Go the old home town!

The most livable city of its size, y'mean Susan?

I thought Muffin Break was a euphemism.

Makes two of us. My second thought was "man, I need to go out more".

I'll get my coat.

I am really picky about that particular baked good, and they do a very nice one.

I like a good caramel slice. Midnight Espresso in Wellington do a good one (though not as good as the sadly missed ones made by the old management at Sierra Mt Eden).

Worst caramel…

mediocre muffins

Seriously, I must reiterate about the caramel slice. I am really picky about that particular baked good, and they do a very nice one. With a slab of caramel which is actually visible to the naked eye (unlike some other, non-franchised cafes I could mention, who are all…

Evidently there's not much demand in downtown Wellington for mediocre muffins and coffee (or has…

but what is the Muffin Break chain? I've vaguely heard of them, but I'd assumed they were an overseas chain since I don't think I've ever seen one. Where are they?

Auckland, shopping malls, that sort of place.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the Muffin Break chain?

They're originally Australian, but there's a bunch of stores here in NZ. You find them in every third mall you go into (I believe that's the rule).

The Muffin Break chain

So it would seem that the Muffin Break demographic fairly closely matches that of the country, with perhaps more Labour & Green voters. Excuse my ignorance, but what is the Muffin Break chain? I've vaguely heard of them, but I'd assumed they were an overseas chain since…

I was just on the phone to my mum, she suggested we could pee on the blue to make it green.

What an act.

I was just on the phone to my mum, she suggested we could pee on the blue to make it green.

I like it, I like it.

You beat me to it, Simon – Bill and Ben seemed particularly popular in the City booths, in Grey Lynn and on Waiheke Island.

Back to the fascinating world of voting patterns... Did anyone else notice that New Plymouth was the only electorate where Bill and Ben got more votes…

I am glad, for a while, I thought Blue and yellow mixed =green . Fuck it does as a colour but not politically.

I was just on the phone to my mum, she suggested we could pee on the blue to make it green.

Ah fuck, who am I kidding. I'm more of a cynic than most people I know.

I am glad, for a while, I thought Blue and yellow mixed =green . Fuck it does as a colour but not politically.

Absolutely. But at the first sign of a return to the Shipley/Birch/et al policies, and a disregard of grassroots urgency, I will stop trying.

That'll fix 'em!

C'mon Lizzy, fight until the last breath and all that.

Just between you and me, I find it better sport than accumulating wealth.

I hope none of my friends read those previous posts. I'll be excommunicated from the exclusive bong brethren.

And cynicism won't deliver that. Are you prepared to try a little harder?

Absolutely. But at the first sign of a return to the Shipley/Birch/et al policies, and a disregard of grassroots urgency, I will stop trying. I will not stand back and watch NZers be shafted again. I'm sure…

yeah fair enough Michael, but I'm a cynic.

Aren't we all?

But I have to say that I've been genuinely inspired, or more accurately re-inspired, by the Obama campaign. By no means just the man himself, but the very real people power behind the power.

Key has ridden a wave…

But he also professes to want to help bad teenagers to turn good by bolloxing them at boot camps

Yes, it's policies like that that make me cynical about him! On Sunday the other night, he extolled the virtues of his encouraging mother, who encouraged him to work hard and…

I'm aware that past behaviour is the best indicator of future behaviour but times change and ideologies can be usurped on the altar of pragmatism and, fingers crossed, compassion and intellectual rigour.

The 4th and 5th Labour governments being an excellent case in point.

Let the scrapping begin and may the next 3 years fly past with not too much damage being wreaked in the meantime...

Y'know, even as someone who leans Green and wishes politics, outside of logistics, was about inspiring – and enabling – a populace to realise their latent abilities, I…

Zeligged

LOL – may it enter common usage

Claiming that being a member of the Executive Council does not make one a member of the executive. That charade lasted a couple of weeks, tops, necessitated by Winston Peters' pre-election promise not to join…

Wrong about what? What was wrong then, and right now?

Prior to 2005, it was accepted that executive collective resposibility ("cabinet collective resposibility" doesn't quite fully describe it), meant that ministers outside cabinet, and even parliamentary under-secretaries were bound to follow (and not publicly speak against) cabinet decisions.

In 2005…

Let's go back: according to the DomPost, Key said that he was "wrong" and in hindsight it had worked well.
So.
Wrong about what? What was wrong then, and right now?

He did, although it was pretty consistent with the line he is running now.

I wonder if Key thought of this tack after Hide dissed him?

Ah but that's cos they started on the greens :)

Artichoke is a gateway, I keep saying that.

You may be surprised by it,

Surprised is not the word- can you draw us a diagramme?

I can certainly remember getting shitcanned all round on Kiwiblog 3 years ago for saying that the Winston arrangement was not farcical or an assault on democracy. DPF pitched in heartily.

He did, although it was pretty consistent with the line he is running now.

He is not a fan…

But I'd much rather they 'saw the error of their ways' than insisted on being wrong. If this keeps…

The bean poll put National on 44 per cent (actual vote 45.5 per cent), Labour 32 per cent (33.8 per cent), Greens 11 per cent (6.4 per cent) and NZ First 4 per cent (4.2 per cent).

Green voters apparently drink almost twice as much coffee as the rest of…

After a week or two (maybe a little longer) everyone admitted that he was in the Government and life went on.

Que? Did Clark ever stop referring to herself as running a "minority government"? And that seems to be how all the gallery commentators are referring to Key's new arrangement…

The Muffin Break chain is claiming a third election victory for its bean poll.

The poll – in which 120,000 customers cast a coffee bean vote for their preferred party – picked National to win, with a 12…

if Goff becomes Labour leader today, is he Prime Minister?

No.

Though I have seen people give passionate defences of why they vote Alliance, for instance?

everyone admitted that he was in the Government and life went on.

Remember the China Free Trade Deal?

It was a nonsense – and widely criticised as such – that the Foreign Minister opposed the government on an issue linked to his own job.

Key hints that Rodney Hide will…

After a week or two (maybe a little longer) everyone admitted that he was in the Government and life went on.

Que? Did Clark ever stop referring to herself as running a "minority government"? And that seems to be how all the gallery commentators are referring to Key's new arrangement…

The shifts from attackers of the Govt to defenders of the Govt (and vice versa for others) is extraordinary to watch being played out...

Quite. It looks like DPF is going to provide many such entertaining rationalisations in the three years to come.

I still have nightmares about Helen's Vietnam get-up (and she probably does too).

given the coverage from the media so far is along the lines of Key running a minority Govt, EXACTLY like Labour was...

There was that story, as you quote, but I believe most of the stories have been referencing minister outside cabinet, which I anticipate is the accurate statement of…

And why does he want to go? Hasn't he seen the leaders' annual fancy dress photos? Honeymoon ends, right there.

It's only the Indonesian events that are a real must-avoid – batik shirts that even Richard Prebble wouldn't be seen dead in.

And why does he want to go? Hasn't he seen the leaders' annual fancy dress photos? Honeymoon ends, right there.

meh, they'll be used to it. Meanwhile

http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/11/fisking_slack.html

Ahhhhhh, what? His comment that "ACT is in Govt and it's therefore totally different) is rather odd, given the coverage from the media so far is along the lines of Key running a minority Govt,…

meh, they'll be used to it. Meanwhile

http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/11/fisking_slack.html

Ahhhhhh, what? His comment that "ACT is in Govt and it's therefore totally different) is just absurd, given the coverage from the media so far is along the lines of Key running a minority Govt, EXACTLY like Labour was, e.g.
__In a…

They got no votes on Great Barrier

Maybe TV3 coverage isn't good out at Great Barrier, so they don't get them?

I wonder what happens if it turns out that something really does change because of them?

John Key, if appointed as PM in the interim, would continue in a caretaker capacity, while negotiations between the parties worked out who would have suffiecient support to be PM. If Key then got…

Hey, here's a thought, though: I was right on the money about the Libertarianz vote.

Very true. They'll be gutted.

meh, they'll be used to it. Meanwhile

http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/11/fisking_slack.html

Mouahaha! And scroll down a bit when you get there, the welcoming for the 2nd coming of Sroger is out in force.

There were 81 party votes for B&B in Auckland Central.

It appears that the Maori Party may get a minister-outside-Cabinet post too ...

That would be a great development. Puts in perspective the bullet we dodged when Brash lost the last election, no?

Hey, here's a thought, though: I was right on the money about the Libertarianz vote.

Very true. They'll be gutted.

Also the Bill and Ben party could have been the 10,000 votes in central Auckland that Judith was missing. How do we find out where those votes came from?

The Electoral Commission website has a breakdown by booth for every electorate in the country – makes for an easy way…

ramming fairl major consitutioal changes through parliment using urgency

Such as?

Electoral Finance Act – no.
Supreme Court Act – no.

You're not talking about the Local Government Act, are you?

Hey David, how about "in hindsight" you admit YOU were wrong David – about how well the Greens would do. Effusive and enthusiastic you were on Backbenchers last week; talking up their campaign and how well they're going to do – I think 9 percent was bandied around.
……

I…

Who would you prefer David
A man capapable of admitting mistakes and being prepared to pick the good parts from his opposite numbers policies

If there had been more time spent looking at ( or bothering to show up) policies whilst they were in select commitee meetings etc instead of…

but how you get to surpassing the USA is somewhat a mystery.

Fair point: I was in a rush. Here's the nuance of where my tiny mind had gone.

Of the 50 States in the Union, 24 have some form of 3 strikes rule.

While the death penalty is in…

Perhaps something from Mr Brownlee about our light bulbs?

Maybe the EFA might be kept in place? With some rebranding – and with the creation of a level playing field for all third parties especially inclusive of the union movement – the same degree of policy debate in 2008 (none)…

Might be less wrong on on specials, but still wrong.

While we're…

the public books "are not that bad"

Ministers outside cabinet are ok

this along with

Kiwibank being ok, Kiwisaver ok

and the list goes on...…

Or Ms Clark's " I have no regrets" and ramming fairl major consitutioal changes through parliment using urgency

But I don't resile from my view that Foreign Affairs and Trade are two portfolios that should not be held by political TARDISes.

And if John wants to stops Ministers-outside-Cabinet from having to have bilateral treaty discussions with other nations, Revenue needs to be added to that list. We currently…

which takes longer to come around

That could be a killer slogan: "John Key – Better than Bush".

OK, set myself up for that one. Nice clean shot, Signor Tiso. But I don't resile from my view that Foreign Affairs and Trade are two portfolios that should not be held by political TARDISes.

Should it happen…

What's wrong with this?

Depends how frequently it happens. Should it happen often, which is the point of the post, then a voter might be forgiven for wondering whether they voted for a party with new policies, or just a party which takes longer to come around to the policies…

Mr Key acknowledged yesterday that he was wrong and "in hindsight" it had worked well.

What's wrong with this?

Yes, I opposed it. I didn't think it would work well. It can. Why would I oppose it as an option now? Do I look like an idiot who can't evaluate…

Meanwhile, anyone ever heard the words "I was wrong" pass Goerge Walker Herbert Bush's lips?

That could be a killer slogan: "John Key – Better than Bush".

surpassing the USA in draconian and ineffective "law & order" (vindictiveness) policy

Surpassing?

California three-strikes – three felonies, and third conviction is life with 25 years non-parole.

ACT's three-strikes – three serious violent offences, and third conviction is life with 25 years non-parole.

Argue it's stupid (the definition of serious violent…

Key reckons the difference is that Winnie was Foreign Affairs and that should never be outside Cabinet

I liked Plunketts question in response: "so no minister outside cabinet will have bilateral talks with foreign governments?" (something like that).

Key: "No".

I wonder if he realises NZ has about 40 tax…

I don't know what frightens me more: surpassing the USA in draconian and ineffective "law & order" (vindictiveness) policy, or pursuing 1930's economic policy (did Douglas just stop reading economic textbooks written post-war? Galbraith must be spinning...)

I had a nasty thought on the way to work this morning:

1. John Key has said he won't have Douglas in Cabinet.

2. Act and National seem to have an in…