FATWA No. 64

I guess it is encouraging to see IS moving from the 13th into the 14th century with the promulgation of Fatwa 64 here regarding the treatment of female slaves.

I have no idea whether similar fatwas exist covering the treatment of male slaves or even perhaps 'beheading for beginners'.

sigh.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ... HON DARREN HUGHES. AN OCCASIONAL SERIES

Darren Hughes once described himself as 'the son that Helen Clark never had'.    He was referring to their close relationship and the fact that she 'mothered' him when he first entered parliament as the Member for Otaki in 2002 as a 22 year old.

In 2005 he was reelected to the seat with the countries smallest majority (382) and in 2007 he was made a Minister outside of Cabinet where he held the Statistics portfolio. In 2008 he lost his seat but returned to the House as a List MP where he was Labour's Transport spokesman and also their Senior Whip.   Later he was given the Education portfolio and also served as Shadow Leader of the House.

In March 2011 his parliamentary career came to an abrupt end when he was subject to a complaint made to the police by an 18 YO male following an alleged incident at Annette King's house where Hughes was living at the time.   Witnesses reportedly saw the complainant naked and distressed outside the house in the early hours of the morning. Hughes denied any wrongdoing and later offered to resign from Parliament but was initially dissuaded from this by Phil Goff.   A day latter Goff changed his mind and Hughes was gone.    Three months later the police announced that they did not not have sufficient evidence that would allow them to press charges.

Hughes initially tried to gain employment at the UN following the footsteps of Helen Clark but in 2011 he relocated to the UK as the Campaigns and Research Director for the Electoral Reform Society.   In  2013 he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive of the Society.

AN EXAGGERATED SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT

Tiz the season for non-stories.    This one here where an Oz TV reporter got all shitty with Jetstar because they refused to give her a free upgrade to Business Class on a flight between Bangkok and Sydney because she had a snapped Achilles tendon.   Instead, she was allocated a seat to the front of the aircraft with the seat beside her left empty to give her additional room.    She should count her self lucky with that.

My knowledge of the airline industry is fairly limited but I do a fair amount of air miles and you get to be fairly friendly with check-in staff who tend to remember you.  Their stories are legend about people who present demanding upgrades for all sorts of reasons (many clearly manufactured).   As I understand it airlines aren't in the business of giving free upgrades to casual customers and limit them to regular users under reasonably strict criteria and I can sympathize with that.

Jetstar is a budget airline and you are flying no frills.   You get what you pay for ... end of story.

Further on in the story there is mention of another disgruntled passenger who was allocated a seat in economy class close to the loo and crew area.   Again, you pay your money and take your chance.     Most airlines (including Jetstar) offer 'seat select' for a few extra dollars.     Take that option and you control your own destiny.   Don't and don't whinge because someone has to sit there.

CAUGHT WITH HIS FINGERS IN THE HONEY POT

The perception of our diplomats serving abroad as models of rectitude is generally well founded but, as with every 'profession', the occasional black sheep distinguishes themselves.

Noel Clark was 34 when, in 1977, he posted to our embassy in Moscow as the Trade Commissioner with full diplomatic clearances and a brief to expend our trade with the then Soviet Union.  Clark had a background in economics and fisheries and was generally considered to be an 'up and comer' in the service.    At that time the so called 'cold war' was full on and, while New Zealand was a small fish in the espionage game, if the KGB could obtain access to the cipher equipment and codes in the embassy this was intelligence gold as they could be used to gain classified information from both the UK and the USA.

In spite of a generous living allowance Clark was looking for a sideline to boost his salary. His plan was simple. He traded on his privileged status as a diplomat to buy large amounts of sought-after 'D-coupons' used as currency in special duty-free stores to buy goods such as stereos, TVs and the like which were unavailable to ordinary Russians.   He then sold on-sold the coupons (which was illegal) for well over their face value to other foreigners who were not entitled to them and, in doing so, raked in large profits.   He wanted more.   He bought and sold four cars in spite of embassy rules restricting him to two only.   

All this time the Russians were watching and they decided to exploit his greed and so it was that Clark became the sprat with which the Russians hoped to land the big one.   The KGB secretly photographed Clark involved in a deal in which a package containing D-coupons was exchanged with one of their agents.   They confronted Clark with a prepared newspaper article and photographs which they said they would run in Pravda unless Clark agreed to spy for them.   Clark was known to senior Foreign Affairs staffers as having a remarkable capacity for thinking he could bluff his way out of a crisis.   At first he prevaricated but, when the KGB threatened to harm his family, he fronted up to the Ambassador and alerted him to what was happening.

The nest day Clark (and his family) were escorted to Sheremetyevo airport where they left on the first available flight.   They left in such a hurry that when embassy officials checked their apartment they found two rare and valuable icons left behind.   While it would have been illegal to export the icons they would have fetched a considerable sum sold overseas. 

Clark was debriefed by the SIS when he changed his story several times.   It is understood his bank accounts which grew to include one in California were never checked.    He was persona-non-grata in MFAT and instead worked for MAF in  a variety of senior management appointments before retiring to the Wairarapa where, no doubt, he reflects on what might have been.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ... JOHN KIRK MP. AN OCCASIONAL SERIES

History is replete with the stories of sons and daughters who never measured up to the standards of their parents.   And so it was with Norman Kirk's son John.  

He was parachuted into the Sydenham seat in 1974 aged 27 on the outpouring of grief that accompanied the death of his father and once there is remembered for nothing apart for a notable incident in 1976 when he entered the house drunk and proceeded to vomit over a back bench colleague.

In July 1983 he announced that he would not be contesting the 1984 election.   Labour selected Jim Anderton, the Party President,  as the candidate whereupon Kirk (a Lange supporter) declared he would stand against Anderton as an Independent.    His continuing opposition to Anderton's selection saw the Council of the Labour Party suspend him from the Party.   Thereafter he sat in parliament as an Independent.

In 1984 and while still an MP. Kirk skipped NZL owing $280,000.   He was arrested in the United States and imprisoned in Dallas for 102 days before being extradited back to NZL where he was charged under the Insolvency Act and sentenced to 4 months PD.

Thereafter the trail goes dead.


 

Friday's Fulminations

There is mild moderation.  Normal rules of blogger etiquette and courtesy to blog hosts will apply.with serious transgressors being thrown out.

Unfortunately our system does not allow your comments to show up in the blog post itself.  Just in the comments section.

Visitors might consider the wisdom of using moderate language.

Regards

Adolf

MEMO TO MR BROWNLIE - DON'T

The announcement yesterday that the Christchurch Cathedral could be restored for a mere $105m (insert Tui Ad) with the Anglican Church prepared to contribute up $30m as long as some nice people can pony up $75m set my alarm bells ringing.

I have a simple message for Mr Brownlie and the Government ... stay well clear of this.

The Anglican Church is not the 'established church' in the sense it is in England.   It has no special place in society over and above any other church.   Fund this and why not then the restoration of the Catholic Basilica; the Durham Street Methodist Church or the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church (totally destroyed) with the latter described by no less a person than the Cathedral's Dean as one of the city's 'iconic' churches.

Christchurch, being Christchurch, and I can understand the politics (with a small 'p') behind of all this but there is no way one church should be singled out for special taxpayer support.

Disclaimer ... this does not make me the Xmas Grinch.

NEWSFLASH - CRIMDOTCON GONEBURGER

The Kraut who tried to subvert our democratic process is on his way to the good ole US of A.

Hone, Laila and Minto along with sundry Labour, Green & Winston First politicians who beat their way to the doors of his Coatsville mansion will not be happy.

Many New Zealanders will be.   Nuff said.

Updated #1 ... his defense team have announced the decision will be appealed to the High Court.    Any appeal is restricted to points of law only. 

Updated #2 ... understand 'the man' wants to know if there is a Ecuadorean Embassy in 
Wgtn. 

Updated #3 ... sad (but entirely expected) that Hone H should be sourced to give his opinion on the decision.   According to him there in no justice in NZL.   This from someone who sold his Mana to crimdotcon for thirty pieces of silver.   He has no creds, no creds at all except to a small bunch of rag tag true believers who believe that John Frum is alive and well and good mates with Hone.   

Two More Prebyterians Arrested

You can tell by their names they are Presbyterians.

Police will allege two Sydney men arrested this morning by counter-terrorism police were planning possible attacks on a range of targets, including the Navy base at Garden Island on Sydney Harbour.

The men, 24-year-old Abdullah Salihy from Merrylands in the city’s west and Mohammed Almouie, 20, from the southwest suburb of Bankstown, were arrested at home. Both are expected to be charged and will appear in court today.

But, of course, we must not upset these dear petals by singing evil Christmas carols.

KNOCK ME DOWN WITH A FEATHER

I have said a number of times that the only blogger on the 'left' that I have any time for is Chris Trotter.   We have met occasionally. He is, without doubt, 'old Labour' and proud of it.    His writings on Bowalley Road are thoughtful and without rancor.   In short, I'd enjoy discussing life with him over a beer (or a chardonnay).  

But you could have knocked me down with a feather to read his article here where he names Bill English as his politician of the year.   

Not sure how they go about excommunication on planet left.

It's Come To This

I see the Labor gummint in Victoria has banned the singing of Christmas carols in state schools.

Yes, they are deemed offensive, or so it seems.

This is the same Labor gummint which, on achieving office, reneged on a contract to build a much needed ring road in Melbourne and paid out close to HALF A BILLION dollars to the contractor by way of compensation.

Thus may be seen the true genius of socialism, where no price is too high to build no roads.

ANDREW LITTLE - FLIPPER OR FLOPPER

I guess there are a number of things to be taken out of Andrew Little's Damascus like conversation regarding the need for New Zealand to become actively involved in the Syrian conflict ... and none of them overly good. 

First there is his taking of 'utu' against Phil Goff who only two weeks ago was warning against any possible involvement.     No Government or Opposition Party has ever had their defense spokesthingy ranked as low as Goff is (last) and Little's musings have cut the ground from under his feet and left him hanging high and dry.

Second and I know that Little's knowledge of defense matters is about on a par with my knowledge of the machinations of the union movement but to suggest that the SAS could be deployed in a training role is to completely misunderstand the role of special forces. Their expertise is clandestine operations and it is a waste of their expertise to deploy them as 'trainers' when that job is better done by using regular troops (as in the case of the Iraq deployment where we are using soldiers from our two regular infantry battalions).

And I have to say the NZL government should think very carefully before committing ground forces of any shape or size to Syria.   This is a 'big boys' war involving both the US and Russia each with different objectives.   The potential for being caught up in a super-powers clash cannot be discounted.

Finally and I have to wonder the rationale for Little taking on the powerful anti-US wing of the Labour Party because, while he may be seeking to occupy the middle ground in this debate, he is taking on the anti-US wing of the Labour Party and with his polling as preferred PM at just 14% he may just be setting himself up for a fall.

p.s.   For any 'normal' US presidential contender an endorsement by President Putin would surely be the kiss of death but 'Chump' certainly ain't a normal presidential contender.

PIMPING FOR THE POOR

Already started ... the annual blitz by TV on the plight of the homeless allied with the increasing demand for food parcels from all and sundry ... of course the demand is increasing ... it's free and, like moths to the light-bulb, everyone and his dog wants a piece of the action ... like the lady who drove from Tuakau to Ak Central to pick up her parcel ... 120k round trip, $15 petrol plus parking to pick up a parcel worth?

Question ... can anyone point to a year in living memory where the demand for 'free' food parcels has decreased.

But let's put that to one side.   TV1 tonight featured those living rough in Auckland and what Xmas means for them.   My answer is simple.   We're importing casual labour from the pacific, the Philippines or wherever to work the pack-houses up here in the Far North, in the BOP, in Nelson Marlborough or wherever.    To them I say get off your sorry arse, get yourself up here, do an honest days work and then, and only then, if it all turns to custard, can you expect any sympathy from me.

Put simply, I am sick and tired of being accosted in central Auckland by people asking me to pony up $2 so as to enable them to indulge their chosen lifestyle.

And that goes for many in my part of the woods too.   You can live very well up here in the Far North on the benefit while supplementing the dole with some wacky baccy growing and 'illegal' fishing and that's a fact and only the most blind apologist for Hone or Minto or Sue B would argue otherwise. 

But nothing will change as TV scrambles to do what they always do come Xmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas to ALL our readers.

For the record I refuse to be part of this pc 'Happy Holidays' crap.

ps  .... are Xmas cards going the same way as the dear old cheque book?

What Happened To Confidentiality?

The Australian Tax Office has released the names of fifteen hundred large companies which paid no income tax last year.

Adolf wants to know why they were named.  The release of this information is disgraceful.  If they had said fifteen hundred of the countries largest companies paid no tax that might just have been OK.  It seems the ATO wants Australians to think these companies are bad guys.

However, there is no suggestion these companies have engaged in tax evasion.  (The writer of the article seem unable to discern the difference between avoidance and evasion.)  Just a populist slur to curry favour with the ignorant ferals who don't understand that if you make no profit you don't pay tax.

Of course, the intelligent reader will draw the correct conclusion.  The companies are operating within the law and the ATO is simply dead set useless at identifying tax evasion.

When you dig down into the article you find the following gems:

.....this:-

"“Some of these foreign owned companies are overly aggressive in the way they structure their operations.  We will continue to challenge the more aggressive arrangements to show that we are resolute about ensuring companies are not unreasonably playing on the edge. If they do, they can expect to be challenged.”"

This looks to me like code for 'we haven't been able to get any court decisions to go our way.'

....and:-

Mining companies, which are battling the hangover from the resources boom, and foreign-owned finance companies still carrying the wounds of the global financial crisis were the most likely to pay no tax.  However, the data also showed some companies in other sectors apparently operating on non existent or razor-thin profit margins.

 So there you go.  Another non-story from a bureaucrat who wants more funding to build a bigger empue.

VERY IMPRESSIVE PHOTO

CRAIG THOMSON ... DISGRACED LABOR MP

Finally it's the end of the line for the NZL (Wellington) born, disgraced Australian Labor Party MP, Craig Thomson, ordered to anti up AUD 485,000 for the misuse of funds during his time as head of the scandal plagued the Health Services Union.    The HSU represented the bottom end workers in the industry.   Thomson ripped off the most vulnerable in order to indulge his lifestyle.

On Monday the Federal Court ordered him to pay $80,050 to the Fair Work Commission covering the misappropriation of union funds for personal use including several visits to brothels; to pay $231,243 to the HSU in compensation plus another $146,937 in interest.

Thomson was the Federal Member for Dobell and Gillard and the ALP stood by him through thick and thin because he was their majority in Parliament.   He narrowly avoided being sent to jail last year after successfully appealing a decision in the Magistrates Court.   Instead he was fined $25,000 on a charge of theft.

The Australian union movement has a long history of corruption.  Back in NZL the union movement is far more fragmented and I suspect the opportunities for corruption are not so great as in Oz ... but?

     

FIGHTING BACK

Watch the video to see what happens when a group of Muslims in Texas buy land adjacent to a pig farmers property and then try and get the farmer to quit (or at least get rid of his pigs).

Just what possessed them to purchase the property in the first place beats the hell out of me.

IS THIS WHAT WE'VE COME TO?

Click here for the link to the NZ Gazette Notice Number 2015-go7246 Issue Number 135 of 10 December 2015 advising that the Registrar-General of Marriages, a Mr Jeff Montgomery, has designated the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster an approved organisation for the purpose of the Marriage Act 1955.

Words fail me.

HALLELUJAH !!!

The Prime Minister in a rare bit of forthright honest commentary has suggested that children living in an economically deprived situation, might be because the people who the morons want given even more money might just be spending the money needed to give their children a best possible start, on their  DRUGS !!

Blow me away who woulda thunk that

Jacinda Ardern is appalled and wants proof of the allegations.

Alls well in the Beltway.

Leighton Smith morning show on Newstalk ZB

A GRAPHIC REAL TIME WORKING EXAMPLE.

Mr Lomu  earned well above beneficiaries income levels over two decades then died in a situation  media are describing as "broke".

Yes he suffered health issues and dialysis while overseas may have been very expensive. V ery few people even those enduring the medical challenges Mr Lomu faced has mortality at the forefront of their planning.

If Dr Russell Wills, the imho failing "Children's Commissioner", believes throwing more money at those entrusted with giving their children a more equitable opportunity is the answer, then do a case study on the late Jonah Lomu.

I have no idea if an avaricious "church" in any way contributed to the parlous state of the financial affairs facing the two boys, nor do I know if the many  clearly too generous acts of philanthropy were to blame.
A passion for exotic cars could only be seen as extravagance along with three acknowledged domestic relationships accompanied by two divorces, a glaring picture of either no financial management and or total disassociation from economic reality becomes apparent.

Of course there is a compelling case for the Rugby Hierarchy to make a far better effort to assist testosterone overloaded young men, too often boys in real terms, to manage the sudden advance to having access to untold riches,  however that is entirely another matter.

More money is never the answer, more knowledge, counsel and education is the only way.
For every economic and social tragedy unearthed and given oxygen by a dysfunctional media there are thousands of caring, frugal, albeit possibly struggling family groups of all types and abilities doing a terrific job of raising children but of course they are never going to sell a tawdry rag or prime time infotainment masquerading as media.

To those who are of the opinion this post is in any way denigrating or disrespectful  to the late Jonah Lomu, that is not my intention but the revelations of the state of his finances as published is too relevant as an example to the inanity that the profoundly misguided commissioner came out with this week.

RIP Jonah Lomu.

RIDDLE WRAPPED IN A MYSTERY INSIDE AN ENIGMA.

What would Mr Churchill say about things in the Pacific in 2015 ?

Kiribati, Tuvalu, and other Island Atolls are lining up for the largesse to compensate them for rising sea levels that man made global warming is going to deliver.
(Of course as Mi lord pointed out in a comment on my 'opinion' of the Great Claim Robbery planned during two weeks of troughing at Le Bourget, such an outcome for Atolls has so far been only a bloody Mirage.)

Meanwhile on the other planet, see you never knew that did you, the biggest emitter by many train loads of coal, China, is raising brand new islands in the South China Sea on the ridge that supports the Spratley Islands, long disputed by Philippines, Viet Nam and now mainland China yep the one most likely if you are a believer in the religious movement creating millionaires on a daily basis, to be spewing that horrid CO2 in increasing amounts on a daily basis into the atmosphere to raise my 0.4%.

I am assuming none of the Green Blondes at Le Bourget would assume that raising "new" Islands might just be a factor in the so far non existent rising sea levels.

Otoh my G & T does not raise its level as the ice melts while I slowly tap out another, what was it again, oh yes, "unresearched and questionable post"!

THE TALE OF TWO COURTROOMS

In Courtroom #1 helicopter pilot, Dave Armstrong, was convicted and fined $5,800 for flying p-i-c to rescue an injured hunter while his license was suspended.   You can access the story here.     It was generally agreed this was a life and death situation with the Wellington Rescue Helicopter prevented from reaching the site because of bad weather.

In Courtroom #2 an Auckland 'mother' (unnamed) was discharged without conviction after leaving her children in a house infested with maggots and cockroaches.   You can access the story here.   The summary of facts had it that the police arrived to find dozens of dirty nappies on the floor,  hundreds of cockroaches, rancid dishes, only one working light and little food, some of which had been left to rot and was covered in maggots.   The mother told the police she knew the house was a mess but that she was too busy to keep it clean because she worked at the hospital as ... wait for it ... a CLEANER.

I note the 'lady' was supported in court by a large contingent of family members who wept at her non sentencing.   Just where were they when all of this was taking place?

Dare I say differing standards for Papalangi vs Tongan and just why as justice is supposed to be color blind.    In respect of the former perhaps His Honour needs to be reminded of Harry Day's dictum, made famous by Sir Douglas Bader,  that 'rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men'.  

HEADLINE MANIPULATION

I was going to write about what I suspect was the final political poll for the year which saw National increase its share of the vote to well over 51% and Labour inch up 0.1% to 31% but I won't, except to say that the Maori Party will be pleasantly surprised with their 2.1% support.

So instead let's focus on what (if it were true) is the quite alarming headline in today's Herald here that almost one child in three in NZL was living in 'poverty'. Were that the case then I, for one, would be marching in the streets and Labour would be riding high in the polls, but it ain't.   Drill, down further into the article and you find that the number of children living in 'material hardship' which had increased from 14% in 2007 (under Labour) to 21% in 2011 (under National) has now dropped back to to the 2007 level.    

For most people, not pointy headed academics, the words 'poverty' and 'material hardship' mean much the same thing so are we to be forgiven for a degree of confusion?

I do agree that one child living in poverty is one too many but poverty is a relative term and, while the government has a part to play in helping to alleviate true poverty, it can never provide the total answer.  In the end it comes back to the individual.   I suspect Lindsay Mitchell would have some sage comment on that.

And in the meantime crap headlines from crap media rules OK.  

 

Gee That Worked Well Why Not Try This ?

A weekend with a reduced tolerance for speeding of 4kph and only seven (7) died.
At least  one of those deaths was a single driver crash on a gravel road where a speed trap would never action.
The resident Traffic safety guru National road policing manager Superintendent Steve Greally, claiming the speed blitz a success.

Hello Steve, is there anyone home, can you please relate the five fatal crashes with all the variables, to placing a speed gun at the end of a passing lane or at the bottom of a downslope on a straight stretch of Highway, with any one or all of those fatals.

So maybe the income will take a hit but hows about some hard nosed monitoring of the appalling general driving skills evidenced by anyone using our roads using motorcycle officers and mufti cars.
I drove the 80 kms from Harewood to Akaroa, SH 75, on Sunday afternoon and had I had 'Dashcam'  I would have had around six serious crossing centreline offences for no other reason than crap driving. Add in a couple of Yellow line violations and it was, well an interesting trip to put it mildly.

I am planning no travel next weekend so how about a trial of reducing open road to 60kph, urban to 35kph and see how your flawed theory is working, I have  $20  that says it will have absolutely no bloody effect other than statistical chance.
The Income generation modus is only alienating the precious little public support you have remaining with an increasingly disbelieving motoring public.
While you are at the research facility, some figures on the reduced alcohol levels around those caught between the old and new limits could be of interest to some.

So Glad Thats "Settled" !!

Fifty Thousand troughers descend on Le Bourget for a two week orgy of slurping, all paid for by long suffering taxpayers of  the rich nations and it was claimed a success.
Only by the participants and their socialist enablers while the productive souls who financed it all continued to toil away to make the next payment for Morocco.

The so called success was nowhere better illustrated than the rather poor quality smartphone film clip of the airheads in the media suite behaving like sports groupies after the popular team won the world cup, played by Chris Kenney on his "Viewpoint" show last night on Sky News. They were just so happy but should any independent journalist have inquired as to what they were so excited about there would have been a deafening silence.

So 187 national delegations with fifty thousand officials plus an undisclosed number of hangerons, plus another never revealed number of security staff, plus god only knows who else reached agreement to save the planet. Please do not mention the CO2 emitted during the two weeks of indulgence.

They have all agreed to a non binding consensus to limit carbon energy consumption in the vain hope to alter the current 0.4 percent of CO2 in the atmosphere that is consigning the planet to Armageddon.
Now that current 0.4% was around 0.18 % during the last ice age and upwards of 0.8% in an earlier warmer time.
Should the morons who are currently in denial of the untold benefits of abundant CO2 in the quest to make vegetation bloom and reduce desertification, manage to prevent a single tonne of coal, oil,  natural gas, and firewood from ever being burnt again they would only make minimal impact on the CO2 in the atmosphere. Things in people land, that is real people land wont go so well.
In total such a draconian act of lemmings rushing to the cliff edge, is not the largest factor in CO2 emissions that sustain the Carbon Cycle as just  with the disaster predictions of "oil spills" in the ocean, the earth is emitting naturally stored oil from the ocean floor 24/7. Likewise CO2 is escaping from all organisms with every exhalation and the trees are just standing there to get their bit before they die , sequester their carbon to be released sometime in the future.
That people is why it is called a cycle, god dammit.

There were benefits from the Le Bourget wankfest, think of all that CO2 they emitted, farting, burbing, crapping, flying, motoring, cooking, keeping warm, sitting in great light while dining and drinking, pity is they could have all done it at home, communicated by Facetime, Skype, Teleconferencing and spread the CO2 around the globe as nature intended.

There was no delegation  from our nearest star that 24/7 is generating energy with its massive nuclear power plant at a rate beyond the comprehension of all, and in particular the dumbarse swine at the swill trough.
One might wonder but not be at all surprised when the very variable activity of our source of life, as it surely will, will cause a rise or fall in the heat radiated and captured in minute measure by planet earth.
That transmission system is quite wasteful in that our little rock only receives a very minute bit of the created energy with its 360 degree in 3D every which way setup.
However the current super confidence tricksters will immediately have a settled science explanation for all those who are creating the wealth that sustains the con men and provides the largesse to fuel the bribery, will default to when the sun overdoes things or sends out a bit less as has been the case for the last two decades.

Meanwhile China, India, The USA, Russia, The EU will continue as before, the only changes will manifest in massive rorts, frauds, wealth accumulation, waste and corruption as the swine scrabble in the swill to get their share. Political leaders in every country can only dream about the untold riches to be garnered.

To sum up the latest effort at Le Bourget, nothing about particulates, fumes, and air pollution with deleterious health effects that dirty coal fired energy plants emit, while such plants increase in number by a weekly figure as more are built, nothing about harnessing Nuclear energy, nothing about deforestation, nothing about the underground peat fires, nothing about the total inanity of growing biofuel crops, nothing about wind generation killing birds including endangered species, nothing about consumption of rare earth minerals to build the alternative energy infrastructure, sorry Le Bourget 2015 was all about finding ways to advance the undoubtedly successful global campaign around coal, oil, and natural gas being taxed to pay the "Luvvies" what they undoubtedly are entitled to.

PHILIP JOHN SMITH - CONVICTED MURDERER & PAEDOPHILE

God loves a trier ... but I really think that Smith's lawyer, Tony Ellis, is pushing the envelope in attempting to have the escaping from custody charges against him dropped on the basis that the Brazilian Judge who ordered his deportation back to NZL had dementia and could not tell right from wrong and that therefore the deportation order was ultra varis.

If one was to accept the Ellis argument then I guess his next step would be to petition that Smith be sent back to Brazil ... and all this per courtesy of legal aid.

OK, I accept Smith's lawyer has a duty of care to represent his client to the best of his ability but this is an argument going nowhere.

Warming Up

We are in for a warm week, with maxima rising from 34 today to 44 on Saturday.

Saturday brings winds of 26 kph which, though not strong, represent a serious fire risk when coupled with high temperatures.

mary	Sun Dec 13		Mon Dec 14		Tue Dec 15		Wed Dec 16		Thu Dec 17		Fri Dec 18		Sat Dec 19
	Mostly sunny		Mostly sunny		Mostly sunny		Mostly sunny		Mostly sunny		Mostly sunny		Mostly sunny
Maximum	34°C		35°C		35°C		37°C		37°C		41°C		44°C
Minimum	11°C		14°C		16°C		17°C		16°C		17°C		23°C
Chance of Rain Likely Amount	20% < 1mm		80% 1-5mm		50% < 1mm		5% < 1mm		20% < 1mm		40% < 1mm		90% 1-5mm
UV Index	Extreme		Extreme		Extreme		Extreme
Frost Risk	Nil		Nil		Nil		Nil		Nil		Nil		Nil
	9am	3pm	9am	3pm	9am	3pm	9am	3pm	9am	3pm	9am	3pm	9am	3pm
Wind Speed Wind Direction	17km/h NE	22km/h WSW	14km/h ENE	16km/h W	16km/h E	14km/h SSW	17km/h S	18km/h SW	15km/h W	22km/h SW	16km/h SW	16km/h WSW	28km/h SSW	26km/h WSW
Relative Humidity	21%	12%	22%	14%	41%	22%	37%	19%	32%	16%	27%	12%	18%	17%

INTERESTING?

A few minutes ago I chanced to look 'backstage' at the blog to see where we were being accessed from at that point of time.   Here is the list by country in order of viewing numbers ....

Australia	84
New Zealand	47
United States	14
Sweden	6
Norway	4
Germany	3
Poland	2
Russia	2
France	1
United Kingdom	1

Oz at 1 is just a tad surprising (especially considering the time of day) but when I looked at the figures for the 24 hour period they drop back to second place behind NZL .

PARTY TIME

Time to reflect on the state of the Parties as we head off into the BBQ season.   Yep, of course I'm biased, but these are my honest opinions and I've tried to edit out my obvious prejudice toward National ... so, for what it's worth.

On National ... not a particularly stellar year for the government but they ended up riding high in the polls ... still ... and able to govern alone were those numbers to be translated to an election result. Bill English is the undisputed power behind the throne ... much in the same way that Cullen was to Clark.  He threw Little a sucker punch over the return to surplus and Little bought it hook, line and sinker and ended up looking stupid.    John Key continues to be John Key, human being with faults, and that is his strength.    Steven Joyce made a pigs ear out of the Northland by-election and perhaps his star is on the wane.   Mid 2016 there will be a cabinet shakeup and a clearing of the decks leading into the election.   Key did it before and will do it again.   Hat-tip ... Brownlie for Speaker,   Carter for something nice.

On Labour ... I am genuinely unsure as to how secure Andrew Little is as leader.   The latest poll with Labour dropping to 28.5% support will be hugely disappointing for them and especially for Annette King who has consistently argued that their rolling average is around the 33% mark.    To his credit Little has stamped his authority on what had been a fractious caucus.   His ability to project Labour as a Party in waiting is hampered by a genuine lack of real talent among his front bench; Hipkins and Clark excepted.   Robertson is not a credible Finance spokesmen.   Adern, Nash and Davis represent 'new' Labour and they must be given the opportunity to shine.   I think Little made a mistake in effectively banishing Cunliffe to outside of the tent.   That could come back to bite with a vengeance.

The Greens ... Love them or hate them, the Greens are an established part of our political landscape and will remain so.   The end of the year sees them back up to 12% support at the expense of Labour. James Shaw has made his own mark on the leadership and is probably more pragmatic than his predecessors.   Metiria Turei represents the more radical wing of the Party.   I am undecided as to whether she is a asset or a liability in her role as co-leader and am tending towards the liability label.   If the Greens are determined to stick with a male/female co-leader then I think they would be better served by either Julie Genter or Jan Logie as a complement to Shaw.

NZ First ... Winston First remains the Donald Trump of NZ politics surrounded by his bunch of 'true believers'.   He can get away with saying what he likes because ... he's Winston Peters.  The stars combined to deal him a victory in Northland.   Whether he can repeat that come election time is the 64 dollar question particularly if National selects a quality candidate (and they are sniffing around).   It's an open secret he's grooming the Jones boy to contest the seat allowing him to concentrate on campaigning nationally but I'm not sure it will happen this time round.   Peter's ego is such that he will want to prove his by-election win wasn't just flash in the pan stuff.   As to the rest of his 'team' well, none of them really cuts the mustard.   Captain Mark is nakedly ambitious and wants to play General and that creates tensions.   NZ First could be a kingmaker but I struggle to see them in coalition with Labour and the Greens.

Maori Party ... The Maori Party continues to punch above its weight.    It is a niche Party and while it does not and cannot pretend to speak for all Maoridom it does provide a clear voice for Maoridom; a voice that is often submerged in National, Labour, Greens and NZ First even though they have collectively 23 MPs who identify themselves as Maori compared with just 2 in the Maori Party.  Te Ururoa Flavell is underrated.   He is a diligent worker and has wide respect.   It's going to prove interesting how the demotion of Labour's Nanaia Mahuta will play out.   I suspect you mess with the Kingitanga movement at your peril and with Tukurangi Morgan, the power behind the throne in Tainui and co-chair of the Maori Party in her Hauraki-Waikato electorate, it is entirely possible the political dynamic could change to the Maori Party's advantage.

ACT ... David Seymour was promoted by some as MP of the year.   Methinks that's gilding the lily just a tad because, while he has certainly put in the hard yards and achieved some good results, that has failed to translate though into building support for the ACT brand which continues to poll around the margin of error.   Nevertheless, he has done enough to earn himself and his Party another cup of tea come 2017 and, with the demise of the CCC Party, that could mean that ACT could pick up one, possibly two, List seats.

United Future ... National should put the country and Ohariu out of its misery and go hard to win the seat.   Dunne is past his use-by date and, as a political prostitute, he could just a easily peddle his wares to Labour in the event of a close election.    There is no way UF could ever be expected to poll close enough to get within cooee of a second seat.

The Others ... Colin Craig stuffed the Conservative Party single handed while Hone did the same with the Mana  Party when they got into bed with crimdotcon.    It could be that a new Party might emerge on the representing the so called 'moral right' but it would struggle while I don't see any sign that Flavell is at all keen to do a kiss and cuddle with Hone who will continue to promote his own brand of radical politics of the John Frum variety.

Feel free to comment.   If you are going to comment on specific individuals forget the bile please.

An Embarrasment Of Glitches

A fortnight ago he sideswiped a couple of parked cars and blamed it on coffee but this week we find what probably was the real reason.

Mr 14% is a serial texter.   Fancy being filmed driving while having both hands on his cellphone.

It seems the ALP does just as good a job as New Zealand Labour in bringing turkeys into their leadership.

Friday's Fulminations

There is mild moderation.  Normal rules of blogger etiquette and courtesy to blog hosts will apply.with serious transgressors being thrown out.

Unfortunately our system does not allow your comments to show up in the blog post itself.  Just in the comments section.

Visitors might consider the wisdom of using moderate language.

Regards

Adolf

Moronic

Labour MP David Shearer has described candidate Trump's comments about Muslim immigration to the US as 'moronic.'

Methinks the only thing moronic here is David Shearer.

The rabid anti=Trump media deliberately left out the qualifier from his speech.  He wants to stop the entry of Muslim immigrants 'until the authorities can properly vet them.'   Currently American authorities have revealed they are incapable of properly vetting such immigrants.  (Another scandal from the Obama administration.)

So how moronic is it for a has-been politician from a South Pacific back water to describe the man who may well be the next US President as 'moronic'?

And no, Vet.  I don't think Hillary would beat him.  Not even with the help of the New York Times.

ON KELVIN DAVIS

There was a time when some thought that Kelvin Davis was the great brown hope for the Labour Party ... after all, he defeated Hone Harawira and that in itself was no mean feat.

Since then he has fashioned for himself a persona as pimping for crims and as a union muppet ever ready to put the boot into Serco but curiously stum when it comes to problems relating to prisons managed by members of the Corrections Association of NZL (read prison officer's union).

My assessment of Davis as a political lightweight owing his profile to a compliant media, much like his colleague Jacinda Adern, is clearly wrong ... he is now revealed as a stupid political lightweight in search of a headline.    Read it here.   Davis is calling on Te Uroroa Flavell, Minister of Maori Development, to intervene to help locate four Maori children supposedly 'missing' in Australia.

Drill down into the case and it involves a Maori family who turned their backs on New Zealand with the husband and wife now separated and the children now subject to a custody dispute hearing currently being dealt with by the the Family Court in Australia.

Politicians need to be very careful in attempting to intervene in matters sub judice;  doubly so in matters involving another countries jurisdiction.    Davis is headline grabbing pure and simple and, in doing so, is revealed as someone with little or no understanding of the need and requirement for there to be separation between the executive arm of government and the judiciary .... or perhaps he does and cynically chooses to disregard a basic constitutional requirement.

REFLECTING ON THE EVER CHANGING POLITICAL DYNAMIC

Two interesting developments this week related and yet unrelated.     In Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist Party lost control of the Congress for the first time since 1999 when his predecessor Hugo Chavez, acolyte of Fidel Castro, seized power.  

In recent years Venezuela has become as basket case economy despite having some of the largest oil reserves in the world.   Inflation this year is assessed at 100% with GDP projected to shrink by 10% and a further 6% next year.   Unemployment in 2016 is projected at 18.1%. Hugo Chavez's dream of a perfect socialist utopia fell apart in a country where the middle class had to queue to buy staple foodstuffs such as milk, coffee, rice, sugar and cooking oil and where toilet paper became an unattainable luxury for many.  

The extent of the centre/right victory where they won a two-thirds majority in Congress is such that they will be able to roll back some of Maduro's controversial appointments to the judiciary and pave the way for the release of political prisoners.   Even so, the pathway back to a degree of economic normality, is likely to be long and torturous.

The Socialist's defeat in Venezuela replicated what happened in Argentina two weeks previous where there was a substantial swing to right.

And in the first round of the French regional elections held last weekend the Far Right National Front (FN) led by Marine Le Pen scored 6.019m votes against the Union of the Right (LR) led by Nicholas Sarkozy (ex President of France) with 5.785m votes beating the Socialists (PS) led by Lean Christophe Cambadellis into third place with 5.020m votes.    Many see this election as the breakthrough election for the FN.    Their vote was up 16.3%; the LR vote increased by 0.6% while that of the PS decreased by 6%.     The second round due on Saturday will see the interesting spectacle of the left throwing their collective weight behind the LR in attempting to head off the FN.   That happened in the past but many commentators are of the view that the FN's anti immigration policy coupled with the terrorist attack make the eventual outcome much more difficult to predict.

Meanwhile in the good ole US of A Donald Trump continues to defy common sense but again, and against the backdrop of their terrorist event(s), perhaps common sense is going out the window.    I cannot believe the Republicans could be so stupid to nominate a mavrick like Trump.   He's not a Republican, he's a Trump first and foremost but more importantly, he's a Clunk.   Head to head with Ms Clinton and she, with all her myriad faults, will do him like a dinner.

There is a small light on the horizon however.   The latest poll of committed Republican voters heading into the Iowa election caucus (first up in the race to nominate) has Ted Cruz now heading Trump by 5% and Rubio by 7%.  Cruz leads Trump among Evangelicals and Tea Party supporters. Men support Cruz and Trump over Rubio and Carson while women support Rubio and Cruz over Carson and Trump.   That last statistic might be telling.

I'm in Sodum tomorrow and Wellington Thursday/Friday.   Only light blogging (if any).

CHRIS TROTTER HAS IT ABOUT RIGHT

I don't often agree with Chris Trotter but I do enjoy reading his blog 'Bowalley Road' where he writes from a 'left, left' perspective without the rancor or nastiness that are the hallmarks of The Standard' and especially 'The Daily Blog'.

Trotter's latest op piece on Jeremy Corbyn here is pretty much on the mark. His simple thesis is that the Labour establishment, supported by elements of the media, will never allow Corbyn to be the PM in a British version of the ABC movement here (that continues to this day).  

Further, that the ABC faction now have their own leader in the form of the shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn and that somewhere, somehow, sometime  these forces will conspire to roll Corbyn.

Who am I to disagree with that analysis.

Upwardly Mobile

The other day in Adelaide, a young man from the suburb of Holden Hill was apprehended by police, joy riding in a stolen Mercedes Benz.

'SHE'S BACK

And now its a case 'damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead' (with apologies to Admiral David Farragut).

There will be the quite predictable cries of outrage especially from those who see her as living proof that National eats babies.    Others who inhabit the nether regions of politics will curse the return of someone who will strengthen Cabinet and make it more likely that the government will get to serve a forth term.

Labour finds it impossible to comprehend and accept that a person who grew up in a Labour voting household could ever jump the fence.   They see it as tantamount to treason.   That's part of the reason why John Key and Judith Collins are so reviled by many from the 'dark side' of politics.   Others might take the view it proves the old adage ... if you ain't a socialist at age 20 your haven't got a heart and if you ain't a capitalist at age 40 you haven't got a brain.

Will their collective outpourings of bile worry Collins at all ... not one bit.

WELL DONE THE NZDF

Kudos to the NZ Defence Force for their 'zero tolerance' approach to drug taking. No ifs, buts or maybes ... you indulge, you're gone.   It's been a feature of our military for as long as I can remember and long may it continue.

This follows the news that five soldiers from Linton Military Camp have been discharged after taking N-Bomb, a psychedelic drug, over the Labour weekend holiday break.   My understanding is that they admitted to the drug taking.  Three more are to face Courts Martial.

This may not sit well with our more liberal members of society including some of our parliamentarians and to them I say stiff ... so what if other 'professions' are prepared to turn a blind eye to drug taking ... sez much about them and their standards (or lack of).   There's no place in the military for drug users ... I saw the results of an unchecked drug culture in another countries armed forces and the devastating consequences it had.

And before anyone rushes in with the old hoary of alcohol abuse all I would say is that the consumption of alcohol in the military is but a fraction of what it was in my day .... wet canteens/clubs/messes awash with liquor, doesn't happen any more.

Lets Put That Another Way

As world media and politicians dance on an increasingly crowded pinhead to avoid the bleeding -Pun definitely intended, obvious that the San Bernardino shooting was yet another deranged bloody soldier of Islam this time accompanied by his equally deranged missus.

A commercial investigative tax  outfit has a traditional end of year party to allow all the staff to mix and mingle while they enjoy a successful productive effort over the past year.
One employee who everyone seems to regard as a good bastard leaves the euphemistically titled "holiday party" picks up his wife of two years, leave their toddler with other family member, change into military style clothing, tool up with a couple of modified AR15 semi automatic rifles acquired legally under one of the most stringent state purchase regimes but illegally modified to bypass the full automatic constrict and incorporating a quick magazine change function and modified magazines to carry greater number of rounds.
Mr Soldier of Islam and his equally radicalised missus return to the happy gathering and commence an assault that kills more than a dozen and wounds many more. One co-worker who suggested Farouk was a "mate" luckily happened to be taking a slash in a restroom when the mayhem erupted and could not believe his good fortune as his lovely bestie went rogue.

When the good guys responded in around four minutes the terrorists decided to flee and were eventually brought down in a Bonnie and Clyde shoot out on a highway.

This event had  very little involvement with easy access to weapons.
The Mr and Mrs Killer were not really on any security watch list.
Mr Killer had made two pilgrimages to the Haj festival in Saudi Arabia.
Mr Killer was American born.
Mrs Killer was Pakistani born.
How loving were they to abandon a 6 month old child and commit suicide by Cop.

Finally that illustrious Irish named Barry O'Bama is some days later accepting their might be a connection to Islam.
Will the appeasement purveyors eventually recognise it is a bloody war and the normal rules of engagement do not apply.
Hacking the head of a non believer might satisfy a fifteen hundred year urge to gain acceptance in a bloody religious belief system but I have a differing opinion, it wont be a great recruitment ploy.
The Maths don't make sense, when the soldiers of Allah go rampaging, raping and killing there is very little prospect there will be seventy two virgins for each who dies a martyr's death unless the goats count.

Christianity is not without serious sin in the two thousand years since Jesus came along but with the interventions of Henry the Eighth, Martin Luther, Calvin, Knox, and others who challenged the Catholics who spawned the Inquisitions and other atrocious attempts to preserve the awesome power of the clergy. Christianity in the 21st century has a very acceptable and kinder if somewhat too often misdirected philosophy.
Islam is rooted in what their paedophile, murderous cult figure prescribed in the sixth century and for those who indulge their fantasies fifteen hundred years on, it has not changed one whit, Imams, Mufti's, Ayatollahs,  Sheiks and  other murderous thugs have no compunction in embracing it to perpetrate slaughter of innocents any where any time.
Paris, San Bernardino, become entries on a rollcall of events that will continue to expand and so far those we choose to rule over us are in thrall with seemingly very little urge to even recognise what is happening.

So let those who do see the current murderous events for what they are, celebrate Christs birth with all the fervor you can muster, eat lots of Pork and Bacon, sing carols eat the traditional fare and tell the bloody over sensitive Muslims to continue to save for their  trip to Mecca as it does not offend me.
Oh and all you cowardly bastards who enjoy killing and maiming, your religious beliefs are nothing to me and you can bash your head on the concrete as often as you wish, just don't involve me OK.

Even More Brainless Than The Fish Monger

With your party  polling at record lows and your personal preference as PM already in single figures and declining, why on earth would you go out and indulge is a very public display of

FREEFALL

Such is the shewd and acute political judgement of Andrew Little.

Almost as dumb ass Turnbull and Obama describing Daesh as 'weak' and 'contained,' as that evil organisation annexes a large slice of Afghanistan to add to its caliphate.

STUPID OR HARMLESS FUN - YOUR CALL

Police were called out after a group attending a costume party dressed as IS militants and toting plastic guns were spotted near the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Methinks they can thank their lucky stars that this isn't the US where such actions would have provoked a slightly more 'robust' response.

Plain stupid, given the events of recent days, or just harmless fun ... your call.   Easy for me.

MUSLIM IMMIGRATION

Yesterday over at Kiwiblog there was an opinion piece by ex-MP David Garrett proposing that any and all immigration from predominantly Muslim countries be banned.   Somewhat predictably the comments section went feral with many agreeing with the sentiment behind the post.

Great sound bite David and clearly people bit ... but what about the law of unintended consequences.     Lets look at just three Muslim countries; Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia ... Pakistan has an estimated 2.5m Christians; Malaysia 2.6m and Indonesia 25m, repeat 25 million, Christians.  Are these people to be banned from immigrating to NZL and what about the Balinese people (Indonesian) ... the majority of whom are Hindu?

Question ... is it fair or even sensible to ban peoples from predominantly Muslim countries while letting in Muslims from non Muslim countries and what would that achieve.   Doesn't that assume that Muslims from non Muslim countries are 'good' Muslims?     Many on this blog have argued there are no 'good' Muslims.

I guess one way round that might be to require all immigrants to have a certificate that they were members in good standing of the Church of whatever/Buddhist/Hindu/Confucianist etc.     That could give rise to a whole new and very profitable industry ... remembering that people lie.

Complex problems sometimes beget simple answers.   The suggested low tech solution requiring each and every immigrant to consume a bacon butty on arrival in NZL could sort the wheat from the chaff .... sigh.

Dog whistle politics rules OK.

Friday's Fulminations

There is mild moderation.  Normal rules of blogger etiquette and courtesy to blog hosts will apply.with serious transgressors being thrown out.

Unfortunately our system does not allow your comments to show up in the blog post itself.  Just in the comments section.

Visitors might consider the wisdom of using moderate language.

Regards

Adolf

BREAKING NEWS ... CORBYN DEFEATED

I have been monitoring closely the debate both in the Lords and the Commons on whether the UK should join the coalition forces (and Russia) in bombing IS targets in Syria.  The vote was taken a few minutes ago.  The result ... the Ayes 397, the Noes 223.

 67 Labour MPs, including Hilary Benn, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Harriet Harman, former Deputy Leader,  defied their leader to vote with the Government with others, including Rosie Winterton, Labour's Chief Whip, abstaining.   The Ayes also included DUP (Unionist) and Liberal Democrat MPs.

By any measure this was an incredible personal defeat for Corbyn.   His starting position was that Labour should block vote against the motion.   He abandoned that after it became clear that a reported half of his Shadow Cabinet would resign if he forced the issue.   Then, in the last 24 hours, he was forced to disown Party 'heavies' who had been threatening MPs seen as likely to support the Government with dire retribution were they to break ranks.   It is thought that this alone was the last straw for some wavering MPs.

The last word perhaps goes to Stewart Hosie, SNP Deputy Leader who, along with all other SNP members voted 'No' ... 'Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn's speech absolutely humiliated Jeremy Corbyn'.

And now we look forward to the Oldham West and Roydon by-election with voting due to start later tonight (NZ time).   This is one of Labour's safest seats won with a majority of 14,738 last time round.    If Rupert is to be believed this will be a doddle for the Labour candidate given that it's the sort of constituency where the Corbyn message apparently resonates strongest.   That should be comforting for the Labour candidate.   The message coming from more dispassionate observers is a little more cautious.   UKIP polled second last time round and they are throwing everything at it.    Corbyn could be a liability if this vox pop from a previous Labour voter (referring to Corbyn) is to be believed ... 'I'm a socialist, not a bloody communist'.    Most agree the weather will play a big part in the final result ... watch this space.

Update #1 ... Tom Watson, current Labour Deputy Leader also defied Corbyn to vote for the motion.

Update #2 ... Aides to Corbyn said that his authority had been 'enhanced' by the vote.    One suspects that JC will not be looking forward to any more enhancements of this sort.

Update #3 ... This bordering on the absurd.  Stan Collymore, UK soccer player of some repute (Notts Forrest and Liverpool and capped three times for England) has tweeted that he tore up his Labour Party membership card in protest against the Labour MPs  who voted for the motion and has now joined the Scottish National Party.    I'm struggling with his rationale although, to be fair, in his autobiography it is recorded that he suffers from borderline personality disorder.

Update #4 ... Turnout in the by-election was 40.26% down from the close to 60% at the time of the general election.   Cold wet day.   Gonna be interesting.   One thing for sure ... no 14,738 majority.

Update #5 .. Labour wins Oldham West and Roydon with a reduced majority (10,000).   Labour's vote % increased as did that of UKIP.    Result was better than what Labour hoped for.