Friday, October 24, 2008

Oh, Greenspan!

Greenspan walks into an ambush. Now National State Radio is spinning that the ideology of capitalism is "flawed".

UPDATE: http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=5330

(Hattip Not PC)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Are you a "News"paper, or a Gummint Press Bureau?

Rail is safer and better for us
By NIKKI PRESTON - Waikato Times Monday, 20 October 2008

New Zealand's transport system has come full circle, with companies looking at trains and coastal shipping as cheaper and greener alternatives to trucking.

Well, fuckwits, looking is all they're doing, as your article then demonstrates:

Currently, 92 per cent of freight, by weight, is transported via road, 6 per cent by rail, 2 per cent by coastal shipping and nothing is transported by air, according to the national freight demands study.
However, in terms of the length of haul, rail and coastal shipping have a larger share of the market, representing 15 per cent each. Road makes up the additional 70 per cent.


Perhaps "Nikki" isn't to blame, maybe the subbies somehow equated 6% by weight as somehow 51% or more by number of journeys, or something.

http://www.businessday.co.nz/industries/infrastructure/4733404

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Abortion is better than this, surely


Adults made no effort to get help for Nia Glassie, court told

21-Oct 14:09
For 36 hours after she was kicked repeatedly in the head, little Nia Glassie lay in a coma in a Rotorua house with no one - not even her mother - making any effort to get medical help, a court was told today.
The chilling details in the lead-up to the three-year-old's death at Auckland Starship Hospital on August 3 last year, were outlined to a jury in the High Court at Rotorua this morning.
Crown prosecutor Fletcher Pilditch's opening address in the trial of five people for murder and manslaughter was expected to continue into this afternoon.
The long delay in getting help robbed Nia of any chance of surviving her injuries, Mr Pilditch said.
The Crown alleges brothers Wiremu and Michael Curtis, murdered Nia by kicking her in the head a number of times, causing bleeding on her brain on the evening of July 20, 2007.
When she sank into unconsciousness Wiremu Curtis, the then-partner of Nia's mother, Lisa Kuka, told the toddler to wake up.
After she failed to do so he put her to bed, Mr Pilditch said.
In the early of hours of the next morning, Nia's older sister woke Kuka to tell her Nia had wet the bed, which was unusual.
Kuka who is charged with manslaughter, put the three-year-old in the bath, dressed her, and put her back in bed.
Nia did not wake up on July 21, while the adults were preparing for Michael Curtis' 21st birthday party.
By the time guests started to arrive she was seen having fits and frothing at the mouth, her arms were shaking and her legs were stiff.
One eye was partially open and her breathing was stopping and starting.
The five accused face multiple charges to which they have pleaded not guilty:
Wiremu Curtis: Murder, three counts of wilful ill-treatment likely to have caused unnecessary suffering, five assaults (three against Nia, one each against two older girls).
Michael William Curtis: Murder, three charges of wilful ill-treatment and four of assaulting Nia, two counts each of assaulting two other children.
Lisa Michelle Kuka: Manslaughter (by failing to provide medical treatment and failing to protect her daughter from violence).
Michael Paul Pearson: Manslaughter (being a party to the unlawful acts of Wiremu and Michael Curtis which caused the death of Nia Glassie), two counts of wilful ill-treatment, four assaults (two on Nia, one each on two other girls).
Oriwa Terrina Kemp: Manslaughter (being a party to unlawful acts), two charges of wilful ill-treatment, two of assaulting Nia. The trial is proceeding.
NZPA
(From TV3 website)

Monday, October 20, 2008

What ARE we doing, peoples?

Strong growth in world demand for food will carry New Zealand through the worst of the global financial crisis, according to BNZ national managing partner Tony Arthur.

Yet:

New Zealand's story was not being told. "I go to the largest agribusiness operator in China and he doesn't know anyone from New Zealand. He buys lamb and beef out of Australia, he's bought yoghurt out of Australia. I find it of concern."

http://www.businessday.co.nz/print/4732611a27566.html

Concerning, indeed.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Australia unveils A$10.4b stimulus plan

Australia unveils A$10.4b stimulus plan
http://www.businessday.co.nz/world/australia/4726977

The housing sector is a major beneficiary. The Government will triple to $21,000 the current $7,000 first-home buyers grant for people buying a newly constructed home. Those first-home buyers moving into existing properties will receive a doubling of the allowance to $14,000.
Why pick such an old-fashioned industry to subsidise. Back in the 90s I read an article about protectionism and the Australian motor industry. Apparently, the protectionism causes a dead-weight loss to the economy of $250,000 per job in the industry. That’s why Australians drive dinosaurs like Falcon & Commodore…

How about every Australian be given a transferable voucher worth $500, to be spent on computers, software or broadband sign-up costs? And another worth $300 to spend on Australian software?
Transferable so those who already have a computer, or don’t want one, can sell it (at a discount maybe) in order to buy other stuff. And the voucher should have a short expiry, like maybe 3 months, to encourage it to be used quickly. Or, or, or.

Or why not just cut taxes to a flat 23%...

Nah, too fucking simple.

(Why is the Aussie gummint trying to stimulate the "real" Australian economy when the effects of the financial crisis on the "real" economy are uncertain, if any?)

Friday, October 3, 2008

Blair Gone

Sir is out the door.

Broad next?