Whatever happened to the spirit of adventure and the spirit of America?

My mate Sam in Bangkok today remarked that the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the moon has passed by with little comment.

He also wondered if Amercia had the balls and courage to do the same today.

Indeed, Amercia launched its space race effectively from scratch and in less than a decade, it had beaten the Russkies and in 1969 was there.

Well, it seems the actual anniversary was July 20-21, so technically his concerns about coverage might have been a little premature, and indeed, Google has uncovered quite a few stories.

But what about Sam's other concerns, that America might not have the ability to pull off such a mission again, at least not as fast as in the 1960s.

In those days, technology was far less advanced today, but the Cold War and the Space Race with the Russians gave a national impetus to the project.

America was indeed the world's top superpower.

Technology has advanced mightily over the past 40 years, helped by the technologies developed by and for that very same space programme.

Thus, a moon landing in 2009, you might think could be whipped up that much quicker and easier.

But I guess in this day and age, health and safety concerns might be that much greater.

More importantly, the financial costs of such a moon mission might make it prohibitive.

America today might be said to be the world's only hyperpower, but it is heading fast towards bankruptcy. The capital is no longer there.

And what about the will too?

I am sure many would prefer to see the money spent on deficit reduction, healthcare, or on new technologies to combat alleged climate change.

But whatever happened to the spirit of adventure, the spirit of America, to go out and conquer something just because it was there?

I guess in these shortsighted and cash-strapped times, a man or woman walking on Mars will be many decades off, if not longer.

Not the colonial pioneering spirit that led people to cross America in their wagons, or discover and settle in Australia and New Zealand, eh!

Sex Bomb! And those Kinky Boots that walked all over you!!

OMG!!!, can we ever believe a word of what Mmmmmmatt McCarten says anymore, or does it say more about the thinking of the downtrodden males in the New Zealand Liarbour Party?

Did they really see Uncle Helen as a 'sex bomb'?

Well, if there is something crying out for a Whale Oil video, it is surely this.

Now Whaley has posted Tom Jones, but for best effect, why not play Whaley's Wicked Witch video, with Tom Jones playing in the background.

And since it was those boots that did it, one alternative musical track could be Kinky Boots from Patrick MacNee and Honor Blackman from the Avengers.

Nancy Sinatra's 'These Boots Are Made For Walking' is another!!

UPDATE: Damn! I've just realised you might need two computers for this, but you get my drift!
UPDATE 2: Actually, all you need do is open two pages on IE, Firefox or whatever, and play the Wicked With video on silent, with the sound coming from one of the other tracks while watching the Wicked Witch video!!

Master, I Invested Your Money With Bridgecorp

All resident atheist trolls can talk a walk for five minutes.

Today Adolf heard again the story of the talents. Except that this time it was changed so that the Master gave three servants five thousand, two thousand and one thousand silver coins respectively and told them he was going away for a long time and expected them to use this money wisely, for on his return he would demand an accounting.

Of course this story was a parable, that is, a story made up to illustrate a point in terms the listeners might understand.

When the Master returned and asked for an accounting, the man with five thousand coins said he had invested the money and had made a profit of five thousand coins so was returning to the master ten thousand coins. The response was that famous line:-

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Similarly the second servant, the one with two thousand coins, was able to return to the master four thousand coins.

The master then instructed his administrator:-

"Give these men more coins for they have proven themselves good managers."

(By the way, herein lies the foundation for modern corporate business practice.)

The third man gave his accounting.

"Master I know you are a hard man who expects to get his pound of flesh so I took the precaution of digging a hole and burying your one thousand coins for protection. Here they are, returned to you without loss."



The Master berated him for being a lazy slothful good for nothing (the first ever socialist) and took from him the one thousand coins and booted him out.

The parable was told by Jesus in an attempt to demonstrate the need for Christians to get off their arses and take a few risks for their cause. In the parable, the Master is God, the three servants are three ordinary Christians and the silver coins are the Gospel good news. The accounting is a summary of how we have performed during our life on earth.

The point was being made today that Churches have long ago lost their willingness to take risks and as a result have no sense of adventure and have become almost totally insular in their outlook and actions.

I think that is true.

I couldn't help wondering what the Master's reaction would have been if the first servant had said:-

"Master I invested all five thousand silver coins with Bridgecorp. You know Bridgecorp? That finance company recommended by the lovely news reader from TVNZ. Well, Master I'm afraid I have only five hundred coins left but don't worry Master. It will come right once we get him into jail and unwind all his trusts and get all his assets sold. I'm sure Master you will retrieve another five hundred coins - in about twenty years' time.

Can't we all just get along?

I know it makes me sound like some Obamaphiliac pinko, but can't the MSM and bloggers learn to get along?

The world is certainly big enough for both of us; including for those who, dare I say it, swing both ways (journalists who have a blog) ; the blojos as Cactus Kate calls them.

Now, I wonder what we call a blogger who now appears in print? A joblow?

Anyway, much has been said about Barry Colman of the NBR.

In some ways, he does have a point, and as New Zealand's prime media mogul, when the others are affiliates of Australian and Irish concerns, as Cactus says, we must listen to the local guy since he has made his millions that way.

Indeed, it seems interesting and heartening that while APN, and Fairfax especially, have been trimming back, that the NBR appears to be expanding.

There remains the issue of where do we go for good quality journalism?

The reality is, good journalism does not come cheaply.

At present, we do not see enough of it, be it from Granny, the Dom-Post and TVNZ.

This is because the MSM is losing advertising revenue as advertising shifts online.

The BBC does not offer as much of it as we should, and public service broadcasting typically suffers from issues of bias, and whether people should pay for other people's TV and radio is always an issue.

But how can such quality broadcasting and journalism be funded?

Are we willing to pay as Barry Colman hopes through online subscriptions, something Rupert Murdoch is keen to see as well?

Of course, much of the MSM has its faults.

But it is simply too easy to slam it for bias, inaccuracies, poor reporting, etc, etc.

Many of the troops on the ground are doing their best in difficult circumstances.

Of course, the arrival of the internet and the new media has given the MSM a good kick up the arse. The door needed to be opened, and the ownership of media taken away from a narrow elite.

Like in other spheres, competition is always good.

But as well as competition, a bit of co-operation might not go amiss.

Indeed, where would we bloggers be without the free copy we grab to inspire our postings and commentary?

At least we have the decency to link to them most of the time.

The MSM should not be afraid of using bloggers' stories, when they are original and exclusive, like what we have seen with Whale Oil and David Farrar.

Of course, the MSM should admit to where a story came from too.

But where would we be had the MSM not taken up the campaigns on the Electoral Finance Bill that David Farrar and Whale Oil developed? Where would we be had the MSM not followed up the various blogger exposes on Winston Peters? I am sure we are glad they did. Why else did we chase after the stories and push them to the media, but to push our causes.

Indeed, we should look at what bloggers aim to do and where the MSM can score and gain its point of difference.

Bloggers are opinionated and tend to be partisan.

The role of the MSM remains its traditional role, to be the watchdogs or guardians, the eyes and ears of the public.

Because the journalist is paid, albeit badly, they should have the time to investigate, to produce thoughtful, considered and well-balanced pieces.

If they don't, and we have seen this, the bloggers can then take up an extra role of being the eyes and ears of the public by keeping the media honest, something that seems very common in the USA where a liberal media seems most pervasive.

And while the MSM also has its own specialist experts, so we also see them in the blogosphere.

Indeed, some of them will have more knowledge than many a raw and young hack.

They could learn much from, say Cactus Kate on certain issues, while others are experts on welfare, finance, economics, etc, etc.

So, rather than see the backstabbing of each other, I see and prefer a world of co-existence and competition as well as co-operation, with bloggers also well linked in to the workings of media.

If David Farrar is now embedded within NBR, which MSM outlet might want Whale Oil or vice-versa.

Call the media world of the future one of Coopertition.

Whatever happened to the Bangkok of our youth?

I am sure you remember the place.

The tuktuks, the immovable traffic, the temples, the rodent-ridden flea-infested backpackers for 100 baht a night, the street markets, the cheap restaurants that gave you an upset tummy.

Well, I have yet to rediscover this Bangkok.

Instead, I have seen the Bangkok of the free-moving tollways, the Sky trains, a skyline not of temples but of 30/40/50-storey hotels, condos and offices; huge mega malls that make Westfield look like a Four Square; luxury foodcourts as good as any in the West, massive delicatessens containing delights from across the globe.

Gone are the internet-free days days of finding a shop containing telephone booths for expensive telephone calls.

Now, we have our own laptops picking up the wireless broadband in the hotel; the mobile phone will roam to some local network, and the locals will have their iPhones and iPods.

The taxi driver may not know where the hotel is, but your mate's iPhone can surf the net and give him directions.

And the backpackers has been replaced by the Sofitel last night and here tonight, even if both have a fading 90s elegance; both found in advance online, instead of turning up at the door.

Yet, while New Zealand seems to plod along, Thailand has been changing rapidly, along with the times.

I was last here in 2003 and that too had changed from the Bangkok of 1994. Now, we have a flash new airport and extra tollways, bridges, a subway, highrises and the like.

With the rapid change, I can only wonder what the Bangkok of the future will be as I look out at a vista of cranes, new bridges, condos, etc.

Yet, for better or worse, Auckland remains pretty much the same.

Of course, while in some ways we all do grow up, I can only hope some of the innocence and simplicity of our youth can remain.

And I can still find the temples.

Bledisloe cup

Lucky escape is the immediate thought. Wallabies were very unlucky in the first half and Henry squeaks another scrappy win one week after he was declared absolute monarch for life. Quite why they confirmed him as the coach to take them right through the next world cup before the Tri-Nations is a bit puzzling.
But a win is a win.

The new con job: Global Fattening

Let's get one thing straight, the BMI is a ridiculous measurement of obesity and until it is stopped being used I refuse to take any notice of any 'study' that says New Zealand is the third fattest nation in the World, or Big Mac nation as some idiots profess.

According to the New Zealand Heart Foundation website, people of European descent with a BMI reading between 25 and 30 are overweight while those with a higher reading are obese.

And Maori and Pacific Islanders with a reading between 26 and 32 are overweight and those with a higher reading are obese.

Every All Black had a reading of higher than 26.

The three starting front-row forwards - Neemia Tialata, Andrew Hore and Tony Woodcock - were all considered obese.

The lightest member of the team, fullback Cory Jane who weighs 88kg, had the lowest BMI at 26.27 but was still considered overweight. The Wallabies fared worse with five of the starting 15 considered obese and five on the sideline also in the obese category.

Newsflash: Clark convicted for breaking into John Key's house

That tawdry character Clark who used to run amok on Auckland and New Zealand has been convicted of burgling John Key's home in Parnell.

Clark...is a professional burglar..., the Auckland District Court heard, [who] targeted affluent Auckland suburbs and took at least $100,000 worth of property over a six-month spree, said Crown prosecutor Ben Finn..

Indeed, Clark also stole billions of our money over an extended period of nine years.

One of those was Mr Key's $7 million Parnell home. Between 6.58pm and 8.05pm on July 7, 2007, while the Key family were on holiday in Hawaii, Clark scaled the 2m wall surrounding the St Stephens Ave property and jemmied open a kitchen window.

It is thought Mike Williams gave Clark a leg-up and Heather Simpson advised Clark on the whole operation.

Judge Nicola Mathers decided against making a reparation order for the $15,000 in stolen property not covered by insurance, as Clark could not pay it.

Unsurprising.

Breaking news. Pope hurt in late night incident.

The Pope has broken his wrist while holidaying in the Alps.
Apparently he 'slipped' late last night whilst watching TV in his room.




Shamelessly nicked from one of my new favourite places

If Adolf Interviewed The Commodore

Readers will know Adolf is a strong supporter of the interim government of Fiji, lead by Commodore Bainimarama. Beatings and deaths in custody not withstanding, the military has done a pretty good job so far, in spite of every effort by Australia and New Zealand to undermine it and the reforms so desperately needed. (As an aside, I might see if I can dig out some figures on deaths in custody in Australia and New Zealand so that readers can make their own comparisons. You might get a surprise.)

What reporting we have have seen has been abjectly one sided - epitomised by the nauseating non stop references to Indo-Fijian conspirator and money trougher Balu Khan as a 'New Zealander.' ( Mr Khan won a multi million dollar IT contract for the Fijian government. I'm told none of his product worked and it all had to be thrown out. Nice work if you can get it.)

Just the other day, I wondered idly what I would say and ask if I were interviewing PM Bainimarama and his lieutenants Colonels Driti and Leweni for a NZ TV network. How would I set it up?







I'd probably organise an informal chat over a beer beside the swimming pool, with a camera behind me and do a twenty minute piece for current affairs and panel comments from which piece could be cut a sixty second bite for the TV news with the unedited version put up on No Minister on the same day as the TV channel went to air. (To keep the bastards honest.)

What would I ask? Probably a few minutes to establish that Fiji is markedly different from NZ, culturally, sociologically and economically.

To set the scene, a short intro outlining size, population, ethnic mix, pressure points, recent political history and industrial base of Fiji, citing the cane knife wielding mob of primitive villagers who attacked a group of foolish Freemasons who were promptly arrested and jailed for their own protection.

Social Welfare

'Prime Minister, may I ask what kind of social welfare safety network is available for Fijian citizens who lose their jobs?'

'So it must be pretty tough if you lose your job. How do families survive when this happens to them?'

'Do you have an idea of how many people have lost their jobs in tourism as a result of adverse travel advisories?'

Corruption

Much has been said by you and others about endemic corruption prior to your intervention. It was one of the major reasons for your intervention. Can you tell us about that? Help us to understand the extent to which corruption has affected ordinary people?

Can you give us some examples?

Have you succeeded in 'cleaning it up' or achieving a significant reduction?'

How did you go about getting corruption cleaned up? What did you do and how long did it take?

What was it about the Qoliqoli Bill that made it so dangerous for the future of Fiji?

How would it have damaged Tourism?


History

I'd like to ask you about the military's role in the governance of Fiji. It is my understanding that historically the Fijian military had a constitutional role in providing checks and balances in the event an elected government 'went off the rails' so to speak. Is that true?

Do ordinary people in the countryside still expect the military to provide that 'last resort' buffer against bad government? Do they by and large respect the military more than politicians?

How did it come about that these long standing sensible checks and balances are absent from the current constitution? Did NZ and Australia have a role in their removal?

Do you know who the as yet untried coup plotters from 2000 are?

Did they try to kill you? How close did they get?

Are they under surveillance?

Is Laisenia Qarase one of them?

How much covert support do you think Mr Qarase and his party were getting from NZ and its diplomats?


The electoral process

Even a cursory glance at the 2003 election of the Qarase regime tells one that the election was unconstitutional. The lack of a proper census was remarkable and yet at least one senior NZ politician piously declared that everything was A-OK.

Can you outline the steps which have to take place to allow new free and fair elections to be held?

On the ground, what sort of a job is that? Do officials have to physically visit each village in each remote hamlet and on every one of hundreds of tiny islands?

What are the deficiencies in the current system and how does your People's Charter remedy those deficiencies?

Where is the opposition to the People's Charter coming from?

Why is the Methodist Church agitating against the charter and your administration?


The Future

One thing on which all parties agree is the need to carry out a fair and legitimate general election but people disagree on the detail of how soon is practicable. Sir, I think you have said work on a new constitution will start in 2013 with view to holding elections in 2014. To people like me, that seems a very long time. Can you help us to understand why you think it should take so long?

What can Australia and New Zealand do to accelerate that process?

Prime Minister, if you were here today talking to NZ's PM John Key and minister Murray McCully, what would you say to them?

What would you ask them to do that would accelerate the calling of a general election?

What would you ask them to do to help get your economy back on its feet?

Thank you for talking to us today Prime Minister, Colonel, Colonel.

Of course, nobody in their right mind would send an insurance salesman/blogger to interview the Prime Minister of a substantial sovereign nation. Would they? Seriously?

Surely you'd need someone with political experience and a reputation for balance and fairness. Like an Espiner or a Campbell or a Mold or a Garner. Wouldn't you? Really?

Readers are welcome to offer further 'questions for the Commodore' in comments.

Could it happen here?

Wherever you are in the world, you cannot get away from governments obsessing about 'climate change'.

It seems New Zealand has been enduuring the same propaganda blitz as the British.

The issue for us, is what will it lead to in concrete policy?

In Britain, the government announced plans for subsidies for elkectric cars, wind power , energy insulation, and other measures. The countryside will be scarred by windmills and UK fuel bills will rise by nearly $750NZ a year, if you believe its government.

Naturally, we need to be pressing our government to tell us what climate change policies they have in mind for New Zealand, what will they cost and what impacts they will have on our everyday lives. We need to press them on the direction of future power bills, tax policies, subsidies, windfarms, the future for coal, energy security, etc, etc.

Could we see similar initiatives in New Zealand as are planned in Britain?

Perhaps this is something the MSM can also do. Maybe we bloggers need to give them the prod, as well as point out other inconvenient truths.

Yes, as governments ponder how to tax, regulate, control and nanny, just how is that climate change progressing.

Doubts are rising as temperatures fall, not that you would hear that on the BBC anyway!

Or much of the New Zealand media too!

Governmewnt gets down and dirty on sex, and tells its people where to go!

I have just arrived in Bangkok, en route for New Zealand, so let's talk about sex.
It certainly seems a major preoccupation of the UK government.
As Crusader Rabbit noted a few days back, the UK government is telling the school kids that a bonk a day keeps the doctor away!
The story certainly grabbed global attention.
But as I was flying from Heathrow camne another amazing discovery, something that should warm the cockles of the hearts and the heart of the cockles of our more mature readers.
Yes, sex is good for old folk too!
And elderly people, says the NHS in Britain, should use viagra and experiment!
But why should a government be telling us , nannying us into having sex like this?
Well, I suppose a bit of nookie does not cost anything, unless you have to charm your other half.
It does take one's minds off other things in lif, like global recession, government corruption, etc, etc.
I have read other blogs, like Gates of Vienna, I think, where it is noted the more pervasive the state is in life, both in the economic and personal sphere, the more liberal a country is about sex.
Sweden is given as the prime example of this.
Perhaps Gordon Brown is turning Britain into another Sweden.
If so, I can only wonder what advice the British government will be giving to the middle aged and 40-somethings.
In its own way it seems to be telling them to get f*cked!
Which reminds me of that excellent song Old Holborn posted from Lily Allen featuring pictures of Gordon Brown and his ministers.
Sadly, that video has been pulled from You Tube so we will have to make do with the original version of that lovely North London songstress Lily Allen, even though I understand she is a bit of a lefty, as this song was actually written about George W Bush!

Auction with Andy

If you spend nothing on your credit card for the next week, make sure you go here and contribute to Whale Oil's attempt to win a flight simulator ride with Andy 'Alcohol' Williams.

I can think of nothing more hilarious than Whale being cooped up with the Cock from Campbells Bay for 90 minutes inside a flight simulator.

And it's all for the Westpac Rescue helicopter - a fine charity the Mayor vehemently opposed funding last year via the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Act.

Tell your friends and families and get them to contribute: trust me, if the Whale wins this will be priceless!

..and in business news...

Bill's billions brought back by former Kiwi bludgers.

BNZ bungles billion dollar tax bill.

Both of those will bring a smile to English I am sure if they come to fruition. I can see the bank cases going on for another 10-15 years though.

And because I can't alliterate the others: Credit agency sued over pension losses (there simply wasn't enough regulation or supervision; their should have been more credit agencies and auditors assessing people like Madoff as he was only audited about 20 times).

Finally, if this prediction is wrong and investors in New Zealand suffer economic losses as a result will they sue Fitch?

The World is a funny place right now.

Labour's latest attempt to pushphiluphill

Winston learns to recycle

Earthquakes and commonsense.

In one of life's strange occurrences, last night I was on the phone to my wife, on holiday in Te Anau, just as the earthquake struck. I told her to get the kids and get under the table straight away and watch for aftershocks.

I remember the only real quake I have ever felt. I was in Gisborne, just after graduating as a structural engineer. We were in a two story concrete building and everyone was surprised to see me dive under the staff pool table. I guess the stuff I had learnt was still fresh in my mind and I could easily imagine the column / beam joints having a good work out. They are designed to take the impact and hopefully leave the building standing. The last thing you want is for the columns to fail and your building ending up looking like a pancake stack.

Commonsense really.

Speaking of commonsense. Whilst the death of two trampers this week is very sad, I would question why you would go out at this time of year without the minimum GPS and emergency locator equipment. Tramping is dangerous at the best of times but when you add bad weather and short daylight into the mix, the risk goes up exponentially. Risk management is part of good planning. If visibility goes you can get disorientated very quickly.

Can a Western government fight and win a war on today's modern media age?

A few days back I slammed UK PM Gordon Brown over his underfunding of the UK army, which is causing many deaths of British troops in Afghanistan.
Since then, the debate has intensified, fuelled by yet more young deaths on the killing fields of Helmand province.
Night after night, day after day, it has been the lead story on the tv news and in the papers over here.
On one Sunday morning political programme on the BBC, David Yelland, former editor of the Sun newspaper remarked of the difficulties for a prime minister of a democratic country has in conducting a war these days.
Yelland noted that the Taliban had no public opinion or media to answer to, in contrast to Gordon Brown. Instead , Brown must face the modern media age with endless rolling 24 hour news cycles and a demanding public and media.
Indeed, Brown has had to face an army of armchair generals from retired defence chiefs to former defence ministers and foreign secretaries.
With each death or group of deaths we see how the coverage of each tragedy is saturated.
There’s the initial news and naming of the dead, then we have to comments from aggrieved relatives and loved ones, the coverage of the coffins arriving in England, an army parade in Wootton Bassett, together with added political analysis, questions raised in parliament, etc, etc.
There will be opinion polls too, some claiming growing opposition to the war in Afghanistan, while other commentators will note support for the conflict has actually grown in recent months.
There will also be the embedded journalists noting anything from morale, the youthfulness of ‘our boys’ and their lack of equipment.
Coverage has been wholly supportive of ‘our boys’ and seems reminiscent of that old saying about the UK Army being ‘lions led by donkeys.’
For the donkeys running the country, it presents a difficult problem.
The British government deserve their condemnation but it shows how ,much abuse and criticism a government opens itself to should they send the troops to do a job anywhere, especially once the dead bodies start arriving home insufficient number.
I am not arguing for censorship of war reportage but it seems endless media coverage can undermine public support for a war, undermine the morale of the troops as well.
Naturally, the relentless negative media coverage of the War in Iraq will have probably cost the Republicans the US presidency and poisoned Bush’s legacy. It may well have led to a troop withdrawal before Iraq was ready. It will also undermine the will of any future US government to commit itself to any future action. It will have given heart to Islamofacists everywhere.
Wasn’t it Richard Nixon who said of Vietnam that once he lost the support of Walter Cronkite, he had lost the support of American voters for the conflict?
Now, we may well have the UK government on a knife-edge, with the public divided on what should happen next. But if many more coffins are brought home, the sight of grieving families, a bitter populace may just well tip over the weak government Britain currently has.
Such a tabloidisation of war reportage, a focus on human interest and emotion, could mean that Britain has no stomach for any fight, with a populace made too emotional in the post-Diana age. A country of wimps, in far contrast to ‘our brave boys,’ regardless of what impact this may have on Islamic terrorists seeking revenge on the streets of London, or wherever.
Indeed, this is what the media needs to consider when they look at covering such conflict. The British public also need to consider the wider consequences too. And much as I deplore the conduct of Gordon Brown and his government, I am mindful of the task they face, and the greater problems democratic countries like we are , have in selling a necessary war to a sceptical public.
However, while we can well deplore an over sentimental media, maybe this is the price we pay for our democracy, since it will mean that governments have to be sure of their case before action. I guess how the media should behave also depends as much on how governments should behave and since governments misbehave as much as the media, I guess there is no easy answer.
Nonetheless , Yelland’s central point remains.

TV bloopers

So TVNZ have blamed "mistake" as the cause of the F word being said 3 times on the 6 o'clock news.

Will mistake resign?

Or will the buck be passed so that no one will actually be held responsible.

And more importantly, now that we have cameras in courtrooms, will our news become the endless saga of a perverse reality show. Easy to make and a supply of cheap sensationalism.

Let's hear it for lavender!!

There are some strange things happening in the British countryside.

No more need you put up with tiresome giftshops and if I see one more 'Edinburgh Wool Shop'' I will scream.

But at the weekend I was taken to something a little different- the Yorkshire Lavender Centre.

I quite enjoyed seeing all the plants, the many different kinds of herbs, including at least a dozen mints, as well as the fallow deer nestling in the shade.

Anyway, contrary to what Barnsley thinks, lavender is a versatile little plant with many uses.

The night before I left New Zealand for my summer soujourn, I cooked a lamb roast at Barnsley Manor and went out into the garden for some rosemary. But as it was dark and there is no streetlighting up there, and no stars were out either, I stumbled back with lavender by mistake.

Barnsley squealed about lavender being poisonous and how he never has any meat with any bones in it.

The lavender was removed after some cooking but it meant I ate the leg of lamb all by myself.

But it seems there are many uses for lavender, as explained at the centre's lavender festival.

We know it can be used in soaps and oils, but you can use it in foods as well.

There was lavender in jam, lavender beer (I bought a bottle) and all kinds of other uses.

So, I suppose we could say, let's hear it for lavender.

And while the Daily Mail notes the growth of lavender in Britain becoming a common sight in a warmed up worls, we can only say, at the thought of the purple covered hillsides, bring it on!

Yes, I'm an oppressed minority!!

In these politically-correct times, everybody must be an oppressed minority somehow.

I must be a member of several such groups at least.

Perhaps the most persecuted being white, male and middle class.

And maybe we could include political beliefs too.

But there is a new one we can add to the list thanks to British deputy-PM Harriet Harpy.

I am an oppressed Northerner!

Yes, add to the list of discriminations on race, religion, sex and sexuality, regions!

Harperson is most concerned that discrimination is giving the southerners too many favours and something must be done!

Harpy could well be right.

It was just the other day on this blog that I was called the 'twat of the North.'

Bet he was a lefty!

Funny thing is, by creating all these extra groups of supposed oppressed minorities, doesn't that mean everybody is oppressed somehow and that Harriet Harman is undermining what she is trying to say?

What Is He On About and Why?

So our bloody fool of a North Shore Mayor (What's his damned name again?) is running around with a survey purporting to show support for his alcohol soaked rantings against the new Auckland City.

	North Shore City Council Ratepayers Survey Findings
PREPARED FOR	North Shore City Council
ATTENTION	Rob Pitney
ISSUE DATE	9th July 2009
CONTACT[S]	Karen Tews, Beth Rundle

I pay rates to North Shore City and I want to know how much of my money this fool gave to Colmar Brunton for a loaded poll.

I want to know the names of the councillors who authorized the futile expenditure.

Does he not know that all his yapping is a year too late? He can't actually change anything. The big decisions have been made.

Does ho not know it was his friends in Labour who commissioned the enquiry which has recommended a super city?

Is he just too thuck or perpetually pussed to understand that Rodney Hide and John Key have given local people at 'the grass roots' ten times MORE involvement than the Labour Party inspired commission recommended.

How did this brainless bozo EVER get voted in to the Mayoralty?

A quote for you all

Guess who recently wrote this?

"So what I here the voices cry"

Rumour has it that he once had something to do with education ..........

G

The joy of marriage

Last Saturday was the wedding of one of my nieces.

All went well, the bride looked lovely as did the bridesmaids and a good time was had by all.

I was struck by the overwhelming seal of approval people, family, friends, society gives to such unions, especially in these times when a traditional church wedding is not necessary anymore.

Like at similar family events, I also reflected on how my family has done so well in life.

The reception was at my brother's farmhouse; there was a huge marquee and not one but two bands.

Things were a little over the top in my view but at £25-30,000 (NZ$65-80K), I'm told that's about the norm for a middle class wedding in Britain.

But yes, I reflected on how well everybody is doing and central to this is strong family ties.

There have been no divorces in my family and I was not aware of any in the grooms family either.

The kids are also turning out well. If not university educated, they have good and secure jobs. Everybody has been brought up properly and this had led to kids who have stayed out of trouble and succeeded.

This is a contrast to what I have seen in New Zealand, where I know people with broken marriages, broken families and a whole host of problems.

I am sure there is obviously a link, with broken marriages and broken families now blamed for creating a 'broken Britain.'

So does government have a role in all this?

Well, certainly people need to pick the right partners, but there has been much about how government has undermined traditional marriage over the years.

New Labour in Britain stands accused of treating all kinds of partnerships the same, and even penalising marriage through the tax system.

This is highlighted in a piece in the Daily Mail, based on a documentary the BBC is about to broadcast. The UK Tories see a link too, planning to make divorce a little harder.

Certainly, the benefits of marriage and strong families and partnerships are so clear they should be encouraged.

Funny thing is, the people who have such views want to keep marriage a purely heterosexual affair, when surely the benefits of marriage should be extended to all.

As I have said before, there are sound conservative reasons to accept gay marriage and promoting and recognising similar stable relationships there.

A flying pig moment!!

In these politically-correct times, it's amazing what a black man can get away with, that a mere honky cannot.

So brace yourself for a flying pig moment at No Minister.

I am going to give a few words of praise, just a few words mind you, to TOWMNBM.

There he is in Ghana lecturing Africans on how to run their countries properly, and telling them that it is not always the fault of the evil white man.

How brilliant that he was able to lecture them and say things a white leader could not, skilful advice on economic reform.

Of course, TOWMNBM only gets some praise, as I say. He should also have warned of something that has also wreaked devastation across Africa, as well as much of Europe, Asia, South and Central America. It's followers have also killed tens of millions in their quest and bankrupted many an economy.

I, of course, refer to the evils of socialism and marxism, which have devastated Third World economies everywhere. Pity such warnings were not given in the speech, but there again, as a practicioner of them, TOWMNBM sees no evils in such leftism.

But given time, I am sure American people will be all too experienced in the disasters of such failed economics, perhaps almost as much as the Africans themselves!

Above Rubies

Now let's face it, if you were going to lose your job and have your face plastered all over the tabloid papers for bringing the diplomatic corps into disrepute, how bad are you really going to feel if it was because you were filmed taking care of two Russian hookers at once? I mean, really...

I'm with Hutton on this one:

Like most of these sex scandals it reflects terribly on everyone except the man at its centre.

And lest you be thinking "But what about his poor wife?" It's ex-wife, has been since the 90s, and Hutton offers a link to her opinion:

"He's changed a lot because he certainly did not look the way he does now. He never wore glasses and he was thin. I'm glad I got out when I did."

Ah, truly, a virtuous woman is to be prized above rubies. What could possibly have persuaded him to give her up and settle for hookers instead?

The Pimple Shouts At The Elphant's Arse

The Premier (and I use the word advisedly) of the principality of Niue (1,000 residents if it's lucky) issues an 'ultimatum' to New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key.

The most appalling thing about this grotesque gesture is that any of our so-called news media saw fit to report it.



Most new Zealanders will be unaware that some 20,000 Niueans are permanent residents of NZ while a few remaining diehards cling to their little uneconomic and useless piece of coral, somewhere out there in the Pacific.

The time is long past where the remaining idiots are offered the choice of (a) returning to the coconut age when all aid is cut off or (b) receiving assistance to move to New Zealand.

What Would We Say? What Would We Think?

During the past twenty four months there has been a rash of child murders, gang-related murders, tourists killed, meth related violent crime, racial murders and attacks in New Zealand.

What would happen if the US, Europe, Australia and China issued a continuous stream of adverse travel advisories over a twelve month period, warning their citizens to avoid anything other than essential travel to New Zealand? On the ground the country is unsafe.

If Fiji's experience is anything to go by, then roughly 90,000 ordinary working NZers would be put out of work and would be back to living in what we dare to call poverty.




You see, roughly half the numbers of people who worked in the same industry in Fiji two years ago are out of work today. No dole for them.

Here, we currently employ 182,000 people in the tourism industry. From the department's website:

Tourism Employment:

Tourism supports 108,100 direct and 73,100 indirect (181,200 total) full-time equivalent jobs (9.7% of the total workforce in New Zealand)

What would you say and what would you think of countries which deliberately and falsely persuaded their citizens to refrain from visiting here?

When you've answered that question, you might realise what long term damage we are doing to our reputation in the Pacific. The children of the thousands of Fijian unemployed will grow up with lifelong animosity towards New Zealand and Australia.

And what good have we achieved for Fiji? None.

What benefit have we created for New Zealand? None

What damage have we done to New Zealand? Immeasurable.

Interesting to note today, other Pacific Island countries seem to be quite relaxed about giving the Bainimarama regime all the time it wants to bring about the changes which all sane people know are necessary before elections are held. It is very difficult to fathom out why NZ and Australia appear hell bent on demanding elections at any price straight away, no matter how flawed such an election might be.

The Forum suspended Fiji in May for its failure to hold elections.

The leaders of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu said over the weekend they support Commodore Frank Bainimarama’s plan and will lobby the Forum to lift sanctions.

Clearly the fuzzy-wuzzies have more brains and common sense than their thuck as pug shut Kiwi counterparts.

(Before all the leftist PC hand ringers start screaming, go and read some history of the Second World War in PNG.)

What is the point of the ACT Party? How powerful is it?

Considering our readership, I expect this one to generate as much steam as the debate on Libertarians.
But what is the point of the ACT Party? And how powerful are they?
I have tended to take an anglo-Kiwi perspective on such postings, reflecting how typically New Zealand politics mirrors that of Britain.
But the ACT party dispels this idea.
Indeed, while the ACT Party might be considered right-wing Thatcherites, the party is effectively an offshoot of the Liarbour Party.
A creation called the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers led to the formation of ACT.
But since I was in Britain at the time, I will leave it to the ACT members to talk about the early years.
For me, as a recent immigrant, I will stick to the dozen or so years I have been in NZ.
As a Thatcherite UK Conservative, I always faced a dilemma at election time.
Normally I would vote for the largest ‘conservative’ party, which should mean I would be National.
But since MMP allows little parties like ACT, we have that extra choice.
I have always given my party vote to ACT because I find its smaller state freemarket beliefs more in tune with my own than National, even if I feel, I should be at home there too.
Indeed, there have been times when even in the privacy of the polling booth I have sometimes thought about giving the Gats a second tick before at the last second switching back to ACT, feeling that an ACT vote might be more principled, even if there was the risk of ‘wasting it.’
And this was often the dilemma for those on the right.
Now, in recent years, ACT has travelled from a principled and firm lead party under Richard Prebble, to something more ‘populist’ under Rodney Hide.
It dabbled with something called the Liberal Project and now it has embraced authoritarians like ACT MP Peter Garrett. The debate over gang patches made many members themselves wonder what was the point of the ACT Party. What did it actually stand for? Was cracking down on crime at the expense of the freedom to wear your gang patch with pride? And does a tough stance against crime also contradict support for ‘victimless crimes’ like drugtaking?
No wonder the party has seemed split and uncoordinated at times and now we have an ACT party as part of a National-led government, with Rodney Hide taking a major role, even if PM John Key has kept Roger Douglas in the wilderness.
ACT is thus torn between its liberal or libertarian wings and its conservative wing. Is ACT a conservative, liberal or libertarian party, or a combination of all three?
It is also torn between being loyal to the government and being loyal to what it actually believes in . Having a leader in what seems increasingly a centrist government, you can see how members might sometimes fee betrayed, as obviously they were when National abandoned its own policy over taxcuts.
ACT used to campaign on keeping National ‘honest’ but believed this was not the right things to say to win over your ally, branding them liars and turncoats. Thus, it then spoke of giving National spine or backbone. And backbone the new government has needed aplenty.
Sadly though, there is little a handful of MPs can do, especially when PM John Key can easily turn to the Maori Party and maybe even one day the Greens as he tries to create an everlasting undefeatable electoral coalition against Liarbour.
So what is the point of the ACT Party? Naturally it is to try and remain a part of government, to help introduce some of its ideas from the inside, like Rodney Hide is doing with local government.
But it mustn’t forget its principles too.
There remains a need for mainstream parties to articulalte a vision of a new and clear direction for New Zealand. The Libertarians, though sound in ideology, just doen’t have the numbers. Some might argue they don’t have the credibility.
Thus, we need Roger Douglas to argue convincingly for lower taxes and a lower state, we need Lindsay Mitchell to argue on welfare. We need these ACT MPs and bloggers to say what National daren’t say.
With National increasingly in the centre it will fall on ACT to articulate such a view. It means ACT in essence has to do the work National most likely wants to do, but is afraid, thanks to those bloody horses.
It means ACT carrying the can, it means ACT doing the dirty work. But what alternative is there?
Should ACT fail to carry out this role, to nudge, to cajole National into shifting rightwards, a stance it members believe in anyway, but its leadership is too timid to recognise thanks to their lust for power, then New Zealand will sadly carry on its leftward drift.
Margaret Thatcher used to talk about a ratchet effect on UK politics. Labour would take Britain to the left, the Tories would then maintain this. Labour would then take the country leftwards and so on. Only Thatcher reversed this ratchet effect.
Similar seems to be happening today. National seems to have accepted much of Helen Clark’s settlement, as I mentioned a few days back. But we need a party to stop this ratchet effect. New Zealand needs someone to play Margaret Thatcher, and that is the job for ACT.
By articulating a different vision, as Sir Roger does, we can see how ACT can halt and hopefully reverse a continuing drift to the left in New Zealand.
Thus, ACT needs to stop ideological squabbles over trivial issues like drugs and gang patches, even if they contradict its ‘core values.’ The party needs to focus on messages on tax and the economy. I guess the conservative wing will have to satisfy itself with some progress on crime , like Three Strikes.
Either way, to show its power, to show its purpose, ACT has to stop the country’s drift to the left, to give National some spine and to win the debate. I hope its not too hard a task for them.

Bedroom TV

I'm not much of a TV-watcher, so my kids have had to endure watching a 21-inch CRT TV their whole lives, while their friends' families all have enormous screens.

Last weekend they were in luck, though - thanks to their Mum's enduring TradeMe habit. She bought a 70s John Jansen sideboard of the same era as our house, and sold the existing cheapo Big Save TV cabinet so we'd have somewhere to put it. The Jansen sideboard is much narrower than the old cabinet, and was useless for putting a CRT TV on. Upshot is that I've now wall-mounted a 37-inch flat panel, much to my children's relief.

So, having not bought a TV for a long time, I was kind of horrified by the gear occupying the TV section of the appliance store. If your living room is dominated by an enormous TV, it suggests to me that watching TV is what "living" means to you. Nevertheless, the salesman laughed off our interest in pathetic 37-inch TVs: "People are only buying those as bedroom TVs now."

Bedroom TV? What! A 37-inch TV in the bedroom?!? I was standing there wondering whether there are some great porn channels available in NZ that I haven't heard of, but wasn't game to talk to the salesman about porn availability in the bedroom. It was only later I realised: most of the population is functionally illiterate. There are so many people flinging $1500 bucks at a bedroom TV to accompany the $3000 they dished out on a "proper" living-room TV because the concept of reading a book in bed wouldn't occur to them and would be too difficult if they were to attempt it.

No doubt TV-fans out there take a different view...