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All Whites game 2
No, I'm not staying up for it. Have fun, those of you who do! Guess I'll be kicking myself if the All Whites pull off a miracle...
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Search · 2010-06-14 to 2010-06-20
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Searching: posts Sorted by: newest Results: 1–30 of 45
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Chinese democracy
The Key government has secretly apologised to the Chinese dictatorship for allowing Russel Norman to protest new vice-dictator Xi Jinping. Since when was a peaceful protest something we apologise for? No apology from the Chinese for their security thugs manhandling one of our elected representatives…
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Heroes
Good interview on RNZ this morning with the author of a book on the early life of Nelson Mandela. Reminded me that I have been meaning for a while now to try a Sunday occasional post series on heroes. Humanitarians and heroes, past and present,…
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Open mike 20/06/2010
Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Do we now kowtow?
The police won't lay charges against the security guard who assaulted Russel Norman. Fair enough I guess. They're out of here today. Probably too minor to justify a prosecution. That doesn't make what happened OK. A thug for a foreign power violated the rights of…
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Numbers I pulled out of my arse show Brown unhurt by Nat smears
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…
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The harsh reality of climate change
The most comprehensive collection and analysis of global temperature trends comes from NOAA (the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) who collect data worldwide through the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Global Telecommunication System (GTS) from more than 200 countries world wide. In the context of…
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After the goldrush
When the circus left town, we had a parade, the band played on and floats were made. I looked sideways as they passed, these bits and pieces, they were the last. We beat our chests and cried out loud, the Tui's head looked dead, not…
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School boards revolt
All available evidence and expert opinion suggests that National Standards, as the government is introducing them in our primary schools, won't work. As some wag put it, no matter how often you measure the pig, measuring it won't make it fatter. National standards won't raise…
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Open mike 19/06/2010
Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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The Right and the foreshore and seabed deal
We know that the foreshore and seabed deal does not do what the Maori Party was established to achieve but, almost paradoxically, it may end up giving iwi some powers that will seriously anger non-iwi business. The foreshore and seabed will remain in Crown ownership,…
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Chinese security attack MP
Stuff reports: Green MP Russel Norman had a Tibetan flag torn from his hands by a member of Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping's entourage when he arrived at Parliament today. Dr Norman said he believed it was one of the vice president's security guards. Arriving in…
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PEDA divisions in government
Someone has been trying to shut down investigations into the PEDA slush fund. Red Alert reports that PI radio presenter Efeso Collins "has been taken off the Saturday morning breakfast show for asking too many questions about the Pacific Economic Development Agency", with further details…
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Herald’s Brown smears fail to stick
The Herald will be disappointed. Over the last two weeks it has been a willing soldier in John Bank's smear campaign against Len Brown. It's a desperate last ditch strategy by the right as it faces defeat. And it's not working. Even on the Herald's on…
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Let’s not rush things
Sometimes it just makes you sad. The science behind the greenhouse effect was first proposed 186 years ago. Climate change due to changing levels of greenhouse gases was shown to be theoretically possible in 1896. Mauna Loa has been showing rising levels of carbon dioxide…
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A well-earned punishment
Speaker Lockwood Smith has removed 22 free carparks at Parliament from TV One and TV3 as punishment for their disgraceful behaviour in chasing Chris Carter around the House the other day. Good. There are a few, non-onerous, rules about where and when the media can…
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Open mike 18/06/2010
Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Solid Energy on the block?
Solid Energy chairman John Palmer has suggested that a partial sale of the SOE could be on the cards. It's clearly pissed off National, who desperately don't want to talk about their privatisation agenda, with Gerry Brownlee "I think he has just stepped well over…
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Whistleblowers
At time of writing the front page of Newsroom has a post: Hunt Nearly Over - The search for the sources of leaked sensitive Government plans to open up protected conservation land to mining and merge parts of the state sector is close to an…
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Ratepayers face $120K bill for Banks hagiography
So, you're the mayor of a council with nearly a billion dollars of debt. Your council is about to be abolished and you're running to be the mayor of the new supercity. Your attack dogs are fixed on your opponent, who is beating you in…
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Who is JR?
As people try to work out exactly what is happening with the Pacific Economic Development Agency (PEDA) more information is emerging about its director Anthony Joseph Pereira (aka. JR Pereira). According to the companies office record, Pereira only became the director of PEDA on the…
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The golden curse
You know, if we don't give those mining companies some more free seismic data, rent-free access to our most precious natural environments, and only demand low royalties when they dig up our minerals, we'll lose them to the lucky country. That's right, Afghanistan. It's sitting,…
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Open mike 17/06/2010
Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Key, Creech, and the Dairy Investment Fund
When we last looked at John Key's trust, a swathe of senior journos had agreed it is not, as promised, blind: Vernon Small: "the seemingly transparent 'blind trust' Mr Key's lawyers have constructed for him" Audrey Young: "a blind trust that appears to come with…
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Canterbury government in exile
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 government in exile. Vowing to "continue to serve you in your region", this ragged band will fight to keep…
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Maori Party sell-out opens opportunity for Greens
The lesson that the formation of the Maori Party taught us is that, in the age of MMP, a political party can't piss off its base and get no reaction. Voters have alternatives, and can even set up their own party with a realistic chance…
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Senator Alvin Greene?
Alvin Greene is an unemployed military veteran who received an involuntary discharge and is currently on felony p0rnography 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…
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Open mike 16/06/2010
Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Questions mount on PEDA
Labour is on the edge of cracking the mystery surrounding the Pacific Economic Development Agency wide open, if it can ask the right questions. No-one has ever heard of PEDA before yet somehow it managed to get $4.8 million from Pacific Island Affairs Ministry in…
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All Whites game 1
So - anyone else sitting up watching the game? (This thread a politics free zone!)