| Junior's Journal
†
16 November
2009
Black Sticks Qualify...
and innovative future vehicle design.
And so the Black Sticks make
it too, in their World Cup qualifier, by beating Malaysia. It'll
be in New Delhi next year. Unlike soccer and hockey, rugby over
the past few hours was mediocre at best. The All Blacks
win against the Italians, 20 to 6 was, as Graham Henry rightly put
it, a farce. But while I am sure he was commenting on the refereeing
of the game and what not, not sure how much he was directing it
at our professionally paid athletes.
The Switch
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/6458151/students-transforming-vehicle
Over the last week or so The Herald
has had a couple of items on one young Harry Henriksen. From the
Massey University Auckland School of Design, Henriksen has ended
up being one of a dozen finalists for the 2010 Michelin Challenge,
to be held Detroit in the US next year.
He has designed a hybrid motorbike
car, which, under normal circumstances travels as a car, two wheels
front, one rear - but in high congestion, the two front wheels come
together to transform the car into a bike, its cabin folding away,
enabling it to navigate tight spots and traffic jams.
Envisioned technology includes an auto-pilot
mode allowing the driver to sleep, on board systems handling travel
working in with traffic control preventing accidents and optimising
traffic flow coordinating with other vehicles.
Have to say, this 22 year old has a
big future ahead of him. Awesome stuff. Would be interesting to
see what else makes an appearance in the Motor City.
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14
November 2009
World Cup Qualifier
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/all-whites/news/article.cfm?c_id=117&objectid=10609707
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/all-whites/news/article.cfm?c_id=117&objectid=10609756
Tonight the All Whites play
against Bahrain in Wellington, in the most critical game of soccer
since 1982. The World Cup qualifier has drawn a crowd of 35,134,
a record here I believe. Huge support for a game that isn't rugby.
The goal in the closing minutes of the first half was a huge psychological
advantage, but so was the crowd. Think if the game was being played
in Bahrain it would have been considerably different, for sure.
The point is, our opponents have done so well to get here, too,
from a population of 670,000. While it is their national sport,
we have far more clubs than they do. Wooh, what was it happened
in the 89th minute, you know? Was a bit confusing there, and thought
it was heading to a one all draw.
This is a huge thing for the All
Whites, for New Zealand sport in general. As one of the former
All Whites said, it has been a long time between drinks.
1982. I remember it very well. Same year as the Falklands War. After
the one nil result we have made it through to the 2010 World Cup
in South Africa. Good on ya lads.
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13
November 2009
Goodwill, Bonuses for Seat
Polishing... and the return of a good mate.
After a few technical hitches, alleviated
with a bit of duct tape, I continue on. Customer service, once again
I have learned, is a thing of the past and companies (particularly
those of monopoly, duopoly type character) often don't know what
good will is. Something I learned in High School, in economics.
Surely must still exist. See, they can say you're a good customer,
a loyal customer etc, but it actually means little when you need
a little help to get you through a rough patch. But of course, they
love when you're in that rough patch and have to hand over the cold
hard cash. Life most certainly isn't like it used to be. But it
does go on... and while I have jury rigged up my worn out power
supply, when I have actually saved up the money, I'll be doing my
best to take it elsewhere.
Civi Servants Payouts
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/6546899/
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/concoughlin/100016598/
According to the Telegraph, the British
MoD has paid out 47 million pounds to their civil servants in performance
bonuses. Amazing eh, they must be working so hard, and doing so
much for those who serve. I'm sure some of them work really hard,
but regardless of that one has to say the priorities are somewhat
skewered.
Most troops deployed overseas, it is
now firmly established, die as a result of IEDs. There is nothing
you can do about this by throwing about millions of dollars, pounds
worth of missiles or buying new planes or even communications equipment.
Some gear for the sappers may, on a case by case basis arguably
help. On the other hand, what does help is body armour, and properly
designed vehicles. Like the 47,000 sets of body armour, or the 156
Ridgeback anti-mine armoured vehicles this amount of money would
buy. Imagine that eh.
Just remember, its not the soldier,
sailor or airman who starts wars, but politicians. And, as this
rightly shows, it is pretty evident who profits from it as well.
Sabi
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/missing-sniffer-dog-sabi-found
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/australian-bomb-sniffer-dog-sabi-found
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/12/bomb-dog-safi-found-afghanistan
How about the missing Aussie bomb dog
eh. Well, I'd say it was a case her UXO team couldn't keep up :)
A US Special Forces guy hooked up with her and got her back to her
outfit. Sabi, the black labrador is now heading back to Australia,
to soon be reunited with her two biped mates. Man, so awesome. There'll
be some big celebrations getting their mate back alright. A year
later. No surprise there.
Hone... and a nice little jaunt
to Paris.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10608382&pnum=0
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10607653&pnum=0
New Zealand politics eh. This whole
Hone Harawira thing. Basically the Maori Party has said here's the
door, you can jump or you'll be pushed. The suggestion is he go
independent, yet he knows the future is in the party. So you'd think,
like we teach our children (maybe we still do, I dunno) that you
think before you act, think before you speak, or in this case, before
you type. And in the latter there are a few more processes involved...
these are the sorts of people who run the country. Racism is alright,
so long as you're not "white". At least here are some
leadership that see its actually harmful and there are other ways
of doing things. The balance is, change doesn't come about with
namby pamby behaviour. Can a spade a spade, but unfortunately, when
it is used in the context of stupidity,well, it very quickly backfires.
I know for sure, if I was in that position, as a private citizen,
I'd be up on charges somewhere, somehow.
For some reason, it is quite acceptable,
in real terms, for a politician to say such things and get away
with it. Genuine apology, well, we'll never know will we? I mean,
to an actual supporter of the party. The irony is, the guy went
to a very European country, one renowned for its colonial imperialism.
Maybe he has a very selective view of history.
FIFA World Cup
Tomorrow the All Whites play Bahrain.
Both must win in order to get a place in the upcoming World Cup,
to be held in South Africa next year. If we make it it will be the
first time since 1982, and the second time only that we've ever
gained entry into the competition. Awesome opportunity, and something
quite different and significant next to the constant hum of rugby.
Top ^
12
November 2009
A Hatred of America
It is odd, when two people, often from
different political spectrums, who often want the very same thing,
there seems an inability to hear the other out, and assumptions
are made on their disposition. I had a wee bit of a disagreement
with a gentleman here. The guy, for all intents and purposes, hates
America (yes, the country, not the larger continent if you will),
which, more or less, scarily seems to include the people, distrusts
the nation, considers it Imperialistic and presses home the many
wars, large and small it has been involved in since its very humble
(my words) beginnings.
Me, well, you see, I feel the same
way about the U.N. I distrust it with a passion. I would suggest
that this guy takes whatever statistics suit his agenda and rolls
with it at a given time. For example, 2.5 million dead, at the hands
of the Americans, in Iraq. He talks sanctions and so forth as well.
My wondering is, who actually implemented those sanctions... I wonder.
I would like to say... Rwanda... the Balkans... Zimbabwe, the Sudan.
Tell me when to stop. Oh, and a certain scumbag on trial at the
moment, giving The Hague the run-around... Sorry, but you can't
have your cake and eat it too.
To me, personally, numbers like 8,000
or 800,000 don't mean too much, why? Because you're talking human
lives. You never find substance in numbers. I tried to explain that
I can go online right now and find you numbers ranging from less
than 100,000 regarding Iraq, and that 2.5 million... so... well,
see?
Regards Afghanistan, it is quite unacceptable
to consider that every fire mission is a deliberate act of genocide,
when thousands are made on a weekly basis hitting the mark, saving
lives and eradicating scumbags from the mix, and what the far majority
of U.S. troops are doing in that country is in actual fact a policing
action. Many a serviceman and woman is trying to do the very best
they can, to prevent the Taleban doing what they were quite happy
to do since the early 90s.
But no, maybe we should let them take
over the country again, right? Wrong.
Numbers, well, statistics, politics,
propaganda says whatever you want it to. Politicians are the worst
for it, and until those numbers actually equate to human lives in
real terms, until my enemy is my brother, and my brother is my enemy,
nothing will ever change. Lets not forget there are some who will
never compromise, never think that treating women as human mine
detectors is wrong, or that freedom doesn't mean slaughtering you
for not believing in the same version of god as you do. But then,
apparently the likes of me, I'm brainwashed. Some don't appear to
understand that, while you can be accused of putting words in someone's
mouth, politically minded individuals tend not to, conveniently,
know what the word insinuation means. They are particularly clear
in their speaking when it suits, otherwise, they are suitably vague.
Worshipping the so-called experts of
the U.N. and considering a country on such abhorrent terms doesn't
help anyone, is quite counterproductive, and one would thing, actually
goes against the supposed objective of making the world a better
place. Tunnel vision and avoiding some facts while launching others
on high spells out some of the on-going problems of a media soaked
society.
This morning I said good morning, and
got a blank look in return. So much for communication. Before any
person judges another country, they need to take a good hard look
at their own, and see how they benefit from the same kinds of things
they accuse others of. Its quite Biblical... something about a stick
and an eye, I believe. Its all relative. It is, in fact, a principle
of attitude.
In the simplest terms, it is a clash
of civilisations, it is the outlook of the realist, who deals with
the here and now, and the realities of what one is confronted with,
and the idealist who dreams of utopia. While I would love the latter
knowing there is only one way to achieve it, I accept that with
man at the helm it is better to deal in the former.
Failed to inform this guy that its
not soldiers who start wars, but they sure as heck have to deal
with the concequences face on, full on, and they get on with the
job. So, maybe he should take his miracle cure and solve these problems
that so afflict our world. Talk, talk talk. No action.
Anyway, I'm off to watch some Firefly...
then do another five chapters of this "fine-tooth comb"
business.
Last evening, after the little discussion,
it was nice to have a yak with someone who had spent some time in
the US. One thing she said was how, on the 4th of July, she expected
the street to be full with fanfare and the like, crazy celebrations.
She was up the Empire State Building she said. Well, it was quiet
as. The reason being quite obvious. She left the kitchen having
been talking to this guy as well. She knew there was no getting
through to him on his particular bent, and her personal experiences
were, thereby, completely dismissed.
Low and behold, we got talking and
she'd been talking with a key player at Weta Workshop. The joker
who does up the ray guns you may know about.
Top ^
08
November 2009
Bob Dylan... Life... and a
thought for the day.
UN Report on Gaza: The Missing
Truth
http://www.kbrm.org.nz
Just a reminder that I need to check
this site out...
"I don't mind being shot,
but I don't dig being told about it."
Bob Dylan
Its so important to remember that everyone,
successful of the world or not, is influenced those around them,
those who have come before, and the visions of the future. Just
like Woodly Guthrie's impact on Bob Dylan. All the poems he heard.
The events and reflections of the world. If you can't be honest
with yourself by taking a good hard look in the mirror every now
and then, if you can't be honest with yourself you have no right
too call yourself an artist.
You can write the best song, script,
novel, poem... and it can win all all the big awards, make a million,
but if it has no soul, its worth nothing.
Yes, the man was not really interested
in politics, but I guess, since they by in large govern our lives,
if you talk about life you're gonna be assessing politics in some
way, so often indirectly. Just some people like to jump on celebrities,
artists and claim them for their own. Dylan sure wasn't a communist.
My thought for the day:
Life is breathing. Living is a
state of mind.
Top ^
07
November 2009
Delays in Defence Programs
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/3036287/
It is important to note that, the military
supplies specific technical training and has (hopefully) specialised
equipment, so when natural disasters strike, or you get lost at
sea, or there is some other major calamity, or our waters need to
be protected from poachers, we, as the citizens of this nation can
relax. Well, for many the fact that it is the Defence Forces gets
them upset. In reality, they needn't worry. After all, if the uniforms
were changed to blaze orange and the planes and vessels and vehicles
got a coat of red paint, everything would be okay. They'd eternally
thankful that their lives or livelihoods were being saved. In the
meantime...
This is nothing unusual. Amazing in
regards the OPVs, they're too heavy now for all the gear they're
meant to have? Would didn't tell who what the requirements were
exactly? Incredible ineptitude. The Canterbury problem with RHIB
stowage is a classic. Sorry, something is seriously up it such systems
can't handle "stormy conditions". How to help others if
you can't help yourself - and work the basics out. You'd think after
centuries at sea...
"The delays pointed to a lack
of capability in defence to manage these complex projects"
- shock horror, disbelieve. Not. And
you can see Labour complaining. Funny that, since they were in charge
when the delays were already well underway, including the actual
issues which invoked them.
If the problem with contracts is delays,
bear in mind, someone is still getting paid.
Just to keep it in context, remember,
the NZDF is no longer designed, prepared or otherwise to fight actual
wars, with only a few significant exceptions.
Top ^
05 November 2009
V for Vendetta
Tonight I watch V for Vendetta.
It must be a good year since I last watched it... Pure class and
style, with a provoking tale, so much a rarity these days. It is
far more than a mere comic book.
#
So the Kiwi unemployment level has
reached 150,000, the highest in 15 years. That being said, depending
on the intended mood to be generated, the governing motives, statistics
can give it a positive bent. As always though, the big boys are
still getting their loot.
Top ^
04 November
2009
Steers, Police... and a good
ol' boy blast-up.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3028500/Police-cowboyish
Wasn't going to say anything on this
one, but, well, its kinda unavoidable really.
I shouldn't say sorry at the beginning
of such an entry, after all what am I sorry for? If thousands of
kids can go out hunting every weekend and be quite capable of shooting
a rabbit at 50 metres, I am quite amazed how a "trained"
Police officer with a high powered rifle, of the quality of an L96
can't drop a steer, in the head, with a single shot at a 100 metres.
If a soldier (infantry or not) is
trained to engage human sized targets at 500 metres with a intermediate
cartridge, 5.56mm, the same as is used in a Police issue Bushmaster,
pray tell, why can't they do the same at far less range. If you
can't do the job, please don't issue a tool of deadly force.
Please, no one tell me that they fired
at it with 9mm Glocks. That would be total idiocy. Heck, that isn't
cowboy, cause real cowboys know better. But that shows the attitude
of people today, using the term as an insult rather than a profession.
Rural people are just dumb hicks etc... Well. Whomever gets to carry,
much less use a firearm in Police service needs to be vetted severely,
trained to far higher levels of basic proficiency. There's been
too many cases, too many ignored that demonstrate this beyond doubt.
Unless this cattle beast was moved,
evidently it was shot in a wide open paddock, off the road. Are
there no officers who grew up on farms anymore? None able to call
a vet or someone who actually knows chasing an animal only makes
it worse? Or that maybe rounding the thing up shouldn't be too much
trouble. If farmers took that approach, they'd be out of business
and there'd be a great many carcasses to bury. Brain dead. Same
attitude as that Porirua incident with the dog. Nothing learned...
instead arrogance reigns and there continues to be no real changes
for the better.
The whole thing stinks of immaturity
and power gone to the head, and having a good ol' boy blast up.
Still, I'm convinced there are still Police officers deserving of
the uniform and with a bit more common sense and, perhaps even experience
with animals, who could have handled things somewhat differently.
Worst thing is, there will be no real
practical inquiry worth anything and no one will be held accountable
for how it was managed. This is New Zealand for Heaven's sake. Still
very much about the rural prime industries. No, this is what you
get with urban migration. So much for the public good.
And, in view of one of the comments
posted - to be apologist towards the Police is crazy. The largely
good work that they otherwise do is no excuse for such carry on.
If they are part of the community then they need to cooperate with
the community. That means they will already be well in touch with
its members, and not be so driven by ego that they can't ask for
assistance or advice. Safer communities together doesn't include
this kind of behaviour. If an animal is put into a huge sports ground
and held there I fail to see how it can be a problem to people in
a rush hour.
But, of course, I wasn't there so what
would I know?
Top ^
03 November
2009
The Inner Workings of Democracy...
and the Swiss Model revisited.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-election
So now Karzai gets in without as much
as a drip of sweat. There will be no recount, since it would, as
evidence and previous voting has shown, only be a tinderbox to more
violence. There would be a great deal of back-slapping and smiles
as world leaders send out their graduations to the incumbent Afghan
president. Ironic considering it is a kick in the teeth for the
democratic process. It seems that on one side, the politicians are
willing to lay down countless lives in the name of democracy (so
long as it isn't their own) and yet here, in one foul swoop, they
see an automatic political victory, despite the overriding level
of corruption, to save, potentially, a few dozen lives. Its not
about the people, it never has been.
This is what so many troops and civilians
have died for since 2001. Victory is not about military victory,
it is about the will of the people and asserting whatever that happens
to be. So, if it is drowned in a quagmire of deceit and corruption
chances are you'll never know what exactly that is. Crazy how people
continue to want to be the decisive overriding victors, not to compromise.
Not to talk, but to fight. The whole situation is about as ridiculous
as Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize. Okay, maybe not that ridiculous.
Bak Ki-Moon was shaking hands and smiling too, so that says it all.
http://www.army.mil.nz/at-a-glance/news/media-releases/media-release.htm
And while all this is going on - and
no doubt as a result of it, the Kiwis PRT comes under attack again,
after the June probe on the Afghan National Police base. No one
was hit but a couple of our Rodeo LOVs got a bit of a face-lift.
This latest rotation has just flown in and made a good account of
themselves. Good training equals less sweat, and more importantly,
less pain.
http://juni0r.orconhosting.net.nz/swissmodel.html
Am currently easing myself back into
the writing thing while I can. That is, the type that doesn't pertain
to academic essays. Or though the reworking of the Swiss
Model, doing it up professionally, as opposed to how
it currently appears on THS, does benefit from some research.
We'll see how it goes. It is basically
an argument for how some of the Swiss system of neutrality could
work for New Zealand. But, as stated, we have vastly different concerns,
histories and geopolitical arenas to content with. With the general
failings of Civil Defence and an increasing number of natural disasters
to content with recently, in the region and at home, it seems to
me the argument I presented in 2002 holds more water than ever.
Too bad the idea of CMT is deemed so politically incorrect these
days. Ha, dunno anyone any faster at digging a trench or filling
sand bags than a young and fit infantryman. Never mind, the floodwaters
come hither...
Will be sure to upload the improved
draft of this one when it is done.
Top ^
October
Entries
Random Old Entry...
03 November 2008
Debates... without substance or inspiration
are worthless.
Look at my last two entries and well... it amounts
to the more important issues of our time, of which these debating
politicians say nothing at all. When they speak of the economy,
there is no solutions, no plans laid out. That means they either
think we are all stupid and won't understand their plans, or they
think we have a clue and will see right through the rubbish they
preach. Either way, as a concerned citizen, and a voter, I'm not
too happy. And I don't have a young family to worry about (least
not directly...) So, man, the way these "debates" have
been going, between those who are supposed to be responsible for
this once fine country of ours, if I did have, I'd be positively
livered.
So, the Reds have had control of the country for
the last three terms, that's nine years. I've seen a Nanny State
(Anti-smacking bill). This has been so unpopular with the people
it shows just how in lack of touch politicians are with the people...
and hand outs ("Working for Families") rather than solutions
and the insurance of proper job conditions in their stead. I've
seen the disbandment of the Combat Air Wing, therefore ill treatment
of servicemen and women, leaving them without independent training
and capacity to do their job safely and properly, and they have
been leaving in droves since East Timor. I have seen record numbers
leaving permanently for Australia for better pay and conditions
for young families... The country's GDP per capita was once something
to be proud of, and now its now well on the way to matching the
likes of Botswana? Heck...
Helen Clark claims to have been providing education
while more kids come away from school without even the basics, and
those that go on to tertiary education end up with larger and larger
debts, of which she never had to deal with. So no, she, and her
ilk can not relate to the expense of education, nor the difficulties
of the job market.
The PM speaks of not liking others imposing their
will upon her... there is no loss of irony here when you claim to
wish to work for the country and the people. She must forget that
she is meant to work for us, we don't work for her... and she is
at the top of the heap.
Fact is, no one trusts politicians. They can only
be measured on the level of distrust they possess. Jenny McManus
was right, New Zealanders should be scared... Linda Clark was right,
the debate tonight was very dull. There is very little difference
between Labour and National. It is all about getting the top job,
winning the power, not about running the country, or demonstrating
the capacity to do same.
Yes indeed, it the second quarter in which we have
known of a recession, and yet Labour has done nothing and there
has been no statement or sign of vision as to how they are going
to deal with it. All the while the government knows that unemployment
is going up. They tell you about more handout packages rather then
putting in place job security plans or other contingencies.
Kiwis in general, considering the way the leaders
of the two major parties have been conducting themselves, have no
interest in the election here - and rightly so. They'd rather be
tuned into the US elections, which has far greater concerns for
the future of the world (of which we are a part - often forgotten
by complacent Kiwis) or the Melbourne Cup.
No real details and all so close to an election...
And what's there is mostly ambulance at the bottom of a cliff stuff.
God Defend New Zealand.
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