakland and robbed everyone – a sign of the great American breakdown of 2017?

    http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/BART-takeover-robbery-50-to-60-teens-swarm-11094745.php

  7. ianmac 7
    26 April 2017 at 9:15 am

    My sister is in her 80s and lives in Christchurch. Spark sent her another new wireless modem. She wasn’t sure why. Her son connected it up. Their landline phones ceased ringing. Then they discovered that their landline had been disconnected and their future modest internet use and non landline phones are also wireless.

    Is the way of the now?
    What if they had had fibre connection?

    • Carolyn_nth 7.1
      26 April 2017 at 9:25 am

      Yep – Spark is switching to an internet based system: CCN – converged communications network.

      It’s been in the news recently.

      Myself I prefer old style landlines – not so easy to hack.

      • ianmac 7.1.1
        26 April 2017 at 9:36 am

        Will the new supercede fibre? (My sister being elderly didn’t know how or why and before happilyrelied on her landline phones. Catapult springs to mind.)

        • Carolyn_nth 7.1.1.1
          26 April 2017 at 9:48 am

          I have no idea. Computer World gives more details.

          My guess is fibre cables will/could still be used. It sounds like the Spark upgrade is because they still use copper wires for their landlines: and the copper wires are becoming obsolete.

        • greywarshark 7.1.1.2
          26 April 2017 at 10:42 am

          Ianmac
          In tune with a lack of trust in our government, the direction that business interests will take when they have all our communication systems going through their equipment, I don’t see why copper should be declared obsolete and abandoned. We will lose a valuable and reliable system which is alternative to having to use some big corporation that will wield power more and more
          invasively.

      • Halfcrown 7.1.2
        26 April 2017 at 11:51 am

        “Myself I prefer old style landlines – not so easy to hack.”

        Same here. Also, you pay for the power for these phones now. No doubt the power usage will be minuscule but it still means Spark does not have to power the system for the phones. Have a power cut and you will have no phone. Not all of us have cell phones.

    • Rosemary McDonald 7.2
      26 April 2017 at 10:51 am

      “Is the way of the now?”

      Yes. Putting all our eggs in one tech basket makes no sense.

      Try buying a new vehicle that does not have electronic/computer components and ‘smart’ technology.

      I’m joining the Luddites.

    • tc 7.3
      26 April 2017 at 11:18 am

      Spark want you off copper. Chorus charges mean they cant profit by doing nothing like they used to.

      If only theyd looked after it better when they had the entire network. Don’t expect any better from vodafoney.

      • joe90 7.3.1
        26 April 2017 at 1:09 pm

        Spark want you off copper.

        They’re kicking the old system to touch and as they do so they’ll unplug the copper at their end and plug it into the new IP system.

        You’ll still have your copper to the home connection to their network.

      • rhinocrates 7.3.2
        26 April 2017 at 1:11 pm

        I’ll second that. Do NOT use Vodafone. As an ex-customer, I fully sympathise with the man in Monty Python’s Dead Parrot Sketch.

  8. Johan 8
    26 April 2017 at 10:18 am

    Interesting listening to Leighton Smith ZB at 8.42 this morning. The self-opinionated, Tory supporter, mentioned that the molestation of young girls should not be tolerated, referring in part to a certain Afghan refugee. I immediately thought of Smith’s number one hero, the serial ponytail pulling pervert from Helensville, Shonkey.

    • Morrissey 8.1
      26 April 2017 at 10:35 am

      Drop the great man a line next time you listen to him ranting, Johan. I’ve done it in the past, and elicited some hilarious on-air meltdowns.

      Here’s one of my first exchanges with him, from Monday, 10 March 2003….

      My correspondence with a genius

      After nine o’clock this morning, this writer chances on the dapper NewstalkZB “pundit” Leighton Smith talking, in rather elevated, some might say pompous, tones about his grave concern that society is suffering from an “erosion of values”. So impressed is this writer that he (i.e. moi) is moved to compose a letter to the great man, which is sent off, via e-mail, shortly before ten o’clock…..

      Dear Leighton,

      It is interesting to hear you talking this morning of your concern about the “erosion of values”.

      Just yesterday, you were defending Paul Holmes’s racist comments (“People are calling Paul Holmes a racist. Good GRIEF!”) How does defending someone who calls a black man a “cheeky darkie” show a “commitment to values”?

      And how does calling Muhammad Ali a “nigger”, as you did a couple of years ago, show a “commitment to values”?

      Yours sincerely,
      Morrissey Breen

      Shortly after, the great baritone deigns to reply!

      LEIGHTON SMITH: Coming up to, errrrr, twenty minutes to eleven. Just taking a look at the e-mails. M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-Morrissey. You’re an IDIOT. Let’s just leave it at that. To the phones now….

      And, errrr, that is it. THAT is, apparently, what NewstalkZB means by “Tune Your Mind”.

      https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/nz.general/bRF_m9NoI3g

      • greywarshark 8.1.1
        26 April 2017 at 10:58 am

        Hi Morrissey if Leighton thinks you aren’t like him and diagnoses you as an idiot person, I would like to join your gang. It seems to have a more life and mental sharpness in it than Leighton’s mob.

      • rhinocrates 8.1.2
        26 April 2017 at 1:15 pm

        Smith calls you an idiot, ah well…

        “Listen to the fool’s reproach! It is a kingly title!”

        Blake, Proverbs of Hell.

      • adam 8.1.3
        26 April 2017 at 3:10 pm

        Thanks for the good giggle Morrissey

      • mosa 8.1.4
        26 April 2017 at 9:56 pm

        Leighton Smith is a perfect example of the erosion of values he is lamenting.

        Arrogant , self serving, pompous, disrespectful wind bag who can’t tolerate an opinion that is at odds with his own warped view point.

        Then shows his contempt by personally attacking anyone who disagrees with him like in Morrissey’s case pointing out Smith’s own contradictions.

        If there is a imbecile here it’s Leighton Smith.

      • Morrissey 8.1.5
        27 April 2017 at 10:04 am

        ERRATUM:

        That exchange with the windbag Leighton Smith did not occur on Monday March 10, 2003 but on Friday October 3, 2003.

        I forgot that Google Groups automatically dates documents according to the illogical U.S. convention of month-day-year.

  9. Karen 9
    26 April 2017 at 11:19 am

    Attention Aucklanders:

    One day left to sign the Action Station petition to stop the cost cutting library reforms.

    It will be presented to Goff tomorrow.

    https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/save-our-super-city-librarians

  10. Enough is Enough 10
    26 April 2017 at 11:42 am

    So the GCSB has been caught red handed spying on Japan for none other than the USA.

    There needs to be an enquiry into this.

    • greywarshark 10.1
      26 April 2017 at 7:13 pm

      Enough is Enough
      What was that? Some of us miss out on stuff that others pick up. It’s good if you can give a link or say where it was reported.

    • Pete 11.1
      26 April 2017 at 1:51 pm

      Blunder? In what way was it a ‘blunder’? I wouldn’t trust the bugger either!

    • the Joneses 11.2
      26 April 2017 at 3:27 pm

      What annoys me is that this is a story at all.

      Are politicians a special breed of people who should not be part of random security checks?

    • RedBaronCV 11.3
      26 April 2017 at 6:48 pm

      At the request of the US – oh dear I wonder what their database has on him.

      And on another note why is the NZ taxpayer paying to search on the demands of the US. They could either simply deny boarding or search at their end . User pays you know.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 11.3.1
        26 April 2017 at 7:34 pm

        I wonder what their database has on him.

        There’s more than enough prima facie evidence in the public domain as it is.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 11.4
      26 April 2017 at 7:30 pm

      Given his reputation, who wouldn’t have McCully searched?

    • Morrissey 12.1
      27 April 2017 at 10:14 am

      Who exactly is “Netsafe” keeping safe? What right does this small and inordinately powerful group have to censor political websites?

  13. Ad 13
    26 April 2017 at 2:39 pm

    If anyone’s keen on an electric car, a few of the oil companies can see real threats to demand with all the new models coming on stream by 2020. Toyota plans to eliminate all petroleum use by 2025:

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-25/electric-car-boom-seen-triggering-peak-oil-demand-in-2030s

    • mauī 13.1
      26 April 2017 at 4:04 pm

      Sorry Ad. Where’s all that lithium going to come from to make those electric cars? How are you going to avoid completely screwing up the oil industry which would in turn screw up the electric car industry before it even got going?

      Edit: Toyota is going to eliminate all petroleum use in 10 years?? Ok… is it going to magically ship all it’s car parts by imaginary electric trucks and sail ships. Is it going to replace all the bits of plastic (which is oil) in it’s cars with wood? Wtf

      • McFlock 13.1.1
        26 April 2017 at 4:36 pm

        Actually the link said “But battery prices are dropping by about 20 percent a year, and automakers have been spending billions to electrify their fleets. Volkswagen AG is targeting 25 percent of its sales to be electric by 2025. Toyota Motor Corp. plans to phase out fossil fuels altogether by 2050.“(my bold)

        In the context of that paragraph, it looks like they’re just going to be selling electric cars in 2050. Maybe they’ll use starch as the base molecule for fittings and other plastics, but that’s not clear as the rest of the paragraph seems to be talking about their production fleets.

        • David Mac 13.1.1.1
          26 April 2017 at 8:34 pm

          I assumed Toyota are talking about dropping internal combustion engines by 2050. There are so many petroleum based products in a modern car, we can’t get away from it entirely. Unlike burning oil, these components can be recycled into other functional items.

          The world uses about 85 million barrels of oil a day. We burn 87% of it, exhaust it into the atmosphere. All of the plastic based products we make in the world. Coke bottles, t-shirts, computer bodies, car dashboards, the lot. It accounts for 4% of oil used. Given the recycling aspect, not entirely sustainable but the numbers make for a much happier Mother Earth.

          The race for a superior battery is one of the grandest corporate pursuits of our time. The prize is huge. Henry Ford…..Bill Gates…..then the builder of a better battery. Lithium? Ha, quaint old fashioned tech. I’m running a 25 eel tank in my electric car. Costs me a tub of fish food every shopping day.

          • McFlock 13.1.1.1.1
            26 April 2017 at 10:25 pm

            lol

            but yeah, as soon as the energy density of batteries – and a few things like charge time – hits a threshold, corporate fleets will go electric. Then the petrol car will go the way of the phonograph or loom. Kept around by specialists/purists/the occasional fashionista, but ignored by everyone else.

            • David Mac 13.1.1.1.1.1
              26 April 2017 at 11:02 pm

              Yep, the stone age didn’t end because they ran out of rocks.

              Our grandchildren will be rummaging through our barns and exclaim ‘Oh my God, is that a Pajero?’

              I like the internal combustion engine so much, I’m likely to hang onto a piece of fruit to drive on the few special allocated roads, pay the $1000 a year the sticker on the windscreen costs me, the $500 to fill it up….ahhhh to hell with it, Wotcha got Mr Tesla, can I trade a 69 Bathurst Monaro?….A lousy 3 grand!… I’d hang on too long.

      • Draco T Bastard 13.1.2
        26 April 2017 at 11:59 pm

        Where’s all that lithium going to come from to make those electric cars?

        Super-fast charging aluminium batteries ready to take on lithium
        New aluminum air battery could blow past lithium-ion, runs on water

        How are you going to avoid completely screwing up the oil industry which would in turn screw up the electric car industry before it even got going?

        The faster we screw the oil industry up the better.

  14. Ad 14
    26 April 2017 at 4:38 pm

    I’m sure NZTA’s alliance are spitting blood and $$ overrun penalties about it, but the longer this Waterview construction gets delayed, the more Prime Minister English gets to use it as an election-year orgasm:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11845437

  15. McFlock 15
    26 April 2017 at 4:39 pm

    I’ve been keeping a wee eye on the wikipedia page on opinion polling for the UK election. Nice graphical summary of the polls. It does seem that the conservatives are waxing at the expense of UKIP, which is a slight improvement. Labour still too early to tell, but its slide seems to have plateaud.

    Again, and indirect measure at best in FPP.

  16. katipo 16
    26 April 2017 at 6:17 pm

    War is hell for ….. Politicians in flak Jackets…

    Trump Son in law Jared Kushner is only the latest politico to look like a doof….

    ……The flak jacket, as a basic sop to safety and context, is less intrusive than a helmet. But it was far from unobtrusive during New Zealand Prime Minister John Key’s 2015 visit to Camp Taji, located just north of Baghdad. He paired the garment with a gray button-down, tan pants, and a baseball cap. The brown flak jacket emphasized the length of his untucked shirtfront. While the outfit did not imply that Key was a soldier, it did suggest that he was in some danger: Why else would he be wearing the flak jacket?

    http://www.racked.com/2017/4/25/15422992/flak-jacket-politicians-kushner