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Comment: Open mike 20/01/2025
Written By: Kay - Date published: 10:40 am, January 20th, 2025
Many thanks, Craig. Oversimplified versions are all my poor brain can cope with some days, and that's helped me understand some things. Much appreciatedComment: Open mike 20/01/2025
Written By: Kay - Date published: 9:09 am, January 20th, 2025
I'd like to make an intelligent, informed response, but to be perfectly honest and try as I might, this 'economy' thing is beyond me, as is why it seems to be a total obsession. I can't get my head around how the rate of inflation HAS to correlate with a ...Comment: Open mike 19/01/2025
Written By: Kay - Date published: 4:41 pm, January 19th, 2025
Oh wonderful. I've been having to travel to Pukekohe a lot over the last couple of years and was stupidly getting my hopes up for getting a train back. Sometime, anytime. It's bus-train-bus from the airport, and for the last month 3x buses with the rail ...Comment: Open mike 19/01/2025
Written By: Kay - Date published: 4:33 pm, January 19th, 2025
If Reti had the spine to very publicly blast the Govt over the tobacco policy and walk away from the party- and parliament- he would've had a hell of a lot more respect from most NZers and his medical peers. There might also be one more practicing GP ...Comment: Open mike 19/01/2025
Written By: Kay - Date published: 10:40 am, January 19th, 2025
Yes, wonderful if you can do it. There's a rather large group of us who can't drive, or cycle. In my case, medical ban, and too dangerous for the latter. The only alternatives being buses and taxis, many of them still running on petrol. And fuel increases ...Comment: Labour’s Long-Sightedness and the Opposition’s Opprobrious Omniabsence
Written By: Kay - Date published: 10:47 am, January 12th, 2025
Only 71% of people voted in the last election, that's over 800,000 enrolled that didn't bother to. So are the CoC the real choice of the voters, or are just there because so many people have given up on the democratic process? Had there been a voting ...Comment: President Biden’s Accomplishments
Written By: Kay - Date published: 9:52 am, January 11th, 2025
Not too bad for one who is supposed to be so 'sleepy'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepy_Joe_(nickname)Comment: Open mike 08/01/2025
Written By: Kay - Date published: 9:50 am, January 8th, 2025
He said that removing some restrictions on content on topics such as gender and immigration would “make sure that people can share their beliefs and experiences on our platforms” and he said the focus of filters that scan posts for policy violations would ...Comment: Open mike 07/01/2025
Written By: Kay - Date published: 2:59 pm, January 7th, 2025
Just so long as they're all counted https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2411/S00636/dont-be-misled-every-submission-counts-for-the-treaty-principles-bill.htmComment: Costello hands out free vapes
Written By: Kay - Date published: 4:44 pm, January 6th, 2025
I like that idea, but does it have to be just iwi? In fact, it shouldn't even be politicians, but people from a cross-section of society, capable of employing common sense and logic. A citizen's assembly of sorts.Comment: Costello hands out free vapes
Written By: Kay - Date published: 8:33 am, January 6th, 2025
I was so innocently naive about corruption in NZ politics until being part of warfare against Pharmac and the government a few years ago. After reading screes of OIA requests (the ones they let us see), it became very obvious, and I have never felt more ...Comment: Open mike 01/01/2025
Written By: Kay - Date published: 11:22 am, January 1st, 2025
Yep, that sounds about right. I trust that these same businesses will provide new-builds to accommodate all these new imports?Comment: Open mike 01/01/2025
Written By: Kay - Date published: 10:15 am, January 1st, 2025
In the NZ context, what happens to all these big businesses that rely on low-wage workers to make their obscene profits, when said workers dry up because they've died young/ become ill/are living under bridges? Are Reti's private hospitals going to give ...Comment: Open mike 27/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 8:11 am, December 27th, 2024
Well it would be a terrible burden on the makers and sellers of said products, and regulation is bad, didn't you know?Comment: The Pogues wrote the best Christmas song ever
Written By: Kay - Date published: 11:11 am, December 25th, 2024
Concur with The Progues, but Snoopy's Christmas will always be second on my list. Please don't judge me! Merry Christmas 🎅Comment: On the tenth day of Christmas Chris Luxon took from me …
Written By: Kay - Date published: 11:59 am, December 24th, 2024
Is that all???Comment: Open mike 23/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 8:54 am, December 23rd, 2024
Except that would set a precedent. Not just hospital death by IT, but death from malnutrition as a result of the government slashing funding to foodbanks, unsurvivable benefit rates, and kicking people out of emergency accommodation, deliberately not ...Comment: Open mike 16/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 10:08 am, December 16th, 2024
Clearly, the endgame is starvation of the plebs. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/536762/auckland-foodbanks-face-closure-reducing-services-as-funding-to-stop On top of: Benefit rates going backwards in real terms. Pitiful increase in the minimum wage. ...Comment: The real purpose of the Ministry for Regulation
Written By: Kay - Date published: 2:39 pm, December 15th, 2024
Semi-rhetorical. I'm interested in their mindset and if they embrace being just generally nasty because they're just nasty people, or if most adherants would score positively on a screening test for sociopathy, meaning they're incapable of empathy so just ...Comment: The real purpose of the Ministry for Regulation
Written By: Kay - Date published: 9:29 am, December 15th, 2024
Do libertarians genuinely believe their ideology, or is it just an excuse for nasty people to enrich themselves and beat up on everyone else because they like to think they're better than the plebs? Or perhaps they're on the sociopathic spectrum? Clearly ...Comment: Open mike 14/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 4:15 pm, December 14th, 2024
Apparently so, sort of: "New Zealand's constitution is not found in one document. Instead, it has a number of sources, including crucial pieces of legislation, several legal documents, common law derived from court decisions as well as established ...Comment: Open mike 14/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 7:40 am, December 14th, 2024
A snap election sounds very appealing. All we need is for Winston to throw a massive hissy fit over anything. Ferries would do fine.Comment: Atlas Network in New Zealand
Written By: Kay - Date published: 9:03 am, December 12th, 2024
This is still ultimately on the citizens that vote for these people - and who don't vote. Without getting into power, it makes their real intentions much more difficult to enact (that pesky democracy thing). Regrettably, it just takes 2 words- "tax cuts" ...Comment: Open mike 11/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 10:05 am, December 11th, 2024
Good news for whom? Not the general NZ public for which dairy has become a luxury item. There's always an excuse to sting us with global rates.Comment: Open mike 10/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 2:14 pm, December 10th, 2024
Wouldn't it be nice if they cared just as much about suffering humans as they do greyhounds, and passed the appropriate legislation under urgency to righten their wrongs?Comment: Open mike 09/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 4:59 pm, December 9th, 2024
Is ACC still covering people who were injured during the commission of a crime? If they are, then screw his valuable life lessons.Comment: Open mike 09/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 9:06 am, December 9th, 2024
Being a registered medical doctor who is happy to go along with all that smoking tax crap for the sake of holding onto power is also a major conflict of interest.Comment: Open mike 09/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 7:40 am, December 9th, 2024
Don't even bother in Pukekohe. The last time, one had to be sent from the North Shore, took quite some time. A few days ago after 1.5 hours an ambulance still hadn't even been assigned. (Very ill relative). Said relative made the comment she could see how ...Comment: Open mike 08/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 3:09 pm, December 8th, 2024
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/437359/timeline-the-year-of-covid-19-in-new-zealand Take a look at all the time we spent in level 1. I certainly didn't go to the cricket or rugby, because I can't stand either sport, but was well aware that we were ...Comment: Open mike 08/12/2024
Written By: Kay - Date published: 10:31 am, December 8th, 2024
Silly me, I took the clickbait and read it. Hold your nose and try not to scream, swear etc. if you make the decision to. https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360513485/damien-grant-new-zealand-ashamed-about-what-happened-covid-years Obviously, Damien and co. ...
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- The cabinet metastasises
Christopher Luxon is every dismal boss who ever made you wince, or roll your eyes, or think to yourself I have absolutely got to get the hell out of this place.Get a load of what he shared with us at his cabinet reshuffle, trying to be all sensitive and gracious.Dr ...2 hours ago - Puberty blockers
The text of my submission to the Ministry of Health's unnecessary and politicised review of the use of puberty blockers for young trans and nonbinary people in Aotearoa. ...4 hours ago - Why the TikTok Ban Was Just a Stunt
Hi,Last night one of the world’s biggest social media platforms, TikTok, became inaccessible in the United States.Then, today, it came back online.Why should we care about a social network that deals in dance trends and cute babies? Well — TikTok represents a lot more than that.And its ban and subsequent ...8 hours ago - Arrange and Rearrange
Sometimes I wake in the middle of the nightAnd rub my achin' old eyesIs that a voice from inside-a my headOr does it come down from the skies?"There's a time to laugh butThere's a time to weepAnd a time to make a big change"Wake-up you-bum-the-time has-comeTo arrange and re-arrange and ...10 hours ago - Luxon flicks Reti’s hospital pass to Brown
Former Health Minister Shane Reti was the main target of Luxon’s reshuffle. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short to start the year in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate: Christopher Luxon fired Shane Reti as Health Minister and replaced him with Simeon Brown, who Luxon sees ...10 hours ago - Can we have a normal Minister of Transport now?
Yesterday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a cabinet reshuffle, which saw Simeon Brown picking up the Health portfolio as it’s been taken off Dr Shane Reti, and Transport has been given to Chris Bishop. Additionally, Simeon’s energy and local government portfolios now sit with Simon Watts. This is very good ...11 hours ago - Signs of panic
The sacking of Health Minister Shane Reti yesterday had an air of panic about it. A media advisory inviting journalists to a Sunday afternoon press conference at Premier House went out on Saturday night. Caucus members did not learn that even that was happening until yesterday morning. Reti’s fate was ...14 hours ago - Gordon Campbell On The Rise Of Simeon Brown
Yesterday’s demotion of Shane Reti was inevitable. Reti’s attempt at a re-assuring bedside manner always did have a limited shelf life, and he would have been a poor and apologetic salesman on the campaign trail next year. As a trained doctor, he had every reason to be looking embarrassed about ...20 hours ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #03
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 12, 2025 thru Sat, January 18, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...21 hours ago - The ‘Martin With Thirty-One Queens’ Chess Challenge
After another substantial hiatus from online Chess, I’ve been taking it up again. I am genuinely terrible at five-minute Blitz, what with the tight time constraints, though I periodically con myself into thinking that I have been improving. But seeing as my past foray into Chess led to me having ...1 day ago - Don’t You Know Who I Am?
Rise up o children wont you dance with meRise up little children come and set me freeRise little ones riseNo shame no fearDon't you know who I amSongwriter: Rebecca Laurel FountainI’m sure you know the go with this format. Some memories, some questions, letsss go…2015A decade ago, I made the ...1 day ago - In Defence of Golriz Ghahraman
In 2017, when Ghahraman was elected to Parliament as a Green MP, she recounted both the highlights and challenges of her role -There was love, support, and encouragement.And on the flipside, there was intense, visceral and unchecked hate.That came with violent threats - many of them. More on that later.People ...1 day ago - Too tiny to matter; enough to change everything
It gives me the biggest kick to learn that something I’ve enthused about has been enough to make you say Go on then, I'm going to do it. The e-bikes, the hearing aids, the prostate health, the cheese puffs. And now the solar power. Yes! Happy to share the details.We ...2 days ago - Fact brief – Can CO2 be ignored because it’s just a trace gas?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Can CO2 be ...2 days ago
- Bastards Abound
The old bastard left his ties and his suitA brown box, mothballs and bowling shoesAnd his opinion so you'd never have to choosePretty soon, you'll be an old bastard tooYou get smaller as the world gets bigThe more you know you know you don't know shit"The whiz man" will never ...2 days ago - Latest Poll- Nats in a slo-mo death spiral?
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Numbers2024 could easily have been National’s “Annus Horribilis” and 2025 shows no signs of a reprieve for our Landlord PM Chris Luxon and his inept Finance Minister Nikki “Noboats” Willis.Several polls last year ...3 days ago - Clearing the Decks: Government replaces half of the Waitangi Tribunal
This Friday afternoon, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced an overhaul of the Waitangi Tribunal.The government has effectively cleared house - appointing 8 new members - and combined with October’s appointment of former ACT leader Richard Prebble, that’s 9 appointees.[I am not certain, but can only presume, Prebble went in ...3 days ago - Back on Track?
The state of the current economy may be similar to when National left office in 2017.In December, a couple of days after the Treasury released its 2024 Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HEYFU24), Statistics New Zealand reported its estimate for volume GDP for the previous September 24 quarter. Instead ...3 days ago - Handbags and Gladrags
So what becomes of you, my love?When they have finally stripped you ofThe handbags and the gladragsThat your poor old granddadHad to sweat to buy you, babySongwriter: Mike D'aboIn yesterday’s newsletter, I expressed sadness at seeing Golriz Ghahraman back on the front pages for shoplifting. As someone who is no ...3 days ago - Weekly Roundup 17-January-2025
It’s Friday and time for another roundup of things that caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If you’d like to support our work, you can join ...3 days ago
- How the Far Right Weaponised the Grooming Gangs Story
Note: This Webworm discusses sexual assault and rape. Please read with care.Hi,A few weeks ago I reported on how one of New Zealand’s richest men, Nick Mowbray (he and his brother own Zuru and are worth an estimated $20 billion), had taken to sharing posts by a British man called ...4 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #3 2025
Open access notables Long-term trends in heat wave gaps for the New York City metropolitan area, Lin & Colle, Urban Climate: Heat waves occurring in close succession to one another are hazardous because of the prolonged stress on the human body and energy demand. A heat wave gap metric, the ...4 days ago
- NZ: The Final Atlas Network Puzzle Piece Has Arrived
The final Atlas Network playbook puzzle piece is here, and it slipped in to Aotearoa New Zealand with little fan fare or attention. The implications are stark.Today, writes Dr Bex, the submission for the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill closes: 11:59pm January 16, 2025.As usual, the language of the ...4 days ago - Not getting any younger
Excitement in the seaside village! Look what might be coming! 400 million dollars worth of investment! In the very beating heart of the village! Are we excited and eager to see this happen, what with every last bank branch gone and shops sitting forlornly quiet awaiting a customer?Yes please, apply ...4 days ago - Political societies and economic preferences.
Much discussion has been held over the Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB), the latest in a series of rightwing attempts to enshrine into law pro-market precepts such as the primacy of private property ownership. Underneath the good governance and economic efficiency gobbledegook language of the Bill is an interest to strip ...4 days ago - Submission on Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill
We are concerned that the Amendment Bill, as proposed, could impair the operations and legitimate interests of the NZ Trade Union movement. It is also likely to negatively impact the ability of other civil society actors to conduct their affairs without the threat of criminal sanctions. We ask that ...4 days ago - The Ol’ Switcheroo
I can't take itHow could I fake it?How could I fake it?And I can't take itHow could I fake it?How could I fake it?Song: The Lonely Biscuits.“A bit nippy”, I thought when I woke this morning, and then, soon after that, I wondered whether hell had frozen over. Dear friends, ...4 days ago - Nobody’s insurance rates are safe from climate change
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Asheville, North Carolina, was once widely considered a climate haven thanks to its elevated, inland location and cooler temperatures than much of the Southeast. Then came the catastrophic floods of Hurricane Helene in September 2024. It was a stark reminder that nowhere is safe from ...4 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On More Threats To Democracy From David Seymour
Early reports indicate that the temporary Israel/Hamas ceasefire deal (due to take effect on Sunday) will allow for the gradual release of groups of Israeli hostages, the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails (likely only a fraction of the total incarcerated population), and the withdrawal ...5 days ago
- Choosing your fights
My daily news diet is not what it once was.It was the TV news that lost me first. Too infantilising, too breathless, too frustrating.The Herald was next. You could look past the reactionary framing while it was being a decent newspaper of record, but once Shayne Currie began unleashing all ...5 days ago - Hit The Road Jack
Hit the road Jack and don't you come backNo more, no more, no more, no moreHit the road Jack and don't you come back no moreWhat you say?Songwriters: Percy MayfieldMorena,I keep many of my posts, like this one, paywall-free so that everyone can read them.However, please consider supporting me as ...5 days ago - Review: The Narnia books, by C.S. Lewis (1950-1956) – Part One
This might be the longest delay between reading (or in this case re-reading) a work, and actually writing a review of it I have ever managed. Indeed, when I last read these books in December 2022, I was not planning on writing anything about them… but as A Phuulish Fellow ...6 days ago - Sabin 33 #11 – Is solar energy more expensive than energy from fossil fuels?
On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...6 days ago
- Our Health Isn’t Your Wealth, Shane Reti & Lester Levy
Kia Ora,I try to keep most my posts without a paywall for public interest journalism purposes. However, if you can afford to, please consider supporting me as a paid subscriber and/or supporting over at Ko-Fi. That will help me to continue, and to keep spending time on the work. Embarrassingly, ...6 days ago - No one could save me but you
There was a time when Google was the best thing in my world. I was an early adopter of their AdWords program and boy did I like what it did for my business. It put rocket fuel in it, is what it did. For every dollar I spent, those ads ...6 days ago - The disinformation grift in NZ.
A while back I was engaged in an unpleasant exchange with a leader of the most well-known NZ anti-vax group and several like-minded trolls. I had responded to a racist meme on social media in which a rightwing podcaster in the US interviewed one of the leaders of the Proud ...6 days ago
- Anna Wilding, Bullshit Master
Hi,If you’ve been reading Webworm for a while, you’ll be familiar with Anna Wilding. Between 2020 and 2021 I looked at how the New Zealander had managed to weasel her way into countless news stories over the years, often with very little proof any of it had actually happened. When ...6 days ago - Summertime in Aotearoa
It's a long white cloud for you, baby; staying together alwaysSummertime in AotearoaWhere the sunshine kisses the water, we will find it alwaysSummertime in AotearoaYeah, it′s SummertimeIt's SummertimeWriters: Codi Wehi Ngatai, Moresby Kainuku, Pipiwharauroa Campbell, Taulutoa Michael Schuster, Rebekah Jane Brady, Te Naawe Jordan Muturangi Tupe, Thomas Edward Scrase.Many of ...6 days ago - 2024 sets some new road safety records
Last year, 292 people died unnecessarily on our roads. That is the lowest result in over a decade and only the fourth time in the last 70 years we’ve seen fewer than 300 deaths in a calendar year. Yet, while it is 292 people too many, with each death being ...6 days ago
- The role of climate change in the catastrophic 2025 Los Angeles fires
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a building at Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The fast-moving wildfire had destroyed thousands of structures and ...7 days ago
- Submission on Regulatory Standards Bill
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Regulatory Standards Bill, as I understand it, seeks to bind parliament to a specific range of law-making.For example, it seems to ensure primacy of individual rights over that of community, environment, te Tiriti ...7 days ago - There’s a solution in there, there really is
Happy New Year!I had a lovely break, thanks very much for asking: friends, family, sunshine, books, podcasts, refreshing swims, barbecues, bike rides. So good to step away from the firehose for a while, to have less Trump and Seymour in your day. Who needs the Luxons in their risible PJs ...1 week ago - Hamilton Central Station: Britomart 2.0
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the Auckland City Centre Advisory Panel and a director of Greater Auckland In 2003, after much argument, including the election of a Mayor in 2001 who ran on stopping it, Britomart train station in downtown Auckland opened. A mere 1km twin track terminating branch ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Christopher Luxon’s important trip to the Middle East
For the first time in a decade, a New Zealand Prime Minister is heading to the Middle East. The trip is more than just a courtesy call. New Zealand PMs frequently change planes in Dubai en route to destinations elsewhere. But Christopher Luxon’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ...1 week ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #02
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 5, 2025 thru Sat, January 11, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell On The History Of Doo Wop Music
The decade between 1952 and the early 1960s was the peak period for the style of music we now call doo wop, after which it got dissolved into soul music, girl groups, and within pop music in general. Basically, doo wop was a form of small group harmonising with a ...1 week ago
- If You Tolerate This
The future teaches you to be aloneThe present to be afraid and coldSo if I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists…And if you tolerate thisThen your children will be nextSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Do you remember at school, studying the rise ...1 week ago - Elon Musk Adores Chris Luxon
When National won the New Zealand election in 2023, one of the first to congratulate Luxon was tech-billionaire and entrepreneur extraordinaire Elon Musk.And last year, after Luxon posted a video about a trip to Malaysia, Musk came forward again to heap praise on Christopher:So it was perhaps par for the ...1 week ago - American Carnage
Hi,Today’s Webworm features a new short film from documentary maker Giorgio Angelini. It’s about Luigi Mangione — but it’s also, really, about everything in America right now.Bear with me.Shortly after I sent out my last missive from the fires on Wednesday, one broke out a little too close to home ...1 week ago
- Careless Memories
So soon just after you've goneMy senses sharpenBut it always takes so damn longBefore I feel how much my eyes have darkenedFear hangs in a plane of gun smokeDrifting in our roomSo easy to disturb, with a thought, with a whisperWith a careless memorySongwriters: Andy Taylor / John Taylor / ...1 week ago - A Bully of Billionaires
Can we trust the Trump cabinet to act in the public interest?Nine of Trump’s closest advisers are billionaires. Their total net worth is in excess of $US375b (providing there is not a share-market crash). In contrast, the total net worth of Trump’s first Cabinet was about $6b. (Joe Biden’s Cabinet ...1 week ago - Weekly Roundup 10-January-2025
Welcome back to our weekly roundup. We hope you had a good break (if you had one). Here’s a few of the stories that caught our attention over the last few weeks. This holiday period on Greater Auckland Since our last roundup we’ve: Taken a look back at ...1 week ago
- L.A. Burns
1 week ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #2 2025
Open access notables Large emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra, Torn et al., Nature Communications: Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and ...2 weeks ago
- Local government in Wellington – what’s been achieved
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...2 weeks ago - 300,000!
Over the holidays, there was a rising tide of calls for people to submit on National's repulsive, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, along with a wave of advice and examples of what to say. And it looks like people rose to the occasion, with over 300,000 ...2 weeks ago - Who’s Getting Annexed?
The lie is my expenseThe scope of my desireThe Party blessed me with its futureAnd I protect it with fireI am the Nina The Pinta The Santa MariaThe noose and the rapistAnd the fields overseerThe agents of orangeThe priests of HiroshimaThe cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fireSongwriters: Brad ...2 weeks ago - Exploring the drivers of modern global warming
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink Global surface temperatures have risen around 1.3C since the preindustrial (1850-1900) period as a result of human activity.1 However, this aggregate number masks a lot of underlying factors that contribute to global surface temperature changes over time. These include CO2, which is the primary ...2 weeks ago
- Wayne Wright Jr Celebrates His Increasing Political Fortunes with Sean Plunket – Who Does Your...
2 weeks ago
- Missive from the Fires
Hi,Right now the power is out, so I’m just relying on the laptop battery and tethering to my phone’s 5G which is dropping in and out. We’ll see how we go.First up — I’m fine. I can’t see any flames out the window. I live in the greater Hollywood area ...2 weeks ago
- Mood of the Workforce Survey 2025
2024 was a tough year for working Kiwis. But together we’ve been able to fight back for a just and fair New Zealand and in 2025 we need to keep standing up for what’s right and having our voices heard. That starts with our Mood of the Workforce Survey. It’s your ...2 weeks ago
- Pumpkin Day
Time is never time at allYou can never ever leaveWithout leaving a piece of youthAnd our lives are forever changedWe will never be the sameThe more you change, the less you feelSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan.Babinden - Baba’s DayToday, January 8th, 2025, is Babinden, “The Day of the baba” or “The ...2 weeks ago - How Do We Fight Back?
Hi,New Zealand multi-billionaire Nick Mowbray continues to tweet at me, seemingly still unhappy about my Webworm story covering his apparent enthusiasm for far right, anti-Islam campaigner Tommy Robinson.Mowbray can be a bit hard to follow at the best of times, but I think this is a billionaire sort of dangling ...2 weeks ago - Submission on Treaty Principles Bill
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...2 weeks ago - Sabin 33 #10 – Will utility-scale solar farms destroy the value of nearby homes?
On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...2 weeks ago
- Q&A with Nick
Everything is good and brownI'm here againWith a sunshine smile upon my faceMy friends are close at handAnd all my inhibitions have disappeared without a traceI'm glad, oh, that I found oohSomebody who I can rely onSongwriter: Jay KayGood morning, all you lovely people. Today, I’ve got nothing except a ...2 weeks ago - 2025 – The Year Ahead
Welcome to 2025. After wrapping up 2024, here’s a look at some of the things we can expect to see this year along with a few predictions. Council and Elections Elections One of the biggest things this year will be local body elections in October. Will Mayor Wayne Brown ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell On Justin Trudeau’s Demise, In A Global Context
Canadians can take a while to get angry – but when they finally do, watch out. Canada has been falling out of love with Justin Trudeau for years, and his exit has to be the least surprising news event of the New Year. On recent polling, Trudeau’s Liberal party has ...2 weeks ago
- Climate news to watch in 2025
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Much like 2023, many climate and energy records were broken in 2024. It was Earth’s hottest year on record by a wide margin, breaking the previous record that was set just last year by an even larger margin. Human-caused climate-warming pollution and ...2 weeks ago
- Submitted!
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...2 weeks ago
- The Treaty Principles Bill
My submission - made at the last moment because I'm a neurodivergent millennial - on David Seymour's terrible legislation. ...2 weeks ago - Rich Opinions
Ooh, baby (ooh, baby)It's making me crazy (it's making me crazy)Every time I look around (look around)Every time I look around (every time I look around)Every time I look aroundIt's in my faceSongwriters: Alan Leo Jansson / Paul Lawrence L. Fuemana.Today, I’ll be talking about rich, middle-aged men who’ve made ...2 weeks ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #01
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...2 weeks ago
- “It’s Sad Watching Desperate Dave”
Hi,The thing that stood out at me while shopping for Christmas presents in New Zealand was how hard it was to avoid Zuru products. Toy manufacturer Zuru is a bit like Netflix, in that it has so much data on what people want they can flood the market with so ...2 weeks ago - RIP Dame Tariana Turia
And when a child is born into this worldIt has no conceptOf the tone of skin it's living inAnd there's a million voicesAnd there's a million voicesTo tell you what you should be thinkingSong by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.The moment you see that face, you can hear her voice; ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome Gaza ceasefire, but say more work to do
The Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...4 days ago - Release: Labour mourns passing of Dame Tariana Turia
Ka kohukohu te awa o Whanganui!Ka tau te kākahu taratara ki runga I te maunga o Whānau Ora!Ka tangi hotuhotu tō iwi Māori! ...1 week ago - Release: Labour acknowledges Lyn Fleming’s death
Labour expresses its shock and sadness at the death of widely respected Police Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming. ...1 week ago
- Greens welcome deadline extension but reiterate call for Bill to be binned
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party pays respects to Dame Tariana Turia
The Green Party acknowledges the enormous life, contribution and passing of Dame Tariana (Kahurangi) Turia, the co-founder of Te Pāti Māori. ...2 weeks ago
- KO disruptive tenants’ easy ride over
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...1 week ago - 80% reduction in building determination wait times
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...2 weeks ago
- Top baby names for 2024
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...2 weeks ago
- Enabling works to begin on Westgate Bus Station
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...2 weeks ago
- A nationwide shift towards acting together to stop family and sexual violence
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...2 weeks ago
- He poroporoaki ki a Kahurangi Tariana Turia
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...2 weeks ago
- New qualification a step forward for diabetes care
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...2 weeks ago
- New year, new medicines
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this government assumed ...3 weeks ago
- Action On Puberty Blockers Too Little; Too Late, Women’s Rights Party Says
Women’s Rights Party Co-leader Jill Ovens says the questions are odd, given there are no safety measures currently in place, and the use of puberty blockers (GnRH) to treat conditions related to “gender distress” is not a registered use of the ...17 minutes ago - 1080 baits are used to kill foxes, cats and dingoes – but other animals can be more likely to eat ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Mason, PhD candidate in Conservation Biology, Deakin University Milosz Maslanka/Shutterstock Around the world, humans routinely kill carnivores to protect livestock and game, increase human safety and conserve native wildlife. Unfortunately, killing carnivores often creates new problems including population booms of ...1 hour ago - The US has exposed the World Anti-Doping Agency’s precarious funding model
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Vaughan, PhD Researcher Sport Integrity, University of Canberra kovop/Shutterstock Warren Buffet once famously said: “you only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.” In this context, the US government’s decision this month to withhold ...2 hours ago
- What’s going on with TikTok in the US, and what will this mean for Australia?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University According to the latest reports, TikTok has restored services in the United States after “going dark” on Saturday evening US time. The company turned off its services ahead of a nationwide ...2 hours ago
- ‘Shoddy dropping’: how the 1920s cost-of-living crisis fuelled a black market in menswear
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Bellanta, Professor of Modern History (Australian Catholic University), Visiting Professor of Australian Studies (Seoul National University), Australian Catholic University New South Wales Police Forensic Photography Archive, Justice and Police Museum, Museums of History New South Wales With almost all menswear ...4 hours ago
- MPs won’t be on stage at Auckland’s Big Gay Out this year
Organisers say politicians are still welcome to attend the February event. ...4 hours ago - Spin has transformed modern-day tennis. Here’s the physics behind it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University Watch any match at this year’s Australian Open and you’ll see balls curving in the air or bouncing higher or lower than expected. Players such as Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are ...5 hours ago
- Manufacturing crisis: the challenge of Trump 2.0’s ‘power in chaos’ for other democracies
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Ogden, Associate Professor in Global Studies, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images On the eve of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, the world is braced for more of what has been described as his instinct for “weaponised chaos”. ...5 hours ago
- Coalition still ahead in latest polls, but some promising news for Labor
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Freshwater poll for The Financial Review, conducted January 17–19 from a sample of 1,063, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead, ...5 hours ago
- Aussie film Take My Hand is a sweet love story – but it misses the mark in depicting chronic illne...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Diana Piantedosi, Sociology PhD Candidate, School of Humanities and Social Sciences (La Trobe University); Honorary Fellow, School of Health and Social Development (Deakin University), La Trobe University MS Australia/tompaulbyrnes.com Laura (Radha Mitchell) is an ambitious investment banker living in London with ...5 hours ago
- Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger to stand for second term
Rates are among the lowest in the country and Mauger says he knows keeping them that way is a priority for residents. ...5 hours ago
- New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this week
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love thought-provoking locally-made documentaries: M9 Season 2 (TVNZ+, January 20) The second season of the groundbreaking M9 sets out to inspire, empower and entertain by asking ...5 hours ago - What’s the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke? One’s a medical emergency
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Barton, Senior lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University Studio Nut/Shutterstock When British TV doctor Michael Mosley died last year in Greece after walking in extreme heat, local police said “heat exhaustion” was a contributing factor. Since than ...6 hours ago
- Australia still claims ‘not responsible’ for detainees, after UN body rulings
By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior journalist The Australian government denies responsibility for asylum seekers detained in Nauru, following two decisions from the UN Human Rights Committee. The UNHRC recently published its decisions on two cases involving refugees who complained about their treatment at Nauru’s regional processing facility. The committee ...6 hours ago
- Are past careers important in politics?
Shane Reti’s demotion is a reminder that the best experience for being a minister is being a minister, writes Henry Cooke. First published in Henry Cooke’s politics newsletter, Museum Street. Shane Reti – or “Doctor Shane”, as Judith Collins would always call him – is a lovely man. The first time ...7 hours ago
- Netanyahu’s war on Hamas backfires as Gaza resistance holds strong
An Al-Jazeera Arabic special report translated by The Palestine Chronicle staff details how Israel’s military strategy in Gaza, aimed at dismantling Hamas and displacing Palestinian civilians, has failed after 470 days of conflict. ANALYSIS: By Abdulwahab al-Mursi On May 5, 2024, nearly seven months into Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on ...8 hours ago
- A short history of permanent temporary buildings in New Zealand
If there’s one thing this country loves, it’s holding onto stopgap structures for decades past their original use-by date. Mat Brown takes a look at 10 of his favourites. Auckland’s Te Wero Bridge has endured (more or less) for over a decade, yet it was only supposed to be a ...9 hours ago
- Kanpai! A guide to drinking in Japan
From matcha IPAs to koshu wines, sake making classes and brewery resorts, there’s plenty to try if you know where to look. Japan’s food is famous everywhere, but the country’s drinks culture is a bit of a hidden gem. There’s a whole world here beyond what you might expect – ...9 hours ago
- What happens to tramping poo?
Sometimes a long drop is just the beginning of a turd’s journey. When you’re sitting on a loo with a view, with slow mosquitoes bumbling around your cheeks and someone outside testing the integrity of the door’s latch and hinges, it may not occur to you that this particular hole ...10 hours ago
- LGNZ Welcomes New Local Government Minister
"I'm looking forward to sitting down with Minister Watts to work through how best we collaborate and build an authentic and enduring partnership - to make a positive difference for all New Zealanders," LGNZ President Sam Broughton said. ...10 hours ago
- Genital herpes is on the rise. Here’s what to know about this common infection
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University Peakstock/Shutterstock The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released new estimates suggesting around 846 million people aged between 15 and 49 live with a genital herpes infection. That’s equivalent to one ...11 hours ago
- From securing pets to building ‘insect hotels’ – here are 7 ways to attract birds to your gard...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rochelle Steven, Lecturer in Environmental Management, Murdoch University Home gardens can provide vital habitat for Australian birds. But there’s more to it than just planting certain types of shrubs and flowering trees. After decades of encouragement to include native plants in ...11 hours ago
- NZ government has promised to double exports (again) – but as history shows, this is easier said t...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eldrede Kahiya, Associate Professor – Strategy and International Business, University of Canterbury Nikolai Diadechkin/Shutterstock With the goal of doubling exports over the next ten years, the National Party’s Boosting Growth Through Trade policy is now central to the coalition government. ...11 hours ago
- Luxon’s reshuffle spotlights high performers over new talent
A major demotion for one minister saw several others pick up new roles, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...12 hours ago
- Fears high country land could be planted in pine under government’s climate plan
Critics say it is a half-baked scheme that will not work - and could undo the millions spent removing wilding pines. ...12 hours ago
- Cabinet reshuffle: Change of health minister will be little comfort to delay-hit patients – ad...
New Health Minister Simeon Brown may be hamstrung in how much he can change, as cuts to the health system are "writ in stone", union head says. ...14 hours ago
- PM’s portfolio reshuffle leaves Cabinet top heavy
Analysis - The prime minister has taken a close hard look at the varying skills of his ministers, resulting in a portfolio allocation imbalance following Sunday's reshuffle, Jo Moir writes. ...14 hours ago
- What does Mark Zuckerberg’s big pivot mean for the Christchurch Call?
The CEO, Paul Ash, responds to the Meta decision to ditch fact-checkers, among other changes that come just ahead of Trump’s return, along with the recent activity of Elon Musk. One of the most resounding of New Year resolutions this month came from Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and chair of the ...14 hours ago
- A decade of painful sex
Painful penetrative sex isn’t just a medical symptom. It’s a brick wall, a monster, an unwanted third partner in the bed. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members. My friends sometimes describe me as the ...14 hours ago
- Auckland Transport spends $3.5m in one year advertising its own campaigns
Auckland Transport is being reminded that transport is a public service rather than a marketing exercise, after it spent millions advertising its own campaigns in 2024.The agency has confirmed that from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, it spent $3.5 million on advertising and media placements for all of ...14 hours ago - 2025, the year of Chidgey
And so to a new year of one of the most fragile and unpredictable industries in New Zealand: publishing. The books trade, made possible in the first instance by the imaginations and anxieties of authors, and made real by the nice people who stand behind the counter at the nation’s ...14 hours ago
- ‘Overwhelming political mandate’ for protecting oceans – poll
A majority of New Zealanders say at least 15 percent of the country’s oceans should be protected, when just 0.4 percent is currently covered by no-take marine reserves.The finding comes from a new poll by Horizon Research, commissioned by WWF New Zealand and released exclusively to Newsroom, into attitudes on ...14 hours ago
- NZ need not fear investment from the super wealthy
Comment: Annus horribilis. While the vast majority of us weren’t forced to take Latin at school, thanks to Queen Elizabeth’s 1992 speech, we all pretty much know that these two words literally translate into ‘horrible year’. That’s what 2024 was. Good riddance to 2024 and welcome 2025 (or 2569 in the Buddhist ...14 hours ago
- Tragic start to 2025 for children requires action from us all
Comment: It’s hard to imagine a more tragic way to start a new year than the news of child homicide. In fact, two children were separately killed by homicide in New Zealand in just the first week of 2025.At the hands of close relatives and people known to them.As that ...14 hours ago
- What Trump’s tariff plan could mean for NZ-China relations
Comment: The incoming Trump administration is likely to introduce new tariffs on China that will reverberate across the multilateral economic system. Such a policy would change the calculations of countries like New Zealand that rely on the global trading system in their relations with Asian superpower.Donald Trump’s tariff policy matters ...14 hours ago
- A Wellington anniversary weekend to remember
Comment: It was an anniversary holiday like no other. It had started out normally with extra visitors in town, festivities to mark the occasion, people visiting friends, playing sport, or watching the boat races and horse races. But by 9.30pm residents were in a state of shock, their familiar surroundings ...14 hours ago
- Advocates criticise ‘piecemeal’ response to abuse in care inquiry
‘Piecemeal’ approach to fixing the care and protection system not enough after Royal Commission, advocates say The post Advocates criticise ‘piecemeal’ response to abuse in care inquiry appeared first on Newsroom. ...14 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 20 January
The post Daily crossword, Monday 20 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...14 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 20 January
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 20 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...14 hours ago
- Superannuation is complicated. A guaranteed government income in retirement would be simpler
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Housing and Economic Security, Grattan Institute Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock Having compulsory super should help create a comfortable and stress-free retirement. But Australia’s super system is too complex for retirees to navigate. This can leave them stressed and ...19 hours ago
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