Nothing sways the stupid more than arguments they can't understand

Here's one for Jacinda and Darien - if you're going to come out swinging at some batshit crazy idea like reintroducing a youth minimum wage, don't just run your attack lines, point out why it's batshit crazy and somewhat (read very) concerning that the Labour Minister is thinking about it.

Youth rate affects workers under the age of 18. Unemployment rate for people between 15 and 19 is 27%. That's roughly 45,000 people. Take out the 18 and 19 year olds and that's what, about 30k? And your participation rate at this level is 53%. Why?

Because they're kids.

They're meant to be in school. Or training. Or figuring out what they're going to do with their lives. Unemployment isn't the most important thing to be worried about at this age.

What's concerning is that the government is considering providing an incentive to employers to tap the labour market at the expense of training (vocational and otherwise), and leaving the 20-24-year-old age brack, with its unemployment rate of 12%, participation rate of 74% and total number of people out of work at about 27,000.

Making school kids a more attractive option for employers is the wrong incentive to offer if you want them to consider some kind of training if school doesn't work out for them.

Making a song and dance about how they need more protection from employers ain't the way to go about it.

And it's not a very good lead-in to have another dig at the gummint's incompetence in creating youth employment opportunities.

So guys. Just look at things like a reptile and they'll all fit into place.

And gawd's sake, it's Roger!!! There's no real need to make a song and dance about what he's doing.....

Jeeeeeez - next you'll be telling me people take Wishart seriously......

PB.

Sanity has returned

EXCLUSIVE: I popped into my local New World last week and was relieved to see Investigate Magazine back at the back of the magazine stand and the NBR down to the midrange level. That was a close call (although Pulp is now on the front row next to Time, but, y'know, beggars can't be choosers).

UPDATE: I spoke too soon - after popping down to NW this evening, it appears as though the NBR has sold out and Ian's rag has moved up to mid-rack status. Oh how I wish I could find a conspiracy theory that fits.

I know I'm falling into the marketing ploy, but...

When I go to my local supermarket, I tend to spend a good twenty minutes flicking through the magazines. This is purely because I'm too cheap to buy them (I'm a student) and I'm too lazy to go to the library.

That being said, I was in for a bit of a shock in my last visit.

They've had a bit of a reshuffle of the titles at the Chaffers St New World - a jockeying for position of sorts - and I was most unimpressed.

Right at the front of the current affairs section was the leading luminary of conspiracy theorists - Investigate Magazine. I'm not so pretentious as to deny flicking through it every now and then (while the prose and content is normally atrocious, I'll grant that Ian does break the odd good story), but I held my head in my hands when I considered that this rag was seated next to Time and The Economist (and only two away from New Scientist) while the NBR (a fine publication - even for a liberal like me) was hidden in the back row.

I know it coincides with the release of his new TGIF digital edition, but surely Howling at the Moon Publishing does not have the cash to buy front row slots for Investigate in the nation's magazine sections.

All I want are two things:

- for someone to confirm that the public does not have an appetite for Investigate's ongoing inquiries into the PM's sexual preference or the Feminist-Islamo-Fascist conspiracy;

- and that Mr Wishart doesn't have the money to pay for this kind of marketing manipulation and is reaping the benefits from some nefarious figure lurking in the background (everyone loves a conspiracy).

Somebody?

Anybody?

Please...?