Aaron Bhatnagar Nuts off, Again

Further to the personal attack from local politician directed towards me over my mild criticism of his distasteful attack on a dead person, Michael Jackson in this particular case, Aaron Bhatnagar has another go on his blog, this time during office hours, on ratepayer time .

He makes a reference to a website put up by someone with distasteful, slanderous stuff written about me, putting my family in danger because he asks people to look at it, because it contains information that shouldn't be on the net and simply isn't true.

Is this the sort of individual that should be representing you, causing trouble for a fellow Aucklander?

In my opinion we need higher standards for our Pollies and Aaron just doesn't fit that bill.

I will let you be the judge of that dear reader.

This will be the end of the matter, as I dont want to give Aaron the attention he so clearly lacks.

c Political Animal 2009

Aaron Bhatnagar Nuts Off

It is hard to get good, upstanding representation from our politicians these days.

National, and especially local, and from all political colours, we seem to be dragging the bottom of the barrel when it comes to governance.

If it isn't Andrew Williams, Mayor of the North Shore, spending ratepayer money like a drunken sailor, with his own ratepayer funded wine, we have Mayor Banks across the bridge trying to outdo him by digging up perfectly good footpaths in the CBD again and spending 80 million bucks "turning sidewalks into roads", while he has well and truly broken his 2007 election promises by promising to use truckloads of ratepayer moola on the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

One of John Banks disciples, Auckland City Councillor Aaron Bhatnagar, appears to be fitting the mold (or should that be mould) when it comes to the stereotypical machinations of local politics.

Aaron is one of those councillors behind the push to build a multimillion dollar shed shaped like a shoebox on the Wynyard Wharf for the wealthy cruise ship set, instead of a world class public space or building, on one of the best harbour sites in the world- don't we just love the Sydney Opera House and its public surrounds.

Anyway Aaron has adventurous activities online, he nutted off yesterday:

This email exchange yesterday between yours truly and Aaron after he made tasteless jokes about Michael Jackson's death on his facebook page.

Only his replies are quoted because he has removed me from his Facebook friends after I told him to bugger off and my comments have been removed.

I basically started off saying he was being tasteless joking about the death of someone and joking about anyone's death is a pretty low thing to do. I wasn't abusive at all.

Here were his replies:

1."Grow up Darren, it was a very mild tongue in cheek comment based on one of his more famous songs. I've seen some pretty repulsive jokes about MJ, usually involving allegations of sex abuse by Jackson, so what on earth is your problem?"

When I suggested that his comments about someone dying were inappropriate for anyone in politics:

2."Any besides, what's my political career got to do with this? If politics somehow distorts my moral compass, what do we make of you, whose blog is called "The Political Animal - Politics with balls".

Are we to take it that your political interests generate an unhealthy fetish with genitalia?"

When I suggested what his mother might think about him joking about someone dying.

3."I get it now. You are Church of Michael Jackson. No criticising MJ by anyone.

I suggest you put a damp cloth on your forehead, have a nice cup of tea, and a take yourself off for a nice nap. You need it.

What a humourless scold."

4."What a tantrum!

I'm frankly astonished at your comments. Of all the things I could have said, it's almost unreal that my rather mild turn of phrase has set you off. If that's a standard you hold dear, then I don't want any of it."

When I told him to bugger off (this is when I DID get a little testicularly challenged) spend some more ratepayer and his daddy's money and make his jokes about dying somewhere else:

5. "LOL - now I know you are a nasty piece of work!"

Now I am used to getting abused by all sorts of people because I have strong opinions and put them out there and fair enough, I LOVE good debate, but a local politician having a laugh at a person dying (even a misunderstood individual like Jackson, there is perhaps a time for jokes but long after the person has been buried) so soon after they have died, surely shows the mentality and arrogance of an individual that really isn't suitable to represent people - what the hell is he saying behind his constituents backs!

Does he joke and carry on in a similar vein? Who knows.

For goodness sake, if you have a political career and have dopey things to say, keep them to yourself Aaron, it aint a good look.

It isn't that bright and it reveals a somewhat foul taste in the mouth.

We clearly need much better representation than this.

c Political Animal 2009

Michael Hill: Interview with Ian Fraser

You may have missed an interview with Michael Hill yesterday with Ian Fraser. I only caught it by accident while turning the dial.

Michael is currently on a media blitz to sell his book and this is another but more interesting leg.

The interview covers off his personal background and motivation to get him where he has.

It is very interesting to hear that up until the infamous house fire when he was 43 he wanted to "do more" in life but, like most of us, was fearful of making that step out of the comfort zone we place ourselves in. After that incident he reacted in a way that most wouldn't - he calmly decided that there was more to life than what he had experienced thus far and he was going to "go for it".

The fire somehow was the impetus that removed that block and allowed Hill to face new things without fear and that we all face that moment when a choice can be made that will change our lives but we don't always take it. -he did.

There was also an interesting admission, he mentioned that he has made a mistake by buying Whitehall Jewelers Holdings-based in the Chicago out of bankruptcy last year - not usually something that CEO's would readily admit to and he says he has learnt from it, the struggling US business has taught the company as a whole how to respond to the current tough economic times, he said.

I would recommend a listen, the interview is 46 minutes long, 16 MB and can be downloaded at Share Investor Forum here. You have to be a member to download, its free and quick - register, it takes less than a minute.


Disclosure I own Michael Hill International shares.


Michael Hill International @ Share Investor Blog

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Buy Toughen Up: What I've Learned About Surviving Tough Times



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c Share Investor 2009

A Note to Prospective Restaurant Brand's Shareholders

There has been market talk in the past and more out today about how positive things look for Restaurant Brands [RBD.NZ] profit next year.

Yes, profit will be up marginally from last year and substantially from the last few years but this company really has had a dreadful past, so any increase in profit will look good.

I am not sure whether anyone follows this company closely in the broker/choker set but if they do they were either in nappies when the company listed back in 1997, too lazy to analyze the company's history properly, or ignoring the bleeding obvious simply because the stock will be back in the NZX 50 next week and brokers will have to add the stock to their index funds - read pump and dump.

While South African CEO Russel Creedy has done a much better job than any leader the company has had, he has gotten the company out of the fast food graveyard by focusing on cutting costs, speeding up service times and levels of service (my experience from gorging at KFC for the last 15 years and being a large RBD shareholder in the past) the industry that his company operates in is notoriously cyclical.

Fast food is currently undergoing a renaissance of sorts because of dire economic circumstances and people are looking for cheaper places to eat. RBD is now in the upper part of the fast food cycle, in fact I mentioned about ten years ago that its business cycle is up and down more than a cheap Krd hooker, anyway, that aside, my bet is that the stock may even race up to one and a half dollars or more from its current 1.02.




It has moved over the last couple of months ago from a low of 57c a stock price it last reached in the late 90s.

My point is if you are interested in buying into this stock, be warned that you should be there for the long-term because its stock price will come down again when it moves back off the peak of its economic cycle and once again struggles to maintain profit.

You have been warned dear readers but as always, do your own research.

Restaurant Brands @ Share Investor

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Related Amazon Reading


KFC in China: Secret Recipe for Success by Warren Liu
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c Share Investor 2009