General Debate 23 October 2012

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Fletch

First!
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October 23, 2012 8:15am
b1gdaddynz

So Scott Higginbotham will only miss one game per strike to Ritchie’s head! Apparently the knee to the head and the headbutt are at the lower end of offending and it wasn’t that hard?!? WTF if you did that to some one on the street you’d get and assault conviction! Will it take actually seriously injuring the guy before some thing gets done about this? I mean rugby is already starting to struggle with parents thinking it’s too dangerous especially in Australia and this would do nothing to disuade them of this opinion unless it is taken seriously and stamped out of the game. It’s good for soccer though!!
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October 23, 2012 8:16am
Fletch

Something sinister? Or really just a test?

A TV Station in the U.S showing election results on their news ticker (under the screen) showing that Obama had won the election weeks before it takes place. They’ve come out now (eventually) and said it was just a test. Some people are wondering…
I wouldn’t put it past Obama and his grey ponytailed friends.

The 2012 presidential election is still more than two weeks away, but on Friday a CBS News affiliate in Arizona called the race for President Barack Obama.

For 17 seconds, Phoenix, Arizona CBS News affiliate KPHO ran a lower third graphic that showed that Obama had won the Nov. 6 election over Gov. Mitt Romney with 99% of the precincts reporting. The lower third graphic appeared around 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 19, during an episode of “The People’s Court.”

The CBS News graphic showed Obama winning the election with 43 percent of the vote nationwide to Romney’s 40 percent -– or 40,237,966 votes to 38,116,216. It is unclear who garnered the other 17 percent in the fictional election results.

KPHO’s general manager did not return The Daily Caller’s request for comment by time of publication.

UPDATE 12:10 p.m.:

Michele Wallace of KPHO told TheDC that this was the result of a mistake made with a test graphic:

“On Friday October 19th during a test of KPHO- CBS 5’s election returns software we inadvertently aired a test graphic for about 15 seconds in an episode of Peoples Court,” Wallace said. “The mistake was caught quickly and taken off the screen. With the election about 2 weeks away, the TV station routinely tests its equipment to ensure our viewers have the very latest’s results on election night. We regret the error and apologize to any viewer who was confused by the mistake.”

http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/21/cbs-news-affiliate-calls-2012-presidential-race-for-barack-obama-weeks-ahead-of-election/#ixzz29zidtm00
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October 23, 2012 8:18am
Keeping Stock

I think the title of my blog-post on this says it all b1gddadynz

http://keepingstock.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/sanzars-lily-livered-judiciary.html

This is a disgraceful decision, made far worse because the judicial officer Jannie Lubbe has minimised Higginbotham’s offending, and made excuses for him. Significantly, Meneer Lubbe is the same bloke who cleared Quade Cooper of kneeing McCaw in the face in last year’s Brisbane test match. The worst aspect was the Higginbotham actually held McCaw’s head when he administered the Liverpool Kiss to ensure that he got a good shot in!

It’s gutless stuff from SANZAR, and I make no apologies for saying so.
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October 23, 2012 8:22am
hj

Technology would come to the rescue if only the wheels would stop falling off.

“Whether the technology itself is a loser or consumers are merely slow to adapt to new things, car buyers so far haven’t embraced electric vehicles in numbers close to Obama’s goal. Electric-vehicle sales since 2011 totaled fewer than 50,000 through September, just 5 percent of the president’s target.
“The reality is – that business model isn’t there yet,” said Brett Smith, co-director of manufacturing, engineering and technology at the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan. “It isn’t there yet for volume. It isn’t there yet for reaching the mass consumer. And it probably isn’t going to be there for a while.”

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Electric-car-sales-falling-short-of-goal-3954153.php#ixzz2A3cnEvnh“
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October 23, 2012 8:23am
hj

How big can that tree grow in that small pot?

“.. the latest Pew survey of 3,177 Chinese residents finds that many Chinese have grown more anxious over the past four years. Only 59 percent said they like the pace of modern life, down from 72 percent in 2008. The economy has grown at an average of around 9 percent per year over these four years–in fact, 70 percent of the respondents said they are better off financially than they were 5 years ago. But it turns out growth isn’t all that matters….”
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2012/10/what-people-worry-about-china/3616/
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October 23, 2012 8:29am
flipper

Item 1.

US Elections…. Gallup still calls it for Romney by 6 points on weeklynationwide rolling ave to Oct 21. Romney and Obama tied in key state Ohio. Romney ahead in Florida, North Carolina, and even in Penn.
Many a slip possible, buit NOT looking good for OIbamination.

Item 2.

More Police traffic bullshit.
Seven persons died in crashes and already the Police are claiming that alcoholic beverages were the root cause of the Gisborne crash that claimed four lives. Trouble with that is that the 58 year old driver is a WELL KNOWN abstainer (Fairfax).

The other issue is the proclivity of Police and media to concentrate in the # of deaths. One is too many. But the only valid stat is the number of deaths per injury crash. This data was once available from gthe MOT (when they handled road policing), but is no longer made available unless under OIA request. A further point is that one crash may result in seven (7) deaths. Seven crashes may result in 7 deaths. It is thus a terrible game of chance. But the deaths per se figure is CRAP.

Item 3

The ever loving United Nations (Helen and Moon grad) has sent observers to check on the United States Presidential elections to ensure that minority rights are properly recognised. Guess where the monitors come from. That’s right. The usual democratic suspects – Ukraine, Pakistan, Miongolia, Vietnam, Venezuela, Camaroon, Wai-kick-a-moo-cow, et al……

The US sometimes stuffs up its foreign policy because the majority if its 350 million citizens are self-centred (Where is Noo Zeeeland? Near Wisconsin, No?) . But elections? No

Just Helengrad crap One report says some States will decline to allow the monitors access to any polling station – and they have threatened with arrest if they transgress. That would be great.

Good morning ALL!
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October 23, 2012 8:48am
hmmokrightitis

hj, Im sure electric cars day will come. It isnt now. I trded my gas guzzling Ford FPV in for a family friendly VW Passat Wagon. 2.0 TSI. On a long run I can get 1,000k out of a tank. I do Auckland or Wellington from New Plymouth without refilling. The ICE has come a bloody long way – and when I can accelerate like I can in this baby, to well over 200k, why would I bother with a toy car?
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October 23, 2012 8:49am
Alan Johnstone

The betting markets show Obama well ahead, trading @ 1.50 vs 3.0 for Mitt. The Gallup poll is out of line with a lot of others. The president is a hot favorite and is still very likely to win. He shows ahead in early voting returns and his ground operation is better. He has 140 field offices in Ohio for instance vs 40 for Roomey. nothing is locked in stone, but Nate Silver has him with a 67% chance. http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/

Keeping an eye of the Nazi graffiti thing today, no names published yet, but nearly identical things happened in Paris at the start of the year, all the guilty were Muslims; I’d expect the same here today; wonder how the media will handle that, it’s more trickey for them than a “white resistance” crime.
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October 23, 2012 9:07am
nasska

The good burghers of New Plymouth will be shitting themselves at the the thought of the rates rise they will suffer next year. If the chill winds of of the GFC are blowing through the ‘rightitis’ household to the extent that the FPV has been junked in favour of fuel economy we can only speculate on the enormous pressure that will be going on the Council for a substantial wage increase. 🙂
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October 23, 2012 9:18am
wreck1080

The leasehold land on princes wharf Auckland is surely some kind of scam. Maybe it is a legal scam, but still one nonetheless.

They have increased lease fees by 300% since 2005 — in the example an apartment has had its annual leasehold fees increase from 13k to 40k .

The apartments have halved in value, some cannot even be sold.

I looked at these apartments back in the day, but, didn’t like thought of paying lease fees. Never in the glossy brochures did it disclose that lease fees may triple in a few short years. Sure, there will be some terms about reviews etc, but, you’d not expect such a rise.

I wouldn’t have thought that people who bought these places were ignorant — who would have anticipated such a surge in leasehold fees?
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October 23, 2012 9:19am
hj

*Love Fest* *Love Fest* *Love Fest*

09:20 What will New Zealand look like demographically over the next 50 years?

Professor Paul Spoonley, Research Director for Massey University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
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October 23, 2012 9:26am
flipper

Alan Johnstone….

Go check

http://www.realclearpolitics.com

As for the other polls and the so called betting market …. I would go with Gallup. Their poll is a mix of intending voters and others, with very LARGE samples from both categories. Gallup’s established accuracy is superior.
Also look at University of Colorado (picked every one accurately since 1980) ..and Suffolk. As of few minutes ago Ohio is LEVEL (that is L-E-V-E-L). So, AJ, look at the trend., Of course there can be many a slip…..BUT ….. 🙂
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October 23, 2012 9:31am
hj

JESSICA – Let’s talk a little bit about that population spread. Why are so many people moving to Auckland?

PAUL – Well, Auckland – there’s an agglomeration effect, so the bigger Auckland becomes, there more attractive it becomes. It becomes more attractive economically, but it also becomes more attractive as a place to live. And so we’re seeing the sort of perimeters of New Zealand, the regions, beginning to flat-line, so they’re not growing, and we’re now beginning to see the first of regions beginning to decline.
Q+A
JESSICA MUTCH INTERVIEWS PAUL SPOONLEY
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October 23, 2012 9:31am
hj

Fast population growth over the past decade has strained infrastructure, boosted house prices and reduced the quality of life in the Auckland region.
Rod Oram
http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/0705/RMA__Oram_Paper_May_2007.pdf

THE case for higher immigration as a driver for economic growth is far from proven, as is the notion that more immigrants can counter the negative effects of population ageing, the Productivity Commission says.
In an analysis of the “big Australia” debate in its 2011 annual report published yesterday, the commission said the economic impact of immigration “is sometimes clouded by misperception”.
“Two benefits that are sometimes attributed to immigration, despite mixed or poor evidence to support them, are that immigration is an important driver of per capita economic growth, (and) immigration could alleviate the problem of population ageing,” it says.
The commission also notes immigration doesn’t affect household wages overall, though particular sectors could be adversely affected if there were a large influx of skilled immigrants.
And it warns that trying to slow the impact of an ageing population on the economy by bringing in young workers is only a sugar hit.
“Any effect would be short-lived,” the report says. “This is because immigrants themselves age, and progressively higher levels of migration would be needed to sustain the current age structure into the future.”
The commission affirms its view that government policy effort might be better spent internally “to improve the participation rates of … women over 45 and older Australians of both genders.”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/immigration-link-to-economic-growth-yet-to-be-proven-says-productivity-commission/story-fn9hm1gu-1226179973978
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October 23, 2012 9:38am
Manolo

Calling a spade a spade: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/10/22/christie-what-the-hell-is-obama-doing-asking-for-another-4-years/
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October 23, 2012 9:43am
dime

If Romney wins, who will be more upset? Obama or the news talk zb newsroom?
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October 23, 2012 9:47am
Manolo

On today’s debate moderator: http://michellemalkin.com/2012/10/22/the-bias-of-bob-schieffer-top-7-moments/
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October 23, 2012 9:48am
flipper

HJ….
Population growth was a major foundation of the Fortress New Zealand economic policy introduced by Sutch/Lewin an adopted by the first Labour Government. The original target for 1970 was circa 5.5 million. It was only when Walsh and Skinner worked out what the immigration levels required would mean for unioins that the skids went under the policy and, to use the current in vogue phrase, they threw it “under the bus”.

Population increase per se solves nothing. Oram? With his backgroynd, he would not know sh** from clay
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October 23, 2012 9:58am
Alan Johnstone

Why with 10’s of millions invested a “so called market” ? It’s very real to me.

Of course I’ve seen RCP, I’ve read it every day for 8 years, the RCP polling averages have the President ahead in Ohio, NV, NH & WI. RCP also has Obama ahead in EC votes.

Even with Fla and NC Mitt simply doesn’t have many routes to 270 votes. I don’t dispute it’s tight and anything could happen, but Obama has a clear probability of winning, which is a shame because he’s a average at best potus

Oh Gallups established accuracy isn’t actually that good. It didn’t perform well in 2008 and 2010.
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October 23, 2012 9:59am
Nookin

Anyone see Peter Burns, aka D4J on Beyond the Darklands last night?
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October 23, 2012 9:59am
hj

Professor Spoonley isn’t talking much about an input from New Zealanders he is talking about “how things will look” and “what things will look like”. Much like a farmer deciding how much fertiliser he should apply.
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October 23, 2012 10:02am
Redbaiter

“for a family friendly VW Passat Wagon”

Classless- like its owner.
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October 23, 2012 10:09am
Rufus

Red – I get what you’re trying to do in general. And I say good on you.

However, your message is totally lost by your antics.

For example – your above comment is totally uncalled for. It serves no purpose whatsoever, adds nothing to any debate, and simply reinforces in people’s minds what a total dick you can be.

I’ve read pieces by you on other forums where you set our a clear, logical, persuasive case, without the personal abuse and histrionics that permeate your posting here.

I think you take things here far too personally. Chill out, try to stay objective, and leave the abuse out of it.

I for one would appreciate such posts from you a lot more.

How about playing the ball, not the player. Try it for one day. Most here will read this and scoff, but I reckon you could – if you wanted to.
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October 23, 2012 10:22am
Kimble

OK screw all your other petty issues:

SCIENTISTS JAILED IN ITALY FOR NOT PREDICTING EARTHQUAKES!

Does the Western Civilization DESERVE to survive?
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October 23, 2012 10:24am
Redbaiter

Thanks for the kind words Rufus, and you’re probably right, but contrary to rumour, I am only human with the usual failings, and when I see such insufferably self important self absorbed imbeciles (has he ever told you he runs incredibly long distances?) I sometimes just cannot help myself.

Edit-

Kimble- good subject. One has to ask how things can get so fucked up as for something as incredible as that to happen.
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October 23, 2012 10:29am
Rufus

Red – you often cannot help yourself. And that doesn’t help your message.
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October 23, 2012 10:35am
Rufus

Kimble – I understood they were jailed (well, not yet as they have to go through the appeal process first) because they made false re-assurances.

Everybody at the top was so keen to avoid mass panic (note how they gagged the lone technician who had tried to raise the alarm in the previous weeks) that they sought to reassure people all was well – they couldn’t predict the earthquake, but equally, they couldn’t state conclusively that there wouldn’t be one.
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October 23, 2012 10:39am
Kimble

Rufus, telling people that minor tremors dont necessarily mean a larger tremor is on the way is not a false re-assurance.

It is the truth. It is good science.

The fact a large earthquake then did occur doesnt make it untrue, or bad science.
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October 23, 2012 10:50am
Akaroa

Re: Wreck1080 at 0919.

Yes, Wreck, its the old Maori-land-screw-the-occupants/owners caper. Happens all over Auckland. When we moved up here from Wgtn four years ago one of the reasons for doing so was the prospect of buying a superb apartment in one of the waterfront Scenes at – in Wellington terms – a give-away, knockdown price. I think it was about $450K for three bedrooms and balconies on both the inland and wharf/harbour outlooks. But, – and here’s the kicker – also on Maori land!! And paying Maori ground rent.

I thought – (being a cautious disbelieving sort of a bloke) – that this was too good to be true. The agent poo-poo-ed any suggestion that the nominal ground rent would ever rise, but I didn’t believe him!! And so hung off and bought elsewhere. Surprise! Surprise! the unlucky owners in the Scenes now face imminent phenomenal ground rent rises now that the land owners can adjust those rates – upwards of course.

The same situation applies in respect of apartments elsewhere in Akl, some in Beaumont Street in Central Auckland, and, whilst i am not entirely au fait with the current situation there, i know that those owners have also had a horrific increase in ground rent recently.

The moral? Don’t buy on Maori land!!
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October 23, 2012 10:53am
T-Dee

Kim Dotcom obviously getting deperate having to use his bodyguard to say what a good guy he is. The body guard who had two unlicensed pistol handled shotguns at the mansion and bemoans the police treating him as a criminal.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10842233

But shame on the NZH for giving this guy’s views of the Fraudster any credibility; he’s paid by him to say that FFS!

And why the need for shotguns? To tackle any visits by the pornographers whose content the Fraudster was ripping off, I’d guess.
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October 23, 2012 10:55am
hj

@ Akaroa
The moral? Don’t buy on Maori land!!
…
If it’s good enough for goose to charge high rents it’s good enough for gander.

the wider issue, however, is applying aboriginal title to (just about) everywhere etc
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October 23, 2012 11:06am
Rufus

Kimble – I too disagree with the scientist being convicted. However, your title is misleading.

They are accused of giving reassurances they shouldn’t have. The argument is that they should have said “we don’t know”.

Personally I think they are being made the scapegoats of a shitty natural occurrence. Seems more of a communist way of doing things, than an Italian.

We live in a broken world, bad stuff happens. The net result will be that no Italian scientist will ever give their reasoned opinion when asked in public. The average joe still relies on those opinions and judgements to make up their own minds.
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October 23, 2012 11:10am
Redbaiter

T-Dee, what are you?

I’d guess (like Davinci and a few others who cluster at this blog), a National Party drone.

You guys foolishly signed off on the paramilitary raid, the wrong legal orders, the invalid search warrant, the unlawful search and seizure, the removal of evidence from New Zealand against court instruction and, most recently, illegal spying by intelligence agencies, and by doing or allowing all of these incredibly stupid things, you gave Labour a stick to beat you with and so they should.

Suck it up.
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October 23, 2012 11:46am
Elaycee

Hard on the heels of DPF’s review of the BMW, comes this article about Audi’s latest:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/road-tests/7850573/This-is-the-thinkers-all-wheel-drive

Cue Tui ad: My [insert name of cheap jappo] is way better than the Audi too…
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October 23, 2012 11:49am
Scott Chris

Personally I think they are being made the scapegoats of a shitty natural occurrence.

Yeah. Kinda like the CTV building construction manager. I’d be surprised if it wasn’t thrown out on appeal. Mind you, you’d think the Italian judicial system would be more enlightened. Rogue judge probably.
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October 23, 2012 11:56am
Scott Chris

My [insert name of cheap jappo] is way better than the Audi too…

It probably is.
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October 23, 2012 11:59am
Longknives

Keeping Stock- You concerns re player safety and welfare are admirable. It’s a pity Steve Hansen and co from your beloved All Blacks didn’t share the same concerns when Mealamu headbutted Moody….

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/our-experts/4334547/All-Blacks-hypocrites-over-Keven-Mealamu-ban
“Kevvie was just clearing out a ruck”
“Kevvie was provoked”
“You are either with us or you are against us”

Rugby fans with both eyes open find the howling and wailing coming from the All Black camp rather laughable and hypocritical…
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October 23, 2012 12:25pm
Zapper

One off incidents committed by the All Blacks are bad.

A concerted campaign by opponents to take out our best player is slightly different (I think people not blinded by hate would see that).
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October 23, 2012 12:50pm
Longknives

Zapper- If they wanted to take him out surely they would get a hooker and a centre to uplift him (off the ball) spear him, and dump him forcibly onto his shoulder/neck. Apparently there is “no case to answer” for deliberately injuring an opponent in this way…
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October 23, 2012 1:08pm
Longknives

Apparently as a Country we should be “Ashamed”..

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7851278/Tribunal-slams-Crown-over-Urewera-Treaty-breaches

I feel just terrible. Though Mr Finlayson and his trusty cheque-book should almost atone for this horrendous injustice…
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October 23, 2012 1:10pm
big bruv

WTF is Romney doing?

Obama is cleaning his clock, while Obama goes on the attach Romney sounds like David Shearer bumbling through a TV interview.
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October 23, 2012 2:13pm
b1gdaddynz

I don’t approve of any act of thuggish behaviour on the rugby field and just because the judiciary got it wrong way back in 2005 with the O’Driscoll affair doesn’t in any way shape or form justify the deliberate and on-going targeting of one player and the pathetic penalties given out! If you think any past indiscretions justify this then you are a complete dick head!
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October 23, 2012 2:27pm
liarbors a joke

Fuck the treaty of waitangi tribunal..its full of racist one-eyed gravy trainers who are of little relevance to todays society. Go and sling ya hooks elsewhere you separatist scum.
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October 23, 2012 2:51pm
big bruv

Bloody hell!…..Romney is fighting back big time now.

This debate is beginning to get personal, if Romney keeps pushing this line he may well get Obama to snap on live TV.
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October 23, 2012 2:59pm
Longknives

b1gdaddynz- You don’t find it even slightly ironic and hypocritical that All Black fans, who regularly use the mantra “This ain’t tiddleywinks” and “harden up sook” to somehow justify a series of vicious attacks by their own team on opposition players (think O’Driscoll spear, Mealamu headbutt, Tialata bite, Woodcock king-hit etc etc), are now crying blue murder that someone roughed up one of their own?
The irony and hypocrisy is staggering…
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October 23, 2012 4:05pm
Longknives

My point being that despite being the finest rugby team on the planet the All Blacks are doing themselves a disservice by crying blue murder over any small incident of foul play against them. The All Blacks have been dishing it up and getting away with it for years…No wonder the rest of the rugby World finds them unpleasantly arrogant.
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October 23, 2012 4:08pm
bereal

Longknives.
kneeing Ritchie in the head then headbutting him ?

When have the ABs gone so low ?
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October 23, 2012 4:22pm
iMP

ANALYSIS of the 3rd Presidential debate which just concluded, is here:

http://conzervative.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/analysis-3rd-presidential-debate
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October 23, 2012 4:23pm
bereal

Longknives.
bet you are a South African import to New Zealand, Right ?
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October 23, 2012 4:28pm
Nostalgia-NZ

‘the All Blacks are doing themselves a disservice by crying blue murder over any small incident of foul play against them.’

I think that is an exaggeration. I don’t see that they’ve overplayed this or other incidents.
I think you’re overplaying the exaggeration Longknives. It seems you want to re-visit other incidents in order to play this one down.
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October 23, 2012 4:39pm
Manolo

Romney look far more composed than the Messiah tonight.
Two visions, only one possible election winner. Let’s hope is not the Kenyan.
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October 23, 2012 4:56pm
KH

Before we all get carried away and knock the Italian’s lets look a little more at the situation. Might not agree with the prosecutors, but it’s not just a simple backlash thing. And I am not insensitive to this. I missed the fatal incident in Assisi in 1997 by only twenty four hours

………” Prosecutors, who had only sought a four-year sentence, said they did not expect scientists to provide a precise forecast.

But they argued the commission had given “incomplete, imprecise and contradictory” information on the danger after a meeting on March 31, 2009, a few days before the earthquake.

The case is part of a wider controversy over the disaster in L’Aquila, which has been at the centre of a series of bitter rows over Italy’s disaster preparedness.

Central Italy is continuously shaken by low level tremors, very few of which precede bigger earthquakes and they are generally marked by no more than a brief statement from civil protection authorities.

Key to the dispute is the kind of cautious language, hedged by caveats and reserves which scientists typically use in predicting highly uncertain events, but which can be of limited use as a guideline for the general public.

According to scientific opinion cited by prosecutors, the dozens of lower level tremors seen before the quake were typical of the kind of preliminary seismic activity seen before major earthquakes such as the one that struck on April 6.

Instead of highlighting the danger, they said the experts had made statements playing down the threat of a repeat of the earthquakes which wrecked the town in 1349, 1461 and 1703, saying the smaller shocks were a “normal geological phenomenon”.

Prosecutors, who had only sought a four-year sentence, said they did not expect scientists to provide a precise forecast.

But they argued the commission had given “incomplete, imprecise and contradictory” information on the danger after a meeting on March 31, 2009, a few days before the earthquake.

The case is part of a wider controversy over the disaster in L’Aquila, which has been at the centre of a series of bitter rows over Italy’s disaster preparedness.

Central Italy is continuously shaken by low level tremors, very few of which precede bigger earthquakes and they are generally marked by no more than a brief statement from civil protection authorities.

Key to the dispute is the kind of cautious language, hedged by caveats and reserves which scientists typically use in predicting highly uncertain events, but which can be of limited use as a guideline for the general public.

According to scientific opinion cited by prosecutors, the dozens of lower level tremors seen before the quake were typical of the kind of preliminary seismic activity seen before major earthquakes such as the one that struck on April 6.

Instead of highlighting the danger, they said the experts had made statements playing down the threat of a repeat of the earthquakes which wrecked the town in 1349, 1461 and 1703, saying the smaller shocks were a “normal geological phenomenon”.
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October 23, 2012 4:56pm
bereal

we hear about gamechangers.
wait for Thursday, NZ time. Trump time.
Donald will drop a game changer.
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October 23, 2012 5:24pm
b1gdaddynz

Longknives- I can’t speak for others but I don’t approove of any thuggish behaviour no matter who is doing it! If Richie McCaw had done the same thing to Higginbothim I would be calling for a harsher penalty than 4 weeks so I can’t really see how I am being hypocritical; if you are going to reply to what I say you should stick to what I am saying not what others may be saying. Rugby is a hard man sport and as long as you are within the rules I agree it isn’t “tiddlewinks”!
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October 23, 2012 5:28pm
chiz

ASA upholds complaints over “swap your ginger kid for a ginger beer” ad.
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October 23, 2012 5:37pm
Reid

“We regret the error and apologize to any viewer who was confused by the mistake.”

CBS for airing a graphic of Obama’s win in the Nov 6 election. It’s pathetic isn’t it. That the media feels the need to reach out to those so feeble their brows furrow and their eyes point to the sky cause hang on, it’s not 6 Nov yet. I mean, crikey. It is said in the US [average] education is so dumbed down a college degree is equivalent in difficulty to a high school graduate from the 1920’s-50’s. You can believe it can’t you.
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October 23, 2012 5:50pm
liarbors a joke

All hail the mighty oil companies..pppfftt yeah right, needs to drop a bit faster ya greedy bastards. Oils at 88 bucks and the dollars very high against the US.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7851106/Petrol-prices-on-the-way-down
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October 23, 2012 5:55pm
Fletch

we hear about gamechangers.
wait for Thursday, NZ time. Trump time.
Donald will drop a game changer.

Donald Trump said on “Fox & Friends” Monday that he’ll reveal “very big” news about President Barack Obama by Wednesday but declined to give any hints about his plan.

“Something very, very big concerning the president of the United States,” he said. “It’s going to be very big. I know one thing — you will cover it in a very big fashion.”

Trump, who said he will announce the news on Twitter “sometime probably Wednesday,” suggested it could “possibly” impact the election.

Speaking later to TMZ.com, Trump said he would make the announcement around “noon” on Wednesday and declined to say whether he had talked to the Obama or Romney campaigns about what he intended to disclose.

“It’s a big fact,” Trump said. “I can’t talk about it ‘till Wednesday…We’ll see what happens.”
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October 23, 2012 6:01pm
Reid

This is a really interesting video on Romney.

You may find it’s a bit slanted.

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/10/15/breaking-romneys-bain-capitol-drug-front-for-bush-cartel-video/
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October 23, 2012 6:32pm
Tauhei Notts

Betfair currently have Obama at $1.49 and Romney at $3.00.
Romney has firmed in the market over the past two weeks, from about $3.40 I think.
NewstalkZB commentators have been raving about Obama and how certain he is. But they would never ever put their money where their mouths are.
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October 23, 2012 6:34pm
Nostalgia-NZ

He looks more certain than after the first debate Tauhei Notts.
I thought Jake Tanes sp? report on TV1 tonight was good.
The debates have shown that Romney can think on his feet whereas earlier there were some doubts about that and his ‘gaffes.’
Little apparent differences on Foreign policy, with the public’s attention focused on the economy.
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October 23, 2012 6:46pm
Longknives

“Betfair currently have Obama at $1.49 and Romney at $3.00.”

Tauhei- Being a racing man I’d advise you to take the better odds of $9 on All Too Hard at Moonee Valley this weekend…
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October 23, 2012 6:49pm
Reid

This DSW Kiosk thing will possibly result in a resignation won’t it, given the issue was reported but not addressed. I wonder how it will play out?
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October 23, 2012 7:09pm
chiz

Part of the problem with the court judgement in Italy is that at the time that local scientists were saying there was no evidence for a forthcoming earthquake there was another scientist, using a technique that is known to be unreliable, was predicting an imminent earthquake. So when there was in fact an earthquake many locals tried to blame the other scientists for not predicting it as well.
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October 23, 2012 7:33pm
RF

Thank god the rugby season is almost over. One gets tired of the bowing and scraping when an AB deems to look in your direction. They have the same bodily functions just like us mere mortals.
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October 23, 2012 7:41pm
Reid

using a technique that is known to be unreliable

I haven’t looked at the reports yet chiz but you’d think that would be the crux of a prosecution wouldn’t you. Has your research indicated the evidence for unreliability and/or why the court didn’t hear that evidence?
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October 23, 2012 7:46pm
chiz

The rogue scientist in question was using radon emission. Sometimes radon emission levels increase before an earthquake, sometimes they don’t, sometimes they increase even when there isn’t an earthquake forthcoming, so an increase doesn’t really tell you anything. Not sure what evidence was heard but the judge’s detailed reasoning apparently wont be out for quite a while.
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October 23, 2012 7:50pm
Pauleastbay

I’m sorry RF Michael Jones and Bruce Robertson are not mere mortals, but having said that theres way too much rugby these days way too much.
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October 23, 2012 7:50pm
kowtow

TVNZ 1 “news” talking up the attacks on McCaw.

They had the cheek to seek Tana Umaga’s view ,who said these incidents should be “severely” dealt with…….spear tackles for example?
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October 23, 2012 7:53pm
Reid

Obama: Some people say I’m stupid…

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/547323_3719098456055_1024648727_n.jpg

Edit: Thanks chiz
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October 23, 2012 7:54pm
Nostalgia-NZ

chiz.

I heard that as well.
Most of it seems to be the language, speaking about it being normal is probably true in context of a quake prone area. The opinion that it was safer because it was venting isn’t so clear but I wonder what reliability can be given to predictions of such situations anyway or accepting that they’re absolutes – seems a bit like paying the crystal ball watcher and therefore expecting some certainty.
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October 23, 2012 7:54pm
big bruv

Did some fool call Michael Jones a mere mortal?

Jones is the greatest All Black of all time and the greatest rugby player to ever pull on a pair of boots.
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October 23, 2012 7:55pm
nasska

There were three country churches in a small Kiwi town: Presbyterian,
Anglican and Catholic. Each church was overrun with pesky opossums.
One day, the Presbyterian church called a meeting to decide what to do
about the possums. After much prayer and consideration they determined
that the possums were predestined to be there and they shouldn’t
interfere with God’s divine will.

The Anglican group got together and decided that they were
not in a position to harm any of God’s creations. So, they humanely
trapped the possums and set them free a few kilometres outside of town.
Three days later, the possums were back.

It was the Catholics who were able to come up with the best and
most effective solution: They baptized the possums and registered them
as members of the church. Now they see them only on Christmas and
Easter.
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October 23, 2012 7:59pm
Reid

Evidence of Obama’s Birth Certificate forgery accepted by a US state Superior Court.

http://www.orlytaitzesq.com/?p=353382

Gee. I wonder if the MSM will say anything? No of course not. That would be “irresponsible.”
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October 23, 2012 8:03pm
Pauleastbay

By crikey Reid I reckon your Orly Taitz may be related to our very own Penny, they look alike and both appear to be insane
I especially like the part of her life story where she obtained her law degree from that hot bed of juresprudence – Taft Correspondence School
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October 23, 2012 8:08pm
bc

Imagine if Romney does win the election.
The gloating and smugness from Fletch, tom hunter, Manolo et al will make Kiwiblog unbearable for a few days and will probably best be avoided. DPF will be hoping for an Obama win just to keep his page views up!
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October 23, 2012 8:22pm
mikenmild

Here’s the best background on Orly Taitz:
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Orly_Taitz
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October 23, 2012 8:26pm
bc

NZ Herald:
A mother who abandoned five children in a van in the SkyCity carpark wants to become a social worker, a court has been told.

The 29-year-old woman and her 39-year-old partner – who both have name suppression to protect their children – were sentenced in Auckland District Court today.

Judge Grant Fraser granted the woman a discharge without conviction after hearing arguments from the woman’s lawyer Richard Slade.

Mr Slade had asked for the discharge because the consequences of the offending would be out of proportion to the offence.

He said the woman hoped to become a social worker and a conviction on her record could make that “difficult”.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10842357

What a joke. No wonder our child abuse stats are a disgrace.
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October 23, 2012 8:28pm
Reid

Here’s the best background on Orly Taitz:

You mean it’s not true?

The gloating and smugness from Fletch, tom hunter, Manolo et al will make Kiwiblog unbearable for a few days and will probably best be avoided.

Never mind bc. Whichever candidate wins, there’ll be an Iran war. That’s bound to help the global economy.
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October 23, 2012 8:33pm
Rufus

bc – from what I’ve seen, many social workers are total basket cases themselves.

Not the type of people to help other messed-up people.
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October 23, 2012 8:36pm
Fletch

Imagine if Romney does win the election.
The gloating and smugness from Fletch, tom hunter, Manolo et al will make Kiwiblog unbearable for a few days and will probably best be avoided.

bc, won’t be any gloating from me, just a huge sense of relief.
This is probably the most important election of the 21st century and will determine the route that America takes: either “forward” under Obama toward a European Union socialist-style economy of failure, or with Romney, who knows how to run a business and get it going again. He has plans to do the same for America – I hope voters let him try.

Obama criticizes Romney for not laying out his plans step-by-step, and detail-by-detail, yet has none of his own.
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October 23, 2012 8:37pm
RF

kowtow… 7.53pm … Not the infamous Tana who was filmed by TV3 weaving down Cashel Mall a number of years ago and then blacklisted the TV Channel for showing it.

A tosser with double standards who did not deserve the public recognition that he later received.
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October 23, 2012 8:40pm
Redbaiter

“appear to be insane”

Same old cowardly left wing smear tactics.

Hey morons, it matters not how you try to smear Orly Tait, the court has accepted her evidence of forgery at the hearing. If the court finds in her favour, guess who will look stupid? (Hint- not Orly)
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October 23, 2012 8:42pm
Reid

Russell Means passes over.

http://www.zengardner.com/russell-means-graduates/

I hope Tama Iti knew him well. I don’t know. I hope he did. For his (Means) life reflects the kind of mana-laden deep-water gravitas that lies at the heart of every single indigenous peoples claim. If you want to know what motivates Maori but find difficulty getting past media and historical overlays, study Russell Means life and works, for it reflects what we grapple with here, but in a different cultural setting, which means we can look straight through the emotion and look directly to the message.

If the court finds in her favour, guess who will look stupid? (Hint- not Orly)

Yes but they won’t RB. Whatever the veracity. That’s my prediction.
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October 23, 2012 8:47pm
Pauleastbay

For fucks sake Red, she as mad as a hatter, the Court was obliged to accept it as it was offered as an exhibit, it means nothing.

She might be your latest pin up but to the rest of the world she’s the Moldavian Penny

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orly_Taitz

Read her Wiki, obviously its not Romney whose giving Obama the shits its orley- someone with the same grasp of reality that you have
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October 23, 2012 8:48pm
Nostalgia-NZ

‘RF (348) Says:
October 23rd, 2012 at 8:40 pm
kowtow… 7.53pm … Not the infamous Tana who was filmed by TV3 weaving down Cashel Mall a number of years ago and then blacklisted the TV Channel for showing it.

A tosser with double standards who did not deserve the public recognition that he later received.’

So he was pissed, yawn…
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October 23, 2012 8:51pm
Redbaiter

She’s not my pin up, I merely prefer to use my own judgment on these matters rather than be told what to think by mainstream media leftists.

You people make me nauseous with your hypocrisy. If this woman was campaigning against George Bush or Romney, you would be portraying her as a heroine.

(Do you know even know or understand the source of information on Wikipedia? It is mostly hopeless on political issues and anyone with a brain knows this and also knows why)

Reid- they might, I think this may be the first time anyone has actually got over the lack of standing issue.
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October 23, 2012 8:54pm
Nostalgia-NZ

But at least he smacked Jerry Collins….with a handbag.
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October 23, 2012 8:54pm
RF

Nostalgia.. So. Rather than shrug it off he became righteous and acted like a plonker. True to form. A case of white mans liquor too strong for the import. Not sure if it was Jerry. I think it was someone just as useless.
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October 23, 2012 8:56pm
mikenmild

Red, could you please recommend a more reliable encyclopedic source on politics? I’ve gone to RationalWiki for its succinctness.
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October 23, 2012 8:57pm
Pauleastbay

………….portraying her as a heroine.

If was in my make up to feel pity Red, this poor mad bitch would have some of it, you don’t need to look at her Wiki- look at her web site.

But she does prove what a great country the USA is …. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses (your certifiable and I will grant them citizenship) whereas NZ is trying to shaft a large german for making a few quid
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October 23, 2012 9:03pm
graham

“… appearing on Lawrence O’Donnell’s TV show, she proceeds to make Suzanne Somers’ character on Three’s Company look like a genius. ”

Ouch.
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October 23, 2012 9:03pm
big bruv

Lol…I thought the insane birther movement was dead and buried.

The Orly Tait female makes our own mad water woman seem normal.
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October 23, 2012 9:06pm
Nostalgia-NZ

RF

I’m all for self righteousness, how else could anyone explain being pissed after a test match?
If it wasn’t Jerry there must have been someone else in the team at the time will a blond Mohawk. I suppose it happens all the time.
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October 23, 2012 9:12pm
bereal

Longknives,

are you a South African import, or what ?

I you are, i respectfully suggest you F.O. back to where you came from.
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October 23, 2012 9:17pm
mikenmild

Could this be a renaissance for the birthers?
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October 23, 2012 9:18pm
RF

Nostalgia.. Allow me to sup my single malt and be righteous. I just get pissed off with double standards. There is more to life than chasing a funny shape ball around a paddock and getting your head kicked in for your pleasure.
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October 23, 2012 9:19pm
Longknives

Bereal- Yep because I would have to be South African.
No New Zealander born and bred could possibly look at the self righteous, arrogant All Blacks and see them for the poor sports and hypocrites they are..
Kowtow hit the nail on the head re Tana ‘Spear Tackle’ Umaga at 7:53. He must be a Pommie or something?
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October 23, 2012 9:28pm
Reid

you don’t need to look at her Wiki- look at her web site.

However fact is, she’s apparently got a Court to look at it. Some of you people are behaving as if a court had accepted evidence that say Hulun was guilty of installing her own Police Commissioner like the way she replaced Dunne with Hunt, that’s a bad thing.

I don’t quite get that. Not because I applaud a dishonest lefty being taken down, but because I applaud truth being outed. And surely no-one thinks Obama, with all his come-from-nowhere 0-60 in 0.1 secs Chicago background, think’s that Obama is kosher, just as surely no-one, today, thinks Hulun was?
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October 23, 2012 9:29pm

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