Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The Creepy Party

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  • webweaver,

    And -as another extremely disgruntled Vodafone customer - anybody got any suggestions for an laternative ISP? Other locals use Orcon & Telstra Clear...

    I decided to go with Actrix, cos they are (or were originally) Wellington-based and they did very well in the Consumer ISP customer satisfaction survey last year.

    It's taken me such a long time to change ISPs cos I was absolutely convinced it would be a complete nightmare and that I'd be offline for days, but seeing as that was already happening on a daily basis with Vodafone/ihug, I figured it wouldn't make much difference anyway.

    I applied to Actrix a few days ago, got the confirmation email the following day, and yesterday I got switched across. Interestingly, my ihug access was still working as well, which meant I didn't lose any access to the internet at all during the switchover. Five minutes on the phone with Actrix to re-set my modem and email prefs and it was all sorted.

    I have a different ISP for my domain name (they host my website) so then all I had to do was give them a call and get them to talk me through switching over the redirect of emails to my webweaver email address from my ihug account to my Actrix one.

    Once that was done I was without incoming emails for 3 or 4 hours (although I could still send emails out) while the email redirect was sent out across the ether, and by yesterday evening I was completely sorted.

    Not NEARLY as much of a nightmare as I had feared, and considering that the length of time I was without incoming emails yesterday was probably less time than an average Vodafone outage this week, I think it went pretty well. I should have done it years ago.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 332 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Given that the Vodafone mess continues (I can acess via the web-site, but the o's mails are coming as addresses only) I'll be changing quite soon. While Actrix isnt an option, Orcon & Telstra Clear are, and I'll be checking them out come Monday.

    Thanks all-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Oh dear. Now that's just silly.

    I should re-emphasise that the part of it I'm very happy to embrace is the exoneration of Nick Kearney, who, whether you dig his politics or not, is, I think, one of the people who help make democracy possible by working in good faith in a party organisation. He was stitched up, and I feel sorry for the guy.

    But otherwise, I struggle to believe that Roy's advisor so completely glamoured her that she presented in her own defence a document she didn't really regard as factual.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    ACT are talking about a Lt Col as a rogue staffer. Don't know the guy, never met him, but in order to get that rank he was valued highly by someone out there and has done two deployments for NZ.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    ACT are talking about a Lt Col as a rogue staffer.

    Hmm. He's probably hiding upriver in the bush somewhere. We should send Martin Sheen in to...um...'deal'... with him.

    I love the smell of ACT self-destructing in the morning.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The strategy now is to dump as much shit as possible on the advisor, Simon Ewing-Jarvie. David Fisher at the HoS has happily obliged with a piece of sleaze today..

    Not that I feel any sympathy for any of them. The picture appears to be one of a bunch of ghastly personalities running around knifing each other on the public dollar.

    Although Braunias's 'Secret Diary of Heather Roy' is extremely brilliant today.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    shut down Tiwai Point

    Except that global climate change is global.

    If we shut down Tiwai Point (which runs off hydroelectricity), the demand for aluminium won't go away, and that demand will quite likely be met by a coal fueled smelter in Australia or China. Essentially, an aluminimum smelter in New Zealand is a way of exporting hydroelectricity.

    We should really aim to have 100% renewable electricty with the smelter still operating, which is quite achieveable if we build a lot more wind and a bit more hydro and geothermal.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Young,

    Is Chris Trotter a mole? Some have raised the question with me, but I don't engage in conspiracy theories. Given how strategically challenged he is, his ludicrous sectarian outbursts aren't taken seriously by anyone on the centre-left anymore...

    Ye Gaia. There's a Whaleoil link on Bowjangly Road...

    Craig Y

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 573 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    The strategy now is to dump as much shit as possible on the advisor, Simon Ewing-Jarvie. David Fisher at the HoS has happily obliged with a piece of sleaze today..

    Someone is going to have to refresh my memory, but wasn't David Fisher a real investigative journalist once upon a time? Or have I been having another Fringe moment?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    The strategy now is to dump as much shit as possible on the advisor, Simon Ewing-Jarvie

    Peter Tashkoff has stepped in also to defend Roy , which, kinda does feel now as if she was bullied.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    The good
    * John Key seems to want to throw Act a lifeline.

    Can someone please explain to me in plain English what about this statement meets any definition of 'good'?

    Perhaps someone should show Mr Key this video.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Is Chris Trotter a mole?

    I was holding out for a dyspeptic marmoset, myself.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Rich, you're right the aluminum production would move elsewhere but the issue with Tiwai is more about the opportunity cost of such a huge and hugely subsidised chunk of our renewable electricity production.

    We (NZ) could be using that for better things than helping foreign-owned company profits in an industry that seems to have no potential for sustainable growth of high skilled jobs and export enterprises. Carbon pricing brings the economics into sharp relief.

    Someone wrote about it this year but I don't recall where.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • ChrisW,

    Regardless of the source of electricity consumed, the smelter itself has major CO2 emissions as an integral part of the smelting process converting aluminium oxide to aluminium metal. But the 'carbon' price for those emissions from Tiwai Point is to be paid by the taxpayers for the forseeable.

    Here's one analysis of the consequences in per-job-subsidy and opportunity cost - not up-to-date, and not allowing we can't simply close down the old Huntly power station and transmit Manapouri electricity to Auckland instead cost-free, but ...

    Gisborne • Since Apr 2009 • 851 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    So I had a proper read of the Whaleoil "analysis".

    Apart from all the vileness and stupidity -- honestly, these people are all ghastly -- Ewing-Jarvie's bumbling deep-throat stuff does make some good points about certain people working for the Minister of Local Government and playing significant roles in Super City campaigning.

    They should change the party name to The Association of the Weird and Inappropriate.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    A Kiwiblog reader has ticked off David Farrar for giving airtime to the sleazy HoS story:

    Don’t do yourself a disservice by implicating anything inappropriate in the Roy-Ewing-Jarvie relationship.

    The two families have been friends for years – spouses and children included. In fact, you’ll struggle to find two more ‘functional’ family units in the country.

    Heather Roy did stay at the Ewing-Jarvie home on Friday night – along with Simon’s wife and daughter! In fact, it occurred because Heather’s husband had called her to tell her not to return home, because its was surrounded by media.

    DPF is taking the "well, it was in the papers!" defence -- something I seem to recall him raging against in the past.

    I don't think there can be any doubt that the "story" was planted with David Fisher by the Hide camp.

    To say this has become disgusting is an understatement.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    To say this has become disgusting is an understatement.

    Indeed. It says nothing good about the HoS when Ms. "ever fucked the Prime Minister in the shower?" Meng-Yee is looking like the class act in that newsroom.

    BTW, I once spent the night at David Farrar's place -- nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more... But his "couch" was really "comfortable". Phwor!

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Out of interest, how many people actually read Farrar's bleurgh? I suspect if it was a photocopied scandal sheet it wouldn't get anything like the dubious credibility it picks up.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    They should change the party name to The Association of the Weird and Inappropriate.

    Yeah, the Association of Cunning Tax-evaders is a little too up-front :)

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Yeah, the Association of Cunning Tax-evaders is a little too up-front :)

    Actually, make that the Consumers & Taxpayers Association, the Consumers & Taxpayers Popular Association, the Campaign for a Free New Zealand, and the Taxpayers Popular Association.

    And for a more accurate description of the Coastal Coalition's manifesto, subsitute 'iwi' and 'Maori' for Jewish. For best results, take a time machine back to 75 years in the past, then draw your own conclusions.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    And for a more accurate description of the Coastal Coalition's manifesto, subsitute 'iwi' and 'Maori' for Jewish. For best results, take a time machine back to 75 years in the past, then draw your own conclusions.

    Don't be fucking ridiculous.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Yeah, the Association of Cunning Tax-evaders is a little too up-front :)

    But possibly the Association for Cretinous Tyrants?

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Annoying Cunty Types

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    @Gio: In case anything got lost in translation, I'm not intending to Godwin. I was merely implying there's a Wishartian undercurrent of Elders of Zion-esque conspiracism about those types of people.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Ah, okay, sorry, I see. Still think you're veering perilously close to Godwinning there, but I'm glad you walked it back some.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

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