the 1080 debate rages on.

I found this excellent and thoughtful article on the use of 1080 in New Zealand by Nicola Toki:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/blogs/in-our-nature/8954961/Why-1080-is-a-dirty-word

I dislike the use of this toxic crap as I have remarked previously on this blog.  I don't like that it destroys non-target animal life.  Yes it kills predators, but also their prey.  The very animals we are trying to protect.

"Oh look.  We killed over 1000 possums!"
"Yeah.  You did.  Shame about the last Spotted Kiwi in NZ dying too."

The biggest problem I have with 1080 is that you can never win with it.  Stop dropping the stuff and the predator population springs back.  Much in the same way that myxomatosis initially knocked back rabbits.  Well, they're back.  Not only back, rabbits have flooded back into the areas that were so nearly cleared out.

According to the experts, the only way to stay ahead of the game is to keep pouring 1080 into our native bush.  For ever.

I don't think so.

I was once asked for my solution.  I came up with the idea of genetic modification of the predator species.  What if the predator could be manipulated to only give birth to sterile or male offspring?  Game over, stoat!  Weasel out of that one.

The natural consequence of this sort of population control is that it is species specific and ongoing.  You can imagine the population dropping by massive amounts in just a few years as the population becomes increasingly sterile, male or both.

It's a thought, and one that would find a great deal of public support.  Unlike 1080.

Fonterra Word Association Game

Let's play a game shall we?  It's a word association game.

Fonterra
Dirty Dairying
Melamine
Dicyandiamide
Botulism
Fonterra

For life??  More like "fails life".

Me and Banky

I couldn't have foreseen the day when I would hold John Banks up as someone to honor.

(image: www.idealog.co.nz)

Today is that day.  Who would have thought?

You see, John has publicly spoken out against the testing of psychoactive substances (party pills et al) on animals.  Good on you John!

The Psychoactive Substances Bill is currently before a parliamentary committee despite an overwhelming number of Kiwis being against this cruel and inhumane treatment of animals.

If you wouldn't want your child/sibling/relative using these drugs then why allow them to be tested on animals?  Surely a complete ban is the way to move forward?

I can't believe that animal testing is so blithely accepted in New Zealand.

And before you claim that it doesn't happen here, it does.  Have a look at this: http://www.banbeagleexperiments.org.nz/

Ignorance is bliss right?

The good people of New Zealand are up in arms about this bill.  Join us.

Read about the protests on Stuff:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8980455/Protest-against-animal-testing

Winston Preciousssssss Peters

Dear old John Key has today refused to rule out working with Winston Peters in the next post-election fallout.

Remember, Frodo had to work with Gollum, distasteful as it was, in order to achieve a higher goal.

Beware, John. Winston is more tricksy and less trustworthy that Gollum ever was.  And of course he is his own Preciousssssss...

Zombie Newsflash - they're dangerous!

I like a laugh.  Especially when it concerns Zombies.  So I had to re-post the following article from stuff.co.nz.

Zombie injury bill scary stuff

Zombies and vampires may be popular in Hollywood, but their supernatural antics should come with a warning after ghostly injuries cost ACC almost $25,000 in the past five years.

ACC claims figures show the agency paid out $24,834 to more than 20 people between 2008 and 2012 for ghost, vampire and zombie-related accidents.

Explanations for the paranormal injuries varied.

They included crashing into a pole while playing zombies at school, accidentally put arm through window telling a ghost story, hit head crawling under bed to find ghost, fell off stage during ghost tour, bumped into dishwasher playing ghost tag, banged forehead on door frame wearing a blanket pretending to be a ghost and knocked over by a vampire.

Most of the money was paid out in 2010, where six claimants received varying shares of $20,696.

An ACC spokeswoman said many of the unearthly injuries were the result of preventable accidents.

"The safest place in your house for a zombie is the living room," she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Zombies are dangerous.  Who would have thought?

(image - americablog.com)

Braaaaiiinnnnnnnnsssssss.....

Nick Smith - so close and yet so far....

Conservation Minister Nick Smith pushed all the right buttons when he declined the Milford Dart tunnel project through conservation land.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8930108/Final-call-on-Milford-Tunnel-due

In his decision released yesterday, Smith explained that the $180 million project to link the Fiordland and Mt Aspiring National Parks via tunnel was "beyond what was appropriate for a World Heritage Area".

It's virtually unthinkable for a Minister of the National government to place environmental concerns ahead of profits and jobs. Applause all round I would say.

Unfortunately Smith has undone much of the good work with this little bombshell released later the same day:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8934809/Nick-Smith-backs-1080-call

That's right our conservation Minister backs the plan to use more 1080.  He is OK with pouring more of this incredibly toxic crap all over the pristine countryside he wants so much to protect.

*sigh*

So it's one step forwards, and one back it seems.

(image - stuff.co.nz)

That's right Nick.  You were that close to gaining a great deal of support for your conservation stance.

Photo caption?

Found this photo and caption in this weeks edition of the Central South Island Farmer newspaper.

According to the caption, Scott Pearson "draws in roadside shingle".  Remarkably accurate, but why not:

 "..utilizes a local, natural resource to render a representation of regional topography in micro scale."

Much better.  Politicians & Management would appreciate the difference I'm sure.

Pita Sharples - dead?

I like Pita Sharples.

He's a man of principles.  Integrity.  Honor.  What Maori would call 'Mana'.  A statesman.  Someone we can trust.  I'm sure that Pita would be fun to be around.  His genial smile and infectious good humor make him someone I would probably like a great deal.

It's a shame then, that he must have passed away recently.

I say this because he resigned from the Maori Party co-leadership on Tuesday of this week.  Yet previously, Pita was quoted as saying that he would "lead (the party) until I'm dead".

Based on that quote, he must have died.  What a shame.

How then does a part-time blogger explain his current state?  Ambling around and holding press conferences?  You guessed it - he has to be a....ZOMBIE!

Zombification image to follow.  Stay tuned....

Sky TV miffed over football loss

Sky TV has had the rug pulled from under it by an upstart company Coliseum Sport Media Management (CSM).  CSM has successfully out-bid SKY for three years' worth of the Premier League Football coverage. 

Hu-Rah!

I'm a Sky subscriber - and I'm not a happy one.  You see I have to subscribe to the basic digital package ($46.92) then add the basic Sports package ($26.45 - total $73.37) in order to watch _some_ live tennis (TVNZ has the rights to Wimbledon this year).   

Now I'm irked that I have to spend so much in order to watch so little.  In our home we watch very little TV at all.  If we could, we would be happy to subscribe to just the stuff we wish to watch.  To be honest we seriously considered dumping Sky completely and going TV free.  In the end we felt we would miss the tennis too much.

The news that CSM has upped the ante and proven that digital distribution can work is a god-send to aggrieved Sky subscribers like me.  I can't wait until the major tennis competitions offer an online subscription to the live TV feed.  I'd be much happier paying Wimbledon.com (or whatever) $120 for the two weeks coverage than paying Sky anything for the rubbish they offer on most of their channels.


"Sky: your happy place" - yeah right!


Story on Stuff: here.

Peter Dunne - gobble gobble

I watched MP Peter Dunne's demise on TV3 tonight.  With the finger of blame for the GCSB report leak pointed directly at him there was no where to hide and the result was inevitable.  Dunne's resignation is perhaps the best thing he could have done now that things have gone this far.

Pundits are calling the resignation the "end" of Dunne.  Maybe so.  It's not looking great for Peter - which is a ignominious end to a long career.

I for one won't be sad to see the back of Peter Dunne.  I hold him personally responsible for not knocking back the sale of fireworks a few years back ( http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0611/S00138.htm ).  We can all do without explosives in the hands of minors.  Pity Dunne couldn't see that.

I was also aghast when Peter admitted that he thought testing of party pills on animals was a good idea ( http://blog.eternalvigilance.me/2012/12/peter-dunne-is-a-sick-puppy/ ).  Fortunately Dunne was forced to back down following a significant public outcry.  What was he thinking?

I wanted to do a photo-chop of Dunne as a clown - like my treatment of Aaron Gilmore, but my partner came up a better idea...

Warrior Aaron Gilmore demands Utu

Aaron Gilmore is completely unable to shut his mouth when he should do so.  So while he's making a dick of himself I feel that it is only proper that the media continues taking the Michael.

I present Warrior Gilmore, whose fierce visage and demands of 'utu' must have his opponents quaking in their boots.

The Natural Selection of Male Drivers

Excellent news!  Due to a high-speed crash in South Auckland over the weekend, four idiots are dead and the rest of us are, on average, a tiny bit safer on the roads.

People are calling this a tragedy.  It’s only so for the grieving families.  I don’t give a toss when young idiots wipe themselves out.  Let’s face it, we are all secretly pleased they didn't kill one of our family or some other innocent party.

Natural selection has judged the following and found them wanting…

   Dominic Stehlin, 19

   Uesitini Tootoo, 18

   George Lomia, 20

   Viane Gaga, 18

Astonishingly, a Stuff.co.nz article had us believe that the fourth victim (Gaga) died “peacefully some hours later” following his life support being switched off.  Ask yourself; is it possible to die peacefully from massive injuries while struggling to cling to life?

According to Police, the Honda the four were in was travelling at an estimated 160km/h and crashed into a parked ute.  I have some sympathy for the ute owner who is now without their vehicle through no fault of their own.

Counties Manukau District Commander Superintendent John Tims expressed frustration over the incident:

"There is a simple and persistent message to all drivers, especially young drivers, is that when police ask you to stop, please stop.”

Great advice which will continue to be ignored by the quick and the (soon to be) dead.

The last word on Gilmore

If it's true that NZ politics is a circus, then what does that make Aaron Gilmore?

You guessed it.

Finally - a GREAT cathedral!

I've grown up in Christchurch & feel an affinity with the city.  Yet I'm completely bored by the seemingly endless bitching about the new/old cathedral.  I've seen the designs and don't think much of any of them.

I had to sit up and take notice when the Stuff website posted a picture of a proposed design for a new church in the city.

This glorious building is proposed to be built in Nunweek Park in Harewood.  I like it.

I had to laugh though, when I read the headline:

Church plans irk rugby club

Religion interfering with our national religion?  Surely not?

Bugger the rugby - let's have this building please!

Full story:

 http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8626929/Church-plans-irk-rugby-club

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..

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.