Anger at 14-year strike 2 warning

 Anger?  From who??  What for??

Let's get this straight.  A petty crim named Elijah Akeem Whaanga mugs people on two separate occasions.  At least one of which was following his first strike warning.  He gets a subsequent second strike warning.  To quote Judge Tony Adeane:

"When you next steal a hat or a cellphone or a jacket or a skateboard you will be sent to the High Court and there you will be sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment without parole."

There you have it.  Second warning issued.  Case closed.  Game over.

21 year old Elijah Akeem Whaanga take note - it's prison for you for a very long time the next time you offend.  It's my guess this won't be long, because you haven't learned anything from your previous court appearances.

Let's learn a little more about this low-life:

"Whaanga's offending stretches back to 2006, including burglary, theft, resisting arrest and indecent assault. He served a short prison sentence in early 2010.

In July that year, he and an accomplice committed aggravated robbery. Whaanga punched the victim in the head multiple times before taking $68. For that he earned his first strike in December 2010 and was sentenced to jail for two years and one month.

He was freed on parole in April last year. The Parole Board said he had behaved well in prison, where he had resided in the Maori Focus Unit. He had completed a drug programme and a Maori therapeutic programme and was released on a number of conditions for six months.

Four months later he committed two aggravated robberies with two separate accomplices.
The first involved taking a skateboard, hat and cigarette lighter from the victim after trying unsuccessfully to remove the victim's jacket. The second involved Whaanga kicking the victim in the back of his leg and taking his hat and cellphone.

Whaanga pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated robbery and was sentenced in Napier District Court on April 18"

Victoria University Professor of Criminology John Pratt asked: "Was this really the type of offender that the three strikes law was meant to protect us from?"

Um.... YES!

14 years jail with no parole.  Hahahahaha!  I feel safer already!


Story:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8605255/Anger-at-14-year-strike-2-warning

Free Mila the Elephant - NOW!

Most New Zealanders will know well the story of Mila.

Mila was originally called Jumbo, and was in a circus owned by Tony Ratcliffe.  Years of campaigning by SAFE (Save Animals From Exploitation) and others eventually led to the release of Jumbo into the care of Franklin Zoo.

According to the SAFE website...

"SAFE campaigned for over two decades to free Mila (then called Jumbo) from her miserable circus life with the intention of moving her to a specialized elephant sanctuary. Franklin Zoo is currently fund raising to pay for the care of Mila and for her eventual relocation to a refuge where she will at last have the opportunity to be with other elephants."

(source: http://www.safe.org.nz/Campaigns/Free-Jumbo-Campaign)

Jumbo was renamed Mila following her release and was sent to Franklin Zoo in 2009.  

On 25 April 2012, two years later after the elephant arrived, Dr Helen Schofield died from injuries received from Mila in her enclosure.  The Zoo revised it's time frame for releasing Mila to "June 2013 as the date Mila will leave for her new home."

Then there was this press release from Franklin Zoo:

Mila the elephant heading to the US

Press Release: Franklin Zoo 10 October 2012

In the press release, the Zoo said "It is hoped that Mila will be ready to travel to her new home by March or April 2013".


It's now the end of April 2013 and Mila is still here.  You have to ask:  What the hell is going on??  Three years after her release from the circus and this poor elephant is still alone.

This terrible story was again on Campbell Live this evening.  Sounds like the Zoo is still miles away from resettling Mila. It's just not good enough!  They have had three years and still this animal languishes.

Free Mila - NOW!

 

The hidden cost of tourism

Another report is emerging today of a group of three tourists lost in the Kahurangi National park (Golden Bay).

Read about it here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8580880/Tourist-trampers-missing-in-National-Park

Of course the search and rescue operation is going to cost you and I as New Zealand taxpayers.  I'm sick of being asked to fund this sort of search and rescue.

It's time we considered making insurance compulsory for tourists.

This sort of thing happens so regularly that the expense must be significant.  My idea is to insist that travelers to our shores have in place some sort of insurance against being a burden on our Government.

This insurance should cover medical expenses incurred here, search & rescue operations, costs of criminal proceedings against the tourist and anything else that our Government is forced to expend while they remain in NZ.

Travelers who arrive here without any insurance should be given the option - sign up now or leave on the next flight.

All Black behaving badly

Last Sunday (14 April 2013), All Black & Hurricanes winger Julian Savea (below) did something dreadful.

(image: www.3news.co.nz)

By his own tearful admission, he and his partner got into a domestic dispute which escalated into an assault.  Savea has since been charged over the incident.  At a press conference today (21 April), Savea said...

"... my partner and I had an argument, I did some things that are wrong, that I shouldn't have done, and I apologize for that.  To my partner and family, I want to say I'm sorry."

Fronted up and man'd up.  You've got to respect him for his honesty and apparently genuine remorse.

The guy has made a terrible mistake.  He gets to pay for that.  No one condones domestic violence or any other sort of violence. In our society it's simply unacceptable.  Julian deserves the punishment and I'm guessing he will accept that.

Following punishment comes forgiveness.  So long as Savea commits to genuinely changing his ways.  Let's hope he does.

Full story on Stuff:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/8578164/All-Black-Julian-Savea-charged-with-assault

ANZAC day - Lest We Forget

What I'll be remembering on the 25th April....

Featherston Prisoner of War Camp Massacre.

You see, to me ANZAC day is not all about our war heroes.  We need to remember that atrocities were committed by both sides of the conflict. 

At Featherston on the 25th February 1943, forty eight unarmed Japanese prisoners of war were killed when guards opened fire at the Featherston Military Camp.  74 were wounded.  Yep, you read right.  It happened right here in New Zealand.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8331241/Lecturer-urges-massacre-apology

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/8420945/POW-massacre-message-distorted

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Featherston_prisoner_of_war_camp

Video summary:

The bodies of the dead were cremated.  What remained following the cremations later 'disappeared'.  Smacks of a cover up don't you think?

The New Zealand Government has not issued an apology in the 70 years since this incident.  Yet the ANZAC ceremonies continue year after year.

Makes you think..

Lazer lamb thieves in court

The four offenders who stole 11 lambs hand-raised by handicapped people have appeared in court for sentencing.

More >>  story on www.stuff.co.nz

The four plead guilty to burglary and theft at the earliest opportunity which you have to give them credit for.  The sentences dished out are, I think, appropriate given the apparently genuine remorse these four have shown.

According to statements in court, the four were attempting to provide for their whanau.  This may or may not be true, and I'm not taking issue with that.

No, but I'm really taking issue with what one family member said outside the court:

"the men were just trying to be good parents by providing for the whanau."

Now that is just a stupid thing to say.  The important points here:

1. Good parents don't steal pets from the intellectually disabled.
2. Good parents don't mistreat animals.

Obama speech on Gun Control failure

In his speech upon the failure of his gun control reforms, US President Obama let rip:

...But if action by Congress could have saved one person, one child, a few hundred, a few thousand — if it could have prevented those people from losing their lives to gun violence in the future while preserving our Second Amendment rights, we had an obligation to try. 

And this legislation met that test.  And too many senators failed theirs. 

I’ve heard some say that blocking this step would be a victory.  And my question is, a victory for who?  A victory for what?  All that happened today was the preservation of the loophole that lets dangerous criminals buy guns without a background check.  That didn’t make our kids safer.  Victory for not doing something that 90 percent of Americans, 80 percent of Republicans, the vast majority of your constituents wanted to get done?  It begs the question, who are we here to represent? 

I’ve heard folks say that having the families of victims lobby for this legislation was somehow misplaced.  “A prop,” somebody called them.  “Emotional blackmail,” some outlet said.  Are they serious?  Do we really think that thousands of families whose lives have been shattered by gun violence don’t have a right to weigh in on this issue?  Do we think their emotions, their loss is not relevant to this debate? 

So all in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington.

In a country obsessed by guns you've got to wonder what it will take before reforms are passed.  Another Waco? Colombine?

Get ready America - the next human tragedy is just around the bend.


Read the full transcript of Obama's speech here: http://swampland.time.com/2013/04/17/president-obamas-speech-on-gun-control-bill-defeat-transcript/#ixzz2QraFKHAk

RSA sandpit closed - get over it

Stuff reports the RSA (Returned Services Association) being annoyed that repairs to the Bridge of Remembrance will take longer than originally estimated.

That's a shame, but you see we here in Christchurch are suffering following a series of MASSIVE EARTHQUAKES which have damaged much of the city's infrastructure.  Important structures like peoples houses, water, sewerage pipes, roads and schools have taken a hammering.

In other words - GET OVER IT you miserable old sods.  We need to fix the important stuff first.

The RSA is miffed that their sandpit won't be fixed for the 100 year commemorations to mark the start of WWI.  Sorry guys, but you get to stand in line to have your non-essential, pedestrian-only bridge repaired at a cost of at least $3.2 million.

I've got an idea!  WHY DON'T THE RSA PAY FOR IT?

Or better still: go to Gallipoli and do your strutting there.

As you can tell I'm not an RSA supporter.  I'm tired of them telling me how noble they once were.  The second World War had been finished for two decades by the time I was born.  This makes it ancient history as far as I'm concerned.  Like Ghengis Kahn and the Roman empire.

The real turning point in my attitude to the RSA was when this bunch of old farts decried the planting of cherry blossoms along Christchurch's Memorial avenue because (get this) "They are synonymous with the Japanese".

Well I like the Japanese.  I like cherry blossoms too.  So stop living in the past and  telling me what I should and should not do.

NZ Cops - thick as thieves

A few days back I blogged about Arthur Allan Thomas and his lop-sided battle against the New Zealand Police.

Unfortunately the fight is still ongoing.

You see a Thomas was given a ROYAL pardon in 1979.  Later, a Royal Commission of Inquiry found (correctly) that Thomas was deliberately FRAMED by the NZ Police, and in particular, the late Bruce Hutton was found to have planted evidence against Thomas.

It was against this background that praise of Hutton by the Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Bush had Thomas rightly outraged.

What an appalling state of affairs.  But it seems that our top cop (Police Commissioner Peter Marshall) doesn't or cannot agree with the royal findings.  Instead of supporting the innocent party here, Marshall has instead (by his silence) implied his support for the corrupt Bruce Hutton.

C'mon Marshall - just come out and say you agree with the findings of the royal Commission of Inquiry.  You might be able to salvage a little bit or credibility.

I won't be holding my breath though.  It seems the culture which framed Thomas is still alive and well in the NZ Police force.

Is it any wonder the NZ Police's status in the eyes of the public is diminishing so quickly?


The full story on Stuff >> http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8547470/Top-cop-won-t-back-finding-Thomas-was-framed

Bitcoin = digital currency

Technology commentators are awash with stories of the impending doom of the fledgling Internet currency the Bitcoin.


The Bitcoin has been around since 2009 and works as a peer-to-peer currency.  This means you trade directly with the other party to complete the transaction.  No bank is involved. 

Bitcoins work a little like a credit note.  You can gain them by selling stuff to people (who pay in Bitcoins), and use them to purchase stuff and services.  Think of Bitcoins as virtual money.  There is no physical object which you can hold and say "This is a Bitcoin".

Being virtual there are no borders, and relatively little taxation. This makes the currency a favorite of the criminal fraternity who favor the anonymity and lack of traceable records.

Read more about it here >> http://rt.com/op-edge/bitcoin-combination-desperation-innovation-733/

This is a terrific idea, but I'm a bit late to the Bitcoin party.  I've only just heard about it, for all the wrong reasons.  It seems that the virtual money is plummeting in value.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57579241-93/bitcoin-drops-another-35-percent-as-exchange-reopens/

Dang. 

It will be interesting to see if this virtual currency can bounce back from the huge losses it has recently encountered.

Arthur Allan Thomas speaks...

"He was a corrupt police officer."

~ Arthur Allan Thomas counters the praise heaped on the late Bruce Hutton
by Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Bush.

Thomas also said

"As the second-highest ranking police officer in New Zealand, it is totally inappropriate for him to commend the actions of a man whose actions not only twice led to my wrongful prosecution, conviction and imprisonment for almost 10 years of my life, but who perverted the course of justice, and committed a number of other serious criminal acts."

You tell him Arthur!  I 100% agree with you.

More >> http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8532112/Arthur-Allan-Thomas-hits-back-at-eulogy

Halo 4 Original Soundtrack Volume 2

I'm sold on the Original Soundtrack of Halo 4 by award-winning producer and composer Neil Davidge.  It's on constant rotation on my MP3 player and I consider it essential when I run long distances.

After I bought the CD I logged on to a website that was given with the CD and downloaded a further six bonus tracks.  Awesome!

The even-better news is that Volume 2 has been released today with a further 20 tracks!  Hurrah!

The good people at Topspin Media even sent me a nice email to let me know a few days in advance of the release.  That's a great marketing ploy!

Got get your copy from this site http://halo4soundtrack.spinshop.com/.   iTune devotees can Click Here

Baseball mascot mocks Irwin death - Crikey!

http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/selections/baseball-team-mascot-mocks-irwins-death-4173064.html

Verdict:  Hilarious.

Danish MP has it right

Danish right-wing politician Marie Krarup has outraged Maori for her candid comments about a powhiri.

In a Danish newspaper, Kraup,  a member of the Danish People's Party and member of Parliament reported:

• Being shocked to be welcomed by a Maori dance ritual, with a half-naked man in grass skirt, shouting and screaming in Maori who "poked his tongue out".
• The waiata sounded like a Danish children's song about a happy ladybird. She said it was accompanied by a "kindergarten-teacher-guitar-accompaniment".
• The marae was a form of cultural self-destruction, being "decorated with God-figures with angry faces and large erect penises."

Of course she is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

Maori are a war-like people who insist on celebrating a culture where losers were eaten.  That's their right.

That Ms Krarup was intimidated and shocked is not exactly surprising.  I've seen any number of these powhiri on the TV news and they are unsettling to say the least.  

If I were to face one I'm sure I would be shocked too.  That's the point of them.  To see if the visiting noble will flinch in the face of a stern challenge.

I dislike the way powhiri are inflicted on VIPs.  At the risk of being labelled racist, I also dislike the ubiquitous haka.  Every where drunk Kiwi males gather they want to strip to the waist and perform their (usually dreadful) version.  

Grow up and leave the haka to the indigenous.  Being drunk Kiwi does not give you the right or the skills to perform one.

As for the powhiri.  If you're going to inflict this unnecessary and embarrassing cultural 'event' on people, expect to be criticized for it. 

Civilized it is NOT.

Goodbye XP - it's been a blast

Microsoft has announced the date that it will stop supporting Windows XP.  You have one year from today to before XP will become officially 'unsupported'.  Here's how the NBR reported it:


http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/microsoft-calls-time-windows-xp-still-used-500000-nz-computers-ck-138309


XP was released in 2001 - so is showing it's age with three iterations of Windows (Vista, Win7 and Win8) having been subsequently released.

It's a shame, but progress has to be made.  The fact that the operating system (OS) will no longer be supported does not mean that it will stop.  Microsoft will just stop issuing updates and support for it.  If you have an old XP system running on old hardware it will keep going.

I love XP.  It's a wonderful, faithful old companion.  I like it's simplicity and the way it worked.  I spent many thousands of hours playing Doom II on an XP system - these were some of the happiest times of my IT career.


What shall we do with old hardware which won't run the later versions of Windows?

1. Keep running XP on it.  As mentioned above, XP will keep going.  When the hardware breaks then dump it.

2. Upgrade the hardware.  This sounds great, but is not really an option.  The costs are prohibitive and you would be better buying a new system.

3. Install Android.  Yup - you heard me right.  I installed Android 4.0 onto a pen drive and use it to boot my old XP laptop up.  Android works wonderfully on old humble hardware and will become my laptop's OS should XP die on me.

The Android OS is free to download so you have nothing to lose.  Search the Internet for instructions using the keywords "x86 Android" to find out more or use this link to the Wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android-x86

Mini Pesto, Pasta and Tuna Frittatas

Mini Pesto, Pasta and Tuna Frittatas

(Makes 16)

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup cream

3 tablespoons of prepared pesto (available from supermarkets)

185g can flaked tuna and juice

1 cup cooked small pasta shapes (macaroni or similar)

salt and pepper

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1  Preheat oven to 180°C.

          Grease 12 mini muffin tins with vegetable oil or melted butter.

2  Whisk eggs, cream, and pesto together.

          Stir in the flaked tuna and juice and cooked pasta.

          Season with salt and pepper. 

          Spoon into prepared muffin tins.

          Top each with half a cherry tomato.

3  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and set.

          Leave in tins for 5 minutes to firm then ease out with a knife.

4  Refrigerate to keep for 1-2 days.

I love this recipe because of the simplicity.  Mix & bake.  My kind of cooking!

Plain Talking in April

"Pitbulls are the victim of human stupidity"

~ Gina (dog trainer on the TV program "Last Chance Dogs" [Sky/Heartland])