Fully Aware of Muslims: Jihad & Understanding

My eyes would glaze over if the subject wasn't so serious because I have heard it many times before.

Its Muslim Awareness Week( MAW) again in New Zealand and this kicks off a week of hand wringing Liberal guilt likely to rival what members of the Catholic faith feel over Catholic Priests and their penchant for little boys.

A press release by Labour today encapsulates the misunderstanding that the loony Left would have the public believe that the majority of Muslims love the West, have nothing against "us" are purely emigrating to Western nations like New Zealand because they want to spread love, joy, happiness, peace and want to envelope us all in a group hug. It is all in the interests of that wonderful word that you cant disagree with because if you do you are labeled either a racist, sexist, homophobic or any other label that the left want to stick you with because they don't have a valid argument to counter the common sense view that the opposite is true. That word is "diversity". Arrcchhh!!

In the interests of my readers I will try not to use the D word again here least it make you violently sick. It is a word that has largely lost its meaning because of the corruption of it by the left.

Anyway back to the press release.

This week in New Zealand is "Muslim Awareness Week" a week of State funded hand wringing over the guilt brought on by the Wests involvement in liberating Iraq and the subsequent outpouring of vitriol against our Muslim brothers by the least sensitive of us heathens in the West. Carter and his comrades from Iraq were also involved in a march through Auckland's North Shore this last weekend to raise funds for Iraqi refugees, who doubtless, we will find some entering our shores and willing to spread the good word. Can you sense my sarcasm dear readers?

This week, sponsored by yours truly and 2 million other working Kiwis MAW will help us understand our Muslim comrades, bring us closer together and "normalise" our dual relationships:

“Nevertheless, world events have shown us here in New Zealand that it is important to promote greater communication and understanding between people of different faiths and backgrounds".


The underlying message that MAW wants to spread and being championed strangely by the openly gay Labour Minister Chris Carter is that we all just need to "understand" each other and accept other cultures:

"Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter is welcoming moves by the local Muslim community to demystify their religion and customs.

Promoting greater unity among the diverse peoples who call New Zealand home is the theme of Islam Awareness Week 2007 which began yesterday. The annual event is organised by the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) and supported by the Office of Ethnic Affairs and the Human Rights Commission".

Bizarre that New Zealands Muslim community would use a gay minister to promote their cause because as we all know the Muslim "faith" allows that queer folk must be silenced in the most final and gruesome of ways. Of course the left and misunderstood groups do often make strange bedfellows, pun intended, to get political points across to the unwashed masses like us.

The New Zealand Labour Party and their attempt to buy Muslim votes has started and it is still over a year away from an election.

Okay you say what is the point of this column you ask yourself?

Ill stop the bullshit then.

What is clear , as opposed to the diatribe and invective postulated by Chris Carter is that Muslims as a whole do not fit well into Western society, their "culture/religion" doesn't allow it, and Muslims and their proponents have a propensity to rail against us when a few probing questions are asked say on their views of the ultimate western culture, America.

There is also the small question of the Jihad that Muslims have out on the West.

Once again the Liberal lefty media In New Zealand have lapped this up unquestioning of the thrust of this MAW week. Pathetic!

I am looking forward to a State sponsored Catholic awareness week so we can understand a priests love for young children and taxpayer funds spent so we can understand a whole group of other religions that tithe families to "help their congregation".

The message of MAW is accepted without dissent and opinion to the contrary will be labeled intolerant.

I have an adjective for my readers.

Vigilant.

c Darren Rickard

Sky City Casino Lead up to 2007 Full Year Profit Announcement

Sky City Casino (SKC) has been in the news recently.

A week or so ago there was talk of Greater Union, the US Cinema Chain, being interested in the Sky City Cinema assets.

Of course SKC paid far too much for Village Cinemas when they originally bought a portion in the late 90s, then a purchase of the unit in its entirety in 2002. Money was lost through write downs then and more money will be lost when the "asset" is finally sold to some other poor sucker-I hate cinemas as a business because as a whole they don't make money.

As a substantial Sky City Casino Shareholder I am very pleased the Cinemas are going to be sold.

Proceeds should be used to pay off the mortgage.

The other bit of press Sky City has garnered came out this morning in the NZ Herald and basically outlines what management have been up to since Evan Davies departure a few months back.

The focus for a company profit turnaround seems to be an effort to get more moola from the "high rollers" that visit the Auckland Complex , forgetting of course the fact that management recently banned a high roller after he won "millions" off the company last year in the VIP lounge, so naturally this has not endeared any possible whales from plunking down the big bucks. So they are starting on the back foot here because the high roller club is an exclusive one worldwide that obviously talk amongst themselves.

The other tack management are taking is on lowering table bets for games such as Blackjack. From the usual minimum of NZ$5 down to $2.50 on a Friday and Saturday night the focus here is at the lower end, perhaps trying to lure one arm bandit freaks to try a game of skill? I personally don't see this increasing table business. You are either a table player or a fruit machine retard. If they are trying to lure passerby by lowering the bet I'm not sure whether $2.50 is going to make any difference.

I can see managements' thinking though. If you can get them to the table, perhaps they will stay longer and therefore lose more pennies. The jury is still out on this but we may know more when the Full Year 2007 result comes out Monday 21 August (NZ time)

Either way next weeks results may be a turning point in the companies history. We will find out where they have been , what assets will be flogged off and although very hard considering recent upheavals, perhaps a profit forecast depending on the above.

As I write this Monday Morning the share price is down by 6c to $4.56 on low volume and is at lows for a year.

c Share Investor 2007

Labours Socialist Peril

We are just over a year from probably one of New Zealands most important elections in generations. Important because we currently have a party in power that have us doomed and heading towards a socialist utopia(theirs)that would have Helen Clark and her merry band of brothers and sisters and their Labour Party telling its citizens exactly what they should be doing.

Complete control of New Zealand by an elitist bunch of individuals who have an agenda of turning the "Swedish Model" of socialism that they aspire New Zealand to have into some sort of Stalinist, Maoist, Clarkist, Fascist, South Pacific 1930s Germany.

Some of us have learnt from history how socialism didn't work and we also know from history that socialism will never work in the present or is good for our countries future. Micheal Cullen, the Dr of History, should take on board the lessons that his craft has taught him. If you ignore history you are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of an idea, thought or in Labour's case their socialist agenda, that clearly makes that idea a redundant one. Are you listening Micheal!

Let us canvas briefly Labours last 8 years in office. We must all continue to be reminded as to what this group of angry, vindictive, nasty individuals have foisted on New Zealand and some of the crimes against our freedoms that have been imposed upon us.

Without a doubt the biggest blot on our countries freedom has been the rights of parents and their right to parent as they see fit.

Removal of the right of a parent to smack a child if he puts himself in danger or the parent has no other recourse for punishment would be funny if it wasn't so serious. Like Labour's removal of physical punishment in schools during the 1980s, sensible practical people all know where this has led schools to in the present day. Pupils now run classes and are allowed to swear, be unruly and hit teachers and pupils without consequence. Removal of the threat of physical punishment in schools has led to more violence, not less as the left would have you believe.

The same reason has been given for the removal of the rights of a parent to lightly smack a child, that is, to prevent violence. If you learn from history and common sense we all know that is going to happen. Learn from history Labour.

The nanny state has also been busy telling us what we should eat, drink, smoke ,say and think and at the same time using taxpayers money in a Stalinist way to "educate" the masses, using TV, Newspapers and other media to brainwash Kiwis into thinking that the bizarre is normal. It wont be long before the government is running supermarkets and pumping gas!!

The attack on the Family through legislation to make same sex "marriage" normal for homosexuals and lesbians is part of the sustained attack by Labour's "Rainbow Youth" section and the continued striving by them to make Government mandated same sex relationships a legitimate thing. Us Heteros don't want Government meddling in our relationships why would the queer folk want the same?

The legitimisation of prostitution by Labour legislation its no surprise. Minister Phil Goff's proposal that the age of consent be brought down to 12 gives the public an idea as to what Phil and his comrades have in store for us should they continue to hold the reins of power going forward.

The loose morals and low standards of Labour's leader, Helen Clarke, have not only pervaded its parties policies and law making but have clearly been evident in Clarke's colleagues actions and attitudes.

From the top down we can see a litany of lies, deceit and subterfuge not seen since Richard Nixon took office in the United States.

Helen Clarke has been caught out lying several times; falsely signing paintings, professing not to know what was happening around her as her Ministerial car sped through a 50KM zone at 170KM(yeah right!)so she could get to a Rugby game and a long list of other fibs and spins including the stealing of 850,000 dollars of taxpayer money to buy the 2005 election and then the passing of a law under urgency to legitimise this theft. Something tricky dicky would be proud of and incidentally something he was impeached and sacked for.

We had drop kick lefties like Chris Trotter coming out in their newspaper columns saying that the theft was legitimate and if the means to this end was to deny National its place in Government, theft and lying was acceptable.

Clarke's Minister David Benson Pope has been caught out lying twice, that we know of. He lied to Parliament twice during the great tennis ball incident and the recent case of the sacking by him of Madeline Setchel, then repeated the lies to media.

We also had the case just before the 2005 election of Phillip Field, where there is clear evidence he has been found to be taking bribes from his electorate and using slave Labour in Samoa to get houses he owns renovated. This was apparent before the 2005 election but our largely leftist mainstream media were more interested in the non-story of National and the money coming from a religious group.

Chris Trotter and his media ilk ignored the cover-up of the Phillip Field scandal because if Field had lost his electorate of Mangere then Labour would have been outski in 2005. David Lange would be spinning in his grave!!

We also had one of Clarke's Ministers caught drunk behind the wheel while Minister for ACC and a Minister who was illegitimately claiming expenses for living in taxpayer funded accommodation and a long, long list of other sleaze, spin and lies too long to list in this brief article.

Let us not forget the mishandling of our economy my Micheal Cullen and his social misfits. During a time when all economic factors conspired to give us the best economic conditions we have had in generations the best the economy could do was 3.5% growth.

Cullen has squandered that growth by taxing the life out of its citizens ,while at the same time on such a reckless Government spending spree that bureaucrats have increased by more that 30% in 8 years.

Dr Cullen has milked the middleclases of its hard earned wealth filtered it through Government lackeys and "given" it back through Welfare benefits, through "Working for Families" and other nutcase socialist schemes. Never before in our history have New Zealanders had so many people reliant on the State(other taxpayers)through welfare.

Probably the epitome of ridiculousness was the 2005 election bribe of free student loans. Dr Cullen's theory that if there is no interest on student loans and that students therefore will pay back loans quicker defies even the logic of a sane man. This collective individual (an oxymoron if I ever heard one)is in charge of the taxpayers purse strings. Remember though he is going to have another go at bribing you again with your own money in 2008.

Cullen's high taxes, amongst the highest in the world, is clearly killing the economy. Not only are his high taxes and proliferate spending putting a nail through business and productivity but they have given rise to the highest interest rates in the developed world. Our dairy farmers have little to do with the rising dollar, it has more to do with Dr Cullen's out of control spend and tax regime. Socialism at work!!

Now I could continue to trot out acre after acre of prose about the nasty, vindictive, morally corrupt lot that call themselves our leaders but I want to leave that up to you to comment on. For or against.

What we must not forget though is the attacks by our Government on our freedoms our pockets our minds our consciences and the socialist agenda that is wrapped around it are set to continue unabated if this swine get elected again in 2008.

It is up to you to remember what the ultimate in socialism did to Stalinist Russia.

Millions perished.


c Political Animal 2007

Global Markets Dropping and Your Portfolio

Global share markets continue to fall and the charts are looking like a man who hasn't taken his Viagra after riding a rollercoaster for a few weeks.

Nervous nellies and those with short term investing horizons are bailing out quicker than you would have to bail out the Titanic.

There is talk of a credit squeeze, institutions freezing funds to stem a flow of cash and Federal and State banks increasing liquidity as a result.

The markets have had a good run of late, especially Asian markets and China the beacon of them all. Clearly share markets are currently factoring in some sort of global economic downturn. How bad is unclear, I would agree to a certain extent with Frank Barbera about China:

"That basically leaves the Shanghai Market as the sole hold out among Global Markets. Ironic, in that the historical analogy between the US Market and Great Britain of the 1920’s seems to be holding up perfectly nearly 80 years later. Back in the late 1920’s, the US was the up and coming industrial production giant, while Great Britain was the established economic power. As it turned out, the European Stock Markets peaked in 1928 and began extended declines into early 1929. At the same time, the US Stock Market was able to shrug off the declines in other markets and continued to make new all time highs going into August of 1929. Then came the Crash, where the US Market collapsed and caught up to the European and UK Markets which by then had long since been in bear market territory down more than 30% off there highs.

Flash forward to 2007, and we see roughly the same thing happening all over again, this time with the US in the role of Great Britain as the developed economic power, and China as the rising manufacturing star. At the very last pages of this report, we update what will in all likelihood be the final version of the Global Top Out Parade for this cycle, documenting the high dates for each of the major global indices, and a wide number of important sectors. What is painfully clear is that China now stands alone with its market, the Shanghai Composite, on a “Solo Walk” to new highs. Perhaps for a historical sense this is the most fitting end, as the Shanghai market has been the speculative bubble leader over the last few years. That said, we see no way that this market is able to sustain itself with the inevitable crash in Chinese stocks still the order of the day". (Frank Barbera 7.8.07)

I am not as pessimistic as Barbera but I would agree to the extent that I think China is the Joker in the pack of global markets. How bad could it be is hard to tell but it does need to pull back. The worst part is the uncertainty. Stockmarkets hate that.

What does this all mean to ones portfolio though?

Well, if you are like me, a long term investor, with a view of more than five years then you will be approaching these volatile markets with great interest and a certain amount of glee because these share price drops represent opportunities to buy more of what you own at a cheaper price. Look at these share price drops as one of the biggest sales that you have been to !

If you have bought well in the first place clearly any price below what you paid for your company is going to be an opportunity to buy. Who the hell would want to buy when the share prices are going up?

The only decisions you have to make though is how any global economic slowdown might have material and lasting effects on the prospects of the company or companies that comprise your portfolio and when to buy more of the companies that are going to ride out any possible global economic slowdown.

I have never been good at picking bottoms of share prices so I am going to place my buying decisions on the value of the company at the time I buy and its prospects as we move away from a global slowdown.

Whatever you do though, do not follow the heard and sell. Go against your psychological urges to sell and do the opposite if you have some cash. It is extremely hard to do and something I learnt from the insane decision to sell my portfolio on September 11 2001 and again the next year following Global worries over the US share market and its dodgy accounting fiascos.

Markets returned much to those who bought at these times rather than sold.

Hang on for the next several months, it will be character building.


Related Share Investor Reading

"Mr Market" gets his groove on
A sensible approach to global market volatility
Global Market's dropping and your portfolio

From Fishpond.co.nz - Buy Toughen Up: What I've Learned About Surviving Tough Times



Toughen Up - Fishpond.co.nz



c Share Investor 2007