Scampi a la Kermadec

A video of Norway Lobster done in a rich sauce of corruption is on the menu over at WOBF.

Unfortunately, I think the scampi is rotten to the core and will repeat badly in days to come.

What scent drives men wild?

When you strip everything else away, perfume is liquid joy, and who doesn’t want a little bit of that?

Perfume is an exquisitely expensive product for special occasions. Some wearers have a gentle hint of fragrance, others smell like a mobile Boots. Women think they need to 'impersonate a flowerbed'. Sometimes they do pick the right combination from over six thousand, mostly they might as well be using scented flyspray.

Perfume can seduce, repel, comfort, nourish or even give you a “mental hard-on”

A couple of noses, purported to be the Brangelina of the industry, have written a book on the 'chemical poem'.

like all other arts, perfume should engage our attention to a satisfying end, first creating an expectation and then satisfying it in a way different and better than you’d hoped

Yes, 'perfume is an art'.

once explained ... regarding the peculiar, temperature-independent scanty dress of many young women at night, what a woman on the prowl requires is something that men will register after six beers

And the right number for the ladies to catch a man?

Your best pickled porker works. Ladies, smelling of bacon is the answer.

Worst slump in 60 years

The government was plunged into turmoil yesterday as the chancellor admitted the full scale of Britain’s economic crisis.

Downing Street and the Treasury launched a desperate damage limitation exercise after Alistair Darling declared that Britain was facing “arguably the worst” slump in 60 years. As Treasury aides claimed that he had been misrepresented, Darling took to the airwaves to clarify his remarks.

However, instead of reassuring voters, the chancellor risked compounding the crisis by failing to modify his dire assessment. Darling insisted it was his duty to be “straight” with people. His warning that the slump will be “more profound and long-lasting than people thought” comes at the worst time for Gordon Brown as he struggles to shore up his leadership.

Others are trying to limit the damage, downplaying the message from the man controlling the money.

We know things are tough and understand that people are worried. But Britain’s economy is fundamentally strong.

This hardly gives activists a morale boost. We are out on the doorstep, trying to reassure people, at the same time as Darling is telling them we are all doomed.

Who is telling the truth at the top of government? It’s not clear whether Alistair Darling meant to tell us the truth about the mess that 10 years of Labour have left our economy in, but he has certainly let the cat out of the bag.

From comments.

Oh dear doesn't a service based economy work? Surprise surprise!!
Having either scrapped or sold off the engine (Design & Manufacture), the economy won't drive fwd.

and

It is capitalism that builds the house you live in creates the materials that build it, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the booze u drink, the wealth that pays your pension or dole, the drugs that cure illness and the medical devices that help us.

Says it all. The Chancellor with the figures or those looking to be re-elected?

This has parallels here in NZ and I know who I would believe.

Excuse me?

The EPMU is a highly political union with deep roots and formal affiliation to the Labour Party. It was a founding member and regularly puts its union affiliation to a vote of its members. Rex Jones was the Labour Party president in the late 1980s while heading the union.

Union head Andrew Little is a popular fancy to replace Mike Williams as Labour Party president after the election.

Excuse me? Remind me that the EPMU was again confirmed, under appeal, by that non-partisan Liarbour organ, the Electoral Commision, just days ago to be not closely associated?

It's allright Matt, the EC won't take any notice, they have delivered their considered directed opinion.

Never forget

A vote for New Zealand First is a vote for a Labour-led Government

A vote for Labour is a vote for Winston to be in Government

HT KiwiBlog

Winston purer than the driven snow

Yes, indeed. If Winston manages a Lazarus act for a fourth coming, he will so be in your face with 'Print one thing wrong, sunshine, I will sue'.

she would take Mr Peters back as a minister if he was cleared by the SFO.

"If the SFO finds no case to answer, the reinstatement is obvious."

Seeing that her indoors has left a means to perform such an act, I can already see the rabid poodle, foam flecked, mouthing 'I told you so'. An alternative which is too horrid to contemplate.

The driven snow will definitely look filthy, with Winston centre stage under the spotlight holding court.

Knock shop open

If you're passing through Dannevegas, at a loose end of an evening, the newest attraction has opened it's doors.

Maybe not for family entertainment though.

While you will not now see a middle aged woman outside doing knitting, she may be lurking somewhere close with a row counter clicker.

It's religious ideology poking it's head up again.

The local padre had some ill chosen words on the opening or maybe he was trying for a laugh. Mind you, he also said that Jesus wasn't so hard on the local girls of his time.

he would be surprised if the business lasted six months. "I just can't see it being patronised ... I didn't see anybody queuing.

"When things do go belly up, as it were ... I hope that we're there for the people that have experienced any hurt in the process."

In a final effort, he noted there may be future business for him.

Winston gone

Breaking news on Herald

Details soon.

Update:

Ex Stuff

BREAKING NEWS:

Foreign Minister Winston Peters will stand aside until the Serious Fraud Office has completed its investigation.

On high spin

As RoarPrawn noted yesterday WinstonGate has the potential to expose the underlying issues to strong sunlight.

As the sun sets a day later, we wait expectantly for government on a Friday, a hallmark of governments in deep trouble. You know, release disliked policy going into a weekend, where the steam is off by next week.

Both the Hive and KiwiBlog have picked up a change to high spin this late afternoon. The smear campaign is underway.

Things are about to happen. Is Winston gone? And promising to take Liarbour too?

Couldn't happen soon enough in my view.

Hopefully the sun will break through before this day is done.

Vile, malevolent, evil and wrong

Title says it all.

Pic ex Herald.

Unravelling at the seams

Faster than a union applying for third party status, Winston First is coming apart at the seams.

All sorts are offering hardcopy of cheques made out to NZ First.

No doubt more will surface. Cash in other accounts? Some might even be to the would-be kingmaker himself. A funny fast moving day of allegations and counter-allegations yesterday.

The question today is 'Will he make it to drinks at Bellamy's by lunchtime?'

An orchestrated web of deceit and deception

The saga continues.

Therese Arseneau on Close Up stated the case with slightly different twist.

She says the good parliamentary manual states

1. Ministers must act lawfully
2. Ministers must uphold the highest ethical standards
3. It is the Prime Minister's duty to see that 1 and 2 are upheld

Winston has failed on both, her indoors on the last two. I would not be surprised all three.

Rodney asked in Parliament today about the web of deceit and deception that should have been exposed early in the piece. He was shot down, but asked why the standards had not been upheld, as every decent New Zealander might expect.

Therese suggests that her indoors has failed in her duty to uphold the highest standard by sitting on the information for seven months.

The question again is why did she act as she did and what hold does Winston have over her?

Yes, we can, but first we have to elect him.

So says Billy Boy.

I wonder if the pumped mob at the Democrats Convention will be able to galvanise middle America.

The crowd roared "No" when she told them that she was releasing them as her delegates.

American voters do not have the guts to vote in Obama.

I believe McCain will be the winner.

MP resigns

No, slow down, it's not da Poodle.

Brian Connell after reading the writing on the wall with the big list, seeing that his actions last year were beyond rehabilitation, has formally resigned.

Off to sunnier climes in that state across the ditch where corruption and MP's have gone hand in hand in years past.

No doubt will be able team up with Georgie Boy and reminisce over matters politic, putting the world to rights why MP's who blot their copybook might not get offered juicy sinecures.

About time anyway. Just what has he been doing for the past 18 months. Polishing his CV obviously.

HT Homepaddock

A vote for Winston is a vote for Liarbour

Keeping Stock sums it all up after the line was drawn.

I am ruling out Mr Peters. He simply doesn't have the integrity in my view unless he can somehow change that.

The whole picture changed just before Te News last night. Mr Key changed the election into a moral vs immoral political practices contest. No arguments, no innuendo, no guessing game. Make your choice and stand by it.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters' job is safe for now but his future would not be bright under a National government.

Notice has been served to her indoors, whom Winston is hiding behind her skirts, sort this mess out.

Stark choice, it needed saying and was never going to come from those in play. Congratulations to Mr Key for taking the stand.

Winston centre-stage and loving it

In the position he loves, Winston is centre-stage garnering all the publicity he needs to make 5% as he supposedly makes his mind up over the ETS.

As Homepaddock reports via WhaleOil, he too, like the tree-huggers, might have to renege on principles.

a) His caucus members have developed spines and will make up their own minds.

b) His caucus members have developed consciences, realise that they can no longer be associated with their leader’s actions and he can’t rely on their votes.

c) His caucus members recall their election promise that the party would only proceed with implementation policies for the Kyoto Protocol to ensure they are in harmony with those of our major trading partners, and once a coherent plan has been formulated to allow the appropriate targets to be reached.

c) He’s made the decision but is playing for time to get more attention.

d) He’s lying.

We'd expect nothing less from the man of honesty and principle. As for politicians with spines and conscience, I think not. Like journos and bloggers, they feed off each other.

Politicians, don't you just love them?

A man of words on consequence

In a speech, Sir Brian Lochore has lambasted the PC world in which we live.

political correctness is destroying New Zealand

urged fathers to let their children take risks - but to lay down rules and impose "consequences" if rules are broken

society was turning fathers into "male mothers" obsessed with safety instead of adventure

We are living in a PC world which is destroying us, where you actually can't put the hard word on people when they have digressed and committed bad blunders

This man of words puts it all down to a lack of respect.

Respect and role models are very important in life.

You as a father, with the aid of your partner - I can't say 'wife' these days, PC.

You are the one who sets the ground rules.

And don't ever tell me that the kids don't want to know where the line is. They do.

So right on the money. A clip round the lughole or 'wait until your father gets home' never did any harm. Rules define the limits. Cross the line, expect consequences.

People have to make decisions, and people do make mistakes. But make sure that you take action - that there are consequences, and that you actually follow them through.

Yes, decisions with consequence. Personal responsibility.

Just like voting.

Greens devoid of principle

In a not unexpected move, the Greens have reneged on their principles, favouring a last ditch stand for power broking.

The party remains concerned the scheme simply doesn't do enough to reduce emissions.

Not prepared to make a principled stand, the greens went public in the last few days to 'ascertain' comment via email to look like they were consulting. A sham given that the decision had apparently already been made.

On balance, and given the very significant changes that we have achieved, we have decided that it is better to make a start than to do nothing

But prepared to run with a half-arsed piece of legislation that has very questionable science underneath and is likely to be watered down so that like the EFA, it is ineffective. I still firmly remain unconvinced about climate change being of our making. Even less that we need to pay more taxes in drag.

What 'very significant changes'? An insulation programme for the voters most likely to vote for your desperate power-broking buddy? Certainly not likely to affect 'rich prick' voters who probably reside in well insulated homes. More redistribution tax in drag like WFF.

I hope voters see through the flaky skin of your not-so-green watermelon, exposing the red core and you enjoy your last three months.

Winston clairvoyant?

After yesterday's despicable performance in our Parliament where serious allegations of corruption were made and cut off mid-stream by the Speaker, Rodney described the matter as an 'absolute disgrace' upon his ejection.

that a businessmen had told The Dominion Post newspaper he was one of several people Simunovich boss Peter Simunovich had given cheques of $9999 in 2002 to pass on to NZ First in return for Mr Peters stopping allegations of wrongdoing by Simunovich Fisheries and he had said that "sure enough within a couple of weeks Winston Peters did shut up

Winston offered the usual excuses.

What he is saying is baseless and the subject of a serious defamation case.

Also, he said

If there was a subsequent series of cheques, paid some substantial time later, despite the fact that there was an inquiry in this house that concerned a business and, here's the relevant point, those cheques were never cashed.

Very interesting. So he admits there were cheques floating around of those amounts for purposes undefined.

Apparently the matters alleged are not sub-judice. Rodney is confident current cases are not around these new allegations around stinking rotten scampi. All for $130M of quota as I read somewhere else.

Money does talk and Winston obviously has clairvoyant powers to see that shortly there will be a court case on these matters, with an unexpected single defendant.

Virtual reality blurred

Some tart lost the plot when her virtual boyfriend in Second Life ditched her.

distraught after being dumped by her 'virtual' boyfriend, took matters - plus a Taser, air gun and a roll of duct tape - into her own hands

she tried to kidnap him at gunpoint from his workplace - failed

broke into the man's apartment armed with a Taser, a pair of handcuffs, a BB gun, her dog, and a roll of duct tape - he came home, fled and called 911

Nutjob wacko. Blurring the lines of virtual reality. Only in the USA.

Well, that didn't work

What else did he expect?

As Crusader Rabbit says 'where next'? Like trusting Winston not to take us to places unknown, where will this world-beating first step Internet censorship take us? Something really stinks here.

Her indoors, with her lapdogs, the Judiciary have been watching too much of the five ringed circus and decided they too need a Great Firewall.

And no, for those of you wishing to make a point, do not publish the names on my blog. Thank you.

Cash cropping good business

"It was only for personal use, Orificer".

Great cash business, if you don't get captured. Unfortunately some of your customers might tell Mr Plod.

But 'life changing' home detention?

Next on One: The Street

All is now very peaceful in the household.

The real her indoors is about to sit down with a cuppa for her much missed Coro Street. Many terse words were muttered with some not fit for print over the five ringed circus displacing the Street.

All the updates are on www.corrie.net. We are a year behind and tell all on what is going to happen.

And I now look forward to my hour of peace. No doubt, you do too in your household.

Vodafone at its normal best

All day I have been trying to reliably connect on my Vodaphone VMC wireless card. Have connected a couple of times, but drops off within minutes. Connectivity has markedly deteriorated recently and is not getting better. Restarting and removing card does not help. Get many dialogs earlier in day of 'Sim not ready'.

Am trying out the landline help service again. I do not hold any hope of progress there. Contact us last time was 'join the queue of valued customers'. But then I could be pleasantly surprised - I called Xtra Help today for a customer and actually spoke to a live human being after the usual foreplay with a computer within 15 secs. Amazing.

Bloody nightmare to find out the network status on the Vf website. Too many pictures on pages - takes ages to download on dialup. Had to do repeated searches for status to find out 'Congrats, it is all OK'. Insert Tui ad. Expected nothing less.

Have posted this on landline dialup, blogging will be light until further notice.

Update:
I have been pleasantly surprised. All of NZ must be getting their much-missed dose of the Street and are not calling their favourite help desk. Humans actually work at Vodaphone once you get through the computer foreplay of a minute or so.

Seems that the SIM card loses its registration on their network and a quick transfer from the VMC card to the mobile, attempt a voice-call on the mobile using the VMC SIM re-registers card on the network.

Joy - the VMC card now sees the VF network and connects. Roll on the end of the month - another Gigabyte of blogging uploads for your pleasure!

HT: WhaleOil

No sign of poverty here

Life at the trough continues for some in this overfed ministry.

Te Puni Kokiri has created a new job to identify opportunities for Maori during the Rugby World Cup 2011.

The three-year position, with a salary between $95,000 and $131,000, aims to identify the "significant opportunities" for Maori cultural and economic development arising from the event.

It would also promote the event as a stage for Maori development and make it an "exceptional experience" for Kiwis and visitors.

Long may these affirmative actions continue. Until November at least. When the 'focus' hopefully will be changed giving them 'significant opportunities' in a real job market making for them an 'exceptional experience'.

Might I expect to see a similar non-race based position set up? I thought not?

As if enough taxpayer and ratepayer money hasn't been wasted on this private professional sports event.

Cunning stunt

Intel showed off a wireless electric power system that analysts say could revolutionise modern life by freeing devices from transformers and wall outlets.

True wireless power. Now, that is a cunning stunt.

Power broking and double standards

Flogging around the traps this morning, I note that the conversion of Shawn Tan from an EPMU organiser, presumably in the Liarbour fold, to an Act candidate has raised all sorts of issues.

From the echobox on all matters left, Irish Bill suggests the issue is 'one out of the box'. (And no I refuse to link to that site to give them extra traffic). I think not. Precedents have been set.

Don Pryde ...

... and has the full backing of his union.

as did Clare Curran.

MonkeyBoy picks that the EPMU has stuffed up with double standards in play.

Right to be treated fairly and with dignity

It is illegal to discriminate against an employee on the grounds of political opinion

Admirable tenets, proudly displayed on the union website. Nice to see Tan is being treated with such dignity, having to fight for his job 'without' any discrimination.

Yes, indeed. Power broking is the name of the game, not fighting that for which the union exists.

... media whoring and opportunism ...

Bywords for the Liarbour MO.

Green email

Like others that have sent their well worded missives, I too have composed and sent an email to the Greens at ets@greens.org.nz

Hi,

The Green Party has always appeared to be a party of clearly stated principles to which you strongly adhere. Whilst I do not and never would consider myself aligned to your party, I have noted the odium you attract by virtue of association in this Parliament with Labour, often being treated with disdain and long being used as Labour's 'handbag'.

Having been seriously compromised right from the get go to bolster numbers in a 'control at any cost' minority government, your call for public input at this stage is crying wolf at best. Where was your cry for further extensive public input when the highly modified select committee changes to the ETS appeared? Such a call at this late stage looks suspect to say the least and as some suggest, avoidance behaviour.

If you have not changed principles on the matter, you must take a stand.

Do you go with what you already know? That the changes need further extensive public consultation and that they do not go far enough to meet your stated principles? But you could live with that to remain in government. Or do you run with the status-quo, getting some low quality watered down principles in place before the election, in the vain hope that they might be strengthened later post-election.

I strongly believe your only option is to stand or fall on your principles and not support the ETS in it's current form.

Only then will the Greens reaffirm their place in my view as a party of principle.

Regards

pm of nz

Greenwash will prevail

The time for public consultation has long gone. Greens made their choices when they decided to support her indoors and the ETS.

If they wish to gain kudos (and votes?), the only choice to make next week is to vote against Liarbour, stopping this headlong rush into more ludicrous leglislation. The ETS in it's current highly modified form needs to be ditched and alternatives properly publicly talked through. As witnessed with the EFA, partisan leglislation does not work.

It is a dilemma, it is a hard decision and certainly the outcome is not decided

A greenwash dilemma of your own making. Swimming with sharks and all that.

Time to put a stake in the ground, tree huggers and stand up for what you know is right.

Although I suspect you will still be swimming with the same sharks in the same cesspit come Wednesday. The lure of the sewer outfall trough will be too much to resist.

Door knocking

No, you with filthy minds, not the type of 'door knocking' in the Godfather!

Following in the vein of knocking on few doors in dawn raids of the post a few below, the ex SFO director suggests similar action is required. Something smells according to him.

They should get in there, knock a few doors down and have a look around, so to speak

publicly available information about donations intended for Mr Peters' NZ First party met his "smell test" - making it suspicious enough for the SFO to use the statutory power that can force documents to be produced

The stench of rotten fish is strong, but the current SFO director has different views.

disagreed with Mr Sturt's interpretation, saying he was acting on "current advice" and taking the entire act into account

Current advice? Got at, more like it.

I expected nothing less. Like the Electoral Commission, the SFO is now a confirmed part of Liarbour and 'there is nothing to see here, move along'.

Just what hold does Winston have over her indoors?

Shocking behaviour by ego polisher

After being funded by taxpayers to the tune of around $45K for a jolly at the five ringed circus, the self styled 'Queen' Bea has dragged herself into the gutter.

A senior member of the team and no doubt a role model for some aspiring atheletes, she has done herself, the team and NZ no favours after publicly tripping over her ego.

Offensive and galling. Confirms what is said about sore losers.

Hopefully she does not make future events and retires with much more grace.

ps: I know I wasn't going to post on the circus, but this really got up my nose.

Lothario 'stared at my chest'

Like any dirty old man, why wouldn't he?

18,000 known overstayers

And why?

Overstayers are being offered amnesties

would be assessed in a timely and professional manner without fear of having compliance action initiated against them

to be conducted in an environment that was culturally sensitive and where those unlawfully in New Zealand felt comfortable

They were not required to provide contact details or addresses

Because of lame immigration policies like the above. That's also why we won the Aussie Christmas Island exports and a known terrorist.

What is needed is dawn raids and 18,000 one way tickets. 18,000 less possible bludgers on the dole.

List of Actoids

Rodney - Heather - Roger
Rodney - Roger - Heather
Heather - Roger - Rodney
Heather - Rodney - Roger
Roger - Rodney - Heather
Roger - Heather - Rodney

See? There were only six combinations for the List. Nobody else rates in their world.

Not much news today. But there has been heaps of piffle, like this post, written over the Actoid List. All the other nobodies (apologies to fellow blogger Lindsay) below these 3 will remain such in their less than 5% world.

As if there was ever any choice bar the first line.

Warmaloonies taking hold

Ten percent of Kiwis have joined the noo religion and think were doomed, shortly to disappear up our own fundamental.

In Oz, even worse, 20 percent are the newly converted.

was a thin line between people thinking it was too late and not taking action. As a result of doom messages, they might think, "Why bother?"

"There is the alarming prospect of losing these people, which is something we need to be concerned about."

Yes, the warmaloonies should be concerned. As some real science gets out there from behind the Gorebull, the converted are seeing the light. It's all spin for a chance to make money.

there was emotional intensity around environmental issues and many lies had been told over the years.

Tree huggers, the lot of them, but the loonies are not giving up.

Claims by climate change sceptics needed more scrutiny. There was a need to be "brutally blunt" about the naysayers whose claims were not peer-adjudicated

Yes, it is so bad, the opening line the other day of a god-botherer hawking his religion mid-morning on my doorstep, was a comment about the changeable weather being down to the impending doom of climate change. Great opener, but IMHO, the poor deluded chap is buggered on two fronts. Religion and climate change.

Left vs Right

from Eat Liver

Global Warming hits 40S

Yesiree! Another piece of scientific info for the warmaloonies.

Global warming has truly hit in full force here today at 40 South.

A 700% increase in temperature right here today. All the way up to 8 degrees from 1 degree.

Cold pussy

From the kitchen window

Snow at 300m, 1 degree and some cold cows just before sunrise. No wind, looks like a beautiful clear day ahead.

"You will be voted out"

So said Rodney from the public gallery.

Boiled down, it ran like this. Henry rang Glenn and asked for the donation to meet the costs of Peters' legal bid to overturn the result in Tauranga in the 2005 election. Peters was not told. It was Henry's practice not to bill Peters for his work. In fact, since becoming Peters' lawyer in 1991, Henry had never billed Peters for his work. Because he did not bill Peters, there was no debt that Peters ought to have declared.

As it looks like that Winston will escape any real punishment from the committee that is "flying without feathers", the weird arrangement between himself and his lawyer Henry opens up more questions.

looked utterly relaxed, quietly chuckling to himself during Henry's testimony.

"The position is I have not rendered a fee note to the solicitor for the work done and that solicitor has not rendered a bill to Winston.

"Until my instructing solicitor renders a bill to Winston, there is no debt owed by Winston."

As predicted, the 'blood brothers' have not shed any of their blood and will be lucky to get a written censure on a wet bus bus ticket.

"I thought I had paid it myself," Mr Peters said, explaining that he paid amounts of money into a solicitor's fund to take care of such expenses.

Now that is interesting. A 'solicitor's fund funded by Winston' acknowledging that there are or will be debts. Debts never declared? And if Mr Henry paid all bills from his bottomless pockets, such a fund would still have all monies deposited into it with interest accrued and declared as a pecuniary interest?

And a fully 'feathered' IRD auditor might see the shady legal dealings in a totally different light.

As is often said 'perception is everything'.

Rodney may well be correct.

Ideals traded for membership

Homepaddock has been increasing membership.

A young woman was about to finish her first year at university. She considered herself to be a Labour supporter and very liberal. Among her liberal ideal was support for higher taxes to support more government programmes, in other words redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed of her father who was a staunch National Party member.

The lectures she attended and the occasional chat with a professor convinced her that her father had for years, harboured an evil selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes for the rich and the need for more government programmes. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing at university.

She answered rather haughtily that she had passes in four subjects, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn’t even have time for a boyfriend, and didn’t really have many varsity friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, ‘How is your friend Clarrisa doing?’

She replied, ’Clarrisa is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies and she has only two passes. But she is ever so popular on campus; varsity for her is a blast. She’s always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn’t even show up for classes because she’s too hung over.’

Her wise father asked his daughter, ‘Why don’t you go to the Chancellor’s office and ask him to deduct a pass off you and give it to your friend who only has two passes. That way you will both have three passes and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of passes’.

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father’s suggestion, angrily fired back, ’That’s a crazy idea, and how would that be fair! I’ve worked really hard for my grades! I’ve invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Clarrisa has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my butt off!’

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, ‘Welcome to the National Party.’

BBQ at Phil's

Just the tool Phil will need to clear the decks of uninvited guests at his next BBQ.

Pic flogged from Kev Gillett and with HT to No Minister.

NAIT: FART Tax in drag

The NAIT scheme for identifying animals from the birth to the meat works has apparently welcomed by farmers with open arms. It has been sold by the Minister Of Biosecurity Jim Anderton primarily as a marketing tool with some limited use for traceability in a foot and mouth event.

Personally, I cannot see any gain other than to keep tag manufacturers in business producing RFID tags and electronic readers. Absolutely useless to me on a lifestyle block with less than 20 cattle beasts each of which carry the mandatory already expensive AHB tags (Animal Health Board, non-RFID). When the beasts arrive at the works, the head gets lopped off, end of traceability.

Just been reading the winning letter at this weeks NZ Farmer's Weekly (not online) by Jean Martin, Immediate Past President of Federated Farmers from Gisborne. She suggests that NAIT will be the ultimate government farm surveillance tool. The government will have all farm animals registered in a single database, with costs paid for by farmers.

By allowing this to happen the NAIT committee has undermined all those good farmers who voluntarily gave up their own time fighting red tape.

Instead they have allowed Big Brother to bring in a system as close as communism as you can get.

From there, she reckons, the next step is implementation of the ETS at farm balance date, by extracting the much derided Fart Tax as ruminant animals progress through the works.

Now the hidden agenda is fully exposed. NAIT is not a means of traceability or a marketing tool, it is the means of extracting another hidden tax.

NAIT is FART Tax in drag.

Record benefit fraud

258000 fellow Kiwis are on some kind of benefit and a large number are fraudulently receiving those benefits. However the spin merchants say the numbers are immaterial.

The ministry said there was no trend in the figures and the prosecution data related to a very small percentage of overall benefit numbers.

Small percentage? Near on 6% suspected / successfully prosecuted annually suggests otherwise. 16,000 fraudulent activities is a damned big number. And the trend is for a similar number to be fraudulently at the trough this year and next year and ...

I wonder what is the dollar value of the fraudulent amounts stopped. Will any Ministry or WINZ staffers be fired for approving those benefits saving even more taxpayer dollars? I thought not.

All the care and nil responsibility of a government department no doubt.

Thieving Aussies to release Kiwi super cash

One of the issues keeping Kiwis across the ditch has been that the 9% super paid in Oz dollars from your wages stays in Oz when you return to NZ.

It all changed around 97-98 when the then government over there decided that departing earners could not take their super contributions with them. Thankfully we got ours out before that deadline.

The NZ Government has thrashed out a deal to allow the locked up super to be transferred.

Great stuff, except reading between the lines, you will need to have a Kiwi Slaver account at this end.

Thieving bastards.

1.11%

1.11%. An excellent result from any side of the argument. Because no targets are set for this revenue gathering operation, the floggings will continue.

Absolutely disgusting behaviour

The Prime Minister and some MPs on a skiing holiday witnessed the sudden death of their young mountain guide this time yesterday afternoon.

Unfortunately, due to seriously inclement weather, an air ambulance was not immediately available.

After a busy week myself, today I have witnessed absolutely disgusting political points scoring going on in various blogs. You should be ashamed of yourselves. This was a sudden death and irrespective of who was in attendance this is a time for family grieving.

I take heart at the kind words expressed by Keeping Stock and likewise wish to offer my condolences to the family and friends.

'From the cradle to the grave'

Whilst her indoors was celebrating the birth of the Welfare State in the snow, the very mention of Nordy got me thinking. Heinrich Arnold was the given name at birth in Germany, but it was slightly changed to suit the NZ condition.

Nordy, as he was commonly referred to, not only established intergenerational welfarism with the 'from the cradle to the grave' concept in this country, but also delivered the 'Black Budget'.

When Labour won the 1957 elections Nordmeyer was made Minister of Finance and was ranked third within the government. A short time after taking office Nordmeyer reached the conclusion that the country was on the brink of a balance of payments crisis and decided to take strong measures in response. His first Budget (generally known as "the Black Budget") introduced a number of unpopular changes, including significant tax increases. The particularly large tax increases for alcohol and tobacco, coupled with Nordmeyer's strong religious background, also created the impression that he was trying to impose puritan-like social reforms. Labour was voted out of office in the 1960 elections, something that many historians blame on Nordmeyer's "Black Budget".

Typical Liarbour, couldn't manage finances to save themselves. Tax everything and anything to implement social engineering, forcing their unwanted puritanical reforms on the unwashed. MJ Savage's reforms were not left enough for him.

At least the country got rid of him for the Holyoake years which got the country back on an even keel financially.

I often wonder how an epitaph for her indoors will annotated in Wikipedia once the government wallahs allow Wikipedia to tell the correct story.

Maybe something along the lines of "... an academic who made it a career to become the second female PM in NZ. Never worked in the private sector. Oversaw several fraudulent minority coalition governments which resulted in the most corrupt government NZ has ever experienced as desperation to retain control at any cost became the focus in 2008."

Yes, it will be interesting to see how history deals with her indoors. Her predecessors have not had favourable writeups.

The postie has been

Great stuff, rural mail. Always turns up at the same time every day. Friendly operator.

Anyway, there must be an election somewhere in the near future. Rodney's dance card has turned up with the junk mail. First of the electoral crap that will no doubt flood into the letterbox.

He wants me to party vote for Mr Jekyll and Mr Hide. Even offers a 'the juiciest election bribe ever'. Him and the ancient has-been reckon their party could be kingmakers.

Kingmakers are the worst arrangement in politics, based on horse trading at the basest level. You scratch mine, I'll scratch yours, stuff the voters. We have been paying dearly since MMP was introduced for the results of such horse trading by political shysters.

Thank God Winston is doing his level best to leave the trough this time around.

Yes Rodney and Roger, I have 'the guts to do what is right'.

It is time to light the fire. Now, where is the rest of that junk mail?

It's not just about the money

But getting back to work, even if it is part time, is not just about the money earned. It’s about the skills gained and becoming more employable for fulltime work when circumstances allow it; it’s about not spending taxpayers money on those who can help themselves; it’s about gaining work ethics and providing role models for children to break the cycle of inter-generational welfare dependency.

Homepaddock clearly sums it all up.

Beneficiary bashing?

As predicted, the hordes have jumped on their soapboxes over National's cruelty and heartlessness of beneficiary bashing.

What National is proposing is a punitive stick a one-size-fits-all approach that is lacking any intellectual grit

Not to say that Liarbour already does the same.

However, Labour already punishes those on the unemployment benefit who refuse to look for work or take jobs offered to them.

At least Key is being open about it and extending it to cover the ever expanding unemployment benefit class, the sickness beneficiary.

Punishing beneficiaries would mean their children would suffer the most.

But being on a benefit does children no harm at all? Yeah, bloody right!

What National are proposing is just going to put more strain on beneficiaries, as if it's not stressful enough," Jackson said. "Trying to juggle work and childcare and even just something as simple as transport can be really tough.

Welcome to the real world a non-beneficiary lives in. They have exactly the same issues with raising rugrats, getting them to school, going to work daily and still manage. Get off your arse and find a job.


Meanwhile, Granny Herald looks at every reason why the renewed attack is not worth the effort in its editorial, but fails to see the wood for the trees. That, even though there may be little short term financial gain, the long term social gain of instilling a work ethic for a benefit might be worth reaping.

Propeller Alert!

Our tests show very little difference in concentrations of ... particulates between indoors and outdoors.

I wonder how much these propeller head rocket scientists get from the taxpayer teat telling us that the air inside our houses is the same as the outside?

Snapper red carded

From your fishmonger, Greenpeace has red carded a number of our most popular fish.

Popular eating fish such as snapper, hoki and tuna are in a Greenpeace guide aimed at persuading shoppers to avoid the most at-risk seafood species.

While NZ probably has one of the largest and most tightly controlled fishery areas in the world, I am surprised these latest additions made it onto their list.

New Zealanders have the power to help end the peril our oceans and fisheries are in. We are asking people to demand truly sustainable seafood from their retailer and use the guide.

Shoppers should ask retailers where and how a fish was caught and whether the shop has a policy for sourcing only truly sustainable seafood.

What next? Every fish caught to be identified from the reef to the plate?

I can see a growth bureaucracy here. NFIT. Just like the expensive, superfluous NAIT scheme for animals which will keep tag makers and RFID reader manufacturers in business for many a year to come, but is worse than useless once the animal's head has been lopped off.

And as for the commercial vs recreational argument. Reduce the commercial take.

At least one shows some sense.

You can confidently walk into any fish shop in New Zealand and know that any fish caught in New Zealand that's in the shop is absolutely fine to eat, because the fishery is sustainably managed.

Greenpeace, like I told the god-botherer with his Watch Tower magazine earlier today, stop wasting my time and go fishing somewhere else.

An unrelenting focus on work

• Paid work is the route to independence and
well-being for most people.
• Paid work is the best way to reduce child
poverty.
• The welfare system should be focused on
helping people get back to work as soon as
possible.
• The state does harm to people, and writes off
their potential, by allowing them to stay on a
benefit for a long period of time.

Welfare only exists to cover those who cannot work. 15-64 year olds period. At last a shift in focus back to real employment.

• Focus on what people can do, not what they
can’t do.
• Challenge people, not treat them as passive
recipients of benefits.
• Provide support, training, and opportunities for
people to return to the workforce.

Positive reinforcement and assistance.

Not there to provide Personal Development, but totally focussed on the core aim. Return to the workforce. So it is called an 'Employment Plan', not some piece of waffly creativity.

Beneficiary categories will be retained, reflecting true makeup of who is bludging on welfare, not using the much touted single 'income support' benefit that has been coming for years.

Work is the best way out of poverty.

Our principle is that those who can work will be obliged to
actively look for work.

GP's dining off the medical certificate business are on notice. Your pool of clients will be on a strict diet.

Those who are in need such as carers, widows and those who have worked such as those on Super will not have a required to work component. The aim is to hit the younger set who see welfare as a right.

At last, if you want welfare, you will work for it. And you will have it for the shortest possible time.

Now, wait for the naysayers. Let's see, unions, loony Sue, Liarbour, Families Commission, HR losers. I expect them all to be propping up the sky with their reasons.

Work for dole

Predictably, the usual suspects have jumped on their soapbox saying that making beneficiaries work for the dole is bad.

Sue from Tree Huggers Inc is typical of the responses.

* The financial benefits of being pushed into part time employment were limited, with part time workers on lower average rates of pay than those in full time jobs, as well as facing the additional costs of going out to work.

* Sole parents found it hard to access childcare that was accessible, affordable and high quality. They often had to take on night work.

* MSD had concerns about possible negative effects on children, including children under 14 being left home alone while their parent is out at work

"I would like to know why National doesn't understand that looking after children on your own - especially if there are a number of them, and/or if one's children suffer from sickness or impairment - isn't actually a more than full time job in itself.

Nothing about that having to front to paid employment for the entitlement might instill a work ethic.

Nothing that might stop further breeding if a gravy train was not available.

Nothing to stop them producing another generation of beneficiaries.

Nothing about working toward stopping the benefit any time soon.


The non-benefit populace seems to make rational lifestyle decisions, not even factoring in WINZ financial support and they survive in the real world. Sure at times their kids may be latch-key kids, but so what? Parents soon learn what works for them.

Maybe some solos would not take the divorce step if it were not so easy to get a benefit. Sure some may be in abusive relationships and that is where the benefit safety net should be used, with strict long term entitlement criteria. As for the breeding Jane Doe dole bludger, their total time on the dole should preclude any long term benefit.

Unfortunately the arbitary limit of six years old coupled with a 25% increase in abatement levels will only serve to build a whole new generation every 6 years.

At least the Nats are facing the issue, once this soft work for the dole is law and the sky doesn't fall in, they can move to more rigourous criteria. Training is not a viable option to gain the entitlement, this engenders professional students. Make work schemes are just as bad. We already have those such as PD for those who actually turn up.

The sooner all benefits incur a work for the dole component, the better in my book. If a beneficiary can spend the money, they can work.

Not PC is of a similar view, asking why bother with the proposed offering?

People want dignity from their politicians

Dignity from politicians in NZ.

Now that would be nice. New kid on the block, Simon Bridges is offering dignity, not playing the personality game.

The numbers game could be all over for Winston First. While he is the centre of the media universe of late, acquiring all that free publicity, his failure to come clean on perceived dodgy funding methods is costing him dearly.

More significantly, the party vote apppears terminal. The wisteria rinse brigade is so over the poodle.

without Tauranga or 5% of the party vote the race could be well over

After all the financial house fallouts of late with the associated wheeling and dealing of sharks in that industry, the older generation who typically may have been financially secure, are now seriously exposed. The last thing they trust is some politician who continues not answering financial questions.

A healthy dose of dignity in matters political is something we could all do with.

Getting nearer

Audrey must be really close to a raw nerve.

You establish your own lies

Something about those who deny the loudest...

A woman's place is in the home

Indeed, a touchy subject at the best of times

A report from Cambridge University has revealed "mounting concern" that women who work do so at the expense of family life.

Can women have it all? A career and family?

The anxiety surrounding women's roles is bordering on panic. The question is never asked of men, and the answer given to women is unvarying. No.

A sea change is afoot.

This report just confirms what many of us have recognised for some time, that we are witnessing a sharp reversal in attitudes toward professional women. We are a culture in retreat, clutching at the security blanket of archaic ideas about what women want.

"both men and women in Britain are having second thoughts about whether women should try to pursue both a career and a family life"

A post-feminist backlash is occurring.

Welcome to the wonderful world of post-feminism – otherwise known as the backlash – where double standards and double binds continue to reign supreme.

The developing message is that domesticity is the natural choice and not to get above your station.

We are free to choose in our brave new world: it's simply natural for women to choose domesticity.

The alternatives to domesticity play to their worst fears.

any other choice would be unnatural, unattractive, unbecoming, self-betraying, rendering us shrill, strident, cold and sterile

"Women and Power: How Much Do You Really Want?" The answer was implied in the question: not all that much, really. This is the post-feminist manoeuvre par excellence, insisting to women that – although they are free to choose! – they don't really want to be powerful.

applauded "career women" who rated their families as their greatest success ("I think all women need that"), and whose greatest fear was becoming "the ballsy Apprentice ... businesswoman, living life by some blokeish code".

The point is clear, and incessant: a happy woman is a wife and mother, and anatomy remains destiny.

The summary.

There's a recipe for contentment:

either you're unfulfilled but abnormal because you enjoy your career but are neglecting your children,

or you're unfulfilled and normal because you hate working but are neglecting your children.

(Women without a family don't, of course, exist. Never have.)

Some ensuing commentary wouldn't get any feminist votes on the matter.

There is only so much work. 600,000 vacancies and 5.1 million on benefits.

Women have neglected their role as homemakers and now we have the unhappiest kids in the Western world.

There's plenty of work to do at home. A lot of people could give up on some of lifes luxuries and trade the immoral, yes immoral, lifestyle of two parents working for one.

When two are working the kids lose out on attention and another family is left completely workless in poverty.

People need to reduce their expectations, share the limited work available in a equitable manner between families. If this makes feminists irate I'm sorry but the traditional is not always wrong.

My grandmother could teach the young ones of today how to survive a real economic depression because she did.

How are you planning to survive the coming slump feminists?

Yes indeed.

Sooo wrong!

made a plea yesterday for a new emphasis on monogamy as a key element in the battle against Aids.

A messenger other than Bill 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman' Clinton might just be slightly more believable.

Despicable politicians

As the blame game changes by the hour, some blogs are considering that her indoors may well pull the pin early to prevent embarassing revelations through a Priveleges Committee investigation running its full course.

Apparently, the investigation cannot be carried forward to the next parliamentary session.

Keeping Stock, Kiwiblog and WOBH all have the same line of thought.

What I find disgusting, but totally in line with the corrupt ethics our in daily use by our politicians, is the fact that the dissolution of this Parliament will negate the need for such an enquiry.

Politicians writing rules favouring themselves and placing themselves above scrutiny. The rules should be changed that any such investigation once called for runs its' full course, irrespective of whether the Parliament is in session. Without such a rule change, the same indulgent parties will repeat their actions.

I expect nothing less for those in the gutter, but stil utterly despicable.

Trees die for initial iPhone bills

Consumers are being floored with the size of their initial hardcopy bills for their iPhone usage.

An impressive 16 double sided pages to detail 150MB of usage. I wonder how many trees will give their carbon footprint for a full months usage of 850MB? And non-recycled paper to boot.
Predictably tree hugging greenies have gone off over the size of the paper bills.

Brazen Hussies

While I could never consider any of the politburo to fit my image of a hussy, some certainly act as if they fitted the description.

Labour openly admits a taxpayer funded leaflet was election material shows the party is becoming "brazen" about using the public purse to get itself re-elected.

the Prime Minister refused to directly answer whether she believed the leaflet was an election advertisement, the costs for which must be included in the party's election spending cap.

The Prime Minister had responded instead with a general comment that all election advertising would be included in its return.

Impudent, immoral behaviour is a hallmark of Liarbour. The party considers they are above the law, continually breaking their own EFA. Morals are non-existent, the party will do whatever is required to get re-elected, by mostly underhanded means.

From Ms 'the law of commonsense' King,

She was certain Labour would do what was required by law and stood by its "record of repaying money to the Parliamentary Service".

Oh, so it is allright to continue to fraudulently steal taxpayers monies and pay it back if you get caught? Just because you established a track record of doing this doesn't make it any more legitimate.

Thieving brazen hussies.

Tuesday Fun

Urgent message from John Cleese

To the Citizens of the United States of America:

In light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories (excepting Kansas, which she does not fancy). Your new prime minister, Tony Blair, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium," and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix will be replaced by the suffix "ise." You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra'; you may elect to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you find you simply can't cope with correct pronunciation. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels (look up "vocabulary"). Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication.

2. There is no such thing as "US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."

3. You will relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out Task #1 (see above).

4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. November 2nd will be a called "Come-Uppance Day."

5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

6. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and this is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

7. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling "gasoline")-roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.

8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps." Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with mayonnaise but with vinegar.

9. Waiters and waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.

10. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer," and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager." American brands will be referred to as "Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

11. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

12. You will cease playing American "football." There is only one kind of proper football; you call it "soccer." Those of you brave enough will, in time, will be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the "World Series" for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable.

13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

14. An internal revenue agent (i. e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776). Thank you for your
co-operation and have a great day.

15. Start pronouncing "Queen Camilla." She will be your next queen!

Explaining is losing - Operations 101

As John Key has to explain his position, some would say he has lost the battle. While Mickey can raise borrowing through 20% GDP and her indoors is still the Messiah, John Boy gets shafted for suggesting another 2% to fix our woes, with total borrowing still way below domestic and world standards.

But when it comes to taking the handouts from the redistribution tax WFF from our children or grandchildren, all Nat principles disappear out the door.

a National delegate's plea to John Key not to strip away her daughter's Working for Families entitlements – money her daughter and grandchildren needed to stay afloat. That issue alone would, the delegate suggested, decide where her daughter cast her vote.

A rock and a hard place. Suppose they have to go with the status quo, get in and then explain to the electorate prior to the next triennial election round. Far better way to do it. Do not frighten the horses this time, get in and then have some proper discussion, driven by their agenda.

But then explaining is seen to be only for losers.

A different way might be to adopt some of these:

1. Use surrogates to attack your opponent. Never let your guy (or yourself, if you happen to be running) rip into the other guy. Find some lackey who’s more than willing to get vicious ugly for you. Your guy will look like a disinterested prince.

2. Leak harmful information. This is pretty much your basic opposition-research stuff. But leak it; don’t announce it. And certainly it helps to develop friendly relations with journalists of a whorish bent. Devastating information on your opponent isn’t worth much if you can’t get the word out.

3. Turn rumor into fact. Better yet, start a rumor about your opponent and use the media whores with whom you’ve developed a good relationship to hammer away at whatever you’ve invented. Before long everyone will at least assume that where there’s smoke there’s fire.

4. Use well-organized 3rd-party groups to make allegations. This is closely related to #3. In short, if you can find a Swift-Boat kind of outfit to go libelous on your behalf, do it. Also see #1 – surrogates and the disinterested prince.

5. Funnel money to a 3rd-party candidate similar in ideology to your opponent’s to dilute your opponent’s vote. Self-explanatory.

6. Use ties to law enforcement to launch bogus investigations against your opponent. You’ll need to be comfortably in bed with a high-powered D.A., though, so this tactic isn’t for the chronically un-empowered. You also can’t harbor any compunctions about bankrupting an innocent person through legal expenses or even sending him to jail and destroying his family. This is rather big-league stuff, and not for the squeamish.

7. Associate your guy’s political positions with God and flag. Be creative. If needed, rewatch Animal House for inspiration, the part in which Otter defends his incredibly guilty pals before a college court in a rip-roaring burst of offended patriotism. It can be done.

8. Always position your opponent as an agent of the status quo, your guy as the candidate for change. Self-explanatory.

9. Build your messages on what the public already believes in. Closely related to #7. Don’t ever try to introduce the electorate to something unfamiliar or convince it of something new. Another angle is to play on preexisting prejudices. If the public hates freckled people, your guy hates freckled people. Always has.

10. “Explaining is losing.” This is the only direct quote I’ve lifted from the book, because it is key, absolutely critical. If your guy has to explain anything – his policies, his past, anything – then your guy is playing a losing game. Voters in general don’t want to be burdened with policy details and candidates certainly don’t want to get mired in personal explanations. Just forget explaining anything -- anything at all -- and move on. It’ll work. You’ll be amazed.

11. Use push polling. Again, this is high-powered stuff for the monied pros. Don’t call registered voters and ask if they like so-and-so’s position on something. Call and ask if they like the satanic plan your Illuminati opponent wants to shove through Congress should he get there with all his corrupt campaign cash. You get the poll results you want, and better yet, you leave the right impression of your opponent in the minds of the questioned.

12. Pick off special-interest support for your opponent. In other words, be a hypocritical flip-flopper like all get out (and don’t bother explaining it). Bush’s decision before the 2004 campaign on erecting steel tariffs is an excellent example.

Probably seen before and we need reminding. Looks like an excerpt from Liarbour Ops 101.

Used elsewhere, but could be easily fisked to suit her indoors.

MP resigns over gaffe

While our Bill is being pilloried for his most recent supposed off the record outburst over Kiwibank, this MP has resigned over his drunken gaffe.

A cynical battle

now obvious that New Zealand First has no intention of publicly accounting for its secret funding

will confirm that our parties habitually put their own interests ahead of principle

history that is riddled with influence-buying and secret understandings

a vintage Peters performance. His statement attempted to obfuscate and shift attention away from the issue of substance and onto the conspiratorial concerns of his bedrock supporters

If the SFO does investigate the NZF donations, the result will be the thorough scrutiny that the issues need if the political process is to escape the charge that it shelters unethical and perhaps illegal practices.

If he succeeds, and Peters is forced to face the consequences of his actions, no sympathy need be expended. Peters in this scandal has confirmed his reputation as the most cynical of New Zealand politicians, a harmful influence on the nation's public life and an unfit participant in government.

The Press examines and summarises the cynical battle being played before our very eyes.

Borrowing to get rid of Winston First

Yes, it's Monday morning again. For those of you who have to haul your sorry ass out of bed and disappear into the dark, wet cold morning, here's some comfort for you.

It's going to be a big week.


Sense has come out of the Nats conference giving a strong, positive direction and points of difference. Instead of the self-serving negativity that continually emanates from Liarbour.

-I believe in hard work.
-I believe in education.
-I believe in a fair society.
-I believe in playing by the rules.
-I believe in the power of families.
-I believe in being pragmatic, and not being blinded by ideology.

Most of all, I believe that this country, that New Zealand, is capable of so much more.

JK gave a speech that has a sense of purpose and long term direction. Just what the seriously disgruntled electorate requires. His 10 points are inspiring and forward thinking, not just about maintaining the status quo.

Sure, there will be derogatory comment from the other side over a couple of percent extra borrowing in an $180bn economy, but it much less than most punters have on tick with a mortgage and other credit. Today's voter's are comfortable with high debt, particularly debt that is properly used for long term asset purchases, not frivolous discretionary spend on nice-to-haves.

And instead of raping your overtaxed wallet for the $5bn, they will only have to free some moths from the cobwebs there-in to service the interest of say $750m. It is sound economics to me, just the same way families should be operating their budgets. And getting a tax cut to boot might be the massive stimulus the economy requires. Some will say we are borrowing to fund tax cuts, others for infrastructure.

Pure semantics, have you never run a holiday up on tick so that you feel good and can put your head down upon your for the next few month's?

And the other topic for the week is will Winnie make it to Friday drinks at Bellamy's?

Keeping Stock has a great analysis. Action after the vote of confidence scenario looks tempting. Used and abused to max by the black widow herself. She will be ever anxious to cast off the Winston First millstone to improve polls.

I suspect that Winston will be cast adrift before Friday, but then he has lived through worse times. 5% is not a difficult target and any publicity...

So have a nice day while you commute in the smog, contemplating all this. I am off for a coffee and then will commute to my workplace at the dining room table from the lounge.

Have a good one, don't work too hard.