text:
Letter to the Editor: Judith Collins
FROM: "F.Macskasy" SUBJECT: Letters to the editor DATE: Sun, 04 May 2014 19:44:39 +1200 TO: "Dominion Post" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
The Editor Dominion Post . I am tempted to suggest that the pressures of Parliamentary life has finally become too much for Judith Collins, and she has lost the plot. How else to describe her attempted character assassination of a TV1 reporter. But it goes far deeper than that. This was Collins' own nasty character coming out in a very public way. This was a ruthless attack upon a member of the media - an attempt to make an example of one journalist and to send a thinly disguised message; "don't mess with me or my National Party mates". This is the same arrogance that landed Aaron Gilmour in hot water last year, and motivated Paula Bennett to release private details of two solo-mothers back in 2009. Whatever the reason, this should serve as a clear warning to all journalists not to share their private details with politicians. When politicians like Collins are backed into a corner, they will either surrender and resign with good grace - or, like a cornered, feral rat in a Karen Walker suit, lash out. September 20th can't come fast enough. -Frank Macskasy [address & phone number supplied]
TVNZ: Collins says sorry to TVNZ reporter after allegation
Above image acknowledgment: Francis Owen/Lurch Left Memes
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Not all photo ops are welcomed events…
From Facebook…
[Hat-tip: Kris]
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Facepalm #2: NZ on Air…
Acknowledgement: Radio NZ – Movie planned on Donald's winning kick
A. Movie. About. A. Rugby. Kick.
Only in New Zealand.
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Facepalm #1: Labour…
Acknowledgement: Radio NZ – Labour proposes rule for women-only electorates
FFS… there are better ways to deal with this gender-gap problem than with an announcement like this…
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The "right to bear arms"…
… does it include death ray guns?
When the USA's Second Amendment was adopted on 15 December 1791, the "right to bear arms" referred to weapons like these,
I wonder what the American Founding Fathers would have thought of 21st century weapons like an Xray "death-ray" weapon?
Acknowledgement: ABC News – FBI Foils Plot To Build Strange X-Ray Weapon, Possibly Targeting President Obama
In the years and decades to come, as technology produces more and more highly advanced direct-energy (ray guns) weapons – capable of god-knows-what destruction – will the American appetite for guns finally be quenched?
If I was the NRA, I'd start to be worried.
Some buildings make awfully good targets. Especially for those who are pissed of at the gun lobby after losing loved ones to gun violence…
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Colin Craig confirms he likes cartoons – Christianity is in safe hands
In what can only be seen as an own-foot-shooting, futile, other-foot-firmly-planted-in-mouth exercise, Colin Craig today sicced his legal rottweilers onto the satirical blog, The Civilian.
Evidently, Colin "The-Fourteenth-Apostle" Craig didn't see the humour in the satirical blogpost, Maurice Williamson looking pretty stupid after floods, where the blogger "quoted" Craig as "saying",
"Williamson likes to talk about big gay rainbows," said Craig, "but it would help if he understood what the rainbow actually means. After Noah's flood, God painted a giant rainbow across the sky, which was a message that he would never again flood the world, unless we made him very angry. And we have."
Let's be clear here; Craig did not make that statement and most people with a reasonably high-functing brain would've understood that.
It was satire. Humour. Make funny. Happy la-la's.
So for Craig to take offence and instruct his lawyers to send a threatening letter to The Civilian's editor, Ben Uffindell, kinda beggars belief. In short – what a f****n dumb thing to do.
For one thing, this story has now exploded into the mainstream media, and onto social media. The story has 'legs' and been covered in the NZ Herald, Fairfax Media, Radio NZ, Newstalk ZB, and probably elsewhere. (And it will be further raised, discussed, and mercilessly poked fun at, this afternoon on Jim Mora's panel-show at 4pm.)
So rather unsurprisingly, web traffic to The Civilian has skyrocketed,
Mr Uffindell said the website's servers had been struggling to keep up with the massive spike of traffic caused by publicity of the incident.
Acknowledgement: Fairfax Media – Conservative Party threaten legal action over satire
This is the kind of publicity every blogger dreams about and Ben Uffindell must be laughing with glee and thanking whatever gods he worships, for his lucky day.
Second point, Craig was quoted (?) in a NZ Herald story and stating,
"I take these things pretty seriously. We are a serious political party and want to go a long way, so making sure that what is reported on what I have said, is accurate is important.
But when it comes to statements being reported in the public sphere … there is no room for humour."
Acknowledgement: NZ Herald – Colin Craig warns on satirical quote
"…there is no room for humour."
Well, he's got a point there. After all, how many people can forget Craig's explicitly non-satirical comment when he labelled every young woman in New Zealand as whores,
"…We are the country with the most promiscuous young women in the world. This does nothing to help us at all."
Acknowledgement: TV3 – Kiwi women 'most promiscuous' – Colin Craig
No room for humour there, I think. And when given a chance to apologise or withdraw that comment on TVNZ's Q+A, on 13 May 2012, Craig shrugged it off with a typical rightwing cop-out, hiding behind the label of "political correctness",
PAUL HOLMES: "Anyway, the perception, I think, is that you blew it with that one bizarre comment. "
COLIN CRAIG: "Well, look, I'm always going to be speaking my mind. As I say, I think it was a true comment. If people want a politically correct conservative party, then they're not going to find it in the Conservative Party. "
Acknowledgement: TVNZ – Q+A
Methinks there's a strong stench of hypocrisy with Mr Craig having such a micron-thin-skin toward a satirical website – and yet has no hesitation in indulging in some casual misogyny slagging of every young woman in the country by calling them "the most promiscuous young women in the world".
Imagine if all 2.2 million women in this country instructed their lawyers to send a letter to Craig, threatening him with legal action for defamation?
For him, that's "political correctness".
But if a satirical website does it to him… *wags finger* "Tut, tut!"
The good news, folks, is that on Radio NZ's "Morning Report", Colin "My-god-is-more-omnipotent-than-your-god" Craig said,
"Look, um, I know and people who know me think I'm pretty funny sort of a guy. I love cartoons."
Acknowledgement: Radio NZ -
Colin Craig threatens to sue satirical website
Yeah, Colin, you're a laugh-a-minute. In fact, people laugh at you more than you realise.
*** Update***
At 11:32 am this morning, Radio NZ reported that Colin "Invisible-beings-talk-to-me" Craig had withdrawn his threat of legal action because this "retraction" had been posted on The Civilian,
"This article is the subject of a legal dispute between The Civilian and Conservative Party Leader Colin Craig, which came about as the result of a legal notice that you can read in full here.
In this article, The Civilian published a statement which it attributed to Colin Craig regarding Maurice Williamson, "big gay rainbows" and the passing of the gay marriage legislation. We accept, upon further review, that Mr. Craig never made the statement attributed to him. We retract the statement and apologise to Mr. Craig for any harm we have caused to his impeccable reputation.
We would like to note that we have also taken the additional measure of bolding the statement in question so that everybody knows which thing it was that Mr. Craig did not say."
Radio NZ further reports,
The story is still on the website, but editor Ben Uffindel has written to the lawyers with a signed copy of the retraction and apology statement.
However, the letter is clearly tongue-in-cheek and is signed with a large smiley face.
Acknowledgement: Radio NZ – Defamation threat withdrawn
Mr Craig, you're still a clown. As our American cuzzies like to put it, consider yourself 'owned'.
TV3: Kiwi women 'most promiscuous' – Colin Craig (9 May 2012)
Radio NZ: Legal action threatened over satirical item (24 April 2013)
NZ Herald: Colin Craig warns on satirical quote (24 April 2013)
Fairfax Media: Conservative Party threaten legal action over satire (24 April 2013)
Newstalk ZB: Colin Craig goes after 'The Civilian' (24 April 2013)
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Devoy as Race Relations Commissioner?! (revised)
Susan Devoy, commenting on her appointment as our new Race Relations Commissioner, said,
"There is no denying that this is a huge challenge in my life. I'm under no illusions how difficult it might be but maybe I didn't realise how difficult it might be starting."
Acknowledgement: Fairfax – Squashed in court of public opinion
Acknowledgement: NZ Herald – Dame Susan first woman in race post
That has to be one of the two worst Under-statements of the Year. (The other being John Key's now infamous line that Hekia Parata was one of National's "smoothest communicators". See: Parata safe in her job – Key)
Ms Devoy's appointment has been heavily criticised, mostly along the lines that she had zero experience in any field even remotely approaching race relations. And some of her comments in the column she used to write for the Bay of Plenty Times probably didn't help much.
Comments like this,
"We deserve a day of true celebration and pride. We need a day that doesn't necessarily replace Waitangi Day but complements it . . . This would leave Waitangi Day to be the day that recognises the importance of Maori, but the door open for a day that we don't feel ashamed to be a New Zealander."
Acknowledgement: Fairfax – Squashed in court of public opinion
Oh… so Maori can have Waitangi Day? That's big of her.
No wonder that Annette Sykes condemned her appointment.
Judith Collins – famous for promising to crush all resistance (or was that Boy Racers' cars?) – gave a measured, thoughtful, and insightful response to Ms Sykes. Collins called Sykes "stupid". Wow, that rapier-sharp wit of Collins…
I must admit, when I first heard of Ms Devoy's appointment, that I raised an eye-brow. I'm not totally familiar with her background, but from what I knew, she seemed to have no social, practical, or academic experiences that might give her insights into race relations.
Simply claiming to have "common sense" is not sufficient. What might be "common sense" for one individual might be offensive to someone else.
For example, referring to "political shenanigans" on Waitangi Day, last year.
Ms Devoy and others of a like-mind might believe that was a straight forward, "common sense", assessment of events at Waitangi. It was not. It was inflammatory
On the other side of the coin, those who express themselves at Waitangi are doing so from a long history of broken promises; land theft; destruction of their culture; and a Treaty – signed between Maori and the Queen's representatives here in New Zealand – that for well over a century had been observed more in the breach than reality – and then forgotten altogether.
If we'd been defeated in WW2 and colonised by a victorious Axis power, I think we would begin to understand how Maori felt.
Furthermore, when Ms Devoy said on 21 March,
"One of my strengths is that I'm pretty forthright and not afraid to have an opinion, but at the same time I have a very strong moral compass and I have a desire to do the right thing."
Acknowledgement: NZ Herald – Dame Susan first woman in race post
- that really raised alarm bells with me. Her job is not to express "forthright… opinions" nor to "have a very strong moral compass". She is not there to tell people what to do nor to impress her "very strong moral compass" on others. If she doesn't get to grips with that, the next few years will be a rough ride for Ms Devoy and others around her.
Judith Collins responded to criticisms of Ms Devoy's comments by saying, that her opinions were hers alone, and she would be able to divorce them from her professional appointment,
Mrs Collins said the comments were made before Dame Susan became commissioner, and she would not be as free to express her personal views in her new role.
She added: "The Far Left does not have a monopoly on caring about race relations and Dame Susan Devoy is a very sensible and balanced person.
"We're allowed in this country to have views that have not been politically sanitised and what's wrong with that?"
Acknowledgement: NZ Herald – Minister defends Dame Susan Devoy's new role
It's not very reassuring when Minister Collins asserts that Ms Devoy, "would not be as free to express her personal views in her new role". The underlying message is that Ms Devoy's " personal views" are somehow unpalatable and inimical to the role of Race Relations Commissioner.
Worse still is when Collins says,
"We're allowed in this country to have views that have not been politically sanitised and what's wrong with that?"
Is the Minister suggesting that Race Relations Commissioners in the past have had " views that have … been politically sanitised"?
I would suggest that there is a vast gulf of difference between " politically sanitised " and " politically sensitive ". Unfortunately, National ministers seem not to know the difference.
And really, if Collins is serious about appointing people whose views have not been " politically sanitised " – perhaps she could hire the leader of a local White Supremicist group to the role? There'd be nothing sanitary about the political views of a white supremacist racist.
Whatever inspired Collins to make this appointment, I believe, will come back and haunt National. Perhaps not this year. Maybe next year.
Does John Key really need another political fire to deal with? One would have thought that Hekia Parata and her Bigger Classroom Sizes foul-up would have been sufficient warning how events can rapidly spiral out of control?
Unless Ms Devoy has some hidden talent for this most-complex of jobs – her appointment will be like a quietly ticking political time-bomb.
Personally, I bear no animosity toward Ms Devoy and certainly harbour no desire to see her fail. With New Zealand being such a multi-cultural society, the office of the Race Relations Commissioner is important – this is where frictions can be quickly addressed and parties brought together to talk over differences.
I hope Ms Devoy succeeds.
But I can still hear a quiet ticking in the background.
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Key: "I've left NZ in a better shape than I found it"
Without a doubt, the following story by the NZ Herald on Key's latest utterances deserves an Award for Outstanding Bullshitting – with a special mention for Self Delusion.
WARNING: do not be drinking anything when you read this – not unless you can stop your gagging-reflex from spraying over your monitor and keyboard,
If Dear Leader truly believes that,
"Personally, I think if I got hit by a bus this afternoon, I will have left New Zealand in a better shape than I found it."
… then he is dangerously more out of touch with reality than the rest of us ever imagined.
But because John Key gives no indication of any head trauma or diagnosis for delusional psychosis, the only remaining option is that this was a pathetically weak attempt to shore up his Party's waning public support.
Almost every poll has National's voter support dropping. This blogger suspects very strongly that National's own internal polling reveals a much more dramatic fall in public support – and that John Key's credibility as an honest politician has taken some serious battering this year.
One poll in July of this year, by Fairfax/Ipsos, had this unflattering picture of Key,
" A new poll has found Prime Minister John Key is increasingly becoming a polarising figure – especially among women.
The first Fairfax Media/Ipsos political poll shows National has enough support for a third term, 44.9 per cent to Labour's 32.6 per cent, assuming the current mix of support parties. But it also reveals a growing divide, with many still strongly backing Key, but a growing sense of anger and distrust among others.
Interviewers asked 1000 people to describe Key in as few words as possible. The pollsters said many voters rated him a straight-shooter and good or excellent leader, but a significant number thought he was arrogant, smarmy and out of touch.
Key still has the confidence of an overwhelming majority – 63 per cent saying he had a clear vision for the country, and was a strong and effective leader. "
See: 'Polarising' PM losing gloss
Since that poll, National's support has dropped to 45% and Key's personal support has plummeted to 42%, in a One News/ Colmar Brunton poll released on 4 November.
See: National support holds as Labour slips in poll
National is clearly in trouble with the public and Key's extraordinary statement that "I will have left New Zealand in a better shape than I found it " is utterly laughable.
This blogger's guess is that Key made this statement, off the cuff, and without his tax-payer funded spin doctors crafting a more credible message.
On almost every level, it is a demonstrably false assertion.
Looking at the facts on Planet Earth, rather than on Planet Key, we find the following;
When Key took office at the end of 2008, the household labour force survey reported unemployment at 4.6% or 105,000 real people.
See: EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT – DECEMBER 2008 QUARTER
The latest household labour force survey released on 8 November this year had unemployment at 7.3% or 175,000 living, breathing people.
See: Household Labour Force Survey: September 2012 quarter
In other words, there are 75,000 more unemployed people now, than there was four years ago.
This blogger accepts that the Global Financial Crisis has been a major factor for rising unemployment, but three questions still remain to be answered,
- Why has National not done anything practical to counter the effects of the GFC, despite having four years to implements job-creation programmes?
- Why did National proceed with tax cuts in 2009 and 2010 when the lost tax-revenue could have been used for upskilling; job creation; building new houses to meet our critical housing shortage; etc?
- Why does National continue to blame the unemployed for being unemployed, when they – the Nats – play the GFC Card when ever it suits them, as an excuse?
Report Card: F – Total Fail
Economic growth
Retail Trade dropped from NZ$18.8 buillion in December 2011 to the current NZ$16.8 billion, in September,
Sourc: Reserve Bank of New Zealand
This constitutes a $2 billion drop in retail activity.
By comparison, the drop from December 2010 to September 2011 was less – NZ$900 million. (See: Reserve Bank A1 Domestic trade)
Balance of Trade
Our Balance of Trade has definitly worsened since November 2008, when the Global Financial Crisis had begun to impact on our export sector,
Source: Trading Economics New Zealand Balance of Trade
In part, this may be due to our high dollar, which makes our exports less profitable – but makes imports (consumer goods, fuel, building materials, plant & equipment, etc) cheaper. However, whilst this may benefit one sector of our economy, it means that we are not paying our way with our trading partners.
Economists are expecting the figures to worsen in the coming months and year,
" The annual current account deficit has widened to 4.8 per cent of GDP and economists expect it will keep getting worse, with sharply falling export prices and rising demand for imports.
The current account records the balance of trade between New Zealand and the rest of the world for goods and services, net investment income and net transfers.
ANZ economists said the 4.8 per cent figure was worse than market expectations and given the worsening trade position with lower commodity prices, the deficit was trending closer to the 5 per cent of GDP "danger zone" for international lenders.
The falling value of dairy exports and a drop in spending by tourists after the Rugby World Cup have seen the current account deficit worsen by $600 million to $2.8 billion, seasonally adjusted, for the March quarter.
That takes the annual deficit back up to $9.7 billion for the year to March 31 or 4.8 per cent of GDP according to latest Statistics NZ figures out earlier today. The deficit was equal to 4.2 per cent of GDP in the December year. "
See: Deficit expected to worsen
Despite JohnKeys perennial promises (see previous blogpost: John Key's track record on raising wages – preface), wages have not risen to anywhere near Australia's levels.
In fact, wage rises in the last four years have not matched those under the previous Labour government, despite Dear Leader's pledges and claims to the contrary,
Source: http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/income-and-work/Income/NZIncomeSurvey_HOTPJun12qtr.aspx
As Statistics NZ states in it's June Quarter report,
" In the year to the June 2012 quarter, there was no significant increase in:
- median weekly income from all sources – up 1.8 percent from $550 to $560
- median weekly income for those receiving income from wages and salaries – up $6 (0.7 percent) to $806
- median hourly earnings – up 48 cents (2.4 percent) to $20.86."
New Zealanders are generally not fools, and many have taken to voting with their feet to where there are better opportunities for jobs, wages, housing, etc…
See also: John Key's track record on raising wages – 9. Conclusion
Migration to Australia was one of John Key's major election platforms in 2008. He was scathing of Labour and the exodus of New Zealanders to Australia,
"We want to make New Zealand an attractive place for our children and grandchildren to live – including those who are currently living in Australia, the UK, or elsewhere. To stem that flow so we must ensure Kiwis can receive competitive after-tax wages in New Zealand.
One of National's key goals, should we lead the next Government, will be to stem the flow of New Zealanders choosing to live and work overseas. We want to make New Zealand an attractive place for our children and grandchildren to live – including those who are currently living in Australia, the UK, or elsewhere. To stem that flow so we must ensure Kiwis can receive competitive after-tax wages in New Zealand. We must cut taxes and grow our economy, and National will have policies to ensure both occur." – John Key, 6 September 2008
See: Speech: Environment Policy Launch
"I don't want our talented young people leaving permanently for Australia, the US, Europe, or Asia, because they feel they have to go overseas to better themselves. That's why this Government is focused squarely on improving New Zealand's economic performance. And to be frank, New Zealand's economic performance over a number of years has been disappointing. " – John Key, 15 July 2009
See: Speech to Business Breakfast hosted by Cullen Law
The result? Wholly predictable by now,
As the NZ Herald story reported,
"The number of New Zealanders moving across the Tasman hit a record 53,000 in the year to February, but the unemployment rate at home and Australia's new tax breaks that would make millions better off are tipped to lift that number."
As Massey University sociologist Paul Spoonley stated on TV1 on 3 September,
"We can't afford to bleed the numbers of people we see leaving for Australia. We can't afford to lose the skills. We've got to do something."
Key's response,
"Maybe we want to think about doing a bit more [mining] to encourage people to stay. It's been a 40-year problem, and if we want to resolve it, we need to get on top of all of those issues."
Oh really? "Maybe we want to think about doing a bit more "?! Gosh, Mr Key – you think?
Key's statement encapsulates one simple reality; that his inept "government" is utterly clueless. Dear Leader does not even know whose responsibility it is to create jobs;
Last year;
"We agree with you, it's the government's responsibility to do everything within it's powers to try to get people jobs." – John Key, 17 November2011
See: Key and Goff Q&A: Creating jobs
This year;
"Nothing creates jobs and boosts incomes better than business growth. For New Zealand to build a more productive and competitive economy, we need more innovative companies out there selling their products on the world stage." – John Key, 24 August 2012
See: Key Notes: Honouring our fallen soldiers
Whenever National does become proactive, it tinkers with labour laws which will ultimately have the effect of driving down wages. This, in turn simply accelerates the flow of Kiwis to Australia and elsewhere.
Export Industry
On the other hand, when exporters cry out for relief from a high Kiwi Dollar that is ruining their trade, National either ignores their plight, or derides any possible remedies.
As president of the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Managing Director of two export companies, Brian Willoughby, said in utter desperation,
"I'm concerned that this vitally important discussion is degenerating to the point that it is the guy with the biggest foghorn that is going to get heard the most. The Government had the biggest foghorn.
What is starting to irritate me is, here I am just down the road in Christchurch, representing manufacturers producing $2.6 billion [worth of product]. So why doesn't someone from the Prime Minister's department pop along and see me? I am far easier to get in touch with than the guys in Hollywood, and I don't need any special concessions. The ones I need are the same ones with the dollar that the film industry needs.
But the issue is to develop a more balanced economy.
There are a whole lot of people [in manufacturing] who are hanging on by the skin of their teeth and there are a whole lot of redundancies going on that the public never hears about.
The other thing that is poorly understood is that manufacturing jobs support three jobs outside – the courier guy, the guy that cleans the towels, the cafes near the factory. We have the contractors and suppliers – the guy that supplies the nuts and bolts and screws, the guy that does the laser cutting, the guy that does the painting, the guy that does the polishing, the guy that provides the plating service."
It's wrong to sit on our hands and say there is nothing that we can do.
We need a proper debate because it is extremely important to the New Zealand economy as a whole, not just to my members. In the long run, exporters ensure that we have a reasonable standard of living. If we can't sell off-shore with good added value margins, we'll go broke."
See: Soaring NZ dollar has industries in discussion
The Herald story goes on to reveal that Willoughby's two Christchurch-based companies together employ twenty people. A year and a half ago, it was thirty.
On 25 October, Reserve Bank Governor, was forced to concede,
"Offsetting this, fiscal consolidation is constraining demand growth, and the high New Zealand dollar is undermining export earnings and encouraging substitution toward imported goods and services."
See: OCR unchanged at 2.5 percent
Our export sector is being damaged by our over-valued dollar (pushed up by speculators); profits are down; and redundancies are occurring.
Meanwhile, John Key smiles and waves and does nothing except make derogatory comments against visiting sports people.
Report Card: E – Verging on Total Fail
One of Key's oft stated "successes" is that "crime has dropped".
That may well be. But their may be several factors involved here,
"New Zealand's crime rate has dropped to an all-time low, latest figures reveal.
The annual crime statistics released by the police today showed recorded crime dropped 5.2 per cent on the previous year.
There were 394,522 recorded offences in the 2011-2012 fiscal year, compared with 416,324 the previous year – a decrease of 21,802 offences.
New Zealand's population increased by 0.7 per cent during the period, resulting in a 5.9 per cent decrease in the number of offences recorded per 10,000 of population."
And as well,
"The largest decrease was in Canterbury, where recorded crime fell by 11.7 per cent.
Following the earthquakes there was a sudden large decrease in recorded theft and property damage offences.
Less serious offences reduced the most.
Although small by value, these offences are large by volume.
"This decrease appears to be partly due to the public not wanting to bother us with minor matters when they knew we were dealing with the earthquake," Mr Rickard said."
See: NZ crime rate at all-time low – Police
Interesting, eh?
The biggest decrease occurred in the Canterbury region in the same year as the February earthquake that killed 185 people.
Surely Dear Leader is not going to take credit for something that a natural disaster caused?! Of course he will.
This is John Key we're talking about.
Report Card: none (someone nicked it)
As is usual for John Key, his statements often contain loose "facts"; half-truths; and often outright untruths. His claim that "if I got hit by a bus this afternoon, I will have left New Zealand in a better shape than I found it " is patently false.
On almost every indicator known to humanity, New Zealand is nowhere near "in a better shape than [Key] found it ". Not unless he is using voodoo socio-economic 'science' that the rest of us are not privy to?
Perhaps they originate from Planet Key?
On an end note, I leave the reader with not just the results of my Fact Checking – but this dire warning from economists,
Roll on 2014.
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What is wrong with (some) people?!?!
Perusing the on-line news section of Radio NZ, I was struck by this short story,
Help me out here, folks, 'cos this is another one of our recent (?) behaviours that has me utterly perplexed. Now call me kinda old fashioned… But what kind of moron doesn't let an ambulance pass?!?!
Perhaps it's just another one of those human behaviours that has been with us, since the first Cave Child graffitied a nice piece of cave wall-art, about a zillion years ago.
Or, perhaps it's an unpleasant reminder of the quantum-shift in some peoples' thinking, that they are more important than anything/anyone else – including an ambulance with lights and sirens blazing/blaring, as the medics try to save some poor schmuck who is bleeding to death…
Perhaps nothing better illustrates the Ayn-Randian-Me-First attitude, that neo-liberalism espouses, than someone who refuses to move over because… well, because they don't want to! Hell, I pay my taxes! I have a right to be on the road!! Screw everyone else!!
If that's the case, I hope such people are a tiny, tiny, tiny minority. But, judging by the selfishness expressed on many internet fora – I sadly think not.
Just like the able-bodied person who parks in a Disabled Person's carpark… "Hey, I'll only be a few minutes!" Or, "Hey, why should they get all the best carparks?!"
Or the smoker who doesn't care a hoot about lighting up in a car, with children in the car beside him/her (I've seen this myself)… "Hey, f****n nanny state isn't going to tell me where I can or can't smoke!"
And of course, there are the drunk drivers (those that are still alive) who drink; drive; and just don't care.
It's all human selfishness.
Once upon a time, selfishness was deemed an undesirable virtue. Now, there is practically an entire political ideology built around it.
Anyway, the point is simple: People! See the ambulance? Get out of the way! It could be your friend or family member they're racing to assist!
And if you see some idiot holding up an ambo or fire appliance, despite lights and siren going full tit…
Use your cellphone; dial *555; and report the idiot.
The next life you save could be someone precious to you.
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The sky IS falling!
Ok, well, maybe not the sky per se – but bits of stuff will shortly be falling from it,
Thanks for the warning. Though I do have one question.
What are we supposed to do when we see 'space junk'?
Racism, Rape, and Religion
Just when you thought the human race couldn't possibly be any more insane than it already is, we find two stories. One is from the most technologically advanced, wealthiest nations on planet Earth. The other is from a semi-failed state that is like taking a Tardis trip 1,000 years into the past.
Members at the Gulnare Free Will Baptist Church voted Sunday on the resolution, which says the church "does not condone interracial marriage."
The church member who crafted the resolution, Melvin Thompson, said he is not racist and called the matter an "internal affair."
"I am not racist. I will tell you that. I am not prejudiced against any race of people, have never in my lifetime spoke evil about a race," said Thompson, the church's former pastor who stepped down earlier this year. "That's what this is being portrayed as, but it is not."
Melvin Thompson is adamant that he is not a racist or prejudiced.
Of course not. Basing your beliefs on the colour of one's skin isn't racism. We all know that. Racism happens somewhere else.
Personally, I'm happy to dispense with the term "racism" and just use alternative terms. Like, ignorance.
There you go, Mr Thompson; you're not racist, you're just plain ignorant. Happy?
And from the other side of the planet, far removed from rural Kentucky, the human capacity for infinity craziness and cruelty carries on,
Karzai's office said in a statement that the woman and her attacker have agreed to marry. That would reverse an earlier decision by the 19-year-old woman, who had previously refused a judge's offer of freedom if she agreed to marry the rapist.
Her plight was highlighted in a documentary that the European Union blocked because it feared the women featured in the film would be in danger if it were shown.
More than 5,000 people recently signed a petition urging Karzai to release the woman. She had the man's child while in prison and raised her daughter behind bars, which is common among women imprisoned in Afghanistan.
A statement released by Karzai's office says that after hearing from judicial officials, the decision was made to forgive the rest of the sentence she received for having sex out of wedlock, a crime in Afghanistan. The presidential statement did not say when the woman was to be released or how much prison time had been pardoned.
The woman told The Associated Press in an interview last month that she had hoped that attention generated by the EU film might help her get released. With the film blocked, she said that she was losing hope and considering marrying her rapist as a way out. She said her attacker was pressuring her to stop giving interviews.
About half of the 300 to 400 women jailed in Afghanistan are imprisoned for so-called "moral crimes" such as sex outside marriage, or running away from their husbands, according to reports by the United Nations and research organizations. Fleeing husbands isn't considered a crime in Afghanistan.
Ever wondered what a society ruled by misogynistic village idiots would look like? Welcome to Afghanistan, circa 2011AD. Or 1011AD. Or 11AD. (Makes no difference, really.)
The only difference between these two stories is that our American cuzzies have no excuse. They have unfettered access to education and 21st century communications. And when even Presidential candidates indulge in a bit of outrageous racism, is there really that much difference between the two cultures?
It's amazing the depths of ignorance human beings can plumb, especially when they claim to have a god on their side…
Election Eleven – Tuesday
Election Eleven – Tuesday
Now this is just downright creepy: right wing blogger, David Farrar, is now investigating private individuals who have appeared as part of TV3's audience for their Leader's Debate last night? A screenshot from his Blog,
I have blanked out the names that Farrar has published and I have not linked back to his article. I have no wish to aid his witch hunt against three individuals.
But I think it is the height of hypocrisy that Farrar and his right-wing colleagues criticised Labour non-stop for "Nanny State" policy – and now he is identifying private individuals for their (supposed) political activities.
Is this to be the new standard set by right wing blogs?
It now appears that if a New Zealand citizen is even remotely politically active, that they may be subjected to what is essentially an online, public, "name & shame" campaign. This can only be viewed as a none-too-subtle form of intimidation. Another term is cyber-bullying.
Does this have any place in New Zealand society? Is this the direction of future politics in this country? And what will it do to getting people more involved in politics?
This isn't "Nanny Statism". Nope, not at all.
It's Big Brother – and Big Brother (aka David Farrer, et al) is Watching You!
I'll say it now: there is no place in politics – or any other part of our society – for behaviour like this,
Whilst I disagree with Ms Barry's politics – she has a democratic right to go about her business without being abused like this. I sincerely hope that anyone knowing who this man is, take him aside, and tell him that such behaviour is utterly repugnant and unacceptable.
Ms Barry is an intelligent, articulate woman who has achieved much in her life. Disagree with her if you will – but respect her for her accomplisments; her willingness to participate in the democratic process; and for simply being a human being.
Politics is a contest of ideas – not a spitting game that juveniles might indulge in.
Taken by an observant reader, and sent to me ten minutes ago,
Hmmmm, I'm guessing that for the Nats to state that "Your vote is crucial this sat", that they are starting to panic? Something has definitely spooked the back-room National strategy boys…
… and yet more fear mongering from John Key, about Winston Peters? I now believe that National's internal polling is showing that they are bleeding voter support and that they are probably somewhere around 46-48% – if not lower.
Otherwise, why would Key be wasting his time with the leader of a near-non-existent party that isn't even represented in Parliament?!
National is right to be worried.
There are National supporters who view John Key's scheme to sell state assets with considerable unease – if not downright hostility. Such voters are loathe to vote for a left-wing alternative such as Labour or Greens. But NZ First is a "soft Tory" alternative.
Expect Peters to return.
Expect a new Labour led coalition.
Oh dear. It seems that National is making election promises regarding matters that are already law,
Someone in the National camp really should check their facts. Promising to implement policy that has been a law for well over a decade seems pointless. Mind you, it is rather a cheap way to make election promises.
They won't cost anything.
They've already been implemented,
" Fraud Investigations
Fraud Investigation teams nationwide work to preserve the integrity of the income support system by preventing and detecting benefit fraud.
Fraud Investigation teams work closely with the National Data Match Centre. The Centre shares data with other government agencies including:
- Customs
- Inland Revenue
- Corrections
- Housing New Zealand
- Accident Compensation Corporation
- Internal Affairs. "
And being already implemented – National can take credit for it!
What a cunning plan!
Whoopsie! Isn't it a bugger when a photo-op comes back to bite you?
Key explains,
"Lots of young people decide to go for an OE – I don't know how long she'll last. I'm not in a position to go into too much; hope she comes back." Source
Ummm, John… She's sixteen. She's hardly likely to be going on her OE, and probably leaving with her family. Probably long-term migration.
She and her family are joining 84,400 who have also left New Zealand in the last year.
Man & Superman?
Only in America,
Oh dear…
I hope that "Phoenix" and "Ghost" understand that Nature abhors a vacuum. Where there are superheroes – there will be supervillains. Just ask anyone from The Watchmen.
I hope his mace-can is fully charged.
Only in America…
Meanwhile, in the Philippines,
I hope he's bullet-proof…
+++ Updates +++
Additional information
Karl Marx – high revs in his grave
When it comes to bizarre, this has to take the cake,
A billionaire member of the Chinse Communist Party?!
Karl Marx would be spinning in his grave at such high revs that we could attach a dynamo to him; run wires to a nearby sub-station; and power Hamilton with the energy.
It's official, folks – China is no longer a communist society. Sorry, Mao – nice try, cuz.
Someone phone Ken Ring on this!
I think someone needs to remind our Italian cuzzies that Terrestrial science is not yet capable of predicting earthquakes. That kind of technology won't be around for a few decades more.
But if those crazy Italians want to 'spook' their scientists into heading overseas – they're going the right way about it.
In a way, this case – along with 'junk science' and alternative 'remedies' – shows up one simple fact; that when people don't have a firm understanding of science, they revert to simplistic notions.
Like those individuals who believe that the moon landings were a hoax. They point to the supposedly "fluttering flag" planted by US astronaut, Neil Armstrong. They insist that, because the Moon has a near vacuum instead of an atmosphere, that it would be impossible for the flag to "flutter".
Well, in a way, they are right. There is no appreciable atmosphere on the Moon. So flags don't "flutter".
But, being made of a fabric with a wire mesh sewn into it, the material still moves with a motion imparted from the rod that it is attached to, as the astronaut is handling it, and trying to bury it into the lunar soil. More here .
Even in a vacuum, objects will move, once energy is applied. ("Energy" in this case being momentum.) Otherwise, of course, rockets wouldn't work in the vacuum of space, would they?
But back to the case of the trial in Italy. One hopes that the presiding judge will see this as the lunatic situation that it truly is, and dismiss it within about ten seconds. Otherwise every scientist in Italy will probably consider packing their suitcases and buying a one-way ticket out of the country.
I've heard of anti-intellectualism (eg; the Scopes Monkey Trial) – but this is one firmly out of the "Strange & Stupid" Files…
See Also: Moon Landing Hoax Conspiracy
Silly Idea # 341,907,774
Floating cities: PayPal billionaire plans to build a whole new libertarian colony off the coast of San Francisco
- Ocean state would have no welfare, no minimum wage, and few restrictions on weapons
- Platforms would house 270 people and hundreds could eventually join together
PayPal-founder Peter Thiel was so inspired by Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand's novel about free-market capitalism – that he's trying to make its title a reality.
The Silicon Valley billionaire has funnelled $1.25million to the Seasteading Institute, an organisation that aspires to launch a floating colony into international waters, freeing them and like-minded thinkers to live by libertarian ideals.
Mr Thiel recently told Details magazine: 'The United States Constitution had things you could do at the beginning that you couldn't do later. So the question is, can you go back to the beginning of things? How do you start over?'
The floating sovereign nations that Mr Thiel imagines would be built on oil-rig-like platforms anchored in areas free of regulation, laws, and moral conventions.
The Seasteading Institute says it will 'give people the freedom to choose the government they want instead of being stuck with the government they get'.
Mr Theil, the venture capitalist who famously helped Facebook expand beyond the Harvard campus, called Seasteading an 'open frontier for experimenting with new ideas for government'.
After making his first investment in the project in 2008, Mr Thiel said: 'Decades from now, those looking back at the start of the century will understand that Seasteading was an obvious step towards encouraging the development of more efficient, practical public sector models around the world.
'We're at a fascinating juncture: the nature of government is about to change at a very fundamental level.'
Mr Thiel and his colleagues say their ocean state would have no welfare, looser building codes, no minimum wage, and few restrictions on weapons.
Aiming to have tens of millions of residents by 2050, the Seasteading Institute says architectural plans for a prototype involve a movable, diesel-powered structure with room for 270 residents.
The long-term plan would be to have dozens and eventually hundreds of the platforms linked together.
Patri Friedman, a former Google engineer who is working on the project told Details that they hope to launch a flotilla of offices off the San Francisco coast next year.
'Big ideas start as weird ideas,' Mr Friedman said.
He predicted that full-time settlement will follow in about seven years.
But while some Ayn Rand acolytes may think the idea is brilliant, it's not without its critics.
Margaret Crawford, an expert on urban planning and a professor of architecture at Berkeley, told Details: 'it's a silly idea without any urban-planning implications whatsoever.'
Mr Thiel told an audience at the Seasteading Institute Conference in 2009 that: 'There are quite a lot of people who think it's not possible.
'That's a good thing. We don't need to really worry about those people very much, because since they don't think it's possible they won't take us very seriously. And they will not actually try to stop us until it's too late.'
I fully support founding such a colony. In fact, I'll donate $100 for a (one way) ticket for Don Brash to migrate there.
I've suggested – on several occassions – that neo-liberals who want to live in a free-market, minimalist government, zero-tax, user-pays society have just such a country to migrate to: Somalia.
Somalia is perfect and meets their criteria in every respect.
Of course, as part of user-pays, they would have to pay for their own security; their own private police force. And why shouldn't they? After all, why should other taxpayers pay for protection of someone elses' property, in a User Pays nirvana?
Strangely enough, as far as I'm aware, no neo-lib has ever taken up my offer.
And stranger even still, neo-libs seem to prefer living in New Zealand; a country built on collective efforts by it's citizens to build up every aspect of present day society; electricity sector, education, railways, health, roading, police, bridges, libraries, etc. Even telecommunications, airlines, and television started off as tax-payer funded services. All paid by our taxes.
Private enterprise was focused on providing citizens with supermarkets, clothing, shoes (once upon a time), and other consumer goods. It was a good balance.
"Mr Thiel and his colleagues say their ocean state would have no welfare, looser building codes, no minimum wage, and few restrictions on weapons."
No minimum wage? But… who would clean their toilets?
No building codes? On a free-standing oceanic city? Oh, I can see that working… not.
Few restrictions on weapons. I can see gun nuts loving that. Including gentlemen like Anders Behring Breivik, David Gray, Martin Bryant, et al.
Call me cynical, but I doubt if Peter Thiel's 'Seasteading' project will succeed. For one thing, human nature is involved – and as we all know, human nature can be a bugger of a thing to deal with.
Secondly, what happens if Thiel's 'island' gets in trouble? Perhaps struck by a hurricane? Will the Seasteaders expect rescue from the international community? And will they be willing to PAY for assistance? (User pays, of course.)
The article further states,
"The Seasteading Institute says it will 'give people the freedom to choose the government they want instead of being stuck with the government they get'."
Uh oh. That sounds perilously close to that pesky concept popularly know as "de-mo-cra-cy". Damned dangerous, that "de-mo-cra-cy". What happens if, in time, the population of 'Seastead' elect a government that is more interventionist?
Will Thiel then build another libertarian community? To get away from the first 'Seastead', taken over over "leftists"?
Personally, I think Somalia would still be a cheaper option.
Let's be honest here, though.
This is about one thing: money. Thiel wants to keep as much of his money as possible and not pay taxes. There may be other, immensely wealthy individuals, who feel lifewise.
Well, I say "good luck" to them. Let them set up their little sovereign "Island State". Let them learn the hard way that a functioning, balanced, society involves more than just having a bloated bank balance. A dynamic society is a collection of mutually supporting groups and individuals – not just a handful of wealthy people.
My guess is that this little "Profit Paradise" will not last long. Nor will it be self-sufficient. And, the inhabitants will still want to spend (most of) their time on the US mainland, socialising, doing business, and all the other things that the rest of us enjoy. Their Island State will be nothing more than a taxation "bolthole"; a floating bank account.
And herein lies the dishonesty of such an idea.
But if billionaires want to spend their entire lives on such an Island, and not leave, then they are welcome to it. Imagine being forced to live your life in one little area; never leaving; and associating only with others of your ilk.
It's called "prison".
How to kill your kids
Gosh, just what New Zealand needs; an instruction manual from religious nutters on how to beat your children to death. Because, as we all know, we don't have enough beaten; raped; maimed; and murdered children in our society.
Just a reminder how "good" we are at beating our children to death, here. But maybe ten children murdered each year, plus the hundreds more who suffer permanent injuries/maimings, aren't enough? Because it seems that there are "helpful" individuals out there who are willing to put together a 'manual' on how we can do it more efficiently.
And if it's based on the scribblings of a 2,000+ year old religious text – all the better. Personally, I'm waiting for a book on child-discipline according to the ancient Aztec Sun God worship .
I wonder if the next child killer; standing in the dock on charges of murder; will hold up this book and use it as an excuse for his/her behaviour?
"God said I can beat my child!"
How many deranged serial killers have also claimed to hear God's voice?
"Data sets for the years 1997 to 2001 from each country include all deaths and hospitalisations from assault. The results show that a child in New Zealand is almost three times more likely to die from assault than a child in Sweden."
So do we really need this book? It seems we're pretty good at it already.
When Govt Departments Go Mad…
There is probably some rational reason for a victim of domestic violence to be re-victimised by Immigration authorities…
… but strangely enough, I can't think what that reason might be?!
When Govt Departments Go Mad 2…
While Charmain Timmons faces deportation (after her residency application was denied because her then-husband was convicted for crimes against her), the Sunday Star Times listed individual who had been given residency after fighting their deportation orders;
Samoan Troy Lologa, 27, who stabbed a man to death in a fight outside a South Auckland Burger King.
Fijian Ramendra Shankar, 62, who indecently assaulted an eight-year-old girl.
South African Kim Gillian Knoll, 22, convicted of attempted murder for stabbing her two-year-old son in the stomach.
Samoan Autalavou Taafi, 47, who raped a woman colleague whom he was giving a ride home.
Samoan Faaua Faataape, 46, who while driving drunk and stoned, crashed, hitting a child and dragging the child under the car.
Tongan Metui Ma'umalanga, 44, who punched and kicked his epileptic wife into unconsciousness then assaulted a police officer. Ma'umalanga was previously convicted of assaulting his wife with a stabbing or cutting implement, drink-driving and male assaults female.
Fijian Pranesh Pratap, 28, who assaulted his wife from an arranged marriage, hospitalising her for four days, after an argument because he would not stop seeing his girlfriend, who he had also assaulted.
Malaysian Tung Seng Chang, 35, convicted of being part of "a substantial operation involving the supply and manufacture of methamphetamine".
Samoan Setafano Leota, 39, who was jailed for beating his 10-year-old daughter about the face and body with a piece of wood.
Australian Adeline Rogers, 28, who threatened to blow up a Child Youth and Family building and kill her sister-in-law.
Tongan Anoti Vaka, 43, convicted of four assaults against his children including causing grievous bodily harm to his daughter by cutting her head with a knife.
South African Grant Deetlefs, 28, who supported his drug habit through the aggravated robbery of a service station he worked at.
So let's see if we have this right…
Convicted of violence, drug-use, rape, robbery, murder – residency approved.
Victim of violence by ex-partner – residency denied.
Yes, folks, we have just crossed over into… The Twilight Zone.
One way to spend a Sunday afternoon?
Kapiti Coast District Council has told an elderly Mazengarb Rd man it is his responsibility to maintain the 900-square-metre road berm outside his home.
This week the council confirmed to the Kapiti Observer that residents are expected to mow berms, with no limit on how big that obligation could be.
Lou Groeneweg has mowed his berm for 22 years but now, nearing his 80th birthday, he can't manage to mow the 900sqm – almost a quarter of an acre – of grass.
When Mr Groeneweg and his wife Vicky approached the council with their problem, they were told it was their responsibility, and if they were unable to mow it themselves, the council could supply a list of contractors whom they could pay to do it for them. More.
Every so often, those in authority lose touch with reality.
And every so often, we have to remind those in authority about reality.
Making authority look utterly feeble-minded is certainly one way to accomplish that. Top marks for Lou and Vicky Groeneweg for achieving that feat, and showing their local Council that being made to look like prize prats in the national media is not something to be proud of..
Kapiti Coast Council… *sighs*
We Are Not Amused.
The Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act says names can be declined for causing offence, being over-long or "without adequate justification" resembling an official title or rank.
Other names that were queried but later accepted included Fanny, Jnr, Shady and Nevaeh (heaven backwards, which, curiously, was the 31st most popular girl's name in the United States in 2007).
Though Lucifer and Messiah were rejected on taste grounds, the Sunday Star-Times struggled to find anyone offended by the names.
Judy de Leeuwe, an atheist at the Rationalists and Humanists Association, said she was not offended and she did not know why Births, Deaths and Marriages would reject them.
Lyndsay Freer, spokeswoman for the Catholic Church in Auckland, said some Christians could object to the name Lucifer, but since millions of Spanish speakers called their children Jesus, she did not see how the name Messiah could be offensive.
Lucifer comes from a Latin expression meaning "light-bearer" and was the name given to the dawn appearance of the planet Venus, which heralds daylight. There was originally no connection to the devil.
What I find sad is that there has been no reported comment on the effects of bizarre names on children in the above article. No comment whatsoever (unless the journo involved, Ian Steward, decided to omit any such references in his article.)
Call me "old fashioned (actually, don't) but I tend to believe that lumbering children with weird names is not conducive to their mental and emotional wellbeing. We all know (or, should know by now) how nasty children can be to each other. Giving our little darlings "extra ammo" to use in harassing each other does not seem sensible or desirable.
I'm reminded of this similar instance,
'Embarrassed' girl, 9, gets court protection in New Zealand to change her name from 'Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii'
24th July 2008. What's in a name? Quite a lot if you're called Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.
That's the unfortunate appellation a girl was given by her parents – but now a New Zealand judge has ordered that the nine-year-old, who is at the centre of a custody battle, should become a ward of court until she can choose a name she really likes.
The girl's lawyer said she told people her name was 'K' because she feared being mocked and teased.
Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt said: 'The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this name. It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily.' More.
I can't get into the minds of parents who would do this to their children. It is as if they have taken all leave of their sense, and decided to use their children to "make a statement" or "thumb their noses".
Children. They are not our chattels. They are not to be used in regards to any "issues" we might have with society.
With children, such parents should consider their obligations, rather than any perceived "property rights".
Moon Landing Hoax Conspiracy
Did we, or did we not land on the Moon?
The Moon Landing Hoax is probably one of the most enduring of Conspiracy Theories, along with the JFK assassination; the crashed flying saucer at Roswell; and the 9/11 "Inside Job".
Moon Landing Hoax CTers will offer all manner of "evidence" that the Apollo programme was a fake and that the astronauts were actually photographed on a secret studio film-lot, where the lunar surface was re-created down to the nth degree.
CTers point out to many "flaws" in the photos, stating that the flag appears to "flutter" in the airlessness of the lunar environment; that stars are not visible; etc.
It's all rubbish of course.
Common sense will tell you that;
! Too many people would have been involved in such a complex project. Hundreds, if not thousands, would needed to have been recruited for such a massive undertaking. And not one person involved in this supposed conspiracy finally succumbed to temptation to appear on Oprah or Larry King?! Folks, please! This is America we're talking about!!
! It's been estimated that the immense cost of such a conspiracy, including requiring to launch an entire, crewless, Saturn-Apollo rocket, would have made an actual trip to the Moon a cheaper option.
! Our American and Soviet cuzzies were involved in a little difference-of-opinion which some folk refer to as The Cold War. It was nothing less than a struggle for world domination. Every aspect of Soviet and American life was a bitter contest for supremacy of ideas, ideology, and economic system. Even the Olympics were a battleground between opposing Soviet and American athletes.
In this climate of subdued agression – and in the cases of Korea, Eastern Europe, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, overt warfare – the Space Race became another battleground for the competing Superpowers.
When Americans landed on the Moon in July 1969, it was a signal to the world that American technology and inventiveness had triumphed over the closeted, regimented society of the USSR and it's allies.
One up for the Yanks, we might say.
But imagine if the landings had been a hoax. Imagine if, eventually, the Soviets had discovered the deception? And imagine if they had gathered evidence to prove to the world that the United States had lied on such a vast scale?
The propaganda coup to the Soviet Union would have destroyed America's credibility – and perhaps lost them the Cold War. History would have altered incalculably and the world today would be a much different place.
No, folks, there was no Moon Landing Hoax conspiracy. The Soviets would never have permitted it.
In July, 1969, two human beings walked on an alien world. And whether we are American or Russian, it's something to be damned proud of…
Bizarre Bullshit of The Year?
LIGHT FIXATION: Asperger sufferer Cornelius Arie Smith-Voorkamp was arrested for looting after the February 22 quake when he was caught trying to remove two light fittings from an empty Lincoln Rd property.
The ongoing police prosecution of Christchurch man, Cornelius Arie Smith-Voorkamp, appears to be bloody-mindedness, verging on persecution. There seems no good reason to prosecute this man, as he appears to have considerable mental-health problems such as Aspergers and uncontrollable compulsions.
And now we hear that the Police are investigating the 'Sunday' TV programme?!
What is this – North Korean tactics imported into New Zealand?
What the hell is going on here?
In case folks want to add their voice on this issue, here are email addresses for the relevant Ministers;
Simon Power, Minister of Justice
Judith Collins, Minister for Police


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In providing us with a firsthand account of his life as a slave and his travels as a merchant, Equiano provides us with a methodology that includes reproduction of conversations, experiences, and events that actually occurred and he engaged in or witnessed. Oral history as well as comparative analysis is also used to convey unique information
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The European Slave Trade as a Holocaust Most peop .... about the African holocaust, claims that as many as 100 million Africans may have died as a result of the European slave trade ("The African Holocaust" np). .... (1538 6 )The African Slave Trade & European Attitudes The African Slave Trade & European Attitudes. In The African Slave Trade by Basil Davidson, the author traces the development of .... (754 3 )European Slave Trade .... While slavery in America was instituted by European settlers, the African slave trade was never of much note in Europe itself: Although Europe was undergoing .... (1848 7 )Trade in African Slave Labor .... Africans eagerly entered the into the slave trade for good .... by the white man's glass beads." African societies were able to interest European traders in .... (1665 7 )Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: Analysis .... Walter Rodney (1999) takes the position that African societies were victims of the European led slave trade and were only marginally responsible for .... (1249 5 )


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This is like someone farting in an elevator, then claiming it's the elevator's fault for not having enough ventilation.
You're transparent, Regnerus, but your disingenuity stinks all the same.
You are here: Home » Latest Posts » Columns » LGBTQ News » Analysis » Mark Regnerus Appalled To Discover His Study Fueling Russian Homophobia
What is the old saying about dogs and fleas? Well, Mark Regnerus apparently hasn't realized that when he lies down with bigots, he endorses and confirms everything that they believe in.
Writing in the Atlantic, Regnerus decided to decry the push in the Russian Duma to steal children from their lesbian or gay parents and force them into orphanages. Regnerus apparently finds the move by Alecei Zhuravlev to be far beyond the pale, as it were.
Now, to start with, Regnerus has decided to use his The Atlantic article to try and justify his claims saying that "Policing the uses to which my Social Science Research article on same-sex parenting has been put would be a challenge. Groups from across the political spectrum have struggled over the meaning of its analyses, which documented a variety of differences between those young adults who grew up in a stable, biological family and those who did not—including those who reported a parental same-sex romantic relationship."
Regnerus is only partially correct, and hopes that most people will see what is correct and ignore the rest. Unfortunately for him, the rest is the damning part of his "study." Various scientific studies have shown that children from broken homes, children of divorced parents, and children who have been abandoned tend to do worse than parents from stable relationships.
Regnerus' hoax, however, was an attempt to manipulate the data to make it appear that children of same-sex parents did worse than those who came from straight families. He made no attempts to study the children of stable same-sex families, and instead compared broken families where one of the parents might have been lesbian or gay to children of straight families.
This creates a problem for Regnerus in that his propaganda hoax has now been used to oppress LGBT people world-wide.
In denouncing Zhuravlev, Regnerus states that "But such a legislative move would be wrong. Why? Because the study in question, and no shortage of other analyses of population-based data, reaffirm that kinship and stability are important for children. Generating new household instability, via one-size-fits-all legislation poised to sever the parent-child bond, is to overlook these basic conclusions of the study. A comparable treatment is not, I presume, planned against heterosexual stepfamilies, regardless of the extent of the household upheaval and parental relationship drama that may or may not have generated them."
He goes on to write "Of course, such kinship ties are often broken, sometimes with intention (by mutual divorce, sperm donation, and some instances of surrogacy), sometimes by accident (as through the death of a parent), and sometimes by necessity (in the case of seeking protection from domestic violence), all through no fault of the child. A good society seeks to discourage broken kinship ties, and to struggle over how to manage those that are unavoidable. It does not respond by simply declaring biological bonds to be irrelevant or such brokenness only imagined."
Regnerus has never openly opposed adoption, surrogacy, sperm donation, divorce, or single parenthood, but that is because he is a homophobe and little else. In fact, if Regnerus wasn't a hypocrite working for money, he would not be denouncing Zhuravlev, but rather endorsing him.
Of course, Regnerus could try fixing the problem. He could withdraw his hoax, issue a new study that was don properly, and reject the homophobia he is known for. He could declare himself wrong.
The problem is, he won't.
September 19, 2013 at 10:25 am
This is like someone farting in an elevator, then claiming it's the elevator's fault for not having enough ventilation.
You're transparent, Regnerus, but your disingenuity stinks all the same.
Scott Rose
September 18, 2013 at 3:27 pm
The Regnerus paper and data do not show, or even attempt to show, anything about kinship, yet in his Atlantic article, Regnerus claims they do. He is the queen of asserting untested assumptions.
September 18, 2013 at 3:28 pm
Definitely. He is an appalling person, and I get a sense he is terrified of what his hoax has become.


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Samsung Electronics and Google have jointly announced Galaxy Nexus, a smartphone running the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest release of the Android platform.
The Galaxy Nexus features a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display technology at 720p resolution and a 1.2GHz dual core processor.
Galaxy Nexus will be available in the US, Europe and Asia beginning in November and gradually rolled out to other global markets.
- 2014 global high brightness LED market, trends and shipment forecast
For the global LED lighting market, the market size will reach US$25.82 billion in 2014 or a market penetration rate of 23.4%. This is attributable to exponential shipment growth for light bulbs, tubes, and directional lamps.
- Greater China touch panel shipment forecast through 2015
This Special Report provides forecasts through 2015 for Greater China touch panel shipments with breakdowns based on technology (glass, film, resistive), application (smartphone, NB and tablet) and by firm.
- 2014 global smartphone market forecast
This Special Report will provide in-depth analyses to forecast whether global smartphone shipments in 2014 will maintain a growth similar to that of 2013 and what the global shipment scale will reach in 2014.


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is set to come to the Patchogue area, this time in the Swan Nursery Commons shopping center in East Patchogue.
will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the shopping center to announce the opening of a Best Yet Market.
The Commons shopping center at one time housed a Waldbaum's. But according to founder Tom Berger, the opening of another led to the shutdown of the Commons location.
The supermarket's parent company, A&P, had signed a 10-year lease with Serota Properties that prevented other food stores from inhabiting the space that previously housed the Waldbaum's.
Murray said he was pushing to end the contract after finding a loophole.
"If the store was empty for more than a year, the landlord can hop out of the lease and rent to another store owner, so we were pushing for that," he said.
Residents were displeased about A&P's actions, but Murray and Berger said they are looking forward to restoring the area.
"It was a bit of a controversy, and I wasn't pleased with the A&P Corporation, they didn't do the right thing for the community," Murray said. "I think the company felt there were too many of their own stores competing against themselves, and they had every intention of keeping the story empty."
Berger said that a community effort has been ongoing to bring a new grocery store to the location.
"We organized a petition drive and got about 2,300 signatures to bring a new supermarket to the area," Berger said. "The grocery business is extremely cutthroat and non-cooperative, even with the community. This has been ongoing thing for almost four years."
"At Focus, we're ecstatic over it- this is something that will bring people here," Berger said. "We're trying to promote our economy so people will buy and sell in our area- that's what makes a good economy."
Updated at 11/1/11 11:53 p.m.


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From Barrow Patch
An auto accident Monday along Ga. Highway 8 in Barrow County killed two people from Norcross.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, a 2003 GMC Envoy being driven by Winder resident Kristina Marie Brown was traveling eastbound on Highway 8 about 2:25 p.m. when the vehicle crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a 1992 Honda Accord being driven by Jess Willard Haygood, 80, of Norcross.
Haygood and a passenger, Sara Pauline Haygood, age 67, also of Norcross, died in the crash.
Brown was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center for treatment. A blood sample was taken to determine if alcohol or drugs contributed to the crash. Charges are pending the completion of a follow-up investigation by the GSP Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team from Gainesville.
Keep up with Peachtree Corners news. Subscribe to the Peachtree Corners Patch's free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.


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An agreement to pursue a financial package to build a new firehouse and rehabilitate two additional stations was approved by the New Albany Redevelopment Commission on Tuesday.
With Kroger and the city finalizing a purchase for the Green Valley Road Fire Station No. 4, New Albany will build a new firehouse off Daisy Lane near the site of the planned outdoor aquatic center.
The deal would see Kroger pay the city $1.5 million for the Green Valley Road station and property in order to expand its State Street center.
The money received from the deal will be used to help pay for the new Daisy Lane station, which will likely cost more than $1.5 million due to additional features that will be added.
The additional expense would be covered by a financing package that would also see the Twin Oaks fire station off Charlestown Road and the Grant Line Road firehouse refurbished.
David Duggins, director of economic development and redevelopment for the city, said the final amount hasn't been established for the financing deal and will have to be brought back to the redevelopment commission once decided.
A bond won't be issued for the projects, Duggins said, but a bank loan will be sought to be repaid with tax-increment financing revenue.
A cost estimate has been determined for one of the main features of the Grant Line fire station refurbishment. It will cost about $600,000 to install a five-storey training tower at the station.
"We really haven't had a place to train since 2006," New Albany Fire Chief Matt Juliot said, as the prior training building used by the department was condemned.
The refurbishment of the Twin Oaks and Grant Line Road fire stations will also save the city on maintenance expenses, Juliot said.
Though the money Kroger will pay to purchase the Green Valley Road station won't cover a new fire house, an appraiser said Tuesday during the meeting that the actual fire building is pretty much worthless to Kroger.


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Renton School Board members voted to hire Northwest Leadership Associates at a special board meeting Wednesday night.
The firm will conduct the months-long search for a new superintendent to replace . The nationwide search, which will begin in January, will include staff and community input, community meetings to present candidates and more.
Patch will post the dates of the community meetings when they are announced.
Board members held a public study session to interview four superintendent search firms vying to work with the district to hire a new superintendent. All of the companies were qualified to conduct the search and each were confident that the Renton School District would attract high-level candidates from across the country given its continued success with student achievement, parent involvement and community support.
Other aspects of the district that will attract candidates—as identified by the search firms—include the district's success in financial management; continued voter support for teacher pay and construction or renovation of schools; its close working relationships with business owners and community organizations such as Rotary and Kiwanis; and award-winning programs that involve higher education organizations such as the University of Washington, Washington State University, Renton Technical College and many others.
For more than a decade Northwest Leadership Associates has conducted more than 190 superintendent searches for school districts in the Northwest. Their work—guided by Renton School Board members—will include creating a recruitment timeline, meeting with stakeholder groups and soliciting input from staff, students and community to create a profile of the district, and then to find candidates whose qualifications and attributes match that profile. The search firm will conduct background and reference checks, visit the communities of prospective candidates, and ensure a good fit for Renton. Later work will also include presenting qualified candidates to the public at community meetings.
*Editor's Note: Information provided by the Renton School District.


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This apartment is in the Rock Creek neighborhood in Little Rock.
Shadow Lake Apartments has a Walk Score of 49 out of 100. This location is a Car-Dependent neighborhood so most errands require a car.
Nearby schools include Baker Interdistrict Elementary School, Pulaski Academy and Terry Elementary School.
The closest grocery stores are K Oriental Store and One Financial Center.
Nearby coffee shops include Starbucks, Mimi's Cafe and Mimi's Cafe. Nearby restaurants include Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Tazikis Mediterranean Cafe and Which Wich.
Shadow Lake Apartments is near Butler Park, Reservoir Park and River Mountain Park.
Peacefully tucked away in a lakefront setting in Little Rock, Arkansas, Shadow Lake Apartment Homes enjoys a prime location just minutes from I-630 and I-430.
Shadow Lake offersone, two and three bedroom apartments. Each home features a designer fully-equipped kitchen, washer/dryer connections, ceiling fans, and private patio or balcony. We offer three different enhanced kitchen packages so you can chose the apartment that fits your style! Check out the photo gallery to see our gorgeous homes.
Residents are invited to spend an afternoon fishing or feeding the ducks, turtles fish in our stocked pond. Keep your healthy lifestyle year-round by visiting our 24/7 fitness center with new equipment or relax at our indoor/outdoor pool with free Wi-Fi. Get away from it all and come home to your peaceful retreat at Shadow Lake Apartments. Call today. Our friendly on-site staff is waiting to show you your new home!
From I-430: Exit Financial Center Parkway west. Markham Street left. Shadow Lake Apartment Homes will be on the left.


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Wicked Witch of the West Car Show offers free concert and more
The Past Masters will be playing a free concert during the Wicked Witch of the Wewst Car Show from 4:30…
College partners with international group
Cathodic protection classes meet in the industrial technology classroom at SCCC/ATS. Courtesy photos • SCCC/ATS Whether it's referred…
Special Desoto coming to BBQ Cook-off during 5-State Fair
Public will have access to food this year at BBQ Cook-Off • Special to the Leader & Times …
County approves addition to K-State Extension Office
By ROBERT PIERCE • Leader & Times Seward County's K-State Research and Extension office may soon have some…
STATE CHAMPS for Rattler 13s
The 13-year-old Liberal Rattlers defeated Parsons 6-4 in the state championship Monday. The Rattlers were already qualified for the Midwest Regional…
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By Bob Hertzel
For the Times West Virginian
To date, West Virginia University's special teams play has been little better than a kick in the rear end to West Virginia fans, but coach Dana Holgorsen believes that may be changing.
Considering that nothing less than a BCS bid is on the line this week when the Mountaineers play the 104th renewal of the Backyard Brawl, that is almost as good a news flash as it would be that they discovered that Chris Neild, Robert Sands, J.T. Thomas, Pat White and Steve Slaton each had one more game of eligibility left.
Considering how really far this edition of the Mountaineers is away from being a great team — no running game and an often leaky defense being at the head of the list — perhaps the area that has really caused the most concern has been special teams.
Now let us understand, it hasn't been a total breakdown. As long as the Mountaineers can put Tavon Austin deep to stand under punts and kickoffs, a touchdown is only a missed tackle by the opponent away.
The problem is that special teams is a complex web of varying skills, from kickoff to placekicking to punting to coverage to a return game, one that coaches maintain carries as important a game-winning and game-losing value as does offense and defense.
In fact, and this observer has been through this before with coaches and administrators, it is so important that it deserves a position coach of its own ... even with the limit of nine coaches, considering that dealing with it A.) takes away time from the position coaches who must work with it, and B.) it is as complicated as running and offense and defense involving skills with which these coaches are unfamiliar.
Far better to have an expert on punting the ball, on kickoff coverage, on field goal technique than two quarterback coaches, which is what WVU has at present, which is a 1-to-1 ratio with quarterbacks.
But as we said, Holgorsen believes he has seen progress in an area where the Mountaineers are last in the Big East in net punting and last in kickoff coverage, giving up 1,441 yards of kickoff returns.
"That's the thing about special teams: If it doesn't look good, everybody complains about it, but if it looks like it's supposed to look, everybody ignores it," Holgorsen maintained at a recent press conference.
He was talking about the kickoff team and how everyone held their breath on each but now that it has improved, it goes unnoticed ... except by him.
"Give those guys credit," he said after the Cincinnati game. "The effort was good, and we played well. We had guys step up."
Now let us say there was sizeable ground to make up, considering that punt return coverage ranks 109th in the nation at present and kickoff return coverage ranks 102nd ... and that is after Holgorsen noticed the improvement.
The Charleston Daily Mail last week did make note that over the past three games the kickoff return team has allowed
only 19.67 yards per return, which would rank 31st in the nation if it were to have been matched in the first seven games.
The improvement in coverage is part of a general learning curve for some of the second- and third-team players who are on special teams.
The players he singled out on the kickoff coverage team were wide receiver Willie Milhouse, linebacker Donovan Miles and cornerback Brodrick Jenkins, each looking for ways to contribute while not yet having earned starting jobs at their positions.
"That's one of the things that I've been trying to get through to them all year," Holgorsen said. "It doesn't matter if you're on the scout team or a second-teamer, third-teamer, whether you're a receiver or a running back, safety, linebacker or whatever you are, you have to give effort. Some of those second-teamers didn't do anything to help the team, so we had other guys step up, which was critical."
And rest assured that the same will be true with punter Mike Molinari, placekicker Tyler Bitancurt and kickoff man Corey Smith. Far too often has the special teams played a huge role in the Backyard Brawl.
You can go back to 1967 when WVU placekicker Ken Juskowich accounted for all the points in a 15-0 victory or to 1975 when walk-on kicker Bill McKenzie's last-second field goal produced a 17-14 WVU victory and one of the wildest post-game celebrations ever at old Mountaineer Field.
Sometimes teams have won by the foot, other times they lost by it, WVU falling 16-13 in 1982 when Paul Woodside's long field goal try hit the crossbar but would not go through.
How vital is placekicking? Well, Pitt's comeback from 31-9 would have been nothing more than a nice try had not Ed Frazier made a 42-yard field goal as time expired to tie the game, 31-31, against a No. 9 ranked WVU team in 1989.
Now, there is maybe only one more chapter to write in the history of the game, and you can almost bet that special teams will play a role in the outcome.
Email Bob Hertzel at email@example.com. Follow on Twitter @bhertzel.


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July 31, 2014
Monday August 27, 2012
Green Bay, WI--NFL teams are starting to shore up their rosters and in Green Bay, former Lincoln County standout Jarius Wynn has been released.
Wynn has been with the packers three years and played in every game last season. He was in on 19 tackles and had three sacks a season ago.
This marks the second time in his career he's been released by the Packers, the first in 2010, only to be re-signed.
Have information or an opinion about this story? Click here to contact the newsroom.
Copyright WRDW-TV News 12. All rights reserved. This material may not be republished without express written permission.


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With an inexplicable ability to embrace numerous genres from comedy in Meet the Fockers (2004) to heartfelt drama in Awakenings (1990) through to gangster classics such as Goodfellas (1990), De Niro is easily regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time.
Recently ranked as #1 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Greatest Living Actor (Gods Among Us)" list (October 2004), De Niro's career includes a staggering collection of iconic movie performances that have seen his transition from acclaimed actor to being an indelible part of the fabric of pop culture.
He has inspired at least three songs, a cocktail, and - on a more grim note - a presidential assassination attempt (would-be killer John Hinckley cited Travis Bickle, De Niro's character in Taxi Driver as a formative influence on his attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan).
But he will perhaps be best remembered as having uttered some of the most memorable movie lines ever, such as "I give him an offer he don't refuse," from The Godfather Part II and the perennially quoted and frequently spoofed "You talkin' to me?" monologue from Taxi Driver, the latter pronounced by Entertainment Weekly as "a scrap of pop-culture boilerplate... It's a slogan; you see it on T-shirts. Frat boys blurt it out after too many beers. "
ACMI's special De Niro cinema season is a rare big-screen opportunity to see De Niro's most seminal screen moments, many of which are regular fixtures in critical lists of the top "must-see" movies of all time.
Highlights of the season include The Godfather Part II (1974), the film which netted De Niro his first Academy Award (for Best Actor in a Supporting Role) and which created Oscar history with De Niro and Marlon Brando becoming the first (and only) two actors to win an Oscar for playing the same character; Michael Cimino's post-Vietnam epic The Deer Hunter (1978); as well as several films born from his long-standing creative association with director Martin Scorsese such as Taxi Driver (1976), Mean Streets (1973), Casino (1995), Cape Fear (1991) and Raging Bull (1980), the latter for which De Niro was awarded his second Oscar, this time for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Among the rarities to be screened will be Greetings (1968), De Niro's first leading film role, made at age 24, and its sequel Hi, Mom! (1970), both directed by Brian De Palma. Also featuring is Bloody Mama (1971), Roger Corman's low budget sensationalist B-pic about a depression-era matron (Shelley Winters) and her gang of thugs, with De Niro for his role reportedly starving himself in his first major foray of "becoming" a character.
Clare Stewart, ACMI's Cinema Programs Manager, said "As part of ACMI's cinema programs in 2005 and beyond we are thrilled to be bringing audiences the work of influential filmmakers. De Niro's contribution to the art of screen performance is immeasurable, his approach has had such an impact on contemporary cinema, making him the ideal choice for our first actor focus program this year. "
The complete program for ACMI's De Niro Focus, with full list of films screened and session times, will be announced shortly.


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|thimble (ˈθɪmbəl)
|a cap of metal, plastic, etc, used to protect the end of the finger when sewing
|any small metal cap resembling this
|nautical a loop of metal having a groove at its outer edge for a rope or cable, for lining the inside of an eye
|short for thimbleful
|[Old English thӯmel thumbstall, from thūma
small, bell-shaped implement designed to protect the end of the finger when sewing. Among the earliest known thimbles, dating from before AD 79, were those made of bronze and found at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Modern thimbles are almost exclusively produced in plastic or soft metals. Purely decorative thimbles are produced in an endless variety of materials and forms as collectibles.
Learn more about thimble with a free trial on Britannica.com.


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ELMONT, N.Y. — Tonalist sprinted across the finish line first Saturday at the Belmont Stakes, spoiling California Chrome's bid to win the first Triple Crown in 36 years.
California Chrome, foaled and raised at Harris Farms in Coalinga, finished far back in a tie for fourth. The result means the longest drought without a Triple Crown champion in history will be extended.
California Chrome and jockey Victor Espinoza lost the 1 1/2-mile race on a hot day at Belmont Park, where tens of thousands of fans were packed in hoping to see history. It was not to be, leaving Affirmed as the most recent Triple Crown winner in 1978.
"I thought he was gaining ground, but he didn't have it in him, apparently," co-owner Steve Coburn said. He complained that some of the horses sat out earlier legs and were entered just to knock out California Chrome.
"It's all or nothing. This is not fair to these horses and to the people that believe in them. This is the coward's way out."
California Chrome broke quickly but was pressed immediately by Commissioner and General a Rod. Espinoza eased California Chrome back into third along the rail.
Approaching the final turn, California Chrome was maneuvered to the outside. He angled four-wide turning for home, just to the outside of Tonalist, who was close to the pace the entire race. Espinoza started whipping left handed in the lane but California Chrome had no response.
Tonalist kicked strongly in the final strides, edging Commissioner by a head to finish in 2:28:52. Medal Count got third with California Chrome finishing in a tie for fourth with Wicked Strong.
Samraat was sixth, followed by General a Rod, Matterhorn, Commanding Curve, Matuszak and Ride On Curlin.
Tonalist paid $20.40, $9.60 and $7. Commissioner returned $23.20 and $13.20 while Medal Count paid $13.20.
California Chrome became the 12th horse since Affirmed to lose his Triple try in the Belmont, the longest race in the series.
The defeat snapped the chestnut colt's six-race winning streak. His rise from a humble pedigree and his working-stiff owners resonated with sports fans who rarely take an interest in horse racing.
Conditions seemed aligned for the Triple Crown drought to end. California Chrome seemed to thrive during his three-week stay at Belmont Park. His chestnut coat gleamed and he gained weight after the Preakness on May 17. His owners, trainer and jockey oozed confidence. And so did the bettors, who made him the overwhelming favorite in the Belmont.
But this fairy tale didn't have a happy ending.
Espinoza lost his second chance at a Triple Crown. He was aboard War Emblem in 2002, when that colt stumbled at the start of the Belmont and lost all chance.
Art Sherman, the 77-year-old trainer of California Chrome, had said beforehand that his colt didn't need to win another race because he was already such a pleasure to be around.
Coburn, who with Perry Martin formed Dumb Ass Partners to race their one-horse stable, had vowed that California Chrome "would go down in history."
It just wasn't the kind they wanted to make.
Horses since the last Triple Crown sweep who have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness only to lose their chance at history at the Belmont Stakes (listed by year and Belmont finish; Belmont winner in parentheses):
2014: California Chrome, fourth, dead heat (Tonalist)
2012: I'll Have Another, withdrawn before race (Union Rags)
2008: Big Brown, ninth, pulled up approaching quarter pole (Da' Tara)
2004: Smarty Jones, second, 1 length behind (Birdstone)
2003: Funny Cide, third, 5 lengths behind (Empire Maker)
2002: War Emblem, eighth, 19{ lengths behind (Sarava)
1999: Charismatic, third, 1{ lengths behind (Lemon Drop Kid)
1998: Real Quiet, second, nose behind (Victory Gallop)
1997: Silver Charm, second, } length behind (Touch Gold)
1989: Sunday Silence, second, 8 lengths behind (Easy Goer)
1987: Alysheba, fourth (Bet Twice)
1981: Pleasant Colony, third (Summing)
1979: Spectacular Bid, third (Coastal)