A technological marvel

Always interested in stories with a technological slant, I note that the relief well for Obama's sewer of shame is only 20 feet away from its target.

The relief well has reached a depth of 16,770 feet, but engineers plan to drill another 900 feet vertically before cutting in sideways

What I wonder about is how does a drill string 3 miles long get bent to drill sideways to hit the desired spot?

Elsewhere, I note that BP isn't the only one taking government approved shortcuts.

SCOTUS Confirms Second Amendment

It cannot be doubted that the right to bear arms was regarded as a substantive guarantee, not a prohibition that could be ignored

Obama's hometown downtown precincts are about to become a whole lot safer. SCOTUS has confirmed that its residents do indeed have the right to bear arms as per the Second Amendment and is set to overturn a 28 year ban on handguns in Chicago. I wonder what the Kenyan/Indonesian/Hawaiian will make of that?

Safer? Yessir, the would be punks will be dealt to by the citizenry in short order, implementing zero tolerance to crime.

Pity we don't have similar rights here in New Zealand. Future prisoners rightly should be worrying about more than whinging about their rights to smoke when incarcerated.

As for a Constitution, we do have one of those, right?

"did not like change"

Community enforcing changes (for the better?) in their lifestyles is possibly why they are in chokey.

People coming off nicotine can be very unpredictable, can be very anxious, aggressive


likely to cause "violence or mayhem of some kind"

There would need to be programmes to help prisoners quit

Excuse me? Violence? They are locked up. Talking heads mouthing off. And the best:

A black market in tobacco was also likely

Eh? A black market? Let alone getting the goods to someone locked up in a supposedly secure establishment in the first place, just how is the prisoner going to smoke illicit goods without being smelt or setting off fire alarms?

No issues that I see. A captive audience, pun intended. Get stroppy whilst withdrawing. Zero tolerance, elevate punishments. There is always lockdown.

impact of secondhand smoke on corrections staff ... was one factor in the decision

What a load of bollocks. I wonder how many of the unionised smoke various dried materials?

Cold turkey. No patches or other additives. From one who could be best described as "None so pure...", I really do not see why prisoners will not like change.

NZ Blogger Thesis

Some guy has summarised the New Zealand blogosphere as a thesis for his Masters. 250 pages odd of survey results and analysis.

Interesting reading. My quick summary from looking at it this morning

NZ Blogosphere - Rich white male pricks provocatively arguing amongst themselves

And no, I did not participate, having ignored the exploratory email a couple of years ago. I do not trust any members of the professional studentry or otherwise (read lefties) fishing for personal data in so-called surveys. But as ever, always happy to wind up regular cold-calling suspects at 6pm of an evening with misinformation or random impertinences.

HT WhaleOil

ps Andrew - use a spell-checker next time on your thesis.

WTF???

Courtesy of Granny Herald

** "Omnia vivunt, omnia inter se conexa!"

We're hoping every beach will have a fire

Whilst the resident pagans expend some more carbon credits, polluting the atmosphere, maybe Petrobras knows more than they are letting on.

You see, give it few months, all that black oleaginous stuff spewing out of Obama's sewer will be drifting right on past East Cape.

Need to deep sea drill with all the attendant risks? Bugger off! Petrobras will be there to hoover up a few million barrels. Maybe Cicero was right.


** "Everything is alive; everything is interconnected!" - Cicero, 2000 years ago

An all-round fake

he travelled "excessively" as a minister and shouldn't have taken his partner with him as often as he did

Every trip I went on was important. ... But I shouldn't have been so willing to volunteer ...

More excuses. Another fake apology from a perennial trougher. Still trying to justify entitlement. The second scripted attempt. The third failed apology attempt in as many weeks. Inexcusable.

With a piss-weak boss who also deserves every bit of opprobrium coming for failing to decisively deal with you. Immediately sacking you was the only option.

I know you troughed with the best and spent my hard earnt taxes with gay abandon. The only reason you are attempting to apologise is because you were caught out by disclosure. Disclosure and transparency that should have been in place decades ago. Sadly it still has a long way to go.

I do not want more lame excuses justifying your stultifying arrogance of entitlement. I want you to gracefully resign without further ado or further cost to me as a taxpayer, banishing you and your troughing ilk from my Parliament.

Still, I do not expect you would be able to offer anything different. Like many in the House, as your whole premise is misrepresentation. Not only a politician, but some might say, also a fraud to your genes. Why else should I expect nothing but fakery?

Now for some normality

Now that the fever is broken and thankfully having managed to totally avoid wasting any of my time on watching the madness that is football, I await a quick return to a semblance of normality.

Gone by lunchtime

He also pushed an ultimately doomed emissions trading scheme

Something our very own scam artist Hone Boy Key might do well to note about pushing his fraudulent scam in New Zealand.

In other sporting news...

• was concussed on Saturday when he was dumped into the turf
• cut his face and cracked his cheekbone
• left the field at halftime and was ill subsequently, a number of times
• both breaking bones in their hands
• hand and calf injuries
• was feeling unwell because of another head knock
• was struggling with an eye injury
• felt his calf muscle tighten

An average weekend, in one game, for the holy grail of New Zealand sport.

You could be forgiven for thinking the game was at the Coliseum, not some manky windblown paddock in Dunedin.

Mummie's boy runs home crying

ERRANT WEST AUCKLAND MP Chris Carter last night broke his silence, saying he was returning to parliament, having taken advice from the party's former head, Helen Clark

Continuing his hissy fit, mummie's boy runs home wailing 'it wasn't very conducive to clear thinking'.

He said the apology was given "because you have to think about what is good for the Labour Party"

Contrite and apologetic? Your move, Fill-in Phil. Show us your gonads. (Not literally, please)

You just couldn't write this, but Jonathan Marshall has done so well.

Word association of the day

Stuff has been doing a fine job of word association for the last week or so - every day same header words, same picture, different story.

Just saying...

"a Catholic film" - updated

the film is sprinkled with Catholic and moral references such as the nun Sister Mary Stigmata, who they call "The Penguin"

30 years on, Jake and Elwood finally get recognition of their 'Mission from God'.

This is a memorable film, and, judging by the facts, a Catholic one

Definitely a memorable film, always enjoyed, a classic is beatified. Almost.

Updated:
By request, for ZT

'I lived by the gun, I murdered with a gun, so I will die by the gun.'

Sentence actioned. As it should be rather than incarceration.

And whilst on the subject of murderers being executed, I wonder if a certain Chinese national needs a donation for a 9mm slug?

Gimme... Gimme...

"Gimme my flag back!"

"Gimme my flag back!"

For all see on Te News - Dickhead.

Mumbler wants all to learn footie version of anthem

A self professed mumbler reckons all should learn the footie version of the New Zealand anthem. Seems the kids in our schools have been taught two anthems of late. Mr Mumbler has taken it upon himself to promote the second version by writing to MPs.


For me (and a lot of others - see Stuff quiz today) there is and only will ever be one version of the New Zealand Anthem. It starts "God of Nations at Thy feet," and is totally in English. I totally cringe when alternatives are offered or tacked onto the New Zealand Anthem at formal ceremonies. Like the haka, the only place a dual anthem should be performed is on the footy paddock.

For those that pretend not knowing, the full anthem in English is below.

God of Nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific's triple star
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.

Men of every creed and race,
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our free land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our state,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.

Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our free land.
Lord of battles in Thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.

Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our free land.
From dishonour and from shame,
Guard our country's spotless name,
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our free land.
Guide her in the nations' van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.

One anthem, in English, for all, not some footie ditty. Should be mandatory for citizenship. Learn the words mumbler.

God forbid, what next? Saluting the separatists red and black rag?

Another Maori Winston scores...

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said it was a divisive decision that would lead to a flood of claims and years of infighting in iwi

On the day a Maori Winston scores in one game, another Maori Winston scores in an other game...

QOTD

“F**k off, separatists, New Zealand owns its own foreshore and seabed in the name of the Crown”

What Hone Boy Key should have said yesterday.

Hone Boy Key reverses Treaty of Waitangi

Pita Sharples said significant property rights would flow from findings of customary title, which he described as a "full-blooded title" similar to fee simple, or freehold title

170 years of colonisation up the spout by one desperate to retain power at any price. As I have always said, the end game of these so-called customary rights is ownership. Nothing less.

In a shock decision, Hone Boy Key has reversed the founding document of New Zealand by pandering to the Maori Party cohorts. Well, not really a shock. It was always known the levels to which politicians would stoop. But it was never ever expected from the National Party.

A deed specifying the iwi has customary title to a particular coastal area, the right to permit or stop activities, a role in coastal planning, the right to obtain commercial benefit and whatever else the iwi negotiates with the Government.

New "universal recognition" recognises longstanding mana of iwi over foreshore and seabed and gives role in conservation projects

I await a new wave of local government usury and taxes in the name of foreshore conservation with a twist of native. Think the RMA stifles progress? You ain't seen nothing like what the power of veto will give. Oh yes, we'd be silly not to think that the veto could not be removed with the appropriate level of cash lubrication. Taxpayer and ratepayer cash, that is.

Absolute power? You thought the last incumbent was bad, this one is 100 times worse.

Yesterday's decision will have enduring ramifications, definitely speeding the country to apartheid and possibly leading to civil war in New Zealand.

All aboard the Gravy Train

Whilst the 3x Liarbour MPs caught with their fingers in the expenses trough will not be having much in the way of gravy in the future, others are today neck deep in the grievance industry trough slurping the gravy.

The Maori Party and iwi leaders have met Prime Minister John Key to discuss replacement legislation for the Foreshore and Seabed Act but would not be drawn on any agreements reached

And the news is not good.

Maori Party co-leader Turiana Turia said the meeting "went well"

170 years ago this country was colonised, all became British subjects and beholden to the laws of the sovereign Mother Country.

Our bottom line is to our people, to whom we said we want repeal

Not so say those on the gravy train that is the Waitangi grievance industry. You see they want yet more 'full and final' settlements for ill-perceived injustices. To contest their ill-perceived right to own the foreshore and seabed. Unfortunately Hone Boy Key this very day will give it to them to retain political control of this country. With the weak Liarbour Opposition he can do no wrong.

Mr Key said he did not believe National would lose the Maori Party's support, whatever the outcome

New Zealand has gone a long way in the five short years since Orewa. A long way down into the apartheid abyss into which we are plunging at breakneck speed. Don Brash had it right, none since have had the balls to confront the problem.

Any resolution made will not be announced until 4pm, after Mr Key has had time to discuss it with senior ministers

Seems we will be told of the latest racist separatist deal at 1600 this arvo'. One wonders what the full and final will be this time?

Indeed, where is the end of the Gravy Train line Hone Boy Key?

a "filthy-minded and salacious slut"

Before his death in 1910, Twain decreed that his full manuscript should not be published for a century so that he would be "dead, and unaware, and indifferent" and could speak his "whole frank mind".

Mark Twain's century is up.

The unedited 5,000-page autobiography, which Twain refused to make public during his lifetime, will lay bare his feelings for Isabel Van Kleek Lyon.

I wonder if Mrs Jones' boy will wait for the movie?

The madness has started

The madness that follows football of any flavour in this country has started.

We have to endure rabid fans for the next few weeks as they throw sickies watching their teams lose and the endless talking heads spouting about and reliving games.

Must be some games on right now. I wouldn't know, don't have Sky or the like, but I see news reporting ceased a day or so ago, just like the blogosphere has gone dead quiet today.

A practice run for the farce that will occur next year, right here in New Zealand. After which the ratepayers will pickup the tab for the following decade.

Thank God there is more to life than bloody football.

As if.

one assumes that if they are going to be that critical their records are going to be squeaky clean

As if. Don't they still owe $800K?

Southland tossers determining national maritime regs

The tossers in the bureaucracy that is Environment Southland have taken it upon themselves to determine national maritime regulations. They have introduced another unneeded bylaw to expand the bureaucracy requiring boats to be named with two inch high letters or ID number.

Environment Southland will introduce a bylaw on July 1 to make boats more easily identifiable in an emergency or for enforcement purposes

Unenforceable in the extreme. Who is going to enforce such greater-good laws? What next? Water Police to issue tickets for 49mm high letters? Once again ratepayers will stump up for ill-thought out laws.

Speeding boats? Call Mr Plod from his revenue gathering duties to capture and enforce. I remain convinced that there are more than enough bylaws to deal with boat racers and the like. We do not need more bylaws and regs by stealth. Next thing, some prick in Wellytown will pass a national law for small-boat registration next.

... a "momentary lapse"

Eh?

A murderer who shot a woman in the head at close range in an execution-like killing claims the act was a "momentary lapse"A murderer who shot a woman in the head at close range in an execution-like killing claims the act was a "momentary lapse"

And I always thought murder was premeditated. As opposed to manslaughter.

How things get contorted in defence of a killer's twisted mind. Anything to get the convicted off. Almost like the defence of provocation.

Rotting blackfish gets last rites

sea creatures were spiritual guardians of the people of the land

The locals read the tea-leaves on a beached Orcinus orcus carcass.

Because of the whale's connection to the people of the land, it must be buried with its ancestors

Absolute bollocks. Nothing more, nothing less, it is a stinking rotting blackfish to be disposed of like any other on the beach. End of myth.

Community notice: Revenue Men afoot on public highways

Not content with the big taxpayer pay packets Mr Plod gets, supposedly to keep boy racers in check without effect, I note the Revenue Men will be afoot this Queen's birthday on the public highways and byways to extract more from the cobwebs in your wallets. On overtime pay rates to boot.

Seems if you are the slightest bit over the speed limit, you will get a written extortion demand to contribute more taxes. No doubt with extra GST and an ETS component built in to over compensate for your excessive carbon usage whilst speeding. I wonder how long before Joe Motorist has to get his speedo certified? Another bureaucracy developing?

Stop being a tax collector Mr Plod, get into some proper work working on real crime.

Rabid ferals are a bad joke

A potential game-changer has been signed off by the government. Good on them for getting the ball rolling for an exploratory survey.

An agreement to open a vast expanse of the coast to exploration for oil in the aftermath of a catastrophic spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a "bad joke," environmentalists say

The rub is that, as expected, the rabid tree-hugging ferals have surfaced denigrating the deal as a 'bad joke'. Who did I expect to be complaining before the ink was dry? The Greens and the EDS. I have not had to wait long. Both are frothing at full dribble this morning. And the granddaddy of them all, Greenpeace, is right in there mouthing off.

As an aside, I often wonder just how EDS is funded. The Greens, we know how that is funded - like all politicians - directly from Treasury via smoke and mirrors.

Greenpeace said there was simply no place for oil exploration here in the 21st century considering the environmental risks and the need to steer energy production in the direction of clean technologies

I expect nothing less of a bad joke from these leeches.

Nuclear power soon, anyone?