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Today’s Daily Blog Watch Round-Up of matters that have attracted the attention, assessments, and articulations of this country’s leading bloggers…
NZ Left Blogosphere
On Tumeke today, Tim Selwyn writes about the Auckland Plans and laments that Auckland’s fate is being decided by Wellington bureaucrats, not Aucklanders. The Super City was a creature of Central Government and it seems that the Tories just can’t stay out of people’s lives… National does Nanny Statism very, very well.
Tim also covered the 2013 AGM of the Mana Party, and does a cool little round-up of proceedings. Well written and with good humour. Check it out yourself – politics should always be this much fun!
Danyl makes some excellent suggestions on The Dim Post how a new incoming Labour-Green government can use the GCSB’s soon-to-be increased powers to crack down on tax fraud. Won’t New Zealand businesses and their right wing sycophants be very, very pleased. See: There’s always money in the banana stand
In The coastguard? redux, Danyl poses a few more thoughts on the whole issue of allowing the GCSB to spy on us. He goes into the Whys, Wherefors, and Howevers, and whilst I’m not totally supportive of his conclusions – he makes a damned good argument for his case. (Thank Odin that rightwingers are never this coherent, is all I can say.)
Maurice Williamson is an idiot. Whoah! What if all of existence is, like, one massive 3-D printout? Someone – maybe one of his caregivers? – really, really needs to tell this twat that 3D Printers cannot print drugs.
Maurice, Maurice, Maurice…
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On The Hand Mirror, Luddite Journo posts an interesting analysis of past sexist advertising (which is pretty damn stomach-turning) – and compares it to Marvel superheroes. What’s the connection? You’ll have to have a squizz yourself, reader. Click here: Marvellous heroes
And click On Margaret Thatcher and empathy to read Luddite Journo’s measured response to Thatcher’s kicking the bucket passing. Well written. And restrained. (Though personally I just hope that the mortician didn’t forget to drive a stake through her black heart, as well as lining her coffin with garlic and sprinkling holy water over the Undead One. But that’s just me.)
The Jackal asks When will Thatcherism truly die? and plants a size 9 boot into Thatcherism; a hack journo at Fairfax (who the feck is Maria Golovnina – a refugee from Pravda?); and Cameron “Wail’n’boil” Slater repeating Golovnina’s puerile rubbish. So what else is new – Slater is editor of my favorite emergency toilet-paper, “The Twuth”.
And check out The Jackal’s views on the GCSB; proposals to extend the Bureau’s powers; and more fibbing from Dear Leader. A law unto themselves – the best heading ever on this issue.
The Civilian is rapidly becoming New Zealand’s best political satire show…
… hmmm, wait, no, that should read; The Civilian is New Zealand’s only political satire show!
In this issue, The Civilian pokes fun at;
- Unemployed strike over cuts to unemployment
- Telecom urges customers to solve Yahoo!Xtra issues by not using Yahoo!Xtra
- John Minto curious to know why house full of tiny microphones
- North Korea threatens to kill Nicolas Cage
Worth a laff; a snort; and a giggle…
Meanwhile, over at The Standard,
- Weapons of mass distraction – John Key’s latest performance of public bullshitting is a distraction sez, I have to say though, I have a sneaking admiration for the shear gall he’s shown in trying to recycle the most notorious lie of the twenty-first century“. Key, a liar?! Whoda thunk it?
- Karol calls GCSB changes – outrageous anti-democratic. Which leads me to wonder if this is what New Zealanders voted for when they turfed out Labour for being “nanny statist”. Now we have National – fascist statist. How does that sit with Mums and Dads, I wonder? And will they be sending Little Johnny and Jenny off to the Key Youth movement to practice marching at night rallies and singing our new anthem, ‘New Zealand, New Zealand, über alles‘…?
- In Asset Sales: Orcon, an un-announced asset sale is discussed by Bunji. Ironically, our household was considering moving our business to Orcon. Guess there’s no reason to now. As Bunji points out, this is yet another lie/broken promise from Dear Bloody Leader…
- Nat leadership speculation and mentions “Team Joyce” or “Team Collins”. I doubt there’d be much support for a “Team Collins” coup – remember the consequences of Team Shipley, when she gave Bolger the heave-ho? Didn’t that end jolly well; a coalition break-up; the collapse of NZ First; and losing the election in late 1999…
- writes of Labour’s Caveat Emptor 2. Too little, too late? *sighs*
- And Key and Thatcher’s ghost – by – An imagine is worth 500 words! (The remaining 500 being sold off by the Nats.)
No Right Turn gives us Another reason to hate Margaret Thatcher – and this one’s an eye-opener!
Brian Edwards is back on his Media blog – woohoo! – writing Of knuckleheads, long-running stories, media beat-ups and Judith Collins parting the waters, and pointing out that politicians that attack the media are generally heading on their way out of government. This is one of Brian’s Best Ever Blogposts and is highly recommended to the reader.
In simple terms, Key and the Media have squared off – and Key blinked. Read why. It makes sense. We are witnessing a government in slow-mo self-immolation. It’ll be fascinating to see polling in the next few months.
On Ideologically Impure, QoT writes about the latest villainy and mischief making by anti-abortionist busy-bodies, Antichoicers protest too much. Again. And offers her own Random recommended reading. I dunno what it is, but there’s something that resonates with me about QoT’s writing. It’s like she’s writing down my thoughts, word-for-sarky-word.
While over on Socialist Aotearoa, there are two interesting blogposts – one on global warming – the other on North Korea, Socialism or barbarism in Korea. The latter is an especially fascinating read. (The righties won’t like it; they prefer to lump all socialists in together. But that’s ok. Most of us think that all right wingers are ponzi-scheming; thieving; conniving criminals. Kinda balances out in the end… )
… but I digress. The piece of Nth Korea is a good read. Rip into it comrades/mates/bros/cuzzies.
Some good reading here, folks. Enjoy. Except for “Native Affairs” on tonight at 8.30pm, Maori TV, there’s nothing much on telly anyhow – so read up instead.
Blogpost of the Day
The Jackal – with his amazing de-construction of some bigotted propaganda from the quasi-fascist Family Fist group. See; Inciting the bigots . And some christuians wonder why the rest of us are so scornful of religious fundamentalists. I so look forward to the day we can campaign to prevent “Christians” from marrying and breeding.
When anti-gay rights wilfully lie about what a Green MP said in Parliament, you know that the little god-bothering greeblies are in a panic.
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Thought For The Day
John Key. Cyber Attacks. GCSB. Weapons of mass destruction???
Really, John? Are you really getting that desperate?
Tell ya what, sunshine. Call an early election and we’ll put you out of your misery. Promise – you won’t feel a thing.
~oo~
