Covid Zeitgeist

Written By: - Date published: 12:04 pm, March 21st, 2021 - 31 comments
Categories: Deep stuff, health, quality of life - Tags: ,

Today or rather, this weekend marks Autumn Equinox, a flipping point between light and dark. After many months of constant bombardment with news, events, and ‘opinions’, today feels eerily quiet. Under normal (??) circumstances this should feel good, some long-sought peace and calm to recharge the batteries. Unfortunately, while the battery feels empty, the recharging ain’t happening, or is it? Some wounds take more than one season to heal.

Personally, I feel physically and emotionally drained. Much of what used to interest me now feels boring and stale and I just can’t be bothered with it. I know this feeling will pass. Everything in Nature is cyclical and humans and their mysterious psyche are no exception.

Politically, we now seem to wait and perhaps even look forward to Budget-2021. The last few progressives still standing may hope for a sign, something that could resemble something transformational if you try really hard, squint your eyes, curl your toes, clinch your fists, clench your jaws, and bite your tongue. Instead of release valve that gives a burst of new energy, this will be a mental and physical tour de force; such is the state-stasis of this Government and society at large, it seems. In Europe, things are even worse as they mark Spring Equinox whilst facing (and fearing) a third wave of the pandemic.

The question on my mind is whether under the surface of it all rejuvenation and renewal is growing or decay and destruction is continuing. Seeds will germinate and sprout in decaying debris from the cycle(s) before it. In other words, both processes are inextricably linked and happen simultaneously, as always. However, it is not easy to shake that feeling of dark and gloomy this weekend as a sign of the times.

So, rather than talking myself deeper and further into a hole, rabbit or otherwise, what glimmers of light and hope are there for us to look at, socio-politically speaking? What can we focus on that generates a positive spirit of mind and positive energy to move forward?

Let’s get moving again!

31 comments on “Covid Zeitgeist ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Sabine 1
    21 March 2021 at 12:13 pm

    High unemployment, high housing costs, no one giving a shit, but all kinder and gentler. Is that bright enough a light?

    There is no light at the end of the tunnel, as that would mean investing and planning and being pro-active and atm it seems our dear leaders and rules are most happy telling all sorts of people why they can't have help, and besides be humble and learn to plan for the next pandemic, cause the government ain't coming to help.

  2. Pat 2
    21 March 2021 at 12:16 pm

    Hope springs eternal….and is regularly dashed.

    As you note it is cyclical….and next week there are bold housing announcements!

    • Sabine 2.1
      21 March 2021 at 12:17 pm

      So very bold, yes, you read the budget before anyone else or you just hoping that Grant Robertson is capable of something 'bold'.

  3. RedLogix 3
    21 March 2021 at 12:23 pm

    Personally, I feel physically and emotionally drained. Much of what used to interest me now feels boring and stale and I just can’t be bothered with it.

    Yes I've sensed this change in you recently. I offer that it's a sign not so much that those things which no longer appeal to you have lost their innate significance – but that you hunger for something beyond.

    I've no idea what this 'beyond' is going to be for you – I'm not going to presume that – but I sincerely wish you well with this. (It's hard to write this without coming off as patronising – but I trust it's received in the spirit of solidarity with which it's offered.)

  4. Drowsy M. Kram 4
    21 March 2021 at 1:08 pm

    The impact of COVID-19 on hopes and dreams, and so mental wellbeing, is huge. If you haven’t read it, then I recommend "I Feel Much Better, Now That I've Given Up Hope" smiley

    The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ feelings at high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels
    5.1. Proposed strategies to battle the undesirable consequences of COVID-19 pandemic
    VI. Providing adequate information
    VII. Improving communications and providing psychological assistance
    VIII. Reducing boredom
    IX. Making teaching and learning process more engaging
    X. Creating an atmosphere of positivity and optimism

    COVID-19 depression and anxiety: How to take care of your mental health
    Stress, anxiety, hopelessness — the emotions that defined the pandemic and how to cope with them.

    Ireland's publicans: 'I’m angry there is no dialogue with us … it's mentally very draining'

    It's enough to drive you to drink!

  5. Shanreagh 5
    21 March 2021 at 2:09 pm

    Yes exactly my feelings too Incognito.

    We've been on a roller coaster for a year now with Covid and new things to get used to ……lockdowns are new, spaced out queues for supermarkets are new etc. We have had adapt to a whole lot of big and small changes. We have had worry about big and small things.

    We can be happy about big and small things too. Just before reading this I read an account about the great day that was had yesterday as the Homegrown music festival took place in Wellington. This was cancelled last year.

    Here is the account

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2021/03/wellington-s-homegrown-festival-goes-ahead-after-12-month-covid-19-delay.html

    I am not a festival goer but I had a feeling of happiness that this was able to go ahead. I had a thought that the comments 'felt' like NZ. People just held onto their tickets, the musicians just rebooked for this event this year.

    It seemed to be saying that this time last year those people were saying 'this too will pass'.

    We can look back on the past and the huge bow waves of social and economic reforms/progress that seemed to accompany terrible depressions and wars.

    It does seem as if some are trying to force us into BAU and this can be draining as I think generally the human condition is to learn, make changes, adapt, go forward rather than sinking into the torpor like state of BAU or hiding in the nearest cave. It does seem that perhaps we as people are being let-down a little by no real discernible onward movement from the Govt, and I keep saying to myself 'wait for the Budget' before thinking this….

    There is the concept of hygge to look at. I'm getting wood in and each year I think about the story of Squirrel Nutkin and so planning to be warm….

    Outdoors, walks, saying its ok for me to blob out for a while. My Mum had this saying on her wall from Immanuel Kant, I find now, via a Peanuts cartoon! 'Happiness is something to do, something to love, something to look forward to'.

    Then if all of this doesn't work we can all walk around with a pencil across our lips as that mimics the endorphins we get when we smile. And endorphins make us feel better and a pencil in our lips is a message to our nearest to be caring of us.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 5.1
      21 March 2021 at 2:28 pm

      yes Having things to look forward to makes us happy – training our thoughts so that we see (more) ‘ordinary/everyday’ things as things to look forward to will make us happier.

      Squirrel Nutkin is a fun tale, but I value my 'tail' too much to emulate him!

      Hum-a-bum! Buzz! Buzz! Hum-a-bum buzz!

      • Shanreagh 5.1.1
        21 March 2021 at 2:41 pm

        It was more the nut gathering they were engaged in rather than the naughty riddles and impertinence of SN!

        Having things to do, love, look forward to and training our minds that's good. smiley

    • RedBaronCV 5.2
      21 March 2021 at 2:35 pm

      Lots of noise colour and light from Homegrown – I enjoyed the music second hand – so hope the participants did too.

  6. Stuart Munro 6
    21 March 2021 at 2:37 pm

    Tis the season to stratify persimmon seeds to plant in spring. Tuck them in a ziplock bag in the vege crisper with a moistened paper towel, and put them on a sunny window sill a couple of months later. Nothing restores the spirits like green growth. Last year's are thriving.

  7. RedBaronCV 7
    21 March 2021 at 2:40 pm

    I think my biggest fear at the moment is that the government is not taking advantage of the crisis to do an economic reset away from mass tourism, endless immigration to keep wages down and presiding over the overseas ownership of basic services and shifting of basic production overseas. Plus we could harden our democracy and prevent overseas purchase of it.

    I see other big businesses making use of the crisis to get their own way and in the process just about collapsing certain services like transactional banking where it is fast becoming "my way or the highway" regardless of community needs.

    • Shanreagh 7.1
      21 March 2021 at 2:48 pm

      I think my biggest fear at the moment is that the government is not taking advantage of the crisis to do an economic reset away from mass tourism, endless immigration to keep wages down and presiding over the overseas ownership of basic services and shifting of basic production overseas.

      Mine too, also imperceptible movements on other fronts eg housing, undoing the worst of neo-lib stuff etc etc BUT 'wait for the budget…..'

    • AB 7.2
      21 March 2021 at 3:36 pm

      Related to this – my concern is that the single biggest insight delivered by the pandemic is going to be rapidly stuffed down the rabbit hole of amnesia. It's that an economy is a tool created, managed and refined by humans to serve the needs of every citizen. An economy can be put in suspended animation for 6 weeks to stop lots of people dying, and governments who control their own currency can create money out of nothing when they really need to. An economy has no independent existence from the society it serves. To say as some people did at the start of the pandemic, that 'the economy' requires that we let the virus circulate in the community, is to create a genocidal abstraction.

      "After such knowledge, what forgiveness ?" There will be a major effort to eradicate the knowledge and withhold any forgiveness.

  8. Simbit 8
    21 March 2021 at 5:50 pm

    My wife and 2 of our 3 kids just boarding an AirNZ flight outta LAX, returning after 4 years away. They're rather excited. I'm working on (Canada) with 17 yo till he graduates high school and we'll follow. We're pretty optimistic…

    • Ad 8.1
      21 March 2021 at 8:51 pm

      I'm working with a German wind farm specialist at the moment, and his family are still trying to get Isolation slots for July.

      They are all committed to coming here and setting up their lives.

      It's inspiring to hear a story such as that of your family – sure hope we're going to properly use a specialisation like yours.

  9. mac1 9
    21 March 2021 at 5:57 pm

    I attended two nights ago my sixth Relay for Life after my first treatment for prostate cancer. That first Relay I walked two laps as a survivor with my catheter bag banging against my leg.

    One sleep ago I walked 80 laps, 32 km. Each time I went round the track I saw the big sign lit up for all to see.

    HOPE. Hope after four cancer diagnoses and treatments. Hope sustained with the charity and support of hundreds. Hope that things will get better.

    To change things we need first of all hope.

    So, with Covid, and housing, and health and the corrosive effects of racism and sexism, poverty and depression, we must be hopeful and keep the faith, acting with compassion and sharing.

    Beware the media with their sensationalism and the internet rabbit holes alike. On Friday night in a small provincial town we watched the moon go down and the sky darken; we walked a track the perimeter of which was lined with candles to commemorate those who did not survive; and walking through the cold near-frost night fed with hot drinks and plentiful food we saw the sun rise anew.

    I found in the book of hope my first survivor message back in 2011. "Dum spiro, spero."

    Whilst I am breathing I have hope.

    • Ad 9.1
      21 March 2021 at 8:49 pm

      Mac that's a mighty story and I'm glad you are still fighting the good fight.

      Agree with you that sometimes just switching the media off is good for the soul.

  10. Robert Guyton 10
    21 March 2021 at 6:47 pm

    Incognito; your inner-eye is strained from gazing through the etheric murk, trying to make out the words on bent and rusting sign-posts in order to know where you should be headed and where you have come from.

    I recommend a round of reading for you; imaginative stuff from authors who know this state you find yourself in and know also, that newspapers and feeds don't deliver; only books do.

    I'm finding Tiffany Aching and her Nac Mac Feegles enormously instructive at the moment and am certainly not feeling lost amid all this palaver 🙂

  11. McFlock 11
    21 March 2021 at 6:47 pm

    Dunedin Fringe Festival is in full swing – dozens of different shows, no idea how many performances – over a hundred, I bet, in only ten days. It was cancelled last year because we all know why, so this year it's like a fizzy explosion of creativity.

    I've tech'd a couple of performances, and worked front of house. Soooo many people! And, like, not with the ever-present fear we had for some gigs late last year. Almost back to normal.

    • I Feel Love 11.1
      23 March 2021 at 8:04 am

      We may well have crossed paths many times, Sine Wave was cancelled last year but we're continuing this year, at Pioneer Hall PC, ambient wave & feeling very lucky.

      • McFlock 11.1.1
        23 March 2021 at 2:18 pm

        quite probably – if only because dunedin lol.

        I'm involved with one particular venue, rather than working on specific projects from dev to performance..

  12. Jackel 12
    21 March 2021 at 6:50 pm

    What you're describing sounds like depression. You may have taken on a bit much and got a bit worn out. Try to reduce your commitments where you can, and take some time out to rest and process things.

    Don't give up on the progressive dream, it is worth fighting for.

  13. Foreign waka 13
    21 March 2021 at 6:51 pm

    Right now we have people screaming for endless assistance and others just getting on with it. No one is really sure what will happen next and this just tells us that everybody, including politicians in government are fatigued.

    Now this might be ok for a couple of days, maybe a week but whilst the ordinary worker still soldiers on we are looking for some leadership. Because the difference between leadership and management is inspiring people with a vision (not slogans). This is sadly missing, we are being "managed" and in the end that is something no thinking adult really likes. I hope to see some vision soon, comprehensive, enveloping all people not just a group or "issue" that works on the divide and conquer. I like to get an idea what the plan is to get people housed, fed and clothed before we embark on any other goals. Winter is not far away and the desperation will show more prominently.

  14. KJT 14
    21 March 2021 at 7:06 pm

    Down about lack of lessons learned and progress.

    A bit of sailing and walking, and winning the Americas Cup, helped.

  15. Rosemary McDonald 15
    21 March 2021 at 8:49 pm

    I can't explain you would not understand
    This is not how I am
    I have become comfortably numb

    I have become comfortably numb

    Okay (okay, okay, okay)
    Just a little pinprick
    There'll be no more, ah
    But you may feel a little sick
    Can you stand up?
    I do believe it's working, good
    That'll keep you going through the show
    Come on it's time to go

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-xTttimcNk

  16. Ad 16
    21 March 2021 at 9:00 pm

    You are a good person from what I can see Incognito. The mental toll is I believe going to hit us all to varying degrees. Some like myself with 10 weeks away from my partner last lockdown found it hit me fast and hard. Others it builds up and corrodes like a mental lactic acid, and then one morning you just can't get up.

    I think we're going to spend the rest of this year trying to find the right gear for New Zealand to re-start itself. That's several million stories like yours. All the elements are there for us to come right, but this recovery won't be rushed either medically or as a society or as a polity.

    Naming a zeitgeight is inherently melancholic: namable moments are so fleeting. Avoid it. Old Jewish philosophers called it kairos. They frame time as if meaning is perpetually loseable: that's a properly melancholic science if there ever was one.

    Let history name itself, and just focus on taking care of yourself and those closest to you.

  17. Anne 17
    21 March 2021 at 9:57 pm

    After the roller coaster 12 months we've been through, I think many people are probably feeling a lot like you Incognito. In some ways it feels like we just had 12 months taken out of our lives and that has got to have an effect on our individual well-being. I am showing increasing signs of a lack of tolerance and compassion for stupidity which is a bit of a worry. Mind you it just might be old age crankiness creeping up on me. 😉

    I think we're seeing a similar reaction from the government. The ministers in particular must be worn out and fatigued after the enormous pressures they have been under this past year. It might be the reason there appears to be little action on so many fronts. Perhaps we need to give them a bit more time to re-energise in the same way we ourselves need re-energising.

  18. woodart 18
    22 March 2021 at 5:28 pm

    perhaps the moaners and grizzlers should talk to a few people in the u.k.. they have had a year of nearly continuous lockdown as well as the uncertainty of brexit.if you think we have problems with business, housing, poverty, crime, etc, we have had it pretty sweet, but as is the current fashion, many people seem to need constant stimulation from others, and can only whinge. when the travel bubble is opened with aus, I would hope these malcontents take the opportunity to have a loooong overseas break…to paraphrase muldoon, make us both happy

    • I Feel Love 18.1
      23 March 2021 at 8:06 am

      I have US friends, their kids haven't been to school for a year! They themselves haven't socialized or met new people, one of them said to me the other day "I just want to visit a museum".

  19. Castro 19
    22 March 2021 at 6:56 pm

    "Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
    Is just a freight train coming your way…"

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh5S3OxiE-s

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    1 day ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
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