The Daily Blog Watch Wednesday 22 May

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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…

 

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NZ Left Blogosphere

Today was a shameful day in our history…

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

On Red Alert, Grant Robertson verbalises what a good deal of the country is currently thinking about Paul Neazor’s report on the GCSB, and calls it what it is – “Arguably” Bulls**t;

“Apparently, according to a six line news brief on page seven of the New Zealand Herald today, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security’s report into the possible unlawful spying on New Zealanders has cleared the GCSB of any illegality. That’s it, nothing to see here, move on everyone.”

No Right Turn has a swag of good stuff to read,

On Frankly Speaking, Frank Macskasy questions The GCSB law – vague or crystal clear?  Frank posts the text of the legislation and points out that it couldn’t be clearer. He follows up with A letter to the Dominion Post on the GCSB. My guess is it’ll never get printed. To embarressing.

Pablo takes a more laid-back attitude to the GCSB report on Kiwipolitico, suggesting practical ways and means to  Improving intelligence oversight. Measured and well-considered, the government could do well to  note his advice.

Frogblog is one of the best ways to see what our Green MPs are up to.  Jan Logie condemns the  Pay Equity that (predominantly)  women are facing in the care industry. Jan reminds us,

“Last year Judy McGregor Challenged the government to address the significant pay equity issue of the appallingly low rates of pay for the female dominated workforce of rest home workers. Nothing has been done.”

I recall Ms McGregor in the media, on this issue. I also recall Dear Leader’s response; “we don’t have the money”. No, but the guvmint had a couple of hundred million to blow on the Rugby World Cup… Mr Key, thou are a clueless turkey.

Also in Frogblog, Mojo Mathers writes about  Countering the arguments against palm oil labelling. She writes compellingly, and advocates for solutions to the continuing crisis of denuded forests and the destruction of habitats. Mojo calls for clear labelling on products using Palm Oil and dismisses all the crappy arguments against.

Good on her!

Bryce Edwards on Liberation looks at Judith Collins and her epic fail of the Voight-kampff test (really, was there ever any doubt?). On a more serious note, Bryce wonders about  Judith Collins and if democracy was under attack  and asks,

“But does Judith Collins really deserve the contempt and outrage of her critics?”

Short answer, Bryce? Fuck yeah. What was the point of the MMP Review and calling for submissions if it was all one unmitigated waste of time?

And can I get my bus fare reimbursed??

Yesterday I referred to Chris Trotter’s piece, Child Poverty: The Manifestation Of Parental Sin? on his blog, Bowalley Road. But it’s so goddamn good that I’m reviewing it again. If you haven’t read it – do it!

I swear – it’s awesome. Money-back guarantee!

Speaking of money, check out Bat,Bean, Beam blogging on Yahoo’s purchase of Tumblr; The Social Dead. An interesting insight.

Ideologically Impure’s QoT reviews that old classic, Fatal Attraction and screams  Pro-choice = craaaaaaaaaaazy: film edition at the back-ground issues of unwanted pregnancy, abortion, etc. It’s a new look at a centuries (millenia!) old gender conflict.

Interesting, though, that old movies can be see with eyes from another decade and with entirely new interprations assigned. Case in point, the scene in Goldfinger, with James Bond and Pussy Galore in the barn. At the time the movie was produced (1964), Bond was seen to be seducing Ms Galore in a “manly way”. Now it’s seen to be rape, in a criminal way.

Meanwhile,  on Maui Street gives us An update on Ikaroa-Rawhiti. A valuable insight into the up-coming by-election.

And if you still haven’t read Marty’s piece, as to why I don’t tolerate race baiters – check it out.  Someone who posts messages over at The Standard has egg on his/her face.

Rimutaka Labour MP, Chris Hipkins writes on his own blog that Minister Hekia Parata  finally sees sense over Salisbury. Indeed. Of all of Parata’s dumb ideas, the one to close a school for vulnerable girls and “re-intergrate” them into a co-ed school was not only daft – but downright dangerous. God knows what the parents of those girls went through.

The Jackal  asks Mutton or what? and reminds us that National’s crew-up would be an expensive lesson for this country. Because it’s not about acronyms – but about what we’re selling. Another blow to our economy by National’s clueless clowns.

Catching up with The Standard,

  • Anatomy of another Key lieSolid Energy – A solid drama of facts, fibs, and fall-guys.
  • Was the GCSB really ‘Cleared’, asks
  • For one of the longest – but most definitive looks at National’s track recod on the environt, read BLiP’s piece on Nats’ environmental record. Then bookmark it. It is extensive and utterly damning of the Nats. (One quibble, he/she needs help to format this kind of record so it’s more user-friendly. WTF, have a look anyway.)
  • Karol wrote about the Digital democracy: Fair Deal goes global – but don’t expect to read much about it in the msm. In the Dominioon Post it was buried somewhere in the back pages. (And the management at Fairfax  wonder why they are losing advertisers and readership. Fools.)
  •  Then why don’t you release the advice John? demands Regulatory Impact Statement – thereby preventing Parliament from knowing what it is voting on. This is Vladimir Putin stuff – and it’s happening in our own country,

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  • First Living Wage Council is Hamilton, writes Bunji. I heard the Radio NZ report this morning, including interviews with lowly paid staff. They will now be able to purchase more stuff  and participate more in society. Good for them and good for businesses! One said it incentivises her to stay in her job and not leave to go to Australia. This is great news! (And a pox on those small minded councillors who voted against it!)
  •  In a bit of  Political Science, Eddie reports that,  as I/S pointed out yesterday, the Government’s “innovation” agenda is nothing more than a cuts to R&D and hidden subsidies.  Today in the Herald that’s confirmed by the Associations of Scientists President, Shaun Hendy.
  • The Standard reports on the initial release of the report by the Independenhttp://www.imperatorfish.com/2013/05/is-len-brown-planning-to-blot-out-sun.htmlt Police Conduct Authority that the Police actions were unlawful in the Urewera raid.  Today we took a step back from National’s quasi-fascist corporatist police state…
  • $38 on highways for every dollar on public transport writes  , and sez,

    “Key is busy explaining that his petrol tax increase won’t just be funding his pet highway projects – the ‘Roads of National Significance’. He says it’ll go on public transport, too. Well, yeah, maybe. But the truth is that National is slashing public transport funding while pouring massive amounts into the RoNS even as traffic volumes fall and public transport demand rises.”

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Rightwing  Blog of the Day

I was going to check out Whaleboil. But this job don’t pay enough to get get down and dirty on that sleazy-site.It’d take an hour to shower off the filth.

Instead, I checked out Cactus Kate‘s blog. Mostly rubbish, but she did post this interesting take on a Great Post By Matt McCarten. Interesting not because it has merit, but because she actually posits her own take on her worldview. I wouldn’t want to live in it, but she’s welcome to her own little Parallel Universe Earth.

Only thing is, there’d be no poor people on her Alternate Earth (they’d be despatched to some Gulag on Mars), so who would she look down on?? Curious minds want to know.

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Blogpost of the Day

Pundit Anne Salmond asks, Government or playground bully?and writes,

“Increasingly, our Government is behaving like a playground bully. If Ministers will not restrain themselves from abuses of power, others need to stand up and speak out

In its editorial today, the New Zealand Herald joins Andrew Geddis in castigating the Government for a constitutional outrage – denying the family carers of people with disabilities the right to appeal against unlawful discrimination to the Human Rights Commission or the courts.”

This is National’s Foreshore & Seabed moment – when they effectively legislate away the rights of an entire segment of our society.

But read the whole thing; Anne lists National’s track record of bully-boy tactics. Not cool, Dear Leader, not cool.

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Thought for the Day

chris rock - minimum wage

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~oo~