Finally a religion that inspires me!

A friend sent me this via email today.

I hope you may enjoy this marvellous spoof of the “Intelligent Design” movement in the USA, which is serving up this re-hashed version of Creationism and trying to force it into the school curriculum.

Its new rival “Pastafarianism” is now sweeping the globe via the Internet. It seem to me a wonderful way to deal with Christian fundamentalist intolerance – laugh it away. I read today that 55% of American believe that God created mankind from scratch. God help us!

You can read all about it on Wikipedia

I for one love the idea of Pastafari, particularly the idea that global warming is caused by the decline in pirates. Beautiful.

Games for girls

And boys that like fun games

Fun game!!

Deflation…

Isn’t it funny how on Blogger just above the text box is the ‘recover post’ link, this is kind of like a recovery post. So the election is finally over, sort of. And thank god the initial media frenzy around the potential government discussions has calmed down, I think they all finally figured out that when the politicians keep telling them that we won’t know until the specials are out, they actually meant it.

So what does the next term hold for the Greens? Well, who knows. It all depends on the specials and if Nandor gets back in, which I think he probably will. We worked out that there’s about a 85% chance of getting him back. And I really really hope we do. Firstly, because we need someone in there proactively working on positive solutions to the Corrections mess. The idea of building more prisons is about as sensible as building more roads to get rid of traffic. We need some serious investment in the prison education programme. I must say I was amused to read Graeme Capill moaning about the lack of access to education. What was he expecting? It’s not all lounging around watching TV as people of his ilk tend to think it is. I have heard stories of people in prison spending six months trying to get hold of the prison educator and giving up. And these are people with post high school education. Can you imagine what it’s like for people who dropped out before School C? One of the things that Nandor has worked really well with the government on has been corrections issues and I’d like to see him there pushing habilitation centres and better education services during the next term. So yeah, bring back Nandor!!

But back to the Greens in general.. I want to see Jeanette as Minister of Energy, if we can get that, I will be happy. But to be honest, another term on the cross benches with a bit more Budget will satisfy me.

As for me, I’m having a well earned rest, and getting ready for a big development in my life. I will reveal soon…

But I just want to say thanks and well-done to all the volunteers from all the parties in this election. It was a messy election but all the people I had dealings with treated each other with respect, no matter what party they were from. I think that’s a sign of a healthy democracy. Yay for us.

Yay Mike!

Congratulations to Mike Ward for winning the Supreme Award at the Wearable Art Awards last night. WOOOOHOOOO!!!

Now I was hoping he would win a prize for this costume as it’s pretty cool, but the Supreme Award YeHar!

And I think Mike should take this award as not only recognistion of the masterpiece he has created but also his tireless commitment to the advocacy of the arts. Mike is not the sort of person who talks about the monetary value of art, but the value to all of us if we are surrounded in beautiful things. It’s quality of life, stupid.

I think parliament will not be as much of a colourful place without Mike but now he gets to go back to what he’s best at, making beautiful things and inspiring the people around him to make this world a beautiful place.

Well done Mike, you deserve it!

Saying it like it is

Radical Youth welcome our new overlords.

The spectacle that was the General election has been and gone, your obedient and doting youth are still as marginalized as ever. While we cannot vote we appreciate the fact that you who are so wise and noble are willing to make decisions for us.

We also like the fact that you so intelligently restrict you’re voting to once every three years, and don’t get to say what policies you like or disagree with. And as youth we really don’t really mind that we are still discriminated against and disenfranchised.

We especially like that we get paid less for doing exactly the same work. The election was great to watch, we think it was great that you all bought the messages that the parties sold to you. We think the lines about economic growth being the underpinning of our society were the best.

However…
We demand a world in which the voices of youth are heard, and one where the decisions that will affect our lives are actually made by us. The politicians have no regard for the youth. Why else then, would there be such a blatant disregard for issues such as global warming, which, although only beginning to express itself, will affect us our entire lives? You’ve failed us, by creating a world that relies on the destruction of the very systems of life that sustain us to maintain unrestricted material growth, meanwhile poverty afflicts every nation and exploitation is incorporated into law.

Our generation has been handed a vision that requires continual consumption devoid of meaning.
And we have bought into it as never before (advertising and television tell us who and what to worship.)

We don’t want a new world, we want this one back!
And we’ll do whatever it takes to reclaim control of our lives.
Release here

Jesus

Tau Henare is back in Parliament. How weird is that?

He is risen.

Election Three

So it’s over 100% of votes counted and Labour has the majority. Here comes Helen for her speech…

Yay thank you mainstream New Zealand! (although I would say fuck the mainstream, I’m part of a braided river).

I am a wee bit sad that the Green vote has dropped a bit and the idea of parliament without Nandor does make me sad. But he’s not gone yet and at least we’re there!

And I can’t wait to see Keith run naked through the streets of Epsom!!

Bring on the Labour government, no matter what it looks like… (bar Winston).

Election Two

Yay this is getting better. Did have a few issues with the Greens being below 5% and the gap between the major two parties but went out for a bit and things got a whole lot better!

And the one big surprise? Rodney’s actually kicking ass!

And Blumsky has conceded. yay!

And we are now watching Jeanette’s speech and the grin on her face has infected everyone in this room!! Damn she’s wonderful.

Election blogging!

Tonight I will be reporting from the Green Party election party at Thistle Hall Cuba Street Wellington.

We’ve been setting up here all afternoon and the place looks great! I certainly think no matter what happens in the polls we’ll be rocking here tonight.

So we’re currently on 4.7% and smiling. There’s a few people here and the bottles have been cracked…

Til later.

Last day

Tomorrow the people of Aotearoa will go to the polls to decide the fate of the nation for the next three years and in some policy areas, beyond that. This campaign has been the closest in my memory and probably the dirtiest. It has been long and gruelling and very tiring. But the highlight for me has been talking to people on the street and restoring my faith that this country is bursting with people with vision.

When I go and vote tomorrow I am going to vote with that vision in mind. I am going to vote with the hope that over the next three years we will have a Government that will be brave enough to deal with the effect the global energy crisis is having on this cuontry. I am going to vote with hope that our Government will turn its investment eye towards our children and their children and shift our economic investment from the bottom of the cliff to the top. I am going to vote with hope that my children will be able to enjoy this beautiful country as well as I have. I am going to vote with hope that we as a nation will have the courage to stand up to the idea that this planet has infinite resources. And I am going to vote for a future Aotearoa based on honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi, because this world will never move on from colonialist attitudes towards people and the environment until we respect, honour and celebrate difference and diversity.

I hope all the readers of this blog will vote tomorrow and I hope you all vote with vision and hope.

To all the people who have worked on this election, from all political persuasions, thank you. The fact that we don’t have to use violence to exercise our democratic right to participate in the governing of this nation is a truly wonderful thing.

Kei a koe te mana!

Don might not be racist…

But I did find it highly entertaining today while out campaigning to the lovely people in Wellington when some bogan started abusing us. We entered into friendly dialogue with the gentleman and it turned out he was wanting to vote for Don Brash because “he’s the only one that will take us into war to defend the white race”.

Now with friends like that, who needs enemies?

The Onion does it again

Burn!

Halliburton Gets Contract To Pry Gold Fillings From New Orleans Corpses’ Teeth
The Onion
September 14, 2005

HOUSTON—On Tuesday, Halliburton received a $110 million no-bid government contract to pry the gold fillings from the mouths of deceased disaster victims in the New Orleans-Gulf Coast area. “We are proud to serve the government in this time of crisis by recovering valuable resources from the wreckage of this deadly storm,” said David J. Lesar, Halliburton’s president. “The gold we recover from the human rubble of Katrina can be used to make fighter-jet electronics, supercomputer chips, inflation-proof A-grade investments, and luxury yachting watches.”

Get your own insurance

Check this bid on TradeMe.

“Third Party Insurance against a National Government – whats it worth to you?”

Another Milestone/Millstone

Now if you were to wander over to the Green Party Tertiary Education campaign page you would notice something quite significant has happened to the debt counter. Yes folks, at lunchtime it hit $8 BILLION dollars.

I went up to Victoria to check out HRH’s visit and it was quite incredible. Labour got their shit together this time and had a parge bunch of supporters there with stacks of helium filled balloons (although we did wonder if it was in fact nitrous…). The balloons were a good tactic, because when the rabble of Nats turned up, they couldn’t be seen past the balloons.

But it was like a feckin rock concert! These Labour people were screaming and chanting “Helen, Helen!” and I was kind of stuck in the middle feeling like I was in the twilight zone or something. Her speech was pretty cool. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Helen give a public speech of that nature and it was quite fun to see her all rarked up like that. I certainly couldn’t imagine Don Brash looking like he was having that much fun…

Talking about issues affecting young people, click here to hear our Sydney-based candidate being interviewed on Hack on Triple J. Go James!

Geeky space politics thing

FIRST ONLINE GLOBAL PARLIAMENTARY HEARING WILL FOCUS ON SPACE SECURITY

www.e-parl.net

Questions from parliamentarians, journalists and citizens welcome

On September 14 the US Congress will be the scene for a new departure in international politics. A group of democratically elected legislators from ten countries will hold a joint parliamentary hearing, webcast live to enable participation from other legislators, journalists and citizens worldwide.

The hearing will focus on the future of outer space, and in particular on the possible deployment of weapons in space. The use of space weapons is under consideration by the US Air Force and is becoming controversial.
Proponents see such weapons as essential to protect satellites. Critics argue that space-based weapons could also be used offensively, and could trigger a new arms race in space.

According to the organisers, this will be the first of many international parliamentary hearings on different issues to be organised by the e-Parliament, a new global forum made up of democratic lawmakers. The aim of the e-Parliament is to enable legislators to form international networks on issues of common interest, and to help spread and implement innovative policy ideas.

Participants in the Washington hearing represent differing viewpoints, and include several members of the US House Armed Services Committee, as well as the Chairs of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees, or other leading
legislators, from the parliaments of Australia, Brazil, Britain, Denmark, the European Parliament, Ghana, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Norway.

Experts presenting to the legislators will include: Ambassador Henry Cooper, former Director of the US Strategic Defense Initiative Organization; Prof. Everett Dolman of the US Air Force; Theresa Hitchens of the Center for Defense Information; and Rebecca Johnson of the Acronym Institute.

PANEL OF LEGISLATORS INCLUDES: Lyn Allison, Leader of Australian Democrat Party; Dr. Kwame Ampofo MP, Ghana; Aroldo Cedraz, Chair, External Relations and Defence Committee, Brazilian Chamber of Deputies; Congressman Terry Everett, USA; Air Marshal Lord Garden, Defence Spokesman, Liberal Democrat Party, British House of Lords; Ana Maria Gomes MEP, Vice-Chair, Subcommittee on Security and Defence, European Parliament; Bjørn Hernæs, Vice-Chair of the Defence Committee, Norway; Senator Silvia Hernández, Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, Mexico; Jakob Axel Nielsen, Denmark; Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, USA; Gustavo Selva, Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, Chamber of Deputies, Italy; Congressman Mac Thornberry, USA; Congressman Curt Weldon, Vice-Chair, House Armed Services Committee, USA; Hayashi Yoshimasa, Chair, Security Committee, Japan.

NOTE: Hearing to be webcast (link and background information at www.e-parl.net as of 9 September) 10:00am-12:00pm US Eastern Time (14:00-16:00 GMT), and a legislators’ dialogue to be webcast 1:00pm-3:30pm Eastern. To submit questions to experts or legislators or request further information, email info@e-parl.net any time before the event. To submit questions during the sessions, follow link to the webcast. If attending in person, conference begins 09:30am, Room 2105, Rayburn Building, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC.

e-Parliament Conference on Space Security
2105 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC
14 September 2005