General Debate 20 July 2011

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TripeWryter

Now, David, concerning the story in The Southland Times this morning: what can you tell us about these Israelis, whose family members you said had got in touch with you after the earthquake on February 22 seeking your intercession with the government to allow the disaster rescue teams to come to Christchurch?

[DPF: The family which had a son die and got in touch with me through a mutual friend, is not one of those under suspicion of Mossad involvement. I can’t speaks to the other victims – I had no contact with their families]
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July 20, 2011 8:08am
wreck1080

I’m fed up of Israelis continually breaching our national sovereignty.

Surely we need more controls on these people who seem to be intent on stealing the identities of our citizens, including the dead.
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July 20, 2011 8:41am
Longknives

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/5311731/Whanau-seek-answers-over-Opunake-police-shooting

Christ here we go! This one’s going to turn into a ‘Race Issue’ real quickly folks….
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July 20, 2011 8:57am
TripeWryter

Wreck:

We don’t know what they were doing here. It all might be perfectly innocent.

There is nothing sinister about the passengers of the van punching thir way out quickly after the quake. It would have been fullhardy of them to stay in it, given the circumstances.

But it’s a cracker of a story. Obviously someone in the SIS and maybe the police has ‘leaked’. Fred Tulett is the editor of The Southland Times, and is an old-style journalist, so this is hardly the work of a wide-eyed kid who thinks he’s got a breathless scoop.

And I should say I don’t insinuate any impropriety by David Farrar, either. I meant to say that earlier, but was overtaken by the desire to be First, for the First time.

So sorry about that.
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July 20, 2011 9:01am
pdm

Wreck – I would sooner have Israelis’ than Palestinians, Libyans or Al Queda.
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July 20, 2011 9:01am
KH

……….Tripe @ 8.08 says
“…………Now, David, concerning the story in The Southland Times this morning: what can you tell us about these Israelis, whose family members you said had got in touch with you after the earthquake on February 22 seeking your intercession with the government to allow the disaster rescue teams to come to Christchurch?….”

Now thats something I am interested in hearing from DPF as well. As ‘family members’ indicate some connections. And the identity of these people seem various and multiple at least.
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July 20, 2011 9:06am
CHFR

I second that pdm
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July 20, 2011 9:06am
Lance

This has crap GD written all over it…….. sigh
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July 20, 2011 9:11am
adze

Sounds like Israel needs some more time in the sin bin, if there is substance to the allegations floating around at the moment..

I’ve been thinking for some time that we need a counter-cyberwarfare unit to protect our sensitive state and commercial property.
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July 20, 2011 9:13am
wreck1080

@pdm, chfr — you prefer israeli spies to palestinian ones?

This is like saying you’d prefer to be burgled by an australian than by an englishman.

The ‘story’ is compelling that these people were spies (assuming what we read is true).

And, this is a pattern of behaviour by the israelis.

@trypewriter: sure,they smashed their way out of the van. Then they took photos of the van with their dead companion -seems strange to me, and they were out of the country a few hours later. The dead companion was found with 5 passports, then the israelis sent an unauthorised ‘search’ team who were subsequently arrested in the cbd.

It’s not a good look.
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July 20, 2011 9:20am
mikenmild

adze

Pretty sure that’s the job of the GCSB.
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July 20, 2011 9:20am
Ryan Sproull

@pdm, chfr — you prefer israeli spies to palestinian ones?

No, he prefers Israeli people to “Palestinian” ones. Keep up.
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July 20, 2011 9:22am
wreck1080

Yawn, I don’t know why the papers report the NZD breaking records – it is almost on a daily basis.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10739648

Kiwi dollar breaks through post-float record on US debt talks

The New Zealand dollar rose to a new post-float high on signs officials in Washington are close to sealing a deal to lift the debt ceiling in the world’s largest economy.

Not just against the US dollar though, against the euro, pound . We’re doing pretty good against the aussie too. I wonder, with the weakening aussie economy, and the strengthening kiwi /aus, there could be some interesting times ahead for exporters. Up to now, australia has been the saving grace of the strong kiwi, things are changing now .
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July 20, 2011 9:26am
wreck1080

@ryan: let me fill you in, it has been reported that these Israelis may have been spies which is the basis of this thread.

Keep up.
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July 20, 2011 9:30am
Dave Mann

It is quite obvious that these wicked Jooz caused the earthquake, otherwise why would they be driving around at the precise time that it struck, eh? They made it happen so they could steal the identities of the subsequent victims. But they were careless and one of them got badly killed. Serves them right for causing the earthquake. Bloody Jooz. Wicked people, those nasty Jooz…!
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July 20, 2011 9:33am
nasska

TripeWryter above has indicated that the journalist responsible for the Southland Times story is likely to be sure of his facts before rushing to print. I would, therefore, be very interested to hear why a supposedly innocent Israelli citizen would be found in possession of five passports.

If this was the first incident involving Israelli nationals & dubious passports I may be inclined to accept diplomatic answers but it isn’t. Refer “The Guardian” 16 July 2004 after Mossad agents had obtained bogus NZ passports….

….”Israel’s acting ambassador in Australia, Orma Sagiv, said Israel would work to rebuild relations with New Zealand.

“Israel values its relations with New Zealand very much and we will do everything we can to return relations to their former situation,” she said.”….

It would seem that Israellis may not value our friendship or be slower learners than we first thought.
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July 20, 2011 9:35am
Lazybum

Re the Opunake shooting:

Phil Goff is having problems getting people to vote for him, the last thing he needs is for the police to start killing his voters as he needs all the help he can get.

Good riddance to an oxygen thief.
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July 20, 2011 9:41am
flipper

The multiple passport issue….. Try getting into an arab country with an Israeli entry stamp in your NZ passport. Multiple is common in the mid east and elsewhere. Tullet made that point himself.

Mossad…. rather than “reds under beds”-type comments…… is it seriously suggested than no other nation, be it UK, US, Indian, Paki, Aus, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, China et al does not have a COVERT or OVERT intelligence presence in NZ? To start with, every diplomat is a “spy”. Every military attache is an official military “spy”. Moreover it was not too long ago that Aussie’s CSIRO sent a “spy”: into NZ’s DRI at Massey to get secret cheese data. (The spy who came in for the mould…. )
Time to calm down and accept the world as it is ….not as the simpletons among us would have us believe it is/should be.

Fred Tullet. Yep, good reporter – a real reporter. He would probably not describe himself as a “journalist”. Only the “wet behind the ears” preening twerps and electronic “entertainers” do that. Leaks? Probably a nudge, a wink and a suggestion that a closer look might be productive. Good stuff Fred – even if you are only partially correct.
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July 20, 2011 9:51am
Dave Mann

And before anybody accuses me of inaccuracy and hysteria, let me tell you that its a well known fact that all the so-called ‘natural’ disasters in the world since 1947 have been caused by the Jooz working for Mossad. Its a fact. They create these distasters then they move in on the victims, just like they did in Germany in 1914. You can’t trust ’em. No siree…
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July 20, 2011 9:52am
KiwiGreg

@ Longknives – you’d think the answer would be don’t get a gun and take someone hostage. Much like the answer is dont steal cars and flee from police and shoot stop signs. Either way I see it as evolution in action. Just a shame the innocent have to be party to it.
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July 20, 2011 9:53am
mikenmild

flipper

No one has suggested that no other country spies here. We have kicked out Russians before too. This Israeli behaviour seems very suspicious, and I’m sure the journalist who broke the story will have more details to come…
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July 20, 2011 9:54am
pdm

Even if they are Israeli spies they are not likely to put a car bomb in Queen St or Lambton Quay or be suicide bombers on an Air NZ flight.
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July 20, 2011 9:54am
mikenmild

pdm

Would you feel the same way about spies from other countries, too?
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July 20, 2011 10:04am
Lance

@pdm
Yes indeed.
And I know there are wider issues here but seriously;
Are Israeli spies likely to hurt or help NZers safe travel abroad?
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July 20, 2011 10:04am
flipper

Miken…
Really! You surprise me.
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July 20, 2011 10:04am
adze

Mike mild
Looks like you could be right, I thought they were purely foreign intelligence spooks.
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July 20, 2011 10:06am
Other_Andy

@Flipper & pdm at 9:45
Right on.

If this story is true, just wondering….
Why would the Mossad be interested in the New Zealand police national computer database, which holds records of convictions and other information collected by police?
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July 20, 2011 10:10am
nasska

flipper

…..”The multiple passport issue….. Try getting into an arab country with an Israeli entry stamp in your NZ passport. Multiple is common in the mid east and elsewhere.”…..

Regardless of the quaint customs of Israel & its neighbours I fail to see why NZ should be supplying passports to all & sundry. It is quite possible that more than one passport would be handy but I doubt that many people outside of an intelligence agency would be sufficiently paranoid to need five. I accept that all diplomatic staff are essentially spies but their presence is known & authorities can keep an eye on them.

Admit it….we are being used & the actions of these arseholes makes international travel for genuine NZ citizens more fraught than it need be. David Garrett was pilloried for obtaining a fictitious passport in his younger days yet you are suggesting that we should see espionage through rose tinted glasses.

Either we need to clamp down on the practise or open shops in all NZ cities where passports & visas can be bought & sold like second hand books.
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July 20, 2011 10:16am
flipper

nasska…..
In principle I agree. But …..
Care to wager that NZ has not engaged in the practice?
Anyway… Did Fred say they were “N Z passports”.
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July 20, 2011 10:22am
Other_Andy

@Flipper

“Try getting into an arab country with an Israeli entry stamp in your NZ passport.”

From what I can remember they get around that by stamping a seperate piece of paper on request.
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July 20, 2011 10:29am
nasska

flipper

I doubt that NZ is at the cutting edge of espionage.

We don’t know that they are NZ passports, nor do we know that they are not. It is not an unreasonable inference given Israel’s prior antics in NZ.
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July 20, 2011 10:29am
KevinH

The Israeli Ambassador in the South Pacific Shemi Tzur is quoted in the Jerusalem Post as being “shocked and upset” that the SIS considered that the tourists were Mossad agents. He also said the allegations were “science fiction” and that these youngsters were holidaying in your beautiful country.
The multiple passports of one of the deceased Ofer Benyamin Mizrahi has attracted the attentions of authorities, and the aborted attempt of an unauthorised search and rescue team entering the red zone has raised speculation of covert activity.
Notwithstanding those incidents it is plausible that these youngsters were in fact tourists, and that condolences should be forwarded to the deceased families in Israel.
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July 20, 2011 10:32am
flipper

O_A… Could be.
Nass….Really? What about Echelon ????
NZ has been caught up both directly and in directly) in these things for yonks – The Kroger spy case in the UK is a classic example of which I have some personal (albeit prorif) knowledge.
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July 20, 2011 10:40am
RightNow

Labour to call for a boycott of Facebook: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/5313274/Facebooks-Zuckerberg-meets-PM-John-Key
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July 20, 2011 10:46am
wreck1080

Boycott tournament parking….

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10739606

A carpark company is hounding an English couple to pay after their stolen car was dumped in a parking space for three days.

This company are the most despicable of the despicable. How can they have the cheek?

Voice your boycott or opinion to Michele.Higgins@tournament.co.nz
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July 20, 2011 10:50am
nasska

flipper

I know little of Echelon but I would suggest that supplying bases for message interception would be the price we pay for protection under various treaties we are partner to which supposedly help ensure our safety in an unpredictable world.

I am not anti Israel by a long shot but they, as a nation, are taking our friendship for granted. Either they see us as an easy source of bogus travel documents or, judging by the volume of cock ups, their intelligence agencies are the most incompetent in the world.

I feel that the latter theory is probably the weak one.
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July 20, 2011 10:53am
Right of way is Way of Right

So the earthquake was caused by Mossad? Damn!
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July 20, 2011 10:54am
mikenmild

not according to Ken Ring…
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July 20, 2011 11:01am
holysheet

Quite simple really. Anybody with 5 passports is a suspect of being a spy. ( were they all photos of the same person or was he holding them for the group?) Anyhow with all these so called “refugee”s from moslem countries living in NZ you can bet the cia, mossad and other countries spies are here checking up on these “refugees” and good on them.

Every body wants a NZ passport these days.
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July 20, 2011 11:02am
Mark53

Apparently they were recruiting sheep for Mossad.

Seriously though, the journalist got basic facts wrong saying the the Ambassador based in Canberra flew to Christchurch…the Ambassador along with the Embassy is based on The Terrace, Wellington.
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July 20, 2011 11:05am
nasska

Mark53

At the time of the Christchurch earthquake Israel did not have an embassy in NZ. It was closed for ‘budgetary’ reasons about eight years ago (about the time we protested about the fake passports) & not reopened until April this year.

In the interim the ambassador to Australia covered Israel’s affairs in this country.
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July 20, 2011 11:15am
metcalph

It’s a weird story.

My impression is that since there’s nothing worth spying in Christchurch (as opposed to seismilogical and civil engineering interest), the party in the van were trying to establish solidity in their new identity (ie if they could furnish evidence that they had been to Christchurch in 2011 then the custom’s agent (or whoever) is more likely to believe they are who they say they are and not Mossad spooks furnishing false identities).

The unusual thing is that the party in the van were travelling as Israeli citizens and not say as citizens of other countries (ie Canadian, Swiss etc). The five passports that one is said to have would be extreme carelessness security wise although in his defense he could claim that nobody knew Christchurch was going to have a killer earthquake that day.
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July 20, 2011 11:23am
wreck1080

how common would it be for Israelis to have 5 passports? Especially given these people were quite young.

Really, there is too little detail to make conclusions yet —only enough to ask the questions.

It will never be answered either, John Key put a clamp on the information.
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July 20, 2011 11:26am
RightNow

That Monckton, he’s such a goober. Surely Richard Denniss (former Ozzy Green’s advisor) would wipe the floor with him in a debate? He has to right? Monckton is widely derided as an idiot, how could he possibly beat Dr Denniss in debate?

Monckton 10: Denniss 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma6cnPLcrtA&feature=player_embedded
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July 20, 2011 11:29am
Mike Johnson

The family which had a son die and got in touch with me through a mutual friend, is not one of those under suspicion of Mossad involvement. I can’t speaks to the other victims – I had no contact with their families

David, as soon as I read this story, I went straight to your blog for your take on it, remembering that you had written about helping one or other of these people after the earthquake.

But you have not written an article at all on it, which seems very odd given your keen interest in matters Israeli. At the very least, I had expected you to be denouncing Fred’s story.

Even odder, I cannot locate your post-quake article. Have you removed it?

I’d better hunt down Google cache before the Mossad removes it from there too.

😉
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July 20, 2011 11:38am
s.russell

I wonder what Keith Locke thinks of the Israeli spy story. Doesn’t he want the SIS to be abolished? I don’t think he would have much sympathy for Mossad identity thieves though.
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July 20, 2011 11:43am
Mike Johnson

I cannot locate your post-quake article. Have you removed it?

I found it on Google:

http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/03/procedure_should_not_beat_principle.html

Very odd. I cannot find it on Kiwiblog even when searching using the heading and the URL.

Long live Google cache 🙂
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July 20, 2011 11:47am
Mark53

Nasska

I stand by my comment that the journalist got basic facts wrong saying the the Ambassador based in Canberra flew to Christchurch…the Ambassador along with the Embassy is based on The Terrace, Wellington.

The Embassy opened in April 2010, not April 2011 as you claim.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/israeli-embassy-reopens-in-wellington-3474086

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00316.htm
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July 20, 2011 11:50am
Mike Johnson

Ah. Your 12 noon update. Thank you.
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July 20, 2011 12:04pm
TripeWryter

So, it seems that John Key does know ‘something’ about the Israelis.

I suggest to him that he spill a bit more, otherwise the headlines on his North American sojourn are not going to be about meeting Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin and Barack Obamarama and being paraded down other red carpets, but about how more and more has been winkled out of this story, and what has he got to say about it.

I see that The Jerusalem Post is running a brisk comments section below a story on this. A lot of ridicule and sarcasm there, but in a reverse way they do have a point.

What is so interesting here? What secrets do we have? I wouldn’t have thought we would have counted ourselves enemies of Israel.
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July 20, 2011 12:06pm
Andrei

Very odd. I cannot find it on Kiwiblog even when searching using the heading and the URL.

Long live Google cache

eh? Your link is to this blog and not Google Cache – there is no jiggery pokery going on here
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July 20, 2011 12:08pm
TripeWryter

As for the passport thing: a friend of one of my daughters travels on four passports. She is Jewish, and so has a NZ passport (she was born here); a US passport (her parents are American); a Hungarian one (a grandparent was Hungarian); and an EU passport.

But the same photo appears on all, as does her own name.
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July 20, 2011 12:11pm
joana

Sharia down under. The man who was lashed 40 times by intruders in Sydney was a muslim revert. He was attacked by bearded intruders and punished for drinking alcohol. There is something in the koran re 40 lashes and alcohol..Charming ROP.
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July 20, 2011 12:19pm
krazykiwi

Interesting to see Kiva.org start a urban micro-finance work in Detroit. While this is business loans, I think there’s scope to scrap the state-manipulated welfare system and replace it with a direct model – even if a portion of my income was formally set aside for micro-finance investment.

If you haven’t used Kiva I’d recommend giving it a go. I have helped fund start-up entrepreneurs in three countries, on ventures ranging from a village general store, motorbike repair shop and a community health centre. I’ve had 100% repayments and been able to re-direct the same money to other needs.
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July 20, 2011 1:15pm
Lance

Like TripeWryter wrote

5 Passports is not unheard of for certain people. Doesn’t make them a spy.

What a bunch of fucking small town hicks NZ looks like. Divorced from reality with non-news items as the only titillation to break the boredom.
Mind you, look at our politicians and their antics, maybe a bit of mental masturbation it the only option to keep the populous from sliding into deep depression.
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July 20, 2011 1:18pm
Elaycee

@wreck1080 says of Tournament Parking: “This company are the most despicable of the despicable…”

100% correct. Anyone who has has the misfortune to deal with Tournament will agree that they are a bunch of unprofessional cowboys who will do anything to extract money from the public. I had the misfortune to ‘experience’ Tournament service last year and their actions in instructing a staff member in one of their car parks to lie in order to support their extra charges, says it all. At the time of my ‘experience’ Indeed, I subsequently asked all staff (plus customers and visitors) to avoid using any Tournament facilities and we still follow this policy today.

Indeed, my dealings with their ‘management’ reinforced my initial poor impression – they are inept and arrogant and simply wouldn’t survive in any other business environment where customer service is required. They are well suited to Tournament.

Get the impression I rate Tournament at the bottom of the barrel? You betcha….
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July 20, 2011 1:35pm
Lance

@Elaycee
Tournament sound like a government department.

Or a local government department.
Auckland Libraries…. your book is overdue. We reply … no it isn’t, we renewed it.
No you didn’t we had it booked for someone else they say. But we have a computer print out of the re-issuing (we say).
That can’t be so and pay up or else (they say)
Can we show you your computer issued docket? (we say)
No not interested, pay up or else.

Wankers
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July 20, 2011 1:42pm
nasska

Mark53 @ 11.50am

My bad. The article I quoted from referred to the official opening.
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July 20, 2011 1:56pm
kiwisimplexity

Re-O-Week, Fun, Booze and Beaten Up
Dunedin CBD. After the parties in North D have died down and everyone who hasn’t passed out made their way into town, it’s the Octagon area that gets going.
http://kiwisimplexity.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/re-o-week-fun-booze-and-beaten-up/

http://kiwisimplexity.wordpress.com/
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July 20, 2011 2:20pm
Mick Mac

TripeWryter (612) Says:
July 20th, 2011 at 12:06 pm

Not so, we finance Palestinian terrorism by paying for stuff they should be paying for their people and calling it aid.
KNOWING full well that frees up money to buy explosives and arms.

I used to have three passports and now have 2, does that make me a half spy?
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July 20, 2011 2:25pm
krazykiwi

In India, a Leopard inspects the buffet, then make his/her selection. Ouch!
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July 20, 2011 2:50pm
Griff

My handle griff is shortened from the Walsh Griffith –strong chief
I am proud of my ancestry proud of the grand father who worked in a tor mine six and a half days a week 12 hous a day from age twelve only to be discarded to die
Proud of the uncle who spent 3 years in colditz

Do I look for utu from the Mine Owner
Do I look for utu from the Nazi
For this was the pressure of Civilization rolling over them

I am proud of the of the Settlers who first came here the Missionaries the Whalers the Woodsman the Goldiggers the Solders
I am proud of our governors. our Justice the MPs the Prime Ministers
I am proud of our warriors the Anzacs, the Maori battalion, the Cavalry, the Gunners

U look for utu
For the wrongs that they done
From the pressure of civilization rolling over you

Utu the thing that killed so many of us in the musket wars
Utu that caused the weakness that allowed us to force the Treaty on ourselves
Do u want Utu to to harm us again and again

I have Left that tree on the cliff behind me. I have crossed to Hawaiki seen the emptiness felt the courage that it took to come here
Seen our bush heard its bird song smelt its odors
climbed our mountains swam on our sea stood under our rain basked under our sun these thing I share with you my fellow New Zealanders
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July 20, 2011 3:10pm
Chthoniid

@krazykiwi

In India, a Leopard inspects the buffet, then make his/her selection. Ouch!

Yeah, they can be a pretty dangerous animal. Tigers are rarer but can be very lethal.

There was a nasty attack at Habiborongabari late last year, when a tiger came out of the reserve, killed a man and woman and put a policeman and girl into hospital before being shot. There’s a human cost to conservation that is often overlooked.
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July 20, 2011 3:18pm
starboard

“to keep the populous from sliding into deep depression.”

too late…have ya seen the state of ’em lately..just visited the local mall..my god we have some ugly sad looking characters walking around…oh well it is Christchurch…
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July 20, 2011 4:31pm
starboard

..did ya see that ” woman ” reporter Simon interviewed on one news re Murdoch? That was a man..man! The voice..the large hands ! eeewwwww!
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July 20, 2011 6:13pm
krazykiwi

@adolf – another interesting one here: NZIER – When will NZ catch up with Australia?. I’m kinda disinterested in quarterly comparisons. It’s long term trends than confirm the future’s we’ll enjoy or endure. That other link showed NZ ranking behind Botswana and Kazakstan by 2025. Imagine that… kiwi kids heading to Kazakstan to improve their lot. Not sure how Key borrowing ~$20b per year is helping us avoid that.
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July 20, 2011 6:28pm
wat dabney

Thanks RightNow.

Richard Denniss displays such painful ignorance. Clearly he’s decent and sincere but he hasn’t made the slightest effort to investigate the subject beyond the spin and alarmist headlines. What a tired collection of old canards.
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July 20, 2011 6:50pm
wat dabney

RightNow,

Oh, wait. I just got to the bit where Denniss argues against purchasing submarines to replace the ones “they haven’t used yet” because they don’t know precisely on what day they might be needed.

He’s a stupid **** who should be totally ignored.

What an utter twat.
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July 20, 2011 6:58pm
nasska

Some phrases are only used when they are untrue.

“I’m not racist, but …”
“I’m sure I …”
“I don’t want to contradict you…”
“With all due respect”
“Far be it from me … ”
“It goes without saying…”
“… not to mention …”
“No offence”
“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly”
“Oh go on then – just one.”
“I shan’t make this a long speech.”
“Nothing, darling.”
“Serves 4”
“I’m no prude, but …”
“Family planning”
“Network upgrade”
“Care in the community”
“Back in 5 min”
“I’ll just put you on hold for a moment.”
“Congratulations! You have been specially chosen/selected …”
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July 20, 2011 7:03pm
wat dabney

Each 10% increase in the minimum wage was accompanied by a decrease in employment of 1.2% for Hispanic males, 2.5% for white males and 6.5% for black males.

When looking at hours worked, we saw a similar effect at play: Each 10% increase in the minimum wage reduced hours worked by 1.7% for Hispanic males, 3% for white males and 6.6% for black males.

The data clearly show a disproportionate loss of hours and employment for black young adults. Let’s put these lost opportunities into context.

Between 2007 and 2010, employment for 16- to 24-year-old black males fell by approximately 34,300 as a result of the recession; over the same time period, approximately 26,400 lost their jobs as a result of increases in the minimum wage across the 50 states and at the federal level.

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=578791&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EditorialRss+%28Editorial+RSS%29
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July 20, 2011 7:14pm
F E Smith

“With all due respect”

Gee, if I couldn’t say that in Court then I would get in one hell of a lot of trouble! Every time I use it I think of Yes, Minister and wait to get told off, but for some reason it works a charm.
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July 20, 2011 7:15pm
Rodders

starboard at 6.13pm said “That was a man”

You sure about that?
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23749027-bra-girl-charged-for-posing-as-a-pc.do
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July 20, 2011 7:21pm
Steve

Padock mating.
http://www.newzealandnews.net/story/813065
Dr Albert Makary needs to understand that this is just the lazy disfunctionals bleeding off the Taxpayer
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July 20, 2011 7:29pm
nasska

A honeymooning couple purchased a talking parrot on their vacation and took it to their room, but the bridegroom became annoyed with the bird when it kept up a running commentary on his lovemaking skills. Finally he threw a towel over the cage and threatened to give the bird to the zoo if it didn’t stay quiet.
Early the next morning, packing to return home, they couldn’t close a large suitcase.
“You get on top and I’ll try,” the groom instructed. But that didn’t work. The new bride figured they must need more weight on top of the suitcase to shut it. “Darling, YOU get on top and I’ll try.” Still no success. Finally the annoyed groom said, “Look, let’s both get on top.”
At that point the parrot used his beak to pull the towel off the cage and said, “Zoo or no zoo, I just have to see this!”
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July 20, 2011 7:31pm
starboard

yeah thats ” her ” Rodders…no way shes a chick…big hands, deep voice , adams apple… seen plenty of those in Thailand
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July 20, 2011 7:32pm
Nookin

Nasska
You forgot
“To tell you the truth…”
“Cheque’s in the mail..”
“The earth moved”(except when said in Christchurch)
Ï promise I’ll pull out before…”
Ï’ve got a headache..”
Ï’ll do it later…””
“You are the one-millionth visitor to this site..”
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July 20, 2011 7:34pm
Steve

A man walks into a drug store with his 8-year old son.
They happen to walk by the condom
display, and the boy asks, “What are these,Dad?”
To which the man matter-of-factly replies, “Those are called condoms,
son… Men use them to have safe sex.”
“Oh, I see,” replied the boy pensively.
“Yes, I’ve heard of that in health class at school.”
He looks over the display and picks up a package of 3 and asks, “Why are
there 3 in this package?”
The dad replies, “Those are for high school boys. One for Friday, one
for Saturday, and one for Sunday.”
“Cool” says the boy. He notices a 6 pack and asks, “Then who are these
for?”
“Those are for college men.” The dad answers.
“Two for Friday, two for Saturday, and two for Sunday.”
“WOW!” exclaimed the boy, “then who uses THESE?” he asks, picking up a
12
pack.
With a sigh, the dad replied “Those are for married men.
One for January, one for February, one for March ……………………
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July 20, 2011 7:36pm
calendar girl

Enjoyed that, Griff. Thanks.
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July 20, 2011 7:38pm
Rodders

@starboard @7:32pm says “seen plenty of those in Thailand”

No answer to that.
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July 20, 2011 7:38pm
starboard

While enjoying a drink with his mate one night,ryan decides to try his luck with an attractive lady sitting by the bar.She lets him join her for a drink and to his surprise asks him to accompany him home.They spend the night hard at it.Finally they finish;Ryan rolls off,pulls out a cigarette and looks for his lighter. He asks his new love if she has a light. “There might be some matches in the top drawer”,she replies. Opening the drawer he finds some matches on top of a framed photo of another man.Naturally he begins to worry. “Is this your husband?” he enquires nervously. “No,silly” she replies. “Your boyfriend then?” “No”,she replies,snuggling up to him. “Who is he then?” “Thats me… before the operation!”
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July 20, 2011 7:38pm
Pauleastbay

starboard at 6.13pm said “That was a man”

Yep Starboard 4 votes in this house were for the bloke, very good adams apple shaving as well
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July 20, 2011 7:41pm
nasska

Lola is pregnant, and is practically 9 months along.
She goes to see her doctor for a routine check-up, but she is worried.
She asks, “What if the baby starts coming, and I can’t get to the hospital in time.”
The doctor replies, “Well, woman have been having babies for a million years without an attendance by doctors.
It’s a very natural process.
The first thing you do is to assume the same position you were laying in when you got pregnant.”
The blonde interrupts with, “Do you mean with the right foot in the glove box and the left foot hanging out the window?”
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July 20, 2011 7:54pm
Rodders

😀
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July 20, 2011 8:02pm
Manolo

The unashamed socialist “Three Hats” Little writes about desperation? What a cheek!
http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10739833
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July 21, 2011 6:49am
Viking2

Sharia coming to NZ.

“But the burqa is almost dehumanising and it robs the personality and the ability of someone to express themselves.”

However Malaysian businessman Zulkifli Hamzah, who is in Auckland to help set up a Muslim “Obedient Wives Club” branch, said followers of Islam understood “women and men are not equals”.

“Everything has a structure and for a Muslim, the man is seen as the leader of the family or household.

“If a woman is told to wear a burqa or hijab so she does not tempt other men, then she should obey.

“The issue is not whether it is a cultural law or religious law, it is the husband’s law.”

The club’s founders, Malaysian-based business group Global Ikhwan, support polygamy, and claim their moral attitude is in line with Islamic teachings for building strong families.

The club encourages women to submit to their husbands and meet all their sexual needs because it believes sexually fulfilled men are less likely to stray so marriages are less likely to break down.

It claims a worldwide membership of about 1000.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10739845
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July 21, 2011 7:16am
mikenmild

We see today the results of the government’s ‘boot camps’ for young offenders:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5317466/Discipline-camp-youth-reoffend
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July 21, 2011 7:24am
Manolo

A rip-off in anybody’s book. Shipley doesn’t deserves one hundredth of that money: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/christchurch-earthquake/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502981&objectid=10739607
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July 21, 2011 7:39am
mikenmild

Manolo

The chairman of the panel is reported as saying that the fees were justified because he would have to drop everything to do the work.
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July 21, 2011 7:41am
starboard

whens the price of petrol comin down FFS..greedy mo/fo’s, dollars at nearly record high…arent they mongrels.
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July 21, 2011 7:46am
starboard

…and whats he gunna do exactly for a grand plus per day? Give out instructions he received from someone else and pass those directives on to someone whos on 18 bucks an hour diggin rubble. Talk about sitting in ivory towers and feeding out to the peasents..fuckers….
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July 21, 2011 7:50am
Manolo

Spot on starboard. The eye-gouging by the petrol companies is despicable. Taking us, poor motorists, to the cleaners every day of the week.
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July 21, 2011 7:52am
starboard

“It is held at Te Puna Wai youth residence near Christchurch”

..says it all really…once a crim always a crim milky…its in their ( dark ) blood.
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July 21, 2011 7:53am
Lance

@mikenmild
So you could like get top level people for under $100 an hour? Yea right.
These are actually quite reasonable fees compared to normal consultants.

I am not talking about the justification, the choice of people or the reason, only the knee jerk balking at the the fees which are actually not high at all. If I hired a computer tech for a day, how much would that cost??????
NZ has to move on from these hicksville bullshit attitudes that make us look like fuckwits. Envy and small-mindedness are not going to help grow this nation. Professionals do cost money, successful people aren’t the enemy, good entrepreneurs aren’t the devil incarnate.
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July 21, 2011 7:58am
starboard

What are they actually going to be doing for their money? Why have they been paid twice the standard rate? Were the roles advertised? Why does it smell?
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July 21, 2011 8:03am
Lance

@starboard
I know when ever I hire consultants (good ones, not dickheads) its more like $2K a day.
Maybe it was realized if they pay peanuts they get monkeys.

But this is NZ so whats new?
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July 21, 2011 8:07am

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