Bear's Blog New Zealand (Beta)

November 8

Helen Clark announced the general election date this afternoon : November 8.

So if you have the right to vote, you need to enrol asap, preferably before October 8, otherwise you may miss the chance to vote.

The interesting bit is that this date is just few days after the U.S. election, and labour can be disadvantaged regardless of who wins that election. Obama is about "change" - sure labour doesn't want that, and McCain is right wing.

Well, life still goes on... for now.

I was quite disappointed that the world didn't end after the scientists turned on the LHC yesterday morning at Geneva. Well, that's it, I guess, life still goes on, so I still need to hand in my assignment next week.

Anyway there is a saying goes like "Mankind's greatest hope always lies in the future" - I've just learned that LHC's first high speed collision is not on until late next month ... Another window of opportunity - maybe I can escape the final exam, and auntie Clarkie can avoid the embarrassment after her defeat in the General Election.

However I guess it might be a bit too late for our Foreign Minister, Mr Winston Peters. He denied any wrong doings in last night's privilege committee meeting, gave evidence contradicting to what Mr Owen Glenn said.

But Mr Glenn got hard evidences: telephone records, several witnesses' accounts ... what Peters got? Nothing really, I haven't see anything. Although "billionaire" and "politician" both are the kind of job that is with my least respect, I think there's nothing for a billionaire to gain by lying to the public - so I trust this one, well, for this time.

By the way, my sincerest condolences to the family of the police officer who was died on duty this morning.

Doomsday is family time

About why I haven't update anything here for quite a long time ... will I was just being lazy.

About the title ... according to many, tomorrow, 10th September, is the end of this world. Yeah you hear that right, end of our world. A black hole, or strange matter, will appear on Earth tommrow, and destroy the whole planet, possibly the whole universe.

All the fuss is about Large Hadron Collider(LHC). It is a particle accelerator located somewhere near Geneva, Switzerland. It is aimed to study many ultimate questions of physics such as the mechanism of the big bang and dark matters - but critics say that this machine may also be the ultimate suicide machine of the man kind ... there is a risk of a black hole or strange matter being created, and can effectly make the whole earth disappear.

That machine will operate for the first time tomorrow.

I like observational astronomy but has very little knowledge on cosmology - so I cannot tell you how the accelerator works ... just read wikipedia, please.

As many physicists, I personally think that there is a very, very remote chance that a micro blackhole created by the accelerator may swallow the whole earth. I don't know anything about stranglets.

That "remote" chance largely due to out lack of knowledge on the machanism of how the universe works. Although based on our current knowledge, because of the relatively low energy generated by the accelerator(compare with the bing bang),  it is not very likely to create a balck hole.

Even if a micro black hole is created, the consensus of science community is that black hole will soon vaporise because of its size. Well unless there is a mechanism we have absolutely no understanding kicks in and did something very bad.

No good scientists will guarantee you the outcome of something nobody has ever done before. All we do is make the best assumption  base on our current knowledge - it usually matches the outcome, but no professionals will rule out that 0.0000...% possibility of other outcome.

But sadly, that "slight chance" sometimes got exaggerated by some people and media. That remote risk of total destruction is worth to take for us to understand how the big bang happened.

BTW ... just for fun, if the worst happens, the black hole would still take few hours, a day or longer to suck every matter from earth. So you will have enough time to actually see how the black hole looks like before it tears you down into particles:)

Oh actually I wish that really happens tomorrow, so I don't have to hand in my assignment next week - that would be a good relief.

PS. the title is name of one of soundtracks from The Simpson Movie. Always good to spend more time to with your family ... you never know when the disaster might happen - it usually comes at the time no one expeceted it.

Labour Party list announced

Chinese candidate, Raymond Huo(霍建强)is ranked 21st. Quite good for a first timer, I have to say. It is almost certain now that we'll see at least two Chinese MPs in the next parliament, well, unless Labour falls in a huge landslide.

It would still be interesting to see who will be able to get his/her hands on the Howick seat.

It is also glad to see more ethnic minorities on the list.

Here's the whole list.

Ha-ha!

... the only way to describe how I feel about the resignation of Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Oh, and I prefer to laugh in the Nelson Muntz style.

I actually like Winnie quite a bit. As a politician, he got skills and personalities that allowed New Zealand First to become one of the most successful minor parties since the MMP.

But on suspicion of lying to the House and New Zealand public is just too much for a politician, given that the general election is less than 3 month away.

I think it's a kind of retribution and he deserves it though.  This was the man who always like to shout in the Parliament, claiming that he got somebody's dirt and making all sorts of threats.  Now finally he's being hurt by his own dirts.

And no, I don't think Mr Peters will ever need the help of the unemployment benefit after the election.  bezdomny ex patria has kindly offered him a teaching job in Beijing; and if Mr Peters does not want a change in his career direction, I think every private security firm in New Zealand would be very pleased to have him on board as a private detective.

No, seriously, Peters' priority is to get rid of the SFO investigation as soon as possible. The election is coming and there's no way that he can win a place in the House with the charges pending.

Wonder how the other corrupted guy Mr Field is doing at the moment...

Deep, deep trouble.

The chance for Peters to go back to the Parliament after the election is getting slimmer and slimmer. Owen Glenn gave conflicting evidences to Privileges Committee, and now it is revealed that Helen Clark knew that $100,000 donation right back before this whole saga happened.

So who lied?

I don't know really. The only thing I'm quite sure is, Mr Peters is now unfit for his foreign minister duty before he's either cleared or go doomed.

This came at a very interesting time. The emission trading scheme needs New Zealand First, and since Key has ruled out the possibility of any dealings with Peters after the election - in other words, Peters and Helen are now on the same boat.

The problem is, Helen's boat is sinking too. And since Peters has become a sort of "ballot poison", I have to say Mr Key has made a smart move by left Aunty Helen with the poison.