Earthquakes and Politics

The one year anniversary of the Christchurch quake brings you the usual depressing array of before and after shots. If you're really feeling down play them backwards and you get to watch buildings appear from building sites.

One thing I found incredibly heartwarming was the response from overseas. America, Japan, the UK...a number of countries sent relief teams, gave invaluable knowledge and equipment, and dug deep to donate money.

2194 people on the tiny Cook Island of Aitutaki gave $25,000 via a radiothon...Botswana, with an average income a little over half New Zealand's, gave $62,000.

If the cockles of your heart are not warmed by that you are truly dead inside. You should hang a pine scented car freshener around your neck to hide the stench.

Special props to Australia who were especially amazing and were the neighbours who sprang over the fence with a shovel, a cup of tea and a kind word. Which almost makes up for them laying claim to the flat white. TO THE FAINTING COUCH!

If the Republicans win the next American election can we officially declare the US a fundamentalist nation and attack it to free it's citizens whose rights are being impinged on by religious nut jobs? My itchy feet keep pushing me to pack my bags and move there where I could hopefully then afford my own home and a dishwasher, but then I'm reminded that I don't want to live in a place where the likes of Destiny Church has got it's hands on political power. And I would like to think that enough rational people would vote so as not to go down this path, but holy shit, George Bush, twice! I worry.

Talking about politics, apparently John Key's highlights of last year was receiving calls from Obama, Gillard and the Queen*. This bumps up nicely with Tony Blair saying that his political highlight was receiving a standing ovation from the US Senate. Notice that this is not about them serving their respective countries, but instead it's All About Them and this egotistical grasping of power and validation from the power elite. And that's why the poor under both their leaderships were always going to be fucked. On the bright side being paid to be fucked is legal in NZ so at least solo mums can supplement their incomes.

* My bad - I jumped in without looking at the source first - that isn't actually how I read it contrary to what was said. But I stand by my take on his personality insofar as the kidlet Key who only ever wanted to be PM was doing it for status and not service.