Open mike 04/10/2013

Written By: notices and features - Date published: - 152 comments
Categories: open mike

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…

152 comments on “Open mike 04/10/2013”

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  1. 1

    coffee heads-up for ya..

    http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/are-you-drinking-one-cup-coffee-too-many-study-says-overconsumption-could-send-you

    “..Over the years, there has been an extensive health debate over whether coffee is really good or bad for our bodies – with strong arguments and research coming from both sides of the fence.

    Some research suggests that coffee can prevent strokes – delay the onset of diabetes and heart disease.

    Other findings indicate it might lead to some forms of cancer – and adversely affect the metabolism.

    The most recent study from the Mayo Clinic published on August 15 reveals that drinking more than 28 cups a week can harm your health considerably –

    – with those consuming more than four cups a day twice as likely to die than those who are non-drinkers..”

    whoar..!

    ..eh..?

    phillip ure..

    1. 1.1

      “…with those consuming more than four cups a day twice as likely to die than those who are non-drinkers..”

      Dude, with one possible exception everyone who has ever been born has died so I am not sure what this sentence even means.

      Since we are all gonna die of something someday, I’ll take my chances with the coffee. Probably better to live a fun life and die at 80 than be petrified of an expresso and live to be 102 when you are blind, deaf and the only thing you have to look forward to in your life is getting your nappies changed.

      1. 1.1.1

        Its the probability of dying within the set period of time studied, not a timeline which stretches forward to infinity.

    2. 1.2

      Hungarian creamer with that latte?
      NZ 250M export infant baby formula market in China nearly wiped out; many exporters orders halved, some cancelled. China preferring infant formula sourced from Hungary for now.
      -RNZ (interview with an industry Exporter) Checkpoint.

    3. 1.3

      28 a week? Oh am I in trouble. When I was younger back in the BBS days I existed on Coffee and Nicotine (As did Most Sysops Back Then) Now I am older, I have given up the Nicotine. But give up Coffee Now thats a whole nother story.

      1. 1.3.1

        Breakfast of champions!

        Ahh, the memories.

        Although I have also given up tobacco, caffeine is still my very good friend and companion.

    4. 1.4

      Drinkers <55 years mortality from any cause of death over a 17 year period.

      Seems to me that would include a lot of folks who use it as a sleep substitute in stressful or extended-duration workplaces.

      1. 3.1.1

        Don’t you just hate it when they report facts that don’t fit in with your ideology.

        Thank God for the delusional sanctuary of the blogs.

  4. 4

    Anyone else feeling slight queasiness with the collective sympathy-fest around the Team NZ homecoming? Isn’t that strange how the government and the middle classes are happy to throw millions at rich yachtsmen but very reluctant to fund food for schoolchildren? And I dont think that the rest of our not-so-well pampered and funded sportspeople are feeling happy right now either.

    1. 4.1

      Someone somewhere needed a feel good parade, and by the looks, Team New Zealand lucked in.
      That they lost with what can arguably be called the biggest choke in sporting history appears to be totally beside the point.
      A precedent setting paradigm shift in NZ culture in rewarding humiliating failure?

        1. 4.1.1.1

          @ andy..plus national is dropping in the polls..

          ..and one of the most disturbing outcomes for me from nationals’ drop..

          ..is that joyce has gone from five years of being an arrogant/crowing/get-fucked! kinda person..

          ..to a form of cloying ‘niceness’..

          ..it is downright spooky to behold…

          ..and it is so obviously fake..

          ..it just brings into focus how hideous he is..

          ..phillip ure..

      2. 4.1.2

        will there be a choke-medallion struck for them..?

        ..maybe showing the nz boat trailing far behind..?

        ..and wasn’t it such a ‘choke’ in slow-motion..?

        ..philllip ure..

    2. 4.2

      Don’t know old boy….certain je ne sais about any chap that can be on top eight times and still not come first…..

    4. 4.4

      But we funded the winner too, apparently Larry the billionaire ‘owns’ the NZ boatyard in which the ‘American’ boat was built, the tax breaks so far given are said to have Larry wanting to do it all over again…

  5. 5

    The opposition should be going hard on solid energy. It sums up the NACT, profit stripping via debt, hobbling its business model, ignoring its board then tossing jobs and ownership away.

    1. 5.1

      And going hard on overpaid executives…..

      “$800,000 salaries for top city staff the market rate, says mayor

      Auckland Mayor Len Brown last night defended salaries of nearly $800,000 a year for two senior council executives, telling a public meeting, “You have got to meet the…

      The just-published 2013 annual report shows council chief executive Doug McKay’s salary increased by $15,656 to $782,887 and Watercare CEO Mark Ford’s salary rose $70,000 to between $780,000 and $790,000.

      In the same year, the number of council staff earning more than $100,000 rose to 1500, and 113 staff earned more than $200,000.”

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11134465

  7. 7

    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/10/04/the-goal-and-the-movement-the-debate-between-john-moore-and-chris-trotter-continues/

    An interesting blog from Chris Trotter on a matter much discussed within these pages.

    My own recent experience of trying to do things differently in a group – to be genuinely democratic, consensual, non-hierarchical…even with lashings of goodwill – makes me feel like running for the hills (once I’ve finished tearing my hair out, that is).

  8. 8

    Re Domost print edition
    Headline
    The Maid, the Kiwi and the stolen sperm

    A salacious little story – NOT front page new.

    BUT what I found absolutely disgraceful was the publication of the a large photo of the 3 year old child with the by line of Unwanted child

  9. 9

    Has Bill English ceded his Job to Governor of the Reserve Bank of Auckland.

    The OCR mechanism is a blunt tool unsuited to the extraordinary times we still find ourselves in. I hope David and David are going to follow through with rhetoric on the Reserve Bank and not become captured by orthodox lobby of the self interested

    http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/10/18/ostrich-economics/

    http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/09/19/today-theyre-terrified/

    http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/09/12/meeting-with-joseph-stiglitz/

    http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/09/10/olivier-blanchard-putting-a-twist-in-monetary-policy/

    Hope we hear more from David and David on their alternative vision for our monetary and fiscal future, because the system we have is broken.

    1. 9.1

      I don’t see why we shouldn’t make the job of governor of the reserve bank an elected one. After all, he has an important role in setting policy for OUR economy.

      2. 9.1.2

        Hell No! We could end up with something like the Parliament’s Question Time, with that Impartial *cough* Speaker.

    1. 10.1

      Lies? That’s a big call, given your own fundamental untruthiness. Care to list the untrue claims the teachers have made?

    2. 10.2

      So more neo-liberal privatisation –your ideological solution to everything?
      It’s really worked so far!
      Return to Kiwiblog and the Sewerblog, where your pernicious ideas will gain traction, no doubt.

    4. 10.4

      Nearly 45 per cent of respondents supported charter schools because they felt they would provide a different approach to education

      That would indicate that 45% of respondents haven’t been keeping up with the research that shows charter schools are a waste of time and money.

  12. 12

    After signing New Zealand up. John Key says that he does not expect that the major emitters who are dialogue partners to the Pacific Islands Forum, the US, China, India, (or as it turned out, even full member Australia), to sign up to the Majuro Declaration on climate change.

    Maybe the political leaders of these nations feel that if they did sign this international agreement, they might be bound to honour it?

    John Key has no such qualms.

    Honour the Majuro Declaration

    Cancel the Bail Out

    Shut Down Solid Energy

    Restart Rauauru Ma Raki

  13. 13

    Good to see an update of the NZ on Screen playlist in the sidebar. There are some interesting looking titles there that I haven’t yet seen.

  14. 14

    Oh my, just been given a link to a webpage that is more left than here, (didnt think it was possible) The Daily Blog?

    Such disgusting items, such as the USA was behind the Kenyan Mall attacks,and it would appear its great that America has shut down, because millions of babies wont be killed world wide?

    Does the left in NZ really believe that BS, are you that precious about the USA?

    Surly not even Temana or the green party supporters are on this level.

    Totally repugnant page.

    [lprent: I’m surprised that you’re been able to miss TDB? Have you ever looked at the Feed on the right of this site which amongst everything from No Minister to some really really local left sites (and the odd science site as well because I like them). The Daily Blog makes up a good quarter of the feed on most days. ]

        1. 14.1.1.1

          I don’t know about the Kenyan Mall, but the Americans have definitely been providing infantry training and weapons to islamist Al Qaeda fighters in Syria.

          1. 14.1.1.1.1

            I don’t know about the Kenyan Mall, but the Americans have definitely been providing infantry training and weapons to islamist Al Qaeda fighters in Syria.

            Colonial Viper

            Citation, video, evidence, testimony?

            1. 14.1.1.1.1.1

              Time to get over the fact that you have been supporting a foreign invasion of Syria and a Qatari/Saudi regime change programme targetting the Syrian government, Jenny.

              1. 14.1.1.1.1.1.1

                I have trouble getting over the fact that you have publicly advocated the use of sarin against the rebels on this site and haven’t been banned.

              1. 14.1.1.2.1.1.1

                and the organised criminal extremes their society (might is right) have bred: Mob, Irish, Hispanics, Russians, Crips, Bloods, Aryans and NLR, Central and South American gangs and so on, and that’s not including their own internal terrorists, the Patriot-aligned and their NGO / Defense Contract private mercenary armies. Gee, that sure worked out well.

        3. 14.1.1.3

          I think ‘ANT’ is off in a couple of things in that comment, but you completely misrepresent what is said.

          ‘Complicit in’ is not the same as ‘was behind’.

          I know that you hate people criticising the US, it’s the weird little chip you carry on your own shoulder Brett, but it is simply a fact that they work with all sorts of unsavoury people around the world, and do all sorts of awful things. They really do.

          Now that doesn’t mean that they are behind every bad thing that happens, but it does mean that it isn’t ‘vile’ to talk about things they are doing, and ask questions and what not.

          It isn’t ‘out of the question’ that US actions in Africa are inflaming things. It isn’t ‘out of the question’ that the US funds and trains people who go on to do very bad things.

              1. 14.1.1.3.1.1.1

                Yeah, but I thought I was posting at the bottom of the thread. Something funny about when the name/mail fields drop out…

                I was originally going to post in this conversation with Brett, and then I thought better of it 😉

    2. 14.2

      Oh my, just been given a link to a webpage that is more left than here

      ….SNIP…

      You are out of your depth. You know nothing. Why are you here?

    3. 14.3

      Sounds like bollocks to me. Never seen those articles on tdb and I have a look most days.

      So that leaves 2 options: either you’re making shit up or blindly repeating shit that other people have made up.

    4. 14.4

      Yeah I can’t see any article suggesting the US were behind the Kenyan Mall attacks, you better link to it Brett. I gave your stupid comment a thumbs down too.

      With you using the word repugnant, I think you must be talking about the whale-snot website, silly boy.

          1. 14.4.1.1.1

            “Ant” wrote: “There was a recent story on globalresearch.ca that says western intelligence agencies were complicit in the Kenya mall attacks. According to the story, the attacks may be a part of a geopolitical strategy to counter the rising influence of China in Africa.”

            SO, you are a fucking liar Brett.

            You should know by now that people here are not as stupid as you would like them to be. Only someone as stupid as you will swallow the garbage you throw around.

            1. 14.4.1.1.1.1

              Fender:

              Scroll down and read the other comments.

              Again the site moderates the comments, so be quick, but normally
              is something vile is written about the usa, they stay up.

              1. 14.4.1.1.1.1.1

                But you said: “Oh my, just been given a link to a webpage that is more left than here……”

                So that means: “…. but normally is something vile is written about the usa, they stay up.” is yet another lie.

                Better watch it, you may get nicknamed Hooton#2.

              3. 14.4.1.1.1.1.3

                Are there any examples of anything ‘vile’ that has been left up?

                The commment from ‘Ant’ is abit wrong headed in a few respects from my point of view (it’s a bit simplistic about Saudi Arabia and AQ), but what is vile about it?

                the rest of the comments, what’s wrong with them?

                If there are ‘vile’ tweets that have been moderated, that kind of suggests that your idea about TDB being a vile cesspit is wrong, doesn’t it?

                Or are you saying that if they leave them up, that’s awful, but if they take them down, why, that’s awful too!

            1. 14.4.1.1.2.1

              Go to the link, its right there, western governments behind kenya mall attacks,
              Martyn is celebrating the usa government shutdown because it means no drone
              attacks against thousands and thousands and thousands of children.

              How is that not completely vile.

                1. 14.4.1.1.2.1.1.1

                  Because drone attacks have nothing to do with the usa shutting down, and im guessing if there was a tragic event in the states like an earthquake or another massacre, someone would write….

                  What about iraq?

                  or

                  What about drones??

                  What of course has nothing to do with the actual incident that took place.

                  1. 14.4.1.1.2.1.1.1.1

                    So what is wrong with the ceasation of drone attacks on civilian areas? Seems like a good thing to have happen, even if it is simply due to running out of budget.

                  3. 14.4.1.1.2.1.1.1.3

                    Ok.

                    So it’s ‘vile’ to oppose drone strikes.

                    And you imagine that there would be all sorts of vile things said about things that haven’t happened.

                    Well I think that in a hypothetical universe where the US launched a nuclear strike in response to a cyber attack on their power grid, (which is something they have not taken off the table), you would criticise anyone who objected to it.

                    What a vile disgusting monster you are Brett.

                    2. 14.4.1.1.2.1.1.1.3.2

                      Perhaps you could explain your point then Brett. I’ve read the thing from stuff a few times now. Perhaps you could explain it’s relevance?

                      What is so vile about saying that a side benefit of the shutdown might be that a few bombs don’t get dropped.

                      That may or may not be true, but what is ‘vile’ about saying it?

                    3. 14.4.1.1.2.1.1.1.3.3

                      Brett’s point is that it’s morally wrong to discuss violence done by the US in other places while recognising violence in places other than the US, and that it is morally wrong to discuss violence done by the US while recognising violence or unfortunate events that take place in the US.

                      Which drastically limits the morally acceptable opportunities to discuss violence committed by the US, but I’m sure that such an outcome is completely inadvertent.

              2. 14.4.1.1.2.1.2

                Commentator refers to wingnut web site = vile attack on the US must make you the stupidest man on the internets today – congratulations fella.

                btw, bomber is correct.

                The study by Stanford Law School and New York University’s School of Law calls for a re-evaluation of the practice, saying the number of “high-level” targets killed as a percentage of total casualties is extremely low — about 2%.

                […]

                TBIJ reports that from June 2004 through mid-September 2012, available data indicate that drone strikes killed 2,562 – 3,325 people in Pakistan, of whom 474 – 881 were civilians, including 176 children. TBIJ reports that these strikes also injured an additional 1,228 – 1,362 individuals,” according to the Stanford/NYU study.

                http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/25/world/asia/pakistan-us-drone-strikes/index.html

                edit: Stanford/NYU study.

                http://www.livingunderdrones.org/report/

                1. 14.4.1.1.2.1.3.1

                  FFS, Okay I posted this at my blog and here once I think, this is blogger james robinson response to someone who wrote..

                  “what about Iraq” In response to James writing about the boston bombing.

                  It sums up my whole feeling…

                  JAMES ROBINSON

                  “The “what-about-Iraq” comments here miss the point.
                  I stewed on them for a couple of days and what I have to say is this.

                  If you grieve a friend of yours dying, are you being
                  disrespectful to everyone else that died that day? No.

                  I lived in Boston. I live in America. This was big news to me.
                  I’m well versed in Iraqi policy and America’s failings there.
                  And don’t just zero in on Iraq because its in the news.
                  People are dying in huge numbers in places that America
                  didn’t invade too. There’s a lot of bad stuff out there, always
                  happening. That doesn’t mean that seeing bombs going off in
                  my former home isn’t somewhat traumatic. I hope I never have
                  to sit next to you guys at a dinner party.”

                  1. 14.4.1.1.2.1.3.1.1

                    So it’s just your personal feelings then? And you’re not saying anything about anybody else’s feelings and attitudes, just your own?

                    Well in that case, that’s fine.

                    For a second there I thought you were being a busybody about what other people thought of the issues.

                  2. 14.4.1.1.2.1.3.1.2

                    That makes no sense at all Brett.

                    That guy is justified to be upset, but what does it have to with the drone strike strategy, or anything else?

                    1. 14.4.1.1.2.1.3.1.2.1

                      Pascal

                      Because whenever there is a major disaster in the usa or a tragic event, people bring up other international issues, that have nothing to so with what has just happened.

                      The left seems to have a rage in them if people dare give sympathy to the people of the usa.

                    2. 14.4.1.1.2.1.3.1.2.2

                      So why don’t you give actual examples of them doing that, instead of imagining it would happen?

                      And why do you say it’s ‘the left’ that do it? Does everyone on the left do it? Does no one on the right do it? Or does it only concern you when it is from the left, or about the US.

                      And does no one on the left give sympathy to the US, ever/ Pretty sure that’s a pile of bullshit. So what the hell are you talking about.

                      It looks like you just hate to see the US criticised. Why is that?

  15. 15

    Martin Heidegger prepared the ground for his major work, Sein und Zeit (1927; tr.Oxford 1962) with a series of lucid and solid, if unremarkable writings which anticipated the themes of his mature work.
    In “The Problem of Reality in Modern Philosophy (1912) he argues against various versions of idealism, including Kant’s critical idealism, in favour of critical realism. “New Investigations of Logic (1912) assessed recent works on logic, including those of Russell, Whitehead and Frege through Husserl’s critique of psychologism. In keeping with his doctrine of truth as unconcealment , H. had little truck with ‘logic of assertion’ traditions; Analogous to the later Wittgenstein, H. was more inclined to base arithmetic on everyday activities like counting and measurement.His doctoral dissertation The Doctrine of the Judgement in Psychologism (1914) continued this opposition to the reduction of logic to psychological processes; his habilitation thesis Dun Scotus’s Doctrine of Categories and Meaning demonstrates a respect for metaphysics, history, and subjectivity that flows through his later work.

    ( His initial support for Naz1sm was due to his abhorence of technological and industrialized mass society, which he associated with the USA and the USSR. Although recently elected Rector of Freiberg in 1933, he resigned in 1934, and in 1945 was forbidden to teach until 1951, due to his associations with Naz1sm ) .

    Being and Time crystallized his study of virtually the entire breadth of past and contemporary philosophy at that time, it’s central concern being the ‘question of being’. Since the Greeks, being ( Sein ) had not been well-integrated into Time; it had been insulated from change as presence , excluding past and future. This exclusion embraced not only temporal presence, but also the atemporal, eternal presence of , for example, Plato’s Forms
    H. revived investigation of the ‘sense of being’ through engagement in a ‘fundamental ontology’ underpinning the ‘regional’ ontologies dealing with the being of particular realms of entity ; nature and history for example.
    This examination requires consideration of the entity , Dasein (literally, ‘to be there’ ). H. uses this term for several reasons: it does not require commitment to a view of humans as biological entities, as consciousness, or as essentially rational; Dasein has no determinate essence, hmmm, ; it’s being consists in it’s possibilities, “To be or not to be, that is the question”. It is there in the world, yet not confined to a particular place (or time). It is the entity that asks “What is being?” and whose understanding of being is itself, an essential feature of it’s being.
    Although Dasein is essentially ontological, the philosopher cannot simply adopt Dasein’s own understanding of itself and other entities. For Dasein tends to systematically misinterpret itself and it’s world, for example, regarding itself as a thing equivalent to other things leading to much of the vocabulary of traditional philosophy- ‘consciousness’, ‘subject-object’ to be infected with such misunderstandings. Thus H. , like analytical philosophers such as Wittgenstein, J.L. Austin and Ryle avoids such terminology, preferring more grounded terms such as ‘care’ ( Sorge ) which carry no burden of philosophical assumptions. (Bear in mind that H. holds that silence is an ‘essential possibility of discourse’). Like Husserl, he attempts to describe ‘the things themselves’ without the help of theories and preconceptions, yet unlike Husserl, he holds that this requires a determined rethinking of philosophical language.

    cuppa time.

    1. 15.1

      You’re letting Head-Gear off far too lightly in 1933. He never gave up his membership, and never repudiated them despite the length entreaties of many especially Marcuse.

  16. 16

    FYI

    Auckland Councillor Penny Webster (Chair of the Auckland Council Strategy and Finance Committee) is standing again as a candidate in this election.

    http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/rodneywardcandidateprofiles.pdf

    Should Penny Webster be disqualified under the Local Authorities (Members’ Interests) Act 1968, because she and her husband have entered into transactions with the Auckland Council Group, totalling $32,189 during 2012, for services provided by their jointly-owned private company, All Rural Fencing Limited ?

    http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/planspoliciesprojects/reports/annual_report/Documents/annualreport20122013volume3.pdf (Pg 80 ) ]

    ______________________________________________________________________________

    All Rural Fencing Limited (NZ Companies Office)
    http://www.business.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/1512665/directors

    ______________________________________________________________________________

    http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1968/0147/latest/DLM390003.html#DLM390021

    Disqualifying contracts between local authorities and their members

    (1) Except as provided in subsection (3), no person shall be capable of being elected as or appointed to be or of being a member of a local authority or of any committee of a local authority, if the total of all payments made or to be made by or on behalf of the local authority in respect of all contracts made by it in which that person is concerned or interested exceeds $25,000 in any financial year.

    ______________________________________________________________________________

    SHOULD PENNY WEBSTER BE ELIGIBLE TO STAND AS AN AUCKLAND COUNCIL CANDIDATE?

    I have just rung the OAG (PA to Lynn Provost ) and asked if Penny Webster had applied for and received any dispensation, given that in 2012 All Rural Fencing Ltd had ‘entered into transactions with the Auckland Council Group totaling $32,189 for services provided by their jointly-owned private company, All Rural Fencing Limited .

    The question that also needs to be asked is why Penny Webster, and ONLY Penny Webster was mentioned in the Auckland Council 2012 – 2013 Annual Report – 32 RELATED PARTIES ?
    [ http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/planspoliciesprojects/reports/annual_report/Documents/annualreport20122013volume3.pdf (Pg 80 ) ]

    32 RELATED PARTIES
    Related parties
    Related parties are defined in the group’s accounting policies.

    The group enters into numerous transactions such as rates, water charges and the sale of goods or services with related parties in the ordinary course of business and on an arm’s length basis.
    No disclosure has been made for these transactions.

    Certain related parties have directorships and trustee positions in a number of entities to which the group transacts in the normal course of business, on standard terms. No disclosure is made for these relationships as the related parties do not have a controlling interest in the council or the entity that they are a director or trustee. The group transacts with entities that are related by virtue of related parties having a controlling interest in the related entity as detailed below:

    The group entered into transactions totalling $32,189 with All Rural Fencing Limited during the year
    (2012: $920). An amount of $4,313 was payable at balance date (2012: $nil).
    The council entered into transactions totalling $4,313 with All Rural Fencing Limited during the year
    (2012: $920). An amount of $4,313 was payable at balance date (2012: $nil)
    ______________________________________________________________________________

    “Rodney councillor Penny Webster says that at a time when household budgets are tight, the council cannot afford the $12 million to $15 million cost of mowing berms for the whole region. ..”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11133160
    ______________________________________________________________________________

    The blinding hypocrisy of Auckland Councillor Penny Webster sickens me. Councillor Penny Webster, (Chair of the Auckland Council Strategy and Finance Committee), wants citizens and ratepayers to provide their lawn-mowing services free of charge, although there is no legal requirement to so do, while she and her husband have their snouts in the public through transactions with the Auckland Council Group, totalling $32,189 during 2012, for services provided by their jointly-owned private company, All Rural Fencing Limited.

    In my considered opinion, this is a clear ‘conflict of interest’.

    As an anti-corruption /anti-privatisation ‘Public Watchdog’, I am totally opposed to any elected representatives personally profiting from contracts with Council or Council-Controlled-Organisations (CCOs) .

    I believe in the ‘public service model’, where people seek public office to look after the public and the public interest, not to ‘feather their own nests’, and enrich themselves from the public purse.

    ______________________________________________________________________________

    I also asked why the statutory requirements of the Public Records Act 2005, (s.17) had not been met in the Auckland Council 2012 -2013 Annual Report, because there are no ‘devilish details’ provided regarding contracts with the private sector.

    http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2005/0040/latest/DLM345729.html

    Recordkeeping requirements
    Subpart 1—Key duties
    17 Requirement to create and maintain records

    (1)Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.
    ______________________________________________________________________________

    Here’s the 2012 – 2013 Auckland Council Annual Report:

    http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/planspoliciesprojects/reports/annual_report/Documents/annualreport20122013volume3.pdf

    See if you can find the NAMES of the consultants/contractors ; SCOPE / TERM VALUE of contracts between Auckland Council / Auckland Council CCOs / Auckland Council Local Boards?

    I couldn’t.

    In my considered opinion, the problem with Auckland Council, as proven by this 2012- 2013 Annual Report – is that ‘the books’ are NOT open – and we are NOT given the ‘devilish detail’ which explains exactly where our public monies are being spent, invested or borrowed.

    This is why, if and when I am elected Mayor pf Auckland Council, I will establish an Auckland Mayoral ‘Commission Against Corruption’, and will ‘open the books’, in order to find out where every dollar of citizen and ratepayer’s monies are being spent, invested and borrowed.

    This Auckland Mayoral ‘Commission Against Corruption’ will be staffed by a small team of forensic investigators, (whom I shall appoint, and who will report directly to me), funded directly from the Mayoral Office, using the budget which is set aside in order to help achieve the Auckland ‘Mayoral Vision.’

    My Auckland Mayoral Vision is – to stop the corrupt corporate control of the Auckland region.

    Here is my ‘Action Plan’ to stop ‘white collar’ crime, corruption and ‘corporate welfare’:

    http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf

    For those who really want to know who is running the Auckland region, ‘like a business, by business, for business’ – check for yourselves http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz (membership).

    Penny Bright

      2. 16.1.2

        I don’t get paid Ad.

        I’m lucky enough to own a freehold home, from which I receive income from flatmates.

        No pay – no benefit – effectively a ‘self-funded’ Public Watchdog, who CHOOSES to do what I do – full time.

        Puts me in a rather unusual position.

        Kind regards,

        Penny Bright

  17. 17

    It is essential to his procedure that H. in providing a correct or authentic term for, or account of, a phenomena (such as man, time or truth) he does not simply counterpose it to the degenerate term or account current, but attempts to explain why the degeneration occurred, for example, in demonstrating that Descartes was mistaken to regard man as res cogitans one must show, n the correct account of man, how the mistake arose.For misinterpretation is not sheer, unaccountable error, but a ‘possibility’ to which Dasein is essentially prone.
    For Heidegger, unlike Descartes, Dasein is essentially in the world and is inseparable from it: In understanding the world, Being-in is always understood along with it, while understanding of existence ( Existenz like the movie ) as such is always an understanding of the world. The world is not primarily the world of the sciences, but the everyday lifeworld (Husserl).It is disclosed to us not by scientific knowledge per se, but by pre-scientific experiences, by care and by emotions. Entities in the world are not primarily objects of theoretical cognition, but tools that are ‘ready to hand’ ( zuhanden ) such as a hammer ,to be used rather than studied and observed. Theoretical cognition, like when observing a hammer disinterestedly (or a RWNJ) is a secondary phenomenon, which occurs more readily when a tool fails to give satisfaction. Tools are not independent of each other but belong to ‘context of significance’ in which items such as hammers, nails and IT ‘refer’ to each other and ultimately to Dasein and it’s purposes.
    Just as Dasein is in the world, so it essentially ‘with’ others of the same type as itself. It does not first exist as an isolated subject and then subsequently acquire knowledge of and relations to others; it is with others from the start. However, it’s integrity is threatened by others, as being together with others Dasein is ‘captured’ by others. Itself, it is not; others usurp it’s being. The self of everyday Dasein is the ‘they-self’, as distinct from the authentic self, the self that possesses itself. ‘They’ is the German man (one, you: we ) :the they-self does and believes what one does and believes rather than what it has independently and authentically decided upon.(This theory of the ‘they’ or ‘one’ is influenced by Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Illyich : Ivan’s carefully redecorated house seems quite exceptional to him, yet it contains “all the things people of a certain class have in order to resemble other people of that class’ ). To summarize, thus far, the account of everyday life that H. first presented as a neutral account of the bedrock condition of man, becomes an account of man’s fallenness’ and inauthenticity.
    The primary form of discourse, for H. is not explicit assertion, for example, “This hammer is heavy” but such utterances as “Too Heavy! Give me a lighter one” made in a work situation. Truth too, is not a primarily the correspondence between an assertion or proposition and a state of the world but the disclosure of the world to and by Dasein , unmediated by concepts, propositions or inner mental sates; ultimately, truth is ‘ Dasein’s disclosedness (supported by an appeal to the Greek word for truth aletheia which he claimed means ‘unconcealment’.) Meaning, like truth, is extruded from the mind- “Mill’s verbal propositions cannot be completely severed from the beings they intend.Names, words in their broadest sense , have no a priori fixed measure in their significative content. Names, or again, their meanings, change with transformations in our knowledge of things, and the meanings of names and words always change according to the predominance of a specific line of vision toward the the thing somehow named by the name. All significations, including those that appear mere verbal meanings, arise from reference to things”. ( The basic Problems of Phenomenology : 1927; tr, Bloomington, 1982).

    Time, for a shower and some exercise.

    1. 17.1

      Turn yourself more to the post WWII works; more relevant, less wilfully obscurantist, more suitably damaged in response to worlding.

      1. 17.1.1

        I like the way you put that, “worlding”.
        Will just finish with some reference, death, the wonderful Time , decline , Holderlin and some thought (not on Friday afternoon though, took most of the morning as I had not been back to the highlighting for about two weeks 😉 ) Highlighting is then blended with the overlooked carefully.

        Man, it’s 20C today, the same predicted for the next week, although with some rain. The forecast for temperature is generally consistent, however the rainfall can vary widely from that predicted. Some of us are anticipating another warmer summer.

        Anyway, Ad, many of these “obscurantist” suggestions may well capture the lived experience of pre-technological peoples arisng at present. Many are essentially narratives of the decline or return of Western civilization.

        grounded narratives : Gotta love them., very helpful. 😀

      2. 17.1.2

        furthermore, building upon McFlock’s suggestion and evidence of the roles of traders, pirates and brigands (my terms) in the expansion and establishment of nation-states, there may be an analogy at present , in a period of continued globalization, mercantile expansion , particularly by China , information-connectivity and flows under threat from piracy (and the authoritarian State ) the world-wide web of organised crime and the amorality of many of the wealthy… through to corporate rapacity ,establishing pan-continental entities.

        1. 17.1.2.1

          Hmmmm.

          If we reduce the possible Harrison/Gibson mega-corp into its component parts (capitalist shareholders), and those parts become beholden to patronage and nepotism, it might be regarded as a social devolution back to hereditary monarchies. After all, it was loyalty to one’s lord and liege that preceded cohesive “national” identity, by and large. Different brand on the armour, but the game stays the same (preservation of personal and hereditary power).

          Personally, I reckon that the main way to avert that dystopia is to strengthen international structures that have a democratic foundation – e.g. give the UN more power and self-determination, remove the veto, and then start looking at ways to have as few representative tiers between an individual and the top of the UN as possible.

  20. 20

    More Corporate Welfare from this corrupt Government.

    Joyce has just promised to borrow more money today to bankroll a team of 3-peat losers in the next instalment of the Billionaires Piss-up on San Francisco Bay.

    Can someone please bring some reality to this outrageous waste of our money.

    The America’s Cup does absolutley nothing for the hungry kids in this country.

    Can someone in Wellington please stand up and scream NO MORE CORPORATE WELFARE.

    Fuck off Team New Zealand. Stop crying and go fund your own rich boys wank-fest.

        1. 20.2.1.1

          That’s cool, I will do that. You and your ilk just make sure as parents you feed your fucking kids. Don’t send them to school hoping I will pay to feed them.

          2. 20.2.1.1.2

            Yacht race for millionaires ≈ feeding hungry children.

            Sigh.

            Here’s a hint: a normal human being does not feel compelled to help a millionaire win a yacht race.

  21. 21

    Lprent,

    The feed headings on the right of the page appear to be out of whack.

    The field denoting which blog the feed is from appears below the .

    Makes it look like “Statistics show Government action needed on gender pay gap” is from the Skeptical Science blog.

    I’m viewing the page on Chrome Version 29.0.1547.76 m

    1. 21.1

      Yes. There is meant to be a thumbnail image in there that has the required sizing. Unfortunately the generation of the thumbnail has a bug in it that makes the CPU usage at the server go up dramatically when the site is under load. So it is currently turned off and waiting for either the plugin author to fix, or me to find some unencumbered time to debug and recode.

      I suppose I could patch the CSS with a min-height. But at present it is a nice reminder for me to fix it.

      min-height: 8am seems to work ok.

    1. 22.1

      Nah. Their finest moment was when they kept us out of that stupid invasion of Iraq, (National and Act didn’t want it to happen).

    2. 22.2

      Good Article
      When China Rules The World

      couple a points:
      -7.9B exports, year to August, dominated by commodities not ‘value-added’.
      – China Exports to NZ have grown to 8.2B
      -“worry SMEs may have all their eggs in one basket”- Finny

      whereas, as any critic of corporate globalization might argue, The TPPA is Corporate Protectionism before Sovereignty Protectionism

  23. 23

    Thanks for the link cv. Brett far from having a chip I was looking for facts about who holds the us debts. You have spent half a thread complaining about what a poster on a blog said. On the evidence of this thread it is you who needs to get some perspective.

  24. 24

    15,000 litres of diesel flowed into town’s water supply

    Turoa ski field today confirmed 15,000 litres was spilled after a pipe disconnected from a diesel storage tank.

    A spokesperson said the company was first aware there had been a spill on Monday, but due to heavy rain did not realise the extent of the spill right away.

    Although the company says it complied with its safety and resource consent requirements, it will be doing an independent audit to make sure such an accident does not happen again.

    Yes, but are they going to be charged the millions of dollars to clean it up or is it going to be another example of socialised loss and privatised profits?

    1. 25.1

      “Glorh-reee , Glorh-ree , Hal-ley-looo -yah…Glorh-ree , Glorh-ree Hal-ley-looo -yah…” 😀

      time for the garden now. Cooler!

  26. 26

    Lynn, my name and email keeps dropping out of the Name/Mail boxes when I go to make a post. Intermittently (sometimes it seems to retain them). You are probably aware of this, but thought it worth mentioning again just in case.

          1. 26.1.1.1.1

            Ok, seems to be ok in Safari. Have dumped all the Firefox cookies (there were a huge amount from ts, is that normal?) and restarted. Testing again.

      2. 26.1.2

        I have a similar problem, using Chrome – but once I enter name/email details they remain – even if I close the browser or logout of windows and come back. But if I power off the computer the name/email details have disappeared next time I come back.

          1. 26.1.2.1.1

            Browser is Chrome…
            Yeah, I thought it might be a setting too, which is why I’ve not bothered about it until others have been saying about disappearing formfill, but I can’t figure out which setting it might be…

              1. 26.1.2.1.1.1.1

                A walk after a night out is a good thing….

                Seems that if I leave The Standard open for awhile the name/email disappears too – could be cookie-related.

  28. 28

    The Health and Disability Commissioner and unresolved “mental health” complaints – a desperate protester:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7nBukTQcDA

    I was not sure if I should post this comment here, but since this “protest” by an apparently desperate, aggrieved complainant in the foyer of the HDC Office in Wellington is freely available via You Tube, it should be OK to do so.

    There seem to be a fair number of complaints the office is not addressing to the satisfaction of the affected.

    Not long ago there was also a brief news article on the 1ZB website on 24 July, stating that HDC face funding issues, are having too high a workload, and would face deficits for years to come.

    Annette King then appealed to Minister of Health Tony Ryall to listen to the HDC Office and provide the funding they need.

    I have heard nothing more on that.

    So we seem to be having a shocking state of affairs, getting worse by the day under this horrible government, leaving sick and disabled with incapacity not only exposed to biased WINZ doctors, who assist in throwing them off benefits and forcing them into insecure, often unsuitable jobs, we also have mentally ill not getting treatment they need, and getting bumped off by HDC.

    Mr Ryall, you are facing a “state of emergency” soon!

  29. 29

    “The Health and Disability (Complaints) Concealer” –

    using the police to trespass a disgruntled complainant and protester, You Tube video with “part 2”:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgrXLbAWt2I

    Welcome to supposedly “transparent”, “just” and “uncorrupted” New Zealand, where your rights are claimed to be “respected”, and where your concerns are meant to be “listened” to by such offices!?

    Shame, shame, shame on you – HDC Office!

  30. 30

    Highest ALERT!!!

    To ALL sick, disabled and with incapacity for work – on WINZ benefits: Download and read the PDF submission to be found via this link, and READ IT, please!

    http://www.nzma.org.nz/sites/all/files/sub-WorkAbilityAssessments-Providers.pdf

    MSD’s Principal Health Advisor Dr Bratt and his team seem to be preparing new ways of outsourcing Work Capability Assessments, to be done by selected professionals!

    This smells too much like the “stench” that has been attached to the involvement of Atos Healthcare as the private assessor for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) in the UK.
    I have not heard or read anything about MSD’s plans in this direction yet, but it sounds extremely worrying, hence the serious concerns also, the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) expresses.

    Something is being prepared to involve people to make assessments for WINZ, who are not even proper medical experts.

    I will try to keep you posted, but this is a must read, and must be taken very seriously!

Comments are closed.