Open mike 26/09/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:23 am, September 26th, 2013 - 88 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step right up to the mike…

88 comments on “Open mike 26/09/2013 ”

  1. Sanctuary 1

    I see the Herald’s editorial writers are now spluttering about politicians actually running the country rather than leaving it to faceless technocrats in the reserve bank. There is a consistant anti-democratic theme in the Herald’s editorials – democracy can only be allowed if it doesn’t change the existing elite structures in NZ.

  2. North 2

    Today’s Open Mike popped up while I was busy below:

    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-25092013/#comment-701714

  3. Belladonna 3

    Finding it difficult to access this site. It states Reason: Exceeded the maximum global requests per minute for crawlers or humans. This is untrue – could it be Matthew Hooton or some other reason!!

    [lprent: Thanks I’d left that at 3 per minute froma single source while I was diagnosing the outages yesterday. Reset back to 15 per minute. ]

  4. karol 5

    Hahahahah!

    Very good post by Andrew Geddis on yesterday’s NZ Herald anonymous editorial. It begins:

    Some nameless person at the New Zealand Herald thinks either Labour or the Greens are going to have to support National after the 2014 election. And that person gets a salary to write this sort of stuff!

    I don’t normally read anonymous postings on the internet, but yesterday’s NZ Herald editorial about the prospect of a “coalition of the losers” government forming post 2014 has been brought to my attention. It’s a topic that both Tim Watkin and I have posted on before, but the Herald’s treatment of it is so annoying that I’m revisiting it in a cut-paste-and-comment format.

  5. greywarbler 6

    There is discussion about investing in NZ enterprise and the Americas Cup great effort is an example of what we can do. We didn’t win but we were only about 50 seconds behind and the boat didn’t split in half.

    We should be doing more ground breaking innovative stuff. We might even get a winning boat – or better make one that is sea-breaking for transporting our produce and carrying passengers when the price goes up on present transport.

    What about encouraging investors to put 10% of their investments into new development and rising stars. Fun, excitement, being close to the action with regular updates on what may be happening in their portfolios. Investors made to feel important, and knowing there are risks but that they are up there with the smart ones who actually are exploring new products and ideas with a commercial promise. Get togethers with nibbles and large screens about ground-breaking stuff that we are attempting, doing, and what is being done internationally. Know more than your average NZr.

    Get that excitement that people have felt about yachting and insert it into the country’s development, draw up rational scenarios and pilot plans, and light the touchpaper.

  6. aerobubble 7

    Ten thoughts….
    i.) Put an Australia, a Brit, some US and NZer’s up against Team NZ and they win, sure isn’t that always the way? The wider the pool of talent and money wins.
    ii.) 8 straight wins with two highly competitive boats, okay no that can happen, sure, its not like team NZ almost capsized, money has been know to buy…
    iii.) Relief, America’s cup not going to Littleton.
    iv.) The history of the America Cup is the history of rich rule twisting,
    v.) WTF, a two point advantage, what were they trying to do, scruple team NZ by given Team USA a man down, its well known in football that a man down spurs the team to victory.
    vi.) Ooops, sorry Key no 3% bounce.
    vii.) Wow, those boats were mostly built in NZ,
    viii.) As an expat living in NZ, I’m proud of my country men, and NZ for building boats to win in.
    ix.) What no women on board?
    x.) Why are these boats so expensive, had they been cheaper, there could be catamaran races all over the world? Those boats rock, and the rules would be able to be altered to maximize their coolness.

  7. Chooky 8

    +1 Greywarbler….Great racing and great sport.!…seems like American aeronautics stablising technology won in the end though

    ….and all the more important why we should putting more investment into R&D, ICT and protecting intellectual copyright…… and not allowing it to be traded away with the TTPA.

    • bad12 8.1

      Here i was thinking that TeamNZ was slowed down by the weight of all that filthy lucre, i could of sworn i heard the sound of screeching brakes in one of the races as Dean and the crew overtook the opposition boat,

      Looking at the specs tho shows that Aotearoa aint fitted with brakes so we will just have to take it as Dean said, that it was a ‘mistake’ to not continue with the overtaking instead tacking off into bad air…

      • Chooky 8.1.1

        @bad12….yes it was a weird mistake…but I guess hindsight is not foresight?….but it still seemed a weird tack when one is speeding ahead at terrific rate of knots and seems to be winning (to amateurs at least)

        ….the one good thing about all this is that John key and Joyce don’t get their mugshots taken with the cup!….smile

        • bad12 8.1.1.1

          Considering all the other ‘mistakes’ and trying not to be too critical, it would appear that either Dean aint the sailor everyone thinks He is, or…

          Was interesting to listen to the bloke that built the American boat, He said on TV3 News tonight that the aero-nautical foiling gear was on the boat from the time it was built, makes me wonder how after all those months of testing that boat suddenly grew wings for the 2nd half of the regatta,

          i have to ask myself if i was paid a million to win that cup how much would it take to make me lose it…

          • Chooky 8.1.1.1.1

            @bad 12…now you are getting confusing……It was fun in the first half ….and ‘all at sea’ and lots of ‘silly mistakes’ in the second half …..plus a big aeroplane booster gidget came into play…the hidden technological wizardry brought out by the Oracle multi billionaire…..

            …although I prefer yachting races to rugby…. I certainly wouldn’t gamble on this one ….however I know one mad coot who is kicking himself he didnt….but hindsight is all (unless of course one has foresight)

            • bad12 8.1.1.1.1.1

              i blame myself, ,my guilt therefore knows no bounds,(snigger), i commented the other week that their boat was a lemon and they couldn’t sail it for s**t,

              After that they won all the races…

  8. fender 9

    I wonder if John Key also goes by the name Darrell Read

    • Rogue Trooper 9.1

      Homegrown Fraudsters; we learn them well, and then they become bankers or Tory politicians.

  9. tracey 10

    Auckland council is talking about ways to honour team nz. As a ratepayer can I just say NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    they lost. They gave it their best shot… or is the idea for ratepayers to fork out for it so crowds will spend money in queen st? If thats the reason alex swny can pay.

    • amirite 10.1

      +1 I mean, what the fuck? They lost, that’s it, go away.

    • bad12 10.2

      Just watched ‘the Hairdo’ speaking in the Parliament with a motion of praise for ‘TeamNZ$’, time to regroup and get together an even better team says wee Petey,

      i take that as code for lets toss even more of the taxpayers cash into the abyss, meanwhile in South Auckland another family moved into the garage out the back of a cousins place because of the dire shortage of State Houses…

    • millsy 10.3

      Time for Messiah-boy to rule out any contribution to ETNZ for another challenge.

  10. amirite 11

    Maryan Street has withdrawn her voluntary Euthanasia bill. Understandable, because in the election year the Right would jump on it like rabid dogs, and we’d be hearing of Labour’s termination camps for the elderly and similar rubbish to no end.

    • bad12 11.1

      Yes extremely divisive, Slippery the PM is actually a supporter of euthanasia, one ex Australian Head of State actually went so far as to state He supports it as those wanting to euthanize were at the end of their useful economic life…

  11. Bob 12

    Just saw a great comment on stuff about Climate Change and thought I would share it here: “Why do so many who believe the Science on Global Warming deny the Science on Nuclear power, Fracking and Genetic Engineering? All the arguments on Scientific consensus, peer review, weight of evidence and data cherry picking work both ways. Either show consistency or accept others rights to the freedom of enquiry.”

    • bad12 12.1

      Fukishima, Chernyobel, 3 Mile Island, safe as houses…

      • jaymam 12.1.1

        Well hardly anyone died in those accidents, while millions of people die of cold because we don’t have enough global warming and they can’t afford the increased power prices due to the carbon taxes! 🙂

      • Chooky 12.1.2

        @bad 12….re “safe as houses”

        NZ butter went funny about the time of the 3 Mile Island….i think the Yanks exported it here and we called it ‘2 Flags’….housewives were complaining all over the country that their cakes were turning out funny….even although they had been using the same recipes for years….meanwhile back at 3 Mile Island cows were lying down with their legs in the air….and a lot of people felt a wee bit sick and were queuing up at the hospitals

        ….the Russians refused the butter and said the Americans should eat their own butter

        ….there was a film festival doco on it at the time….and that was around about the time we switched to margarine….

    • Molly 12.2

      There is overwhelming consistency on scientific review on Climate Change – the main discrepancy is in the reporting and media space…. and the constant repetition of that 3% by comments such as yours.

      By “Science on Nuclear power, fracking and genetic engineering” I guess you mean scientific studies on the safety of those three. Given the lack of impartiality of most of those studies, and their limited scope it is of no surprise to me that independent scientists think their conclusions are misguided.

      Your call for consistency is admirable, you need to apply it to your examples.

  12. jaymam 14

    John Key has been ridiculed as a “galloping colonial clot” for his photo shoot with the royal family in Balmoral:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9213754/Keys-royal-snaps-ruffle-feathers

    • felix 14.1

      One of the people in that photo looks very, very happy to be seen with the other.

      Only one, mind.

      And the newspaper was merciless in its description of New Zealand’s 38th Prime Minister.

      “He is totally chuffed to bits, glowing nuclear pink with pleasure, at being snapped with the Queen in her private sitting room.

      “She, on the other hand, has her head bowed, deep in thought. Perhaps she is having second thoughts about letting this galloping colonial clot through the front door?” the Daily Mail reported.

      The Daily Mail said Key sounded like he was filing a report for TripAdvisor when he wrote “They were extremely generous hosts and we had a fantastic weekend.”

      Didn’t take long for the British press to get the measure of him. What’s taking our lot so long?

      • bad12 14.1.1

        Lolz, Parliaments question time will be a treat of questions about Galloping Colonial Clots when Slippery gets back from the gallivant,

        Pity there’s a 2 week recess coming up…

    • RedBaronCV 14.2

      They stuff the corgis after they have finished with them???? Made my day.. Is this the fate of all their visitors when they reach the end of the line..

  13. dv 15

    JAYMAN
    >>Well hardly anyone died in those accidents
    FUKISHIMA
    news.discovery.com/…/fukushima-radioactive-plume-reach-us-130901.h…‎
    Sep 1, 2013 – The known death toll came to 15,848 with 3,305 missing

    15,848 with 3,305 missing

    CHERNOBYL
    http://www.globalresearch.ca/new-book-concludes-chernobyl-death-toll-985-000-mostly-from-cancer/20908

    985,000

    Glad it was only a few Jayman

    • jaymam 15.1

      Well that’s the Russians for you. The Yanks and Brits know how to build them properly.
      Any other strawmen you’d like me to put up for you?

      • The Al1en 15.1.1

        They just don’t know how to decommission, how much it costs to decommission, how to fund decommission or how to safely store contaminants that remain deadly toxic for many thousands of years.

        While waiting for ultra efficient green energy sources, the smartest money is on building shit loads of wind turbines in the meantime, which to some may look unsightly, but as nimby arguments go, much less tumour inducing and easily removed.

      • McFlock 15.1.2

        Um – Fukushima reactors number 1,2 and 6 were supplied by General Electric.

        What was that about the Yanks building them properly?

        • jaymam 15.1.2.1

          You’d better find someone else to argue with. While I am trained in nuclear physics, I don’t like any of the current reactor designs. And nuclear is probably never an option for NZ. I like tidal and hydro and geothermal power. I’d like to go off the grid one day.

          • Rogue Trooper 15.1.2.1.1

            just how “trained” exactly.

          • The Al1en 15.1.2.1.2

            “You’d better find someone else to argue with”

            Because you can’t back up comments like “hardly anyone died in those accidents, while millions of people die of cold because we don’t have enough global warming”

            “I am trained in nuclear physics”

            And you can’t spell I’m a qualified fu*ktard and retarded climate change denier

            • jaymam 15.1.2.1.2.1

              You fool – you mised the 🙂 in message 12.1.1, where I was pretending to be a nuke proponent.
              I did do nuclear physics for my science degree, and I have worked on a couple of nuclear accelerators and much engineering. I know how things can go wrong.
              P.S. there are no climate change deniers. Nobody denies climate change.

              • The Al1en

                If you say you were pretending to be a nuke proponent, and the 🙂 is an indicator of this, then I guess I have to take you at your word.

                Next time I use the climate change denier tag I’ll be sure to preface it with ‘man made’ to avoid any misunderstanding, because we all know they exist.

        • Colonial Viper 15.1.2.2

          What was that about the Yanks building them properly?

          These designs date back to the start of the Vietnam War. And the Japanese operator has been cutting corners on operation and maintenance. Well, not so much cutting corners as simply lopping off whole limbs.

          • jaymam 15.1.2.2.1

            They all cut corners – the French have been caught falsifying fuel rod mesurements, the Brits shoot bits of plutonium on to their beaches and change the name of their nuke generator when it has an embarrassing accident.
            I think a safe enough nuclear design will be invented in a few hundred years – around about the time fossil fuel starts getting expensive.

            • The Al1en 15.1.2.2.1.1

              “and they can’t afford the increased power prices due to the carbon taxes!”

              ” in a few hundred years – around about the time fossil fuel starts getting expensive.”

              Make your mind up 🙂

            • Colonial Viper 15.1.2.2.1.2

              Affordable oil and gas disappears in 20-25 years, is my pick.

  14. chris73 16

    http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2013/09/john-banks-talks-willie-jackon-partnership-schools/#axzz2fePyI63t

    Willie Jackson (that well-known mouth piece of the right) interviews John Banks, you’ll should listen

    • Te Reo Putake 16.1

      Why?

      • McFlock 16.1.1

        Probably because he agrees with what he chose to hear, or the spin the cetacean put on it. Just a guess, because I didn’t listen to it – I might have done were it not on the cetacean’s site.

        I’m considering it possible that WJ would be intrigued by the supposed wider freedom that charter schools have, from a context of self determination (similar to Whanau Ora), rather than focusing strictly on how shit most of them are in practise.

        Did they manage to address the issues around quality of education, I wonder.

        • chris73 16.1.1.1

          “Just a guess, because I didn’t listen to it”

          – Of course I understand, you have your opinions and you don’t want to hear anything that might ackshully change your mind…well done

          • McFlock 16.1.1.1.1

            nah mate, I prefer to minimise the tory crabs left in my cache. Saves them tracking me down via ip etc (no, I wouldn’t put that past the odious windbag).

            If you have a non-propogandist link to the interview, I’d be intrigued to see how far off I am.

      • chris73 16.1.2

        You miight learn something about John Banks motivations

    • millsy 16.2

      It all seems to be about privatising education provision.

  15. Morrissey 17

    Bolivia to sue United States for war crimes
    Morales calls on Latin American nations to withdraw ambassadors

    by ETHAN JURY, September 24, 2013

    As the drive for “humanitarian” intervention in Syria has turned international attention towards the hypocrisy and violence of U.S. foreign policy, Bolivian president Evo Morales has announced his intent to file a lawsuit against the United States government for crimes against humanity.

    The announcement came as a direct response to the denial of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro’s jet from entering U.S. airspace on his way to bi-lateral talks in China this week, and only two months after Morales’ own plane was forced to land in Vienna on suspicion that whistleblower Edward Snowden was on board.

    “The U.S. cannot be allowed to continue with its policy of intimidation and blockading of presidential flights,” stressed Morales during a press conference in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz.

    These latest transgressions come following the revelation of widespread spying on several Latin American countries by the National Security Association. Morales has called an emergency meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to address the issue of neo-colonial intimidation in the region, but his impending lawsuit is a wider condemnation of the impunity and violence of North American imperialism around the world.

    “We are preparing a lawsuit against Barack Obama to condemn him for crimes against humanity,” said Morales. He has called for CELAC members to withdraw their ambassadors from the United States and for members of the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas (ALBA) to boycott the next United Nations meeting.

    The Obama administration has sent predator drones to kill hundreds of innocent civilians in Yemen and Pakistan, has defended the use of torture tactics on prisoners of war, and has continued to financially support the colonial state of Israel and other oppressive regimes. The administration’s recent drive for unilateral war on Syria highlights U.S. violations of international law in the interest of empire.

    As the U.S. government continue to spread death and violence around the world, it will be crucially important for members of the world community to follow Bolivia’s example and stand in solidarity against the beast of imperialism.

    http://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/bolivia-to-sue-united-states.html

  16. ScottGN 18

    Just got polled by Roy Morgan. Usual stuff – voting intentions for next year, NZ right track/wrong track. Most pressing issue facing the world. Where do I listen to the radio, etc. Took forever. One of us was doing the interview with english as a second language.

  17. Rogue Trooper 19

    Team NZ Challenge cost- 110M Euro
    Oracle US cost – that + 10%
    -Source, Russel Coutts, RNZ Checkpoint.

    was a learning experience; the crew that learnt the most, won. (limits on exchange parts etc), although it appears the parts sourced from NZ late in the piece contributed to the overall superiority of Oracle. Oh well… 😀

  18. bad12 20

    POS Tau Henare, your a real POS, Henare on 3 news tonight asked if He had any sympathy for the Parliaments cleaners who made submissions befor the select committee today on proposed labour law changes,

    ”If She doesn’t want the job She should give it to someone else”, hope your down the bottom of National’s list for the 2014 election Tau, that comment shows you for what you are, simply Scum…

  19. Steve 21

    Tua Henare is a sociopath who really has no place in NZ society – let alone Parliament.

    He believes a toilet cleaner who broke down while giving evidence to a select committee because she’s fearful that a law change will put her job in jeopardy should “get another job”.

    Angry, mean fwit. This man? is a disgrace.

    P.S. This interview was in TV3 news but no link online as yet – will post if they put it up.

  20. Rogue Trooper 22

    one Jack is Master

  21. Penny Bright 23

    What is the considered opinions of ‘The Standard’ folk, on UN Agenda 21?

    Time for a bit more debate?
    ___________________________________________________________________________

    Do ‘Generation Zero’ deserve an “E” (S) for “Environmental (Sheepishness)”?

    For apparently supporting the corporate GREENWASH UN Agenda 21 – which I vigorously oppose?

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11130105

    Promising free public transport has not been enough to win Auckland mayoral candidate John Minto a top score from youth organisation Generation Zero on that and issues such as climate change.

    Mr Minto got a B grade, putting him above candidates John Palino (C+), Uesifili UNasa (C) and Penny Bright (E), but below Mayor Len Brown’s A-.

    The group, which interviewed mayoral and council candidates focusing heavily on an alternative plan for a “congestion-free” network of public transport ahead of new roads, rated Mr Brown “a competent champion for getting Auckland’s transport moving in the right direction”.

    But it found Mr Minto “overly focused on creating free public transport without showing a convincing understanding of implications.”

    It marked Mr Palino down for weak support of its network plan, despite his showing enthusiasm for less reliance on more motorways.

    Ms Bright’s E grade followed an alleged failure to answer most of the group’s 14 questions.”
    ____________________________________________________________________________

    http://localelections.generationzero.org.nz/…/penny-bright

    errrr….. I DID answer the Generation Zero questions, but I don’t think they liked my opposition to the corporate GREENWASH UN Agenda 21, which they apparently support?

    How many people, and those in Generation Zero, in particular, actually understand that UN Agenda 21 is a massive corporate ‘GREENWASH’?

    http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/

    Sustainable Development in the 21st century (SD21)
    Review of implementation of Agenda 21 and the Rio Principles

    Agenda 21 did not address the interconnectedness of the various goals, because it was not “allowed” to examine the economic system itself.

    Nor did it explore the fundamental drivers of sectoral and inter-country outcomes, which include:

    • the role of corporations, and multi-national corporations (MNCs) in particular;
    • the role and impacts of trade and globalisation;
    • the role of international economic governance in helping steer the whole system;
    _________________________________________________________

    I may be many things but a ‘SHEEP’ is not one of them.

    Like the global capitalist economic system is not controlled by multi-national companies?

    DUH?

    Like multi-national companies are not the main ones responsible for polluting and destroying the planet?

    Through this corporate UN Agenda 21 ‘GREENWASH’ they try to spin it that the planet is a mess – that it’s we the peoples’ fault and it’s OUR job to clean up it up?

    Wakey wakey folks!

    Generation Zero supporters may like to ‘SEEK TRUTH FROM FACTS’ and check this out?
    ____________________________________________________________________________

    If Generation Zero support UN Agenda 21 (which is my understanding) – then I am VERY proud of my ‘score’.

    Also – how many Generation Zero supporters are aware that the root cause of corruption is privatisation?

    That in 2010 – the global procurement market was $14 TRILLION – of which $2.5 TRILLION was estimated to be lost to bribery and corruption?

    Don’t you think that $2,500 BILLION might help to feed, clothe, shelter and water a few poor people? (I got these figures from the 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference, which I attended, as an independent, anti-corruption ‘whistle-blower’ from New Zealand) .

    ‘Her Warship’

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption/ anti-privatisation campaigner’
    2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate

    http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz

  22. miravox 24

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/9214236/Wankerish_Ryall doesn’t get what disabled means

    It’s the wording that gets me – I shouldn’t have to figure out what they really mean…

    Health Minister Tony Ryall said the Funded Family Care notice published today sets out the eligibility criteria and conditions for how disabled adults were to be allocated their share of $92 million in Government funding to employ family carers, who will be paid $13.75 an hour to look after them.

    “The notice clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of the disabled person, the family member providing care, Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) organisations and the Ministry of Health,” Ryall said.

    He said the Government had worked with representatives of the disability and carers’ community to develop the notice.

    “If disabled people would like a family member to be their paid carer, they should read the notice and accompanying operational policy on the ministry website, and then contact their local NASC to be assessed.’’

    If disabled people would ‘like’ to be cared for by a family member? (Actually, I reckon there are a whole heap of them who would ‘like’ to be able to care for themselves. I know I did when I had a long-term bout of disability).
    All disabled people are fully aware of their responsibilities?
    All disabled people can read a notice and operational policy?
    All disabled people can contact pick up a phone / log on to the internet / get down the road to contact their local NASC?

    So if disabled people can’t do one or more of these things they cannot be assessed. Why does Mr Ryall think they’re being cared for? Lifestyle choice?

    Carers, who can help disabled people do some of these things, and do other of these things for them, are once again invisible to NAct in this press release.

    Crass.

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