Archive for November, 2005

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  The middle ground under the sun - by frog

  
  
  
  Looks like the UK is taking the first steps towards a real committment to solar energy. The BBC reports: Plans to cut council tax for people who generate their own electricity have been backed by the government. Labour MP Mark Lazarowicz’s private member’s bill aims to increase the number of homes with solar panels and [...] read more
  November 15, 2005 1:37 pm - 1 Comment
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  Rod memorials – North Island update - by frog

  
  
  
  Rod Donald Memorial Gatherings Hamilton – 11am, this Saturday, 19 November, Lady Goodfellow Chapel, University of Waikato. Auckland – 3pm, this Sunday, 20 November, St Matthews-In-The-City, cnr Hobson and Wellesley Sts. Wellington – 12 Noon, next Monday, 21 November, Grand Hall and Legislative Chamber of Parliament. read more
  November 15, 2005 11:32 am - 3 Comments
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  Wanted him to return - by frog

  
  
  
  Newspaper opinion on Nandor‘s return to Parliament has generally been negative, with particular spite in the efforts from cartoonists Emmerson, in Saturday’s Herald (sub only), and Tremain, in Saturday’s Press and ODT. But in the Sunday Star Times, Helen Bain made a positive exception with some comments that needed to be made. Addressing Rod she [...] read more
  November 14, 2005 10:53 pm - 15 Comments
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  I’ll do it, but only if you help me do it - by frog

  
  
  
  A reader has pointed me to his / her post at Pledgebank, aimed at the Marriage (Gender Clarification) Amendment Bill. Pledgebank promotes itself thus: Tell the world “I’ll do it, but only if you’ll help me do itâ€? “We all know what it is like to feel powerless, that our own actions can’t really change [...] read more
  November 14, 2005 7:26 pm - 2 Comments
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  Rope it in folks, please - by frog

  
  
  
  Now I don’t want to close down debate, but I want to remind everyone of the censorship rules that apply here. From our Policies page: I want to hear from everyone, and will only ban users from posting or edit comments under extreme circumstances. The main categories of posts that will be deleted or edited [...] read more
  November 14, 2005 12:22 pm - 27 Comments
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  Proud to be Green! - by frog

  
  
  
  Further to my post just before. One thing I can say about these last few remarkable days, the massive public appreciation of what Rod did and stood for has made me feel really proud to be Green. It is a feeling I intend to hold on to, regardless of how toxic Parliament gets. read more
  November 12, 2005 6:03 pm - 24 Comments
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  Nandor’s life indeed - by frog

  
  
  
  In a post titled ‘Nandor’s Life’, Rodney Hide has blogged today that: Nandor Tanczos must live a permanent Club Med-type existence to describe Parliament as a “toxic hell-holeâ€?. Or perhaps the Green caucus is rougher than we imagine. I wonder whether Rodney thinks Nandor was living this “permanent Club Med-type existence” while in Parliament or [...] read more
  November 12, 2005 5:34 pm - 14 Comments
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  South Park Rod - by frog

  
  
  
  Thanx to phil u for pointing to this great pic of Rod at the GoNZo Freakpower blog. read more
  November 12, 2005 4:33 pm - No Comments
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  Cause of Rod’s death - by frog

  
  
  
  Rod was killed by Viral Myocarditis. NZPA reports: Mr Donald’s partner, Nicola Shirlaw, released the finding by Christchurch pathologist Martin Sage today. “He said in his opinion the cause of death was viral myocarditis,” Ms Shirlaw said in a statement. “Viral myocarditis is an uncommon but well-recognised cause of sudden death,” he said. read more
  November 11, 2005 5:09 pm - 21 Comments
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  We give them a job to do - by frog

  
  
  
  Following the bundle of referenda ‘lost’ by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday, Reuters report Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein as saying: “The election results should send a strong message that the voters are tired of having issues that should be solved by their elected representatives placed before them on the ballot.” That’s not something you [...] read more
  November 11, 2005 4:17 pm - 4 Comments
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  Rod memorial events - by frog

  
  
  
  For those who couldn’t make it to Christchurch yesterday, there will be memorial events in Wellington and Auckland and possibly other centres including Golden Bay. Wellington This will be held on Monday November 21 at the Grand Hall and Legislative Chamber of Parliament from 12 Noon to 2pm followed by refreshments. Entry is via the [...] read more
  November 11, 2005 10:44 am - 25 Comments
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  Nandor is back - by frog

  
  
  
  Nandor has decided he will return to Parliament to fill the seat left vacant by Rod‘s tragic death. Nandor says: “Rod Donald’s death is an enormous blow, personally and politically, but the work continues. Rod always encouraged me to be myself within the constrained environment of Parliament and I intend to do that, with a [...] read more
  November 11, 2005 9:04 am - 39 Comments
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  Initial impression of the funeral - by frog

  
  
  
  Christchurch is a city well set up for large civic occasions. The Cathedral occupies such a central, prominant location that is as much of the city as of the church. It is the ritual space for the entire town, a place for all its citizens to gather and mark significant occasions. And yet it wasn’t [...] read more
  November 10, 2005 7:03 pm - 10 Comments
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  What will they be saying in 2035? - by frog

  
  
  
  Further to yesterday’s quick post, this morning’s DomPost reports Gerry Brownlee‘s speech in more detail: When National deputy leader Gerry Brownlee first met Green co-leader Rod Donald 25 years ago, Mr Donald was “dressed like a hippie” and campaigning for recycling at a Christchurch rubbish tip. A year later, they were on opposite sides of [...] read more
  November 10, 2005 8:24 am - 25 Comments
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  Parliament’s tribute to Rod - by frog

  
  
  
  I’m sitting here listening to the tributes in Parliament to Rod, David Lange, John Falloon and Jack Luxton. Jeanette‘s speech on Rod was moving. You’ll be glad to hear that she read out a couple of the comments left on the earlier thread here at frogblog. It is a bit disconcerting to hear old foes [...] read more
  November 9, 2005 3:59 pm - 6 Comments
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  Flicking the switch is a political act - by frog

  
  
  
  More information to make it easier to ‘shop as a political act’. Greenpeace have arranged NZ’s power companies on a scale: They say: Greenpeace looked at how our providers currently generate electricity, their future generation plans and their policies for the future regarding renewable energy and fossil fuels. Each company was then ranked according to [...] read more
  November 9, 2005 2:24 pm - 9 Comments
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  HP’s faux e-waste initiative - by frog

  
  
  
  A small bouquet and a big brickbat to HP. The Dom Post‘s InfoTech reports: Hewlett-Packard New Zealand is offering to collect and recycle used computer equipment made by any manufacturer from businesses and consumers free of charge, good on ya: but as ever there are some catches. typical Customers can only take part in the [...] read more
  November 8, 2005 3:54 pm - 6 Comments
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  Something else fishy - by frog

  
  
  
  While we’re on the subject of over-fishing, I note with disbelief that an Australian jury has found the crew of the Viarsa not guilty. After a 7000km, 21 day chase in 2003, the trawler was found to have 97 metric tonnes of the endangered Patagonian toothfish on board. However in a *fishy* decision, the jury [...] read more
  November 8, 2005 12:52 pm - 19 Comments
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  From their net to your basket - by frog

  
  
  
  Forest and Bird have just released their Best Fish Guide. You can print it out from that link and take it with you shopping. A great idea, F&B are to be congratulated once again for putting out useful and easily understandable information which allows people to make the right choice. As Rod said just a [...] read more
  November 8, 2005 10:09 am - 5 Comments
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  Tom on Rod - by frog

  
  
  
  ‘Pragmatic idealist’, a nice cartoon by Tom Scott from this morning’s Dom Post read more
  November 8, 2005 9:12 am - 2 Comments