The Standard

humour

Categories under humour

Boscawen new ACT deputy

Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, August 17th, 2010 - 38 comments

Clad in traditional climate change denier headwear, John Boscawen today assumed the role of ACT Deputy Leader, vowing to use his new powers to launch a crusade against NIWA. Standing beside him, Rodney Hide told reporters “Don’t give me that look. At least he’s not David Garrett”

All hail honourable leader’s birthday

Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, August 10th, 2010 - 30 comments

Rapturous crowds of workers from the People’s Information Services spontaneously gathered in the Beehive theatrette yesterday to praise Beloved Leader of People’s Constitutional Monarchy of New Zealand, Honourable John Key, on the anniversary of his birth. “Comrades! I thank you!” said Honourable Key to the sighs of the crowd. One young cadre presented Beloved Leader with a birthday card.

National’s Economic Plan Found

Written By: - Date published: 2:38 pm, August 7th, 2010 - 10 comments

After half a government term of insisting that NACT had an economic plan, it has been ‘misplaced’. The full plan, said by informed sources to have been found in a brief case (along with a pie and a men’s magazine) and written on the back of an old rental expenses claim form, reveals that the government expects significant economic development will be lead by the construction of a single national transport infrastructure, namely a National Cycleway.

Don’t ask directions from Colin

Written By: - Date published: 10:12 am, August 3rd, 2010 - 15 comments

Needed a laugh. Luckily, C Espiner always delivers: “While his predecessor was fond of visiting Europe, Key has virtually snubbed the northern hemisphere since he has been prime minister.”

Labour 12% ahead in the polls!

Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, August 2nd, 2010 - 32 comments

I’m very pleased to report that Labour has leapt to a dramatic 12% lead in the opinion polls over National! It’s looking good for 2011! Bravo Phil Goff and the rest of the Labour team.

Where’s Kate? Wanted for media avoidance…

Written By: - Date published: 5:46 pm, July 30th, 2010 - 11 comments

While there are some ministers who are pretty scared of fronting up for their portfolios, Kate Wilkinson is one of the worst.

There is also this little gem about a Minister that is happy to be anywhere that Sean Plunket isn’t. I guess this image will get a lot of use. Anyone got a good caption?

We have it wrong…

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 25th, 2010 - 2 comments

We have it all wrong. What Brownlee was really trying to say. From William Joyce

U turns

Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, July 23rd, 2010 - 6 comments

Another gem from Tom Scott.

Caption contest

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 pm, July 21st, 2010 - 40 comments

Remember the billboards comparing Helen Clark to a series of dictators in 2008? Funny thing is she’d never had anything to do with a dictator. But at least one MP who will be voting for John Key’s attacks on workers did.

A chilling vision of the future?

Written By: - Date published: 10:51 am, July 19th, 2010 - 41 comments

Cutting education is the dumbest thing a government can do. You want a prosperous, clean, low-crime, happy, dynamic society with a bright future? You want to invest in education. Even if you’re a Tory you want education – smart drones produce more than uneducated ones. Yet these morons are cutting education at both ends. Where does this lead?

Needs a caption?

Written By: - Date published: 3:17 pm, July 15th, 2010 - 27 comments

From the Flicker pages of William Joyce, we have this cogent visual comment on Murray McCully and his diplomatic skills. But the image needs a good caption… 😈

PM punts for growth

Written By: - Date published: 11:39 am, July 15th, 2010 - 16 comments

Prime Minister John Key today conceded that growth remains too weak, unemployment is too high, and that it is unacceptable that workers’ wages are going backwards when he promised they would match Australia’s in just 15 years. Speaking to a rapturous crowd of schoolchildren and journalists, Key announced a bold new economic agenda.

Mum & Dad investors keen to put a few mil in privatised assets

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 pm, July 10th, 2010 - 12 comments

Kiwi Dad Michael Fay and his wife Sarah announced today that they would be keen to invest in any SOEs the government privatises. “My old mate David Richwhite and myself made $500 million off the last round privatisation.” said Fay, “It was a great success. We used other people’s money to buy public assets. Asset-stripped, flogged them off and walked away”

Party central

Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, July 9th, 2010 - 87 comments

Enough was written yesterday about the latest instalment of the slow motion train wreck that is John Key’s “Party Central”. So here’s Emmerson’s visual take.

Blubbering into oblivion

Written By: - Date published: 4:47 pm, July 7th, 2010 - 47 comments

I had to laugh at this comment by Mako about my least favorite wingnut… More desperate anti-Brown smearing from Slater. His latest allegation is that ‘Looney Len’ wants every school to plant 500 trees a year. A waste of our precious education budget! he wails. Child slave labour! he howls. ‘Surely one of his backers […]

World Cup according to genius bankers

Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, July 6th, 2010 - 14 comments

Economists, bankers, Treasury officials, financial wizards of various kinds, they like to pretend that they know what they’re talking about. All too often they don’t. Predicting the behaviour of complex systems is hard. Consider for example, the big banks’ predictions on the winner of the Football World Cup…

God, she writes like she talks

Written By: - Date published: 2:44 pm, July 5th, 2010 - 55 comments

Paula Bennett in a letter to Tariana Turia: “Because of that sort of addiction it can be really tough on them and you see, certainly, financial hardship being increased and I think also with that sort of stress you can look at domestic violence,”. I don’t think that sentence would pass the national standard.

Mummy! The bad man cut my pre-school’s funding!

Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, July 3rd, 2010 - 9 comments

John Key had a busy day playing rodeo-clown yesterday. Before having the Air Force fly him to Ohakune for the opening of 16 whole kilometres of cycleway Key had photo-op with children. It’s is a John Key favourite. The perfect distraction from lying in the House, the weak economy, and Anne Tolley. But the clown show doesn’t always go off without a hitch 🙂

If real life were more like the internet…

Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, June 30th, 2010 - 7 comments

  Ring any bells? Tom Tommorrow at Salon is a great satirical cartoonist, for more of his work have a look at This Modern World.

Key bullish on Kiwi, bearish on pandas

Written By: - Date published: 1:01 pm, June 28th, 2010 - 27 comments

Itching to get back into the markets, and having solved all New Zealand’s economic and social woes in 18 short months, John Key has announced he is putting aside his Prime Ministierial duties to become the country’s head trader in exotic animals.

That’s… odd

Written By: - Date published: 12:29 pm, June 25th, 2010 - 14 comments

I was looking through the physical versions of this weeks’ newspapers for something yesterday. I don’t normally do that and I saw some bloody odd stuff. Did you know that the PM asks permission from his staff before he does things? Do you what academic means? Because Paula Bennett doesn’t. And do you know statistics are behind the changing number of school children?

The media

Written By: - Date published: 3:38 pm, June 23rd, 2010 - 20 comments

The frequently brilliant xkcd on the state of the media.

Numbers I pulled out of my arse show Brown unhurt by Nat smears

Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, June 19th, 2010 - 24 comments

My new poll shows Len Brown will get 90% of the vote. Even though the survey is unscientific and consisted of a self-selected group most of whom think like me, it provides an interesting take on the two weeks of intense political and media scrutiny of Mr Brown’s credit card expenses.

Canterbury government in exile

Written By: - Date published: 12:51 pm, June 16th, 2010 - 21 comments

Since the fall of Canterbury to the newly installed dictatorial regime, a few of the deposed representatives have escaped the closing net and set up a local government in exile. Vowing to “continue to serve you in your region”, this ragged band will fight to keep the flame of democracy alive.

Senator Alvin Greene?

Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, June 16th, 2010 - 29 comments

Alvin Greene is an unemployed military veteran who received an involuntary discharge and is currently on felony pornography charges. He has a degree but seems a bit, um, challenged. He received 60% of the vote in the Democratic Primary for South Carolina senator, despite having no experience, no backing, and no campaign. No-one can explain it. See the Daily Show’s take:

Labour concedes 2011 election

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 13th, 2010 - 56 comments

In a short statement outside the Beehive today Labour leader Phil Goff conceded the 2011 election to National.

Boston Globe leads on tailored content

Written By: - Date published: 12:18 pm, June 11th, 2010 - 2 comments

Did you know Editing the Herald is back? It is and James is as incisive and witty as ever.

This isn’t about one of his posts though, sampling them doesn’t do them justice. Instead, it’s a hilarious clip from The Onion that his blog put me on to.

Lazy Sunday viewing: viral video chart

Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, June 6th, 2010 - 2 comments

Fancy wasting a little time on a slow Sunday? Some viral video, courtesy of Guardian blogger, Jemima Kiss.

A big hand for DPF

Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, May 31st, 2010 - 20 comments

A shadowy cabal calling themselves “The NZ Bloggers Union” set out to create a grass-roots “Air NZ” blog award. Apparently a bunch of blogs have entered, The Standard might even be one of them, which is pretty organised for us! But we were deeply disturbed to hear that DPF will not be entering, apparently because he does not believe in awards. What’s up with that? Well, we’re from The Standard, and we’re here to help…

Domesticated

Written By: - Date published: 6:27 am, May 22nd, 2010 - 38 comments

Amongst all the budget reaction, there is a group of people that I don’t understand. They are the small group who are very well off, and who are nevertheless exulting about tax cuts that give them a few tens of dollars a week. Is your allegiance really purchased so cheaply?

Tax ‘swap’ needed to keep National MPs in NZ

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, May 20th, 2010 - 18 comments

Finance Minister Bill English today announced tax cuts worth $340,000 for National MPs on their Parliamentary salaries alone. “I’m very pleased we could announce this gift, ah, fair alteration of the tax system. There was a real danger that New Zealand could have lost the services of such valuable, highly-skilled workers as Paula Bennett, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Paul Quinn, and Melissa Lee