Whale Oil | Williams pissed again 2010-09-08

At tonights Mayoral debate in Castor Bay on the North Shore Andrew Williams made an arse of himself again. I have have received numerous reports from attendees shocked at his drunkeness and bully stand-over tactics against John Banks. He arrived late, again, and staggered clearly drunk into the meeting, stating his usual excuse for when he is caught on the piss, that he was at an important council meeting. He also

David Farrar | Invent your own brands, DB 2010-09-06

Stuff reports: A beer drinkers’ society warns it faces bankruptcy if it loses its dispute with DB Breweries over a shandy-like lager which most of its members do not drink. The Society of Beer Advocates (Soba), an organisation with about 500 members run by volunteers, has taken legal action against DB over the term “Radler”, which the brewing giant uses on a citrus-flavoured brand of Monteith&r

TUMEKE! | P price rise brilliant Police work or a new economic indicator for inflation? 2010-09-04

Police busts push up price of PPolice and customs seizures are driving up the price of P because criminals now face a greater risk of getting caught, says a drug expert.An annual drug survey made public today shows the price of a gram of methamphetamine, or P, rose from $610 in 2006 to $738 last year.The Illicit Drug Monitoring System report found the price - commonly regarded as the best measure of police success ag

TUMEKE! | "MTV founded on a binge-drinking culture???" 2010-09-04

Ummmm what? MTV is founded on a binge-drinking culture? Shouldn't that be of concern that such a statement would come out of the mouth of the NZ MTV 'star'?"With this job there are no boundaries or age restrictions. It helps if you're 18, New Zealand and MTV are founded on a binge-drinking culture. We are a social company and a social team, you will be socialising five or six nights a week."One would imagine at a tim

Public Address | Up Front: No Smoke 2010-09-02

It was the new Sherlock that first made me think about it. It was pretty clear that a modernised Holmes wasn't going to be using cocaine, and okay the nicotine patches replaced the pipe quite nicely, but what about the total lack of Peruvian Speed Bump? It became another typical Kitchen Conversation in our house: what happened to Holmes's cocaine use, and what should have?...

David Farrar | 13/15 2010-09-01

Some quite amusing questions in this week’s quiz. 45 seconds. I think their question 4 may have the wrong answer though. I am not aware of any tobacco major reforms proposed last week, but there were some alcohol ones. Tags: Dominion Post, NZ Politics

David Farrar | Blair on Brown 2010-09-01

Oh these are good. The Telegraph reports: The former prime minister's memoir discloses that a "maddening"� Mr Brown effectively blackmailed him while he was in No 10. He suspects the then chancellor of orchestrating the investigation into the cash-for-honours scandal. The pressure on Mr Blair to step aside became so great that he admits he may have become reliant on alcohol as he faced coup attempts from

roarprawn | TEENAGE HELL 2010-09-01

A young man is dead after consuming the best part of a bottle of vodka . His parents want to know what happened on the night of his death. In the mix is the son of Auckland Mayor John Banks. This tragedy will leave an indelible mark on all the kids there that night. John Banks has grounded his son and also got him to take a First aid course so that he can be better prepared for dealing with someone who has a life t

TUMEKE! | Drunk cops + deaths during Police chases = doesn't matter 2010-08-31

Last week Judith "�Crusher' Collins explained why Police were exempt from the 'blame-it-on-the- kids-booze-policy' be declaring Police needed to chill out after a hard day at work by getting smashed off their faces in unlicensed on site Police bars. Now even though the Police Commissioner actually supported dragging the Police booze bars into the 21st century, Crusher Collins was having none of that and spluttered th

Lindsay Mitchell | The "science" Sellman asked for 2010-08-31

Well done NZ Conservative. They have just linked to a US study that finds non-drinkers have the highest mortality rate.The sample of those who were studied included individuals between ages 55 and 65 who had had any kind of outpatient care in the previous three years. The 1,824 participants were followed for 20 years. One drawback of the sample: a disproportionate number, 63%, were men. Just over 69% of the never

roarprawn | BB TO BE INTERVIEWED BY VENERABLE WINE PUBLICATION 2010-08-31

We hope that the Busted One keeps her potty mouth in check when she gets interviewed by the Wine Spectator over the Veuve Clicquot issue. she received this earlier today and promptly fainted - well she might have just been pissed but we will go with fainting. Ben O'Donnell bustedblonde@gmail.comTue, Aug 31, 2010 at 8:07 AMWine Spectator query about the NBR/VC debacleHello,I'm going to write up a short item on the Wi

Public Address | Field Theory: Shambeerla at Beervana 2010-08-31

There are worse ways to spend your Saturday than drinking beer with friends. A few hundred friends. And to also have the chance to talk to the people who made the beer you're drinking is pretty cool too. It's like walking through an art gallery with the artists...

David Farrar | Update on purchase age support 2010-08-31

The Herald updates: The Green Party caucus last week decided to have a conscience vote on the alcohol purchasing age and their positions are not all undecided as reported yesterday in a poll of MPs. Seven of the nine MPs support the purchasing age being 18 for on- and off-licensed premises. They are Metiria Turei, Russel Norman, Keith Locke, Kevin Hague, Catherine Delahunty, David Clendon and Gareth Hughes. Yay. Go

David Farrar | Zealotry exposed 2010-08-30

The Herald reports: Supermarkets are drug “pushers” who are selling high quantities of discounted wine and should be viewed the same as dealers dishing out Ecstasy pills or morphine. It may seem extreme but it’s a view that Professor Doug Sellman, director of the National Addiction Centre and spokesman for the Alcohol Action Group, is taking quite seriously. Need more be said. Alcohol Action are

TUMEKE! | Government's 'blame the kids' is not social policy 2010-08-30

The bullshit 'blame the kids' line the Government are spinning to defend their piss weak response to booze is made even more pathetic in the wake of information that the booze industry muscled National into this weak response in the final month before the decision was due.The Government spent so much political capital while in opposition convincing NZers that any social policy was 'nanny state political correctness g

Not PC | DOWN TO THE DOCTOR'S: Republicanism, Rand and the Right 2010-08-30

Libertarianz leader Dr Richard McGrath ransacks the newspapers for stories and headlines on issues affecting our freedom. This week: Republicanism, Rand and the Right"� 1. DomPost: "Pharmacist, 70, jailed for supply of P ingredients"�    In my work as a part-time medical officer at a drug and alcohol clinic I have a particular interest in reducing the harm to individuals, and to the greater communi

David Farrar | Recividist drink drivers 2010-08-29

The HoS reports: The number of repeat drink-drivers caught on New Zealand roads is showing a worrying upward spiral, and is a problem police are struggling to counter. The number of recidivist drink-drivers has risen steadily over the past three years, and more than 4000 have been prosecuted already this year. Many of them are involved in fatal crashes. Figures released to the Herald on Sunday under the Official I

David Farrar | Trotter on drinking age 2010-08-27

An excellent column by Chris Trotter: THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DEBATE on “What should we do about our drinking problem?” one very important issue has been consistently overlooked. The constitutional, political and moral objections to “down-sizing” the rights of 18 to 20-year-olds. Eighteen and nineteen-year-olds have the right to vote in local and general elections, perform jury service, join

Fighting Talk | The Week In Toxication 2010-08-27

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1008/S00192/lyndon-hood-the-week-in-toxication.htmOriginal image by Takeaway"I would there were no age between sixteen and three-and-twenty, or that youth would sleep out the rest; for there is nothing in the between but getting wenches with child, wronging the ancientry, stealing, fighting" - A Winter's TaleSorry if this seems unconnected. Got hammered playing the policy announcement

Whale Oil | Barry Colman shows some spine, Veuve Clicquot still cheapstakes 2010-08-26

So Barry Colman has returned from his holiday to find his flagship brand has been assaulted and violated by his inept staff and conscientious, diligent, vicious bloggers holding them to account. He, note he"�because as NBR have announced: The National Business Review unreservedly apologises for the confusion surrounding our 40th birthday competition. It was never our intention to cause confusion about the voting

David Farrar | Post your scores below 2010-08-26

Find out if you are a problem drinker or have hazardous levels of consumption. Complete the survey, and post your score in comment. Later on, I will post what different scores mean according to the World Health Organisation. 1. How often do you have a drink containing alcohol? (0) Never [Skip to Qs 9-10] (1) Monthly or less (2) 2 to 4 times a month (3) 2 to 3 times a week (4) 4 or more times a week 2. How many drinks

goNZo Freakpower | Let X = X 2010-08-26

In the aftermath of the NBR Veuve storm in a bubble bath, Homepaddock makes a fascinating observation: If I was wanting to promote my product to discerning readers and drinkers I wouldn't want the word wanker in the winning entry. In general PR dogma terms, this point might be well true. However, as champagne drinkers by their nature are not shy reticent people, and adults to boot, swearing is entirely permissible. I

Not PC | DOWN TO THE DOCTOR'S: Inflammable Material-Alcohol & ACT 2010-08-25

Libertarianz leader Dr Richard McGrath ransacks the newspapers for stories and headlines on issues affecting our freedom. This week:  Alcohol and ACT - both flammable. 1. NZ HERALD: Australia "�should follow NZ on alcohol' - expert THE DOCTOR SAYS: Can you believe Simon Power wants to enact 126 new regulations to tighten how other adults can drink - because he doesn't think people have the knowledge, or righ

David Farrar | Oh my God – they wrote letters 2010-08-25

Stuff reports: Liquor companies lobbied the Government furiously in the weeks before a reform package was announced. They pressed Justice Minister Simon Power with claims he was being served up biased and flawed recommendations by the Law Commission. Documents obtained under the Official Information Act show a procession of companies and industry groups wrote directly to Mr Power, but he insists they had no influe

TUMEKE! | Booze companies pressured National into piss weak 'it's all the kids fault' response to booze 2010-08-25

Liquor companies bombarded minister Liquor companies lobbied the Government furiously in the weeks before a reform package was announced. They pressed Justice Minister Simon Power with claims he was being served up biased and flawed recommendations by the Law Commission. Documents obtained under the Official Information Act show a procession of companies and industry groups wrote directly to Mr Power, but he insist

No Right Turn | Guess who's making our liquor laws? 2010-08-24

So, why is the government;'s liquor policy so focused on pedophobia and lazy authoritarianism? John Armstrong's column in the Herald this morning provides a few clues: Justice Minister Simon Power acknowledged alcohol consumption is affected by price, but added that given other tax priorities, "now is not a suitable time" to raise excise taxes on alcohol. On that logic, "not now" means "not ever". Similarly, the G

roarprawn | FIZZ GOING FROM VEUVE CLICQUOT 2010-08-24

Homebustedblonde and of course whale wont be drinking the widow cliquot http://whaleoil.gotcha.co.nz/2010/08/24/n-b-r-loses-its-veuve/less than 5 seconds ago via webbustedblonde and clint as well! no veuve clicquothttp://clintheine.blogspot.com/2010/08/who-can-trust-national-business-review.html1 minute ago via webbustedblonde and keeping stock wont be stocking veuve clicquothttp://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2010/08/n

Whale Oil | Social Media Destruction 2010-08-24

I told them it would hurt. Tau Henare tells NBR what he thinks about their competition shilly-shally Cactus Kate has also posted her thoughts and a helpful suggestion to those ripped off one months subscription while they were on holiday. Keeping Stock rips them a new one. ooks like no Veuve Clicqout will be drunk down Wanganui way. And Will De Cleene climbs from his weed haze to give them one too. Clint Heine s

David Farrar | Reaction to alcohol package 2010-08-24

The dairy owners are not too happy: Several changes announced yesterday included a law that will clarify that dairies and convenience stores cannot be off-licences, therefore cannot sell alcohol. Ashok Darji, who owns Ash’s Wine and Lotto Superette in Mission Bay, says the move unfairly targets and punishes dairies. “It basically contradicts. People who want to get a lot of cheap alcohol will go to the

TUMEKE! | 'Blame it on the kids' is not an alcohol policy 2010-08-24

The Government released their much hyped response to our booze culture yesterday when Simon Power released his "�blame it all on the bloody kids alcohol policy', that's right folks, apparently it's all the bloody kids fault.National have spent so much political capital building up the nanny state politically correct monster that they now can't implement any real social policy for fear of waking it in the minds of the

No Right Turn | Those who enforce the law should also be subject to it 2010-08-24

As we all know, the government is cracking down on drinking. Except, apparently, drinking by police. They will get to keep their total exemption from liquor licensing laws, despite their being no justification for it at all. When asked about it, Police Minister Judith Collins said that she was "very comfortable with trusting police to run the police bars" and that they "run their bars very responsibly". Yeah, r

Not PC | "A bottle store on every corner"�"� 2010-08-24

Announcing yesterday's package of puritanism, Simon Power-Lust signalled that he will be continuing the attack on small bottle-store owners begun by Helen Clark the very week bottle-store owner Navtej Singh was shot.  One of the three big "improvements"� delivered by his reforms, says Simon, is that it "gives communities a say in when and where liquor outlets can open."�  The unspoken announcement being: "W

David Farrar | The alcohol law reform packaage 2010-08-23

Have been in the lockup for the Government's response to the Law Commission report on alcohol. It is one of the largest cabinet papers on record, with a huge 202 recommendations. The Minister has obviously spent a lot of time going through the issues. The zealots have already slammed the report because the Government did not implement everything the Law Commission recommended. I say thank God for that. The previous L

TUMEKE! | Government response to booze is piss weak 2010-08-23

What a waste of time, this Government have spent so much political capital building up the nanny state monster that they are terrified waking it in the mind of the dumb who believe in it, that's why the long awaited response to our booze culture is such a joke...Government unveils new alcohol plans Key changes include: * A split alcohol purchase age of 18 for bars and 20 for off-licences. * Banning the sale of pre-mi

No Right Turn | What next? A national bedtime? 2010-08-23

The government will be unveilling its liquor policy today, and a core element seems to be national opening hours, with off-licences restricted to opening between 7am and 11pm, and bars and nightclubs between 8am and 4am. According to the government, people shouldn't be hanging around in bars at 4am - they should be tucked up in bed, getting a good night's sleep so they can get up for work in the morning. While I l

No Right Turn | The rest of the proposal 2010-08-23

The government released its liquor policy today. I've already commented on the discriminatory and pedophobic split drinking age and authoritarian national closing time. So what do I think of the rest of the proposal? Mostly posturing, I'm afraid. The requirement for parental consent and restrictions on RTDs are prime examples of this, continuing the trend of demonising the young while ignoring the real problem of

Not PC | Drinking-age humbug [update 3] 2010-08-23

Is it just me, or is there something vaguely distasteful about middle-aged people who've made fuck ups out of their own lives making up rules for how 18-20 year-olds should spend theirs-rules, especially, about drinking.  Nothing is more calculated to flush out the fuck-up's inner puritan. And when those middle-aged fuck-ups are politicians ready to "bring out the ban"�-to ban all 18-20 year-olds from buying al

Whale Oil | Pedobear has time to change liquor laws but not to protect kids from pedos 2010-08-22

Pedobear Power appeared on Q+A with P Holmes today and showed just how powerful the liquor lobby are. I mean after all they retain Chen/Palmer."�and didn't Geoffrey Palmer via the Law Commission make some of these suggestions. Assisting commercial clients who will be or have been affected by current law reform issues in the area of waste minimisation, the sale of liquor, financial services, energy and telecommunica

The Tomahawk Kid | Addiction to Bureaucracy destroying lives 2010-08-22

There are lots of terrible addictions out there all vying for our attention, ready to sneak up on their next unsuspecting victim. Gambling, Cigarettes, Alcohol, Golf etc. Horrible, nasty addictions that destroy lives, alter our perceptions of reality and make us do things we would not normally do.Support groups have got most of them covered, but there is one that has slipped through undetected. A powerful addiction t

David Farrar | Q+A today 2010-08-22

TVNZ says: Guyon Espiner will be live from Sydney to talk about the result of the Australian election - the winners and losers and all the morning-after reaction. Paul Holmes interviews Justice Minister Simon Power about the government's plan for liquor reform. How will the government respond to the Law Commission's 153 recommendations and can they tackle our binge-drinking culture? We have a special Christc

TUMEKE! | The Nation and Q+A review 2010-08-22

RATINGS: Q+A 151 500, The Nation - Did Not ScreenThe NationPaula Bennett is on, she should get grilled by Garner, but he doesn't grill her, he gives her a cuddle and lets her off the hook about the FACT that the Welfare Razor Gang used voodoo math to justify forcing solo mothers, the crippled , the mentally unwell and the ill back to work - the interview is weak, Garner seems to have pulled his punches to have gained

The Tomahawk Kid | Name and shame Tauranga employment dodgers (oh and drink drivers) 2010-08-21

Of the 117 people named and shamed in the BOP Times for drink driving, 71 had "No occupation" listed, not including the odd solo parent.That would mean that 71 of those will be paying their fines with money they have not earnt, but that has been taken from working taxpayers by force, and given to them without obligationThat means that the remaining 46 are in effect paying their fine twice!Plus the unemployed don't ha

David Farrar | Experts do not understand it is about a balance 2010-08-20

NZPA report: There is compelling international evidence that increasing the legal alcohol purchasing age reduces harm and saves lives, a United States professor and alcohol expert has told MPs. Yes it does. Putting the purchase age up to 30 would save lives. So would putting it up to 40. Banning spirits would save live. Bannign motor cars would reduce the road toll. Any moron can come up with a list of measures to