Yikes. "Douchebags" is right. I don't think brownface is any funnier than blackface. [insert hypocritical disparaging remark about New Jersey here]. Or is this some misguided attempt at stylin' ethnic pride, akin to the sunbed girls of Japan and their identification with African American culture? I'm confused!

WTF ??? Nothing works and it looks to me like an advert for...

Made me laugh (if anyone searches for it, its on myspace, the artist being "Claw Dubs")

not often i get to say this...

pipped at the post there mr brown.

douchebags? funniest site of 2007.

There's much more at Barstool Sports.

The wedding photo at the bottom is the best. How would you feel if your brother turned up for your wedding photos looking like that? I'm surprised you can't see the slap marks on each cheek.

I know many advocates of demand-driven funding argue that market approaches lead to better allocative efficiency, which may be...

Why have such scores of lovely, gifted girls
Married impossible men?
Simple self-sacrifice may be ruled out,
And missionary endeavour, nine times out of ten.

Repeat 'impossible men': not merely rustic,
Foul-tempered or depraved
(Dramatic...

How fantastic... someone even points out that in one pic, the guy has a traditional Maori WOMAN's tattoo on his chin. Pure gold.

Looks like Ghet will be getting her housing affordability policy.

Slightly off-topic, but am curious how shared equity became the headline of that leaked speech – I read the full transcript and there is ONE sentence on it that is actually the 3rd or 4th point of the housing affordability...

Meanwhile, the circus has begun. "Tired", "out of touch", "waste", "tax cuts". Lots of "we will", but no details on how. You could turn this into a drinking game (and I'm already wishing I had)...

I think this is going...

Looks like Ghet will be getting her housing affordability policy.

I am SO impressed with your memory.

Now, about that cheese...

There is the inevitable claim that "New zealand is one of the few socialist (communist) countries left in the world," of course. Yes, that'll be why we've never been out of the Heritage Foundation's...

Now, about that cheese...

What we need is government provision of cows.

if anyone actually read the speech or the Scoop releases now backing it up, they'd see that the shared equity scheme (a small part of the plan) is only for new builds.

I don't think it is only for new builds. The release by the Minister of Housing implies that...

The demented anger in the comments under Vernon Small's Stuff blog on the speech is unbelievable.

I'm sure this topic has been covered a hundred times here, but I'm still a little floored by just how demented so much commentary is around NZ politics.
I like to think I'm not...

The demented anger in the comments under Vernon Small's Stuff blog on the speech is unbelievable.

Only if you never read the comments at Kiwiblog. In addition to raving, the nutters also rove.

But Small is prey to curious narratives too. "Politically it is obviously an attempt to counter the compassionate conservatism that is becoming a hallmark of John Key's leadership," he writes. Um, is there some policy with that, or just a lot of soft press and photo-ops?

Sheesh, Russell, what more...

What we need is government provision of cows.

I draw your attention to an old post of mine, and the words of George Bernard Shaw:

I just want to ask: why not distribute it freely? This is very important in New Zealand. A little loss on milk doesn't matter. It...

The key problem all of this raises for me, is what effect will increasing the competition for the cheapest (comparatively speaking) houses in a particular area actually have on prices?

Which is why the other half of the policy is about the government increasing the supply of such homes. if...

I'm still a little floored by just how demented so much commentary is around NZ politics.

meh. AM-frequently talk-back radio has discovered typing.

much of the stuff i used to read on the loony-comments sections bears striking resemblance to BBQ's at my north-shore relatives places. but markedly less polite.

if the market won't provide, then the state will ahve to.

you're sounding remarkably like a certain m.j. savage there i/s....

I'm sure this topic has been covered a hundred times here, but I'm still a little floored by just how demented so much commentary is around NZ politics.

Insanity feeds insanity. Blogs concentrate the loons and drive them to greater heights of dementia, while also allowing them to set the...

The key problem all of this raises for me, is what effect will increasing the competition for the cheapest (comparatively speaking) houses in a particular area actually have on prices?

Yup, and it's always a tough one in terms of any public intervention in the housing market.

But IF (and...

Which is why the other half of the policy is about the government increasing the supply of such homes. if the market won't provide, then the state will ahve to.

I understand the theory behind the proposals. A question remains around the ability to actually put state provision into practice...

Oh and I hear on the Natrad panel the ever reliable Joanne Black is already wailing about the effect the hoi polloi moving into her street might have on her property values.

Not surprising. John Key has expressed similar sentiments in the past, calling the inclusion of affordable and state...

Why on earth would it make sense to use one of the largest remaining tracts of state land that can still be freed up (at very little cost to the govt) to build 1400 homes that are not affordable?

Doesn't it strike anyone, even just a little, as a wasted...

If National does become government later this year, they should be worried about having to meet the expectations of the raving nutter vote.

Isn't it everyone else who should worry? You know, that they might. I'm sure they'll give us a couple weeks to pick at their policy before the...

Not surprising. John Key has expressed similar sentiments in the past, calling the inclusion of affordable and state houses in the Hobson project "economic vandalism".

The mention of the Hobsonville (not Hobson) development was very deliberate.

Key didn't have his "compassionate conservative" thing down by then, and his lament that...

The Hobsonville project, for example, is for two thousand homes. Why on earth then, will there only be 300 affordable homes, and 300 state homes?

500 and 450. Partly, I think its for the reasons Fletcher suggests – HousingNZ now prefers to "pepperpot" rather than build entire neighbourhoods of state...

Slightly off-topic, but am curious how shared equity became the headline of that leaked speech – I read the full transcript and there is ONE sentence on it that is actually the 3rd or 4th point of the housing affordability section.

Because that's what got *cough* strategically pre-released to the...

Because that's what got *cough* strategically pre-released to the media, based on the assumption that was what would really grab the interest of mortgage belt morning newspaper readers? Kathryn Street didn't get Mike Munro's job to bring the sexyback.

Hmmmm, having read the article this morning about how the PM...

Key didn't have his "compassionate conservative" thing down by then, and his lament that "there's the chance to build something pretty good there" — ie, so long as the poor people are kept well clear — will no doubt be raised again. And fair enough too, actually.

And perhaps he...

I'm sure it will, along with all the other occasions its said all kinds of positive things about the Gummint. Really, leave that kind of low-level paranoia to the Sub-Standard Left where it belongs.

Nope. With the notable exception of Audrey Young, who's an equal-opportunity kneecapper — Labour has had...

It's just that the rest of the material released doesn't bear out the relentless shared-equity focus. Perhaps that's all part of the plan too... Conspiracies abound! tinfoil-)

Who's conspiracy mongering, Gareth? It seems blatantly obvious to me that every politician — and every spin-thing they have on the payroll --...

Then, there is the bloody Listener. If I...

Labour has had overwhelmingly hostile op-ed from the Herald in recent months (for sure, not all of it undeserved). And John Key is having a very long honeymoon. I actually can't recall a positive editorial in that time.

And I still feel my stomach flip when I recall the treatment...

I have had (private) conversations with two Herald journos in recent occasions and in both cases, they didn't contradict me when I accused the Herald of having a pro-National agenda.

And with all due (and perfectly sincere) respect, Geoff, why would they bother? I've recently gotten a predictable bile facial...

No, I'm over-impressed with the quality or depth of the O'Herald but think that has more to do with miserable under-resourcing than some nefarious political agenda (covert or overt).

Discuss.

I've just listened to Key's reply to the PM's speech. I'm underwhelmed.

Stop the presses! The Standard thinks John Key sucks balls. Next you'll be telling me Cam Slater thinks Helen Clark's preferred mode of transportation is a broom...

I've recently gotten a predictable bile facial from the usual suspects over on Kiwiblog over agreeing to write for Media 7. You know, unprincipled heretic whore who will sleep with the enemy for money blah blah blah. My mistake thinking that kind of crap is worth engaging with.

When will...

When will you ever learn? You comment on bilefacials.co.nz and think you'll get to star in a romantic comedy?

I was thinking more Alien: The Musical — where in space, nobody knows any good tunes,but will reliably run into dark corners where they can die. Horribly.

Although Bob McCoskrie's claiming all the credit ..

As an aside here's a shameful lesson in how nimbyism and affordable housing can really get out of hand: Lets go back to the 20th...

The PM's speech gets a good review from ... Family First?

I wonder if McCoskrie's squee-ness is going to abate when he realises which NGO are likely to snaffle up all that lovely lolly? LOL... if they made a biopic about Bob McCoskrie, they'd have to cast Alicia Silverstone in...

And the proposed development seemed so poorly conceived that even Rudman was moved to comment: "I'm as wet and soft-centred as they come, but...

And re Key: did anyone else catch Oliver Driver interviewing...

And the proposed development seemed so poorly conceived that even Rudman was moved to comment: "I'm as wet and soft-centred as they come, but I would have objected too." Objections are not always based on socio-economic prejudice.

I think Clark would have been remiss in her role as a local...

Re the Herald, I am still undecided as to whether or not they have a strong right-wing bias or simply a strong "it's-easier-to-bash-the-government" bias. I suppose given a 9 year Labour reign they could morph into a very similar thing...

They'll be telling themselves it's the latter. And I think...

Clark's choice of words was, as I recall, unfortunate, but the grievance was for real.

Yeah, but the same could be said about Key's comments. the context of 'economic vandalism' was that, given the value of the Hobsonville site, the govt could have sold it off and got enough money...

As with Clark, it wasn't all that difficult for poltiical enemies to make it seem like a 'keep the plebs away from me' comment. In both cases that wasn't entirely fair.

Indeed, Rob. The better half and I were pretty relaxed about buying (literally) across the road from a giant...

And credit to Mr Driver for building up the "everyone's leaving the country" bit then asking him "isn't that exactly what you did, with quite some personal success?". An obvious question that I haven't seen asked before and that Mr Key didn't have a solid response to.

Heh, it's a...

I think Clark would have been remiss in her role as a local MP if she hadn't voiced residents' objections to that one.

Fair enough, and that's a perfectly legitimate role for a constituency MP. And as a local resident affected by a planning decision, it was also entirely appropriate...

And credit to Mr Driver for building up the "everyone's leaving the country" bit then asking him "isn't that exactly what you did, with quite some personal success?". An obvious question that I haven't seen asked before and that Mr Key didn't have a solid response to.

Heh, it's a...

IIRC, there was some prioritising of assistance to 'essential service workers' – firemen, police, nurses, teachers etc.