Two incidences of bullying in the media have been the subject of discussion in the last few days. The first was the alleged assault and racist abuse of a TV producer on the BBC’s Top Gear program by presenter Jeremy Clarkson and the second was…
Key's attempt to play cute with the semantics of surveillance is part of an international strategy. Here's Glenn Greenwald at The Intercept: THE ORWELLIAN RE-BRANDING OF "MASS SURVEILLANCE" AS MERELY "BULK COLLECTION" Just as the Bush administration and the U.S. media re-labelled “torture” with the Orwellian euphemism “enhanced interrogation…
Ooops... https://twitter.com/BeeFaerie/status/577014796475760642 If you missed it in the weekend, also catch up with Armstrong on the Nats in Northland: Questionable tactics in race for Northland votes "New" jobs which may or may not be full-time jobs; "new" road bridges which are not a priority; "new"…
There's a long-running debate about the value of blogs compared to the mainstream media. Which provides value? Which just jumps on the other's bandwagon? The story of proposed changes - let's be frank, increases - in current and former MPs' international travel perks may turn…
At time of writing it is not clear how hard NZ will be hit by cyclone Pam - keep safe everybody. Vanuatu has been badly hit, with many dead, and significant damage. There is a Red Cross donations page here. Please donate if you can.
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Over the last few days I have been reading Neil Sheenan's "A fiery peace in a cold war". It looks at the politics and infighting of the development of the US ICBM forces in the 50s and probably later (still reading). At the same time…
There was an interesting variety of views expressed recently in the Herald on the ancient Titirangi Kauri tree that this week avoided the chop, at least for now. Predictably Rodney Hide thinks that the whole thing is an attack on personal property rights and land owners…
Governments the world over "sell" their spying and surveillance activities to the people as a tool to keep them safe from "terrorism". It doesn't and it can't, of course, leading many skeptics to suggest that surveillance is mostly used for diplomatic and industrial spying, and…
So Swedish authorities are doing the right thing and interviewing Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy. Not that they’re doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. No. Apparently there’s a statute of limitations on the potential charges he faces.
How can it be that even liberal media lauds those fighting the Daesh in Syria (for example, here, here and here) and yet liberal legal systems arrest and charge those seeking to support those same people with terrorist offences? It couldn’t possibly be that our…
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Say what you like about Winston Peters - and who doesn't - but the man has chutzpah: Key Challenged to Debate Northland New Zealand First Leader and Northland by-election candidate Rt Hon Winston Peters is challenging Prime Minister John Key to a debate in Northland.…
You can only bungle and lie for so long before people get sick of it. Tracy Watkins is a loyal Key fan, she's trying to warn him: John Key burning up political capital following Edward Snowden revelations ... The bluster and bravado is also a…
A recent article by Phil Quin in the Herald made me wonder. I understand that he was a Parliamentary staffer for the party in the 1990s but I have never met him. I have never seen him at a meeting, never heard of him being…
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The co-leadership race within the Greens has shown that they’re alive and kicking – if nursing a few wounds from the last election. Both Kevin Hague and Gareth Hughes have managed to enter the race with minimal belittlement – an impressive feat in itself, for…
Karen in comments states Advance voting only opened on Wednesday in Northland and already double that of the general election. Unusual in a by election for there to be a big turnout, so we will see if it continue. She is certainly right. It will…
Stay classy National - Nats: Roads in doubt if Winston wins John Key is warning voters there is no "free lunch" in the Northland by-election, as National claims major roads and free-trade deals will be in doubt if Winston Peters wins. Speaking to Turners &…
Are you saving to a buy house? Are you saving more than $1000 a week? If not, you are going backwards: House asking prices going up $1000 every week Heightened confidence in the property market continues to raise people's expectations about what they might get…
“It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.” ― Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent The announcement https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/576036599047258112 The Independent The Guardian Ars Technica Buzzfeed The Telegraph BBC News
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Sometimes life imitates art. This is the picture that Phil Twyford was ejected from question time for displaying. Might as well turn it in to a - caption competition!
I/S at No Right Turn on the latest Nat omnishambles - these financial "geniuses" can't even calculate their own pay rates correctly... Legislate in haste, repent before you've even started When John Key promised to remove MPs' outrageous, undeserved pay rise - without showing us the bill…
I am always learning new things. I have a new job and accordingly I have to learn lots of new stuff quickly. As part of that process I have been directed to Sir Ken Robinson Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we're educating…
ACT is trying to grab a few headlines by pretending to dither about Northland: Northland by-election: ACT considers backing National ACT is considering telling its supporters in Northland to vote National, even though the party has its own candidate in the field. No doubt the…
From the I shit you not file ... The reason that National has announced a decaboondoggle of double land bridges for the far North now during a difficult by election campaign and not during the last general election campaign is because of Nicky Hager and…
A message from the #SaveourKauri team He Kauri He Rangatira E tu Thank you so much. We’ve been overwhelmed by your support - two years ago we were a small group of neighbours and residents shocked that anyone could contemplate cutting down a 500 year…
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