Just For Bomber

Bomber is doing his normal labelling of "racist" anyone who upsets a person of a darker skin tone without examining the full facts. The person of darker colour in Bomber's expert opinion is NEVER wrong.

In doing so he appears to have conveniently lost a comment I made back in relation to his vitriol. Unlike Bomber I am in the USA presently and have been in and out for the past month exposing myself to a complete and broad range of CNN, Fox and local news and speaking to the people here, in the Caribbean and Central America. In fact that's what Bomber has always lacked, exposure to the rest of the world. Went to University, left University, stayed in New Zealand working. Never been exposed to the world from anything other than a left-wing Noo Zooland view.

William Gates, Obama's mate "don't you know who I am?" Harvard Professor was arrested in his home when he was unco-operative and smarmy with Police after a neighbour called the Police when she saw two men break into Gates' house. Gates and his driver were breaking into Gates' house when Gates left behind his keys. The Police were answering a call to defend Gates' property, something he should have been cordial with given African Americans complain all the time about the Police not caring about policing their communities.

So let me point it out Bomber.

Cop who did his job

Crowley, the Cambridge, Mass., officer now taking heat over the Gates arrest, told WCVB that he tried to save the life of the African-American Boston Celtics star, Reggie Lewis, when he collapsed at a team practice 16 years ago. Lewis died of possible heart complications in 1993, after passing out during a practice at Brandeis University.

Racist cop

The law enforcement official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Officer Justin Barrett referred to the black scholar as a " jungle monkey" in the letter, written in reaction to media coverage of Gates's arrest July 16.

Bomber quoted: "Kate, Kate, Kate - you are running out of things to defend this week aren't you mate, bludgers who have lower legal rights than the rest of us and now white cop arrests the Prof. of Afro-American studies in his own home? I can't wait to hear your justification for when John Key eats a baby live on TV".

Part of Cactus' response that seems to have accidentally gone missing - and Bomber you would be reporting John Key had ate the baby when he was just holding it while its mother was busy looking for a clean nappie.

If you are rude to a Policeman in the USA, it matters not what your colour is - you are in deep shit and will most likely be arrested. Even with my propensity to not take shit, I am extremely polite to Police in the USA. The poor bastards have to deal with the real threat of being killed every day thanks to concealed weapons and gun laws, or the lack of them.

Someone with the intellect of a Harvard Professor should know that. He should hope tonight as he's having a beer with his buddy Obama, that a criminal of any race is not breaking into his house. There is a call-out no Police would wish to go on for fear of being tagged racist.

While more African-Americans are arrested per head of population than those white Americans, you ever thought the reason is why there's more men than women arrested and we don't call the Police "sexist" and picking on men - because they simply break the law more?

Get over it.

Solution to New Zealand's Drinking Problem

RECOMMENDATIONS

* Only people aged 20 and over can buy alcohol at off-licences.
* Bars and clubs to stop selling alcohol at 2am, with some extensions to 4am for those with a one-way door policy.
* Powers for police to immediately close bars and clubs that breach liquor laws.
* Drunkenness in a public place punishable by an infringement notice.
* Increase excise tax.
* Lower excise tax on low-alcohol drinks.
* Powers for Government to ban some drinks on health grounds.

Utter nonsense. If you want the solution it is far easier than this.

Ban the sale of beer in all shops and bars. Altogether including equipment to produce homebrew.

Ban the sale of cheap wine. Make it illegal to produce or import wine that costs less than $NZ50 a bottle. It tastes like shit anyway. New Zealanders need to grow up and treat themselves to better wine.

Ban the sale of all spirits. Including especially those cheap pre-mixes. Gone.

The only alcohol available in bars, shops and supermarkets should be champagne. Abundant amounts of champagne. And that sparkling shit served in New Zealand I repeat is NOT champagne.

Champagne is a happy drink.

Switch the entire country to getting plastered on fine French champagne.


And if you can't afford it then you shouldn't be drinking at all. You are entirely the reason for the need for change in the first place and are ruining it for the sensible people.

Delaying The Inevitable

Hottie Michael Owen's pre-season form has been excellent. Well it should be as he's had a long rest. Pictured here in the away Man U strip which is better looking than their home strip.

This challenge is merely delaying the inevitable. Owen will be out injured by October with a non-contact injury.

Lucky Fergie was smart enough to put him on a pay-per-play contract. If only he was so lucky with that poof Owen Hargreaves who has seen more action in recovery than an NHS doctor.

BNZ Cave In To Fiscal Losers

From September 1, those customers who have insufficient funds in their account to cover a payment or withdrawal will no longer be charged a fee.

Fees are charged by all the banks and can be steep. BNZ currently charges $35 if it dishonours a payment because of insufficient funds, $20 if it honours the payment and allows the customer to go into overdraft, and $5 for an unpaid internet bill payment.

That's $25 million of revenue for BNZ that will now not only have to absorb the time cost and other direct costs in having accounts overdrawn, but will be taking money from people with perfect credit histories like myself to cover the overdrawn amounts. Well not me as I do not bank at BNZ. But this may create a precedent with banks. BNZ's reasoning is strange as well:

Going by the number of times it had to charge the fees, BNZ had concluded they were not an effective deterrent to customers' going into overdraft.

Say what? So what is the deterrent now?? Oh yeah BNZ is going to absorb $25 million of fees/costs etc......right......

The fees would not be made up in any other way. "We hope it [scrapping them] is a way of gaining new customers to the bank."

What sort of new customers? Dropkick customers that's what. And it is not just low income people in this category. High spending absent minded middle wage earners and sometimes top wage earners meet this category.

Lets hope the interest is massive.

It Could Be Worse

In Britain some random white trash have had 13 children, one more on the way. Even worse still some of the children have had severe handicaps. You only have to look at the couple to see this is a geneticists worst nightmare.

Last night brazen baby machine Theresa Winters, 36, vowed to carry on having children until social workers let her and jobless partner Toney Housden, 36, keep ONE.

Defiant Theresa, who lives on benefits in Luton, Beds, declared: "We're not giving up. For every child they take away from me, I'm going to have another one."

Miami Not Nice....

I've always had a pretty good run in American airports. Didn't know what the fuss was about.

Then I struck a bad day. Holy shit. It made Craig Foss' facebook updates of his flights from hell in the US look like a walk in the park.

1 hour delay on the tarmac with the bar closed and economy class passengers walking past every second using the business toilet.

Another 2 hours at customs and immigration.

Where with my flash new passport with e-chip, green visa waiver form I was through in 2 minutes 2 seconds especially when asked "Who are you visiting in New York?" my answer was "around 100 shop assistants".......that was the correct answer and not a word of a lie, given half my valuables went missing 3 weeks ago. Miami however seems to be a haven to general scum who don't have the green waiver forms and thousands seemed to be descending at once. They were all in lines in front of me.

Green waiver forms should have a separate visitor line.

The worst wasn't over. I spent another hour in baggage claim trying to FIND my bag. American Airline has no "business class" or "priority" baggage. They use one conveyer for many flights. Bags were being taken off and left all over the space of 50mx50m. The odds of retrieval were pretty low.

I found my bag in the one place I would never think it was.........at the feet of a Nun. That's the closest she will be getting to alcohol and durex products in her life. She must have been senile not to see the Qantas tag. She smiled and said she was "just looking after it"....yeah bloody right. Should have asked her if she was looking after my stolen carry-on bag as well.

I bag dropped at the check point and was stopped by some spicky looking chap and told that I had 3 pieces of carry on and I was only allowed 2 so I had to put one inside the other. I informed him I was travelling first class and was within my limits. Mr Spicky didn't accept that so I put my handbag inside my replacement carry on - a Nike sports bag.

I then stopped 10 metres from him, opened the bag and took it out again.

Got through another TSA check point. Where I had to inform the "priority access" line was for business and first class passengers and not friends or racial profiled memebrs of the public matching the staff's obvious lack of dress sense. Begrudgingly, as I was supported by a very well dressed black man with the same objection, they cleared the priority access queue of the trespassers and it left me and the Professor. They didn't mind I had a handbag, a carry-on bag and my laptop bag.

Then I ran to the sanctuary of airport madness. The Admirals Club. Where I was greeted with a nice lady telling me the updated gate time and not the normal 1 but 4 complimentary drink coupons.

Paula Bennett's Income

Labour also said Bennett should release details of her time on the DPB as a struggling solo mother. Welfare spokeswoman Annette King said Bennett had created a new standard and should abide by it.

"She was on the DBP on and off for five years. She took the training incentive allowance. Perhaps she would like to release those details publicly, if that is the new standard," King said.

Who cares what Bennett was on as a solo mother? David Farrar is a statistical wonk, he can probably do the research and work it out based on her circumstances. That's all now in her past.

We all know what she's on now as a Cabinet Minister don't we? Solo Mums all across New Zealand can sit on the couch and bitch to themselves about her salary to their hearts content.

As we know what Policemen and teachers earn depending on their scale grade. CEO's have their salaries disclosed in Annual reports so we know what upper-earning New Zealanders are earning. We also have rough estimates of how much wealth really rich people have compiled by the NBR. We know what the Black Caps earn. We know what All Blacks earn. We know what Company Directors earn.

All these people have productive employment (to a greater or lesser extent) and their privacy is breached with this information being made public.

Beneficiaries do not have the same productive employment. Those above pay for their lifestyles and yet to not have the same privacy in their lifestyle to keep their pay a secret.

What's wrong with this picture?

Balance in the Beneficiary Bashing Debate

While the solo mothers had their "income" (and I use that term loosely) details released, by paula Bennett I ask one simple question:

Can Bennett now release the income details of the fathers (and I use that term loosely) who leave these women on their own, with children and surviving solely on benefits?

Legislating Against Stupidity - Why You Can't

Family of a pissed up man Keee-wi who climbed in a wheelie bin have called for "changes" to prevent a recurrence.

Here's an idea. Why don't people just stop climbing into rubbish bins? It's not hard. They smell to high heaven. Can't imagine a situation where I would be drunk enough to go near a homeless person for too long, let alone jump in a wheelie bin full of rubbish.

The whole situation is worthy of a Darwin Award.

Teacher Scott Williams, 35, climbed into the industrial-size container after a night out drinking with friends.

His body was found in a crusher in the coastal city of Brighton after the bin was emptied the next morning.

Mr Williams' brother Tony told the Mirror newspaper in London: "Something needs to be done about these types of bins. There have already been two (other) cases involving homeless people.

So a teacher's intellect is on a par with some spaced out homeless people. At least the homeless people have an excuse given they have no place to actually sleep.

And the family at first were disbelieving he could have been so stupid

Tony Williams, 37, who had been with Scott during the day before he went out drinking, and the brothers' mother Marion, of Hamilton, had suspected foul play was involved in the death of the popular maths and PE teacher.

But the family now accepts it was a tragic accident.

Well, your genes aren't as good as you thought they were.

Students would have a good morning talk from the Principal. "Your teacher has sadly passed away after being crushed in a wheelie bin". It's something out of a Little Britain script.

Dunne Announcing The Irrelevant

Peter Dunne and the National governments grandstanding over signing Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEA's) continues. Seriously is this the only achievement of the man since taking office as Revenue Minister?

Revenue Minister Peter Dunne this morning announced agreements had been signed with British dependencies Jersey and the Isle of Man, in a ceremony in London overnight.

A ceremony? Oh please!!

Jersey and Isle of Man are two out-dated irrelevant offshore jurisdictions. I doubt many New Zealanders would be using them simply because the fees are so ridiculously expensive. Let alone their closeness to the UK in the past five years has deemed them too dependent on the UK and thus any smart punter has migrated long ago from that jurisdiction. Any banking in Jersey and Isle of Man is subject to similar secrecy veils being lifted by the UK.

Wealthy New Zealanders living in the United Kingdom are outside the NZ tax ambit and qualifying for non-dom status in the UK so they have no need to use a jurisdiction that is a UK dependency right next door. Anyone on the Rich List that is New Zealand tax resident has either PwC, Deloitte or EY prepare their tax returns. Newsflash - tax partners will not sign off on tax returns at these professional services firms unless they are adhering to the laws of New Zealand. Their reputation, careers and that of the firm itself will always these days err on the side of caution. They know anyone on the Rich List will be audited at some time in the near future by the IRD.

Last week New Zealand signed an agreement with other British dependency Guernsey.

Guernsey is in the same league for over-priced rubbish service from price protectionists.

For example, Jersey is so protective that if you wish to change the proper law (jurisdiction) of a trust from Jersey to another jurisdiction it is common practice for the trust deed to have a clause written in that in order to change the proper law you must obtain a legal opinion from a Jersey qualified lawyer or UK equivalent of a Senior Barrister of at least 10 years post-admission experience.

This can run into the 10's or 20's of thousands of pounds to exit the jurisdiction.

Try transferring from one provider of an offshore company to another and the "transfer fee" is expensive enough to pay several years fees that are several thousand pounds in the first place.

TIEA's will do absolutely nothing that the New Zealand government could not already get out of Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man if it submitted the relevant requests. They could even backdoor through the UK agreements that New Zealand has with the UK to obtain the information.

The IRD best practice however is to circumvent the civil (avoidance) v criminal (evasion) distinction of the past and simply allege fraud and money laundering (criminal charges using the SFO) to get co-operation in offshore jurisdictions. I have had direct experience with such requests. They then use the mechanics of New Zealand law to exchange the information from the SFO to the IRD. And bingo, offshore files end up in civil IRD matters.

That they are signing TIEA's only means they are legitimising behaviour they have been executing for years.

Absolute guaranteed secrecy and confidentiality in banking, trusts and companies has been a dead concept for at least a decade now with the exception of Monaco, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is going, Switzerland is fighting the USA hard over the UBS case which leaves Monaco, where again most New Zealanders could not afford to spend a week in a hotel there, let alone the expense of setting up an offshore company and maintainng it.

Beneficiary Bashing

Paula Bennett has done her first piece of beneficiary bashing. And it was well-deserved. We have talked a lot about provocation the past two weeks and this was a classic case of provoking a Minister into setting the record straight.

Any beneficiary who makes public details of their instance of being a beneficiary should be held to account on the actual facts of their payments and circumstances. The taxpayer is paying for their lifestyle therefore should have knowledge when the beneficiary is whinging about benefits paid to them.

Ms Bennett said anyone had "a perfect right" to object to government policy - but releasing the amounts given to the two women showed they already received significant state support and had been given "a fair go".

"We ask all other students to invest in their own future if they're going into tertiary study because it generally means they will make a higher income. Why are those on a benefit any different?

"They're already getting a huge amount of support from the Government. We're asking them to back themselves a little bit and invest a bit of their own money."

And the amounts:

The information provided by Ms Bennett's office shows Ms Fuller receives $715 net a week and Ms Johnston $554. Both are getting the allowance for pre-degree study. Ms Fuller gets $28 a week. She also got the allowance from 2004 to 2006, and in 2006-07 was given $9560 under an Enterprise Allowance to start a cleaning business. She said yesterday this had since closed because she had ongoing illness problems.

Crikey.

As DPF notes:

Incidentially Labour Ministers used to do this also sometimes, and I supported them doing the same.

The $715 a week benefit is equal to a job with an annual salary of $46,700 a year. And the $554 a week equal to a job with an annual salary of $35,800 a year.

It is not a life of luxury, but it is a not an insignificant amount of money. $46,700 is well above the median wage.

So not only is being a housewife a valid career option, if you can't land a rich bloke, being a DPB Mum ain't such a bad rort either. You even get $10k to start your own business.

Irony Defined

The much maligned Trinity Forest Scheme referred to in the BNZ ca

BNZ Bashing

Bernard Hickey has written an unusually inflammatory populist column about the BNZ's recent loss vs the Inland Revenue Department with respect to structuring its affairs.

So I get very grumpy when I hear about people who avoid tax or "arrange their affairs" to ensure they pay less than their fair share of tax.

Tax dodging may be a national sport, but I don't think it's anything to be jealous about or to admire. I think this behaviour is the same as theft.

The problem I have with Bernard's analysis is that he thinks that avoiding tax is theft. I say the initial taxation is the real theft and avoiding tax is not a criminal offence, it is a civil matter which is often decided by litigation and the "toss of the bench" through the Courts. He confuses avoidance with evasion. This is a common mistake.

But he is not alone. Many are lauding the BNZ decision as some kind of god-given right that the New Zealand IRD is owed "back taxes" from all banks using this structuring. People are already counting ways that the back taxes can be spent.

Bernard is also not alone in not having read the judgment from cover to cover. Media have thrown themselves into this case as it is large, controversial and everyone hates banks.

Here is the judgment. It is a beauty. 179 pages in all.

Bnz v Cir Main Judgment -Judgments Template-jtk-1287

Who has? Seriously, who has read this entire judgment and decided that it was contrived on intricate points of law rather than any "sham".

The word "sham" was never used in the judgment. The word "evasion" was never used in the judgment. The words "fraud" or "fraudulent" were never used in the judgment. A quick word search proves that no such language was used.

The judgment is not that strong.

Adolf however notes "The banks' engagement in fraudulent sham transactions over an extended period provides John Key and Bill English with a huge opportunity to cash in politically and cut what legs remain from under Labour". Adolf is wrong and his comments are technically defamatory. There was no fraud and no judged sham.

Kiwiblog comments people also ill-informed alleged sham, fraud and evasion.

In fact in the last major tax avoidance case Trinity which was used as precedent in the BNZ case, the structure was specifically deemed in the judgment to be neither a sham or fraudulent. Venning J. thought the assets behind the Trinity case (actual trees) were so artificial that he himself had an investment interest in a similar forestry venture.

The BNZ relied in their defence on a binding ruling obtained from the IRD with respect to the US tax base but the IRD didn't accept their own reasoning when applied to the NZ tax base. While binding rulings only relate to the case in question, the dismissive nature of the IRD shows a "good enough for them but not for us attitude".

The best easy-read summary I can find on the BNZ case isn't written by a journo, but by Chapman Tripp headed "sticking to the letter of the law is not enough". In it one of New Zealand's most senior and leading tax practitioners Casey Plunket states

"Justice Wild's judgment was like saying "here are the rules, but if you don't play according to the spirit of the rules then you're still committing an infringement". "Even if you technically comply, the referee - being the Commissioner of Inland Revenue - can still ping you."

He goes on to state:

"The principle that a taxpayer can be deemed to have been avoiding tax even though they have complied with the letter of the law is set out in Section BG1 of the Income Tax Act.

While BG1 has been drawn on in previous cases including the Trinity tax case, Plunket said the BNZ case, and others involving the other major banks which may cost them up to $2.4 billion in back taxes and interest, marked a more activist use of the provision by the IRD".

That is, Section BG1 is the taxation equivalent of a parent having no reason to not let a child do something and the parent uses the excuse "I'm the parent and I said so".

I have discussed this previously and taxation is an area of the law where the strict letter of the law MUST be applied. If not then the taxpayer will ALWAYS lose in cases against the IRD. This has been the norm as of late in the higher courts. Especially the Supreme Court since the abolishing of appeals to the Privy Council. Public policy is of course to always collect more tax than less. Bernard and Adolf have proven the "I pay so why can't those bastards" line of thought. It is personified by one of the most arrogant bastards ever to work at the IRD, now drop-out law lecturer Mark Keating.

Auckland University senior law lecturer Mark Keating, who has previously advised the IRD on the banks' structured finance transactions, said virtually all tax avoidance cases involved taxpayers who were technically compliant with the law. "Technical compliance with the law is never enough."

Why not? Imagine if this rationale was applied to criminal convictions. Where innocent people were convicted because while they complied with the law, "it wasn't enough" and a Judge simply convicted them because he or she didn't like them. Civil liberty groups would be outraged. Forget the rule of law and find every corporate wheeled by the IRD in front of the High Court immediately guilty of tax avoidance!

Name me one situation now when it comes to a taxpayer vs the IRD where the taxpayer can now possibly win if section BG1 is now applied in an all encompassing fashion in our leftist activist Supreme Court?

This new approach to judicial activism in New Zealand will spread through the leftist Supreme Court. We saw it last week with Rose v Rose. It has wide ramifications and makes the task of litigating a near impossibility as cases will now be decided on the mood of the nation through what the Courts think everyone wants, rather than firm legal principles and the rule of law.

The Left And Qualifications

The political left have their collective tits in a tangle about Lindsay Mitchell's latest contribution to the Welfare debate.

Now Lindsay's greatest handicap apparently is not that she's right-wing, is or was an ACT member, states what the left do not want to hear and is controversial on the topic of welfare - no, it is far worse than that.

She doesn't have a degree.

Oh well line her up against the wall and shoot her between the ears with all that experience she has as a welfare commentator for almost a decade. Working in disadvantaged communities, compiling a rich resource of commentary.

As Lindsay states

I have never pretended to have letters after my name. Similarly I have no art qualifications - not even a pass in school certificate art - but because I receive commissions, exhibit and sell my work I describe myself as an artist. This is also, according to one commentor yesterday, unacceptable.



Even though she can produce art as good as this? Really, she can't be an artist if she's not qualified with a degree? Nonsense.

One of those who attacked Lindsay was a commentator called "MJ". MJ has a BA in psychology with Honours. Well who cares? Really. Is there a more useless degree around than a BA in psychology?

Lindsay compiled a working paper that the Business Roundtable has published on "Maori and Welfare". It is a discussion paper and quite clearly not yet BRT policy. It is an expansion of comments made by the Chair of the BRT, Rob McLeod, who happens to be a card-carrying Maori so perhaps has a special interest in Maori and getting them off welfare.

So the left haven't come out and eloquently attacked what Lindsay wrote. They can't and I doubt any have read the full paper. They have attacked her lack of a University qualification.

I have two University degrees and say that this is the largest load of nonsense that you could attack Lindsay over. University is for most people a severe waste of time and student loan. Most Bachelor of Arts degree graduates are ill-prepared to do anything other than flip burgers and read blogs all day. The only reason I went to University at all is that a) I wanted to be a lawyer so the profession requires you to, and b) at age 16 I didn't have any grand entrepreneurial skill that would have led me to perform a Sam Morgan.

Universities are where brains of potential go to die quite frankly and I couldn't wait from the day of stepping foot in the place, to leave at age 21 bolting from the place for gainful employment. I could have stayed and obtained a postgraduate degree, even a PhD if I wanted to. It would not be making me one more cent now than I already earn. So who the hell would want to stay at University?

The sort of person I guess who answers every question with "I have a post graduate degree/PhD that's why" to laud over others when they have no argument left.

There is no doubt that University staff are intelligent at some level, however those who never leave University cannot possibly understand how the rest of the world actually lives. They sit in their offices in striped cardigans, insulated from the pressures of the outside world. Clayton Weatherston's live amongst them. They preach for an egalitarian society yet their pseudo-intellectual snobbery makes them diametrically opposed to what they wish the outside world to be.

Staying at University is the modern-day drop out option in society for brainy people.

A University degree isn't a guarantee for success anymore. And this is where the left have failed. They have made University more accessible to the masses, when they should not have. Students actually graduate from University now thinking they are smarter than those who have not. They have an inflated sense of self-worth and think they should all be earning 6 figure salaries within a year. The "poor" who get a degree now think that suddenly their degree will take them out of poverty.

News for them - it won't as everyone now has one.

The left remember are the same lot that put non-lawyer Dr Michael Cullen up as Attorney General. A man who had an MA in History as Minister of Finance. He performed poorly in both roles. But he had a degree.

Sam Morgan dropped out of University. Under the left's standard applied to Lindsay Mitchell he's unqualified to write a research paper for the BRT and should be dutifully ignored in debate over those with an MA or BCom (Hons) when discussing business. He obviously doesn't know much about it and should have stayed at University.

If you buy the NBR from Friday you will see many entries in the Rich List don't have any University qualifications at all. But they are all more successful than the squares in the University offices that can't do so they teach.

Belize Zoo

As well as riding ATV bikes and snorkelling (briefly until I packed myself and legged it back on the boat) with Stingrays, I had a trip to the Zoo this weekend. Apart from a snake scare from my guide and running into a loose iguana on the path, two animals stood out:

This fellow is so friendly, the guide could pet him on the back. The colours on the beak are incredible.



This fellow wasn't so friendly but just totally awesome. Large legs and claws that would rip you in half.

Sadly the black jaguar is now deceased so didn't get to see it. The zoo doesn't import animals and was founded after a collection of wild animals was used to film a documentary on the country.

A low budget zoo with limited facilities but worth the effort of getting there from the City and the US$10 entry fee.

Bad Cuisine Experiences

I'm now day 43 into my round world business trip. And the food just gets worse.

I am currently in Belize staying at the only hotel that is fit for human consumption in the City. Unfortunately I term it loosely and note the Mt Eden Motel has better facilities.

This morning I went to the dining room for their much advertised "brunch". Upon entry I had the waft of the worst smell ever in a restaurant. I politely ask what the smell was, the staff say "that will be the Cow foot Soup". I ask again, hoping I haven't heard it correctly. "No ma'am it is cow foot soup". I note a hefty array of soups, stews and in my view - food that you eat when you cannot afford real meat.

Exit stage right.

I end up back at the Stonegrill restaurant. Now my attitude towards stonegrill is why pay so you have to cook yourself.

Well, when you look at the chef's creations here.......it must be one of the only places I visit in the world where I back my own culinary skill over the professionals.

Nikki Kaye - Auckland Central Social Worker

New MP Nikki Kaye is Auckland Central's busiest social worker, seeing 1,500 people in six months. Which is rather ridiculous.

She’s been contacted by more than 1500 locals in the last six months, asking for help with anything from funding for a particular drug or help with a government agency.

Trying to fit in as many people as possible means working six-and-a-half days a week and she says it’s frustrating not to be able to help everyone.

Unfortunately this was always going to happen. Auckland Central are so used to not having an MP at all that when they finally got one who hasn't got anything better to do than answer their requests, she's now being used as a Citizens Advice Bureau/social worker/legal clerk by the electorate.

And where are her staff? Most of the requests should be dealt with by them. If you give an open and free outlet for people to whinge they will naturally take it.

Cruz The Coolest Beckham By Far

Check out the mutilation on Daddy Beckham's body. Disgusting.



But forgivable when he gets the white undies out.

Auckland Meet Sydney

Sydney people are totally preoccupied with where they live and they need to trade down their expectations, especially if they want their kids to live in this city," said BIS Shrapnel property forecaster Robert Mellor.

Demographer Bernard Salt says Sydney's housing capacity is in the west, but Sydney is obsessed with driving up prices in city and harbourside suburbs.

"Sydney pegs people by geography in a way no other city does. Melbournites might peg you by the school you went to, but Sydneysiders are judgmental about which suburbs you live in," he said.

Mr Mellor said Sydney urgently needs more dwellings, especially apartments in the inner- and middle-ring suburbs and more greenfields development on the fringe to improve affordability.

I'm picking the identical article could be written about Auckland, with substituted suburbs.

Ralston Spells Death to Goff

Bill Ralston (complete with brand new "Ive been thinking" mugshot) points out the blatantly obvious, that Phil Goff's time is over as Labour Leader.

In doing so he notes random pinkos

Chris Trotter
Russell Brown
The Standard
Against the Current

Have all come out with their disgust at Goff's performance to date. Even Rachel Hunter gets a mention:

The most interesting part will be seeing who on the left will first raise their head to make a push for the leadership. As a great New Zealand thinker once said: "It won't happen overnight but it will happen."

Goff's biggest problem is he's not a pinko, so he's not "one of them". He's turned his back on his capitalist Rogernome roots and is now paying the price with deserters jumping the ship. Goff's not a particularly clever politician as has been witnessed over the Richard Worth affair and then the million dollar beneficiary. Most of the support Labour has left after the desertion is leftist support. And guess what? Phil ain't their man.

Insiders should be inhaling the smell of the fist summer BBQ shortly.

Black Caps Put Country Before IPL

"It's a good outcome for New Zealand cricket but we couldn't say that if the players had to make the same decision next year or the year after we would get the same outcome. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if we didn't."

What needs to happen is a natural market correction at the next auction in the Indian Premier League and for New Zealand's players to be paid a market rate based on what they are now worth after playing in the IPL and their recent 20/20 form.

New Zealand is now ranked only 8th on the 20/20 world rankings list

As for this disrespect of Bangladesh, it will only be a matter of time before their team becomes very good, as they move forward. At the recent 20/20 World Cup New Zealand failed to reach the semi-finals and only managed to beat Scotland and Ireland. Not exactly million dollar form.

"If Bangladesh were here [rather than Australia] it might have been an easier decision for players. It didn't come into my thinking because my priority is to play for New Zealand."

Turning down that market rate of $100 or 200,000 may not be so hard.

Mallard On Fire

This is like an excellent episode of "When Animals Attack". It's only July but I'm already calling out Trevor Mallard as the most amusing (in every possible way good and bad) addition to blogland of 2009.

Have a read of the former Minister of the Crown setting himself upon unsuspecting members of the public via blog.

Mallard ups the ante and refers to someone he should not have as "Blowhole".

This is going to get good....I will spit on anyone who suggests Mallard should not be blogging like this as he is an MP and should have other things to do. To the contrary. He's never been so effective as on the internet.

Saturday Quiz Time

Spot the double take when you look at this pic of a young John Key.

Who is his mini-me then? Comments open for guessing.

Women On The Rich List

Women feature strongly on the Rich List. But we shouldn't be celebrating.

Of the top five

Lynne Erceg
Jan Cameron
Anne Norman
Rosemari Delegat
Susan Stanford

Only Jan Cameron's wealth doesn't seem to rely on a bloke or inherited wealth. Therefore in my view the only one worthy of being on the list in the first place. The rest are cheating. It's no fun if you haven't made it all yourself. Very few women are even listed by the NBR on their own on the list.

The "family" listings are also a nonsense. I mean what the hell is that? Split the family wealth by members of that family who are bludging off that wealth and you get a picture of what is really going on. That is an individual worth $50 million on the list should be placed higher than a family of say potentially 8 people bludging off one company or asset with $400 million.

And what is it with Nick and Tim Wood still being joined at the hip? They sold i-hug years ago.

I've always advocated that NBR should produce two lists, one for inherited or wealth by stealth (ie. divorcee) wealth (ie. those who have cheated) and the other for people who have actually made it all on their own.

My bet is the compilation would look a whole lot different.

Anyway I wish all of those on the list a happy IRD audit and bludging from charities, members of the public and their own families.

Fonterra Will Float

This is the best indication yet that Fonterra has plans in the short-term to float on the NZX. Henry van der Heyden is removing himself from the Board of NZX.

NZX Chairman Andrew Harmos said neither NZX nor Mr van der Heyden believed any such conflict of interest actually existed.

"However, the NZX board understood Mr van der Heyden's desire to erase any such perceptions."

"Over the coming years, Fonterra shareholders will be making decisions on capital structure that will be of vital importance to the co-operative and indeed to the national economy. I want to ensure that these deliberations are untainted whatsoever by any concerns about the NZX directorship - no matter how misplaced such concerns might be," he said.

If they didn't want to float, NZX and Fonterra wouldn't be worried about the perceptions. As was the case before today where they have stoically held the middle finger up at all of us who have called "bullshit" on the Fonterra Chairman's role on the NZX board. Speedo Weldon's retirement exit strategy is warming up. NZX's share price on predictions of a Fonterra float should soar through the $10 mark for Weldon to be in the money on his options.

My question now to Mr Harmos is whether he will clear up the largest allegations of conflict of interest and split the regulatory function of NZX away from the commercial arm.

Random Pertinent Question

There is a facebook discussion currently going on as to whether the outrage over Sophie Elliott's killing was more because she was young, beautiful and smart.

I ask the question -

Would we have been allowed to vent such outrage with the hand-wringing "everyone's a victim" set if Clayton Weatherston was a young, unemployable Maori?

Incompetence in Politics Defined

When you can't even find poor people to prove your point!

An unemployed man put forward by the Labour Party as one who would benefit from its policy to pay the dole to people whose partners are still earning owns two properties worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in addition to his lifestyle block.

While by no means loaded, we must think of the situation in relative terms. This man has more wealth than most New Zealanders.

Welfare is not for him and to finance his property dealings.

Aim Higher Dr Brash

I was thinking on reading Productivity Tsar Don Brash's comments about comparing ourselves with Australia. It's a very "Pacificentric" way of thinking.

The goal of catching up with Australian levels of productivity and income by 2025 is a challenging one but Don Brash, who is to chair a taskforce to advise the Government on how to close the gap, believes it can be done.

Australia is still and always will be until they elect a competent economic reformist centre-right government - a highly taxed, welfare state reliant as much on minerals as New Zealand is on farming. Fundamentally the only difference between New Zealand and Australia is a bloody big pot of minerals....and more sunshine that puts the nation in a far better mood of positivity.

When setting goals for yourself you should never get out of bed wishing to be as good something or someone who is very average. For fear of achieving the goal. Don Brash doesn't wake up every morning wishing to be Allan Bollard, because he is better than Allan Bollard.

Shouldn't New Zealand be aiming a little higher?

Examination of Hong Kong's tax, health, education, minimal government and welfare systems would be a grand start Dr Brash.

Geriatric Travel

As I oh so carefully got down soaked ATR American Eagle plane stairs, ran across a slippery wet tarmac today in San Juan, dodging the lightning, ground staff and foreign objects I had a thought - how the f**k would you do this if you were too old to be mobile?

How do old people travel?

I'm not talking about those in their 60's, well I am if they aren't mobile, but we are talking the 70+ brigade. The husband and wife pair who between them are perfectly independent at home yet when it comes to the running, jumping, shifting and moving required in air travel - are just about at the point where they cannot do it unassisted.

If you are a mother with a baby you have the distinct advantage that EVERY airline staff member wants to help you and your "cute" little baby. Not for our geriatrics. Witness these examples that I have seen.

1. I fly business class a lot. So do old people if they have any money as they SKI (spend kid's inheritence). In my time doing so I have not seen ONE example of airline staff lifting carry-on bags into the overhead bins. Now I don't know any women in their mid to late 60's who have shoulders good enough to lift above their head. Men at that age, likewise. The men hate to ask for help, especially from a young woman like myself so I admit I do it anyway and lug their bags over my far stronger shoulders into the overhead bin. As I do though I glare at the staff in disgust.

2. Most airports in the world are not as sophisticated as Hong Kong, Bangkok or Singapore where for a pittance you can pay a worker to conceirge your bags off the belt. Again, when you are at that age - how on earth do you get even 20 off kilos off the baggage claim belt?

3. An example is the flight to Samoa for Air New Zealand where you have to walk on the tarmac and get on and off a seemingly never-ending flight of stairs that even in my 30's I find difficult to navigate when stone cold sober with a carry-on bag. Air New Zealand are pretty good at assisting those who cannot manage, and in the Islands the big boys there are superb and I have seen actually carry passengers off the plane. Anywhere else - how?

4. Those tight connections in America where you have to run from gate to gate. Again, how?

5. Aircraft toilets are bad enough for young people to handle. How does a man or woman with a dodgy hip, get into and out of those?

6. Lounge facilities that require agility and movement. Even standing near the bar to get a drink in some is pretty difficult.

7. Security checkpoints where everyone has to remove their shoes. Well this can take an eternity for an oldie. Just the act of bending down is enough for plenty of them.

8. Many countries do not assist you in placing all your bags through a scanner for customs/MAF screening. Auckland again usually has some suitably strong Island staff who do the heavy lifting, the midgets however don't do a damn thing to help. Brisbane is awful and the staff are rude, Sydney likewise.

No one likes to get in a wheelchair but it seems the only way to handle many of these situation for the oldies and be escorted to security areas.

In most instances these oldies rely on other people helping them. Which is disgusting. Airline staff and airport workers in my view should hang their heads in shame. Hiding behind occupational safety policies not to assist the oldies.

I think the aged lobby need to start demanding better services at airports. As I have said, I never thought about it much as I fly in and out of Hong Kong where for a few bucks you can hire help for just about anything you need as a traveller. I was late and so paid $NZ10 for a ride in a buggy to the gate, as I was on my way I picked up an old couple in classic NZ tourist garb who were also as late. They just didn't know about the service and so were shocked at the luxury of not walking. Auckland airport could do better itself and lets not start on Wellington with the escalator that only goes up.

If airlines and airports would make it easier for old people they would travel more, and usually in premium economy, business and first classes of travel. More people = more profits.

My advice is until they do, those of you approaching this form of limited physical capability, either get a younger partner to do the lifting for you, or travel as much as you can to places without adequate facilities and airline assistance before you can't.

I'm sure my well-travelled readers will comment in on their own best and worst places in the world below....I can kick it off today with the Caribbean and American Airlines.

Welch on the Nonsense of Work-Life Balance

“There’s no such thing as work-life balance,” Mr. Welch told the Society for Human Resource Management’s annual conference in New Orleans on June 28. “There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences.

“We’d love to have more women moving up faster,” Mr. Welch said. “But they’ve got to make the tough choices and know the consequences of each one.”

Taking time off for family “can offer a nice life,” Mr. Welch said, “but the chances of going to the top on that path” are smaller. “That doesn’t mean you can’t have a nice career,” he added.

Take a bow Jack Welch. About time someone told it like it is.

There's Only One Direction.....

The jury has returned to ask Justice Judith Potter for more direction, after retiring to consider their verdict in the murder case against Clayton Weatherston

The nation awaits the result. So does Bubba.

Update: GUILTY!!! I imagine there wouldn't be many people following the case who could feel unhappy about that outcome. Judith Ablett-Kerr one sympathises with, as a human being very likely she would have felt sick at the end of each day defending this murderer.

DPF sums up nicely:

"I have never encountered such a wellspring of hatred towards one man. The e-mails, phone calls, conversations have been almost full of disbelief that such an evil unrepentant man could exist. His total lack of repentance was chilling".

I trust a welcoming party is thrown in D-block's showers for this piece of shit. And that term is often too readily used. Go for gold with the comments.

Brash Is Productivity Tsar

I like it.

Obama has numerous Tsars. Looks like Key has gone with the trend.

Labour leader Phil Goff said the appointment showed a privatisation agenda.

"(Dr Brash) has been very frank about his support for privatisation and a right wing ideology to govern the direction this country moves in.

Labour need to get used to it.

There's a new Sheriff in town.

It goes without saying that this Tsar will need a minder. Now he has this new power a male minder. To keep the humming masses of Wellington women away who will distract him from the task at hand.

Herald Shows More Economy

Remember my post from yesterday

Well as I am far more studious than the tabloid reporter who unprofessionally repeated this, I have actually read the judgment from the Supreme Court for Rose v Rose SC 73/2007 [2009] NZSC 46

That is Hinton in her "admirably focused submissions" screwed over Mr Rose who stated "we own half of them".

Mr Rose by his own evidence appears to have swayed the Judiciary into then finding reasons that Mrs Rose gets 40% of the asset value increase.

As for contribution in 1979 she brought $10,000 and all the home's chattels to the marriage from (cough, cough), her first marriage. The Herald omitted this important fact.

But the most telling blow is the reasoning regarding active vs passive investment which serves as a warning for those working in a business they own.



So the case reads:

Most of the relationship property is debt, so half of debt leaves the woman with debt. The Court has then contrived to come to the conclusion they have to give her something so have looked at the increase in the property value. There is numerous discussion of inflation on land prices and statistical formulae, but the 40% she is receiving in the increase in value is basically coming from doing dishes and working for a few years totalling $300k in wages spread over a quarter century of marriage.

Is the Supreme Court judgment at any level analytically sound? Nope.

And Carruthers missed his big chance.

On this "contributions" reasoning he should have submitted an offsetting invoice to the Court to cover the husband's share of "household" expenditure, including the value of all the years the wife received free rent and no doubt his exercising of duties around the house that only a man can do due to their physical size.

Update: Gooner (who unfortunately has been involved in litigating these beasts) has a post here and agrees:

What got me going.........was............, the apparent lack of intellectual rigour that went into the decision.

Cruelty to the Aged

Just when I'm about to write how old, tired and boring the Sunday Star Times columnists have become (I mean fuck have they all got tenure?), Michael Laws comes out with a gem.

Laws takes his former partner and three children under four years old including Starship's most famous patient - Lucy who seems to (quite rightly after what she's been through) be spoiled rotten to Queensland. For ten days.

Which was the Amazon's advice to me this week as my two year old smeared vegemite over my face in a Maroochydore shopping mall.

Of course this was to be a disaster. Aged men with young children - well it's abuse of the elderly flat out isn't it? Laws could never handle the skippies (c) on his own so he's brought along the ex? This is one stupid/brave man. It could have been SO much worse.

So for those of you who can't stand Michael Laws and wish him bad karma, enjoy this moment

And my nine month old managed to vacate his bodily fluids while I was holding him and trying to convince a disinterested shop assistant that my demands should be taken seriously. Bloody hard to do when poos is running down your arms.

Still, it beats looking after Winston.

Housework - New Zealand's Most Profitable Career Path?

......evil......

Here is the link for those of you who haven't worked out by now I put the links in the headings

Gooner will no doubt have already read the judgment and can comment from a family lawyer's position but:

My short-term advice to girls everywhere in New Zealand after reading this stunning development is simply put away those school books, leave school at 15 and learn how to cook and clean for a man with prior assets. You could be entitled to a cut in the increase in their value.

If you are a female and have assets prior to marriage you also need to take note of the judgment. Your bum of a husband may just take them from you after all. Do not go near a man with less assets or income potential than you.

The court says the woman is entitled to almost half of the increased value of the couple's farm, even though her ex-husband inherited it before their marriage

The Supreme Court (read Supreme) has decided in favour of a wife not just for value during her marriage, but BEFORE she was even married to the man. With a wishy-washy namby-pamby bench led by public speaker extraordinaire Sian Elias, it was just a matter of time this happened. I predicted it at the end of the Privy Council.

This woman will now be enriched in a lump sum to the tune that most working women would never independently earn in their lifetime. Why be a teacher, cleaner, policewoman, nurse, receptionist or middle manager when you can just do housework?

"In addition to looking after the children and managing the household, she had earned over $300,000 from outside employment, all of which she had contributed to the household."

So $300,000 over 24 years of marriage works out to be on average $12,500 a year in which time she stayed in a home provided by her husband and no doubt was kept off his wages. And doing what every woman in a marriage does anyway - look after the house and popping out a few children.

Yes, along with property developing, partners at large law firms, specialist surgeons, being PM, a CEO or an airline pilots........doing the dishes is now a valid career option for all women.

But wait, enter Anthony Grant with some good ideas that I have always espoused a man to do in the circumstances:

Barrister Anthony Grant has described the case as involving "the annihilation by stealth of separate property". He says the case is "shocking" and "a stunner", not necessarily because it was wrongly decided, but because people had not been aware that "indirect contributions" involving something as ordinary as household chores could convert a spouse's separate property into relationship property.

His advice

- A Section 21 "contracting out" agreement
- Vest separate property in trust

and the best piece of advice and one that I have always argued in favour of

DON'T LET YOUR WIFE LIFT A FINGER AROUND THE HOUSE!!!!! Get a nanny and a housekeeper. Which is the Chinese approach - a maid. New Zealand will need to allow a steady workforce of Philippinas into the country to cover the demand.

That housework could be costing men a small fortune in increase in value of assets that were previously thought to be outside the relationship and the natural response is to find a less expensive option to do it, the international marketplace for labour will fill that void. Housework is a way a woman "earns her keep" around the house and entitles her to share a joint bank account for expenses that she would otherwise have to pay such as rent, food and moderate clothing, it shouldn't entitle her to a share in the capital, let alone that of an asset before she even met the bloke!

New Zealand women in this decision have just been priced out of doing the housework.



Based on the Hearld report, the assets and the increase in value under question here were not in huge quantum, and definitely the QC fees on both sides would have whittled it away dramatically. However the QC's would have loved this case as it is crucial for the development of their own practices. And Ann Hinton will be the toast of the ex-wives and old trouts in town.

But she shouldn't be....

After taking the loss very hard (and another tip to the wise - men should NEVER have a male lawyer representing them in a matrimonial dispute), Mr Colin Carruthers QC, could very well just be having a wee panic attack in the corner of his vineyard right now. Otherwise a man with a rather solidly excellent technical reputation in the profession earned over I am sure an horrendous amount of swatting and keeping current with the madness - he usually represents men. From here to eternity he is to be known as the lawyer who lost the big 'un.

Housework is now deemed contribution to convert separate property into relationship property.

The rot will now set in under New Zealand law and expand on this dramatic break through through obvious judicial activism. Look over time for more stupid decisions, less marriage and relationships, more contracting out and ultimately more poverty stricken women as men hunker down to protect their assets from not just the IRD, but the worst enemy created by the Supreme Court - a housewife.

It's only a matter of time before trusts and contracting out agreements will be looked through by judicial activists on the Supreme Court and worth the 10 cent paper they are written on.

And this is where Hinton, Sian Elias and other females in the "kill a man" profession of family law and judicial activism are doing the gender a huge disservice.

Now is the time for men to get out while they still can. Especially as asset valuations (and thus increases in the value) for property division are at the lowest point in years.

I can see a time where men will not enter a relationship at all with a woman of differing social and income class. As the best form of asset protection may become the only form of asset protection - stay away from those poorer in income and wealth (earned or inherited) than you are. The losers of course will be women who rely on men for their subsistence and lifestyles. Currently this still makes up a good proportion of the population.

All driven by the Supreme Court - well done Sian. Feminist? Not likely.

She's also just killed the concept of marriage and relationships in a far larger way than my lack of enthusiasm for them but bless her -

She's just raised the relationship stock beyond record levels for fiscally independent and successful women with high paying jobs and careers.

As you were then Sian.......

Reasons To Quit Blogging

Deborah Coddington quotes you favourably.

It's almost all over isn't it?

She should have ended her column with the insertion in bold.

And a Chen example of mentoring?

A woman applying for a chief executive role in a male dominated area was encouraged by Chen to put her best foot forward. Even though the woman didn't believe she was qualified for the job.

Fancy that. Just what a company needs, a woman who doesn't think she can do the job.

A Hick-up for Barry

Bernard Hickey lays it down for Barry Colman's whinge that he can't make money and survive as a publisher online.

I disagree with Bernard's approach. He's played precisely into Colman's hands. Bernard would be getting a Dragons Den FAIL.

There's no way Barry Colman, business tycoon would ever give away such intellectual property for free, let alone to someone who is effectively his competitor.

Which is why Barry has his own plane, boat and huge Bentley and Bernard and other bloggers still have to fly Air New Zealand from Auckland to Wellington.

Bloggers share some ideas, but true intellectual property and business thought should be kept to ones self and harvested for money. If Bernard backed his ideas he would offer to buy out the NBR and turn it around himself, or sit back and watch Colman fail and crush it with his own online vehicle.

Obama Goes Where White Men Fear

"We need a new mindset"
"Put away the X-Box"

I've been subjected to US Cable TV now for 3 weeks. That's 3 weeks of Obama (or as I term him "the Chosen One") coverage. Especially at the hotel bar where the owner has Communist Network Nonsense (CNN) on while I eat and drink. I have managed to avoid Obama's dribble in the past but after consuming around 6 strawberry daiquiris and an afternoon in the sun, it is quite hypnotic lying under a large ceiling fan hearing him craft another speech written by his white boy speechwriter straight out of school. He gives a damn good speech even though the words coming out usually are utter nonsense.

He's good. He looks good in a five thousand dollar suit and tie. And he knows how to shake that teleprompter.

So last night we had the Obama speech/sermon to the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Most of the first part of the speech was dreadful, about how he was going to spend more of mostly the white man's money. Being at a coloured convention he received a thunderous applause for every trillion he stole.

But then Obama turned it all on the audience. He was brilliant. I think he wrote this part of the speech himself.

"Government programs alone won't get our children to the Promised Land,"

"We have to say to our children, 'Yes, if you're African-American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are higher, Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that someone in a wealthy suburb does not.'

"But that's not a reason to get bad grades, that's not a reason to cut class, that's not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school. No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands and don't you forget that."

"I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers," Obama said. "I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court justice. I want them aspiring to be president of the United States."

Only a black President could give that speech. And his speech last week in Ghana where he told African leaders effectively to sort their shit out.

"We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans," Obama said in his speech.

"I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story."

If only we could have an effective co-President who made sound fiscal decisions, Obama could simply be sent around on a speaking circuit preaching individual responsibility to different ethnic groups in America and around the world. Out of harms way of the nation's wallet.

As a passing thought when Obama reached the point in his speech where he told parents to put away the Xbox, wouldn't it be great to get Obama to New Zealand to speak at one of the many wishy-washy "indigeneous" peoples events? A short excerpt here where he even goes as far to say that parents should hit the neighbours children if they were misbehaving. Only Obama could get away with this:



When his time as President is up, he will be doing that anyway for a large fee. On a President's salary we would be getting him "for cheap" as they say in these parts.

Colman Blasts Farrar

Whaleoil has reported that upfront and dangerous Barry Colman has had the most smashing of rants directed at bloggers. Ironically he employs New Zealand's top rating and most popular one, David Farrar as an online columnist.

Excerpts from this email follow:

Worse still the model has spawned a huge band of amateur, untrained, unqualified bloggers who have swarmed over the internet pouring out columns of unsubstantiated “facts” and hysterical opinion.

Most of these “citizen journalists” don’t have access to decision makers and are infamous for their biased and inaccurate reporting on almost any subject under the sun (while invariably criticising professional news coverage whose original material they depend on to base their diatribes).

Colman is New Zealand's answer to Rupert Murdoch in the publishing world, one of the only independent home-grown gazillionaires left owning media outlets. While one can always sympathise with an entrepreneur who is trying to turn a buck or a million in a very bad market, his reasoning to blame bloggers partially for the demise is a bit rich.

People have the choice of what they wish to read. They can read a blogger's "biased" rant or they can read a reporter's "balanced" rant. Colman's own publication has in the past by panty wetting pinkos and the right had accusations of bias levelled as has Colman himself. I never thought it worried him in the slightest.

The issue Colman and other newspaper owners have is that the general public has actually proven to be too stupid to differentiate fact and fiction, bias and balance and so there is a huge opening for bloggers to influence the minds of the public for good or bad. Something PR practitioners have known for years as they have continued to bastardise the Press with their own influence. Bloggers simply should fit into the category of PR practitioners for the Press, mostly though without well-paying clients.

My blog is proudly biased. I don't pretend it to be balanced. But then a left wing equivalent of my blog will be equally as biased. As I have said before intelligent readers simply read one angle on an issue then go to another blogger who has the opposing angle and then can make up their own minds.

If I owned a newspaper I would ensure it was biased as well. And proudly so. It would be to the economic right of Fox News, only with hotter male reporters for the female readers, a page 3 chick for the male readers and have absolutely no religious content at all. Only morons and infants wish to have balance, both sides of the issue discussed equally with a conclusion. Intelligent people wish to read both sides of the issue and make up their own minds, not for example have some 20 something reporter who has never had a job before let alone run a business present a balanced uncontroversial story about interest rates drawing a conclusion about the future of them. Newspapers in this day and age need to have edgy writing, controversial stories and something for god's sake that's even the slightest bit interesting and entertaining. Colman started the job of spicing it all up by employing a team of opinion writers, expanding the role of comically gifted David Cohen and even throwing in the likes of Farrar and Hooton in the print edition. He then seems to have had a cup of tea and stopped.

If he wants to attack "untrained" and "unqualified" bloggers then he should look at his own staff suffering the same afflictions. How many business journos are trained in tax and the offshore industry for example? None, but plenty across his and other publications seem to like writing about it as it is sexy and attention-grabbing. Therefore by Colman's own dictum the staffer shouldn't be qualified to write about it as they have absolutely no experience in it. A blogger with such skill and experience will then give them a rightly pounding as I did here regarding a piece of utter sensationalistic nonsense written about alleged New Zealand connections to Allen Stanford. Just because a journo is qualified to write paragraphs and use grammar correctly, does not mean they are qualified to do anything but repeat on a topic. And that's what many younger reporters have become - repeaters. Anti-dismal covers this issue of many bloggers being better qualified than repeaters as well.

The hard news side has diminished one imagines with the budget cuts and available and affordable talent pool of journos. But even then this year's Qantas New Zealand Business story of the year winner featuring Hanover was simply a re-hash and updated expansion from a prior actual scoop from Deborah Hill-Cone, a former NBR staffer during her time there. So much for breaking business stories in New Zealand. And in Colman's statement that bloggers simply re-hash and criticise journalism, he forgets to acknowledge PR practitioners more than influence what journalists are running when they feed leaks and information to them. The term "original material" is therefore a malleable one. Reporters without skill and intellectual expertise in the area they are writing about simply become "repeaters". Little wonder bloggers cannot help mocking them.

Colman's own publication suffers intensely from requiring a reading age above 12 and an IQ above 120, therefore limiting his audience to the top 5% of New Zealand's population. Neglecting to put the paper out by 9am on a Friday at the Whitcoulls airport to catch business travellers does not assist sales either.

New Zealand is fortunate to have its own independent business weekly such as the NBR, however I imagine the paper has been cross-subsidised by Colman's other entrepreneurial success stories for years. He's tried the on-line pay-per-view thing before and presumably it didn't work.

Colman is charging $89 for the content or "The cost is a little more than 80c a day and I promise you it will be one investment you won’t regret". Well I wouldn't if NBR updated it's content on a daily basis with real content but it doesn't. So good luck on that, but to blame bloggers for contributing to the model that is forcing him to have to go pay-per-view? A tad silly. For the pay-per-view am I to be reading low paid first-jobbed twenty-something children repeating the news, or will I read serious senior business journos actually breaking stories that matter?

Fortunately Colman has one of the better entrepreneurial brains in the country and is well equipped to come up with something more original and "out there" than this email whinge to justify making 20% of online content "locked" to make his publication profitable and more widely read. After all he's really, really rich so has proven he knows more about business and turning profits than all bloggers do combined.

We look forward to it.

Update - It's actually $298 per year according to Lance Wiggs. Which is I am sorry, a joke. That works out to $5.73 a week (more if you don't count the month off they have at Christmas) to access just 20% of content locked down.

At that price I ask - Barry are you planning on bringing Warren Berryman back from the dead to write for you?

Red Alert Enabling Parekura

I received my first piece of censorship on Red Alert yesterday.

Quite remarkably the offending remark was made as I was complimenting new star blogger Trevor Mallard on losing weight and keeping healthy:

Trevor Mallard says:

July 16, 2009 at 5:45 am

Kate apparently my bike racks have been replaced by a big fridge and pie warmer on the 7th floor. Though I understand that the more pies eaten at Copperfields the lower the taxpayer subsidy. Best pies are at Naenae pie shop run by Vietnamese family. Esp Steak and Kindney.

Cactus Kate says:

July 16, 2009 at 7:04 am

Shh Trevor, don’t tell name deleted Trevor or there will be taxi chits to Naenae on a daily basis.

So it's okay to go on Red Alert and espouse your right-wing opinions in a forceful fashion to add to the debate.

Just don't name Parekura as a pie-eater and taxi chit user!

Perhaps some public shaming by his colleagues in Labour wouldn't go amiss for Parekura. After all if Michael Jackson's support crew are being blamed for enabling his drug use, surely the Labour Party's political correctness is enabling Parekura to become a victim of brObesity.

He's not even fat or chubby anymore - he's dangerously morbidly brObese. He will die well before his time. And worse still is supposedly a Maori rolemodel and leader as former Minister of Maori Affairs and now opposition spokesman.

If you truly love Pare you would all make him "Just Say No" to pies.

Car Porn - Ferrari California

That's the hottest thing I have seen for months (one man excluded). It's beautiful. Pool of drool stuff.

And the thought of 231 kh/hr in it. Rod Easdown is a lucky man.

Here is the colour that David Farrar would buy it in (well that's if he ever released the Shylock hyper fist-tight clench on the millions in his wallet)

And my personal choice (putting aside the fact in Hong Kong the carpark would cost more than the car and there is literally nowhere to drive it)

Lets hope the car holds up better than the finances of the State of California.

Newsflash - Students Slag Off Teachers

One teacher, who became aware of the quiz yesterday, was upset by its contents.

"It's kind of heart wrenching. That's how it made me feel," she said.

The teacher said she took the test to find if there was anything horrible written about her.

"It is a horrible malicious thing to do. I wanted to know if I was on there."

The woman said the quiz had made her question why she was a teacher.

Shock horror, students are using Facebook to slag off teachers.

As an independent observer on the issue, having relatives and wives of colleagues in the teaching profession I have to submit - holy shit the students should hear what teachers say about them!

Over the years I have gained intimate knowledge of all sorts of dropkicks, losers, abusers and drug users in classrooms.

Then teachers get on to slagging off the parents! This is where as a recipient of the knowledge you really fall over laughing. You know teachers are the best judge of the student's likely career path as a solo mother, petty criminal, sexual abuser/hooker.

My favourite moment was when two teachers paired off students in the class and predicted how ugly and stupid their children would be if they bred.

So Facebook is the student's answer really to teachers sitting round getting pissed trying to out-do each other as to who has the worst and weirdest children in their class. Contrary to the media hype, Facebook is NOT a public forum as you have to sign-up for Facebook then join or be invited into a group.

Circus freaks? That must surely make the students the clowns.

Palin Meeting The People

Would you let a politician SIGN your baby?
And as a politician would you sign a baby?

Little wonder the economy is in ruin when they have geniuses like this working in it.