If National wins ...

[BlackPeter]

In the not too distant future there will be a poll, and this poll, will show little change in John Key's popularity, and all those who whoop and holler over the hair pulling incident and any other scrap of rubbish that they can find might want to look in the mirror and see if they can see the steam rising off their imagination.

actually - an article worthwhile to reflect on in NBR:

http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/dont-la...ew%2520Edition

The gist of the story? Winston Peters has next election a good chance to become king maker (again). If the numbers are right, than it is him and only him to determine whoever will rule the country after the next election. And if this is the case ... why shouldn't he sell his vote to the highest bidder as he did before? Given that he is clearly interested in the PM position (and the knighthood which comes with it after retirement) - why not ask for the PM position (at least for a part of the term) when he goes into the negotiations? This would give him the chance to retire as PM and it would be for whoever wins the bidding war an amazing opportunity to build up a new PM, growing under Winstons wings.

Question is - which party (or group of parties) would offer more to buy Winston's support in such a situation - the PM position would be obviously only the beginning ...

[BlackPeter]

...
Its take around 3 billion years for Earth to develop to a level of sustainable & finely balanced life which is beautiful & in a blink of an eye man could destroy that. Perhaps it recovers naturally over the next thousands or millions of years. I would like to see our very special way of life continue for much longer & for other generations to enjoy.

Hi Daytr, we certainly agree on that, and we agree as well on the requirement of a more sustainable lifestyle.

It is just that I am a bit worried that too much focus on the fad of the decade (global warming and CO2) might direct our focus away from the real danger. Now - I don't know, whether this is radioactive pollution (which actually could make the planet uninhabitable, other than global warming which would only require a lot of of us to move ...), whether this is an overdose of man made chemicals including but not limited to fertilizer (which could significantly reduce the planets ability to sustain our species in the numbers we grew to), whether this is the reduction of biodiversity up to the point where we destroy one or several for our life essential organism(s) who's importance we didn't understood, or whether this is something else. I am pretty sure it won't be the rising CO2 levels - but that's unfortunately the theme today's preachers picked to make their money with ...

Just look at all the stupid decisions people made already due to the fear of looming global warming: Remember the bio fuel fad? It resulted in the disappearance of cheap food for the poor and increased world hunger. Remember the advance of the solar panels (knowing that until 2010 every solar panel manufactured had a negative energy balance - it took more energy to produce them, than they would ever return during their life time)? Solar panels have been an additional source of CO2 into the atmosphere - not to forget the environmental damages of mining all the rare earths you need to produce them.

Ah well, give it another 10 or 20 years and I am sure people will have another favorite worry, that's just how humans work ...

[Daytr]

Well its certainly only one, but imo a major component is emissions so we will have to agree to disagree on the size of the contribution growing CO2 emissions is contributing to climate change. Its also an issue if we want to, we can do something about.
Climate change/global warming will be the very real issue & not just a fad.
Many issues will result from our unsustainable lives, climate change being one of them.
However many species will also become extinct & eating fish etc will be come a luxury.
Waste is also a major factor.

In regards solar panels what you say in regards panels prior to 2010 is quite incorrect.
In 2010 solar was compared to coal powered electricity, obviously the highest form of emission energy production.
Solar including its manufacture produces 20 times less emissions to that of coal. As gas produces half the emissions of coal approximately again solar is substantially lower being only 10 times less emission intensive & this was back in 2010 & solar has improved markedly since then. In some climates those ratios are much higher still.
When comparing you need to compare it to the alternative ways of producing electricity.
Hydro production will create some emissions also & it would be interesting to know if solar is higher or lower than solar in regards emissions.

Just because stupid decisions are made & there are a lot of people/corporates who will use a green image to do some pretty horrific things, selling as environmentally friendly when its quite the opposite, it doesn't mean the right things shouldn't be done & government policy encourage that.

[elZorro]

Well its certainly only one, but imo a major component is emissions so we will have to agree to disagree on the size of the contribution growing CO2 emissions is contributing to climate change. Its also an issue if we want to, we can do something about.
Climate change/global warming will be the very real issue & not just a fad.
Many issues will result from our unsustainable lives, climate change being one of them.
However many species will also become extinct & eating fish etc will be come a luxury.
Waste is also a major factor.

In regards solar panels what you say in regards panels prior to 2010 is quite incorrect.
In 2010 solar was compared to coal powered electricity, obviously the highest form of emission energy production.
Solar including its manufacture produces 20 times less emissions to that of coal. As gas produces half the emissions of coal approximately again solar is substantially lower being only 10 times less emission intensive & this was back in 2010 & solar has improved markedly since then. In some climates those ratios are much higher still.
When comparing you need to compare it to the alternative ways of producing electricity.
Hydro production will create some emissions also & it would be interesting to know if solar is higher or lower than solar in regards emissions.

Just because stupid decisions are made & there are a lot of people/corporates who will use a green image to do some pretty horrific things, selling as environmentally friendly when its quite the opposite, it doesn't mean the right things shouldn't be done & government policy encourage that.

Skimming through the SST this morning, Rod Oram's article on our export sector mentioned that the dairy sector can't keep doubling the dairy herd every 20 years like they have been doing, to boost returns. They need to aim for $15/kg milksolids, not the $4.70 they are getting. For your argument Daytr, methane emissions from the cows we do have, must be getting significant.

Rod also pointed out major errors in what the government is telling us in their speeches, compared to the actual data. They have even redone the GDP stats in a different way, to make it look better (against advice from Statistics NZ), until international conventions forced it to be changed back. We are not meeting export income targets set by National, and any change in high-value exports has been minimal. But internal tourism income, which makes us poorer overall compared to other jobs we should encourage, is up 12% over 2010-2014.

We just don't have enough reporters looking in detail at the data, calling out these lies that we are being fed by the government. Good on you, Rod.

Gordon Campbell late last year, 19 Reasons why we shouldn't vote back National.

[elZorro]

John Key lampooned on US comedy show:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...us-comedy-show

I think this is also quite damaging for brand JK, it'll be interesting to see if he still gets mobbed for selfies.

[Daytr]

Ahhh yep that's pretty damning & on a very popular US show.
I obviously don't like Key, but these are people who just see it for what it is.
A creepy, weird repetitive act by the prime minister of NZ.
His credibility is shot & he's an international laughing stock.
What he does in the bedroom is his business, in public its everyone's business.

[Major von Tempsky]

Desperation sets in on the Left.

Can't you find any substantial targets to attack?

One of my grandchildren has rather fat cheeks so occasionally I would put my fingers each side and gently squash them together saying jocularly "Fatcheeks". The last time she said "Don't do that Grandpa!", "No, not fatcheeks!".

So I no longer do. So this means I am creepy, weird, should be prosecuted, and disqualified from holding public office?

You guys need to get a sense of proportion, get a life.
The public opinion polls show barely any discernible effects (in fact the movement such as it is, could well be due to other factors.)
If you are at all realistic you'll know you are flogging a dead horse - well more like a dead hamster actually!

[Sgt Pepper]

Desperation sets in on the Left.

Can't you find any substantial targets to attack?

One of my grandchildren has rather fat cheeks so occasionally I would put my fingers each side and gently squash them together saying jocularly "Fatcheeks". The last time she said "Don't do that Grandpa!", "No, not fatcheeks!".

So I no longer do. So this means I am creepy, weird, should be prosecuted, and disqualified from holding public office?

You guys need to get a sense of proportion, get a life.
The public opinion polls show barely any discernible effects (in fact the movement such as it is, could well be due to other factors.)
If you are at all realistic you'll know you are flogging a dead horse - well more like a dead hamster actually!

Ok then Major
a challenge, next time you go to a restaurant or café start pulling some pony tails and see how amused the staff member is. I am sorry this ridiculous behaviour doesn't seem to offend you. Of course if a Labour , NZ first or Green MP had offended you would have defended them as well. YEAH.....RIGHT!

[777]

Ponygate will still not see the left get in in 2017. Just watch Little make an idiot of himself when Key returns. The public are over it all now but the left will try to milk it as far as they can unaware of this.

Key was wrong and he knows it. He apologized. The end.

There are far more important things to be concerned with than this crap much as some of you thrive on it.

[Daytr]

Well its not just wrong, its obvious its a fetish as he's done on multiple occasions to other girls etc.
MVT, as Sgt Pepper said, you like Bob Jones either deliberately miss the point or don't get it.
This is not his grand daughter who you are teasing. This is an adult that is serving you food & had asked directly & indirectly that it stop.

Its not the first time Key has lacked good judgment. Another bad call is still hanging over him as well Mike Sabin, you know the guy he gave the Chair of the judiciary committee to, whilst he was under investigation. And there are multiple others. But that's ok, he's just laid back.
I bet you one thing. Sabin's not being charged with pulling a ponytail.