NOT THE RESULT MANY ANTICIPATED.

Those cheating bloody red and blacks just gave Sir J K's vastly improved men a lesson in rugby and I wonder if master cheat McCaw was even present.

Once again the team many love to hate are putting together a finish to the Super Rugby season that shows they still have the mojo.

Starting the season with an unwanted Bye then having to meet The Blues who had a game under their belt at Eden Park was a start that could intimidate most  teams and resulted in a close loss for the visitors.
Tonight that result was buried by  Blackadder's men in a clinical if close and  intense game where the 20 point separation was  decisive.

The Blues turnaround in 2013 has been impressive and Sir John has proved a winner with his unearthing of some exciting and very young talent allied with the very strong management and coaching team.
Pat Lam must be envious of the resources given to the Blues by the franchise  management this season.
I wonder if the decision to allow Tony Woodcok to go to his sad season in Otago flashed across JK's mind as Joe Moodie smashed the Blues scrum in that final quarter.

Hamilton next week will be a minor final for the Crusaders and I spare a thought for Dave Rennie's men who in spite of a season from hell injury-wise  still stand deservidly astride the NZ conference.

The record of the Crusaders Franchise is still the standard and their ability to stay there or there about, season after season, is approaching "boys own" status.

Go you good things.

WOULD IT BE A CRISIS? TRUELY?

To the economic numpties who think the idiotic scheme of  Scam 'Laurel' and Tottering 'Hardy' to scare off many first time investers in MRP,  thinly disguised  as a credible portent to a rosy future of cheaper power,  is good news, here is the latest  real world example of what can go down the toilet when the benevolent government intervenes in a market it should stay well clear of.


Venezuelans having endured many shortages and deprivations under the stewardship of the late Saint Hugo Chavez, including medicines, staples and many things that citizens of a modern state take for granted, the latest crisis is a national shortage of toilet tissue.
Under the  socialist government where the marxist Chavez ensured re-election by many nefarious ploys including massive interference in the market, wasting the oil royalties that should have ensured a rising prosperity for all but under the law of unintended consequences, merely created distortions and anomalies.

Chavez who recently succumbed to cancer left his country in the hands of his designated successor who surprise surprise managed to be "confirmed by the people" leaving that new leader to explain why the people are running out of the basic comfort of  having a roll beside the toilet for tidying up after a trip to the porcelain.
Guess who Chavez Mk ll blamed, greedy capitalists of course, it was their manipulation and  rorting, not the benevolent all caring albeit incompetent government.
Sadly many of his people will believe him - more excrement but still no toilet rolls.

To one who has his earliest memories of body waste disposal in longdrops, dunnies with cans that were removed and replaced by "night workers" ( that sobriquet has changed with the passage of time) and an occasional flush toilet, nearly all had for the final tidy up a square of news paper,  today the roll of tissue has become a staple.
 On rare occasions, nowhere as often as today, a new phone book arrived, it was the closest the system came to a dispenser.
Boarding school introduced me to that shiney 'Jeyes' toilet tissue that left news paper well ahead on points.

Back to topic, the Venezuela Government has created this latest cockup just as the patent stupidity of  woolgatherer and sub normal  will deliver,  brown outs (that is an unfortunate image) and blackouts due to the government power agency eventually failing to get the supply, demand, cost and reward triggers in balance.  Facts that every market responds to with each and every product and service  as the basic tenet of staying afloat in commerce.

Government operations in delivery of services and products that are core functions will and do fail at times, the cop in court on drug counts is but  an example, however that is what the market has to  absorb and respond to every hour of every day.
It is difficult and sometimes impossible to bring the function of the market to discipline much of that core.
Adding the power supply to that core function is, was and will always be stupid.
Electricity is a commodity that market forces and discipline will control the price of, if the Government stays the hell out of it.

However  should the wet dream of Tottering and Scam become reality, then when that goes wrong and be sure it will, then that will really be a crisis that a page of the propaganda rag wont fix.

Will the UK emerge stronger or in tears?

Following the success of the UKIP  in local elections, a growing restless rump of The Conservative Party are piling pressure on leader Cameron to hold a referendum on Britain's remaining in the EU.

O'Bama,  the Afro American of Irish extraction made an unprecedented move, seen as interference by old hands,  in the domestic government of a longstanding alliance partner,  suggesting Cameron delay any moves to placate his restless rump, warning that any withdrawal  would sideline their role as a gateway to Europe for the US.

Some of the rebelious rump are even moving to an alliance with UKIP candidates to avoid split vote annihilation or worse, an outright defeat. by them

Cameron's coalition mates, The Lib Dems are siding with UK Labour in covering their eyes and ears hoping it will all just go away, but increasing disillusionment among a significant section of the UK electorate with the profligacy and dysfunction of continental government is reflected in the rift the UKIP is creating.

Big Government is wobbling,  I too would be very sceptical if I was being asked to contribute to the waste and unsustainable welfare outcomes exposed by the GFC in Greece, Spain, Italy etal and now what Slater so euphemistically calls the "cheese eating surrender monkeys" of  m Hollande.

I lean to tears,  a ballsup looms.

The woolgatherer reveals an expanding circle of hope.

Having learnt absolutely nothing from his supernova with Rufus Painter, the hapless leader of the rabble revealed in his budget speach he has criss crossed the country and it resulted in two more pathetic cases of entitleitus.

A couple nearing 40 years old with two children, who are hard working and smart, cannot afford a first home "because their parents cannot stump up with a deposit".
So Mr and Mrs H G Up are still expecting their pensioner parents to front up with a $25 000  donation.

Case 2 in the criss cross, another hopeless couple have three kids who cant raise the $100 each to register for "soccer" ( it is football now you numpty) and only the oldest will play this season, cant afford the other two !!!!
Have they just discovered this or are they thick.
Mow a few lawns, stack some shelves, walk a couple of dogs. 5 hours each  for two weeks problem solved.

We were accosted the other day, it was really begging , to assist with kit for a sports team. I donated on the assurance the "kit" stayed with the team and was not just a clothing scam.

Forget the Criss cross,  Mr Hasnt Grown Up could be Rufus's son and the other hopeless pair his brothers spawn.
 I know, I know, it is a wet dream, eh Clint.

Please  please please don't give up, you are doing well for one so challenged.

Thanks Aaron

Aaron Gilmore delivers his final gift to the National Party

Roy Morgan:-

National Party 44% (down 2.5%) now dead-level with Labour/ Greens 44% (up 1.5%)

We are all getting older.

 

Thanks for the memories, I guess  you had to be there.

A very popular Australian folk/pop group "The Seekers" are in Melbourne on a 50th anniversary tour.

One of the Voices of the 20th century Judith Durham 69 suffered a brain hemorrhage after last nights show and was hospitalised.

Things are more positive today with Ms Durham sitting up and talking.

Ms Durham along with Athol Guy Bruce Woodley and Keith Potgier  brought their  musical gifts
 to the stage in the 1960s and it is said Judith's  very special voice is still something to cherish.

Best wishes and a speedy recovery  Ms Judith Durham.

That worked out well didn't it

Swan sat in his counting house.
Counting all his pennies.
When he reached the bottom line
He didn't have as many.

Dont worry all you girls  and boys,
We will surely save a heep
Use a rubber, play with toys,
Then only go to bed for sleep.

Last years hope has turned to shit,
Our little surplus disappeared,
The books just took a mighty  hit
A 19 billion hole has reared.

But we will still be fair and wise.
The coalition is  now all doom
Note how I smile with all my  lies,
Two elections, things will boom.


Predicted mining tax to yield 2 billion brought in just 200 million
In 12 months, a predicted 1 billion surplus  turned int a 19 billion deficit.
Next year 18 billion deficit.
The  year after only 10 billion down.
Then after the second election in this fairy tale a miniscule surplus.
Taxed and spent, tax and spend some more

The Lucky Country - Yeah right.

Preying on the stupid

I received a letter from Contact Energy today, our electricity provider.  It contained this gem:

You are currently on a low user plan.  The other option to consider is our standard user plan.  Based on how much electricity you've been billed for in the past year, you will most likely be better off staying on your current plan.

If you expect your electricity use to remain the same, you may be better off switching to our standard user plan.  This plan offers a highly daily charge and lower variable charge....

Righto.  You're most likely better off staying with what you have, and may be better off changing?

Thank goodness taxpayers don't pay this lady's wages. 

Arron Gilmore stood up, Shearer slipped without a mango skin in sight.

With the distraction of the Gilmore saga that has occupied the "churnalist" NZ media flopping about in their paddling pool for the last ten days, many real news stories have remained  hidden from citizen nz.

I know that is hardly earth shattering  as the vacuous unquestioning airheads who are employed to report the news do not even have a rudimentary grasp on the meaning of the word "News".
So much of their source is handouts from the  PR freeks of pollies,  businesses and managers of sports people.
Investigative effort is no longer a part,  research is either nonexistent or a quick scan of wikipedia,  verification is an obsolete word, and ignorance, ratings and budgets dominate the activity of news rooms.

Todays Questions for oral answer was in a word pathetic as a curtain raiser for the tragics awaiting the closing act of the short political life  of Arron Gilmore.
The man at the center front of what passes for news, put in a very strong effort that if he is sincere in, will be a good foundation for whatever rehabilitation he can find. The words of forgiveness, and expressions of loyalty to his party and leader along with the acceptance that he is the author of most of his fall from grace are a strong base for a rebuild. His words of scorn to the media hacks were a small salve for his fragile  feelings.

One jarring note amongst the day of political tragedy, was the performance of the leader of Her majesty's loyal opposition.  At a time when events had a fellow member making his traumatic exit  with the drama, sadness and accompanying tragedy,  the wool gatherer in a moment that was devoid of empathy, understanding, or feelings for a man on his knees, talked with undisguised glee on his face, about popcorn and coke.
Where there might have been an inkling of gravitas, humility, or dare I suggest an aura of the statesman,  the sad little mangoskin tosser could only gloat over the ending of a political career, an ending that he had absolutely no part in bringing about. 
He must have been more than a little dismayed at how the exit unfolded.
His facetious effort spoke volumes about the man who is presented to the sheeple as the great saviour.

It portrayed the total unsuitability of that nonentity as a potential Prime Minister.

The wrong solution to overseas ownership

I heard a story on the radio news driving into work this morning where a mortgage broker is suggesting limiting home ownership to NZ residents to limit skyrocketing prices in Auckland.  She said overseas bidders at auctions are outbidding us, and pushing up prices.

Dear Client

You can still bid at the auction and become the beneficial owner of the property, if not the legal owner.  My advice to you is to enter into a acknowledgement of trust with your friend/family member who is a NZ resident that says they hold the property on trust for you, and a direction to transfer to beneficiary is also signed, but held in escrow.  This direction can be actioned at any time, should the need arise.  Your interest as beneficial owner can be protected through a caveat on the title.  That way, you don't become the legal owner, and the NZ resident rule does not apply.  

That is one solution.  Another is to quit worrying about wealthy overseas bidders and start focusing on how we can match them, by becoming wealthier ourselves.  Whatever rule you put in place will be got around. 

That is absolutely certain.

Comment moderation as a panic button

Just for the record, and for anyone who might contemplate commenting there, the reason Martyn Bradbury has comment moderation enabled on The Daily Blog is so he can delete the embarrassing ones before anyone sees them (this will come as a great shock to those familiar with his previous work, I'm sure).  Nice example on this thread, in which I apparently retire in shame after receiving a stern rebuke.  It's not the only one. The blog should make a nice echo chamber for him soon enough.

A link to the post in the example, so that this shows up in the Daily Blog's pingbacks.

SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS,

Ignorance otoh breeds further ignorance.

Flushed with the results of his act of sabotage on the NZ economy, in cahoots with the wool gatherer, The XXXX wetback canetoad is now  promising to stop the "free" conference center for Auckland that will be largely paid for by overseas gamblers, WHEN HE IS ELECTED NEXT YEAR!!!

How will he find the money for this latest brainfart  (it will be expensive and just as difficult to implement)? why he will just print it stupid.

Opposition to what more and more appeals as a great deal, comes from his equally economically stunted m8 in another inane suggestion that it will only increase problem gambling.

Sheesh where do they get such monumentally stupid thinking from, oh thats right from discussions in the ever shallower puddle that accommodates NZ Labour.

How about Lotto and Big Wednesday, toss in the TAB and scratchies plus the largely immeasurable offshore based online gambling, you incomplete (read no brain) numpty.

The heavily scrutinised, filmed and audited activity in a casino gives far far more opportunity for control, identification and treatment of problem gamblers.

All the other opportunities listed above cause so much misdirected spending among those who can least afford to participate, who almost certainly never go near a casino.

This stupid attack on the antichrist will be supported to the hilt by the great unwashed, if only because the ignorant complicit media shouted their version of the facts to the heavens.

I warrant the burghers of Dunedin now wish the Forsyth Barr White Elephant had been so financed.

Ah well back to work I guess, that is where my humble 'success' was formed and nurtured.

IT WAS REALY JUST ANOTHER DRY.

However the effects were very marked and will seriously impact on production for up to two years, maybe longer.

However a couple of factors made it possibly a worst in living memory event.

Firstly it was  the most widespread dry, geographically, in my recollection.

Secondly it occurred at a time where much of the primary production is now on a mono practice system.

Kind of "perfect storm" scenario.

Before Irrigation altered farming practice, dairy concentrated on areas of high rainfall for summer pasture production.
Cropping similarly on heavy fertile soils.
Sheep on drier areas.
Mixed farming on areas separating these defined zones.
Yes that is a generalisation but fact based

Accompanying the very high costs of irrigation development and running/maintenance, much of current farming is now single facet production.

Dairy farms that 50 years ago might have a small piggery, a few sheep and or beef cattle that could be dropped out in an adverse season.
Cropping farms had a flock of breeding sheep that spread risk in the face of price or climate adversity.
Sheep farming had a stocking conservatism built in to the production target.

Today many Dairy farms are 100% turning grass into milk. Replacement stock leave at 4 days old to be raised by a rearer then onto a grazier and only return to the factory after lactation commences with the first calf. Many dairy units destock at drying off in Autumn and do not return stock till the cow calves in late winter/spring.  Supplements are produced off farm and it is only when the grass slows or stops as happened this year that the 'D' word enters the equation.

Fixed costs of irrigation result in such concentrated activity and most production is geared to very few options that are difficult to vary in the face of changing circumstance.

The 2012/13 dry was the most widespread event I recall, denying easy transfer of stock to another area. Purchase of supplements and the mono approach left very little room for manoeuvre for nearly all operations.

I am not attacking where farming has arrived at today but after a season where the dry has caused deeper and more marked outcomes, thought must be given to more protection and forward planning.

I farmed some horrendous drys in the early seventies but survived, profitably with large volumes of buried silage, diversion of cash crop grain to stock maintenance and through a spread risk profile from flexibility.

Today many Canterbury cropping farms do not even have boundary fences let alone internal barriers.

On the other hand what a marvelous summer, just like the olden days.

The facts can be so ordinary.

 However they can be meaningful when revealed.


When the Gilmore saga launched just over  a week ago, my gut feeling was that Andrew Riches actions had a distinct ring of 'reasonable' about them.

Today those reactions were basically proved correct to me,  in an innocent and spontaneous conservation with somebody close to the Riches family, a relationship stretching back over 50 years and 3 generations.

Andrew Riches is one very decent bastard who, confronted by Gilmores's appalling behavior did what any decent bastard would do.

Apologise to the wait person, just doing his job in the face of a total fuckwit's arrogance and inappropriate actions, apologise in as much as he, Riches, was part of the group who were tainted by Gilmore's behavior.

Faced with Gilmore's attempt to shift responsibility away from himself, Riches made attempts to clarify only to have the arrogant prick, Gilmore,   dig a deeper hole.

My info is as follows.

Andrew Riches grandfather is blue collar, ex pow, WW2, and a man of honour.

Andrew's dad Malcolm died suddenly when Andrew  was 5 years old from a sudden death probably heart related in his early 40s. The boy made the emergency call while his mum attempted to resuscitate Malcolm.

Andrew was awarded a scholarship to Christs College, triggered by the untimely death of his Dad and he has made every attempt to make that benefit worth something.

Andrew has had connections to National through young Nats, explaining his attendance at Hanmer Springs

Malcolm Riches gave many of his productive years in the service of St John Ambulance, a significant amount of which was unrewarded materially.

Andrew Riches, who in the aftermath of the whole sordid affair is potentially more damaged by Gilmore's subsequent actions than anyone should reasonably bear.

 Some ignorant commenters here and elsewhere have cast aspersions on Andrew Riches actions and motives that have such a gulf with reality as to be unconscionable.

That it took Gilmore over a week to make any meaningful  restitution, welcome as it is, does very little to address the damage he has inflicted on a decent good bastard.

For that, Andrew can I offer my sincere sympathy and grateful thanks for standing up for what I  and most other decent bastards regard as right.
Your actions then and subsequently have a reassuring quality of the good, the  honourable and the correct that I hope would mirror mine.
My gut feelings were apparently pretty accurate

Disclaimer, I have never met Andrew Riches, his immediate or extended Family but there is much to be admired in that group of New Zealand citizens.
I am and have never had, any material connection to the NZ National Party.

Number of the day

68,600,000.

That's the amount of money the Greens, Labour and NZ First have to find with each 10c rise of the MRP share price (to buy them back).  That's on top of the $1.72 Billion they originally cost, and which will also have to be found by that government.

I might keep a running tally.  The current price is $2.63.  There are 686,000,000 shares listed in the minority 49%  So far, they have to find $1,804,180,000 (One Billion Eight Hundred and Four Million One Hundred  and Eighty Thousand dollars).

Good luck with that, idiots.

The buyback, and the renationalisation will never happen.

UPDATE: I have remembered that Winston First will only pay the price we paid on listing - $2.50.  So for each 10c rise, that's actually $68,600,000 lost out of investors pockets.  That's even worse than the government borrowing or stealing from Kiwisaver funds to pay for it!! 

MMP IS TOO OFTEN FOUND WANTING.

My philosophical opposition to the current proportional electoral system in use in NZ, is no secret.

The Gilmore saga is just another exposure of the total lack of accountability MMP delivers when a person delivered a seat with all the perks and privileges accompanying,  can fail so spectacularly yet face no threat to that exalted status.

Gilmore has become a total arse as a "list" MP is disastrous enough.

A system where neither the party or its parliamentary wing can sanction a member bringing such incompetence, unsuitability,  disloyalty and electoral baggage on board  is bad enough but that a polished turd can adorn the caucus room is beyond the pale.
Here is a man (advisedly)  who has lost the confidence of his leader, due not to his original alcohol fueled response to a person who under current licencing law may suffer sanction and or have  employment  abruptly ended, for failing to cease serving further alcohol to an impaired patron,  but for Gilmore's inability to address his appalling behavior and suitably make amends  and all  accompanied with a rather convoluted view of basic honesty, decency, morality and how most consider an MP should behave.

Maybe the only solution is to have anyone seeking candidature for  an electorate tilt and or a List place must also be required to hand to the party officials an undated but duly signed letter of resignation and a  witnessed acceptance letter authorising  the caucus /leaders discretion to action it.

It was a widely rumoured fact that before the late Keith Holyoake would consider appointing anyone to cabinet they had to comply with a similar pact.

When one in such a senior position as Homepaddock, aka Ele Ludemann, South Island regional Chair, and one of the selection panel who raised this twerp to his place in the party in 2008,  is so moved to pen her open letter to the plonker to "just go", it seems such a need exists when the said plonker refuses to honour his loyalty to the party with two bent fingers.

Clearly there will be precious little interest in anyone else moving to bring such deadweights to book so maybe the parties need to bring their own solution to bear.

The Public Health System

 Adolf has been through the mill.  I have endured more tests in the last two months than the Australian cricket eleven.

Torn shoulder tendon:

Cotizone jab
Ultrasound scan
Physio

Suspected heart attack

ECG
Echocardiagramme
CT scan
Angiogramme - all clear

Hearing

Two hearing tests and hearing aids

Sight

Optometrist test and new reading glasses

All in all, Adolf has been called upon to pay the princely sum of $800 for all of the above and there was no delay or waiting period for any of the procedures.

All in all, I reckon the full cost of this package must have been close to $40,000.

So Adolf asks, WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU PAY FOR HEALTH INSURANCE?

This experience kinda vindicates my advice to clients, during the last years of my insurance practice, to drop health insurance and focus on other more important calamities such as death and disability.

Wednesday fun

Those on the left who couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery; couldn't find a shoe in a shoe store blah blah blah are still trying to get the extra 16,500 votes to get them over the line.

Let's help them out.

Download the form here.  Put as many names and addresses on as you can, and send it back to Roy Reid, whose address appears at the foot of the page.

Names such as Mary Magdalene, Maxwell Smart, Clark Kent, Phil Clinton, Norman Russell, Daniel Boon et al.  And addresses such as 16 Oxford Terrace, Devonport, will go a long way to helping them (us).  For the unitiated, that address is a block of public conveniences.

Yippee!

Headline needs work

Front page of the Dominion Post this morning:

Capital a dying city says prime minister

That headline needs changing - it should really say something like "No idea how to do my job says prime minister."

I much preferred the version of this article that greeted us at 7am, before the PM started trying to weasel his way out of having not only said that Wellington is dying, but also that he has no idea what might be done about it.

Zen Tiger's already commented on the visionary CEO-style leadership qualities displayed by the PM in this story.  I'm unsurprised by it myself - it's always been obvious that Key's interest in being PM has focused on simply being PM, rather than actually achieving anything beyond photo opportunities with celebs and having an entourage.  It was clear from the policy objectives he expressed back in 2008, in which the focus was to be on closing the pay gap with Australia and thereby encouraging expats to return to NZ - this to be achieved by, er, helping employers drive down pay and conditions in NZ.  It was a goal scarcely less laughable then than it is now, so expectations of the man weren't exactly high.  He's certainly lived down to them.

While She Still Breathes - Just

Here is Adolf's tribute to Julia Gillard upon the event of her premature death or electoral defeat, whichever comes first.

LUDDITE SOMETIMES IS INADEQUATE.

Caught a little of The Nation on Sat morning where Smalley had  Far North Mayor Wayne Brown and Wanganui Mayor Annette Main, in to discus ways to grow their local economies. This in the light of a preceding interview with Mr Joyce.

Talk was about further processing of timber, tourism and mineral extraction.

Then Smalley brought in "an economic spokesman" from the union movement (was it Conway?) who jumped in with a plea to bring back manufacturing as a solution.

Where does that Guy live?

Does he ever look to see where goods he buys are Made?  Does he have even the smallest idea why virtually all will be made in China, maybe Viet Nam, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh?

That is reality 2013, muppet!  Save your use of rubbish unsustainable claptrap for a tame meeting of the thick.  Please don't insult the thinking who might watch what passes for current affairs, in the vain hope of searching for edification.

Had he said something about design, innovation, research and development, practical solutions then yes we can and do accomplish those things but to get the resulting creation made, assembled and shipped it will not be in NZ.  MANUFACTURING is not an option.  We are too small as a market, too far from world markets and our cost structures prohibit such dreamworld solutions.

If manufacturing is the answer, it was a monumentally stupid question along with the answer.

"Do you know who I am" not the worst

From Granny:

The Ovendens rented the property from Dickinson but in November, Gilmore wrote telling them he appreciated they were "good tenants" but they had to be out by January 7 because the trust wanted the property for the summer.

Can't count - 90 days past November, even 1 November, is not 7 January.

An email from Dickinson's lawyer to Ovenden's, Anthony Whitcombe, said Gilmore did not represent the trust, his communication could be ignored and the Ovendens could stay.

Acts without authority and as a renegade.

But on March 28, Gilmore wrote giving the Ovendens 90 days' notice.

Summer has ended, yet still can't count.

He said he would inspect the property in early April. He also instructed them not to correspond any further with Dickinson who, he said, had resigned as a trustee and beneficiary of his trust and had no remaining responsibility for the property.
However, property records show she still owns a share of the house.

Doesn't know the law and contradicts Dickinson's lawyer's account of things.

In an email dated April 2, Gilmore told Whitcombe he was considering ensuring "all property owners in the Lake Ohau village are provided a full reference of the type of tenant that Craig is in lying and not following tenancy agreements".

Stupid, ungrammatical emails.

On April 5, he wrote to Whitcombe again, saying the Ovendens had agreed to move out and he had a recording of the discussion.

Breaks the law and tells the opposing lawyer about it in an email.

He then told him: "Please refrain from continuing to making [sic] yourself look foolish."

More stupid ungrammatical emails with poor spelling.

These are six reasons why Gilmore must go.

No MP, let alone a National MP, should be this dumb.

GRENADE OR DAMP SQUIB?

The major flip flop announced by Mr Shearer and written by his new  XXXX wet back commy mate has impacted in the partial float of Mighty River Power.

To those who were sufficiently economically literate and had chosen to invest or decline, there appears to have been minor alteration in response.

Sadly though the attempt to involve new entrants from the ranks of those with small savings but a policy of avoiding investing in shares for any of many very real impediments,  it appears to have frightened the horses.
Here was a tremendous opportunity for "savers" with a nestegg to put $1000 into a utility without need of a sharebroker or finangle 'advisor' in an almost watertight investment opportunity, along with a promise of bonus shares, dividends, an appreciation of risk and reward and a window through which to view how shares fluctuate.


Hell no said the socialists and their moronic supporters  who saw only an opportunity to lob a couple of explosives into the small chance of  an increase in financial understanding, leaving many questioning "why".

Thinking people to a one saw the mindbogglingly stupid play for exactly what it was, sabotage! and yet another vote buying bribe

For me their move has made the investment cheaper per share.

For NZ Inc they have denied all citizens maybe 1/2 a billion dollars  just dissolved in the risk profile
.
One major legacy partial privatisation delivers,  that has been glossed over or completely ignored, is that with 49% in shareholders hands, any repeat of a government harvesting dividends to replace govt revenue has a large stumbling block of transparency in its path.
Moving the dollars gained to schools etc added to that sanction. Remember the 72% power cost increase, Clark's Government "harvested".

For patriots who have seen many millions of savings disappear into the ether, this clusterf**k brings back a genuine distrust of money markets  and puzzling behavior of fraudsters, to the mind of the timid.
There is an abyss of knowledge in matters financial among many of the voting public and I for one wonder if an added incentive for the crass economic ploy was in part to maintain that ignorance.

All the dreamtime talk of "saving a household a basic Lotto ticket per week", dressed up in caring fancy wrapping without any divulging as to where the transferred costs would fall or any mention of the accompanying lunatic ETS costs, will have gone completely over the heads of those who see "The Finance Market" as a jungle where people get screwed.
Many of us know the big player in such overweening usury, it is that caring manipulative institution "Big Government" that does much of the screwing and there aint nothing pleasant about it.

RESEARCH YES, ONYA TIZZA.

Peter Fitz Simons is an ex Wallaby who these days writes a regular column for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Many will have seen a different effort from Peter Fitz around ANZAC Day when he did a doco on "The White Mouse" aka  Nancy Wake a renowned member of the french resistance,  the Marquis, a subject dear to his heart as in her declining years he wrote a biography on that truly remarkable woman.

One of his latest efforts connects with a rising awareness of brain injury from successive concussions suffered by people in high impact sports .
It follows the comparatively early death of an ex First grade Manly rugby player Barry 'Tizza' Taylor from 20 years ago who apparently had little regard for any possible damage he maybe accumulating in a career of total commitment to contact rugby from the side of the scrum, and who severe dementia brought down at the age of 52.

Tizza's last years were punctuated by increasing short term memory loss and mood swings including short temper and verbal violence.

The question of such debilitating outcomes is increasingly being studied in American Football, League, NHL, Rugby and other high impact sports. The ARL have just outlawed the "shoulder Charge" and Rugby officials have instituted a test for onfield concussions immediately after an incident.
A recent item on local TV highlights the problems being endured by Auckland and AB halfback, Steve Devine.

Many Rugby followers have heard anecdotal evidence of players who remember nothing of a game after being KOd and 'playing on'.

Well Fitzy, after some gentle persuasion, got Tizza's widow to permit the surgical removal of the dead man's brain and having it sent to Boston University who are doing major research on such injuries and the sad legacy they leave in certain players.

When TV in search of ratings, play features of such impacts in "smash em bro"," the weeks greatest hits", and any player wanting to get to the top must master the debilitating offensive tackle as a weapon, avoidance, mitigation, protection and treatment needs to get with it and fast.

The closing sentence from Peter Fitz summs up well
" you made an impact on Rugby mate perhaps we can find out what impact rugby had on you".

Electoral Suicide

This week saw two cases of political self immolation.  One on the right and, just for balance, another on the left.

First, let me present the National Party jerk, Aaron Gimore, a self styled 'important person' who should be known to every wine waiter in the land.

Adolf can just imagine his conversation with the PM:-

'Good morning Aaron.  Tell me, what's it like to be an important person?  ................................'

He will be rewarded with list place number 122 in a 121 seat parliament.

Then, for good measure, I give you Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Twee who, between them, handed John Key the next election by way of their electricity nationalization policy..

David Farrar blogged on the latest Roy Morgan poll but he made the rare and uncharacteristic error of including Winston in his equation even though NZF's party vote was only 4.5%.  Here is the corrected result.  National and Dunne could govern alone by appointing Peter Sharples as Speaker - which would clear up a bit of a mess in the Maori Party at the same time.

Party name	Party Votes won	Party seat entitlement	No. of electorate seats won	No. of list MPs	Total MPs		% of MPs
Green Party	11.00%	14	0	14	14		11.48%
Labour Party	31.50%	41	20	21	41		33.61%
Mana	1.00%	1	1	0	1		0.82%
Māori Party	1.50%	2	4	0	4	*	3.28%
National Party	46.50%	61	30	31	61		50.00%
United Future	0.50%	1	1	0	1		0.82%
Totals	92.00%	120	56	66	122		100.00%

UN-F##KING-BELIEVABLE!!!

From the "Mirror".



Two mental health professionals went to the home of a patient who told them he had taken sleeping pills and set up a noose but couldn't face using it.

One nurse went upstairs and VIEWED the noose, suspended with a stool beneath.

The nurses left the man, who had a serious history of self harm including a suicide pact with a lover  resulting in the survival of the patient and the lover dead, alone at home after gaining "an ASSURANCE he would not use the noose".

One nurse claimed he could not remove the danger due to HIS disability and the excuse offered by the second was, "he could not touch property of the patient under NHS rules". They both departed the scene having done their duty, pfft.

Following the successful suicide, if that is the right word, involving the aforementioned noose, the two idiots have lost their jobs. Is that all??!, how about manslaughter or at the very least gross negligence or failure of providing care, if only to give greater exposure of what is actually crass stupidity.

Political correctness, patients rights, patient safety, privacy empowerment, ethics, humanity, fiduciary duty.
There exist a plethora of buzwords employed in current training for all such carers but they amounted to a big fat zero in this sad case. The poor bugger still topped himself.

Perhaps trainers, managers and employers need to take a massive step back to a simpler world of very basic human behavior.  Anyone with an IQ greater than their shoe size could see tragedy writ large in that scene.
That such an inane mindset could perpetrate that response indicates serious deficiencies in a world that expends energy and time in rewriting training manuals that often only change aims and outcomes in negative ways, merely to justify a  job that more and more exists without purpose or progress, yet so often results in unbelievable inadequacy and in this case tragedy.

DAME SUSAN CANNOT BE THE WORST.

There has been a chorus of condemnation of the appointment of New Zealand icon, Mother, many times world squash champion and seemingly all round good bastard Dame Susan Devoy as Race Relations Commissioner.

A perusal of that criticism and its sources very quickly indicates the shallowness of its very existence.

A read of the people who have occupied the role, as Conciliator in the beginning then morphing into a full (maybe that should be fly) blown commissioner.

First up Guy, later Sir Guy Powles, sartorially  immaculate, well spoken consummate public servant.
Harry Dansey, Harry who?
Hiwi Tauroa, reasonably normal Maori,  gave the role relevance to many with a down to earth approach.
Chris Laidlaw, ex all  black, sometime scholar but more relevant, a socialist coat-tail grasper, failed politician and very ordinary broadcaster albeit politically correct with a dollop of socialist bias.
Gregory Fortuin, socialist hack, ex Saffa ( classified colored by the original apartied set up), now that would be a great addition as to how NZ works in the third millenium who seemed to have a large gap, realitywise, in his approach when dealing with what is becoming a marvelous opportunity to really enjoy a status with little demand on productivity but endless opportunity for travel.

The nonentity preceding Dame Susan, one Joris de Bris, lost any remaining credibility with middle New Zealand for the "role" with a succession of inane responses to perceived racism that reached a high (low) point when possibly one of the most racist New Zealanders, John Hadfield aka Hone Harawira MP suggested that many citizens of European extraction were indulging in sexual relations with their mothers and such an outrageous statement "WAS NOT RACISM".
There was also among other efforts a serious threat as to an unfortunate likely outcome if a daughter of his  brought a 'pakeha' partner home. Being a Maori Bully he cannot be racist????

Now I have little knowledge or awareness of what Dame Susan will bring to the role of R R C, but her published persona suggests it may come with a goodly component of common sense, and if we need such a trough for occupation then that will give much  potential for improvement.

Apart from the need for many of the naysayers to get another glimpse in the limelight I cant help but wonder if Dame Susan's appointment has closed one more opportunity for a sinecure that many useless people see as their divine right for a sabbatical.

Go getem Dame Suzie the pay will be better than selling spa pools on TV and who knows you may turn out to be one of the best. Not a lot to beat though.

J'accuse

I have just sent off my cheque for shares in Might River Power.    While it is perfectly OK to oppose a decision of Government which was a central plank of its election campaign, is economic vandalism to set out to deliberately wreck a share float offer with a policy (if that's the word) designed nothing more than to depress the worth of the offer and claim some sort of vindication from that ... and who benefits?   Certainly not the economy and certainly not taxpayers.

Why not ... because the sale is going ahead and the only thing it will achieve is (1) to reduce the money likely to be received by Government from the partial share float, money which has been pledged to be ploughed back into infrastructure, money that will now have to be borrowed from o'seas lenders and (2) to cause disinvestment in the energy industry with the likely downstream effect of power shortages (brownouts) and (3) to reduce the dividend payable to to Government (read the taxpayer) from those companies where it has a financial interest.

No matter that the policy has been universally panned.   It has been dreamed up by economic illiterates whose mantra is to oppose economic development of whatever shape or size and whose political nirvana is to see New Zealand match Tasmania as a failed state.   A state where investment is a dirty word ... a state whose unemployment rate exceeds that of NZL. 

And their big policy idea along with the effective nationalising of the power industry is to print money as the way forward.

The drift of New Zealanders to Australia is slowing as the realities of the disastrous economic policies of the Labor Government there start to bite home.   It will accelerate again if these economic illiterates here ever again get their grubby hands on the leavers of power.

The Labour Party is being led by the nose by the Greens and right now it's not a case of 'jump' but 'how high sir'.  

The last Labour/Winston First Government squandered 8 years of surpluses, none of their own doing.   One shudders to contemplate just how they would cope in a world where there has been a paradigm shift away from borrow and hope.    

SAY THAT AGAIN

Susan Wood sitting in for Hosking this morning referred to Robertson as the "acting MP".

Freud ?

WHAT PRICE A SNAP ELECTION?

Labour's extraordinary lurch to the totalitarian left, evinced by its foolhardy announcement of nationalization of the electricity industry, locked in The Greens successful takeover of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition which may now be described charitably as The Gutless led by The Godless.

Reading between the lines, it is becoming apparent that internal polling is showing the electorate is not amused and the next batch of public polls will tell us whether that is so.  Adolf expects  the gurus in the National Party might well consider the possibility of calling a snap election.

What are the risks?  What are the benefits?

The only risk is that an election goes the wrong way and puts the Stalinist economic saboteurs in charge of the treasury benches.

The benefits, economically and politically are significant.

Politically, the chance of a National Party victory with 50% of the party vote would be high.  Our experienced risk assessor PM at this moment must be carefully weighing the odds.

Economically, such a victory would put paid to the saboteurs and would revitalise the partial asset sales programme, restore the value of (a) New Zealanders' Kiwisaver accounts, (b) the ACC investment portfolio, (c) the Cullen Fund portfolio and (d) countless small investors' portfolios.

Such an scenario should make for relatively easy campaigning.  National simply needs to revive Muldoon's dancing Cossacks.  The only difference being this time the Cossacks are already here and they have faces.  The faces of Norman, Meturia, Shearer, Robertson and the rest of their Labour drop kicks.

If a snap election is called, just remember, you saw it here first.