GIVE A PENGY A CHANCE

Our mates in the VRWC have been joshing with us all day. There have been about 1200 birds killed by the RENA oil slick. Our mates argue that while it seems a lot its not big in the scheme of things. Maybe they are right - they normally are. However we do  think that DOC needs a big thumbs up for co-ordinating the effort to save the pandas of NZ bird world  - The Dotterel. Its a sisyphean task that requires passion and dogged determination in the face of insurmountable odds.

They are funny wee birds that hide on the shore line and put their nests in the silliest of places. The go for bloody miles to find a feed and when the chips are down they will abandon their chicks and its not like they have a big brood - nope they only have a couple  or three at best. 

In essence they wiggled their fluffy arses just enough to make a wee indent in the sand and squeeze out a couple or three bumnuts. But just above the high tide zone is the equivalent of gang riven  Farmers Crescent.  Its hell out there.  All manner of predators  lurk there from skua, stoats and the heavy feet of hairy legged trampers. So what happens if the eggs or chicks get killed? Well the dotterels are persistent - they go and wiggle there wee botties and do it all over again.

So they are as succesful as parents as Sonny Bill Williams would be at trying to maintain a hard on in a locked room with only Helen Clark for company.

We reckon Dotterel  are  winged Pandas because despite the fact that they are deliriously cute, these little feathered moths  that flit almost undetectable on the sandy shore line - need human support to exist. So New Zealand, is  in essence, providing state support for the useless dotterel parents. What do NZ'ers get in return? bugger all as you cant see the wee buggers as they only thing they are much good at is camouflage.  However they would stick out like the balls on a St Bernard against the oil stained sand. 

You see our mates reckon that we have  had a far greater impact on the country's bird population - killing over 40,000 muttonbirds singletoothedly over our lifetime. That is very true. We are of course very old  so its taken nearly half a century to reach that figure. So while we have dispatched a lot of oily birds to eat  - the  RENA's oily slick  hasn't really eaten a lot of birds. 

However, we think that what is really worth saving is the little blue penguin.. The wee pengys never fail to raise a smile either on land or at sea. Gentle wee buggers  - efficient hunters and good mums and dads.  And they apparently taste like crap. 

We like that in a bird.

and what is our favourite Seabird? This one of course-  

The Mollymawk 

There is nothing that comes close to the grace of these birds and their amazing faces. 

They are welcome to come steal my fish anytime. 

WHO IS WATCHING THE WATCHER??

Its all a bit dododododo Twilight Zone but what would you expect in election year.

However it seems we have made the list of "monitored" right wing blogs.

No one on the Right would bother "monitoring" the left wing blogs - they are too boring.

Funny thing is its called the Jackal. An ugly dog called a dingo in Aussie. Or a left wing fanaticist who murdered for islam extremists and communists.

And remember the real Jackals are crepuscular - They hunt under the shadow of darkness - how very socialist...

HIGH NOON

Following Simon Powers announcement today that he is out to tame " the Wild West of the Internet" we reckon that there could be a bit of a stoush looming.

We have often referred to blogs and citizen journalists on the digital media as the last of the Wild West as you can see here

I suppose that means that Cactus is probably Annie Oakley and we must be May Lillie crack shot and horsewoman.

While Power probably needs to review whats happening - who in tarnation advised him to set about making the bloggers and online community the enemy?

Our favourite uber political geek David Farrar so rightly says the way its been done will probably rub a few people up the wrong way. We agree.

So we hope that we get to have a say sometime during the course of the year. We like the idea of workshops to nut out a few ideas.

But at the end of the day one of the corner stones of the media in any form, is freedom of thought and expression. And that must be the corner stone of any thinking around the digital media - it is still the media and today the lines between digital and print and broadcast are becoming very blurred .

While we think that Whale Oils recent case shows we are not above the law we dont want any changes that impinge on our media freedoms.

Otherwise it will be the Battle of the Little Bighorn Bloggers with Power standing in for Custer.

HEROINE OF THE VRWC

I always enjoy reading the Dominion in the mornings while waiting on my morning takeaway coffee from a little cafe called Mixed Business which is just north of Bordeaux Bakery on the Terrace. It is the favourite place for many Terrace Worriers.

Anyway, the young barista there is a pleasure to deal with. She remembers your name and your order and always has a smile for her customers.

This morning as I was propped up at the bench reading the paper, some young fellas started to talk about mining and how terrible it was. Anyway the aproned coffee maestro-ess gave them a verbal biffing.

Mining was a good thing she told them - the economy needed it and there was wayyy too many lies being told about the size of the holes, she lectured. Actually the only big holes were the gobs of the two young fellas as their jaws dropped in the face of the assault they got from the coffee queen.

She was polite but strident. We like that in a chick.

The boys, full of derision, tried to take her down with some puerile insults so we came to her aid. (not that she needed much. )

" She is right - the Greenies are spreading waay too much false crap - we are not going to be facing big huge holes" everywhere," we told them.

The surliest of the two young fellas then suggested that perhaps I also believed in the tooth fairy..

I suggested that he was the one who was being taken for a ride and gave him my best withering stare and he kinda melted like gold from the Martha Mine.

Anyway , the Barista from Mixed business was still bantering with them when I left.

So if you are in town or in need of a caffeine fix - head to Mixed Business.. Its our kinda place.

BOLD, INNOVATIVE FISCAL POLICY NEEDED FROM NATIONAL

This is no time for Key to let his balls hide behind his kidneys. Its time for smart, sharp , innovative economic thinking.

Kick Arse Economics.

Fortune favours the brave.

Hooton has a good analysis

Which is odd really , because we in the VRWC all thought he was a closet pinko.

Jokes aside - we need a really good plan.

John Key needs to deliver - not just for National but for the Nation.

VRWC and GROWLers

Cactus kate talks about the VRWC having a few members - there are more - we met at Beaujolais they other nite..

much fun - more meetings scheduled.

Funny isnt it - there really isnt a VRWC just GROWL. Get Rid of Winston and Labour.

And GROWLers like drinking and eating seafood as well.