Rowland's career personifies that of capital the world over. His methods are standard practice today, and no contemporary politician would bat an eyelid. In so far as he was then the "unacceptable face" of capitalism,…

For once I kind of agree with Michael Laws.

I remember saying that about ten years ago (it may have been longer, it wasn't that memorable) he has a keen mind but acts like a boy racer when he opens his mouth and puts his foot down with a firm…

I assume from their general ideology that propertarians would introduce a privatized road system. A rational road company would have numerous reasons to charge heavy trucks as much as possible. Firstly, having an unregulated monopoly, they would only be restrained by competition from rail or sea freight. Secondly,…

Yes. 'Though it's hard to see through Blue tinted glasses.

Well, Steve, please come back and argue that there were no workplace accidents in the rail industry before the eevil privatization, and I'll put my partner (who has been in that industry for forty three years) who will attempt to…

Point in there?

Yes. 'Though it's hard to see through Blue tinted glasses.

"Bring on the Gridlock!" Says Libertarianz Leader

Thursday, 3 July 2008, 2:17 pm
Press Release: Libertarianz Party
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE
TRANSPORT

"Bring on the Gridlock!" Says Libertarianz Leader

Libertarian leader Bernard Darnton applauds…

A little bit of history. Tranz Rail in 1997

Point in there?

What they should have done is come out batting, and tackle the issue head on, and talk about cost of living, talk about petrol, talk about what the truckers want and what the Government is doing

Er, I thought that's what Annette King did on Close Up. I don't like…

It's almost as though Labour deliberately mis-phrased the allegation. This targets Key's greatest strength, which is his fresh-faced innocence, and makes him look slippery. Kinda Rovian, eh?

I just waiting for someone to dust off the immortal excuse that it's all "fake but accurate"! :)

Buck to the Muldoon years, then. Perhaps I should be thinking about living somewhere where my grandchildren won't be paying for tax cts and debt-driven spending for baby-boomers.

John Armstrong however spectacularly misses the point with this piece of stupidity:

Neither did it help Clark that Key had not been involved in the 1993 sale. Yet, even if he had been, what would that have proved?

I think you are all missing the point, which is that Key…

Neither did it help Clark that Key had not been involved in the 1993 sale. Yet, even if he had been, what would that have proved?

Simple: it would have made him irredeemably morally tainted, deeply complicit in…

Can anyone explain to me what that means? How do you get compensation?

Quite easily, Sofie. I assume Colin Espiner is referring to this settlement of the insider trading action brought against David Richwhite and five others by the Securities Commission. The Commission had to seek advice from the High Court…

Even after receiving $30,000 in compensation as part of a deal struck between Tranz Rail insiders and the Securities Commission last month,

Can anyone explain to me what that means? How do you get compensation?Maybe all the shareholders with the failed Finance companies could get a deal also.If it's part…

P.S. The main beef I’ve got with these truck people is that I’ve had that excruciating Convoy song on the brain all day.

Just that I’d share that burden…

I got Weird Al Yankovich's "Driving a Truck With My High Heels On".

At least the news was more amusing. (Okay,…

Inquiries indicate Mr Key's family trust lost a significant sum of money on the deal. It paid $108,000 for 30,000 Tranz Rail shares…

Had it been a union action you can bet the Herald would be telling us "how much it cost the Country" in terms of "lost man hours"

Oh, Steve, grip – get one. Here's a story The Herald actually has on-line: Protest fails to bring traffic chaos. Rather than being part…

Actually they did. Well the Greens certainly made those points. I remember Jeanette Fitzsimons explaining them to me in depth and at length on Thursday (and yes the story was run).

And I stole the thing about overall social costs from them.

OTOH, the next public holiday is labour day, and how often do you get this sort of excuse for a day off?

Oh the irony.
Had it been a union action you can bet the Herald would be telling us "how much it cost the Country" in terms of "lost…

Okay, here's the big fucking problem: no one amongst a crew of well-paid government communicators could come up with three clear bullet points like Idiot/Savant has done:

Actually they did. Well the Greens certainly made those points. I remember Jeanette Fitzsimons explaining them to me in depth and at length…

If there's truth to the stories that the truck protest was planned before King's announcement of RUC rises, then it seems that the owners of truck businesses are gearing up for a major challenge from rail, and that the protest was the first stage.

It's actually more simple than that.…

And that said, one side effect of higher petrol prices is that it is now economic that take the bus.

Though for those of us who don't drive in the first place, another round of fare hikes could be done without. (BTW, I had to go into the city for…

So, it seems loads of workers chose to stay home because driving to work was to much hassle, rather than take the train? I don't get it. The train's cheaper, and less stressful as long as one allows for possible delays.

OTOH, the next public holiday is labour day, and…

Yes, and I do hope the folks sneering at the truckers are going to take a good long pull on their fuckupachino next time they bitch about the price of petrol, or retailers 'passing on' increased transport costs when it comes to paying for their cheese and whine.

International oil…

But given that rail is looking…

And this chap might like to transition to decaf

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Drink 4 Justice and Bed Wetter Eh!
I have no profile, I am omnisemetric!

Russell, keep an eye on Friedlander. He has earned a few juicy board appointments with this one, once his mates get in.

Russell should be keeping a closer eyes on comments like that until he's sure that Friedlander isn't the litigious type.

It's that Helenstien, she's a gotta go, John…

Gimmee a break.
The concept of the good Ol' boy trucker just don't hack it.
This was an orchestrated bash at labour on the say so of the…

Anette King doesn't remember the good ol' days when people like my parents would stock up on cigs and liquor

Interesting that you mention the black budget. I have no strong views on that particular Labour Government, but their prospects were certainly harmed immeasurably by what was rather a small…

Her point was that when they only gave 3 days notice last time, which had been okay then, $17.5 million RUC had been prepurchased .

Sofie: I guess Anette King doesn't remember the good ol' days when people like my parents would stock up on cigs and liquor (and even…

I thought the same thing. are they going to mobilise against the a revamped rail system encroaching on their livelihood.

I wouldn't be surprised if anyone goes as far as grabbing a free airline ticket to Hotel Guantanamo by bombing the NIMT.

What's been amusing, as Robyn pointed out over at our Wellingtonista blog (live-blogging the, um, 'action'), is seeing the right-wing radio-talkback mob getting up in arms about the enforcement of a user-pays policy.

Blimmin socialists!! Errr, hang on...

Yes, and I do hope the folks sneering at the truckers are…

You can be active with the activists or sleeping with the sleepers while you're waiting for the Great Leap Forwards

His fomula is: tolls, government debt in the form of infrastructure bonds and taxes. "Road taxes will continue to be by far the most common source of financing for New Zealand's roads."

RB has a bee in his bonnet?
How come I only see you (robbery) post on here about how DRM and how DRM free is wrong.

trucks.

sam f?

I think that when russell continually focuses on that feature it inflates a negative attitude toward people trying to protect their…

• Heavy trucks are responsible for a third of the damage done to our roads. They don't pay a third of the costs…

The $500 claim interests me. If you assume a 250-litre diesel capacity for a truck, that's about two fill-ups. Half a grand would have filled the same tank about four times over a few years…

i) And a fair few cars stay off the road …burning less gas.
ii) People get off busses and walk into town…burning less gas and walking is no bad thing of itself.
iii) The net speed…

if you pay for a download its playable on the platform you down load it on

That's kinda like buying a CD, that will only play in your car CD player.
If you want to play it in your stereo, you have to buy another copy of it. And other…

hey james, whatever happened to your site, it was a really good resource for a while back there,

Just waiting for some love and attention. All the data is still there, languising on my hard drive at home (and various backups about the place).

Time, the most valuable resource...

politely ask

sure thing, politeness works with me
I'm just unsure why russell keeps pushing his drm thing, and will pick him up on it where every he pushes it,

but back to trucks,

bee in your bonnet?

I'd like to take this unintentionally on-topic phrase as an opportunity to politely ask: aren't there two other threads devoted to endless head-against-wall DRM discussion, and do we really need to make this rather interesting thread into the third?

I'm sorry if everyone else gets a…

if you pay for a download its playable on the platform you down load it on.

That is also incorrect. Try again.

But even were to to be right, consider this, if your main music system is not connected to your main Internet system where does that leave you?

Pretty…

absolutely no question

so that's a no on acquiring 'exclusive ownership' of my 'vintage' footage?
part of my point was you state it like its the big thing about it, but surely the quality of the media is far more of a selling point than the disproportional amount of attention…

That statement is quite inaccurate.

if you pay for a download its playable on the platform you down load it on. its copying it to other platforms that is the issue, correct?

Zune

smirk

you can play the thing just fine, its copying it that's difficult.

That statement is quite inaccurate. Why you keep making the same mistake on this forum, over and over again, is beyond me.

you say that like its some kind of selling point advantage to the legitimate purchaser.

I'm sure the people who bought Windows Media "Plays for Sure" tunes, and can't now play them on a Microsoft Zune, and before long (Microsoft has just kindly consented to run its activation servers for…

you don't have to screw over your hardware to play the thing.

you can play the thing just fine, its copying it that's difficult. for the one small advantage to some legit purchasers it causes a very large disadvantage to the music producer.. I would think that was an easily…

Just that I’d share that burden…

you say that like its some kind of selling point advantage to the legitimate purchaser.

It is, you don't have to screw over your hardware to play the thing. Plus, Viacom don't get to own your arse...

Not in a million years. They're big, they're bullying, they're obnoxious.

Maaate... where were you during the SUV thread?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kkB2CWQ5vw

Courtesy of the brilliant early '90s Australian comedy show Fast Forward.

Not in a million years. They're big, they're bullying, they're obnoxious. The fact that they don't pay their way, but rather expect the rest of us to subsidise their profits for no social benefit whatsoever is just icing on the cake.

They traditionally vote Labour.

But seriously, from an enviromental…

On one hand I think "thank god someone has remembered to how to protest. And why didn't this happen with the ECA or other initiatives in the past?".

And on the other hand I think "why is this worth protesting about?"

Well said; sums up my thoughts perfectly. You know,…

Now, we might have reasons to subsidise truck transport over other forms, but lets be clear and realistic here. We're subsidising trucks by a huge amount. And that's before we include the externalities, which are quite substantial.

Can anyone explain why we have road user charges still? I thought it…

And on the other hand I think "why is this worth protesting about?"

Another view…

Stole my comment. Seriously, would anyone who has driven for more than an hour on SH1 come out in strong support of truckies?!?

Not in a million years. They're big, they're bullying, they're obnoxious. The fact that they don't pay their way, but rather expect the rest of us to…

I'm off for a drink (and perhaps to plan my emigration [...] to Australia)

Don't come to Australia! I'm only here for a free post-grad education. Go to the happiest places on earth; Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Iceland, Bahamas, Finland, Sweden, Bhutan, Brunei, Canada. Besides, everybody has lived in Australia. How…

DRM-free

you say that like its some kind of selling point advantage to the legitimate purchaser.
DRM Free is for those who avoid paying and the odd person with multiplatform listening devices. but we know this don't we russell.

Aside from that I've got a present for you, RWP, interview…

hat are they not getting from the current crowd that they believe they'd get from a different government? That would make another interesting poll question.

Yeah, but very few people seem to care about the answer. ;-(

This is all too depressing, I'm off for a drink (and perhaps to…

is seeing the right-wing radio-talkback mob getting up in arms about the enforcement of a user-pays policy.

Blimmin socialists!! Errr, hang on...

Heh! WHo's going to break it to them...

If RUC haven't gone up for so many years,…

Wot is an "astroturfer"?

A professionally organised and coordinated campaign designed to appear as "grassroots" activism. Astroturfing at Wikipedia.

Excellent releases to arrive their recently include..

Not you too, Russell? ;)

I'm absolutely shocked by myself. Really.

Anybody see the poster that the "Standard" boys put out
And more to the point were they visiable in the streets

There was one in the Herald's photogallery.

Personally even though I am a RWW (Right Wing Wanker) in most of the PA readers eyes I felt they had a…

Excellent releases to arrive their recently include..

Not you too, Russell? ;)

Wot is an "astroturfer"?

Fake (ie politically orchestrated) grass-roots movement.

Personally even though I am a RWW (Right Wing Wanker) in most of the PA readers eyes I felt they had a point

Diesel burners seem to get a…

What's been amusing, as Robyn pointed out over at our Wellingtonista blog (live-blogging the, um, 'action'), is seeing the right-wing radio-talkback mob getting up in arms about the enforcement of a user-pays policy.

The "nice day" observations are relevant. It was fine here in Auckland too. I think torrential rain…

They'll be a "we got rid of the bastards" feeling for a while before they turn around and moan about something else – which they probably backed National on pre-election.

Look, I think the current irrationally-angry-blame-the-gummint mood is a two-edged sword for National.

It will help them get elected, but…

This whole 'truck you' thing has the fingerprints of astroturfers written all over it.

Stole my comment. Seriously, would anyone who has driven for more than an hour on SH1 come out in strong support of truckies?!?

Blimmin socialists!! Errr, hang on...

In general, though, I feel sort…

Anyone find the facts?

Aren't the facts irrelevant in this case?

"something is happening in New Zealand!"

I kind of agree! This sort of thing is routine in Paris isn't it?

BTW – it's not just trucks, one plumbing firm I know of gave all its plumbers instructions to drive their diesel vans in convoy & not report to work until this…

So the zombies win. Well that's just great.

We all need to watch George Romero movies to prepare us. Remember, aim for their heads.

Walking into work today over Hopetoun Bridge with the sun backlighting town, 3 helicopters hovering over town while a 4th wizzed up over a nearby building,…

Time to stock up on lawnmowers.

Ooh yes. And conveniently-located-nearby chainsaws.

Those Your Views chumps are going to be mighty disappointed if, should National be elected, it repeals neither the RUC increases, nor the anti-smacking law (which they all voted for), nor the Civil Unions Act (now entirely normalized).

I unfortunately get the feeling they won't take the step of critical…

it’s obvious the truckies will no longer tolerate Transport Minister Annette King and her Government riding rough shod over them.

I always used to get annoyed when organising protests with people who said things like this. "Students will no longer tolerate fee rises." "New Zealanders…

The RTF savaged him big time when he launched a campaign against bigger trucks on the roads.

Oh, I forgot about that for a moment. A 60 tonne truck does a huge amount more damage to the road than a 40 tonne truck. I wonder what a properly weighted RUC…

Meanwhile, Your Views is its weirdly, sadly compelling self. I suppose it was inevitable that people would start finding links between road user charges and the anti-smacking law ...

Those Your Views chumps are going to be mighty disappointed if, should National be elected, it repeals neither the RUC increases,…

I don't understand their support. Trucks and other road users are not natural allies.

Especially not Driver Magazine editor Allan Dick. The RTF savaged him big time when he launched a campaign against bigger trucks on the roads.

Remember, aim for their heads

Time to stock up on lawnmowers.

I can't pass any of that extra cost on to anyone…

So the zombies win. Well that's just great.

We all need to watch George Romero movies to prepare us. Remember, aim for their heads.

Doing something a bit different, like staying home and not delivering…

See also: similar press releases from The Kiwi Party and The Family Party.

And Pansy Wong also manages to link RUC charges to spiralling crime rates.

Lets play: Count the "out of touch"s and "struggling families"s and "belt-tightening"s!!

But aren't the Herald just LOVING this. It's getting 9/11 coverage with it's own section, minute-by-minute updates, "faces behind the protest" interest stories, multimedia.
It's surely not THAT big a deal?

Great (and genuine) Press Releases of our time, no. 253:

See also: similar press releases from The Kiwi Party and The Family Party.

And Pansy Wong also manages to link RUC charges to spiralling crime rates.

It would be funny if it wasn't sort of serious.

[It was] empirically determined that the effective damage done to the road is roughly proportional to the 4th power of axle weight .[37] A typical tractor-trailer weighing 80,000 pounds (36.287 t) with 8,000 pounds (3.6287 t) on the steer axle and 36,000 pounds (16.329 t)…

...if effective crime policies were put in place the savings could be spent on road maintenance instead of increasing road user charges to truckies.

Effective crime policies that involve spending a lot more on prisons to house more prisoners for longer? Wouldn't that mean less money for roads?

Meanwhile, Your Views is its weirdly, sadly compelling self. I suppose it was inevitable that people would start finding links between road user charges and the anti-smacking law ...

Yeah, but OTOH as I said there were a few odd anti- efforts on National Radio this morning. (Seriously, I'm not…

I suppose it was inevitable that people would start finding links between road user charges and the anti-smacking law ...

Great (and genuine) Press Releases of our time, no. 253:

__Protest action by truckies has gained the support of the Sensible Sentencing Trust who says if effective crime policies were…

I love how, whether it's convoying truckers, or striking ferry workers (in school holls, naturally)... they always make a point of apologizing to the public for the inconvenience caused..

So sorry.... my arse. The Whole point IS the inconvenience.... it wouldnt be a very effective protest or strike if no…

It was great driving into Dunedin from Port Chalmers this morning. No trucks infesting the road!

I wish it was like this every morning

Yep — our local main road was brilliant with all the trucks elsewhere occupied. Interesting ...

Meanwhile, Your Views is its weirdly, sadly compelling self. I…

Rather disappointed. I would have taken Saatchis for smarter…

Exactly!

I love how, whether it's convoying truckers, or striking ferry workers (in school holls, naturally)... they always make a point of apologizing to the public for the inconvenience caused..

So sorry.... my arse. The Whole point IS the inconvenience.... it wouldnt be…

Perhaps "protests" are what students, leftist radicals, and unwashed hippies engage in? Whereas wealthy corporate interests "parade" in front of the masses?

Fairly adoring masses in this case, sadly.

According to United Nations population projections, a world population of seven billion will be reached in 2013, and then stabilise at the 10 billion mark by the 2200s. At this rate of growth, the living will never outnumber the dead.

So the zombies win. Well that's…

This was a political parade, not a strike.

Isn't the word "protest"?

Reminded me of the Uni of Canty lockout where the Student wrep and vice chancellor stood side by side at the lockout proclaiming it a strike.
This lockout about Govt…

Sorry that was supposed to be a question: Is it actually?

Well, we liked the last one around here. 'Shoot the Lights Out' is a beautiful song.

The new one sounds really sweet to me. I'm intrigued by the way they sometimes sing harmonies so close you're not sure whether…

the simply gorgeous new record from The Watson Twins

Is it actually, their last album (not the one with Jenny Lewis) was very forgettable. Nice, but forgettable.

Yes! As my partner said over the tooting on Vivian Street this morning – "It's like telethon!" As were the jolly live crosses on Nat Rad ...

But some of the reader's e-mails both pro- and anti- were cringe-inducing though. Somehow, I think both "freedom fighters" and "economic vandals on…

Spare Room catches Telecom making shit up again. The happy company in that new TV ad doesn't exist

Also just in, Spot the Dog actually Vodafone customer. Shocking news at 11.

Seriously, not news.

Because my unfocused sense of grievance and resentment is worth more than your fancy facts and numbers any day.
It has always been the way.

And now we can understand why, with the advances in neuroscience.

http://www.amazon.com/Kluge-Haphazard-Construction-Human-Mind/dp/0618879641/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213140228&sr=8-1

I like trucking, I like trucking,
I like trucking and I like to truck.
I like trucking, I like trucking,
If you don't like trucking, tough luck.

The whole trucking thing did, however, give me an excuse to revisit not only 'Convoy' by C. W. McCall, but also the hilariously maudlin works of Red Sovine. This one's a cracker:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY4BV14OZzQ

Oh, CB radio.…

Some antagonism in the comments at Spareroom though.

Yes! As my partner said over the tooting on Vivian Street this morning – "It's like telethon!" As were the jolly live crosses on Nat Rad ...

You know, exactly the same comparison occurred to me.

people are lining up to back the truckies.

Yes! As my partner said over the tooting on Vivian Street this morning – "It's like telethon!" As were the jolly live crosses on Nat Rad ...

there will be small businesses which have dropped the additional annual cost of the RUC in just one morning. No one will be compensating them.

Such as my favourite (and independent) coffee shop, which didn't open this morning.

The all-lanes blockade was also formed on the NW Motorway, just before…

Off topic, but speaking of senses of grievance – has anyone come across this yet?
http://www.population.govt.nz/myth-busters/default.htm

Sweet. I confess, there were a couple of those I thought were true ...

Spare Room catches Telecom making shit up again. The happy company in that new TV ad doesn't exist

People thought that was real?

Also, not finding a partnership in the companies register shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

And I assumed accountancy firm, not law firm as Spareroom did…

And, finally, Hamilton's very own robot band The Trons have become an internet sensation. Truly, this is good news for hard times …

It is good news and I am especially pleased for Greg Locke, as he's an old friend of mine. He's always been very clever with technical and…

But that doesn't matter. Because my unfocused sense of grievance and resentment is worth more than your fancy facts and numbers any day.

It has always been the way.

Off topic, but speaking of senses of grievance – has anyone come across this yet?

http://www.population.govt.nz/myth-busters/default.htm