Media 7 was excellent last night. I did wonder, however, what was?

The parent company is co-founded by America hate-radio meathead Michael Savage, whose freakish bigotry extends to vile spewing about both gay folk, and autistic children and their parents. You may wish to buy your caffeine and sugar concoctions elsewhere.

Hey, that's almost me!

Hey, that's almost me!

Almost bastard!

America hate-radio meathead Michael Savage

His middle name isn't Joseph by any perverse chance? That would be just too antipodal for words...

And maybe a little bit jealous that you have an audience that a) cares about your opinion and b) engages in conversation about it.

I think Drinnan's a little bit in love with you.

I'm afraid my heart will always belong to David Cohen.

Yes, John Drinnan does seem to be somewhat obsessed with you Russell. He use "taxpayer funded" as if they were dirty words. So, should we refer to the "taxpayer funded New Zealand Army" or "taxpayer funded hip operations"?

Yeah, or perhaps we could refer to Drinnan as a business- and?

Jeez Russell, it's not always about you. He's clearly talking about Jeremy Wells...

It's a bit rich for him to gripe that you've blurred the line between editor/advertiser when his own employer happily publishes a weekly Apple wankfest under the guise of a "blog".

I feel I should offer to fight you, but I might accidentally scratch my iPhone. I know Mark Webster,?

Hopefully they can also apply that eye on themselves sometime.

The three podcast sections of last-nights Media7 are all only 30 secs long...

Can you let whoever's in charge of such things know?

Oddly enough, the Powershop reporting I thought did go too far was the Campbell Live story on Monday night, which was presented as a report but came across as a promotional video.

Snap. Good for Powershop, I said to myself. Mind you, I recall on the news the other Sunday?

I consider that acceptable shorthand, considering you're giving the money to someone who generates the equivalent amount of electricity from a renewable resource. (But as usual, it's not cleaner than not using the power).

That's as I understand it also. We buy an amount of renewable energy as part of?

I've happily?

Snap. Good for Powershop, I said to myself. Mind you, I recall on the news the other Sunday they had the special offer from the IV fertilisation people.

Yeah that was weird. I half expected the news story to finish with offering a free set of steak knives.

When you're doing that, the retailer is purchasing offsets against the emissions involved across the electricity lifecycle – i.e. they work out the average emission intensity in a given kwh (being x% of generation in NZ has emissions of y) and offset that.

Does each additional purchase of renewable energy?

I see DPF is running IQ test ads on his site. Some of his readers might get a rude awakening.

Have you ever met anyone who did an IQ test and scored lower than 140? Seems to me that 100% of the population have?

– Meridian does an offsetting of their retail to generation – they generate only using non-emitting sources (hydro, wind) so if they retail less than they generate then I believe they claim they have zero emissions for retail energy. Bit of a?

There is no concept of getting "electrons" from A rather than B into your house. So all they can do is offset the emissions of "B electrons"?

If you buy the cleaner option, does that increase the amount of clean generation, or is it simply an accounting trick, where your purchase of clean generation is just allocated out of the general "mixed" pool of power available, thus making?

Have you ever met anyone who did an IQ test and scored lower than 140?

Proper IQ tests are ranged. If you sat the most generic one (which I assume the online ones are modelled on), and you reasonably well, then you'd end up sitting successively harder tests. A short?

Also, from the last section, Drinnan has a fixation on dirty toilet?

Green Power Company?

This provides incentive for Meridan themselves to increase their clean generation I suppose.

It seems to my Friday brain, that nominally splitting the generation into 2 tiers when the resource is pooled is silly, and won't result in any sort of market pressure on generators to make their new generation renewable, particularly when it's?

It sounds like an accounting trick to make everyone pay a bit extra voluntarily for renewable electricity that we already get at the normal price.

Proper IQ tests are ranged.

For example, I understand you can get a couple of points on the WAIS if you're dead.

Given that TVNZ pays the taxpayer a dividend, isn't Russell funding the taxpayer, rather than the other way?

Until you count the charter money I think.

What is the difference between TVNZ's dividened to the gummint, and the charter money they are given to fund public good broadcasting?

(and I'll?

Might have been hidden in the small print I guess.

You are not alone

Agh, so confusing. Proves only one thing: the electricity industry is a farkn shambles. Consumers are beweildered, prices are?

– For most people, the main problem with the recession is that a lot of people who had productive jobs a year ago don't now.

– Loosening fiscal policy, increasing borrowing and maintaining public spending would help rectify that

– Again,?

More a concern that I felt those comments maybe needed a stronger disclaimer, an indication of what PA/Russell Brown was getting from the company (which you've provided today) so we could assess your comments about it in their light.

And I don't mind you saying so. Indeed, I rely on?

Retail electricity "markets" are intrinsically bogus. There's only one set of wires in the country, so you get the same power as the guy next door, no matter who you pay for it. If you get cheap power, it's at the expense of someone else.

What should?

I'll see if I can ask someone from Powershop to front and answer the questions.

What do the "retailers" actually do, apart from charging a premium for their "service"?.

Retailers are there because the alternative would see us all shafted (even more) for our electricity – it's a realisation that there will only ever be one set of "the wires" in your area and leaving?

What do you think? It clearly benefits the lucky punter who gets a PVR, we get a little money, and — hopefully — the conversation is worthwhile.

It seems pretty transparent to me. And presumably said blogger would be free to write that the experience sucks, should that be the?

Not if it were owned by the people for the people, as God intended

I'm pretty sure all electrons belong to the Estate of Michael Faraday, by right of discovery.

The bit I've never got about this new fangled electrickery stuff is how do you know which electricity are you getting? I mean, it all comes down the same wire and you can't even see it.

Steve, in the short-term it doesn't matter too much. The point of MRET and?

What I'd like to see is an electricity scheme that includes the cost of?

What I'd like to see is an electricity scheme that includes the cost of pushing those electrons across Cook Straight

You'll be wanting a feed-in system then... actually, that's a bit glib, NZ's reliant on hydro, solar arrangements don't work quite so well if you live under the long-white cloud?

Well, that all depends...

Where does the dividend come from? Its advertisng revenue, isnt it?
Whether any show was paying a dividend or not would depend on what the show cost the?

In that spirit, Ffunnell is discussing a campaign with Freeview. A reader each from participating sites gets a Freeview PVR, on the condition that they blog about their experience of entering the world of digital time-shifting. They'd be someone who didn't have any form of digital TV or recorder.

I?

and TVNZ 7 doesnt show any commercial adverts... so I think Media 7 is definitely publicly fundED rather than public fundING.

TVNZ 7 is covered by the $89m for five years granted by the last government to get the digital channels established — so not the Charter or advertising.

But?

all the retailers are competing on is how much they will cut the markup to buy the right to bill you.

Well yes. Which, in the existing split-role model seems like a good thing to me. As I said though, I was contrasting it only with a "single distributor bills?

I've just had a call from Mercury Energy — not because of who I am, I think, but because they seem to be calling everyone for whom they get a Powershop switch request.

Their pitch:

– Actually, when you factor in the standing charge and?

But is contacting and making offers to customers on this basis anti-competitive, or just good retail competition?

I'd call that good competition, albeit only offered under the gun of leaving.

But is contacting and making offers to customers on this basis anti-competitive, or just good retail competition?

I guess it's what any sensible business would do if you cancelled their service.

But because the whole thing is artificial, it looks like an anti-competitive practice. For one thing, Meridian and MRP?

Alan Macdougall ran an interesting discussion of Powershop on his blog a wee while ago.

That's excellent, as are the comments.

If Ari Sargent is reading this, he's welcome to contribute any comments.

- Like Powershop, they're offering a $50 credit by way of an inducement.

So, how do I, as an existing Mercury customer, get this $50 credit? They'll just credit my (and everyone elses) account? Yeah Right!
Phone them up and tell them I'm thinking about switching?

What do you think? It clearly benefits the lucky punter who gets a PVR, we get a little money, and — hopefully — the conversation is worthwhile.

What Giovanni said. I'd add, be not only upfront to us, but to the rest of the world about how it works. "We"?

What do you think? It clearly benefits the lucky punter who gets a PVR, we get a little money, and — hopefully — the conversation is worthwhile.

If nothing else, this is the point Drinnan misses in his piece. The discussion will inevitably include comments critical of powershop which makes?

But is contacting and making offers to customers on this basis anti-competitive, or just good retail competition?

In the outbound call centre business I think this is know as "Retention". There will be whole department at Mercury devoted to just this.

I suspect they were waiting till they had a happier story to tell — which they have, via an over-the-air software update?

Here was me thinking the NZ Herald has been editorialising for months to talk up the housing market in order to pump up real?

Years ago when Transalta was going under I recall this letter we received, pre-empting (or possibly post-empting) our switch, in?

I have always felt that "green" electricity has limited meaning until sufficient people take it up to outstrip NZ's existing low-emissions generation.

Which is why it's big business in Australia where 75 per cent, or thereabouts, of electricity generation is by way of coal.

I was talking last week to Steve Adams from MFNZ/Ffunnell, who's working on a proposal with a certain company where they put up the CEO and/or several expert staff to be questioned by our readers.

They were a little nervous about putting up?

But the motivation is that there must be something better than more useless banner ads

My humble view is that so long as we must have corporate overlords (which, clearly, we do), it would be nice to be able to talk to them every once in a while instead of?

We just left Genesis and nobody called, nobody showed up, nothing. No tears, no goodbyes, we just got a final reading. I feel a little offended now to be honest.

Be grateful, my friend. We switched because Genesis couldn't send us an accurate (or timely) bill, and after 13 phone?

So, how do I, as an existing Mercury customer, get this $50 credit? They'll just credit my (and everyone elses) account? Yeah Right!
Phone them up and tell them I'm thinking about switching?

If you phone them up, they'll put you on hold for about 5 minutes to talk with?

you wrote

What I'd like to see is an electricity scheme that includes the cost of pushing those electrons across Cook Straight

And as a Jaffa I just wanted to say "bite me".

But you are being serious. So it's a serious answer. If as you suggest you encourage?

Having most of NZ empty is one of the best things about NZ. I can drive out of Auckland and go to place that aren't buried under people and their stuff. Seriously we don't want?

Presumably someone form the Granny reads Public Address, because Drinnan's online piece now refers to "Hard News" rather than "Hard Copy".

Most factual it's been all day

Autism Science Foundation Launches Operations; New Advocacy Group Will Focus on Non-vaccine-related Autism Research

The Autism Science Foundation, a new nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and funding autism research, launched its operations today, debuting its web site (www.autismsciencefoundation.org) and kicking off its "First?

Hey, that's almost me!

It's okay Michael Savidge, the other Michael Savage was born Michael Alan Weiner.

Aardvark is not a supporter of Powershop – his version is that the green option is not green production but is instead 'plant a tree'.

On a more positive note the Detroit Free?

When there are groups like Generation Rescue that say they have research that vaccines increase Autism rates there is certainly more science required.

When there are groups like Generation Rescue that say they have research that vaccines increase Autism rates there is certainly more science required.

Sorry, but there simply isn't good evidence to that effect, and IMHO, the likes of Generation Rescue are not helping anyone.

Indeed, in sluicing money into yet?

Personally, I'd tend to take the other side of any argument that had Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey as its proponents.

That's too bad, I heard them taking strong issue with robbery's ideas on copyright once.

(That was a chilling link, by the way. I wish I hadn't clicked on?

That's too bad, I heard them taking strong issue with robbery's ideas on copyright once.

Ohoho! I'd need a cite for that, Gio! ;-) (besides, I said "tend")

Let's see, airhead celebs vs. scientists, hmmm...

(That was a chilling link, by the way. I wish I hadn't clicked on "Let's Go Shopping").

And I get the feeling that that's what it's all about.

Indeed, in sluicing money into yet more vaccine research, they're actually hurting people with autism and their families.

Let's see, airhead celebs vs. scientists, hmmm...

Well, if you're at the 'high functioning' end of the spectrum, its damned good fun – the only problem is that it makes six to?

Alan Macdougall ran an interesting discussion of Powershop on his blog a wee while ago.

Thanks for the nod, Giovanni.

And for the record, I still haven't shifted to Powershop. :-)

Indeed, in sluicing money into yet more vaccine research, they're actually hurting people with autism and their families.

Couldn't agree more. It's about biopower and biopolitics. Spending money on vaccine or even genetic research takes resources away from the more important but less prestigious work on ensuring people with autism?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFAJb6g8uj8

Oddly enough, the Powershop reporting I thought did go too far was the Campbell Live story on Monday night, which was presented as a report but came across as a promotional video.

That's been done before. Paul Holmes, about 5 yrs ago, featured a promotional video for a mystery shopper?

Why do so many of you think that offsetting is a really good idea?... There is no alternative to properly renewable energy. Offsetting is simply a salve for Western consciences so we can continue to use profligate amounts of on renewable energy and not feel bad about it.

I think?

For one thing, it fosters this ridicolous idea that the change we need can happen from the bottom up, as a consumer movement. It can't and it won't. Politicians and corporations matter a lot more than the sum of the citizens.

Quite. And this particular point in time when the?

I am over 70, and recognise it is much harder to sell stuff to an older person, especially one still managing their own affairs.

Generally we have been around?

A dumb question perhaps – what does NACT stand for?

Dumb answer poss but I think it is National/Act party.(I should read this first eh?)
Nice to read your input Bruce.(Now I will start at the beginning :)

It's not as if shouting "everyone completely change the way we live at once" is going to work, or is any less conscience-warping. For one thing, it fosters this ridicolous idea that the change we need can happen from the bottom up, as a consumer movement. It can't and?

Without your enthusiasm I probably would not have become such a coffee elitist, and I certainly look to public address to keep me up to cultural date.

Thanks to you, too Bruce. That was an interesting post.

Why do so many of you think that offsetting is a really good idea? The whole offsetting industry is an absolute mess, see New Scientist's reporting on the issue.

Because a ton of carbon is a ton of carbon is a ton of carbon. And from the atmosphere's point of?

As a consumer, you have no real power over whether your electricity is generated renewably or not, whether there is good public transport or not, whether companies have to pay the full cost of the environmental damage they are causing (or?

There is no alternative to properly renewable energy. Offsetting is simply a salve for Western consciences so we can continue to use profligate amounts of on renewable energy and not feel bad about it.

Thanks for the tip on offsetting Peter, I'll look for the article. It does seems to?

The upshot: buying is not enough. "Ethical consumerism" is not enough. You need to fucking vote.

Hear, hear. And vote thinking of your grandchildren, your friends, and the parts of this planet you especially enjoy and want to know will still be there for them.

Better still, get more active?

Bit off topic but I found this intriguing.Wonder what this man did ?

The end of the story, reproduced below, makes me wonder if the Herald journalist was fired in turn while he was still working on it:

In one of those cases, he said he gained clearance from Niwa's?

Sure, and we're lucky enough in New Zealand to have MMP and the Greens

Gio, I have respect for the Greens also, but it'd be a little unfair not to mention Labour have been strong on Kyoto and related initiatives too.

but it'd be a little unfair not to mention Labour have been strong on Kyoto and related initiatives too.

Sure, but Kyoto is a palliative at best. The changes we need are radical and require a radical rethinking of the notions of development and growth, as well as of human?

A dumb question perhaps – what does NACT stand for?

Dumb answer poss but I think it is National/Act party.(I should read this first eh?)

Though I prefer the term 'Mactional'.

We had a big debrief at a very high level and nothing was ever raised

Heh. Story also says attention-starved Lisa?

There was a young lady of Tottenham
With no manners, or else she'd forgotten 'em
At tea at the vicars
She tore off her knickers
Because, she explained, she felt hot in 'em

I catch most of my news from the 10" screen of my ASUS which is much admired by my age group.Two of us have had them for a few months and two of my friends are planning to buy them.

Welcome to the EEEPC team, Bruce! They are magic little?

One of the best things about the current stripping of Auckland's democratic voice has been the gathering resistance to it.

Oh, yes... Am really enjoying the local community rag that is now so terribly concerned about "democracy" — just not enough to bother covering local body politics in depth, which?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/468619

Why Che?

Synonymous with "revolution"?

Most European countries (France may be an exception) use proportional representation in one form or another. And most have Green parties which are growing in strength.

And in all those countries, with the possible exceptions of Nordic states that have always had a much greater interest in sustainability, the two?

Synonymous with "revolution"?

One day a spy amongst the rebel army was discovered. It was one of the peasants who had voluntarily joined up. The traitor was unmasked and condemned to death, but nobody was prepared to carry out the execution. Che volunteered himself and wrote about it in his?

You do seem to overlook the unassailable truth that politicians and political parties are merely cogs in the system, they don't offer solutions, they're not trained to provide solutions and they really if ever solve anything.

That's (also) because a system has been created that doesn't incentivise politicians to meaningfully?

http://www.ablesolar.co.nz/

one the?

Heh. Story also says attention-starved Lisa Lewis was turfed out for breaching the ambush marketing parts of the event's sponsorship deals. Expecting some very clever attempts from others at the Rugby World Cup.

They will have to be clever because the Government has passed sweeping legislation to make most common?

Now imagine that?

They will have to be clever

Agreed. Very clever.

Sure, but Kyoto is a palliative at best. The changes we need are radical and require a radical rethinking of the notions of development and growth, as well as of human and environmental capital. From that broader perspective the difference between Labour and National is negligible. (And I'm?