Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! (NIV)
Let them drink Rheineck
Palmerston North MP Iain Lees-Galloway remembers fondly the days when his cultured palate was enriched with vast quantities of 50 cent cans of Rheineck beer.
I remember this from my student days. We would always look at the cheapest product that week, whether it be Tui, or Rheineck, or some of those other quality products. I remember Rheineck being 50c a can – it was disgusting.
And this is the prime example of buying something for one purpose only, and that is for its alcohol content and its cheapness, because you wouldn’t buy Rheineck on the taste …
… from the NZ Herald.
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Quite right, too. You wouldn’t buy Rheineck on the taste. Why would you buy Rheineck?
You can still buy Rheineck. It’s currently on special at Foodtown, Woolworths and Countdown. $13.59 for a 12-pack of 330ml cans. Today’s price per can is $1.29, compared to 50 cents circa 1999. That’s a 250% price increase in 12 years.
… So, yes, we do need to increase the price
So, no, Iain. We don’t.
Luke 12:57
Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? (NIV)
A party of parrots
It looks like Hekia Parata is the first off the blocks here in the Mana electorate. A flyer was in my mailbox a couple of weeks ago. Half the content is under the heading “I stand for:”
Not included are the three most important of the National Party’s stated values, viz.,
• Individual freedom and choice
• Personal responsibility
• Limited government
Included is
Safer communities. I back law and order policies that put victims first and deal with serious repeat offenders. I support early intervention for young offenders and measures to win the drug war on ‘P’.
Hekia’s list is standard copy that I presume has gone out to all candidates because the exact same text is on Mark Mitchell‘s website and Leonie Hapeta‘s website.
National Party candidates don’t know what they stand for. That’s why they have to be told. Parata’s party is not a party of principle, it’s a party of parrots!
We are blind to the worlds within us, waiting to be born
Swedish death metallers At The Gates.
Get more go on Mofo™!
At the ALCP conference on the weekend, someone rightly pointed out that the logo of the new Mana Party looks like a chocolate bar.
The new Mana Bar competes with the iconic white chocolate Mofo™ Bar.
Get more go on Mofo™!
[Cross-posted to SOLO.]
ALCP holds election AGM and conference
ALCP holds election AGM and conference
Press Release: Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
Sunday, 11 September 2011
The lastest technology was used at the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party’s 15th AGM and conference held in Christchurch this weekend.
The party linked up a video conference with seven branches throughout New Zealand.
The conference re-elected Wellington barrister Michael Appleby as leader.
He is now the longest-serving leader in New Zealand politics.
Mr Appleby said the Law Commission’s recently-released review of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 was welcome.
He said that 4 years of close analysis of the law by the Commission has confirmed what the party has been saying all along.
“The use or abuse of any drug belongs within the purview of the Health Department rather than the Justice Department,” he said.
“The party’s campaign this election will highlight the Law Commission recommendations that promote harm minimisation.”
The top six list candidates will include law reform activist Dakta Green who is currently a political prisoner, for starting New Zealand’s first cannabis club in Auckland.
A benevolent God would not create a universe of slaves
Christianity was the first school of thought that proclaimed the supreme sacredness of the individual. The first duty of a Christian is the salvation of his own soul. This duty comes above any he may owe to his brothers. This is the basic statement of true individualism.
The salvation of one’s own soul means the preservation of the integrity of one’s ego. The soul is the ego. Thus Christianity did preach egoism in my sense of the word, in a high, noble and spiritual sense. Christ did say that you must love your neighbor as yourself, but He never said that you must love your neighbor better than yourself – which is the monstrous doctrine of altruism and collectivism. Altruism – the demand of self-immolation for others – contradicts the basic premise of Christianity, the sacredness of one’s own soul.
Altruism introduced a basic contradiction into Christian philosophy, which has never been resolved. The entire history of Christianity in Europe has been a continuous civil war, not merely in fact, but also in spirit. I believe that Christianity will not regain its power as a vital spiritual force until it has resolved this contradiction. And since it cannot reject the conception of the paramount sacredness of the individual soul – this conception holds the root, the meaning and the greatness of Christianity – it must reject the morality of altruism. It must teach man neither to serve others nor to rule others, but to live together as independent equals, which is the only possible state of true brotherhood. Brothers are not mutual servants nor mutual dependents. Only slaves are. Dependence breeds hatred. Only free men can afford to be benevolent. Only free men can love and respect one another. But a free man is an independent man. And an independent man is one who lives primarily for himself.
— Ayn Rand, letter to Reverend Dudley, 1943
[Cut into pieces.]
Let the Chaos Begin
Three days ago I posted the track “Welcome to Forever” by American deathcore band Impending Doom. And so it began. Three days later
This video is no longer available because the uploader has closed their YouTube account.
There’s irony. What better way to begin again? With my runner-up choice, the track “Slaves to God” by Brazilian death metallers Chaos Inc.
Police arrest 300 in alcohol crackdown
Police arrest 300 in alcohol crackdown
More than 300 people have been arrested in a two-month crackdown on liquor outlets.
Police carried out 301 search warrants as part of Operation Wowser, a nationally coordinated operation focusing on “bottle stores” – those where alcohol is sold.
They made 311 arrests, seized 3,220 litres of alcohol and 139g of methamphetamine.
Alcohol was found warehoused at 44 locations, with 2657 bottles and cans seized.
Officers also seized $111,154 in cash, 19 firearms and ammunition.
A wide range of charges have been laid, including conspiracy to supply beer, wine and spirits, manufacturing methamphetamine, participating in an organised criminal group, unlawful possession of a firearm and threat to kill.
“This was a sustained programme of enforcement to combat booze and disrupt organised crime groups” said Assistant Commissioner Malcolm Burgess.
“Bottle stores are hubs for criminal offending. The people who run them are often not only dealing alcohol, but also methamphetamine.
They invariably receive stolen property, take payments for booze and are involved in organised crime groups.
“Such outlets cause misery in communities and we are sending a clear message that they won’t be tolerated.
“We will continue to protect our communities from the harm caused by booze merchants and stamp out the anti-social behaviour they create.”
Police are trying to seize assets from 47 of those arrested. They will have to prove they are not the proceeds of criminal activity.
Mr Burgess said he was confident the operation had caused “significant disruption” to liquor outlets and warned dealers they would continue to be the subject of close police attention.