Hmm, I think you may get very little response to your challenge, there Bored.
Banks claimed exactly the same thing for Don Brash during the election campaign. At least once during every public speech in defence of his embattled and unpopular leader, Banks would proclaim that Don Brash is a patriot who loves his country.
Unfortunately to my ears it sounded like faint praise at the time, and indeed it was, as revealed in the teapot tapes.
Apart from loving their country, no one, not even their supporters, can point to any other positive quality that these individuals possess.
When people, start spouting about how patriotic they are, I am always reminded of Oscar Wilde’s statement about refuges and scoundrels.
I have a funny feeling that ACT might be stuffed full of such patriots.
Well they certainly got given all the credit for taking out the Seal Team 6, in a “revenge attack”. You simply would never “give” your “enemy” that sort of PR “victory”
Can’t recall Iran getting credit for taking out the drone, it was deny deny deny!
Digitized “letters” of OBL “fretting”.
You could not make this stuff up…woops hold on, they’re digital, of course you can!
The scrapped TVNZ7 channel will be replaced with a “plus one” channel that will be a duplicate of TV One run an hour later.
The new channel will start broadcasting on July 1 and will mirror the equivalent TV3 Plus 1 channel.
I am glad that the channel remains in TVNZs hands, and hope this means it would be relatively easy to re-purpose it as a PBS channel at a later date….?
I also like the +1 concept. I use TV3+1 sometimes – e.g. if I miss the news, or there is a clash of programmes on at the same time. Often the small number of dramas I DO watch are all on at the same time, with nothing worth watching at other times – and I can only record one channel showing on Freeview at a time, using my DVD recorder.
But my much preferred option is for a channel that is developed s a significant public service channel.
He’s not my boss and I only partly agree with him. TVNZ is terrible and I rarely watch it and they self celebratise far too much.
But I don’t think TV7 is the best use of resources. If they put some effort into having watchable programs on TV1 they wouldn’t have needed TV7 in the first place.
+1 is an ok idea for a bit of flexibility in watching, especially for times they have 60 minutes and Close Up (is that what that one’s called?) clash as they make sure they do – but repeating what mostly seems to be repetitive rubbish is a waste of time.
Its a nice safe protest – pitching as the ‘reasonable man’, that somehow by design sort of can’t in this case actually do anything about it – but its great to be able to pretend to have a different view from National! The question is still whether he will listen to his own poll and vote against the second reading of the privatising of strategic New Zealand assets. . .
Yeah, the usual criticised if he says nothing, criticised if he says something. Do you think he shouldn’t comment on anything?
On asset sales I think he’s likely to listen to his pre-election and post-election commitments. If he didn’t do that he’d get lambasted from certain quarters, who lambast him when he does. At least he’s consistent, the lambast brigade aren’t.
I would prefer a better ondemand offer, and a bigger, better public service channel. But I do find +1 can be useful sometimes.
I watch ondemand a bit, but often find the programmes I want to pick up there aren’t offered – House, lately for instance, and the programmes that run quite late like Damages.
Also I find TV3s videos often freeze on me. I do find it a better experience to watch programmes on my TV than on ondemand. And there’s been 1 or 2 occasions when I’ve watched the start of a movie on TV3, switched to watch another programme at 9.30pm, then switched onto TV3 +1 to watch the end of the movie.
I do watch dramas and the best ones always seem to be put up against each other, sometimes on 3 different channels. That doesn’t happen a lot, but when it does +1 can be helpful. Maybe that’s not a problem to people with “my sky” or “my freeview”. But I just have a DVD recorder and a freeview box.
And it does help with watching some key bit of news on TV3 that was on before I got home, but everyone is talking about online.
The +1 concept works when you have content which has value.
Like Sky Movies running blockbusters at a +1 delay across their channels, because maybe you have something else to watch at 8:30 but still want to catch the movie (or, these days, you’re MySkying too many things at 8:30…)
I simply cannot name any piece of TVOne content I care enough about to be grateful it’ll be on an hour later if I need it. But at least their utterly pointless “do a news show at 4.30 to prove we’re totally cooler than Prime even though it makes zero sense” news show will be bumped to a more plausible timeslot …
“New Zealanders told us they were uncomfortable about the rate of borrowing… They saw this as borrowing to invest and they didn’t like that.
“We have listened.
“That’s why I won’t continue with Labour’s previous policy to restore contributions to the Cullen Super Fund until I think we can afford it.
“It wouldn’t have increased net debt because it gave us an asset that matched the liability. However, New Zealanders saw this as borrowing to invest and they didn’t like that,” Mr Shearer said.
“We’ve decided that until we are back in surplus, any new spending will have to be paid for out of existing budget provisions, new revenue, or by re-prioritising.”
Trevor Mallard on Tuesday speaking in the House:
“I note that it has been the policy of the government to not put money into the Cullen Fund.
“And that, of course, is something that works against the development of capital in New Zealand. I think that has been a short-term approach,”
Maybe Mallard has since come on board with his leader’s plans.
ha ha, that is telling. I sometimes purposely take money out of my pockets so nothing can be spent and it is also quite the liberating thing. Try it next time you head somewhere. I do often carry a pocket-knife though.
It’s an amusing read. So many people who loved National and their cutbacks – until it affects them.
You might think it would make a lefty happy to see people turning against the Government, but it only made me sad. So many educated people who don’t give a shit about others, only about themselves.
Particularly like the 27yo grad earning $110k suggesting that government instead needs to be cutting welfare and raising the retirement age. Middle-class welfare is apparently more productive.
You might think it would make a lefty happy to see people turning against the Government, but it only made me sad. So many educated people who don’t give a shit about others, only about themselves.
It makes me sad to see solecisms such as “Pay check” sprinkled in amongst the comments. (That happens here as well, but after being being denigrated for saying anything, had vowed not to express how my head aches so much, seeing American spellings larded in amongst what would decades ago, have been NZ usage. Ah, heck with it, a young Island man once told my brother that his ambition was to “go to the Capital, man”. When my brother pointed out that they were both in Wellington, the youth said “I mean the capital, Washington”. That was 10 years back, and it seems everyone thinks that we live in the USA now.
muzza
2 May 2012 at 9:23 am
So the $NZ rises when the US data is bad, or they “QE”, and the $NZ also rises when the US data is favourable
“The New Zealand dollar rose after better-than-expected US manufacturing data reignited investors optimism that the world’s largest economy is on track, boosting demand for growth-linked assets such as the kiwi”
So in the next day or so, look out from data which obcures, or confuses sentiments about the “investors optimism that the world’s largest economy is on track”
So now if you go to a rugby match there’s always the chance that some security camera operator is reading your texts. Apparently a police officer who saw it happen thought there “might be privacy issues” (considering the source, that’s a major flag).
A variation on the “nothing to hide” argument in favour of big brother?
The point isn’t whether they’re interested – the point is whether you’ve got a right to sext your boyfriend or say the game of rugby is shit, without becoming the next target of a club bouncer who wants to get on tv.
Coupled with that is the fact that the harm of invasions of privacy isn’t the objective, in context meaning of the full text message, it’s the partial snapshot out of context that is used to colour in a pixelated image that exists solely in the mind of the privacy intruder – whether that being a camera operator taking home a copy to stroke off to, or an armed police officer operating under a misapprehension and shooting a Brazilian electrician in the head.
Anyone worried about their privacy has not been paying attention over the past 10-15 years primarily, but in reality its much longer than that…
Your privacy is not a consideration, in fact your privacy, and protection of your data is , not only for sale, but publically available freely, thanks to social networking!
We lost that battle long ago, and most had no idea it was even happening.
There’s a lot of difference between anonymised aggregate data and random datapoints being permanently and possibly erroneously attributed to an individual.
It’s like pollution – yeah, it’s all around, but that doesn’t mean we can’t clean up the worst bits to a reasonable standard.
“Your privacy is not a consideration, in fact your privacy, and protection of your data is , not only for sale, but publically available freely, thanks to social networking!”
Sorry, but that is such a crock. RNZ’s tech expert said the other day the old chestnut about how unencrypted emails are just like a postcard. If that’s true that means that the staff at vodafone can read my emails in the same way that the sorters and posties at NZPost can read a postcard I send. Is that true?
Do you know who I am? No? Then I have a degree of privacy that I enjoy and want to keep. How is my identity “publically available freely”?
I agree with you that many people have made choices about technology without understanding the implications very well. But that’s completely different than saying that we have no privacy anymore. Privacy is not an absolute.
The thing is that the postal worker sorting a postcard does not automatically store the entire contents and file it with every other piece of data that travelled through the sorting room that day. Then another dude runs a search and finds something to sell to an insurance company, or put on the interwebz, or decides that “great cocktails” was a reference to an improvised munition so puts you on a watch list / raid list.
No, that’s right. So the analogy (and the fearmongering) is wrong (or at least, it’s the wrong fearmongering). Worse than people not knowing what is going on, is people who do know putting out misleading and confusing information that makes it impossible for lay people to make good choices.
So who is storing my emails and then using them to spam me?
Well, facebook for one – only they call it “targeted advertising”.
But I’m not sure who mentioned emails. But I have been in CCTV ops rooms where the operator has cycled the monitor to the camera which shows the hot woman in a low-cut top. And then there’s the entire pan/tilt/zoom issue. ISTR Princess Diana had an issue with that on more than one occasion.
I don’t see why they would stop there. Facebook of course denies they are using the functionality even though they designed it in. In other words, they are saying that they did not inhale.
So what about your leader announcing that a future Labour government would freeze payments to the Superfund?
How about that for copying National after all the protests that Labourites and its MPs hurled at the government?
And how about his private dinner with that SKY lobbyist?
Clare Curran must be spitting chips!
so what about it?
do you think other people are mindreaders or your own prose is so riveting that the menaings are clear and evident to anyone with an iq under 70.
yah yah yah.
Oops Anne. Mr Key reckoned to a bunch of 10year olds yesterday, that his best channel was TV 1. Perhaps Pete and John could have a quiet cup of tea and agree.
Huge moon this weekend. One such that the moonman said would create another time of increased risk of earthquake activity. Let’s see what happens this time. Put the breakables away and fill the car with fuel Cantabrians…
That’s bold Lanth. Even bolder then the moonman. Remember he got the March 20 ones.
If the moon’s extra gravity can pull giant oceans that much further than it usually can surely there is substantial increased force exterted on everything upwards and sideway? After all, the oceans can react to it. We will probably all weigh both less and more this weekend.
Size of moon. It is a strange thing that again an astronomer says that a moon at moonrise is the same size as the moon high in the sky. He said this morning that it is just a trick and he can’t explain it. He says that high tech measuring gear shows that the moon is the same at rise as high.
Another astronomer reckoned that it was an illusion because at rise, there are land based things like hills and buildings for the eye to measure against and they are missing high in the sky.
Place your bets. Moon @ rise same size as high in the sky? Yes. No.
This is a well-known and well-studied phenomenon, and it is true that astronomers, and more relevantly psychologists, cannot adequately explain why the human brain interprets a moon low on the horizon as being apparently larger than one up high in the sky. There are many many theories for it, but as I understand none of them has been conclusively shown to be the best description. Most likely it’s a whole bunch of different factors all playing different roles.
Bad Astronomy puts forward an idea that might explain it unfortunately he puts the idea forward as fact when there’s still doubt. Wikipedia mentions this stuff to.
I did not see anyone mention a Sextant. It is a hi-tech instrument that has been used by navigators for measuring celestial objects for 100’s of years. I believe James Cook was skilled at using it. It was still being used 30 years ago. Nor did anyone refer to the refraction of light. A beautiful example of this is the primary and secondary Rainbow. In the case of the moon, light from a rising moon is travelling at an angle from space into the atmosphere. From a “less dense” to a “more dense” medium. In doing so the light changes direction. Something Navigators, Astronomers, etc. can measure. This does have an effect on the observed diameter of the moon when it is close to the horizion.
Regarding the possiblity of an eathquake, I will not be sleeping under the table but I do have an Emergency Kit at the end of the bed. Baden Powell’s motto for the Scouts.”Be Prepared”.
Why Cantabrians? They’re not the only ones with a moon this weekend. Why doesn’t everyone hop in their cars and get away to somewhere safe from the moon?
Where would you go? About the furthest from anywhere is the middle of the Southern Alps, why not try that?
Don’t want to be too close to the coast though, or somewhere with lots of hills (sorry Pete). They reckon Invercargill is one of the safer places to be in an earthquake (despite being near the sea) – it’s flat, not too many big buildings, not too close to major faults.
I was looking at the moon last night, high in the sky, and thinking shit that’s big this month, imagine what it will look like on the horizon when its full. It will be worth going out for.
I lost the piece of carpet from just inside my front door the other month,a close up of Slippery’s nut on Campbell live tonight tends to suggest that Slippery has glued it on to hide a bad spot of hair loss,
When asked if He knows anything about the missing carpet piece or anything else, Slippery sez He doesn’t know…
I am back to thinking that Labour should roll Shearer sooner rather than later, I look on today’s granny Herald and hello here’s a story of Dave having dinner with Rupert Murdoch’s paid mouth-piece in New Zealand, business as usual obviously,
Next I turn on Prime and catch the Labour leader on the news there,Shearer sez that under a Government He lead the Cullen Super fund was a dead duck until such time as it was affordable to put money into it,which under the current tax regime that Dave doesn’t appear to be about to change will be like the Minister of Guessing Bill English’s balancing of the books, the stuff of fairy tales,
Gets better tho,Dave is going to look for cross party support to raise the age of national super to 67, I doubt that one Dave, not that you and the Treasury want to raise the age of the pension to 67 instead of raising the taxes to pay for it,
I doubt with such policy Labour are going to be governing any time soon…
The difficulty with him accepting the need to with hold payments until the country returns to surplus is that it is accepting National’s argument that the budget needs to be balanced before new spending can be promised.
The difficulty is that from now on National can hold this principle against Labour every time they come out with a new policy. They will be asked, ‘where is the money coming from?’, ‘what are you cutting to get the money for this new policy?’.
It will be a lot harder for Shearer to come up with an answer that satisfies his own supporters and the general voter. (It is a realistic policy to have – he had no choice)
This will make the 2014 election very interesting – how will Shearer (if he is still the leader) differentiate himself from Key with economic policy? If the economy does start to pick up in 2013 & and early 2014, Key will be able to say, ‘ I told you so. We have seen NZ through the tough times, and now economic growth is returning.’
How will Shearer (or Cunliffe/Robertson) counter this?
Needed to happen???dont think there is any such need, Nationals wonky tax changes simply make the Cullen super fund unaffordable even if economic activity was to pick up to 3% growth,
Instead of manning up with a realistic progressive tax policy Shearer is playing lets not scare the horses hoping to ride high in the polls off of the back of Slippery and Nationals sleazy behaviour,
Dave thinks He can sleep walk the Labour Party into Government to implement an economic policy written by the Treasury…
If the economy does start to pick up in 2013 & and early 2014, Key will be able to say, ‘ I told you so. We have seen NZ through the tough times, and now economic growth is returning.’
How will Shearer (or Cunliffe/Robertson) counter this?
There will be no sustained per capita economic growth. Ever.
Labour has finally admitted today that it wont put contributions into the Super fund it has done a Flip Flop on its election promise. As John Key said it has only taken them 3 years to work out that its not good fiscal management to borrow money to invest it on the share market. The rest of New Zealand worked that out straight away .Good to see Labour admitting they were going to make yet another economic blunder if the did do it. Must be a sign of things to come under New Labour. The capital gains tax will be gone next
The shareprice of infrastructure companies Infratil, Contact Energy and Trustpowerare probably lower than they otherwise would be, given the appetite for low risk investments stemming from global financial unease.
The explanation given by a sharebroker is that the prices are down due to a reduction in demand from potential infrastructure investors who are waiting for Mighty River Power shares to be available to them at a discount.
This would mean investors are expecting to buy Mighty River Power shares on the cheap.
The Government, I suspect is going to sell them cheaper than they are worth to encourage investment away from residential property and to stoke confidence in the NZX.
The Government is appealing to investor’s greed, where they should be encouraging them to take a longer view and forego the chance of a quick buck.
I suspect they have swallowed the false doctrine that “greed is good”.
Encouraging long term investment in companies that are good employers and produce goods and services that are beneficial to people and not irreversibly harmfull to the environment should be the basis of goverment policy in this sphere.
“If someone were to give you an assignment and say, ‘Go write a guide book on how to drive from San Francisco to Monterey,’ and everybody could sit down and write their own two-page thing on that, there would be some similarities. But the idea is not protected,” Alsup said in court last Friday.
“Implementations are not derivative works. They are independent works, that simply start with the idea of the specification,” he argued. “When somebody looks at a specification, and says, this is the input, and these are the outputs… programmers each use their own creativity” to implement it. This line of argument may lead Alsup to conclude that the “sequence, structure, and organization” of APIs are not copyrightable.
Such a finding could possibly break open software monopolies such as Windows.
Labour absolutely smashing the Tories and the Lib Dems in the council elections. SNP also looking solid north of Hadrian’s Wall.
Jack Straw:
“It is a matter of record that I didn’t vote for Ed Miliband for leader but I think he is doing increasingly well. But I also think the scales are falling from people’s eyes about Mr Cameron, who has enjoyed quite high ratings above his own party for some time. But since the budget people have seen the real David Cameron and the real George Osborne and they are not terribly keen on what they see.”
Labour will be doing well if they manage to hold Glasgow. All the talk was that it would fall to SNP. So far 9-7 to Lab. It’s being seen as a key indicator after the debacle of the general election.
Overall, it looks like the Lib Dems are the biggest losers, Wales in particular going red again. Good job, too. They did have the option of going with Labour once Brown said he wouldn’t carry on, but they chose Cameron. So yah boo sucks to them.
+1 I think the true understanding between the 2 Oxbridge boys decided that set of negotiations.
Also
It looks as if SNP has conceded it cannot win outright in Glasgow. Labour will be relieved and hopefully it won’t harm the independence vote ( keep your feet on the ground Alex Salmond).
Boris will win the London mayoralty it seems. He’s done well to position himself as a Cameron dissenter.
Edit: from the Guardian – “1.12pm: Labour have now won so many seats that the number (1,404, since you ask) is having trouble fitting into its box in our graphic.” 🙂
But it makes no difference does it, what colour has how ever many…
New Labout did a good job in centrasl power didn’t they under Blair and Brown!
What point in time will people accept by giving their energy to politics, they are being taken for a ride, and endorsing by playing along, as if it make a differnece!
Newsflash, : It makes no difference, your government is not making the decisions, rather certain that this is painfully obvious by now…
We had a unexpected glitch last night with adding new posts. I’m trying to find out what the problem is. FYI: it uses all available memory when putting up the page before dying – classic bug.
In the meantime OpenMike for today will be delayed.
5 May
A pleasure to listen to Radionz interview Kim and documentary maker on our economics which has a go at the mess. On now till about 8.40 am Ross Ashcroft: renegade economics.
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Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
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The number one reason to keep John Banks on (from todays Herald)….
Mr Wall said he was a “good friend” of Mr Banks and had little to say. “He’s a patriot who has given 40 years of service to his country.”
Jeez thats funny! Any advances?
Service? Emptying troughs?
“He’s a patriot”
Hmm, I think you may get very little response to your challenge, there Bored.
Banks claimed exactly the same thing for Don Brash during the election campaign. At least once during every public speech in defence of his embattled and unpopular leader, Banks would proclaim that Don Brash is a patriot who loves his country.
Unfortunately to my ears it sounded like faint praise at the time, and indeed it was, as revealed in the teapot tapes.
Apart from loving their country, no one, not even their supporters, can point to any other positive quality that these individuals possess.
When people, start spouting about how patriotic they are, I am always reminded of Oscar Wilde’s statement about refuges and scoundrels.
I have a funny feeling that ACT might be stuffed full of such patriots.
or
Samuel Johnson, 1775
Bin Laden’s inner circle also was frustrated when, in 2010, attention in the US shifted to the weak economy without apparently crediting al Qaeda for the economic damage that terrorist attacks had caused.
Well they certainly got given all the credit for taking out the Seal Team 6, in a “revenge attack”. You simply would never “give” your “enemy” that sort of PR “victory”
Can’t recall Iran getting credit for taking out the drone, it was deny deny deny!
Digitized “letters” of OBL “fretting”.
You could not make this stuff up…woops hold on, they’re digital, of course you can!
I can’t believe the shit they come up with!! Here is my two cents on it: On Osama, Obama and diaries. If you still believe this BS you have not been paying attention
I have mixed feelings about this announcement:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/6857009/TVNZ7-scrapped-in-favour-of-repeats-channel
I am glad that the channel remains in TVNZs hands, and hope this means it would be relatively easy to re-purpose it as a PBS channel at a later date….?
I also like the +1 concept. I use TV3+1 sometimes – e.g. if I miss the news, or there is a clash of programmes on at the same time. Often the small number of dramas I DO watch are all on at the same time, with nothing worth watching at other times – and I can only record one channel showing on Freeview at a time, using my DVD recorder.
But my much preferred option is for a channel that is developed s a significant public service channel.
You like the +1 concept? Man, I think its such a hideous waste of broadcasting time
+1
Those resources would be better put into on demand viewing.
Yes, and spreading publicly funded programmes around channels that can attract a few more viewers.
OMG – PG your boss has finally said something worthwhile and for once I agree with him. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10803512
He’s not my boss and I only partly agree with him. TVNZ is terrible and I rarely watch it and they self celebratise far too much.
But I don’t think TV7 is the best use of resources. If they put some effort into having watchable programs on TV1 they wouldn’t have needed TV7 in the first place.
+1 is an ok idea for a bit of flexibility in watching, especially for times they have 60 minutes and Close Up (is that what that one’s called?) clash as they make sure they do – but repeating what mostly seems to be repetitive rubbish is a waste of time.
Its a nice safe protest – pitching as the ‘reasonable man’, that somehow by design sort of can’t in this case actually do anything about it – but its great to be able to pretend to have a different view from National! The question is still whether he will listen to his own poll and vote against the second reading of the privatising of strategic New Zealand assets. . .
+1
Yeah, the usual criticised if he says nothing, criticised if he says something. Do you think he shouldn’t comment on anything?
On asset sales I think he’s likely to listen to his pre-election and post-election commitments. If he didn’t do that he’d get lambasted from certain quarters, who lambast him when he does. At least he’s consistent, the lambast brigade aren’t.
I would prefer a better ondemand offer, and a bigger, better public service channel. But I do find +1 can be useful sometimes.
I watch ondemand a bit, but often find the programmes I want to pick up there aren’t offered – House, lately for instance, and the programmes that run quite late like Damages.
Also I find TV3s videos often freeze on me. I do find it a better experience to watch programmes on my TV than on ondemand. And there’s been 1 or 2 occasions when I’ve watched the start of a movie on TV3, switched to watch another programme at 9.30pm, then switched onto TV3 +1 to watch the end of the movie.
I do watch dramas and the best ones always seem to be put up against each other, sometimes on 3 different channels. That doesn’t happen a lot, but when it does +1 can be helpful. Maybe that’s not a problem to people with “my sky” or “my freeview”. But I just have a DVD recorder and a freeview box.
And it does help with watching some key bit of news on TV3 that was on before I got home, but everyone is talking about online.
The +1 concept works when you have content which has value.
Like Sky Movies running blockbusters at a +1 delay across their channels, because maybe you have something else to watch at 8:30 but still want to catch the movie (or, these days, you’re MySkying too many things at 8:30…)
I simply cannot name any piece of TVOne content I care enough about to be grateful it’ll be on an hour later if I need it. But at least their utterly pointless “do a news show at 4.30 to prove we’re totally cooler than Prime even though it makes zero sense” news show will be bumped to a more plausible timeslot …
Unless it’s alive broadcast, I find the whole concept of watching something at a specific designated time quite odd these days.
Another disconnect within Labour?
No Cullen Fund restart until surplus, says Shearer– but did he tell his MPs?
David Shearer today:
Trevor Mallard on Tuesday speaking in the House:
Maybe Mallard has since come on board with his leader’s plans.
There will not be a reply forthcoming.
I see a round of Labour party BBQs coming up and Labour’s “Hollow Man” will not be invited.
Of course, it was more of a grilling than he gets from the New Zealand media:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/6857056/PM-gets-grilling-but-emerges-unscathed
Telling answer here:
What do you always carry in your pocket?
Money, “Cause you never know when you’ll need to buy something … and my wife takes the money from my wallet”.
Let them eat cake, eh?
ha ha, that is telling. I sometimes purposely take money out of my pockets so nothing can be spent and it is also quite the liberating thing. Try it next time you head somewhere. I do often carry a pocket-knife though.
National’s announcement around student loans and allowances seems to have hit a nerve, if the Stuff comments are anything to go by:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/6853057/Student-loan-repayments-hiked-allowances-restricted
It’s an amusing read. So many people who loved National and their cutbacks – until it affects them.
You might think it would make a lefty happy to see people turning against the Government, but it only made me sad. So many educated people who don’t give a shit about others, only about themselves.
Particularly like the 27yo grad earning $110k suggesting that government instead needs to be cutting welfare and raising the retirement age. Middle-class welfare is apparently more productive.
It makes me sad to see solecisms such as “Pay check” sprinkled in amongst the comments. (That happens here as well, but after being being denigrated for saying anything, had vowed not to express how my head aches so much, seeing American spellings larded in amongst what would decades ago, have been NZ usage. Ah, heck with it, a young Island man once told my brother that his ambition was to “go to the Capital, man”. When my brother pointed out that they were both in Wellington, the youth said “I mean the capital, Washington”. That was 10 years back, and it seems everyone thinks that we live in the USA now.
Solecism – my new word for the day, thank you Vicky.
The New Zealand dollar fell below 80 US cents for the first time since January after weaker-than-expected US data and a surprise gain in local unemployment stoked bets the Reserve Bank may cut interest rates
Yup, just like I said 2 days ago!
Are SOEs covered by the OIA? Just been told by one that they’re a private company and therefore an OIA request won’t do any good.
Yes, they are except the ports for some reason.
Ta.
So now if you go to a rugby match there’s always the chance that some security camera operator is reading your texts. Apparently a police officer who saw it happen thought there “might be privacy issues” (considering the source, that’s a major flag).
Unlawful interception of a communication, anyone?
I dont think the cops are very interested in anything I have to say.
A variation on the “nothing to hide” argument in favour of big brother?
The point isn’t whether they’re interested – the point is whether you’ve got a right to sext your boyfriend or say the game of rugby is shit, without becoming the next target of a club bouncer who wants to get on tv.
Coupled with that is the fact that the harm of invasions of privacy isn’t the objective, in context meaning of the full text message, it’s the partial snapshot out of context that is used to colour in a pixelated image that exists solely in the mind of the privacy intruder – whether that being a camera operator taking home a copy to stroke off to, or an armed police officer operating under a misapprehension and shooting a Brazilian electrician in the head.
Anyone worried about their privacy has not been paying attention over the past 10-15 years primarily, but in reality its much longer than that…
Your privacy is not a consideration, in fact your privacy, and protection of your data is , not only for sale, but publically available freely, thanks to social networking!
We lost that battle long ago, and most had no idea it was even happening.
Too busy lusting after the “amazing gadgets”
There’s a lot of difference between anonymised aggregate data and random datapoints being permanently and possibly erroneously attributed to an individual.
It’s like pollution – yeah, it’s all around, but that doesn’t mean we can’t clean up the worst bits to a reasonable standard.
“Your privacy is not a consideration, in fact your privacy, and protection of your data is , not only for sale, but publically available freely, thanks to social networking!”
Sorry, but that is such a crock. RNZ’s tech expert said the other day the old chestnut about how unencrypted emails are just like a postcard. If that’s true that means that the staff at vodafone can read my emails in the same way that the sorters and posties at NZPost can read a postcard I send. Is that true?
Do you know who I am? No? Then I have a degree of privacy that I enjoy and want to keep. How is my identity “publically available freely”?
I agree with you that many people have made choices about technology without understanding the implications very well. But that’s completely different than saying that we have no privacy anymore. Privacy is not an absolute.
The thing is that the postal worker sorting a postcard does not automatically store the entire contents and file it with every other piece of data that travelled through the sorting room that day. Then another dude runs a search and finds something to sell to an insurance company, or put on the interwebz, or decides that “great cocktails” was a reference to an improvised munition so puts you on a watch list / raid list.
No, that’s right. So the analogy (and the fearmongering) is wrong (or at least, it’s the wrong fearmongering). Worse than people not knowing what is going on, is people who do know putting out misleading and confusing information that makes it impossible for lay people to make good choices.
So who is storing my emails and then using them to spam me?
Well, facebook for one – only they call it “targeted advertising”.
But I’m not sure who mentioned emails. But I have been in CCTV ops rooms where the operator has cycled the monitor to the camera which shows the hot woman in a low-cut top. And then there’s the entire pan/tilt/zoom issue. ISTR Princess Diana had an issue with that on more than one occasion.
Do you mean that FB has the ability to collect email content that has nothing to do with FB, from people with FB accounts?
Nah. Just that large-scaledata-matching is their business, often in ways that aren’t plainly obvious to their users.
What’s the line – “if you’re not paying for their product, then you are their product”?
For email intercepts, most intelligence organisations do that as a matter of course – e.g. Echelon.
weka – Facebook app on smartphones IS accessing your personal txts.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6485221/Facebook-app-accessing-texts-report
I don’t see why they would stop there. Facebook of course denies they are using the functionality even though they designed it in. In other words, they are saying that they did not inhale.
Captian Cook
That exactly what the unsuspecting Jewish people said in Germany in he 1930s
So what about your leader announcing that a future Labour government would freeze payments to the Superfund?
How about that for copying National after all the protests that Labourites and its MPs hurled at the government?
And how about his private dinner with that SKY lobbyist?
Clare Curran must be spitting chips!
I’m glad. It was a stupid policy, especially when National were beating the drum about fiscal competence.
so what about it?
do you think other people are mindreaders or your own prose is so riveting that the menaings are clear and evident to anyone with an iq under 70.
yah yah yah.
Try replying to the post you are referring to and then we might know what you are talking about (or maybe not).
Wow! Peter Dunne has come out spitting tacks and I agree with every word he says. Why didn’t he say it sooner.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Peter-Dunne-slams-TV-One/tabid/1607/articleID/252973/Default.aspx
Oops Anne. Mr Key reckoned to a bunch of 10year olds yesterday, that his best channel was TV 1. Perhaps Pete and John could have a quiet cup of tea and agree.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/6858916/Super-moon-bad-news-for-Tuvalu
Huge moon this weekend. One such that the moonman said would create another time of increased risk of earthquake activity. Let’s see what happens this time. Put the breakables away and fill the car with fuel Cantabrians…
I predict no big earthquakes, here or anywhere else.
That’s bold Lanth. Even bolder then the moonman. Remember he got the March 20 ones.
If the moon’s extra gravity can pull giant oceans that much further than it usually can surely there is substantial increased force exterted on everything upwards and sideway? After all, the oceans can react to it. We will probably all weigh both less and more this weekend.
It’s not bold. It’s an understanding of science and statistical probabilities.
Size of moon. It is a strange thing that again an astronomer says that a moon at moonrise is the same size as the moon high in the sky. He said this morning that it is just a trick and he can’t explain it. He says that high tech measuring gear shows that the moon is the same at rise as high.
Another astronomer reckoned that it was an illusion because at rise, there are land based things like hills and buildings for the eye to measure against and they are missing high in the sky.
Place your bets. Moon @ rise same size as high in the sky? Yes. No.
I think the moon is the same size all the time 😉
This is a well-known and well-studied phenomenon, and it is true that astronomers, and more relevantly psychologists, cannot adequately explain why the human brain interprets a moon low on the horizon as being apparently larger than one up high in the sky. There are many many theories for it, but as I understand none of them has been conclusively shown to be the best description. Most likely it’s a whole bunch of different factors all playing different roles.
Bad Astronomy puts forward an idea that might explain it unfortunately he puts the idea forward as fact when there’s still doubt. Wikipedia mentions this stuff to.
I did not see anyone mention a Sextant. It is a hi-tech instrument that has been used by navigators for measuring celestial objects for 100’s of years. I believe James Cook was skilled at using it. It was still being used 30 years ago. Nor did anyone refer to the refraction of light. A beautiful example of this is the primary and secondary Rainbow. In the case of the moon, light from a rising moon is travelling at an angle from space into the atmosphere. From a “less dense” to a “more dense” medium. In doing so the light changes direction. Something Navigators, Astronomers, etc. can measure. This does have an effect on the observed diameter of the moon when it is close to the horizion.
Regarding the possiblity of an eathquake, I will not be sleeping under the table but I do have an Emergency Kit at the end of the bed. Baden Powell’s motto for the Scouts.”Be Prepared”.
I predict at least one mag6.0 or greater somewhere on the Pacific Rim within 5 days of perigee.
Why Cantabrians? They’re not the only ones with a moon this weekend. Why doesn’t everyone hop in their cars and get away to somewhere safe from the moon?
Where would you go? About the furthest from anywhere is the middle of the Southern Alps, why not try that?
Don’t want to be too close to the coast though, or somewhere with lots of hills (sorry Pete). They reckon Invercargill is one of the safer places to be in an earthquake (despite being near the sea) – it’s flat, not too many big buildings, not too close to major faults.
To the centre of the earth!
Isn’t that where all the weird bacteria live?
I was looking at the moon last night, high in the sky, and thinking shit that’s big this month, imagine what it will look like on the horizon when its full. It will be worth going out for.
I saw it about a week ago on the horizon and thought it looked unusually large then.
ipredict that mathew hootn will take the elevator lifts out of his shoes when john banks leaves parliament.
Key will front on Campbell Live tonight. He must be worried!
Under what conditions? That Campbell rolls over and treats Key “nice”?
I lost the piece of carpet from just inside my front door the other month,a close up of Slippery’s nut on Campbell live tonight tends to suggest that Slippery has glued it on to hide a bad spot of hair loss,
When asked if He knows anything about the missing carpet piece or anything else, Slippery sez He doesn’t know…
I am back to thinking that Labour should roll Shearer sooner rather than later, I look on today’s granny Herald and hello here’s a story of Dave having dinner with Rupert Murdoch’s paid mouth-piece in New Zealand, business as usual obviously,
Next I turn on Prime and catch the Labour leader on the news there,Shearer sez that under a Government He lead the Cullen Super fund was a dead duck until such time as it was affordable to put money into it,which under the current tax regime that Dave doesn’t appear to be about to change will be like the Minister of Guessing Bill English’s balancing of the books, the stuff of fairy tales,
Gets better tho,Dave is going to look for cross party support to raise the age of national super to 67, I doubt that one Dave, not that you and the Treasury want to raise the age of the pension to 67 instead of raising the taxes to pay for it,
I doubt with such policy Labour are going to be governing any time soon…
Shearer’s change of policy on Cullen fund contributions may end up being a millstone around his (and Labour’s) neck. (even though it needed to happen)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10803473
The difficulty with him accepting the need to with hold payments until the country returns to surplus is that it is accepting National’s argument that the budget needs to be balanced before new spending can be promised.
The difficulty is that from now on National can hold this principle against Labour every time they come out with a new policy. They will be asked, ‘where is the money coming from?’, ‘what are you cutting to get the money for this new policy?’.
It will be a lot harder for Shearer to come up with an answer that satisfies his own supporters and the general voter. (It is a realistic policy to have – he had no choice)
This will make the 2014 election very interesting – how will Shearer (if he is still the leader) differentiate himself from Key with economic policy? If the economy does start to pick up in 2013 & and early 2014, Key will be able to say, ‘ I told you so. We have seen NZ through the tough times, and now economic growth is returning.’
How will Shearer (or Cunliffe/Robertson) counter this?
Needed to happen???dont think there is any such need, Nationals wonky tax changes simply make the Cullen super fund unaffordable even if economic activity was to pick up to 3% growth,
Instead of manning up with a realistic progressive tax policy Shearer is playing lets not scare the horses hoping to ride high in the polls off of the back of Slippery and Nationals sleazy behaviour,
Dave thinks He can sleep walk the Labour Party into Government to implement an economic policy written by the Treasury…
There will be no sustained per capita economic growth. Ever.
Labour has finally admitted today that it wont put contributions into the Super fund it has done a Flip Flop on its election promise. As John Key said it has only taken them 3 years to work out that its not good fiscal management to borrow money to invest it on the share market. The rest of New Zealand worked that out straight away .Good to see Labour admitting they were going to make yet another economic blunder if the did do it. Must be a sign of things to come under New Labour. The capital gains tax will be gone next
Labour has finally accepted that it will always be NACT Lite and continue to push the unsustainable Ponzi scheme that is capitalism.
The shareprice of infrastructure companies Infratil, Contact Energy and Trustpowerare probably lower than they otherwise would be, given the appetite for low risk investments stemming from global financial unease.
The explanation given by a sharebroker is that the prices are down due to a reduction in demand from potential infrastructure investors who are waiting for Mighty River Power shares to be available to them at a discount.
This would mean investors are expecting to buy Mighty River Power shares on the cheap.
The Government, I suspect is going to sell them cheaper than they are worth to encourage investment away from residential property and to stoke confidence in the NZX.
The Government is appealing to investor’s greed, where they should be encouraging them to take a longer view and forego the chance of a quick buck.
I suspect they have swallowed the false doctrine that “greed is good”.
Encouraging long term investment in companies that are good employers and produce goods and services that are beneficial to people and not irreversibly harmfull to the environment should be the basis of goverment policy in this sphere.
Swallowed it? The government and their ilk are the type of people who invented it.
Now this is interesting:-
Such a finding could possibly break open software monopolies such as Windows.
Labour absolutely smashing the Tories and the Lib Dems in the council elections. SNP also looking solid north of Hadrian’s Wall.
Jack Straw:
“It is a matter of record that I didn’t vote for Ed Miliband for leader but I think he is doing increasingly well. But I also think the scales are falling from people’s eyes about Mr Cameron, who has enjoyed quite high ratings above his own party for some time. But since the budget people have seen the real David Cameron and the real George Osborne and they are not terribly keen on what they see.”
Labour will be doing well if they manage to hold Glasgow. All the talk was that it would fall to SNP. So far 9-7 to Lab. It’s being seen as a key indicator after the debacle of the general election.
Overall, it looks like the Lib Dems are the biggest losers, Wales in particular going red again. Good job, too. They did have the option of going with Labour once Brown said he wouldn’t carry on, but they chose Cameron. So yah boo sucks to them.
+1 I think the true understanding between the 2 Oxbridge boys decided that set of negotiations.
Also
It looks as if SNP has conceded it cannot win outright in Glasgow. Labour will be relieved and hopefully it won’t harm the independence vote ( keep your feet on the ground Alex Salmond).
Boris will win the London mayoralty it seems. He’s done well to position himself as a Cameron dissenter.
Edit: from the Guardian – “1.12pm: Labour have now won so many seats that the number (1,404, since you ask) is having trouble fitting into its box in our graphic.” 🙂
Forget the politics, it’s Boris on a bike and his orangutan fan club you’ve got to check out 😉
http://www.buzzfeed.com/greggdd69/15-orangutans-that-look-like-london-mayor-boris-jo-5v0w
But the apes do way better with ipads than Boris. Can’t find any images of Boris using one.
http://www.torontolife.com/daily/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Toronto-Zoo-orangutans-ipad.jpg
But it makes no difference does it, what colour has how ever many…
New Labout did a good job in centrasl power didn’t they under Blair and Brown!
What point in time will people accept by giving their energy to politics, they are being taken for a ride, and endorsing by playing along, as if it make a differnece!
Newsflash, : It makes no difference, your government is not making the decisions, rather certain that this is painfully obvious by now…
We had a unexpected glitch last night with adding new posts. I’m trying to find out what the problem is. FYI: it uses all available memory when putting up the page before dying – classic bug.
In the meantime OpenMike for today will be delayed.
5 May
A pleasure to listen to Radionz interview Kim and documentary maker on our economics which has a go at the mess. On now till about 8.40 am Ross Ashcroft: renegade economics.