Author Archive
Bringing Liberalism Down.
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 4th, 2017 - 138 comments
It isn’t always wise to tackle an adversary head on and sometimes, with a bit of smarts, two birds can be had with one stone. This post is about halting the march of liberalism and killing the potential of fascism.
Thank you Charlie.
Written By: - Date published: 10:56 pm, April 24th, 2017 - 60 comments
I took myself along to Dunedin’s March for Science last Saturday. There was a high point.
Left Rising.
Written By: - Date published: 2:49 pm, April 23rd, 2017 - 49 comments
In something over 24 hours time from now, the results from the first round of the French Presidential elections will be in.
Dog’s Breakfast.
Written By: - Date published: 12:40 pm, April 23rd, 2017 - 17 comments
If politicians are meant to represent people, then shouldn’t they explore ways to ensure that the people they represent get represented in government?
Black is White. Up is Down.
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, April 17th, 2017 - 133 comments
Media have a role to play, apparently…
Big Barrel Bomb
Written By: - Date published: 3:40 pm, April 14th, 2017 - 81 comments
Firstly, remember how you’re meant to feel about even the mere accusation of the use of barrel bombs. Now put those feelings aside.
Canada
Written By: - Date published: 3:18 pm, April 14th, 2017 - 20 comments
Every once in a while, an administration that doesn’t check it’s collective brain out at the door assumes office. That may be the case with Canada’s current government.
Framing Syria
Written By: - Date published: 5:34 pm, April 12th, 2017 - 48 comments
If you’re determined to believe that western liberal democracy is essentially benign and only ever makes mistakes and honest mis-judgements, or is something that’s sometimes marred by an odd ‘bad apple’ or two, then this post on Syria probably isn’t the post for you.
World War?
Written By: - Date published: 1:39 pm, April 7th, 2017 - 221 comments
Well…don’t know about you, but I’m feeling like I want to throw up.
Trumping Idiocy
Written By: - Date published: 4:59 pm, March 29th, 2017 - 28 comments
If you are absolutely determined to be one of the idiot legion who’re forever squirreling their heads deeper into sand, then don’t read this post.
Down the Gurgler.
Written By: - Date published: 4:18 pm, March 27th, 2017 - 69 comments
Getting sick, tired and angry of this malarkey.
Mosul and Aleppo. They’re spelled differently.
Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, March 26th, 2017 - 17 comments
Not so much a tale of two cities as the tales we were spun in relation to one.
Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, March 8th, 2017 - 99 comments
Some very quick initial thoughts on expected reactions.
Encouraging Signs
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, March 3rd, 2017 - 25 comments
A refreshing shift in NZ’s political environment.
Heroes
Written By: - Date published: 1:33 pm, February 10th, 2017 - 75 comments
All the “nobody” people.
Kansas ANZUS.
Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, February 5th, 2017 - 45 comments
What to do when your erstwhile ally loses the plot?
And in Canada…
Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, January 31st, 2017 - 14 comments
One border and a world of difference away…
Housing. Cut the Crap.
Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, January 24th, 2017 - 135 comments
All this housing malarkey…are we over it yet?
Everything Contained. Everyone Led.
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, January 23rd, 2017 - 12 comments
So what’s important? Millions on the streets and what might become of that, or how many more or fewer people attended a given President’s big day? Just asking…
Power Up!
Written By: - Date published: 10:51 pm, January 19th, 2017 - 41 comments
Some moment in time will be that moment in time when reality’s faced; when both actions and words accord with it. That moment might as well be this moment as opposed to any other.
100 Coal Fired Projects Scrapped.
Written By: - Date published: 3:17 pm, January 18th, 2017 - 16 comments
…including some already in the construction phase.
More Multi-millionaires than ever!
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, January 16th, 2017 - 98 comments
In this glorious ‘go ahead’, ‘get ahead’ land of opportunity…
Hacking Schmacking
Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, January 7th, 2017 - 155 comments
In all seriousness. Apparently.
If home is where the heart is, then…
Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, January 4th, 2017 - 188 comments
What have we become?
As politicians go…(II)
Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, November 18th, 2016 - 7 comments
Two paths. One choice.
As politicians go….
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, November 18th, 2016 - 21 comments
Following voters in the USA adding yet another to a growing list of defeats for the radical centre….
I’m Arab and Many of Us Are Glad That Trump Won
Written By: - Date published: 12:42 pm, November 13th, 2016 - 49 comments
A challenging and provocative piece on Trump’s election victory from an Arab perspective.
Oh noes! The world’s not going to saved now!
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, November 13th, 2016 - 49 comments
Bollocks. It was never going to be.
Through the Looking Glass.
Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, October 31st, 2016 - 15 comments
The culture being addressed will be familiar enough to many here in NZ who deal with Work and Income. Government strategies to address that culture? Well, that’s another story. This isn’t just happening half a world away. It might as well be happening in another universe – back on the sane side of some looking glass NZ has fallen through.
Blogs and Activism
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, October 26th, 2016 - 63 comments
What contribution can a blog make to activism?
- Open Letter Urges Govt Not To Accept Appointment Of New Israeli Ambassador
Those who have signed the letter are urging the New Zealand government to not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel until it is prepared to comply with international law. ...1 week ago - ‘Enormous mismatch’: What can you do when your leave doesn’t cover the school holi...
The a new movement is encouraging employers to focus more on output, not the number of hours worked. ...1 week ago - The cost of being: A public servant and mum who’s saving for a house deposit
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 47-year-old public servant, mother and musician shares her approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Female. Age: 47. Ethnicity: Pākehā. Role: Public ...1 week ago - Minimum wage set to get modest bump to $23.50 in April
The increase strikes a "balance" between supporting workers and limiting further costs on business, the Workplace Relations and Safety Minister says. ...1 week ago
- Should non-disclosure agreements be restricted in cases of workplace sexual harassment? Here’s wha...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Heap, Senior Researcher Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute; Sessional Academic RMIT University, The Australia Institute Tomasz Trojanowski/Shutterstock Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are again in the spotlight – mostly because of how they can affect the way companies deal ...1 week ago - Fantasia 2000: celebrating 25 years of a concertless film in search of a concert
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will Jeffery, Sessional Academic, Discipline of Film Studies, University of Sydney IMDB/Disney Imagine attending a concert including excerpts from Ludwig van Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Dmitri Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concerto, Camille Saint-Saëns’s ...1 week ago
- Live: ‘Pipes before cycleways’: Christopher Luxon on council spending crackdown
"I don't think roof top gardens on bus stops are a great idea," the prime minister says at the government removes "wellbeing" provisions from the Local Government Act. ...1 week ago
- An imaging company gave its patients’ X-rays and CT scans to an AI company. How did this happen?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stacy Carter, Professor and Director, Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values, University of Wollongong Zamrznuti tonovi/Shutterstock Australia’s biggest radiology provider, I-MED, has provided de-identified patient data to an artificial intelligence company without explicit patient consent, Crikey reported recently. ...1 week ago
- 5 things to know before boarding your dog or cat this summer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Starling, Postdoctoral Researcher in Veterinary Science, University of Sydney Tatiana Kovaleva/Shutterstock Around this time of year, pet owners across the country are scrambling to finalise holiday care arrangements. Some lucky animals go to the home of a familiar family member, ...1 week ago
- Advocates plea for scrapping of boot camps in open letter to the prime minister
Youth advocates want the government to scrap a bill which would make boot camps permanent. ...1 week ago
- Councils back on the government’s naughty step
Sharp rates increases are the latest target for the PM and Simeon Brown, explains The Bulletin’s Stewart Sowman-Lund. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...1 week ago
- Commerce Commission clampdown won’t stop ‘insane’ card surcharges
Further cuts to bank interchange charges expected this week – even though new data shows card surcharges have only increased The post Commerce Commission clampdown won’t stop ‘insane’ card surcharges appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago - Hundreds of MBIE workers begin strike action after 0% pay offer
"Offensive" zero percent pay offers could see a wave of strike action across the public sector in coming months, the Public Service Association is warning. ...1 week ago
- Te Pāti Māori roasts Electoral Commission over Manurewa marae apology
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is accusing the commission of bowing to "a bit of political heat" after it apologised for using Manurewa marae as a voting place. ...1 week ago
- Xmas: the best nonfiction book of 2024
Up and down the motu, house to house, party to party, tangi to tangi, car to car, Talia Marshall is always on the move in her memoir Whaea Blue. She’s running from something, or to something. In the space of 350 pages we move from the Mormon church in which ...1 week ago
- Live: Larger deficits expected as the government opens its books
Treasury will release its half-year economic and fiscal update today. ...1 week ago
- Waitangi Day: PM won’t confirm if he will attend commemorations at Waitangi
Christopher Luxon said he had received "a number of invitations" to Waitangi Day commemorations but hasn't yet decided his schedule. ...1 week ago
- HYEFU preview: Pre-emptive blame game ahead of opening of the books
The latest economic and fiscal update is expected to show a sluggish economy and weaker tax take will lead to bigger deficits for longer. ...1 week ago
- Windbag: Tear down the City to Sea Bridge
Why demolishing the bridge would make Te Ngākau Civic Square a much better public space. Earlier this month, Wellington City Council voted to demolish the City to Sea Bridge and replace it with a ground-level pedestrian crossing on Jervois Quay. A new pedestrian bridge will be considered for funding at ...1 week ago
- What can we learn from Australia’s version of the Marsden Fund furore?
Humanities and social science research topics being tweaked rhetorically to seem airy-fairy, impractical and/or ‘woke’ is nothing new. Joanne Wilkes explains how political intervention in funding for academic research played out across the ditch. As a retired academic from an arts faculty – I taught English literature at Auckland University ...1 week ago
- Govt fails KPI because of ‘rushed lawmaking’
Analysis: A drafting error delays oil and gas ban repeal, after bill was initially rushed through Parliament The post Govt fails KPI because of ‘rushed lawmaking’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 17 December
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, Tuesday 17 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- NZ can’t keep H5N1 bird flu virus out for ever
Analysis: Avian influenza keeps popping up in our newsfeeds, and we are reminded of the unpredictable and unwieldy nature of infectious diseases that threaten our health. Given that we are still dusting ourselves off from Covid-19, no one is particularly keen to hear about another imminent viral threat. Just what ...1 week ago
- Warning over cosmetic cowboys as industry pins hopes on new regulation
Therapeutic Products Act Repeal Bill clears the way for new legislation that will safeguard consumers from rogue practitioners The post Warning over cosmetic cowboys as industry pins hopes on new regulation appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- ‘Luxon Hustle’ targets foreign tech and infrastructure investors
By leveraging the fast-track in closed doors meetings, the PM hoped deep pockets would invest in NZ development The post ‘Luxon Hustle’ targets foreign tech and infrastructure investors appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 17 December
The post Daily crossword, Tuesday 17 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Trump’s declaration of war on universities
Opinion: Public support for US universities is relatively low, and highly polarised The post Trump’s declaration of war on universities appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Wellbeing provisions distracting councils from core job – Simeon Brown
The local government minister says they're also driving up rates - Labour says it's "a complete fabrication". ...1 week ago
- Government warned operating Aratere ferry until 2029 ‘simply not possible’
A leaked report authored by the government's expert ministerial advisory group warns the Aratere should be retired as early as next year. ...1 week ago
- Government Washes Its Hands Of “Unethical” Plastic Waste Exports
Chai says the Government’s final decision to reject her petition “gives a lot of reasons for doing nothing”. ...1 week ago
- Ngāti Kahungunu Submits In Opposition To The Treaty Principles Bill
The Ngāti Kahungunu submission clearly states the reasons why it opposes the Treaty Principles Bill, “due to its inherent contradictions and potential for detrimental consequences. Each principle, while seemingly benign, harbours flaws that necessitate ...1 week ago
- Fast-track project publication a brick through window of democracy
It beggars belief that the government has redacted the wannabe seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources application's economic benefits to Aotearoa New Zealand, for a bill whose only purpose is the economic benefit to Aotearoa New Zealand. ...1 week ago
- What Christopher Luxon makes of his government’s 2024 efforts
The PM says 2024 has been a good start - but "I'll be the first to tell you we have a lot more to do". ...1 week ago
- Homelessness biggest driver of youth crime – advocate
An advocate for young homeless people says it's clear Oranga Tamariki needs more funding to care for teenagers and children. ...1 week ago
- Live: Chrisopher Luxon at year’s last post-Cabinet briefing
The PM says 2024 has been a good start - but "I'll be the first to tell you we have a lot more to do". ...1 week ago
- Push For Police To Charge For Presence At Public Events A Deterrent On Free Speech
Police have a duty to protect the public from physical harm, and the public fund them to do so. Event organisers should not be put off hosting events due to imposed costs from Police. ...1 week ago
- Open Letter On Importance Of Research In The Social Sciences And Humanities
The role of the Royal Society Te Apārangi, as set out in the Royal Society of New Zealand Act, is to advance and promote science, technology, and the humanities, and to provide expert advice on important public issues to the Government and people ...1 week ago
- Greenpeace Slams Late Release Of Redacted Fast Track Seabed Mining Documents
Over 20,000 people have signed an open letter pledging resistance to companies opting into the fast track, and a further 45,000 have signed a petition calling on the Government to ban seabed mining outright. ...1 week 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 enjoy local documentaries: Shortland Street: Reflecting a Nation (TVNZ+, December 19) Since arriving on our screens in 1992, the iconic soap opera Shortland Street and ...1 week ago
- Govt Announces No Christmas For Children In Persistent Poverty For The Next 10 Years
CPAG calls on the current government and all political parties to work towards a future where all tamariki grow up surrounded by loving, thriving whānau within supportive communities where there are resources, opportunities and systems to enable them to ...1 week ago
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