Friday Karaoke, part 73

In times past when I strode across the blogosphere spraying my bile around like a mad ladies piss I used to try and post something a little more light hearted and pleasant on a Friday evening. As life is in one if its "doesn't suck too much periods" I am going to reintroduce this here rather than risk an aneurism trying to figure out the password to unlock what was the best blog since the day before time began.

The less retarded members of our readership (and authors) will note a mildly cocky tone to this post so far, that is due in part to the fact that I manage to get home to the manor every night these days and the family are now back permanently and things are going reasonably smoothly.
The same cannot be said for the omnishambles that currently serves as Queen Elizabeth the seconds loyal opposition in New Zealand, this also makes me less grumpy and is adding to my general feelings of mild calmness.

Another (but no less important) comforting influence is the fact that the RFU representative team are travelling along quite nicely and if things continue will probably get an opportunity to teach the antipodeans a thing or two at Eden park come the end of October. The fact that they are likely to do this without the worlds greatest ever rugby player makes the prospect even more exciting.

The last ingredient to my mood is the fact that I won 100 bucks today from a friend who bet me that the very next photo we see of the degenerate Darren Hughes would not include Helen Clark. He lost, I won. Cam Slater posted a photo of the ginga predator today standing next to the beast in New York. Tim. Pay me or I will blog your phone number, address and the photo.

Anyhoo. The karaoke component



First heard this at a party in Stotfold, Bedfordshire around 1981. Memorable for the music, industrial quantities of pernod and blackcurrant consumed and a particular person that (astonishingly) still speaks to me.

And Pom Scribes call St Richie a CHEAT!!!

Apparently in response to the ICON of English Rugby's problem kicking goals, so much an integral part of how they win games, two of the management team replaced the ball for Wilkinson's conversion attempts during the game against Romania.

This, in the totally enclosed Forsyth Barr, ahem sorry, the Otago stadium.

The rules state (Rugby has a rule to cover everything) "a conversion attempt must use the ball touched down in the scoring of the try", unless the ref rules that ball unsuitable. Eight numbered balls were in use and the two coaches off their own bat, apparently, switched to a more favoured ball and have been banned from attending the Scotland game this weekend.

As I write this there is no suggestion either are Pakistani.

Remembering of course when the Poms won the cup they had 16 men on the paddock at one point in time in their pool game against Samoa.

And the foaming at the mouth UK scribes call OUR RICHIE a CHEAT, Jesus wept.

BUT WAS IT FAIR ?

As the end of the pool play of the R W C is upon us, something is nagging at my sense of Fair Play.

Now it has been a tremendous event with the hospitality and support of most of our country truly on show giving us all the positive exposure possible. We have, in spite of many dire predictions, had good crowd support for all games.

An event of this nature must have a seeding system to bring the better teams through to the knockout stage but and for me it is becoming an ever larger but, why do the weaker teams have to contend with four day turnarounds and the stronger teams have nothing less than six days and mostly seven and even eight days.
Apart from an outburst by a Samoan midfielder the Minnows (no slight of them intended) are mostly just so pleased to be able to mix it with their big brothers and although a problem of getting their top players together for any semblance of a buildup with club commitments, some of the rugby produced has been very impressive.
BTW Samoa had four days to prepare for Wales and only five days for South Africa, they had to win one of those to realistically have any chance to qualify for a Quarter finals place.

My view of a move to fairness in future WCs must include one of three improvements.
1 Extend the pool phase by a week so no team plays with less than six days recovery.
2 If the time period of this cup is retained then a true draw as to timing be used so the 'Minnows have equal opportunity for longer recovery times.
3 Or my preferred move,have true seeding for the pools but have the minnows enjoy the longer periods and the stronger squads back up for 3 games in eight days.

Am I being picky or not when Canada who played Japan's Brave Blossoms last Tuesday night in Napier for the chance to avoid qualifying for the next cup, then relocating to Wellington to prepare for what will be the biggest game in all their lives next Saturday night to try and compete with the All Blacks who moved to the Capital on Monday.

No, I do not think the lower ranked teams got a fair suck of the Sav.

AND DON'T COME BACK.

Keith Locke has been garnering the sort of rubbish accolades normally reserved for the deceased.

He is a man who from an early age followed in the steps of his parents Elsie and Jack, both avowed Communists.

I always found it very convoluted thinking that allowed such people to promulgate anti democratic oratory from the safety of a functioning democracy, while similar behavior in the country they were extolling would receive short shrift. Much the same conundrum as applies with Islamists throughout history.

Keith Locke was all in favour of the early Pol Pot days where that regime, just as the Soviets and the Chicoms before them, slaughtered political opponents without mercy and then were instrumental in the deaths of vast numbers of the citizens they had risen to rule over. Of course, in all cases one did not have to oppose but mere suspicion was often enough to die at the hands of the regime.

Possibly one of the most disgusting efforts by Locke junior was the reported action where he was allegedly sitting on a stage nodding and clearly supporting Annette Sykes as she cheered those who had flown the hijacked planes into the Twin Towers killing thousands of innocents. Among the dead were those who, without a thought for their personal safety, charged into the buildings and their certain death in a vain attempt to save others.

Good bye Mr Locke. You gained your exalted status as an MP by avoiding the scrutiny of an electorate and sliding in under the cloak of the Green Party where enough votes cast for almost everything but what you stood for allowed that to happen.

Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out. The door has a value.

NOW THAT IS A LEGACY.

These three will leave the Parliament at the end of this term and in the case of Heather and Sir Rodger, last night they left a mark in the sand that is going to last a while even if the socialists attempt a reversal that many hope will fail.

I was a member of a "professional body" that had a compulsory annual levy to fund compensation for misconduct by one of our members.
It used to really grate that I could not insure against any problem I might create or encounter but had to fund by compulsion that which the unscrupulous amongst us might perpetrate.
Compulsion will always lead to unfairness and will penalise the honest while supporting the crooks.

Compulsory membership levies on the young, studying at a tertiary institution are no different.

Last night after two years of rear-guard action by the socialists to protect their very own training and recruitment facility it went the way of the Berlin Wall.

An overweight loudmouth member of the opposition repeatedly droned interjections throughout Ms Roy's moving of the third reading of the bill that is now the law. Ending of compulsory student membership of a student union with its accompanying levy of some hundreds of dollars annually per student and for far too many delivered nothing of real benefit. The droning member whenever the camera panned past him was in an insolent sulky pose that reflected much of what ails his party at this time.
With a bit of nous and intelligence he and his colleagues might have made a difference to the final law but by wasting two years on a fillibuster that failed at the eleventh hour all chance of that evaporated.

Robertson and his maladjusted team of incompetents claimed figures of 98% support among students opposing the change. If that is true, most of us know it is not, what is the problem, surely better to have 98% of students clamoring to join voluntarily which they will do, wont they.

Thankyou Heather Roy, Sir Roger Douglas and the ACT Party, if that is your last remaining lagacy as you leave and the actions of the present mob in control seem hell bent that that is the case it was a worthy last stand.

BEYOND THE PALE.

I am led to believe it originated in Catherine's Russia and designated the outer areas where Jews, Gypsys and other lesser people lived and went about their business. The 'pale' was a pointed piece of wood that marked that line.

Now I normally regard those who obtain public office where they can wield power over the peasants as fair game and do not deserve protection from us as they go their self promoting ways, likewise their families if they coat-tail to positions in the wake.

Family who are just adjuncts and apart from fulfilling duties as required officially are not targets, ie Bronagh Key and Mary Goff. Likewise Public Servants, Business Leaders, Volunteers and the police doing what they are expected to do and good bastards such as Sir Peter Leitch aka 'The Mad Butcher', definitely NOT

The way far too many of the hounds at 'The Standard' responded to Sir Peter Leitch's comments on Close Up with Sainsbury when he became a little enthusiastic, is The Mad Butcher ever anything else, and gave a clear boost to the Prime minister as his preferred choice in the November elections was OTT. He had already done similar on Hosking at Newstalk ZB earlier that day,"to be fair".

Now we have had very little "celebrity endorsement" in this country and Pinetree selling Tanalised posts and Dan The Man's 'gruds' are just a little cringeworthy, "b" grade thespians going gaga over climate change, green initiatives etc are a sad step into the darkside.
Who remembers "Citizens for Rowling" a leftwing inspired campaign in the election after the untimely death of Big Norm when the very abrasive Muldoon who had been picked by National to deal to Kirk, came up against the able but far lower, profile-wise Rowling. I remember still that comment flung across the Chamber "there he sits with a shiver looking for a spine to run up",that was brutal. The Campaign for Rowling did little if anything to save the timid one from being mauled by the bear. For me it only served to confirm the already suspected leftwing creds of the names who signed up.

So why did the socialists allow Sir "Butch's" comment to get to where it did, was it born out of their collective dismay and frustration at the way the political landscape is unfolding. Whatever, it has been a classic clusterfuck that they just didn't need in present circumstances.

For me it plummeted to an unthinkable low when a cretin, going by the name of Campbell Larsen, crawled out from under his little rock and said in a comment at The Standards Open Mike Post;
"I wish the Mad Butcher would hurry up and die". He then berated state TV for allowing the endorsement to get to air.

Two or three things seriously worrying with that.
Sir Peter Leitch is an Icon, absolutely, A selfmade man who left school for the meat trade at 15 with little success as a student, he had undiagnosed (unknown then, c1950s) dyslexia. Created a large franchised butchery chain worth a mint and proceeded to use that wealth to support many charitable activities. He was there when the Warriors were formed and has stayed loyal ever since. The club "retired the jersey number 19 in his honor and name.
Sir Butch has been battling a nasty form of Bladder Cancer for some time but has not really faltered in his charge through life.
Sir Peter has been a tower of strength and support to many in Christchurch, visiting with sausage sizzles, he does the cooking as well, just showing up in support and flying many plane loads of those in the worst affected ares of the city to Warrior games in the Queen City.
He was a great supporter of Helen Clark and her tribe but now he gives a couple of endorsements to John Key and the "teleban want to stone him".

Darien Fenton called for a boycott of the Mad Butcher Chain, blissfully unaware Sir Peter no longer owns it.
Others went on about him avoiding their CGT with all the dosh in a Trust as if it was going to happen.
Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, politics Mupetts, Darien Fenton, Mallard, Prentice et al just monumentally DUMB.

lprent aka Lynn Prentice at the Standard moderates and Bans at a whim but that disgusting comment is still there at Open Mike Sept 19th and the little Bint had the further stupid idea he could defend "septic tank microbe" Campbell Larsen, by saying "he was just getting a little wound up"

Epic fail Labour and acolytes.

Who Is Omar Hamed?

A fascinating post over at The Hand Mirror. It's a little long but please read all of it.




Full marks to the girls who put this post together. Adolf believes this should be given wide publicity.

Who is this guy?

He appears to be an official of the non tax paying union led by fellow leftie Matt McCarten

He appears to be a member of the Urewera gang of wannabe terrorists.

He displays all the qualities one would expect from the depraved adherents of Wahhabi Islamism

He appears to be an entirely despicable piece of dog shit who should be run out of the country.

Mad Bitch Attacks Mad Butcher

The story of eminently forgettable Labour list MP Darien Fenton (Is she a bloke?) slagging off lifetime Labour supporter Peter Leitch has been around for a few days and Adolf looked everywhere for the obvious headline but to no avail.



If it turns out that she happens to be an 'outed' lesbian then amendment is required.

'Mad Butch Bitch Attacks Mad Butcher.'

Whaleoil picked up her splenetic drivel from her Facebook page. (Can't put up a link because Whale's site is down for maintenance.) She wants people to boycott the Mad Butcher chain because Sir Peter Leitch had the temerity to say in public what everybody knows.

Namely, John Key is a good bloke.

Pity she didn't know he sold the shops some time ago.

Was That Rider really necessary Mr Coroner, Sir.

For some time the Media led by Tim Pankhurst of the Dom Post, Politicians, the Judiciary, Justice Department people, Families of Suicide deaths and many others with a view have agitated or agonised, depending on a pov, over the very restrictive rules on reporting and publishing details of the tragic, often avoidable loss of life by suicide.

Today it was reported, a call by Wellington Coroner Smith for restrictions on the availability of Helium, a gas that has been employed successfully in two recent deaths.

I am always in favor of reporting as full a coverage of anything relating to justice as official suppression of the process often has an opposite and serious negative unintended outcome.

On this occasion Mr Coroner you only needed to say poisoning by gas and nearly everyone who read that would assume propane, carbon monoxide or some other common gas in everyday use.
How many New Zealanders who may have used bottled Helium for party or display balloons would have considered it as a method for someone bent on suicide. It is most likely the person will collapse, resume breathing air and recover.
Seriously how many have not inhaled the gas from a balloon for the quite humorous effect on the voice or at least watched someone else do just that, the danger comes with saturation inhalation where the Helium effectively replaces any Oxygen in the body effectively starving the body of oxygenated blood causing death but very unlikely with one breath from a balloon.
The US poisons Center recorded only two helium related deaths between 2000 and 2004
Until your published rider about restricting supply to prevent its use for suicide, very very few would have even considered it but now it is a published option and you Sir have promulgated it.

There is precious little real chance to prevent a determined person taking that fatal step using one of many methods available and in my opinion your rider has only added one more option that I and I would suggest 99% of us would not have considered.

Ill-considered is my kind reaction, stupid is probably more accurate.

GET A PAIR OF ADULT SANITARY NAPKINS Mr MALLARD

Homepaddock posts that Speaker Dr Lockwood Smith has referred the Erin Leigh matter to the Privileges Committee in the light of the ruling of The Supreme Court on the information given to The Hon Trevor Mallard by public servants and used by the Honorable (advisedly) Member to destroy Ms Leigh's career.

Get the Popcorn ready people "Survivor New Zealand Parliament" is to be screened at a time to be advised.

Lyen Brown Buys Votes

Auckland City's chief bungler has announced the Council will give RWC semi-final tickets to those who, because of his Council's shameful incompetence, missed out on the opening ceremony and part of the first match.



Adolf has just one question.

Who's paying?

Ratepayers?

Of course. Poor bastards

E Day, or was that A or I but finally THEY Turned up!!!

This morning at 0813 hrs EQC made it to Alzhiemers Valley and inspected/assessed the Chateau for the damage incurred exactly one year three weeks and two days five hours and forty eight minutes minutes ago on September the 4th 2010.

Two very nice gentlemen spent just over two hours using gizmos and notepads to assess and record a schedule of the damage sustained and within another three weeks we hopefully will receive a written report of that record.

Contrary to what EQC told us within days of the event all that time ago, they will not reinstate our quite badly damaged deck, patio and paved paths adjacent to our Whare, we thought there was a commitment to cover those within 8 meters of the dwelling so I had to call my Broker with that little revelation and his comment was "he hoped it would not be another year".

Now within three weeks of the first quake we had our humble abode assessed by a consulting engineer for the state of the dwelling, it took him about two hours a couple of scotches by which time he had prepared a report and emailed it to our computer before he left. We await with interest what the differences, if any there are between the two reports.

I have blogged previously regarding the ability of EQC to respond to such incidents as the Canterbury Earthquakes and very little so far has altered my perceptions as to the comments already made, however we may have made progress today, now we wait for Lumley to assess the damage EQC have declined to cover, and that will be another excess on top of the $200 contents, $200 property already incurred.

AN OPEN LETTER TO JOHN BANKS

Dear John ... you and I go back on long way. Your very generous financial support of the Ex-Vietnam Veterans Association (Neville Wallace Memorial) Children's & Grandchildren's Trust signals you out as a special person for whom actions speak louder than words.

Sure people either love you or hate you. There is not much middle ground for someone who can be characterised as a 'conviction' politician. In John Banks the public see what they get and get what they see. Far better that than someone who is as shallow as a birdbath.

Yes, I was gutted when you left National for ACT but accept that you did this for the very best of motives so as to ensure that ACT remained in parliament as part of a responsible centre/right government. As ACT's Epsom candidate you represent their only lifeline to maintaining a parliamentary presence.

Leaders of political parties weld real power in determining policy direction. Sure there is process to go through but you and I both know the reality is that if a leader is in favour of doing something, nine times out of ten it will happen.

So it took real balls for you to stand up to Don Brash, the man who gave you an armchair ride into Epsom, and effectively tell him to go f**k himself over his 'musings'. You, more than most, know the insidious nature of drugs and we both know that if any serious drug user were to claim that they never started out on their road to destruction by smoking a few joints, then they are a liar as well as a fool.

We both recognise too that any attempt to link the debate to the one involving the freedom to purchase alcohol is but a straw man argument.

Congratulations John (and John Key too) for standing firm and refusing to raise the white flag on the war on drugs. There are no easy answers and certainly no soft options.

With kind regards and best wishes.

The Veteran

Ahh, great battle strategy but will lose the War for sure.

As politics grapples with the awesome power of the 'Net' in delivery of the 'message', it swings violently from a powerful tool to a serious problem.

The Soviets failed to deal with it and the "wall" came down; Mubarak failed and now languishes in a cell; Gadaffi similarly and is at present AWOL; and Assad in Syria still thinks it wont happen, Ha ha ha.

The socialists have made attempts to employ the power but it is not that simple. The Party has established a propaganda arm with "Red Alert" but, unlike old Uncle Micky Joe gazing benignly from a framed picture on the living-room wall while the dulcet tones came from the wireless, the intimacy is now destroyed as the listener can come back in spades on the 'Net', and it's a "party line" you know where you can answer back.

The great power of propaganda relies on a repetitive message being delivered and regardless of the veracity or rightness of the message, as Goebbels claimed, eventually it can become 'the truth' and, with a limited ability of a contrary view, it will germinate and grow. However, not in the dark. Eventually growing things by and large need light.

Over at 'Red Alert' and its sister 'The Standard', the blog admin cannot accept the tenet of democracy, that all will not fall into line but some need to be won over, so they clumsily use the only tools of control, "moderation' and ultimately "banning," to their increasing dismay at the outcome as evidenced in the polls.

Inventory 2 of 'Keeping Stock' has suffered that fate at The Standard" a while ago and yesterday suffered the ultimate sanction at "The Red Rag". Now Iv2 puts up with some doozies at his place and is patient to a fault and it takes a lot to get him to "deletion mode", so it is a complete nonsense to employ such a sanction when his crime was only to point out a fact of historical record.

"Phil Goff was a member of the Cabinet that carried out the greatest sell off of State Owned Assets in our nations history".

One of the more annoying things of advancing years, as my Dad often pointed out, is one's skin becomes increasingly thin and vulnerable to major tracts being removed by the merest contact with an object. In my own case, while assisting family in The Bay last weekend, my pate came into contact with the safety frame of SiL's tractor and removed a portion of scalp with much accompanying blood loss.

Now it is becoming increasingly obvious that as the N Z Labour Party closes in on its 100th birthday, c2016, its skin is becoming increasingly fragile. I have not yet reached Iv2's exalted status of being "banned" at the two premier socialist blogs but I am in a moderation status at both, and DILLIGAF.

If they wish to reach out to the wider audience where their efforts will move from a closed back slapping gung ho echo chamber, to the voters they so desperately need to attract, they will need to adapt and there is precious little evidence of that. Clare, Trevor, lprent et al need to stop shooting messengers as at present there are just too many of them and many have a valid contrary point of view so the old ratio of two ears and one mouth comes to bear.

QUIZ RESULTS For Sun 25th

PMofNZ Solid 4 1/2, early bird award.
Chris bird 3 and good additional info.
HP 3 two bonus pts for "long forgotten Politician", very apt, and comments on the Castlepoint races, Tinui/Whareama's 'big day out'.
The Veteran took the last trick.
jonnycomelately scored the ecigar with a fullhouse.
ChrisP 2, the Icecream shop is long gone and I hope the prediction on the faultline does not eventuate, that would make Guy Gibsons days work pale somewhat. A bonus for humor, Perry had a rep as a recycler around the tips on the Wairarapa Coast.

Answers;
1 Edwin Perry one term MP with NZF I think he has flirted with Local body polls since.
2 Looking to Wainui across the main Akaroa Wharf from Beach Road.
3 The bridge to nowhere in the Waimarino west of Horopito, (Crash Palace) and Ruapehu. C B had the story.
4 Benmore The next major Hydro after The Roxburgh Dam on the Clutha and significant for the major earth component of construction.
5 Castlepoint Lighthouse across the beach from the lower level of the Camp. There is a sea cave right through the rock under the Light open from the near side at low tide but always inaccessible from the ocean, well worth the visit alone but as with Lake Coleridge avoid a big westerly if possible.

Political campaign excellence, or not

Labour have put up two campaign ads on fences at a busy roundabout in PN (presumably the householders are Labour supporters). It's a perfect spot: the ads are highly visible and will be seen by a lot of people. On one side of the street is "No asset sales" and on the other "No GST on fruit and vegetables."

Which is kind of weird. On one side, "Here's a good idea!" And on the other side, "We've just got no fucking idea!" I think it's representative of the divide in Labour between the sensible social democrat politicians who'd like us to do what other developed countries do rather than participate in mad laissez faire experiments, and the do-gooders who are in politics mainly to try and modify what they consider our inappropriate behaviour.

The asset sales one is sensible and a good thing to run with. If the govt's response to increasing debt is to sell off part of its income-generating assets but not do anything much about the increasing debt, the rest of the assets will follow, no matter how many lies they spout about retaining control. Calling them on it's the right thing to do and it's something the voters actually get. No GST on fruit and vegetables, however, is a shit policy and even shitter campaign message, in pretty much every aspect.

It's a mistake on a bunch of different levels:

1. It assumes there's some inherent virtue or health benefit in fruit and vegetables that is not present in other foods. This assumption is incorrect.

2. It assumes the govt's job is to reward or punish people's food choices based on currently-popular views of which foods embody virtue and which don't. This assumption is also incorrect.

3. It assumes taking GST off fruit and vegetables would make them cheaper for consumers to purchase. This is a hope rather than a fact.

4. It assumes consumers will buy more fruit and vegetables if the price is 15% lower. Again, this is a hope rather than a fact, and the benefits of consumers doing so are all assumed (see 1 above).

5. It assumes the benefits inherent in the fantasised magical health properties of fruit and vegetables will outweigh the costs of foregoing the tax income from them and significantly complicating the GST system. This is wishful thinking of the worst kind.

6. Finally, it assumes voters actually give a rat's ass about whether fruit and veg has GST on it. Personally, I doubt that very much. And if any Labour canvassers come to my place to tell me about it, my response will be "Oh, you're taking GST off things? Hang on, I'll make a list."

I sincerely hope the boring, sensible social democrats win out over the do-gooders in Labour before 2014.

A Political Watershed

What do you consider to be political watershed moments in New Zealand? Here are some starters.

• The formation of the Labour Party in 1916
• The emergence of the National Party in 1935
• The Crushing of the waterside unions in 1951
• The introduction of Rogernomics in 1984
• The creation of the Maori Party in 2004
• The destruction of the Labour Party in 2011

Yes, I believe we are seeing a major political upheaval taking place right before our very eyes.



Two months ago I was rash enough to predict the rise and rise of The Greens under the leadership of Russel Norman - just as I was among the first, if not in fact the first, to correctly predict a rapprochement between the Maori Party and National. Now the mainstream media seem to be catching up with a perceptive piece by John Armstrong the other day and sundry other writers joining the bandwagon.

Mr Armstrong picked up the Greens' first time ever love affair with economic growth, evinced in their advertising and their 'economic plan.' You may well disagree with their economic plan but at least they have one, unlike Labour. Previously the Greens' economic plan was to kill off half the world's population to make way for long lost molluscs and dodo birds but now they've fallen in love with President Obama's recipe of funding failed green energy businesses .

What Mr Armstrong missed was the bigger picture - the Greens mounting an intelligent and coherent campaign to unseat Labour in the forthcoming election and position themselves as the official parliamentary opposition party. They've got rid of their embarrassing commies and they appear to have turned themselves into hard nosed politicians who are prepared to compromise on previously held fundamentalist sacred cows for the sake of getting inside the tent and having some real influence. One such example being the wisdom of their decision to reject a blanket ban on dealing with the National Party.

Just as the Maori Party cast off its image of rabid extremism to become a competent and successful mainstream party, so are moving the Greens.

NZ Labour needs to be very very worried. First it alienated the Maori vote and opened the door for the Maori Party to flourish and now, largely due to its contemptuous treatment of the Greens by the Clark regime, it has driven the Greens to seek better pastures elsewhere.

New Zealand Labour is heading for the same scrap heap currently occupied by the once proud Labour Party of Israel which disintegrated because it, too, became a party of elites for elites rather than the party for Israel's version of 'Waitakere Man.'



Such is the legacy of Helen Clark.

How Strange!

Adolf is not madly into Rugby but he thought there might have been at least brief comment this morning on his favorite blogs. But no, not a word. It's as though no event took place last night at Eden Park.

Adolf and The Cook watched the game live at 1800 on Channel Nine.

A thoroughly comprehensive slaughter of the Surrender Monkeys. Well done to the Blacks and their support staff. I thought we were watching a World Cup winning team.

Where are all those one eyed critics of Graham Henry now? Maybe Robbie Deans just ain't looking so good right now? Looks as though the Wobblies have been recruiting too many Kiwi fast bowlers into their side.

Oh well, back to politics.

YOU LIVE AND LEARN

I suspect that many of us have used the word 'toe-rag' as in .... "Mallard is a toe-rag politician'.

Last Thursday I spent some quality time at the Royal Naval Dockyard at Portsmouth. I discovered that 'toe-rag' is wrong. The correct expression is 'tow-rag'. In times of yore, when the Royal Navy was indulging itself on rum, sodomy and the lash, providing toilet paper to sailors was way down there in the Admiralty's thinking (OK, it probably hadn't been invented).

So what they did was to provide a mop like thing on a long rope which was dangled in the ships wake and hauled up by the sailor to clean his bum and thrown back again to self clean. Completely reusable provided a shark didn't take a fancy to it. That gives the expression far greater impact than toe-rag and sums up Mr Mallard perfectly.

Just along from that fascinating piece of history was a brass plate reading 'flogging will continue until morale improves'.

Will blog later on my visit to HMS Warrior and Victory

Long Overdue

For the first time in as long as I can remember, someone has stood up in the United Nations general assembly and told the lot of them to their faces what a pack of duplicitous pricks they really are.



Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a blunt but statesmanlike critique of this corrupt organisation, basically telling all its members to go screw themselves although many of them would be incapable even of such a simple task.

It's hard to imagine Obama or Gillard or John Key and least of all, Helen Clark, telling the UN it is a 'theatre of the absurd' or describing it as a 'house of lies' but that's exactly what the Israeli PM did.

Read the whole speech. It is not long and it gets to the nub of the real issue in the Middle East. Arabs don't want peace with Israel. They want to exterminate Israel.

So, what does Netanyahu do?

He smiles and tells them 'Israel will support an independent Palestinian State.' But not until the Palestinians make peace with Israel.

Meanwhile, in a desperate attempt to shore up his hemorrhaging Jewish vote at home, the Black Assed Jack Ass attempts to take credit for George W Bush's decision to supply Israel with bunker buster bombs capable of digging out and pulverising Iran's nuclear facilities.

It's touted all over the pro Obama MSM headlines as his decision but when you read the text you find:

Newsweek magazine says in 2007 Bush informed then-Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert that the bombs would be ready for delivery in 2009 or 2010, and Obama had them released in 2009.

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY Sunday Sept 25

Sorry I am a little late nothing to do with nanny state time had to work last night at the Tree Fellers Arms Bouncer/Security.
Goodluck

BECAUSE BIG BROTHER SAYS SO.

Well Sheeple from tomorrow you will all get up one hour earlier.

Why, because we, your benevolent rulers say so, you are too stupid to make such a decision yourself.

Even you dolts who are already up before dawn will rise one hour earlier so you wont cause any logistical problems.

As for the idle buggers who normally stay in bed till lunch time we will not interfere with your wants as by lunch time it is of little import.

We your munificent rulers can not allow you to decide to get up early so as to have a little more time at days end, dont be so inanely stupid, one size fits all better for the masses, OK.

So when all you sheeple who can't make such momentous decisions for yourselves move your clocks forward an hour before you go to bed tonight and if necessary you may retire one hour earlier if you must as it would be far too difficult to control that,

BUT YOU WILL GET UP ONE HOUR EARLIER TOMORROW.

Thanks very much Air NZ.

About six weeks ago swmbo organised two return flights CHC - NPE to spend a few days with No2 Daughter and SIL as we sometimes do because we can, for the princely sum of $420.
Now swmbo has been having some health issues lately and travel therapy was in her mind as she booked and silly old me gave her my Mastercard to pay up. So what you say, well I always use the MC for Net trading as a security ploy as it has a 2K limit, but if I pay for Travel with My Visa with its rather higher potential exposure, I get automatic Travel Insurance, that was mistake no 1.

About two weeks ago a surgeon treating swmbo decided a minor procedure was necessary sooner rather than later and scheduled theatre time for last Tuesday and when swmbo explained the already set travel plans, Surgeon replied that "should not be a problem" so we went with it.

Every thing was cruzy until last Friday evening when pain relief became problematical and cancellation loomed as a possible.
Self rang Air NZ to assess options and "Ben" was most polite and helpful until the final result came back from whomever he consulted with a solution to postpone by one week for a small charge of another $625. This in spite of some inept decision making on my part complicated by an unforeseen event at time of booking, but on last Friday facing very challenging circumstances, all explained to "Ben", that was the best they could do for a couple of pensioners on a fixed income, I am just overcome with gratitude.

Now to many readers here, you will be saying, dopey old prick thems the rules, and I agree hence my heartfelt gratitude to the Airline for such a compassionate and understanding solution to a problem entirely of my own making.
For an outlay of $1050 dollars we could complete our travel we had purchased for $420.

Saturday Morning had the Pain and the Nausea in something resembling stability and we enjoyed a good break, swmbo was little less comfortable in The Bay than possibly at home, got wonderful care and therapy from The Heirs, got some chores done for them, had marvelous flights with very good service and it is very good feeling to be back in Paradise, oh and btw swmbo is much more comfortable this morning.

The planes we were on were at about 70/80 % full both ways so I am left wondering had we Canceled for one week would that have tipped the direct flight into cancellation territory, something that seems a little too common these days.

Unexpected Allies

Here's a recent speech by Dr Brash on foreign policy, in particular, NZ's appalling, inept, condescending and destructive policy towards Fiji.

Dr Brash has it just right. He has seen through the bluster and hypocrisy of Clark, Peters and regrettable John Key and Murray McCully.

Read it all. It's not long and it's worth every word.



A couple of stand out points:-The key issue is that so called democracy under the previous Qarase administration was a gerrymandered corrupt system which funelled wealth and privilege to a select few - politicians, senior churchmen and indolent village chiefs.

The Council noted that a major source of the underlying problem was the electoral system. It noted that the constitution reserved “places excessively and unfairly as Communal seats that make up over half the House of Representatives. This entrenches a coup culture through race based politics that impedes our national development.”

It’s impossible to avoid the conclusion that a great deal of the political
instability suffered by Fiji since independence stems from the fact that Fiji’s constitutional arrangements have been designed to entrench the power of indigenous Fijians and, within that community, the power of the traditional chiefs.

It noted that “Fiji’s electoral system is racially discriminatory and
undemocratic… The current communal system of representation entrenches inequalities by not providing one value for one vote, has contributed to the ‘coup culture’, and the consequent ethnic-based politics that has impeded our national development. We commit ourselves to a free and fair electoral process that promotes one people, one nation, and one identity.”

A constitution where every citizen is equal under the law is exactly what the ACT Party stands for in New Zealand – one law for all, irrespective of race, irrespective of when people arrived in New Zealand – so not surprisingly I find that commitment one which I strongly endorse.

Indeed, I have read the “People’s Charter” and found hardly a word in it
which I would change.

And coincidentally, here's some commentary from an ex pat senior executive of some twenty years experience in the Cannibal Islands.You have to wonder who the hell our diplomats were listening to apart from Qarase and his mates.

I was absolutely disgusted with the Qarase regime, and was very pleased to see the back of them. They were not in power through any democratic process – they cooked the books, and bought their way in with public funds. Long story, but they were a pack of racist and corrupt mongrels who, in a very short time, doubled the National debt, and polarised the ethnic mix into an adversarial polity, that although it existed before to a certain degree, was much exacerbated by the Qarase regime, who were mostly Spheight sycophants from the 2000 coup.

Until the electoral system is rectified and the teeth drawn from the corrupt few, any election is as good as the last one in Venezuela.

Why were we not offering to help make this all happen five years ago?

From The Gullible To The Voluble

Wellington Phoenix at last has been wrested from the clutches of failed entrepreneur Terry Pisspot and passed on to new owners.

Before soccer fans heave a sigh of relief, they'd better have a good look at the past performance of one of the seven new owners, one Gareth Morgan.

Never short of a yap, Mr Morgan has the distinction of running a long and futile public battle against Life Offices in New Zealand, all the while turning in consistently bottom rung returns for his long suffering depositors.

Will Wellington Phoenix join this man's large stable of losers?

Or will the other six co-owners have enough sense to keep the little yapper away from any real influence?

And They Think They Should govern!!

The Green party bang on about the price of milk.

All they are achieving is to cement in their total lack of knowledge in matters of business and Trade.

Andrew Ferrier in an interview on this his last day at Dairy colossus Fonterra as CEO in answer to a question on the milk price inquiry replied;
The New Zealand Dairy product market is our least profitable sector.
We have bundled up all the information we have on our activities in the NZ domestic market and have kept nothing back so let the inquiries reveal the truth.

A commerce student in their first semester would understand the fact that with the international price where it is there is bugger all profit in house brand milk at current prices.

Kiwiblog on Erin Leigh

An update on my post of a couple of days ago where Erin commented with a correction of my effort.

Farrar ran a Q&A yesterday where Erin puts her whole case up till the success in the Supreme Court when it was ended without pursuing damages that would have in all probability been justly awarded her, on the grounds of a considerable outlay and Erin was unable to access 'Legal Aid'.

DPF has followed today with further info from Duncan Garner who first posed the original questions that landed Erin Leigh in the stoning ground of the talibanic Clarkists as one to be destroyed, something the shameful, cowardly little thug pictured above was only too keen to do.

Yesterday I posted at 'The Standard', a heads up for the mental midgets there to have a peek at what came up on KB.

I posted at around 1300 hrs on their "open mike" and it did not appear till around 1800 hrs when the thread had ceased to be of interest to the two dozen or so hacks who live there.

How Much do we Pay These Pricks?

The Electoral Commission, yes the same bunch of what some bloggers would call "Panty Waists", having failed repeatedly to make any form of sanction against socialists clear transgressions of our current idiotic and insane electoral law have warned Rugby League Icon, Mathew Ridge that he is required to have authorisation statements on billboards advertising his Car Valet service.

Now I am no great fan of some of Mr Ridge's antics but this is legislative madness. As far as I know Mr Ridge has no political affiliations publicly stated.

If a group of right of center Teachers and there are a good number of them who choose to just get on with doing a very good job with our future citizens, broke ranks publicly with a billboard campaign stating "LETS GET BEHIND NATIONAL STANDARDS" those inmates who think they are in charge of the asylum would come out with a threat of a $10 000 fine, well yes I suppose they would wouldn't they.

Now the Ridge Billboard is predominantly Black, absolutely zero political insignia, and absolutely no connection to politics apart from the reference to giving his job a tick and avoiding labour which anyone with even a tiny ability for comprehending our language would have understood the work aspect rather than the socialist connotation. That said nearly everyone is distancing themselves from Labour at least in public anyway.

Compare that with almost identical to the original "STOP" signs being displayed with a labour party logo alongside roadways that went on and on and on seemingly without any problem with the monkeys in the zoo that so closely resembles what some see as a bureaucratic waste of oxygen.

FFS messers and messdame electoral commission drones, do the job you are paid to do, target the political animals who are continually testing the law and leave an innovative, smart, topical and non political campaign such as this alone.

Did He Always Fart In Class?

No, it's not a photoshop.

This is a genuine group photo from a recent UN conference which was attended by President Zero.

Labour Snookered Yet Again

While Labour dithered about trying to make like it was opposed to the legislative change legalising covert police surveillance of really bad bastards, John Key has seen them off yet again.

You see Labour was going to have two bob each way. They were making a hell of a lot of opposing noise to try and get few votes from the terrorist demographic but all along they knew they had to support the bill otherwise they would be branded as being soft on crime and in the pockets of the crims.

Well bugger it! Before they had a chance to show support and get a few votes from real New Zealanders, the gummint has cut them off and announced it has the numbers without Labour.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Another Great Read

Three months ago, Adolf posted on the subject of Churchill's account of 'The River War' in which he chronicled the events leading up to the British reconquest of Khartoum and the avenging of General Gordon's death at the hands of the Islamists. In the comments thread, George recommended I get hold of Churchill's other early book, 'The Story Of The Malakand Field Force.'

Thus began a bureaucratic saga.

Adolf lodged an online request for said epistle with the local library which eventually provided the news that this book was not available. So the telephone became the next line of technological attack. As a result, the good people at the library were able to spend a little time and report that no Malakands were able to be found anywhere in South Australia. Strange, I thought. This is the most arid state in Australia so you would think it had much in common with Afghanistan but apparently not so.

A couple of weeks later the helpful lady rang back to tell be she could get the book on loan from Canberra for two weeks and the fee would be only $17.00. I quietly let her know that she need not bother as the last time I bought a paperback it cost less than her two weeks borrower's fee.

Before heading off to Fiji last month we visited the local second hand book shop and enquired of the late fifties or so north country Pommy lady behind the counter as to the availability of 'Malakand.' Her staggering reply - "Was Winston Churchill an author? I didn't know he wrote any books!"

I remarked politely on her lack of education and 'put her right' so to speak, after which she was able to inform me she didn't know how to use the computer so she couldn't say whether they had it or not but 'Don't worry, the boss will be back nest week and she'll give you a ring.' Of course 'next week' we were sunning ourselves in Fiji so I arranged to receive the good news after we returned.

Blow me down with a feather, the good lady boss duly called to say she had a brand new copy of a 2010 unabridged paperback edition for $21.00.

Fantastic. One chapter per day extends the pleasure and yes, George it IS a cracking yarn.

It is quite bizarre to read the names of places which have been front and centre in our daily news for this last couple of years or so, such as the Swat Valley.




Whatever their faults, the Poms knew how to run a colony in those days.

The Convict Class

Yesterday morning the local Baker's Delight joint was held up by a couple of young intellectuals at 0545. They were wielding a knife and a hammer respectively. The bakery is located within the Coles supermarket complex at the 2.0 km mark on Adolf's morning walk and he passed by at 0615, blissfully unaware of the earlier goings on.

You have to marvel at the younger criminal mind.

The only dough these two young hoods would have found would have been that containing yeast. The shop was not yet open for business and the boss had not yet arrived with the daily float.

However they did have the good sense to use a reliable getaway vehicle. Last seen in a green Holden Commodore with a spoiler and large mag wheels.

XENOPHOBIA OR JUST CUNNING?

Sir Micheal Fay, as spokesman/leader of a consortium, including Dairy farm owners, Iwi and himself, bidding for the valuable carcass of the Crafar empire in receivership, is playing a very tactical game.

The receivers have already accepted an offer from a Chinese group going by the name of Pengxin early this year and it only requires OIO sanction to proceed. That application was lodged in April and there is not a snowball chance in hell it will be revealed before November 26th as after it clears OIO, if it does, it goes to the Minister of Finance for final sign off.

The good Knight and his followers have just upped their bid as a back up offer to include all 16 farms (only 9 in the earlier offer) but are reported to be somewhat lower in the cash component. However they are playing the xenophobia card by claiming the moral highground with their NZ based component. I find that just a little rich from the Knight who scuttled off to Europe with his millions acquired in the great asset sales of Mr Goff and his now invisible grubby little coterie of charlatans, presently bashing the Nats over the head for selling the "family silver" that is in fact the cheaper "plate" cutlery and is only to be offered as a minority share sale.

Sir Michael and his new Brown mates with enough actual dairy farm operators to give it credibility need to match the Pengxin bid or better it if they want to make the desired impression on the receivers whose central responsibility is to maximise the return for their principals.
However my very sketchy knowledge of receivership law allied with a reasonable understanding, if a little historical, of commercial sales law says their cause will only succeed if enough pressure can be brought to bear politically and that would be a total disaster for our nations reputation in international law, commerce and finance.

Sir Michael and your new mates leave the X card in the deck and "put up and/or shutup"

D-DAY REVISITED

Last week I was fortunate to be included in the VIP briefing to the Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight on the D-Day landings conducted at Southwick House, the site of Eisenhower's D-Day Headquarters. SH was built by the Earl of Southwick and sequestered by the military at the start of WW2 for the princely sum of $28,000 with the proviso that should they (the military) ever wish to quit the site it must be offered back to the family for the price paid and the grounds restored to their former glory - an almost impossible task as they are now covered by numerous multi-storied buildings - but I digress.

The House is now the Officers Mess for the Southwick Park Garrison and, as it is sited on an operational base, it is not open to the public. It is a beautiful building in the classic Georgian style. In this photo I am standing on the lawn where, after receiving the briefing from Gp Capt Stagg, his senior meteorological advisor, Ike went out from the Map Room (more later), smoked a cigarette, went back inside and said "OK, we'll go".
















Entering SH you proceed to a very grand atrium with a magnificent staircase as shown on the next photo.

To the left of the atrium is the Map Room preserved exactly as it was at 5.25am on D-Day when the first troops went ashore. The map you see has it's own tale on intrigue. Some four months before D-Day the military let a contract to the Chad Toy Company of Birmingham to produce a wooden map in two foot squares covering the whole of the UK and continental Europe. When it was finished it was loaded on a truck and along with two workmen dispatched to SH to put the whole thing together.

When they got there the two workmen were told to assemble the south of England and Normandy bit and bin the rest and 'Oh by the way, you now know too much so it's into the cells with you and you remain incommunicado until D-Day" .... and that's the truth. You can perhaps imagine the conversation somewhere 'oooooop north' .... wonder why Fred is so late, I saved him an extra portion of chips for his 70th birthday. Just then a knock at the door when answered produced a man in a trilby .... sorry Mrs Smith, you Fred is helping the war effort and you will see him again when you see him .... Keith Locke would have kittens,

The long shaded portion running down mid channel depicts the continuous German minefield. The invasion fleet sailed right through previously cleared lanes.

On the left hand side of the map are Gp Capt Stagg's weather maps detailing the 48 hour break which gave Ike the confidence to give the 'Go'.

The final photograph is of an oil painting showing the Map Room at H-Hour on D-Day.

One final bit of history. I always thought the invasion was US dominated. In point of fact, of the 4126 ships in the invasion fleet 79% were British or Canadian .... and when the decision was made to postpone the invasion by 24 hours with many ships already at see and some through the minefield, the turn around was achieved in conditions of absolute radio silence and the Germans didn't pick anything up. Incredible.

A morning well spent and thank you to Colonel John Baber, MBE, Regimental Secretary RMP

Ocker Taxes Fund Tacky Smut

Adolf is the last person to find anything good about PM Julia Gillard but on this occasion he springs to her defence.

The ABC has produced and will screen a so-called comedy in which Gillard and her partner are seen indulging in a bit of nooky on the floor, all the while wrapped in the Australian Flag.




Everybody knows the country and Labor are both ****** but do they really have to show us how she did it? Of course, as one would expect of an avowed leftie, she's on top.

No wonder members of the opposition are calling for heads to roll and budget cuts at the ABC. Any fool can write smut but it takes brains and intelligence to write comedy.

STUPID IS STUPID AS!

Two men 42 and 52 respectively left a remote area in South Westland in a boat towing a twin hulled inflateable in very heavy seas without rudimentary safety equipment.

The Rescue Helicopter was required when the two dolts found the tow was a disaster and separated into a boat each, severed the towline and the totally unsuited twin hull was lost and went ashore on a remote beach.

The bigger boat with the 42yo aboard made safety and raised the alarm for the older man, missing.
He was located and retrieved without further serious drama.

A police spokesman was described by "Stuff" as fuming at the stupidity, the lack of skill displayed, the serious lack of safety equipment, (52 yo had no lifejacket), ignoring a bad weather report and the degree of risk the whole mess created for those charged with the rescue. He didn't mention what would have been the considerable costs involved.

In answer to what becomes depressingly familiar, repeat incidents of utter stupidity, I am not talking about people who get caught up in disasters such as trampers in a rapidly deteriorating unpredicted weather event where every reasonable precaution has been attempted as cover.
I wonder if in cases such as this, their equipment could be forfeit as security for a bill for the costs incurred.

A sort of userpays to reduce utter idiocy.

Flogging A Dead Jack Ass

In the United States the Democratic Party is panicking as realization sinks in that the Black Assed Jack Ass elected President by the media in 2008 has turned out to be a dead horse.



Remarkably, recent reports show White House staffers describing the President and his administration in the most unflattering terms - remember this is HIS team talking, not the evil capitalist Republicans - and there are serious moves afoot to have Obama withdraw from the election to make room for a far more formidable contender, Hillary Clinton. (You know you are knackered when the home town press does you in!)

So what do you do when the horse dies while still yoked to the cart?

Reminds me of a parish bible which for nigh on a hundred years has been carried solemnly into morning worship at a certain Presbyterian church in Auckland. The bible was donated by a long time loyal member of the parish who happened to be the local baker. He was a good Presbyterian and when a customer asked for a pound of biscuits, if the measure was a little over he would cut a biscuit in half to make the product match the price. So reluctant to spend a penny or a few shillings until absolutely necessary was he that one day his old cart horse simply lay down and died halfway through the day's round.

Adolf was never told what the frugal Presbyterian baker did next.

Perhaps the Democrats might do well to engineer a presidential impeachment by some over enthusiastic Tea Party members. God knows, there's enough coming to light in the last couple of weeks to justify such a move.

• An air force general pressured by the white House to change his testimony to favour a big time Obama donor
• A half billion dollar gummint guarantee pushed through by the White House, against all professional advice, to assist another big time Obama donor.
• Billions in other substantial gummint guarantees for so called 'green businesses' pushed through by the White House.

Millions of American citizens are only just waking up to how much of their money has been pissed up against a green wall while their jobs and security have disappeared. As the enormity of it all sinks in the anger and loathing will increase exponentially.

Bring it on, I say. Just bring it on.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS MY SON!

Whale Oil has exposed a total fabrication by The Waikato Times.

How many remember when a major daily paper wrote stuff, well researched, presented without bias and could be largely relied upon to be a fair and accurate presentation of fact?
Well, Cam has completely outed the major daily of the Waikato as the fraud it and other MSM Dailies have become.

A "puff piece", something that has become a standard news of the day item of the genre, backgrounds a couple from 'struggle street' who are going to vote Green come November.
Nothing unremarkable in that, with the polls clearly indicating a departure of Labour voters for the Greens.

However. this is a total fabrication of intent and perception.

Mr 'Struggler' is none other than the Green Party Candidate,no less!!!!

Such upright, honest, sincere, and transparent people those greens eh!

Your Taxpayer Dollars At Work

It appears a trio of juveniles masquerading as TV executives and 'stars' has been arrested for their part in an attempt to breach airport security at Auckland 's airport. So far, Biggles himself has not been apprehended. They are vulnerable to a maximum fine of $10,000 or one year in jail. ( A jail term might see a sudden improvement in the quality of NZ produced television.)

Since being released on bail, one of them has protested 'We didn't intend to breach security!'

Yeah right.

So they had a guy dressed as a pilot, carrying what appeared to be a pilot's bag but lacking critical security passes, attempt to talk his way past security. Do they seriously expect me to believe if he had succeeded in this breach it would NOT have been filmed and splattered all over TV 3's evening news as the 'Number One' story?



Naah, of course not.

Only when I read the TVNZ coverage of this story do I find these damned fools were funded by NZ On Air. That means you and (thankfully not much longer) me.

I thought NZ ON Air was supposed to fund quality programmes, those not deemed commercially viable. It's time to turn the spotlight on who gets what when the gummint spews out millions of dollars to jerks like this gang.

Cripes Granny, you need help!

The Herald has a headline; "Ex Christchurch CEO Found shot dead".

The truth is that the ex CEO of a Christchurch telecommunications company has been located in Texas,ddead from gunshot injuries. He was Christopher Teincsh.

Now Christchurch, just as all local bodies, has an executive officer and the present CEO of Housing New Zealand Leslie McTurk is an ex CEO of the City.

That headline on your website Granny was grossly misleading.

If you have onset Dementia, and I believe it is very probable, you or your close family and friends should have you assessed for secure residential care, before you actually harm yourself or some innocent person or party.

Absolutely shameful but did they care?

Erin Leigh was in a communications job at the Ministry of the Environment a few years ago. She Blew the whistle on an unseemly set of machinations in which allegedly Madelaine Setchel was shunted from a communications role in the Ministry because her Partner at the time was working in the office of opposition leader John Key.

What the socialists did to Ms Setchell was in a word appalling but entirely understandable, given their total failure to have any comprehension of anyone else's moral standards when tested against their own. They could not envision anyone having an ability to leave their work at work, loyalty to their job and employer or integrity - due to the fact that socialists are too often only guided by the mantra that the ends justify etc etc, so their every move is political.

The guts of that failure of common decency and due process came with Ms Setchell,s replacement by Ms Clare Curran, without 'due process' and ignoring any compliance with Public Service engagement rules and protocols. Ms Curran was a member of the NZLP, a member of the executive in the Otago area and had recently completed a paper, widely regarded, by the socialist hierarchy, on controlling the language and presenting the desired publicity on behalf of the Labour Party - factors that would be politically advantageous. Of course, she is now the MP for Dunedin South where one of the casualties of this sorry saga, one Benson Pope,. once held sway.

Erin Leigh rightly blew the whistle. Although she exposed the whole sorry saga to the sanitising effect of sunlight, with the denting of reputations of several figures involved, namely Cabinet ministers Benson Pope, Parker, Anderton and public servants Hugh Logan, Murray Sherwin, Mark Prebble, H2 aka Heather Simpson pushed all the smelly leftovers under the lid of the Garbage bin. As the dust was settling. along came 'Trev The Muss' aka the 2011 election campaign strategist and a convicted thug who under Parliamentary Priveledge proceeded to destroy the reputation and career of Ms Leigh in possibly the most disgusting effort ever witnessed in the House. It wasn't his fault though and he left SSC Hugh Logan to carry the can for giving Goldie Trev inadequate briefing papers.

Recently Ms Leigh won in the courts, with a decision that vindicated her position and went some way to restoring her reputation. Of course that has no effect on what Mallard did under privilege and now she is unable to take it any further for want of funding the very high legal costs - a problem not faced by that despicable figure one Clayton Weatherston.

Clearly those in power did not care and in an ironical twist, Ms Leigh recently admitted to being a Labour voter and in the first MMP election having voted for one T Mallard NZLP in Hutt South.

Repent at leisure comes to mind.

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY ANSWERS

HP; 2, with a bonus for the Wedding Ring.
Gerry; also 2.
Chris Bird; 3, bonus he was worried.
smttc; 3, also picked up on the ring.
pdm; 2, good logic.
Rusty; a merit for humour.
cadwallader; 3, Pania was found in a paddock, not Ele's, I guess the bronze value was a bit disappointing for the perps.
F B B; solid 3, I thought it was the now closed infamous Invercargil Borstal in the back.
ChrisP; 4, and the echoc fish for solving the outstanding Q1 but no cigar.
Anon no ID; a merit 4
Answers.
1 Sir Kerry Burke, around the time he was fending off Alec Neil's ultimately successful challenge for the Chair at Ecan just prior to the appointment of the Commissioners Under Dame Margaret.
2 Pania of the reef now restored to the Waterfront at Napier.
3 Indeed Southland Rugby HQ of course named Rugby Park again for the duration of RWC.
4 Mt Aspiring in the National Park of the same name.
5 Fielding 'CBD' with the Millennium Tower.

Well done Team.

MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN

One of the few things that Nanny State hasn't tried to interfere with over here is the Englishman's right to own and enjoy his dog (in contrast to NZL). And interestingly enough you don't see too many half starved mutts running round wild as you do back home.

Last week I was at the Romsey Show where our d-i-l had a stand (Material Girls - Handmade Products for Babies, Children & Home - orders sent to NZL - see http://www.materialgirls.org/ - end of commercial). 26,000 people and about 13,000 dogs of all shapes and sizes including a Great Dane who decided to lean against me and almost knocked me over in the process. All well behaved and all on leashes.

Spent some quality time with a VVet I was privileged to command. Rex made his millions (literally) designing and installing telecommunications in Africa in the 70s, 80s and early 90s. Now he lives the life of a country squire in a beautifully restored 16th century barn in the country outside Ledbury in Herefordshire surrounded by dogs and cats and wives. Poppy (dog no. ?) took us off for a drink at his/her/it's 'local' high in the Malvern Hills. Got out of the Range Rover and he/she/it beat us through the door and straight to the bar where he/she/it demanded and got from the barman a biscuit from her own special biscuit jar kept on the bar. Other customers stood aside. He/she/it then proceeded to go from table to table with her 'I'm a poor starving Labrador look' etched on face until, replete with food, made her way to our table and fell asleep under it awaking only when we left when he/she/it refused to go until the barman gave her another dog biscuit.

Someone is going to post that all that is totally over the top and a heath hazard to humans. To them I say 'nuts' ... long may it continue.

Joined At The Hip?

A couple of years ago Adolf noticed a startling resemblance between Dr Michael Cullen and Heinrich Himmler.

Today, Paul Holmes summed up pretty well the disaster brought about last week-end by Auckland Mayor Len Brown and his inept gang of muddlers. It was the picture of Lyen Brown which caught my eye. Where have I seen that face before?



Have Aucklanders ever wondered what their Mayor might look like in uniform?



Spandau Prison would be too good for him.

RWC - MIKE TINDALL

Lovely comment in the English media this morning ... "Mike Tindall better make sure he's wearing a seat belt next time he drives through a tunnel".

Seems the media ain't convinced about the spin that SHE was just an old family friend.

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY Sunday18th Sept

There are the pics good luck

What is the best for Fiji.

No not the Rugby, the Saffas were too good and the Islanders just could not compete.

The Politics and Frank.

Took a Cab from Addington to CHC at 0600 this morning and the cabbie was a dual passport holder Fijian who has been in Christchurch for many years.

In answer to my direct question is Frank the answer or not, he was unequivical.
Frank is right. More people can share in the wealth, buy property and best of all for Cabbie, Frank has ended the corruption, the patronage and the hereditary chiefs power over the commerce and trade with the connivance of the Methodist church.
He concluded by hoping he can finish the job and Cabbie is completely mystified as to why New Zealand and Australia want to derail Frank.
As I am, the Pacific Island Nations seem to suffer from endemic nepotism and entitlitus. How much is the total aid paid by all nations per head work out to.

Pretty much what Cam Slater who was born in Fiji, I think, has been saying all along.

"There are thousands of academics and public health specialists for whom this is absolutely boring, bread-and-butter, routine stuff."

Yeah, see, that's exactly the problem - having a "business as usual" that's doing more harm than good, but being unwilling to consider that maybe you're on the wrong track because everyone else is on the same track and how could they all be wrong?

Robyn Toomath is interviewed on Stuff today. She's certainly got one thing right - the increasing obesity rates aren't demonstrating some unexplained decline in willpower across the West, they're to do with the food people are eating.

Toomath, who in her photo on Stuff has the dry, wrinkly skin and lank hair of someone who doesn't get anything like enough fat in their diet, has business-as-usual "expertise" to contribute on the subject of what to do about obesity:

A fat tax, subsidised fruit and veges, school bans on tuckshops selling junk food, advertising regulations – she has backed them all.

Of course, nutritionists and public health professionals have been peddling this eat-less-fat, eat-more-veg message for decades now - as it happens, since around the time the obesity epidemic took off.

Most of these people are aware of the facts around weight gain: that fat metabolism is driven by insulin, and insulin is driven by carbohydrates. However, the academics' and public health specialists' "absolutely boring, bread-and-butter, routine stuff" is that people need to eat less fat, which means they've spent decades now promoting high-carbohydrate diets, and yet can't figure out why people are getting fatter despite consuming fewer calories than they did back when a fatty cut of meat was the cornerstone of the Western diet.

It's called cognitive dissonance:

1. We know that fat metabolism is driven by insulin, which is driven by carbohydrates.

2. Let's recommend a high-carbohydrate diet to make people less fat.

If you can explain it, good luck to you. I suspect it's one of Kuhn's "scientific revolution" things - you can see there's something wrong with the hypothesis, but as long as it's business-as-usual for the big reputations in the field, you'd better assume a lack of understanding on your part.

BOYS OWN ANNUAL 2011

Roy of the rovers c1950.

Hamstrung of the Herald c2011.

My early literature exposure included an A4 size, 12 page weekly British comic with about 6 or 7 "heroes" for a jack the lad where the good guys overcame evil.

The only redeeming feature probably was it encouraged reading by boys, something that is still a problem today. The comic had no "pitchers" apart from an illustrated comic in the center 4 pages themed on the French Foreign Legion in a fort in the Sahara. It was predominantly the written word.

Armstrong is doing it as we communicate today, describing a desperate attempt by Phil Goff to make mileage out of the fiasco last weekend as Auckland failed miserably to accommodate the unfolding drama of the Rugby world Cup six week festival and pin it on the "good guys", John Key and his Government. Just have a glance at the polls, muppet

Now it was clear even to a simple country lad of the 40s/50s that the outcomes for 'Rockfist Rogan', 'Jet Jackson', 'Colwyn Dane' and a Mountie whose name escapes me were always winners, and Hamstrung of the Herald continues the fiction in 2011 as he trumpets Phil Goff "shredding the National led Government" over the shambles that was Auckland City Saturday September 10th.

Hey Mr Armstrong, Len Brown with the assistance of a coterie of sycophants and jobs for old mates were supposed to look out for the possible results that RWC could throw up. So, your old mate Philly is throwing snowballs in 40+ temperatures trying to score political hits on the government.

Phill made his Custer stand in a Parliament that was of interest to possibly 10 000 citizens, tops, the other 4 000 000 have turned it off at the wall. Of course State TV tried to give it oxygen.

It may have been his "best speach for some time" but no one was listening apart from the two or so dozen Labour members who enthusiastically clapped their hands, the Speaker (who was paid to listen) and a handful of others who hadn't stirred themselves to go back to their office for a kip.

Fiction can be literature but that, Mr Armstrong, was not even Fish and Chip wrapper.