Dave Gee: Life from Right Field

Yes it may be Budget Day in New Zealand, but worldwide people are celebrating the first annual 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day' (aka Everybody Draw Muhammed/Mohammad Day, the apparent prophet likes to mix it up when it comes to the spelling of his name).

The celebration was initially dreamt up American cartoonist Molly Norris, following the controversy over an episode of the tv cartoon South Park, which depicted Mr Mohammed dressed up in a bear costume.

South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker received a number of death threats after the episode, as did the Comedy Central tv network.

The online protest is described as a "protest against those Islamists who attempt to restrict freedom of speech by threatening violence against anyone who offends them or Islam."

Internet protestors are encouraged to "create a drawing representing Muhammad, a prophet of Islam, on May 20, 2010, as a protest against efforts to limit freedom of speech". (Depictions of the so-called prophet are explicitly forbidden by some Islamic texts, although not actually by the Qur'an).



* Check out WhaleOil for his collection of New Zealand Mohammed drawings...

Political ad-man John Ansell has called out National's "greenie in drag" Nick Smith, who along with Johnkey is intent on forcing a barmy Emissions Trading Scheme on unsuspecting New Zealanders from 1 July.

Ansell has shown Nick Smith to be a hypocrite, after digging comments the MP made back in November 2005, where he described Labour's proposed carbon tax as "madness".

At the time, Smith claimed to be vehemently opposed to a carbon tax which would "drive up the costs of living and undermine the competitiveness of New Zealand business for negligible environmental gain"...

At the time, the National opposition launched a campaign arguing against the very idea of a carbon tax, including an axethecarbontax.co.nz website.

The appetite of Dr Cullen and this Government for more taxes is legendary, 43 new and increased levies and taxes have been introduced.

The latest is the carbon tax. It will add 6c per litre to the price of petrol, 7c per litre to diesel, 6% to all power bills and put the price of coal and gas up by 9%.

(Nick Smith, 2005)

That now rings as true as Labour's current 'Axe the Tax' campaign, which has Phil Goff and co. slamming the proposal to increase GST by 2.5% to 15%, while at the same time admitting the Labour Party is unlikely to reverse the increase (and certainly isn't considering "axing" it).

Ansell has labelled Smith's flip flop as "Nickpocrisy", as the Gnats prepare to go against the worldwide trend and force a crazy climate tax on kiwi workers and businesses, along with an increase in GST, and a significant increase in State spending.
The full impact of National's evil Emissions Trading Scheme isn't yet understood by the general public. But it won't take long. From July 1st, hard working New Zealanders will face substantial price hikes at the petrol pump and on their power bills, which will flow through to all other goods and services.

These new taxes are theoretically to pay for a ridiculous creation called "carbon credits", which is simply an underhand way of getting western countries to fund the workings of a left-leaning one world government.

(That plan however has stalled, with most countries in the world - including Australia, Canada, China, Russia, India, Japan, and the United States - backing away from the loopy and costly proposal).

John Ansell estimates the average New Zealand household will be saddled with at least $3,000 a year in extra costs because of National's ETS. And that's based on a carbon price of around $25. A increase to $100 which some are tipping will leave the average household facing a massive $12,000 bill every year!

NBR columnist Matthew Hooton recently noted that John Key's mind "must soon turn to extricating his government from the hole it dug itself by ramming its economically-vandalous and environmentally-pointless Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) through Parliament before Christmas."

Smith said in 2005 that "the only conclusion is that the carbon tax actually has nothing to do with Kyoto or climate change but is just an excuse for Dr Cullen to get his fingers deeper into the pockets of New Zealanders." Why can't he listen to his own words??

Despite the best efforts of the so-called mainstream media, the general public are starting to see through the bucketloads of green propaganda being thrown at them each day.

The relative failure of Earth Hour recently proved that New Zealanders can now see through the lies of "climate change". (Despite the internet hype, Rick Giles was totally right, and Earth Hour was an absolute bomb!)

Power consumption fell by just 2% during NZ's "Earth Hour" 2010. As TV3's resident greenie cheerleader Samantha Hayes said herself in her preview story, the "light switch vote will be a global gauge if people are feeling apathetic, or want action [about climate change]".

I take that tiny vote and general apathy to mean most kiwis don't want action on something based on lies and plain bad science.

* WhaleOil has added Smith's new name to his official Polictionary.

* John Ansell - Nickpocrisy

A bunch of terrorist-loving muslims have got their tea towels in a twist, after being offended by a television cartoon show. A few issued barely-disguised death threats against the creators of the Comedy Central tv show South Park, after it made fun of the so-called prophet Muhammad (aka Mohammed, aka Bobo).

The long-running animated series has poked fun at pretty much every major Hollywood celebrity, political name, and even religious figures. (Show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are currently working on a Broadway musical comedy about Mormons, due to hit the stage in March 2011).

Now violent threats made on a radical muslim hate website have prompted Comedy Central to censor the 200th episode of the South Park show. The episode featured many of the 'celebrities' that have featured in popular storylines since 1997, including Tom Cruise, Barbra Streisand, Moses, Jesus, and Buddha.

In the episode, Muhammad is brought to the fictional Colorado town of South Park. He is initially heard speaking from inside a U-Haul trailer, before being let out into the town, dressed in a bear costume...

Islam apparently forbids the depiction of Mr Muhammad, and so a member of the Revolution Muslim website decided the episode "outright insulted" the prophet.

Mr Abu Talhah Al-Amrikee (aka Zach Chesser) posted a thinly veiled death threat, saying they "will probably wind up like Theo van Gogh for airing this show". (Dutch filmmaker van Gogh was killed by an Islamic militant in The Netherlands in 2004). A link to the address of the South Park creators was also posted.

The media-shy Muhammad did partially stop by in a 2006 South Park episode, which followed the muslim-led controversy over the satirical Danish Muhammad cartoons.

In that episode, Big Mu was hidden behind a large black box marked "CENSORED", after the Comedy Central network refused to let Matt Stone and Trey Parker show the shy prophet. (MTV Networks president Doug Herzog later admitted that Comedy Central had caved to political and commercial pressure, and given a fresh chance he'd do it differently).

In the recent 2-part 200th episode, the Mu character was again Censored, and his name was bleeped. Stone and Parker said Comedy Central also added "numerous additional audio bleeps" to the episode, after it was delivered to the network (including during an end speech "about intimidation and fear"). The network also wouldn't let the episode be streamed as normal on the its website.

Free speech campaigners have slammed the censorship by Comedy Central, and now thanks to WhaleOil it seems there's an important date for all free speech proponents to mark on the calendar. May 10, 2010 has officially been declared the First Annual "Everybody Draw Mohammad Day!"

The event has been organised... In light of the recent "veiled" (ha!) threats aimed at the creators of the television show South Park (for depicting the prophet Mohammad in a bear suit) by bloggers on Revolution Muslim's website...

* New York Times - ‘South Park’ Episode Altered After Muslim Group’s Warning
* EW.com - 'South Park' creators 'warned' by radical Muslim website: Um, holy [beep]!
* BBC News - South Park duo write Broadway musical about Mormons
* The Strangler - Everybody Draw Mohammad Day!

Turn on your lights, your heaters, and your power-hungry appliances! There's a celebration going on tonight, right across the world. A celebration of Human achievement.

While the misguided hippies and misinformed and brainwashed muppets of the world will be flailing around in the dark for their media-promoted WWF event 'Earth Hour', free-thinking households will be celebrating the incredible accomplishments of the human race from 8.30 this evening.

Here in New Zealand, the Gnats may be preparing to unleash their fake carbon taxes on innocent kiwis (despite almost every other country in the world backing off an Emissions Trading Scheme or similar fraud), but thankfully there are a few sane politicians over the ditch in Australia (strange but true!)

A group chaired by Liberal senator Cory Bernardi is promoting the Anti-Earth Hour event known as Human Achievement Hour on its website...

"Don't be stuck in the dark with the communists. Turn your lights on!

While earth hour activists will be left in the dark, Human Achievement Hour participants will be going to the cinema, enjoying a hot meal, driving their car or watching television."

South Australian Senator Bernardi is a vocal sceptic of the theory of man-made climate change and global warming. Bernardi helped topple former Liberal Party leader Malcolm Turnbull (who supported the Labour Government's ETS), replacing him with Tony Abbott.

(Unfortunately the Liberals also have their own 'Nick Smith, with misguided Shadow environment spokesman Greg Hunt planning to support Earth Hour).

Canadian-based kiwi David Seymour writes in the Victoria Times Colonist that the Earth Hour festival "is an annual occult exercise" which has "no effect on climate, and sends the wrong message".
At least a small portion of the MSM in New Zealand has recognised that not everyone has bought into the great global warming swindle, and will be celebrating Anti Earth Hour in their own ways.

A story in the NZ Herald notes that some "cynics" are planning to celebrate "Edison Hour", recognising "enlightenment and technology by wasting as much electricity as possible during the hour".

The story borrows a quote from last year, when ACT on Campus President Rick Giles described Earth Hour as "an embarrassment ... based on phoney science in an attempt to promote phoney awareness".

And Libertarianz leader Richard McGrath has encouraged all New Zealanders to turn on all their lights during Earth Hour...

“This Saturday evening I will be turning on every light in the house, and lighting a bonfire outside, in memory of the industrialists, scientists and economists who made possible all the luxuries we take for granted today – the computer, television, motor vehicles, comfortable housing – and the electric light.”

There are some unusual "partners" and sponsors of the Earth Hour promotion here in NZ. I will be boycotting McDonalds for the next few months, due to their support of the silly festival. I have also made a mental note not to buy a Toyota next time I'm car hunting.

I do find it odd that TV and Radio broadcaster Mediaworks is encouraging people to participate. I assume includes encouraging people to turn off their tvs and radios for the hour this evening, depriving their advertisers (the life-blood of a commercial broadcaster) of viewers and listeners.

TradeMe also seems to be hoping nobody visits their online auction site, or places any bids between 8.30 and 9.30pm this evening. And online power retailer Powershop is encouraging customers to buy less of their electricity.


* The Anti Earth Hour Blog


* Scoop - Light Up The Country This Earth Hour, Say Libz
* The Age - Call to turn on the lights
* NZ Herald - Earth Hour not without its grinches
* Times Colonist - Earth Hour: It's an annual occult exercise

Leave a Light On - Save Civilization...

UPDATE: If you're in Auckland, head to the Racket Bar tonight, down by Britomart...
"The world's longest multi-box chain, Coal-fired air-conditioning, and a light show visible from outer space!"
plus... "Bring your own appliance, and receive a Free Tiger beer!"

Workers in the North Otago town of Oamaru seem pretty happy with their life, going by a story in this morning's Otago Daily Times newspaper...

A planned 4-hour protest outside Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean's office on Saturday (to campaign against the 25c/hr minimum wage increase) had to be cancelled after just two people turned up, one being the protest organiser herself! ;-)

The protest was to coincide with nationwide demonstrations over the Government's decision to increase the minimum hourly rate from $12.50 to $12.75 from April 1 and called for a minimum rate of $15 an hour.

Protest organiser Rebecca Anderson was disappointed with the response in Oamaru, despite having spread the word it was on.

The Oamaru protest was to have been part of a national campaign organised by Unite, a private sector community union.

Ms Anderson must be disappointed that only one other person was willing to give up their Saturday to join her in the minimum wage protest attempt. Surely she must have more friends and family than that??.

The town of Oamaru has a reasonably solid population of around 13,000, and the meeting was promoted during the week in the local media...

* ODT - Minimal interest in minimum wage protest
* ODT - Protest over minimum wage rise

Prime Minister John Key delivered his speech to the nation this afternoon, at the opening of Parliament for 2010. It was billed as the National Party leader's most important speech of the year, but aside from a few highlights has largely failed to live up to those hyped expectations.

Kiwiblog's David Farrar had a full point-by-point analysis out in record time, allowing Labour Party leader Phil Goff to quote his "B" grade at the start of his speech in reply!

• Positives in John Key's speech:

* GST increased to 15%, but with no introduction of any exemptions (which reduces its efficiency). If there has to be taxes in some form, a consumption tax is one the better options as everyone has to pay it (many people avoid paying income tax, either through Labour's 'Working for Families', or through trusts and other structuring of their personal finances).

* Changes to property taxation, and the way depreciation is taxed (but no Land Tax because National was scared of upsetting property investors).

* Some reductions to personal (and company?) tax rates, but will have to wait until May's budget for details. Currently the top 10% of all income earners pay over 75% of New Zealand's net tax, while around 40% of people pay no income tax at all.
* No extra funding for many Government agencies for the next few years.

* An "action plan to unlock New Zealand’s petroleum potential", and opening up land locked up under the guise of conservation for mining.

* I am cautiously interested in the 'Whanau Ora' initiative of social services delivery, provided it isn't restricted to being a race-based programme.

* Stricter monitoring of standards in education, and demanding better performances from the crap teachers and schools currently failing our kids.

* Reform of the welfare system, which hopefully will translate into more than just talk. Getting people away from the idea of welfare dependency, stricter benefit rules, increased testing. As John Key points out in his speech...

"In 2010, New Zealand taxpayers will fund an estimated $7.6 billion of benefits and income support, not including Superannuation. This amounts to $20.8 million every day, or $867,500 every hour. It is critical we ensure this money is spent effectively...

...I need to be able to look taxpayers in the eye and assure them that their hard-earned wages are not being used to support those who lack the will or desire to work as hard for their living as their fellow New Zealanders."

* Reaffirming the goal of concluding all Treaty of Waitangi settlements by 2014.

• Negatives and missed opportunities in John Key's speech

* Labour's 'Working for Families' welfare regime (described by John Key as "Communism by stealth") won't be abolished, although National will tinker with the system slightly. WFF recipients and beneficiaries will be compensated for the 2.5% increase in GST.

* No Land Tax. Claims by Property Investors that this would have meant higher rates aren't quite true. NZ property prices are artificially inflated thanks to the current system. A land tax would contribute to a reduction in property investment, and a reduction in prices. This would allow more kiwis to buy their own homes, and the rental market would be forced to come down to earth.

* Opening up of land for mining and exploration will unfortunately be balanced by replacing it with other land not currently protected under 'Section 4'.
* A Conservation Fund will be established to direct some royalty income from mining on crown land towards conservation projects. Designed to appease the Greens but won't.

* Government spending will continue to increase. Billions of dollars more will be thrown at education, health, roads, etc...

Of course it is a better programme than we would have seen had voters allowed Labour and its mates the Greens and NZ First to continue running New Zealand.

However Key's speech this afternoon wasn't as bold as might have been expected, considering the PM said beforehand he expected the policy programme could erode his political popularity. The pressure is on to prove this year that he is not simply a 'do nothing' Prime Minister.

The next instalment is due in May... ;-)

* Stuff - Key confirms GST increase being considered

* NZ Herald - Bernard Hickey: Leave the country now Gen X & Y

* Not PC - Fisking that “step change”

* Kiwiblog - PM’s 2010 Statement to Parliament

* UPDATE: TV1 and TV3 6PM News Ultimate Maths Fail
Both of the country's major tv news bulletins failed with basic mathematical calculations tonight, when trying to illustrate the effect a 2.5% increase in GST would have on certain consumer goods. (TV3 also made a secondary mistake in their graphic by losing track of the decimal point).

As the post by Steve Biddle at Geekzone points out, How can you trust either network to deliver us accurate news when they're unable to calculate a basic maths equation?

(It's actually the third financial misstep at 3 News in the last month. It miscalculated the extra amount someone on the minimum wage will receive per week, and confused "million" with the slightly larger "billion" when talking about an education spending item).

The practice of cash-for-stories by the media is largely confined in New Zealand to the women's magazines and the occasional story in the Sunday papers.

But it seems most of the 'mainstream media' are coughing up cash today, to cover Waitangi Day commemorations at Te Tii Marae.

Ngapuhi elder Hama Apiata this morning demanded news organisations paid the tribe a monetary fee to attend the event. Stuff (Fairfax Media) and other organisations were told they had to pay a $500 fee, or they would not be allowed onto marae grounds, and their equipment would be confiscated.

Stuff reports that Maori TV and TVNZ both agreed to pay $1000 to let their cameras and reporters onto the lower Waitangi grounds (although Newstalk ZB reports only Maori TV paid the full $1000, with TVNZ paying a $500 'service fee').

The reports say TV3 and NZ Herald both initially refused to pay the fee, but both gave in with TV3 paying a 'koha' of $500, and NZ Herald paying an undisclosed koha (no details on whether this was also in cash, or perhaps by way of a couple of newspaper subscriptions and a nice set of steak knives?...) Fairfax Media claim they gave Ngapuhi a koha of just $20.
Late this morning, it seemed just Sky News/Prime TV and Newstalk ZB were holding firm to their principles of a 'free media', and refusing to pay cash to cover the ceremonies.

* Stuff: Waitangi's Te Tii Marae demands media pay entry fee
* NZ Herald: Cash demanded for Waitangi coverage

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• Cancel Waitangi and go elsewhere (whaleoil.gotcha.co.nz)
• Waitangi Day (clintheine.blogspot.com)

United Future "Party" leader Peter Dunne isn't known as the country's most charismatic or inspiring politician, but his latest blog post seems to have really offended Tumeke! blogger Tim Selwyn. (Although Selwyn does correctly point out that Dunne has a fight on his hands to retain Ohariu next election).

I certainly couldn't describe myself as a fan of Peter "party of one" Dunne, but he does sometimes come out with some good thoughts, and his most recent blog post contains a number of interesting truths about the so-called Green Party of Aotearoa NZ.

Dunne argues that despite the regular praise heaped on the Greens by the news media, the Green Party has actually "been our most unsuccessful small party under MMP".

He comes to this conclusion by arguing that "the usual hallmark of political success is being part of a government", which of course the Greens have spectacularly failed to accomplish, even under Hillin Cluck's watch!

First, no member of the Greens has ever held office as a Minister in a government.

That sets them apart from every other small party that has emerged under MMP. The Alliance, ACT, New Zealand First, the Maori Party and UnitedFuture have all had Ministers in government, able to push through key aspects of their respective parties’ policies.

Apart from a short-lived term following the famous/infamous "worm" debate on State TV, Dunne has helmed a very small parliamentary party. Yet he has somehow managed to persuade the majority party that his one or two votes are useful and beneficial to forming a government.

And to give Dunne due credit, he has managed to extract more in policy concessions over the years than ACT's Rodney Hide has managed to get out of National in the current parliament with 5 MPs.

Dunne sounds frustrated but is correct in his assessment of the attitude of the self-proclaimed "mainstream" media towards the Greens. There is a definite media bias towards the Greens here, with reporters happy to repeat statements and assertions by the party's MPs verbatim, while often treating comments from other MPs with scepticism.

"... the news media and the commentariat have failed consistently to acknowledge this point, let alone draw it to public attention.

Moreover, they have actually gone to the other extreme and generally lauded the Greens for their “success”, although they have been noticeably light when it comes to pointing out what those successes have been."

A survey completed in 2008 by Dr Babak Bahador from Canterbury University looked at the media coverage of New Zealand's political parties in the 2008 election, comparing the level and tone of the coverage for each party.

The Greens received 32.6% positive media coverage, 49% neutral, and just 18.4% negative coverage. In comparison, National's positive media coverage was just 22.3%, along with 39.8% neutral and 37.9% negative coverage. Labour got 25.4% positive, 39% neutral, and 35.6% negative.
The most glaring evidence of msm bias in NZ was the finding that during the 2008 election campaign, every party received more media coverage than electoral support, except for National and ACT.

Stories specifically featuring the Green Party made up 7% of the stories during the election campaign. (The Green's other big political failure is the fact that their pre-election poll ratings have never translated into the same level of support on election day.)
Some have questioned whether the Greens can crack the 5% MMP threshold next election, with Jeanette Fitzsimons leaving the building, Sue Kedgley on her way out, and loudmouth Sue Bradford already gone.

Electoral statistics guru David Farrar blogged last year about New Zealand's 5% MMP threshold, and the effects on representation if the threshold was lowered or abolished altogether.

Even Winston Peters has been analysing the success (or otherwise) of MMP this week, with a speech to Political Science students at Auckland University. As usual, Peters has some bold claims, but manages to make a few good points...

The Royal Commission recommended that a hundred MPs in a new MMP system would work. We ended up with 120 because the two old parties reckoned that the 20 extra would put voters off the change.

In time, the Maori seats were supposed to go. We were all to be blended in – as we should be!

It's time for MPs to become bold enough to introduce MMP as the Royal Commission recommended... Reducing the threshold to 4%, axing the separatist Maori electorate seats, and increasing the Parliamentary term to 4 years.

* Peter's Position - A couple of Unpleasant Facts to Ponder
* Kiwiblog - Final Results of the 2008 Election Media Study

The dark brown sugary soda drink known as Coke apparently equals Happiness, or so their marketing people like to tell us.

Now the soft drink giant is endeavouring to spread a little bit of happiness across the US with random acts of vending kindness.

The Coca-Cola Happiness Machine was installed recently in the cafeteria of an American college campus, with the reactions of students becoming a viral video hit.

Image by Chris Devers via Flickr

Students using the normal-looking coke drink vending machine are initially surprised to receive multiple bottles of Coca-Cola, before the vending machine starts handing out (quite literally!) bunches of flowers, balloon animals, a pizza, and a giant sub sandwich.

The viral marketing campaign is part of Coke's global 'Open Happiness' campaign, and the company says many other similar stunts are planned, asking "Where will happiness strike next?"

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• 712,000 Views and Counting for New Coca-Cola Happiness Video (marketingvox.com)
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New Zealand fans of the tv drama Lost will unfortunately have to wait a little longer to see the final season of the show, according to a post on Throng.

The final season of Lost begins on February 2nd in the United States on ABC. Hopes were raised last month that TVNZ was going to screen the opening episode less than half a day after its American premiere, after information in the broadcaster's Planit ad schedule.

The official response from TVNZ was that tapes of the episodes cannot be contractually released by the distributor before the show has been broadcast on ABC in all US time zones.

TVNZ told Throng that such a turnaround was just too tight for the distributor to "physically take the tape to a completely different location and feed them to us via Satellite in real time."

The network also says there would be issues timing out the schedule, promoting the show, and adding captioning in just a few hours.

These excuses are somewhat acceptable, although still disappointing. The NZ television premiere of Lost's final season has been scheduled for a week later, on February 10th. However that is still a big improvement on the 6 month+ delay that New Zealand viewers used to faced for US shows.

The one hole in TVNZ's excuses is that ABC is launching Season 6 of Lost with a double episode, whereas TV2 is apparently only playing Episode 1, following the premiere its new show Flash Forward.

That will put New Zealand fans 2 episodes behind America. One wonders whether TV2 could have overcome the problems outlined above with the breathing room of just a single episode? I suspect the gap between overseas shows and their New Zealand broadcast dates will continue to close in this high-tech, download-heavy era...

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Former Ronald McDonald impersonator Gareth Hughes will take Jeanette Fitzsimons' list MP spot in Parliament next month, after the former Green Party co-leader announced she was retiring.

Hughes' claim to fame is being arrested while dressed as Ronald McDonald, during a protest against the use of 'genetically engineered' chicken feed. He stood for the Greens in the Ohariu seat at the last election.

I love this photo and headline caption from Stuff!

The 28 year old will become the youngest MP in the current Parliament. He plans to live in Wellington's inner city with his wife and son, and will walk to work (what a good greenie).

He is apparently "confident the Greens would be back with at least their nine current seats in 2010." Not surprisingly, Hughes has worked for Greenpeace, recently running its 'Sign On' global warming campaign in New Zealand. He also camped out with the hippies in the 'Save Happy Valley' anti-mining protest.

Hughes' arrival follows the sad sad departure last year of another Green Party protester clown, Sue Bradford...

Gareth's parliamentary goals are to focus on Transport (as in not having as little as possible, that's Green policy), Climate Change (as in keeping the propaganda machine rolling, despite the growing cracks), and Tertiary Education (as in more free money from the Government and less accountability).

* Stuff - Meet the Green Party's new MP

Air New Zealand's new 'Skycouch' seats have attracted a lot of international interest, but in all honesty failed to live up to their pre-launch hype.

Dubbed 'cuddle class', the new skycouch does offer lie-flat or curled-up seating for a couple of passengers, provided they buy a row of 3 seats.

There will be 11 rows of skycouch seats, with the arm rests fully retracting, and foot rests coming up to meet the seats in front and create a 1.75 metre-long couch. A thin mattress fits over the top.

Speculation has been going on for the last 6 months or more about how Air New Zealand's design team was going to "revolutionise" economy (coach) class for passengers.

Suggestions have included seats which reclined back to an almost lie-flat position, staggered seating, and lie-flat stackable bunk beds along the sides of the aircraft.

The reality proved somewhat less revolutionary, although they are still the world's first lie-flat seats in economy or coach class, and will suit couples travelling long-haul, and those with a small child.

A team of designers have been working on the project for three years. Air NZ's Chief Executive Rob Fyfe says the challenge he gave was to "have passengers able to lie down in economy, but I don't want the seat to take up any more space and I don't want people to have to pay any more for it."

I guess the catch of two passengers also having to buy the middle seat (albeit at half price) to get a lie down means that goal wasn't quite achieved.
However, Air New Zealand is predicting strong growth in the Premium Economy section of the market, the airline's also talking up a sideline licensing deal of the new seating designs with Boeing (to on-sell to international airlines).

Interestingly, investors seemed unimpressed with Air NZ's seating revamp, with shares slipping slightly on launch day.

And it will be interesting to see how long the "2 seats at standard price + 1 at half price" skycouch deal lasts. Presumably giving away 22 seats at half the going economy rate is fine while capacity is down, but that policy may come into question once planes start filling up again or the seats "fly out the door" as the airline hopes.

The new skycouch option launches in November, when Air New Zealand's new 340-seater Boeing 777-300 comes into service, between Auckland and Los Angeles. The airline plans to refit all its long haul aircraft in the skycouch configuration by 2012.

There will also be changes for all other flying classes on Air New Zealand. Regular economy/coach class will get bigger video screens for the personal entertainment system, plus iPod ports (yay!), and a narrow head cushion that attaches to the seat.
New 'Spaceseats' in Premium Economy class will be enclosed within a hard shell 'cocoon', meaning reclining your seat doesn't impede on the space of the person behind you as normally happens now in Economy cabins.

A herring-bone layout with seats angling either inwards of outwards will also allow Premium Economy passengers to choose to have more personal space, or to interact with another traveller, including the ability to share meals.

There will be new contoured seats in Business Premier, with a thicker mattress and better seat lighting.

New oven technology will allow flight attendants to prepare fresh food 'on demand' for passengers... Steaks for Business travellers, Pizzas for Premium Economy, and Toasted Sandwiches in Economy (ordered via the onboard entertainment system).
However, I'm not sure about the planned new colour scheme. "A luxurious blend of chalk and deep ink colours", economy seats are black with a white back, and premium economy seats are chalk-coloured leather.

It all sounds nice and classy, but it also sounds like the kind of colours that would get dirty and damaged pretty easily.

An increasing number of celebrities are expressing their public disappointment at not being able to meet Wayne, an uber-geek billed as "one of New Zealand's best kept secrets".

TV3 news and entertainment reporter David Farrier describes him as "my manky pasty friend Wayne". His minders tell us that "Wayne is a hardworking employee of a large New Zealand media organisation, who works so hard, he simply could not be here." :-(

That hardworking attitude has meant many music and movie stars have missed out on their chance to meet the secretive kiwi lad. However a YouTube Channel has been set up for celebs to send messaes, after being saddened and disappointed that Wayne could not be here...

Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger and guitarist Ryan Peake were disappointed recently during a concert stop in Auckland, New Zealand, when they learned that Wayne could not be there.

And many celebrities in Los Angeles have taken time out from their busy schedules this week to send a personal message to Wayne, who couldn't be with them for the busy week in Hollywood.

Stars disappointed recently include Ray Winstone & Mel Gibson, Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder), Amanda Seyfried (Big Love, Mamma Mia), Gerard Butler (300, Phantom of the Opera), Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe, Step Up), and Brendan Fraser.

Youtube fan cuttyface says he finds the videos amazing, and really hopes "that one day Wayne is revealed to the world, gets out of the office and gets the fame he deserves."