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Open mike 15/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 15th, 2025 - 41 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 14/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 14th, 2025 - 4 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 14/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 14th, 2025 - 53 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 13/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 13th, 2025 - 2 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 13/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 13th, 2025 - 36 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 12/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 12th, 2025 - 14 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 12/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 12th, 2025 - 74 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 11/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 11th, 2025 - 7 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 11/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 11th, 2025 - 50 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 10/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 10th, 2025 - 30 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 10/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 10th, 2025 - 30 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 09/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 9th, 2025 - 56 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 08/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 8th, 2025 - 96 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 07/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 7th, 2025 - 22 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 07/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 7th, 2025 - 96 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 06/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 6th, 2025 - 33 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 06/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 6th, 2025 - 82 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 05/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 5th, 2025 - 5 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 05/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 5th, 2025 - 73 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 04/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 4th, 2025 - 34 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 04/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 4th, 2025 - 137 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 03/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 3rd, 2025 - 5 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 03/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 3rd, 2025 - 46 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 02/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 2nd, 2025 - 29 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 01/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 1st, 2025 - 63 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 28/02/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, February 28th, 2025 - 17 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 28/02/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 28th, 2025 - 39 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 27/02/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, February 27th, 2025 - 10 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 27/02/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 27th, 2025 - 69 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 26/02/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, February 26th, 2025 - 5 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 26/02/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 26th, 2025 - 96 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
- Join us at 5pm for this week’s Hoon
6 days ago - Is this what government is for?
Aotearoa has an infrastructure shortage. We need schools, hospitals, public housing. But National is dead set against borrowing to fund any of it, even though doing so is much cheaper than the "public-private partnership" model they prefer. So what will National borrow for? Subsidising property developers: The new scheme, ...6 days ago - Late Capitalism / Early Dystopia FAQ
QUESTION:What's the difference between the National government loosening up the RMA so that developers can decide for themselves what's a good idea or not, and loosening up the building regulations in the early 1990s so that a builder could decide for themselves what was a good idea or not?ANSWER:Well in ...6 days ago - China’s warships reveal more than a need to strengthen the ADF
Last month’s circumnavigation by a potent Chinese naval flotilla sent a powerful signal to Canberra about Beijing’s intent. It also demonstrated China’s increasing ability to threaten Australia’s maritime communications, as well as the entirety of ...6 days ago - Will Labour take on the oligarchs?
David Parker gave a big foreign policy speech this morning, reiterating the party's support for an independent (rather than boot-licking) foreign policy. Most of which was pretty orthodox - international law good, war bad, trade good, not interested in AUKUS, and wanting a demilitarised South Pacific (an area which presumably ...7 days ago
- Louise Upston ensures beneficiaries can’t pay rent or utilities while Matt Doocey undermines p...
Hi Readers,I’ve been critical of Substack in some respects, and since then, my subscriber growth outside of my network has halted to zero.If you like my work, please consider sharing my work.I don’t control the Substack algorithms but have been disappointed to see ACT affiliated posts on the app under ...7 days ago - Australia’s security architecture must evolve, not regress
The Independent Intelligence Review, publicly released last Friday, was inoffensive and largely supported the intelligence community status quo. But it was also largely quiet on the challenges facing the broader national security community in an ...7 days ago
- More F-35s, more tankers: a reliable way to strengthen Australian deterrence
If the Chinese navy’s task group sailing around Australia a few weeks ago showed us anything, it’s that Australia has a deterrence gap so large you can drive a ship through it. Waiting for AUKUS ...7 days ago
- Big Business
Think you've had enoughStop talking, help us get readyThink you’ve had enoughBig business, after the shakeupLyrics: David Bryne.Yesterday, I saw the sort of headline that made me think, “Oh, come on, this can’t be real.” At this point, the government resembles an evil sheriff in a pantomime, tying the good ...7 days ago - Thursday 27 March
Kiwis working while physically and mentally unwell is costing businesses $46 billion per year, according to new research. The Tertiary Education Commission is set to lose 22 more jobs, following 28 job cuts in April last year. Beneficiaries sanctioned with money management cards will often be unable to pay rent, ...7 days ago - No, You Don’t Deserve a Second Term
Last week, Matthew Hooton wrote an op-ed, published in NZME, that essentially says that if Luxon secures a trade deal with India, that alone, would mean Luxon deserved a second term in government.Hooton said Luxon displayed "seriousness and depth" in New Dehli. He praised Luxon for ‘doubling down’ on the ...7 days ago - Climate skeptics have new favorite graph; it shows the opposite of what they claim
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink Last September the Washington Post published an article about a new paper in Science by Emily Judd and colleagues. The WaPo article was detailed and nuanced, but led with the figure below, adapted from the paper: The internet, being less prone to detail and nuance, ran ...7 days ago - NZ missing a primary health care opportunity
7 days ago - Pressure Points: The importance of Australia’s military presence in East and Southeast Asia
This week ASPI launched Pressure Points, an interactive website that analyses the Chinese military’s use of air and maritime coercion to enforce Beijing’s excessive territorial claims and advance its security interests in the Indo-Pacific. The ...7 days ago
- Pressure Points: The importance of Australia’s military presence in East and Southeast Asia
This week ASPI launched Pressure Points, an interactive website that analyses the Chinese military’s use of air and maritime coercion to enforce Beijing’s excessive territorial claims and advance its security interests in the Indo-Pacific. The ...7 days ago
- Lunar New Year and the Future of Placemaking
This is a guest post by placemaker Paris Kirby. Featured Image: Neon Lucky Cat on Darby Street, city centre. Created and built by Aan Chu and Angus Muir Design (Photo credit: Bryan Lowe) Disclaimer: I am a Senior Placemaking and Activation Specialist at Auckland Council; however, the views expressed ...7 days ago - Lunar New Year and the Future of Placemaking
This is a guest post by placemaker Paris Kirby. Featured Image: Neon Lucky Cat on Darby Street, city centre. Created and built by Aan Chu and Angus Muir Design (Photo credit: Bryan Lowe) Disclaimer: I am a Senior Placemaking and Activation Specialist at Auckland Council; however, the views expressed ...7 days ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Thursday, March 27
In short: New Zealand is spending just a third of the OECD average on primary health care and hasn’t increased that recently. A slumlord with 40 Christchurch properties is punished after relying on temporary migrant tenants not complaining about holes in the ceiling. Westpac’s CEO is pushing for easier capital ...7 days ago - Australia surveys volatile and unpredictable geoeconomics
The international economics of Australia’s budget are pervaded by a Voldemort-like figure. The He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is Donald Trump, firing up trade wars, churning global finance and smashing the rules-based order. The closest the budget papers come ...1 week ago
- The five-domains update
Sea state Australian assembly of the first Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) shipsets for the Royal Australian Navy began this month at Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Redbank, Queensland. The ship protection system, ...1 week ago
- The five-domains update
Sea state Australian assembly of the first Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) shipsets for the Royal Australian Navy began this month at Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Redbank, Queensland. The ship protection system, ...1 week ago
- Signalling Deliberate Reckless Disregard.
Some thoughts on the Signal Houthi Principal’s Committee chat group conversation reported by Jeff Goldberg at The Atlantic. It is obviously a major security breach. But there are several dimensions to it worth examining. 1) Signal is an unsecured open source platform that although encrypted can easily be hacked by ...1 week ago - Economic security and geostrategic competition: fostering resilience and innovation
Australia and other democracies have once again turned to China to solve their economic problems, while the reliability of the United States as an alliance partner is, erroneously, being called into question. We risk forgetting ...1 week ago
- Wednesday 26 March
Machines will take over more jobs at Immigration New Zealand under a multi-million-dollar upgrade that will mean decisions to approve visas will be automated – decisions to reject applications will continue to be taken by staff. Health New Zealand’s commitment to boosting specialist palliative care for dying children is under ...1 week ago
- She Works Hard For The Money
She works hard for the moneySo hard for it, honeyShe works hard for the moneySo you better treat her rightSongwriters: Michael Omartian / Donna A. SummerMorena, I’m pleased to bring you a guest newsletter today by long-time unionist and community activist Lyndy McIntyre. Lyndy has been active in the Living ...1 week ago - The dangerous collapse of US strategic sealift capacity
The US Transportation Command’s Military Sealift Command (MSC), the subordinate organisation responsible for strategic sealift, is unprepared for the high intensity fighting of a war over Taiwan. In the event of such a war, combat ...1 week ago
- Stadium Unfeasibility
Tomorrow Auckland’s Councillors will decide on the next steps in the city’s ongoing stadium debate, and it appears one option is technically feasible but isn’t financially feasible while the other one might be financially feasible but not be technically feasible. As a quick reminder, the mMayor started this process as ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Wednesday, March 26
In short in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on March 26:Three Kāinga Ora plots zoned for 17 homes and 900m from Ellerslie rail station are being offered to land-bankers and luxury home builders by agent Rawdon Christie.Chris Bishop’s new RMA bills don’t include treaty principles, even though ...1 week ago - James (Jim) Grenon & Sinead Boucher’s Worlds Affect Us All
Stuff’s Sinead Boucher and NZME Takeover Leader James (Jim) GrenoonStuff Promotes Brooke Van VeldenYesterday, I came across an incredulous article by Stuff’s Kelly Dennett.It was a piece basically promoting David Seymour’s confidante and political ally, ACT’s #2, Brooke Van Velden. I admit I read the whole piece, incredulous at its ...1 week ago - Gordon Campbell On The Americanising Of NZ’s Public Health System
One of the odd aspects of the government’s plan to Americanise the public health system – i.e by making healthcare access more reliant on user pay charges and private health insurance – is that it is happening in plain sight. Earlier this year, the official briefing papers to incoming Heath ...1 week ago - Defence budget doesn’t match the threat Australia faces
When Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers stood at the dispatch box this evening to announce the 2025–26 Budget, he confirmed our worst fears about the government’s commitment to resourcing the Defence budget commensurate with the dangers ...1 week ago
- It’s time for the ADF to train in Asia-Pacific languages
The proposed negotiation of an Australia–Papua New Guinea defence treaty will falter unless the Australian Defence Force embraces cultural intelligence and starts being more strategic with teaching languages—starting with Tok Pisin, the most widely spoken language in ...1 week ago
- Here is the news at 4.30
Bishop ignores pawnPoor old Tama Potaka says he didn't know the new RMA legislation would be tossing out the Treaty clause.However, RMA Minister Bishop says it's all good and no worries because the new RMA will still recognise Māori rights; it's just that the government prefers specific role descriptions over ...1 week ago - China’s shadow fleet threatens Indo-Pacific communications
China is using increasingly sophisticated grey-zone tactics against subsea cables in the waters around Taiwan, using a shadow-fleet playbook that could be expanded across the Indo-Pacific. On 25 February, Taiwan’s coast guard detained the Hong Tai ...1 week ago
- Improving OIA enforcement
Yesterday The Post had a long exit interview with outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier, in which he complains about delinquent agencies which "haven't changed and haven't taken our moral authority on board". He talks about the limits of the Ombudsman's power of persuasion - its only power - and the need ...1 week ago
- A Fist, an American Flag, and Fire
Hi,Two stories have been playing over and over in my mind today, and I wanted to send you this Webworm as an excuse to get your thoughts in the comments.Because I adore the community here, and I want your sanity to weigh in.A safe space to chat, pull our hair ...1 week ago - Tuesday 25 March
A new employment survey shows that labour market pessimism has deepened as workers worry about holding to their job, the difficulty in finding jobs, and slowing wage growth. Nurses working in primary care will get an 8 percent pay increase this year, but it still leaves them lagging behind their ...1 week ago
- Big Gun
Big gunBig gun number oneBig gunBig gun kick the hell out of youSongwriters: Ascencio / Marrow.On Sunday, I wrote about the Prime Minister’s interview in India with Maiki Sherman and certainly didn’t think I’d be writing about another of his interviews two days later.I’d been thinking of writing about something ...1 week ago - Economic security and geostrategic competition: tariffs don’t equal coercion
The Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on Australian aluminium and steel has surprised the country. This has caused some to question the logic of the Australia-United States alliance and risks legitimising China’s economic coercion. ...1 week ago
- NZ Government, an Atlas Network puppet, intent on ruining public healthcare
OPINION & ANALYSIS:At the heart of everything we see in this government is simplicity. Things are simpler than they appear. Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Behind all the public relations, marketing spin, corporate overlay e.g. ...1 week ago - China will need 10,000GW of wind and solar by 2060
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Wang Zhongying, chief national expert, China Energy Transformation Programme of the Energy Research Institute, and Kaare Sandholt, chief international expert, China Energy Transformation Programme of the Energy Research Institute China will need to install around 10,000 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar capacity ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Tuesday, March 26
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...1 week ago - Most people want a people-friendly city
With many of Auckland’s political and bureaucratic leaders bowing down to vocal minorities and consistently failing to reallocate space to people in our city, recent news overseas has prompted me to point out something important. It is extremely popular to make car-dominated cities nicer, by freeing up space for people. ...1 week ago
- Indonesia wants an aircraft carrier. No one knows why
When it comes to fleet modernisation programme, the Indonesian navy seems to be biting off more than it can chew. It is not even clear why the navy is taking the bite. The news that ...1 week ago
- tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-2287094456929079731
Chris Trotter is now on Substack visit him at christrotter418256.substack.com ...1 week ago - Australia should work with South Korea to secure undersea cables
South Korea and Australia should enhance their cooperation to secure submarine cables, which carry more than 95 percent of global data traffic. As tensions in the Indo-Pacific intensify, these vital connections face risks from cyber ...1 week ago
- Parliament says “no” to transparency
The Parliament Bill Committee has reported back on the Parliament Bill. As usual, they recommend no substantive changes, all decisions having been made in advance and in secret before the bill was introduced - but there are some minor tweaks around oversight of the new parliamentary security powers, which will ...1 week ago
- Bolt from the blue: what we know (and don’t know) about the US’s powerful F-47 fighter
When the F-47 enters service, at a date to be disclosed, it will be a new factor in US air warfare. A decision to proceed with development, deferred since July, was unexpectedly announced on 21 ...1 week ago
- Yesterday Once More
All my best memoriesCome back clearly to meSome can even make me cry.Just like beforeIt's yesterday once more.Songwriters: Richard Lynn Carpenter / John BettisYesterday, Winston Peters gave a State of the Nation speech in which he declared War on the Woke, described peaceful protesters as fascists, said he’d take our ...1 week ago - Can we now find out who the real Vladimir Putin is?
Regardless of our opinions about the politicians involved, I believe that every rational person should welcome the reestablishment of contacts between the USA and the Russian Federation. While this is only the beginning and there are no guarantees of success, it does create the opportunity to address issues ...1 week ago - The transatlantic world will never be the same
Once upon a time, the United States saw the contest between democracy and authoritarianism as a singularly defining issue. It was this outlook, forged in the crucible of World War II, that created such strong ...1 week ago
- 30% of doctors leave NZ after graduation
A pre-Covid protest about medical staffing shortages outside the Beehive. Since then the situation has only worsened, with 30% of doctors trained here now migrating within a decade. File Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest: The news this morning is dominated by the crises cascading through our health system after ...1 week ago - Monday 24 March
Bargaining between the PSA and Oranga Tamariki over the collective agreement is intensifying – with more strike action likely, while the Employment Relations Authority has ordered facilitation. More than 850 laboratory staff are walking off their jobs in a week of rolling strike action. Union coverage CTU: Confidence in ...1 week ago
- The permanent Australia-China contest in the South Pacific
Foreign Minister Penny Wong in 2024 said that ‘we’re in a state of permanent contest in the Pacific—that’s the reality.’ China’s arrogance hurts it in the South Pacific. Mark that as a strong Australian card ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Monday, March 24
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...1 week ago - Gordon Campbell on Israel’s murderous relapse, and Peters’ sad decline
In the past week, Israel has reverted to slaughtering civilians, starving children and welshing on the terms of the peace deal negotiated earlier this year. The IDF’s current offensive seems to be intended to render Gaza unlivable, preparatory (perhaps) to re-occupation by Israeli settlers. The short term demands for the ...1 week ago
- 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #12
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 16, 2025 thru Sat, March 22, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. We are still interested ...1 week ago
- Bullying a Chess Bot: More Martinian Shenanigans
In recent months, I have garnered copious amusement playing Martin, chess.com’s infamously terrible Chess AI. Alas, it is not how it once was, when he would cheerfully ignore freely offered material. Martin has grown better since I first stumbled upon him. I still remain frustrated at his capture-happy determination to ...1 week ago - Indian Summer
Every time that I see ya,A lightning bolt fills the room,The underbelly of Paris,She sings her favourite tune,She'll drink you under the table,She'll show you a trick or two,But every time that I left her,I missed the things she would doSongwriters: Kelly JonesThis morning, I posted - Are you excited ...2 weeks ago - Bernard’s Soliloquy for the week to March 23
Long stories shortest this week in our political economy: Standard & Poor’s judged the Government’s council finance reforms a failure. Professional investors showed the Government they want it to borrow more, not less. GDP bounced out of recession by more than forecast in the December quarter, but data for the ...2 weeks ago - Making sense of it all
Each day at 4:30 my brother calls in at the rest home to see Dad. My visits can be months apart. Five minutes after you've left, he’ll have forgotten you were there, but every time, his face lights up and it’s a warm happy visit.Tim takes care of almost everything ...2 weeks ago - A Response to ACT’s MRA-Style Rant
On the 19th of March, ACT announced they would be running candidates in this year’s local government elections. Accompanying that call for “common-sense kiwis” was an anti-woke essay typifying the views they expect their candidates to hold. I have included that part of their mailer, Free Press, in its entirety. ...2 weeks ago - Spread a Little Happiness
Even when the darkest clouds are in the skyYou mustn't sigh and you mustn't crySpread a little happiness as you go byPlease tryWhat's the use of worrying and feeling blue?When days are long keep on smiling throughSpread a little happiness 'til dreams come trueSongwriters: Vivian Ellis / Clifford Grey / ...2 weeks ago - Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Saturday, March 22
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...2 weeks ago - Siding with the Right Of the Right
ACT up the game on division politicsEmmerson’s take on David Seymour’s claim Jesus would have supported ACTACT’s announcement it is moving into local politics is a logical next step for a party that is waging its battle on picking up the aggrieved.It’s a numbers game, and as long as the ...2 weeks ago - Jam tomorrow, butter next week
1. What will be the slogan of the next butter ad campaign?a. You’re worth itb. Once it hits $20, we can do something about the riversc. I can’t believe it’s the price of butter d. None of the above Read more ...2 weeks ago - Why Do Cryptocurrencies Appear to Be So Valuable?
It is said that economists know the price of everything and the value of nothing. That may be an exaggeration but an even better response is to point out economists do know the difference. They did not at first. Classical economics thought that the price of something reflected the objective ...2 weeks ago - Awful optics: political fighting in Taiwan stalls part of defence budget rise
Political fighting in Taiwan is delaying some of an increase in defence spending and creating an appearance of lack of national resolve that can only damage the island’s relationship with the Trump administration. The main ...2 weeks ago
- The Independent Intelligence Review is finally out, and it’s a worthy sequel
The unclassified version of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review (IIR) was released today. It’s a welcome and worthy sequel to its 2017 predecessor, with an ambitious set of recommendations for enhancements to Australia’s national intelligence ...2 weeks ago
- Law, culture, and the OIA
Yesterday outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier published a report, Reflections on the Official Information Act, on his way out the door. The report repeated his favoured mantra that the Act was "fundamentally sound", all problems were issues of culture, and that no legislative change was needed (and especially no changes to ...2 weeks ago
- A new US humanitarian agency must operate without political blinders
The United States government is considering replacing USAID with a new agency, the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (USIHA), according to documents published by POLITICO. Under the proposed design, the agency will fail its ...2 weeks ago
- Worming Through Dangerous Times
2 weeks ago - Why is the Govt so afraid of borrowing?
Mōrena. Long stories shortest: Professional investors who are paid a lot of money to be careful about lending to the New Zealand Government think it is wonderful place to put their money. Yet the Government itself is so afraid of borrowing more that it is happy to kill its own ...2 weeks ago - The future of the Combined Space Operations initiative
As space becomes more contested, Australia should play a key role with its partners in the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative to safeguard the space domain. Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States signed the ...2 weeks ago
- Dave’s Cats
Ooh you're a cool catComing on strong with all the chit chatOoh you're alrightHanging out and stealing all the limelightOoh messing with the beat of my heart yeah!Songwriters: Freddie Mercury / John Deacon.It would be a tad ironic; I can see it now. “Yeah, I didn’t unsubscribe when he said ...2 weeks ago
- Health NZ reveals scrapped digital projects, says they’re unrelated to staff data breach
The agency has stopped or delayed 136 initiatives, including a much-lauded patient information system. ...18 hours ago - Health NZ reveals scrapped digital projects, says they’re unrelated to staff data breach
The agency has stopped or delayed 136 initiatives, including a much-lauded patient information system. ...18 hours ago
- Winston Peters Rails Against “Marxists” And Declares “War On Woke”
Peters promised to carry out a “war on woke", a term which the far-right uses to refer to everything from identity politics & affirmative action programs, to education about the brutal history of colonisation, protections against discrimination, environmental ...18 hours ago - Rainbow Wellington Condemns Threats Against Rainbow MP
People are entitled to their opinions on what language is acceptable for MPs to use in social media. However, to imply that a rainbow parent is unsafe to their child without any evidence is completely unacceptable. ...18 hours ago
- CubaDupa captured a sense of defiant joy
Wellingtonians are so used to negative media narratives that celebrating their city feels like a radical act. In that context, CubaDupa’s ‘communal joy’ theme made perfect sense, write Joel MacManus and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith. The theme of this year’s CubaDupa was “communal joy”. At first glance, it’s an eye-roller; less of ...18 hours ago - CubaDupa captured a sense of defiant joy
Wellingtonians are so used to negative media narratives that celebrating their city feels like a radical act. In that context, CubaDupa’s ‘communal joy’ theme made perfect sense, write Joel MacManus and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith. The theme of this year’s CubaDupa was “communal joy”. At first glance, it’s an eye-roller; less of ...18 hours ago
- You don’t have to be called Steve to be a stevedore
As the Govt changes the law to prioritise ‘merit-based appointments’, the Port of Auckland’s boss explains why diversity and inclusion is good business The post You don’t have to be called Steve to be a stevedore appeared first on Newsroom. ...18 hours ago - You don’t have to be called Steve to be a stevedore
As the Govt changes the law to prioritise ‘merit-based appointments’, the Port of Auckland’s boss explains why diversity and inclusion is good business The post You don’t have to be called Steve to be a stevedore appeared first on Newsroom. ...18 hours ago
- Dogs see their world through smell – and scientists are starting to translate it like never before
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University Lorenzooooo/Shutterstock Scent is how dogs largely experience the world, a lot like the way we humans rely on sight. We know little about how dogs interpret scent, but thanks to a ...19 hours ago - Dogs see their world through smell – and scientists are starting to translate it like never before
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University Lorenzooooo/Shutterstock Scent is how dogs largely experience the world, a lot like the way we humans rely on sight. We know little about how dogs interpret scent, but thanks to a ...19 hours ago
- William Wordsworth’s last home is up for sale – returning it to a private residence would be a l...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Wilcockson, Research assistant, University of Glasgow Until recently, fans of William Wordsworth could visit his final home, Rydal Mount and Gardens, nestled in the heart of England’s green and beautiful Lake District. Renowned as one of the most prominent British poets, ...19 hours ago
- William Wordsworth’s last home is up for sale – returning it to a private residence would be a l...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Wilcockson, Research assistant, University of Glasgow Until recently, fans of William Wordsworth could visit his final home, Rydal Mount and Gardens, nestled in the heart of England’s green and beautiful Lake District. Renowned as one of the most prominent British poets, ...19 hours ago
- ‘Putin’s brain’: Aleksandr Dugin, the Russian ultra-nationalist who has endorsed Donald Trump
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Riehle, Lecturer in Intelligence and Security Studies, Brunel University of London Aleksandr Dugin, sometimes referred to as “Putin’s brain” because of his ideological influence on Russian politics, endorsed the policies of Donald Trump in a CNN interview aired on March 30. ...19 hours ago
- ‘Putin’s brain’: Aleksandr Dugin, the Russian ultra-nationalist who has endorsed Donald Trump
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Riehle, Lecturer in Intelligence and Security Studies, Brunel University of London Aleksandr Dugin, sometimes referred to as “Putin’s brain” because of his ideological influence on Russian politics, endorsed the policies of Donald Trump in a CNN interview aired on March 30. ...19 hours ago
- Canada a 51st state? Here’s how American annexation could actually favour Canada
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felix Arndt, Professor and John F. Wood Chair in Entrepreneurship, University of Guelph When United States President Donald Trump first floated the idea of annexing Canada, many observers rolled their eyes. The common assumption was that this proposal, like much of Trump’s ...19 hours ago
- Canada a 51st state? Here’s how American annexation could actually favour Canada
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felix Arndt, Professor and John F. Wood Chair in Entrepreneurship, University of Guelph When United States President Donald Trump first floated the idea of annexing Canada, many observers rolled their eyes. The common assumption was that this proposal, like much of Trump’s ...19 hours ago
- ‘Sorry mate, I didn’t see you’: when drivers look but don’t see cyclists on the road
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giulio Ponte, Research Engineer at the Centre for Automotive Safety Research, University of Adelaide Serhii Milekhin/Shutterstock When a vehicle and a cyclist collide, the cyclist almost always emerges worse off. Globally, more than 40,000 cyclists are killed and millions more seriously ...19 hours ago
- ‘Sorry mate, I didn’t see you’: when drivers look but don’t see cyclists on the road
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giulio Ponte, Research Engineer at the Centre for Automotive Safety Research, University of Adelaide Serhii Milekhin/Shutterstock When a vehicle and a cyclist collide, the cyclist almost always emerges worse off. Globally, more than 40,000 cyclists are killed and millions more seriously ...19 hours ago
- Defence is shaping up to be a key election issue, whether politicians like it or not
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter J. Dean, Director, Foreign Policy and Defence, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney International and domestic policy have collided in Australia in recent weeks with a force not seen in decades. Foreign policy concerns have dominated media headlines, from ...19 hours ago
- Defence is shaping up to be a key election issue, whether politicians like it or not
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter J. Dean, Director, Foreign Policy and Defence, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney International and domestic policy have collided in Australia in recent weeks with a force not seen in decades. Foreign policy concerns have dominated media headlines, from ...19 hours ago
- New RNZ-Reid Research poll: Half of Kiwis want defence spending to increase
It comes on the back of increases announced by Australia, the UK, and other European nations. ...19 hours ago
- New RNZ-Reid Research poll: Half of Kiwis want defence spending to increase
It comes on the back of increases announced by Australia, the UK, and other European nations. ...19 hours ago
- Cancer patients from migrant backgrounds have a 1 in 3 chance of something going wrong in their care
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ashfaq Chauhan, Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University SeventyFour/Shutterstock More than 7 million people in Australia were born overseas. Some 5.8 million people report speaking a language other than English at home. But how well are we ...19 hours ago
- Cancer patients from migrant backgrounds have a 1 in 3 chance of something going wrong in their care
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ashfaq Chauhan, Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University SeventyFour/Shutterstock More than 7 million people in Australia were born overseas. Some 5.8 million people report speaking a language other than English at home. But how well are we ...19 hours ago
- Australians want nature protected. These 3 environmental problems should be top of the next governme...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Christina Zdenek Australia is a place of great natural beauty, home to many species found nowhere else on Earth. But it’s also particularly vulnerable to ...19 hours ago
- Australians want nature protected. These 3 environmental problems should be top of the next governme...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Christina Zdenek Australia is a place of great natural beauty, home to many species found nowhere else on Earth. But it’s also particularly vulnerable to ...19 hours ago
- Giving up a daily coffee or weekly parma? How the cost-of-living crisis is reshaping our spending ha...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meg Elkins, Senior Lecturer, School of Economics, Finance and Marketing and Behavioural Business Lab Member, RMIT University Bangkok Click Studio/Shutterstock Remember when grabbing a coffee was just… grabbing a coffee? When a parma at the local was a budget meal? When ...19 hours ago
- Giving up a daily coffee or weekly parma? How the cost-of-living crisis is reshaping our spending ha...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meg Elkins, Senior Lecturer, School of Economics, Finance and Marketing and Behavioural Business Lab Member, RMIT University Bangkok Click Studio/Shutterstock Remember when grabbing a coffee was just… grabbing a coffee? When a parma at the local was a budget meal? When ...19 hours ago
- A ban on price gouging and new powers to break up supermarkets are on the table this election. Would...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbora Jedlickova, Senior Lecturer, School of Law, The University of Queensland wisely/Shutterstock With the federal election campaign now underway, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised that if re-elected, Labor would seek to make price gouging illegal in the supermarket sector. A ...19 hours ago
- A ban on price gouging and new powers to break up supermarkets are on the table this election. Would...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbora Jedlickova, Senior Lecturer, School of Law, The University of Queensland wisely/Shutterstock With the federal election campaign now underway, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised that if re-elected, Labor would seek to make price gouging illegal in the supermarket sector. A ...19 hours ago
- Adolescence has sparked fears over teen slang – but emoji don’t cause radicalisation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Kruk, Lecturer in Indonesian Studies and Linguistics, The University of Western Australia Shutterstock Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s crime drama Adolescence has earned widespread praise for its portrayal of incel culture and male violence. But the show’s portrayal of ...19 hours ago
- Adolescence has sparked fears over teen slang – but emoji don’t cause radicalisation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Kruk, Lecturer in Indonesian Studies and Linguistics, The University of Western Australia Shutterstock Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s crime drama Adolescence has earned widespread praise for its portrayal of incel culture and male violence. But the show’s portrayal of ...19 hours ago
- New Zealand’s concerns over Cook Islands’ ‘shadow fleet’ revealed
Cook Islands-registered ship, Eagle S, was seized on Christmas day, 2024, in the Baltic Sea. ...19 hours ago
- The battle to control NZME is heating up
The Herald’s publisher is reopening nominations for boardroom directors in an attempt to stave off Jim Grenon’s aggressive takeover bid, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. NZME strikes back After weeks of forward momentum, Jim Grenon’s attempted ...20 hours ago
- The battle to control NZME is heating up
The Herald’s publisher is reopening nominations for boardroom directors in an attempt to stave off Jim Grenon’s aggressive takeover bid, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. NZME strikes back After weeks of forward momentum, Jim Grenon’s attempted ...20 hours ago
- Prime Minister doubles down on allowing exclusion of Treaty Principles Bill submissions
But legal scholars warn the move sets a worrying precedent. ...20 hours ago
- No armed drones in NZDF arsenal, but tests continue
The NZ Defence Force says it does not have any armed drones, but is involved in experiments with them. ...21 hours ago
- No armed drones in NZDF arsenal, but tests continue
The NZ Defence Force says it does not have any armed drones, but is involved in experiments with them. ...21 hours ago
- Workplace Relations minister announces plans to relax health and safety laws
Brooke van Velden says business directors and management are doubling up duties because of unclear rules. ...21 hours ago
- Workplace Relations minister announces plans to relax health and safety laws
Brooke van Velden says business directors and management are doubling up duties because of unclear rules. ...21 hours ago
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