w h o a r . c o . n z

“..Bill Maher called the environment the “ultimate health care issue” Friday night during “Real Time” ..

.. and argued that our future depends on our ability to stop global warming.

But some on his panel weren’t so convinced.

Conservative talk radio host Amy Holmes, actor Hill Harper, and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson weighed in, with Harper being the sole panelist to agree with Maher’s assessment.

Johnson said he believes in climate change, but that its effects have been greatly exaggerated.

While Holmes called herself a skeptic, and argued that the science behind the topic is not settled.

She described it as a “raging debate.”

Maher was blown away by Holmes’ skepticism .. and shot down Johnson for opposing cap and trade legislation.

Maher pointed out that Republicans weren’t so disgusted by cap and trade when George H.W. Bush used it to stop acid rain..”

go to source/story>>Bill Maher: The Environment Is The Ultimate Health Care Issue (VIDEO)

“.. It is the glamour girl’s natural role in life to make plain girls feel superior and, for every Nicky Watson, Rachel Hunter or Lara Bingle, there are a million of them, constantly smirking.

What a paradox it is that women the world over starve and exercise themselves to try to be like them, when what the media continually tells us is that life in a perfect body is mostly a disaster.

Glamour models ought to have to get a licence before they’re allowed to strip off.

Like children let loose to drive Ferraris, their brains and co-ordination just aren’t up to the challenge of being a pinup come to life, and what that means for a certain kind of man.

Having passed a rigorous test needing brains, they should have to call their lawyer for permission, sober up, and count to 10,000 in that order before getting into bed with anyone at all.

And, need I add, they should avoid entanglements with sportsmen.

As Nicky, Rachel and Lara should know by now, no matter how many magazine covers you end up starring on together ..

.. no good comes of it in the end.

Eugenics – the creation of the perfect child via perfect parents – doesn’t work in practice.

Australian cricketer Michael Clarke faced outcry from sports fans last week, abandoning his team’s tour of New Zealand to rush to the side of his now ex-fiancee, Bingle.

The apparent future test captain of Australia was seen to be weak, unsporting and emasculated – if you were a man, anyway –

- but women thrill to this sort of gallantry; the man of feeling is the ultimate dream lover.

Clarke and Bingle had been engaged – whatever that means – for two years.

She is now 22.

Two years before their eyes met, their lips locked and they shared their opinions of Jane Austen, she had shagged another prominent sportsman, Aussie Rules player Brendan Fevola.

Photographs he took of her in the shower at that time, on his cellphone, have just made it into a women’s magazine, and thence to the world.

Bingle, whose body is exhaustively documented, is said to be distraught at the leaking of this unauthorised image, which has reportedly done the rounds of locker-rooms, to manly sniggers, for ages.

Bingle is suing Fevola.

Fevola’s wife once left him over Bingle.

The photograph of Bingle is deeply unflattering.

And now the biggest question mark over whether Clarke would marry her after all has been answered.

A guy probably can’t take too much of the old boyfriend’s boasting ..

.. and probably can’t help wondering how often she’s been recorded by other trophy hunters.

Let this be a lesson to idiot girls who put themselves out on Facebook in interesting positions and conditions, or who enable boyfriends to do it for them.

There is no erasing what is put there and one day, believe it or not, you may actually take yourself seriously.

Then you will end up sobbing like pretty young Bingle and wondering why you ever made such a fool of yourself.

Bad taste in men can ruin your life..”

go to source/story>>Cricket a distant second to finding the right wife… | Stuff.co.nz

“.. Accountability is something we hear about a great deal, but observe in action very little.

It’s one of those verbal tics politicians default to, along with “transparency” and “productivity”, which sound good but bear almost no scrutiny.

As a rule of thumb, the more such terms are uttered .. the more confident we can be that something close to the opposite is actually occurring.

Take the case of the Commerce Commission’s embarrassment over one of its own, Donal Curtin ..

.. who has been relieved of certain duties as a commissioner ..

.. while his involvement in one of the stinkier investment fiascos of recent times is investigated.

Curtin used to be in charge of the investment committee of an advisory company called Vestar that made some spectacularly rotten decisions ..

.. and encouraged people to put their good money on bad bets, such as Bridgecorp, and other eventual recipients of the receivers’ ministrations.

Along with several former Vestar directors, he faced legal action over his role in this sordid affair ..

.. yet failed to properly disclose his Vestar connection .. and subsequently resigned as deputy chairman of the commission –

- a position to which he’d risen immediately prior to the commission itself launching an investigation of Vestar.

With new court cases pending, he has now been further sidelined from “decision-making related to enforcement actions under either the Fair Trading Act or Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act” –

- yet remains a commissioner.

If there’s an organisation to which accountability is more central than the Commerce Commission – symbolically as much as professionally – I’m not aware of it.

In practice, of course, it is the ageing labrador of financial regulation, all flatulence, dribble and no teeth.

It may be that Curtin is entirely innocent of any wilful wrongdoing, and that Vestar was simply using his good name and reputation (he is a former chief economist of the BNZ) ..

.. but that’s not the point.

He was earning money from a very dubious corner of the finance industry – itself now shown to have been riddled with bad practice and dishonesty –

- at the same time as holding down key positions in a body delegated with monitoring and regulating that industry.

If terms such as “conflict of interest” and “accountability” mean anything .. surely they apply in cases like this?

Well, never forget we live in a country where it’s possible to be intimately associated with financial malpractice – for example, the manipulation of returns’ figures that could mislead investors – yet simultaneously be running for mayor of a supercity ..

.. or paid by the government to advise on economic strategies for catching up with Australia.

John Banks and Don Brash were partners and directors of Huljich Wealth Management, whose KiwiSaver funds are now the subject of a Securities Commission investigation.

Again, it may be that neither of them was aware of the “top ups” being made by Peter Huljich that effectively exaggerated the returns being reported ..

.. but that only raises questions about their own financial acumen .. and oversight.

Both seem fond of the word “accountability” .. yet its interpretation clearly remains as subjective as a Huljich prospectus..”

go to source/story>>Lack of accountability just so transparent | Stuff.co.nz

“.. Elected Tainui officials are demanding the Maori King, Tuheitia Paki, open his books and reveal details of his spending.

Concern about the king’s spending and the tribe’s governance has mounted within Tainui over recent weeks and now tribal members want answers.

In an unprecedented move that directly challenges the king’s authority, some members of Tainui’s parliament, Te Kauhanganui, want the books of the king’s office made public to quell suspicions over excessive spending.

They also want a group formed to review spending by the tribe’s executive board, Te Arataura, which is headed by former MP Tukoroirangi Morgan.

The executive has been criticised for what is claimed to be huge legal and consultant bills ..

.. and it is understood that some members of the parliament are making plans to get rid of Morgan and the board.

The annual budget for King Tuheitia’s office is $1.2 million ..

.. compared to $250,000 when his late mother, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, reigned.

The money is provided by the tribe.

However, only a few people are privy to how the money is spent .. and concerns have been expressed about overspending..”

go to source/story>>Maori King ‘must open books’ - national | Stuff.co.nz

“.. The Government is putting the finishing touches to its package of tax cuts and is now confident that low and middle income earners will have more money in their pockets – even after paying a higher GST.

The Sunday Star-Times understands the government has settled on lowering the tax rate for those earning between $14,000 to $48,000 –

- which represents the bulk of wage earners – from 21% to 19%.

The May budget is also expected to lower the tax rate for those earning up to $14,000 from 12.5% to 10%.

The Star-Times also understands the government will, in one hit, lower the top rate for those earning more than $70,000 from 38% to 33%, rather than doing it gradually.

If the changes are implemented, someone on the average wage of about $48,000 will be about $5-$10 a week better off, according to New Zealand Institute of Economic Research figures to be published this week.

Those earning more than $70,000 would be about $20 a week better off (see table).

The government has signalled that GST will rise from 12.5% to 15%, raising an estimated $2 billion in revenue that would be used to pay for the tax cuts.

Lifting the tax to 15% will add $21.25 to the average weekly household bill..”

go to source/story>>Tax cuts - what you’ll get - national | Stuff.co.nz

“..In 1984 the founders of the Act Party, who were then embedded in the David Lange Government, carried out an economic coup ..

.. resulting in the sovereignty of our economy being handed to our corporate elites.

I would have thought, after the mess created by them, the likes of Roger Douglas and Ruth Richardson would be apologising from prison cells rather than having another go.

These villains are up to their old tricks again .. and now want three-quarters of our city assets given to a bunch of their corporate allies appointed by Act leader Rodney Hide and first-term list MP Stephen Joyce.

The new mayor and council will play with the remaining titbit.

Interestingly, Hide is using the same tactics employed by the founder of Act, Douglas, when he was Lange’s brain: ..

.. Whip up a sense of crisis, create self-imposed unrealistic timelines .. and then blame the other politicians for the confusion.

Then claim “there is no alternative” but to take the decision-making out of the hands of elected politicians ..

.. and appoint your corporate mates to take over everything.

Be under no illusion; a coup is underway that will put the power in Auckland in the hands of a faceless corporate bureaucracy ..

.. before we even get to vote in elections..”

go to source/story>>Matt McCarten: Auckland’s riches to be handed to corporate cronies - Opinion - NZ Herald News

(she dosen’t ‘hold back’..eh..?..)

“..In 1994, not long after Rodney Hide became leader of Act, I was driving the two of us to a meeting at Hotel du Vin south of Auckland.

I thought I knew a shortcut, but got lost and started panicking because I would deliver this important guest late.

But Hide was unperturbed.

“I have total faith in you,” he said as I muttered something about getting there eventually.

We did, and on time.

I believe that story illustrates the libertarian in Hide.

He essentially believes individuals can take care of themselves, has faith they won’t get lost; and ultimately Government’s only role is to step in when, for whatever reason, they go astray and need help.

However, that trust in his colleagues has let him down badly.

Hide can no longer have faith in his maverick caucus not to get lost.

It’s time for Hide to stop forgiving bad behaviour, take a leaf from his predecessor’s book, and start roaring in caucus meetings.

Previous leader Richard Prebble’s anger was usually justified, but it wasn’t pretty, and was directed at stupidity, anyone using acronyms, jobs left undone, arrogance, and superiority -

- I think you can guess the culprits.

Heather Roy blushed, Gerry Eckhoff blustered, Ken Shirley and Stephen Franks argued with him, Hide texted on his phone ..

.. and Donna Awatere Huata ate something.

Muriel Newman didn’t.

But Hide never did get angry.

His mind went to dark places and he could sulk, but current MP David Garrett, for instance, should have been roasted alive long ago ..

.. so his sterilisation remarks remained just ideas in a peculiar mind.

Now Garrett has destroyed the Act brand.

Because what 21st-century liberal would vote for a party whose caucus supports a man who makes lewd remarks around the office ..

.. justifies that behaviour by saying it was okay in Tonga ..

.. then advocates bribery and sterilisation as a means to control child abuse .. and the population of the underclass?

Does Act stop to think that the 21st-century liberal is both an economic and a social liberal?

We want low taxes and small government, but we’re not redneck, pro-smacking, tough-on-crime unforgiving mutants.

Heather Roy’s perfidious speech at last month’s Act conference was, hopefully, the final message Hide needs that his party desperately wants saving from itself.

Illiterate, hopelessly muddled, with references to black swans and jumping jackrabbits ..

.. Roy began by quoting the founding fathers’ Declaration of Independence - “we hold these truths to be self-evident” -

- then went on to declare the Act Party to be self-evident..”

(heh..!..)

go to source/story>>Deborah Coddington: Hide needs to shore up Act before Roy tears it down - Politics - NZ Herald News

“..A controversial internet filter which blocks access to hundreds of websites on a secret Internal Affairs blacklist has gone live.

The “child exploitation” system was introduced last month in a bid to stop online paedophile activity.

But it has come under fire from internet service providers for being ineffectual and giving hackers an easy target.

A similar filter system caused a storm of protest when it was introduced in Britain last year.

Authorities promised it would be used only to block child abuse websites, but politicians later tried to use the technology to stop users accessing file-sharing sites.

Internet service providers (ISPs) can choose whether to use the Government-owned software, which filters requests to access banned sites.

Department of Internal Affairs deputy secretary Keith Manch said it was one of several tools being used to combat child abuse on the internet.

“We have been trialling this system for a couple of years and have put a lot of planning into it.

After consulting ISPs we decided it was ready to go live.”

But Slingshot chief executive Mark Callander had major concerns about the system.

“It goes against principles of privacy and freedom from search, it is ineffective for its purpose ..

.. and it sets a worrying precedent that a government department can arbitrarily decide to block internet traffic of its choosing.”

Callander said it provided a tempting target for hackers.

“The filter provides a single point of failure that is vulnerable to attack.

We encourage our customers to use content filtering services to provide protection and this puts them in control.”

So far the only ISPs to have signed up to the $150,000 system are Watchdog and Maxnet ..

.. who have around 1 per cent of the market share..”

go to source/story>>Internet providers hit out at website blocker - Technology - NZ Herald News

“..Discontent has been growing among TV3’s senior executives towards the Australian “axeman” sent to run the network.

TV3 executive director Ian Audsley has been described by staff as “extremely rude”, “abrasive” - and even “Australian”.

It comes as another management restructure at the media company that owns TV3 has seen a new executive appointed above Audsley, who was hired on a 12-month contract to run the television arm of MediaWorks NZ.

He has worked as a media consultant in Sydney after being chief operating officer of Australia’s Nine Network.

When Audsley started in January, he is said to have made his presence strongly felt. Audsley’s behaviour towards staff - including shouting - upset some.

Discontent grew to the point that an executive clique had forged into a group that was preparing to set itself against Audsley.

A disaffected insider said: ‘The board was quickly informed that it was fast becoming a disaster’..”

go to source/story>>‘Axeman’ upsets TV3 staff - Business - NZ Herald News

“.. - and it could have come from a secret trust he had previously distanced himself from.

The discovery of Bryers’ cash reserves come as his estranged wife Shirley Wijma reveals that the couple are about to be legally divorced.

The financial intricacies of Bryers’ business and personal life are being slowly dissected by government and legally appointed investigators.

Liquidators, Companies Office investigators and the Serious Fraud Office are probing the remnants of the Blue Chip finance empire, which collapsed owing at least 3000 Kiwi investors about $80m.

The Official Assignee is taking the same approach to Bryers’ personal finances in a wide-ranging investigation after his bankruptcy over $173m of debt.

The Herald on Sunday revealed last month that the existence of a trust emerged in questioning over one of Bryers’ failed companies.

When the liquidators asked who ran and controlled the trust, Bryers said he couldn’t remember.

But Maree Aitkenhead, the partner of Bryers’ former business partner Bob Bangerter, linked the Sebastian Trust to the former Blue Chip boss.

“He still owes him [Bangerter] about $3m,” she said.

“He was drip-feeding it for $5000 a month from the Sebastian Trust,” she said.

Aitkenhead said the money was paid by Bryers to Bangerter by bank transfer.

The bank accounts would show “Sebastian Trust” as the notation on the statements..”

go to source/story>>Bryers’ secret trust link - Business - NZ Herald News

“..A controversial KiwiSaver provider is under fire for aggressively promoting products to Unitec students.

Distributors from Huljich Wealth Management were eventually asked to leave Unitec’s Mt Albert campus as a storm grew over former managing director Peter Huljich’s admission he propped up the funds with his own money.

One mother of an 18-year-old first-year student is “furious” her daughter was lured into signing up with a chance to win a $100 shopping voucher.

Industry commentators say the selling methods are alarming and inappropriate for a complex financial product.

On February 19, Rich Lister Peter Huljich admitted using his own money in 2007 and 2008 to top up his company’s three KiwiSaver funds..

.. making their performance seem better than it was.

The Securities Commission is investigating.

A fortnight later, he resigned as managing director and chief investment officer.. with Don Brash taking over in the latter role and as executive chairman.

Unitec Students’ Association communications and marketing manager Jodine La Pere said the tertiary institution’s orientation programme ran from February 22 to March 5, during which Huljich and other financial service providers had stands on campus.

In the first week, Huljich was asked to take down signage claiming it was a top-performing KiwiSaver provider .. on the grounds it was “false advertising”.

“As (the situation) became more well-known and the speculation became quite concerning, we actually had to ask them to leave in the second week,” she said.

go to source/story>>Rich lister’s firm under fire again - Business - NZ Herald News

(how sad..)

this is a story positively dripping with poignancy..

go to source/story>>Rendezvous on the menu - National - NZ Herald News

“..More than 100 years ago we were the first to get the vote, and in recent years, we’ve had some of the most powerful jobs in the country.

Now Kiwi women have come out on top again - but this time it’s in bed.

According to a global survey on market research website onepoll.com, New Zealand women are the most sexually experienced in the world, with an average of 20.4 sexual partners in a lifetime, more than any other nationality.

Comedian Michele A’Court thinks the findings prove New Zealand women are more honest than those in other countries.

In the US, for example, some young women proudly proclaim their virginity, despite engaging in non-penetrative sex acts, she says.

“Without making myself sound like a slapper, my initial reaction is that 20.4 doesn’t sound like a huge amount over a lifetime.”

go to source/story>>Kiwi women have more sex - National - NZ Herald News

“..A senior police officer has been accused of abusing their position after a friend complained about being delayed at a compulsory breath test.

An article in the latest edition of the Police Association’s monthly magazine claims the cop took another officer to task for stopping an “ex-VIP” on their way to a sports match.

According to the magazine, the unnamed VIP - thought to stand for very important police officer - phoned a “current-VIP” at police headquarters in Wellington, who then rang the officer in charge of the checkpoint to call them to account.

Appearing in a Police News column called View From the Bottom, the entry said: ..

.. “The ex-VIP wanted to see a very important game and was only delayed for a very short time due to there being no breath test, however this still caused him to get his knickers in a twist.

“Sadly the ex-VIP called on a friendly current-VIP at PNHQ who then called on the local RPM [Road Policing Manager] who was called to account for delaying said ex-VIP.

“What’s the world coming to when an ex-VIP gets to interfere with [Standard Operating Procedures]?”

go to source/story>>Police in abuse of power row - National - NZ Herald News

“..Our nation is already deeply in debt.

How can we possibly afford to invest in our infrastructure, renewable energy, health care, our schools —

– and create the millions of jobs that our unemployed desperately need?

We are told that we’re already living well beyond our means — that entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security will bankrupt us.

Forget the solar panels, the smaller classes and the new jobs — we’ve got to cut back on government programs at all levels.

Meanwhile, the super-rich are still having a ball.

In his annual shareholder letter, mega-investor Warren Buffett wrote, “We’ve put a lot of money to work during the chaos of the last two years.

When it’s raining gold, reach for a bucket, not a thimble.”

And Forbes Magazine adds, “Many plutocrats did just that.

Indeed, last year’s wealth wasteland has become a billionaire bonanza.

Most of the richest people on the planet have seen their fortunes soar in the past year.”

Which brings us back to the federal budget.

There are two sides to every ledger: the expenses…and the income.

We need to start looking at the income side.

With a fairer tax system, we could retrieve some of that money downpour that the elite has been siphoning away from us for decades.

In the 1950s the marginal tax rate on those earning more than $3 million a year (in today’s dollars) was 91 percent.

By 1990 it was 28 percent..”

go to source/story>>Why are we Afraid to Tax the Super-Rich « SpeakEasy

“.. The Business Roundtable, an organization representing Fortune 500 CEOs .. is at the heart of the Economic Elite’s power center.

(Editor’s Note: The following is Part III of David DeGraw’s report, “The Economic Elite vs. People of the USA.” AlterNet previously ran Part I and Part II.)

DeGraw writes in the introduction to his report:

“It has now become evident to a critical mass that the Republican and Democratic parties, along with all three branches of our government ..

.. have been bought off by a well-organized Economic Elite .. who are tactically destroying our way of life.

The harsh truth is that 99% of the US population no longer has political representation.

The US economy, government and tax system is now blatantly rigged against us.

Current statistical societal indicators clearly demonstrate that a strategic attack has been launched ..

.. and an analysis of current governmental policies prove that conditions for 99% of Americans will continue to deteriorate.

The Economic Elite have engineered a financial coup .. and have brought war to our doorstep. . .

.. and make no mistake .. they have launched a war to eliminate the US middle class.”

***

Part III: Exposing Our Enemy: Meet the Economic Elite

I don’t view the Economic Elite as a small group of men who meet in secrecy to control the world.

They do feature elements of conspiracy .. and are clearly composed of secretive organizations like the Bilderberg Group —

- - this is not a conspiracy theory, this is a conspiracy fact -

- but as a whole the Economic Elite are primarily united by ideology.

They’re made up of thousands of individuals who subscribe to an ideology of exploitation ..

.. and the belief that wealth and resources need to be concentrated into the fewest hands possible (theirs) ..

.. at the expense of the many..”

go to source/story>>The Business Roundtable: The Most Powerful Corporate Business Club Most Americans Have Never Heard of | Economy | AlterNet

“.. A couple of years ago while clicking around the Web site of a well-known travel retailer, I discovered a miracle product that has changed my life and caused some to question my commitment to my gender: The Urinelle “urination funnel for women” — or, as I affectionately refer to them, “pee cones.”

..This brilliant invention, obviously thought up by a female genius who hates public toilets as much as I do, is basically a piece of surprisingly thin paper rolled up like an ice cream cone.

The cones lie flat until you are ready to use them; a mere squeeze opens them up to their full potential..”

(and..)

“..Then there are the WhizBiz and the GoGirl, both reusable silicone (pink, of course).

These seem promising at first glance, but I don’t want a long-term relationship with a urination device.

If you’re not near water, you’re stuck carrying around a urine-soaked object.

If you lose it, you’re screwed, because it’s not like every two-bit drugstore the world over stocks these things near the register for impulse buys.

None of these issues plague the Urinelle, which allows one to simply cone and toss.

I became so enthralled with my discovery that I e-mailed the link to several female co-workers.

My colleagues were used to receiving all manner of strange e-mails from me, but this was different.

The responses came in two general categories: those who were scandalized by such a gender transgression, acting as if I were considering a sex change (”You’d actually use these? Freak.”) ..

.. and the practical gals who couldn’t believe something so simple could actually work. (”If they are just paper, won’t you piss all over yourself?”)

I am not a scientist.

I have absolutely no clue how a mere paper product can handle a full stream of lady pee and maintain its integrity, and I don’t care.

I would refer skeptics to paper towel commercials depicting a towel completely soaked, yet still able to hold various objects.

If we can put a man on the moon, we surely can allow women to pee standing up.

All I know is these babies work, and I love them.

They are the best thing to happen to vaginas since beltless pads..”

go to source/story>>Standing up like a man - Gender - Salon.com

“.. A recent study of brain activity in those thought to be in a “vegetative” state blurs the line between life and death.

When are you dead?

This is a tricky question, where science and religion often hide, or collide.

It’s answered in a diversity of ways by different cultures at different times, by different physicians in different hospitals, different shamans in different tribes.

Is it when your heart stops working (as in Japan and Shintoism)?

When your soul leaves your body (as in Tibet and Buddhism)?

When your brain stops working?

When a certain part of your brain stops working?

Who decides when you’re dead?

Can you be dead in body, but not in mind?

Vice versa?

Cogito ergo sum?

A new study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine adds intriguing neuroscientific fuel to the fires already ablaze around these questions.

Typically, when a severely head-injured patient is checked for consciousness soon after his or her accident, the physician might look for the ability to track a moving item with the eyes or say “lift a finger if you can hear me,” and then if answered in the affirmative, maybe “lift two fingers for yes, one for no.”

At some point over time, if there’s no response and apparent unconsciousness continues, the patient is considered to be in a ‘persistent vegetative state.’

Doesn’t sound too good, nobody’s happy.

What to do?

Challenging enough question.

But, now along comes Martin Monti and his colleagues in Belgium.

They add a new test for consciousness, applied to fifty-plus folks in a proclaimed vegetative state.

Monti et al., using an MRI machine (which monitors for active neurons in the brain), watch these folks’ brains when they are asked a question.

And, amazingly a handful of the patients’ brains light up ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ just like your brain or mine would if we were asked a question.

These folks are thinking—they are responding to a specific question.

They are not vegetables after all!

Or at least I don’t think so..”

go to source/story>>When Are You Dead? Science Just Made the Work of Religion a Bit More Difficult | | AlterNet

“..I’ve a fear of oceans.

Lakes—even the biggest ones—I don’t mind. I love them, in fact, having grown up in Chicago and attending college on the shores of Lake Superior.

But oceans, and their rip tides and undertows, have always struck me as sinister.

Ironically, just after returning from a week on a beach in Baja, where I started coming to terms with these fears, I watched The End of the Line, a newly released documentary that makes the case for why the oceans should be afraid of us.

The film, which Ted Danson narrates and Robert Murray directed, delves into the depravity we’ve brought to the world’s oceans through centuries of wanton fishing (and, obviously, consuming) fish from oceans around the world.

The film starts in Newfoundland, whose fishermen nearly fished Northern cod to extinction before the Canadian government placed a two-year moratorium on the fishery in 1992, when the once seemingly endless bounty of cod started to deteriorate.

As a result, 40,000 fishermen lost their jobs.

And, though the moratorium was extended, cod stock never recovered.

“The cod is gone, and I think within the context of cod—particularly in the Canadian perspective—is that this is a species that has been fished for centuries and centuries.

Cod was the reason that people migrated from the UK, from Europe—Northern France particularly—to Canada.

It was because of cod,” says Jeffrey Hutchings, a biology professor at Dalhousie University, who is interviewed for the film.

“The loss of the [cod] fish was basically akin to a loss of soul, and it still remains that 15 years later.”

go to source/story>>Film Exposes Overfishing Practices, Fishes for Answers |Triple Pundit

“.. The Government is moving to set up TVNZ 7 as a public service broadcaster .. leaving TV One and the other TVNZ channels to focus on making money.

Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman has written to TVNZ chairman Sir John Anderson asking him to prepare a plan “demarcating” its commercial and public broadcasting roles and funding of public broadcasting.

Coleman yesterday confirmed his preference was to turn TVNZ 7 – and possibly TVNZ 6 – into public service-style channels.

“Everyone … could be a lot happier if they had that clear view where you go in TVNZ to find public broadcasting content and where you can expect to find frankly nakedly commercial stuff,” he said.

TVNZ’s charter, which defined its public service obligations, will be scrapped soon and the Government is keen to make decisions on the future shape of public service broadcasting this year.

“My view was if we could get that demarcation … once everyone has got access to digital television, which isn’t too many years away, if you know that if you go to 7 or maybe 6 and 7 you can get what most people could describe as quality broadcasting content..”

go to source/story>>Government signals big changes for TVNZ | Stuff.co.nz

“Fran O’Sullivan..But it’s arguable whether NZ should be cutting personal taxes while debt remains high..”..(!)

has (dry-as-dust) rightwinger o’sullivan had an epiphany..?

..here she does a compare and contrast with ireland..

..and she appears to call for higher personal taxes..(in fact..higher taxes all around..)

..and certainly not the tax cuts for the rich key is promising..(in fact..one-off..’special/windfall-taxes for them are her prescription..(!)..)

..and for all politicians/top civil servants..to take a pay cut..(!)

next she’ll be advocating raising the minimum wage/benefits..?

..using the rationale that all such increases feed straight back into the economy in consumer spending..

..and thus stimulate said economy..?

(good to see ‘o’sullivan thinking outside the usual rightwing-square tho’..eh..?..

..we need more of that..)

go to source/story>>Fran O’Sullivan: Lessons to learn from Irish - Opinion - NZ Herald News

“..If they’re not kidding themselves they’re the capital of culture, they are trying to convince the world they’re New Zealand’s events capital, its fashion capital, its earthquake capital, its architecture capital -

- the list is endless.

They’re so desperate to be better than Auckland that a few years back, Mayor Mark Blumsky’s council paid the Government-owned MetService $100,000 to shift the temperature gauge used to provide forecast material for television news to a warmer spot.

Mr Blumsky proposed the thermometer be shifted to the sheltered micro-climate on the lawn in front of the Michael Fowler Centre ..

.. a spot rival forecasters claimed was about 1.5C warmer than the traditional, more exposed airport and Kelburn hills sites.

We Aucklanders sighed rather pityingly, and resisted the temptation to shift our thermometer across to Waiheke where the average temperature is 3C warmer than the rest of Auckland.

In recent years, Wellington’s focus seems to be on selling itself as the Hollywood of the South Seas, riding in on the coat tails of film fantasist extraordinaire Sir Peter Jackson and Weta Workshop.

But at the risk of popping their make-believe bubble .. it isn’t true.

Statistics New Zealand’s Screen Industry Survey 2007-2008 underlines that whatever measure you use, the Wellington-based film industry is dwarfed by Auckland’s, and has been for years.

For example, in 2008, of the country’s 2223 screen industry businesses, 55 per cent (1212) were in Auckland against Wellington’s 29 per cent (648).

Nationally, the gross revenue from production and post-production for the screen industry totalled $1.266 billion ..

.. of which $878 million fed directly into the Auckland economy..”

(um..!..how about ‘welly-wankers’..?..y’know..!..for a more accurate sign..?..

y’know what is really funny about wellington..?..when things get really convoluted..?

when they try to tell you their anorexic-excuse for a daily rag..is a ‘good newspaper’..

..heh..!..

and yahafta ask:..’do they really believe their own (welly-wood) bullshit..?’..

..it would seem group self-delusion has gripped them..and they do..

and that is both funny..and sad..eh..?)

go to source/story>>Brian Rudman : Two cheers for Wellywood - they’re welcome to their wannabe sign - Opinion - NZ Herald News

“..New Zealand is awash with unsold houses which could take nearly a year to clear.

The Institute of Economic Research’s principal economist, Shamubeel Eaqub, said Real Estate Institute figures out yesterday showed the market had weakened considerably and he noted extremely low turnover - 5029 sales nationally last month compared with 10,145 in February 2005.

“According to realestate.co.nz there were 54,381 homes for sale in February.

There were 5029 sales in February - at that rate it will take 11 months to clear the current inventory.”

Last year, the market had seven to eight months of inventory.

“Sales are stuck at very low levels and the market is awash with unsold homes,” Mr Eaqub said..”

go to source/story>>Lots of houses, not enough buyers - Business - NZ Herald News

“..More than 40 per cent of New Zealanders think it’s time we talked about becoming Australia’s seventh state.

Research firm UMR asked 1000 New Zealanders and Australians questions to gauge their views on a possible union of their countries 110 years after New Zealand chose not to join the Australian Commonwealth.

Of the New Zealanders asked, 41 per cent said the prospect of New Zealand becoming Australia’s seventh state was “an idea worth debating”.

On the other hand, 58 per cent did not believe the discussion was worth having.

One per cent were unsure.

The survey, which has a margin of error of 3 per cent, found New Zealanders believed a union would bring big improvements in the ease of travel to Australia and to our defence status.

Those surveyed believed New Zealanders’ lifestyle might improve marginally but our environment might suffer somewhat.

The full results, including Australian attitudes to a union, will be released on Television New Zealand’s Q+A on Sunday morning..”

go to source/story>>NZ-Oz merger finds some mates - National - NZ Herald News

“..Paddle Pop icecreams have a few less licks in them after a size reduction their maker claims is for “nutritional” reasons.

The chocolate, banana and rainbow flavoured icecreams are now 15 per cent smaller than they were. But their $1.50 price hasn’t changed.

Streets’ parent company, Unilever, says the icecreams were downsized from 82ml to 70ml last year because they were sold in school canteens ..

.. and had to meet “nutritional guidelines for schools and our strict internal guidelines that govern what products we market for children”.

Unilever spokeswoman Jennie James said Paddle Pops’ fat and kilojoules had been cut by about 20 per cent ..

.. but still had other nutritional benefits such as being low GI, portion-controlled and a source of calcium.

But Wayne Attwell, a senior brand strategist with marketing consultants Bold Horizon, believes the company’s motive is financial.

The smaller Paddle Pops join a growing list of shrinking products, which Mr Attwell said were usually downsized to cut costs.

“Some people would say it’s smart accounting, others would say it’s diddling the consumer,” he said..”

go to source/story>>Smaller Paddle Pop joins growing list of shrinking treats - National - NZ Herald News

“..Bishop Brian Tamaki is paid an average of $3000 each time he preaches at a Destiny Church outside of Auckland.

This helps boost his income to more than a million dollars a year.

The speaking fee is paid by the 20 church branches in New Zealand and Australia.

Individual payments range from $1000 to $12,000 depending on the size of the church.

The Weekend Herald understands the speaking fees would average $3000 a week, or $150,000 a year.

Lynda Stewart, who worked as a financial administrator for Bishop Tamaki for seven years until he became a bishop in 2005, said he preached at one of the regional Destiny branches nearly every week.

Before Pastor Andrew Stock led a walkout of Destiny Church in Brisbane, Ms Stewart said, he told her Bishop Tamaki was paid $12,000 to speak there.

She believed concern over money was one of the reasons for Mr Stock’s resignation..”

go to source/story>>Cash for preaching lifts Tamaki’s pay to $1m - National - NZ Herald News

“.. Strategic Finance’s trustee has appointed receivers to run the finance company.

Perpetual Trust said this afternoon PricewaterhouseCoopers partners John Fisk and Colin McCloy had been appointed receivers of Strategic Finance Limited and related companies Strategic Advisory Limited, Strategic Mortgages Limited, Strategic Nominees Limited, and Strategic Nominees Australia Limited.

Strategic froze repayments to about 13,000 investors owed $417 million in August 2008 and investors then agreed to a moratorium in December 2008.

However, in January it failed to make the first scheduled repayment to investors of 3.4 cents in the dollar, or $12m in total.

The missed payment triggered a “review event” under the moratorium and Strategic management has since been in talks with trustee Perpetual Trust about the company’s future.

“We will be talking to key stakeholders over the next few days to determine the best way forward,” Fisk said.

“As receivers of Strategic, we understand the uncertainty the recent situation has caused to investors and believe the receivership will now provide greater certainty.

It is too early to release any further details, but we are working as quickly as we can to determine the best option going forward to ensure maximised funds are distributed to investors.”

go to source/story>>Receivers appointed to Strategic Finance | Stuff.co.nz

“.. Former National MP and Children’s Commissioner Roger McClay is due in court today accused of fraud.

McClay, 65, will appear in Auckland District Court facing more than 50 offences of using a document to obtain a pecuniary advantage ..

.. relating his ex-MP perk of taxpayer subsidised flights..”

go to source/story>>Former Children’s Commissioner due in court | Stuff.co.nz

(this is a must-watch..!..)

go to source/story>>CNNBC | Breaking News, Weather, Sports, Tech, Opinions, and Multimedia | By You, For You, And About You

“..In the 1950s, more than half the U.S. population smoked.

Now that number is down to just 21 percent of adults.

As the domestic cigarette market shrinks, tobacco companies are taking their business to the developing world ..

.. where they don’t have to deal with pesky things like advocacy groups that oppose industry activity, smoking bans ..

.. or a populace that is aware of the health hazards of smoking.

Now Philip Morris (PM) is playing hardball in lesser-developed countries to try and preserve their ability to market cigarettes however they want.

On February 19, PM filed a lawsuit against Uruguay to try and force that country to withdraw a new law requiring 80 percent of each side of cigarette packs show graphic images depicting the health effects of smoking.

Laws requiring large, pictorial graphic warning labels on cigarette packs are not new.

Canada was the first to implement them, starting in 2000. Now 32 countries and the European Union require them.

Uruguay, in fact, already had a law requiring half of each side of cigarette packs to contain health warnings.

They just wanted to make the pictures a little bigger.

That was all it took to get Philip Morris to slap them with a lawsuit.

So why is Philip Morris coming down like a ton of bricks on less developed countries like this?

Because as cigarette makers lose their markets in the developed world .. they need poorer and less-educated populations to keep expanding their business.

That means moving into developing countries .. and how they market cigarettes there is often egregiously repugnant..”

go to source/story>>Philip Morris Pushing Smoking Hard in Foreign Countries | Center for Media and Democracy

“..All of this likely means little to the average American.

After all, we have our own economic problems.

But Americans should pay close attention to Mexico.

The United States, over the last several decades, has embraced monopolistic disaster capitalism .. and that is great for America’s 360 or so billionaires.

They are thriving even in the midst of the Great Recession/Depression.

But as they thrive the rest of America rots.

This is not an accident.

Capitalism, according to its system, will grow fantastic wealth at the very top.

The massive wealth of Carlos Slim in a terribly impoverished country is not an accident .. but a product of unregulated capitalism.

Alarmingly, though, America has embraced the exact same economy of Mexico .. and Americans expect different results than Mexico.

But that ain’t gonna happen.

I’ll let you in on a little secret.

The people at the top, America’s wealthy elite, know that ain’t gonna happen too.

By creating government policies to encourage the privatization of nearly all the wealth into the hands of the very few ..

.. and by taking away much of the wealth and resources for the public good ..

.. then you get what they have in Mexico .. and what we are beginning to see in the United States.

In short, you get a free market conservative’s dream or nightmare ..

.. depending if you are one of the hundreds of millions of people .. or one of the hundreds of the economic elite at the top.

The infrastructure of the country will decay, the cities will disintegrate, the citizens (or consumers as we like to call ourselves now) ..

.. will descend into poverty .. and the country will face civil unrest and turmoil.

So Carlos Slim is truly a success story of capitalism..”

go to source/story>>Capitalism: A Success Story–The World’s Richest Man in an Impoverished Country « Bodhi Thunder

“.. People who hate teens might consider them a dream come true - buzzers that adults cannot hear yet disperse loitering youngsters from public places faster than a cop in a squad car.

But European governments have been asked to ban them.

A parliamentary panel of the Council of Europe said the so-called Mosquito buzzers treat young people “as if they were unwanted birds or pests.”

It said exposure to their signal - audible to most people under 20 but hardly anyone over 25 - amounts to degrading treatment banned by the European Convention on Human Rights.

The culture, science and education committee of the Council of Europe’s parliamentary assembly said Mosquito buzzers violate the “right to respect for one’s private life” and violate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“Children and other vulnerable persons have the right to be protected from serious attacks against their physical and psychical integrity,” it said in a report.

The device emits a pulsating signal that is irritating, if not painful, to minors and drives them from shopping centres or street corners.

They are typically installed by public administrations and shops but also schools and private residents, said the panel..”

go to source/story>>Buzzers treat kids as ‘unwanted pests’ | Stuff.co.nz

“.. A tobacco giant has been told there should be a statue to commemorate dead Maori smokers killed by “the enemy that lies within our midst”.

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira told British American Tobacco’s managing director Graeme Amey at a select committee hearing on the tobacco industry yesterday ..

..that as many Maori died each year because of tobacco as died in World War II.

He said a submission to the committee on Wednesday spoke of the 600 Maori Battalion soldiers who died in World War II.

“We recognise that contribution every year.

“Six hundred Maori die every single year from tobacco yet there is no recognition of that anywhere.”

He said a friend had suggested a giant statue was needed to commemorate the “unknown smoker” as “a way of recognising that the losses in the battalion are replicated every single year ..

.. by an enemy that lies within our midst .. and continues to kill our people”.

Mr Amey repeatedly rejected Mr Harawira’s questions saying: “We sell a product that is legal.”

The tobacco firm controls about 75 per cent of all cigarette sales in New Zealand.

Mr Amey told the MPs that tobacco was an already highly regulated product, and any further regulation or ban would only increase an already active black market.

“We believe that a black market exists already.” He then offered to provide evidence to the panel outside of the meeting.

Mr Amey said the illicit trade of tobacco in Ireland made up 30 per cent of the market and 12 per cent in Australia.

Under current legislation, it was legal to grow up to 15 kilograms of tobacco for personal use each year.

That equated to about 25,000 cigarettes per individual, or 60 cigarettes a day.

British American Tobacco accepted there were significant risks with smoking but adult consumers were making adult choices, Mr Amey said.

He admitted he had quit smoking after 10 years.. saying he did so as a personal choice..”

go to source/story>>Harawira fires a volley for the smoking battalion | Stuff.co.nz

“.. The Department of Internal Affairs’ (DIA) internet filter is now operational and is being used by internet providers (ISPs) Maxnet and Watchdog.

Thomas Beagle, spokesperson for online freedom lobby Tech Liberty says he’s “very disappointed that the filter is now running, it’s a sad day for the New Zealand internet”.

He told Computerworld the filter went live on February 1 but DIA has delayed announcing that until it held a meeting with its Independent Reference Group.

He says he’s disappointed the launch was conducted in such a “stealthy mode”.

The manager of the Department of Internal Affairs’ Censorship Compliance Unit, Steve O’Brien, denies any subterfuge in the launch, saying the trial has been going on for two years and that has been communicated to media for “quite some time”.

“The Independent Reference Group has met and the filter system processes were demonstrated as set out in the code of practice, that is that the website filtering system prevents access to known websites containing images of child sexual abuse,” says O’Brien.

Beagle says the DIA refuses to say which other ISPs will be joining the filter, claiming the right to negotiate in secret.

However, Tech Liberty understands that Telstra Clear, Telecom and Vodafone have said they will implement the filter, with Orcon, Slingshot and Natcom saying that they won’t.

Vodafone spokesman Paul Brislen says Vodafone took part in the filter trial and is awaiting word from the DIA about the next steps.

The company will likely use the filter, he says, and when it does customers will be informed.

Orcon CEO Scott Bartlett says it is not true to say Orcon will not be taking part.

“We are still working with officials to fully evaluate this and ensure it doesn’t impact on our customers’ experience,” he says.

O’Brien says there is no compulsion for ISPs to tell their customers their internet service is being filtered.

“It’s a voluntary system and there’s no legislation,” he says, adding he understands the ISPs currently on the system have informed their customers.

David Zanetti, technical spokesperson for Tech Liberty, says he fears the stability of the New Zealand internet will be at risk..”

go to source/story>>New Zealand’s internet filter goes live | Stuff.co.nz

“.. A man whose wife ran over him twice in a four-wheel-drive has been flown to hospital with head, chest and back injuries.

Earthmoving contractor Terry Telford, 69, was run over yesterday morning when his wife Sandy reversed the vehicle down their long driveway near Opoutama, in northern Hawke’s Bay.

Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter marketing manager Louise Harvey said it appeared Mrs Telford, not realising what had happened ..

.. then drove forward, running over her husband again.

He suffered moderate head, chest and back injuries..”

go to source/story>>Wife accidentally runs over husband - twice | Stuff.co.nz

“..as the cost of the scheme mounts.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce said the travel subsidy under the SuperGold card was set to exceed its $18 million-a-year budget, with the Wairarapa to Wellington train service and the Waiheke Island ferry singled out.

“The highest priority of the review process is to consider how to keep the scheme within the available budget of $18 million a year, while continuing to provide improved mobility for older people,” Mr Joyce said.

The Waiheke ferry cost $2 million and the operator was paid $13 a ticket.

Officials are also considering the level of reimbursement to operators and councils, and what services are eligible.

The review is also looking at how “off peak” is defined.

A discussion document notes that after the first 12 months “it has become clear that in its present form, the scheme is not financially sustainable with the funding available”.

But the card’s architect, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, said yesterday the changes could hit the elderly hard ..

.. and would be a breach of National’s assurances in 2008 that the elderly would not lose what they had..”

go to source/story>>Budget bust hits free rides for elderly | Stuff.co.nz

“..Labour MP Carol Beaumont is pushing a private member’s bill to limit interest rates charged by fringe lenders or “loan sharks” ..

.. which she says is the opening shot in a campaign against predatory lenders.

But Consumer Affairs Minister Heather Roy is sticking with advice from officials that interest rate caps have failed overseas and the Government will not support the bill.

Ms Beaumont has picked up colleague Charles Chauvel’s Credit Reform (Responsible Lending) Bill, which was introduced to Parliament last August.

The bill would allow maximum interest rates to be set, a power that doesn’t exist in New Zealand law.

While it does not define what constitutes the type of lending it is targeting, Ms Beaumont envisages the cap would still be effective at a level that would have no influence on bank or other mainstream lending.

The bill would also require lenders to “reasonably believe” the borrower will be able to repay the loan and seeks to limit the ability of loan sharks to recover more than they initially lent in the event of a default.

The bill is due to go before the House on April 28 and Ms Beaumont said she would be writing to all MPs seeking support for it..”

go to source/story>>Loan sharks targeted by Labour MP’s bill - Politics - NZ Herald News

“..Mr Power will face a grilling over two days from the committee of 18 countries on those and other issues relevant to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The minister will be supported by officials from Corrections, the Department of Labour, Crown Law, the Ministry of Justice, and UN-based Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials.

He will also be joined by New Zealand’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Jim McLay, a former National Party leader and Justice Minister.

Mr Power said it would be a robust discussion and something akin to an “international question time”.

“You front up, you make your statement and you are not quite sure what your supplementaries are going to be..”

go to source/story>>NZ human rights record under UN microscope - Politics - NZ Herald News

(all in all..if you cut the crap..you’d get about twenty minutes from any hour-long bulletin now..so a much ‘tighter’ 30 min bulletin..

..containing ‘real’ news..cd/wd be a blessing in disguise..

at the very least..we’d be spared some of that cheery-chappys’ mindless blathering..eh..?..)

“..Television New Zealand is looking at radical solutions to trim $30 million to $40 million from budgets - including halving the 6pm news hour.

It is understood that TVNZ has sounded out TV3 advising: “If you go half an hour, we’d go half an hour too.”

“It would be a question of who blinks first,” said a TVNZ source who would not be named.

The idea of halving the news hour - creating a 30-minute bulletin followed by Close Up or Campbell Live - has been considered plenty of times..”

(and while they are at it..they can stop treating us like we are target-viewers of playskool..

..and you really only need one person to read the news…eh..?

there’s a big ’saving’..just there..

y’know..in the course of my days’ work..i see/read a lot of media..

and really..both of our hour-long main news bulletins..are far from anything to be ‘proud’ of..eh..

..and they often/mostly fail/fall at the task of being barely serviceable..)

go to source/story>>Media: News half-hour an option for TVNZ - Business - NZ Herald News

“..At least $15 million is now believed to be missing from an Auckland financial advisory firm, according to investigators probing the collapse of the company.

They have widened their investigation to include other businesses also linked to Remuera couple Mike and Jackie Bradley.

Liquidators sifting through the accounts of B’On Financial Services, which traded as Bradley & Bradley, have identified 40 investors in Auckland, Kerikeri and Tauranga who are owed money by the firm.

But they believe there may be more who have not come forward.

Serious Fraud Office head Adam Feeley said investigators had been working closely with the Companies Office and the liquidators on the Bradley case since late last year, and had “significant concerns” about the Bradleys’ business practices.

“Those concerns are such that we have now extended our inquiries beyond the original companies involved in the liquidation.”

Mr Feeley said the SFO was keen to hear from anyone who had invested with the Bradleys, and he urged anyone else considering doing business with the couple to seek independent legal and financial advice “which is always prudent anyway”.

One investor has told the Herald he already accepts he may never recover his life savings.

The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he has been told by investigators that international funds he thought he was investing in did not appear to exist..”

go to source/story>>$15m missing, say investigators probing couple’s finance advice company - National - NZ Herald News