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Feb 242016

Barbecues are  great way to encourage crew bonding, boost morale, and improve shipboard atmosphere but it’s a good idea to make sure that it’s only the burgers that get burned and not you fellow crew, suggests Singapore’s Maritime & Port Authority, MPSA. The warning was triggered by several recent incidents.

Continue reading »

Jan 282016

Jetlag and fatigue may have led to a fire aboard the French-flagged cableship Ile De Sein, suggests France’s maritime accident investigation agency, BEAmer. Long-haul flights can lead to mistakes with serious consequences if efforts are not made to reduce their effects.

In the case of Ile De Sein, bunkering operations were underway in Honolulu. The engineering team carrying out the operation had arrived the previous day on a flight from France. By 1930 on 5 May 2015 the marine diesel oil tank nu,ber two was nearly full. After sounding, the cadet closed the ball-valve actuated by a counterweight but omitted to close the cap.

Soon after an engineer was preparing, from the control cabin, the shifting of the filling from the MDO tank number two starboard to the MDO tank number one centre. An operator error during the filling valve opening – closing sequence on the tanks, resulted in the tank venting pipe and sounding circuit overpressure.

Without the cap fuel vapour was able to escape through the sounding tube and, as flammable vapours will, found an amenable source of ignition.

A well-drilled firefighting team tackled the blaze appropriately and extinguished it. Says BEAmer: “The most important damages were located on electrical bunched cables (6600 volts), control organs and cabinets for DA1 and 2. Restarting of the mooring generating set after repair of its power supply.”

Although BEAmer says: “The engineer team who was coordinating the bunkering operation joined at Honolulu on the day before. The fatigue, due to the joining travel from France and to the jet lag, had probably contributed to the operating error in controlling the MDO tank filling valves” it offers no recommendation regarding mitigation of the effect of jetlag and travel fatigue and limits itself to “The crew’s attention should be drawn to the fact that the closure of a fuel tank sounding pipe, only by the ball-valve, do not provide vapour tightness.”

Unfortunately, the report does not determine whether a checklist was required by onboard procedures. Checklists, although much derided, are a tool designed to reduce the chances of error in sequential tasks.

Honolulu is 11 hours behind France and the more than 15 hour flight crosses a dozen time zones. Such long flights disrupt the body and brain’s natural cycle, the circadian rhythm, and the engineers’ bodies would still have been operating on ‘Paris time’. Such long flights incur fatigue, even if one sleeps during the flight.

To put that into context it would take between five and ten days to recover from jetlag and travel fatigue. Some recommendations say allow a day’s rest for each time zone crossed, but this may not be possible in a real world setting. The engineers aboard Ile De Sein had, at most, 24 hours.

Nevertheless, it is important for shipping companies to take account of it in their schedules.

So, work in advance if you can, here are some recommendations:

  • Be fully rested before you travel. Don’t make the mistake of making your self tired so you’ll sleep on the flight.
  • If you can, gradually adjust your meal and sleep patterns to fit those of your destination. Often this may not be a practical option for a seafarer but if you can do it will help.
  • Your travel arrangements may not be yours to decide but if you can, try and arrive in daylight. On arrival stay awake until until your normal sleep time local time.
  • Once on the plane set your watch to the time at your destination, it’s a psychological trick that may help.
  • Stay well hydrated during the flight and avoid alcohol or coffee if you can.
  • Stretch your legs, walk up and down, exercise during the flight. This is good practice anyway because it will help reduce the chances of deep vein thrombosis.
  • If the flight is long enough sleep on the plane at the same time as you would sleep at your destination.
  • On arrival, get as much daylight as possible and get some exercise.
  • Taking doses of melatonin, the so-called ‘sleep hormone’, may help but it does have some risk so only take it under medical supervision.
  • Do not take sleeping pills for the flight.

How do you deal with jetlag? What does your company do to reduce it effects on seafarers?Tel us in the comments section below.

BEAmer Report

See Also

The Fatigue Factor

Seaway: Fatigue and Jet Lag: In Search of Sound Sleep

Apr 082015

In an unprecedented move Maersk has released CCTV footage of an engineroom fire aboard Maersk Iowa to help determine the cause of the fire. The footage was posted on the gCaptain site.

A statement from Maersk, published by gCaptain says: “The video footage (posted on gCaptain today) depicts the mechanical failure of a main engine air start valve resulting in an explosion and fire in the engine room of the Maersk Iowa while underway on January 10th, 2015. No one was injured by this incident, and thanks to the quick and professional emergency response of the officers and crew, any potential further damage was contained with no harm to the environment. The Company has shared this particular video footage with the USCG, Lloyd’s Register and other internal and external stakeholders in an effort to understand its root cause for implementing corrective action across our fleet. The video has also been shared with our ships crews’ as a training aid.”

Video below
Continue reading »

Mar 162015

Investigations into the 11 December 2014 engine room fire aboard Oceania Insignia continue into the engine room fire aboard the cruiseship Oceania Insignia which cost three lives but the US Coast Guard has already issued a safety alert. It highlights maintenance issues and the important of having a personal evacuation plan.

Marshall Islands-flagged, the 50,000 gt Insignia was built in 1998. The vessel was refurbished in 2014 and, says Oceania: “has undergone a multimillion-dollar transformation to create a virtually new ship”.

Says the USCG safety alert:

Continue reading »

Mar 162015

One of the newest artifacts in London’s oldest church
is a ship’s bell. The lessons of the British Trent
are still relevant today.

Listen To The Podcast

All Hallows By The Tower

The Church By The Tower

Near London’s Tower Hill Memorial to merchant seafarers who died in World War 1 and World War 2 is the church of All Hallows By The Tower. Established in 675 it’s the city’s eldest church at thirteen hundred years old.

It was here that John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States, was married in 1797. William Penn, who founded the state of Pennsylvania, was baptised and educated here. Continue reading »

Feb 132015

Everyone knows, or should know, that rags contaminated with certain types of oil can self-ignite,or spontaneously combust, in places like waste bins but freshly-laundered tea-towels can also do so and lead to a galley fire warns a safety alert from Marine Safety Forum.

A night watchman on a vessel was carrying out his usual tasks and after washing the galley tea towels, they went into the tumble dryer. Once finished approximately 20 tea towels were stacked in a pile and placed on top of the galley freezer. Continue reading »

Dec 012014

Listen To The Podcast

Owned by Odfjell Asia, operated by Ceres Hellic Shipping Enterprises and flagged in Singapore, Bow Mariner left New York at 0500 on February 28, 2004, 22 of her cargo tanks empty except for the vapour of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether. The tanks were not inerted. Six of the ten remaining tanks contained 13.5 million litres of ethanol.

Aboard her were three Greek senior officers: Captain Efstratios Kavouras, Chief Officer Spiridon Melles and Chief Engineer Legantis-Eley Anasthasiou, and 24 Filipino crew, including Third Officer Lugen Ortilano on his first voyage as a licenced officer and second assistant engineer Edimar Aguilar, who joined the ship twenty three days before.

Only four other crewmembers survived the next 14 hours: Electrician James Bactat, Chief Cook Dominador Marentes, Messman Reynaldo Tagle and Able Seaman Ramon Ronquillo.

The three senior officers had created a climate of fear and intimation on the ship. Junior officers were prohibited from eating the the officer’s mess. They were prohibited from reading the Safety Quality and Environmental Protection Management documents, or from carrying the jobs specified in it. Senior officers did not train their subordinates in the technical and administrative skills they needed to operate the vessel safely.

The vessel carried no immersion suits. Fire and lifeboat drills were rare. Safety training records and the minutes of safety committee meetings were little more than fiction.

It was the second to last day of February, it was cold, with the air temperature at 4.4 Celsius, the sea a little more than a degree higher at 5.5 Celsius. There was a two metre sea running east and a 15 knot wind Northwest.

Third Officer Ortilano was officer of the watch from 0800 to 1200. A little before 10.00 hours, Captain Kavouras gave the order that would doom the ship. He told Ortilano to have the crew open the 22 empty tanks that had held MTBE and Ortilano followed that order.

MTBE vapour is heavier than air, it would not simply rise into the air and disperse when the tanks were opened. It can flow along a surface until it finds a point of ignition. It has a flashpoint of -25.6 degrees Celsius, well below the air temperature. The tanks were full of its vapour. As tank cleaning proceeded, those vapours were displaced, emerging onto the deck and collecting in pockets in corners and spaces.

Vapours like MTBE need a certain amount of oxygen in order to ignite. If the amount of vapour is below a certain level, called the Lower Explosive Level or LEL, it won’t explode. If the amount of vapour is above a certain level, called the Upper Explosive Level, UEL, it also won’t explode. Between these two levels it will explode if there’s a source of ignition.

When the tanks were opened, air entered the tanks, diluting the MTBE vapours to somewhere between the LEL and the UEL..

Put simply, when Third Officer Johnny Acuna replaced Ortilano at 11.50 with instruction from Chief Officer Melles for Ortilano to help with tank cleaning at 13.00, the ship was already a floating bomb. There was a strong smell of MTBE vapour on deck All it needed was a spark.

The tanks were not gas-freed, so Boatswain Aquilino Tabilin put on SCBA gear equipped with steel bottles and took an air-operated Wilden Pump into the tanks to remove residual MTBE from the cargo tanks with the help of an Ordinary Seaman and a Deck Cadet. By the time Ortilano arrived, the number nine centre starboard and wing tanks had already been emptied of remaining MTBE and Tabilin was working in the number eight starboard cargo tank.

Boatswain Tabilin’s entry into a cargo tank filled with explosive vapours wearing SCBA followed no known safe procedures to put it mildly.

At 13.30 the Wilden pump failed. Tabilin had it hauled out of the tank. While he was trying to repair it, Captain told him to get the Norclean Eductor, a kind of industrial vacuum cleaner used for draining combustible fluids, from the midship deckhouse.

When it arrived its drum was damaged so Kavouras told Ortilano to get two standard drums and have them adapted to replace the damaged one on the Eductor. The drums were strengthen, but there was no bonding between the drum itself and the lid, a precaution designed to prevent build-up of statical electricity.

The first drum was finished at 15.00 and taken on deck. At 17.05, Ortilano and an Engine cadet carried the replacement drums to the deck. The crew had already gone to eat but the Eductor had been mounted on the first drum, and the suction hose lead through the Butterworth opening near the the number eight starboard cargo tank expansion trunk, but the unit was not in operation.

Ortilano had lunch and at 17.30 went to his cabin to rest in readiness for his next watch.

Meanwhile, Ramon Ronquillo and Pumpman Tomas Ventenilla were blowing down cargo lines with compressed air. They probably weren’t aware that this was a bad idea. Blowing down cargo lines can create a static electrical charge which can spark and ignite any explosive fumes still in the pipe. They should have used an inert gas.

At 1800 the crew reported for overtime and went to work. It was twilight and the deck lights were switched on.

Ortilano, Bactat and Ronquillo were in their rooms, sleeping or resting. Chief Cook Marentes, Messman Reynaldo Tagle and messman Rosello were cleaning the galley. Second Assistant Engineer Aguilar was doing his rounds.

As Aguilar placed his hand on the handle of the engine room door, he heard the first explosion. By the time he reached the interior stairwell on his way to his room, the ship was already listing to starboard. He couldn’t open the door to his room. He went up to the bridge and got a lifejacket from the Pilot room.

In his cabin on the port side, Electrician Bactat heard a noise, the ship moved violently and began to list to starboard. Opening the window blinds he saw orange flame. He grabbed his coveralls and lifejacket struggling against the list, he made his way up to the bridge, where some of the windows were broken. He met with four others and made his way down exteriors ladders to the deck, the list making it hard to climb down.

In the galley, Chief Cook Marentes heard a boom and the ship shook violently. Messman Rosello started to panic. Marentes told him to calm down and get a life jacket, then came another, ear-shattering explosion. He went to his own cabin to get his lifejacket. His lifeboat station was on the port side but because of the list he went down an exterior ladder to the winch deck.

In his cabin, Ortilano head a sudden series of explosions, then a loud boom. Through his forward windows he saw flames. Dashing out into the passageway he saw AB Elmer Manahan who told him to get his lifejacket. Ortilano went back into his cabin, got the lifejacket, and exited the accommodations aft.

In a group were Captain Kavoras and Chief Engineer Anasthasiou, talking in Greek, together with four other crew members, including Messman Tagle who couldn’t understand what they saying. They were waiting for instructions, but none were given.

There was no question of using the lifeboats. Because of the list, the port lifeboat almost certainly could not be launched. The starboard lifeboat seems to have been caught by the explosion and fire. Its bow was damaged by the flames and more damage occurred as it fell from its falls in the blast.

Ortilano asked Captain Kavouras whether a distress signal had been sent. Kavouras did not reply. Ortilano went to the bridge, activated the DSC alarm and sent out a mayday.

He didn’t wait for a response. He went up to the bridge top, activated the EPIRB and cast it overboard.

Meanwhile, Tagle followed Captain Kavaoras, Chief Engineer Anasthasiou and the rest of the group to the winch deck on the starboard side. For a moment he covered his eyes. When he look up, the rest had gone over the side. There was a third explosion and someone called to him in Tagalog to jump. Tagle jumped into the water.

As the ship listed an estimated 30 degrees, Electrician Bactat, with a second group, made his way to the starboard winch deck and simply walked into the water. He found a piece of wood and clung to it.

The ship came back on an even keel, her bow sinking rapidly. Aguilar, Marentes and Ronquillo got to the stern railings and held on, determined not to enter the water until the last possible moment. It wasn’t something they’d be trained to do: They’d remembered the movie Titanic.

Ortilano climbed from the bridge top down to the winch deck. Their were people in the water, the lights of their lifejacket lights shining in the darkness. A life raft floated off starboard, still attached by its painter. Ortilano told the men at the stern railings to wait until the ship sank further. He waited himself, then, from a height of three or four metres jumped into the liferaft.

Aguilar jumped for the lifeboat, missed, fell into the water and climbed into the liferaft. Then Ronquillo jumped and climbed in, followed by Marentes.

They found the life raft equipment, cut the painter, and searched for survivors. Ortilano lit flares, hearing cried for help each time. He called out to them to swim towards the flates. Two men, so covere in oil as to be unrecognisable, got close enough to be helped into the life raft, messman Tagle and Electrician Bactat.

At 1937, the Bow Mariner sunk under the waves, her deck lights still shining until almost the last moment.

Top, above side scan sonar images of Bow Mariner on the seafloor, courtesy NOAA. Compare to photo below from Marine Marchande.

Rescue efforts were already underway by the US Coast Guard and two ships that has seen the explosion. A Coast Guard helicopter, CG 6026, arrived at 19.28. There were more than a dozen lifejacket lights floating in the water and spotted the life raft with signs of people aboard.

Battling darkness, fumes, and the heavy fuel oil that covered the survivors, it took half an hour to rescue the six men from the liferaft. They were flown to Norfolk Sentara Hospital. The helicopter was grounded due to contamination.

The only survivors were those in the life raft, Ortillano, Aguilar, Marentes, Ronquillo, Tagle and Bactat.

A second helicopter, CG 6588 located a body in the water. Wearing only a shirt and a gold necklace, it showed evidence of traumatic injuries to the head, legs and arms, perhaps a sign that he had been caught by one of the explosions. It was Chief Officer Melles.

Five other bodies were eventually recovered. Each one dead by drowning associated with hypothermia.

Of the remaining 18 bodies, the sea took them for eternity.

The damaged starboard lifeboat. Fourth engineer Ajoc was found alive, holding onto the boat’s lifelines but died on the way to hospital. USCG photo.

Capsized port lifeboat.

There are so many lessons to be learned from the Bow Mariner incident that it’s hard to know even where to begin.

What sparked the explosion isn’t known and hardly matters. The situation was such that disaster was inevitable.

The senior officers confused arrogance and intolerance with leadership. Educating and training subordinates to work safely is part of leadership.

As we saw in the first series of Maritime Accident Casebook, it isn’t uncommon for senior officers to get complacent about the cargoes their ship carries, to assume they know better than the guys who wrote the safety procedures. It’s a life-threatening assumption.

Make sure your subordinates are aware of safe procedures, make sure they know what’s in the SMS, or in this case, SQEMS.

Encourage them to be safety aware and pro-active to take the initiative if they see what they believe to be an unsafe situation.

Ensure you have a good working relationship with your subordinates, it might save your life.

It might be a good idea, too, that they know how to make a distress call. Lugen Ortilano didn’t give his vessel’s position, which could have led to a delay in response to the emergency. He didn’t wait for a response to his call. Both are understandable since the ship was a bomb, all the same it’s worth ensuring that those who might have to make such a call practice how to speak calmly and clearly and give the ship’s position and its situation. Valuable time could be saved.

But let’s look at survival. Those aboard the life raft survived. Those who did not wore lifejackets that would have kept them afloat. Why didn’t they live?

The water was just 5.5 degrees Celcius. Two things happened when the men jumped into that sea. The first was cold shock. It was difficult to control breathing, their heart rate soared, and their blood pressure went up. It was hard to think clearly. For a few critical minutes, they were totally incapacitated. Cold shock can kill.

Those who survived cold shock were victims of hypothermia. Our bodies need warmth, indeed, they generate warmth. But in a cold sea, the body’s core temperature can fall so far that it can’t be maintained. It induced a fatigue, a fatal desire to sleep. In that situation, sleep is death. With unconsciousness, they drowned.

Aguilar, Marentes and Ronquillo were right to delay entering the water for as long as possible. The sooner you’re in the water, the sooner you die.

Of course, it’s best not to get in the water at all, get a lifeboat if you can.

When in the water, huddle together as much as possible and try and keep others awake.

Depending on the water conditions, some survival techniques commonly taught may not be useable. Dr. Frank Golden, a specialist in survival, gave the following suggestions to Maritime Accident Casebook:

Regardless of the water temperature, be sure wear a lifejacket, especially in cold water.

Before getting into the water, put on as much clothing as possible. and put something on your head, it will reduce heat loss.

If you can, keep your arms as close to the body and legs together to reduce heat loss.

Tighten crotch strop to ensure a near 40° angle of flotation and to help keep the back of head out of the water to reduce heat loss.

Keeping yourself warm, is the best way to keep yourself alive.

Today, Lugen Ortilano has a framed letter in his wall commending him for his heroism that night. Perhaps once in a while he wonders why such heroism should have been necessary in the first place.

PBS Nova Transcript on Sea Survival

US Coast Guard Video

Official USCG Report

Aug 072014

Towing vessel Safety Runner tied up on the Mobile River next to two Kirby barges at the Oil Recovery Company Gas Freeing Terminal, ORC, unaware that the barges were being cleaned of residual diesel. Shortly afterwards the engines aboard Safety Runner began racing and could not be shut down, there was a fire which spread to the to the barges, resulting in explosions.

Three people sustained serious burn injuries. The total damage to the vessel and barge was estimated at $5.7 million.

Poor operations manuals and uncertified personnel played a key role in the incident. Continue reading »

Jul 212014

coronaseawaysOnce upon a time they were called ‘second-hand’ but today it’s fashionable to call them ‘pre-loved’ – old cars and trucks. Unfortunately they come with an increased risk of fire when being transported to their last resting place as the fire aboard the DFDS ro-ro ferry Corona Seaways.

At 0215 on 4 December 2013, a fire was discovered on the main deck of  Corona Seaways while the vessel was on passage from Fredericia to Copenhagen, Denmark. The crew mustered, closed the ventilation louvres, established boundary cooling and operated the fixed CO2 fire-extinguishing system.

Although smoke continued to escape from the louvres, steady temperatures in the vicinity of the fire indicated that the CO2 had been effective in controlling it. At 0640, the vessel entered the Swedish port of Helsingborg, where assistance was provided
by the local Fire and Rescue Service.

The vessel suffered light structural damage and the loss of some minor electrical supplies. Three vehicles and six trailers were severely fire-damaged and other vehicles suffered minor radiant heat damage. The fire was caused by an electrical
defect on one of the vehicles’ engine starting system.

A Renault Premium 250.18 truck had been driven about 240km before arriving at Fredericia and then onto the vessel. Neither the drivers nor stevedores reported any mechanical, electrical or instrumentation issues. However, the truck had not been driven for the previous 11 months and there was no evidence that any checks had been carried out to prove its roadworthiness or general safety, including the integrity of its electrical and mechanical systems.

Existing damage to a battery cable meant that even though the vehicle was parked with the key in the ignition in the Stop/Park position an electrical short, with resultant heating, could still occur, as seems to have happened in this case.

MAIB’s report on the incident says: “The carriage of used vehicles and equipment that do not have appropriate road worthiness certification and whose history and condition are unknown,  brings increased risks when compared with the carriage of well maintained vehicles that are in regular use“.

Although DFDS has fire risk control systems in place that might have prevented such a vehicle fire these oly applied to dedicated car transporters not to ro-ro ferries. Says MAIB: “Contrary to the spirit of the MCA’s Code of Practice and the master’s ‘Unsafe Cargo’  notice, there was no evidence that the vessel’s crew carried out vehicle safety  checks. Neither the SSMM nor the onboard risk assessments covered the carriage of used vehicles and equipment”.

MAIB also noted: Injection of CO2 into the main deck was delayed, allowing the fire to develop, because it took time to establish the fitter’s whereabouts during the crew muster.  The reason why the CO2 fire-extinguishing system apparently failed to discharge the   allotted quantity of CO2 as designed remains unexplained.  The main deck ventilation louvres were not fully closed and some of the crew were   unaware how to correctly operate them. This allowed air (oxygen) to feed the fire and potentially affected the CO2 concentration levels needed to extinguish the fire.  The cargo deck ventilation fans were not operated as required by the current regulations. This increased the fire risk due to the potential build-up of flammable
vapours from vehicles.

Download report

See Also:

Accident Report – Stena Voyager

Green Car Caused Pearl Fire


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studio helper

studio helper

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel
6" x 8"

This is Jack, an occasional visitor to what my friend Dan called "Tom's Cafe", a refuge for wayward felines.  He has been a regular patron, showing up every couple of days.  He devours a can of Friskies then lounges around on top of a custom-made cat house on a heated sheepskin-covered cushion for the rest of the day.  Life is good.  Then he's off again.  Go figure.

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Erik Prince unplugged

Secret Erik Prince Tape Exposed
Jeremy Scahill | May 3, 2010

Erik Prince, the reclusive owner of the Blackwater empire, rarely gives public speeches and when
he does he attempts to ban journalists from attending and forbids recording or videotaping of his remarks. On May 5, that is exactly what Prince is trying to do when he speaks at DeVos Fieldhouse as the keynote speaker for the “Tulip Time Festival” in his hometown of Holland, Michigan. He told the event’s organizers no news reporting could be done on his speech and they consented to the ban. Journalists and media associations in Michigan are protesting this attempt to bar reporting on his remarks.

Despite Prince’s attempts to shield his speeches from public scrutiny, The Nation magazine has obtained an audio recording of a recent, private speech delivered by Prince to a friendly audience. The speech, which Prince attempted to keep from public consumption, provides a stunning glimpse into his views and future plans and reveals details of previously undisclosed activities of Blackwater. The people of the United States have a right to media coverage of events featuring the owner of a company that generates 90% of its revenue from the United States government.

In the speech, Prince proposed that the US government deploy armed private contractors to fight “terrorists” in Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia and Saudi Arabia, specifically to target Iranian influence.

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Time to bury nuclear power forever!

Are We on the Brink of Burying Nuke Power Forever? by Harvey Wasserman (& radio debut)

debuts Wednesday, June 15, 8pm EST

Special guests Bob Fitrakis & David Swanson.

Call in at 1-877-932-9766 from 8pm to 9pm EST.
Tune in at TalkTainmentRadio.com

Harvey Wasserman
Are we on the brink of burying nuke power forever?
June 15, 2011

This may be the moment history has turned definitively against atomic energy.

To be sure: we are still required to fight hard to bury reactor loan guarantees in the United States. There are parallel struggles in China, Indian, England, France and South Korea.

The great fear is that until every single reactor on this planet is shut, none of us is really safe from another radioactive horror show.

Read more.

Harvey Wasserman’s SOLARTOPIA! GREEN POWER HOUR runs Wednesdays at 8pm EST on talktainmentradio.com (877)932-9766. He is senior editor of FreePress.org and solartopia.org

1 thought on “Time to bury nuclear power forever!”

  1. note that in november of 2008, read at MIT’s techreview that the swiss research institute had released a massive 4-volume study on the nuclear industry and showed flatly that uranium is rapidly running out and will be virtually gone by 2030… i phoned and wrote of this repeatedly to congressmen to no avail… doing their usual bad homework.

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Robert Half Office Team Administrative Assistant in Shawnee, Kansas

OfficeTeam is looking for a motivated Administrative Assistant! This results-driven Administrative Assistant will be responsible for answering phones, greeting clients and preparing the schedule for the day, plus any other duties as requested. A strong Administrative candidate will have experience working with spreadsheets, data entry, and filing. For immediate consideration, please email your resume to

OfficeTeam is the world's leader in professional staffing for office support jobs, focusing exclusively on the temporary and temporary-to-full-time placement of professionals in the administrative field. We are faster at finding you work because of the depth of our client network. Specifically, our professional staffing managers connect with thousands of hiring managers in North America every week to find your office support job opportunities. We evaluate all of our OfficeTeam temporaries' skills and match them with the needs of top employers in their area.

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© 2017 OfficeTeam. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.

By clicking 'Apply Now' you are agreeing to Robert Half Terms of Use.

Req ID: 02380-9500833364

Functional Role: Secretary/Admin Asst

Country: USA

State: KS

City: Shawnee

Postal Code: 66203

Compensation: $14.00 to $17.00 per hour

Requirements: Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook Multitasking Friendly demeanor Other duties as requested.


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AdWords Management agency in Lincolnshire

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Thursday, October 31, 2013

The End Of An Error. 6.

The rest of the SNL cast members who made some sort of impact and whom I had less than any use for (alphabetically, and subjectively):

1- Tracy Morgan.

A cross-pollination of Belushi and Eddie Murphy.
The worst of both.

2- Bobby Moynihan.

Being roly-poly and extroverted does not make you Belushi.

3- Eddie Murphy.

The first dangerous black man on SNL.
I saw him live in Vegas at his height.
Warmed over Cosby and Pryor.
Didn't make me laugh once.
Except for Buh' wheat on SNL.
Mister Robinson's Neighorhood was just creepy.
He appeared on an HBO comedy competition against four other comics.
He must have been about 20 at the time.
He finished fifth, and deserved to.
Rookie jitters?

4- Joe Piscopo.

If we weren't doing this alphabetically, when it came to wasting everybody's time, he would be King of the Hill,
Top of the Heap.
I've heard him bellyache that although he and Eddie Murphy came up at the same time, he never had the chance to become as big a star as Eddie Murphy.
He couldn't come close to being as big a star as GEORGE Murphy.

5- Charles Rocket.

Not Lorne's fault.
Jean Doumanian's attempt to resurrect Chevy Chase.
At least with Chevy, there was a glimmer of humor.

6- Maya Rudolph.

Literally as if Ellen Cleghorne and Nora Dunn were able to have a natural-born adult child.

7- Andy Samberg.

Sure looked like he SHOULD have been funny.
Looks can be deceiving.

8- Horatio Sanz.

As if he and Bobby Moynihan were twins separated at birth.

9- Molly Shannon.

Everything she did left me cold and/or nauseous.

10- Julia Sweeney.

A one-joke, one trick pony.
A Shetland pony at best.
They even made a movie about it.
It was released at 65 minutes.
Can you imagine the crap that was cut out of that picture?

11- Terry Sweeney.

Why didn't they just go out and get Jim Bailey?
He wasn't doing that much at the time, and he did a hell of a Judy Garland impression.

12- Kristen Wiig.

The female Joe Piscopo, with far more undeserved success.

How the hell did they miss out on Yakoff Smirnoff?

One more go-round next time, concentrating on really good people they had that they misused and let slip through their collective fingers.

My books, "Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays", and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

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Blog Archive

About Me

Hi. I am, according to my Wikipedia entry,(which I did not create) a noted television writer, playwright, screenwriter, and occasional actor. You can Google me or go to the IMDB to get my credits, and you can come here to get my opinions on things, which I'll try to express eloquently. Hopefully I'll succeed. You can also e-mail me at macchus999@aol.com. Perhaps my biggest claim to fame is being responsible, for about six months in 1975, while Head Writer for the "Happy Days" TV series, for Americans saying to each other "Sit on it."


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Right now, we are city folk. And while I dream of one day having a backyard for my kids to play in, that is not our current reality.
Trips to local playgrounds involve battling. Battling to get everyone dressed, battling to get everyone sunscreened, battling to prepare snacks and bikes, and battling the drug dealers, broken glass, trash, and crappy, broken equipment. Not to mention, juggling my three kids while being ordered by other small children, whose parents aren't around, to "Help! Watch what I can do!" etc.
Living in the city.
Today we met some friends at the zoo. I kind of hate the whole premise of zoos, but there I was. The kids had fun and I'm exhausted.
F's favorite goat died a few months ago, she was bummed. This one liked being brushed though!
ps: I am working at this not being a battle. I've at least identified that it's a battle, right!?

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Love or comfort?

My husband is a critical person anyways but I have found that he constantly bad mouths me to his friends. If he is so unhappy why cant he say it to my face? I have overheard him complain about my cooking but when I go out of my way to buy him something I know he likes half the time he doesn’t even eat it, he just drops it in the fridge. We ne er go out he would rather go out with his friends. Now in depression I have gained weight and am have a hard time to even find the drive to get it off. I love him and we have good memories but is he toxic? His mom is very mean and I know he had a rough past but I don’t know if I can go on like this forever. Also a few years ago he had am affair and even though its over he is still in contact with the woman.

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0 0 11 23 September, 2017 Liars & Cheats September 23, 2017

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Thankful for not killing kids (for different reasons)

On the drive back from the library, the air is still dark and thick and night. The road is curvy and up and down.

As I navigate one such curve, the car in front of me slams on its brakes. I struggle to imitate the maneuver to keep from rear ending the car.

Just then, I realize the situation. Two teenage kids dressed in gray and black are walking on the side of the road. Idiots.

I swerve to avoid hitting them. And honk loudly as I pass.

For my sake. See, I recognized afterward that the reason I was afraid in that situation wasn’t because the teenagers might have been hurt or killed. I was afraid because I didn’t want to be the one hurting or killing them with my car.

In other words, I was thankful I didn’t hit them, not so much that they weren’t hit. That’s a difference that matters.

A lesson’s in this somewhere. I’ll leave it to you to find it for now.


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• Happy Hour
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Cebu Restaurants

Cebu Restaurants

Many people search via the internet on a daily basis for restaurants in Cebu.  Why?  Because they are tired of the same type of food, the same drinks and the same atmosphere all the time.  People want to try unique foods in a pleasing place that makes them feel good, happy and that provides entertainment value.  At Marshall’s Irish Pub Bar & Restaurant, we try our best to make these wishes come true for our customers, which we call patrons so that you no longer have to search for restaurants in Cebu.

It’s never enough to just provide good food, or just good drinks or just good entertainment.  It requires a bar & restaurant to provide all of these things in a friendly, fun, clean and safe environment.  Therefore we strive to provide all of these things all at the same time.  It’s all about trying to be one of the best restaurants in Cebu.  Although it is a high to achieve, we really want people to think of our Pub as a place they love to go to and for them to call it one of the best restaurants in Cebu.

Restaurants In Cebu City | Cebu City Restaurants | Best Restaurants In Cebu City

Restaurants Cebu should be a place in which customers not only want to come back to often, but also tell their friends about.  This is something that Marshall’s Irish Pub Bar & Restaurant in Cebu is very familiar with and something we endeavor to accomplish for our patrons and customers.  It’s a matter of making every effort to be one of the top Restaurants Cebu.

We have the belief that one must go all out, pull out all the stops and try hard in order to please our patrons and customers.  And by doing so, will create an atmosphere that everyone will enjoy and will always want to come back to be a part of something special.

Being an Irish Pub, we believe we have aspects that are far above and beyond what other restaurants in Cebu City can offer.  We are not the biggest restaurant nor did we spend millions on the décor.  But from a food, drinks and staff standpoint, we believe we have a top notch place that people will love to come to for fun and relaxation time and time again compared to other restaurants in Cebu City.

Although you may not be familiar with all the various types of food that are served at an Irish Pub, we are positive that you will find lots of varieties of dishes that you will fall in love with at our Cebu City Restaurants.  Not only that, but the varieties of drinks, cocktails, and beers will make you want to stay all night.  Not to mention the entertainment value of simply sitting in an Irish Pub compared to other Cebu City restaurants.

Just for example, in the United States, 80% of new restaurants fail within the first year.  Now compare that with Irish Pubs where the success rate is 99%.  This means that people in the United States really enjoy the food, drinks and entertainment that Irish Pubs bring to the market and why they are so successful.  And now, people in Cebu can also enjoy all the things that an Irish Pub, Bar & Restaurant can bring to Cebu.

So if you are looking for one of the best restaurants in Cebu City, something new, something unique, that is fun, and has great food and drinks, then why not try Marshall’s Irish Pub Bar & Restaurant in Cebu.  One of the best restaurants in Cebu City and the choice for discerning customers.

Cheers! 🙂

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Happy Hour

Happy Hour

Come enjoy our happy hour daily from 4pm to 7pm.  Selected local beers and appetizers are ONLY P40!
Great Food

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Marshall's Irish Pub is not just a bar.  We are also a full restaurant with an extensive menu.  Come try our delicious food!
Fun Crowd & Live Music

Fun Crowd & Live Music

We guarantee you will have a fun time at Marshall's Irish Pub.  Live acoustic music starts at 9pm every night!


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Friday, December 21, 2007

"The White Book" No. 1 with a bullet

"The White Book" dings No. 1 spot twice

"The White Book" was No. 1 on two separate chart listings on and Top 10 on a third according to the book seller's Web site. The memoir, penned Ken Mansfield, former U.S. Manager for Apple Records and record producer, has charted in three different categories.

The book ranks #1 in the recording category; #1 in the Beatles section and #6 in biography and memoirs. Mansfield has worked with some of the biggest giants in the rock 'n roll and the country music genres.

As the former U.S. manager of the Apple Records label, he was invited by his bosses, The Beatles to be among only a handful of eyewitnesses to catch their last-ever gig on the rooftop of their London headquarters on January 30, 1969. He was a loyal employee and companion to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr both during the band years and well after their breakup in 1970. He was present when they composed some of their most enduring tunes.

As a record label exec and Grammy Award-winning producer, he also worked on the marketing, promotion and production of dozens of top-selling artists, such as the Beach Boys, and was also a major player in country music in the 1970s as producer of choice of the groundbreaking Outlaw movement, whose impact is still felt in the genre to this very day.

Now, Mansfield's experiences with the Fab Four and the music industry - many of which are told for the first time - are recounted in his first all-music tome, "The White Book - The Beatles, the Bands, the Biz: An Insider's Look at an Era" (Thomas Nelson/ISBN 1595551018) published on October 30, 2007.

Through exclusive, never-before-seen photos and personal stories, Mansfield - one of the very last Fab Four insiders to pen a book - offers a compelling memoir that delves into his life in the 1960s and '70s and his unique partnership with The Beatles and other musicians who had orbited their world, from James Taylor to Harry Nilsson.

It also includes fleeting, yet unforgettable encounters with Mama Cass Elliott, Eric Clapton, Donovan, Glen Campbell and Dolly Parton. As observer, friend and colleague, Mansfield attended Beatles recording sessions, partied in their swimming pools, took their irate calls, witnessed the madness of Beatlemania, and publicized their success.

Entertaining, historically accurate, and illuminating a side of the Fab Four known only to a few like Mansfield, The White Book shines fresh light on the true characters behind the cultural phenomena that revolutionized a generation."The White Book" is packaged in a limited, numbered edition, a la the original copies of "The Beatles" highly influential double album from 1968, also nicknamed "The White Album."

For more information, go to

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Earning a BlackBelt is a Priceless experience!

I often get requests for how much should I pay for training and what is good value for my money?

A fair question but not easily answered, without putting it into context first.

I travel a lot with intent on keeping current with the global martial arts community and to confer with my peers from around the world.

At one of these international conferences, which was attended by thousands of black belts. They posed that exact question in a very unique and enlightening way.

I was impressed with the organizers foresight to take the opportunity and survey so many of the worlds top martial artist with a combined experience of tens of thousands of years of martial arts training. Mind boggling when you think of the collected resources pooled together for that week long conference.

One of the most enlightening questions was as follows:

“If you had the choice of receiving a million dollars cash in exchange for all your collected experience while earning your balck belt including the countless hours of grueling training, the injuries and set backs, the obstacles faced and overcome through perseverance and patience. The losses suffered in competition and victories pain stakingly realized through trial and error, if possible would you exchange all those hard earned memories for a million dollars?”

Before I reveal the answer I must first share with you that martial artists of different disciplines and styles rarely if ever agree upon anything. That’s why when at the end of the conference when the results from the survey was released I was awe struck with the outcome.

It was 100% completely unanimous that no one there at the conference would even consider trading the culminated knowlege and experience gained through earning a black belt, not even for a miillion dollars !

Even though the survey question was intentionally designed to focus on the trials and turbulatuons of training for black belt. Everyone who trains in martial arts like BJJ or karate understands there is two sides to every coin. Yes earning your black belt is very challenging as it should be, however during that process you can’t help but to grow as human being, make friends that share common interests an ideals, build your health both mentally and physically. This is why so many choose to train towards the black belt and beyond.

This is an extremely powerful testament to the value and benifits of training in the martial arts. Costs may very slightly from school to school but the value achieved through your training should and will be priceless!


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The Martini Groove spirit lives on at CocktailGoGo!

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Luxist Holiday Gift Guide

One of the sites I regularly read (and link to, even though IT NEVER LINKS BACK TO ME ON MY STORIES!) is Luxist. They often have booze news that I don't get first.

They've now published a Holiday Gift Guide that doesn't suck like a lot of the gift guides out there. Anyone think I should push one out? If so, I hope you like porn! BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL BE GETTING!

Though not every item is a winner, it's a good one for the wine lovers. Check it out.

Luxist Holiday Gift Guide


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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Summer's Gone!

I remember way back when..about a year ago when I started this blog that I wrote the obligatory post most people write to introduce themselves, saying how they've never done this before, yada yada yada...and then at some point they seem to fall off the wagon.  So here I find myself resisting the temptation to write a "Blogger Guilt" post.  So I'm not gonna take your time telling you about crashing after VBS, or desperately trying to get my son back to school in good fashion, or complain about how busy the days have been (you're welcome), you get that, right?

But summer's gone!  Can't believe it!  However, this is my favorite time of year.  The anticipation of the 3 weeks of fall we get in Texas is almost as good as the 3 weeks of fall we get in Texas!  I can't wait for the autumn colors to begin popping up everywhere, and the soups and chili, and snuggly blankets at night!  I'm trying to rush it I guess because the other night I wanted to make Frito Pie for a quick meal and both my hubs and son said, "NO!!! It's too hot!"  So I'll wait until it's in at least the 80's at night before I try again...teehee.

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Friday, 21 August 2015

Simply Recipes: 4 New Recipes - Mexican Street Corn Nachos and more...

Latest recipes from Simply Recipes.
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Here is your update from Simply Recipes.
There are 4 new posts. Happy cooking!

Mexican Street Corn Nachos

There's a reason Mexican street corn, a.k.a. "elote", is so popular these days. Grilled corn on the cob, slathered in a mayo sour cream sauce, sprinkled with cotija and chili powder? Yes, please!

Well, how about all of the brilliant deliciousness of street corn, in the form of nachos?

Continue reading "Mexican Street Corn Nachos" »

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Sopa Seca de Fideo

Our favorite way of preparing angel hair nests is a Mexican dish called "sopa seca de fideo". It's a lot like pilaf, but made with thin noodles instead of rice.

The name "sopa seca de fideo" translates to "dry soup with noodles". It's not soup, it's called a "dry soup" because the noodles absorb all of the wonderful rich stock, making the noodles taste more delicious than you can possibly imagine.

Continue reading "Sopa Seca de Fideo" »

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Tomatoes are in da house! Or garden, or market. Summer's bounty is in full swing, and if you, like me, have more tomatoes ripening on the vine than you can eat in salads or BLTs, try this gazpacho. It's a chilled tomato and vegetable soup, perfect for sweltering summer days.

Continue reading "Gazpacho" »

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Plum Galette

We've got plums and pluots coming out the wazoo at the moment. Every time I mention a potential plum recipe my mother's eyes light up with what appears to be frantic joy; she can't give them away fast enough and she's tired of making plum freezer jam (20 pints and counting).

Unfortunately, the plums required for this recipe hardly put a dent in her inventory; only a little more than a pound is needed.

Continue reading "Plum Galette" »

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Hi, I'm Elise! Here are some updates from Simply Recipes.

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Home > Cold Stone Cryotherapy Equipment

Cold Stone Cryotherapy Equipment

These stones are effective when used as a cold application. Cold, used alone on the body, is a powerful decongestant, pushing blood, fluid and wastes out of overworked, chronically tense, or inflamed tissues such as the orbits, where it can help reduce dark circles through placement on the eye area.

Cold stones can also be used on the sinus area, or as a pressure placement on post-extraction procedures, where it will help increase microcirculation, metabolism, and elimination thus affecting change on a cellular level, while interrupting the pain-spasm-pain cycle.

In co-operation with heated stones, chilled stones create a dramatic movement of fluids within the body, generating a healing, cleansing, and nourishing effect due to the alternate constriction and dilation of the blood vessels. Cold also generates a toning, or strengthening response to several body systems, most notably the immune system.


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Thursday, June 4, 2009

Phone Call

Mat was given permission to call us this afternoon to give us his flight itinerary. He said that there will be nine missionaries in his group traveling to Anchorage next week as planned. He also said that so far his district has been fortunate that no one has been sick and they hope that holds so that their plans go through to leave. He was only allowed five minutes for the phone call but it was great to hear his voice. He's happy and having a wonderful time, and can't wait to get to Alaska!


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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An and Nha Trang - Say It 10 Times Fast!

As our trip slowly started to wind to a close we still had 4 more cities to see in 4 days.  Thankfully we were able to drive between 3 of them because we were pretty tired of flying by then.  As this point we had added about 10 pounds to our luggage and Matt was carrying around a 4 foot tube filled with art that airport security regarded warily every time we passed though.  One of our guides grabbed it and and threw it on his shoulder while yelling "I've got a bazooka!"  Ummm, not at the airport buddy!

So we had done the South, and the North and down we were off to see the "Middle" of Vietnam.  We began in Hue (pronounced hway) which was the imperial capital of the country until 1945.  It's a conservative little town poised on either side of the beautiful Perfume River.
Entering the hotel in Hue.
Everybody loves an infinity pool!
Our shower - too cool!  Only problem is the geckos enjoy the steam as much as you do.
Setting sail on the Perfume river to head to the pagodas.  The Trang Tien bridge is in the background.

 The Perfume River, so called because blooms and flowers float down from upstream in the mountains.

The Thein Mu Pagoda built in 1844.  It is an iconic symbol of Vietnam and of Hue.  In the 60's a number of political demonstrations took place here.  In the courtyard is the car that transported monk Thich Quang Duc to the site of his 1963 self-immolation.  He was the first monk to set himself on fire and the photograph made headlines around the world.
There was a monastery at the pagoda an we visited with these young monks during their free time.  They are adherents of the Mahayana school of Buddhism so they shave their head all but for the front tuft of hair and wear brown robes.  We asked what they were reading for fun and they showed us their book - they were studying nerve synapses and stem cells!
One of the restored portions of the old Citadel.
I can only imagine how beautiful the entire palace was if this is just a small piece of what remains.
 The front gate of the Minh Mang burial tomb.  He ruled from 1820-1840 and had the tomb built before he died.  It's know for being one of the most beautiful and harmonious tombs.
Getting ready to pass through the gate to the Sung An Temple in the tombs.
When we got to the temple we received quite a surprise.  They were filming a historical film there!  The crew was set up and the actor on the right was rehearsing his lines.  We stopped in to watch through the doors, when a newscaster approached our tour guide and asked us to to an interview for Vietnamese TV!  The whole exchange was translated via our guide, of course, but it was a lot of fun!  If anyone with Vietnamese TV package on their cable box sees our interview - let us know!
Being interviewed on set!
He's portraying an early emperor.
We drove from Hue to Da Nang via the Hai Van Pass.  The scenery was gorgeous.  At the peak is a bombed out old French fort that was used as a South Vietnamese and American bunker.
 Marble Mountain in Da Nang contains a number of natural caves that have been turned into Buddhist sanctuaries.
They were also used during the war as hospitals.
We arrived in Hoi An just in time for the sunset.  There were major storms passing through and you can see the rain on the mountain in the distance.
Hoi An is tiny little fishing village that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site as it's a surprisingly intact traditional fishing village.
Our greeter at the Assembly Hall of the Fujian Chinese Congregation.
All life here revolves around the river.
Morning fishing and crabbing.

Did I forget to mention that Matt was driving the sampan we are on?
 And controlling the throttle with his big toe?
Even Bessie likes to hang out on the river.
We went a bit out of the way to see what the shipyards look like here.  These guys thought having their picture taken was the funniest thing!
The Japanese Covered Bridge - built in 1590 to link the Chinese and Japanese settlers on opposite sides of the river.
Hoi An by night.

Last stop Nha Trang!  Our visit to Nha Trang was bittersweet.  With only one night to spend in this beachside town we spend a lot of time lamenting that it was our last night!  Once we got over how much we were going to miss Vietnam we did our very best to make the most of our last day.  Nha Trang was nice, but years and years of being a back packer destination have left their imprint.  Example: while walking on the side walk a moto driver crossed 4 lanes of traffic to approach us - I thought for a fare - instead he whispered "hey do you want weed?"  Dude - have you seen 'Locked Up Abroad'?  NO thanks!  It's not unspoiled like the UNESCO sites, but that sure doesn't mean it wasn't fun.  Here's our last day in Vietnam.
The Nha Trang aquarium, made to look like a beached junk.  You have to walk through a lion fish to enter - ooooooo.  We were on our way to snorkel in the amazing reefs off the coast - to bad we don't have water proof case for our new camera! :(
 On second thought going to an aquarium before snorkeling really isn't a good idea.  Do I really want to be reminded of what is swimming in the depths?
 Here comes the rain, do da do da, here comes the rain, and I say it's all right...

It does this every day, but this one came on particularly fast!

Heading out of Nha Trang...
Bye, bye Vietnam!

Thanks for tagging along with us!

1 comment:

jimdad said...

That was fun!

Why is it that, even though I was thousands of miles away, I'm sad to be leaving? 'Nice to know that I can just flip back a few blog posts and start again.


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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Lazy Video Embed of the Week

Jon Stewart is smokin' in this interview. I must say though, despite the wrong-headedness and subtle facism of his viewpoint, I still have to give it up to Huckabee for being one of the few calm, reasonable socially-conservative voices out there. The man knows how to have a respectful debate. Watching these two men talk makes me wish all left/right debates had this much class.

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Apr 21, 2011

The Mana Party... Coming soon

Hone Harawira appears set to announce the formation of a new party at the end of the month. The Mana Party should be announced following a final hui on April 30. Readers will know I have been predicting and advocating a broad left wing party as opposed to an alternative Maori party. However, it appears Hone will deliver the latter.

As you can probably imagine, I think this is a strategic mistake. I will qualify that statement by saying good on Hone. Maori want a new kaupapa Maori party and he is delivering one. In this post I want to quote, at length, my thoughts on the issue from March 12:

Hone has announced that any new party he forms will be Maori focussed. I do not think this necessarily precludes the possibility that the party will be broadly left wing. Certainly tino rangatiratanga finds a natural ally in the left - the recognition of indigenous rights is almost the exclusive domain of the left in fact. Hone appreciates this. In this post I want to discuss why Hone Harawira must launch a broad left wing party rather than a single issue alternative Maori party.

If Hone were to form an alternative Maori party he must, in the interest of electoral success, destroy the current Maori Party. The numbers required to sustain both a left wing Maori party and a right wing Maori party do not exist. The Party vote for the current Maori Party is already exceedingly low and it is fair to assume that there is little potential to tap new and existing, yet inactive, voters. The Green Maori vote is also exceedingly low. The Labour Maori vote remains significant yet there are dangers in attempting to bite a piece off of the Labour Party. For the moment, Hone needs the Labour Party in terms of support in the House and around Parliament. Any new party Hone forms will also be ideologically tied to Labour. Now if Hone were to pursue the Labour Maori vote Labour could respond in kind and attempt to stymie Hone. Erect barriers in an attempt to protect their voter base. For example Labour, if threatened, could silence Hone in the House by refusing to offer him anymore speaking slots. Cut off his oxygen supply essentially. Hones best options is to target the politically inactive. The constituency exists and I firmly believe Hone, in cohort with Matt McCarten, is, or are, the people to finally reach out to that untapped market often called the underclass.

Most people can list three or four political values and issues that mean a lot to them. The reality is that most people will not list flags on bridges, international treaties and customary rights near the top. The cost of living, wages and welfare will come out near the top of most lists, therefore it is crucial that Hone take a broader view. The current Maori Party continues to collect a considerable amount of criticism for the party’s perceived focus on symbolic wins as opposed to substantive wins. This should signal to Hone that a focus on Maori values such as the recognition of some rights is not enough to placate Maori. At the end of the day Maori, like everyone else, want to enjoy a higher standard of living, job security etc. And of course the underclass, I loathe the connotations of that word but it is the common designation we all understand, is not exclusively Maori. The underclass consists of the working poor, Pakeha beneficiaries and in many cases Pakeha pensioners. With this in mind it becomes clear that the pitch must be much wider. Although any new party Hone launches will not rely on the party vote, for the time being that is, if Hone wants to drag any new MP’s in with him he must ensure his messages, policies etc resonate with a wide audience.

The political marketplace is already crammed and, as one commentator put it, an alternative Maori party will occupy a niche within a niche.

Most of this, in my mind at least, still holds true. I want to add a few more comments though.

Firstly, the Maori vote is volatile in one respect and solidified in another respect. What I mean by this is that on a candidate level the Maori vote tends to jump around while on a party level the vote is largely fixed with Labour. In terms of the party vote I think this comes down to habit – it’s a generational thing. Hone will struggle to change that. The Maori Party failed to convert a majority of Maori. Mana Motuhake also failed and so did the Greens.

Secondly, Hone needs a moderating force. In my opinion he does whatever the last person told him to do. People like Annette Sykes will hardly exercise control over Hone’s more extreme tendencies. They will only reinforce what he believes.

I wish Hone success. I agree with much of what he says and does. But not enough people share my outlook on life. Not enough to make him a significant force.

  1. I agree that the biggest gap on the political spectrum is a proper left-wing party - something along the lines of the Alliance. However Hone is the wrong person to be forming it, since - notwithstanding a few random statements when he was thinking about forming such a party - it's pretty clear he doesn't really care about non-Maori. This is not to say he's racist, exactly, just that his first, second, and every other priority is improving things for Maori, and he doesn't seem to see anyone else as being any of his concern. This would actually work okay in a large party - Labour, for example - which had enough MPs that some of them could essentially be single issue politicians. But a minor party inevitably has few enough MPs that they all have to have a broad range of interests, which would mean Hone convincing people he cares about NZers generally, or at least disadvantaged NZers.

    re Maori habitually giving their party votes to Labour, I always assumed that this was a sensible strategic thing. If the Maori Party or an equivalent dominate the Maori seats, giving your party vote to them is essentially a waste, since they won't gain any more seats. But if you party vote Labour then you have a better chance of a left wing government, which is generally better for Maori, plus Labour should feel some kind of debt to Maori. I suppose the last part hasn't always worked out so well, but overall it's still a good strategy.

  2. Labour is good for Maori? Except when they're labeling them haters and wreckers.

  3. Kia ora Helenalex,

    Bang on.

    In terms of the Maori vote, yes it is a strategic thing, but I do not think that working MMP is the prime motivator when it comes to voting Labour. I think it is just coincedental that a party vote for Labour and an electorate vote for some other party works to Maori advantage.

  4. Will Willie Jackson and Sue Bradford be involved in the formation of this party, do you think, Morgan?

    Both would lend critical organisational and reputational support to the party.

  5. Hi anon,

    I don't think Sue Bradford will be involved. I think she has moved on. Willie won't confirm or deny whether he is involved. Apparently he is advising Hone, I'm not sure if he is involved beyond that. There are rumours he will stand in Tamaki Makaurau, key word rumours.

  6. I tend to agree re Sue. What about Matt McCarten? Again, a good adviser and au-fait with left-wing parties.

  7. I think Hone's point of view is that it'd be nice if somebody did something to help out poor pakeha but that's not his job and not his focus. He's not racist so much as a single issue politician. Usually I'm not very keen on single issue politicians but there are a few issues so pressing that it's excusable to focus on them to the exclusion of everything else, and Maori poverty is definitely one of them. (When you start expecting everybody else to also be a single issue politician, that's a problem)

  8. Kia ora Morgan,

    I can't see how Hone has put a foot wrong recently, in fact he has made some strong strategic decisions that leads me to believe he is getting good advice and following it - but it is the real Hone doing it not some fake. He is displaying qualities of leadership IMO. And against the odds it does seem like his new Left Maori Party will begin. i hope it is called the Mana Party - i voted for that and it says everything that needs to be said for me.

    This is a very interesting year with winston arising and labour freefalling. I think there is a definate gap in the political choices that Hone's new party will fill and i hope they create a kaupapa around support for equality, the disadvantaged, kaitiakitanga and tino rangatiratanga. That would resonate with many, of every ethnicity and background.

  9. I think Hone is at the stage Malcolm X and Martin Luther King got too, when Malcolm X was starting to move towards socialism. Hone knows class is an issue, and he is most comfortable dealing with maori issues. He will slowly shift more and more into talking about environmental and class issues I suspect.

    Again and again I see real leadership on display, and sense a new movement is growing and we will be seeing new movement leaders emerge. Very exciting times for Aotearoa.

  10. Also I suspect initially wahine are going to have a really big role, and in time rangatahi will step up. Perhaps pacific people will be attracted to the party in time as well.

  11. I too would like to see a broad left party, but I think for Hone a new, left wing Maori-focused party is the way to go. There is a real support base for this.

    There is not currently a mass support base for a broad left party, and it would be a mistake to try and form one on the basis of the support of a few individuals, but without the backing of a mass movement.

    However, there is every reason for the new party to be left wing and take up issues like low wages, high prices, oil drilling and so on, that will be of concern to many grassroots people who are not Maori.

    In large part the split between Hone and the Maori Party is a split between the pro-neoliberal elite that Annette Sykes described and criticized in her Jesson lecture and Maori activists more in touch with flaxroots, working class concerns.

    To say that the Mana party should be “ideologically tied to Labour” is, I think wrong. Labour is fully committed to neo-liberal capitalism and the sanctity of the state. This is why we need a new broad left party, which isn’t tied to Labour.

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