Friday 22 October 2010

FRIDAY MORNING RAMBLE: ‘Warner’s Shrugged’

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
A week of belief, ad a week of incredulity.
A week when Phil Goff nailed his new colours to the mast—new colours first painted more convincingly by Winston Peters.
It was a week in which unions in New Zealand chose to flex their muscles in an orchestrated way, and at the same time New Zealanders began to see (perhaps for the first time) how little unionists really care about those they claim to protect—and just how naked their hatred is for NZ’s tall poppies.
A week in which protestors in France, who in 1789 protested for the Right to Work, took to the streets in 2010 for the right to be paid not to.
In which German Chancellor Angela Merkel stood athwart the multicultural train yelling “Halt!”

In which more than a million US homes were threatened with foreclosure.
In which Te Reo was declared (not for the first time) dead.

A week in which it was confirmed that prices in New Zealand are taking off, and the economy isn’t.
In which the New Zealand govt was revealed as being better at fudging figures than fixing them.
It’s another week, and here’s another Ramble around it.

Found on Twitter:
“It's pretty lucky we didn't put up that Wellywood sign...”
     - montereynewtown, HT yeastieboys

  • Czech president Vaclav Klaus wants the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 'dismantled or restructured': "I am convinced the IMF should be dismantled or radically restructured as soon as possible," he said at a conference in Prague, calling the fund "a barbaric relic from the Keynesian and fixed-exchange rate era" and "yet another manifestation of a mistaken and dangerous global governance mindset which, to my great regret, has been getting more and more support in the intellectual and political circles these days.” [HT Objective Standard]
    Czech president wants IMF 'dismantled or restructured' NEWS.MSN.COM
  • “In the land of his birth, John Maynard Keynes’s view that deficit spending is crucial to avoiding a long recession has lately been willfully ignored.” Hat tip to Capitalism, who comments, “Keynes: on the ash heap of history, where he belongs!!!”
    Cuts in Britain Ignore Views of Keynes – NY TIMES
  • The above article from The New York Times on the end of Keynesian economics in Europe is quite worth the read, says Australian Steven Kates.  “There is a major shift in the world of macroeconomics before us. The practice of macroeconomic policy has changed before our eyes. Our textbooks are complete junk to the extent that they continue to peddle this Keynesian idiocy.
        “The article itself, obviously written by someone raised on this dying orthodoxy, merely notes what can no longer be doubted. Public spending as a cure for recession does not work. These deficits have made things only worse. Getting our fiscal house in order as the necessary condition for recovery is finally being embraced.
        “As a totally related matter, the front page story in the AFR is headlined, “China rate rise rattles markets.” Even in China, with all of its financial resources, there is now a clear need to reverse the spending programs that have been indulged in since the end of 2008…”
    The Dying World of Keynesian Economics – CATALLAXY FILES
  • “In the financial markets, a lot rides on the word of a company's top executives. If a CEO tells a lie, a lot of shareholders can get hurt. Two researchers have studied earnings calls and think they know how to gauge senior executives' truthfulness.” [HT Stephen Hicks]
    How Can You Tell When A CEO Is Lying? - NPR
  • "There tends to be lots of excitement when gold costs more made-up dollars. But a broader perspective suggests that gold is much more undervalued that the current price level and its advance might indicate."
    Gold is Undervalued – KRAZY ECONOMY
  • Nothing like switching around the "inflation” index when price inflation is taking off.
    Statisticians attack UK Treasury plan to switch inflation measure – GUARDIAN
  • It’s not like they don’t know what’s a’coming…
    Art Cashin On The Coming Hyperinflation – COBDEN CENTRE

CLICK FOR THE ARTIST'S WEBSITE
"All limitations are self-imposed”
Art and inspiration from Inspirationz (Read more here)

  • Will the Tea Parties or a reformed GOP be able to champion limited government and fiscal responsibility, without also importing the religious right’s so-called “social values”?  In other words, is faith necessary for defending natural rights, or is reason sufficient?
    Values and the Defense of Freedom  - Amit Ghate, PAJAMAZ MEDIA
  • “In a recent Christian Science Monitor editorial, Vladimir Shlapentokh suggests that the popularity of Ayn Rand among Tea Partiers should ‘concern all Americans’ and recommends that Tea Partiers distance themselves from the 20th-century philosopher and novelist. Why?”
    Should Tea Partiers Abandon or Embrace Ayn Rand? - OBJECTIVE STANDARD
  • “What if a president took a different direction and sought popularity by expanding rather than reducing liberty? There is a model here they could follow, but it is not one you have thought of. It is Franklin D. Roosevelt. He repealed Prohibition!”
    The Real Reason for FDR’s Popularity – Mark Thornton, MISES DAILY
  • Now this is cool. Subscribe to Oliver Sacks’ YouTube Channel, and you can hear insights on how the brain works from one of the best neurophysiologists on the speaking circuit.  Learn, for example, how music can help Alzheimers…
    Oliver Sacks MD's Channel – YOU TUBE
  • How to make the most of your time on screen, if you do get a chance to be an extra. Here’s Hollywood film extra Hrundi V. Bakshi, played by Peter Sellers, making the absolute most of his limited screen time with some freestyle improvised trumpeting. [HT Small Dead Animals]
  • Ele Ludemann reckons you have to go see Miranda Harcourt’s new play, finishing this week in Christchurch. Harcourt is part of one of NZ’s few acting dynasties, and it sounds like this was one not to have missed.  Bugger. [Warning: Contains spoilers]
    Biography of My SkinHOME PADDOCK
  • Pregnant? Take a drink. It's good for both of you.
    "Bottoms Up" Pregnant Women- HOW STUFF WORKS
  • The steep decline of Deborah Coddington continues with this confused piece of slop.
    Would it be OK if God was a Capitalist, then? - PUNDIT
  • “Never underestimate the Power of a great story,” says Stephen Fry

Things are bad? Save what you can…

Here’s Howling Wolf

It’s Dizzy Gillespie’s Birthday! So turn this one up to eleven!  Ow!!

And finally, here’s a rare (and strange) duet with Diz and Louis Armstrong. [HT Jazz on the Tube]

More to come later,
Check back soon…

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

US film studio Warner Bros has confirmed it is still considering locations countries other than New Zealand in which to film The Hobbit movies

Nope - Warners has confirmed that it is moving the production and post-production away from NZ permanently.

All that's left is Ireland vs Estonia.