Open mike 31/05/2013

77 comments on “Open mike 31/05/2013”

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1. Paul 1

   31 May 2013 at 7:10 am

   Tom Scott on RNZ saying he thought Nisbet’s cartoon was not funny and that he, Tom Scott, did not target the vulnerable. Apparently he’s drawn a cartoon about the cartoon. If someone knows where to find this online, can they put the link here?

2. rosy 2

   31 May 2013 at 7:40 am

   The faces of criminals living off other people’s money.

   I guess I missed the press release from the SST that expressed outrage about their manifestly inadequate sentencing and the criminals keeping their homes instead of paying reparations to the people they stole from.

   • Paul 2.1

     31 May 2013 at 7:43 am

     Home detention.
     What a joke!

     • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1

       31 May 2013 at 8:01 am

       I’m fine with home detention for non-violent offenders. It’s just a pity that they get to keep theirs rather than having them confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

       • Murray Olsen 2.1.1.1

         31 May 2013 at 12:19 pm

         Under normal circumstances, I don’t see much point in custodial sentences. In cases such as this, though, I can see one compelling argument to lock these guys up. Conditions inside prison will never improve as long as they’re full of poor brown people. The more rich white motherfuckers locked up, the better, at least until we see real change.

   • Draco T Bastard 2.2

     31 May 2013 at 7:58 am

     Wellington lawyer Robert Lithgow, QC, said the Court of Appeal decision was “very humiliating” for the four directors,

     The poor dears

     /sarc

     The original sentences were a joke and I glad that the Court of appeal is upping them.

     • Tigger 2.2.1

       31 May 2013 at 8:49 am

       http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10887532

       The Herald is worried Doug G might lose his knighthood and wonders if that’s fair. If my reading is correct its not because the offending had nothing to do with the reason he got a knighthood. You know, we wouldn’t have this ‘problem’ of deknighting if we didn’t knight in the first place.

       • ianmac 2.2.1.1

         31 May 2013 at 10:21 am

         I think that Douglas has said that if his appealed failed he would hand in his Sir.

         • aerobubble 2.2.1.1.1

           31 May 2013 at 11:18 am

           Agreed. Certainly give him the chance to do the right thing.

           Clearly the title means something and by associating the title with a investment company there was an expectation of greater diligence, that the titled person would safeguard their honored status. It stands therefore that the title should be given up, or taken off them.

3. just saying 3

   31 May 2013 at 7:50 am

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10887551

   Dr Norman will speak at the conference in Christchurch tomorrow and is expected to take a hard-hitting stance on the Government’s passing of legislation that his party feel are unconstitutional.

   I’m not a fan of “Harvey” Norman, but credit where it’s due, he seems to have come a ways since he was overwhelmingly voted into coventry by party members on Frogblog when he was trying to justify voting for the CERA outrage.

   Also interesting is that most sessions of the upcoming party AGM will be held behind closed doors to facilitate members being able to freely air differences of opinion without fear of the media misrepresenting such openness as evidence of the party split asunder. This seems to be a move away from the pan-party trend of conferences being mere show ponies, with all the important decision making done by the elite few amongst themselves without reference to the membership.

4. just saying 4

   31 May 2013 at 8:01 am

   God help us, Susan Devoy thinks some poor parents really do their very to feed their kids. Presumably, even some Polynesian parents.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8739113/Cartoons-no-joke-for-the-poor-Devoy

   The cartoons were stereotyping Polynesians as spending their money on cigarettes and gambling.

   “That is wrong … Some parents living in poverty do their very, very, very best to feed their children, and probably don’t even rely on food in schools and other things,” Ms Devoy said.

   It’s funny how her bigotry leaks out when she’s trys to look like she is doing her job.
   Note also, that as race relations commissioner, she focusses on poverty rather than racism, which downplays the racist nature of the cartoons.

   • bad12 4.1

     31 May 2013 at 8:21 am

     There is tho a small ray of hope yet for the Dame, She deserves 1 brownie point for at least holding the press conference and giving that offensive little rag a slagging,

     i see Her point about Her acting from within the legislation which governs Her role and it has become more than obvious that the legislation needs a serious make-over,

     Down here in the gutter the over-monied red neck scum cannot really insult us with their snippets of abuse as such will enter the ‘culture’ and simply be lampooned as is every other insult directed our way…

     • bad12 4.1.1

       31 May 2013 at 8:30 am

       On the same subject i just listened to an interview with the ex editor of Wellington’s Dom-Post, (a complete fucking non-entity whose name is irrelevant), He defends the racist slurs cast in that particular cartoon on the basis that a lot of people might hold the same views as it expressed,

       It’s easy to see why i do not and will not even stoop to reading that particular newspaper and to insert any further comment about such commentary and the scum at RadioNZ giving such views oxygen would have me run the risk of publishing comments directly intended to incite violence….

       • Grumpy 4.1.1.1

         31 May 2013 at 12:06 pm

         The Press has an article toady about Nisbet and illustrates it’s text with two Nisbet cartoons.

         One clearly shows Eastern Christchurch to be unkempt and poorly maintained (obviously a deliberate slight on it’s less well off residents) and the other clearly denigrates red headed people, showing them as criminal incompetents.

         This guy Nisbet has a lot to answer for…..

   • AsleepWhileWalking 4.2

     31 May 2013 at 8:59 am

     Give her enough rope….

   • Morrissey 4.3

     31 May 2013 at 9:25 am

     The government, i.e. Steven Joyce, is obviously hellbent on destroying the credibility of public institutions, especially ones like the office of Race Relations conciliator.

     I firmly believe that the Government, i.e. Steven Joyce, should just go all out with the mockery project and appoint this guy as the next Human Rights Commissioner….
     http://cdn.3news.co.nz/3news/AM/2013/3/23/291492/nationalfront-kylechapman.jpg?width=460

5. Ennui 5

   31 May 2013 at 8:19 am

   Last night I had the good fortune to attend a talk by Nicole Foss, editor of the Automaticearth on the subject o the current financial turbulence. To say the least she was a most informative and persuasive presenter, an intellect the size of a planet.

   In reflection the largest contribution Foss makes is to effectively cancel any precepts of ongoing BAU, the contention that we can return to some prior point and distribute the pie equitably forever. That is a common concept on this blog, what Foss indicates is that the pie we divide is diminishing and will do so alarmingly. Which for me throws into stark relief the dilemma of the Left, “we only need to divide the shares of industrial civilisation fairly”.

   I did not hear any left or right partisanship from Foss, no ideology, just a cold hard stare at where we are and where we are going (delivered with warmth). Time for us to wake up and see reality as it is, and to remake our world to fit the new reality. In old terms, to cut our cloth to match.

   • karol 5.1

     31 May 2013 at 8:26 am

     Interesting. Foss’s blog.

     Foss on RNZ Saturday Morning on 24 March 2012

     [audio src="http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/sat/sat-20120324-0815-nicole_foss_global_finance_and_peak_oil-048.mp3" /]

   • Colonial Viper 5.2

     31 May 2013 at 8:26 am

     THIS (thanks for the front line report, Ennui)

   • Colonial Viper 5.3

     31 May 2013 at 8:37 am

     Massive rate of quality failures in recent solar panels now expected

     For those who understand the irony of using up irreplaceable rare earth materials and fossil fuel energies to try and create sustainable renewable energy sources…and then have free market pressures cause this to happen.

     http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2013-05-30/next-shoe-drop-shoddy-solar-panels-china

     • Ennui 5.3.1

       31 May 2013 at 9:01 am

       The good old embedded energy versus the future return…the equation of properly constructed always puts the embedded total as the greater.

   • Draco T Bastard 5.4

     31 May 2013 at 11:07 am

     “we only need to divide the shares of industrial civilisation fairly”.

     We can’t do that as there’s too many people. About 6 billion too many.

     Some countries and regions may be able to do that though as they themselves aren’t yet over populated and their resources haven’t yet been completely stripped. To do it though they need to stop all immigration, go to a steady state economy and implement full democracy. This representative democracy that only represents the richest will only continue to make things worse.

     • TheContrarian 5.4.1

       31 May 2013 at 11:14 am

       Stop all immigration?

       So if you were born in the Sudan, sorry buddy, tough shit.

       • weka 5.4.1.1

         31 May 2013 at 12:48 pm

         Think of it this way TC. We’re on a sinking ship. There aren’t enough lifejackets and lifeboats to go around. What do you think is a fair way to allocate saving of lives?

       • Draco T Bastard 5.4.1.2

         31 May 2013 at 12:57 pm

         What, you’re so stupid as to think we can support everyone presently living in the Sudan on these small islands?

         • TheContrarian 5.4.1.2.1

           31 May 2013 at 1:42 pm

           No. Not at all.
           So you are suggesting only New Zealand should stop all immigration. Great idea. I look forward to the rest of the world not allowing NZer’s emigrating to their countries.

         • Matt 5.4.1.2.2

           31 May 2013 at 1:45 pm

           Or that if you could, you should?

         • Enough is Enough 5.4.1.2.3

           31 May 2013 at 3:30 pm

           Isn’t your attitude to human beings who weren’t lucky enought to be born in our two islands, the same as the rich’s attitude to the poor.

           They have the attitude that they are entitled to be rich for no other reason they were born into privilige.

           You seem to share that attiude towards foreigners as in they can get fucked as long as we are happy.

           The only way humanity will survice is with a global solution where all humans are treated equally. We can’t (as the rich do) put up a big wall around NZ and tell everyone else to fuck off. That will work for a while until desperation sets in.

           • Matt 5.4.1.2.3.1

             31 May 2013 at 3:47 pm

             I don’t know, it might still work then.

           • Draco T Bastard 5.4.1.2.3.2

             31 May 2013 at 5:17 pm

             You seem to share that attiude towards foreigners as in they can get fucked as long as we are happy.

             Nope. Just practical realities. We can’t maintain 7 billion people at a reasonable living standard this means that there will be starvation, there will be poverty and that those countries that can will have to stop all immigration. Those that can’t, well, they’ll have war.

             The only way humanity will survice is with a global solution where all humans are treated equally.

             The problem is that there isn’t a global solution or, to be more precise, the global solution is what I described above.

             We could have gone for the everyone treated equally and no poverty bit in about the 1950s. The 1970s it was probably still possible but the West wanted more and more people to fuel growth so that the banksters could be paid and the rest of the world, well, who knows what they wanted but what they got was more and more people.

             We can’t (as the rich do) put up a big wall around NZ and tell everyone else to fuck off.

             Actually, we can do that (it’s a rather difficult swim to get here) and there won’t be any desperation as we have the resources that we need. Well, there won’t be any as long as we get rid of the rich and their delusional socio-economic system.

           • Colonial Viper 5.4.1.2.3.3

             4 June 2013 at 10:20 am

             E is E

             Nice sounding principles, let’s see how NZ citizens vote on those policies once they see house prices, jobs, school places, hospital beds being taken up by a million, two million, three million new arrivals.

             And DTB is right. I think we’ve overshot the planet’s long term carrying capacity by approx 6B people. So after you take in 3M of them and destroyed your own societal structures, there’s still 5997M who are going to be in dire straits.

     • muzza 5.4.2

       31 May 2013 at 11:45 am

       Don’t worry Draco – The eugenics teams are hard at work, ensuring that one way or another, the herd will be culled, significantly, and sooner than later!

       The Contrarian – Yup, some people are born in unfortunate places, under unfortunate circumstances.

       Large enough numbers of them are already born, and living in NZ, and apparently there is little, to no appetite to address the existing levels of poverty/inequality, as such there is no room for those who are not already here, and in need of help!

       Simple really!

       • Ennui 5.4.2.1

         31 May 2013 at 12:01 pm

         Muzz and TContrary, I don’t think Draco is being eugenicist or otherwise…the reality we face is that we may be among-st the 6 billion surplus and the cold hard reality wont be a cull as opposed to a long drawn out famine / pestulence / war…you know, the standard bad bits. Might even reach supply demand equilibrium in economics talk with regard to food supply….Four horseman territory, DTB might merely be expressing some prescience.

         • red rattler 5.4.2.1.1

           31 May 2013 at 12:16 pm

           Capitalism is killing thousands of kids a day now, so what’s new.
           There is enough to go round now provided we planned sustainably and fairly.
           Occupy was half there, it targetted the 1% but couldnt mobilise the 99%
           Socialism is the only survival strategy both in terms of humanity and nature (which in my book is the same thing).
           Marx not Malthus!

         • muzza 5.4.2.1.2

           31 May 2013 at 12:34 pm

           Hi Ennui – Yes, I’m quite sure Draco was not a proponent of eugenics.

           I do not buy into the, *overpopulation* theory, at face value. However under current systems, manufactured scarcity, created by the *capitalist model*, has lead people to believe, that 7b, is *overpopulated*.

           For one, I am quite certain that technologies are being suppressed , which would allow humanity to remove the noose of mining and burning fuels extracted from the earth, why would they not be with-held from the rest of us!

           Clean technology, life enhancing, sustaining models which could enable the flourishing of humanity, in ways which most people, simply can’t, or dare not consider. I prefer consider such notions almost daily, because its clear to me, the path we have been forced onto, and are currently on, will be the path which leads to the end, there will be no turning back, its simply not part of the plan!

           Just live each day, as best as we all can, as honestly as possible, and ignore the noise, which most of what masquerades as life, actually is.

           • Ennui 5.4.2.1.2.1

             31 May 2013 at 12:58 pm

             I actually think (from intuition as opposed to any empirical information) that 7 billion is unsupportable. Technology and manufactured scarcity are human issues.

             My own viewpoint is that a world that has set energy budget (solar) linked to an amazingly complex biosystem linked to an amazingly complex biosphere….we humans tend to get carried away with our won importance in the scheme of things. Our worst habit is to try and “tame nature” with our technology and to expect the result will sit in isolation. Seven billion of us and our technologies may be in bat short term, natures innings lasts much longer and they bat last.

             • muzza …

               31 May 2013 at 3:37 pm

               Nicely put, E!

           • Draco T Bastard 5.4.2.1.2.2

             31 May 2013 at 1:02 pm

             However under current systems, manufactured scarcity, created by the *capitalist model*, has lead people to believe, that 7b, is *overpopulated*.

             That’s not capitalism promoting that idea but the cold hard facts of science.

             For one, I am quite certain that technologies are being suppressed , which would allow humanity to remove the noose of mining and burning fuels extracted from the earth, why would they not be with-held from the rest of us!

             Possibly but I don’t believe so.

             • muzza …

               31 May 2013 at 3:48 pm

               That’s not capitalism promoting that idea but the cold hard facts of science.

               Is it, is it really!

               Think that through, then see if you can’t respond from another angle, because from where I see it, the capitalist system (which actually is in name only), is very much driving the destruction bus, nothing to do with the science at all, in fact they have become long since divorced, it would seem! If not, surely capitalism would have forced a change of direction, perhaps away from the mess we have now.

               The other problem I see with science, is that it is an industry, and as such 100% controllable by the money masters, in many respects, just like the technology which goes with it, all very easy to keep under cornered!

               I know that science types on here like to believe, their colleagues/industry will be the savior of humanity, well the irony is that they will have been, the reality though, that it will not have been for anything like, the greater good!

               If science were going to be any such savior, it would be already, feel free to point to where the science will turn it all around…

               • Draco T Bastard …

                 31 May 2013 at 5:28 pm

                 because from where I see it, the capitalist system (which actually is in name only), is very much driving the destruction bus

                 Capitalism is driving the destruction. Agree with that. It needs perpetual exponential growth which is impossible but the science has said, for quite some time, that the earth cannot support the number of people already here at anything close to a western living standard.

                 If not, surely capitalism would have forced a change of direction, perhaps away from the mess we have now.

                 Capitalism can’t – see above.

                 If science were going to be any such savior, it would be already, feel free to point to where the science will turn it all around…

                 Why should I when I’m not the one who believes that science can? Science can do a lot but it can’t bypass physical limits.

           • TheContrarian 5.4.2.1.2.3

             31 May 2013 at 1:45 pm

             “I am quite certain that technologies are being suppressed”

             Why would an oil company suppress clean energy technology when they could patent it and make a fucking killing.

             • McFlock …

               31 May 2013 at 1:54 pm

               Can you imagine what a nutbar like muzz would do with a backyard fusion generator? They’d immediately assume that the “caution: do not overclock or wire in series” stickers and associated safety devices were just The Man trying to keep people down, and the next thing you have is a ten megaton mushroom cloud.

               And then imagine how many people on the planet are as nutty as muzz. Even if there’re only ten thousand of ’em in that ballpark, that’s still more dangerous than the Cuban Missile Crisis.

             • muzza …

               31 May 2013 at 3:35 pm

               TC – Because its not about the money, what part of that rather simple concept can’t people wrap their heads around, the *money*, is worthless, choking the life out of humanity on the other hand….

               McFlock – Keep going, you may even come up with something original one day, let me know when you do, I’ll QA it.

               Instead you waste your energy attempting to convince yourself, the things I post here carry no water at all, which is rather transparent, because who are you actually trying to convince here, and I have mentioned previously, that you don’t have the chops, for an online character analysis, even if you could piece togther the bits of personal info I discard from time to time…

               Your transparency is no naked, you even respond, in affirmation of a comment by TC, when generally, you throw insults/abuse at that handle too!

               Here’s a window….

               • McFlock …

                 31 May 2013 at 3:48 pm

                 TC, unlike you, occasionally has a point worthy of consideration.

6. Morrissey 6

   31 May 2013 at 9:53 am

   Alex Capstick speaks plainly about corruption—Russian corruption, that is.
   When will we hear the BBC talk plainly about Western corruption?
   Friday 31 May 2013

   Big news item of the day so far is the report by Boris Nemtsov and Leonid Martynyuk, alleging that Putinistas have stolen thirty billion dollars from funds for the Sochi Winter Olympics.

   Just heard one Alex Capstick on the BBC talking about this. His item finishes with the observation that these contracts “have enriched only the oligarchs and President Putin’s cronies.”

   That is no doubt true, and Capstick’s report was spot-on.

   It is interesting, though, to note the thoroughness with which the BBC reports these Russian scandals. It is notable that, when it comes to Russian stories, the reporters speak in plain language, and rarely if ever go to official Russian government sources for “balance”. Dissenters and opposition figures are treated with respect, and generally believed.

   Oddly, I can find not a single instance of Alex Capstick or any other BBC reporter ever saying in plain language that the billions of dollars of public money paid in contracts in Iraq “have enriched only the oil companies and President Bush’s cronies.”

   The BBC is a rigorous and reliable source of information—when it comes to reporting on the crimes of official enemies.

   To find out the extent of the financial, as well as the humanitarian, crimes carried out in Iraq, serious people have learned to bypass official and biased outlets like the BBC, and go to sites like this….
   https://www.globalpolicy.org/political-issues-in-iraq/corporate-contracts-7-6.html

   • Murray Olsen 6.1

     31 May 2013 at 12:27 pm

     I haven’t seen much about the obscenely rich in Brazil hoovering up the money for the World Cup and the Olympics. The State government of Rio is using both to shift a lot of land across to the private sector.

     • muzza 6.1.1

       31 May 2013 at 12:42 pm

       Brazil was awarded the FIFA World Cup, to be followed by the Olympic Games, two years apart, in what was an unprecendented offering, in modern times!

       This is what you would call, exposure, of the intentions which lay in wait for Brasil, by the owners of the capitalist systems, which have locked in the demise, globally!

       • Ennui 6.1.1.1

         31 May 2013 at 1:02 pm

         Ron Davies just died, he scored about 40 goals in one season (when the Premiership was Div One). In 1968 he scored 4 goals against a Manchester United side at Old Trafford. You would’nt see that today, the money has warped the whole event.

7. weka 7

   31 May 2013 at 11:42 am

   Hi Lynn, just got this message. I opened 5 ts pages in individual tabs (not an unusual amount for me). The fifth page loaded this message instead of ts page.

   Your access to this site has been limited

   Your access to this service has been temporarily limited. Please try again in a few minutes. (HTTP response code 503)

   Reason: Exceeded the maximum number of page requests per minute for humans.

   Important note for site admins: If you are the administrator of this website note that your access has been limited because you broke one of the Wordfence firewall rules. The reason you access was limited is: “Exceeded the maximum number of page requests per minute for humans.”.

   If this is a false positive, meaning that your access to your own site has been limited incorrectly, then you will need to regain access to your site, go to the Wordfence “options” page, go to the section for Firewall Rules and disable the rule that caused you to be blocked. For example, if you were blocked because it was detected that you are a fake Google crawler, then disable the rule that blocks fake google crawlers. Or if you were blocked because you were accessing your site too quickly, then increase the number of accesses allowed per minute.

   If you’re still having trouble, then simply disable the Wordfence firwall and you will still benefit from the other security features that Wordfence provides.

   If you are a site administrator and have been accidentally locked out, please enter your email in the box below and click “Send”. If the email address you enter belongs to a known site administrator or someone set to receive Wordfence alerts, we will send you an email to help you regain access. Please read our FAQ if this does not work.

   This response was generated by Wordfence.

   • lprent 7.1

     31 May 2013 at 1:55 pm

     Dang. I will have to increase the limit. It was set to 10 page requests per minute – once every 6 seconds. Now increased to 15 – once every 4 seconds.

     It is designed to restrict humans and bots flooding the system with page requests. It throttles them down to a acceptable level. I didn’t think that humans could flick up that number of pages in a minute. But I’d admit that I use tabs extensively myself and would hit the same issues on reopening a browser.

8. Poission 8

   31 May 2013 at 12:17 pm

   Further evidence that the basis for austerity measures is not even wrong (on the basis of causality) ie it is important to at least get the sign correct.

   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/reinhart-rogoff-debunked_n_3361299.html

   The interesting problem is that the basis for a number of policy initiatives by the incumbents are based on a series of schoolboy howlers, what confidence can we have in any policy initiatives?

9. johnm 9

   31 May 2013 at 12:19 pm

   El Gringo Yankey john’s mates are at it again robbing the commons to line their own pockets 🙂 Johnno’s former money factory Merrill Lynch are involved as well”

   “Barclays and Bank of America Merrill Lynch will also collect millions in fees from more junior roles in the sale.”

   “Britain’s Largest Privatization in Over a Decade Underway
   Banking giants Goldman Sachs, UBS to lead privatization of state-owned mail.”

   http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/05/30-4

   Re U$K comment: “Hopefully, this will lead to mass anti-austerity riots. (I say riots because they’ll start off as massive, peaceful protests, but the police will use their usual dastardly tricks to ensure that the event turns ugly.)

   A massive uprising is what it’s going to take to reverse the massive sell off of the commons that’s going on not only in the UK, but globally.”

   • johnm 9.1

     31 May 2013 at 2:49 pm

     The Artist taxi driver’s comment on the sell off of the Royal Mail in the U$K and who rules the World?

     Who Rules The World? Johnno’s mates the bankers of course! Goldman Sachs in this instance, have their sticky money grubbing claws in the deal. Just like MRP all the millions paid to pin stripe bods to sell off our assets.

10. Socialist Paddy 10

    31 May 2013 at 1:00 pm

    Why wasn’t Treaty Negotiations spokesperson’s role in the Labour Party given to Nanaia Mahuta by Shearer? Rino is just a newbie. Doesn’t Shearer’s understand the party needs both wings to fly?

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10887596

    • Boadicea 10.1

      31 May 2013 at 3:30 pm

      Nanaia and Labour Waikato are being punished by Shearer for supporting Cunliffe.
      That is why Rino got the spot.
      The ABC gang hope that Nanaia will go away like Charles Chauvel. She is a fighter. She won’t let a bunch of second rate careerists get one over her.

      If the MPs can’t sort out the parliamentary party and stop this destructive behaviour the the membership should.

    • Northshoreguynz 10.2

      31 May 2013 at 6:13 pm

      Could it be she has a new baby, and that her family takes precedent over work?

      • Boadicea 10.2.1

        31 May 2013 at 10:42 pm

        Babies and families are common to many many MPs. You comment is trite.

        Are you suggesting Nanaia did not want the role? You do not know Nanaia.

11. weka 11

    31 May 2013 at 1:21 pm

    Kim Hill is interviewing Alan Savory, 8am Sat morning. It’s promoted as being about restoring grasslands, but Savory has pioneered meat production on grassland while building fertility and soil (something we don’t currently do), and is very experienced in ecological farming (including tech we could adopt here).

    I’m hoping he will also talk about biological/natural systems of carbon sequestration, a must listen for anyone interested in CC and how farming can be a positive solution to some of the CC problems (not just mitigating industrial farming negatives). Savory has a pretty good TED talk too.

    http://www.savoryinstitute.com/

12. Nelg 12

    31 May 2013 at 2:09 pm

    Greets all!
    Those who are fascinated with the political spectrum, past and present, may want to check out this series by Oliver Stone.
    I cannot highly recommend it enough. Each episode focuses on certain periods of American presidencies (starting at Roosevelt and WW2) and the resulting policies/discrimination/chaos/jaw-dropping arrogance. A lot of it focuses on America’s Military-Industrial Complex

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1494191/

    A little bird mentioned that this link might be of interest…

    http://pastebin.com/s3LJTJ6B

    • Colonial Viper 12.1

      31 May 2013 at 4:19 pm

      Ah yes, I might set aside some time this weekend to take a look at this American history…

13. Miranda 13

    31 May 2013 at 2:49 pm

    David Shearer says:
    “I have appointed Shane Jones to the position of Māori Affairs spokesperson and also as associate Food Safety spokesperson given the importance of the food sector to Maori. “Rino Tirikatene will take over responsibility for Treaty Negotiations”

    This is a blatant insult to Nanaia Mahuta, who has the mana, experience and intellectual grunt to fulfill this very important role.

    This is a continuation of the ABC bullshit of Grant Robertson and his side-kick David Shearer.
    This is the type of Sh2t that has Labour going nowhere in the polls.
    I had though that the axe had been buried and that this silliness was a thing of the past.

    Roberson/Shearer are silly silly boys.

    • Murray Olsen 13.1

      31 May 2013 at 6:52 pm

      Appointing Shane Jones to Maori Affairs will lose them some more of the Maori vote. I seriously ask myself if they want a Labour/Greens/Mana coalition to win the next election.

      • Colonial Viper 13.1.1

        31 May 2013 at 6:57 pm

        Well, based on the evidence (excepting NZ Power which may or may not be the start of a good thing), they expect the electoral tide to carry them over the line.

14. Pascal's bookie 14

    31 May 2013 at 4:21 pm

    hahahhaha, I blame Pete George:

    On 31 May 2013 the Electoral Commission board cancelled the registration of the United Future New Zealand (United Future) party at the party’s request in accordance with section 70 of the Electoral Act 1993.

    http://t.co/eB5WKDiCDT

    • McFlock 14.1

      31 May 2013 at 4:39 pm

      And with one media release, a United Future becomes a lonely past…

      or as someone else just said, “the end of an error”

    • Nordy 14.2

      31 May 2013 at 4:51 pm

      Very interesting and not surprising given their previous declarations as to party membership (at least 500 are required) must have been stretching credibility and the testing the conscience of those making them.

      It rasies some important questions about the operation of parliament given parties and party leaders receive recognition that entitles them to particular speaking rights and funding.

      Standing Order 34 refers to :

      34 Recognition of parties
      (1) Every political party registered under Part 4 of the Electoral Act 1993, and in whose interest a member was elected at the preceding general election or at any subsequent by-election, is entitled to be recognised as a party for parliamentary purposes.

      (2) Independent members, or members who cease to be members of the party for which they were originally elected, may be recognised, for parliamentary purposes,—

      (a) as members of an existing recognised party if they inform the Speaker in writing that they have joined that party with the agreement of the leader of that party, or

      (b) as a new party if they apply to the Speaker and their new party—

      (i) is registered under Part 4 of the Electoral Act 1993, and

      (ii) has at least six members of Parliament, or

      (c) as members of a component party in whose interest those members stood as constituency candidates at the preceding general election if they inform the Speaker in writing that they wish to be so recognised.

      (3) A party that has been recognised as a new party under paragraph (2)(b) loses its recognition if its membership falls below six members of Parliament.

      (4) Any member who is not a member of a recognised party is treated as an Independent member for parliamentary purposes.

      I for one will be very interested to see the next steps in this process.

      • Nordy 14.2.1

        31 May 2013 at 5:30 pm

        RNZ has further information about this interesting turn of events:

        “United Future says it has asked the commission to temporarily cancel the party’s registration until it confirms its party membership.

        The cancelled registration does not have any bearing on the ability of Peter Dunne to continue to serve as an electorate MP, nor as a minister of the Crown.

        However, the party will need to be re-registered before the 2014 election to be able to campaign for the party vote and to be eligible for the broadcasting allocation.

        Party president Robin Gunston said on Friday that United Future is about a 100 paid-up members short at the moment and it could take about two months to recticfy.

        Mr Gunston acknowledges the situation is embarassing for the party.”

        A somewhat hopeful spin on the situation. I’m sure people will rushing to sort out their membership/join the party….not!

    • Draco T Bastard 14.3

      31 May 2013 at 5:36 pm

      So, as Peter Dunne is no longer leader of a party does that mean he gets a pay cut?

      • Nordy 14.3.1

        31 May 2013 at 5:54 pm

        Unfortunately not. His salary as a Minister of the Crown is unaffected by this latest embarrasing event.

15. Ad 15

    31 May 2013 at 4:29 pm

    Can anyone tell me why David Shearer made Shane Jones Maori Spokesperson rather than Nania Mahuta?

    I would have thought this is a great moment to eclipse the Maori Party with some serious mana that cuts across the motu, rather than Shane Jones who knows he should have been in the National Party with Wira Gardiner from day one.

    Shane Jones in female-voter appeal is only fractionally less toxic than John Tamihere, and that’s saying something given the bile John generates.

    Shane, if anything, should have been given fishing so he can grasp the industry he knows best, and then given Cunliffe something useful to do, with all due respect to the fishing industry.

    Nania during the 2010 leadership speeches was radiant and dignified, and you don’t get to put those two words together too often with politicians. Neither apply to Shane Jones.

    • Nordy 15.1

      31 May 2013 at 4:55 pm

      Why don’t you ask him?

      He has a parliamentary email address that is not hard to locate and use. Rather than project your own bias, do some research, ask him some hard questions and then let us know what you learn.

      • Boadicea 15.1.1

        31 May 2013 at 6:25 pm

        Nordy you Roman

        The point is that Messers Shearer and Robertson are publically sending messages to Nanaia Mahuta, her supporters and anyone else who dares to question them, that she and they are no longer welcome in the Labour Party.

        Messers Shearer and Robertson are publically indicating that they prefer the likes on Jones, who sucks up appropriatley to the leadership over a candidate with integrity and respect who suppirted Cunliffe.
        Messers Shearer and Robertson thus deserve to be publically challenged on their vindictive behaviour.

        • Nordy 15.1.1.1

          31 May 2013 at 9:44 pm

          Asked Shearer then? No…..thought not. Keep projecting your ignorance…. it provides a good laugh.

    • Murray Olsen 15.2

      31 May 2013 at 7:00 pm

      Jones in Maori Affairs upsets left leaning Maori and most women.
      Jones in fishing upsets the Greens, anyone interested in workers’ rights, and most women.
      I can only imagine that they’ve put him where they think he’ll do the least damage.

    • Morrissey 15.3

      31 May 2013 at 8:06 pm

      Can anyone tell me why David Shearer made Shane Jones Maori Spokesperson rather than Nania Mahuta?

      I’m sure that Mr Jones will make a good fist of it.

      (Geddit?)

      • North 15.3.1

        31 May 2013 at 11:43 pm

        Naughty Morrissey !

        Shane would say “a two-hands of it”…….regardless.

16. Morrissey 16

    31 May 2013 at 4:30 pm

    Look out! Nevil Breivik Gibson’s about!
    The Panel, Radio NZ National, Friday 31 May 2013

    Today’s guests are Joe Bennett and the egregious National Business Review editor Nevil “Breivik” Gibson.

    For the first few minutes of the fifteen-minute pre-show segment, there was the usual nervous forced jollity, as Susan Baldacci skimmed over stuff off the internet. Then she read out a piece about some lame-brained humorist in the United States, who has caused consternation with some tomfoolery which led to a police emergency. I missed the details, but the interesting bit was what Susan Baldacci said about the piece…

    SUSAN BALDACCI: Now not all terrorists are, ahhhh, religious extremists. Some of them have other issues.
    JIM MORA: There wouldn’t be much of a sense of humor with that in America, what with the Boston bombings.
    SUSAN BALDACCI: No.
    JIM MORA: So he was a punctuation terrorist!
    JOE BENNETT: Ha ha ha ha ha!

    Perhaps Ms. Baldacci was playing a sly little game here; she is no doubt aware that Nevil Breivik Gibson wrote a mad editorial earlier this year, where he learnedly informed his thoughtful and discerning readers that all terrorism in the world was committed by Muslims. (That editorial was what earned this intellectual giant the honorary soubriquet of “Breivik”.) Gibson did not say anything on this occasion, however, and after Joe Bennett’s gale of laughter subsided, they went on to another important story.

    Unfortunately, I have to leave Chez Breen now, so I will have to miss the rest of the program. I urge Standardistas to listen carefully to what Nevil Breivik Gibson says; although his recent appearances have been anodyne and uncontroversial, he is due for a big one.

    Unfortunately, today there is no one on the program like Gordon McLauchlan to contest what he says, point out the vacuity of Breivik Gibson’s utterances and firmly put him in his place, as he did a few years ago in a memorable on-air arse-kicking.

    UPDATE:

    After the 4 o’clock news, Mora, in his introductory remarks, which have become infamous over the years for their horrible combination of sycophancy and dishonesty, calls Bennett “brilliant”, and Breivik Gibson “sagacious”.

    I have a bad, bad feeling about this. Expect obscenity, shading into lunacy from Breivik Gibson, and lots of supportive guffawing from Joe Bennett and Jim Mora.

    See you tomorrow, and enjoy the show, if you can stomach these self-important twits.

    UPDATE!!!

    Just before the 4:30 news break, Joe Bennett took exception to a particularly foolish contribution from Breivik Gibson. “You’re lucky I’m not in Auckland,” he shouted, only half-jokingly, “otherwise it would be gloves off!”

    It was not the total mauling and humiliation that Gordon McLauchlan dished out, but Breivik Gibson was definitely taken aback. There was real tension for a few seconds.

    Respect to Joe Bennett!

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