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Sometime you just want to hear Iggy Pop snarling over three chords and all the UV meters in the red and sometimes... well, you just want to be blown away by Keith Emerson's ability to chew gum and play Hoedown at breakneck speed at the same time:
A few points about this non-story:
1. What sort of adult goes randomly looking at fourteen year olds' Bebo pages?
2. "Fag", while derogatory, does not necessarily denote homosexuals. It's also a term used to describe junior students who run around after the seniors. In this case it's just name-calling and nothing to do with sexuality;
3. Where, other than Grey Lynn, does letting your child use non-PC language constitute bad parenting?
4. Have you ever met any 14yo males who weren't derogatory of homosexuals? That didn't get beaten up by their classmates? It's not something you learn from parents - it's just something you do when you hit puberty and are trying to sort out your own sexuality. Then (most of the time) you grow up. Sometimes you even grow up to be gay;
5. What all this has to do with teenage suicide is beyond me, except perhaps, oh, just hypothetically it might be quite traumatic to be 14 and villified in the nation's media for a few silly remarks on your webpage. Apparently exposing a teenager to ridicule is quite acceptable for GayNZ as long as you don't call them a fag. Hypocrites.
The biggest threat to New Zealand democracy since Tojo fancied a South Pacific cruise now has an organisation dedicated to defeating it: The Free Speech Coalition. Empty your wallets folks, they need as much help as you can give.
You might dimly remember me calling for donations for a CIR petition against the Validating legislation late last year. I raised $220 from a number of small donations before I decided to put things on hold - Labour having backed away from State-funded election campaigns.
I've now decided that the best use for this money is to donate it onwards to the Free Speech Coalition. I am presuming that those who gave money to The Petition last year will have no problem with me doing this. However, if you did give me money and object to its use in this way, just email me and I'll refund your donation.
Just in time to subvert the Electoral Finance Bill, lovable anarchist rogue Tim Selwyn is out on home detention as of October. Among other things, this will make his blog Tumeke readable again. Welcome home Tim!
From GoNZo Freakpower:
"Originally, I had planned to walk into parliament with duct tape over my mouth labelled Electoral Finance Bill... [but] David Benson-Pope had turned up. The man has suffered enough and my idea would have sent entirely the wrong message."
Classic!
It seems that nobody other than Scoop has reported on this protest. I think this is a shame, because it's quite possibly the stupidest protest ever. Not least for being called The Long March.
Now for sure, it was organised by the Greens, who do not technically have any sway over local government in Auckland. But look who he got to show up: City Vision and Labour candidates! All out there on the street in the hope that one day... one day, they will get majority control over the ARC and Auckland City, so that they can start changing things...
Except... they already do have majority control. They've had it for three years.
Somebody needs to explain to lefties that when you control a local authority, you don't need to protest anymore! You just need to move a motion, vote on it, and things happen!
Maybe old habits die hard? Or maybe they're just hoping people will forget they actually run things and vote for them anyway. What a pack of tossers.
If you have to randomise your list of candidates because you're worried people will simply vote for those higher in the alphabet, then clearly there is something wrong with your voting system. Here's an idea: Why not make voting "fairer" by giving people a clear-cut first-past-the-post system of voting?
Can you believe you're even reading sentences like this in today's paper?
This is what happens when you teach people early on that there is no consequence for their bad behaviour. You get amorality and malevolence. These kids know they are literally untouchable, so they do what they want.
Nobody is surprised at this development except trendy Grey Lynn nanny-staters and their precious Labour Party. But guess who runs the country?
I've been thinking a bit more about the proposed 24 hour Maccers in Balmoral. First, a personal opinion: I think it's a great idea. I think the people who don't want it are whiners and NIMBYs. I think their fears of the consequences of a 24 hour fast food restaurant in the area are hysterical and vastly overinflated. It's sad that the nature of local body politics always breeds "concerned citizens" who spend their time ruining the enterprise of others. Meanwhile, the silent majority, the ones who like fast food, the shift workers hungry after a long night, the ones that maybe can't sleep at 3am in the morning and nip out for a Big Mac and fries, don't get a say, because you never miss what you don't have.
Even if I didn't think it was a good idea, in principle it's none of my damned business. It's not my property - what right should I have to tell a businessman, a franchisee trying to run a company and give employment to eager young people, what he can do on his own property, or the property he pays good money to lease? There are already laws against noise and antisocial behaviour, and if a 24hr fast food restaurant attracts people like this, then that is a matter for the police, not the council.
But if people have different opinions to myself on that topic, then so be it. But let's not financially arserape people who are trying to contribute to our community, employ people, build and create things that make Auckland a little bit more exciting. If you really don't want a 24 hour Maccers, how much are you willing to pay to make it go away? Get a few hundred of your fellow citizens together, ask them for financial liability, and negotiate a covenant with the owner of the site. It'll probably only cost you a few hundred bucks each if you rope in enough people.
Oh, you don't like that idea? Rather do it by the barrel of a gun? Well then, sure, vote for anyone else on the ballot other than me and Mike, because we won't be your gangsters. We live in Auckland, not Waikikamukau. If you don't like city life, live somewhere else.
...and it's so nice to be able to have full confidence in the person you are voting for! ;o)
Fascinating to have a look through the candidate booklet for the first time, especially to read details of some of the mayoral candidates. I don't think there's a single one there that's not certifiable. Easily the sanest looking is a very rock and roll fellow by the name of Scruff Ralph. I was deeply tempted to vote for him on his tattooed, bearded, triple-nose-pierced appearance alone, but then I read that he wanted more council homes for the elderly, despite New Zealand having the most generous superannuation scheme in the world. Sorry Scruff, families should provide for the elderly, not City Councils.
So it came down to the remaining insane candidates. I like Glen Snelgar, he is a former ACT list candidate and wins hands down for having the best mayoral platform. There's nothing in his blurb that I disagree with, although possibly the Senior Citizen rates exemption should be limited to people who have paid rates on their own home in Auckland City for ten years or more. Will have to look at that when I am elected ;o) However, he lacks the experience and momentum to be Mayor. But he is a candidate for Council in this ward and I wish him well.
It really comes down to Banks versus Crow. If Banks and Hubbard were neck and neck in the polls I'd be tempted to give Banksy a helping hand, but it seems like he is poised to win. I voted my conscience and ticked Crow. He is a breath of fresh air in local politics - a true liberal who wants to give the Council the shakeup it needs. I hope the good people of Western Bays elect him as one of their City Councillors.
The Eden Albert Community Board was the next crucial decision. After voting for myself, Mike and Barbara, I had three votes left. Currently the Board is chock full of dirty socialists, so we need to put a stop to that. There are two ticket choices available, C&R, or Focus Eden Albert, who are basically the Eden Park Neighbours Association in drag and are headed by former C&R councillor Mark Donnelly. I can't tell whether he is for or against SH20, the new motorway from Mt Roskill to Waterview, so no vote for him. I think that motorway will be great for western Auckland City - and most of it isn't even in our ward!
So that left C&R. I was all set to give them the remaining three ticks, but... hold on... oh no! they're all against the 24hr Balmoral McDs! Ummm... okay... C&R, the pro-business ticket, is determined to ruin the livelihood of a McDonalds franchisee for the sake of a few NIMBYs. That says all you want to know about C&R. They are soft cocks with no credibility - they have lost their purpose for existing. Anyone wondering why 1Auckland is needed should look no further. We should support business and enterprise - we live in Auckland, the thriving heart of New Zealand, a 24hr city - if you don't like it you can move to Huntly, where the Maccers shuts at ten. So I have saved my three ticks.
There's something so very empowering about voting. Once every three years we can tell those bastard politicians what's what. And it is such a privilege and an honour to seek the votes of my fellow citizens, which sounds overly sentimental, but it's true. I just need 6000 of them and we can start kicking arse. Yes, that's a campaign promise :oP
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