Poltical Debates

Does anyone seriously watch these staged events?

Anyone, that is besides, political junkies, jounalists and party activists? A whole bloody hour and a half? Come off it.

I'll be most interested to see the actual viewer figures.

Something lost in the translation ?

Farrar has the results of a digipoll on Te Tai Tokerau at Curia.

Candidates; Hatfield 42%, Davis 35%, Shortland 20%

Party vote all tied up 27%, 27% and 25%.

Preferred PM: Key leads Hatfield 26% to 11% with Tugger and Pita 3rd = on 7% and the invisible man on 6%

Then the clincher, most important issue at 18% EDUCATION

So they want a ex money trader for PM, a thug for their electorate member and totally confused as to the party of government.

I guess we should be grateful they realise they need educating, maybe they will see the value of respected educator Kelvin Davis over the racist thug.

LABOUR DUMPS ON NORTHLAND

Labour with their proposed dumping of the 'Holiday Highway' (their words) from Puhoi North in favour of gifting Mayor Brown $1.2b for a rail loop(y), which best projections have it will take just 2,0o0 cars off the road, is the slap in the face for Northlanders (and I guess Jaffas fleeing north)..

Mind you Labour is well used to slapping Provincial New Zealand in the face and never mind that stretch of highway is a 'Key' project to help Northland realise it's tourism potential as well as assisting our logging industry which is an important part of Northland's economy.

It's certainly is a slap in the face for the four Labour candidates contesting seats up here.

For Winston Peter's sister sister contesting Northland. Failed Chair of the Northland DHB and fighting to keep her deposit.

For the Union heavy contesting Whangarei. A 'teacher' who is committed to preserving the jobs of mediocre teachers over providing kids with a decent education and a report card that parents can understand..

For the carpetbagger looking to come third in Rodney. Forced to can her facebook page where she blamed John Key for Pike River, the ChCh earthquakes and the Rena grounding. Real Classy not.

And for Kelvin Davis. One of the few decent guys in Labour. A second kick in the guts following their leaving him high and dry over their proposal to raise the retirement age.

Labour is happy to cynically dump on Northlanders in favour of Mayor Brown's grand plan. Guess it's pay-off time for a Mayor whose South Auckland constituency is about to reap the benefit of having the rest of Auckland (who don't vote Labour) pay for them in the Mayor's skewering of the rating system. Sad but entirely predictable.

QUIZ RESULTS

Chris P merit for effort and yes teaming with trout last time Adolf was there.
Adolf thanks for your pic.
PMof NZ 1.
MikeG 1.
Ray fair comment on pic size, looking for info on photo management for Linux. A solid 2 and a bonus for five, the water is almost in Benmore at that point.
FBB the ejaffas, 2 plus a half for 5 and bonus for added info on 2.
HP 2 again good logic and answers.
David, I had same thought re Pelorous Bridge when Adolf sent me the Pic.

Answers,
1 Hon Bob Tizard.
2 Bridge over the Clutha at Alexandra, SE of Lake Dunstan.
3 Mt Patriarch in the Richmond Ranges, looking across the "Argyle Dam" fed by a canal from the Branch and the Leatham rivers in the Wairau Valley, Great stopover for Movanners even a couple of lowcost Power points for the softies.
4 Intended as the Cigar saver, Twin Bridges south of Kaikohe on a back Rd to Whangarei. Looks Idyllic and apparently well known in the Far North.
5 Bit obscure I know as normally the now dry bed of the Ohau river. A rare spill from Lake Ruataniwha, built as a surge lake on the Upper Waitaki scheme between Ohau "B" and Ohau "C". Lake Ruataniwha is the SI Rowing venue built with a bit of extra, outside the square thinking by Max Smith, Engineer in charge and ended his career with MOW but a tremendous asset. The Locals have named the Rowing venue Road after him "Max Smith Drive".
I first saw the site of this Picture in the mid 1960s as an 'azure blue mountain stream' the deep blue comes from the suspended Schist in the water. Thanks to Kay Cross for the pic.

Agh but Would They Know ?

House = asset. Mortgage = Liability.


Machine = asset, Unprovided maintenance = Liability

Mortgage held by Bank = Asset, Mortgage owed to Bank = Liability.

The Media are continuing with the theory that a majority of New Zealand voters oppose "Selling State Owned Assets".

Lie, it is not the National Party Policy to sell the freekin assets, it is proposed to sell a minority share in some assets till NZ inc owns at a minimum, 51%.

If we continue with the ownership of all infrastructure in the State where will the burgeoning funds of "the Cullen fund, Kiwi saver, et al invest their money, Oh thats right, they will invest in other country's infrastructure. Exporting our funds to grow somewhere off shore?

How many in the Labour Party 2011 have any experience in owning, funding, managing and staffing a functioning business.

Now the serious stuff, just how many of the 60 percent (varies) who oppose sale of state assets, not forgetting it is not SALE but A PARTIAL SALE, have a modicum of knowledge of the real financial issues involved.

If continued sale of any part or all of any infrastructure assets still within the governments hands is so bad why are the socialists not promoting the repurchase of the remainder of Air NZ, Contact Energy, Telecom, the Post Office savings Bank, and all the other assets sold by previous governments where the Hon Phil Goff was a member of the executive .
Sheesh we know how much over the odds The History Teacher paid for the rubbish bits of Kiwi Rail.

I seriously question if anywhere near 50% of the voters in NZ have any real idea what the Partial sale of some Government owned assets involves as regards the real financial management aspects, leaving that figure opposed as not even an excuse for a "Fairy Tale".
One only has to listen to the uninformed lamenting the loss of "ALL" the Income when it will only be the possible 49% of the dividends anyway.

Clear evidence of the ignorance.

Couple of things

that I noticed last week:

1. The day after DPF posts about Labour supposedly planning to reduce your wages (spin based on the surprising proposition that money saved is actually money lost), his party announces the re-introduction of youth rates, something that will actually reduce a lot of people's wages. How's that for timing?

2. iPredict reports:

Act is in trouble in Epsom. The party now has an 89% probability of a reduced majority in Epsom, and National's Paul Goldsmith is now expected to win the seat (48.3% probability, compared with 44.6% for Act's John Banks).

Oh dear. Even after putting up a candidate as unelectable as Paul Goldsmith, National may not get Banks elected. A loss for Banks will also lose anything up to 3% of the party vote for the right and leave National scratching for a coalition partner. Just goes to show, there's only so much cynical manipulation an electorate will put up with, I guess.

Chalk and Cheese

I see someone of the 'uber right' is bewailing the National Party's handling of industrial relations.

A little bit of cool headed perspective might show a different story

Air New Zealand is flying.



Qantas is grounded.



Current policies have ensured minimal time and wages lost to strikes.




Labour's IR policy just announced will reverse that happy state of affairs.




Adolf well remembers the mid 1970s when the Australian unions were running amok under the Whitlam administration. There were so many strikes on in Sydney that some enterprising person set up a 'dial a strike' service for those who could not be sure from day to day what was and what was not operating.

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY Sunday Oct 30th

MANA PARTY

I guess their Economic & Justice policy announced by John Minto is just so 'off the wall' that nobody has bothered to pan it. No tax on the first $28,000 of earnings and the complete abolution of GST to be offset by what they call a 'Hone Heke Tax' (let the white motherfuckers pay tax) would send the county bankrupt in very short order.

What really concerns me however is the clear expectation that their voting demographic will buy the con. It tells me that they consider their constituency so thick as to be incapable of working out that this policy resembles pyramid selling in reverse with the same guaranteed result.

Mind you they took a lead from their coalition partner with their undertaking to remove GST from fresh fruit and vegetables. How to turn a 'clean' tax into a 'dirty tax' in one easy lesson.

With Mana and Hone Harawira Labour gets the coalition partner it deserves.

HOW TO KNEECAP YOUR OWN - LABOUR STYLE

I have previously blogged about how I hoped Labour's Kelvin Davis would come through the middle to defeat Hone Harawira. Nothing could please me more than to see the Mana Party consigned to the dustbin of history. Almost as good as the corrupt Winston First going tits up. And never let it be forgotten that Mana and Winston First are Labour allies.

Kelvin D is one of the few 'good guys' in Labour. And so it was that I was concerned to hear that he turned up late at a 'Meet the Candidates' meeting in Kaitaia and walked out when the questioning got a little heated. I will leave it over to the Northern Advocate and the Northern Age to report more fully on that chapter of events.

But perhaps I now understand more fully the background to Kelvin D's performance. Labour had just briefed him on their 'bold' decision to raise the age of entitlement for New Zealand Superannuation to age 67. Clearly the brains behind that move had failed to look at the statistics which have it that the average life expectancy for Maori males is 70.4 years. So poor old Kelvin was expected to go out and sell that to his constituency where the 'older' aged Maori are more likely to vote. Bit like asking turkeys to vote for an early Xmas.

Talk about kneecapping your future. Labour has handed Hone a lifeline whereas Kelvin looks like being out of Parliament altogether 0n their current polling.

Another cluster f**k by Labour.

The point

Adolf has just asked me the point of the two posts below.

There was no point really. I was just bored.

But to keep him happy, if there had to be a point this would be it.

We are going to get the government we deserve at the next election.

I predict that the Nats will end up on 50% and no viable partners under MMP.

Meanwhile Goff will be spraying cabinet seats and money around like a drunken idiot.

The first act of the coalition of losers would be to then knife him in the back. Len Brown has already proved that idiots can win easily.

All those "nek minit" voters will think they have voted themselves paradise continued after brief 3 year pause.

But as the wheels inevitably fall off our economy the truth will slowly dawn on them.

Labour and Unions are last century's solutions to a world now firmly ensconced in this century's problems.

Cheers Adolf.

yun yon

nek gummint

POLL RESULTS

For the first time in his life the Veteran had his views sought by a polling company. The results figured in today's Royal New Zealand Herald. Clearly the great majority of thinking New Zealanders hold similar views to mine.

National 53.5% up 1.5%

Labour 30.3% down 1.2%

Greens 9,5% down 0.3%

ACT 1.5% up 0.3%

The rest don't count including the misnamed Conservative Party who managed just 0.00000% ... oh dear, how sad, never mind, move on.

p.s. The warning by Qantas management that the ongoing industrial action being taken against them could see that airline goneburger within twelve months is a salutary lesson of what can happen under the Union centric industrial relations policy proposed by Phil Goff's pack of losers.

Great News!!!!!!!

So long as they REMEMBER to put them on.

Oh Deer

A deer farmer in North Canterbury somehow managed to inject himself with deer tranquiliser.

At last report he had grown antlers and was leaping over high fences.

Reminds me of the day my Dad was tailing lambs 'up the hill.' It must have been about 1958 or thereabouts. He slipped in the temporary yard and cut his wrist open on an open pair of dagging shears. But for the quick wits of his helper, local lad Lou Tana, who wasted no time in tying a tourniquet, Dad would have quickly bled to death.



Last I heard, Lou was a kaumatua, respected by Pakeha and Maori people of Moerewa and further afield.

You Could See It Coming

Hard on the heels of Goff's revolutionary new policy of stealing from employers to bribe unemployable voters from the nether regions of Auckland's seedier suburbs comes Lyen Brown's piece de resistance.



He's announced a huge decrease in the rates paid by his mates from same nether regions and lo and behold this largess is funded by a whopping INCREASE in the rates to be extorted from those suburbs whose residents never in a million years would vote for Brown.

Adolf would like to know how many people are enrolled to vote in these various suburbs but I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that this was the calculus used in setting the relative rates. He's bought the next mayoral election using money from North Shorians, Epsomites and Howickeans.

You've got to hand it to Labour. They are past masters at cheating and stealing.

OUR LEADER IS ABSENT SO WE WILL GO WITH pOLICY!

Trific!

Industrial relations. Back to the seventies with industry awards, raise the minimum wage, abolish the 90 day trial.

Defense, withdraw the SAS 90 days after being sworn in. After getting a deal with the Pin Stripe Dwarf the SAS may already be back home.

Compulsory Savings as you cant trust anyone to provide for their own retirement. Reduce wage rates, increase unemployment. Place anothe barrier to establishment of small business.

Abolish National standards, continuing with maintaining a pool of voter support from the 20% leaving school with inadequate literacy and/or numeracy skills to get a job.

Remove GST from fresh fruit and vegetables that will have absolutely zero effect on retail prices as a bunch of celery or a banana will retail for what the produce manager decides and the GST component will just add to the bottom line margin.

Stop asset sales when National does not propose to sell anything just allow New Zealand investors to put their money in a power company rather than leave them exposed to the sharks swimming in the investment pool.

All surefire ways to grow the economy formulated by a bunch of very ordinary academics, union hacks and school teachers served with a masterchef inspired sauce of equal parts envy and ignorance.

Yep that'll do it for sure, especially when the final kitchen roster includes the equally batshit business brains from the watermelons.

THAT'LL GROW THE ECONOMY, NOT.

Many thinking people agree that small business make big contributions to total employment.

To start a successful small business one needs a good idea, money, cashflow and a measure of good fortune along with massive risk and hard work.

The wizards at Labour Party Central, no, not the "cloud", but very much in the fog, have just raised the bar to impede start up business with compulsory superannuation.

An enterprising young fashion designer, a young person wanting to get on the ladder to dairy farm herd ownership or similar will need all the cash they can lay their hands on in the early days.
This idiocy will remove money from them and lock it up till the government says they can access it and should their enterprise begin to employ others then the entrepreneur will be forced to contribute 7% of any wages negotiated to Kiwi Saver.

Anyone who entered into a compulsory savings scheme with an insurance company will well know that in the startup years the contributions are swallowed up with fees, at least the first year goes to the agent setting it up.

Any equity accumulated will not be available to the cash starved young business person and who will stop the investment vehicle from doing what successive superannuation fund managers do so well, just lose it.

All together a handbrake on wealth creation, well done Labour.

Shit House Rats

Yes I know that's a bit agricultural but there's an old saying that someone is 'as cunning as a shit house rat.' Never was the descriptor so apt as today when our very special version of such rats released their policy on Kiwisaver.



Desperate times beget desperate measures and when your party is broke and has sent the country broke and there's no money for election bribes but you've still got to bribe the dumb arse bastards who have faithfully voted for you for years, you've got a problem.

Labour's answer:-

Steal from the few employers left standing.

"We'll increase the employers' contribution to 7% but don't worry, loyal stupid voters we'll leave your contribution level at 2%. Oh, by the way, there won't be as many jobs for you but we'll have ours, so you'll be fine."

The only things at which these people excel are theft, bribery and lies.

YOU WON'T SEE THIS IN THE MSM.

The "reason for it all"

Cactus had time to kill so took a walk through Aotea Square with her Blackberry . Posted as Intrepid Journey.

It is Classic and she tells it for all those of us who cannot indulge our selves with "Lens Latest Promotion" of the Super City.

THIS FROM THE 'OH DEAR, HOW SAD, MOVE ON' FILE

Over the last few days there has been undisguised glee from Labour that Moody's was about to join the other two rating agencies and downgrade NZL's Credit Rating. One hears that Mr Cunliffe was wetting himself at the prospect and even placed bets this was going to happen.

Bugger. Now we learn that "Leading credit rating agency Moody's yesterday confirmed New Zealand's Triple-A credit rating with a stable outlook". Triple-A is their highest rating. Moody's said they were satisfied with the forecast projections contained in the PREFU released earlier in the week. "The future path of Government deficits and debt is not too far different from earlier projections. As a result this document does not change our thinking about New Zealand's rating" said Steven Hess, Moody's Vice-President and Senior Credit Officer.

'Poor' Labour .... Oh dear, how sad, move on.

Call The Undertakers

The Antique Media has been besotted lately with the ructions going on within the Act Party. Many a prediction of the party's imminent death has been made.

Adolf is reminded of the many times one can recall families having grave concern for the health of an elderly member only to be shocked by the unexpected and sudden death of that person's spouse.

Perhaps, like the caring family members, the media has been so focused on Act that it has missed the impending death of Labour.

Here is a so called party which in the midst of a general election campaign finds itself with no money, no leader, no campaign launch, no campaign strategy, no party discipline, no credibility, no prospects and continued declining poll numbers.

Right now Labour's very much like a frail aged derelict in a hospice with all it's vital organs closing down.



Isn't it time for the few Labour people left to start making funeral arrangements prior to turning off the life support machine?

Snakes and ladders

With the happy distraction of the rugby now out of the way, I guess it's time to get excited about voting in the next installment of government.

To be honest I'm struggling to raise much level of enthusiasm.

On one hand we have Goff telling us that when you are in a hole you don't sell the ladder.

I guess he just ran out of time to mention that he has spent the best part of his life helping dig the bloody hole.

On the other hand we have Key telling us that we are all on the rise mysteriously to a brighter future- never quite figured what exactly a "brighter" future means.

The minor parties on both sides of the fence will continue to have limited following as what they offer is too scary for most.

So we will be in for another 3 years where even more mediocre MP's will promote even more mediocre policy.

We will be sold the fairy tale of a golden egg surplus if luck goes our way.

But I reckon the world is about out of luck.

At least we will be world champions.

IT'S NOT FREEKIN FREE!!!

State TV tonight reported on a youth gathering to plan the New Christchurch.

According to the report, near the top of their list, "Free WiFi" in the city center.

Why won't someone challenge their flawed thinking.

A Motel or other business may offer "free wifi" as an attraction or promotion but it would be most likely a city would be using someones involuntary funding to create it.

What they proposed will not be free it will be no cost to the user or 100% subsidized.

That is a very different thing. My net access costs me around $150 a month including tolls and landline but where I end up, all to often its non existent.

Of course absolutely not a problem for the nice retiring CEO of Telecom fishing in the "Greenstone", he had XT access, apparently by admission of a pleb at the "Help Desk".

VIETNAM FUNNIES

Some of you are aware that various media have sought fit to publish excerpts from the anthology of tales I wrote about Victor 3 in Vietnam concentrating on lighter side of that war. One contributor to this blog has suggested I should do a post featuring one those stories.

So, for what it is worth, here goes with one that many have 'enjoyed' particularly the soldiers who saw their command team wet upon. Please folks, let's not use this as an occasion to relive the tragedy that was Vietnam. But war does have its funnier moments.

TALES FROM THE ‘DARK’ SIDE OF VICTOR 3 – PART 4

This is the fourth in an occasional series of tales relating to V3's tour. It is recorded in my 'battle diary' (which appears to include pages fashioned out of toilet paper from ration packs).

Some unkind people have described Waiouru as “the place God made and never visited”. Clearly they never experienced Fire Support Base Concord. Charlie was expected to attack the Long Binh – Bien Hoa areas during their 1968 mid year offensive. Concord was one of a string of FSBs designed to dominate the rocket belt to the north east of Long Binh Junction (LBJ) as a foil to their plans. It was adjacent to the Dong Nai River (more about that in Tales 5).

Victor 3 deployed into Concord direct from the Horseshoe. First impressions were that Concord resembled ‘Smokey Mountain’ (the Metro Manila Rubbish Dump) and time did nothing to dispel that impression and indeed, there was a rubbish dump just outside the wire where a couple of ‘lady’ believers in the free enterprise ethic set up an establishment to cater for the needs of healthy young men (well, they probably were healthy until they went there) … I digress.

It was with some amazement that we disembarked from the helicopters to be confronted by a series of above ground bunkers, fashioned out of wood and iron scraps and looking like adverts for ‘Junkyard Wars’, occupied by our American cousins who constituted the majority in the FSB. John Hall, our OC, took one look at them and immediately issued orders to dig, dig and dig some more so we all became ‘diggers’. We dug and dug and scrounged and scrounged stopping only at ‘stand to’ when our American friends would come over to look at the sight of soldiers waiting to be attacked. What’s more they had a penchant for congregating in front of our trenches to discuss the phenomena and blinding us with camera flashes as they recorded the strange habits of their allies.

But it was Company Headquarters that features in this story. John Hall was determined to create a ‘real’ command post. Something that General Navarre at Dien Bien Phu would have been proud of. Laurie Bailey, our faithful Assault Pioneer Detachment Commander, managed to acquire a motorized mini digger, from I know not where, and eventually a bunker extraordinaire was constructed deep deep underground, so far deep that the roof of the bunker was at ground level. You could walk across it without knowing it was there and in retrospect that was a major design flaw. To provide ventilation Laurie also ‘found’ a number of pipes which protruded about 3 feet above ground level.

And so it was that with the bunker complete and replete with all mod cons we sat down for our first ‘O’ Group in our new home. The Boss had just started his homily when cascading from the ventilation shafts come a torrent of amber liquid. Many of us were sprayed. John Hall, standing straight under one shaft, got soaked, There was a rushed general exodus. On making it to the surface we could see a bunch of Yank soldiers congregated around the ventilation shafts where they protruded from the ground ‘doing their thing’. They claimed the pipes were standard ‘pissaphones’ on the US side of the base. John Hall was not amused and not for the first time in the tour vented his feelings with passion.

p.s. If you want a guaranteed method of removing writing from a plastic surface I know of a good product.

p.p.s. Laurie B …. Didn’t they tell you what the pipes were being used for when you ‘acquired’ them and does that explain why I have never seen you wearing the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal?

Sunray 5/2

For the record. Victor 3 Company served in Vietnam from May 1968 until May 1969. Originally it was part of 2RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Bn and later 4RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Bn. It was the most highly decorated of the 9 NZL Infantry Company's sent to Vietnam winning two Military Crosses (one an 'Immediate Award'); two Distinguished Conduct Medals and a Mentioned in Despatches. Our Chaplain, Whakahuihui Vercoe, later Anglican Primate of New Zealand, also received an MBE for his outstanding work ministering to the troops. Two of our soldiers, Mike Wickman and Don Bensemann were KIA. Another 19 were WIA.

The Shooper Pooper Scooper

Just when you thought you'd heard everything, modern medicine comes up with the grossest for the mostest. Poor Mrs Shoop.




A clostridium difficile infection? Must be the Labour disease.


That's obviously what's wrong with Trevor Mallard and David Parker. For them, shit just happens.

All good things come to an end.......

Sorry DPF, but I'm over it.
G

MIMICKING WINSTON FIRST

Fascinating to see a few lost wandering souls from the political 'Right' are banging on about the newly formed Conservative Party as Gods gift to NZL.

No matter that they have yet to announce any candidates (other than a failed Auckland Mayoral candidate who tried to recruit Don Brash to lead his herd of wannabees). No matter that their Party website, pretty on colours and full of platitudes, is devoid of serious policy. No matter that their commitment to a balanced budget (whatever that means - all budgets are balanced) is hamstrung by their mantra of no asset sales. No matter that their hammering of the Government of the level of debt totally fails to take account of the two ChCh earthquakes. It's as if they didn't happen or perhaps their Jaffa leader didn't notice.

No matter that their social policies appear to be based on a 1950s view of the world which probably reflects their thinking. But NZL is not, like them, stuck in a 1950s time warp. Government (any Government) has to deal with the here and now rather than hankering back to times long gone.

Many of you will recall the line by Nigel Hawthorne playing Sir Humphrey Appleby, GCB, KBE, MVO, MA (Oxon) in 'Yes Minister' when discussing the White Paper and his comment that the name was much more important than the contents which no-one read anyway.

Seems like the so called Conservatives have gone for the name when, if you analyse their policies (or lack of), they come across as a clone of Winston First, albeit without the corruption.

Playing Dirty

No, not the French. They played brilliantly and damned near pulled off a victory.

I'm talking about Clare Curran who reckons 'Labour is playing to win.'

Unfortunately she's been rather let down by her half baked half back, David Parker, who has distributed in Epsom a John Banks 'hit leaflet' which turns out to be a defamatory pack of lies. (See comments thread at Kiwiblog.)

1. Nick K (155) Says:
   October 22nd, 2011 at 10:28 am

   Some are also aware Act knew this when they took a large donation from the misnamed Sensible Sentencing Trust and made Garrett Act’s law and order spokesperson.

   This is a lie. I was Party Secretary at this time and was responsible for submitting the party’s donation returns. There was never a donation from the Sensible Sentencing Trust. This lie is perpetuated by Labour consistently as if to say ACT sold that #5 slot of David Garrett to the SST. It is a barefaced lie.

To paraphrase the irrepressible David Lange:-

"I can smell Trevor Mallards fingerprints all over it."

Some Questions

Did we choke or did we choke?

Is it Sir Graham and Sir Ritchie come New Year?

Why didn't the PM arrange to have them dubbed by the Guv as part of the closing ceremony?

Why was the Bilious Bitch allowed into the country at this time?

Had the French got up to win during those last minutes, would she have been dead by midnight?

Why do we hear no complaints from Labour about all those profits going overseas to the IRB?

Have the original 57 'Old Farts' all died yet?

Phew!!!

To all the pundits who predicted a big score, "it was finals footy FFS".
My quiet confidence took a bit of a hit when Number 3 10 fell to the curse but one point was always enough at full time.
France have too much history of coming out for the "big" game.
Good result and a fitting send off for Brad Thorn for so many reasons, a true gladiator of the 21st century.
Very good effort from Craig Joubert, clearly the top whistle in World Rugby.

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY ANSWERS

1 Hon Jonathon Hunt with all the titles given, was a bright young thing as a member of a 'youth clever clogs team' in the middle of last century on the wireless, as speaker of the house decidedly ordinary and as HC in London an embarrasment.
2 Mt Hikorangi, East Cape, the first NZ land to touch the morning sun apart from the Chathams. Thanks to Adolph for the pic.
3 Chateau Tongariro, on road to Whakapapa Ski area, we usually skied Turoa on the SW better snow(colder).
4 Nelson Cathedral steps from top of Trafalger St.
5 Naval Point Marina looking towards Gebbies Pass.

Marc opened with 2 and a 1/2 for Nelson.
Chris Bird also 2 with a 1/2 for 5 location.
PM of NZ 3 plus a 1/2 Nelson.
Homepaddock a solid 3.
Bodger an ecigar for 5.
Others with NCEA credits.

Thanks for the supportive comments Adolf and Homepaddock.

Pics with ID to mr3915@gmail.com would be appreciated as many web pics are too identifiable or not free of IP rules

LABOUR AND NASTY

I continue to be surprised by the almost visceral hatred by Labour of those they perceive should be theirs as of right and how dare they exercise their independence by choosing to choose an alternative political home.

John Key. Born into an essentially one parent family and brought up in a State House by a mother who sacrificed much to ensure her family had the best possible start in life. Should be part of the traditional Labour demographic and so they can't figure out why he should turn his back on them and that frustrates them to hell. Add to that his business success and his ability to communicate with the electorate and Labour is reduced to having to send their President to Melbourne to dig up non existent dirt. No apologies given and I guess none expected given the state of the modern Labour Party.

Sir Peter Leitch aka The Mad Butcher. Traditional Labour working class bloke. I suspect he has voted Labour up until now. Dared to say something nice about John Key and then the heavens opened up by way of Labour MPs Darien Fenton and Louise Wall. 'Blacklist his shops' was the cry (never mind that he had sold them sometime previously). Stick pins in his effigy through to the more extreme 'hope he dies soon'. Real classy utterances not. My Labour voting Dad would turn in his grave if he was still alive.

John Banks. Love him or hate him and Labour hates him with a vengeance. With JB you see what you get and get what you see and perhaps that is the issue with Labour. Forget he dragged himself out of the gutter, forget the rags to riches bit. Labour can't abide 'black and white politicians' (ok, not PC but who cares) and far prefer the smarmy kind who are nothing and count for nothing but are right there in asking 'how high' when the Unions say jump.

Paula Bennett. Unwed teenage Mum who got herself an education and achieved. Living proof that handups beat handouts every time. That challenges the Labour mantra that the DPB is to be admired as a lifestyle option. It's not and PB figured that out early on in life. Labour are stuck in a timewarp that sees the DPB as a solution rather than a problem. More fool them and that is why NZ is richer for the Paula Bennetts of this world.

Tariana Turia. Ratana stalwart and Labour Cabinet Minister until she got sick of Labour's patronising attitude to Maori and walked. Unforgivable to a Labour Party true believer. They believe Maori are meant to be grateful for whatever scraps are thrown them and never mind the quality of those scraps. For decades Maori Labour Party MPs were voting fodder to be tolerated as long as they did their duty (to Labour). Turia challenged that mould and they despise her as an 'uncle/aunty Tom'.

Chris Finlayson. Hold on. Gay MPs are the preserve of Labour. Gay and Labour are like Gin and Tonic minus the effervescence. The idea that you can be both Tory and Gay just ain't natural in the great scheme of things so that allows Labour to be homophobic in their treatment of CF. The charge is lead by Mallard and Cosgrove (whom one suspects are homophobic themselves) but don't have the balls to challenge the all powerful Rainbow Wing of Labour who call the shots for them.

Freud could write a book on what makes Labour tick (or not).

For myself, brought up in a household where my Father was MJS Labour and my Mother a Tory (who kept it quiet), I subscribe to the old cliche that anyone who isn't a bit socialist at age 20 hasn't got a heart and anyone who isn't a Tory at age 40 hasn't got a brain.

I have been privileged to know some good Labour people in my time. Early on in my military career I was the military aide to the Hon Arthur Falkner, Minister of Defence and sometime President of the Labour Party. He was a straight up and down, no nonsense politician, who had served his country with distinction in WW2. I do not see him as having too much in common with the current Labour mob. Likewise, I am impressed with Kelvin Davis, Labour List MP from Kaitaia who will hopefully wrest Te Tai Tokerau from the racist Hone Harawiri. But past those two not too many more. The nasty streak prevalent in Labour tends to taint them all to some degree.

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY SUNDAY 23rd Oct

What's In Their Drinking Water?

Dissolved 'stupid' pills, by the look of Mallard's latest election fund promotion.




Hasn't anybody ever told him about subliminal messages? Silly question, Adolf. There's not much that is subliminal about Mr Mallard.

VOTE LABOUR AND STARVE

Next on the Drone List

When I saw reports yesterday that Indonesian police had 'put down' a 'riot' in Papua I wondered how long it would be before a less sanitized version surfaced.
Apparently what was put down was less a riot than a political gathering and lo and behold there were deaths.




Six people shot dead by police who simply fired live ammunition into a crowd of 2,000 people. This brings back stark memories of the gentle Indonesian government and its handling of East Timor.

Oh well, I guess Indonesia now will be included in Hilary Clinto's hit lists of countries to which she needs to have been and to have seen.

Herein lies a good lesson for David Farrar and all those others who ceaslessly attack the Fijian regime of Commodore Bainimarama. The Indonesian government is DEMOCRATICALLY elected.

Best Left Unsaid

Adolf notes there appears to have been a US drone aircraft strike involved in the death of Libya's murderous tyrant Gaddafi. Hillary Clinton's crass reaction is as instructive as it is disgraceful.

'We came, we saw, he died'

Does she think she is participating in some damned theatrical piece?



I can't help having considerable qualms about the notion of the US military, on the whim of a president, wandering around the world knocking people off , no matter what despicable bastards they might be, without the prior approval of the Congress.

To the best of my knowledge, such conduct is unprecedented and is exceedingly dangerous. It is the need to gain Congressional approval which applies restraint to an otherwise capricious administration.

For example, does anyone know who or what is the REAL target given to the 100 special forces recently despatched to tropical east Africa? How will they tell the good black bastards waving Kalashnikovs from the real bad black bastards waving AK 47s?

Can anyone imagine the ballyhoo and uproar there would have been from the left and their vassal media if Dubbya had done anything remotely approaching the dubious legality of Obama's wild escapades?

Extremely troubling precedents are being set and I fear the consequences of them later may be seriously misunderestimated by these desperate and gleeful Democrats. For example, Iran may well argue successfully for sympathy from the UN next time it goes into the USA and actually knocks somebody off under the noses of the FBI.

If they were really smart, they's use a drone with a hellfire missile.

Priceless Picture

This says soooooo much about the current shambles which is Labour.

Caption competition




"Sir Peter greets his erstwhile Labour friends."

The Many Talents of Heather Roy

Idly wandering through a few newspapers the other day, Adolf sat up with a jaw dropping start.

What? Surely not?

Yes it is! Of course it is. It can't be anyone else.




See? I todlja so!

Young chick screwing old politicians. Nothing new there I guess.

Except that Madam Roy managed to restrict her activities to 'figuratively speaking.'

The Poor Bastard

Somebody stole the president's teleprompter!!!!!!!!!

But this was the guy who was going to stop the sea rising and stop the world warming and feed the hungry and house the homeless and, and, and, and............



In between golfin' and holidayin' and bowin' and scrapin' and bribin' and lyin' you'd think he might have found time to learn a little bit about public speakin'?

Yeah, I know. Two Obama posts in a row but Hell, this guy is starting to make Phil Goff look competent.

Freedom Camping!

Following the lead of the "Occupy Wall St" brain fart, a group of the idle and disordily have followed like sheep and replicated the idea in Auckland's Aotea Square.

Recently our wonderfully talented legislature enacted draconian laws that they think will stop budget travelers shitting in the woods, or more disgustingly in iconic places in our country as they tour in panel vans and station wagons.
Those of us who travel a gypsy life exploring the highways and byways of our beautiful country as a lifestyle choice, know the rules will make stuff all difference to the backpacker style "tourists" who will be long gone from our shores before any serious sanction will be applied.
The new laws will only apply to those of us who have assetts and live here as citizens. The law basically ignores the lengths the responsible gypsys have gone to practically and financially removing the possible depositing of waste in any form, where we park. Our mantra is to only leave wheel marks.

Apparently the new rules do not apply to the occupiers of Aotea square as the local authority chooses to ignore what they are doing.
I can just imagine what would be the outcome if a bunch of NZ Motor Caravan Association members occupied a public space in a central city location without permission, would bring an immediate and draconian response.
How long will the grass in the square survive under the occupation , Cr George Wood was saying yesterday that a permanent communal dining/lounge area was under construction, building consented of course, yeah right.

It would appear that Len's mates are not really "freedom camping" they are "protesting"

ONLY IN IRELAND

Now I've seen it all ................

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/bookie-gambles-early-payout-abs-victory-4475542

Don't Worry About The Birth Certificate

The illegitimate black arsed jackass didn't have enough genuine signatures to get onto the Democratic Party primaries nomination list. Most of the signatures have been found to be forgeries perpetrated by Democratic Party officials!!!!

"This fraud was obvious, far-reaching and appeared to be systemic," 22-year-old Ryan Nees told Fox News, referring to evidence he uncovered while researching electoral petitions from the 2008 Democratic Party primary in Indiana.

Nees’ investigation centered on the petitions that put then-senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on the ballot. As many as 150 of the names and signatures, it is alleged, were faked. So many, in fact, that the numbers raise questions about whether Obama’s campaign had enough legitimate signatures to qualify for a spot on the ballot.

The young fellow who discovered the scam just happens to be a Democrat who served an internship at the Obama White House.

Oh my oh my, how the chickens are coming home to roost for this crook and his gangster government.

LOOK FOR AN UPSET IN TI TAI TOKERAU

Maori politics has a life of its own which I don't pretend to understand. Nevertheless, living up here in the Bay of Islands you can sense the mood change among Maori voters and I don't think it bodes well for Hone H.

Here is my take on it (for what it is worth).

The Mana Party campaign in Te Tai Tokerau is stuttering at best. Hone is defending a slim 2.200 majority (down from 6,300 in 2008) but he is hampered in doing so by his commitment to the Mana Party campaign nationwide. Money would appear to be a problem. Mana is being 'outsigned' by the Maori Party by what looks like 2:1. Nationally the Mana campaign has failed to ignite. Willie Jackson and John Tamahere have 'walked' and right now the perception is that they are a rag-tag bunch of losers. That will have an impact locally.

The Maori Party appears energised by their candidate Waihora Shortland. He is certainly much better known and much more articulate than his predessor in the bi-election campaign. Expect him to claw back votes from the Mana Party.

But watching (and I guess laughing all the way to the bank) is Labour's Kelvin Davis. He was an initial convert to the Maori Party but walked once Hone managed his takeover. Kelvin is one of the very few 'good guys' in Labour. He is hard working and has pretty wide cross-party respect (and support) up here. I would expect National voters on the Maori roll to give him their electorate vote given that National isn't standing a candidate. Kelvin Davis is an upset waiting to happen and I suggest this result will be one of the few that will cause Labour to celebrate on what will be a pretty bleak night for them.

You read it first.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY LABOUR.

Last February marked the 60th anniversary of the 1951 waterfront strike that the commy leaders of the waterfront called a lockout.
Lasting 151 days the strike ended the ability of the communists who unreservedly supported the workers paradise in the USSR, to use their muscle on the wharves to attack our way of life. It was the defining battle and they lost. There were many more skirmishes, far too many for the growth of our Nation, but today with a largely aspirational workforce, well educated and informed, the tactics that allowed the mainly cloth capped northern english agitators to hold sway have been eroded and consigned to history.

In a last stand yesterday, the current Labour Party, who have no connection to the class warfare of the 19 and first half of the 20th centuries have regurgitated an out dated policy, allowing a "Back to the Future" blueprint for industrial relations. Labour 2011 is populated by ambitios academics and modern parasitic union hacks who would be laughed out of a meeting by Knox, Walsh, Anderson et al who bestrode the union movement at its zenith.

People such as Chris Trotter with his eloquence and James Anderton with his bullying, Minto, Bradford et al shouting through megaphones have been flogging the dead horse around the racetrack of life by appealing to the illinformed to rally one more time but progress ironically, has castrated the progressives and it is only the politics of envy that resonates.