General Debate 22 May 2009

Email
Facebook
Twitter
Comment51

Uncategorized
General Debate

Comments (51)

Login to comment or vote

Inventory2

Does anyone still believe in Global Warming?

http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2009/05/global-warming-taranaki-style.html
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 8:06am
Chthoniid

Looks like another early start for DPF 🙂

Coffee and photo time-

Duelling Fur Seals
http://chthoniid.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p787046404-5.jpg

“I make blubber look good”
http://chthoniid.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p901490304-5.jpg
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 8:06am
Patrick Starr

If Melissa Lees comments were deemed racist then David Shearers comments on Triangle would qualify him to head the KKK.

http://www.3news.co.nz/Video/Politics/tabid/370/articleID/105239/cat/68/Default.aspx#video
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 8:12am
bobux

Daniel Finkelstein, a UK political commentator, has an interesting article in the Times on the UK expenses scandal. He suggests is is an indirect result of the information revolution, and that the future of politics is much more open and fragmented.

Anyone who blogs, or reads blogs, will find something to think about.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/daniel_finkelstein/article6322286.ece
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 8:18am
CraigM

“Does anyone still believe in Global Warming?”

I2 you are just shit stirring. You know full well that “global warming” is so 2008, it is “climate change” now .

After all, the earths climate has forever gone through cycles and therefore is always changing, so no-one can argue with “Climate Change”. So there.

BTW, awesome picture. You don’t see her like that that very often.

Chthoniid – very cool photos.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 8:26am
Redbaiter

“If Melissa Lees comments were deemed racist then David Shearers comments on Triangle would qualify him to head the KKK.”

It won’t get legs. His media cronies will spike the story. There’ll be no “university” protests. He’s well intentioned you see, just slipped up.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 8:41am
Ryan Sproull

Does anyone still believe in Global Warming?

http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2009/05/global-warming-taranaki-style.html

Man, it’s so peaceful there. Does anyone still believe that crime rates are increasing?
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 8:42am
jcuknz

Alternative title for Duelling Seals could be ” ARR giv’ us a kiss mate”

It’s a problem of today … when people describe things as they are they are called racists …I thought Shearer was simply describing the realities of life …
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 8:51am
Whafe

Cant seem to smell any pork stories this morning……………….
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 9:02am
goodgod

To a certain extent Shearer was describing the realities of life, but they are more accurately a small sample of the possible realities of life. His comments sound like he is saying that if you have a job you won’t be a criminal. Well that would negate a need for the Serious Fraud Office or organised crime divisons of law enforcement. Some of the problem is the manner in which opinions are sourced and presented. When news outlets want a 20 second sound bite, you are faced with offering gross and undefined generalities or simply saying yes or no. He could have easily have said that politicians are well known as corrupt individuals and been equally correct.

The fact is that yes, it is always a possiblity that some people who are unemployed long enough may do things that are illegal to find an income, but this ignores the fact that the personality that eagerly seeks out opportunities to commit crime is not attained like you’d catch a cold simply because you lost your job – or are an immigrant. Unemployment is not the primary motivator for the criminal activity, nor is migration. A person who tends toward criminal behaviour will do so regardless of their financial circumstances.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 9:07am
stephen

Man, it’s so peaceful there. Does anyone still believe that crime rates are increasing?

Meh, we get the ‘what global warming’ thing every winter don’t we!

Impressive mountain you’ve got there, naki-ites.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 9:54am
Redbaiter

Chicom Generals support watermelon policy-

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.34524d91ed9226d24f193be246b20ea8.191&show_article=1

Anyone suprised??
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 9:58am
Redbaiter

Read the real story behind the watermelons and their climate change deceit-

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124286145192740987.html

You won’t read stuff like this in NZ’s media.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:00am
NOt1tocommentoften

HI all,

Is anyone able to point me in the direction of the article by the Independent that contains senior barristers’ criticisms of the bench? I have seen the article on stuff but this omits all of the juice.

S
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:12am
stephen

NOt1tocommentoften, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the sort of thing they’d ommit from their site to get people to pay for a paper.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:14am
NOt1tocommentoften

I know it’s out there somewhere. I’ve had friends who’ve read it. Apparently it is quite condemning of many individuals on the bench. It will be an interesting read.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:16am
RainbowGlobalWarming

Rodney district doesn’t want to join super-city
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/05/22/1245b06e9e69

Updated at 9:46am on 22 May 2009

Rodney District Council is the first of the eight councils in the Auckland region to say it does not want to join the proposed super-city.

– thats because they don’t want the light of day to show the sorry state of the Rodney council books and forecast woe for ratepayers.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:17am
AG

>>Does anyone still believe in Global Warming?
>>http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2009/05/global-warming-taranaki-style.html

>Man, it’s so peaceful there. Does anyone still believe that crime rates are increasing?

And I saw a skinny person on my walk into work today. Who says there is an obesity epidemic in this country?

Oh, and reddy … what are doing citing MSM articles as support for your nutwingery? Don’t you know they are all leftist scum who who fabricate the news to keep the masses in line for their communist overlords. Oh – except for when they print stuff you agree with. Then they are OK.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:18am
RainbowGlobalWarming

Capital ahead of pack
5:30AM Friday May 22, 2009

Wellington was the only region to post a rise in economic activity in March quarter results of the National Bank’s regional trends survey.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10573769&ref=rss

– as gummint depts spend up large to ensure a full trough of tax payer dosh in 09/10
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:20am
side show bob

When is global warming going to kick in?. The cows are not happy, please turn up the heat. Stephen, yes the mountain is impressive but the thrill wears off after a while. Hail was about 100cm thick on the ground and the animals couldn’t work it out.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:25am
aardvark

Well it went sub-zero at about 7pm last night in Tokoroa and was almost -7 here this morning at 6:30am.

Right now it’s 5 degrees and the cloud has rolled in.

Brr…..

I hate global warming
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:25am
RainbowGlobalWarming

ah ah ah ah – climate change thankyou.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:29am
NOt1tocommentoften

Wow – Lee conceeding defeat already… some sort of tactic?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10573871
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:29am
Brian Smaller

Red – of course China wants other industrial countries to destroy their industrial base with ridiculous carbon schemes. Leaves the field wide open for them. Look for more Chinese support of “Green” initiatives.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:31am
Buggerlugs

The bank worker responsible for a Rotorua couple being given $10 million in error is unlikely to be sacked, Finance workers’ union Finsec says.
“It’s not uncommon in the day-to-day business of data entry in a bank for mistakes to be made,” Finsec spokesman Andrew Campbell said today.

Mistake? It’s a monumental fuck up on a grand scale – what fucking planet are these union teatsuckers on? At least now Cullen can say the train set cost was a ‘data entry’ mistake by Westpac…
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:33am
RainbowGlobalWarming

yes, employ dire strategy, realise you are toast.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:33am
Brian Smaller

ah ah ah ah – climate change thankyou.

You know, I so long for the good old days when the climate never changed.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:33am
RainbowGlobalWarming

no no no, a carbon trading scheme will fix it, bunch of naive greens say as they are bent over and lubed by a group of rapacious investment bankers freshly watered and nosed after a 3 hr lunch.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:39am
RainbowGlobalWarming

its supposed to happen like this….
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:41am
F E Smith

N1TCO: re the ‘Judging the Judges’ article in the Independent- I don’t think it is online because I had a look for it and couldn’t find it (although that might just show that I didn’t make a good enough effort!). Had to go out and buy a dead tree version instead. It was worth it, with a good range of comments on most of the HC judges. Now they need to do one on the DCJ’s. That would make for some real fun.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:44am
tom hunter

Since we’re on the topic of the media – again – I thought some of you might appreciate this response on the recent voter rejection of the California budget proposals.

Seems the Sacramento Bee was not happy in their editorial (http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:R9FAiNkw7WMJ:www.sacbee.com/opinion/story/1875999.html+http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/story/1875999.html&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=nz) – you’ll see why this is Google cache:

Good morning, California voters. Do you feel better, now that you’ve gotten that out of your system?

You wanted to show the state’s politicians just how mad you are at them. And you did. Boy, did you ever.

Proposition 1A with its taxes and its spending limit? Too much of one and not enough of the other, you said (or was it the other way around), and voted it down. Never mind that the taxes go into efffect anyway. You showed ‘em.

So, now that you’ve put those irksome politicians in their place, maybe it’s time to think about this: Since you’re in charge, exactly what do you intend to do about that pesky $25 billion hole in the budget?

As one blogger notes

Snide, sanctimonious, arrogant, elitist — all the things we’ve come to love from our journalistic betters. Ah, but (incredibly) it gets better: those acclaimed layers of editors quickly sprang into action, not just by tossing the offensive article down one of their famous memory holes — employed whenever the self-righteous cocksuckers get caught with their feet in their fat yaps — they replaced the whole thing, with an entirely different, more moderate-sounding editorial (http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/story/1878225.html)

Good morning, members of the California Legislature. Good morning, Governor.

Feeling bruised and abused this morning? Well, you can’t say you didn’t see it coming. The polls have been saying for weeks that voters were going to do just what they did on Tuesday: Conclusively reject your slate on the ballot, Propositions 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E.

Today, on the morning after voters kicked around your best effort at fixing the state budget as if it were a deflated soccer ball, you face a decision.

You can blame the voters for reacting with uninformed and misplaced anger.

Or you can look in the mirror and admit you had it coming. And you know you did.

But it gets even better as they try to cover their backsides:

A note to our readers:

Many of these comments refer to an article that was posted in error. That article was a draft prepared for internal discussion among members of The Bee’s editorial board. Such discussions are a routine part of our work, and frequently lead to editorials that are considerably different from writers’ first drafts. That’s what happened in this case.

After discussion, we decided that our initial editorial about the special election should take a different tack. The result was the editorial that now appears on sacbee.com/opinion.

As the blogger then goes on to say:

Uh huh, I just bet you did. Even you aren’t stupid enough not to know you can’t exactly get away with insulting the paying customers in so direct a fashion for long.

Well, sorry; too late. You let the mask slip, displaying your haughty contempt for voters who have the OUTRAGEOUS! temerity to reject any goddamned crackpot liberal notion the big-spending, heavy-taxing politicians can come up. Then, after getting lambasted in your own comments section by the very hoi polloi you just spat on, you took the original (and more accurately representative of your actual attitudes) piece down and replaced it with something not so clearly intended to insult and demean the people you hope will buy your floundering, half-assed liberal birdcage liner — like the sniveling, despicable cowards you are.

And you wonder why so many of us aren’t just unsympathetic, but are actually pointing and laughing at seeing you go down in flames?

May the lot of you rot in Hell.

Actually one commentator in the paper itself may have hit the target with even more accuracy:
“Hi … we’re the SacBee Editorial Board and we’re going to tell you how to vote. When you decide to ignore us and vote against what we’ve told you to do we’re going to lecture you and tell you how stupid you all are. Then, when you have the unmitigated gaul to defend your actions and hold us accountable, we’re going to change our message and hope that you don’t notice. See … now we’re not agreeing with you, you’re agreeing with us. We’re the SacBee Editorial Board and we suck.”

As another commentator said – “Why are newspapers dying? Because they damned well deserve to”.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 10:49am
CraigM

Funniest headline of the week from The Herald today:

“US search for 250kg teen on run with mum”

However, I do think the headline is misleading. Dollar to a donut, he ain’t running.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 11:01am
Redbaiter

“like the sniveling, despicable cowards you are.”

So well said.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 11:03am
jarbury

Meilssa Lee might struggle for 2nd place to be honset.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 11:03am
Redbaiter

Actually, if Key and National had the brains and the balls, they’d hold a referendum on government spending here as they did in California.

Question-

What do you want? tick A or B

A. Higher taxes

B. Cuts in government

Of course B would come in hands down, but the spineless bereft of ideas Nats would be too paralysed by socialist traitors in their midst to ever do this.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 11:09am
davidp

So Shearer has said that Pacific Islanders have criminal tendencies.

Is he trying to corner the locum pharmacist vote?
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 11:11am
Redbaiter

“Oh, and reddy … what are doing citing MSM articles as support for your nutwingery?”

Oh yeah, the editorial staff of the Wall Street Journal- left wingers. You’re soooooo pitifully uninformed as always AGatha.

When I say left wing biased media, I normally qualify it with the adjective “mainstream” AG. You probably didn’t notice that given your miserable comprehension skills, that you’re never too embarrassed to display on here again and again and again.

You probably don’t know of the decade long cultural war waged between the WSJ editorial writers and their more left wing staff.

You probably don’t know that in the US, where freedom of thought and speech has not been entirely crippled by the left, there are still some outlets besides CNN, MSNBC, ABC, The New York Times, The LA Times and a myriad of like poisonous media that provide alternative viewpoints. Just as there are in NZ, only on a much worse ratio.

But I don’t have the time to educate morons and ignoramuses today AGatha, so you’ll just have to find out about it for yourself.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 11:19am
NOt1tocommentoften

F E S – Now they need to do one on the DCJ’s. That would make for some real fun. – the mind boggles. Some great Judges on the bench – but some shockers too.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 11:25am
bearhunter

Sometimes you get an email that just roots your entire Friday. This from Metrowater:

Metrowater announces today that in order to maintain essential investment in water and wastewater services it is necessary to increase its charges for water and wastewater services. From 1 July water and wastewater charges will increase by 5.9%. This increase will add approximately $13 to a typical household’s quarterly bill.

Metrowater CEO Jim Bentley says “The price increase is driven by the increase in wholesale water and wastewater charges which are necessary for the planning, building, financing and operation of infrastructure to keep our beaches clean and safe; rising depreciation and interest costs due to an increase in Metrowater’s own capital investment; and the significant reduction in the volume of water sold in the current year, which is down 5% on last year. Because many of our costs are fixed a reduction in sales volumes results in a necessary increase in the price per cubic metre.

So basically it’s “pay up or we pour shit on the beach”. That’s extortion isn’t it? Or at least demanding money with menaces.

But to also use the fact that Aucklanders used less water last year as an excuse to jack the price up shows the sort of brass neck would make Winston Peters blush. One the one hand we have the Greens and the Government and the council telling us to conserve water and when we do we get a fucking bill for doing so. Shameless.

“Also, to bring us in line with other providers in the Auckland region ahead of the transition to the new Auckland Council, the funding required to provide fire fighting capacity will be provided by Metrowater, rather than by Auckland City Council as it has been in the past.”

Wayhey! More savings from the Supercity.

Mr Bentley added that in order to keep the increase as low as possible Metrowater has again managed its own costs well this year (these have increased by less than 1% in the last 2 years); and to ensure costs remain under control there will be no salary increases for Metrowater employees this year.

I will watch with interest whether that financial probity will also apply to the directors of Metrowater.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 11:33am
Brian Smaller

Bearhunter – same deal with the ridiculous campaign last year to save power. Because I sm so Scottish I don’t like paying for stuff I don’t need so I easily saved 15-20% of the power we consumed – been doing it for last three or four years anyway mostly by keeping everything off standby mode (inc the dishwasher and the stove). Effect on our power bill – almost nothing. Certainly not 15-20%.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 11:47am
Glutaemus Maximus

Front Page of the BBC.

“Gordon Brown has defended two cabinet ministers who did not pay capital gains tax on home sales as the expenses row cast doubt on the future of more MPs.
A No 10 spokesman said James Purnell and Geoff Hoon acted within the letter and spirit of the law while Mr Brown again gave his backing to Hazel Blears.
Ms Blears repaid £13,000 in tax despite not apparently breaking any rules.”

Does anybody know if Mr Peters has paid any money back yet, or been assessed for Gift Tax’s.

Typical Parliamentarian Cover Up.

It won’t go away you know!!

We want our effin money back you thieving Pikey Lawyer!
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 1:46pm
RKBee

Whats the panels view on should citizens initiated referendum’s be binding on the government.

“THE PEOPLE”S CHOICE PARTY”

PRESS RELEASE…

Why the “THE PEOPLE”S CHOICE” are standing a candidate in the Mt Albert by-election.

“The People’s Choice Party” are a ginger party that uses its democratic right to stand in elections to make political comment.

The People’s Choice are standing a candidate in the Mt Albert by-election merely as a focal point of intense media and public interest. to highlight and promote their parties views that would otherwise not be heard if it were a general election. Their view is that citizens initiated referendum’s should be binding on the government.

Issues like the Auckland Super City and the Waterview motorway are contentious issues for the Mt Albert community. Where a citizens referendum would better help decide a more democratic community lead process and outcome.

Rusty Kane their candidate will also use the by-election to push the provincial view that a greater share of the money ear marked for Auckland’s infrastructure should be redirected to the provinces. Auckland takes most of the lion share of all New Zealand’s roading money leaving very little for the provinces. Rusty Kane’s home town of New Plymouth which has the third largest export port in the country, is way overdue a major upgrade to its state highway 3 north to Auckland and a new wider bridge over the its Waiwhakaiho River.

Rusty Kane
The People;s Choice Party
Candidate Mt Albert By- Election 2009

Facts about “The People,s Choice Party”
Ist.. Political Party registered out of Taranaki. (May 1999)
Ist. To stand a non-Moari in a Moari seat (Te Tai Hauāuru 1999)

The People’s Choice Party
PO Box 41002, St Lukes, Auckland 1346 topps@kol.co.nz

Contact: Rusty Kane
Phone: 0210639370
Postal address: PO Box 5111, New Plymouth 4343
Email: rusty.kane@gmail.com
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 1:53pm
CraigM

Rusty Cane?…a former NZ First supporter?

Who is the Club President , Dusty Rhodes?

Finances looked after by Shorty Change.

Referendums written by Count Citizen

….oh well, back to my long lunch. hick.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 2:12pm
stephen

“The People’s Choice Party” are a ginger party

Heh, what does that mean?
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 2:33pm
RKBee

“The People’s Choice Party” are a ginger party

Heh, what does that mean?

That they all have red hair (gingas) or

A ginger group is a group within, for example, a political party seeking to inspire the rest with its own enthusiasm and activity.

A ginger group is a formal or informal grouping of people within a larger organization that actively works for more radical change to the policies, practices or office-holders of the organisation, while still supporting the goals of the organization.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 3:06pm
stephen

Ah, I see. The first definition would perhaps get them a bit more attention, though would disappoint a great many.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 3:10pm
toad

Very quiet over here about electricity prices.

Seems Max Bradford’s reforms didn’t “bring electricity prices for the consumer down” after all.

[DPF: The price gouging happened under nine years of Labour]
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 3:12pm
Fisiani

Did the people choose WANGANUI?
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 3:55pm
Fisiani

YES
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 4:04pm
backster

If Melissa Lees comments were deemed racist then David Shearers comments on Triangle would qualify him to head the KKK.”

………Fascinating followup comment by Red Tie GARNER shifting the blame to National what a farce of a journalist he is and what a farce of a channel TV3 is…I wonder what comment they would get from CUNLIFFE given the way he tried to label Melissa a racist, but of course they won’t even ask him.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 4:17pm
shady

Whaleoil did an excellent post today based on an article on Scoop about Nicky Hager and the stolen Brash emails. http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/content/hager-liar#disqus_thread – Strangely – the article on Scoop has been removed. Keep the pressure on those liars Whale – and DPF.
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
May 22, 2009 5:56pm

Add a Comment Cancel reply

Login to comment or vote

« New iPredict Stocks

Brash welcomes review »

Donations

You can now donate to Kiwiblog

Exclusive content from DPF on Patreon

Become a Patron!

Highlights

The Kiwis are fleeing
Inflation by term
Houston we have a problem
Our immunisation disaster

Never miss a post

Email Address

Links

Mike Butler: Maori wards basic facts
Breaking Views
Bjorge brings calm to climate conversation
Utopia
Daily review 24/04/2024
The Standard
At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been demoted
Point of Order
8pm Live Tonight: Waatea Straight Talk with Shane Te Pou & Political Panel with Bomber Bradbury
The Daily Blog
Word of the day
Hompaddock
Whose bloody tree was it?
No Minister
Jacinda’s legacy – Increasing number of abortions
Bob McCoskrie's McBlog
REEFTON – THE NEW PARIS
No Punches Pulled (Bob Jones)
More criminal miners
No Right Turn
#CountdownToAnzacDay: On “the last afterglow of the most radiant cultural atmosphere in human history”
Not PC
United Rugby Championship Predictions for Week 15
Stats Chat
Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
Kiwipolitico
Despair - construction consenting edition
Offsetting Behaviour
Coalition Promises
NZCPR
Tougher than that
Croaking Cassandra
ABs stripped of 2011 title after try disallowed
Imperator Fish
Legal Beagle: Election '23: The Special Votes
Public Address
Making this movie might have been a mistake
Liam Hehir
Why I am retiring from political blogging
Kiwi FireWalker
Angie Warren-Clark: Meet the Newbies
Dan Moskovitz