Darkness descends on Wellington

Last night a weather that dropped snow on Otago and Southland moved and soaked Wellington with cold driving rain.  This morning, temperatures were around 7 deg C, there was a 9 metre swell and wind gusts of 122km/h. In literature, and movies this is not a good sign. indeed the ascension of Narnia's ice-queen might well be heralded similar weather. But the ice-queen is fiction, however the agents of darkness visiting Wellington are far from products of a creative imagination.

Following on the theme, it seemed sensible to say with a smile "With crap weather like this, there must be Anadarko executives in town." While shopping, few a people responded well to this comment, it seems Wellingtonians are well informed on the issues surrounding deep ocean drilling, Deep-Water Horizon.

Later this month Anadarko expects to start drilling in the Pegasus basin some 40Km from the southern cost of Wellington/Wairarapa. This week Anadarko executes will be having a summit with government officials in preparing for drilling.  Or is it for delivery of the final instalments on the bribes to John Key. Who can really be sure?

Much as the chill in today's weather was uncomfortable it not as uncomfortable as silence that will be created if changes to Resource Management Act are inacted to make drilling non-notifiable.  Protestors today visited parliament with noise makers and wearing tape over their mouths. The tape symbolized the silence of the public that will be created the amendments that the government is aiming to pass.

While some point to the far future and the effects on climate, there are far more immediate concerns. Exploration is the dangerous phase of extraction, indeed Deep-water Horizon was an exploratory well when it blew out. In short, when sit down to home made fish pie, fish fingers or terakihi fillet, it would be rather desirable for it to not taste like shit. If you have got a whiff of crude oil, you know that is what smells like, and will taste like. Better than that I'm pretty firm on the idea that collapsing and having seizures as a result of eating contaminated sea food is really something I'd rather avoid. Sadly, many American's have not been so fortunate. Lessions have appeared on gulf sea life, and in the people that have consumed it. Some lessions appearing in brain tissue causing seizures after swimming in gulf water.

We don't need this here.


See Also
    Today's protest for protesting - 3news

The emperor and the dark side of the force...

Would I spy on you? In a heart beat!

Recent weeks their has been a public wrangling over what the Prime Minster of New Zealand knew and when in relation to the Dotcom raids of July 2011. Shortly after those Raids, Kim Dotcom held a public meeting, in Selwyn during which he discussed the broader circumstances of the raids (that we now know were illegal) and the charges against him.

While Dotcom was seeking to become a permanent resident, The Security Intelligence Service (SIS), had issued a certificate opposing his application.

In mid 2010 John Key, visits California, and talks to major studio representatives. The very next day the SIS certificate is withdrawn, paving the way for Dotcom to get his Permanent Residency status.

Once the PR status is granted GCSB had no legal basis to monitor his activities, but that did not stop them. And now Prime Minister John Key has pushed through legislation to make such monitoring of New Zealand Citizens legally permissible.

The problem with this is the GCSB operates under the auspices of the Prime-minister’s office. This is the path by which persecution of political opposition comes.

It is disturbing to so many quoting unwittingly Jospeph Goebals, the Nazi minister for propaganda when they say "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." Taken in its true context this quote is chilling.

Bradley Manning has nothing to hide, especially after they stripped him naked, made him sleep with the lights on, and look at what they did to him. While some people might call it dating, keep in mind at end of a date, everybody goes home, Bradley might be lucky to see photos of home.

None the less, there was national day action in New Zealand's  main centre, With MP Gareth Hughes speaking in Auckland.


See Also:
   Radio Live

As parliament advances human rights, meet the sore losers

It was only to be expected really, the Conservative Party of New Zealand are just not happy with Wednesday nights vote to allow the state to recognize the right to marry regardless of gender or sexuality. Not only does this bill mean same sex couples can marry, it will also mean the an end to mandatory divorces for couples where one spouse seeks to pursue their transgender identity.

But the conservatives and Winston Peters, with both calling for a referendum. Winston Peters made this clear in speech on Wednesday night in a moment where I not help imagine him in a rainbow afro wig, big red round foam rubber nose, and size 42 floppy shoes.

But he's not the only one talking about referenda.
Colin Craig's Conservative party issue the following press release on facebook.

Of course the problem that they appear to miss is that majority opinion on minority rights is subject to prejudice and the slanders and liables that prevail in the majority narrative. Then again they perhaps relying on it, because that narrative is subject to vociferous minorities spreading bullshit, we saw that happen in 1930 Germany, and we saw it in the lead up to the Rwandan Genocide as Hutu preachers, raised church attendance by slamming Tutsies. But the targets don't even have to be in the minority, in West Africa no one less powerful perhaps than a child, and preachers there persecute children for being witches

For a political party, it is unusual in this country to see a press release start with a religious reference. But since it is a quote from Colin Craig that should not be a surprised. And it is perhaps the first clue that dangerously stupid is about to be said.

The next paragraph is shall we say counter factual, a majority of Kiwis support this as evidenced by recent polls include one run by a group intent to fight the bill. While some polls have had results that appear to support the Conservative position many were far from scientific, include the Campbell Live text poll cited by Winston Peters. But even so I have already shown why even a well run poll would be pointless. Even if the Herald Digipoll got the number right at 52% the margin of error puts 49% with in range. Under 30's support marriage equality more than older generations and support is set to grow for marriage equality even faster as people notice the world isn't falling off its axis. The apparent rise against marriage equality is like the result of people accepting lies and liables against the variant communities and the wedge argument from consequences at were offered by the conservative quarter.  Not to mention the preacher that blame the drought on the marriage equality debate.

Yes, majority rules, is the platform position of Conservatives, And Germany voted to take away the rights of Jews

Should the Jew, with the aid of his Marxist creed, triumph over the people of this world, his Crown will be the funeral wreath of mankind, and this planet will once again follow its orbit through ether, without any human life on its surface, as it did millions of years ago.
And so I believe to-day that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator. In standing guard against the Jew I am defending the handiwork of the Lord.

Mein Kampf - Adolph Hitler, Ch2 Vol 1 1922

A proud day for human rights in NZ

A lame and disgusting smear from
traditional marriage advocates

It looks like today will be the day New Zealand legalizes the love of consenting adults regardless of sexual orientation. This is a step forward for many reasons, it is an advance in human rights, and for secular society. Clearly the opposition to this bill has been primarily driven by conservative religious views with groups associated religious organzsations providing the bulk of the relatively limited opposition to the change. I described the opposition as relatively limited, because New Zealanders, diverse walks of life came forward to defend or assert the rights of the their friends and loved ones to celebrate their with public ceremony and the dignity of the name of marriage for their relationship.

Even though we have had Civil Unions for about 8 years, having to call legally bound committed relationship, sticks in the craw for some as a form of apartheid. Some thing qualitatively less than marriage. And for others, especially those objecting that is just the way they like it.

Thankfully, from today that situation will be no more. After today, gay men and women can have more than the soup bone of Civil Union, and enjoy the full roast.

It is a day celebrate, with many more celebrations to come. Thank you Jacinta Adhern for seeing through the nonsense of the Mormon church that you were raised in to stand for Gay New Zealanders, including your uncle. I don't care what the right wingers say, you're fabulous.

Most especially, thank you to Louisa Wall,   for introducing your  private Member's bill correcting this in justice.

Update: the bill has passed 77/44. I was up all night celebrating with freinds old and new.