May 2006

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And while we are at it….

by Whaleoil on May 30, 2006

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Because you started it, Jordan

by Whaleoil on May 30, 2006

Jordan Carter is one of the most puerile and churlish Labour apologists out there. He often dribbles on with anti-American, anti-Brash rhetoric and resorts to Cullen-esque whiney, snippy statements of what is and isn't.

Again despite plenty of other important news out there to comment on he takes a swipe at Don Brash.

Well Jordan, since you started it here goes. 

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James Blunt banned from Radio Station

by Whaleoil on May 29, 2006

A UK radio station has banned the playing of James Blunt because their listeners are sick of hearing his music.

Oh I wish to God NZ radio stations would concur. 

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63% say Yeah Right Dr Cullen

by Whaleoil on May 29, 2006

A TVNZ Colmar-Brunton poll last night found 63 per cent of respondents did not believe Dr Cullen 's warnings about the fiscal consequences of tax cuts.

Effectively saying Yeah Right!!! to the History Teacher.

Of course both Cullen and Helen Clark say the poll is skewed to the right and flawed yet again shooting the messenger rather than listen to the message.

Labour has now effectively lost the tax debate. 

The other debate that has Labour in a tizzy is the priorities of spending where clearly Labour has again mis-calculated. Their vaunted Working For Families has apparently fallen flat as has pre-funding super and roading spending. The top two priorities for Kiwis are Health and Tax Cuts.

This is clear victory to national for setting the agenda and makes it the second Cullen budget in a row to fall flat on its face. 

 

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National wrong foots Labour

by Whaleoil on May 29, 2006
Labour is now in the unenviable position of having to dance to Nationals tune or looking like the gooseberry at the dance.
 
By proposing a Private Members Bill to fix a mistake and wanting to pay back the error National has clearly wrong-footed Labour. Both senior labour decision makers have dithered when faced with questions. Michael Cullen scoffed at the issue and then denied he had seen the bill on Larry Williams NewsTalk show last night and Clark claimed to paul Holmes this morning that she hadn't seen it either.
 
They are clearly stalling for time, trying desperately to see a way out of this.
 
To deny the bill will look petty and self serving, to allow it will put pressure on them to repay something they have claimed all along was legitimate and for which they clearly do not have the funds for.
 
National has clearly out foxed Labour on this issue. 
 
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Cullen gets confused over the polls

by Whaleoil on May 29, 2006
So What is it Dr Cullen?
The electorate doesn't want tax cuts ;
[quote]If the Australian budget was so good, why then did the Australian Labor Party rise three points in the latest opinion poll while the government fell three points? My Labor colleagues there are now eight points ahead. The same AC Nielsen poll showed that 68 per cent of respondents wanted spending on services and not tax cuts[/quote]

Or the Electorate doesn't want you ;

[quote]The Budget set out substantial spending in roading, policing and health, but failed to deliver the one thing Opposition politicians claimed New Zealanders wanted – tax cuts[/quote]

You can't have it both ways Cullen, either the polls answer your questions or they don't.

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Now that is integrity

by Whaleoil on May 28, 2006
Unlike  Labour and their erstwhile supporters the Greens, National has shown some integrity over the over spending issues that concern them.
 
They have drafted a bill that would allow them to pay the funds back which is currently illegal under existing legislation.
 
That should shut the dirty thieving little socialist bastards up. Now how about the Greens demanding Labour cough as well?
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Action Hobson clutching at straws

by Whaleoil on May 28, 2006
It would seem that calling for the banning of SUVs from the CBD or demolishing the harbour bridge is not foolish enough a proposal from Action Hobson, the local Auckland City political ticket. Covered in this morning's Herald is the news that today's Transport and Urban Linkages committee meeting is considering a vote to lift the designation of the Eastern Highway route.
 
Whaleoil admires the self-interested politics that will be in play at this meeting. The designation for the Eastern Highway has been on the books for around 40 years. A roading proposal was put forward in earnest by former Mayor John Banks and the previous council but was defeated along with Dick Hubbard's election and the emergence of centre-left control of Auckland City.
 
Critical in removing the Eastern Highway was the election of two anti-highway councillors who ran on the Action Hobson ticket to defeat the road. One month after the 2004 election, the "Eastern Transport Corridor" was killed as a project, and eventually saw rebirth as a series of upgrades and road widenings in Manukau City and the south-eastern parts of Auckland City like Panmure and Mt Wellington. The proposed roading elements that stretched north and into the centre of the city through Purewa Creek and Hobson Bay was voted down.
 
The big change of heart appears to be with the Citizens and Ratepayers Now ticket, who were in favour of this road prior to the last election but have appeared to close ranks with the rest of the council and no longer advocate building a road or highway after losing on this issue in the 2004 elections. However, despite the killing of the actual proposal, the designation for the Eastern Corridor still exists. This means that at some point in the future, it could still be possible to propose new transport projects across this corridor in the future if voters changed their minds, such as rail, buses or possibly even roads.
 
Councillors Caughey and Simpson from the anti-motorway Action Hobson ticket want this designation removed now and forever more. But why, if they've killed the actual roading proposal? This is where the politics seem to come into it. Action Hobson appear to be a one issue ticket with a pretty bumpy track record since the last election. They have caught a lot of flak locally in siding with the left controlled council majority, and in breaking a number of election promises. They are also hypocritical in that they promised to move on rapid rail as a transport solution – which would require at some point upgrades to the rail lines across Hobson Bay.So fighting to kill the designation (and bringing back the one issue that voters responded to them on) is a most self-centred way of putting the spectre of a road (not an actual proposal, mind you) back on the political agenda to try and build political support for themselves locally. Publicly losing on this issue also gives them a chance to position themselves as pro-Hobson Ward martyrs.
 
So it would seem that issue was contrived by Action Hobson to try and generate the sort of negative publicity on roads that will give them the oxygen they need to thrive politically. No-one was calling for the designation to be lifted, with most parties reaching a consensus that improves rail and services through the corridor would proceed sometime in the future even if a road would not be built. It was an issue conjured out of thin air when the rest of the city was thinking about other transport projects like SH20, improved rail out west, a rail link to the airport,congestion pricing, improved GPS for buses and more.
But it would appear that the other council tickets have closed ranks and will vote to keep the designation. The man who could give Action Hobson the numbers if he wanted to, Deputy Mayor Bruce Hucker, said it would be "absolutely foolish" to lift the designation in the face of "rapid growth." Mayor Dick Hubbard said "he would be voting to keep the designation, saying the council should not cut off options for future generations."
 
This is the worst kind of NIMBYism. Not only are Action Hobson killing transport solutions, they’re trying to kill them for future councils too. It seems pretty clear that the one issue ticket Action Hobson is going to try and milk this for as much as its worth. "We'll keep them honest – and prevent the motorway from being built!" is what the likely catchcry will be from the renegade councillors from Hobson. How credible this will be when no-one else wants the road is yet to be seen.
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Lone Star still sucks

by Whaleoil on May 28, 2006
Faced with cooking last night Whaleoil came to a decision. One I was soon to regret.
 
After our last outing to Lone Star in Rotorua we recieved a voucher for a "free" meal.
 
So there we were Mr & Mrs Whaleoil the two Whale calves plus little niece Whaleoil from the sisters pod off to dine at Lone Star Newmarket.
 
I was of course armed with my voucher and the letter of apology from the manager of Lone Star Rotorua.
 
This time were seated with some alacrity and orders were taken. Drinks arrived as did our loaf of brerad and garlic butter. So far so good, some food has arrived unlike last time.
 
And that is where the troubles started. After you have cut up the loaf one usually has little bread plates and knives, but not at Lone Star. When I politely asked where they were they seemed genuinely flumoxed as to what I was on about. Finally some bread plates were produced but no knives, so we were faced with buttering bread with steak knives, which given the melted state of the butter was like trying to push shit up-hill with a pointed stick.
 
Now to the mains. They arrived quickly enough and as soon as I tasted mine I knew why. It was colder than your love for a whore when you've cum, and that is pretty damn chilly.
 
Now I like my Meat dead, throat cut, lightly charred and served still steaming on the plate. And I am fussy. if I order my Steak "Blue " and the waiter/ess looks dumb-founded then I quickly change my order. There is nothing like a fucked up steak to make your night go from average to worse in a flash.
 
My Steak was "Blue" alright, thats because it was still fucking frozen and shivering from the chiller. The mash under it was lumpy and tasteless and the jus was not at all as described it was probably maggi sauce in a cup ladelled onto the plate.
 
Mrs Whaeloil ordered Rost pork with crackling and her meal was as cold as Elvis and he dead the poor sod. The crackling…didn't, crackle that is. It resembled limp soggy strips of flesh slightly cooked to resemble prok crackiling. The Roast potatoes were hard in the middle and as warm as the meat which wasn't. To top it all off it was served with a massive dollop of cole-fucking-slaw. I mean like KFC coleslaw not some hoity-toity version, fucking bog standard coleslaw like you would expect at a BBQ in Henderson. 
 
Both the Whaleoil children also turned up their nose at their less than optimum tasting meals. The daughter proclaimed that the Ribs sucked. "Dads are much better" she intoned and damn right she is. The son had mini chicken drumstick which "tasted funny".
 
They offered the kids free desserts but we said no. Then I went to pay. There were heaps of people waiting to get in at this stage so I loudly told all who would listen what a suckful meal it was. When asked if I enjoyed my food, I enquired if it was actually food that was served. 
 
As wee walked down the road to the car the kids were chanting Lone Star Sucks, Lone Star sucks at the top of their lungs. And you know what, they were right Lone Star does suck.
 
So all in all a dismal disappointment. I have had better slop at Dennys and Cobb & Co and half the price.
 
Whaleoils reccommendation is don't ever, ever, eat at this franchise anywhere, they serve slop if you get it at all. 
 
They get one star because we actually got "food" to the table this time. 
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Spot the difference

by Whaleoil on May 27, 2006

One of these guys is a hideously fat slug with an enormous appetite and a bunch of muppet rejects as side-kicks the other is Jabba the Hut.

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