I was listening to talkback on Newstalk ZB this afternoon and I could not believe what I heard. Qantas and Air New Zealand have banned men from sitting next to unaccompanied children on their flights! (http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=85132)
This is totally ridiculous. It is definitely political correctness gone mad. Why men? Why have men been singled out in this case? These airlines are labeling ALL men as boogymen and sexual abusers! There are many women out there in this category too.
As a father of a 6 year old daughter I am very offended by this policy. I do not see how legally they can get away with it. It is against human rights and is discriminating against men. I really hope something can be done about this, otherwise what would be next?? I know if I was seated next to an unaccompanied child on an aircraft and told to shift I'd tell them where to go!
It was good to hear on talkback this afternoon that both men and women callers thought this new policy was completely crazy.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
Woolworths don't accept cheques
We put some money in our bank account over the weekend, but for some stupid reason we won't be able to access it until tomorrow. However, we needed to do some grocery shopping today. So we thought we'd just use a cheque to pay for it. At least by the time the cheque is deposited the funds in our account would have cleared. So we went round Woolworths here in Otorohanga and loaded up our trolley with our groceries. However, when we got to the check-out we could only pay by cheque if we had a special "Woolworths/Foodtown One Card Cheque ID Card" (Huh??) So we said OK, we'll get one now. But no, it doesn't work that way! So we left our groceries in the trolley and just walked out of the store.
Fair enough that they're concerned about cheque fraud but it's not like we're strangers to the area. Otorohanga is a small town so we're well known as we've lived here for nearly 2 years and we shop at Woolworths at least a couple of times a week. This is the first time I've been refused a cheque at a supermarket.
I think we'll be shopping elsewhere from now on - flippin' idiots!!
Fair enough that they're concerned about cheque fraud but it's not like we're strangers to the area. Otorohanga is a small town so we're well known as we've lived here for nearly 2 years and we shop at Woolworths at least a couple of times a week. This is the first time I've been refused a cheque at a supermarket.
I think we'll be shopping elsewhere from now on - flippin' idiots!!
Saturday, November 26, 2005
World according to George W. Gump - America's George II is even madder than England's George III
[http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17064889%255E12272,00.html]
Amusing reality check on GW from Philip Adams, a columnist for Murdoch's mouth piece, "The Australian"
Here is an excerpt
For years fellow columnists and the PM have been telling us the sun shines from his presidential posterior, that despite his imper-son-ation of Forrest Gump imitating Jerry Lewis doing a parody of John Wayne, George was a political genius. While I've been suggesting that the bloke is, at best, a failed experiment in genetic engineering or a malfunctioning audio-animatronic robot that escaped from Disney World in his brother's state of Florida. And my reward for these helpful warnings? Accusations of political bias.
So here's a brief listing of the president's greatest hits, proof positive that America's George II is even madder than England's George III.
George's response to 9/II? He invades Afghanistan to terminate with extreme prejudice bin Laden and punish the Taliban. Bin who? He hasn't bin seen lately. The Taliban? They've withdrawn a few kilometres and the war lords, whose brutality and corruption made the Taliban welcome in the first place, are now back in the saddle. They're showing their gratitude to George by once more producing 80 per cent of the world's heroin.
Confusing Iraq with Iran (or possibly Syria) and confusing Saddam Hussein with bin Laden, George demolishes pretty much an entire nation. In further confusion, he mistakes palm trees for nuclear missiles and camels and donkeys for biological and chemical weapons. This leads to the deaths of 100,000 innocent Iraqis who had absolutely nothing to do with the attacks on the World Trade Center. George's war also involves the deaths of 2000 young Americans and tips the Iraqis into a civil war that will go on and bloodily on for decades. George further destabilises the world's most dangerous region and persuades a new generation to choose suicide bombing as a career.
And while his offsider Dick Cheney promises the invasion of Iraq would see oil drop to just 20 bucks a barrel, the Iraqis are now importing petrol ? and the price has nudged $US70.
While the war makes the Bushes best friends with the Blairs and the Howards, it turns the rest of the world against him. From being surrounded with goodwill and sympathy after 9/11, the Americans find themselves feared and isolated. And that's for starters.
Checklist: Bush maintains Saddam's policies at the local jail, tears up the Geneva Convention at Guantanamo Bay, threatens to veto John McCain's bill condemning the US's cruel and degrading treatment of prisoners – which also forbids further use of torture in interrogation. He reverses the US's proud progress on human rights under the guise of "homeland defence" and thumbs-downs the International War Crimes Tribunal.
Obedient to his allies in the coal industry, Bush refuses to sign Kyoto, demolishes legislation that gave some protection to America's air and water, ignores reports urging the urgent repair of the wetlands around New Orleans, makes a fool of the administration by buckling to Bible-belt bigotry on issues from Terri Schiavo to stem cell research, threatens UN agencies and NGOs with cessation of funding if they breathe a word about abortion or contraception to desperate women in Third World countries – and agrees with the Pentecostal/Vatican lobby in opposing condoms for millions of Africans doomed by the AIDS pan-demic. Yet George has the nerve to condemn Islamic fundamentalism.
Then there are small problems such as his ongoing attacks on the American poor, combined with his endless generosity to the top 1 per cent of income earners. Bush is in the process of ending capital gains tax, which will lead to the biggest transfer of wealth to the wealthy in US history. This amounts to a bigger drain on the nation's kitty than the Iraq fiasco ? and it will go on every day forever.
The Australian: World according to George W. Gump [November 05, 2005] - Philip Adams
Amusing reality check on GW from Philip Adams, a columnist for Murdoch's mouth piece, "The Australian"
Here is an excerpt
For years fellow columnists and the PM have been telling us the sun shines from his presidential posterior, that despite his imper-son-ation of Forrest Gump imitating Jerry Lewis doing a parody of John Wayne, George was a political genius. While I've been suggesting that the bloke is, at best, a failed experiment in genetic engineering or a malfunctioning audio-animatronic robot that escaped from Disney World in his brother's state of Florida. And my reward for these helpful warnings? Accusations of political bias.
So here's a brief listing of the president's greatest hits, proof positive that America's George II is even madder than England's George III.
George's response to 9/II? He invades Afghanistan to terminate with extreme prejudice bin Laden and punish the Taliban. Bin who? He hasn't bin seen lately. The Taliban? They've withdrawn a few kilometres and the war lords, whose brutality and corruption made the Taliban welcome in the first place, are now back in the saddle. They're showing their gratitude to George by once more producing 80 per cent of the world's heroin.
Confusing Iraq with Iran (or possibly Syria) and confusing Saddam Hussein with bin Laden, George demolishes pretty much an entire nation. In further confusion, he mistakes palm trees for nuclear missiles and camels and donkeys for biological and chemical weapons. This leads to the deaths of 100,000 innocent Iraqis who had absolutely nothing to do with the attacks on the World Trade Center. George's war also involves the deaths of 2000 young Americans and tips the Iraqis into a civil war that will go on and bloodily on for decades. George further destabilises the world's most dangerous region and persuades a new generation to choose suicide bombing as a career.
And while his offsider Dick Cheney promises the invasion of Iraq would see oil drop to just 20 bucks a barrel, the Iraqis are now importing petrol ? and the price has nudged $US70.
While the war makes the Bushes best friends with the Blairs and the Howards, it turns the rest of the world against him. From being surrounded with goodwill and sympathy after 9/11, the Americans find themselves feared and isolated. And that's for starters.
Checklist: Bush maintains Saddam's policies at the local jail, tears up the Geneva Convention at Guantanamo Bay, threatens to veto John McCain's bill condemning the US's cruel and degrading treatment of prisoners – which also forbids further use of torture in interrogation. He reverses the US's proud progress on human rights under the guise of "homeland defence" and thumbs-downs the International War Crimes Tribunal.
Obedient to his allies in the coal industry, Bush refuses to sign Kyoto, demolishes legislation that gave some protection to America's air and water, ignores reports urging the urgent repair of the wetlands around New Orleans, makes a fool of the administration by buckling to Bible-belt bigotry on issues from Terri Schiavo to stem cell research, threatens UN agencies and NGOs with cessation of funding if they breathe a word about abortion or contraception to desperate women in Third World countries – and agrees with the Pentecostal/Vatican lobby in opposing condoms for millions of Africans doomed by the AIDS pan-demic. Yet George has the nerve to condemn Islamic fundamentalism.
Then there are small problems such as his ongoing attacks on the American poor, combined with his endless generosity to the top 1 per cent of income earners. Bush is in the process of ending capital gains tax, which will lead to the biggest transfer of wealth to the wealthy in US history. This amounts to a bigger drain on the nation's kitty than the Iraq fiasco ? and it will go on every day forever.
The Australian: World according to George W. Gump [November 05, 2005] - Philip Adams
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Tributes for two great politicians
In parliament today tributes were given from all sides of the house to former Prime Minister David Lange, who died earlier this year, and Greens co-leader Rod Donald who died suddenly this past weekend. http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=83747
I thought David Lange was an excellent Prime Minister throughout his term in the 1980s. He did a lot of things which had to be done for this country. Wish he could have carried on longer as Prime Minister than he did.
Even though I don't support the Green Party, Rod Donald appeared to be a very honourable politician (not many are!) His death was well before his time. He was an exercise and health freak - perhaps he tried too hard to be healthy??
I thought David Lange was an excellent Prime Minister throughout his term in the 1980s. He did a lot of things which had to be done for this country. Wish he could have carried on longer as Prime Minister than he did.
Even though I don't support the Green Party, Rod Donald appeared to be a very honourable politician (not many are!) His death was well before his time. He was an exercise and health freak - perhaps he tried too hard to be healthy??
Friday, November 04, 2005
Why celebrate Guy Fawkes?
Tomorrow once again is Guy Fawkes Day here in New Zealand. It is the time of the year when fireworks are sold and let off by the public, and some bonfires are lit.
But why do we celebrate this day here in New Zealand? As far as I know this day is only celebrated in England, New Zealand, and a couple of other countries. As you probably know Guy Fawkes was one of the conspirators who tried to blow up parliament in England on the 5th of November 1605 - that's 400 years ago! Had he been successful he would have killed the king along with everyone in the House of Lords and the House of Parliament and most probably a lot of innocent people. Essentially Guy Fawkes was a terrorist! Why celebrate an act of terrorism that occurred in England 400 years ago???
But here in New Zealand in the 21st century it is basically just a day for people to let off fireworks. Which brings us to the question "Should firework sales to the general public be banned?" Of course they should! Fireworks are very dangerous. Check out these articles from this year alone:
No fireworks likely for Auckland suburb
Call to ban backyard fireworks displays
A call fireworks only at Public displays
Fire service calls for kids to be supervised in Guy Fawkes lead up
Police take hard line on fireworks
Fireworks could have caused major blaze
Parking meter firework casualty
Stop selling fireworks - Fire Service
Fireworks dispute - man injured
Fireworks house fire - court appearance
Fireworks ban will be enforced
Fireworks may have caused scrubfire
Fireworks assault weapon located
Fireworks blamed for another fire
Government under fire over fireworks
And all of that is from the Newstalk ZB website from just the past week or so!! We need to ban fireworks now and stop celebrating the acts of a terrorist from 400 years ago!
But why do we celebrate this day here in New Zealand? As far as I know this day is only celebrated in England, New Zealand, and a couple of other countries. As you probably know Guy Fawkes was one of the conspirators who tried to blow up parliament in England on the 5th of November 1605 - that's 400 years ago! Had he been successful he would have killed the king along with everyone in the House of Lords and the House of Parliament and most probably a lot of innocent people. Essentially Guy Fawkes was a terrorist! Why celebrate an act of terrorism that occurred in England 400 years ago???
But here in New Zealand in the 21st century it is basically just a day for people to let off fireworks. Which brings us to the question "Should firework sales to the general public be banned?" Of course they should! Fireworks are very dangerous. Check out these articles from this year alone:
No fireworks likely for Auckland suburb
Call to ban backyard fireworks displays
A call fireworks only at Public displays
Fire service calls for kids to be supervised in Guy Fawkes lead up
Police take hard line on fireworks
Fireworks could have caused major blaze
Parking meter firework casualty
Stop selling fireworks - Fire Service
Fireworks dispute - man injured
Fireworks house fire - court appearance
Fireworks ban will be enforced
Fireworks may have caused scrubfire
Fireworks assault weapon located
Fireworks blamed for another fire
Government under fire over fireworks
And all of that is from the Newstalk ZB website from just the past week or so!! We need to ban fireworks now and stop celebrating the acts of a terrorist from 400 years ago!
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