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The hoi poloi of NZ and Auckland society just don’t get it do they. Encouraging young people to booze up seems to be their ultimate goal. Worse its from parents from a school that says its sets the standard. Time they got some brain power together or was theirs also addled by alcohol at their young age.?
King’s parents have a plan for after-balls
Saturday, 29, May, 2010 6:16AM
Parents with students at Auckland’s King’s College want to serve alcohol at the school’s after-ball party.
A committee of 15 parents is trying to avoid the police crackdown on after-balls.
They have come up with a plan in which students would need to bring a parent to buy drinks for them from a licensed bar.
They say they are working within the law to see how they can make the party work.
“thats right, don’t like the law because it doesn’t suit your attitude despite the evidence of harm so find a way around it to encourage your children to start their booze habit”
And just to make my point;
Young teens drinking themselves to death
By KATE NEWTON – The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 29/05/2010
The chief coroner is shocked and frustrated by the number of teenagers – some as young as 13 – drinking themselves to death.
Neil MacLean said this week that internal research done by his office showed at least a dozen teenagers, some of them barely out of childhood, had died from binge-drinking since July 1, 2007.
Apparently Niki Kaye is frightened to disagree with the PM. Now why would that be?
Could it be that the PM and his heirachy control the money and the whipping in Parliament?
Shouldn’t we revisit Parliaments rules before we revisit the electoral system?
National MP walks ‘fine line’ over Great Barrier mining
By JOHN HARTEVELT – The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 29/05/2010
Government MP Nikki Kaye has written to the prime minister telling him that people think mining proposals for Great Barrier Island are “laughable”.
Ms Kaye, the MP for Auckland Central, said she had walked a fine line over criticising the mining plans in her electorate and supporting her Government.
In March, the Government issued a draft plan to allow prospecting for mining in 7000 hectares of protected conservation land, including a part of Great Barrier Island.
Ms Kaye publicly opposed the proposal to open up protected parts of the island to possible mining. At the time, she said the case for mining on the island “doesn’t stack up”.
@ Viking2 – you’d think that of ALL schools in Auckland, Kings woukld be the LAST to be encouraging its students to drink – even under parental supervision. I wonder what James Webster’s parents think.
IV2 That’s kinda what I thought. But then I see parents scrambling on a daily basis to pay the fees etc for these type of schools and frankly their households are a turmoil and their kids often rushed around the parents all about me.
Interesting to see Lindsays blog yesterday http://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2010/05/uk-bad-but-nz-worse.html
You have to expect Labour to come out with these types of attacks. They spent the first year in opposition saying that the secret agenda the National Party was planning before the election would be implemented. You remember – the slashing of health and education budgets, the reinstatement of interest charges on student loans, the selling of National Parks to rich American billionaires. Since that didn’t happen (and never was), now they are trying to fling as much dirt as possible to see if any of it sticks.
It’s a strategy that will not work and you wonder when Labour will wake up and realise it – when they get down to 16% in opinion polls again?
I see comments turned off on Labours pathetic smear compaign – so I’ll say it here. Labour are a bunch of sad pathetic and desperate wimps. They made nil traction against the budget (expect a rise in the next set of polling for the Nats). Is this really the best they can do? Literally no one cares. SSeeing Gollum Hodgson wanking himself silly in Parliament over this false beat-up is just so funny for those of us on the right. Those on the left must be cringing. Maybe someone should pass Gollum the tissues to help wipe up his excitement. The rest of NZ is just disgusted at Labour’s attempts for oxygen.
What is i-predict paying for Labour to go under 20.9% at the 2011 election?
DPF’s quite wrong about about the H-Fee II, that brilliant cough legal mind cough Mickey Sausage has expertly shown that all parliamentary activity to date has been geared to improving the Key family assets in the blind trust … chortle.
With great legal minds like that in Labour’s corner how can they fail in 2011 … chortle snort.
Source: Close Up
A mining company says the Labour Party “got it wrong” when it said the company was against mining on Schedule 4 land.
Newmont Waihi Gold last week sent a submission to the government on its mining proposals titled: “Leave Schedule 4 Alone, says mining company”.
The submission asks the government to “leave Schedule 4 land exactly where it is – under protection from open pit mining and exploration – for now”.
But Newmont’s external affairs manager Kelvyn Eglinton said on TV ONE’s Breakfast programme Labour has taken the submission out of context.
“The Labour Party has really got it wrong. This submission is more in alignment with the government than perhaps any other.”
He says the company is not opposed to mining on Schedule 4.
Another Labour blunder when will they get anything right.
So we can see who is undermining the Leadership of the Labour Party. How could anyone operate with this scum bag and his mates twisting the knife all the time. Who’s part of that team of despots.?
I don’t disagree with the CONTENT nor the CONCLUSION of the “Legal Advice”, but the fact the person who is giving the advice is contracted to perform work on behalf of John Key in the first place, and that person would be the one failing in his duties had he SPOKEN to John Key “off the record – like”, hardly makes it an INDEPENDENT opinion.
It does NOTHING towards clearing up the issue.
Problem remains is that the choir is being preached to, by and large, and that Labour KNOWS that mud will stick. They have to take Key down to have any chance at the next election. They will keep coming at him shaving away at the percentages.
Key’s been going around looking like a cocky SOB for some time. The first step to a fall is well on the way unless he smartens up.
One of the policies of my government that I am most proud of is the reduction in corporate taxes announced in 2006 by my colleague, the Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty. The general tax rate was more than 22% in 2007. It has been going down every year since and will be at 15% in 2012. Canada will then have the lowest corporate income tax of the G7 countries.
A People’s Tax Cut: Abolish the corporate tax – only real people pay taxes
Maxime Bernier
A famous American jurist, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., wrote in 1927 that taxes are the price we pay for civilization. However much truth there may be in this statement, we’ve now gone way beyond this. Taxes today are the price we pay for having a big, fat and inefficient bureaucracy that tries to intervene in every aspect of our lives.
As long as we have taxes, however, we should make sure that they cause the least possible distortion in our economy.
Viking2 – I’d hazard a guess that it is all being driven via text message from somewhere not too distant from the headquarters of the UN. When Helen Clark decides that the time to strike against Goff and reclaim HER Labour Party is right, someone’s phone will jump into life, and it will be all on for young and old. I wonder what I-Predict would offer on a Cunliffe/Street challenge.
A People’s Tax Cut: Abolish the corporate tax – only real people pay taxes
Maxime Bernier
I fully agree with this. Great to see Viking2 agree with my desire to eliminate the legal fiction that a company should have all the legal rights of a natural person.
Rich-lister fights for King’s after-ball
By Rachel Tiffen
4:00 AM Saturday May 29, 2010
Parents of King’s College students want alcohol at their children’s after-ball party – but only if every Mum or Dad attends too.
A 15-member parent committee – which includes New Zealand’s richest man, Graeme Hart, and businessman Michael Stiassny – is trying to avoid a police crackdown on booze-fuelled after-ball parties.
Rich-lister fights for King’s after-ball
By Rachel Tiffen
4:00 AM Saturday May 29, 2010
Parents of King’s College students want alcohol at their children’s after-ball party – but only if every Mum or Dad attends too.
A 15-member parent committee – which includes New Zealand’s richest man, Graeme Hart, and businessman Michael Stiassny – is trying to avoid a police crackdown on booze-fuelled after-ball parties.
LRO. No that wasn’t it at all. Typical lefty can’t stop trying to put unsaid words in other peoples mouths. If you support the idea of lower company taxes for good reason as this does the say so. It didn’t say take away other obligations did it?
Viking2. Then please explain “only real people pay taxes”?
It is my contention that the granting of the status of natural person to a company is a legal fiction and should be abolished. A company’s shareholders are natural persons and each of those, jointly and severally, should bear the obligations and duties of the company. We would get far better corporate governance when thier arses are on the line, when they can’t just walk away.
Gee I’m getting sick of this global warming!
We here in Wellington are expecting to reach the dizzy heights of 9°C today – hang on a minute, I need to turn my fan up …
Be patient, be considerate, be kind to Gaia. By the way, be also prepared to pay higher prices for gas, electricity, petrol and every other thing after Key’s dreadful ETS kicks in on July 1.
LRO. I agree with you but that’s not what the article was about. It was saying that companies capital allocation is distorted by Govt.’s rorting the companies by extracting taxes especially if they are to high. I tend to think that companies need to pay some tax as they use services which are provided by Govt. free of charge or subsidized in some way by other tax payers.
But the bigger issue in NZ is Trust taxes and why they are privileged. All income should be driven to the “person” and taxed appropriately.
The distortions arrive when we look at oversea’s owned. Those shareholders can and do rape the system.
And just to make my point;
Young teens drinking themselves to death …
I agree, V2 – what concerned parent would actually facilitate their children (and let’s be clear, they are children) drinking?
How many parents need to wake up and realise that their kids are in great danger to the risks of alcohol, and them facilitating them drinking is only going to be seen as a ‘green light’ to most kids? I mean, how many kids have to die before some people get the message?
The US airline industry won a small but significant victory in its bid to challenge the legality of the EU’s plan to apply its Emissions Trading Scheme to non-EU airlines yesterday when the English High Court of Justice said it would refer the case to the European Court of Justice.
The Air Transport Assn. and three member carriers–American Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Air Lines–brought suit last December in the High Court against the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change because most American carriers are assigned to the UK for participation and compliance in the ETS (ATWOnline, Dec. 22, 2009).
The plaintiffs argued that unilaterally extending the rule to non-EU airlines violates the Chicago Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the US-EU open skies agreement and is “contrary to the customary international law principle that each state has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory.”
ATA VP-Environmental Affairs Nancy Young called the decision “an important step, as only the ECJ has the authority to rule on the Europe-wide directive that applies the European Emissions Trading Scheme to our airlines. The unilateral extension of the EU ETS to international aviation is contrary to international law both as an extraterritorial action and an improper tax or charge. It also clearly stands in the way of an appropriate and effective global solution.”
By the way, be also prepared to pay higher prices for gas, electricity, petrol and every other thing after Key’s dreadful ETS kicks in on July 1.
But how do you actually ‘prepare’ – by drawing down some more on the mortgage?
And the date chosen to implement the ETS has to be one of the most cruel things Key could do – July 1st is pretty much mid winter, and when many people, especially those in the deep south and old age pensioners, are already struggling in meeting their energy (gas and power) costs, one really does have to wonder how they will meet even GREATER costs when the ETS comes on line.
Couldn’t he have at least waited till the spring, say October 1st?
I wonder how all those other families living in state houses, like Key did when growing up, will manage – and doesn’t this send the message that Key is not really very concerned for those on lower incomes?
The next time I hear him mention his growing up in a state house I think I’m gonna puke!
Get yourself a good wind farm going and you’ll electrickery all winter
I really am seriously looking at at least subsidising my energy requirements – looking at designing a waste oil hot air and water heater. It’s a compressed air driven oil atomiser design, and results in essentially complete combustion, unlike most other oil burner designs. I’ve done most of the calcs and design, and pretty much just have to get the thing made. If it works well (I’ll make sure it does) I may look at marketting it.
National MP walks ‘fine line’ over Great Barrier mining
Nikki was elected to represent the views of her electorate to parliament, NOT to sell the edicts of her leader to her electorate. I agree with Viking2. Whipping supports for absolite rule rather than constructive government.
@ Fletch – it rather deflates Avenue Q’s characterisation of Gary Coleman (yes, THAT Gary Coleman) as the Building Superintendant. That’s a shame, as it’s kind of a running gag throughout the show. And I heard that Gary Coleman actually played himself at one point.
BTW – it’s a brilliant show; the puppet sex scene is absolutely hilarious!
It is time we recognised the true character of the European financial crisis, which is growing more ominous by the hour. It is not an economic meltdown: it is a political debacle. Its origin lies in two disastrous developments of the post-War years: the arrogation to itself of excessive power by the state and the manic drive towards synthetic unification of totally incompatible European nation states.
: The power of the state is now the largest single burden on humanity in the developed nations. The British state began its totalitarian encroachment on citizens’ lives under the Attlee government
:
Even when a burgeoning awareness that all was not well led to the Thatcher government’s pushing back some of the boundaries of state control in the limited area of denationalisation – the term that should have been employed rather than the selfish-sounding, morally repellent “privatisation” – of state enterprises, the behemoth of government intrusion continued to advance remorselessly to its present totalitarian level. For totalitarian is what it now is.
:
Glutted with illegitimate power, the political class needed an even stronger fix. Ruling despotically over any single nation could no longer satisfy the power lust of the European nomenklatura, so it dedicated itself to creating a European super-state.
:
Even before creating the monstrosity of the European Union the constituent governments had been appropriating exorbitant proportions of their citizens’ income. That could eventually have become politically dangerous, as people working hard for appropriate salaries saw their just rewards being swallowed up in the maw of the state through penal taxation.
:
Britain’s sovereign debt crisis has lately masked the more serious problem of private indebtedness: in that respect, Italy is in better shape than the UK. The pincer of sovereign/private debt now threatens the economies and living standards of Europe.
:
The deluded incompetents of the EU are now trying to prescribe more of the same – closer integration as the supposed remedy for the crisis which that infatuated aspiration has provoked. It will blow up in their faces. It is not only the eurozone that is in denial: £5.7bn of “cuts” as the proposed sticking plaster to cure Britain’s life-threatening condition testifies to that. The only consolation is that the ultimate casualty of the coming cataclysm will be the overweening power of the state, which has led us to this disaster.
Too much state, with too much power. Too much like here.
Interesting to see the abortion business (Marie Stopes) is getting airtime to advertise in the UK. The organization has managed to circumvent restrictions by claiming to be a ‘charity’, while they have a marketing manager and performed 65,000 abortions last year. Warner rightly asks:
Now that Marie Stopes is advertising, in an obvious attempt to attract more consumers, it is only reasonable that its product should be subjected to the same scrutiny as any other advertised service.
Indeed. The prospect of seeing the violent destruction of a tiny human life may well have some re-consider.
And as an aside, the organization Marie Stopes takes its name from a woman of the same name who is a real charmer. (NB: wikipedia reference.. so treat with measured criticism)
Stopes was a prominent campaigner for the implementation of policies inspired by eugenics, then not a discredited science. In her Radiant Motherhood (1920) she called for the “sterilisation of those totally unfit for parenthood [to] be made an immediate possibility, indeed made compulsory.”
She contributed a chapter manifesto to, The Control of Parenthood (1920), comprising a sort of manifesto for her circle of Eugenicists, arguing for a “utopia” to be achieved through “racial purification”. She also bemoaned the abolition of child labour for the lower classes and was a Hitler devotee.
While under financial stress in 1992, Roeder happened upon right-wing televangelist Pat Robertson’s 700 Club on television. He claims he fell to his knees and became a born-again Christian. According to his own recollections and those of his ex-wife, he immediately fixated on what he considered two earthly evils: taxes and abortion.
“Couldn’t he have at least waited till the spring, say October 1st?”
Because the truth is Key DOES NOT care about the average New Zealand citizen. He lies when he claims the contrary.
Key is parroting Smith’s lines, the Green Party fifht-columnist, who after making a 180-degree turn, has managed to sell this expensive lemon to Key. Unfortunately, the rest of us will have to suck it.
David, it’s great to see you have come out of hibernation.
You hadn’t posted anything since 11 am yesterday and I was genuinely worried about your health.
When are you going to post yesterdays Editorials?….you know, the one from the Dominion that explained why Mercury and Mighty River Power is ripping us off and the government is trying to conceal it.
Mercury Energy’s just-announced 3.3 per cent price rise smacks of opportunism. The state-owned power company’s justification for the increase is that the energy sector has been included in the emissions trading scheme that takes effect on July 1 – the same day as its price increase.
From that date, power companies will effectively have to pay $12.50 for every tonne of carbon they emit. Rival publicly listed generator Contact Energy has given the same explanation for its 3.2 per cent increase, which will take effect the same day. In its case, the increase may be justifiable. Contact operates four thermal stations – New Plymouth, Taranaki, Otahuhu A and Otahuhu B – all of which will incur the new carbon charges.
However, Mercury Energy is the retail arm of Mighty River Power, which generates more than 90 per cent of its power from renewable sources – hydro schemes in both the North and South islands and geothermal stations in the central North Island. In other words, it will not have to buy emissions units for the bulk of its electricity.
Its price increase is not a matter of the company passing on increased costs to its customers, but of the company taking advantage of changed circumstances to inflate its profit margins.
It’s obvious: This is taxation disguised as SOE dividends.
Here it is. The DomPost editorial in its entirety:
Opinion: Mercury Energy’s just-announced 3.3 per cent price rise smacks of opportunism. The state-owned power company’s justification for the increase is that the energy sector has been included in the emissions trading scheme that takes effect on July 1 – the same day as its price increase.
From that date, power companies will effectively have to pay $12.50 for every tonne of carbon they emit. Rival publicly listed generator Contact Energy has given the same explanation for its 3.2 per cent increase, which will take effect the same day. In its case, the increase may be justifiable. Contact operates four thermal stations – New Plymouth, Taranaki, Otahuhu A and Otahuhu B – all of which will incur the new carbon charges.
However, Mercury Energy is the retail arm of Mighty River Power, which generates more than 90 per cent of its power from renewable sources – hydro schemes in both the North and South islands and geothermal stations in the central North Island. In other words, it will not have to buy emissions units for the bulk of its electricity.
Its price increase is not a matter of the company passing on increased costs to its customers, but of the company taking advantage of changed circumstances to inflate its profit margins.
It should not be doing so. New Zealand households are struggling to cope with the effects of the global financial crisis. Some have lost employment. Many have received little, if anything, in the way of pay increases for the past couple of years. In the coming months they will have to pay more for fuel because of the ETS and more for other goods because of the increase in the rate of GST. This is not a time for state-owned companies to profiteer.
As this newspaper has said before, it makes sense to err on the side of caution when confronted with the threat of global warming. The consequences of doing nothing and being wrong do not bear thinking about.
As a relatively wealthy nation, New Zealand has a particular obligation to do its bit to reduce the threat, even if some wealthier nations, Australia and the United States included, are ignoring their responsibilities.
But state-owned companies should not be using the ETS as an excuse to primp their bottom lines.
Last year, a Commerce Commission review of the electricity market and a ministerial review of the market reached essentially the same conclusions: that consumers have been gouged by electricity companies. Residential price increases of 72 per cent in eight years cannot be justified.
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Just because a significant portion of that gouging eventually finds its way into Government coffers by way of the dividends paid by state generators does not make it right.
It is reasonable for power companies to pass on real cost increases, but Mercury should not be using the ETS as an excuse for yet another unwarranted price increase.
Doing so undermines public support for measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions and further damages the electricity industry in the eyes of consumers.
Get yourself a good wind farm going and you’ll electrickery all winter
I really am seriously looking at at least subsidising my energy requirements – looking at designing a waste oil hot air and water heater. It’s a compressed air driven oil atomiser design, and results in essentially complete combustion, unlike most other oil burner designs. I’ve done most of the calcs and design, and pretty much just have to get the thing made. If it works well (I’ll make sure it does) I may look at marketting it.
Ha, yep slept good and didn’t venture from under the wooly until after 7.30. Just DPF was early with the post today and as i read up i posted. All you other tired sods were still sleeping so took you a while to catch up. (all except IV2).
Cheers, V2.
What area can you help me with – was it the marketing or manufacturing, or ideas in the area of power generation in general?
Being a mechanical engineer with design and project management experience mainly in the manufacturing area, I will probably look at getting some electronic control design work and manufacture done as well – auto start/shutoff, air compressor control, water temp monitoring with auto fan – radiator cooling, pump control for water circulation, and perhaps solenoid controlled water valves for an up-market version.
The idea is to meet all my home and water heating requirements – so would represent a significant energy saving.
In regard to China having the largest English speaking population in the world, it’s a fallacy. Most Chinese students go through the education learning English for about 10 years. It’s all pretty much reading and grammar. I’ve taught English majors at university and they struggle to string a simple sentence together and and have shocking pronunciation. Their listening is also poor.
It would be more accurate to say that China has the biggest number of people attempting to learn English.
This problem is also common in Japan and Korea. They normally aren’t able to communicate with native English speakers to any reasonable and practical level.
now..is this about this national party/this govt..!…….
“But these chaps were not much account, really.
They were no colonists, their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect.
They were conquerors,and for that you want only brute force – nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.
They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got.
It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind – as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness.”
A few years ago whilst working in the Amazon jungle in Ecuador, on the border of Colombia, a local volcano was puffing away. One afternoon it generated a bunch of black smoke rings.
All the local villagers came out of their houses and were standing around panicking, pointing towards the sky. They honestly thought the world was about to end!
As I understand it, they are very rare, I feel lucky to have witnessed these first hand. I sent my pictures to NIWA, and they passed them onto the BBC, whom had them on their website for a while. Had a quick search, but couldn’t find them. Here they are anyway: http://img525.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=p1010436s.jpg
A friend who grows palms and cycads has estimated
that he will have to add at least 7% to his sales prices to maintain the
same profit margin. He says that his estimate is conservative because he
has no clear idea yet what increases the providers of the goods and
services he uses will add to their charges. Ultimately, he says, he
needs to wait 12 months before he can properly assess it and in the
meantime has to hope that he got it right, or nearly right.
I would guess, therefore, that the cost of vegetation used in
landscaping is about to go up at least 7%. Would you give me odds that
the government’s advisors did not take that into their calculations?
Iceland’s Eyjafjoell volcano is emitting between 150,000 and 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per day, a figure placing it in the same emissions league as a small-to-medium European economy, experts said on Monday.
[...]
Experts stressed that the volcano contributed just a tiny amount — less than a third of one percentage point — of global emissions of greenhouse gases.
It seems that volcanoes worldwide contribute on average about 110 million tons of CO2 per year, which is about 1% of human emissions.
KrisK the SOE’s are their own worst enemies, just look at the greedy bastards, any excuse to up the bill they will be in to it. What these greedy fools fail to recognise is that they are gradually forcing many to seek alternatives, quite a few around here are going self sufficient. The more they raise the price the more alternatives look attractive. But this will only go on for so long. Wait till the profits of these SOE’s start to fall and then the government will rue it’s greed. I suspect there will be howls from the SOE’s to limit or outlaw power production by private individuals once again.
Yet another moment of truth approaching for Israel, and undoubtedly it will demonstrate that the truth about Israel is deeply unpleasant.
The Free Gaza humanitarian convey of seven ships and thousands of tonnes of desperately needed necessities of life is fast approaching the Gaza coast, and Israel has promised to respond with overwhelming force to an unarmed, humanitarian mission.
Most laughable was, as usual, the despicable and risible Mark Regev who said in an interview that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza (is he the only person in the world so deluded?) – but wait, there’s more! He said the convey was against international law!
No Mark, your medieval, Crusader-style siege is against international law. As is your continued occupation of Gaza. As is your ongoing seizure of land recognised as Palestinian territory. And as is all your regular and systematic slaughter of Palestinians and Lebanese (and that’s just your recent history). And will be your seizure of these ships in international waters.
It’s on the cards that Israel will end up imprisoning (in a huge purpose-built institution) hundreds of peace activists, including some 35 European Union MPs, all of whom will luxuriate in the increasing discomfort of their host as the howls of outrage reverberate around the world.
“… One can make a non-ludicrous case that the most important event in the cultural history of America since the 1860s …
… was the introduction of LSD.
The following is adapted from the Foreword to Birth of a Psychedelic Culture: Conversations about Leary, the Harvard Experiments, Millbrook and the Sixties, by Ram Dass and Ralph Metzner with Gary Bravo, from Synergetic Press.
LSD is a drug that produces fear in people who don’t take it. –Timothy Leary
It’s now almost half a century since that day in September 1961 when a mysterious fellow named Michael Hollingshead made an appointment to meet Professor Timothy Leary over lunch at the Harvard Faculty Club.
When they met in the foyer, Hollingshead was carrying with him a quart jar of sugar paste into which he had infused a gram of Sandoz LSD.
He had smeared this goo all over his own increasingly abstract consciousness …
… and it still contained, by his own reckoning, 4,975 strong (200 mcg) doses of LSD.
The mouth of that jar became perhaps the most significant of the fumaroles from which the ‘60s blew forth.
Everybody who continues to obsess on the hilariously terrifying cultural epoch known as the ‘60s – which is to say, most everybody from “my gege-generation,” the post-War demographic bulge that achieved permanent adolescence during that era –
- has his or her own sense of when the ‘60s really began.
There are a lot of candidates: the blossoming pink cloud in the Zapruder film, Mario Savio’s first speech in Sproul Plaza …
… the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, the Beatles’ first appearance on the the Ed Sullivan Show …
.. the first Acid Test, the Human Be-In in Golden Gate Park, the release of the song “Good Vibrations,”…
… the day Jerry Garcia got kicked out of the army.
But as often as not, if you are a Boomer, the ‘60s began for surreal on the day you dropped acid.
And if that is when the shit hit your personal fan …
… you may owe a debt of ambiguous gratitude to the appealingly demonic young sociopath …
… who conveyed the Stark Bolt of Chemical Revelation to the nice young gentlemen of the Harvard Psilocybin Project..”
(i reckon key and his crew cd do with a bit of..’the Stark Bolt of Chemical Revelation’..
It’s on the cards that Israel will end up imprisoning (in a huge purpose-built institution) hundreds of peace activists, including some 35 European Union MPs
A seriously impressive person interviewed by Kathryn Ryan listen here offered some incisive insights into issues currently exercising Kiwibloggers.
Holroyd is a well-known funds manager who is moving to Zurich to advance his business interests. I must say I didn’t expect such wisdom from such a source, but that just goes to show that one should always keep an open mind – but not, I must hasten to add, so open as to allow it to be filled with rubbish (from, for example, the likes of creationists, intelligent designers and climate change designers).
And many of you will be pleased to know that he is in agreement with me on the ETS, but it seems the horse has bolted there anyway. But those of you who oppose the ETS on the grounds of denial will find little to hang on to. Evolution deniers, holocaust deniers, tobacco-cancer deniers, HIV-AIDS deniers and climate change/global warming deniers are all cut from the same cloth.
But the interview is full of non-controversial insightful gems of stunning originality. Highly recommended.
@Luc – Now… we were discussing the veracity of the IPCC’s AR4 report, arguably the gold standard in climate science. A few questions for you:-
1. Do you think it’s acceptable for the IPCC Chair to lie about the contents of that report?
2. Do you think it’s acceptable for the IPCC Chair to personally profit from countries implementing the recommendations in that report?
3. Do you think it’s acceptable for AR4 to contain factual errors?
4. Do you think it’s acceptable for AR4 to cite blog posts, Greenpeace press releases, newspaper stories and the like?
5. Do you think it’s acceptable for the IPCC to alter/adjust scientific content after it had been peer reviewed?
6. Do you think it’s acceptable for the countries of the world to base billions of dollars of spending decisions on a report so rife with errors, omissions while the process of compiling it has been a catalog of conflicts of interest, outright fraud and bare-faced lies?
“he is in agreement me” Oh please, since when were you ordained Solomon ?. And why the hell would we wish to listen to a lefty dribbler ? just the stupid talking to the stupider. And I’m sure Israel can spare seven torpedoes.
“…Some heroin addicts who got the drug under medical supervision had a better chance of kicking the habit than those who got methadone, a new study says..”
“Would you give me odds that the government’s advisors did not take that into their calculations?”
The figures quoted by Brownlee, Carter, Smith, and Key himself are so different that nobody can have any confidence on the real ETS costs to households and businesses.
Once again, the National Party government is embarking New Zealand on a costly exercise for the sake of “leading” the world. Are our political leaders stupid or what?
The next time you hear alarmists like Luc say thing like “scientists are in agreement” you’ll know that (a) their case is crumbling, and (b) they’re lying.
M.I.T. professor says ‘skepticism’ implies anthropogenic global warming theory a ‘plausible proposition.’
Prof Richard Lindzen**, speaking at the Heartland Institute’s International Conference on Climate Change on May 17 in Chicago, explained that by assuming the “skeptic” label, the anti-global warming alarmist movement implies the theory is plausible. And according to the M.I.T. professor, it isn’t.
“One suggestion I’d make is we stop accepting the term ‘skeptic,’” Lindzen said. “As far as I can tell, skepticism involves doubts about a plausible proposition. I think current global warming alarm does not represent a plausible proposition.”
Lindzen told the audience the alarmists have simply failed to prove their case.
“For 20 years –more than 20 years unfortunately, 22 by now, since ’88 – of repetition, escalation of claims does not make it more plausible. “Quite the contrary,” he continued. “I would suggest the failure to prove the case of 20 years makes the case even less plausible, as does the evidence of ClimateGate and other instances.”
And Lindzen ruled out the possibility the imminent destruction as a result of any potential climate catastrophe. “In the meantime, while I avoid making forecasts for tenths of a degree change in global average temperature model, I’m quite willing to state that unprecedented climate catastrophes are not on the horizon, though in several thousand years, we may return to an ice age.”
** Richard Lindzen (born February 8, 1940, Webster, Massachusetts) is an American atmospheric physicist and Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for more than 25 years. Lindzen is known for his work in the dynamics of the middle atmosphere, atmospheric tides and ozone photochemistry. He has published more than 200 scientific papers and books. He was a lead author of Chapter 7, ‘Physical Climate Processes and Feedbacks,’ of the IPCC Third Assessment Report on climate change. He is a well known skeptic of global warming and critic of what he states are political pressures on climate scientists to conform to climate alarmism.
kris k; have a few idea’s of our own , an engineers shop and a company that was born of marshall water heaters a long time ago.
Sounds like a good mix – engineers shop and with your company’s background in water heater manufacture.
Do you have a few engineering/fitter/welder type staff? And is your company still involved in the water heating side of the (old) business?
Are you anywhere near Wellington? – not that this would be a big issue.
The water/air heating unit I’ve designed (compressed air atomisation of waste oil (any oil)) essentially only needs a lowish pressure (~20 psi), with low CFM delivery, compressed air supply. Once the unit is fired up, the compressor is the main power consumer, and assuming you can source ‘free’ waste oil (fish & chip shop, local garage, etc), then the cost to run the unit would be negligible. And ignoring flue losses, I reckon you could get 30-50 kW heat output (my current design) for essentially ‘no cost’. Greater/lesser depending on the size of the basic unit of course.
Any other ideas you may have would be worth discussing further as well.
Lindzen said. “As far as I can tell, skepticism involves doubts about a plausible proposition. I think current global warming alarm does not represent a plausible proposition.”
I think the only ‘plausible proposition’ around here is that Lucy and Phool share the same bong …
“THE MOST DANGEROUS thing a journalist can do when dealing with radical politicians and parties is fail to take them seriously. The news media is supposed to function as the public’s ears and eyes. If journalists fail to scrutinise a party’s policies for no better reason than they regard them as a joke, then ideas and policies of the most extraordinary and pernicious kind can easily pass unnoticed into a nation’s bloodstream.
……………
Much more significant than the New Zealand Green Party’s marijuana policy, however, is its almost unqualified support for the key demands of the Maori nationalist movement. Like the German Greens’ willingness to decriminalise consensual paedophilia, the New Zealand Green Party’s rock-solid determination to atone for the sins of the nation’s colonial fathers emerged from the deepest layers of the radical political sub-cultures of the 1980s and 90s.
A willingness on the part of Pakeha leftists to be guided by the Maori nationalist advocates of tino rangatiratanga had by the mid-1980s become the litmus test of authentic revolutionary praxis. As proof of their commitment to the cause of the tangata whenua individuals and institutions were required to elevate Te Tiriti o Waitangi to the status of holy writ. In these matters, the Greens proved to be no exception.
…………………
Consider the following Parliamentary speech from the Green List MP, Catherine Delahunty. Responding to criticism of legislation establishing Crown/Tainui “co-management” over the Waikato River, Delahunty declared:
[snip] I am very excited that we are moving into a more sophisticated era under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and we are moving beyond the limited concept of conservative Pakeha that one woman, one vote is the only manifestation of democracy possible in Aotearoa.
I see Fox has won it’s sixth ratings victory in a row, progressive comment please. Philly where art thou ?, aren’t the progressives suppose to be kicking arse ?. Seems the right has the might.
Bennett has them gasping
By Audrey Young
1:08 PM Saturday May 29, 2010
National Party delegates took in a deep breath this morning when social welfare minister Paula Bennett told them about a West Coast couple who had had been living on an invalids benefit for 15 years and were on $1700 a week.
“Yes, you should gasp,” said Bennett at Waitangi. “What gets me most about this story is that in the 15 years they have been on the benefit – the husband has a very bad back – they had 10 children.
“I think current global warming alarm does not represent a plausible proposition.”
I am reminded of Clark’s First Law: “When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is probably wrong.”
Luc said… Holroyd is a well-known funds manager who is moving to Zurich to advance his business interests.
Luc, I am aware of what Holroyd Co’s doing. I am not a hedgefund but I develop software to be used by such industry.
Get this clear Luc, if you lookup Holroyd ‘s site, they’re using an outdated false model in economics called Markowitz Modern Portfolio Theory (MMPT), which was first developed by economics nobel prize winner Prof. Markowitz over half a century ago. It is based on equilibrium which has been found out to be false. Markets never stay at a stable point long enough to be in equilibrium. MMPT is false, and it is still the dominant model being used today by most financial institutions and fund managers. Only researched based fund management companies have abandoned MMPT because they’re up to date with new researchers that are coming out of the literatures. But you know, that fund managers don’t read economic/finance peer review jouarnals and that’s why they’re not aware of recent advanced theories. See, the following youtube lecture by socialist economic nobel prize economist Prof. Stiglitz which he highlighted the falsity of mainstream economic theories. You must watch it, if you want to debate.
Prof. Stiglitz emphasized that this bullshit economic theories are still being taught at universities around the world.
The following quote which I have lifted from here, criticized Stiglitz for flip-flopping in that he criticized equilibrium (stability), but then wrote a book on equilibrium:
Jo McCauley comment:
================ Soros’ ‘reflexivity’ is repeated in about every book he’s written (I’ve read quite a few of them over the years), and he’s written a lot. The idea that one cannot know ’social reality’ in advance, that there is always a gap between what someone thinks and what you think someone thinks (or, even you misunderstand what you yourself think that you think) is true but cannot be turned into a falsifiable model of anything observable. That said, he has surrounded himself with a barrier of traditional economists like Roman Frydman. He perhaps listens to Stiglitz. Stiglitz has written qualitatively about market instability, and then turned 180 degrees and wrote a ,new, book on ‘equilibrium finance’ a few years ago. I am sorry to have to disagree with some of my esteemed colleagues who would like to find common ground with traditional economic theorists, but there is no evidence whatsoever for any form of stationarity/equilibrium in any known economic data. In fact, economic data beyond finance probably cannot be modeled in any falsifiable way. The idea of cointegration, based on a stationarity assumption, is a prime example of completely misleading economic theory. There are unfortunately even some econophysicists who think that they can cointegrate economic data.
Note , our current climate models are based on heat balance equilibrium, which is questionable because it is a translation of equilibrium observed in the lab (micro model) and applied it to large complex system as global climate (macro model). Surprisingly, many climate scientists are not familiar with complex system modeling, since climate system is truly complex, equilibrium doesn’t exist. Note what Stiglitz talked about in his vid lecture I linked to above, that economists just take the micro economic models (a single gas moleculue) and applied it to the large scale macro economic environment (gases), hoping that they’re the same. But no, they’re not the same. Climate and economic systems are both complex systems. The behavior of the system as a whole is not the same as sum of the behavior of its components (parts), ie, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Well done to Sirius Wealth for running a business but does its investors know the type of modeling they use ? Investors wouldn’t have a clue.
Kris k; hell no. left there in 1973 for warmer climes. If you want to email me at Vikingonmars@gmail.com so we can converse privately that would be best.
I am not a hedgefund but I develop software to be used by such industry.
Do you have wealthy US contacts?
Because a certain Kiwiblog resident (and NZ taxpayers generally) could benefit (pun intended) from some mutual introductions:
philu (8542) Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
for the last four and a half years..every day.(early morning start…i have compiled a news aggregator service…whoar.co.nz
..(that yesterday..was ranked in the top 1% of global blogs..by technorati…
..and i have been approached by some americans putting together a big commercial model news/opinion site in america..
..aimed at knocking off huffington post..
..i will own part of that…and hope/expect to make a reasonable..to shit-load of money from that…
and i am about to start cashing in on the high global rankigs for whoar…
..(so i expect to be off that dpb sooner..rather than later..
..now..to my mind..through sweat equity/brainpower..i have got myself in a strong position to leave the benefit..
So nearly 12 months later, Philu’s still not knocking off the Huffington Post.
Nomestradamus – my favourite line was this one: “i am about to start cashing in on the high global rankigs for whoar…”. True comedy gold. I chuckle every time I read this.
For what is believed to be the first time ever in England, an audience of university students decisively rejected the notion that global warming is or could become a global crisis. [This occurred in a debate at the historic Oxford Union Society and is an encouraging sign of resistance to Propaganda.](from Unfiltered News).
“MAN CANNOT SURVIVE IN THE KIND OF STATE OF NATURE THAT THE ECOLOGISTS ENVISION – i.e., ON THE LEVEL OF SEA URCHINS OR POLAR BEARS….IN ORDER TO SURVIVE, MAN HAS TO DISCOVER AND PRODUCE EVERYTHING HE NEEDS, WHICH MEANS THAT HE HAS TO ALTER HIS BACKGROUND AND ADAPT IT TO HIS NEEDS….HIS WELL-BEING DEPENDS ON HIS SUCCESS AT PRODUCTION. THE LOWEST HUMAN TRIBE CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THAT ALLEGED SOURCE OF POLLUTION: FIRE. ”
____ THE NEW LEFT: The Anti-Industrial Revolution.
Ayn Rand (1971) Hmm… and with great reason-based
foresight.
Both Mao and Stalin, to name just two, are guilty of
planned agricultural policies that resulted in mass starvation and millions dead. (In Mao’s case, during “the great leap forward,” 35 million.)
We must ask, are our “environmentalists” and politicians
wittingly or unwittingly leading us to that same scenario again?
Just been to Technorati, purely for research purposes of course.
Couldn’t find anything. Of course I might have had fat finger syndrome or something and mistyped things.
hmmmmm.
increasing discomfort of their host as the mewls of outrage
FTFY, Puke. Actually Israel is doing us a favour locking up the nutroots and keeping them from civic life.
Why does Luc always disappear when he is fisked on account of worship at the climate change altar?
I called him out on his anti-semitism based on his pathological obsession with Israel and total lack of attention on other places where Muslims have a hard time like Indonesia and the Horn of Africa and he fucked off quick smart. In spite of all his bluster, the guy’s a coward. I feel sorry for his daughter.
Kris k; hell no. left there in 1973 for warmer climes. If you want to email me at Vikingonmars@gmail.com so we can converse privately that would be best.
Stunning Saturday nights.
“hands on cocks now…!” put your recycled paper bag on Phool, then get back to work. I mean the American Media is waiting for content for the Saturday News, especially in New York
Phil U may enjoy the Michael Jackson’s dance moves in this youtube live concert Wanna be starting something.
I reckon that if Phil U spends less time here on Kiwiblog tonight and learns MJ’s moves, he would find no problem in scoring hot chicks when he’s out in town dancing. Believe me Phil, since I am a good funk/hip-hop dancer I can do all the MJ’s moves and every time I step onto whichever dance floor in town I usually get surrounded by chicks. They’re mostly fascinated by the way I move. Phil if you want to join me to go dancing tonight, then you’re welcome. This will give you a break from blogging and not only that, you’ll learn some good moves from me. On top of that, you will have a chance to score tonight, by doing the MJ moves. Anyway, I am halfway through a bottle of whiskey, and if you’re keen to join for a cruise/dance in town tonight, just signal back here so I can give you my contact.
yeah..no..i’m not doing advertising yet.. at the moment i’m working with the americans who have approached me to provide the daily news content for their/our new commercial beast over there..
..when we kick that off..
..i’m gonna get the designers etc to give whoar the bells and whistles..to complement the already great content..
..so bryan..
..it could well be me that rocks up to the mortgagee-sale of that ‘villa in ponsonby’..eh..?
You seemed very upbeat last year. What’s happened?
I think Philu’s reference to “a climate-change denier..who already has a half a bottle of whisky under his belt…@7.44 pm…” was meant to be about you. Have you met Philu before at, say, bloggers’ drinks? Were you at that infamous shitstorm that went down at last year’s event?
A thought about the Mercury Energy price rise discussed up-thread. We’ve already heard how >90% of Mercury’s power is sourced from hydro and geothermal sources. The implication is that the ETS shouldn’t greatly impact their retail price. But it’s going up, just like the other retailers’ prices.
Now the ‘advertised’ idea behind the ETS is to reduce our emissions (setting aside the science of human caused emissions being statistically irrelevant in the climate debate). So in theory Mercury power should be cheaper than alternatives and people would switch, abandoning nasty carbon-dependent generators & suppliers. This would create a medium-term supply issue, but let’s assume that would work its way out of the supply model.
What will happen in practice is that the government will enjoy increased taxation-by-dividends from it’s state owned energy companies, while the market finds a new, higher price equilibrium.
The ETS is demonstrably a tax masquerading as environmental concern.
Shame on you John Key for your totalitarian ‘leadership’.
Shame on you Nick Smith for your lies and deceit.
Shame on you National MP’s for your spineless duplicity.
My previous comment was, bizarrely, marked as spam. Anyway, after last year’s experience, I don’t think Philu mixes with right-wing bloggers over drinks.
‘Mr Bethune’s legal team has a two-hour session with him this afternoon. Lawyer Dan Harris says Mr Bethune will be arguing everything he did was legal, because Japan’s whaling is illegal.’
Yep everything he did was legal. Gee I feel so sorry for Bethune. When in Rome do as the Romans do. When on the high sea you do not do what Bethune did. Japan will send him down and the soft cocks in NZ will protest.
BIG FUCKING DEAL he made his bed many times
cos I want the Japs to fuck Bethune’s virgin arsehole then kill every enviroshithead using their security services. I want to see Garfy Hooes CRY WITH FEAR HAHAAHAHAHA
I’ve enjoyed a social drink with one or two Kiwiblog readers. I wasn’t at that event but read Whaleoil’s account – I must say he has a rather different version of events. One of you is lying.
when will farrar clean ths sewer up..?
…
what will you do then nosty..?
no longer able to snivel from behind a fake name…?
I’d say if DPF gets around to “clean[ing] this sewer up”, you’d be goneski
Edit: Two of my previous comments appeared briefly but have now disappeared. Has anyone else found their comments “swallowed up” like this?
This is Whaleoil’s account of that infamous bloggers drinks. Really doesn’t seem to square with your 7:58pm account above.
Some quotes:
Well this raised the blood pressure of the aforementioned obnoxious ass who promptly changed the subject to something else while being lambasted for being racist because he didn’t want third world labourers in New Zealand. His next topic for discussion then centred around the minimum wage. Cactus Kate asked why he should sit on the DPB when he could easily get a minimum wage job. His answer was that he had a Masters Degree and thus was over qualified for minimum wage jobs. The howls of elitist and racist were by now being hurled by all across the table at the aforementioned obnoxious ass.
The reaction from aforementioned obnoxious ass was simply spectacular. He stood up called us all racists and anti-semites, forgetting that he had just 5 minutes before been telling how evil the Jewish State was for killing innocent Palestinians. He then stormed off muttering and screaming to resounding applause and high fives from all the rest of us.
Now this is the funny part. We had objectivists, libertarians, fundy Christians, Conservative Christians, atheists, agnostics, homos, dying people, National supporters, Act supporters, Cactus Kate who is a category all on her own and one leftist, green aforementioned obnoxious ass. Everyone but him got on fine with much hilarity for the entire night except for this humourless prick.
Judging by Whaleoil’s account you had a hissy-fit and walked out because you were being ridiculed by everyone there. Are you seriously asking me to believe that Whaleoil and the other attendees (a very diverse bunch by all accounts) are lying?
*Sigh*
Another comment has disappeared so I’ll try posting without the link. Steve, F5 doesn’t resolve the issue, so I’ll just assume that WordPress is playing up.
Whaleoil’s account of that infamous bloggers drinks really doesn’t seem to square with your 7:58pm account above. Some quotes:
Well this raised the blood pressure of the aforementioned obnoxious ass who promptly changed the subject to something else while being lambasted for being racist because he didn’t want third world labourers in New Zealand. His next topic for discussion then centred around the minimum wage. Cactus Kate asked why he should sit on the DPB when he could easily get a minimum wage job. His answer was that he had a Masters Degree and thus was over qualified for minimum wage jobs. The howls of elitist and racist were by now being hurled by all across the table at the aforementioned obnoxious ass.
The reaction from aforementioned obnoxious ass was simply spectacular. He stood up called us all racists and anti-semites, forgetting that he had just 5 minutes before been telling how evil the Jewish State was for killing innocent Palestinians. He then stormed off muttering and screaming to resounding applause and high fives from all the rest of us.
Now this is the funny part. We had objectivists, libertarians, fundy Christians, Conservative Christians, atheists, agnostics, homos, dying people, National supporters, Act supporters, Cactus Kate who is a category all on her own and one leftist, green aforementioned obnoxious ass. Everyone but him got on fine with much hilarity for the entire night except for this humourless prick.
Judging by Whaleoil’s account you had a hissy-fit and walked out because you were being ridiculed by everyone there. Are you seriously asking me to believe that Whaleoil and the other attendees (a very diverse bunch by all accounts) are lying?
“..Are you seriously asking me to believe that Whaleoil and the other attendees (a very diverse bunch by all accounts) are lying?..”
rightwingers..?..probalnbly liars..
and i haven’t read blubbys’ acccount…
what exactly were they ‘ridiculing’ me about..?
i mean..it was just totally a exercise in them showing themselves as living up to every caricature of the nasty/selfish/greedy/fuck-everyone-else rightie…eh..?
nah..!..it was the ‘easy’ anti-semitism that had me out the door…
..blubby can make up whatever bullshit he likes..
but that’s what went down…
..it was kinda like some of that gripping reality television..
..where you can’t believe the people on screen are human beings..
..so..what exactly was it they were ‘ridicuiing’ me about…?..again..?
I gather this exchange took place:
His next topic for discussion then centred around the minimum wage. Cactus Kate asked why he should sit on the DPB when he could easily get a minimum wage job. His answer was that he had a Masters Degree and thus was over qualified for minimum wage jobs. The howls of elitist and racist were by now being hurled by all across the table at the aforementioned obnoxious ass.
Did you really say this?
There were apparently “objectivists, libertarians, fundy Christians, Conservative Christians, atheists, agnostics, homos, dying people, National supporters, Act supporters, Cactus Kate who is a category all on her own and one leftist, green aforementioned obnoxious ass [oh wait, that's apparently you]” in attendance. Why would they all lie about this?
And will you be going to any future bloggers’ drinks events, or has that experience put you off?
They’re ridiculing you because you’re a stoned fuckwit, philip.
When’s this American concern buying your shit blog, Philip? Surely in the year since you lied out of your face, it would have attracted even more attention, right?
When Falafulu (is that a real name?) invited you to join him for a night of drinking and dancing, it got me thinking back to the hoo-ha last year after that bloggers drinks. It was a series of allegations (from Whaleoil) that were left hanging.
Thoughts on the critiques therein? And I don’t mean rant about how the media’s out to get her. Are the critiques correct? If not, what is wrong with them? Are they inaccurate? If so, what is inaccurate about them?
As you may have guessed I have been reading a bit of Taibbi’s stuff today.
@Falafulu: That was a very nice offer to Philu. Michael Jackson had pretty sweet moves before his amount of messed-upness became too apparent.
@Philu: You intimated you didn’t care what Nomestradamus thinks, but then continued responding. The best way to show you don’t care is not to show a revealed preference which implies you do care, but to ignore Nomestradamus.
I believe you, amongst others, have criticised the standard of debate and/or posts by commenters here at Kiwiblog. Getting into an argument with Nomestradamus about some personal matter which Nomestradamus doesn’t have first-hand knowledge of and which involved you some considerable time ago also brings down the standard of debate/posts. Furthermore, it detracts from the apparent intent of Kiwiblog being open to all comments, which even in the General Debate thread is probably be less about flame wars and more about actual issues/events (probably those not covered by DPF at the time of commenting) and possibly even networking.
That said, I am intrigued. Nomestradamus asked three questions: “Did you really say this?
…
And will you be going to any future bloggers’ drinks events, or has that experience put you off?”
@Hurf Durf: Thoughts on the critiques therein? Are the critiques correct? If not, what is wrong with them? Are they inaccurate? If so, what is inaccurate about them? Or are you just going to make comments without substance?
Just to respond to your 10:04pm comment. I’ve read Kiwiblog on and off for quite some time – about 5 years actually. During that time Philu has, at times, engaged in constructive debate. In more recent times, however, I’d say he’s set about promoting his blog. I can’t speak for others but I believe he’s widely seen as a troll. Now, I don’t know if you’re new here or not, but DPF’s previously said something to the effect that Philu gets what he deserves because of his inflammatory posting style. I gather DPF takes that into account before dishing out demerits for comments directed in Philu’s direction.
At least one of your links (the one about financial reform in the USA) doesn’t seem to work. What did you get out of that link in particular?
All the lies you have propagated on this (KB) blog
About your blog,(selling to USA interests), about your not having home internet, about your account of the infamous bloggers meeting, etc. to nominate a few.
You are a pathetical teller of untruths.
Fuck off back to the strandred where people of your elk are welcome.
@Nomestradamus: It was actually another Taibbi link. I found it quite interesting as it does align somewhat with what I have seen in American politics and nobody comes off well, really. It deals with the recent lobbying around efforts at financial reform in the USA. It’s titled “Wall Street’s War” and should be the first link on the top left at http://www.rollingstone.com/politics
@Hurf Durf: Fair enough. Can’t knock a person for being drunk on a Saturday night if they’re not causing any harm to others than themselves.
I called him out on his anti-semitism based on his pathological obsession with Israel and total lack of attention on other places where Muslims have a hard time like Indonesia and the Horn of Africa and he fucked off quick smart. In spite of all his bluster, the guy’s a coward. I feel sorry for his daughter.
See what I mean? Here Lukey Lukey Lukey. Oh wait, I forgot, you’re a fucking joke.
I’ve read Kiwiblog on and off for quite some time – about 5 years actually. During that time Philu has, at times, engaged in constructive debate. In more recent times, however, I’d say he’s set about promoting his blog. I can’t speak for others but I believe he’s widely seen as a troll.
I’ve been here a similar length of time, perhaps 4.5yrs. I agree with the troll assessment. If DPF does clean up his blog it will be a trollendectomy for sure.
To be honest, I’m really not across the full detail of the financial reform. I’ve skim-read the article you mentioned; I don’t think its polemical style is particularly helpful in sorting out the issues (why shouldn’t investment banks, like anyone else, make submissions on the proposed legislative content?), but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and read it more fully tomorrow.
As an aside, I don’t understand this editorial note at the end:
This article originally appeared in RS 1106 from June 10, 2010.
Whoops – sounds like a bit of a future-dating cock-up there…
Anyway, I recently read the following commentary (subscription only, so I’ll reproduce it) that may interest you:
I watched some of the Congressional hearings with Goldman Sachs this week and, as I wrote at the time, they were speaking Martian and the senators were speaking another language called Politics, so real communication was minimal.
But since then I’ve been reflecting on what it all means. They spent six hours talking at cross purposes about the morality of Goldman shorting the market while selling securities to clients. That’s also the essence of the SEC’s civil charge against the firm over one particular mortgage security: that it was created in conjunction with a hedge fund operator who was simultaneously shorting the mortgages, and the buyers weren’t told that.
Goldman’s defence of the fact that it was short the market in 2007 (that is, betting it would fall) even though it was still putting on a positive face for clients it was selling stuff to, is that it was a “market maker”. CEO Lloyd Blankfein kept saying that, as did his other executives.
The politicians simply couldn’t grasp this, and nor could most ordinary people. The senators tried to get Goldman to concede that it was morally wrong to bet against securities they were presenting to clients as good investments, but they got nowhere.
Blankfein patiently explained that “there’s been a change in the sociology of the business in the last 10 to 15 years”. Somewhere along the line big clients stopped asking investment banks for good advice and started to seek them out only to set up deals for them, merely to underwrite the transactions and be on the other side of them.
That meant Goldman and other investment banks changed from private partnerships to listed companies to get access to the capital needed to do these deals and it also, according to them, removed the notion of morality and fiduciary duty from their work. Goldman’s only job was to provide an efficient market service to clients, not to advise. Caveat emptor.
It was a remarkable insight into the reason behind the moral decay of Wall Street and came as a deep shock to the politicians, which is why they’re now talking about introducing a statutory fiduciary duty for investment banks as part of the regulatory response to the GFC.
As a lawyer myself, I’m intrigued to know how the proposed statutory fiduciary duty would operate in practice, as it’d effectively cut across the “market maker” concept (ie an investment bank couldn’t have conflicting duties to countertparties on both sides of a particular transaction).
Anyway, seeing as you’ve read the article, do you have any thoughts?
Oh dear. I see the Lib Democrat MP David Laws (Chief Secretary to the Treasury) is in a spot of bother.
Seems he’s been keeping a young James Lundy (Political Activist), flush with lots of rental income from the public purse. About £40,000 to be more precise.
Apparently Lundy was the landlord and the rent boy – both on long term leases.
“The ETS is demonstrably a tax masquerading as environmental concern.”
It has been my thesis from day one. So much for a government elected under the promise to reduce taxes. We know now it was all a big lie, a con artist doing a con job on New Zealand.
Shame on Key, the National Party and their staunch sycophants and spin doctors.
Well done to the All Whites, a remarkable win beating Serbia! And even better was keeping Serbia scoreless. This proves that the All Whites deserve their place at the World Cup and will not be easy beats like everyone was predicting.
I wonder if Slovakia and Paraguay are not so sure about drawing into Pool F with Italy and NZ anymore.
Lib Democrat MP David Laws has now resigned. That’s how fast scandal is dealt with these days in the UK. You can tell we no longer have a Labour government in power.
Talking of Labour government out of power in the UK, isn’t it great that Gordon Brown now has lots of free time on his hands to sulk about never receiving the vote of the people?
The wife of prominent blogger Whale Oil says mental health problems are driving his internet behaviour – which has included a campaign to break suppression orders and insult people online.
Juana Atkins also says husband Cameron Slater has “no thought of the consequences for himself or others or indeed his family” when he makes his online attacks.
The emotional outburst was sparked by the couple’s forced sale of their East Auckland family home. The house was sold after Slater’s insurance payments for depression were canned by insurer Fidelity Life.
“The house is gone, there is nothing left,” Slater wrote under the persona Whale Oil on his Gotcha blog.
Oh dear. I see the Lib Democrat MP David Laws (Chief Secretary to the Treasury) is in a spot of bother.
Seems he’s been keeping a young James Lundy (Political Activist), flush with lots of rental income from the public purse. About £40,000 to be more precise.
Apparently Lundy was the landlord and the rent boy – both on long term leases.
Another sodomite left wing MP caught with his hand in the cooky jar.
One must really question the morality of the left on MANY counts. Why are these people allowed into positions of power and influence?
(Yeah, go on, call me ‘homophobic’ – you know you want to)
In 2010 nobody could be that small minded, I have long suspected that you are a left wing troll who has a huge problem with religion.
Why not leave those who want to worship in peace, IMHO they are barking mad but at least I do not see any need to abuse them (unless they start to tell me how to live my life)
Seriously Kris, the joke is wearing a little thin.
David Laws was to the right of his party and a former banker.
The Liberal Democrats were already getting flakey with Vince Cable resigning as Deputy Leader. There might be early elections yet in which the Conservatives will sweep the board. Funny if it happens before Labour elect a new leader.
@Nomestradamus: Re: the Taibbi article. I know polemics are often not helpful, but I understand why he is like that. With the state of political discourse as it is, the primary way to get attention is to be polemical and I don’t mind it in an opinion piece – as his was – particularly as he is typically pretty good with the facts (he did make a mistake with the political alignment of a senator, I believe, but political alignment was not relevant to the points he was making). He’s also been around a while and I think he is pretty disillusioned. What I got from it was not that he was against lobbying in and of itself (personally I think lobbying can serve a useful function provided those in government realise that lobbyists are not their only constituents and will typically present a heavily slanted idea of what should happen in order to benefit their interests), and not that he was for or against one party or the other. Neither were looked upon fondly.
I felt he was making similar points, or points which fit in with what I’m told are the theories of Quigley and Tainter (discussed by John Robb here: http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2010/04/avoiding-collapse.html) In the context of what Taibbi was saying, government deals in terms of its own entrenched interests and perpetuation with as little change as possible instead of fulfilling its ostensible functions. However, it has also become increasingly complex in such a manner as to make significant change extremely difficult.
I agree with you on the “market maker” concept. I also feel that informational asymmetries are a huge problem in markets, particularly financial.
Kris k; hell no. left there in 1973 for warmer climes. If you want to email me at Vikingonmars@gmail.com so we can converse privately that would be best.
V2, have just flicked you an email [KrisKWgtn@gmail].
May 29th, 2010 at 7:47 am
The hoi poloi of NZ and Auckland society just don’t get it do they. Encouraging young people to booze up seems to be their ultimate goal. Worse its from parents from a school that says its sets the standard. Time they got some brain power together or was theirs also addled by alcohol at their young age.?
King’s parents have a plan for after-balls
Saturday, 29, May, 2010 6:16AM
Parents with students at Auckland’s King’s College want to serve alcohol at the school’s after-ball party.
A committee of 15 parents is trying to avoid the police crackdown on after-balls.
They have come up with a plan in which students would need to bring a parent to buy drinks for them from a licensed bar.
They say they are working within the law to see how they can make the party work.
“thats right, don’t like the law because it doesn’t suit your attitude despite the evidence of harm so find a way around it to encourage your children to start their booze habit”
http://www.telstraclear.co.nz/news/news-story.cfm?content_id=790144
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 7:56 am
And just to make my point;
Young teens drinking themselves to death
By KATE NEWTON – The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 29/05/2010
The chief coroner is shocked and frustrated by the number of teenagers – some as young as 13 – drinking themselves to death.
Neil MacLean said this week that internal research done by his office showed at least a dozen teenagers, some of them barely out of childhood, had died from binge-drinking since July 1, 2007.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/3752872/Young-teens-drinking-themselves-to-death
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:03 am
Apparently Niki Kaye is frightened to disagree with the PM. Now why would that be?
Could it be that the PM and his heirachy control the money and the whipping in Parliament?
Shouldn’t we revisit Parliaments rules before we revisit the electoral system?
National MP walks ‘fine line’ over Great Barrier mining
By JOHN HARTEVELT – The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 29/05/2010
Government MP Nikki Kaye has written to the prime minister telling him that people think mining proposals for Great Barrier Island are “laughable”.
Ms Kaye, the MP for Auckland Central, said she had walked a fine line over criticising the mining plans in her electorate and supporting her Government.
In March, the Government issued a draft plan to allow prospecting for mining in 7000 hectares of protected conservation land, including a part of Great Barrier Island.
Ms Kaye publicly opposed the proposal to open up protected parts of the island to possible mining. At the time, she said the case for mining on the island “doesn’t stack up”.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3752834/National-MP-walks-fine-line-over-Great-Barrier-mining
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:08 am
How come no comments on Pete Hodgson. Hes a slimy rat and should be dispensed all the vitriol he deserves.
Can’t imagine that anyone seriously believes him.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:10 am
@ Viking2 – you’d think that of ALL schools in Auckland, Kings woukld be the LAST to be encouraging its students to drink – even under parental supervision. I wonder what James Webster’s parents think.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:12 am
DPF – why no comments on H-Fee II?
FWIW, I’ve just blogged about Tracy Watkins putting the boot into Labour over this
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2010/05/deja-vu-all-over-again.html
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:16 am
IV2 That’s kinda what I thought. But then I see parents scrambling on a daily basis to pay the fees etc for these type of schools and frankly their households are a turmoil and their kids often rushed around the parents all about me.
Interesting to see Lindsays blog yesterday http://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2010/05/uk-bad-but-nz-worse.html
Kinda adds to the knowledge on this issue.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:26 am
You have to expect Labour to come out with these types of attacks. They spent the first year in opposition saying that the secret agenda the National Party was planning before the election would be implemented. You remember – the slashing of health and education budgets, the reinstatement of interest charges on student loans, the selling of National Parks to rich American billionaires. Since that didn’t happen (and never was), now they are trying to fling as much dirt as possible to see if any of it sticks.
It’s a strategy that will not work and you wonder when Labour will wake up and realise it – when they get down to 16% in opinion polls again?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:31 am
I see comments turned off on Labours pathetic smear compaign – so I’ll say it here. Labour are a bunch of sad pathetic and desperate wimps. They made nil traction against the budget (expect a rise in the next set of polling for the Nats). Is this really the best they can do? Literally no one cares. SSeeing Gollum Hodgson wanking himself silly in Parliament over this false beat-up is just so funny for those of us on the right. Those on the left must be cringing. Maybe someone should pass Gollum the tissues to help wipe up his excitement. The rest of NZ is just disgusted at Labour’s attempts for oxygen.
What is i-predict paying for Labour to go under 20.9% at the 2011 election?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:33 am
DPF’s quite wrong about about the H-Fee II, that brilliant cough legal mind cough Mickey Sausage has expertly shown that all parliamentary activity to date has been geared to improving the Key family assets in the blind trust … chortle.
With great legal minds like that in Labour’s corner how can they fail in 2011 … chortle snort.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Mining company says Labour “got it wrong”
Source: Close Up
A mining company says the Labour Party “got it wrong” when it said the company was against mining on Schedule 4 land.
Newmont Waihi Gold last week sent a submission to the government on its mining proposals titled: “Leave Schedule 4 Alone, says mining company”.
The submission asks the government to “leave Schedule 4 land exactly where it is – under protection from open pit mining and exploration – for now”.
But Newmont’s external affairs manager Kelvyn Eglinton said on TV ONE’s Breakfast programme Labour has taken the submission out of context.
“The Labour Party has really got it wrong. This submission is more in alignment with the government than perhaps any other.”
He says the company is not opposed to mining on Schedule 4.
Another Labour blunder when will they get anything right.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:43 am
So we can see who is undermining the Leadership of the Labour Party. How could anyone operate with this scum bag and his mates twisting the knife all the time. Who’s part of that team of despots.?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:45 am
Comments closed on “H Fee Mark II”
Did I accidentally end up at the Standard?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I don’t disagree with the CONTENT nor the CONCLUSION of the “Legal Advice”, but the fact the person who is giving the advice is contracted to perform work on behalf of John Key in the first place, and that person would be the one failing in his duties had he SPOKEN to John Key “off the record – like”, hardly makes it an INDEPENDENT opinion.
It does NOTHING towards clearing up the issue.
Problem remains is that the choir is being preached to, by and large, and that Labour KNOWS that mud will stick. They have to take Key down to have any chance at the next election. They will keep coming at him shaving away at the percentages.
Key’s been going around looking like a cocky SOB for some time. The first step to a fall is well on the way unless he smartens up.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:46 am
One of the policies of my government that I am most proud of is the reduction in corporate taxes announced in 2006 by my colleague, the Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty. The general tax rate was more than 22% in 2007. It has been going down every year since and will be at 15% in 2012. Canada will then have the lowest corporate income tax of the G7 countries.
A People’s Tax Cut: Abolish the corporate tax – only real people pay taxes
Maxime Bernier
A famous American jurist, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., wrote in 1927 that taxes are the price we pay for civilization. However much truth there may be in this statement, we’ve now gone way beyond this. Taxes today are the price we pay for having a big, fat and inefficient bureaucracy that tries to intervene in every aspect of our lives.
As long as we have taxes, however, we should make sure that they cause the least possible distortion in our economy.
http://www.nzcpr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=936&p=30340#p30340
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Great. Now I look like an idiot. Comments have since opened up on the H Fee II posting.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Viking2 – I’d hazard a guess that it is all being driven via text message from somewhere not too distant from the headquarters of the UN. When Helen Clark decides that the time to strike against Goff and reclaim HER Labour Party is right, someone’s phone will jump into life, and it will be all on for young and old. I wonder what I-Predict would offer on a Cunliffe/Street challenge.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Did you know that China has the largest English speaking population in the world? no then check this out
http://www.nzcpr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=936&p=30340#p30340
Check this out and watch the video. blow your minds.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Viking2 (1762) Says:
May 29th, 2010 at 8:46 am
A People’s Tax Cut: Abolish the corporate tax – only real people pay taxes
Maxime Bernier
I fully agree with this. Great to see Viking2 agree with my desire to eliminate the legal fiction that a company should have all the legal rights of a natural person.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:11 am
Rich-lister fights for King’s after-ball
By Rachel Tiffen
4:00 AM Saturday May 29, 2010
Parents of King’s College students want alcohol at their children’s after-ball party – but only if every Mum or Dad attends too.
A 15-member parent committee – which includes New Zealand’s richest man, Graeme Hart, and businessman Michael Stiassny – is trying to avoid a police crackdown on booze-fuelled after-ball parties.
Rich-lister fights for King’s after-ball
By Rachel Tiffen
4:00 AM Saturday May 29, 2010
Parents of King’s College students want alcohol at their children’s after-ball party – but only if every Mum or Dad attends too.
A 15-member parent committee – which includes New Zealand’s richest man, Graeme Hart, and businessman Michael Stiassny – is trying to avoid a police crackdown on booze-fuelled after-ball parties.
Here are the culprits.Rich-lister fights for King’s after-ball
Vote:http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10648250
May 29th, 2010 at 9:12 am
“I wonder what I-Predict would offer on a Cunliffe/Street challenge”
..who cares…we all know liarbour are irrelevant until at least the 2017 elections…
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:14 am
LRO. No that wasn’t it at all. Typical lefty can’t stop trying to put unsaid words in other peoples mouths. If you support the idea of lower company taxes for good reason as this does the say so. It didn’t say take away other obligations did it?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:18 am
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3752868/Give-us-back-the-park-or-we-quit-talks-say-Tuhoe
Good if they do they don’t get the 56 milllion or what ever either.
They are dreaming , they did not have 1,000,000 acres confiscated, nowhere near that amount
Also- Phil Goff = Michael Crawford – Some Mothers Do Have Em!!!!!!!
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:21 am
Will tbe government cave in to Tuhoe’s demands? Will the National Party muster the courage to turn the tribe down? Will it pander to the racists?
The next chapter of this saga is yet to be written.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Viking2. Then please explain “only real people pay taxes”?
It is my contention that the granting of the status of natural person to a company is a legal fiction and should be abolished. A company’s shareholders are natural persons and each of those, jointly and severally, should bear the obligations and duties of the company. We would get far better corporate governance when thier arses are on the line, when they can’t just walk away.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Gee I’m getting sick of this global warming!
Vote:We here in Wellington are expecting to reach the dizzy heights of 9°C today – hang on a minute, I need to turn my fan up …
May 29th, 2010 at 9:26 am
“I need to turn my fan up..”
Be patient, be considerate, be kind to Gaia. By the way, be also prepared to pay higher prices for gas, electricity, petrol and every other thing after Key’s dreadful ETS kicks in on July 1.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:27 am
KK
Get yourself a good wind farm going and you’ll electrickery all winter
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Jesusonalollipopstick Kris K, you’re a fucking idiot!
There is no such thing as global warming.
Its climate change.
The climate’s changed from summer to winter, get over it!
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:30 am
LRO. I agree with you but that’s not what the article was about. It was saying that companies capital allocation is distorted by Govt.’s rorting the companies by extracting taxes especially if they are to high. I tend to think that companies need to pay some tax as they use services which are provided by Govt. free of charge or subsidized in some way by other tax payers.
Vote:But the bigger issue in NZ is Trust taxes and why they are privileged. All income should be driven to the “person” and taxed appropriately.
The distortions arrive when we look at oversea’s owned. Those shareholders can and do rape the system.
May 29th, 2010 at 9:32 am
Viking2 7:56 am,
I agree, V2 – what concerned parent would actually facilitate their children (and let’s be clear, they are children) drinking?
How many parents need to wake up and realise that their kids are in great danger to the risks of alcohol, and them facilitating them drinking is only going to be seen as a ‘green light’ to most kids? I mean, how many kids have to die before some people get the message?
Talk about ‘Dumb and Dumber’.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:33 am
DPF; Please pass onto Mr Key this little tit bit.
Airline lawsuit against European ETS moves forward
http://atwonline.com/eco-aviation/news/ … rward-0527
By Perry Flint | May 28, 2010
The US airline industry won a small but significant victory in its bid to challenge the legality of the EU’s plan to apply its Emissions Trading Scheme to non-EU airlines yesterday when the English High Court of Justice said it would refer the case to the European Court of Justice.
The Air Transport Assn. and three member carriers–American Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Air Lines–brought suit last December in the High Court against the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change because most American carriers are assigned to the UK for participation and compliance in the ETS (ATWOnline, Dec. 22, 2009).
The plaintiffs argued that unilaterally extending the rule to non-EU airlines violates the Chicago Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the US-EU open skies agreement and is “contrary to the customary international law principle that each state has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory.”
ATA VP-Environmental Affairs Nancy Young called the decision “an important step, as only the ECJ has the authority to rule on the Europe-wide directive that applies the European Emissions Trading Scheme to our airlines. The unilateral extension of the EU ETS to international aviation is contrary to international law both as an extraterritorial action and an improper tax or charge. It also clearly stands in the way of an appropriate and effective global solution.”
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Green Party Mires in the Mud:
Vote:http://blog.greens.org.nz/2010/05/28/appropriate-levels-of-decision-making-te-tiriti-and-mmp/
May 29th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Manolo 9:26 am,
But how do you actually ‘prepare’ – by drawing down some more on the mortgage?
And the date chosen to implement the ETS has to be one of the most cruel things Key could do – July 1st is pretty much mid winter, and when many people, especially those in the deep south and old age pensioners, are already struggling in meeting their energy (gas and power) costs, one really does have to wonder how they will meet even GREATER costs when the ETS comes on line.
Couldn’t he have at least waited till the spring, say October 1st?
Vote:I wonder how all those other families living in state houses, like Key did when growing up, will manage – and doesn’t this send the message that Key is not really very concerned for those on lower incomes?
The next time I hear him mention his growing up in a state house I think I’m gonna puke!
May 29th, 2010 at 10:07 am
Pauleastbay 9:27 am,
I really am seriously looking at at least subsidising my energy requirements – looking at designing a waste oil hot air and water heater. It’s a compressed air driven oil atomiser design, and results in essentially complete combustion, unlike most other oil burner designs. I’ve done most of the calcs and design, and pretty much just have to get the thing made. If it works well (I’ll make sure it does) I may look at marketting it.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Nikki was elected to represent the views of her electorate to parliament, NOT to sell the edicts of her leader to her electorate. I agree with Viking2. Whipping supports for absolite rule rather than constructive government.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:14 am
I see that Gary Coleman (whatcho talkin’ bout Willis?) is dead at age 42….
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Seeesh Viking2. Didn’t ya sleep man?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:24 am
@ Fletch – it rather deflates Avenue Q’s characterisation of Gary Coleman (yes, THAT Gary Coleman) as the Building Superintendant. That’s a shame, as it’s kind of a running gag throughout the show. And I heard that Gary Coleman actually played himself at one point.
BTW – it’s a brilliant show; the puppet sex scene is absolutely hilarious!
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Too much state, with too much power. Too much like here.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 11:02 am
Interesting to see the abortion business (Marie Stopes) is getting airtime to advertise in the UK. The organization has managed to circumvent restrictions by claiming to be a ‘charity’, while they have a marketing manager and performed 65,000 abortions last year. Warner rightly asks:
Indeed. The prospect of seeing the violent destruction of a tiny human life may well have some re-consider.
And as an aside, the organization Marie Stopes takes its name from a woman of the same name who is a real charmer. (NB: wikipedia reference.. so treat with measured criticism)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Taxes and abortion KK, sounds familiar.
While under financial stress in 1992, Roeder happened upon right-wing televangelist Pat Robertson’s 700 Club on television. He claims he fell to his knees and became a born-again Christian. According to his own recollections and those of his ex-wife, he immediately fixated on what he considered two earthly evils: taxes and abortion.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 11:38 am
cha – What’s your point? (btw, I loathe scum televangelist).
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 11:44 am
“Couldn’t he have at least waited till the spring, say October 1st?”
Because the truth is Key DOES NOT care about the average New Zealand citizen. He lies when he claims the contrary.
Key is parroting Smith’s lines, the Green Party fifht-columnist, who after making a 180-degree turn, has managed to sell this expensive lemon to Key. Unfortunately, the rest of us will have to suck it.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 11:50 am
David, it’s great to see you have come out of hibernation.
You hadn’t posted anything since 11 am yesterday and I was genuinely worried about your health.
When are you going to post yesterdays Editorials?….you know, the one from the Dominion that explained why Mercury and Mighty River Power is ripping us off and the government is trying to conceal it.
I didn’t think Kiwiblog practiced censorship.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
It’s obvious: This is taxation disguised as SOE dividends.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Here it is. The DomPost editorial in its entirety:
Opinion: Mercury Energy’s just-announced 3.3 per cent price rise smacks of opportunism. The state-owned power company’s justification for the increase is that the energy sector has been included in the emissions trading scheme that takes effect on July 1 – the same day as its price increase.
From that date, power companies will effectively have to pay $12.50 for every tonne of carbon they emit. Rival publicly listed generator Contact Energy has given the same explanation for its 3.2 per cent increase, which will take effect the same day. In its case, the increase may be justifiable. Contact operates four thermal stations – New Plymouth, Taranaki, Otahuhu A and Otahuhu B – all of which will incur the new carbon charges.
However, Mercury Energy is the retail arm of Mighty River Power, which generates more than 90 per cent of its power from renewable sources – hydro schemes in both the North and South islands and geothermal stations in the central North Island. In other words, it will not have to buy emissions units for the bulk of its electricity.
Its price increase is not a matter of the company passing on increased costs to its customers, but of the company taking advantage of changed circumstances to inflate its profit margins.
It should not be doing so. New Zealand households are struggling to cope with the effects of the global financial crisis. Some have lost employment. Many have received little, if anything, in the way of pay increases for the past couple of years. In the coming months they will have to pay more for fuel because of the ETS and more for other goods because of the increase in the rate of GST. This is not a time for state-owned companies to profiteer.
As this newspaper has said before, it makes sense to err on the side of caution when confronted with the threat of global warming. The consequences of doing nothing and being wrong do not bear thinking about.
As a relatively wealthy nation, New Zealand has a particular obligation to do its bit to reduce the threat, even if some wealthier nations, Australia and the United States included, are ignoring their responsibilities.
But state-owned companies should not be using the ETS as an excuse to primp their bottom lines.
Last year, a Commerce Commission review of the electricity market and a ministerial review of the market reached essentially the same conclusions: that consumers have been gouged by electricity companies. Residential price increases of 72 per cent in eight years cannot be justified.
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Just because a significant portion of that gouging eventually finds its way into Government coffers by way of the dividends paid by state generators does not make it right.
It is reasonable for power companies to pass on real cost increases, but Mercury should not be using the ETS as an excuse for yet another unwarranted price increase.
Doing so undermines public support for measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions and further damages the electricity industry in the eyes of consumers.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
The further in time this Govt. goes the worse its understanding and performance becomes. Policy on the hoof comes to mind.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
# Kris K (2336) Says:
May 29th, 2010 at 10:07 am
Pauleastbay 9:27 am,
Get yourself a good wind farm going and you’ll electrickery all winter
I really am seriously looking at at least subsidising my energy requirements – looking at designing a waste oil hot air and water heater. It’s a compressed air driven oil atomiser design, and results in essentially complete combustion, unlike most other oil burner designs. I’ve done most of the calcs and design, and pretty much just have to get the thing made. If it works well (I’ll make sure it does) I may look at marketting it.
Krisk; need assistance, can help there.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
krazykiwi (5310) Says:
May 29th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Seeesh Viking2. Didn’t ya sleep man
Ha, yep slept good and didn’t venture from under the wooly until after 7.30. Just DPF was early with the post today and as i read up i posted. All you other tired sods were still sleeping so took you a while to catch up. (all except IV2).
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Thanks KrazyKiwi and Manolo. When David gets around to making a separate posting of yesterdays editorials we’ll have even further discussion.
I’ll keep reminding him.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Viking2 12:30 pm,
Cheers, V2.
What area can you help me with – was it the marketing or manufacturing, or ideas in the area of power generation in general?
Being a mechanical engineer with design and project management experience mainly in the manufacturing area, I will probably look at getting some electronic control design work and manufacture done as well – auto start/shutoff, air compressor control, water temp monitoring with auto fan – radiator cooling, pump control for water circulation, and perhaps solenoid controlled water valves for an up-market version.
The idea is to meet all my home and water heating requirements – so would represent a significant energy saving.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
@Viking2
In regard to China having the largest English speaking population in the world, it’s a fallacy. Most Chinese students go through the education learning English for about 10 years. It’s all pretty much reading and grammar. I’ve taught English majors at university and they struggle to string a simple sentence together and and have shocking pronunciation. Their listening is also poor.
It would be more accurate to say that China has the biggest number of people attempting to learn English.
This problem is also common in Japan and Korea. They normally aren’t able to communicate with native English speakers to any reasonable and practical level.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Forget cigar puffing competitions for blowing a smoke ring – This smoke ring is from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
@ John Boscawen – it’s DPF’s blog; DPF chooses the content. You are starting to look like a petulant poltician
That’s not to say that I don’t disagree with your ETS stance mind …
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
That smoke ring is pretty cool, Krazy – thanks for sharing.
I winder how much carbon is contained in a smoke ring of approx 2 km diameter?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
now..is this about this national party/this govt..!…….
“But these chaps were not much account, really.
They were no colonists, their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect.
They were conquerors,and for that you want only brute force – nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.
They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got.
It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind – as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness.”
Joseph Conrad; Heart of Darkness..”
national..’going at it blind’…
..eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
@Kris – Lots I should think… but a millionth of your average save-the-world climate conference
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3754164/Aussies-honour-Kiwi-Vietnam-vet
Why are our kids not taught about exceptional human beings like this in school?
Fuck off anti-war comments as well, its not about war its about exceptional special people.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Those volcano smoke rings are neat.
A few years ago whilst working in the Amazon jungle in Ecuador, on the border of Colombia, a local volcano was puffing away. One afternoon it generated a bunch of black smoke rings.
All the local villagers came out of their houses and were standing around panicking, pointing towards the sky. They honestly thought the world was about to end!
As I understand it, they are very rare, I feel lucky to have witnessed these first hand. I sent my pictures to NIWA, and they passed them onto the BBC, whom had them on their website for a while. Had a quick search, but couldn’t find them. Here they are anyway: http://img525.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=p1010436s.jpg
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
kris k; have a few idea’s of our own , an engineers shop and a company that was born of marshall water heaters a long time ago.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Food for thought:
A friend who grows palms and cycads has estimated
that he will have to add at least 7% to his sales prices to maintain the
same profit margin. He says that his estimate is conservative because he
has no clear idea yet what increases the providers of the goods and
services he uses will add to their charges. Ultimately, he says, he
needs to wait 12 months before he can properly assess it and in the
meantime has to hope that he got it right, or nearly right.
I would guess, therefore, that the cost of vegetation used in
Vote:landscaping is about to go up at least 7%. Would you give me odds that
the government’s advisors did not take that into their calculations?
May 29th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
This may be of interest: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.8cc536b2db245bb0c34359dccb86d29a.161&show_article=1
[...]
It seems that volcanoes worldwide contribute on average about 110 million tons of CO2 per year, which is about 1% of human emissions.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
KrisK the SOE’s are their own worst enemies, just look at the greedy bastards, any excuse to up the bill they will be in to it. What these greedy fools fail to recognise is that they are gradually forcing many to seek alternatives, quite a few around here are going self sufficient. The more they raise the price the more alternatives look attractive. But this will only go on for so long. Wait till the profits of these SOE’s start to fall and then the government will rue it’s greed. I suspect there will be howls from the SOE’s to limit or outlaw power production by private individuals once again.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
@mattyroo – Wow. Right place, right time. Must have been an amazing sight.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Yet another moment of truth approaching for Israel, and undoubtedly it will demonstrate that the truth about Israel is deeply unpleasant.
The Free Gaza humanitarian convey of seven ships and thousands of tonnes of desperately needed necessities of life is fast approaching the Gaza coast, and Israel has promised to respond with overwhelming force to an unarmed, humanitarian mission.
Most laughable was, as usual, the despicable and risible Mark Regev who said in an interview that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza (is he the only person in the world so deluded?) – but wait, there’s more! He said the convey was against international law!
No Mark, your medieval, Crusader-style siege is against international law. As is your continued occupation of Gaza. As is your ongoing seizure of land recognised as Palestinian territory. And as is all your regular and systematic slaughter of Palestinians and Lebanese (and that’s just your recent history). And will be your seizure of these ships in international waters.
It’s on the cards that Israel will end up imprisoning (in a huge purpose-built institution) hundreds of peace activists, including some 35 European Union MPs, all of whom will luxuriate in the increasing discomfort of their host as the howls of outrage reverberate around the world.
You can keep an eye on all the action here: http://www.freegaza.org/
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
http://whoar.co.nz/2010/how-lsd-destroyed-gods-and-dads-rigid-authority-and-ended-the-dull-1950s/
“… One can make a non-ludicrous case that the most important event in the cultural history of America since the 1860s …
… was the introduction of LSD.
The following is adapted from the Foreword to Birth of a Psychedelic Culture: Conversations about Leary, the Harvard Experiments, Millbrook and the Sixties, by Ram Dass and Ralph Metzner with Gary Bravo, from Synergetic Press.
LSD is a drug that produces fear in people who don’t take it. –Timothy Leary
It’s now almost half a century since that day in September 1961 when a mysterious fellow named Michael Hollingshead made an appointment to meet Professor Timothy Leary over lunch at the Harvard Faculty Club.
When they met in the foyer, Hollingshead was carrying with him a quart jar of sugar paste into which he had infused a gram of Sandoz LSD.
He had smeared this goo all over his own increasingly abstract consciousness …
… and it still contained, by his own reckoning, 4,975 strong (200 mcg) doses of LSD.
The mouth of that jar became perhaps the most significant of the fumaroles from which the ‘60s blew forth.
Everybody who continues to obsess on the hilariously terrifying cultural epoch known as the ‘60s – which is to say, most everybody from “my gege-generation,” the post-War demographic bulge that achieved permanent adolescence during that era –
- has his or her own sense of when the ‘60s really began.
There are a lot of candidates: the blossoming pink cloud in the Zapruder film, Mario Savio’s first speech in Sproul Plaza …
… the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, the Beatles’ first appearance on the the Ed Sullivan Show …
.. the first Acid Test, the Human Be-In in Golden Gate Park, the release of the song “Good Vibrations,”…
… the day Jerry Garcia got kicked out of the army.
But as often as not, if you are a Boomer, the ‘60s began for surreal on the day you dropped acid.
And if that is when the shit hit your personal fan …
… you may owe a debt of ambiguous gratitude to the appealingly demonic young sociopath …
… who conveyed the Stark Bolt of Chemical Revelation to the nice young gentlemen of the Harvard Psilocybin Project..”
(i reckon key and his crew cd do with a bit of..’the Stark Bolt of Chemical Revelation’..
..eh..?..
imagine big jezza….peaking…
whoar..!
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
That is good news indeed.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
And speaking of volcanoes:
http://yacht-maiken.blogspot.com/2006/08/stone-sea-and-volcano.html
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
A seriously impressive person interviewed by Kathryn Ryan listen here offered some incisive insights into issues currently exercising Kiwibloggers.
Holroyd is a well-known funds manager who is moving to Zurich to advance his business interests. I must say I didn’t expect such wisdom from such a source, but that just goes to show that one should always keep an open mind – but not, I must hasten to add, so open as to allow it to be filled with rubbish (from, for example, the likes of creationists, intelligent designers and climate change designers).
And many of you will be pleased to know that he is in agreement with me on the ETS, but it seems the horse has bolted there anyway. But those of you who oppose the ETS on the grounds of denial will find little to hang on to. Evolution deniers, holocaust deniers, tobacco-cancer deniers, HIV-AIDS deniers and climate change/global warming deniers are all cut from the same cloth.
But the interview is full of non-controversial insightful gems of stunning originality. Highly recommended.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
There you go krazybugger, we can agree on something!
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
@Luc – Now… we were discussing the veracity of the IPCC’s AR4 report, arguably the gold standard in climate science. A few questions for you:-
Vote:1. Do you think it’s acceptable for the IPCC Chair to lie about the contents of that report?
2. Do you think it’s acceptable for the IPCC Chair to personally profit from countries implementing the recommendations in that report?
3. Do you think it’s acceptable for AR4 to contain factual errors?
4. Do you think it’s acceptable for AR4 to cite blog posts, Greenpeace press releases, newspaper stories and the like?
5. Do you think it’s acceptable for the IPCC to alter/adjust scientific content after it had been peer reviewed?
6. Do you think it’s acceptable for the countries of the world to base billions of dollars of spending decisions on a report so rife with errors, omissions while the process of compiling it has been a catalog of conflicts of interest, outright fraud and bare-faced lies?
May 29th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
“he is in agreement me” Oh please, since when were you ordained Solomon ?. And why the hell would we wish to listen to a lefty dribbler ? just the stupid talking to the stupider. And I’m sure Israel can spare seven torpedoes.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
http://whoar.co.nz/2010/study-heroin-better-than-methadone-to-kick-habit/
“…Some heroin addicts who got the drug under medical supervision had a better chance of kicking the habit than those who got methadone, a new study says..”
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
“Would you give me odds that the government’s advisors did not take that into their calculations?”
The figures quoted by Brownlee, Carter, Smith, and Key himself are so different that nobody can have any confidence on the real ETS costs to households and businesses.
Once again, the National Party government is embarking New Zealand on a costly exercise for the sake of “leading” the world. Are our political leaders stupid or what?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
The next time you hear alarmists like Luc say thing like “scientists are in agreement” you’ll know that (a) their case is crumbling, and (b) they’re lying.
** Richard Lindzen (born February 8, 1940, Webster, Massachusetts) is an American atmospheric physicist and Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for more than 25 years. Lindzen is known for his work in the dynamics of the middle atmosphere, atmospheric tides and ozone photochemistry. He has published more than 200 scientific papers and books. He was a lead author of Chapter 7, ‘Physical Climate Processes and Feedbacks,’ of the IPCC Third Assessment Report on climate change. He is a well known skeptic of global warming and critic of what he states are political pressures on climate scientists to conform to climate alarmism.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Viking2 3:06 pm,
Sounds like a good mix – engineers shop and with your company’s background in water heater manufacture.
Do you have a few engineering/fitter/welder type staff? And is your company still involved in the water heating side of the (old) business?
Are you anywhere near Wellington? – not that this would be a big issue.
The water/air heating unit I’ve designed (compressed air atomisation of waste oil (any oil)) essentially only needs a lowish pressure (~20 psi), with low CFM delivery, compressed air supply. Once the unit is fired up, the compressor is the main power consumer, and assuming you can source ‘free’ waste oil (fish & chip shop, local garage, etc), then the cost to run the unit would be negligible. And ignoring flue losses, I reckon you could get 30-50 kW heat output (my current design) for essentially ‘no cost’. Greater/lesser depending on the size of the basic unit of course.
Any other ideas you may have would be worth discussing further as well.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
I think the only ‘plausible proposition’ around here is that Lucy and Phool share the same bong …
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
“THE MOST DANGEROUS thing a journalist can do when dealing with radical politicians and parties is fail to take them seriously. The news media is supposed to function as the public’s ears and eyes. If journalists fail to scrutinise a party’s policies for no better reason than they regard them as a joke, then ideas and policies of the most extraordinary and pernicious kind can easily pass unnoticed into a nation’s bloodstream.
……………
Much more significant than the New Zealand Green Party’s marijuana policy, however, is its almost unqualified support for the key demands of the Maori nationalist movement. Like the German Greens’ willingness to decriminalise consensual paedophilia, the New Zealand Green Party’s rock-solid determination to atone for the sins of the nation’s colonial fathers emerged from the deepest layers of the radical political sub-cultures of the 1980s and 90s.
A willingness on the part of Pakeha leftists to be guided by the Maori nationalist advocates of tino rangatiratanga had by the mid-1980s become the litmus test of authentic revolutionary praxis. As proof of their commitment to the cause of the tangata whenua individuals and institutions were required to elevate Te Tiriti o Waitangi to the status of holy writ. In these matters, the Greens proved to be no exception.
…………………
Consider the following Parliamentary speech from the Green List MP, Catherine Delahunty. Responding to criticism of legislation establishing Crown/Tainui “co-management” over the Waikato River, Delahunty declared:
[snip]
I am very excited that we are moving into a more sophisticated era under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and we are moving beyond the limited concept of conservative Pakeha that one woman, one vote is the only manifestation of democracy possible in Aotearoa.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2010/05/taking-greens-seriously.html
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
I see Fox has won it’s sixth ratings victory in a row, progressive comment please. Philly where art thou ?, aren’t the progressives suppose to be kicking arse ?. Seems the right has the might.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Bennett has them gasping
By Audrey Young
1:08 PM Saturday May 29, 2010
National Party delegates took in a deep breath this morning when social welfare minister Paula Bennett told them about a West Coast couple who had had been living on an invalids benefit for 15 years and were on $1700 a week.
“Yes, you should gasp,” said Bennett at Waitangi. “What gets me most about this story is that in the 15 years they have been on the benefit – the husband has a very bad back – they had 10 children.
“Bad back? Or laid back, I think,” she joked.
Vote:http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10648286
May 29th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
I am reminded of Clark’s First Law: “When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is probably wrong.”
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Luc said…
Holroyd is a well-known funds manager who is moving to Zurich to advance his business interests.
Luc, I am aware of what Holroyd Co’s doing. I am not a hedgefund but I develop software to be used by such industry.
Get this clear Luc, if you lookup Holroyd ‘s site, they’re using an outdated false model in economics called Markowitz Modern Portfolio Theory (MMPT), which was first developed by economics nobel prize winner Prof. Markowitz over half a century ago. It is based on equilibrium which has been found out to be false. Markets never stay at a stable point long enough to be in equilibrium. MMPT is false, and it is still the dominant model being used today by most financial institutions and fund managers. Only researched based fund management companies have abandoned MMPT because they’re up to date with new researchers that are coming out of the literatures. But you know, that fund managers don’t read economic/finance peer review jouarnals and that’s why they’re not aware of recent advanced theories. See, the following youtube lecture by socialist economic nobel prize economist Prof. Stiglitz which he highlighted the falsity of mainstream economic theories. You must watch it, if you want to debate.
Joseph Stiglitz – An Agenda for Reforming Economic Theory
Prof. Stiglitz emphasized that this bullshit economic theories are still being taught at universities around the world.
The following quote which I have lifted from here, criticized Stiglitz for flip-flopping in that he criticized equilibrium (stability), but then wrote a book on equilibrium:
Jo McCauley comment:
================
Soros’ ‘reflexivity’ is repeated in about every book he’s written (I’ve read quite a few of them over the years), and he’s written a lot. The idea that one cannot know ’social reality’ in advance, that there is always a gap between what someone thinks and what you think someone thinks (or, even you misunderstand what you yourself think that you think) is true but cannot be turned into a falsifiable model of anything observable. That said, he has surrounded himself with a barrier of traditional economists like Roman Frydman. He perhaps listens to Stiglitz. Stiglitz has written qualitatively about market instability, and then turned 180 degrees and wrote a ,new, book on ‘equilibrium finance’ a few years ago. I am sorry to have to disagree with some of my esteemed colleagues who would like to find common ground with traditional economic theorists, but there is no evidence whatsoever for any form of stationarity/equilibrium in any known economic data. In fact, economic data beyond finance probably cannot be modeled in any falsifiable way. The idea of cointegration, based on a stationarity assumption, is a prime example of completely misleading economic theory. There are unfortunately even some econophysicists who think that they can cointegrate economic data.
Note , our current climate models are based on heat balance equilibrium, which is questionable because it is a translation of equilibrium observed in the lab (micro model) and applied it to large complex system as global climate (macro model). Surprisingly, many climate scientists are not familiar with complex system modeling, since climate system is truly complex, equilibrium doesn’t exist. Note what Stiglitz talked about in his vid lecture I linked to above, that economists just take the micro economic models (a single gas moleculue) and applied it to the large scale macro economic environment (gases), hoping that they’re the same. But no, they’re not the same. Climate and economic systems are both complex systems. The behavior of the system as a whole is not the same as sum of the behavior of its components (parts), ie, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Well done to Sirius Wealth for running a business but does its investors know the type of modeling they use ? Investors wouldn’t have a clue.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Kris k; hell no. left there in 1973 for warmer climes. If you want to email me at Vikingonmars@gmail.com so we can converse privately that would be best.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Viking2 – think some chap named krazykiwi may have just emailed you too. S’ok… it’s me
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Falafulu Fisi:
Do you have wealthy US contacts?
Because a certain Kiwiblog resident (and NZ taxpayers generally) could benefit (pun intended) from some mutual introductions:
So nearly 12 months later, Philu’s still not knocking off the Huffington Post.
What do you say, Falafulu?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Nomestradamus – my favourite line was this one: “i am about to start cashing in on the high global rankigs for whoar…”. True comedy gold. I chuckle every time I read this.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Phil the original time you posted that, I laughed so hard I spat my drink everywhere.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
For what is believed to be the first time ever in England, an audience of university students decisively rejected the notion that global warming is or could become a global crisis. [This occurred in a debate at the historic Oxford Union Society and is an encouraging sign of resistance to Propaganda.](from Unfiltered News).
http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/realityz … ebate.html
“MAN CANNOT SURVIVE IN THE KIND OF STATE OF NATURE THAT THE ECOLOGISTS ENVISION – i.e., ON THE LEVEL OF SEA URCHINS OR POLAR BEARS….IN ORDER TO SURVIVE, MAN HAS TO DISCOVER AND PRODUCE EVERYTHING HE NEEDS, WHICH MEANS THAT HE HAS TO ALTER HIS BACKGROUND AND ADAPT IT TO HIS NEEDS….HIS WELL-BEING DEPENDS ON HIS SUCCESS AT PRODUCTION. THE LOWEST HUMAN TRIBE CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THAT ALLEGED SOURCE OF POLLUTION: FIRE. ”
____ THE NEW LEFT: The Anti-Industrial Revolution.
Ayn Rand (1971) Hmm… and with great reason-based
foresight.
Both Mao and Stalin, to name just two, are guilty of
planned agricultural policies that resulted in mass starvation and millions dead. (In Mao’s case, during “the great leap forward,” 35 million.)
We must ask, are our “environmentalists” and politicians
wittingly or unwittingly leading us to that same scenario again?
http://www.nzcpr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=32&p=30351#p30351
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Just been to Technorati, purely for research purposes of course.
Vote:Couldn’t find anything. Of course I might have had fat finger syndrome or something and mistyped things.
hmmmmm.
May 29th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Nomestradamus I think that Phil U is still waiting for Natasha Fuller to fund him.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Now that would be a couple!
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
“..“Bad back? Or laid back, I think,” she joked…”
has bennet only heard of the missionary-position..?
ya hafta askk…
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Why does Luc always disappear when he is fisked on account of worship at the climate change altar?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
… and when will phil confirm that he was lying when he claimed to not have internet access at his home?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
so..all you ‘social-losers’ having one of yr usual stunning saturday nights..eh..?
..’tis always been thus..eh..?
hands on cocks now…!
..’it’s business…it’s business-time..!’
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Philu:
What are you doing at the library on a Saturday night?
Alex Masterley:
The Technorati website is a bit of an eyesore. Could someone explain how to check this?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
FTFY, Puke. Actually Israel is doing us a favour locking up the nutroots and keeping them from civic life.
I called him out on his anti-semitism based on his pathological obsession with Israel and total lack of attention on other places where Muslims have a hard time like Indonesia and the Horn of Africa and he fucked off quick smart. In spite of all his bluster, the guy’s a coward. I feel sorry for his daughter.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Viking2 5:53 pm,
Cheers, V2 – will do.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Stunning Saturday nights.
Vote:“hands on cocks now…!” put your recycled paper bag on Phool, then get back to work. I mean the American Media is waiting for content for the Saturday News, especially in New York
May 29th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Phil U may enjoy the Michael Jackson’s dance moves in this youtube live concert Wanna be starting something.
I reckon that if Phil U spends less time here on Kiwiblog tonight and learns MJ’s moves, he would find no problem in scoring hot chicks when he’s out in town dancing. Believe me Phil, since I am a good funk/hip-hop dancer I can do all the MJ’s moves and every time I step onto whichever dance floor in town I usually get surrounded by chicks. They’re mostly fascinated by the way I move. Phil if you want to join me to go dancing tonight, then you’re welcome. This will give you a break from blogging and not only that, you’ll learn some good moves from me. On top of that, you will have a chance to score tonight, by doing the MJ moves. Anyway, I am halfway through a bottle of whiskey, and if you’re keen to join for a cruise/dance in town tonight, just signal back here so I can give you my contact.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Philu:
Any developments since this exchange?
Bryan Spondre (now there’s a name that’s gone down a plug-hole) asked:
To which you replied:
You seemed very upbeat last year. What’s happened?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
mmm//!!
as a teetotal pot-head..going dancing with a climate-change denier..who already has a half a bottle of whisky under his belt…@7.44 pm…
(i’ve had better offers.eh..?.)
and..um..!..i really do need to wash my hair tonight..
but thank you..(i think..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Falafulu Fisi:
I think Philu’s reference to “a climate-change denier..who already has a half a bottle of whisky under his belt…@7.44 pm…” was meant to be about you. Have you met Philu before at, say, bloggers’ drinks? Were you at that infamous shitstorm that went down at last year’s event?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
A thought about the Mercury Energy price rise discussed up-thread. We’ve already heard how >90% of Mercury’s power is sourced from hydro and geothermal sources. The implication is that the ETS shouldn’t greatly impact their retail price. But it’s going up, just like the other retailers’ prices.
Now the ‘advertised’ idea behind the ETS is to reduce our emissions (setting aside the science of human caused emissions being statistically irrelevant in the climate debate). So in theory Mercury power should be cheaper than alternatives and people would switch, abandoning nasty carbon-dependent generators & suppliers. This would create a medium-term supply issue, but let’s assume that would work its way out of the supply model.
What will happen in practice is that the government will enjoy increased taxation-by-dividends from it’s state owned energy companies, while the market finds a new, higher price equilibrium.
The ETS is demonstrably a tax masquerading as environmental concern.
Shame on you John Key for your totalitarian ‘leadership’.
Shame on you Nick Smith for your lies and deceit.
Shame on you National MP’s for your spineless duplicity.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Falafulu Fisi:
My previous comment was, bizarrely, marked as spam. Anyway, after last year’s experience, I don’t think Philu mixes with right-wing bloggers over drinks.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
were you there..nosty..?
you mean that one where i tired of the rich gloating/boasting/jeering how they exploit those who clean their homes for them..?
..not to mention the anti-semitic jokes…
..and i said ..’fuck you..!..i’m not listening to anymore of this shit..’..and walked out..
is that the one you are talking about..?
which of that odious crew were you…?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
when will farrar clean ths sewer up..?
and make commenters use their real names…
(‘it won’t happen overnight..but it will happen’…eh..?..)
what will you do then nosty..?
no longer able to snivel from behind a fake name…?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
‘Mr Bethune’s legal team has a two-hour session with him this afternoon. Lawyer Dan Harris says Mr Bethune will be arguing everything he did was legal, because Japan’s whaling is illegal.’
Yep everything he did was legal. Gee I feel so sorry for Bethune. When in Rome do as the Romans do. When on the high sea you do not do what Bethune did. Japan will send him down and the soft cocks in NZ will protest.
Vote:BIG FUCKING DEAL he made his bed many times
May 29th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Oh the link that I forgot
Vote:http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=176334
May 29th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Did it happen in international waters?
cos I want the Japs to fuck Bethune’s virgin arsehole then kill every enviroshithead using their security services. I want to see Garfy Hooes CRY WITH FEAR HAHAAHAHAHA
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
This blog may be a sewer to some, only because of the crap spouted. Have another bong Phool
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Phool:
I’ve enjoyed a social drink with one or two Kiwiblog readers. I wasn’t at that event but read Whaleoil’s account – I must say he has a rather different version of events. One of you is lying.
I’d say if DPF gets around to “clean[ing] this sewer up”, you’d be goneski
Edit: Two of my previous comments appeared briefly but have now disappeared. Has anyone else found their comments “swallowed up” like this?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
F5
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
I’m surprised you guys don’t know by now – PHOOL’S FULL OF SHIT
Call him on anything and he’ll start whining as above. I been coming here since 2005, its always been the same.
Once a junkie loser always a junkie loser, he can twist and turn until Side Shows’ cows get home but it doesn’t change reality.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Phool:
This is Whaleoil’s account of that infamous bloggers drinks. Really doesn’t seem to square with your 7:58pm account above.
Some quotes:
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Phool:
*Sigh*
Another comment has disappeared so I’ll try posting without the link. Steve, F5 doesn’t resolve the issue, so I’ll just assume that WordPress is playing up.
Whaleoil’s account of that infamous bloggers drinks really doesn’t seem to square with your 7:58pm account above. Some quotes:
Judging by Whaleoil’s account you had a hissy-fit and walked out because you were being ridiculed by everyone there. Are you seriously asking me to believe that Whaleoil and the other attendees (a very diverse bunch by all accounts) are lying?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
oh look..!..it’s nostalgia/retro-time…!
it’s that silly old prick..chicky..!
wazzup chicky..?
which rock you been hiding under.?..eh…?
come back for some more..?..have you..?
watcha got for us..?
..we cd do with a laff..eh..?
and yr always gd 4 one..eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Philip’s always been a joke of a human being.
I feel sorry for his kids.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
“..Are you seriously asking me to believe that Whaleoil and the other attendees (a very diverse bunch by all accounts) are lying?..”
rightwingers..?..probalnbly liars..
and i haven’t read blubbys’ acccount…
what exactly were they ‘ridiculing’ me about..?
i mean..it was just totally a exercise in them showing themselves as living up to every caricature of the nasty/selfish/greedy/fuck-everyone-else rightie…eh..?
nah..!..it was the ‘easy’ anti-semitism that had me out the door…
..blubby can make up whatever bullshit he likes..
but that’s what went down…
..it was kinda like some of that gripping reality television..
..where you can’t believe the people on screen are human beings..
(think ‘wife-swap’…)
..they are so cold/callous/uncaring/hating…
..but ultimatly..very fearful/scared/obviously fucked-up people..eh..?
..so..what exactly was it they were ‘ridicuiing’ me about…?..again..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Philu:
I gather this exchange took place:
Did you really say this?
There were apparently “objectivists, libertarians, fundy Christians, Conservative Christians, atheists, agnostics, homos, dying people, National supporters, Act supporters, Cactus Kate who is a category all on her own and one leftist, green aforementioned obnoxious ass [oh wait, that's apparently you]” in attendance. Why would they all lie about this?
And will you be going to any future bloggers’ drinks events, or has that experience put you off?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
no….
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
nosty..i really don’t give a flying fuck..eh..?..what you think..about anything..
and i can’t be bothered ‘playing’ your game..eh..?
you’ll have to do a ‘solo’…
(but that wouldn’t be unusual for you..eh..?..)
(i se you are still obsessively collecting/collating all my comments..
..you are a weird strange little loser/stalker lawyer-person…aren’t you..eh..?
saturday night..eh..?
why don’t you go dancing with full-of-it..?
(tho’.he’s probably finished the bottle of whisky…and passed out by now…)
..you really are a sad fuck..eh..?
why don’t you try and get yrself a life..?
..eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
“..objectivists, libertarians, fundy Christians, Conservative Christians, atheists, agnostics, homos, dying people, National supporters, Act supporters, Cactus Kate..”
but there were only four-five people…
who was doubling-up…?
..and all multiples..?..and multiple nearly-deceased..?
a bit of ‘exaggeration’ going on there..eh..?
where was uncle tom cobbly..was he there too..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
They’re ridiculing you because you’re a stoned fuckwit, philip.
When’s this American concern buying your shit blog, Philip? Surely in the year since you lied out of your face, it would have attracted even more attention, right?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Phool:
Wow – looks like I struck a raw nerve!
When Falafulu (is that a real name?) invited you to join him for a night of drinking and dancing, it got me thinking back to the hoo-ha last year after that bloggers drinks. It was a series of allegations (from Whaleoil) that were left hanging.
Anyway, enjoy the rest of your Saturday night
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Fallacies of the left and right: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/05/the_2020_budget.html
Financial reform in the USA: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/;kw=36899,157778?RS_show_page=0
Thoughts?
Oh, I almost forgot. For the Palin lovers!: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/;kw=3351,10985 (The reason for the date is that it was written a few years ago but only posted online recently)
Another more recent piece on Palin by the same guy: http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2010/05/15/i-sarah-palin-goes-redneck/
Thoughts on the critiques therein? And I don’t mean rant about how the media’s out to get her. Are the critiques correct? If not, what is wrong with them? Are they inaccurate? If so, what is inaccurate about them?
As you may have guessed I have been reading a bit of Taibbi’s stuff today.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Matt Taibbi is a fucking liar, along with the rest of the scumbag left wing pricks who write for shit mags no one reads like Rolling Tossers.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
@Falafulu: That was a very nice offer to Philu. Michael Jackson had pretty sweet moves before his amount of messed-upness became too apparent.
@Philu: You intimated you didn’t care what Nomestradamus thinks, but then continued responding. The best way to show you don’t care is not to show a revealed preference which implies you do care, but to ignore Nomestradamus.
I believe you, amongst others, have criticised the standard of debate and/or posts by commenters here at Kiwiblog. Getting into an argument with Nomestradamus about some personal matter which Nomestradamus doesn’t have first-hand knowledge of and which involved you some considerable time ago also brings down the standard of debate/posts. Furthermore, it detracts from the apparent intent of Kiwiblog being open to all comments, which even in the General Debate thread is probably be less about flame wars and more about actual issues/events (probably those not covered by DPF at the time of commenting) and possibly even networking.
That said, I am intrigued. Nomestradamus asked three questions: “Did you really say this?
…
And will you be going to any future bloggers’ drinks events, or has that experience put you off?”
You replied with: “no….”
Which question were you responding to?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
@Hurf Durf: Thoughts on the critiques therein? Are the critiques correct? If not, what is wrong with them? Are they inaccurate? If so, what is inaccurate about them? Or are you just going to make comments without substance?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
I’m too drunk to read his shit tbqh.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
JiveKitty:
Just to respond to your 10:04pm comment. I’ve read Kiwiblog on and off for quite some time – about 5 years actually. During that time Philu has, at times, engaged in constructive debate. In more recent times, however, I’d say he’s set about promoting his blog. I can’t speak for others but I believe he’s widely seen as a troll. Now, I don’t know if you’re new here or not, but DPF’s previously said something to the effect that Philu gets what he deserves because of his inflammatory posting style. I gather DPF takes that into account before dishing out demerits for comments directed in Philu’s direction.
At least one of your links (the one about financial reform in the USA) doesn’t seem to work. What did you get out of that link in particular?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
C’mon Liar-bry-phool
You have been called out.
All the lies you have propagated on this (KB) blog
About your blog,(selling to USA interests), about your not having home internet, about your account of the infamous bloggers meeting, etc. to nominate a few.
You are a pathetical teller of untruths.
Fuck off back to the strandred where people of your elk are welcome.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
“..where people of your elk ..”
heh…!
“..pathetical..”
aah..!..the involuntary humor of the illiterate/dumb-as-dishwater…eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
@Nomestradamus: It was actually another Taibbi link. I found it quite interesting as it does align somewhat with what I have seen in American politics and nobody comes off well, really. It deals with the recent lobbying around efforts at financial reform in the USA. It’s titled “Wall Street’s War” and should be the first link on the top left at http://www.rollingstone.com/politics
@Hurf Durf: Fair enough. Can’t knock a person for being drunk on a Saturday night if they’re not causing any harm to others than themselves.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Fuck yes.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
See what I mean? Here Lukey Lukey Lukey. Oh wait, I forgot, you’re a fucking joke.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
And a prick.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
I’ve been here a similar length of time, perhaps 4.5yrs. I agree with the troll assessment. If DPF does clean up his blog it will be a trollendectomy for sure.
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
JiveKitty:
To be honest, I’m really not across the full detail of the financial reform. I’ve skim-read the article you mentioned; I don’t think its polemical style is particularly helpful in sorting out the issues (why shouldn’t investment banks, like anyone else, make submissions on the proposed legislative content?), but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and read it more fully tomorrow.
As an aside, I don’t understand this editorial note at the end:
Whoops – sounds like a bit of a future-dating cock-up there…
Anyway, I recently read the following commentary (subscription only, so I’ll reproduce it) that may interest you:
As a lawyer myself, I’m intrigued to know how the proposed statutory fiduciary duty would operate in practice, as it’d effectively cut across the “market maker” concept (ie an investment bank couldn’t have conflicting duties to countertparties on both sides of a particular transaction).
Anyway, seeing as you’ve read the article, do you have any thoughts?
Vote:May 29th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Oh dear. I see the Lib Democrat MP David Laws (Chief Secretary to the Treasury) is in a spot of bother.
Seems he’s been keeping a young James Lundy (Political Activist), flush with lots of rental income from the public purse. About £40,000 to be more precise.
Apparently Lundy was the landlord and the rent boy – both on long term leases.
Vote:May 30th, 2010 at 6:04 am
“The ETS is demonstrably a tax masquerading as environmental concern.”
It has been my thesis from day one. So much for a government elected under the promise to reduce taxes. We know now it was all a big lie, a con artist doing a con job on New Zealand.
Shame on Key, the National Party and their staunch sycophants and spin doctors.
Vote:May 30th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Well done to the All Whites, a remarkable win beating Serbia! And even better was keeping Serbia scoreless. This proves that the All Whites deserve their place at the World Cup and will not be easy beats like everyone was predicting.
I wonder if Slovakia and Paraguay are not so sure about drawing into Pool F with Italy and NZ anymore.
Vote:May 30th, 2010 at 9:11 am
Lib Democrat MP David Laws has now resigned. That’s how fast scandal is dealt with these days in the UK. You can tell we no longer have a Labour government in power.
Vote:May 30th, 2010 at 9:13 am
Talking of Labour government out of power in the UK, isn’t it great that Gordon Brown now has lots of free time on his hands to sulk about never receiving the vote of the people?
Vote:May 30th, 2010 at 9:16 am
The wife of prominent blogger Whale Oil says mental health problems are driving his internet behaviour – which has included a campaign to break suppression orders and insult people online.
Juana Atkins also says husband Cameron Slater has “no thought of the consequences for himself or others or indeed his family” when he makes his online attacks.
The emotional outburst was sparked by the couple’s forced sale of their East Auckland family home. The house was sold after Slater’s insurance payments for depression were canned by insurer Fidelity Life.
“The house is gone, there is nothing left,” Slater wrote under the persona Whale Oil on his Gotcha blog.
…Ouch !..
Vote:May 30th, 2010 at 10:09 am
krazykiwi (May 29th, 2010 at 11:42 pm),
Another sodomite left wing MP caught with his hand in the cooky jar.
One must really question the morality of the left on MANY counts. Why are these people allowed into positions of power and influence?
(Yeah, go on, call me ‘homophobic’ – you know you want to)
Vote:May 30th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Kris
You’re not for real are you?
In 2010 nobody could be that small minded, I have long suspected that you are a left wing troll who has a huge problem with religion.
Why not leave those who want to worship in peace, IMHO they are barking mad but at least I do not see any need to abuse them (unless they start to tell me how to live my life)
Seriously Kris, the joke is wearing a little thin.
Vote:May 30th, 2010 at 10:33 am
David Laws was to the right of his party and a former banker.
The Liberal Democrats were already getting flakey with Vince Cable resigning as Deputy Leader. There might be early elections yet in which the Conservatives will sweep the board. Funny if it happens before Labour elect a new leader.
Vote:May 30th, 2010 at 11:17 am
@Nomestradamus: Re: the Taibbi article. I know polemics are often not helpful, but I understand why he is like that. With the state of political discourse as it is, the primary way to get attention is to be polemical and I don’t mind it in an opinion piece – as his was – particularly as he is typically pretty good with the facts (he did make a mistake with the political alignment of a senator, I believe, but political alignment was not relevant to the points he was making). He’s also been around a while and I think he is pretty disillusioned. What I got from it was not that he was against lobbying in and of itself (personally I think lobbying can serve a useful function provided those in government realise that lobbyists are not their only constituents and will typically present a heavily slanted idea of what should happen in order to benefit their interests), and not that he was for or against one party or the other. Neither were looked upon fondly.
I felt he was making similar points, or points which fit in with what I’m told are the theories of Quigley and Tainter (discussed by John Robb here: http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2010/04/avoiding-collapse.html) In the context of what Taibbi was saying, government deals in terms of its own entrenched interests and perpetuation with as little change as possible instead of fulfilling its ostensible functions. However, it has also become increasingly complex in such a manner as to make significant change extremely difficult.
I agree with you on the “market maker” concept. I also feel that informational asymmetries are a huge problem in markets, particularly financial.
Vote:May 30th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Viking2 (May 29th, 2010 at 5:53 pm),
V2, have just flicked you an email [KrisKWgtn@gmail].
Look forward to hearing from you.
Vote: