Forget about the half-arsed national Party billboards. Now the Greens have set up a billboard generator, where you can upload your own image to have it superimposed with the election slogan "Vote For Me".
But really, I can't wait til this freaking thing is over.
And for the first time in my life I have agreed with something Fran O'Sullivan has written about: She's musing on and recommending a grand coalition (current German Government-style) after the election between Labour and National to steer us through the upcoming economic tsunami.
New Zealand isn't really that far off the situation in Iceland: our current account deficit is massive, our currency under pressure and our overseas debt (and soon the Government budget deficit too) far from sustainable in these credit crunch times.
October 31, 2008
October 22, 2008
Have another one, just like the other one
From The Daily Torygraph (so it must be true):
My only experience with Nazi fucking is some trade telling me one night that he used to bed several of the (British) National Front leadership. The sex was forgettable but the remark stuck.
UPDATE: The plot thickens:
UPDATE 2: The BBC reports that Haider was "the man of his life" for Mr Petzner. So not yet out of the closet. Just a romantic entanglement the ancient Spartan way. I trust it came with all the naked wrestling bouts in the dust of Carinthia.
UPDATE 3: The New Zealand National Front protested in Wellington over the weekend and clashed with anti-fascist demonstrators. It was certainly a bit rich in irony, considering the Haider revelations, that said Fronters hurled verbal abuse at the anarchists, calling them "faggots". They should look in the mirror a bit more often. And protest a little less.
"The Austrian far-Right politician Jörg Haider was seen drinking in a gay bar shortly before his fatal car crash."One should not be surprised here. Being a closet homosexual and have far-right views on life, the universe and everything has a long pedigree. Check out these other dudes who I really don't want in my fag club either: SA Nazi leader Ernst Röhm, FBI founder J Edgar Hoover, Ayn Rand New Zealand Fan Club Leader Lindsay Perigo, and now Mr Haider. Control queens, who needs them?
My only experience with Nazi fucking is some trade telling me one night that he used to bed several of the (British) National Front leadership. The sex was forgettable but the remark stuck.
UPDATE: The plot thickens:
"Conservative Austria was in a state of shock today after the male successor to Jörg Haider admitted to having a longstanding "special relationship" with the far right leader who died dramatically in a high speed car crash earlier this month.Call me old fashioned, but Nazi sex is only fun in bed (as in: Me Germany, you Poland).
Stefan Petzner – the 27-year-old who recently replaced Haider as leader of the right wing Alliance for the Future of Austria and has often appeared in tears on television since his death - effectively outed himself as the deceased’s gay lover while being interviewed on an Austrian radio breakfast show."
UPDATE 2: The BBC reports that Haider was "the man of his life" for Mr Petzner. So not yet out of the closet. Just a romantic entanglement the ancient Spartan way. I trust it came with all the naked wrestling bouts in the dust of Carinthia.
UPDATE 3: The New Zealand National Front protested in Wellington over the weekend and clashed with anti-fascist demonstrators. It was certainly a bit rich in irony, considering the Haider revelations, that said Fronters hurled verbal abuse at the anarchists, calling them "faggots". They should look in the mirror a bit more often. And protest a little less.
October 17, 2008
Sex in the news
From BBC News:
But wouldn't the likes of Sarah Palin just love to introduce those kind of laws too in their countries? Then she could have sent the state trooper, making himself useful by arresting her daughter and Levi for having unmarried sex, instead of having him sacked and having all that trouble swirling around her now.
A British man and woman have been sentenced to three months in jail in Dubai after being found guilty of having sex on a beach.But what else is a beach for? Sand in the lube may not be conducive to comfortable love making, unless friction is your thing.
But wouldn't the likes of Sarah Palin just love to introduce those kind of laws too in their countries? Then she could have sent the state trooper, making himself useful by arresting her daughter and Levi for having unmarried sex, instead of having him sacked and having all that trouble swirling around her now.
October 08, 2008
His verbal skills weren't as good as his ball skills
From an investigative report:
Any suggestions as to what those four words were?
"Your Brazilian is showing"
"It comes with nuts?"
"Your girlfriend likes it."
"The pilot liked it."
Rugby player investigated over offensive chat up line.
The South Canterbury Rugby Union is investigating a player over an air hostesses [sic] complaint following a player's offensive comment.
A South Canterbury rugby player could have his match payment revoked pending a report into an incident aboard an Air New Zealand flight at the weekend.
The team was travelling from Gisborne to Christchurch via Wellington on Sunday, but was off loaded at Wellington Airport after a flight attendant complained about an offensive comment made to her by one of the players.
Coach Ken Wills says the player was trying to chat the woman up.
He says the comment was four words and was not of a sexual nature, she was not manhandled and it was a verbal comment that the flight attendant took exception to.
The South Canterbury Rugby Union is investigating the incident.
Mr Wills says the team spent four hours on the ground at Wellington Airport awaiting another flight.
Any suggestions as to what those four words were?
"Your Brazilian is showing"
"It comes with nuts?"
"Your girlfriend likes it."
"The pilot liked it."
October 07, 2008
October 02, 2008
See how easy it is!
If only one has the political will a lot is obviously possible. Since yesterday a policy of free public transport after 9am, on weekends and public holidays is being rolled out in New Zealand.
A fully integrated public transport and ticketing system has been created overnight, without much murmuring (except by the transport companies left out by the scheme, such as the car ferries to Waiheke) or problems with participating companies. There's one obvious flaw though: it's only for pensioners.
Everybody else who has to pay the fares still faces a balkanised, un-integrated and costly system. I don't need to remind you that on that very day of free fares for oldies we got finally whacked in our pocket with the 14% season ticket increase: a cruel irony which I messaged to the press secretary of Judith Tizard, who had triumphantly released the policy and had mailed it to me. He was on the phone to me immediately so I could give him another earful.
The massive government subsidy in this pensioner travel scheme to transport companies will be a boon for them: overseas experience sees buses, trains and ferries clogged with older people in off peak periods - and not always to the amusement of the other traveling (and paying) public faced with overloaded vehicles and lengthy waits. And it's far from certain that this windfall will be (even partially) passed on to us in lower general fares.
The politics of it all are, of course, very cynical in these electoral times: the division of the community along age lines by these kind of special interest policies are breath taking but unsurprising. We won't be seeing Grey Power coming along to future ferry fare protest meetings! And will other parties now campaign for their interest groups? Free fares for Maori? For Christians?
But there is also a bigger picture to be considered. How are we ever going to get an integrated system without the Government bulk funding and tendering services? Like Pharmac bulk purchasing drugs for the health system's patients, ARTA could purchase public transport on behalf of all of us, which would make it either free for residents or at a capped monthly charge much lower than the current season ticket price.
A fully integrated public transport and ticketing system has been created overnight, without much murmuring (except by the transport companies left out by the scheme, such as the car ferries to Waiheke) or problems with participating companies. There's one obvious flaw though: it's only for pensioners.
Everybody else who has to pay the fares still faces a balkanised, un-integrated and costly system. I don't need to remind you that on that very day of free fares for oldies we got finally whacked in our pocket with the 14% season ticket increase: a cruel irony which I messaged to the press secretary of Judith Tizard, who had triumphantly released the policy and had mailed it to me. He was on the phone to me immediately so I could give him another earful.
The massive government subsidy in this pensioner travel scheme to transport companies will be a boon for them: overseas experience sees buses, trains and ferries clogged with older people in off peak periods - and not always to the amusement of the other traveling (and paying) public faced with overloaded vehicles and lengthy waits. And it's far from certain that this windfall will be (even partially) passed on to us in lower general fares.
The politics of it all are, of course, very cynical in these electoral times: the division of the community along age lines by these kind of special interest policies are breath taking but unsurprising. We won't be seeing Grey Power coming along to future ferry fare protest meetings! And will other parties now campaign for their interest groups? Free fares for Maori? For Christians?
But there is also a bigger picture to be considered. How are we ever going to get an integrated system without the Government bulk funding and tendering services? Like Pharmac bulk purchasing drugs for the health system's patients, ARTA could purchase public transport on behalf of all of us, which would make it either free for residents or at a capped monthly charge much lower than the current season ticket price.
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