General Debate 13 April 2017

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krazykiwi

Morning!

Weathers’s not great, but no Billy at the top of the GD.

A little silver lining 🙂
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April 13, 2017 8:07am
- Biscuit
  
  Wow, krazykiwi, congrats.
  
  A first-up Kiwiblog General Debate post that was relevant, polite and concise.
  
  I’d give you this here Easter Egg as a reward … but (swallows) it has all GONE…
  
  A safe, peaceful Easter to all Kiwibloggers – even to those who have no IDEA what ‘relevant, polite and concise’ means!
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:53am
- SGA
  
  lol – the absence of WoO doesn’t do much to stem the comments on climate change…
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:42am
Liberty

“English also managed to spend a protracted period sounding like a climate change sceptic.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/91459209/pattrick-smellie-taking-a-stand-on-climate-change.
Good on you Bill.
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April 13, 2017 8:12am
- PhilBest
  
  While we’re on the subject in today’s GD, this is a great read published recently:
  
  Tantrum of the climate alarmists
  By Brendan O’Neill
  
  https://spectator.com.au/2017/04/tantrum-of-the-climate-alarmists/
  
  “Of all the hot air blown out by eco-alarmists, their maddest claim, the one least founded in truth, is that they are objective. That their fuel is facts and facts alone. That their guiding light is science — pure, unsullied science — rather than grubby politics. That where we, the dim, denying public, are beholden to all sorts of agendas, they, these climate seers, these wise modellers of humanity’s self-induced future doom, are motored by pure rationalism, by a slavish devotion to truth.
  It’s Grade-A bollocks. One should always be suspicious of people who claim to be pure of conviction. Indeed, it’s usually these people — be they finger-wagging priests or feminist warriors against filth or well-funded academic hand-wringers over dumb humanity’s pollution of the planet — who are the most moralistic of all.
  Their purity pose, their claim to have risen above the ideological swamp the rest of us swim in, is just throat-clearing, prep for them to lecture us from an almighty height. It’s the beautiful irony: their very self-proclamation of purity lets you know they have an agenda, and usually a really bad one…”
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:16am
  - mikenmild
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Fact-free invective – how unusual from a climate change ‘skeptic’.
    
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    April 13, 2017 8:19am
    - PhilBest
      
      You want facts, there are plenty of them out there. It is your side that has abandoned them.
      
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      April 13, 2017 8:23am
      - mikenmild
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        Perhaps you could include some of them in your attacks on mainstream science, seeing Mr O’Neill neglected to do so.
        
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        April 13, 2017 8:25am
    - krazykiwi
      
      Fact 1: The theory is predicated on increasing CO2 levels raising temperatures making the world uninhabitable.
      
      Fact 2: CO2 is increasing
      
      Fact 3: Temperatures are not increasing
      
      Fact 4: The entire theory has been invalidated
      
      Fact 5: Life is good. The planet is greening, food supply is strengthening, and Angry is getting a pasting.
      
      Time to smile 😀
      
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      April 13, 2017 8:28am
      - mikenmild
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        It’s a shame you have no evidence for assertions 3 to 5.
        
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        April 13, 2017 8:29am
      - cmm
        
        Few people realise how important increased CO2 is to plants.
        
        CO2 is plant food. The plants have controllable openings called stomata which are opened up to allow CO2 to enter.
        
        Unfortunately the plants also lose water through the stomata.
        
        When CO2 levels are low the access to CO2 is limited, so the plants need to open more stomata to access the CO2 they need for food and energy. They therefore lose more water.
        
        When CO2 levels are higher the plants do not need to open as many stomata. Therefore they lose less water.
        
        Therefore the plants can live in more arid conditions (and/or require less irrigation). Thus we are seeing greening of the deserts and a reversal of desertification.
        
        We are also seeing better crop yields with less inputs.
        
        Both of these are at odds with what the doom merchants promised us.
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:05am
      - mikenmild
        
        Thank you for the sermon on the benefits of carbon dioxide. Perhaps we should be subsidising the extraction of fossil fuels to realise more quickly these benefits.
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:29am
      - starboard
        
        Plate again for your arse mm ?
        
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        April 13, 2017 11:12am
      - krazykiwi
        
        Perhaps we should be subsidising the extraction of fossil fuels to realise more quickly these benefits
        
        Nope. Subsidies of so-called ‘renewable’ energy solutions have helped ruin supply security, while the resulting price hikes have increased preventable deaths, and left more people in fuel poverty.
        
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        April 13, 2017 12:45pm
      - UrbanNeocolonialist
        
        Fact 2: CO2 is increasing
        Fact 3: Temperatures are not increasing
        – temperatures are increasing, just not very fast, about 1°C per century. That points to low water vapour amplification of CO2 which is/was the great unknown.
        
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        April 13, 2017 1:06pm
  - PhilBest
    
    More:
    
    “…The most striking thing about this tantrum of the alarmists is their anger over what they view as political pollution….they’re corrupted, we’re incorruptible.
    Lads, come on, who you trying to kid? Climate change alarmism is political to its core. It’s a species of political prejudice, and one of the uglier ones. It’s ideology masquerading as science, or rather using science as a cover for its seemingly unspeakable black heart; which is misanthropy, a feeling of disgust for modern human society and its psychologically immature inhabitants…
    
    “…It’s nakedly political, all fuming against the right, and hilariously aloof. Such sneering at the tabloid-addled throng who pay too much heed to demagogic ideologies that will harm both them and the planet in the long run has been the bread and butter of every snob in modern history. Objective? Do me a favour…”
    
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    April 13, 2017 8:21am
    - stephieboy
      
      PhilBest , no science there . Mere rhetoric and hyperbole.
      
      Keep up the bombast .
      
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      April 13, 2017 9:29am
  - calendar girl
    
    PhilBest, it’s unfair of you to cite such an article now.
    
    Griff is still in DPF’s sin-bin. He faces another four weeks there before he can rejoin the KB fold to refute Brendan O’Neill’s ‘false witness’ claims. So you’re taking unfair advantage.
    
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    April 13, 2017 10:02am
    - PhilBest
      
      I didn’t know that. Why? I am with Martin Luther: don’t ban (or burn books), we want evil and/or folly to be manifest to all.
      
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      April 13, 2017 3:36pm
- krazykiwi
  
  Asked repeatedly whether the Government was concerned about the impact of extreme weather events created by ~~climate change~~ natural variations in the earth’s climate … he would have said “of course not. It’s weather. Not climate.”
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:19am
  - jonar
    
    Even Trump’s EPA still has this.
    https://www.epa.gov/climate-change-science/understanding-link-between-climate-change-and-extreme-weather
    
    Establishing the most likely causes behind an extreme weather event can be challenging, since these events are due to combinations of multiple factors, including natural variability. Nevertheless, scientists have been able to draw a connection between some types of extreme climate patterns—an even some individual events—and climate change. A good way to think about this connection is to focus on whether an extreme weather event was made more likely by climate change.
    
    There have been changes in some types of extreme weather events in the United States over the last several decades, including more intense and frequent heat waves, less frequent and intense cold waves, and regional changes in floods, droughts, and wildfires.[1] This rise in extreme weather events fits a pattern you can expect with a warming planet. Scientists project that climate change will make some of these extreme weather events more likely to occur and/or more likely to be severe.
    
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    April 13, 2017 9:41am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Talking of natural variability (which, I notice, is becoming a bit more acceptable to AGW-adherents), check out this call for more public information on the natural “forcing factors” that regulate and influence our climate.
      
      https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/04/12/perspective-needed-time-to-identify-variations-in-natural-climate-data-that-exceed-the-claimed-human-co2-warming-effect/
      
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      April 13, 2017 9:49am
      - jonar
        
        Talking of natural variability (which, I notice, is becoming a bit more acceptable to AGW-adherents)
        
        Could you provide some evidence that scientists have never understood this?
        
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        April 13, 2017 9:52am
      - SGA
        
        Talking of natural variability (which, I notice, is becoming a bit more acceptable to AGW-adherents)
        
        I’m also curious about this comment. I thought that the focus on long-term trends implicitly reflected some appreciation of natural variability?
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:00am
      - stephieboy
        
        Unfortunately Michio Kaku, like many other climate deniers , carries a fair share of quackery baggage around with him
        
        “..The problem is that as far as I can tell, Kaku will accept any offer to appear in the media and comment on science stories, even when they are outside his area of expertise. Kaku has said that humans have stopped evolving (“gross” evolution, he called it, using a word he just made up); opposed the Cassini space probe launch because it had plutonium on board; and has stated that UFOs are real and that aliens have visited Earth (and they’re invisible)…”
        
        http://squeeze-box.ca/?p=873
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:03am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        I suggest you look closely at the history of the IPCC.
        
        It was set up in 1988 by the WMO and UNEP to assess all aspects of climate change.
        Look at its purpose now
        “Today the IPCC’s role is as defined in Principles Governing IPCC Work, “…to assess on a comprehensive, objective, open and transparent basis the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.”
        https://www.ipcc.ch/organization/organization_history.shtml
        
        The IPCC now only concentrates on human-induced climate change.
        
        The vast and ever-increasing literature of natural factors governing our climate is not the focus of their attention.
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:41am
      - mikenmild
        
        Possibly that is due to the extremely strong scientific consensus that human-induced climate change is the problem and is something we can do something about.
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:45am
    - All_on_Red
      
      Yes Jonar the EPA needs to change their web site. Maybe reflect what the IPCC says in AR5 about the tenuous links between CO2 and extreme weather.
      Oh well, I guess it will be updated as soon as Trump finishes dealing to EPA staff and winding back some of Obamas orders.
      I see the US has refused to confirm the Climate Accord.
      Anyhow, so how much do you think the Temp will rise by 2100?
      
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      April 13, 2017 10:02am
      - jonar
        
        The IPCC website says this.
        http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg2/index.php?idp=354
        
        Major impacts of climate change on human health are likely to occur via changes in the magnitude and frequency of extreme events (see Table 3-10), which trigger a natural disaster or emergency.
        
        Not surprising, it’s the same as the EPA website.
        
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        April 13, 2017 3:45pm
- PhilBest
  
  I wish National would get its spine back and reset its policy position to where it was in 2005, when it last had a spine.
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:25am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    And when it last lost an election.
    
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    April 13, 2017 8:39am
    - Liberty
      
      National only lost because labour cheated.
      
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      April 13, 2017 9:28am
      - howitis
        
        It was not cheating. It was MASSIVE Massive bribes.
        Huge.
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:03am
    - PhilBest
      
      When it last made MASSIVE gains over the previous election result…..
      
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      April 13, 2017 3:37pm
  - stephieboy
    
    And stayed out of power until a new leader brought the party saner and sounder centre right policies .
    
    However do keep it up and continue to remain on the political sidelines and margins ,
    
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    April 13, 2017 9:32am
- kowtow
  
  “Asked repeatedly whether the Government was concerned about the impact of extreme weather events created by climate change, English staunchly chose to see this as a media plot to make him connect the dots between the Edgecumbe flooding and climate change.”
  
  Could journalist Smellie point to one such extreme weather event that has been created by climate change? No , because there haven’t been any. Climate is climate , weather is weather . Storms are storms . It’s all normal.
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:29am
  - Brigitte
    
    “one such extreme weather event that has been created by climate change”
    
    That’s not how it works. Using that logic a 2 headed coin is fair since “you can’t prove any single toss is biased”.
    
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    April 13, 2017 9:45am
    - kowtow
      
      How it works?
      
      Smellie is alleging there have been extreme weather events created by climate change.
      
      He should provide evidence for the assertion. Otherwise he’s just making up shit and it leaves me with the distinct impression that this is not journalism but agenda.
      
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      April 13, 2017 10:22am
holysheet

The village idiot has been caught up in the latest 500 year event flooding that his ramblings have predicted. It’s all the fault of global warming didn’t you know !!!
He is building an ark as we speak and I guess none of us will be invited to join him, except stupidboy. Now that would be a trip worth paying for. Seeing who would end up being the top stupid of the good ship “Stupider”
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April 13, 2017 8:16am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  You mean “Stupid McStupidface”.
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:41am
- howitis
  
  There was a 1 in 500 year event in Edgecumbe last week and another today…. as well as the C. Bola one in 1988.
  500 years comes around very quick these days.
  Must be global warming, or Brexit, or the Russians!!
  
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  April 13, 2017 10:07am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    You would have thought our weather gurus would have picked up that 1 in 500-year rain storm last week. There was no mention that it was anything other than a bit of wet weather.
    
    Funny how it only became a 1 in 500-year event when the Mayor realised he had to declare a civil emergency because his stopbanks were stuffed.
    
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    April 13, 2017 10:46am
  - Nigel Kearney
    
    If there are 50 towns the size of Edgecumbe, on average one of them will experience a 1 in 500 year event every 10 years.
    
    That’s how theories like global warming get traction. It’s just human nature to ignore the huge number of times when nothing unusual happens.
    
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    April 13, 2017 11:23am
  - holysheet
    
    You forgot John Key.
    
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    April 13, 2017 11:41am
    - Sponge
      
      And Trump.
      
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      April 13, 2017 3:24pm
Happychappy

I see Andrew Little and Trevor Mallard going all out for Labour voters in the Hutt Valley with promises of State housing to fix the need of the two hundred or so that are on the waiting list. Why was this not done when Mallard held a Labour stronghold for the last two or three decades and why when Mallard will not be their candidate for the upcoming election. Can we put Labour’s promises down to Cris Bishop and the work he has done in restricting Labour to a mere 700 to 800 vote Majority and this promise to buy the vote in the Hutt.
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April 13, 2017 8:17am
- krazykiwi
  
  Bishop will wipe the floor with Mallard come September. He’s young, smart and hard working, ie the polar opposite of the old biffer.
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:23am
  - mikenmild
    
    Mallard is not standing in Hutt South.
    
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    April 13, 2017 8:24am
    - krazykiwi
      
      Bugger! Too easy for Chris then. Not good. Would have preferred to battle.
      
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      April 13, 2017 8:31am
    - Captain Mainwaring
      
      “Mallard is not standing in Hutt South.”
      
      Because he knew he was on a hiding to nothing.
      
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      April 13, 2017 8:42am
- mikenmild
  
  The issue in Lower Hutt is that Housing New Zealand knocked down a whole lot of state houses and has left the sites vacant for years, with no indication that they will be redeveloped any time soon.
  There is plenty of demand for sites in Lower Hutt – to the extent that thew council is looking to develop reserve lands – so it is absurd that the government lets HNZ get away with doing nothing.
  Kudos to Ginny Andersen for highlighting this issue:
  https://www.facebook.com/GinnyAndersenForHuttSouth/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:24am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    I guess those on Housing NZ waiting lists are not National voters.
    Shit happens, Good luck Ginny.
    
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    April 13, 2017 8:44am
    - Happychappy
      
      If Labour and Andrew Little were in charge the land would be built on and be returned to the Ghettos they were in the past
      
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      April 13, 2017 10:30am
    - UrbanNeocolonialist
      
      State housing is hugely negative to real estate values. Bet the locals don’t want it either.
      
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      April 13, 2017 1:11pm
    - PhilBest
      
      If those sites were developed to market potential, the likely new owners or renters would probably not be Labour voters either, unless they were urban middle class bleeding-heart types.
      
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      April 13, 2017 3:39pm
- Prince
  
  Not sure there are votes for Labour in re-establishing a Farmers Crescent environment in the Hutt. Residents have long memories.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGdES3gwbBs
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:02am
  - mikenmild
    
    You might be right about Farmer Cres – the redevelopment there seems nice though. The question should be why HNZ can’t be bothered doing anything with their other acres of vacant land in the valley. Even straight out selling it would be better than doing nothing.
    
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    April 13, 2017 10:05am
    - PhilBest
      
      Exactly. Even building upmarket stuff helps “supply” which helps “trickle down” of older housing stock.
      
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      April 13, 2017 3:40pm
oldpark

When it looked like Angry Andy Little ,or better known as Mr 7% had beaten the system,when he got a Clayton’s result on the bad mouthing of a very ill 91 year old NZ,called Hagaman ,a NZ hero and patriot. Sycophant supporters of Angry Andy went all happy clappy,saying what a man. Seems it was all okay to put the boot into someone and bad mouth them ,when a politician can hide behind some thing known as” Qualified Privilege”. Unfortunately for Angry Andy Little ,the trade union installed Liebour Party “Leader” and his happy clappy sycophants.the Hagamans are going for another trial. Seems there were a few points of law,in Little’s admitted defamatory statement that still need to be addressed.Maybe in their minds,they can” beat Angry Andy Little,even though he is part of the union”
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April 13, 2017 8:18am
- holysheet
  
  It was a dumb jury made up of angrys peers. If angry admitted his guilt before the trial and tried to give a half arsed apology how can the jury not find him guilty. Did these jury members live under a rock somewhere?
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:30am
  - mikenmild
    
    Maybe, unlike you, they were in court and listened to the evidence and the judge’s explanation of the law…
    
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    April 13, 2017 8:33am
    - holysheet
      
      What was there to listen to. If Angry admitted before court he was wrong, offered to apologise and pay money, how can there be any other out come but guilty?
      
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      April 13, 2017 8:49am
- KevOB
  
  Little has not been charged with anything. This is a civil matter where the Hagamans claim loss though Little’s actions and seek compensation for that loss. Measuring that is highly difficult. Also did the Hagamans perceived loss arises out of Littles proper excercise of his Parliamentary office and hence the Hagamans just have to accept being a casualty of citizenship?
  
  Both sides in this case will be out of pocket. Irrespective of the outcomes lawyers require feeding and Counsel eats well. The common belief that winners gets their costs paid by losers is not true. Been there. It would be an affront for either side to indirectly attempt to impose additional costs on the other so an early negotiated settlement helps both. To refuse is to lock in a process that will certainly enlarge costs. “Going for broke” is what some do and there is a personalty type that will predictably do that every time.
  I am not impressed by the possibility of the continuation of this action. The jury have effectively censured both parties.
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:26am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    That’s one way of looking at things.
    
    From my perspective, things are not clear.
    We don’t know if Little’s defamatory statement is covered by qualified privilege or not.
    We don’t know if 4 other statements made by Little are defamatory of Earl Hagaman.
    
    If this case gets sorted one way or the other, we all should be a bit clearer as to who and what qualified privilege covers.
    
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    April 13, 2017 10:02am
    - KevOB
      
      This is a civil case with the plaintiff alleging defamation and seeking damages as a monetary sum as a quantified measure of his loss. Ancient principles: you cause loss of property: you make good. Beyond that its punitive and may even also be a police matter.
      The plaintiff first had to show defamation and then the monetary measure of his damage. The test of defamation hasn’t survived the jury. A jury that cannot decide positively in a civil trial has effectively decided in the negative. It is as if the jury are saying they cannot be sure that Little’s conduct is not privileged and also cannot say that it was not. Not a territory any judge will step into lightly to review.
      
      My view is the jury got it right. The plaintiff asked too much for alleged damages and did not accept an offer of settlement. The defendant holds a Warrant of Office as Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. The Warrant Holder can never off duty during its term and so any mistakes made or harm caused should be made good from the public purse. That is privilege. Personal public redress is through the ballot box.
      
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      April 13, 2017 12:51pm
VicParking

SBW and Insurance companies.
Insurance is really no different in NZ than in Moslem countries except for two important facits.
When visiting these countries you need to obtain “Blood Money” insurance. This is to cover you if you kill another person. You can use this insurance to cover the cost of getting off any charge by paying the relatives of the victim.
The other is; as well as having an insurance broker you need an insurance claim broker who will negotiate any settlement, with insurance company or victims family, on your behalf. These people are expensive so you need to up your insurance accordingly.
SBW can therefore wear his IAG jersey with pride.
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April 13, 2017 8:27am
- Inandout
  
  As he ‘discovers’ more about his religion (read Imam pressure to perform) he gets more picky. And those tatts..shit hugely against Allah’s instructions. Anyone know a good laser technician?
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:42am
oldpark

Who would have thought ,a has been rugby player had so much clout. Shame on you “NZRFU”.
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April 13, 2017 8:28am
- Dave Mann
  
  I find it amazing the this prick can actually get away with playing with the BNZ logo covered. What the hell is going on here? Why has the Blues management allowed itself to be pushed around in this way? The club surely has a contractual arrangement with the BNZ to carry their logo in return for significant financial support from the bank.
  
  If I was the marketing or communications manager of the BNZ I would cancel all the bank’s sponsorship of the Blues immediately and stop all payment of money to them forthwith. This week.
  
  This is being allowed because the player is a Muslim and everyone is afraid to upset his precious sensibilities.
  
  BNZ, stand up for yourselves on this. Don’t put up with the Blues’ breach of their commercial responsibility.
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:47am
  - mikenmild
    
    BNZ doubtless have more mature people in charge than yourself.
    
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    April 13, 2017 10:06am
    - Ross12
      
      I don’t doubt SBW’s religious beliefs but this is all about SBW and his management team keeping him in the headlines –nothing else. It has happened before many times and will undoubtedly happen again in the future.
      
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      April 13, 2017 11:32am
      - stephieboy
        
        Ross12 , apart from surmise do you have proof that this is SBW ‘s motivation ?
        
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        April 13, 2017 11:36am
      - Ross12
        
        stephieboy
        Why hasn’t he taken this stance right from the start ?
        He had a bank logo “front and centre” on the Chiefs jersey. AIG has been around for a while.
        
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        April 13, 2017 11:58am
  - 4077th
    
    You would have thought that given his protestations about the banking system and their penchant for daring to charge interest on loans, the bank would not anticipate having any Muslim customers? If this is the case then alienating them would have no consequences. On the other hand, SBW may in fact be taking a jibe at his red sea pedestrian friends whom he perceives as the masters of all western banks? Either way, I no longer have any respect for the guy. Taking a stand for the religion of evil and its satanic verses deserves no accolades.
    
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    April 13, 2017 12:28pm
- cmm
  
  Westerners have been blamed and shamed for so long that we fall over backwards to accomodate Muslims and Maori.
  
  No wonder they think Allah/Mohammed are great – they don’t even have to lift a sword to defeat us.
  
  They just mention their religion and we defeat ourselves.
  
  It is somewhat concerning that as SBW becomes more “enlightened” about his religion he’s hanging out more with extremists. He is highly influential amongst the disaffected and if this continues on the current trajectory he’s going to attract more disaffected converts – and NZ is going to export more jihadists.
  
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  April 13, 2017 8:56am
  - Dave Mann
    
    The only thing I would disagree with you on is your use of the word ‘Maori’.
    
    In English the plural of a noun carries the ‘s’ at the end.
    
    As you are writing on English, the correct word is ‘Maoris’.
    
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    April 13, 2017 9:19am
    - fernglas
      
      Tell that to the hippopotami.
      
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      April 13, 2017 9:23am
      - Dave Mann
        
        Hahaha very good! Uptick for your quick wit. Nice one!
        
        😀
        
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        April 13, 2017 9:28am
      - Kiwi Dave
        
        Nice joke, except that ‘to the hippotamuses’ is an indirect object indicated in Latin by the dative case; if my 50+year recollection of Latin lessons is correct, if this word is of Latin origin, and if we want to use Latin grammar, then the ‘correct’ plural is probably ‘hippopotamis‘.
        
        So I prefer to Anglicise all borrowed words – speak English, use English pronunciation and grammar.
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:09am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Quid quod hippopotamis.
        
        (I think, but I never got up to the imperative)
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:55am
      - Ed Snack
        
        Incorrect fernglas, the word is derived from Greek (hippos is Greek for horse – a clue), not Latin, so the correct plural is Hippopotapodes; the same as the plural of Octopus is Octapodes.
        
        /linguist nazi mode
        
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        April 13, 2017 11:59am
      - Kimbo
        
        @ Ed Snack
        
        No, I also initially (justified adverb!) posted that then deleted when I checked it out a bit more. Two problems.
        
        1. Potamos (literally: river, hence the animal in question is a “river horse”) is a first declension masculine noun, not third declension, so the (nominative) plural in Greek is
        
        hippopotamoi
        
        https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%84%CE%B1%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82
        
        2. Also, it has come to us as hippopotamus (not hippopotamos), as it a transliteration into Latin from the Greek, so use the Latin form, not Greek, for the plural.
        
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        April 13, 2017 12:14pm
      - Kimbo
        
        @ Kiwi Dave
        
        Nice joke, except that ‘to the hippotamuses’ is an indirect object indicated in Latin by the dative case; if my 50+year recollection of Latin lessons is correct, if this word is of Latin origin, and if we want to use Latin grammar, then the ‘correct’ plural is probably ‘hippopotamis‘.
        
        Right on the dative…and as per Ed Snack, if it was Greek the plural for the indirect object would be:
        
        hippopotamois
        
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        April 13, 2017 12:22pm
    - 4077th
      
      Sheep
      
      7 0
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      April 13, 2017 12:32pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        swine
        deer
        hovercraft
        offspring
        
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        April 13, 2017 1:13pm
      - Dave Mann
        
        Yeah yeah… OK, I’m beaten. I give up!!!!!!
        
        😀 😀 😀 😀
        
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        April 13, 2017 4:55pm
  - stephieboy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    cmm, dumb and insipid post of the day so far . .
    
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    April 13, 2017 9:36am
    - AgentBallSack
      
      You stupid, stupid boy.
      
      17 3
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      April 13, 2017 10:10am
      - 4077th
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9t_KDGqOmE
        
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        April 13, 2017 12:35pm
    - starboard
      
      If stupidboy is offended…its a good post. Well done that man.
      
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      April 13, 2017 11:19am
Rodney Randall

http://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/after-trumps-syrian-attack-china-suddenly-gets-very-concerned-about-north-koreas-nukes/

“Being nice and negotiating phony nuclear deals with North Korea hasn’t worked. The “six-party talks” on North Korea’s nukes that have been going on since 2003 haven’t worked either. By restoring U.S. credibility, Trump has made China care about North Korea’s nuclear threat in a way it never did before. It may be the best chance we have of avoiding a nuclear catastrophe from a nation ruled by a totalitarian sociopath.”
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April 13, 2017 8:31am
Maggy Wassilieff

Release of MI5 file on NZ diplomat
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/11/national-archives-mi5-file-new-zealand-diplomat-paddy-costello-kgb-spy
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April 13, 2017 8:35am
All_on_Red

@realDonaldTrump
“Had a very good call last night with the President of China concerning the menace of North Korea.”

Progress? There’s news reports China has moved troops to the Nth Korean border. Denied by Beijing though.
Maybe launching missiles whilst sharing Chocoate Cake has shown China the US ain’t soft anymore.
Well, that and sending a Carrier group.
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April 13, 2017 8:46am
- stephieboy
  
  All On Red , recall your recent posts when you were busy bad mouthing NATO and the former President and unstintingly praising Trump’s and Putin’s mateship ?
  
  Now what on earth has changed ? Banged your conk with your flip flops ?
  
  Certainly political and ideolgical bankruptcy at its best .
  
  LOL
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:40am
  - Jack5
    
    Stephie X’s post includes ” … banged your conk with your flip flops”.
    
    I would conclude this Stephie is just off the plane from Stephiestan, but the punctuation suggests he or she’s one of the older members of the Islamic troll team.
    
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    April 13, 2017 9:48am
  - All_on_Red
    
    Still telling lies about what people say I see Stephie.
    Won’t be long before you stuff up and get banned AGAIN eh Porn Link boy
    Lol
    
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    April 13, 2017 9:57am
    - stephieboy
      
      All on Red , it is indisputable that you supported Trump and his former policies towards NATO , Syria and Russia ,
      
      Show otherwise ?
      
      Shameful credulity on your part . But hey thats the price of being a Trumpist.
      
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      April 13, 2017 10:06am
      - All_on_Red
        
        What are you talking about you idiot. You have no credibility. You’re one of the biggest liars here.
        You are mistaking reporting facts about Trump for support.
        Stupid little troll that you are.
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:12am
      - mikenmild
        
        Nothing to do with AoR only commenting on ‘facts’ which appear to put his hero, Trump, in a good light.
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:20am
      - stephieboy
        
        All on Wed ,
        
        Trump tweets Dec 2016 , ” I always knew ( Putin ) was always very Smart “,
        
        http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/donald-trump-praises-vladimir-putin-tweet-233072
        
        Give it up !
        
        LOL
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:32am
      - All_on_Red
        
        Well Putin IS smart Stephie. That’s indisputable.
        Whereas you are pretty thick. Which is also indisputable.
        
        Mikey, why shouldn’t Trump be admired? He went from being an outsider to President.
        Far better than any achievement of yours.
        28,000 posts from a loser with no life – lol
        
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        April 13, 2017 2:14pm
cmm

Listened to RNZ this morning interviewing some bloke from the Film Commissions.

We subsidise the movie industry in NZ to a huge extent. Why?

If the movie industry is so damn valuable it should be able to stand on its own two legs. It is hardly a start up industry – movies have been made here for decades.

When we subsidise one industry we do so at the expense of other industries. Some baker is being taxed more – and his business made more vulnerable – just so movie makers can have it easier.

Time to get rid of this sort of corporate welfare!
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April 13, 2017 8:50am
- mikenmild
  
  I agree, to some extent, but the Film Commission is hardly susidising an entire industry. It’s one aspect of government patronage of the arts – a universal aspect of human culture.
  Where I do agree was that the rewriting of employment laws to appease film moguls was a mistake.
  
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  April 13, 2017 10:10am
  - Happychappy
    
    So you are all right with a film about Dot Com and his hate for a New Zealand Government be given over $900,00.00 to publisize his plight.
    
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    April 13, 2017 12:13pm
    - mikenmild
      
      Happier than I would be with you deciding which films get made…
      
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      April 13, 2017 12:18pm
- 4077th
  
  I would suggest the same for NZSO, The Ballet, Art Galleries etc.. All the territory of the snowflake luvvies snorting and cavorting their way around the globe scoffing at us cultural retards. Why my tax dollars are propping up the lifestyles of these Shiraz quaffing toffs is beyond belief.
  
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  April 13, 2017 12:48pm
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    Well at least they have good taste in wine
    
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    April 13, 2017 1:19pm
  - sam green
    
    Read a book then love. Edjamacate youself.
    
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    April 13, 2017 1:45pm
Monique Watson

Who’d a thunk in one week, Trump took on Assad and Putin and ended up Besties with Xi Jinping?
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April 13, 2017 8:53am
- mikenmild
  
  I’m not sure that feeding him Trump-branded chocolate was enough to make him a friend. Maybe withdrawing his accusation that China invented climate change to damage the US would be a more tangible gesture.
  
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  April 13, 2017 10:11am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Well, China may not have invented climate change, but they sure know how to play the climate-change game… and seem to have skewered the West pretty well.
    https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2017/04/12/paris-climate-accord-is-a-dead-deal-walking-as-100-billion-climate-fund-disappears/
    
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    April 13, 2017 3:34pm
    - mikenmild
      
      ‘may not have invented’
      Are you waiting for better evidence that China did not invent climate change?
      
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      April 13, 2017 3:37pm
jms

The point is approaching where China will fear North Korean nukes more than the collapse of the that regime.

If Trump offered China first rights to the North Korean carcass after destroying its regime — and given that any North Korean retaliation in the event of an U.S. attack would be directed at South Korea, Japan, and the Americans — the Chinese might just take the deal.

Still, military action against North Korea is unlikely IMO.
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April 13, 2017 8:55am
- Dave Mann
  
  Military action instigated as a first strike by America is unlikely, yes, I agree.
  
  However, it’s more than possible that North Korea will instigate a first strike, most probably on South Korea because they really don’t have a reliable capability (yet) to hit Japan, let alone the USA.
  
  As Monique inferred above, it seems that Xi Jinping might well move to solve the problem before it gets to that stage. Amazing – and a great outcome if it happens.
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:12am
  - Odakyu-sen
    
    While North Korea may have missiles and atomic bombs, it doesn’t have small atomic bombs that missiles can carry.
    On the other hand, even a conventional missile dropping on Japan would create a hell of a reaction.
    (Let’s poke the hornets’ nest and see what happens…) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M4Wj8ajWo8
    
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    April 13, 2017 9:40am
    - stephieboy
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Idiotic Trumpist thinking at its best .
      
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      April 13, 2017 9:44am
      - AgentBallSack
        
        You stupid boy.
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:08am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        @stephieboy
        
        Give us your take on current events on the Korean Peninsula- East Sea (sea of Japan)- China mainland, then.
        
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        April 13, 2017 10:14am
      - stephieboy
        
        Maggy W.
        
        NK shares a long border with China and also can regard the country as its sphere of influence. I think wise counsels at the Pentagon and US Dept Defence will understand that and advise the President accordingly.
        
        They will continue to ask of China to act as a restraining influence on NK which they will continue to do so. It is not in China’s interest to have another Koeran war 1950 style . Nor anybody else who is sane and sensible.
        
        Agreed ?
        
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        April 13, 2017 1:48pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        @stephieboy
        
        Agreed ?
        
        I don’t think you are up-to-date with developments on the Peninsula.
        Ever heard of THAAD?
        Have a wee read of what has gone wrong with ROK- China relations in the last few months.
        http://thediplomat.com/2017/03/how-did-china-lose-south-korea/
        Reflect on the fact that ROK has only got an acting Head of State at the moment.
        
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        April 13, 2017 2:16pm
    - stephieboy
      
      Maggy W, in a nutshell the China factor !
      
      Happy ?
      
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      April 13, 2017 10:35am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Happy ?
        
        Not at all.
        
        Could you please elaborate on China’s current relationship with the DPRK and the ROK?
        
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        April 13, 2017 1:18pm
Monique Watson

Rehome the Film Commission to North Korea? There’s a thriving industry in NK producing propaganda, I hear.
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April 13, 2017 8:57am
- Tarquin North
  
  According to Gareth Morgan thing are going gang busters up that way. Watch out Hollywood!
  
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  April 13, 2017 10:11am
Nigel Kearney

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/91532683/the-9th-floor-mike-moore-and-the-trouble-he-sees-in-labour

Mike Moore’s excellent one line summary of what is wrong with Labour:

“We’re not seen to be on the side of those who are strivers”

He also points out the lunacy of not having the leader chosen by the caucus.
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April 13, 2017 9:09am
Longknives

The Herald are telling us we should “Just get over it” and that Sonny Bill is a Muslim and we should “deal with it” etc etc

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11836877

Okay Herald- Do we just blindly accept his close association with Radical Muslim Clerics??

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/88724462/sonny-bill-williams-bmw-sponsorship-reviewed-over-links-to-muslim-extremists

Scroll down past the revolting ‘Homosexuals are worse than Animals ‘ comments and you will see Sonny Bill giving the ISIS handsign!
Wouldn’t it be nice if someone in the gushing NZ Media or those gutless pricks at NZ Rugby held this idiot to account for his actions?
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April 13, 2017 9:10am
- kowtow
  
  Longy
  
  Thanks for link to Sunni B W’s links to an extremist Muslim preacher who gets to travel here (or Australia) from South Africa .I didn’t see that hyped up in our fearless media .
  
  Similarly I’m not surprised that very little has been made of Ayaan Hirsi Ali cancelling a talking tour of Oz and Auckland due partly to security concerns.
  
  Pity the irony of Muslim hate preachers free to visit down under while pro west advocates are deliberately scared off is totally lost on the press , who should be screaming this from the roof tops or should that be the minarets?
  
  Another interseting aspect of that story is how BMW scrubbed negative feedback off its facebook page…….again the irony of censorship by Krauts on senstive topics such as race / religion , when Spicer does it ,it’s world news but when it is to protect those that must be protected …..again silence from the fearless media.
  
  And then they wonder why we’re so disgusted by the “profession”.
  
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  April 13, 2017 10:56am
- RF
  
  When did SBW find his new god who forbids gays and Pre marital sex.
  
  Must have been after 2007 when he was caught screwing a girl in a Sydney Hotel toilet.
  
  An’t Google a bitch…
  
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  April 13, 2017 6:21pm
Hugh Pavletich

Three more Cera staff under investigation over conflict of interest allegations … The Press

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/91492019/three-more-cera-staff-under-investigation-over-conflict-of-interest-allegations

Three more employees from the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) are being investigated for alleged conflicts of interest, MPs have been told.

However, the Prime Minister’s chief public servant does not believe a wider inquiry is currently needed, despite a damning report into serious misconduct and faulty judgement at the former rebuild agency.

The investigation by former Solicitor General Mike Heron found Cera investment facilitators Gerard Gallagher and Simon Nikoloff had tried to insert their private company into property deals in the hope of earning fees, without disclosing their activity. … read more via hyperlink above …
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April 13, 2017 9:11am
Hugh Pavletich

Gerry Brownlee threatens to halt government funding for central Christchurch roading projects | Stuff.co.nz

http://i.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/the-rebuild/91509283/gerry-brownlee-threatens-to-halt-government-funding-for-central-christchurch-roading-projects

Gerry Brownlee has waded into Christchurch’s inner city roading row, threatening to cut funding if the plan isn’t changed.

The multimillion-dollar An Accessible City project aims to create a “compact, people-friendly” central city, but the new cycleways, reduced parking, a 30kmh zone, narrowing of streets and project delays have caused controversy and led to a threat of legal action.

Cabinet this week authorised Brownlee, the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister, to suspend government funding of projects being led by the city council and Crown company Otakaro. … read more via hyperlink above …

Gerry Brownlee on Chris Lynch Newstalk ZB

Listen Up … Well done Gerry Brownlee !

https://www.facebook.com/lynchinnz/videos/731073790404924/
Thousands of office workers add to Christchurch’s parking nightmare | Stuff.co.nz

http://i.stuff.co.nz/business/91224985/thousands-of-office-workers-add-to-christchurchs-parking-nightmare

… extract …

… Colliers commercial leasing director Brynn Burrows said people shifting into new office buildings may be accustomed to suburban workplaces with plentiful parking, but they would have to adapt.

“My message to tenants has been pretty straight: if you want to be in the CBD, you don’t have car parks.”…

… But frustration over congestion, unsafe new street layouts, and lack of parking is taking a toll on businesses.

Savills real estate company managing director Jonathan Lyttle is looking for new premises because his St Asaph St building is proving unworkable.

“It was a good location, now it’s absolutely jammed. Our customers get frustrated because they can’t find parks . . . so we have to go see them.

“[My staff] can’t cycle with a whole lot of building plans and computers in the rain and cold in suits and high heels.” … read more via hyperlink above …
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April 13, 2017 9:12am
- tusker
  
  Was in CHCH last week and trying to get to business premises on St Asaph street. Parking was hopeless, traffic crawling because of the street layout. I almost gave up. Brownlee is right. Dalziel has accused him of using the issue to deflect from the CERA scandal but I suspect the good lady Lianne may be displaying a bit of projection there because she knows the council has screwed up and business is being strangled by their cycle lane scheme.
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:39am
  - Jack5
    
    Central Christchurch traffic is ~~man~~dolt-made chaos.
    
    Anti-car politics are likely to be the ultimate cause.
    
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    April 13, 2017 9:52am
Prince

Can someone explain to me the Katz ruling on the Craig/Williams case ? A Jury finds for Williams, and awards $1.2M costs. Judge Katz decides that is too much and requires the two to negotiate a ‘more reasonable’ amount, or return for another trial. Craig is now happy, sees it as overall vindication, and welcomes the opportunity for a new trial, forget the negotiation. Craig has deep pockets, Williams doesn’t. Eventually Williams is likely to walk away with nothing but a heap of legal costs to pay, despite a Jury verdict in his favour. And this is Justice, NZ-style ?
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April 13, 2017 9:13am
- fernglas
  
  1)Williams and Craig were a pair of wallies
  
  2) One of them was mean to the other.
  
  3) The one who was on the receiving end ran to the court to tell on the other one
  
  4) 12 nice people at the court felt sorry for him and gave him a lot of money
  
  5) …….. too much money!
  
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  April 13, 2017 12:36pm
All_on_Red

Which is worse. Gassing children or beheading them?
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/20/middleeast/boy-beheaded-in-syria/
Clearly all sides in Syria are murdering tyrants so who should be allowed to win?
I reckon Assad has the best chance of winning and given if the rebels won, the place would probably descend into a morass of factions fighting each other, Assad would be more stable.
Oh , and time to give the Kurds their own homeland- even just to piss off Erdogan!?
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April 13, 2017 9:31am
- stephieboy
  
  All On Red , flip flop brain wobbles syndrome .?
  
  Oh if things were that simple . A Kurd state would aslo take out chunks of Iraq and Syria .
  
  DUH !
  
  Gutted by your idol’s action over ther Sarin attack ?
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:46am
  - All_on_Red
    
    Says the fool who has no brain.
    Hey Stephie, it’s been fun pinging you and getting you strikes.
    Next time, a month off for you.
    Wont be long- LOL
    
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    April 13, 2017 2:19pm
- kowtow
  
  AOR
  You are of course quite right. THis is all just politics and posturing. No one really gives a shit that some people got gassed . Far worse things have happened there these last 5 -6 years and no one did anything.
  It is an indictment of the UN that they’ve let this carry on .
  Now the west want Assad out , and then what ? Another Libya or Iraq.
  Fuck , these politicians are thick.
  
  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/10/libya-public-slave-auctions-un-migration
  
  BLM ?
  
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  April 13, 2017 10:31am
  - stephieboy
    
    kowtow , is that how your feel about the current POTUS ?
    
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    April 13, 2017 11:25am
krazykiwi

On Tuesday Putin said that Russia wants UN to investigate Syrian chemical attack

… and not 24 hours later he Vetos what appears to be just that:

Russia vetoed a UN security council resolution calling on the Syrian regime to cooperate with an investigation into last weeks chemical attack, saying it was counter productive.

Counter productive? Pfffft. If Putin was really interested in a UN investigation (which I suspect he’s not) then the way forward would have been to prepare a draft resolution for the UN to consider.
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April 13, 2017 9:41am
- stephieboy
  
  A pity that Putin wasn’t more co -operative over chemical attacks much earlier on ,
  
  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/world/middleeast/syria-bashar-al-assad-atrocities-civilian-deaths-gas-attack.html?_r=0
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:49am
- Andrei
  
  It wasn’t the investigation that got vetoed – the resolution also allowed for the “International Community” to take military action if they didn’t think the Assad Government was cooperating and that is why it was vetoed .
  
  It would have provided cover for America to make war on Syria
  
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  April 13, 2017 10:46am
  - stephieboy
    
    Andrei, not with Russia’s power of Veto . China too.
    
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    April 13, 2017 11:25am
    - Andrei
      
      It was vetoed because of this and the resolution Russia put forward to investigate the attack also got vetoed
      
      It is all game played by the powerful to lead silly little people like you astray
      
      And as we know from your 18276 comments on this blog you are not particularly bright, there isn’t much upstairs where you are concerned
      
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      April 13, 2017 11:37am
KevOB

A trial is not a lottery. The parties can only seek to recover their actual loss, even if that is hard to measure or assess.
The Court has oversight . It some rare cases it may allow or make an award for punitive damages in excess of actual losses, I believe this right arises out of the Court’s ancient ones to see justice done. Hence the Court is watchful over juries too. It would be in the nature of Justice if a Judge who didn’t feel comfortable in reviewing an amount awarded by a jury to set the matter down for retrial.
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April 13, 2017 9:51am
- Prince
  
  In that case, why doesn’t the judge simply set a more reasonable amount. Allowing the person who was found guilty by the jury to, in effect, stonewall any renegotiation because he can afford to and the other party can’t, seems unfair.
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:58am
  - KevOB
    
    I believe NZ judges have rules that allow some oversight as to the amounts of any damages awarded so that reasonable justice is seen to be done. That would follow a jury findings but may be adverted to prior to the jury deliberations.
    
    The Hagaman & Hagaman v. Little matter is a civil case so guilt is not involved. Hagamans are suing for the alleged loss caused to them financially by verbal statements said to have been made by Little. Those are matters of fact on which a jury was asked to decide. Pertinent to that Little may have rights by virtue of his Warrant of Office to say what he is alleged to have said so any loss to Hagamans just has to be taken by them on the chin. The same would apply to any other citizen.
    
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    April 13, 2017 1:17pm
Ross12

I saw an interesting brief interview on the BBC ( I think –I was channel surfing ) .
They were discussing comments on online news articles. To try to improve the standard of comments there is the idea that before you could comment you would have to answer a small number of questions about the article to show you had read the article properly. Then the ” IT system” would allow you to make a comment.
Not a bad idea. Still wouldn’t stop stupid comments, but I think it is a move in the right direction.
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April 13, 2017 10:02am
- cmm
  
  No doubt you would also have to answer the questions to agree with the bias.
  
  The glass ceiling is:
  [ ] Created by the patriarchy to keep women down. ->post comment
  [ ] A myth. -> comment rejected
  
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  April 13, 2017 10:13am
  - Ross12
    
    I’m sure there would be some of that cmm and “abuse” of the idea like that would probably lead to it’s downfall but I think that trying to make the comments section, on particularly newspaper sites, is a worthwhile goal.
    
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    April 13, 2017 11:38am
Rodney Randall

Mike Hosking’s wife is participating on his morning show.

When commenting on SBW’s stance she stated: “I find it refreshing.” ?
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April 13, 2017 10:42am
- oldpark
  
  Yes she is an airhead same as laughing girl from Lie-bour Party. Seems she gets on there, because of her association with Hosking. Who else would employ her. Also same would apply to Ardern ,who would employ her.
  
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  April 13, 2017 10:57am
Manolo

The mullah’s servant returns from the grave:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/irans-ahmadinejad-registers-run-president-073605329.html
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April 13, 2017 10:49am
mikenmild

Great geopolitical insight from the leader of the Free World:

Right now there is a fear and there are problems, certainly problems, but ultimately I hope there won’t be a fear and won’t be problems and the world can get along. That would be the ideal situation. It’s crazy what’s going on, whether it’s the Middle East or you look at no matter where, the Ukraine, you look at — whatever you look at, it’s got problems. So many problems. And ultimately, I believe that we are going to get rid of most of those problems and there won’t be fear of anybody. That’s the way it should be.

But wait, there’s more, referring to deterring North Korea:

“if we go it alone it will be with other nations.”
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April 13, 2017 10:52am
Monique Watson

You’re kind of a cock.
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April 13, 2017 11:02am
tusker

As opposed to insights from the leader of the unfree world:

Our genocidal friends should be free to use sarin but we want the UN to hold an enquiry into said use but will veto anything they say and take reprisals against anyone trying to stop the kids choking to death.
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April 13, 2017 11:11am
Hugh Pavletich

NEW ZEALAND: ABOLISH URBAN LIMITS & BOND FINANCE INFRASTRUCTURE … SUPPORTED BY ALL OTHER THAN NATIONAL (?) & THE MAORI PARTIES !

… Why has this yet to be reported by the wider media ?

… Bernard Hickey of NEWSROOM write todays … extract Section 7 below …

https://pro.newsroom.co.nz/articles/1629-newsroom-pro-s-8-things-at-8-trolling-millennials-is-easy-defamation-retrials-loom

7. Just in case you missed it…

One curious coda to the RMA debate that concluded last week was that the Opposition parties plus ACT and United Future all voted again during the third reading debate for amendments that would have abolished Rural Urban Growth Boundaries and allowed the financing of infrastructure bonds paid for with targeted rates.

The amendments were defeated by National and the Maori Party.

The irony of a Government that has railed against restrictions on land development by councils voting against removing those restrictions should be noted. And also that the proposal for infrastructure bonds was backed by the right-leaning New Zealand Initiative and voted for by the Greens and Labour. Strange times indeed.

… From the GONE GONE GOING section of http://www.performanceurbanplanning.org/
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April 13, 2017 11:36am
- Hugh Pavletich
  
  Abolish Auckland city limits – Labour – Business – NZ Herald News
  
  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11640374
  
  beehive.govt – – Nick Smith – nz – Labour support on city limits (abolition) welcomed
  
  https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/labour-support-city-limits-welcomed
  
  Editorial: Labour’s bond proposal makes sense – Business – NZ Herald News
  
  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11643010
  
  … Haven’t we had more than enough of Minister Nick Smith ? … watch video …
  
  Question 6 – Phil Twyford to the Minister for Building and Construction … Inhouse NZ / Youtube
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YznZ6HjUmFU
  
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  April 13, 2017 11:39am
  - Hugh Pavletich
    
    Soaring house prices reduce number of babies born in England … UK Telegraph
    
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/04/12/soaring-house-prices-reduce-number-babies-born-england/
    
    By Sarah Knapton, Science Editor
    
    Soaring house prices are reducing the number of babies born in England because fewer people can afford their own home and so delay starting a family, a new study suggests.
    
    The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development found that for every 10 per cent increases in house prices, the birth rate falls by 1.3 per cent.
    
    The trend is reversed for people who own their own home, with a 10 per cent house price rise sparking a rise in the number of births by 2.8 per cent. However among renters, the same increase causes a birth rate decline of 4.9 per cent. … read more via hyperlink above …
    
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    April 13, 2017 5:28pm
starboard

Happy New Year Thailand !
Today is the start of 3 days of madness here in Thailand. Thais celebrate their new year ( Songkran) by throwing water over you and coloured talc powder in your face. Its to do with the cleansing process. The water washes all the bad shit away from the previous year…the talc, not sure but it smells good. The best part is dealing to the Police. High powered pump action water guns are flavour of the day, nothing like pinging a few coppers as they putter along on their scooters.
350 people will die here on the roads during the 3 days of madness…a few tourists included in the carnage. Its not pretty, I saw some messy sights last year.
Enjoy yourselves Thailand , you certainly know how to party and have fun.
Khop Khun Khup , Pom La Khun!
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April 13, 2017 12:04pm
- Nostradamus
  
  Starboard:
  
  The water washes all the bad shit away from the previous year
  
  Sounds like the gloryhole you spotted the other day might come in handy then!
  
  Thought about you the other day mm..was taking a dump in a toilet in Bangkok and spotted a gloryhole.
  
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  April 13, 2017 1:50pm
  - starboard
    
    MM could always come over and lose his virginity.
    
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    April 13, 2017 2:11pm
- jonno1
  
  Down here in Phuket it started last night. Lots of fun. The iced water was very refreshing!
  
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  April 13, 2017 2:06pm
  - starboard
    
    Where in Phuket are you Jono? Im in Rawai.
    
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    April 13, 2017 2:13pm
    - sam green
      
      Is that like jail?
      
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      April 13, 2017 2:26pm
      - starboard
        
        Bellend.
        
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        April 13, 2017 2:45pm
      - sam green
        
        Charmer.
        
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        April 14, 2017 12:43am
- 4077th
  
  Sawadee pe mai.. 🙂
  
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  April 13, 2017 3:14pm
  - starboard
    
    Khup. Khun sabai dee mai khup. ?
    
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    April 13, 2017 3:33pm
Happychappy

Well what a surprise who would have thought the homeless the ones sleeping in their cars would rip the welfare system off by asking motellers to pay them the money that they have been payed from social welfare and return to sleeping in their cars. Same old story give some a inch and they take a mile and in the meantime spoil it for the ones that actually are honest and need it.
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April 13, 2017 12:51pm
starboard

Yes Happychappy..and they will be a mixture of the worst scum NZ has produced under our glorious welfare system. P heads , murri , baby factories..the vile of the vile. Take take take, its all they know. Utter filth.
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April 13, 2017 1:27pm
waripori

The met office want people to take their warnings seriously but they seem to be a bit alarmist about ex cyclone Cook in saying this is the worst storm since Wahine Day. The Wahine storm caused gusts up to 275kms / hour in Wellington and they seem to be talking about roughly half that for Cook. They are predicting up to 300mm of rain in the BoP but Bola dropped much more than that on Gisborne.
I hope I am right and they are wrong because if we get Wahine winds and Bola rain it wont be much fun this Easter.
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April 13, 2017 1:33pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Have you been shopping today?
  
  Supermarkets jam-packed in Gizzy this morning.
  Everyone loading up in case the Storm decides to hang around.
  Exclusive Brethren buying up loads of booze…must be a big prayer session on this Easter.
  Hubby & I will have to survive on my oversupply of choko(s)/chayote if we can’t get off our hill.
  
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  April 13, 2017 1:53pm
  - fernglas
    
    Down here it was pretty dire, but we got in supplies of the basic food groups; carbs, refined sugar, fermented sugar and heavily salted deep-fried shit. Hopefully enough until Saturday, by which time we will either be sunbathing or clearing debris.
    
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    April 13, 2017 2:34pm
- rangitoto
  
  Looking at the earth.nullschool.net site the strongest winds are on the South to South East side of the storm. It has passed Auckland but BoP will cop the main force of it.
  
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  April 13, 2017 3:27pm
- Grant
  
  Hmmmm. Stuff are showing a picture of a storm cloud over Lake Taupo and the title “Lake Taupo with Cyclone Cook moving in”.
  Hmm and the Metservice has just advised that the storm will make landfall in the BOP / Coromandel are at about 7.00pm tonight. Four hours or so hence. So… how can it be at Taupo but still not arrived? Confused much, especially given that I’m looking out my window at Kawau and Great Barrier Islands, along with plenty of blue sky! Now, I’m sure this will change as there is obvioulsy a storm out there…. somewhere. A Met service map from 1450 shows it well north of GBI.
  But perhaps the citizens of this country would be better served by a media and Govt departments who report the facts, whilst trying to avoid hyperbole and sensationalism.
  I now notice Newshub are reporting that: “Cyclone Cook hits NZ”. Really?
  Perhaps the writer of this breathless bit of fiction they should keep in mind that other bit of fiction about boys crying wolf.
  Incidentally, a cyclone, unlike the Whanganui River, is not a living person, or even a sentient being. So I’m wondering how it can have a “fury” that it needs to “unleash” on us all?
  Grow up ffs.
  G
  
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  April 13, 2017 3:34pm
  - rangitoto
    
    earth.nullschool.net updates every three hours and I have found it to be more accurate than the junk served up on news sites.
    
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    April 13, 2017 3:38pm
    - Grant
      
      Thanks rangitoto
      
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      April 13, 2017 3:54pm
    - rightoverlabour
      
      Hi, that strong easterly flow to the south of New Zealand is surely anomalous? Those Latitudes are the domain of the Westerlies for most of the year. What I can’t work out is what caused that post-tropical storm to intensify as it approached New Zealand. (clearly seen in the infra red satellite images).
      
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      April 13, 2017 9:36pm
  - Nostradamus
    
    Grant:
    
    You have to understand that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for journalists to practise using metaphors and hyperbole.
    
    Here’s some headlines:
    
    Live: Cyclone Cook – MetService says worst storm in generations bearing down
    Chaos at supermarkets as Cyclone Cook bears down
    
    But some welcome distractions:
    
    John Campbell’s awkward reunion with Hilary Barry
    How U2 evicted Lorde from her New York studio
    
    FFS!
    
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    April 13, 2017 4:16pm
zonic

It’s official the green party are useless!!

The Green Party has decided to abstain from voting on the Point England Bill.
https://blog.greens.org.nz/2017/04/12/an-almighty-mess-in-the-making/
Abstention achieves nothing and shows a distinct lack of leadership on behalf of the Green Party.

I would have thought their core policy below would carry most weight. I can’t help but feel they are useless. But then again I am against this bill. Maybe someone here can provide with some balance or confirm that they are indeed useless!

“The Green Party supports:
Councils and the Department of Conservation protecting land for recreation and
sporting purposes under the Reserves Act 1977, including the preparation of
management plans to ensure reserves are appropriately maintained and used.”

https://www.greens.org.nz/page/recreation-and-sport-policy

Stop the Pt Eng Dev Bill!
#SaveOurReserves
https://goo.gl/fjko6D
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April 13, 2017 3:32pm
Jack5

ACT has joined the cross-party group defending gays in the Russian Muslim territory in the North Caucasus, Chechnya.

Is the vote from the LGBTTQQIAAP (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, ally, pansexual) communities going to be factor in this year’s election? Regardless, ahead lie similar injustices in a swag of Muslim countries.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11837618
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April 13, 2017 4:59pm
- Nostradamus
  
  Jack5:
  
  From your linked article:
  
  A cross-party group of MPs has written to Foreign Minister Murray McCully urging him to condemn violence against gay men in Chechnya. The Rainbow NZ Parliamentary Network has called on McCully to ask Russia to investigate the detention and alleged murders of men perceived to be gay in Chechnya.
  
  Good grief!
  
  Russia has bigger problems with Chechnya, so I very much doubt they’ll give a crap what McCully has to say about gay rights issues over there, or what McCully has to say about anything for that matter.
  
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  April 13, 2017 5:18pm
  - mikenmild
    
    Seems to me to be a simple matter of supporting basic human rights. The Chechens are rounding up gay people for torture and murder. The Russian government, naturally, is doing nothing to stop this.
    I shouldn’t expect the denizens of Kiwiblog to be too sympathetic though.
    
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    April 13, 2017 5:21pm
    - Nostradamus
      
      Mikenmild:
      
      There’s an open question (in my mind anyway) about the extent to which our government should inform foreign governments of “our” views (the royal “we”) regarding perceived gay rights abuses.
      
      Where does it start and end?
      
      If you think it starts with Russia and doesn’t end there, then McCully will have a long list of people from lots of different countries to contact.
      
      Gay couple beaten, detained by Indonesian vigilantes likely to face trial under sharia law
      
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      April 13, 2017 5:30pm
      - mikenmild
        
        I’m of the view that it is absolutely appropriate for our government to protest when other government abuse basic human rights.
        
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        April 13, 2017 5:39pm
      - Nostradamus
        
        Mikenmild:
        
        I don’t have a detailed understanding of the current situation in Chechnya. (It’s a shame that Reid is currently banned from Kiwiblog!) Wasn’t there an ongoing push for Chechnya to become an independent state and haven’t there been Chechnya-inspired terrorist activity in Russia? If so, I really don’t think that Russia would care much about our views on human rights in Chechnya.
        
        Anyway, surely this is something that some United Nations committee or other would like to pursue?
        
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        April 13, 2017 5:49pm
      - mikenmild
        
        Chechnya is part of Russia (a federal republic), so ultimately the Russian government is responsible for ensuring human rights there. In this case, the homophobic Russian government is probably unlikely to intervene to help the persecuted gays in Chechnya.
        
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        April 13, 2017 5:56pm
Jack5

👿 Many Kiwiblog followers will be thrilled, I’m sure, if some of their tax money is going to help finance John Campbell and Nigel Latta in their new TV show.

It’s announced purpose is to forecast what New Zealand will be like in 20 years.

Is it time to switch to Netflix?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11837579
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April 13, 2017 5:17pm
- kowtow
  
  Campbell and Latta ?
  
  Double Knob Vision.
  
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  April 13, 2017 5:57pm
  - Rachael Membery
    
    Soup and Coffee?
    
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    April 13, 2017 7:11pm
- srylands
  
  Time to end NZ on Air. Seriously nobody will notice except the current beneficiaries.
  
  John Campbell has totally ruined Checkpoint on National Radio. What was an informative show is now communist drivel.
  
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  April 13, 2017 6:04pm
  - mikenmild
    
    Could you please give me some examples of Campbell’s advocacy of communism? Has he called for the workers to take over the means of production, distribution and exchange?
    
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    April 13, 2017 6:21pm
  - Swifty
    
    After 30 years of Morning Report and Checkpoint etc, he’s turned me right off. It’s the ’emoting’ I can’t stand.
    
    And I am not in favour of S Ferguson’s leading questions “Oh, when you heard that you must have been shocked?”
    
    I wish she would stop it.
    
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    April 13, 2017 6:31pm
Jack5

The Hooerald and Stuff are both reporting that a real estate franchise holder is in a dispute with Mike Pero, and the reports feature pictures of Pero.

The Hooerald says: “Mike Pero has taken an injunction against one of his top selling agents which prevents her selling homes across a 25-kilometre radius of Christchurch.”

Does anyone following Kiwiblog know whether Pero actually is involved with the firm at this level?

According to the Companies Office, Mike Pero (New Zealand) Ltd, and Mike Pero Group Ltd are owned by Liberty Financial Pty Ltd, of Melbourne.
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April 13, 2017 5:32pm
- Nostradamus
  
  Jack5:
  
  Another story (involving a different dispute) was covered earlier this year.
  
  Mike Pero gave himself a pay rise without the approval of the co-owner of his real estate business and may have to return more than $1.5 million, a High Court judge says.
  
  Pero is the chief executive of Mike Pero Real Estate (MPRE) which was launched in 2011. The nationwide real estate business is half-owned by one of his companies, Mike Pero Marketing, and half-owned by Mike Pero Mortgages, which he started in the early 1990s but is no longer a part of.
  
  So possibly not the companies you’ve researched.
  
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  April 13, 2017 5:36pm
srylands

Ok it is not great weather but it is not a one in a generation storm. FFS. The media are a disgrace. Wellington employers are sending their employees home early so they are ‘safe’. Well for the last 3 hours in Wellington it has been calm with light rain.

Plus Lynn Prentice is telling his readers breathlessly that the impending catastrophe is a sign of climate change in action.
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April 13, 2017 5:56pm
- mikenmild
  
  Good to hear lots of people are delaying their Easter travel though. Terrible conditions for crowded highways.
  
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  April 13, 2017 6:03pm
  - srylands
    
    Sure. But yesterday the New Zealand Herald warned of impending “mayhem”. That is totally irresponsible.
    
    These clowns should try living in Canada in winter or even Queensland in the wet season.
    
    This is not a catastrophic weather event and it is a disgrace that the media are portraying it as such.
    
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    April 13, 2017 6:09pm
    - dad4justice
      
      The lickspittle media are creating a storm in a teacup. What a croc of shit!
      
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      April 13, 2017 6:13pm
      - Nostradamus
        
        D4J:
        
        a storm in a teacup
        
        Keep the puns coming please!
        
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        April 13, 2017 6:15pm
      - stigie
        
        Like Banksy having a cup of tea with John Key in Epsom. That created a storm in a teacup..?
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:21pm
    - mikenmild
      
      I’m not so sure. The national emergency centre has been activated, NZDF personnel put on standby. No one can really say that it won’t be much of a storm, so it seems to me to be a reasonable precaution to take the weather forecasts seriously.
      
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      April 13, 2017 6:17pm
      - srylands
        
        I do take the weather forecasts seriously. I spend time in the back country. Weather can kill you.
        
        I am saying that the media headlines are disproportionate to those forecasts.
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:18pm
      - mikenmild
        
        Do you think the civil defence operation is under way because they read the new headlines instead of the weather forecast?
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:21pm
      - nasska
        
        The MSM are hyping the storm to the max. The Herald’s website has a video clip of a few trees blowing in the wind but the commentary suggests Armageddon is here.
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:27pm
      - Kimbo
        
        Time to start revising your opinions of the Bible in general and the apocalyptic visions of the Book of Revelation in particular, nasska? 😉
        
        12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
        
        15 “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
        
        16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. (Revelation 16: 12-16)
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:33pm
      - Nostradamus
        
        Kimbo:
        
        I suspect you’re a tad over-optimistic if you’re hoping to use a spot of bad weather to convert Nasska into a sandal-and-sackcloth-wearing religious adherent!
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:36pm
      - Kimbo
        
        He he. No, nasska would be a die-hard. Sort of guy who would stipulate “one more night with the frogs” just to show the plagues weren’t getting to him 😉 :
        
        9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”
        
        10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. (Exodus 8: 9, 10a)
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:42pm
      - nasska
        
        ….”15 “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.””…..
        
        Be buggered Kimbo. While I’ve got it, I’ll flaunt it! 🙂
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:43pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Well, the power is back on and the rain has let up.
        Still a bit windy.
        
        I took to my bed at 7:30 and followed Revelation’s advice to remain clothed.
        Not that I’m worried about being shamefully exposed in the event of an emergency evacuation, but I’m sure folks do not need to be dazzled by my mounds of white flesh.
        
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        April 13, 2017 8:49pm
      - nasska
        
        So you’re quite certain the storm didn’t prove fatal & you are still in this world Maggy?
        
        Just to be on the safe side you haven’t grown wings or come into possession of a harp recently have you? 🙂
        
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        April 13, 2017 8:56pm
      - stigie
        
        Just as well Johnboy is not around the traps Maggy, he would’ve had you in bed by 6.30..?
        
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        April 13, 2017 9:00pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        @nasska
        
        you are still in this world Maggy?
        
        I damn well better be, coz the hubby is still in residence.
        
        I signed up ’til death do us part, and I assure you there was NO mention of having him hanging around in the hereafter.
        
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        April 13, 2017 9:15pm
    - GazzaW
      
      It’s 7.43pm and the Herald is starting to get desperate for a disaster now (even a small one will do) to generate a genuine headline. Cyclone Cook inconveniently bypassed Auckand and Great Barrier, no closure of the harbour bridge, no 160km winds, no torrential rains – just a whole lot of pissed off people inconvenienced by the Herald’s outrageous panic reporting that resulted in an unnecessary defacto closedown of the CBD.
      
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      April 13, 2017 7:43pm
      - Kimbo
        
        So the moral of the story is don’t over-promise and under-deliver storm porn?
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:47pm
      - sooty
        
        Fake News?
        
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        April 13, 2017 8:00pm
      - GazzaW
        
        Agreed Kimbo. The Herald should also know that credible storm porn cannot use words such as ‘possibly, potentially, may, should, could’ etc or the phrase ‘storm of the century’.
        
        Philip Duncan to his credit gave the media a serve this morning for their repeated comparison of Cyclone Cook with the ‘Wahine’ storm. There is no similarity at all and nor is there with Cyclone Bola. Both of those events generated winds of over 240kms per hour.
        
        The media will cry wolf once too often. In these instance we want the facts and nothing but the facts – not media created hype.
        
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        April 13, 2017 8:04pm
      - rightoverlabour
        
        Hi Yes it all sort of fizzled out in Auckland. I have a climatology background and was concerned at the forecast pressure gradient of the storm. However, the press definitely over egged this one. ( in terms of Auckland). Once they realised it was going to track much further east they should have advised the danger was over. The problem now of course is when a really damaging storm does approach, no one will take any notice. And calling it Cyclone Cook was down right ingenious, call it by its proper name which was EX Cyclone Cook, or probably more accurately, just a post-tropical cyclone.
        
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        April 13, 2017 9:22pm
- Nostradamus
  
  Well this is interesting.
  
  They’ve posted a Labour Party press release at The Standard:
  
  Andrew Little – Statement on Earl Hagaman
  Thursday, 13 April 2017, 8:07 am
  Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
  
  “I have seen Lani Hagaman’s statement seeking a retrial.
  
  “I have taken every opportunity to resolve this matter and I have faced up to my responsibilities.
  
  “My priority now are the thousands of New Zealanders who can’t buy their own home, can’t get the health care they need and who are struggling to get ahead.
  
  “Fixing these problems means changing the Government and that is my focus.
  
  “As this matter could be subject to further court proceedings, I will not be commenting further.”
  
  I can’t find this press release on the Labour Party website – despite it being released at 8:07 am this morning. I can’t find the press release on the Scoop website either.
  
  It must be time for another lecture from the SysOp guy about how The Standard has nothing to do wtih the Labour Party?
  
  [Edit: My mistake – the press release is published on the Sccop website – under “Parliament” rather than “Poliics”.]
  
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  April 13, 2017 6:05pm
  - stigie
    
    “I have taken every opportunity to resolve this matter and I have faced up to my responsibilities.”
    
    That statement takes some beating Nostra, this muppet has lost all credibility with most of parliament and would imagine there will be a leadership change after the election. There has to be !~
    
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    April 13, 2017 7:28pm
    - nasska
      
      If only he can hang on until then! 🙂
      
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      April 13, 2017 7:33pm
    - Nostradamus
      
      Stigie:
      
      I think Andrew Little is doing an excellent job (he’s comfortably flying under the radar at 7% and, remember, Helen Clark set the low benchmark of 2% when she was Leader of the Opposition) and I’d like to see him stay on as Leader of the Opposition after the election!
      
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      April 13, 2017 7:34pm
      - stigie
        
        I can always be bribed Nostra/Nasska, im sure it won’t take much, im very flexible you understand !~
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:39pm
Rodney Randall

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lloyds-bank-removes-overdraft-fee-from-islamic-accounts-9291932.html

“On its website Lloyds says: “Following the guidance of Islam is an important part of everyday life, so we’ve made it an important part of everyday banking. Our Sharia committee of two independent scholars has guided us to create an account that’s right for you.”

SBW would approve!
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April 13, 2017 6:30pm
Longknives

If this storm had turned out to be the killer many people thought it was going to be- Do you think the Herald might regret it’s ‘Cutesy’ headline??

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

“Cookie Monster”????
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April 13, 2017 6:37pm
Rachael Membery

Did they ask Plunket if they wanted to be on SBW’s new shirt? Do they get a donation, if so who from?
I would be annoyed if Plunket money was used for sponsorship.
What would happen if a sponsor didn’t want to be associated with SBW, because they didn’t agree with his faith?
Could they ask for him to have a special jersey without their logo? Or does it only go one way?
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April 13, 2017 7:16pm
- nasska
  
  If Plunket don’t want to be associated with the dickhead maybe the New Zealand Pork Industry Board might want to do a sponsorship deal.
  
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  April 13, 2017 7:21pm
  - mikenmild
    
    Why wouldn’t Plunket want the free advertising?
    
    “By taking up BNZ’s offer of replacing its logo with ours, Sonny Bill Williams is helping Plunket remind parents that our services are here to support mums as well as dads,” says Plunket CE Amanda Malu.
    “Sonny Bill’s decision to wear Plunket’s brand is a real honour. A lot of families will be watching this weekend and we’re proud to be there supporting Sonny Bill as a dedicated father and role model for Kiwi kids.”
    
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    April 13, 2017 7:24pm
    - Rachael Membery
      
      OMG!!!! Then all the shirts for all of the players can have Plunket on theirs somewhere too.
      
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      April 13, 2017 7:53pm
      - Kimbo
        
        No room. They are already full billboards, unless they too have a conscience-objection to banks, finance companies, insurers, breweries, distillers, casinos, lotteries, telecommunications companies, soft drink manufacturers, fast food companies, apparel and sporting goods manufacturers, tinned corned beef exporters…
        
        Oh for the good old days when Graham Mourie could write “the game of rugby belongs in the first instance to the players”!
        
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        April 13, 2017 7:57pm
      - Nostradamus
        
        Maybe the All Blacks should just go topless? It would save a lot of sponsorship headaches! (Unless sponsored body tattoos become the next battleground…)
        
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        April 13, 2017 8:05pm
    - Longknives
      
      “Sonny Bill as a dedicated father and role model for Kiwi kids”
      
      Scroll up a bit for the picture I posted of this supposed “Role Model” doing ISIS hand signs..
      
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      April 13, 2017 8:45pm
nasska

How many women with PMS does it take to screw in a light bulb?

One. Only ONE!! And do you know WHY it only takes ONE? Because no one else in this house knows HOW to change a light bulb. They don’t even know the bulb is BURNED OUT. They would sit in this house in the dark for THREE DAYS before they figured it OUT. And once they figured it out they wouldn’t be able to find the light bulbs despite the fact that they’ve been in the SAME CUPBOARD for the past SEVENTEEN YEARS. But if they did, by some miracle, actually find the light bulbs, TWO DAYS LATER the chair that they dragged from two rooms over to stand on to change the STUPID light bulb would STILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT!! AND UNDERNEATH IT WOULD BE THE CRUMPLED WRAPPER THE STUPID @*!#$% LIGHT BULBS CAME IN! WHY?! BECAUSE NO ONE IN THIS HOUSE EVER CARRIES OUT THE GARBAGE!! IT’S A WONDER WE HAVEN’T ALL SUFFOCATED FROM THE PILES OF GARBAGE THAT ARE 12 FEET DEEP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE. THE HOUSE!! IT WOULD TAKE AN ARMY TO CLEAN THIS

…what was the question again?
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April 13, 2017 8:34pm
- GoVege
  
  My sympathies, nasska.
  Now get in that ute and drive…and drive…and drive until you find a shop that sells EPO (evening primrose oil).
  Fortunately it’s an oil so you can slip it in their drink.
  Don’t for God’s (sorry) sake ASK them to take it….that will start them off again…
  
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  April 13, 2017 9:26pm
  - nasska
    
    Too late for that GoVege. The CEO went through the menopause cold turkey nearly fifteen years ago.
    
    Looking back though, they were interesting times. 🙂
    
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    April 13, 2017 9:40pm
    - Nostradamus
      
      Nasska:
      
      they were interesting times
      
      Can you share a story or two with us?
      
      (It’s Easter, the weather is rubbish, and we’ve got lots of time to listen.)
      
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      April 13, 2017 10:24pm
- Rachael Membery
  
  There wasn’t one!!! Why, did there need to be one?
  
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  April 13, 2017 11:17pm
GoVege

Anyone watched the Oz news about the Australian Muslim women discussing how their men are supposed to “discipline” (beat) them when they aren’t sufficiently obedient?
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April 13, 2017 9:21pm
Jack5

The Hooerald has discovered the World War 2 Long Range Desert Group, one of the predecessors of the SAS.

Many NZ soldiers served in this, and I met two old veterans of it. The New Zealanders distinguished themselves. I think the LRDG among other things raided German airfields, using trucks mounted with twin Vickers machineguns that had an extremely rapid firing rate. These were designed for use in aircraft.

The Hooerald says:

The reason New Zealanders were specifically hand-picked for the dangerous missions was their toughness and ability to repair trucks on their farms.

This is a great NZ Story. For a wet Easter Friday, here are a couple of sources with more information about the NZ’ers in the LRDG.

1. How General Freyberg wanted the men back:
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-1Doc-c15.html

2. The story of one of the men:

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5t14/tinker-ronald-arthur/print

South Island followers of Kiwiblog may recall the obituary in the Christchurch Press a few years ago of a farmer, one of the local LRDG veterans. He was left behind in one raid, and was taken prisoner by local Arabs, who kept him chained outside, and starving, like a dog, until taken over by an Italian patrol. He contracted some disease, but survived captivity as a p.o.w.
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April 14, 2017 3:39pm

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