Hope and change for 2012

President Obama has done such a horrible job with the economy and foreign policy that now Kenyans are accusing him of being born in the United States :-)

flogged w/o apology from here

The bribes and spending continue

National would put the estimated $5 billion to $7 billion proceeds from partial asset sales into a special fund, the Future Investment Fund

Absolutely nothing about paying debt down. The nearly $400 M a week debt millstone that is killing this country. Sell half the assets and spend it on more social engineering. What a bloody waste.

The only thing consistent with these corrupt thieving bastards that masquerade as our political class, be it from one side of wannabes offering more bribes for votes with our money, or the promise from the incumbent of some future socialised return after selling half the silver, is that you will be taxed within an inch of your life.

Dancing with the Desperates

If Labour is elected government they will pay $1.2 billion or half of the cost of the proposed inner Auckland rail loop

We wont be going ahead with the holiday highway

Now, that is one bloody impressive bribe from Caretaker Phil as the desperation really shows. What's the total now? $20Bn being offered from your taxpaying wallet?

The really desperate offer yet more bribes.

Getting a strop on

death by a thousand cuts that is bleeding Qantas by $15m a week ... union leaders have said they want to slow bake us over a long period of time and we can't afford that.

We need to bring this to a close and we need to have an agreement before we put the airline back in the air

I wonder how long before our lot on this side of the ditch go out in support of their brothers. And Smile and Wave has to front with some real leadership?

The malaise won't be far away as the unionised Oz ferals get all sorts of stroppy because they've been rightly ignored during these straitened times.

Must get more popcorn in for the upcoming entertainment. Just what is needed to liven up an election campaign.

"Only guilty of helping"

Five beaks on the Supreme Court bench have unaminously dismissed the fraudulent corrupt ex-Liarbour MP's appeal. And still he protests his innocence.

"While we are satisfied that the acceptance of gifts which are de minimis should not be considered corrupt ... the acceptance of other benefits in connection with official actions is rightly regarded as corrupt irrespective of whether there was an antecedent promise or bargain,'' they said.

"In the present circumstances, given the substantial nature of the benefits, no such defence was tenable.''

"Only guilty of helping". Helping himself, it would appear.

Better than 20% chance

we are caught in a downward spiral that ultimately results in the Government being so bust it can't pay its bills

In the absence of a marked improvement in the external position, New Zealand may be more likely to be singled out in the funding markets in the future. All things being equal, any further deterioration in the ratings outlook could serve to raise debt servicing costs for the Crown as well as borrowing rates for households and businesses

there is at least a one in five chance of an outcome worse than that captured in the downside scenario. Indeed there are a number of risks for the economy over and above those captured in the scenario

As suspected, the PREFU is not good reading. A better than 20% odds of the worst case and more scenario occurring as the EU continues it's slide into economic hell.

National, you've had three years to take action and squandered your chance. It does not matter one iota whether assets remain in NZ ownership or otherwise, all that is required is for the government to man up and take the necessary drastic action to the culture of entitlement.

Liarbour or the greenies and other lefties with their continued vote-for-me bribes are not options.

"nothing short of awful"

a cloud over any big-spending promises planned for the campaign

The moths and cobwebs are to be exposed to strong sunlight as the PREFU is tabled later today. No doubt will be a deteriorating revelation of epic proportion.

Labour's savings plan ... "fairly big bikkies" ... to include an element of compulsion ... with a greater tax take from a new top rate of income tax and a capital gains tax.

As usual some would be thieves want to offer large bribes for votes.

Others call the real state of play.

New Zealand consumers had been distracted from a deteriorating world economy

If we hadn't had the Rugby World Cup, ... it's helped deflect attention away from some pretty significant developments

the global scene has been nothing short of awful

The RWC party is over. Global economies have tanked since you started your ultra-expensive partying on the taxpayer's dime. Now you have to pay.

Hi, Ho! Hi, Ho! It back to work we go for the lemmings.

See Len - it is easy!

"I would also say that we will have a zero-tolerance approach to people who try to camp in our city.

"By all means, protest. That's perfectly all right and always has been, always will be, but you cant camp in the city.

"You can't disrupt the city for your own purposes, you can't capture the city, you can't hold the city hostage."

The Lord Mayor of Melbourne tells would be freedom campers not to bother upsetting HMQ.

That's how it's done Len, in a city where Police actually actively enforce laws. When are you going to enforce your bylaws?

Sickening tourism at The Mount

a spur-of-the-moment thing

Like politicians that need to be seen scooping oil in their Sunday best finery, another lunchtime legend plumbs the sickening depths of disaster tourism at The Mount.

Panem et circenses

iam pridem, ex quo suffragia nulli / uendimus, effudit curas; nam qui dabat olim / imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se / continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, / panem et circenses.

(Juvenal, Satire 10.77–81)

A metaphor for a superficial means of appeasement. In the case of politics, the phrase is used to describe the creation of public approval, not through exemplary or excellent public service or public policy, but through diversion, distraction, and/or the mere satisfaction of the immediate, shallow requirements of a populace. The phrase also implies the erosion or ignorance of civic duty amongst the concerns of the common man.

In modern usage, the phrase has also become an adjective to describe a populace that no longer values civic virtues and the public life. Or as famous American author Robert Heinlein said,

"Once the monkeys learn they can vote themselves bananas, they'll never climb another tree."

Nothing more apt after yesterday's events at our Colosseum.

ps

Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.

HT Crusader Rabbit

Awfully quiet out there

Recent polling, including Act's own internal research, puts National's candidate, Paul Goldsmith, ahead of Mr Banks

I notice the ACToids have gone awfully quiet in the last week or so as their hopes of re-election are dashed with plummeting polls on Banks.

It was possible to avoid the madness

For months to avoid the madness of the national game of on-paddock thuggery.

I've successfully not watched one game or opening ceremonies. Or the endless repeats and analysis by various experts and witchdoctors.

Now for the hangover of last night's eighty minutes of supposed entertainment. By my guesstimates ratepayers now have a collective headache of about $2Bn plus to repay. Something my grandchildren will long be paying whilst the IRB laughs all the way to the bank.

New Zealand suckered yet again. Was $2.5m a minute worth it?

Oz Police show how to move OWS supporters on

Police were clearly on a mission to get us out of there and they used whatever force they decided was necessary

Forty people were arrested and 29 of those were issued with infringement notices for breaching a local government act

On Friday, there were violent scenes at the Occupy Melbourne site, with 100 people arrested as they were forcefully evicted from their City Square campsite

the protest breached City of Sydney regulations

Dawn raids? Love 'em! A week or more overdue.

Len Brown and other mayors like Shadbolt should take lessons in Moving Freedom Campers 101.

It is a pity we do not have real Police in NZ to enforce the law.

Liarbour: We do not believe in 100% Pure NZ

serious questions are being asked about New Zealand continuing to trade on our 100% Pure image which only the Prime Minister still seems to believe in

Lord Burns confirms Liarbour is a non-believer.

Tsunami warning

Aah, side-on big waves.

Just what Smile and Wave needs to get the Rena monkey off his back reef.

Can of worms slams shut

Horizons chief executive Michael McCartney could not be reached for comment on Mr Beveridge's resignation, despite repeated attempts to contact him

Another one of the overpaid and underworked in the top echelons of the boy's club at our local regional council walks. Over the PN abatement issue? The Head Boy refuses to say nought.

I wonder what else is in the long festering can that is Horizons?

Caption reqd: "Welcome to Oz Ma'am. I'm your man. Next year..."

Pic says it all as JuLiar bumbles like Mr Bean. And the GG looks all regal in pink with matching hat. Like a real Australian.

Have your two-penneth worth in comments.

Manawatu Gorge closed for a little longer?

``It's just what we didn't need,'' Tararua Mayor Roly Ellis said. ``It's been closed roughly 60 days now, so people are getting quite frustrated.''

``The productivity between Palmerston North and the Port of Napier is crucial and I think adding a few passing bays and other alterations will make this [Saddle] road much more useable.''

Since Monday, about 20,000 cuM longer?

We don't need no stinking unions!

22000 words showing what workers really think of unions and collective agreements.

Disgraced???

released on parole today after serving a third of his sentence for bribery and corruption

Disgraced? Like hell! I would have said a properly descriptive headline should be "Corrupt, bribe taking ex-MP released early...".

But then, 'he was only guilty of helping'. Once again the left looking MSM looks after one of their own with a play on words.

Frogs vs Dingos then?

That should really cap off Smile and Wave's chances at the final hurdle on Nov 26th.

Left hand down a bit...

they've made radar contact and they know the pilot's boarding position is close to it [the beacon]. They've changed course to go to the beacon

So the buggers took a shortcut.

From when they started to alter course they had at least an hour to recognise the hazard and it would have been staring them in the face on their chart

Never looked at the charts. Inside one hour, grounded 45,000 tonnes of ship at 17 knots.

Not the fault of the government, Smile and Wave, flags of convenience or deep sea drillers.

Just some bastard officer of the watch looking to get into port early.

Applying some Zen... [update]

NZ Conservative has carefully examined 'our worst disaster' and finds that Happy Feet is long forgotten.

Well spun, ZT. The best I've read in long time.

ps your comments don't seem to be functioning

[update] - Oops, nothing wrong with your comments. On closer inspection, I went for Post Comments (atom) not the Post Comment link - Apologies.

Just a question...

taxpayers may have to pay for part of the salvage and clean-up

Since the insurance for Rena is apparently capped at $14M and Smile and Wave is lining up to mop up any excess for cleanup costs from my wallet, I have a question.

From what I've seen on telly, all that oil seems to be beached on sand regularly washed by tides. On beaches with customary rights and under guardianship by a select group as we are often reminded.

Since Key with his homosexual cohort Finlayson have been in recent times ready to buy native votes by pandering to separatists with taxpayer funded ToW largesse, particularly through endorsing the giving away of the foreshore and seabed, maybe those same select groups will be ready to stump up for the cleanup costs of the foreshore and seabed below the highwater mark?

Storylines: If only...

... former Prime Minister ... was sentenced to seven years in prison Tuesday on charges of abuse of office ...

If only Smile and Wave Key had had the cojones to take the leader of the previous government to task, rather than giving her a sinecure in global corruption.

In New Zealand we too could be reading a similar storyline.

A Desperation of Unionists (tm)

• flag-of-convenience ships
• a vehicle for paying low wages and forcing long hours of work and unsafe working conditions
• half the world's merchant ships are registered in flag-of-convenience states
• unwilling to enforce international labour, safety and environmental laws and regulations

The unionised doing everything possible with their pet hobby horses. Their continued calls to insert expensive stroppy union labour into coastal shipping been very noticeable in the past few days, but they've been unable to pin any fault directly on the donkey. Just looking to up the union ante whilst the world is looking.

Notice that they do not once acknowledge that the good ship Rena had passed multiple inspections, as recently as Bluff and Fremantle, no doubt aided and abetted by unionised staff, with only minor pickups.

The desperation of the irrelevant in the modern age. Unable let a good 'crisis' go to waste.

The real entertainment begins

As much as 350 tonnes of oil had escaped the ship this morning after it shifted in big seas overnight and crushed part of the reef it was stuck on

Fears the ship would break up and its 2000 containers fall in to the sea were growing as bad weather continued.

With the stern hanging over deep water, it is only matter of time before those containers are afloat and all that heavy fuel oil is sent to Davy Jone's locker.

Has iPredict got a tab on when the arse end falls off the wreck?

Pull up the armchair, the real entertainment is beginning. Watch Smile and Wave disappear. Will we have a national emergency before lunchtime as those with the high-viz vests go into overdrive?

Eight oiled penguins attract the PM

Prime Minister John Key is also expected to fly into the city today to see the situation for himself

I see the photo-op is in for today. Smile and Wave and a few oiled birds.

Unbelievable. In the real world there are other options than spending thousands on rescuing bloody oiled birds. All you need is a shovel to dig a hole.

But I see the oil leaking out the bottom of the now capped oil tanks has been reported as stopped. Amazing physics how a capped tank builds suction as dense viscuous liquid attempts to ooze out the damaged bottom.

All the greenie talking heads, like Gareth 'Ronald McDonald' Hughes and EDS's Taylor, or photos with Smile and Wave will not stop one litre of oil leaving the ship. Think of how many ships have sunk around the NZ and Pacific coasts in past years without any oil recovery or cleanups. The environment goes on.

Need more popcorn...

Yes, I am in for weekend of entertaining sport.

Petrol head heaven starting at 0930 Sun on 3. Annual outing to Mt Panorama and 300Kmh on Con-Rod Straight via my couch. Pity you can't smell all those climate warming hydrocarbons being consumed on telly.

Speaking of imminent climate change, the other sporting entertainment is watching that container ship bouncing on the bricks as various agencies perform like trained seals and headless chooks. Top entertainment, developing by the hour, absolutely nothing done so far. What's the weather for Sunday and beyond? How many days has it been now? Not one tow line has been put any where near the hull in near perfect conditions.

Enough sporting entertainment to get you half hard! No doubt those wanting the full load will also watch some on paddock thuggery with an oval ball. Not me, haven't watched one yet.

Must get more popcorn.

I expected nothing different

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres said that although he deplored Professor Mutu's suggestion that New Zealand should discriminate against white-skinned people from certain countries, the Bill of Rights Act allowed people to speak their mind

also said the Education Act protected the freedom of academic staff and students to put forward new ideas and to state controversial or unpopular opinions

One interpretation for those of the right skin colour, whilst there are interpretations of consequence for the rest of us 'white mofos'.

I expected nothing different from de Bres.

"Leonardo da Vinci of our age"

[He] embodied the Silicon Valley entrepreneur.

"He had no formal technical training and no real business experience. What he had instead was an appreciation of technology's elegance and a notion that computers could be more than a hobbyist's toy or a corporation's workhorse."

RIP Steve Jobs. One that inspired me in my early electronics and computing.

Truly a man of our age.

"Continue delivering the brilliance and excellence..."

Auckland Council tonight voted a further $1.5 million for the Rugby World Cup in a deeply divided debate that swung on the casting vote of Mayor Len Brown

Brown said the money was necessary to take precautionary steps to continue delivering the brilliance and excellence

Arthur Anae sums the council up...

Auckland was a bunch of idiots who could not run anything

Guess I'll see the effect of all that 'brilliance and excellence' in my next bloody rates bill, eh Len?

National to give East Cape away for native vote

iwi wanted to self-govern the area stretching from Opotiki to Putere on the Wairoa side, and the edge of Taupo and Rotorua on the other side

iwi could sign a settlement including self-government of Te Urewera National Park and Lake Waikaremoana as early as next year

National abandons all pretense of having any principles. The party used to have principles, but now fraudulently readies itself to secede East Cape (about 20% of North Island) for native votes. Another 'full and final settlement' coming right up.

iwi had already proven it could self-govern

That would have been their up and coming police force on a weapons training camp when the real New Zealand Police arrested those terrorists a few years ago? A very necessary part of the training for self-government!

National is nothing but a vote chasing fraud.

Manawatu Gorge to remain open for next 13 years

Closures of this extent only happen around once in a decade

while the scale of the slip looks set to surpass the slips of 2004, which kept the gorge closed for 70 days, that portion of State Highway 3 was expected to remain viable long-term

When it finally opens again around Christmas. So we can expect the gorge to be open for the next 13 years without event? You know, the one where the next Cook Strait is forming ever so slowly.

An NZTA talking head spouting bollocks. You've had two major road closure events in the last 7 years. Not to mention the rail derailment from a massive slip last year on the other side. And numerous small closures of varying lengths.

an unstable hillside that needs to shed more material before it stabilises

I have a suitable fix. Use some of that $62K a day it is costing the region to divert over the hill and buy some dynamite.

It is time a tunnel was driven through the hill. We're heartily sick of the detours.

One course coming right up!

A Christchurch bar has come under fire for allegedly ejecting a customer because of his moko

5..4..3..2..1, one course in cultural re-enlightenment for two coming right up. Yes, Sireee!

We await the mandatory complaint. We already know what the outcome will be once Joris has a squiz.

One down, hundreds to go

The architect of the much hated and expensive One Plan Greg Carlyon has suddenly recently resigned from Horizons. Councillors are under notice not to blab to media about their ex-head of regulatory and policy. Though, probably will be in for an obscene amount of ratepayer largesse upon the final handshake.

Wonder what he did? Probably scared of Nick smith's mooted inquiry into why PN Council can keep discharging truckloads of raw sewage into the Manawatu sewer. Without any repercussions from Horizons. Wonder if a kickback is to surface soon?

Most farmers in the region probably already had scratched him from their Christmas card lists and will not miss him crusading with his One Plan.

One down, unfortunately there are hundreds of shiny bums tarred with the same brush of fervent green zealotry ready to keep his chair warm.

notice sourced from the latest Rural News, not online.

New Zealand News Today

There is none.

The first 15 minutes on both Te News and Campbell's Shop of Breathless Reporting have been about some football games.

As I said, nothing happened in NZ today.

Vodafilth Business Skills - Looking after your info edition

Pssst! Wanna know where all the connection boxes are and who are VF customers in your street? Personal and business info free to a good home!

Just type in your address, without the house number, in the address finder to check if the Red network is near your abode. Available on this page, down the right side.

Isn't there a law against revealing this type of info? Good one Vodafilth.