Open mike 23-24/07/2016

Written By: notices and features - Date published: - 80 comments
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80 comments on “Open mike 23-24/07/2016”

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  1. 1

    Thanks for the upgrade work, lprent.

    Following on from Daniel Bindner’s experience in Te Awamutu last month, a person sleeping rough in Auckland appears to have died through homelessness.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/82410786/decomposing-body-found-on-auckland-beach-reserve

    I do know that some in New Zealand have never had it better, but this is the very, very dark end of the brighter future.

    The National Party: setting people against each other since 1936.

  2. 2

    There were some complications, both with some hardware when I was trying to get the boot loader working after an upgrade failure, and with the software. Plus the usual fun and games

    Not working

    1. The “Leave a comment” if you are logged in for the few people (mainly authors) who have logins. Will fix that in the morning.

    2. The entire cache system is off because it looks like Memcache hasn’t been added into php7.0 yet.

    3. The audio plugin isn’t working because it isn’t compatible with php7. Hardly surprising as its last update was about 2009.

    On the other hand, the speed of the site is pretty good considering that there is no caching. That is because the speed of php7 is pretty good. Better than expected. And the later kernels in linux are very efficient these days.

    Bed…

    1. 3.1

      Definitely not when you’re getting an upgrade from Php 5.x which was originally released back in the mid-00s, to a massively enhanced Php 7.

      Once I get the php-memcached working again it should fly. It looks like there are several solutions beyond the one I used in my test system (building it manually).

  4. 4

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/309301/auckland's-left-targets-old-politics-in-campaign-launch

    Phil Goff supports the TPPA, Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) and road tolls. Does that mean City Vision, Labour and the Greens now all support those policies?

    Since when did the ‘left’ support corporate control, privatisation and ‘user charges’?

    I don’t .

    Penny Bright
    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

    PROVEN ‘Anti-privatisation / anti-corruption Public Watchdog’.

    Fiercely INDEPENDENT.

    1. 4.1

      Could you explain why you don’t support road tolls? Specifically why don’t you think that congestion charging on urban road users is a good idea?

      1. 4.1.1

        Road tolls are effectively a pay cut for working people.

        Why is nobody apart from me raising the issue of making privately owned / operated / managed passenger transport in Auckland PUBLIC again?

        1. 4.1.1.1

          But roads have to be paid for. You imply that they are free somehow. Wouldn’t it be sensible to charge motorists a congestion charge to encourage public transport use?

          So what is your plan for dealing with ever more cars wanting to drive on Auckland roads?

          1. 4.1.1.2.1

            Actually, making it private was the stupid idea. That’s why, over the last few years, most of the bureaucracy of public transport has been brought back inhouse. The private bus companies just do contracted runs for a fixed price. The next step would be to remove the private companies altogether and get rid of the dead-weight loss of profit and use the freed up money to improve public transport.

            1. 4.1.1.2.1.1

              I suppose you think we should remove the ‘deadweight cost of profit’ in other markets? Like electricity?

              Transdev, a French multinational, just took over the contract for Wellington trains. The staff are friendly and there were free croissants one day 1.

              Public servants running trains equates to surly vile obese train ticket collectors and poor service. No way.

              You are living in the past.

              1. 4.1.1.2.1.1.1

                I suppose you think we should remove the ‘deadweight cost of profit’ in other markets? Like electricity?

                Electricity isn’t a market. It’s an essential service and a natural monopoly. What I like to call a Demand Monopoly where the most efficient way to provide the service is for it to be provided by the state.

                Same goes for health, telecommunications, roads, and many others.

                Transdev, a French multinational, just took over the contract for Wellington trains. The staff are friendly and there were free croissants one day 1.

                Now, think about this question very carefully: Who paid for the croissants?

                Because I can assure you – it wasn’t Transdev.

                Public servants running trains equates to surly vile obese train ticket collectors and poor service.

                No it doesn’t. That would be another libertarian lie.

                You are living in the past.

                No, just trying to get us to have a realistic economic system rather than the delusional one that we have.

    2. 6.2

      Israel is a democratic oasis in a region of despots. Long live Israel and her brave people. Long live the Israel Defense Force. Long live Judea and Samaria.

      3. 6.2.3

        Long live the Israel Defense Force.

        Newly appointed IDF chief rabbi Col. Rabbi Eyal Krim –

        Answering a question from a concerned reader regarding the Torah’s position on rape during war, Colonel Eyal Qarim of the Military Rabbinate wrote nine years ago – out of uniform – that ‘prohibitions against immorality’ are removed during war.

        Is it permitted for a Jewish soldier to rape a gentile woman during wartime? This question – based on the biblical mitzvah of Eshet Yefat Toar (“a comely woman”) – was referred to nine years ago (Hebrew) by Rabbi Eyal Qarim. The questioning party seemed anxious and worried, and wanted to know whether the iron-age mitzvah (religious deed) is applicable to IDF soldiers today.

        http://972mag.com/idf-colonel-rabbi-implies-rape-is-permitted-in-war/39535/

      4. 6.2.4

        Is the Palestinian population of Israel allowed to vote in this wondrous democratic oasis you speak of?

  7. 7

    What’s gone wrong with the “Search” function?

    Dear Lin,

    I’ve just typed the phrase “John Key” into the Search space—and got nothing. Same for everything else I’ve typed in. Will this be fixed some time?

  9. 9

    I dislike fatuous name calling by politicians and see a parallel between Trump’s childish repetitions of, ‘crooked Hillary’ and our own PM’s childish repetitions of, ‘angry Andy’.

    Trump has seeded and nurtured the ‘crooked Hillary’ meme and it appears to have been effective even here in New Zealand. (Say it often enough and people will believe it).
    It is good that Andrew Little hasn’t been sucked into name calling so far.
    Respect.

    1. 9.1

      The Crooked Hillary meme sticks because it is true. She refuses to release the text of her paid-for speeches to Goldman Sachs, US$220K a pop. One presumes that it is because the text would make it seem like she was a paid for champion of the banking fraternity, and contradict her campaign image.

      During her time as Sec State she took in millions of dollars from foreigners all over the world wanting to use her official influence to make profits.

      And there is more of course from lying about Benghazi to mishandling secret information at home.

      THE CLINTON FOUNDATION RECEIVED DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS TIED TO SAUDI ARABIA WHILE CLINTON SERVED AS SECRETARY OF STATE

      AN EMBATTLED BUSINESSMAN WITH “TIES TO BAHRAIN’S STATE-OWNED ALUMINUM COMPANY” GAVE BETWEEN $1 MILLION AND $5 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION

      A VENEZUELAN MEDIA MOGUL WHO WAS ACTIVE IN VENEZUELAN POLITICS DONATED TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION DURING CLINTON’S TENURE AS SECRETARY OF STATE

      GERMAN INVESTOR WHO HAS LOBBIED CHANCELLOR MERKEL’S ADMINISTRATION GAVE BETWEEN $1 MILLION AND $5 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION, SOME OF WHICH WAS DURING MRS. CLINTON’S TENURE AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT

      THE CEO OF AN AMSTERDAM BASED ENERGY COMPANY DONATED AT LEAST $1 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION AND LATER ANNOUNCED AT THE 2009 CGI MEETING A $5 BILLION PROJECT TO DEVELOP ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY POWER GENERATION IN INDIA AND CHINA

      INDIAN POLITICIAN AMAR SINGH, WHO HAD DONATED AT LEAST $1 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION, MET WITH HILLARY CLINTON IN SEPTEMBER 2008 TO DISCUSS AN INDIA-U.S. CIVIL NUCLEAR AGREEMENT

      THE CLINTON FOUNDATION RECEIVED ADDITIONAL DONATIONS FROM INDIAN BUSINESS INTERESTS PRIOR TO HER BECOMING SECRETARY OF STATE

      BILLIONAIRE STEEL EXECUTIVE AND MEMBER OF THE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COUNCIL IN KAZAKHSTAN LAKSHMI MITTAL GAVE $1 MILLION TO $5 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION BEFORE CLINTON BECAME SECRETARY OF STATE

      SOON AFTER SECRETARY CLINTON LEFT THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE CLINTON
      FOUNDATION “RECEIVED A LARGE DONATION FROM A CONGLOMERATE RUN BY A
      MEMBER OF CHINA’S NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS”

      …AND THE CLINTON FOUNDATION DEFENDED ITS PARTNERSHIPS WITH BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC CORPORATE INTERESTS

      POWERFUL AND CONTROVERSIAL CORPORATE INTERESTS BASED IN THE U.S. ALSO DONATED TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION

      AMONG THE CLINTON FOUNDATION DONORS REVEALED IN 2009 WERE SEVERAL FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS WHO HAD GIVEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

      WHEN HILLARY CLINTON BECAME SECRETARY OF STATE IN 2009, BILL CLINTON AGREED TO STOP ACCEPTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION FROM MOST FOREIGN COUNTRIES

      IN THE PAST, SOME OBSERVERS HAD LINKED FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DONATIONS TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION AND SECRETARY CLINTON’S WORK AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT

      THE CLINTON FOUNDATION CAME UNDER INTENSE SCRUTINY IN FEBRUARY 2015 WHEN IT WAS REVEALED THAT THE FOUNDATION HAD ACCEPTED DONATIONS FROM FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS AFTER SECRETARY CLINTON LEFT THE STATE DEPARTMENT

      THE WALL STREET JOURNAL TIED FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DONORS TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION’S ENDOWMENT FUNDRAISING UNDER SECRETARY CLINTON

      http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-21/clinton-foundation-vulnerabilities-document-leaked-after-foundation-says-it-was-hack

      1. 9.1.1

        ..and sometimes they feel the need to shout the meme message to convince us that it’s true what Donald says. I rest my case.

        1. 9.1.1.1

          This detailed information about the millions that Hillary took while she was Sec State is from an internal Democratic Party document.

          It is not from Donald Trump.

          Open your eyes to the truth about Hillary Clinton.

      1. 9.2.1

        Do you think American voters care more about Trump’s media showmanship, or about Sec State Hillary taking multi-million dollar bribes from foreign business interests wanting to buy out American companies and resources?

  10. 10

    Missed this?

    Larry Williams interviewing me after my recent loss in the Auckland High Court regarding my (disputed) rates.

    (Which I shall be appealing to the Court of Appeal).

    http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/penny-bright-loses-fight-against-paying-rates/

    Do you know your lawful rights as a citizen to know where public rates monies are being spent on private sector consultants and contractors?

    s.17 of the Public Records Act 2005.

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

    Part 2
    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.
    ______________________________

    I’m not budging from my one person NINE year ‘rates revolt’ for transparency until the following information on spending by Auckland Council and Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) is available and accessible for public scrutiny on their websites, front page, under ‘Procurement – Awarded Contracts’:

    * The unique contract number.

    * The name of the consultant / contractor.

    * A brief description of the scope of the contract.

    * The contract start and finish dates.

    * The exact dollar value of every contract – including those sub-contracted.

    * How the contract was awarded – by direct appointment or public tender.

    Penny Bright
    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

    CITIZEN not SLAVE!

      1. 10.1.1

        Perhaps you should try listening to the message, Rob

        Certainly don’t poke sticks at someone who is seeking to get improvements in transparency

    2. 10.2

      If you don’t pay your rates then you have no right to be Mayor.
      You can’t require a million people and businesses to pay rates if you won’t yourself.

    3. 10.3

      I heard your good interview Penny. Keep going. Others here just say pay, but you fight for what you believe in.

    4. 10.4

      Every contract? Any idea how many of them there are? Why is it everybody’s buisiness how much my friend is paid to process overflow resource consent applications, when the cost is actually paid by the person who makes the application, and the charge out hourly amount is in the Council accounts? How much extra would this cost?

      1. 10.4.1

        You are wasting your time. I have asked her the same thing many times. She simply repeats the same slogan like a broken record. If in some mythical land she got her wish, what would, or could, she do with such information? Troll through it looking for people she didn’t like I suppose. There is nothing you could do with such information. Penny does not understand the concept or transparency or accountability. Or, charitably, if she does have a vague idea, she has no idea how to operationalise accountability.

      2. 10.4.2

        It would cost millions less than the losses made in the 12000+ contract agreements each year

        Many for which no work is performed and the contracts expired, yet are still being paid

        Companies and individuals swanning around delivering nothing

        When is New Core due to deliver, again?

        Council are refusing to open the electronic systems up because it is a complete and utter sink hole of ‘lost money’

  11. 11

    This balanced discussion shows that far from being a trivial matter the coup in Turkey seems to be a very important geopolitical shift in the region.

    ‘Erdogan’s Turkey’

    https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/352637-turkey-post-coup-policy/

    “Post-coup attempt realities: With Turkish President Erdogan firmly in control, he has demanded a cleansing of the military and many social institutions. What kind of Turkey does he intend to create? And will Turkey’s foreign policy change?

    CrossTalking with Martin Jay, Yunus Soner, and Daniel Faraci.”

  12. 12

    Indeed.

    Imagine what Republicans would have said if Barack Obama featured his 5 kids from 3 different women at his convention in 2008…— Allen Clifton (@Allen_Clifton) July 23, 2016

  13. 13

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11679627

    “What happened in New Zealand many years ago was the decision was made to think of citizens as consumers. Consumers only. There’s this conflict between consumer sovereignty, consumer rights and citizenship rights. Consumers can only gain their rights by purchasing something, purchasing culture in this case, and they have to have the means to do so and not everybody does. That is why I support the anti-siphoning laws.”

    I grew up watching things like the Olympics on TV & it got me interested in it, now my children won’t grow up watching it & as adults are very unlikely to be interested in it. Much like how rugby is becoming an elitist sport, keep it up & more people will become disinterested.

    1. 13.1

      Australia has it all over NZ in this area. Only the privileged few will be able to watch the Olympics here in direct contradiction to the Olympic charter.

      1. 13.1.1

        ” direct contradiction to the Olympic charter”.
        Really? The Charter says we are all entitled to see it free on TV.
        Actually they say in the Charter some lovely flowery words about
        “The IOC takes all necessary steps in order to ensure the fullest coverage by the
        different media and the widest possible audience in the world for the Olympic Games.”
        Then they ignore them.
        They only accredit media from the organisations from each country that will pay them the most money. They also set up the timing of the events to fit the desire of the biggest organisation. Major events will always take place at a time that fits prime time US TV.

        1. 13.1.1.1

          As far as I’m aware the Olympic movement is not for profit in the sense of a dividend paying corporate entity. The Olympic movement seeks to promote the Olympic movement which is a bringing together of people for common good through sport.

          I guess when the IOC asks for the fullest coverage to the widest possible audience they expect various governments to be part of that ideal in the same way various governments fund Olympic athletes.

          The Australian government does this. The New Zealand Government does not.

          As it stands in New Zealand, only the children of the wealthy are able to be inspired by the deeds of Kiwi Olympians.

          1. 13.1.1.1.1

            “As far as I’m aware the Olympic movement is not for profit”
            I would love to think it was true but the reality appears to be the contrary. The IOC seems to remain just as corrupt now as it was for the last 30 years.
            Have a look at this as an introduction or just Google “IOC corruption”
            https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/may/11/tokyo-olympic-games-2020-ioc-international-olympic-committee-corruption-bid-scandal

            Australia did do better on laying down what must be shown on free to air TV than we do. On that you are correct. I don’t really see why we didn’t set some rules, although deciding what should, and should not, be included wold have been interesting. I shall be interested to see how much is provided on Prime, even if on a delayed basis. I would note that when TVNZ used to show the Olympics they tended to do it by simply relaying the US coverage. Events in which New Zealand was represented weren’t shown unless the US had an interest in the event. We didn’t actually send anyone there to cover the events directly.

            The IOC itself is however totally determined to look after the interests of the members of the IOC. Their interest in the greater good of the world’s population is way, way down the track.

  17. 17

    The aggressive American activities on Russian borders is far more worrying than any
    ‘trumped up'(sic) connection between Trump and Putin. The USA is paranoid about Russia and always has been. Just bear in mind that it is not Russia that has the planet covered with military bases, it is not Russia that is demanding hegemony to its failed model of corporate capitalism.

  18. 18

    Time for you to sit on your hands and say it is someone else’s problem?

    Or, time to react with every resource and lever you have at hand?

    Why the “Heat Dome” Will Scorch Nearly the Entire U.S. This Weekend

    The first half of 2016 has blown away temperature records, capped off by a record hot June,…..

    …..The monthly numbers from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration puts the planet on track to surpass 2015 as the hottest on record.

  19. 19

    He does care.
    /

    Donald Trump thought he could use his usual tactic of “I’ve paid you enough already” to get out of a painting bill for his golf course, but the mom-and-pop paint store took him to court and won.

    From The Miami Herald:

    Circuit Court Judge Jorge Cueto, presiding over a lawsuit related to unpaid bills brought by a local paint store against the Trump National Doral Miami golf resort, ordered the billionaire politician’s company to pay the Doral-based mom-and-pop shop nearly $300,000 in attorney’s fees.

    All because, according to the lawsuit, Trump allegedly tried to stiff The Paint Spot on its last payment of $34,863 on a $200,000 contract for paint used in the renovation of the home of golf’s famed Blue Monster two years ago.

    If you want to see how our potential president ripped off another hard-working person, watch this.

    http://boingboing.net/2016/07/22/for-cheating-a-mom-and-pop-pai.html

  20. 20

    Does anyone know who Coleman’s “spokeswoman” is? And is she the same as last year was issuing statements on his behalf? This feels too much like the same (im)plausible deniability being fabricated once more:

    The redevelopment of Dunedin Hospital is “highly unlikely” to adversely affect neurosurgery, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

    The qualified assurance, conveyed by a spokeswoman, follows the release of a Dunedin Hospital rebuild plan that says the new hospital should be physically configured to focus on generalist rather than highly specialised care…

    Dr Coleman’s statement says the hospital rebuild plan was in its early stage. “We look forward to being able to discuss the details of the redevelopment once they’ve been confirmed.

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/391310/loath-repeat-wrangle

    But only last year:

    In February Dr Coleman confirmed he was replacing Joe Butterfield, but more than two months later, no replacement has been named.

    A spokeswoman for Dr Coleman said he intended to appoint a new chairman, rather than install a commissioner.

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/339385/sdhb-serious-freefall

    Yet just two months later:

    Dunedin legal consultant Kathy Grant has been appointed the Commissioner of the troubled Southern District Health Board which has been sacked today.

    Her deputies will be board member Richard Thomson, who was sacked as Otago District Health Board chairman in 2009, and Dunedin City Holdings chairman Graham Crombie.

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/346133/southern-health-board-sacked

    Coleman and his spokeswoman no longer have any credibility in my eyes.

    1. 20.1

      Scary shadowy shenanigans going on there, hopefully ODT stays the true course & lays it bare, GOVT desperate to rid Dunedin of its big hospital.

    2. 20.2

      Translation: National will let DPH keep neurology because they can’t afford 10,000 people marching down George St again, esp in an election year. But they’ll gut the rest of it to the extent they can get away with it, doing it on the sly as much as possible.

  22. 22

    Conventional medicine as we know it will become largely inaccessible in the next 40 years as complex systems of technology and logistics break down in the post fossil fuels age.

    While we will all be much worse off when that happens, it is also time to understand that the source of health and well being is not a pill bottle, injection or a scalpel.

    You just don’t like it being put to you that you are actually part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

    Tell me what the problem is, and tell me what the solution you have in mind is supposed to achieve, and I’ll tell you if your criticism means anything to me.

    [Moved to open mike. I thought I’d caught Tim’s stupid bait in time. Obviously not]

    2. 22.2

      The problem is suffering and vaccinations can prevent a great deal of it but you Jim and Jemaine seem to be determined to throw that away

  23. 23

    Hard not to come to the conclusion that nz isnt conservative by default after the latest polls especially after all they drama in the last month….

    Left wing parties need urgent renewal the left is more or less the whitest, least diverse and older side of Parliament and sadly nothing will change at the next election as all the same faces seem to be running, we need to flush out the mallards, the dysons any many of the remains of clarks government should have retired at the last ge.

    National is a much more multicultural party. Labour looks like the nz of the past not the present the Greens to a lesser extent are also guilty too….

    Hopefully by 2020 we’ll have fresher, multicultural left wing parties and not just middleclass careerist nerds

    2. 24.2

      This Trump cheerleading is kite flying in service of some completely unrelated personal and domestic agenda. To the point of weirdness actually. Elements of “Burn the village to save it…….”.

    2. 25.2

      That explains so much about Nick Smith. The gargling of paint stripper must have damaged the part of the brain where you give a shit about people.

  27. 27

    ‘Capitalism in crisis with Richard Wolff’

    https://www.rt.com/shows/on-contact/352948-capitalism-brexit-labor-protests/

    “Chris Hedges explores capitalism in crisis with Richard Wolff, professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. From Brexit, to labor protests in France, to Italy’s financial woes, they discuss the effects of austerity on the working class.

    RT’s Anya Parampil looks at the fallout of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union.

    1. 28.1

      So submit a request under the Official Information Act for all briefing notes. They are hardly going to lie are they?

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