New Zealand Conservative

2010 has only to go I don't know if anybody will be about tonight but if you are feel free leave a message or chat amongst yourselves. And a happy and properous New Year to all regulars, occaisionals and random visitors to New Zealand Conservative from the Authors

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Holodomor . It was an engineered famine, a halocaust, in Ukraine during the thirties. At that time Ukraine was the bread basket of Europe but Stalin in his wisdom decided to crush Ukrainian culture by seizing all the produce and exporting it. 10,000,000 starved to death. Anyway something similar is happening in California today, not as dramatic as the holodomor thank goodness but central government policies is turning the fruit basket of America into desert. Apparently environmentalists claim that this little fish, the delta smelt, is under threat. And to protect it is is necessary to cut back on the amount of water allowed to be taken for irrigation of the orchards and market gardens of Central Valley California. With the inevitable results, productive land becomes unproductive, the orchard workers are unemployed along with the cannery workers with flow on effects for everybody else and in a land of plenty people are lite...

Frog Blog suggests the time to build roads is over. "It's my way or the Highway" they say. Err, can I choose "Highway" then? Nope - walking, cycling and mum and the kids loading the shopping on to the train is the way of our future. I point out the obvious issue though, that the Greens are ignoring : There are a growing number of abandoned young children because when the family set out on a 40km bike ride to visit the in-laws, the 4 and 5 year olds just can’t keep up, and are left to perish on the roadsides. It’s particularly bad during stormy weather. I think roads are great. I have one right outside my home that I use fairly often. Couldn't imagine it being taken away and sold to China, although it must be a possibility given that the Greens are polling well at the moment.

I didn't know this but MTV has had a reality series "16 and Pregnant" following the lives of four pregnant teenagers. A second series followed the same sad four as they coped with their children - and in this incarnation, 'Teen Mom' it has hit the news with this. And in addition this: MTV tackles issue of teen abortion with new special . The concept that children should be raised with the aspiration to marry and raise a family and this will be foundational to their future well being and happiness is an idea to be treated with contempt. But its the truth - the happiest and most content people on the planet are those who have successfully done just that. Everything else, material success, fame just wither away with time - mean nothing on your death bed. Self indulgent liberalism has done its best to wreck the institution of marriage along encouraging abortion. Who needs a spouse and children to interfere with your path to self fulfillment? This is reall...

The great hoax is coming to an end, its in its death knell. The flim flam men aided by gullible (I'm looking at you Nick Smith) politicians have made their fortunes and Governments have increased their taxes - what lefty Government missed an opportunity to screw the peasants with tax hikes. Six years ago astrophysicists noted a reduction in solar activity and predicted the onset of cooler times. They were denounced as "climate deniers" and not real "climate scientists" unlike the chrono dendrologists - these are the guys who measure tree rings and see doom for mankind in them by analyzing ring widths with arcane formulae with no known valid mathematical derivation. But what has really killed the fraud is that the British Met office predicted a mild winter for Europe, whilst this fellow, Piers Corbyn , said a vicious winter was in store for the Northern Hemisphere. His predictions have been right on the money and have been before. He could have fluked ...

Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John was born weighing 7lbs 15oz via surrogate mother in California on Christmas day. 'We are overwhelmed with happiness and joy at this very special moment,' Sir Elton and Furnish said in a joint statement. 'Zachary is healthy and doing really well, and we are very proud and happy parents.' Children are commodities, like designer pets these days it seems.

I thought NASA discovering life based on arsenic (link: 2 Dec 2010 ) fairly interesting. It seemed just one step away from confirming the existence of the acid-blooded monster Sigourney Weaver had to deal to in the "Alien" series of movies. The astrobiology finding revealed the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using arsenic, suggesting that NASA could start to look for life on planets previously ignored. NASA scientists found bacteria living in arsenic in a California lake, a discovery that will impact the search for extraterrestrial life forms. The finding, presented by NASA at a press conference today, was preceded by intense media speculation about the possibility that the U.S. agency would announce that it had found life in outer space. But was it really a genuinely game changing discovery or just dodgy science?

But the time comes when every nation must stand strong and alone and choose, using the ballot box, its own head of state. This would show the world that New Zealand is indeed a unique and separate country. Once Helen has done what she needs to in the United Nations, perhaps we can have her back as President? Oh, we should be so lucky. Well, it's Helen or HRH, Hone Harawira (Just wait to you see how votes are allocated). Personally, I'd vote for Sir Edmund Hillary. The Grass Is Always Greener And Helen Clark latest resume update confirming she is indeed the most likely candidate for NZ President: Helen Clark, the hypocrite

Now that Don't Ask, Don't Tell has been repealed for the US Military, the Americans will learn the hard way what opening up the military brotherhood to open homosexuals will do. Destructive effects of bad decisions don't always show up straight away as the Catholic Church has learned. Homosexual relationships caused a deep fracture in the priestly male fraternity. Pseudo-intimacy and intrigue replaced the outward looking evangelization of apostolic brotherhood. Bishops were unwilling to discipline the abusive priests under their charge. The Communio became divided. Religious leaders hid their own homosexual proclivities. The worst priests desacralized the liturgy and their vows and their priestly identity, while good priests often became isolated, fearful, and rigid. All priests were maimed. But priests are not soldiers nor are soldiers priests, so having open homosexuals around should not affect soldiers in the same way. Surely? In the priesthood, the priest unites wit...

Source: XKCD

I mentioned in a previous post the Pope was to give the "Thought of the Day" on BBC 4 and this has made some unhappy. Anyway the way the Pope used his spot can be seen here . It is a wonderful theologically based statement, no wishy washy blandness but a direct address on the Nativity of Christ and its significance to the world. Hopefully it will reach many who need to be reached, which is all of us to some extent or other - but judging by the comments on this BBC page there are many with their fingers in their ears going nah nah can't hear you . Which is sad.

A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to all.

And in Bethlehem today, where Jesus was born more than 2000 years ago, Christian souvenirs no longer contain crosses for fear of offending Islam .

Once a year, I make egg bread.  Today is the day. I have fresh yeast and my kitchen bench is clear. The picture on the left is from my cookbook. Here we go... UPDATE:  And below, is the finished product. UPDATE 2: Recipe added for Gecko. 

Spokesman for the Ministry of Entitlements, Chris Carter, has announced that all MPS are going on strike from today in the wake of the government's offer to Ministers of a meager 1.4% pay-rise (backdated), an increase in tax free allowances and a cash payment offer for unused travel perks. "This is just not good enough" said Chris, "so all MPS are going on strike until such time as the remuneration authority realises the incalculable damage they are doing to the country by not allowing us to do our jobs." Bill English confirmed that their was ample justification for a pay rise. "The government deficit is running at 2 billion more than we initially estimated, and that means we Ministers are dealing with much bigger deficits than ever imagined. Our pay should reflect the increased responsibility."

A merry Christmas to our readers, commenters, lurkers and occasional visitors. Spread some cheer and good will around, and as they say in New Zealand "Fleece on earth and good wool to all men". Also on the Christmas theme: Knock me down with some gold, frankincense and myrrh. Chris Trotter has done a Christmas post that was rather touching. I'll pop up a link when it appears.

The Pope will deliver the BBCs "Thought for the day" on Christmas Eve. This news has some people all in a lather . The BBC has disgraced itself with Pope’s Thought for the Day News that the Pope has been given a Thought for the Day slot on BBC Radio 4 on Christmas Eve may be a coup for the BBC, but it is a slap in the face for the thousands of clerical abuse victims who are still waiting for justice. "The Pope should be challenged, not given an uninterrupted platform on Thought for the Day" - Terry Sanderson, NSS President The Pope will be allotted an uninterrupted and unchallenged platform in which to continue to claim that he is the source of all that is good and the enemy of all that is bad. In reality, it is the other way round.

For the usual reason . And it's everybody else's fault but his as per normal.

Advent - and everywhere I go I hear this There is no need to continue to subject our readers to the soundtrack which originally accompanied this post. In fact it is a mercy not to. If you really want the music just click here. It's driving me crazy, whenever I'm in a shop, any shop, surrounded by hordes of harried people pushing trolleys loaded to the gunnels with goodies this little ditty is playing in the background And I can't watch TV - every five minutes or so the program will be interupted and a lady in a red hat with a pom pom on top will pop up to me about exciting gifts for Dad or something and you can guess what the background score is. Even sleep brings no peace, snug in my bed with a cat coiled at my feet I should be safe but no, it starts up all by itself without any obvious source in my head. I wonder how many times you will have to suffer this today? PS I apologize to subjecting you to this torment but at least you have the power to shut...

This is the start - a Bush loathing, Palin sneering, Ivy League professor with impressive left wing credentials, including a gig at the Huffington Post has been charged with incest with his adult daughter. Now if he were a snaggled toothed bible thumping hill billy he would go to jail and it would be of no interest to anyone especially not the Huffington Post, excluding the remote possibility he was Sarah Palin's third cousin twice removed by marriage in which case he might be used to illustrate degeneracy of her family. But he isn't even remotely related to that Sarah Palin as far as anybody knows. He's of the left elite, which is why this extraordinary statement appears on that blog. "It's OK for homosexuals to do whatever they want in their own home," he said. "How is this so different? We have to figure out why some behavior is tolerated and some is not." And thus begins the erosion of yet another long standing taboo because such thing...

Blood-soaked carpet and household items have been removed from the home of an Auckland couple found dead after the woman's 14-year-old sister called 111. Police have named Jacqueline Allister, 26, and Ivor Christiansen, 36, as the two people found inside their Pakuranga home with fatal knife wounds in the early hours of Sunday morning. It's very common in NZ (and other western countries) for couples to live together, and even have children before getting married. But this type of union is dangerous. Not all cohabitators end up dead as the couple above have, but the chances of this happening is far greater for those who cohabit or who marry after cohabiting, than those who only start living together when they get married. Rest in peace, Jacqueline and Ivor. Related link: Couple died from knife wounds ~ New Zealand Herald

The EU in its wisdom has distributed diaries for the school children within its domains. A nice seasonal gesture you might think. But despite marking dates of import to the EU itself such as Europe Day and Islamic, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish festivals Christian ones are conspicuous by their absence. Which includes Christmas Day itself is left blank apart from the innocuous slogan " A true friend is someone who shares your concerns and will double your joy" .

For Scrub One and other fans of foreign films - this ones from Kazakhstan but filmed in Mongolia. And it is pretty darned good - check it out

Chat time! We have rain here; very welcome as water restrictions forced the avid gardeners to only water their leafy darlings with a hose. For some gardens, do you know how long that takes? I, for one can get lost in my garden for a good hour or so when I have my hose, before I realise what the time is. And that's not even watering it all! My handy tip for the week: flea powder kills ants. Great for sprinkling around the home, and staying in the cracks to keep on killing them for weeks on end! Here's a new movie coming out next year - The Rite. Related News Item: Shadowing an Exorcist

I heard the name suppression debate was back on the agenda. Apparently, Simon Power wants to make bloggers ensure they respect the law and remain silent on who is facing jail for heinous crimes, just in case the truth does not serve justice. The media are promising to abide by name suppression laws as long as it is clear that they can see who is on the register of "don't ask, don't tell" So, for the people that want to get tough on enforcing name suppression, how do they feel about wiki-leaks? Seems the media are making a feeding frenzy of information that was, by default, under suppression at this time. Do the same people who laud Assange, consider WhaleOil as a treasonous blogger? And vice-versa? I'd like to see a more open government, and I'd like to see a more open justice system. The name suppression rules have certainly been proven in need of an overhaul, and somewhere along the way, it got a little bit easier for famous people to use their fam...

A 14 year old has just been pulled over for drink driving . He was three times the legal youth limit. Three times!! This sounds serious. I think we are going to have to get tough on him and take away his license to drive, and raise the drinking age so he can't get drunk, and lower the youth limit so that he is at least 4 times over the limit. That will sort the issue. Perhaps we should crush the car. That will teach the person he stole it from for not keeping it secure.

Imagine a world with no religion The challenge has been made many times before, perhaps most eloquently by John Lennon in his song Imagine . I've always liked the song for its sentiment, although it sounds like the brochure for Marxism and Communism. It's a song that exemplifies "be careful what you wish for" because we've seen some very clear examples (Stalin's Russia, Mao's China and Kim's DPRK) of the nirvana offered by the State in the abolition of property, equality in wages and the attempt to wipe out religion because it is seen as a threat to the state. Once (after the Beatles split) Lennon reportedly disparaged Paul McCartney's songs as being nothing more than "silly love songs" because John and Yoko were preoccupied by world peace and all that important stuff. So Paul McCartney responded with his hit Silly Love Songs and I think that is a better blueprint for world peace than "Imagine" will ever be. Go have a...

A german father outraged a 57 year old man was having an affair with his 17 year old daughter found there was little under the law that could be done to prevent this perverse pairing. His solution - go around to the old mans house, force him to drop trou and perform the tom cat operation . Ouch. I expect the full weight of the law will fall upon him but the original problem has been solved.

I've moved a conversation on whether Peter is the Rock that Christ build His Church from Story of the attack on the attack on the Baghdad Church to this thread.

Heh, Just has to post this. It's a video mashup of Rudolph The Rednose Reindeer and Roxanne by the Police with the result being Rudolph (You Don't Have To Put On The Red Light).

Poor Hilary Clinton, one round of embarrassment after another in the age of Obama. This time it is India she has to grovel to after India's Ambassador Meera Shankar travelling on official business was selected for an "enhanced patdown " in a Mississippi airport - selected apparently because she was wearing a sari. How stupid can you get?

You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong Phil. I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life. - Phil, Groundhog Day. The current Global Warming line is "climate change means extreme weather events, this was always predicted" as snow closes airports and causes chaos around England. But was that the prediction before the words "Global Warming" morphed into "Climate Change"? Well, here's a prediction from the Climate Scientists at the University of East Anglia, the University at the centre of the Climategate controversy, where they have used the sum of many, many years of thorough and precise research to confidently predict the end of snow in Britain. Because of Man-made Global Warming. ..snow is starting to disappear from our lives. Sledges, snowmen, snowballs and the excitement of waking to find that the stuff has sett...

That time again.

This is a horrible story. The mother shutting her 5 month old infant in a drawer saved his life. Two of the priests in the church yelled at the jihadists to leave the people alone and to take them instead; they died in the first few minutes. The young men were made to stand; they were all executed.  Children who cried were killed immediately.  The jihadists used the crucifix as target practice, and taunted their victims with, "Come on, tell him to save you!"

Lighting the first Advent Candle How relevant would Bishop Robinson's exposition on Leviticus be to this little girl do you suppose? It is the season of advent, the preparation for the Feast of the Nativity or Christmas No problem And the Washington Post has decided to give a Bishop a forum, a space to write a series of articles in the lead up to the Feast. So far so good, BUT it seems there are no bishops in Washington DC, no Catholic, No Episcopalian, no Lutheran bishop they could call upon. So they went all the way to New Hampshire to find their bishop, one Gene Robinson and if you don't know who he is Google is your friend Guess what he wrote on yesterday? Leviticus that most important book of the Bible that should be read and understood first before all others. He doesn't like with it and he explains why . Today's offering was on Sodom and Gomorrah . All good Advent fare I'm sure you will agree. I wasn't going to bother with this, its just...

I've just finished reading a novel called The Twelfth Imam by Joel Rosenberg, which is a thriller set in the current political climate of today, with Iran developing as a nuclear power, etc. It's interesting because it's very close to reality; in fact, Rosenberg predicted the 9/11 plane attacks in a novel before they happened. What really interested me is that I hadn't heard anything before about this 'Twelfth Imam' who is a person many Muslims (particularly Shia) believe in, in real life. Just as Christians believe in the coming of Jesus again as Messiah, many Muslims believe in the return of the Imam, with Jesus as his lieutenant, who will destroy the "Little Satan" (Israel), and the "Great Satan" (America) and herald a return to a global Islamic caliphate. This post is more of a heads-up rather than a detailed break down, as it would probably take a lot of cutting and pasting, but Rosenberg has a 10 point Q&A here , which reads in...

After years of home-schooling, my oldest son will embark into the NZ school system next year. And the very first thing he will be subjected to is a Maori religious ceremony, called a Powhiri. The pōwhiri signifies two groups coming together, negotiating the terms of their engagement and finishing with guests joining their hosts as one. It is a spiritual or religious journey where gods, heaven and earth are acknowledged, ancestors remembered and kinship ties reinforced. It is also when intentions are ascertained, issues debated and lobbying carried out. Considering that we only believe in one God, this acknowledgement of "gods" disturbs me. I don't know if I can allow my son to participate as acknowleging other gods goes against the First Commandment: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is ...

Very interesting archival interview (video) by Mike Wallace of the mother of birth control Margaret Sanger. Wow, she looks like a very, hard, unmovable lady. She also denies a lot of the things she'd said before. He puts to her the Catholic Churches view, and that of Natural Law. WALLACE: Well let's look at the official Catholic position...opposition to Birth-Control. I read now from a church publication called "The Question Box" in forbidding Birth Control it says the following: It says the immediate purpose and primary end of marriage is the begetting of children, when the marital relation is so used as to render the fulfillment of its purposes impossible--that is by Birth Control--it is used unethically and unnaturally. Now what's wrong with that position? SANGER: Well, it's very wrong, it's not normal it's -- it has the wrong attitude towards marriage, toward love, toward the relationships between men and women. WALLACE: Well the natural law the...

Interesting new article from the Daily Mail that claims one-in-five American marriages that end involve facebook. It used to be the tell-tale lipstick on the collar. Then there were the give-away texts that spelled the death knell for many marriages. But now one in five divorces involve the social networking site Facebook, according to a new survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. A staggering 80 per cent of divorce lawyers have also reported a spike in the number of cases that use social media for evidence of cheating. Flirty messages and photographs found on Facebook are increasingly being cited as proof of unreasonable behaviour or irreconcilable differences. Many cases revolve around social media users who get back in touch with old flames they hadn’t heard from in many years. Facebook was by far the biggest offender, with 66 per cent of lawyers citing it as the primary source of evidence in a divorce case. MySpace followed with 15 per cent, Twitter at 5 per cent...

Does Radio NZ have an infatuation with Islam? I'm not sure. So far, I've noticed two radio programmes in which converts to Islam have featured. The previous programme, probably a month or so ago, had a guy talking about how he used to be Christian, but that concepts such as the Trinity didn't make sense to him. While as Islam's one God, Allah, he could get his head around. Yeah, I suppose if you think of it that way, Islam is a whole lot simpler. Here's the blurb from their website on today's programme: Islam is often claimed to be the fastest growing religion on earth. At the last census in 2006, more than 36,000 New Zealanders described themselves as Muslims. Jeremy Rose talks to two of those New Zealand Muslims, Hisham Zaoui (right) - the son of Ahmed Zaoui - and Kiwi-born convert Fiona Lovatt Davis; and Chris Laidlaw explores the history and practice of Islam with University of Auckland law lecturer Mohsen Al Attar. It just made me wonder if it...

I was just doing a bit of research for another post (Radio NZ and their infatuation with Islam, coming soon), when I found an article by a site called "Radio Islam", copied from the Jerusalem Post, on NZ about to elect our 3rd Jewish PM, John Key. New Zealand set to elect Jewish prime minister Radio Islam has added underlining for emphasis in the article. My thoughts are, so what if we've elected a Jewish PM? Why does it matter to Islam? This is of course, old news. But, I need to document it.

The ancient jaguar goddess Ixchel was invoked in the opening address by Christiana Figueres , executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, in her opening address to delegates at Cancun. "Excellencies, the goddess Ixchel would probably tell you that a tapestry is the result of the skilful interlacing of many threads," said Figueres, who hails from Costa Rica and started her greetings in Spanish before switching to English. "I am convinced that 20 years from now, we will admire the policy tapestry that you have woven together and think back fondly to Cancun and the inspiration of Ixchel." I don't know about you but I personally have strong doubts about implementing " policy tapestry " inspired by Ixchel.

It seems the greenies have invented (and are all excited about) a new file format they've invented called a .WWF file (it's a cool acronym because it's like World Wildlife Fund, get it?). Anyway, it's essentially a PDF file that won't print, thus saving trees. Wow... Useful ... Not. I have to shake my head... Next they'll be telling us we have to ration toilet paper.

Just to get you in the Christmas mood (or is it too soon?), one of the songs, No Eye Had Seen , from my favorite Christmas album of all time, Christmas by Michael W Smith. Female vocalist is Amy Grant. Lyrics and music player after the jump.

Last night I went to Confession (that's where you confess your sins to a priest), and I confessed to getting annoyed with drivers that slow me down. I was advised to offer the circumstance as a sacrifice, and that way each situation could therefore be beneficial to me rather than a source of annoyance. Well, I've certainly had to practise that today - so many slow and annoying drivers. Amazingly enough it worked, it kept me calmer than normal.

I'm reading the book, Islam at the Gates by Diane Moczar right now. And I can't help but think that no matter what the problems we have with the West right now, it doesn't even compare to what the invaded nations of Eastern Christendom faced. This book is essential reading for not only understanding what Islam does when it invades (and it will do so again, just give it time), but for perspective.

Name three of the five MPs who’ve just completed 20 years in parliament. They do 20 years, and we get punished. How does that work? If you want to know who to blame - click here for Homepaddock's quiz. 1 of 5 for me: Je sais numero trois. Il est un ordinateur.

From the Guardian Cancún climate change conference: rich nations must pay more than lip service to tackle global warming From the BBC Europe hit by blanket of snow and sub-zero conditions

From Tim Blair: The New York Times explains why it didn’t publish Climategate emails: The documents appear to have been acquired illegally and contain all manner of private information and statements that were never intended for the public eye, so they won’t be posted here. The New York Times explains why it did publish WikiLeaks documents (that were acquired illegally and contain all manner of private information and statements never intended for the public eye): The Times believes that the documents serve an important public interest... [rest of justification here and supporting links: Tim Blair and Wikileaks ] Hat tip: Not PC

George Osborne took the first step to make Britain a more business-friendly country yesterday by announcing changes to corporation tax designed to reverse the trend of companies moving overseas to escape punitive rates and red tape. Mr Osborne announced that a new 10p rate for corporation tax would be introduced on profits generated from new products generated and developed in Britain . That was immediately followed by an announcement that GlaxoSmithKline would, as a result of the change, invest £500m in the UK. Given the immediate announcement by Glaxo, this move can hardly have been a surprise to them. In the midst of slashing government spending in one area, only to increase it in another area, these talks of low corporate tax rates seem to be a mere distraction. After all, they have just instituted a 50% tax rate for high earners and the VAT (GST) rate goes to 20% in January 2011. The only thing that appears to be off the table in these discussions is the size of governmen...

This is a dreadful story. The more I hear about it, the worse it gets. Now the Muslim leaders in Pakistan don't want the President to pardon a Christian woman who was unjustly condemned to death on blasphemy charges. Muslim religious leaders in Pakistan are urging President Asif Ali Zardari not to pardon Asia Bibi, the 45-year-old Christian mother of five whose death sentence on blasphemy charges has provoked an international outcry. [I added my name to an online petition, so was part of this "international outcry"] Shahbaz Bhatti, the nation’s minister for minorities, has found that Bibi was wrongfully convicted, and Punjab Governor Salman Taseer has told CNN that the president will pardon her. “I mean, he’s a liberal, modern-minded president, and he’s not going to see a poor woman like this targeted and executed,” said Taseer. “It’s just not going to happen.” Bibi told Taseer, who visited her on November 20, that her accusers had raped her. [This is where it got...

Chat time!

There is little meaningful to say in this time of grief and national mourning. I take comfort from music and in particular hymns so here is one of the most ancient of Christian hymns, Phos Hilaron or Joyful light. Versions of this hymn are known and used across many Christian denominations. It is probably more than 1800 years old. O Joyful Light of the holy glory of the immortal, heavenly, holy blessed Father, O Jesus Christ. Having come to the setting of the sun, having beheld the evening light, we hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God. Meet it is at all times to hymn Thee with reverend voices, O Son of God, Giver of Life, wherefore the whole world doth glorify Thee.

Is sex meant just for fun - for recreation - or is it's real purpose self-evident? Society sure sees it mostly one way: sex now mostly seems to be seen as a pleasurable experience shared between two people who are willing ― whether they're married, boyfriend and girlfriend, just friends, or have only just met that same evening. As long as the girl is on the Pill or the boy uses a condom, then it's OK they say; do what you like. In a excerpt from a new book, Light Of The World , in which Pope Benedict is interviewed, he says - [...] the sheer fixation on the condom implies a banalization of sexuality, which, after all, is precisely the dangerous source of the attitude of no longer seeing sexuality as the expression of love, but only a sort of drug that people administer to themselves. This is why the fight against the banalization of sexuality is also a part of the struggle to ensure that sexuality is treated as a positive value and to enable it to have a positive effec...

On her visit to Australia to promote her new book, Portia de Rossi refused to be interviewed by men. Portia is a woman who is "married" to another woman, therefore, I presume is attracted to women. So why would she want to be put into temptation's way by being interviewed only by women? It would be like me (a woman married to a man) wanting to be only interviewed by men. That would certainly look odd. Surely it would be better to be interviewed by the gender she scorns? Just a little side note on the gay marriage debate going on over there right now. Related link: Portia de Rossi's gay campaign does nothing for marriage ~ Herald Sun

Archbishop of Canterbury has been 'abducted by aliens' says bishop in battle over gay clergy Say's it all really - where have all the adults gone?

This You-Tube clip is a little more explicit than what I'd normally post here at NZC. However, it does highlight the disturbing direction the security pat-downs are taking in American airports. If you refuse to be full body scanned so that the agent scanning you can effectively see you naked, you are then subjected to a full body groping that is pretty close to sexual assault.

Another great cat video, there is a hint of fear in the women's voice at the start but the baby really enjoys this incident.

First of all, this is what was said: [The Pope's] comments to Peter Seewald reaffirm his belief that the use of condoms is not “the answer” to Aids – but he goes on to say that “in certain cases, where the intention is to reduce the risk of infection, it can nevertheless be a first step on the way to another, more humane sexuality”. He also says: “There may be justified individual cases, for example when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be … a first bit of responsibility, to redevelop the understanding that not everything is permitted and that one may not do everything one wishes. But it is not the proper way to deal with the horror of HIV infection.” This does not mean, that the Pope is encouraging condom use for male prostitutes. The Catholic Church's position is that all sexual activity should be limited to a man and his wife within matrimony and that sexual activity is to be free of contraceptives, ie open to life.  What the Pope's comments seem to i...

DPF has posted a cat video and so have I.

If you have a couple of hours spare, watch this very enjoyable debate between two great Catholic minds. For the summary, read this link: Is the only good Muslim, a bad Muslim? ~ Inside Catholic

A mining accident on the West Coast, let's all pray for a favorable outcome

I will be voting in tomorrow's by-election in Mana. Trying to decide who to vote for has been agony. If National had reversed the terrible piece of social engineering legislation that they apparently tried to soften when they were in opposition, I would have grudgingly voted for them. Whatever else they would have done to that point that I'm not happy with (I'm thinking ETS and the potential repeal of the foreshore and seabed act), they at least would have demonstrated an understanding of the dreadful anti-family forces that have been gaining power over the last several decades, and made a principled stand against those forces. But no, the anti-smacking law has stayed. National has showed itself to be either ignorant of the true civilisational foundations of the family as the fundamental societal unit, or are themselves one of the anti-family forces that is actively seeking to draw more and more power to the state by destroying the family. Where ever they stand, I...

Who'ld have ever thought that in the land of the free the day would come that in order to travel you would have to have your arse crack examined by a government official before being permitted to proceed. That is exactly what is happening here . And you and I know, as does the government lacky doing this that this poor woman has nothing untoward down there. It's a pointless and needless harassment. It looks like the American people are beginning to rebel against this and so they should - the people behind this travesty can waffle about increasing safety (which this doesn't) but people also need to be kept safe from intrusive government officials. And it doesn't get more intrusive than having your butt examined and your genitals fondled. In other circumstances this would be called indecent assault.

Call it fate or a fortuitous co-incidence but whatever its a controversy that has now found a tidy resolution. Auckland's historic Palace building demolished

And this is definitely bad touching. The context the boy is about to board an aircraft and the authorities have to make sure he isn't a terrorist on a suicide mission so they are doing a body search. A few days ago under the headline "the terrorists have won" Drudge carried this photo. A Nun being searched by a hijab wearing TSA employee. Says it all doesn't it - we have a lot to fear from four year old American boys and nuns every time we get on an airplane. Yeah right! Related video: 3 Year-Old Girl Accosted By TSA

This video is titled super bride theft. It's a brief glimpse of brideknapping where a woman is grabbed and forced to marry her abductor. It is a significant problem in the Caucasus particularly the republics of Ingushetia and Chechnya. What bought this to mind was this post about the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton and Ele's disquiet about Prince William seeking Kate Middleton's father's permission to marry his daughter. The connection to this video? Over the years courtship rituals have developed to protect women from forced marriages (and rape) and I personally find it slightly amusing that in our enlightened age this knowledge has been lost and slightly frightening that some would have us forget it. Because it wouldn't take too much for us to return to the ways of the past

3D presentation showing conception to birth in 6 minutes.

On Sunday evening (14 November), Professor Jane Kelsey was detained at immigration at Sydney airport for about an hour. She was informed by a senior immigration official that she was not eligible for visa free entry to Australia on the grounds that she was not an ‘appropriate person’ under Australia’s 1994 immigration laws. Professor Kelsey thinks this may be linked to her efforts in promoting critical debate on the TransPacific Partnership negotiations. I find it ironic that a professor that is critical of free trade, seems to think unfettered free access to the Australian market by herself a fundamental human right. Not having automatic access is her policy in action. Better get a visa son, better get a real good one

Front page news on 15 November 2011 was the tragic story of "Unborn baby, mum among road dead." The story goes: "A 42 year old mother-to-be heading home from a Gin Wigmore concert was killed - along with her unborn child..." Most of us instinctively know and understand this as a terrible tragedy that terminated the life of the mother-to-be and her unborn child. I wasn't going to post on this story because it was obvious where my point was leading, and I was thinking this isn't really the right time. However, the talk back radio has been flooded with calls from listeners commenting on just how sad and tragic this story is, and that in itself is post worthy. It is enough to say, and have people agree, that two lives were lost in that crash, not one. May her friends and family take some comfort in the fact that most of New Zealand has paused and reflected on this sad story, and our prayers and best wishes go with them.

The Mana by-election is on us next week, and although a labour stronghold, there is the remote possibility that the seat falls to National. Admittedly, unlikely, but the statement makes a great lead in to discussing Matt McCarten and is probably the most interesting part of my post. Well, the dumb-ass coconut comment coming up later might be better, but if you read past this point, don't blame me for a boring post about a boring by-election. So Matt McCarten, staunch Unionist, is running as an independent, presumably realizing that he wont win, but may erode Labour's vote. They really have fallen low, if the Unions are fighting them. Or is it the Unions are enjoying their raised profile after beating up on the little people (I'm referring to the recent Union activism on the behalf of the bit part actors who will play hobbits, who mostly said "stop helping me") Matt is running a campaign along the lines of rugby union match, with what I call "The Firs...

You can get a high resolution version suitable for printing here .

At the request of the Vatican, 26 injured Iraqis who survived the massacre by Islamic militants at the main Catholic church in Baghdad, were transferred with some of their families to a Roman hospital. It is hoped that they will be able to heal more easily in a more tranquil environment. Italy airlifts 26 Iraqis injured in attack on Baghdad Catholic church for treatment in Rome

A man was humiliated and had the police called on him for taking two photographs of his nine year old daughter shooting goal during her netball game. He says he was made to feel like a pervert. Video LINK What is the world coming to when a father can't take photographs of his children playing sport without feeling like some kind of pervert? It's political correctness gone mad. Sure I understand that people want to look out for their kids but I sometimes wonder if these people aren't projecting their own perversity onto others.

Chat time! I've been somewhat distracted over the last couple of weeks. My 13 year old boy wants to go to college. After home-schooling for nearly four years, this will be a really big change for him. And me. However, after really thinking about it for a while myself, I think he needs to do it. If only to get an idea of why we've been home-schooling. A couple of days back in the Dominion Post, I noticed an article on the numbers in various NCEA exams this year. The most popular subject was NCEA Level 1 English at almost 50,000 exam-goers, followed by Maths at around 45,000. The smallest exam subject was scholarship Latin. What frustrated me in reading that is the difficulty a pupil has in actually being able to study Latin as very few schools offer it. I've not been able to find one in the Wellington region. So my 13yo, who has been studying Latin for a couple of years now, is unable to continue his studies by going to college. The closest language he can ch...

I don't often agree with Dominion Post editorials, but today when he/she/it opines that teachers sometimes knows best and parents should not automatically spring to the aid of their little princesses. I really wonder what type of parents are more worried about a teacher pointing out a girl who is wearing her skirt hiked up looks like a slut, than the fact the skirt was hiked up in the first place. Do they like their girl looking that way?  Do they encourage that type of attire at home? Where the Dom Post editor and I part company, is that he/she/it thinks that the length of the skirt is a trivial matter. I beg to differ. That girl, aided and abetted by her parents, is seeking to objectify herself. She's more interested that when her classmates look at her, they don't see her, they see her body. Is it any wonder that she's not doing well at school? A body doesn't need good marks, or good behaviour or any sort of future - it just needs to be used by others. ...

Can you believe this is in anyway socially responsible on Amazon's part? The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure [Kindle Edition] Or is social responsibility a quaint old fashioned idea?

A Christchurch GP (called an expert by TVNZ) has said that NZ women need more modern contraception, funded by the taxpayer. She believes that better contraception will lower our high abortion rate. I would have thought that the best way to lower our high abortion rate would be to stop allowing so many abortions to be done for mental health reasons that are totally bogus. That would wipe out most of them pretty quickly. As for wanting to encourage more promiscuity among women, funded by the taxpayer, I despair for NZ. Related link : Contraception key factor in abortion rate ~ TVNZ

The Australian Army is paying for gender reassignment surgery for one of its officers. ARMY Captain Matthew Clinch served twice in East Timor and after his final sexual transformation to become Bridget Clinch wants to return to his previous command role. After months of uncertainty, the army has confirmed that taxpayers will pick up the full tab for Capt Clinch's gender surgery and any other treatment that is required by her. Capt Clinch is in Brisbane with her partner and two daughters , on extended sick leave from her job as the second in command of the army's Adventurous Training Wing based at Wagga Wagga in southern NSW. This person's mother is not impressed Her immediate family, including both daughters, have accepted that Matthew is now Bridget, but her mother Deidre told Channel Seven that she and the wider family unit were not convinced. ``Matthew had a healthy body know that he was very particular about health and lifestyle and for him to mutilate this beaut...

See if you can guess who this is - check your guess by using the scroll bar to reveal the answer It would be Vladimir Putin taking a formula one car for a spin. Watch him spin out

I have nothing against Len Brown. He's not mayor of my city. I don't even know the man. However, when a public figure, such as Mr Brown comes out with the word "Catholic" and seeks to redefine it, I feel I must say something. If only to set the record straight. At some point very recently, Len Brown gave an interview to a GayNZ writer. Twice, it appears, he emphatically stated he was Catholic. The first time he states is a "proud Catholic". The second looks like a question on diversity. Not sure exactly what the question was, as there is no mention of it, and so it's only implied. But here is his answer: On diversity "I'm a staunch Catholic," Brown again points out. "But I am from the liberal side. And I am very aware and sensitive to people making their own choices about their life. And I'm totally respectful of that. "You can make your own choice totally," he adds. "I've got nothing more to say....

What an amazing fact. A NZ bug collector is responsible for the whole idea of daylight savings time. The guy wanted more daylight in order to collect his bugs after work, and so came up with the idea. Only he wanted the shift in time to be two hours, rather than one. Modern daylight saving time wasn’t proposed until the late 1800s. New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson would spend his spare time after work collecting insects, an activity limited by daylight. Inspired to extend his extracurricular activities, he presented a paper to the Wellington Philosophical Society proposing a two-hour daylight-saving shift. Hudson’s paper would provide the foundation for modern daylight saving time. So when we moan and groan about daylight savings time (as we do on this blog), those of us who live in NZ (and especially Wellington) could think fondly of the bug collector from days gone past. I wonder if this is why NZ thinks we have to lead the world in everything else. Keep up with ...

The Daily Show is a great comedy show, and Jon Stewart is a funny man. He can get serious though, and has often done so. For example, the recent Sanity gig, and further back the vocal criticism of various shows (Remember the Crossfire saga ?) for not treating politics objectively and in an unbiased fashion. All makes perfect sense to me, but there is another side to this. A minor point is that Jon Stewart sees himself as a mere comedy show, and so excused from any of the responsibility he suggests the serious political shows have to the audience to act impartially and ask the tough questions. Whilst that is true, he needs to acknowledge that comedy shows like his can and do influence people as much as any "serious debate" show. The larger point is that the danger in accepting people who appear sane is assuming their judgments must therefore be sound, sensible, and right. It's that old "truthiness" aspect that suggests facts may not be needed if ever...

Fr. Raymond De Souza has written a passionate piece calling upon God for His vengeance against those who would cry out that God is great while slaughtering the innocent at prayer. Allahu Akbar – God is great! So those Catholics on Sunday heard the jihadists shout in the church. Can there be any greater sacrilege than to kill the innocent at prayer, while shouting that God is great? The jihadists respect neither man nor God, not even their own. They have killed their fellow Muslims and bombed mosques. The Christians killed on Sunday were Iraqis, their fellow Arabs, their fellow citizens, their neighbours. They kill because they are seized with a murderous hatred. The least we can do is to summon a righteous anger in return. The Christian always hopes for conversion and offers forgiveness. There must also be justice and prudence, and prudence demands that those who would kill in the name of God are best despatched quickly to their judgment. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. So Scr...