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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 The Daily Blog

Open Parachute present good science so readers can Get a grip on the science behind claims about fluoridation. And in a related blogpost asks  Is fluoride an essential dietary mineral?   Open Parachute is an excellent blog which presents sound info on science and technological issues.  If you’re really intersted in the flouride debate, read what they have to say.

On the issue of science-related issues, Gareth on Hot Topic gives us an interesting glimpse into the personal attacks that Climate Change Deniers throw at those they disagree with. Check out Prat watch #11: don’t fone us…

Still on science and environmental matters, Mandy sez Here’s to saving the Mackenzie, on Forest & Bird’s blog. Mandy is obviously passionate in saving the Mackenzie from despoilation by developers, writing,

“ The parties have agreed to protect the Mackenzie for the sake of the flora and fauna, the natural values that attract so many tourists to the area, and those New Zealanders who might otherwise only ever know the Mackenzie about as well as we know the moa.

Forest & Bird will keep a close interest in how the relevant parties decide on which parts should make up the protected 100,000 hectares. This process will require open minds, and good will, on the part of all.

This is where all will be lost, or won, for the Mackenzie.What’s been agreed so far is significant, and offers the potential at least for some meaningful solace. The parties have agreed to protect the Mackenzie for the sake of the flora and fauna, the natural values that attract so many tourists to the area, and those New Zealanders who might otherwise only ever know the Mackenzie about as well as we know the moa.”

Forest & Bird will keep a close interest in how the relevant parties decide on which parts should make up the protected 100,000 hectares. This process will require open minds, and good will, on the part of all. This is where all will be lost, or won, for the Mackenzie.What’s been agreed so far is significant, and offers the potential at least for some meaningful solace.

Here’s to saving the Mackenzie!

Danyl on The Dim Post makes an interesting point On why not everyone has a stake in surveillance reduction. Clue: money. Gobs and gobs of money. Taxpayers‘ money. Read and weep. Or cry hysterically. Your call.

Don Franks on Redline expresses his disgust at Jami-Lee Ross MP and scabs, as the National MP’s  Employment Relations (Continuity of Labour) Bill is drawn from the Ballot. Don sez,

“With his scab-enabling law being drawn from the member’s bill ballot, Parliament’s youngest MP, Jami-Lee Ross has won ten minutes of fame.”

This is an odious piece of garbage masquerading as a Bill. Employers & Manufacturers Association (EMA) is dubious at Ross’s Bill. No doubt they understand that the consequences of such an extreme law in the workplace. Do employers really want to make their workers  more militant?

On Public Address, Russell Brown looks at The United States of Surveillance and recent developments in surveillance, data storage, data mining – and a very, very strange logo that will have Conspiracy Theorists in paroxyms of fear. Russell outlines some of his personal experiences, and this adds to our understanding of what’s happening with the growth of State power.

Also on Public Address is Hayden Green pointing out that homophobic slurs at rugby games were not  Part of the Game. Hayden’s comments point a satirical barb at “fuckwits fuckwitting the place up and a few flecks of shit will ruin the entire glass of milk.”

Scott Yorke makes funny on Imperator Fish Nation, Government announces exciting new plan to overcrowd 39,000 houses in Auckland. Yes folks, those cunning Nats have solved the housing crisis! As Key said (or not),

“The latest Roy Morgan State of the Nation shows that there are five or more people living in 23.9% of Auckland homes. Our research suggests that by taking no meaningful action to reduce house prices, we could easily achieve a rate of at least 40%. Sure, we could build a lot of more houses, but that would be pretty expensive. So instead we think a more efficient solution is just to try and fit more people into the houses we already have.”

Also on Imperator Fish, Scott tells us of left-wingbloggers fuming over what they’ll blog about once a centre-left government is elected. Evidently, we’ll have nought to bitch about. Never mind, the  Blogger finds a silver lining anyway.

The uneasy feeling I have is that Scott may have gazumped the Nats on this. For all we know, Nick Smith was about to launch a press conference announcing just this very policy.

Warning: this may make your stomach turn – QoT on Ideologically Impure informs us on #voteWTF – Wednesday 19 June, 8:30pm, TV3 that three panellists on the side of “shitting on poor people” are,

• Bob McCoskrie
• Hannah Tamaki
• Christine Rankin

The term obscene spring to mind. Opposing any acknowldegement of child poverty crisis in New Zealand are,

1. an advocate of bashing children
2. a parasite grown bloated rich on the backs of her congregation
3. an exhibitionistic grief peddler

Nice one, TV3. Were Graham Capill, Jimmy Swaggart, and  Myra Hindley unavailable?

On Frankly Speaking,  Frank looks at Mediaworks, Solid Energy, and National Standards and Shafting our own children’s future? Hell yeah, why not! when it comes to the Reserve Bank raising Deposit rates for house prchases to 20%. But he has some nice things to say The fabulously talented Kim Hill.

Idiot Savant on No Right Turn posits that the GCSB is Fundamentally compromised with it’s two roles,

“This exposes a fundamental conflict of interest between the GCSB’s two roles, created entirely by its relationship with foreign agencies. Bluntly, it cannot protect our government’s communications while working in partnership with foreign agencies in the way that it does. We need to choose, between a spy agency which works for us, and one which will betray our interests to protect its relationship with the US and UK.”

It is also revealed that Britain’s version of the GCSB, the “GCHQ spied on foreign diplomats at the 2009 G20 summit, compromising their cellphones, emails, and internet communications (including by the ingenious method of setting up fake internet cafes loaded with keyloggers and other spyware to capture diplomat’s communications and passwords)“.

Savant is Against karakia in schools – and explains the simple rationale behind his osition. Quite simply – it’s the law.

The revolving door in Parliament allows several lobbyists to have access to Ministers that we, the Masses, do not. All aided and abetted by Speaker of the House, David “what-me-biased?” Carter.

Savant is Gutted as  “the Commerce Committee has reported back on Te Ururoa Flavell’s Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill. But while they’ve recommended that it be passed with amendments, the bill has basically been gutted, turned from a tool to reduce gambling harm to one to increase it.”

Not exactly Flavell’s stirling performance.

One could ask, why did Flavell bother getting out of bed that morning?

Check out Stargazer who blogs on home ownership, and the eyebrow raising suggestion by a couple of economists that young New Zealanders should  no longer aspire to own their own homes. As Stargazer pointed out,

“instead we should be content with renting, although they do tell us that the rental market needs to change so that people can rent for the long-term.  nice of them.

until the rental market changes, what are people supposed to do?  and who exactly are they to be renting from?  in the world these economists are telling us to aspire to, we would have one class of people who get to own property to rent out, and another class of people who would always be renting.  The perpetual tenants are apparently able to build up just as much wealth as the property owners, simply by saving & investing the difference between what they pay in rent & what they would have paid towards a mortgage.”

Although, as a blogpost in The Daily Blog suggests – The gentrification of Te Papa – we may well be on the road to a two-tier society anyway. And the frightening thing is that some New Zealanders think this is perfectly acceptable.

Socialist Aotearoa blogs that “all great art is ideological weaponry“, referring to  The Guillotine by The Coup – A revolutionary anthem for our times. Socialist Aotearoa describes it as  “a mixture of funk and hip-hop, it is explicitly an attack on the ruling class and can be comfortably categorised as both a ‘text of resistance’ and ‘authentic subcultural activity’.”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acT_PSAZ7BQ&w=560&h=315]

The Jackal comments on National’s culture of finger-pointing and blame-gaming and asks just Where the buck should stop? Even the msm has (belatedly) recognised this aspect of the National Government  and asks perhaps the most pertinent question this far in the blogosphere;

“Considering there’s a complete lack of any ministerial accountability, one has to ask the question; do we really need a government at all? If all a Minister of the Crown needs to do is pass the buck down the chain of command in order to save their own hides, then what use are they? ”

Clever bloke (blokette?) this Jackal. Hence why s/he’s one of my fav bloggers.

The Moral Shepherd of the Left, Chris Trotter, had this blogpost on Bowalley Road a few days ago, and is still worth looking at if you haven’t already; Through A PRISM Darkly. It  goes siome way to explaining, perhaps, why the public are no longer spoooked about spooks. The government variety. Not the ectoplasmic sort.

Meanwhile, The Civilian takes a look at the news today that Mediaworks has gone into receivership…

• How will MediaWorks reduce its debt?

The Civilian takes a look at how MediaWorks plans to reduce its financial debt: Relocate studios to Dargaville. Stop funding Duncan Garner’s Juicy Puff addiction. Cut back to just 5 Days. Rename The Edge radio station to less pricey Larry Mullen, Jr. Downgrade search for hottest home…

And lots more funny suggestions! (Some of which might actually work?)

• Banks seize John Campbell as MediaWorks enters receivership

MediaWorks’ banks Westpac, RaboBank and RBS Group have seized ownership of veteran broadcaster and host of TV3’s Campbell Live John Campbell, in an effort to help pay down the company’s debt after it was put into receivership early this morning…

And on The Standard,

• Ben Clark presents his summation of the Manufacturing Inquiry report, listing eleven recommendations.

It’s interesting that Key has unilaterally dismissed the Inquiry Report – the recommendations are all fairly straight forward and common sense.

Two things;

1. Let’s hope the recommendations are implemented by an incoming progressive government.

2. Winston – grow up and stop playing fucking political games!

• Democracy is under attack, writes Anthony R0bins, and lists ten examples of how National is abusing it’s power and subverting the democratic process.

Perhaps one of the most pernicious is National legislating away the rights of caregivers of disabled children, to take their case to Court. This is an obscene mis-use of power. Are New Zealanders really “relaxed” about this kind of Muldoonist attack?

• Protest at sea – a simple, effective, and very powerful message. It is unattributed, but it’s pure genius.

• Karol writes an insightful blogpost on Water under pressure. She sez,

“Of concern also is the way Key’s government, is trying to over-ride local council plans in conjunction with their weakening of the RMA.  Greg Presland of Waitakere West has expressed concern over the way Nick Smith has engaged in the Government-Auckland Council “accord” in bad faith, while weakening environmental protections.”

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On The Daily Blog

• “The Spies Are Welcome To Mine”: A Fantasy, by Chris Trotter,

This is the question I explore below in my description of an entirely fictional encounter between John Roughan and a left-wing intelligence officer. The exchange takes place two years in the future.

This ‘Twilight Zone‘ style blogpost falls into the category of Be Careful What You Wish For.  Without giving anything away, it is a master-stroke of giving a government sycophant his just deserts. Even if it is just a fantasy…

• What went wrong in Iceland?, asks  Prof Jane Kelsey,

An interesting insight as to how Iceland handled it’s banking collapse, and the lessons we might learn from our Nordic cousins. This document should be read by every incoming Labour, Green, NZ First, and Mana MP prior to 2014.

• It’s not apathy – it’s disillusionment, writes  John Minto,

This disillusionment is growing throughout the world where people have repeatedly voted for one thing but have always been delivered the same harsh, family-unfriendly policies. Whether it’s Labour or National the 1% get richer while most of the 99% struggle.

John adds, quite brilliantly, “But when I engaged people in conversation about the by-election it became very clear that the apparent lack of interest of so many was not apathy but disillusionment”.

• New Zealand will suffer from GCSB spying on China,  writes Keith Locke,

National and Labour politicians are living in a dream world if they think that there won’t eventually be a kickback from Beijing.

Keith points out that we are playing a dangeous game between two rival super-powers.

• Are we just consumers now? asks  James Ritchie,

Tell me Mr Prime Minister, how do we work with dignity, collectively build our nation, develop a sustainable economy, reduce the crime rate, build mutual respect between diverse groups and live productively in civil society when there is a deliberate policy to drive down wages and diminish our very ability to work together by reducing access to collective bargaining.You propose to allow employers to set the wage and working conditions of a new worker where existing workers have already joined together to negotiate the terms of employment.

Once upon a time, we were citizens. Now we are consumers.

Just as, once upon a time, hospitals had patients. Now, hospitals have “clients”.

• The Dunne & Vance Theory 1, writes  Martyn Bradbury,

What if someone else was the initial leak to Vance?

Martyn asks questions surrounding the Dunne Affair. Maybe it wasn’t all as straight forward as the Coiffured One made out?

• The gentrification of Te Papa,  writes Frank Macskasy,  leaves us with the question,

Te Papa – Our Place?

It seems that the upper crust don’t want to give away their precious to the Great Unwashed any time soon. Read the comments section.  Elitism screams shrill and loud.

• Ramifications of National’s new scab law,  Martyn Bradbury  writes,

National need a new section of the community to project divisive hate at now beneficiaries have been beaten to a bloody pulp and the Unions provide them with the perfect bogeyman to blame National’s lack of economic stewardship on.

This has to be National’s Crazy Moment.  Thankfully, it will over-shadow Labour’s Crazy Moment at Skycity’s Mt Eden corporate box.

• The John Banks School for Errant Maori and Polynesian South Auckland Lads (Ltd), writes  Dianne Khan,

Oh lord, I just thought, what if we get hungry kids?  Can you get your staff to whip up some eggs bene for them to share? No?  Oh man, well best get that Weetbix lined up, then.  But still send the eggs –  we claim that on expenses. I doubt we would we have to declare it, eh?

This is one of the most delightful, observant, and illuminating piece on Charter Schools I’ve read. A mix of fact, satire, and dripping condemnation, Dianne peels away the bullshit and presents us with John Banks’ gift to the nation. It is a gift we should mark “Return To Sender”.

Read. And enjoy.

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Blogpost of the Day

On Red Alert,  Darien Denton points out what a Topsy turvy world it is as Jamie-Lee Ross’s Employment Relations (Continuity of Labour) Bill, is drawn from the ballot this week. Simply put, this is a nasty little Bill that, if implemented, will be even harsher on workers than the old Employment Contracts Act. If made into law, employers can replace any worker who dares go on strike. Strikebreaking scabs will be the new norm.

If this is passed by National and Peter Dunne, expect violence as workers fight scab labour to keep their jobs.

There will be blood on the streets. And on Jamie-Lee Ross’s hands.

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Funniest Exchange on a Blog today

On Frank Macskasy’s blogpost; The gentrification of Te Papa,

The RWNJ-known-as-Gosman: “I know many people who might qualify for a community services card for any number of reasons who would possibly still pay to see an exhibit. ”

ALH 84001 responds: “ Gosman, that cracked me up.   You’d know as many people with a Community Services card as I’d know millionaires. ”

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Action of the Week

Homelessness – The Big Sleepout 2013 Appeal –  Martyn Bradbury writes,

On the 4th July I will be going homeless. For one cold night in the dead of winter I will be stripped of my creature comforts, exposed to the elements and given insight into what it means to sleep rough.I live in the central city and I have for almost two decades. The homeless problem in central Auckland, has to my eyes steadily increased.If we don’t bring attention to the poverty that is driving this homelessness, we won’t ever generate the solutions necessary to solve homelessness.EVERY dollar I fundraise will be directly applied to Lifewise’s unique “no band aids” approach to homelessness. The Lifewise response continues to be Auckland’s most successful answer to the issue of homelessness. So before I bed down on a slab of concrete I’d love to ask if you might sponsor me. Please back me and please back this worthy cause by digging deep today.Thank you.

Please donate here

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Thought for the Day

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~ Joe Blogger

“The Daily Blog Watch” Editor, Imbiber of Fine Sugary Drinks,  & Cat Herder

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~oo~