Open mike 25/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 25th, 2012 - 52 comments
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52 comments on “Open mike 25/10/2012 ”

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  1. Jenny 1
    25 October 2012 at 6:24 am

    ‘
    Wormtongue comes a gutser

    For giving false testimony a police case against gang members is thrown out of court. Two judges have found the police acted improperly in two gang cases. In July Judge Chris Tuohy ruled out evidence because it was “improperly obtained” through “a series of breaches of the defendants’ rights, some of which were significant infringements“. And yesterday, Justice Simon France has ordered a stay of proceedings in prosecutions of those arrested as part of Operation Explorer, a police crackdown on motorcycle gang members.

    The owner of the storage facility ”has certainly been the victim of improper police conduct”, the judge said.

    And the ”the court’s processes can truly be said to have been abused, first by the use of the warrant, and second, by the laying of a false charge”.

    He said judges had been treated ”in a disrespectful way”. A prosecutor and the defence lawyer were also misled.

    He also concluded it was ”a fundamental and serious abuse of the court’s processes”.

    Justice France said: ”The courts are not part of police investigation. There is and can be no suggestion of collaboration. The court is independent, and sworn to treat all who come before it equally and without favour.”

    Justice France also said he was ”surprised” by the lack of insight by the officers ”about the lack of propriety involved”.

    “However one looks at it, a fraud is being committed on the courts.”

    Justice France also said it appeared the police conduct had components of committing criminal offences.

    ”The search warrant would seem to engage section 256 of the Crimes Acts 1961 and the swearing of a false information would seem to engage section 110 of the Crimes Act.”

    The obvious question raised; If a case against gang members can be thrown out of court on the grounds of proven police perjury and law breaking, will the case against Dotcom be thrown out on the same grounds?

    Green party co-leader Russel Norman said it appears the police were playing ”fast and loose with the courts”.

    ”The courts are there in order to protect the rule of law. If the police start playing fast and loose with the courts they are fundamentally undermining the rule of law. In this case it has worked out pretty bad for them.”

    He said the involvement of Detective Inspector Grant Wormald in this case and the Dotcom case raises concerns

    Links:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7858929/Police-errors-see-two-gang-cases-unravel

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/7857337/Case-thrown-out-over-false-arrest

    • Red Rosa 1.1
      25 October 2012 at 7:29 am

      Tolley is completely out of her depth on this issue.

      Her comments on TV3 News last night were from the same script as Paula Bennett.

      There are serious points of law here that go right to the heart of this (or any) justice system.

      Russel Norman has it right.

      • tc 1.1.1
        25 October 2012 at 10:10 am

        Tolley’s depth is a toddlers paddling pool. An average local body polly at best on a good day, the vice chancellor comment from her tenure trying to execute the hollowmens education script sums her up.

    • Murray Olsen 1.2
      25 October 2012 at 12:04 pm

      I’m waiting for Wormald and others to be charged over this. I won’t be holding my breath, but perjury, obstruction of justice and wasting police time are three offences that come to mind immediately. The cops have been getting away with this sort of crap for far too long.

    • Vicky32 1.3
      25 October 2012 at 6:10 pm

      The obvious question raised; If a case against gang members can be thrown out of court on the grounds of proven police perjury and law breaking, will the case against Dotcom be thrown out on the same grounds?

      Let’s hope so!

      • PlanetOrphan 1.3.1
        25 October 2012 at 6:18 pm

        So true Vicky.
        Everyone goes one about Johny Sparkles, and forget Dotcom is still on bail waiting for some response from American authorities.

        How many years before they give up on this one?

        Is the NZ Police force really so Farcical it has to wait for the American authorities to say Jump, before proceeding with an unwinnable case ?

        • Vicky32 1.3.1.1
          25 October 2012 at 6:33 pm

          Is the NZ Police force really so Farcical it has to wait for the American authorities to say Jump, before proceeding with an unwinnable case ?

          I fear that they are, yes…

  2. muzza 2
    25 October 2012 at 7:40 am

    New Zealand Current Account
    – http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/current-account

    (extend Date Selection to 1965 from drop-down box)

    New Zealand Exports
    – http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/exports

    (extend Date Selection to 1951 from drop-down box)

    As is plain to see, the more we export, the GREATER our current account deficit gets.

    Why?

    Because (amongst other things), profits from privatised SOEs; foreign owned farms; and foreign owned businesses are repatriated to overseas investors. (Eg; Aussie own banks which recently ‘exported’ $2 billion-plus back to Australia as dividends. That includes the privatised BNZ, and what used to to be the POSB.)

    If an exporter is foreign owned, the more they export, the more profits are made, and more dividends repatriated overseas.

    Which is the prime reason why selling farms – and other exporting companies – to overseas investors is an ultimately self-defeating exercise.

    The data shows the results.

    Data from both graphs are ex Statistics NZ.

    • freedom 2.1
      25 October 2012 at 12:05 pm

      A date adjusted chart* shows a pattern where the next quarter will, most likely than not, produce a deficit of 3.5 – 7 billion dollars. How does the Minister of Finance maintain any confidence that next year we will begin to return to surplus? The universal truth of pattern matrices shows surplus to be an economic anomaly that has occurred only a handful of times in the past forty years.

      *I took it to 1968 for the ‘debt in my lifetime’ factor

  3. Rogue Trooper 3
    25 October 2012 at 8:30 am

    RT: Bani Walid, Libya; US double standards.

    BBC: France-more public spending cuts to come.
    Chinas’ economic stimulus effecting; watch China

    to paraphrase; if we are out of our mind, it is for his sake; if we are in our helpful mind, it is for you.
    🙂

  5. Ben 5
    25 October 2012 at 9:42 am

    On the Green’s QE policy:
    If the NZ to USD exchange rate drops, will that mean we in New Zealand will end up paying more for locally produced goods which are exported to foreign markets?

    We are already expected to pay international prices for milk, meat, etc, and I assume that this price is based on what the NZD value of a unit of product is. If the value of the New Zealand dollar drops, that will mean the NZD value of a unit of product will increase, and because we pay international prices we’ll have to pay extra? Or am I missing something?

    • Lanthanide 5.1
      25 October 2012 at 10:49 am

      Domestic prices are much more inelastic – it’s expensive to change prices on retail shelves and throughout the supply chain. So typically price changes on staples only happen a few times a year. Consumer magazine has a monthly graph where they track the price of milk, butter, cheese, bread and I believe eggs and maybe something else. Last time I looked at it, the line was pretty flat, despite fluctuations in the NZ $ over that period.

      Now, maybe if the $ went from 80c to 60c in the course of a few months, I could imagine some price rises. But I don’t think they’ll be on the same order of magnitude. Just like how the price of crude oil only makes up approx 50% of the retail price of petrol, the raw price of commodities probably doesn’t account for more than 50-60% of the retail shelf price, perhaps even as low as 20-30% if you listen to Fonterra bleating about supermarkets making all the profits.

    • Fortran 5.2
      25 October 2012 at 1:26 pm

      Ben

      you are right – similarly the price of fuel, will go up accordingly, like anything else imported eg TV’s, Computers, and similar electronics.
      Increasing the price of fuel and everything delivered goes up accordingly.

  7. ianmac 7
    25 October 2012 at 11:42 am

    I reckon that Winston has something evil planned for Mr Key. Although Mr Key will not be there at Question Time today the question 9:
    Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by the answers he gave yesterday to supplementary question 5 on Oral Question No 7 and supplementary question 3 on Oral Question No 12?
    Timing is everything so….?

  8. joe90 8
    25 October 2012 at 12:52 pm

    Adam Curtis on Gaddafi and the western establishment.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/2012/10/hes_behind_you.html

  9. karol 9
    25 October 2012 at 3:25 pm

    A step too far by Mr Speaker. 
     
    Labour raised a point of order that Brownlee didn’t answer a supplementary to Sue Moroney’s quesion 11: she asked if the government had discussions with Business NZ when they were drawing up their submission to the PPL select committee.  Brownlee responded that the government did not speak for BusNZ and vice versa.  The speaker ruled that was a valid question.  Peters raised a point of order saying id did not answer the question.
     
    The Speaker’s response to that was out of the Nat government playbook – when questioned blame the opposition.  The speaker said that “…it’s interesting that the member wants questions to be answered. I’m very gratified by that, because it certainly didn’t use to happen in this House.”
     
    The House is increasingly becoming a farce under this government and it’s speaker, with the speaker assisting in the evasions and diversions.

    • Jim Nald 9.1
      25 October 2012 at 4:35 pm

      “it certainly didn’t use to happen in this House”

      Gee. That is quite remarkable coming from this Speaker. He has, up to this point today, damned the House and its proceedings – including the times when he was in the Speaker’s chair. Huh? Whatever will come next ? He will blame something he has been drinking or inhaling for making that remark?

      • karol 9.1.1
        25 October 2012 at 5:06 pm

        Here is the transcript of what was said:

        Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was whether there were discussions, not whether someone spoke with someone, and somebody else spoke with somebody else. The question was very narrow—were there discussions—and that goes to the core of it.
        Mr SPEAKER: I am very interested in the right honourable gentleman wanting questions to be answered. I am very gratified by that, because it certainly did not used to happen in this place. I invite the member to repeat her question.
        Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. What on earth did that mean? That you are criticising every previous Speaker?
        Mr SPEAKER: Order!
        Rt Hon Winston Peters: That you are a paragon of virtue?

        Actually, I understood it to be the speaker meaning that Peters didn’t used to be interested in wanting to answer questions.  But the wording is a bit vague.  Meanwhile, the speaker avoided addressing Peter’s point of order.
         
         

    • blue leopard 9.2
      25 October 2012 at 5:17 pm

      “The House is increasingly becoming a farce under this government and it’s speaker, with the speaker assisting in the evasions and diversions.”

      +1 yes Karol I agree

  11. Draco T Bastard 11
    25 October 2012 at 3:40 pm

    Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it

    In other words, almost half of Israel’s population supports ethnic cleansing. I guess they feel differently about it when the shoe is on the other foot.

    Both apartheid and ethnic cleansing are crimes under international law. Israel stands condemned by its own citizens as a criminal state; it is time the international community treated it as one.

    The truth will always surface no matter how much those who want it hidden try to keep it so. Unfortunately, it does seem to take too bloody long.

  12. Rogue Trooper 12
    25 October 2012 at 4:15 pm

    This laboriously won self-contempt of man.
    -Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals

    Man is an invention of recent date. And one perhaps nearing it’s end.
    -Foucault

    Revisiting Sacks

    “Nietzsche was not a minor figure in the history of European thought. He was by far the most prophetic moralist, or ant-moralist, of modern times. No one saw more clearly the consequence of abandoning Christian ethics, and Nietzsche unhesitatingly drew the (neo) Darwinian conclusion; The strong must eliminate the weak. The Christian principle of caring for the weak was against nature and against the “logic” of power. The Christian idea of the universal love of humanity means in practice, the preference for the suffering and underprivileged: it has in fact lowered and weakened the strength, the necessity, the “lofty” duty to sacrifice men.

    Once the Christian conscience was eliminated, human beings would be forced to become brutal, ruthless, hard; impose their will on others; eliminate the untermenschen, and give full reign to the violence that Christian compassion had emasculated for so long”

  13. Rogue Trooper 13
    25 October 2012 at 4:39 pm

    “Their is no logic that forces us to accept the “hermeneutics of suspicion” of the Marxists, neo-Freudians and neo-Darwinians, that we do not really mean what we say, that all human communication is either deception, or self-deception.

    When the vast literature on the rationalisations, what Claudia Koonz calls the Na%1 conscience, for what the Na%1s did is considered, what is apparent is not only the specific ideals of social Darwinism, but the overwhelming sense of the Authority of Science, whatever the science.

    Nietzsche also asked: Why morality at all? when life, nature and history are not moral; there is no morality written into nature; no is / ought inference that can be made.
    The Talmud says that had God not revealed the commandments (and the gospels) “we could have learned modesty from the cat, industry from the ant, marital fidelity from the dove, and good manners from the rooster”. Yet, equally, we could have learned savagery from the lion, pitilessness from the wolf, and venom from the viper; NActs.

    Civilisations have a way of identifying and pre-empting disastrous patterns of behaviour; taboo, divine command. This was lost in the modern age; Hayek called it “the fatal conceit”; that we know better than our ancestors, that we can calculate the consequences better, circumvent the prohibitions they observed, and achieve what they did not.

    • McFlock 13.1
      25 October 2012 at 5:17 pm

      Darwin wasn’t about “strongest”, he was about “most fit” or “most suited”. There is a reason lions aren’t the dominant species on the planet, even though they are stronger than humans.
               
      Humans got to where we are today through societies, not as individual supermen. 

      • Rogue Trooper 13.1.1
        25 October 2012 at 7:53 pm

        well, while I think of it, all this “alpha male” nonsense comes from unhelpful / anthropomorphic analogies; young lions grouping together to pull down their sire.
        quite unhelpful; sorta like “pooping” where you eat.

        DEMOTE DEMOTE DEMOTE DEMOTE DEMOTE DEMOTE DEMOTE DEMOTE DEMOTE

        (apologies to moderators; just being graphic)

        🙂

  14. karol 14
    25 October 2012 at 6:32 pm

    Just when I thought I had some understanding of TPPA, along comes RCEP, just to set my head spinning again.  Will the NZ government be able to reconcile the 2, play one against the other, or will it just be swivelling betwen bowing to 2 masters?

    In early September 2012, Australia’s trade minister Craig Emerson and the trade ministers of China, Japan, India, Korea, New Zealand and the ten ASEAN countries met in Cambodia and “laid the foundations” for another: a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

     

     
     

  15. captain hook 15
    25 October 2012 at 7:14 pm

    this government is a lame duck government.
    they just out to cause as much trouble as they can now before they get the boot.
    they never really had anything anyway.

  16. mickysavage 16
    25 October 2012 at 7:18 pm

    A day of shame in Parliament today.  On the same day that farmers using their farms as carbon sinks are going to the wall the government’s gut the ETS bill came back to Parliament.

    Under this farmers will pay nothing for the damage they cause, and major polluters will pay just 5%.

    David Cunliffe gave them a tongue lashing.  He had a great theme, that today’s kids will have a harder life because we refused to do something about climate change now.

    He announced that Labour will move to restore agriculture’s entry to the ETS to 2015, restrict international credits to a maximum of 50% so that local credit producers can survive, the 2 for 1 deal will be phased out and there would be ongoing reviews of the price of carbon.

    And Kennedy Graham in that gentle yet direct way of his utterly rubbished the Government’s ineptitude as well as suggesting that Labour should have done more.

    Unfortunately reality, hard analysis and requests for this Government to take responsible steps do not appear to work with this Government. 

    • tinfoilhat 16.1
      25 October 2012 at 7:40 pm

      It’s disgusting that the farmers and the government are getting away with this when the rest of the world is doing their bit.

    • tinfoilhat 16.2
      25 October 2012 at 9:03 pm

      This government are a pack of traitors and along with the farmers are environmental vandals of the worst kind.

      Why can’t we do the right thing when the rest of the worlds farmers are all doing their bit under schemes like the ETS.

    • karol 16.3
      25 October 2012 at 9:07 pm

      Climate disruption.  Climate chaos. Good terms.
       
      I’d  go for a party led by Cunliffe and the woman who was sitting behind him.

  17. ianmac 17
    25 October 2012 at 7:26 pm

    Campbell Live tonight has opened up more amazingly awful exposure of the Christchurch School changes debacle. Really a must watch. In particular is the OIA question. A request to the Christchurch Council for in information on the (Ohuria?) school closure was answered, but included an e-mail from the MOE to tell the applicant that they had no information. That is, tell the CCC to lie. Requests have been declined for other schools yet the CEO wrote to say that every request would be actioned.
    Watch it when it comes up for replay. And be appalled.

    • Anne 17.1
      25 October 2012 at 7:55 pm

      Appalling is almost not a strong enough word for the ChCh school debacle. It is clear the ministry is in total disarray. I’m not a teacher so I can’t really comment on the reasons why, but I suspect it’s a combination of blind ideology and gross incompetence. Perhaps someone can enlighten us as to the identity of the ministry officials involved. They deserve to be named and shamed.

      No-one from the ministry would front up to tell their side of the story. Did Hekia Parata issue instructions to them to keep their mouths shut or else? Probably. She’s a blatant bully like her colleagues Judith Collins and Paula Bennett.

      What a disgusting trio!

      .

      • ianmac 17.1.1
        25 October 2012 at 10:23 pm

        What is so odd is that the Ministry would anticipate a determined response from the schools and the school community. You would think that they would have all the information and correct data ready and waiting. Why not? And in a very public exposure. (Good on Campbell Live) Perhaps the staffing cuts have left the MOE without the talent or numbers to deal with wholesale mayhem.

        I have never used this expression but will now. Gobstopped!!!

        • Dv 17.1.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 2:42 am

          It is really really bad that the school have to Use the OIA to get information about their schools so they can discuss their option.

          Really really odd.

  18. Rogue Trooper 18
    25 October 2012 at 7:31 pm

    “To the extent that we medicalise human behaviour, to that extent we deny freedom and responsibility”

    “A brave new world along the lines of Aldous Huxley’s novel, in which people are kept permanently pacified by mind-altering drugs and virtual experiences”.

    I like rhubarb in moderation (not to be cooked in aluminium) 🙂

    • muzza 18.1
      26 October 2012 at 7:39 am

      But, but, but…..

      His brother ….

      Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS[1] (22 June 1887 – 14 February 1975) was an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist and internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentieth century evolutionary synthesis. He was Secretary of the Zoological Society of London (1935–1942), the first Director of UNESCO, and a founding member of the World Wildlife Fund.

      Internationalist (globalist), eugenics, and natural selection.

      Zero influence on you and your families life, past present or future these people!

  19. Rogue Trooper 19
    25 October 2012 at 7:36 pm

    ooh, cuts to Auckland Councils fundings 🙂

    imo, We need more Judge John Deed

    freakin colonists in the DHB’s; more rhubarb top-down nonsense

    (years ago, I learnt of the “wars of religion” to come; how’s those clay feet holding up?)

    -there is something in the water, from someone that I used to know.
    🙂

    • muzza 19.1
      26 October 2012 at 7:33 am

      As predicted, this will be the model going forward for Auckland Counil – Look at the projected debt increase over the next ten years, then think about how that might be serviced.

      http://www.interest.co.nz/bonds/58080/auckland-council-plans-increase-its-net-debt-percentage-total-revenue-limit-275-175

      The Auckland “Super City” Council wants to lift its net debt as a percentage of total revenue limit to 275% from 175%, to prevent a breach of the existing limit, with its debt forecast to almost treble to NZ$12.5 billion over the next decade.

      And the ratepayers will breath a sigh of relief when their rates bill does not go up quite as much as it might, but in any event they will be paying the bill for those who end up out of work.

      Debt will relieve Auckland of its assets too, its simply a question of time.

      Pre-dic-ta-ble

  20. Rogue Trooper 20
    25 October 2012 at 11:36 pm

    “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his home town”.

    “If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
    If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town”.

    ( indulge in your science fiction while it lasts)

    It is done.

  21. captain hook 21
    26 October 2012 at 9:05 pm

    I am very sorry that I wasted the chief moderators time.
    I will never do it again.
    It was smee’s fault.
    to much rum in the water.
    I have been so scorched and seared by the pol I tical process that I will withdrAW FROM THE ARENa and spend my time learning old folk songs on thye banjo whilst waiting for the revolution.
    can marxism explain why the sky is blue?
    please tell me.

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    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 day ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
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