But imagine paying to move into a brand new house and then having renters in it with all the wear and tear. I hope the building firm gets taken to the cleaners in court.
Limitations on short term stays.Requirement for resource consent,and code of compliance,and change on rating structure for short term stays (commercial rate)
He (Associate Judge Dale Lester) noted construction did not start until five months after Titterton signed her contract.
Her house was built by the developer “in parallel” with two neighbouring properties which both obtained code compliance in September 2021, he said.
That lots 20 and 21 were finished well before the sunset clause shows there was no reason, from a purely construction point of view, that lot 19 (Titterton’s property) could not have been finished on time,” Lester said.
He said an email sent by Dynasty’s solicitor to Titterton’s lawyer in April 2021, which claimed the delays were due to a nationwide shortage of timber, price increases, appliance supply shortages, a need to adjust fill level on site and “issues with funding” was so “inaccurate as it might be submitted that it was intended to mislead”.
It was sent when the walls and roof on the house were completed and work on the brick cladding had started.
The need to adjust the fill level was puzzling since the concrete pad was already down, he said. Dynasty actually continued work until July 30, 2021, with Gib lining, stopping and painting.
Call me Mr thickest person called Chris in NZ, but don't actually get how it would work. Obviously micro plastics are light, but don't get how light enough to get into the atmosphere.
Worrying though. Would prefer not killing penguins over plastic Coke bottles etc.
"Antarctica pristine no more as microplastics discovered in snow at bottom of the world
The driven snow of the world’s last untouched continent might not be so pure after all.
A world-first study by University of Canterbury researchers – published in science journal The Cryosphere on Wednesday – has confirmed the discovery of microplastics in freshly fallen Antarctic snow………"
Certainly in NZ, one of the biggest use of plastic bottles would be for milk. And there is zero effective interest in mandating a return to glass bottles (which were entirely re-usable and recyclable). There are a few niche producers doing this – but, if we want to make a difference, it has to either be mandated or plastic use heavily cost-weighted (making glass a cheaper option).
I'm really not very interested in plastic recycling options in this instance. Much better to use glass, instead.
I agree about glass. It's hard to beat. We went through a phase when milk was put into cardboard cartons which were found to be releasing small amounts of dioxin into the milk.
With plastic, everyone is rushing around buying plastic that is BPA free. Yet like one scientist said, BPA is one of only many POSSIBLE chemicals that can leach from plastic.
quick google tells me technically we can remove micro plastics from water, so are you meaning that we can't remove them from say the ocean because its too big?
Ultimately this is a population issue as well as a shitting in our own nest one. We can shift all clothing to natural fibres tomorrow and implement all the reuse clothing tech and culture at its best, and perpetual growth will still lead to more pollution (natural micro fibres are still pollutants). This is a philosophical problem as well as a technical one.
Plastics residues are everywhere. So pervasive that removing existing microplastics from the environment is an impossible task. They are in our bodies, in water and soil, basically, everywhere! No sample was free of microplastics when water sampling NZ rivers.
While glass bottles and other substitutes cut plastics in the environment, they can have their own resource use issues. Energy used to collect and clean milk bottles, for example.
Plastic water bottles is an obviously superfluous use of plastics. In NZ, where tap water can be high quality, dispensed in a glass, that can be used many times, we shouldn't have to sell water in bottles, at all!
""This is a kind of irreversible contamination," said Nizzetto. "There's no way to remediate this kind of contamination at the scale of agricultural soils."”
"Imagine a jar full of grain with a kind of lump of mushroom coming out of the top," says the lead biotech engineer for bio-manufacturing firm Biohm.
"It didn't look particularly exciting or fascinating. But as soon as it was cracked open, it was very, very cool."
The fungus had eaten its way through the plastic sponge intended to seal it in, breaking it down and assimilating it like any other food.
The aim of the project was to evaluate a number of strains of fungus for use in bio-based insulation panels, but the hungry fungus has taken them in another direction.
Biohm is now working to develop the strain to make it an even more efficient digester that could potentially help get rid of plastic waste.
If we look at the world in a reductionist way instead of a ecological systems way, we see only reductionist solutions.
We need to transition off disposable plastics asap. Some things require plastics, so reserve them for essential items and services, but put in place systems of protection, retention and recycling.
In addition to that, look at the water cycle, the soil ecosystems, the places we have been polluting and that we need resources from and put humans back in the loops. When we do this, we see both the problems we are causing systemically and the solutions.
Can we clean up all microplastics? Probably not? We can stop polluting more, and we can change how we relate with the rest of nature so that we have systems that clean up pollution as much as possible.
All sustainability comes from this kind of circular and systemic thinking. If a solution doesn't do that, it's not about sustainability, it's about mitigation. Centering mitigation is what BAU does – how much pollution can we get away with?
Circular resource use and sustainability.
And how it relates to a circular economy.
Example. Looking at EV’ s as a solution when they are only a part of a solution?
Or. Increases in more sustainable energy being lost within added energy use.
While glass bottles and other substitutes cut plastics in the environment, they can have their own resource use issues. Energy used to collect and clean milk bottles, for example.
This is true of *any* reusable packaging solution.
If the economic answer is single use packaging, then we're not measuring correctly.
If so, then I’m sure Robert will bow to the pressure of the majority, realise the errors of his way and repent, and adopt your views on Mallard. Because, if I’m not wrong, Robert would like nothing less than think like you, Jimmy.
What are the numbers for the supporters of other parties? How many approved and how many didn’t know? That is more relevant in this thread. Where are your numbers, why aren’t you digging further? For example, 17% of all people polled approve, 48% disapprove, and the rest (i.e. 35%, by my calculation) don’t know (or don’t care).
I can feel Robert shaking in his boots and wavering in his liking of Mallard!
Was the TS poll you mentioned earlier "The Standard"" poll?
Yes would be interesting to know the sample size etc. and where / how the poll was conducted. But concerning result none the less if only 17% actually approve.
I have never seen a previous poll done on a speaker….has there ever been one? If not, why have they even done a poll? Has Mallard pissed someone off at the polling company? Or has someone paid to have the poll done and if so whom? Now that could be interesting.
So, you have nothing else, nothing of any substance, and just jumping on the bandwagon with the rest of the lynch mob.
Of course, somebody paid for the poll!!
Of course, Mallard has pissed off somebody!! It’s in the hit piece you linked to, FFS!!
What’s concerning is that is yet another attack on the Office of the Speaker and you just lap it up, unquestionably and uncritically, as a lazy thinker would.
I like and admire Trevor. He has tried to get the Opposition to play by the rules but which they are defiantly obstructive. The rules are the Parliament's rules so play fair.
Carter was often nastily obstructive and protective of Key especially. Remember when he chucked 5 women MPs out in a row for defending those who were defending those who had be abused?
Wonder how many of those polled knew who or what Trevor was.
Well if you like your speakers to be strongly biased in favour of the government; intolerant; rigidly ideological; inflexible; capable of making stupid decisions (eg turning on sprinklers to piss off protesters); quick to take offence; incapable of building relationships with opposition parties; capable of having punch ups with other members of parliament; and just generally obnoxious, then Trev's your man – you can have him.
He's probably the worst speaker in parliaments history.
So, the Parliament grounds occupation is over but the siege on Parliament still continues. Is Mallard the Zelenskyy equivalent in NZ and if so, who’s the Putin equivalent?
A poll on whether the Speaker is doing a good job and publishing the results as if they were of some grave importance to the country and the world is a sign of how dreadful we've become. And how shgit our media people are.
Most people wouldn't have the faintest idea about what the Speaker does and should do. They wouldn't know their arse from their elbow for a start.
People who say vaccinations don't work, masks don't work and the Government was using radiation at the Wellington protest? Yeah, they don't like Mallard, he's slack at his job, get rid of him? For fucks sake. TVNZ promoted and carried this poll and reported it? The state broadcaster has reduced serious stuff to the level of the Warriors league team with their coaches coming and going.
Interesting Spinoff article unpacking the actions of the conspiracy theorists around the very straightforward visit to the US by Ardern. Everything is apparently fuel for them, and interpreted through the singular lens of their prejudice.
What is worrying, is the spread of the dis-information to a fairly politically unsophisticated audience (TikTok)
Recently the work of the Disinformation Project organisation reviewed social media data daily during the Wellington protest. In the massive of volume of content they found 73% of the disinformation identified on Facebook was created by only 12 people.
I wonder if the lunatic garbage in this latest instance about Ardern in New York is from the same people.
''My question to this government and other governments around the world twisting words to limit food production to achieve an unsustainable goal while making a food shortage for the world; why are they not taking into account Article 2 (b) of the Paris Accord?”
Blade – use your brain next time and reply to my message, not KJT's.My message is now a good way below your mis-placed reply.
Soundbite? What do you think you mean by that? I can assure you that I made no sound at all as I posted my eloquently expressed rebuttal to your obvious piece of trolling. You knew well that the reference you gave would annoy and provoke the average contributors to this site. You sowed knowingly, and I gave you something you could deservedly reap.
Take your medicine, and stop complaining about superficial manners. You are a blatantly obvious right wing troll, and as such are unconvincing when you try to weasel in as a 'nice' contributor.
KJT described you well at 6.1.1.
(Just above the reply above, which you sent to the wrong person.)
'Reasoned response'? You don't even say which response you are referring to.
I suggest you find another way to misspend your idle time, Blade.
As I understand it ( and to be fair I have lost interest in the topic) governments shouldn't curtail food production in response to climate change targets.
However, I'm flying a little blind here because it's the Owen Jennings article I wanted to comment on.
I posted those links because this topic, I believe, will be back in the media spotlight.
Of more importance is how National will approach this issue when they become the government next year. Lefties believing National will give farmers a free pass may be in for a surprise. National may be completely woke by that time if Luxon's performance is anything to go by.
Don't reach. The government ( Labour)- National isn't in power yet- will curtail food production indirectly with their demands on farmers re climate change regulation affecting agriculture.
It shows you how divorced this government is from our major export earner. Believe it or not, its not Robbo Hood’s printing press, or the Green Collective, that puts food on our tables…it's agriculture.
But again, this is standard fare for a left leaning government. Most righties expected no different. The questions is what National will, or will not be doing around this issue.
unfortunately industrial ag is also responsible for a large amount of GHG emissions.
I take it your argument here is that we shouldn't be doing climate mitigation. You'll get more shit if you are honest about that, but you will get more respect too. The whole back door climate denial is tedious af.
''I take it your argument here is that we shouldn't be doing climate mitigation.''
No, not directly. The only good thing about the climate change scam is it's forcing even more changes and efficiencies in the agriculture sector. Changes that have been happening since SMPs were scrapped. The days of a new Jag and a week in the Islands was over. Some farmers went to the wall.
We emit next to nothing in global terms. We even import coal. How nutty is that? All in the name of '' Let's be world leaders.'' More reality based countries burn coal and have no problem burning fossil fuels when needed.
So, at the end of the day, I want all climate change legislation scrapped. However, I'm still for environmental controls on farmers who pollute rivers, and abuse stock.
In fact farmers are now one of the biggest preservers of remaining natural bush. Always amazes me how little I see Maori and urban Greenies involved in such preservation work.
Funny how the ignorant always eventually, out themselves.
"Always amazes me how little I see Maori and urban Greenies involved in such preservation work."
Don't get out much do you? About 200 out in our local wetland last week. Maori And some Asians, Indians, Poms and other assorted, Greenies. Even a couple of retired cockies.
In fact farmers are now one of the biggest preservers of remaining natural bush. Always amazes me how little I see Maori and urban Greenies involved in such preservation work.
This would have to be one of the stupider things I've seen recently. But good to see your prejudices laid out bare.
Cheap easy shots .I'm just stating my experiences. Mostly ordinary folk on the replantings I have been involved in. No Maori, only two Greenies ( real Greenies. Hand's that obviously had held a slasher; not a latte.). Look at the student army in Christchurch. See any Maori organisation helping out? Apart from Derek Fox who stayed a few days then was gone. However, to be fair I may have missed some Maori helpers.
I'm sorry, Weka. I can only go by my own experiences. Now I did have one indigenous experience. I offered Totara saplings to a replanting scheme. The pakeha coordinator said they couldn't accept my offer because my trees wouldn't have been native to the area. I bet he was following kaupapa set down by Maori…who were nowhere in sight.
I think it’s your prejudices that are being laid out bare. And I will meet all prejudices like yours head on.
No, you're not. You're using your apparently quite limited personal experiences to make a political point about groups of people you don't like. It's very easy to find many planting projects that greenies and Māori are involved in.
Look at the student army in Christchurch. See any Maori organisation helping out?
So not personal experience, but out and out racist framing. It's not hard to find Māori orgs that are doing work in the community.
can only go by my own experiences. Now I did have one indigenous experience. I offered Totara saplings to a replanting scheme. The pakeha coordinator said they couldn't accept my offer because my trees wouldn't have been native to the area. I bet he was following kaupapa set down by Maori.
It's called eco-sourcing, it's based in ecological sciences, and it's common throughout NZ.
I think its your prejudices that are being laid out bare. And I will meet all prejudices like yours head on.
Really? How come you haven't named them then? All I'm seeing is you making a bunch of racist and anti-green assertions and one that is ignorant of a reforestation concept as well as being anti-Māori. None of that is anything to do with me.
''It's very easy to find many planting projects that greenies and Māori are involved in.''
Fare enough. List some. I admit I have only been involved in two schemes. But I've seen a whole heap more on TV – few Maori or Greenies I'm sorry to say.
''It's called eco-sourcing, it's based in ecological sciences, and it's common throughout NZ.''
Never heard of it. We have what's called ''Local variety seed saving.'' I'm guessing it's a similar thing? I will say I already had some of my saplings growing quite well in the general planting area, but I was still turned down.
''I think its your prejudices that are being laid out bare. And I will meet all prejudices like yours head on.''
''Really? How come you haven't named them then? All I'm seeing is you making a bunch of racist and anti-green assertions. and one that is ignorant of a reforestation concept as well as being anti-Māori.
1- You have prejudices against farmers and people who don't share your views on quack science based climate change. You have made those sentiments quite clear to me.
2- You cannot argue race in a rational manner. Your arguments always boils down to your opposition being racist. So you have race bias.
3- You are prejudiced against the Right of politics. Unlike me, you have trouble criticising your own.
4-You have bias when it comes to certain gender issues.
Blade – I read that crap in the local café. Utter baloney – the guy lies about methane, claims a closed system when much of his 'disappearing methane' converts to carbon dioxide, and peddles a load of wishful garbage.
He claims that 'methane is gone in ten years.' If I remember correctly, that approximate figure is its half-life. And what is the point if farmers are replenishing it with a new full amount every year? No mention of methane being up to 60 times worse that CO2 as a heat-retaining gas.
Increase in atmospheric methane set another record during 2021
[7 April 2022]
NOAA’s preliminary analysis showed the annual increase in atmospheric methane during 2021 was 17 parts per billion (ppb), the largest annual increase recorded since systematic measurements began in 1983. The increase during 2020 was 15.3 ppb. Atmospheric methane levels averaged 1,895.7 ppb during 2021, or around 162% greater than pre-industrial levels. From NOAA’s observations, scientists estimate global methane emissions in 2021 are 15% higher than the 1984-2006 period.
… Control of many methane sources technically possible today
“Reducing methane emissions is an important tool we can use right now to lessen the impacts of climate change in the near term, and rapidly reduce the rate of warming,” Spinrad said. “Let’s not forget that methane also contributes to ground-level ozone formation, which causes roughly 500,000 premature deaths each year around the world.”
I'll try to expand on this at some point but I believe Dairy Expansion in New Zealand is equivalent to Israeli Settlement Expansion in the occupied territories.
Invade, set up families and business, and use that as means with which to not be able to roll back the original injustice.
"It is the first lawsuit of its kind to draw from the Facebook Papers while exposing the real human harm behind its findings, Spence’s attorneys say. The suit also features previously unpublicized documents from the leaks, including one in which Meta identified “tweens” as “herd animals” who “want to find communities where they can fit in.” The attorneys argue that such documents demonstrate Meta’s efforts to recruit underage users to its platforms.
“If you look at the extensive research that it [Meta] performed, they knew exactly what they were doing to kids, and they kept doing it,” said the founder of the Social Media Victims Law Center, Matthew P. Bergman, who is representing Spence and her family. “I wish I could say that Alexis’ case is aberrational. It’s not. The only aberration is that she survived.”"
Well, you and your fellow travellers are determined to link police action directly to Labour Party policy so I ask again, does yesterday's event in Newlands show the government is soft on crime?
Perhaps the police and therefore, according to your theory, Jacinda Ardern could have done more than shot the man 8 times. Maybe some torture first. Would it have been better if police had taken out the entire family just to show the gangs who is boss?
Just asking questions…
[You are going too far and well beyond ‘just asking questions’ that are reasonable and within levels of what’s acceptable and tolerated here.
From the Policy:
Directly or indirectly advocating violence in any shape or form (including ‘jest’ and advocating self-harm) to individuals or groups is simply not allowed. Moderators will have a no-tolerance humourless response as the only possible response. If you want to talk about political conflicts around the world, then do so being mindful of this proscription.
You misunderstand. Having to shoot an offender during a dire situation has nothing to do with this government being soft, and useless on crime prevention.
Have a look at the second clip in this link and see how scared a gang banger is of the police. If I was in charge no prick who probably doesn't even know how to flush the toilet would ever disrespect police, ambulance or medical staff without facing dire consequences, and if need be liberal use of the baton.
You misunderstand. Having to shoot an offender during a dire situation has nothing to do with this government being soft, and useless on crime prevention.
Have a look at the second clip in this link and see how scared a gang banger is of the police. If I was in charge no prick who probably doesn't even know how to flush the toilet would ever disrespect police, ambulance or medical staff without facing dire consequences, and if need be liberal use of the baton.
"Paradoxically, harsh punishments such as incarceration often increase offending rather than deter it, which produces a cycle of violent crime and punishment".
Your revenge fantasies would result in more crime, and more victims!
Mind you, right wingers love that. Fear is often a motivation for voting Conservative.
"Paradoxically, harsh punishments such as incarceration often increase offending rather than deter it, which produces a cycle of violent crime and punishment".
Cool.
Lets not incarcerate anyone lest we be considered harsh
The Netherlands as far as I'm aware, don't have the huge third world underclass we have. I would assume most of their prisoners would be able to read and flush a toilet.
If we decriminalised all drug use ( with caveats attached) our prisons would be empty too.
No, KJT. I'm talking inherent third world mentalities that cannot be changed with wages or welfare.
For example, you may be wondering about my weird references to ''flushing toilets''
Two examples:
A rented flat was inspected by the owner. He wondered what a smell was. In the bedroom the tenants had crapped in the corner and put a blanket over the crap. The toilet was down the hallway.
When I helped a friend out on his orchard, an ablution block was built for the workers. It had three showers and four toilets. The toilets weren't flushed and the rubbish bins were full of used toilet paper.
You can't change that mindset. I would also like to add, that definitely not all third world folk are uncivilised ( by or standards), but some are.
Back to the caveats?
What would yours be if all drug use was decriminalised? There is no right or wrong answer, but maybe our ideologies would influence our opinions.
I'm sorry. I'll forget I saw unflushed toilets. Or the angry Muslim man I knocked out when he became agitated with a woman employee who didn't know whether the meat they sold was halal or not. When he pushed her I dealt to him.
These people don't give a flying fig about your welfare system or wokey ways. They just want your money if possible. Then they want you to piss off.
But to the Caveats? Here’s one:
1- All drug users must be registered. Once registered they may consume any drug they want. However, should they present for medical treatment associated with drug use. They will be denied treatment. They can either die in the hospital car park… or crawl home. It would therefore be prudent for them to take out private healthcare so the rest of us don’t have to pick up the tab.
WTF! Babies shit their nappies, toddlers can be potty-trained, but uncivilised savages will always be uncivilised, their mind-sets cannot be changed, and they will always crap on your floor!? Yet, they’re useful slaves and good enough, only good enough, to do our shit jobs for peanuts!?
Aren’t you the macho hero for defending a woman against an agitated Muslim man and knocking him out? Did you run off to the pub to brag about it to your mates or just here on TS?
You are showing your true colours in and by every comment you make here.
For what it is worth we encountered exactly the same problem in one of our rentals many years back. Literally the tenant did not know what the toilet was for, had ripped up some floor boards and was throwing all their rubbish under the house.
Mass incarceration in the United States is a civil rights issue. Organizations such as the Prison Policy Initiative argue that incarceration dehumanizes poor people and minorities, damages already marginalized communities, and often jails people for small-scale offenses such as marijuana possession in countries where weed is illegal. Additionally, evidence exists that a high incarceration rate does not actually increase public safety—a stance often validated by data on crime rate per country, murder rates, rape statistics, and gun violence per country. Nor, for that matter, does capital punishment, commonly known as the death penalty.
Mass incarceration can also lead to several logistical issues including prison overcrowding, which increases health risks and decreases the psychological well-being of those inside. Around the world, many countries have jail occupancy rates that exceed 100% of their prison system’s capacity.
''The effects of covid and the Ozzies exports of 501's are nothing to do with this Government.''
It has everything to do with the government because it's incumbent on the government to react to changing circumstances…and most importantly of all, its priority to keep citizens safe.
I'm through arguing the toss. See PR's link. If that was a one off, then it wouldn't be important. The FACT is many people in communities across the country are scared.
That may be a better indicator of how affective this government is on crime.
You are "through arguing the toss", because evidence based arguments are too much for you.
The level of manufactered fear, is no indication of the Governments effectiveness.
In reality they have reacted to changing circumstances. Including funding police to a much greater level than National, and supporting evidence based initiatives that actually will reduce crime over time. Kelvin Davis in particular is doing a good job there. But you are wilfully blind to it.
Meanwhile your only solution is bashing people with battons.
"Mind you, right wingers love that. Fear is often a motivation for voting Conservative."
While I agree the US right tended years ago to use fear, but you could mount the same argument with Ardern and Covid.
It is basically just a political tool.
""Paradoxically, harsh punishments such as incarceration often increase offending rather than deter it, which produces a cycle of violent crime and punishment"."
I would add "without intervention and rehabilitation and hopefully some training for focus on a trade" to that, but tend to agree again.
But lets face it. There are some people that need to be separated from normal society for a while, due to public safety. Let's face it. You sometimes just strike the odd piece of human scum.
But poor self control is a key predicter of criminal behaviour, and it is incremental in its impact.
The Dunedin Multi Disciplinary study has found that good self control at 3 years of age predicts good outcomes including low rates of criminality.
Why we are training kids in self control skills is beyond me.
Your article kjt is interesting, but it states that trials should be consdiered in this intervention, rather than there being good evidence that it works
Thanks for pointing out the second clip, I missed it first time. Yep it shows they have no respect for the police and have no fear of the police actually acting upon their abuse.
I have thought similar, PR. Seems to me their ideology must always come first. The body count is collateral damage. Then again maybe not enough people in the heartlands imbibe Chardonnay?
The "body count" is at the door of those who for decades have ignored the evidence about how we can reduce crime, to pander to "tough on crime fantacists.
Sending generations to "Crime University" to become students of incarcerated gang members, while ignoring the needs for literacy, mental health, meaning ful work, and participation in the community.
It is at the door of F wits like you, who ignore overwhelming evidence of how to really reduce crime, to indulge their own fear and wet dreams.
The extra victims that may have never been victims, if the underlying causes of crime had been addressed.
I have no problem with you thinking I'm a fuckwit. Probably 90% of the blog thinks similar.
But please remember about keeping things civil as Incognito recently warned. It's about keeping the ambience of this blog respectful and safe. And at the moment I'm not feeling safe with your korero.
Me to in a way. I was born with seaweed behind my ears. I'm always at my best when breathing in all those negative ions that a sea breeze brings.
My brother in law was first officer on the coastal Tanker Amokura, before going on to captain a super tanker in the Persian gulf. So I have been on these vessels.
My claim to fame is going from Mt Maunganui beach to Mayor Island on a standup jet ski circa 1988. The tech wasn't great in those days and it was a bit freaky with a fuel container resting on the running board.
However, talk is cheap. Seafarer's test.
1- Is a tanker in more danger of exploding when it's full of oil or empty?
2- If a tanker is coming to it's moorings listing port side, who should greet it – Luxon or Ardern?
I like to think of myself as one of the good guys. – Blade
Don't we all – although if you really could make anthropogenic global warming go away just by declaring it a scam then you would be a very good guy indeed.
Just one question – how do you cope with all the sand?
Naomi Oreskes, Why Science Failed to Stop Climate Change [10 November 2019]
ExxonMobil loves to accuse me of being “an activist.” I am, in fact, a teacher and a scholar. Most of the time, I’d rather be home working on my next book, but that increasingly seems like less of an option when Big Energy’s climate-change scam is ongoing and our civilization is, quite literally, at stake. When citizens are inactive, democracy fails — and this time, if democracy fails, as burning California shows, so much else could fail as well. Science isn’t enough. The rest of us are needed. And we are needed now.
But please remember, calling someone a fuckwit is not ''robust debate.''
Correct, and if that’s all there’s to a comment, pretty much, than there’s a high chance that it will be moderated with a warning, at least. Generally and mostly, Mods look for patterns of behaviour and commenting rather than isolated expletives, slurs, or even personal attacks, which can all be (a minor!) part of robust debate. However, we prefer it if you keep it civil.
Within the past week I've put up references from criminologists, people within the field, researchers and examples of countries that have been successful in reducing crime.
You know, actual evidence of what works.
Or. We can just carry on with "what has been proven not to work".
“I have known numbers of bourgeois Socialists, I have listened by the hour to their tirades against their own class, and yet never, not even once, have I met one who had picked up proletarian table-manners.”
From the article "A man fatally shot by police was holding a knife to the throat of a woman "
If that's true then well done to the police, he had to be 'taken out'. You can't F around if he's armed and obviously dangerous.
He also will not re-offend.
If you were considering watching The Rings Of Power (and you really shouldn't) and the arguments about it not being Tolkien enough aren't enough to sway then maybe this clip will help change your mind
Its basically about how Amazon bailed on NZ (due to Covid restrictions) and went to the UK to film
Sort of schadenfreude? The horrified attention that keeps your eyes to a slow-motion wreck on reality TV?
I'll be watching some of it – to see friends who were in the cast (extras, not stars).
Though, really, if you want to write a woke fantasy story, with super diverse casting, and characterization which departs from canon – do so. Just leave Tolkien out of it….
The criticism that I've read so far, is that they could have made *most* of the changes, effectively, if they'd bothered to actually integrate them into the extant lore – instead of just pasting them on top. A lazy process which does disservice both to Tolkien and the actors cast in the roles.
I don't love some of the changes that Jackson (et al) made to LOTR – but they were a hell of a lot more intellectually honest than what I'm seeing from RoP
'Sort of schadenfreude? The horrified attention that keeps your eyes to a slow-motion wreck on reality TV?'
I'd rather not watch it (and I'm not going to watch all of it) but if I'm going to criticize (and I will) I need to watch some of it so I can really go to town on it
Similar to the Star Wars tv series, I watch enough of it so I can criticize properly
'I'll be watching some of it – to see friends who were in the cast (extras, not stars)'
Thats fair enough, I'd do the same as well
For the rest of your comments I'll just say I 100% agree
Woosh! That was not the sound of Tom Cruise flying low over your head. All good though.
I thought Correction Officers had to be sound judges of people and characters!?
Anyway, I drink coffee all day round, probably way too much, and I never drink alcohol when active online, which is pretty much all the time except when I’m having a good time with friends & family and even a drink or two.
Well maybe you can explain to me what Top Gun Maverick has to do with The Rings Of Power, I couldn't see the connection so I assumed it was your day time drinking or maybe it was one of the those really subtle comments you like to make every now and then, comments so subtle that no one has any idea of what you're talking about
I actually watched your YT clip, on 2× speed, and there were plenty of references in it to Hollywood and none positive. Even without watching the clip there are many parallels and points of connection with Hollywood. Can’t help it if you don’t grasp your own material, so perhaps dial back on the ‘criticizing’ and “really go[ing] to town on it”.
Nowadays, woke and scientology are almost as bad as each other.
Although your comment @ 10 was the most-woke [wokiest?] one I’ve seen in a while, it did not actually say anything about anything you claim it said!? Perhaps you wish to re-read your comment about Amazon?
Or perhaps it is time for you to come out as woke warrior?
It’s a terrible tragedy, $30M for the film studio in Henderson and no Amazon. Thus, you argued, we should not watch that movie (plus for some other obscure reasons that affronted your delicate senses of wokeness). OTOH, you love Top Gun!? Can’t you see the delicious irony?
'It’s a terrible tragedy, $30M for the film studio in Henderson and no Amazon. Thus, you argued, we should not watch that movie '
I've argued that it shouldn't be watched because its going to be crap and that should be enough
If thats not enough then I'll make an appeal to peoples dislike of billionaires, corporations and subsidies to try to make people avoid the series on those basis, whatever strategy works
'OTOH, you love Top Gun!? Can’t you see the delicious irony?'
Spanish Archer you are a fucktard
Top Gun Maverick was made for the fans, made to be entertaining, to be non-political and absolutely non-woke
The movie showed respect to the fans by not shitting on the previous movie
It didn't make Maverick a joke or someone that had to be led by others
It promised entertainment and it delivered.
It shows what happens when you make entertainment for the people whereas The Rings Of Power is the exact opposite
The Rings Of Power proudly exclaims how diverse it is, in their words: 'because they wanted to ensure that it reflected "what the world actually looks like" and felt that would be closer to the spirit of the books.'
Top Gun Maverick gave the people what they wanted and so I praise them for it because I want more of this (non-woke entertainment)
The Rings Of Power are not giving the people what they want so I'm lambasting them for it
Do you get it now or do I need to spell it out for you some more now fuck off and go jerk off somewhere else
Actually you know what, you probably still don't get it so I'll bring it down a notch just for you.
I’ve argued that it shouldn’t be watched because its going to be crap and that should be enough
Hilarious! You haven’t watched and were not going to watch it, but only parts, so that you “can really go to town on it”, but you know (!) it’ll be crap!?
If thats not enough then I’ll make an appeal to peoples dislike of billionaires, corporations and subsidies to try to make people avoid the series on those basis, whatever strategy works
Yeah, and Top Gun was an Indie movie made on a shoestring budget and Tom Cruise did a gratis cameo.
Spanish Archer you are a fucktard
Absolutely! But at least I’m not a closet woke-warrior with a drinking problem.
Do you get it now or do I need to spell it out for you some more now fuck off and go jerk off somewhere else
Actually you know what, you probably still don’t get it so I’ll bring it down a notch just for you.
You should really see somebody about that issue of yours because you do seem to lose your temper so quickly nowadays – are you missing JC? Tell you what, lay off the bottle for a while.
It proclaims it as Lord Of The Rings yet it is far removed from what Tolkien wrote and because its a couple of inexperienced, young writers the episodes will not be Tolkien, it will be generic though
The show will be shit because we've seen this all before.
Game Of Thrones was a very good tv series, it was good because the show runners were adapting from George RR Martin
However
The show came to a grinding halt and got really, really bad in the later series because once the showrunners had no books to work off and had to create themselves they just couldn't do it because they were not as good a writers as Martin was (hes never finishing the series by the way)
The Rings Of Power have not learned that lesson
The Wheel Of Time had all the books it needed but instead decided to move away from the source material, as an example we all know that female and male magic are the two halves and you need both but the tv series doesn't (also released through Amazon Prime)
I could go on, the treatment of Halo, The Witcher, Disney Star Wars etc etc
The lessons here are simple, simple enough even you can grasp it.
Fans like the source material, fans get attached to the source material, you better be very careful when you change the source material and you shouldn't insult the fans when they complain
The Rings Of Power have not learnt these lessons so yeah its going to be bad, I don't know just how bad it will be but it will be bad.
Respect the fans and you'll make money or get woke and go broke.
Top Gun Maverick respected the fans, respected the source material and is now making bank and I don't care that Tom Cruise is in a cult either
Sure its written, sure its probably insincere but that he thanked the fans was a nice touch and his movie is reaping the rewards:
What do we get from Disney and Amazon, just that we're all racist if we don't like what they produce
I prefer looking for diamonds in the rough and have unearthed many real gems. Of course, there’s European and Asian cinema, and African (incl. South African). Once you look away from Hollywood you realise that there’s so much more to enjoy. I have greatly enjoyed Hollywood movies in the past, even the action flicks, but taste develops with time & experience just as good wine ripens [intentional pun; hope it wasn’t too subtle for you]
The more people see this at the movies the bigger and louder the message is to Hollywood that we don't want woke movies, movies that contain "the message", that diversity and representation is not more important than storylines and decent acting, that we want entertaining movies
Agreed Tony. Both Luxon and Willis prepare their questions but totally fail to listen to the answers, and totally fail to adjust in the light of the answers given. A disconnect between question and answer! Pointless.
Mitchell strangely did listen to one of Poto's great answers, and redirected his question back to Poto and not the Police, but sadly for him he was corrected that the Minister was for policy and funding, and Police carried out the operations.
You would think that Mitchell knows better; hadn’t he recently met with the Police Commissioner Andrew Coster? Perhaps he confused policy & funding in that meeting too?
Dunno if this happened yesterday but the Spin-off reporting on Ipsos shows National with the political wind in their sails.
Frankly I think the Labour benches have been poor. Perhaps it’s government under these circumstances or the headwinds. I don’t know the power dynamics, but the idea of a wave of popular announcements coming from ministry after ministry doesn’t seem likely.
Labour hasn’t been able to pivot yet, and now they’re playing catch up. It might be they will hold, but it’ll need some reinvention. Perhaps it’s culturally we need a bit of reinvention as a country and a good chunk of us are not keen on it or simply can’t. Aussie is trying to, but with their majority government it may not happen.
National are going to get a lot of easy coverage as they carpet bomb BS. Labour are gunna get blamed for everything. It seems from up the thread they’re trying to attack the ref too. That’s normal.
Let’s elect the speaker and all our judges, etc etc! Christ the National speakers were terrible. Mallard has sided with opposition complaints and penalized the government in a way I certainly haven’t seen reported before.
I feel Labour needs some consistent muscular, relaxed and confident coverage. The international trip is a start, but you can’t depend on your leader entirely forever. Community was a buzzword in Aussie?
I think Speaker would be one of the biggest pain in the arse jobs in Parliament as an MP. You obviously get the extra cash, but she is a bit of a poisoned chalice.
You kind of have to juggle backing the boss of your Party, while simultaneously trying to look non-biased.
As I said last night. Think they should make it an independent job from outside, With someone with political nouce.
I actually think someone like Peter Dunne would be quite good.
Whoever it is it should not be subjected to polls of the public and trying to stir up angst against the speaker. The speaker’s office is what enables debate in the chamber and questioning of the government and should not be subject to such crude attacks.
Don’t do it for refs. Ditto here.
It's a good day in San Francisco, voters have voted to recall Chesa Boudins, a radical aristocratic socialist whose lawyer grandfather represented Castro and whose parents were leaders of cop killing, bank robbing, neighborhood and federal building bombing terrorist group the Weather underground.
Good.
America's private prisons are a disgrace and the kinds of minor crimes people go to prison for is disgusting. However, there needs to be a balance between throwing everyone in prison for quotas and not throwing anyone in prison or punishing anyone because of ideology.
San Franciscos incredibly liberal voters are sick of "san Francisco snow" which is broken glass from cars shops and houses everywhere , they are sick of police not showing up to arrest shoplifters and defacto decriminalization of shoplifting (cops won't show up unless over a grand has been stolen) they are sick of shop windows being smashed in on broad daylight in front of police and nothing happening.
The Mayor of the town actually tried to downplay and reassure the insane crime stats by saying it's only homocides and assaults that are massively up. Lmfao how reassuring.
And it was democrats who led the charge against Boudin specifically democrats of colour, the yes to recall campaign was funded by San Francisco residents whereas the no campaign was funded by people in other cities in the state.
He's gone. There must be a balance between neoliberal corporate justice reform and woke justice reform.
Letting criminals run wild hurts the poorest the most.
Now. Hopefully results like this wake the left everywhere up on crime.
The punishment must suit the crime. It shouldn't exceed it and it shouldn't be a slap on the wrist.
Also if 501s are being deported from Australia for breaking the law, the law should be changed so it's straight to prison for them. End of story.
Voters especially ones in poorer and working class neighbourhoods will not tolerate weakness on crime and will vote for people who will be tough on crime no matter how much woke academics scream otherwise.
Also the guardian called his terrorist parents "left wing activists" smh.
If woke courts and woke sentencing guidelines won't fly in San Francisco, they won't fly anywhere.
As always, the luxury beliefs of the affluent, bloated, narcissistic Woke – utterly divorced from reality – are guaranteed to create a nightmare living situation on a day-to-day basis for a whole swathe of the Left's traditional core constituency …
… the constituency that, of course, founded, built & intellectually energised the Left for many decades before it was slowly but surely captured by 300 buck-an-hour virtue-signalling New Middle Class Professionals.
TL;DR: Here’s six links that stood out to me in the last day in Aotearoa’s political economy to 6:06am on Sunday, May 19:Aotearoa-NZ is the seventh worst in the OECD’s homelessness rankings, just behind the United States and just ahead of Australia. BlackRock thinks rate hikes actually worsen inflation because ...
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The Fast-Track Approvals Bill enables cabinet ministers to circumvent key environmental planning and protection processes for infrastructure projects. Its difficulties have been well canvassed. This column suggests a different way of thinking about the proposal. I am going to explore the Bill from the perspective of its proponents with their ...
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David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: Suspended Green MP Darleen Tana has passed an unpleasant milestone: she has now been absent for as many parliamentary sitting days as she has been present for this year. Tana is on full pay while she is suspended, and will benefit from a ...
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This is one of the (extra) weekly columns on music or movies. Plenty of solid analyses of Possession exist online and most of them – inevitably – contain spoilers. This column is more in the way of a first-timer’s aid to getting your initial bearings. You don’t need to have ...
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Helen Clark joins the Hoon as a special guest talking whether Aotearoa should join Aukus II, and her views on the fast track legislation and how Luxon and the new Government are performing. File Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts ...
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You can be all negative about these charter schools if you want, but I’m here to accentuate the positive. You can get all worked up, if you want to, by the contradiction of Luxon saying We’re going to make sure that every school in the country is teaching exactly the same ...
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The Merchants of Menace: The Coalition Government has convinced itself that the “Brahmins’” emollient functions have become much too irksome and expensive. Those who see themselves as the best hope of rebuilding New Zealand’s ailing capitalist system, appear to have convinced themselves that a little bit of blunt trauma is what their mollycoddled ...
When National first proposed its Muldoonist "fast-track" law, they were warned that it would inevitably lead to corruption. And that is exactly what has happened, with Resources Minister Shane Jones taking secret meetings with potential applicants:On Tuesday, in a Newsroom story, questions were raised about a dinner Jones ...
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It’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a third medical school in New Zealand, ...
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Henry Ergas writes – When in Randall Jarrell’s Pictures from an Institution, a college president is accused of being a hypocrite, the novel’s narrator retorts that the description is grossly unfair. After all, the man is still far from the stage of moral development at which the charge ...
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...
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Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...
If there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...
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As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
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Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...
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The government has made it abundantly clear they’re addicted to the smell of new asphalt. On Tuesday they introduced a new term to the country’s roading lexicon, the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), a little brother for the Roads of National (Party) Significance (RoNS). Driving ahead with Roads of Regional ...
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On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
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The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
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Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
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The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
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Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
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New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
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The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
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SPECIAL REPORT:Islands Business in Suva Today is the 24th anniversary of renegade and failed businessman George Speight’s coup in 2000 Fiji. The elected coalition government headed by Mahendra Chaudhry, the first and only Indo-Fijian prime minister of Fiji, was held hostage at gunpoint for 56 days in the country’s ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist and Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific digital journalist Police have used tear gas and stun grenades on rioters at an airport near Nouméa as the chaos in New Caledonia stretched into its sixth day. Five people, including two police officers, have died and hundreds of ...
Asia Pacific ReportThe global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on France to not “misuse” a crackdown in the ongoing unrest in the non-self-governing French Pacific territory of Kanaky New Caledonia in the wake of a controversial vote by the French Parliament to adopt a bill changing the territory’s ...
A major provider of school lunches fears the government's new $3 limit for most students will see them eating more pre-packaged and processed food. ...
The star of Dark City: The Cleaner takes us through his life in TV, including the VHS revolution and the John Campbell impression that started it all. Best known for his comedic roles, Cohen Holloway says he struggled at times to maintain the stone cold facade of serial killer on ...
David Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. My friend Doug never travelled; he had little interest in the world beyond his own tiny rural town. I’ve rarely known anyone who radiated such contentment. Doug (I’ll call him that) died in March. You won’t know him. ...
Some of the earliest photos of life in Aotearoa are on display at Auckland Museum right now – but the identities of some of the people in them are a mystery.What was it like to be one of the first people in New Zealand to have their photo taken? ...
Since its founding almost a decade ago, Featherston Booktown has grown into one of the country’s most interesting and idiosyncratic literary events. Erin Banks reports from the audience. “Come in, have you had lunch? I’m about to make a cheese toastie.” Mary Biggs, operations manager of Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, ...
After 33 years abroad, Loveni Enari recently returned to Aotearoa and Samoa in what a friend joked was an “existential crisis”. He learnt and re-learnt so much about his family, friends and both countries. Almost as an afterthought, he got a Samoan tatau. This is his story. (Accompanying it are ...
Nearly 30 years ago, two people told me they’d killed a woman they knew. I thought the truth would come out, that others would tell it. In the end, I had to. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Fact: in 1995, Angela Blackmoore ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at the week and shines a light on some increasingly rare longform journalism. Mōrena and welcome to The Weekend where there will sadly be no aurora to see. After a busy week last week of short, sharp pieces, this week we swung the other way, ...
ANALYSIS:By David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a revered Kanak visionary, was inspirational to indigenous Pacific political activists across Oceania, just like Tongan anthropologist and writer Epeli Hao’ofa was to cultural advocates. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1989 by an opponent within the independence movement during ...
Forget thin is in, apparently now bigger is better … or is it? After over a decade of body positivity, girls, teens and women are even more confused about what body positivity actually is. The movement began with women confronting unrealistic expectations of how their bodies should look. But sub-strands ...
Grace always sat at the bar at the back of The Cambridge, where she could watch who came in. A huge mirror ran the length of the pub, so you could sometimes watch people without them knowing. The mirror made the place seem a lot bigger than it really was. ...
MONDAY Sheriff Mark Mitchell rose at dawn. He had a long day’s ride ahead of him. He was headed for Waikeria. Waikeria! Even the name itself stirred his blood, and set root in his imagination. There was nothing and no one in Waikeria. But he would bend it to his ...
The first phase of the inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones finished this week, turning up plenty of revelations and few answers. But through all the confusion, heartbreak and antipathy on display, the simple fact at the heart of this case remains: if little Lachie’s body had ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Benjamin, Professor in Art History, University of Sydney “She’s no oil painting”. Those were the unkind words of a colleague commenting on the subject of Vincent Namatjira’s acrylic painting, Gina. Every one of the prominent Australians and cultural heroes in Namatjira’s ...
Government plans to require local councils hold a referendum on whether to have Māori wards breaches the Treaty of Waitangi, a Waitangi Tribunal report has found. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This year the National Rugby League (NRL) opened its season in Las Vegas. It was an audacious move by the league’s ambitious head honcho Peter V’Landys to showcase the game in ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of Queensland The 2024 federal budget contains A$110 million for Indigenous education. This includes funding for various different organisations to represent and help Indigenous people as well as scholarships in a bid to ...
Air New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday. The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” ...
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This could be one developer to avoid.
Tenants in woman's new build after Christchurch developer seeks extra $45k on contract price | Stuff.co.nz
At least the house isn't empty.
But imagine paying to move into a brand new house and then having renters in it with all the wear and tear. I hope the building firm gets taken to the cleaners in court.
There is no shortage of either rental accommodation in canterbury,or housing stock,or sections in developed areas.
Since Christchurch CC introduced rules for Airbb surprisingly the rental stock on offer rose 20% and has not decreased since.
What rules did the Christchurch CC introduce?
Limitations on short term stays.Requirement for resource consent,and code of compliance,and change on rating structure for short term stays (commercial rate)
Well done to the Christchurch CC. This regulation should be rolled out nationwide.
Not saying rich pricks can’t continue to destroy local communities by Airbnb’ing their many spare homes, but at least they can pay the going rate!
Airbnb was being marketed to investors as an option on new builds in the 4 avenues ( the brightline for new builds is 5 years)
A more intensive education program on short term rentals in chch to come,b4 compliance with $$$$ penalties.
Sounds like the developer just wanted to increase the price and screw the purchaser as they knew they would have no trouble selling to some one else.
In Australia Developers are allowed to alter the plans up to 20% to avoid this. They are still falling over for the same reasons as here.
Some points from the article
He (Associate Judge Dale Lester) noted construction did not start until five months after Titterton signed her contract.
Her house was built by the developer “in parallel” with two neighbouring properties which both obtained code compliance in September 2021, he said.
That lots 20 and 21 were finished well before the sunset clause shows there was no reason, from a purely construction point of view, that lot 19 (Titterton’s property) could not have been finished on time,” Lester said.
He said an email sent by Dynasty’s solicitor to Titterton’s lawyer in April 2021, which claimed the delays were due to a nationwide shortage of timber, price increases, appliance supply shortages, a need to adjust fill level on site and “issues with funding” was so “inaccurate as it might be submitted that it was intended to mislead”.
It was sent when the walls and roof on the house were completed and work on the brick cladding had started.
The need to adjust the fill level was puzzling since the concrete pad was already down, he said. Dynasty actually continued work until July 30, 2021, with Gib lining, stopping and painting.
Pretty ugly
Call me Mr thickest person called Chris in NZ, but don't actually get how it would work. Obviously micro plastics are light, but don't get how light enough to get into the atmosphere.
Worrying though. Would prefer not killing penguins over plastic Coke bottles etc.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/128885100/antarctica-pristine-no-more-as-microplastics-discovered-in-snow-at-bottom-of-the-world
"Antarctica pristine no more as microplastics discovered in snow at bottom of the world
The driven snow of the world’s last untouched continent might not be so pure after all.
A world-first study by University of Canterbury researchers – published in science journal The Cryosphere on Wednesday – has confirmed the discovery of microplastics in freshly fallen Antarctic snow………"
Microplastics Are Blowing in the Wind – Scientific American
Thanks
Natural skincare range.
I am no scientist, but the one thing I do know is micro plastics basically screw the wild life.
It is sad, but also now probably sadly too hard to stop.
Best we can probably do is try to slow down the damage.
Edit: And that includes fish, birds, even people in some cases
How is it too hard to stop?
There is no way to remove microplastics already in the environment.
And, it seems no will to remove future pollution.
See how ineffective our campaigns against plastic bottles have been,for one.
The world’s population consumes 1 million plastic bottles every minute – Plastic Soup Foundation
Certainly in NZ, one of the biggest use of plastic bottles would be for milk. And there is zero effective interest in mandating a return to glass bottles (which were entirely re-usable and recyclable). There are a few niche producers doing this – but, if we want to make a difference, it has to either be mandated or plastic use heavily cost-weighted (making glass a cheaper option).
I'm really not very interested in plastic recycling options in this instance. Much better to use glass, instead.
I agree about glass. It's hard to beat. We went through a phase when milk was put into cardboard cartons which were found to be releasing small amounts of dioxin into the milk.
With plastic, everyone is rushing around buying plastic that is BPA free. Yet like one scientist said, BPA is one of only many POSSIBLE chemicals that can leach from plastic.
So micro particles may not be the only problem.
Of interest was the idea of using double walled stainless steel for products such as milk. Doesn't have the problems of breakages etc of glass.
Can't find the references at present but will try and dig them out.
Myself, I use them for water bottles and also use stainless steel drinking straws.
quick google tells me technically we can remove micro plastics from water, so are you meaning that we can't remove them from say the ocean because its too big?
Ultimately this is a population issue as well as a shitting in our own nest one. We can shift all clothing to natural fibres tomorrow and implement all the reuse clothing tech and culture at its best, and perpetual growth will still lead to more pollution (natural micro fibres are still pollutants). This is a philosophical problem as well as a technical one.
Too big. Pretty much.
Plastics residues are everywhere. So pervasive that removing existing microplastics from the environment is an impossible task. They are in our bodies, in water and soil, basically, everywhere! No sample was free of microplastics when water sampling NZ rivers.
As many take hundred of years to degrade How long does it take for plastic to biodegrade? (savemoneycutcarbon.com) the problem is going to be around for a while, even if we stopped all slow biodegrading plastic use now.
While glass bottles and other substitutes cut plastics in the environment, they can have their own resource use issues. Energy used to collect and clean milk bottles, for example.
Plastic water bottles is an obviously superfluous use of plastics. In NZ, where tap water can be high quality, dispensed in a glass, that can be used many times, we shouldn't have to sell water in bottles, at all!
every time we harvest water, pee, drink, cook, wash clothes, make stuff, we can capture micro plastics. The water cycle is a cycle.
Maybe in a few hundred years, we could make a dent?
Meanwhile.
Microplastics in farm soils: A growing concern – EHN
""This is a kind of irreversible contamination," said Nizzetto. "There's no way to remediate this kind of contamination at the scale of agricultural soils."”
Meanwhile,
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57733178
If we look at the world in a reductionist way instead of a ecological systems way, we see only reductionist solutions.
We need to transition off disposable plastics asap. Some things require plastics, so reserve them for essential items and services, but put in place systems of protection, retention and recycling.
In addition to that, look at the water cycle, the soil ecosystems, the places we have been polluting and that we need resources from and put humans back in the loops. When we do this, we see both the problems we are causing systemically and the solutions.
Can we clean up all microplastics? Probably not? We can stop polluting more, and we can change how we relate with the rest of nature so that we have systems that clean up pollution as much as possible.
All sustainability comes from this kind of circular and systemic thinking. If a solution doesn't do that, it's not about sustainability, it's about mitigation. Centering mitigation is what BAU does – how much pollution can we get away with?
without systems thinking (and deep ecology) humans will take that research to mean we can keep polluting because the fungi will clean it up.
Same with climate, we can keep emitting GHGs because we will invent CCS or we can plant more trees.
It's the thinking processes that in error.
Deserves an article. I think?
Circular resource use and sustainability.
And how it relates to a circular economy.
Example. Looking at EV’ s as a solution when they are only a part of a solution?
Or. Increases in more sustainable energy being lost within added energy use.
No promises though.
Too much covid at work.
Decades ago I experimented with magnetics. Believe it or not, magnetism in all it's aspects is still a mystery to science.
Here is a type of magnetism that could be used on micro plastics.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210825-how-to-fight-microplastic-pollution-with-magnets
yes posts would be good. I'm not sure if I can get to it am either. It's quite a bit of work.
This is true of *any* reusable packaging solution.
If the economic answer is single use packaging, then we're not measuring correctly.
Or. Assess if the packaging is really required?
Pretty hard to dispense milk with no packaging…..
I suppose. If you count the cow as packaging.
We had churns and ladles as a kid.
Assume this is a tongue in cheek response.
Of course you know that the majority of people don't live on a farm or small-holding – with a milch cow – or within reasonable distance of one.
And most people would like to avoid serious health side effects from poorly stored/unsterilized milk 'packaging'
Ah, that would explain a lot.
Fascinating thread on ocean plastics.
https://twitter.com/RebeccaRHelm/status/1520107539785871362
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1520107539785871362.html
Has there ever been a poll done on any of the previous speakers?
https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/06/07/poll-is-trevor-mallard-doing-a-good-job-as-speaker/
I like Trevor Mallard. I reckon he's been a very good Speaker.
Does anyone recall Trevor's bike-me challenge from Whale oil? Trevor trounced Cameron what’s-his-name, as I recall.
"I like Trevor Mallard. I reckon he's been a very good Speaker." – seems like you are in the minority there.
If so, then I’m sure Robert will bow to the pressure of the majority, realise the errors of his way and repent, and adopt your views on Mallard. Because, if I’m not wrong, Robert would like nothing less than think like you, Jimmy.
"Digging further into the poll numbers and barely over a quarter of Labour's own supporters back Mallard." from the 1News Kantar Public Poll.
What is the TS poll?
What are the numbers for the supporters of other parties? How many approved and how many didn’t know? That is more relevant in this thread. Where are your numbers, why aren’t you digging further? For example, 17% of all people polled approve, 48% disapprove, and the rest (i.e. 35%, by my calculation) don’t know (or don’t care).
I can feel Robert shaking in his boots and wavering in his liking of Mallard!
Was the TS poll you mentioned earlier "The Standard"" poll?
Yes would be interesting to know the sample size etc. and where / how the poll was conducted. But concerning result none the less if only 17% actually approve.
I have never seen a previous poll done on a speaker….has there ever been one? If not, why have they even done a poll? Has Mallard pissed someone off at the polling company? Or has someone paid to have the poll done and if so whom? Now that could be interesting.
So, you have nothing else, nothing of any substance, and just jumping on the bandwagon with the rest of the lynch mob.
Of course, somebody paid for the poll!!
Of course, Mallard has pissed off somebody!! It’s in the hit piece you linked to, FFS!!
What’s concerning is that is yet another attack on the Office of the Speaker and you just lap it up, unquestionably and uncritically, as a lazy thinker would.
Watched Mallard rather a bit.
The right wings objection, mainly seems to be that he has no patience for their game playing bullshit.
Unlike the speaker when National was in. Who seemed mostly way out of his depth.
Not so, from my conversations with many people – they're largely indifferent.
But, by way of comparison, Mallard is light years better than Carter!
I like and admire Trevor. He has tried to get the Opposition to play by the rules but which they are defiantly obstructive. The rules are the Parliament's rules so play fair.
Carter was often nastily obstructive and protective of Key especially. Remember when he chucked 5 women MPs out in a row for defending those who were defending those who had be abused?
Wonder how many of those polled knew who or what Trevor was.
Bring back Lockwood Smith!
Yes he was the best speaker
Well if you like your speakers to be strongly biased in favour of the government; intolerant; rigidly ideological; inflexible; capable of making stupid decisions (eg turning on sprinklers to piss off protesters); quick to take offence; incapable of building relationships with opposition parties; capable of having punch ups with other members of parliament; and just generally obnoxious, then Trev's your man – you can have him.
He's probably the worst speaker in parliaments history.
I disagree, and you have a short and/or selective memory, so let me help you: https://thestandard.org.nz/about-trevor-mallard/.
After reading the various comments here on the topic of The Speaker, I've reviewed my original expression of support for Trevor Mallard.
Now, I like him far more than I did before.
We tend to root for the underdog, even when it is Mallard.
More, underduck, but yes.
So, the Parliament grounds occupation is over but the siege on Parliament still continues. Is Mallard the Zelenskyy equivalent in NZ and if so, who’s the Putin equivalent?
Slow news day?
A poll on whether the Speaker is doing a good job and publishing the results as if they were of some grave importance to the country and the world is a sign of how dreadful we've become. And how shgit our media people are.
Most people wouldn't have the faintest idea about what the Speaker does and should do. They wouldn't know their arse from their elbow for a start.
People who say vaccinations don't work, masks don't work and the Government was using radiation at the Wellington protest? Yeah, they don't like Mallard, he's slack at his job, get rid of him? For fucks sake. TVNZ promoted and carried this poll and reported it? The state broadcaster has reduced serious stuff to the level of the Warriors league team with their coaches coming and going.
Interesting Spinoff article unpacking the actions of the conspiracy theorists around the very straightforward visit to the US by Ardern. Everything is apparently fuel for them, and interpreted through the singular lens of their prejudice.
What is worrying, is the spread of the dis-information to a fairly politically unsophisticated audience (TikTok)
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/08-06-2022/conspiracy-theorists-are-losing-their-shit-over-a-clip-of-jacinda-ardern-in-new-york?fbclid=IwAR225OlQG2gRMuwDVtpaFLwbiRNRJf5Gx0sefxbcrwEUAJGeXrWWKgFKDn0
Recently the work of the Disinformation Project organisation reviewed social media data daily during the Wellington protest. In the massive of volume of content they found 73% of the disinformation identified on Facebook was created by only 12 people.
I wonder if the lunatic garbage in this latest instance about Ardern in New York is from the same people.
According to Stuff the news is that they'll soon have some news, namely, an interview with Luxon.
A more sycophantic bunch would be hard to find.
They must be upset the last interviews showed him to be an elitist fuckwit.
Yes. They should ask Luxon if he's still carrying his vaccine pass. That will get the conversation off to an interesting start.
WTF:
Quote:
''My question to this government and other governments around the world twisting words to limit food production to achieve an unsustainable goal while making a food shortage for the world; why are they not taking into account Article 2 (b) of the Paris Accord?”
https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/dairy-news/dairy-opinion/stop-restricting-food-production
And from Scoop:
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1910/S00153/paris-agreement-on-climate-change-threats-to-food-security.htm
Apparently Owen Jennings had a great article in the Herald for those who can crack the paywall.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/owen-jennings-why-farmers-are-still-angry-about-emissions-proposals/S6C36R5U64VXWBK4AD6A6V3TBU/
would you mind explaining what you are trying to say with these links?
Blade is repeating the farmers that say.
"Don't try to stop us polluting, or we will stop feeding you".
See below ( In vino) on how a reasoned response whether right or wrong, is posted instead of a soundbite.
What are you trying to say with those links?
If it isn't
"Don't try to stop us polluting, or we will stop feeding you"?
Or. Don't you know?
Blade – use your brain next time and reply to my message, not KJT's.My message is now a good way below your mis-placed reply.
Soundbite? What do you think you mean by that? I can assure you that I made no sound at all as I posted my eloquently expressed rebuttal to your obvious piece of trolling. You knew well that the reference you gave would annoy and provoke the average contributors to this site. You sowed knowingly, and I gave you something you could deservedly reap.
Take your medicine, and stop complaining about superficial manners. You are a blatantly obvious right wing troll, and as such are unconvincing when you try to weasel in as a 'nice' contributor.
KJT described you well at 6.1.1.
(Just above the reply above, which you sent to the wrong person.)
'Reasoned response'? You don't even say which response you are referring to.
I suggest you find another way to misspend your idle time, Blade.
You have misunderstood. I wasn't replying to you. I was replying to KJT who posts trite replies. I used your post as an example of a reasoned reply.
''See below ( In vino) on how a reasoned response whether right or wrong, is posted instead of a soundbite.''
ps- loved the honest Leftwing flogging you gave me. It clears the sinuses and focuses the mind.
Well, knowing how poorly 'reply' buttons work on websites, I assumed that (In Vino) meant you were specifying that you were replying to me.
Mea Culpa.
Amusing, in a way. No wonder I could not find an appropriate 'reasoned response.'
Sorry, but I still agree with KJT. And at least you don't deny your guilt..
Please don’t think that this disingenuous friendly behaviour will help you in future engagements.
"Please don’t think that this disingenuous friendly behaviour will help you in future engagements.''
I wouldn't expect anything less.
Article 2 (b) of the Paris Accord?”
As I understand it ( and to be fair I have lost interest in the topic) governments shouldn't curtail food production in response to climate change targets.
However, I'm flying a little blind here because it's the Owen Jennings article I wanted to comment on.
I posted those links because this topic, I believe, will be back in the media spotlight.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/128883139/farming-bodies-seek-power-equal-to-government-in-ag-emissions-system
Of more importance is how National will approach this issue when they become the government next year. Lefties believing National will give farmers a free pass may be in for a surprise. National may be completely woke by that time if Luxon's performance is anything to go by.
so the first premise is that governments are or will curtail food production in response to climate change. Why would they do that? Which governments?
Don't reach. The government ( Labour)- National isn't in power yet- will curtail food production indirectly with their demands on farmers re climate change regulation affecting agriculture.
It shows you how divorced this government is from our major export earner. Believe it or not, its not Robbo Hood’s printing press, or the Green Collective, that puts food on our tables…it's agriculture.
But again, this is standard fare for a left leaning government. Most righties expected no different. The questions is what National will, or will not be doing around this issue.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/128890620/cost-of-greenhouse-gas-scheme-may-slash-farm-profits
unfortunately industrial ag is also responsible for a large amount of GHG emissions.
I take it your argument here is that we shouldn't be doing climate mitigation. You'll get more shit if you are honest about that, but you will get more respect too. The whole back door climate denial is tedious af.
you can correct me if I am wrong, I'm just extrapolating from what you have said but also that you haven't actually explained much.
''I take it your argument here is that we shouldn't be doing climate mitigation.''
No, not directly. The only good thing about the climate change scam is it's forcing even more changes and efficiencies in the agriculture sector. Changes that have been happening since SMPs were scrapped. The days of a new Jag and a week in the Islands was over. Some farmers went to the wall.
We emit next to nothing in global terms. We even import coal. How nutty is that? All in the name of '' Let's be world leaders.'' More reality based countries burn coal and have no problem burning fossil fuels when needed.
So, at the end of the day, I want all climate change legislation scrapped. However, I'm still for environmental controls on farmers who pollute rivers, and abuse stock.
In fact farmers are now one of the biggest preservers of remaining natural bush. Always amazes me how little I see Maori and urban Greenies involved in such preservation work.
"Climate change scam".
Funny how the ignorant always eventually, out themselves.
"Always amazes me how little I see Maori and urban Greenies involved in such preservation work."
Don't get out much do you? About 200 out in our local wetland last week. Maori And some Asians, Indians, Poms and other assorted, Greenies. Even a couple of retired cockies.
This would have to be one of the stupider things I've seen recently. But good to see your prejudices laid out bare.
Cheap easy shots .I'm just stating my experiences. Mostly ordinary folk on the replantings I have been involved in. No Maori, only two Greenies ( real Greenies. Hand's that obviously had held a slasher; not a latte.). Look at the student army in Christchurch. See any Maori organisation helping out? Apart from Derek Fox who stayed a few days then was gone. However, to be fair I may have missed some Maori helpers.
I'm sorry, Weka. I can only go by my own experiences. Now I did have one indigenous experience. I offered Totara saplings to a replanting scheme. The pakeha coordinator said they couldn't accept my offer because my trees wouldn't have been native to the area. I bet he was following kaupapa set down by Maori…who were nowhere in sight.
I think it’s your prejudices that are being laid out bare. And I will meet all prejudices like yours head on.
No, you're not. You're using your apparently quite limited personal experiences to make a political point about groups of people you don't like. It's very easy to find many planting projects that greenies and Māori are involved in.
So not personal experience, but out and out racist framing. It's not hard to find Māori orgs that are doing work in the community.
It's called eco-sourcing, it's based in ecological sciences, and it's common throughout NZ.
https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/conservation/restoration/eco-sourcing/
Really? How come you haven't named them then? All I'm seeing is you making a bunch of racist and anti-green assertions and one that is ignorant of a reforestation concept as well as being anti-Māori. None of that is anything to do with me.
Didn't see any Māori?
Rehua Marae: Leading light during Christchurch earthquakes (tpk.govt.nz)
''It's very easy to find many planting projects that greenies and Māori are involved in.''
Fare enough. List some. I admit I have only been involved in two schemes. But I've seen a whole heap more on TV – few Maori or Greenies I'm sorry to say.
''It's called eco-sourcing, it's based in ecological sciences, and it's common throughout NZ.''
Never heard of it. We have what's called ''Local variety seed saving.'' I'm guessing it's a similar thing? I will say I already had some of my saplings growing quite well in the general planting area, but I was still turned down.
''I think its your prejudices that are being laid out bare. And I will meet all prejudices like yours head on.''
''Really? How come you haven't named them then? All I'm seeing is you making a bunch of racist and anti-green assertions. and one that is ignorant of a reforestation concept as well as being anti-Māori.
1- You have prejudices against farmers and people who don't share your views on quack science based climate change. You have made those sentiments quite clear to me.
2- You cannot argue race in a rational manner. Your arguments always boils down to your opposition being racist. So you have race bias.
3- You are prejudiced against the Right of politics. Unlike me, you have trouble criticising your own.
4-You have bias when it comes to certain gender issues.
@ KJT
''Didn't see any Māori.''
Not quite what I meant. But good on the Marae for helping out.
Your anti-Māori vibe was loud & clear and fits in well with your other comments and MO.
Anti-Maori?
That'd be "anti-Blade" wouldn't it?
Blade – I read that crap in the local café. Utter baloney – the guy lies about methane, claims a closed system when much of his 'disappearing methane' converts to carbon dioxide, and peddles a load of wishful garbage.
He claims that 'methane is gone in ten years.' If I remember correctly, that approximate figure is its half-life. And what is the point if farmers are replenishing it with a new full amount every year? No mention of methane being up to 60 times worse that CO2 as a heat-retaining gas.
One-eyed, wishful drivel.
But believed as gospel by right whingers!
Methane, "disappears into …what? CO2, that's what, the worstest of the gasses!
The Feds et al are trying to twist our thinking. But they are the twist.
Groundswill: Twist and Shout.
Increase??
But…but…splutters.
Don't look up!!
Keep your eyes firmly fixed on the plough-share!
I'll try to expand on this at some point but I believe Dairy Expansion in New Zealand is equivalent to Israeli Settlement Expansion in the occupied territories.
Invade, set up families and business, and use that as means with which to not be able to roll back the original injustice.
First case against Mega, claiming harm from social media algorithms , as evidenced by the Facebook revelations last year.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/meta-lawsuit-instagram-caused-eating-disorder-self-harm-rcna32221
Soft on crime, eh?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/newlands-wellington-police-shooting-residents-describe-shock-as-man-killed/3JNBTJXVW6OKZCFGS6TCUNNDLI/
If it suited their argument, they'd be screaming "Police brutality!"
Yes.
Remember when National was in and it seemed like every other day there was a story about homeless people and families sleeping rough
Now its Labours turn
Well, you and your fellow travellers are determined to link police action directly to Labour Party policy so I ask again, does yesterday's event in Newlands show the government is soft on crime?
Perhaps the police and therefore, according to your theory, Jacinda Ardern could have done more than shot the man 8 times. Maybe some torture first. Would it have been better if police had taken out the entire family just to show the gangs who is boss?
Just asking questions…
[You are going too far and well beyond ‘just asking questions’ that are reasonable and within levels of what’s acceptable and tolerated here.
From the Policy:
This is your warning – Incognito]
You misunderstand. Having to shoot an offender during a dire situation has nothing to do with this government being soft, and useless on crime prevention.
Have a look at the second clip in this link and see how scared a gang banger is of the police. If I was in charge no prick who probably doesn't even know how to flush the toilet would ever disrespect police, ambulance or medical staff without facing dire consequences, and if need be liberal use of the baton.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/128889716/police-shooting-death-man-held-knife-to-womans-throat-before-cops-fired
I'm confused about what you and your hopped up stablemate Blade are trying to say. Baton anyone and everyone who looks like a gang member?
Just say it.
I shall not
Mod note
You misunderstand. Having to shoot an offender during a dire situation has nothing to do with this government being soft, and useless on crime prevention.
Have a look at the second clip in this link and see how scared a gang banger is of the police. If I was in charge no prick who probably doesn't even know how to flush the toilet would ever disrespect police, ambulance or medical staff without facing dire consequences, and if need be liberal use of the baton.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/128889716/police-shooting-death-man-held-knife-to-womans-throat-before-cops-fired
Except this Government is not "soft" or "useless" on crime prevention except in the fevered imagination of right Wing scare mongerers.
The effects of covid and the Ozzies exports of 501's are nothing to do with this Government.
Consequences have little effect on violent crime which is mostly spur of the moment stuff. "Harsher punishments have little effect on deterrance".
Breaking the Cycle of Violent Crime and Punishment: The Promise of Neuronormalization – Denson – 2021 – Social Issues and Policy Review – Wiley Online Library
"Paradoxically, harsh punishments such as incarceration often increase offending rather than deter it, which produces a cycle of violent crime and punishment".
Your revenge fantasies would result in more crime, and more victims!
Mind you, right wingers love that. Fear is often a motivation for voting Conservative.
"Paradoxically, harsh punishments such as incarceration often increase offending rather than deter it, which produces a cycle of violent crime and punishment".
Cool.
Lets not incarcerate anyone lest we be considered harsh
Job protection. Eh?
https://www.positive.news/society/the-empty-prisons-being-put-to-good-use-in-the-netherlands/
“there are far fewer repeat offenders; and reported crime continues to decline.”
I'd love to be made redundant due to not being needed
Certainly the evidence shows, that being "tough on crime" and incarcerating ever more people, doesn't reduce crime.
"tough on crime" means different things to different people.
There are people who probably think Acts three crimes bill was "tough on crime"
The Netherlands as far as I'm aware, don't have the huge third world underclass we have. I would assume most of their prisoners would be able to read and flush a toilet.
If we decriminalised all drug use ( with caveats attached) our prisons would be empty too.
Can you guess what those caveats would be?
Thanks for inadvertently supporting one of my other points.
If we increased welfare and wages, and didn't have a "third World underclass" we would also decrease crime.
No, KJT. I'm talking inherent third world mentalities that cannot be changed with wages or welfare.
For example, you may be wondering about my weird references to ''flushing toilets''
Two examples:
A rented flat was inspected by the owner. He wondered what a smell was. In the bedroom the tenants had crapped in the corner and put a blanket over the crap. The toilet was down the hallway.
When I helped a friend out on his orchard, an ablution block was built for the workers. It had three showers and four toilets. The toilets weren't flushed and the rubbish bins were full of used toilet paper.
You can't change that mindset. I would also like to add, that definitely not all third world folk are uncivilised ( by or standards), but some are.
Back to the caveats?
What would yours be if all drug use was decriminalised? There is no right or wrong answer, but maybe our ideologies would influence our opinions.
Didn't take much to expose your bene bashing rascist bigotry. Eh?
I'm sorry. I'll forget I saw unflushed toilets. Or the angry Muslim man I knocked out when he became agitated with a woman employee who didn't know whether the meat they sold was halal or not. When he pushed her I dealt to him.
These people don't give a flying fig about your welfare system or wokey ways. They just want your money if possible. Then they want you to piss off.
But to the Caveats? Here’s one:
1- All drug users must be registered. Once registered they may consume any drug they want. However, should they present for medical treatment associated with drug use. They will be denied treatment. They can either die in the hospital car park… or crawl home. It would therefore be prudent for them to take out private healthcare so the rest of us don’t have to pick up the tab.
WTF! Babies shit their nappies, toddlers can be potty-trained, but uncivilised savages will always be uncivilised, their mind-sets cannot be changed, and they will always crap on your floor!? Yet, they’re useful slaves and good enough, only good enough, to do our shit jobs for peanuts!?
Aren’t you the macho hero for defending a woman against an agitated Muslim man and knocking him out? Did you run off to the pub to brag about it to your mates or just here on TS?
You are showing your true colours in and by every comment you make here.
For what it is worth we encountered exactly the same problem in one of our rentals many years back. Literally the tenant did not know what the toilet was for, had ripped up some floor boards and was throwing all their rubbish under the house.
But bigotry.
The Netherlands have done a bang up job creating their own huge third world underclass.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/we-shouldnt-be-surprised-by-the-chaos-in-the-netherlands/
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/10/xenophobic-machines-dutch-child-benefit-scandal/
https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-entertainment-politics-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-8d37956fce12df831a151eede7b9f70c
Some do favour harsh (cruel or severe) punishment – seems counter-productive, even when it's not just for 'kicks'.
https://www.nzhowardleague.org.nz/
''The effects of covid and the Ozzies exports of 501's are nothing to do with this Government.''
It has everything to do with the government because it's incumbent on the government to react to changing circumstances…and most importantly of all, its priority to keep citizens safe.
I'm through arguing the toss. See PR's link. If that was a one off, then it wouldn't be important. The FACT is many people in communities across the country are scared.
That may be a better indicator of how affective this government is on crime.
You are "through arguing the toss", because evidence based arguments are too much for you.
The level of manufactered fear, is no indication of the Governments effectiveness.
In reality they have reacted to changing circumstances. Including funding police to a much greater level than National, and supporting evidence based initiatives that actually will reduce crime over time. Kelvin Davis in particular is doing a good job there. But you are wilfully blind to it.
Meanwhile your only solution is bashing people with battons.
"Kelvin Davis in particular is doing a good job there."
Link please because I need a good laugh
Do you think he is wrong in this aim.
Kelvin Davis and his plan to spend $100m turning the hardest criminals into better people – NZ Herald
Yes.
We've had three years of the plan.
Are recidivist rates down, is violent crime down?
Instant results, only happen on TV, in Hosking land.
How much bureaucratic inertia is he fighting?
Explain to me how his plan will work then (he did actually mention one of the major issues)
"Mind you, right wingers love that. Fear is often a motivation for voting Conservative."
While I agree the US right tended years ago to use fear, but you could mount the same argument with Ardern and Covid.
It is basically just a political tool.
""Paradoxically, harsh punishments such as incarceration often increase offending rather than deter it, which produces a cycle of violent crime and punishment"."
I would add "without intervention and rehabilitation and hopefully some training for focus on a trade" to that, but tend to agree again.
But lets face it. There are some people that need to be separated from normal society for a while, due to public safety. Let's face it. You sometimes just strike the odd piece of human scum.
Fear, justified, of COVID was a motivation for some of the conservative swing to Labour.
And the windup about crime, now.
A thoughtful prison officer I knew reckoned the intractable was less than 3%. “The real evil buggers”.
I suspect often with other unresolved issues such as ODD.
Its a helluva thing when you meet someone worse than a kiddie fiddler for the first time
Really messes with your equilibrium
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1043986206298949
But poor self control is a key predicter of criminal behaviour, and it is incremental in its impact.
The Dunedin Multi Disciplinary study has found that good self control at 3 years of age predicts good outcomes including low rates of criminality.
Why we are training kids in self control skills is beyond me.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1043986206298949
But poor self control is a key predicter of criminal behaviour, and it is incremental in its impact.
The Dunedin Multi Disciplinary study has found that good self control at 3 years of age predicts good outcomes including low rates of criminality.
Why we are training kids in self control skills is beyond me.
Your article kjt is interesting, but it states that trials should be consdiered in this intervention, rather than there being good evidence that it works
Which begs the question.
If it is something inherent from birth.
What degree is actual personal responsibility/choice?
Thanks for pointing out the second clip, I missed it first time. Yep it shows they have no respect for the police and have no fear of the police actually acting upon their abuse.
Try asking these people:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/128881828/third-world-country–four-square-owner-ready-to-call-it-quits-after-third-ramraid-in-three-months
''Third world country''
Enough said. The next stop for all those scared people across our once great nation is the voting booth.
What gets me is that these are Labours heartland, you'd think Labour would care about them a little
I have thought similar, PR. Seems to me their ideology must always come first. The body count is collateral damage. Then again maybe not enough people in the heartlands imbibe Chardonnay?
The "body count" is at the door of those who for decades have ignored the evidence about how we can reduce crime, to pander to "tough on crime fantacists.
Sending generations to "Crime University" to become students of incarcerated gang members, while ignoring the needs for literacy, mental health, meaning ful work, and participation in the community.
It is at the door of F wits like you, who ignore overwhelming evidence of how to really reduce crime, to indulge their own fear and wet dreams.
The extra victims that may have never been victims, if the underlying causes of crime had been addressed.
Calm down, KJT.
''It is at the door of F wits like you.''
I have no problem with you thinking I'm a fuckwit. Probably 90% of the blog thinks similar.
But please remember about keeping things civil as Incognito recently warned. It's about keeping the ambience of this blog respectful and safe. And at the moment I'm not feeling safe with your korero.
From someone who has been abusive, patronising and dismissive to just about every commentator here.
LOL.
If you feel intellectually unsafe, it is not my problem.
The sites Kaupapa is "robust debate".
I have a soft spot for Weka. Even though she drags me around by my nose ring . But I wouldn't want to be abusive towards her.
I like to think of myself as one of the good guys.
But please remember, calling someone a fuckwit is not ''robust debate.''
Patronising still.
Even when they have been one?
I’m a seafarer by the way. Not one of the “Woke” that think F wits delicate feelings should be respected.
''I’m a seafarer by the way.''
Me to in a way. I was born with seaweed behind my ears. I'm always at my best when breathing in all those negative ions that a sea breeze brings.
My brother in law was first officer on the coastal Tanker Amokura, before going on to captain a super tanker in the Persian gulf. So I have been on these vessels.
My claim to fame is going from Mt Maunganui beach to Mayor Island on a standup jet ski circa 1988. The tech wasn't great in those days and it was a bit freaky with a fuel container resting on the running board.
However, talk is cheap. Seafarer's test.
1- Is a tanker in more danger of exploding when it's full of oil or empty?
2- If a tanker is coming to it's moorings listing port side, who should greet it – Luxon or Ardern?
Let's hear some of your stories.
Don't we all – although if you really could make anthropogenic global warming go away just by declaring it a scam then you would be a very good guy indeed.
Just one question – how do you cope with all the sand?
Correct, and if that’s all there’s to a comment, pretty much, than there’s a high chance that it will be moderated with a warning, at least. Generally and mostly, Mods look for patterns of behaviour and commenting rather than isolated expletives, slurs, or even personal attacks, which can all be (a minor!) part of robust debate. However, we prefer it if you keep it civil.
Where is your evidence of how to really reduce crime kjt??
I suspect for the hardened criminals who PR works with it is too late.
Within the past week I've put up references from criminologists, people within the field, researchers and examples of countries that have been successful in reducing crime.
You know, actual evidence of what works.
Or. We can just carry on with "what has been proven not to work".
What works.
Open mike 25/05/2022 « The Standard
Thanks KJT. I have had a brief look. Will try to find time to read more.
I'll leave it to the inimitable Orwell:
“I have known numbers of bourgeois Socialists, I have listened by the hour to their tirades against their own class, and yet never, not even once, have I met one who had picked up proletarian table-manners.”
From the article "A man fatally shot by police was holding a knife to the throat of a woman "
If that's true then well done to the police, he had to be 'taken out'. You can't F around if he's armed and obviously dangerous.
He also will not re-offend.
If the issues that lead him into crime had been dealt with when he was younger. Then the woman, and the police, may have never been threatened.
Possibly, however, many choose a life of crime even after an ok upbringing. He made choices, and this was not a good one.
"was a good person who struggled with alcohol, his cousin said."
"He gets carried away when he's drunk."
Man fatally shot by police in Newlands, Wellington was Sam Fakalago – NZ Herald
I don’t believe in coincidences: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/06/livestream-speaker-trevor-mallard-grilled-by-mps-at-parliament-select-committee.html.
Short post this time.
If you were considering watching The Rings Of Power (and you really shouldn't) and the arguments about it not being Tolkien enough aren't enough to sway then maybe this clip will help change your mind
Its basically about how Amazon bailed on NZ (due to Covid restrictions) and went to the UK to film
is that a prequel?
I haven't watched any of the films, too much a fan of the books.
Ok if you only trust me on one thing ever then trust me on this.
If you haven't watched the films because you're too much of a fan of the books then you absolutely will not want to watch this
lol, no way will be I watching it.
Nor I (I mean I'll have to watch some parts just to see how bad it is)
Sort of schadenfreude? The horrified attention that keeps your eyes to a slow-motion wreck on reality TV?
I'll be watching some of it – to see friends who were in the cast (extras, not stars).
Though, really, if you want to write a woke fantasy story, with super diverse casting, and characterization which departs from canon – do so. Just leave Tolkien out of it….
The criticism that I've read so far, is that they could have made *most* of the changes, effectively, if they'd bothered to actually integrate them into the extant lore – instead of just pasting them on top. A lazy process which does disservice both to Tolkien and the actors cast in the roles.
I don't love some of the changes that Jackson (et al) made to LOTR – but they were a hell of a lot more intellectually honest than what I'm seeing from RoP
'Sort of schadenfreude? The horrified attention that keeps your eyes to a slow-motion wreck on reality TV?'
I'd rather not watch it (and I'm not going to watch all of it) but if I'm going to criticize (and I will) I need to watch some of it so I can really go to town on it
Similar to the Star Wars tv series, I watch enough of it so I can criticize properly
'I'll be watching some of it – to see friends who were in the cast (extras, not stars)'
Thats fair enough, I'd do the same as well
For the rest of your comments I'll just say I 100% agree
Its based primarily on the appendices (sort of) of The Lord Of The Rings.
If' you'd like a little taster of what its about Amazon put out a clip with 'superfans' (their words not mine) talking about the trailer
Amazon also really quickly pulled the superfans clip because of how bad it was reuploaded so thats good
For a potentially lethal drinking game take a drink everytime someone mentions representation, diversity or other woke terms:
Now look who’s bringing up drinking again!
I sense a pattern and I can almost smell it too …
I thought you liked Top Gun!?
I'm not one to judge but isn't it a bit early to be drinking?
Here it is: https://thestandard.org.nz/top-gun/#comment-1890709; you do like Top Gun!
Woosh! That was not the sound of Tom Cruise flying low over your head. All good though.
I thought Correction Officers had to be sound judges of people and characters!?
Anyway, I drink coffee all day round, probably way too much, and I never drink alcohol when active online, which is pretty much all the time except when I’m having a good time with friends & family and even a drink or two.
Well maybe you can explain to me what Top Gun Maverick has to do with The Rings Of Power, I couldn't see the connection so I assumed it was your day time drinking or maybe it was one of the those really subtle comments you like to make every now and then, comments so subtle that no one has any idea of what you're talking about
The Spanish Archer is waiting
I actually watched your YT clip, on 2× speed, and there were plenty of references in it to Hollywood and none positive. Even without watching the clip there are many parallels and points of connection with Hollywood. Can’t help it if you don’t grasp your own material, so perhaps dial back on the ‘criticizing’ and “really go[ing] to town on it”.
So you missed the points where I've mentioned the tide is turning on woke entertainment?
That I used Top Gun Maverick as an example of this non-woke entertainment that is also financially successful?
That this provides proof for Hollywood of the type of movies people actually want to see?
Missed all that?
Stick to day drinking Spanish Archer
Nowadays, woke and scientology are almost as bad as each other.
Although your comment @ 10 was the most-woke [wokiest?] one I’ve seen in a while, it did not actually say anything about anything you claim it said!? Perhaps you wish to re-read your comment about Amazon?
Or perhaps it is time for you to come out as woke warrior?
Amazon bailed on filming in NZ, the govt subsidised a studio, what part of that did you fail to spot or did you not actually watch it
C'mon Spanish Archer you can do better than that
It’s a terrible tragedy, $30M for the film studio in Henderson and no Amazon. Thus, you argued, we should not watch that movie (plus for some other obscure reasons that affronted your delicate senses of wokeness). OTOH, you love Top Gun!? Can’t you see the delicious irony?
'It’s a terrible tragedy, $30M for the film studio in Henderson and no Amazon. Thus, you argued, we should not watch that movie '
I've argued that it shouldn't be watched because its going to be crap and that should be enough
If thats not enough then I'll make an appeal to peoples dislike of billionaires, corporations and subsidies to try to make people avoid the series on those basis, whatever strategy works
'OTOH, you love Top Gun!? Can’t you see the delicious irony?'
Spanish Archer you are a fucktard
Top Gun Maverick was made for the fans, made to be entertaining, to be non-political and absolutely non-woke
The movie showed respect to the fans by not shitting on the previous movie
It didn't make Maverick a joke or someone that had to be led by others
It promised entertainment and it delivered.
It shows what happens when you make entertainment for the people whereas The Rings Of Power is the exact opposite
The Rings Of Power proudly exclaims how diverse it is, in their words: 'because they wanted to ensure that it reflected "what the world actually looks like" and felt that would be closer to the spirit of the books.'
Top Gun Maverick gave the people what they wanted and so I praise them for it because I want more of this (non-woke entertainment)
The Rings Of Power are not giving the people what they want so I'm lambasting them for it
Do you get it now or do I need to spell it out for you some more now fuck off and go jerk off somewhere else
Actually you know what, you probably still don't get it so I'll bring it down a notch just for you.
Studio puts out good entertainment = praise
Studio puts out bad entertainment = criticism
This is Spanish Archer right about now:
Hilarious! You haven’t watched and were not going to watch it, but only parts, so that you “can really go to town on it”, but you know (!) it’ll be crap!?
Yeah, and Top Gun was an Indie movie made on a shoestring budget and Tom Cruise did a gratis cameo.
Absolutely! But at least I’m not a closet woke-warrior with a drinking problem.
You should really see somebody about that issue of yours because you do seem to lose your temper so quickly nowadays – are you missing JC? Tell you what, lay off the bottle for a while.
Bye now, have sweet dreams 😉
The show is going to be shit because:
It proclaims it as Lord Of The Rings yet it is far removed from what Tolkien wrote and because its a couple of inexperienced, young writers the episodes will not be Tolkien, it will be generic though
The show will be shit because we've seen this all before.
Game Of Thrones was a very good tv series, it was good because the show runners were adapting from George RR Martin
However
The show came to a grinding halt and got really, really bad in the later series because once the showrunners had no books to work off and had to create themselves they just couldn't do it because they were not as good a writers as Martin was (hes never finishing the series by the way)
The Rings Of Power have not learned that lesson
The Wheel Of Time had all the books it needed but instead decided to move away from the source material, as an example we all know that female and male magic are the two halves and you need both but the tv series doesn't (also released through Amazon Prime)
I could go on, the treatment of Halo, The Witcher, Disney Star Wars etc etc
The lessons here are simple, simple enough even you can grasp it.
Fans like the source material, fans get attached to the source material, you better be very careful when you change the source material and you shouldn't insult the fans when they complain
The Rings Of Power have not learnt these lessons so yeah its going to be bad, I don't know just how bad it will be but it will be bad.
Respect the fans and you'll make money or get woke and go broke.
Top Gun Maverick respected the fans, respected the source material and is now making bank and I don't care that Tom Cruise is in a cult either
Sure its written, sure its probably insincere but that he thanked the fans was a nice touch and his movie is reaping the rewards:
What do we get from Disney and Amazon, just that we're all racist if we don't like what they produce
The new Top Gun was quite entertaining, I wouldn't say its the best storyline and its very similar to the original.
It surpassed the original in all ways except one, the romance.
It felt shoehorned in, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't up to the rest of the movie.
Its not a fault but it felt like we were missing another movie, a movie based around Icemans promotions and Mavericks shennanigans
But charmingly non political, non woke, pure entertainment for the fans
Funny how the most non-cultish movie of recent times was made by a very well known Scientologist
Given up on so-called Hollywood movies years ago and it’s Indies for me all the way.
Shame because Hollywood has been desperately trying to court the left for years now
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture#2020s
I prefer looking for diamonds in the rough and have unearthed many real gems. Of course, there’s European and Asian cinema, and African (incl. South African). Once you look away from Hollywood you realise that there’s so much more to enjoy. I have greatly enjoyed Hollywood movies in the past, even the action flicks, but taste develops with time & experience just as good wine ripens [intentional pun; hope it wasn’t too subtle for you]
I will probably torrent it.. like everything else 😛🏴☠️
Wait until its released on streaming first.
The more people see this at the movies the bigger and louder the message is to Hollywood that we don't want woke movies, movies that contain "the message", that diversity and representation is not more important than storylines and decent acting, that we want entertaining movies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gun:_Maverick
'The film will be available on Paramount+, but only more than 45 days after its theatrical release.'
Ha! Luxon got beaten up again by Jacinda in question time.
He simply doesn't know his material, and she does!
Still directing his attack and Poto Williams, a damned fine Minister of Police.
Wow!
Just watched our wonderful Minister of Police put bully boy Mercenary Mitchell properly in his place!
Well done, Poto.
Agreed Tony. Both Luxon and Willis prepare their questions but totally fail to listen to the answers, and totally fail to adjust in the light of the answers given. A disconnect between question and answer! Pointless.
Mitchell strangely did listen to one of Poto's great answers, and redirected his question back to Poto and not the Police, but sadly for him he was corrected that the Minister was for policy and funding, and Police carried out the operations.
You would think that Mitchell knows better; hadn’t he recently met with the Police Commissioner Andrew Coster? Perhaps he confused policy & funding in that meeting too?
Mark Mitchell was a policeman once. He resigned and became a mercenary soldier and the IQ level of the Police immediately increased.
Awesome ! : )
Keep up the good news Tony. I doubt it will be on 1 news tonight though, they don't like it up em.
Dunno if this happened yesterday but the Spin-off reporting on Ipsos shows National with the political wind in their sails.
Frankly I think the Labour benches have been poor. Perhaps it’s government under these circumstances or the headwinds. I don’t know the power dynamics, but the idea of a wave of popular announcements coming from ministry after ministry doesn’t seem likely.
Labour hasn’t been able to pivot yet, and now they’re playing catch up. It might be they will hold, but it’ll need some reinvention. Perhaps it’s culturally we need a bit of reinvention as a country and a good chunk of us are not keen on it or simply can’t. Aussie is trying to, but with their majority government it may not happen.
National are going to get a lot of easy coverage as they carpet bomb BS. Labour are gunna get blamed for everything. It seems from up the thread they’re trying to attack the ref too. That’s normal.
Let’s elect the speaker and all our judges, etc etc! Christ the National speakers were terrible. Mallard has sided with opposition complaints and penalized the government in a way I certainly haven’t seen reported before.
I feel Labour needs some consistent muscular, relaxed and confident coverage. The international trip is a start, but you can’t depend on your leader entirely forever. Community was a buzzword in Aussie?
'Christ the National speakers were terrible.'
National and Labour certainly have had some…questionable speakers but I think you're forgetting about Lockwood Smith
Sang a good song. Why do you assume I’m old enough to remember him?
Well you said speakers so I took that to mean more than one and Smith was the speaker before Carter, less than ten years ago
Puckie is feeling nostalgic.
A fair call on my part I feel, I haven't even used the whattabout argument about some of Labours speakers
What about it?
I think Speaker would be one of the biggest pain in the arse jobs in Parliament as an MP. You obviously get the extra cash, but she is a bit of a poisoned chalice.
You kind of have to juggle backing the boss of your Party, while simultaneously trying to look non-biased.
As I said last night. Think they should make it an independent job from outside, With someone with political nouce.
I actually think someone like Peter Dunne would be quite good.
Whoever it is it should not be subjected to polls of the public and trying to stir up angst against the speaker. The speaker’s office is what enables debate in the chamber and questioning of the government and should not be subject to such crude attacks.
Don’t do it for refs. Ditto here.
It's a good day in San Francisco, voters have voted to recall Chesa Boudins, a radical aristocratic socialist whose lawyer grandfather represented Castro and whose parents were leaders of cop killing, bank robbing, neighborhood and federal building bombing terrorist group the Weather underground.
Good.
America's private prisons are a disgrace and the kinds of minor crimes people go to prison for is disgusting. However, there needs to be a balance between throwing everyone in prison for quotas and not throwing anyone in prison or punishing anyone because of ideology.
San Franciscos incredibly liberal voters are sick of "san Francisco snow" which is broken glass from cars shops and houses everywhere , they are sick of police not showing up to arrest shoplifters and defacto decriminalization of shoplifting (cops won't show up unless over a grand has been stolen) they are sick of shop windows being smashed in on broad daylight in front of police and nothing happening.
The Mayor of the town actually tried to downplay and reassure the insane crime stats by saying it's only homocides and assaults that are massively up. Lmfao how reassuring.
And it was democrats who led the charge against Boudin specifically democrats of colour, the yes to recall campaign was funded by San Francisco residents whereas the no campaign was funded by people in other cities in the state.
He's gone. There must be a balance between neoliberal corporate justice reform and woke justice reform.
Letting criminals run wild hurts the poorest the most.
Now. Hopefully results like this wake the left everywhere up on crime.
The punishment must suit the crime. It shouldn't exceed it and it shouldn't be a slap on the wrist.
Also if 501s are being deported from Australia for breaking the law, the law should be changed so it's straight to prison for them. End of story.
Voters especially ones in poorer and working class neighbourhoods will not tolerate weakness on crime and will vote for people who will be tough on crime no matter how much woke academics scream otherwise.
Also the guardian called his terrorist parents "left wing activists" smh.
If woke courts and woke sentencing guidelines won't fly in San Francisco, they won't fly anywhere.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.thuieguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/07/san-francisco-vote-chesa-boudin-recall
.
As always, the luxury beliefs of the affluent, bloated, narcissistic Woke – utterly divorced from reality – are guaranteed to create a nightmare living situation on a day-to-day basis for a whole swathe of the Left's traditional core constituency …
… the constituency that, of course, founded, built & intellectually energised the Left for many decades before it was slowly but surely captured by 300 buck-an-hour virtue-signalling New Middle Class Professionals.