Open Mike 15/12/2016

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112 comments on “Open Mike 15/12/2016”

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    2. 1.2

      Might be my eyes but I swear I read that as: “How’s Chester Borrows farting?” and I thought that’s a strange thing for you to be asking

      1. 1.2.1

        Golly PR you are being very perky on TS lately. And really working hard at keeping up the flow, like finding farting for faring. See what other misreadings and malapropisms you can come up with. It gives you and Robert Guyton something to amuse yourselves along with the rest of us.
        Merry Christmas.

  2. 2

    My wife told me about the Maori Party Christmas song in parliament yesterday.

    Call me a prude, but I think the homeless families issue is too serious to be a flippant reference in a song like this. If voting for the MP is going to fix the homeless issue, why haven’t they done something already?

    I was a bit nonplussed, and wanted to get it off my chest.

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

  3. 3

    3 Stories from last night’s Checkpoint:

    Caravan park paid $472k in Work and Income grants

    Western Park Village markets itself as an affordable option for those with nowhere else to live, and no money to front for bond.

    In the two years leading up to September, $472,000 was paid to the park’s residents in housing grants, which they then paid to the park, according to figures released to Checkpoint with John Campbell under the Official Information Act.

    The residents then had to repay that money to Work and Income.

    Local MP not available for interview. So much for her last week pondering on her youth as a teenage mother.

    State homes empty for months awaiting redevelopment

    Meanwhile a family continues to be put up in emergency housing in South Auckland:

    Tuaine Murray and family move to another hotel

      1. 3.1.1

        @weka …. so my direct experience of the person/s being used by the media to make a political point is irrelevant ?

        [It didn’t look like a comment about a person being used by the media to me. It looked like you implying there was something wrong with the person based on your experience of them i.e. you wanted to slag them off in public. They’re not a public figure, so I felt you were crossing a line there and it was hard to see how the conversation was going to go anywhere but downhill and nasty.- weka]

        1. 3.1.1.1

          You want us to discuss your anecdata? I think it’s a false memory brought on by telling yourself so many lies. So discussing it is a dead end.

          1. 3.1.1.1.1

            So the media’s and other posters anecdata is OK but mine is not…

            OK it’s the moderators’ site, just as you are their tame troll.

            1. 3.1.1.1.1.1

              RNZ is a fairly reliable site but you’re a random weirdo on a blog, and it sounds like you’re about to victimise someone who is already vulnerable and suffering, for your own political ends.

              1. 3.1.1.1.1.1.1

                Except that John Campbell and programmes associated with him are up in front of the BSA on a regular basis around accuracy issues. Last week they lost a particularly egregious one. Hosking doesn’t seem to have the same issues with accuracy.

                Note Campbell shows also win quite a few. It’s hard work getting the bsa to go against a broadcaster

                1. 3.1.1.1.1.1.1.1

                  Hosking has the amazing skill of being able to accurately express his own vile prejudices: a topic he is well acquainted with.

                  Slow clap. I hope he gets it.

            2. 3.1.1.1.1.2

              Your anecdata is fine, as an example of a false memory brought on by recidivist self-deception. It has no other value.

        2. 3.1.1.2

          There are, fairly speaking, some problems with your comment, Stunned Mullet. Firstly, we have to accept that what you say is true in that you were a person’s landlord. Secondly, we have to accept your version of events which led you to your opinion. We have no way of assessing due to issues of anonymity and through lack of detail.

          Thirdly, as a general observation, I have been looking to buy a vehicle, using the internet for guidance and about the only thing I can be sure of is that no matter what vehicle I looked at, there would be opinions about it being an absolute dog, especially with comments from the general public.

          Reasons for condemnation would range from styling, to a perceived fault to actual major design flaws and safety issues.

          Finally, I have been acting as a certain white-bearded gentleman over the xmas period, and if I were to not deliver presents based on one person’s judgement of another there’d be not many presents delivered…….. even to myself. 🙂

      2. 3.1.2

        i have know idea what you said, (and i think it should be left up so we know just what you are) but have you ever noticed how your average racist/bigot usually a right winger to boot , always has a worst case scenario of bad behaviour to push what ever little bit of hate they are trying to push,

        [the problem with leaving it up is that as a moderator I then have to monitor the thread to make sure it doesn’t go down the track I suspect it was going to go down. Much of moderation is about preventing extra work for moderators. It’s a fine line, I prefer to not delete things, but on balance today I went for what seemed fairest for moderators and the person who was being targeted – weka]

          1. 3.1.2.1.1

            i never saw that as racist , a crude attempt to get the government to do it’s job more like,

            cool weka , it’s easier to kill a fire at the start i suppose

              1. 3.1.2.1.1.1.1

                It’s very possible that some did , that doesn’t mean that Twyford is a racist though , you would have to look at his form ,. Has he ever uttered the words , some of my friends are ……(insert race of your choice) that is a 100% way to know you are talking to a racist.

  5. 5

    It amazes me how ShonKey just disappeared. One minute, making the most important economic, social, environmental etc decisions…… The next week golf in Hawaii……. He’s so rotten to the core.

    1. 5.1

      Bomber is now floating the possibility of a book coming out next year, focused on John key and the Panama Papers.

      2. 5.1.2

        Dont get your hopes up. Chances are there is no book and Bomber is talking out of his proverbial. Doesnt look like he learnt from what happened with that German computer nerd in 2014.

      3. 5.1.3

        If its Nicky Hager saying a book is forthcoming then I’ll believe it but Bomber then I won’t until its published

    2. 5.2

      You’re right Nick. There’s something very, very odd about the Key departure.
      To accept the charitable view that “family” was the main reason fits in with the Christmas spirit and one can understand that call, but his family is grown up with one even living on the other side of the world. It rings hollow.
      Much more credible is the knowledge that Key over the years has proven himself to be greatly more interested in what’s good for Key and his ambition rather than anything (or anyone) else. I don’t believe any scandal or major upset lies behind his move but let’s expect him to assume a major powerful world position in the N. Year.

      His work here is truly done. It served as a convenient ladder in his drive for ever more power.

      1. 5.2.1

        “I don’t believe any scandal or major upset lies behind his move but let’s expect him to assume a major powerful world position in the N. Year.”

        With the Illuminati or the reverse vampires ?

        1. 5.2.2.1

          considering how smooth the transition is , i find it very hard to believe the whole thing wasn’t planned well in advance.

                1. 5.2.2.1.1.1.1.1

                  We’ll just have to wait for his biography to come out, I have no doubt it’ll a best seller and will be required reading in high schools, nay intermediates even

                  There’ll probably be an abridged version for primary schools…I could even see new born kids getting their own copies

                    1. 5.2.2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1

                      Sometimes the simplest answer is the most likely answer, Slur John Key had decided who wanted to be leader and he made it so with the minimum of fuss

  6. 6

    Another great piece by Trotter:
    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/12/13/the-dangers-of-political-adrenalin/

    And, before you start reeling off all the many and varied sins of this government, it is, perhaps, worth considering how very similar it is to the government which preceded it.

    Who was it who pioneered the policy of moving beneficiaries from welfare to work, and kept their children poor? Allowed the public housing stock to rot where it stood rather than build new state houses? Refused to re-empower the trade unions, or rescue public broadcasting? Which party was it that signed the New Zealand-China FTA and set in motion the diplomacy that culminated in the TPPA? Who persecuted Ahmed Zaoui and masterminded nuclear-free New Zealand’s rapprochement with its “very, very, very good friends” the Americans?

    The “continuity” represented by Bill English being sworn-in as John Key’s successor extends backwards in time well beyond the 2008 General Election, and will extend forward well beyond any change of government in 2017.

  7. 7

    South Korea, Germany at risk from China tech rise

    South Korea, Germany and Japan are among the countries most at risk from an upsurge in Chinese manufacturing competitiveness that is likely to flow from Beijing’s top-level strategy to become a high-tech power by 2025, a German think-tank has found.

    What they’re talking about here is a massive loss of jobs and income across quite a few countries. Even NZ will be affected as our burgeoning tech sector takes a hit.

    When productivity gets as high as it already is then free-trade fails a it encourages and even enforces monopolization. This leads to decreasing income which leads to decreasing jobs further decreasing income.

    The only people who ‘win’ are the rich and even they will lose.

    China will probably reach the goal that they’ve set out and they will do so through planning:

    Such an intent, the report says, can be seen in a semi-official document called Made in China 2025 Key Area Technology Roadmap, which has been endorsed by Ma Kai, a vice-premier and the official heading the interministerial Leading Small Group for Constructing a Manufacturing Superpower.

    The semi-official document shows aggressive targets for market share in selected industries (see chart below), as well as the range of industries targeted.

    China understands that a country working cooperatively can develop their economy faster than one that’s left to the ‘free-market’.

    If we want to maintain our own living standards then we have to go down the same route. If we try to maintain our present failed system then things are going to get much worse.

    1. 7.1

      China understands that a country working cooperatively can develop their economy faster than one that’s left to the ‘free-market’.

      Correction: the people running China understand that a totalitarian dictatorship can develop its economy faster than democracies can. That’s not news – the Soviet Union already demonstrated it in the 1930s. It’s also not a good thing.

      1. 7.1.1

        China is not the “dragon” it likes to imagine. It still has 90% of the population in third world abject poverty, a habit of building ghost cities, a terrible environmental record, and an unbelievable amount of public debt.

        We don’t need their dodgy steel, imperialist ambitions, economic subterfuge, laundered money, racist culture, or tons of retirees buying up all our houses and clogging up our health system.

        The FTA with China has been great for Fonterra & Oravida, and bad for everyone else.

      2. 7.1.2

        Correction: the people running China understand that a totalitarian dictatorship can develop its economy faster than democracies can.

        And the US system shows that government direction and funding in a ‘market’ system also helps massively. That PC that you’re using isn’t the result of the free-market but the result of government funded and directed research.

        Do we need or want a dictatorship? No
        Do we need or want to develop our economy? Yes

        You don’t need the first to do the second but we still need government funding to get it done.

    1. 9.1

      Thanks for linking to this, Draco.

      It is absolutely heartbreaking. Life is tough enough for parents with special needs children without this kind of cost cutting.

    2. 9.2

      Yeah, thanks DTB…and I am sending tears and support to Giovanni and family.

      Yesterday, went off to fight the battle of the orthotic boots…https://thestandard.org.nz/fare-well-david-shearer/#comment-1275173.

      Ended up standing by the cheap freezer zone in Pak n Save talking to the outfit that used to supply the boots (but now seem to have become dysfunctional) that no, we don’t need to come in yet again for another measure up because the boots supplied are the right bloody size…no…the problem is that the stitching is coming apart and merely gluing the seams together hasn’t fixed the problem. The bloody things are still falling apart. And this is the second pair we have paid a part charge for in the past three years that have been unwearable. Oh? NO refund of what we’ve paid already for boots that are not wearable until you check we paid? When the rule is you can’t pick the gear up without paying?

      So, yes, fuck…I was in tears. All around Pak n Spend and all the way driving home.

      These are just fucking ugg boots…they used to be made here in Godzone…

      To be fair…and I honestly don’t know why I should be…they did call back a wee while ago…’lets sort it out and you can have your money back.’ There is only a tiny weeny ittybitty little worm of shame that I told her not to bother and hung up.

      We have watched disability support services decline to the point of practical invisibility over the past 15 years. My partner broke his neck 46 years ago and says supports have NEVER been so bad.

      Brighter fucking future my arse.

      Standardnistas might be interested in some of the commentary over here…(not just my post, but all the others in the Access archive.)

      http://publicaddress.net/access/help-needed-deciphering-the-plan-for-high/

      1. 9.3.1

        More lies from the RWNJ.

        The GST increase didn’t replace the tax cuts. The tax take was at least $1 billion per year down
        As GST is massively regressive then that GST increase left a large number of people worse off
        Our ‘rock star economy’ seems to based solely upon how well the rich are doing with their housing bubble rather than how well the nation is doing

              1. 13.1.1.1.1.1.1

                He is not an employee of the government so would only need to take a position he wanted to…remember he is one of the old guard on the original parliamentary super for the rest of his natural…doesn’t have to work another day in his life (although many would suggest that would be the case for his decades in parliament)

  14. 14

    More corruption in the US political system:

    After President-elect Donald Trump announced ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his pick for secretary of state, morning news shows and newspapers noted that prominent figures including James Baker III, Robert M. Gates, and Condoleezza Rice have expressed support for Tillerson, with some mentioning that such support adds credibility to the pick. But those outlets failed to disclose that all three figures have considerable financial ties through their businesses to Tillerson, ExxonMobil, and the oil company’s Russian business ventures.

    The whole US political scene has been bought and paid for.

    1. 15.1

      There is something dark and corrupt within our system about Scott Watson being denied parole, how long can a prisoner be kept locked up when he has done his 17+ years whether he was guilty or not. Just because he won’t admit guilt and refuses to do some courses doesn’t mean that he is going to be a risk to the public. For God sake he does fantastic paintings in jail and keeps himself productive, he could be out and making an income for himself. What more does he have to do. Isn’t his 17+ years enough and he has done his time without having to grovel and admit guilt when he may not have done the deed – what a vindictive lot Corrections are. His team need to get Amnesty International onto this disgraceful result. I cannot believe this is NZ these days – its like a bloody police state. Whether he did it or not, he needs to have his freedom – what are the cops hiding for goodness sake.

      2. 15.1.2

        On a psychopathy checklist he fell within a group of offenders “who show an elevated rate and speed of recidivism, particularly relative to violence”.

        The report acknowledged that limited information is known about his index offending but identified “perceived sexual rejection, ruminations upon revenge, positive affect associated with inflicting pain and distress and a disinhibition through alcohol intoxication”.​

        Yeah I’m glad he’s still locked up

      3. 15.1.3

        Guilty or not – That is not in question – hes guilty – thats why hes doing the jail thing.

        Perhaps if you read the report – you could make a more informed decision as opposed as opposed to “let him out he does nice paintings”.

        “just because he won’t admit guilt and refuses to do some courses doesn’t mean that he is going to be a risk to the public”

        Again read the report – that is not what it says – not even close.

        Hes in there until at least 2020. BTW – he hasnt “done his 17 years” – he was sentenced to a minimum of 17 years. Looking at the information – he could be in there a lot longer.

          2. 15.1.3.1.2

            There is a lot of stuff which none of us will ever know about with this case. You can bet he is hiding stuff which he knows will get him killed if he divulges it and you can betcha there is a big drugs deal that was going on – just something a little dicky bird once suggested to me. The police did not do their job properly but surprise us – is that so unusual. Scott Watson was probably involved but wasn’t the main man in this – he is just a patsy for the police and a convenience – the rest of what went down was just too big and heavy for the police to handle. One day hopefully we will know exactly what went on. Scott will just end up rotting in jail for the rest of his life – and he certainly won’t be the last psychopath to be out loose in NZ – our country is littered with them – most of them holding high office god help us.

            1. 15.1.3.1.2.1

              ” just something a little dicky bird once suggested to me.”

              Oh – you should have gone to his parole hearing then. With the nice paintings and things a dicky bird told you – he would be out walking the streets now.

              Dicky birds are hardly the most credible of citations – especially when you were going off about how evil and vile corrections were.

              1. 15.1.3.1.2.1.1

                More’s the fool you if you think this is a cut and dried case, but then you lot are not critical thinkers and accept anything that is given to you as the truth. Its bloody obvious that Scott Watson is only one part of an entire deal that went down that night. Time will tell. Believe me I am not the only one who accepts that he is doing time for only a fraction of what occurred. I am sure there are people doing very well for themselves, who fortunately for them are enjoying their freedom who know this as well.

  17. 17

    The Fourth day of Christmas on friendship:

    Perhaps the most delightful friendships are those in which there is much agreement, much disputation, and yet more personal liking.
    George Eliot

        1. 18.1.1.1

          Er, the ones appearing on behalf of dictatorships to present their official line on events are the embedded sort. She is one – the appropriate term is “shill,” not “heroine.”

  21. 21

    That was predictable.
    A lack of stringent and enforceable rules thanks to neo-liberalism puts corporations’ profits.over people.

    Liquor laws failing to protect those vulnerable to alcohol-related harm

    As Nigel Latta showed.
    The Trouble With Booze

    And as expert Doug Sellman has told us many times.

    An irresponsible alcohol industry is doing its best to confuse

    A list of key alcohol and cancer facts have been assembled for these meetings as follows:

    There were 243 cancer deaths attributable to alcohol in 2007.
    126 of these cancer deaths were in men, 117 were in women.
    This represents 4.2% of all cancer deaths, i.e. 1 in 25.
    60% of all alcohol-related cancer deaths in women were due to breast cancer.
    This represents 14% of all breast cancer deaths, i.e. 1 in 7.
    There is no level of drinking that does not increase your risk of cancer to some extent, but heavier drinkers are more affected than light drinkers.
    Reducing your drinking will reduce your risk of cancer regardless of how much you currently drink.
    Alcohol does not increase the risk of all types of cancer.
    About half of all alcohol-related cancer deaths occur in men and women who drink 4 standard drinks a day or less – about half a bottle of wine.
    More than a third of breast cancer cases are occurring in women drinking less than two standard drinks a day – about quarter of a bottle of wine.
    The evidence that alcohol causes cancer is very strong; the evidence that alcohol has any benefits for your heart is much weaker

  22. 22

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