Author Archive
Why is Matthew Hooton SO UPSET at efforts to increase voter turnout? (AUDIO)
Here’s some commentary from PR professional Matthew Hooton, owner of the ‘Exceltium’ PR agency*, on how he sees efforts by New Zealand’s Electoral Commission to increase voter turnout. “I think the way the Electoral Commission has behaved, taking upon itself (despite having no statutory basis) to try and massively increase the turnout to try and […]
‘Dirty Politics’ – two worthwhile retrospectives & some new developments
The Spinoff website recently carried two worthwhile retrospective articles looking at the impact of Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics. Read them if you’re interested via the links below. First, ‘Sunlight did what sunlight does: Nicky Hager on Dirty Politics, three years on’ (link to The Spinoff here) which includes a good number of points with […]
About Matthew Hooton’s declared loyalties
I’ve discussed Matthew Hooton a few times here at The Paepae. My views of his ‘service’ to political commentary in New Zealand have hardened lately. I find Matthew a personally very engaging, even charming man. There can be few smoother and more persuasive spin doctors in the slippery ‘opinion-shaping’ game in New Zealand – especially […]
On the ‘NZ Taxpayers Union Inc’ PR attack machine
Following some discussion on Twitter about this astroturf political attack machine’s activities, I’ve been asked for these. They’re public documents available on the Register of Incorporated Societies … Application to incorporate a society (see names below*) ‘NZ Taxpayers Union Inc’ 2013 financial report ‘NZ Taxpayers Union Inc’ 2014 financial report ‘NZ Taxpayers Union Inc’ 2015 […]
Jordan Williams is still a lawyer
A quick follow-up. Earlier, I had wondered aloud whether New Zealand’s most defamed man, part-time propagandist and bad boyfriend Jordan Williams would still be ‘good to go’ as a lawyer, by New Zealand Law Society standards. I noted his practising certificate was due to expire on June 30. And it seems it’s been renewed (right). This […]
Michael Hayden on James Comey
Former CIA boss Michael Hayden talking on BBC Newsday about what an honest, careful, note-taking, honourable and honest opponent James Comey is, in his experience. Archived here in case BBC audio fails to play. MP3 file “Michael Hayden on James Comey” by BBC Newsday 8 June 2017 prior to his appearance before the US Congress […]
Phishing season is open
Wow, this phishing season is really stepping up – three attempts today and it’s only early afternoon. I hadn’t seen this ‘You have remaining funds in your account, [target email address]’ one before, but I got two of them today. Coincidentally, I received them about the same time as I had two calls on my cellphone […]
Teach a man to phish
I’m still not taking these personally. This is clearly fake…(i.e. Not really from Apple. Looking behind the sender, the address is kiwe@ovcsexn.com and the link goes to a domain using a Twitter t.co URL shortener. Very unApple-like.) Again, you’re in for a hard time if you actually click on these things, but hey, it’s a […]
Life consists of …
So guard your mind. – P Sorry, I didn’t adequately note who I pinched that image from. If you know, please tell me and I’ll credit it.
Another day, another phish
As if we need this stuff floating around. Remember: Don’t click! I’m still not taking this personally. – P
Phishing attacks – be careful out there
I got this by email tonight: You can’t be too careful. The ‘Click Here’ link goes off to a php page citing Ottawa, and the sender, far from being Apple, shows up as a local (i.e. xtra.co.nz) email address – probably hacked. Drop me a line if you’re a security researcher and you want a […]
The defamation case that never was
Prompted by a reported comment in court yesterday where dirty PR attack blogger Cameron Slater claimed to be “…by profession a journalist; I was simply doing my job” I had a wry chuckle at how far Slater Jnr has come from ‘Peter, FFS, I’m not a journalist, I’m a partisan blogger, when will you fucking understand […]
US Senate adopts Signal, HTTPS a year after trying to kill encryption
In today’s dose of irony … After some attempts to backdoor encryption, led by Senators Dianne Feinstein (CA) and Richard Burr (NC), who are also the top ranking members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Senate staff has been approved to use the Signal messenger. Signal is currently considered by most experts as the most […]
High Noon for duelling banjos Slater & Craig
One way or another Cameron Slater is going to have to get used to not having Colin Craig as a meal ticket/bogeyman to scare funds out of his cult members. It’s been awful watching Slater, his deputy dog Pete Belt, and wife Juana Atkins milk the outrage and paranoia they have foamed up among the […]
What a photo of Patrick Gower!
Wow. Great shot. Talk about moody. Source: Newshub Features on Twitter. I’ve recently been thinking (again) about how media organizations harvest people-in-the-news’s social media profiles – often without permission and often murky about attribution – Source: “supplied” or “Facebook”. I hope I don’t sound too much like a hypocrite because I do use pix “published” on […]
