It Is That Time Of The Year Again

Life can be full of unexpected surprises, so be careful what or who you might eat this Christmas. Merry Christmas everyone! Here is my animated version link on You Tube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh0sAtYn7-8

"The Mill" Is On Its Way

I have finally got to the first stage of getting my musical "The Mill" performed. The script is the next thing to do now that I have the music and the storyline settled - so I await comments from theatre types I know who will give it the thumbs up .... or down.

Refugee Strikes Back

A cartoon I did in 2009. Nothing has changed. Dairy farmers (and everyone who consumes palm oil) are contributing to the burn off of tropical forests!

They Came Bearing Gifts

More NZ Farmers are being herded into the Dragon's Den. It appears that the Chinese Government owned Shanghai Maling has effectively taken over Silver Fern Farms co-operative with buying only 50% of shares.

Tim Groser Gets A Bit TPPsy

Well, the Nats have apparently locked us into another trading agreement that does little to solve NZ's balance of payments problems. Better in than out they claim, but it does seem odd that the TPPA began as an attempt to get better access for NZ into markets that usually shut us out or slap high tariffs and quotas on our exports. All we seem to be getting are some more dead rats to swallow while we wait for some trade restrictions to gradually come down.
More will be revealed in time but I am not optimistic that the Nats will have the guts to do what is really needed - and that is to put a fair trade levy on goods imported from countries that do not offer us the same access to their markets that we give them. Very few businesses would keep going the way we run our economy. No wonder we are heavily in debt as a trading nation and selling off our land, businesses and houses etc is no solution to keep us afloat.

More Mass Shootings in the USA

Many people find very little association with NZ's culture or unique symbolism in the Red Peak flag - so what about adding a Kiwi?

TPPA

My Anti-TPPA poster for the rally in Whangarei in The Town Basin at 11am on Saturday August 15th. Quoting Tim Groser - "Nothing is too big to fail and therefore no one can ever say for sure that TPP will certainly happen. But this has all the smell of a negotiation that is ripe for the plucking."
Get ready to be plucked folks!

Alternative NZ Flags

I succumbed to the temptation to having a crack at designing a new flag - even tho' I did not see the need to change the old one. Below are 2 of the most popular I designed and one I liked the best by Sophie Wilson - out of thousands submitted.

Heres To The New Year Of The Rising Sun

For those of us 'Down Under" in NZ, the longest night has passed and we can now look forward to the days lengthening again and the warmer weather to come. It is time to plant garlic and and dig in some deciduous fruit trees etc. Mind you, most of us here know that the really colder weather has yet to bite our finger tips. May the New Solar Year be a good one for you and all your kin.

Chilling Out

This cartoon was drawn 10 years ago. Time flies,and now it is that time once again!

Bedding In The Budget 2015

Here is a rejigged cartoon I did awhile back - nothing much has changed since National took power. As a country, we have been spending more than we earn and National has been borrowing to pay for reducing taxes for the rich, impoverishing low income earners and creating the appearance of prosperity. But as Greece discovered, debt is debt and so we and the coming generations are unnecessarily being saddled with the burden. To see what I mean, check out this link - http://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debtclock/newzealand - if true, Kiwis owe over $19,000 per head and rising.

House Prices Keep Going "Up"

The National Government continues to timidly tinker with measures to control an overheated housing market. Many New Zealanders are wondering why he does not support restricting overseas buyers (and capital) and reduce immigration to choke off excess demand. The USA and Ireland had a similar to problem NZ and suffered when the house price bubble burst and plunged them into a bitter recession. Sadly, recessions affect the whole economy and it seems John Key is blind to the experience of other nations and even our own history!

Key Attempts A Cover Up

Sleazy Key

Outsourcing! An Email To "Sunday" Radio NZ

Hi Wallace, in my opinion outsourcing is only part of the much bigger economic and social re-establishment of a very unequal society that many of our ancestors sacrificed a lot to change. For thousands of years most societies in the World have been very unequal and the social struggles were mainly between members of the elite contesting the pecking order. Events in the first half of the 20th century changed all that, but as the century closed many rich and powerful members of the elite in Western Societies recreated unequal societies for their own benefit. If we want to change that then we must convince them that "Making (things) is the Difference" between wealthier and growing economies when compared with declining economies that outsource their productive sectors. 

Below are two similar ways of partly explaining my point.

Key Plays A Head Of The Game

Things That Matter

I see that once again that short sighted money hungry retailers and employers are out to grab more public holidays off their workers (and the rest of us) by asking for Good Friday and Easter Monday to be opened up for trade. I am not a Christian but I really value the few opportunities we have for most of us to have some rest and recreation to refresh our lives and escape the clamour of the market place.

I think it will prove to be short sighted to let retailers rule the way we live and disregard traditional holidays (Holy Days) and the values we inherited from our ancestors. Give us a break will you! Take a deep breath and take time away from the tills - you will live better and longer lives I assure you!

Here is an old cartoon of mine that I routinely wheel out at this time of the year. There are obviously better things to do than bow down to Mammon. For those of you who are working - may you get paid heaps and spend it on things that really matter - like family time and spiritual renewal.

A Rooster Of Many Colours

Winning in Northland was without doubt a triumph for the New Zealand First Party, but Winston Peters must be wise enough to know that he could not have got there without the support of Labour, The Greens and disgruntled National Party supporters. He therefore has a mandate of many colours and I hope he does not succumb to the artful charm of John Key and Steven Joyce who probably are plotting how seduce Winston into a fatal liaison.

Something To Crow About

Winston Peters wins a stunning by-election in Northland.

Eco Terrorist Makes A Stand

And it remains to seen if he gets the message!

The Sorcerer's Apprentice - The Movie with Sound

If you have trouble viewing this then go to http://youtu.be/Wjo8p7QpE5M

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

 

Nationals's candidate seems to be struggling to find his own voice as he attends a very public crash course in media training with media master Steven Joyce in Northland's By Election. Steven Joyce played a very influential role in National's astonishing victory in the last election, but can he save the campaign to hang onto the previously safe  National seat?

Doctor Shamed Reti

Key Boosts Flagging Campaign

Osborne Conspiracy?

Has the aspiring National Party Northland candidate, Mark Osborne, earned the title of "Porky Osborne" for telling us that he knew nothing about the accusations directed at former Northland MP Mike Sabin before late December last year? I find it very strange that Mark Osborne, in his role as the National Party Northland Branch treasurer in 2014 was so much out of the loop that he knew nothing about Mike Sabin's situation earlier in the year. Telling porkies during an election campaign will not help him hang onto this safe National seat, that's for sure.

Put A Tigger In Your Tank Northland

 

A friend commented to me that the character of Tigger was more like Winston than Winnie The Pooh in my last cartoon, so here he is! However, the heading might not make much sense to those outside the Baby Boomer Generation. Way back in the nineteen sixties, I seem to remember a brand of petrol called 'Atlantic' and they used a cartoon tiger as part of their branding - which included the phrase - "Put a tiger in your tank " and choose Atlantic petrol for your car.

Northland By Election Gets Interesting

 

 Winston Peters topped TV3 poll results today for the Northland by election. This might indicate a defeat in one of National's safe seats and alter the balance of power in Parliament. Altho' a change in government is unlikely, it would make other minor parties more influential and could spell the end of the controversial changes planned by National to water down the Resource Management Act.

Winner Waddles On

So we are off to war again, to help patch up the latest petroleum flare up in the Middle East.

Pissed Off Muslim Fails To Kill Swedish Cartoonist

Swedish cartoonist, Lars Vilks (well known for his depiction of Muhammad as a dog), escaped assassination today by a muslim extremist.  Lars Vilks was attending a debate discussing press freedom of expression and sadly the gunman did manage kill one person. I doubt tho' that this event will silence Lars or any other cartoonist worth their salt.

Cleaner Finds Dirty Politics Book In Millionaire's House

 

"The moving finger writes; and having writ, moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it." - Rhubarb Art Of Oh My Lying by John Key - Assehole Press

Puffing Pillocks

Nick Smith is fooling no one if he thinks that meddling with the RMA will stop the housing bubble inflating until it bursts and covers us all in excrement. My message to him is "It's the Economy stupid!" But of course Nick and all the rest of the other monetarist addicts in the National Government are deaf to such advice.

A Bloody Shameful Waste Of Life

Another cartoon snapped by my iPhone. 

Slum Dogs Do 'Ave 'Em

What will Key do with Slumdog Slater this year? My bet is that his addiction to indulge in undercover sleaze will get the better of him and keep us amused. I am away from my computer so this one has been snapped by my iPhone 4S.