No. The ones mocking me are much louder and bigger. They were shaking the tree so much I went outside to see what was going on. Besides, I don’t think a Timms trap would work on those little ones.
Someone else might have already posted it, but it's still good for a laugh: Tommy Robinson wants asylum in the USA. Yup, right-wing anti-immigrant thug says he's seeking asylum from another right-wing anti-immigrant thug.
Vonnegut quote which belongs on the ‘POTUS post’, but that's popular enough already.
"The two real political parties in America are the Winners and the Losers. The people don't acknowledge this. They claim membership in two imaginary parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, instead."
Thoughts about murder and violent assaults and stalking and the right to not live in fear.
A jealous man and a wife who wanted to break up the marriage. She asked him to shift out. He took a machete and killed the other man.
He has pleaded guilty and been sentenced for 17 years without parole. He isn't going to be a better person just because he has been in jail for that long. The idea should be a term in jail and intensive work on self-management and self-understanding. The Court should be able to look at his past history and how he was at school and his employers. Friends and family may say anything. If this is a one-off the country isn't doing itself any favours, or the family of the murdered person, keeping him in jail longer. When he leaves he will leave with a skill he can use, and a job to go to – that should be arranged along with housing.
Men and women who have killed, assaulted, and mauled others more than once should not be released at all. Let's keep these violent reoffenders in, and habilitate the one-off people; how to hold themselves in check, know what their trigger points are, what are there secret fears that people can knowingly or unknowingly mock. Some will be able to manage for the rest of their lives out of trouble if they aren't in so long that their lives and ways are munted.
I said 'If this is a one-off',,, Also I said ' The Court should be able to look at his past history'.
I don't have to read the story I am linked to. I put this up as a thinkpiece with this man's sentence as a starting point. As he had 11 previous convictions, obviously it wasn't going to apply to him.
I am not hand-wringing – you are. I am trying to apply reason and thought to necessary changes in the justice system.
It was to spark thinking Sacha. For thinking about using the present case as a starting point. And containing 'if' situations. It doesn't need judging, it needs thinking about – possible changes.
The fact that the recent murder case is a serious case of recidivism is part of the variations that show that the idea suggested shouldn't apply to all, as I pointed out. I suggest that violent recidivists, should never be released into the community again, and some attacks and behaviour are so egregious they indicate that the perpetrator is mentally damaged to an extent that also indicates a lifetime of incarceration.
We can no longer just administer failing legislation, and need to look at what it is achieving and whether it is serving us well in its present form, then amend it after much consideration to serve whatever is regarded as a worthy outcome. People's lives and happiness are presently at risk from the callous, formulaic attitude of the justice system to the likelihood of re-offending and the fear that victims, and wider society feel for their safety and ability to live freely in the community. (Fear being felt over gun deaths in Manukau is an example of violence being more prevalent in a community.)
A book review for Daily Review: "Greenland: a remote, mysterious island five times the size of California but with a population of just 56,000. The ice sheet that covers it is 700 miles wide and 1,500 miles long, and is composed of nearly three quadrillion tons of ice."
"In The Ice at the End of the World, Jon Gertner explains how Greenland has evolved from one of earth’s last frontiers to its largest scientific laboratory." He describes its history of exploration then moves on to "scientists who built lonely encampments out on the ice and began drilling—one mile, two miles down. Their aim was to pull up ice cores that could reveal the deepest mysteries of earth’s past, going back hundreds of thousands of years. Today, scientists from all over the world are deploying every technological tool available to uncover the secrets of this frozen island before it’s too late."
Initially sceptical, this reviewer explains why he gave it five stars: "I confess I wasn’t sure just how enthralling a book all about the Greenland ice sheet would be. Interesting, yes (well, to those of us who are the type to pick up a book about the Greenland ice sheet in the first place). But enough to carry an entire book rather than a long-form article? Interesting enough to move into “compelling” or, yes, “enthralling” territory? Hmmm. Turns out though, in the more than capable hands of Jon Gertner, the answer is assuredly yes and yes. The Ice at the End of the World: An Epic Journey into Greenland’s Buried Past and Our Perilous Future (2019) is indeed compelling and even, as the subtitle says, epic. Also informative, entertaining, thorough, well-organized, clearly … well, you get the idea."
A woman on Amazon also gave it five stars: "This is a great, gripping, smart book not just about how we see Greenland, but about how people come to understand the world around us. The stories of the explorers are beautifully written and deeply engaging, the discussion of science is penetrating, lucid, and compelling. The characters come alive, and a strange world is made vivid. The Ice at the End of the World is a work about history and ecology and it will broaden any reader's understanding of the world–exactly what I want from a work of narrative nonfiction."
The book has one obvious flaw. "408 pages, but not one word on why this sub-continent covered with miles-deep ice is called "Greenland", and what implications that fact may have for the current man-made global warming theory. Hint: Within the last 1000 years Greenland was NOT covered in ice and in fact was a place warm enough for wine grape vineyards onto grow plentifully. Ignorance of the true temperature record of the Earth in service of global warming hysteria is not science. It is religion."
So the denier gave it one star. I read about the vikings establishing farms there decades ago. During the medieval warm period that lifestyle continued for three centuries. Let's not allow the omission to defeat the overview, here's a couple more 5-star reviewers explaining their take: "This is a beautifully written book by one of the best science writers out there today – if you have read his work in The New York Times as well as his previous book on Bell Lab (a classic) you already know the depths to which this reporter goes to unwinding complicated and important subjects to make them comprehensible for a general audience."
"I heard about this book, and initially wondered if I really wanted to read an entire book on the ice in Greenland – I mean, how much can you say about a giant sheet of ice? Upon starting the book, however, I couldn't put it down. The history of the exploration and scientific measurement of Greenland was fascinating. I concur that you can't really understand the future until you have travelled in the footsteps of the scientists who have brought us to our current understanding. Jon Gertner crafts a story that is both personal and insightful. It is beautifully written, and I believe it will stand the test of time".
"Hint: Within the last 1000 years Greenland was NOT covered in ice and in fact was a place warm enough for wine grape vineyards onto grow plentifully. Ignorance of the true temperature record of the Earth in service of global warming hysteria is not science. It is religion."
Usual story. Deniers who do their homework usually cite the medieval warm period as anomaly. Because most scientists are brainwashed with reductionism by universities, holism only enters into the thought of the smartest. So deniers struggle with the notion that regional climate variations can run counter to global trends.
If he hadn't made his valid point I would have ignored his rating. But his valid point is actually vital to the accuracy of the whole picture – so as a holist I had to include it. Don't misconstrue the warming: contrary to what his brief put-down suggests, the ice-cap receded northward during the three centuries of warming – it only melted partially.
Note that his ideology prevented him from acknowledging the overall merit of the book. Bias & prejudice are ultra-powerful. They destroy rationality. They totally shred it. Yet those afflicted return to full rationality as soon as they shift focus from what triggered the irrational behaviour. I have several books by climate scientists who are deniers. They are very good in some respects, when the authors discuss findings from the sound basis of their expertise. They lose the plot when they extrapolate beyond…
His 'valid point' has been discredited time and time again…as has the growing of corn there, a plant unknown in europe for at least a further 500 years consequently I fail to see what purpose there can be in implying the reviewers comments are in any way related to the content of the book which is the (erroneous) impression provided
His valid point was that the author did not explain why Greenland got its name, or include the three centuries of populace and economy there during the medieval warm period. Are you attempting to deny that history?? I've read about it on & off in various books throughout my long life, and never encountered a single writer in denial of it.
no one is denying european settlement of a small southern enclave of Greenland (even if the Inuit population is ignored)…it is the portrayal of that settlement as some form of evidence that Greenland was substantially different climatically than it is currently or has been for the proceeding thousands of years
For all the beauty, wonder and 'insight' of holistic approaches, reductionism remains a valid, and in some cases the only way forward (for now.)
Given the brainwashing Prof. Vinther and colleagues must have endured, not to mention dished out, their scientific achievements are nothing short of miraculous. Maybe, someday, they'll even conform to Dennis' ideals!
Indeed. I understand that the current Greenland temperatures are comparable to those of 1000 years ago. Yes, some hardy agriculture back then as is the case now. But not an ice free Greenland for may millions of years!
Okay, I agree that deniers extrapolate in the manner you are complaining about. I already made that point in 9.1.2 – perhaps you didn't read it properly.
The point he was making was re apparent falsification of history by the author. You seem to keep missing it. All sorts of red herrings introduced here by yourself & other commentators can't change the fact. Greenland did actually go green for three centuries (at least) to acquire its name. That greening was caused by regional climate variation.
None of the books that discuss it prove any link to global warming – the authors do not attempt to do so. Dunno why anyone else seeks to go that far off topic! Regional climate trends often seem at variance with the global trend.
"I have several books by climate scientists who are deniers. They are very good in some respects, when the authors discuss findings from the sound basis of their expertise."
That is just silly and dangerous. They aren't climate scientists if they are deniers – they are thick no matter what their qualifications are that have so enamoured you – that is NOT critical thinking dennis imo
Think of it as analogous to a jury, deciding cases on the basis of circumstantial evidence. You often get minority bodies of opinion. That's because opinions differ on the balance of probabilities. Subjective factors come into play because some people give more weight to evidence on the pro side of the prosecution whereas others give more weight to evidence on the con side.
Weighing the pros & cons to reach a balanced judgment is the praxis required by the justice system. Human nature rules, and scientists are equally human.
So the disputes about evidence in the practice of science have always been endemic. They are a natural part of the culture of science due to human nature. To claim that climate scientists aren't real due to your personal dislike of their views is just silly. Anyone can look up their professional credentials. Most of the deniers who write books about climate science are tenured professors. I've written here before that my own view is around 80:20 in terms of the good points on both sides of the divide, so I remain an alarmist…
good for you – you aren't a jury or a scientist though so your personal differenciation tools are the only thing being used. They are coloured by your social and personal conditioning that puts scientists or men in white coats on some pedestal it seems, even if they talk rubbish. I suppose you're still debating the pros and cons of the moon landing or existence of bigfoot – your way leads to the mind maze – this is common with western thought but is really an example of thinking paralysis imo
Hey, if you don't get it why not be honest and say so? Since I've often mentioned in prior comments here that I graduated with a BSc in physics, you ought to be able to figure out that I can read books by scientists and follow the reasoning, read the graphs, assess the evidence, etc.
No I don't put them on that pedestal. The people do. In the court of public opinion they get used as authorities as a result. Minority bodies of public opinion form naturally on the pros & cons of any topic. Science is not excluded from that natural process. Get used to it.
Why do you believe it's all about me? It's actually about the interface between science and the public, and the ethics of misrepresenting history, as I explained. Duh!!
Billy Bragg has condemned Morrissey for sharing a video from a YouTube channel that argued that the British establishment is using Stormzy to promote multiculturalism at the expense of white culture. The video, which has since been removed, contrasted the positive critical response to Stormzy’s headline set at Glastonbury with headlines detailing Morrissey’s support for far-right groups. Morrissey posted it on his de facto website, Morrissey Central, under the title: “Nothing But Blue Skies For Stormzy … the gallows for Morrissey”…
… Morrissey has claimed that the media who report on his views are pursuing a vendetta against him. In an interview posted on Morrissey Central, he said that “as a so-called entertainer, I have no human rights”.
Bragg described this as a “ridiculous position made all the more troubling by the fact that it is a common trope among rightwing reactionaries. The notion that certain individuals are not allowed to say certain things is spurious, not least because it is most often invoked after they’ve made their offensive comments. Look closely at their claims and you’ll find that what they are actually complaining about is the fact that they have been challenged.”
Bragg claimed that Morrissey was helping to spread right-wing ideas. He continued: “Those who claim that this has no relevance to his stature as an artist should ask themselves if, by demanding that we separate the singer from the song, they too are helping to propagate this racist creed.”
Ha! Priceless. You've (unwittingly of course) echoed the Grauniad hack who, in a 2012 attempt at a hit on the Media Lens site, produced this comedy classic:
If Channel 4's Jon Snow can't be recognised for the national treasure he is – an unabashed leftie who has beaten the system (but also has to compromise, as we all do) – what hope is there? I'd say he does more good for progressive attitudes than half a dozen Pilgers, wouldn't you?
he's still fighting for justice, equality and fairness even today – you're still wanking on about rugby – he is a hero, you are a fart. People care what he says and noone gives a fuck what you say. breen = who?
he's still fighting for justice, equality and fairness even today
That's good. He's obviously pulled himself together. Because the last time I checked, he was peddling vicious extreme right fantasies against the most popular democratic politician in all of Europe.
you're still wanking on about rugby –
Steady on Marty! What the HELL?
he is a hero
???? In the late nineties, this "hero" hung out with the war criminal "Tony" and his cronies, and was one of the more naïve spouters of the "Cool Britannia" nonsense; as we've seen in his moronic and bloodyminded Twitter rant the other day, he's gotten much darker since then.
I recommend you read the letter to the Grauniad written by Jewish supporters of the man that Dragg and other zombies are telling lies about. It's right below this message.
… and noone gives a fuck what you say. breen = who?
Ooooh, I think you need to have a look at some of the reactions to my writing—-mostly positive, but some of it angry and hilariously splenetic— by a very large number of people in the media and in politics. I’ll post up a few of the more unhinged reactions to remind you if you like. (Think Kerre Woodham, Michael Laws, Leighton Smith, Wayne Mapp, Stephen Franks….)
The milkman of human kindness is angry. Not just generally, but specifically now, as he arrives at a BBC building in central London. On the train up from Dorset, where he lives, Billy Bragg has read about British soldiers in Kabul firing shots at a poster of Jeremy Corbyn.
He is angry because it is, he says, symptomatic of the demonisation of politicians, particularly on the left, particularly Corbyn, and because of what it says about the rising threat and reach of the far right. He is also angry because of the timing of it: the news comes the day Corbyn is going to sit down with the prime minister, the day after headlines about a plot by a neo-Nazi to murder a Labour MP.
… We are supposed to be talking about Bragg’s new skiffle documentary, which we will get to, but it is hard to think about anything except the state of the country at the moment. Clearly the Labour leader shouldn’t be used as target practice, but isn’t Bragg disappointed in him?
No, he says. He broadly supports what Corbyn and the Labour party are currently doing. “There are things I don’t agree with, but he represents something really important, which is the rejection of the neoliberal agenda,” he says.
He is angry because it is, he says, symptomatic of the demonisation of politicians, particularly on the left, particularly Corbyn…
He said that in April this year. Yet less than three months later, he's demonizing Corbyn in a far more ruthless way than those ignorant squaddies did in Afghanistan. Bragg has chosen to tag along with this ridiculous campaign led by the opportunistic and cynical Tom Watson, along with dreadful old Yenta Hodge and the most rabidly right wing Israeli apologists in the country.
There are many smart, intelligent, serious, thoughtful musicians in Britain—Richard Thompson, P.J. Harvey, Roger Waters and Captain SKA to name just a few—but there are also the likes of Tony Hadley, Phil Collins, Geri Halliwell, Eric Clapton, and Billy "One Thousand Breens" Bragg,
and you, breen, disrespect him?
I despise him, as I despise other foolish and shallow musicians, like this twit…..
He's "staunch and left", but he sings at a concert for a war criminal and hounder of journalists. What are you smoking, marty? And, no, I do NOT want any of it.
But at least Springsteen has not joined in on any anti-Bernie lynch mob, to my knowledge.
"We the undersigned, all Jews, are writing in support of Chris Williamson and to register our dismay at the recent letter organised by Tom Watson, and signed by parliamentary Labour party and House of Lords members, calling for his suspension (Anger over return of MP who said Labour was ‘too apologetic’ over antisemitism, 28 June).
Chris Williamson did not say that the party had been “too apologetic about antisemitism”, as has been widely misreported. He correctly stated that the Labour party has done more than any other party to combat the scourge of antisemitism and that, therefore, its stance should be less apologetic. Such attacks on Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters aim to undermine not only the Labour party’s leadership but also all pro-Palestinian members.
The mass media have ignored the huge support for Chris both within and beyond the Labour party. Support that includes many Jews. The party needs people like him, with the energy and determination to fight for social justice. As anti-racist Jews, we regard Chris as our ally: he stands as we do with the oppressed rather than the oppressor. It should also be noted that he has a longer record of campaigning against racism and fascism than most of his detractors.
The Chakrabarti report recommended that the party’s disciplinary procedures respect due process, favour education over expulsion and promote a culture of free speech, yet this has been abandoned in practice. We ask the Labour party to reinstate Chris Williamson and cease persecuting such members on false allegations of antisemitism.
Noam Chomsky MIT,
Norman Finkelstein Lecturer and writer,
Ed Asner Actor,
Prof Richard Falk Princeton University,
Leah Lavene
and Jenny Manson Jewish Voice for Labour
and more than 100 others. "
Full list at tinyurl.com/y4mr4lwb
Edit:
We are up against government v privatised entities every day so will stick this informative report about the path to privatisation here. It has lots of what seem to be facts, good stuff.
Brian Gaynor on How asset sales went wrong 30 Jun, 2000 3:24pm
He does a bit of calculating, thinking of the opprobrium thrown at the Think Big Projects which were figured at a loss to NZ of $7.4 billion.
In recent years Sir William Birch has spearheaded the privatisation programme. He was also the driving force behind the Government-funded Think Big energy projects in the early 1980s. The total loss from these projects was $7.4 billion.
He shows the figures for the various ways we lost out on our selling of government assets, which is a mind-boggling list. (Telecom reflects the overall sales programme – most of the profits have gone offshore.) Then he looks at the figures concerning the way the government sold Telecom as a comparison to the Think Big project losses, and finds they were less than the losses taken on Telecom through poor government decision-making.
A partial sale of Telecom, similar to the Telstra sale, would have reduced the wealth transferred to overseas shareholders by more than $8 billion and increased the wealth of New Zealand taxpayers and investors by the same amount.
Last night the largest solar storm in decades resulted in Aurorae being seen across Aotearoa, causing many to ask why?Why was the sky pink? What was all this stuff about the power grid? Have we, as so many have wondered since the election, reached the end of days?I had a ...
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Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
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There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
PNG Post-Courier New Zealand High Commissioner Peter Zwart and PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph welcomed a C-130 Hercules to Port Moresby this week to support Papua New Guinea’s response to the March 24 earthquake and recent severe flooding. “Papua New Guinea has requested New Zealand’s assistance to transport emergency ...
Grub Street King Luxon rode through the streets Of King’s Landing, and was troubled By the sight of hungry urchins in the mud. “Who would be the best of my Lords To deal with this negative optic?” He pondered. The answer came to him instantly. “Seymour!” he said to himself. ...
“The Bill does not provide environmental protection, good quality decision making, certainty, public participation or speed. It should be withdrawn.” ...
RNZ News Television New Zealand has breached its collective agreement with the E tū union when deciding on discontinuing programmes, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled. It was announced in March that 68 staff members who work for news programmes Midday and Tonight, consumer justice programme Fair Go, current affairs ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
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Photo chosen because it will really upset some right wingers for some strange reason.
Wut, no UnwantedIvanka?
Strange?
I'd say "visceral".
*Some right wingers; "they're laughing at us!!"
* as described @#1
Really though, it's the eyebrows that impress, isn't it!
…including half the Labour caucus.
Kill the Titirangi chickens.
And ducks.
What did they do to you today?
The Waitakere Local Board is deciding this week on whether to permanently get rid of the chickens.
With chickens come the rats.
And both chickens and ducks displace native birds.
It was on RNZ this evening.
Oh, it's just a generic thing then.
Yeah, get rid of the Titirangi chickens and ducks. Especially the ducks, the chickens have at least a little bit of road sense.
I'm sure Mr Presland will see it here. Who else's face do I need to get into?
He'll do. Just fine.
I'm a bit of a native bird Kereru and Tui fan!
I'm not a fan of those Aussie imports that are mocking me right now by bonking in the tree directly above the trap I have set for them.
These fuckers?
https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/conservation/threats-and-impacts/animal-pests/rainbow-lorikeet-factsheet.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2J_zxv_zY3RIcVJa8DO_IjpIQm7FKNlFhNyy062JCJZ668WUb9xz8QKhE
No. The ones mocking me are much louder and bigger. They were shaking the tree so much I went outside to see what was going on. Besides, I don’t think a Timms trap would work on those little ones.
A little blood-libel before lunch.
https://twitter.com/StefanMolyneux/status/1148280761319153666
Why give the creep any oxygen?
Which creep?
The canadian.
Someone else might have already posted it, but it's still good for a laugh: Tommy Robinson wants asylum in the USA. Yup, right-wing anti-immigrant thug says he's seeking asylum from another right-wing anti-immigrant thug.
He's definitely a good fit flockers.
Is someone going to do a list of all the campaign promises that Labour have found too hard?
They seem to be racking up.
I reckon some folk are still in shock that so many are being followed through on, even in a 3-way coalition.
You mean promises in their negotiated agreements with NZ First and the Greens, I presume. Isn't compiling such a list what we have an Opposition for?
The official Opposition are so hopeless the Left has to do it for them.
Surely The Chairman already has one?
Just to help them lift their game…
"They seem to be racking up"
lol you seem to be racking off – why don't you do your wee list and we'll have a look at it – shouldn't take long lol
Now might be a good time to put in an order for 100 000 prefabricated houses from China adders, what with the timber price plummet.
Quicker to do a list of the promises kept.
Wow – a bit interesting. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12248046
Having heard Tamihere on RNZ this morning Im guessing that any case will be dismissed due to a lack of clarity
Flowers for Vonnegut.
All the stories were the same
Who loved then fought then loved again
But all the stories that I saw
Were love beset by endless war
Everybody wants to be
The champion who makes act three
Yet rarely but those born up high
Will make it past act two in time
For of the lowly sets the scene
To aid the rich man's lofty dreams
Who contrast brightly as the sun
Till all the world is come undone.
Vonnegut quote which belongs on the ‘POTUS post’, but that's popular enough already.
"The two real political parties in America are the Winners and the Losers. The people don't acknowledge this. They claim membership in two imaginary parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, instead."
Thoughts about murder and violent assaults and stalking and the right to not live in fear.
A jealous man and a wife who wanted to break up the marriage. She asked him to shift out. He took a machete and killed the other man.
He has pleaded guilty and been sentenced for 17 years without parole. He isn't going to be a better person just because he has been in jail for that long. The idea should be a term in jail and intensive work on self-management and self-understanding. The Court should be able to look at his past history and how he was at school and his employers. Friends and family may say anything. If this is a one-off the country isn't doing itself any favours, or the family of the murdered person, keeping him in jail longer. When he leaves he will leave with a skill he can use, and a job to go to – that should be arranged along with housing.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/114069682/machete-church-murder-you-have-broken-this-family–judge
Men and women who have killed, assaulted, and mauled others more than once should not be released at all. Let's keep these violent reoffenders in, and habilitate the one-off people; how to hold themselves in check, know what their trigger points are, what are there secret fears that people can knowingly or unknowingly mock. Some will be able to manage for the rest of their lives out of trouble if they aren't in so long that their lives and ways are munted.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/112137375/thirty-prisoners-sexually-assaulted-at-auckland-jail-report-found
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2018/07/13/nz-judges-three-strike-straightjacket.html
Unfair punishment and fallacious reasoning for excessive jail term punishment:
Deterrence: Offenders who are punished are less likely to reoffend, and their punishment will deter others.
Incapacitation: Punishment can make it difficult or impossible for offenders to reoffend.
Rehabilitation: If crime occurs because of a defect (psychological, moral, social, etc.), it can be corrected to prevent future crime.
Retribution: Criminals should be punished because they deserve it, regardless of prospective consequences.
Should be kept inside:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/03/man-who-tried-to-kill-his-three-kids-will-soon-be-released.html
Enough hand-wringing. Read the story you linked to:
Fuck him.
I said 'If this is a one-off',,, Also I said ' The Court should be able to look at his past history'.
I don't have to read the story I am linked to. I put this up as a thinkpiece with this man's sentence as a starting point. As he had 11 previous convictions, obviously it wasn't going to apply to him.
I am not hand-wringing – you are. I am trying to apply reason and thought to necessary changes in the justice system.
People can judge your argument for themselves. Bad example to cite, perhaps.
It was to spark thinking Sacha. For thinking about using the present case as a starting point. And containing 'if' situations. It doesn't need judging, it needs thinking about – possible changes.
The fact that the recent murder case is a serious case of recidivism is part of the variations that show that the idea suggested shouldn't apply to all, as I pointed out. I suggest that violent recidivists, should never be released into the community again, and some attacks and behaviour are so egregious they indicate that the perpetrator is mentally damaged to an extent that also indicates a lifetime of incarceration.
We can no longer just administer failing legislation, and need to look at what it is achieving and whether it is serving us well in its present form, then amend it after much consideration to serve whatever is regarded as a worthy outcome. People's lives and happiness are presently at risk from the callous, formulaic attitude of the justice system to the likelihood of re-offending and the fear that victims, and wider society feel for their safety and ability to live freely in the community. (Fear being felt over gun deaths in Manukau is an example of violence being more prevalent in a community.)
A book review for Daily Review: "Greenland: a remote, mysterious island five times the size of California but with a population of just 56,000. The ice sheet that covers it is 700 miles wide and 1,500 miles long, and is composed of nearly three quadrillion tons of ice."
"In The Ice at the End of the World, Jon Gertner explains how Greenland has evolved from one of earth’s last frontiers to its largest scientific laboratory." He describes its history of exploration then moves on to "scientists who built lonely encampments out on the ice and began drilling—one mile, two miles down. Their aim was to pull up ice cores that could reveal the deepest mysteries of earth’s past, going back hundreds of thousands of years. Today, scientists from all over the world are deploying every technological tool available to uncover the secrets of this frozen island before it’s too late."
Initially sceptical, this reviewer explains why he gave it five stars: "I confess I wasn’t sure just how enthralling a book all about the Greenland ice sheet would be. Interesting, yes (well, to those of us who are the type to pick up a book about the Greenland ice sheet in the first place). But enough to carry an entire book rather than a long-form article? Interesting enough to move into “compelling” or, yes, “enthralling” territory? Hmmm. Turns out though, in the more than capable hands of Jon Gertner, the answer is assuredly yes and yes. The Ice at the End of the World: An Epic Journey into Greenland’s Buried Past and Our Perilous Future (2019) is indeed compelling and even, as the subtitle says, epic. Also informative, entertaining, thorough, well-organized, clearly … well, you get the idea."
A woman on Amazon also gave it five stars: "This is a great, gripping, smart book not just about how we see Greenland, but about how people come to understand the world around us. The stories of the explorers are beautifully written and deeply engaging, the discussion of science is penetrating, lucid, and compelling. The characters come alive, and a strange world is made vivid. The Ice at the End of the World is a work about history and ecology and it will broaden any reader's understanding of the world–exactly what I want from a work of narrative nonfiction."
The book has one obvious flaw. "408 pages, but not one word on why this sub-continent covered with miles-deep ice is called "Greenland", and what implications that fact may have for the current man-made global warming theory. Hint: Within the last 1000 years Greenland was NOT covered in ice and in fact was a place warm enough for wine grape vineyards onto grow plentifully. Ignorance of the true temperature record of the Earth in service of global warming hysteria is not science. It is religion."
So the denier gave it one star. I read about the vikings establishing farms there decades ago. During the medieval warm period that lifestyle continued for three centuries. Let's not allow the omission to defeat the overview, here's a couple more 5-star reviewers explaining their take: "This is a beautifully written book by one of the best science writers out there today – if you have read his work in The New York Times as well as his previous book on Bell Lab (a classic) you already know the depths to which this reporter goes to unwinding complicated and important subjects to make them comprehensible for a general audience."
"I heard about this book, and initially wondered if I really wanted to read an entire book on the ice in Greenland – I mean, how much can you say about a giant sheet of ice? Upon starting the book, however, I couldn't put it down. The history of the exploration and scientific measurement of Greenland was fascinating. I concur that you can't really understand the future until you have travelled in the footsteps of the scientists who have brought us to our current understanding. Jon Gertner crafts a story that is both personal and insightful. It is beautifully written, and I believe it will stand the test of time".
"Hint: Within the last 1000 years Greenland was NOT covered in ice and in fact was a place warm enough for wine grape vineyards onto grow plentifully. Ignorance of the true temperature record of the Earth in service of global warming hysteria is not science. It is religion."
Pardon?
A denial sandwich. Interesting tactic.
Dennis appears to be conflating on a grand scale….to what purpose. who knows
Usual story. Deniers who do their homework usually cite the medieval warm period as anomaly. Because most scientists are brainwashed with reductionism by universities, holism only enters into the thought of the smartest. So deniers struggle with the notion that regional climate variations can run counter to global trends.
If he hadn't made his valid point I would have ignored his rating. But his valid point is actually vital to the accuracy of the whole picture – so as a holist I had to include it. Don't misconstrue the warming: contrary to what his brief put-down suggests, the ice-cap receded northward during the three centuries of warming – it only melted partially.
Note that his ideology prevented him from acknowledging the overall merit of the book. Bias & prejudice are ultra-powerful. They destroy rationality. They totally shred it. Yet those afflicted return to full rationality as soon as they shift focus from what triggered the irrational behaviour. I have several books by climate scientists who are deniers. They are very good in some respects, when the authors discuss findings from the sound basis of their expertise. They lose the plot when they extrapolate beyond…
His 'valid point' has been discredited time and time again…as has the growing of corn there, a plant unknown in europe for at least a further 500 years consequently I fail to see what purpose there can be in implying the reviewers comments are in any way related to the content of the book which is the (erroneous) impression provided
His valid point was that the author did not explain why Greenland got its name, or include the three centuries of populace and economy there during the medieval warm period. Are you attempting to deny that history?? I've read about it on & off in various books throughout my long life, and never encountered a single writer in denial of it.
no one is denying european settlement of a small southern enclave of Greenland (even if the Inuit population is ignored)…it is the portrayal of that settlement as some form of evidence that Greenland was substantially different climatically than it is currently or has been for the proceeding thousands of years
https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-what-greenland-ice-cores-say-about-past-and-present-climate-change
Thanks Pat, good science via improved data gathering and analysis, although Dennis' usual concerns may trump his better judgement.
Where are those holistic scientists when we need them? Well, some of them are here.
http://www.beyondwilber.ca/Quotes_from_holistic.scientists.html
For all the beauty, wonder and 'insight' of holistic approaches, reductionism remains a valid, and in some cases the only way forward (for now.)
Given the brainwashing Prof. Vinther and colleagues must have endured, not to mention dished out, their scientific achievements are nothing short of miraculous. Maybe, someday, they'll even conform to Dennis' ideals!
Indeed. I understand that the current Greenland temperatures are comparable to those of 1000 years ago. Yes, some hardy agriculture back then as is the case now. But not an ice free Greenland for may millions of years!
Okay, I agree that deniers extrapolate in the manner you are complaining about. I already made that point in 9.1.2 – perhaps you didn't read it properly.
The point he was making was re apparent falsification of history by the author. You seem to keep missing it. All sorts of red herrings introduced here by yourself & other commentators can't change the fact. Greenland did actually go green for three centuries (at least) to acquire its name. That greening was caused by regional climate variation.
None of the books that discuss it prove any link to global warming – the authors do not attempt to do so. Dunno why anyone else seeks to go that far off topic! Regional climate trends often seem at variance with the global trend.
"I have several books by climate scientists who are deniers. They are very good in some respects, when the authors discuss findings from the sound basis of their expertise."
That is just silly and dangerous. They aren't climate scientists if they are deniers – they are thick no matter what their qualifications are that have so enamoured you – that is NOT critical thinking dennis imo
Think of it as analogous to a jury, deciding cases on the basis of circumstantial evidence. You often get minority bodies of opinion. That's because opinions differ on the balance of probabilities. Subjective factors come into play because some people give more weight to evidence on the pro side of the prosecution whereas others give more weight to evidence on the con side.
Weighing the pros & cons to reach a balanced judgment is the praxis required by the justice system. Human nature rules, and scientists are equally human.
So the disputes about evidence in the practice of science have always been endemic. They are a natural part of the culture of science due to human nature. To claim that climate scientists aren't real due to your personal dislike of their views is just silly. Anyone can look up their professional credentials. Most of the deniers who write books about climate science are tenured professors. I've written here before that my own view is around 80:20 in terms of the good points on both sides of the divide, so I remain an alarmist…
good for you – you aren't a jury or a scientist though so your personal differenciation tools are the only thing being used. They are coloured by your social and personal conditioning that puts scientists or men in white coats on some pedestal it seems, even if they talk rubbish. I suppose you're still debating the pros and cons of the moon landing or existence of bigfoot – your way leads to the mind maze – this is common with western thought but is really an example of thinking paralysis imo
Hey, if you don't get it why not be honest and say so? Since I've often mentioned in prior comments here that I graduated with a BSc in physics, you ought to be able to figure out that I can read books by scientists and follow the reasoning, read the graphs, assess the evidence, etc.
No I don't put them on that pedestal. The people do. In the court of public opinion they get used as authorities as a result. Minority bodies of public opinion form naturally on the pros & cons of any topic. Science is not excluded from that natural process. Get used to it.
you're too up yourself mate – have a good day
Why do you believe it's all about me? It's actually about the interface between science and the public, and the ethics of misrepresenting history, as I explained. Duh!!
yes homer
Take it easy, Dennis. He's not quite himself today. He's “gone postal” in another thread.
nice one billy
Billy Bragg? He's a dumbass.
http://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/07/billy-braggs-shocking-lack-of.html
worth 1000 of you though
Ha! Priceless. You've (unwittingly of course) echoed the Grauniad hack who, in a 2012 attempt at a hit on the Media Lens site, produced this comedy classic:
From now on, fellas, that hapless and clearly insincere singer of “worthy” dirges, Billy Dragg, is to be known as "Billy One Thousand Breens Bragg".
he's still fighting for justice, equality and fairness even today – you're still wanking on about rugby – he is a hero, you are a fart. People care what he says and noone gives a fuck what you say. breen = who?
he's still fighting for justice, equality and fairness even today
That's good. He's obviously pulled himself together. Because the last time I checked, he was peddling vicious extreme right fantasies against the most popular democratic politician in all of Europe.
you're still wanking on about rugby –
Steady on Marty! What the HELL?
he is a hero
???? In the late nineties, this "hero" hung out with the war criminal "Tony" and his cronies, and was one of the more naïve spouters of the "Cool Britannia" nonsense; as we've seen in his moronic and bloodyminded Twitter rant the other day, he's gotten much darker since then.
I recommend you read the letter to the Grauniad written by Jewish supporters of the man that Dragg and other zombies are telling lies about. It's right below this message.
… and noone gives a fuck what you say. breen = who?
Ooooh, I think you need to have a look at some of the reactions to my writing—-mostly positive, but some of it angry and hilariously splenetic— by a very large number of people in the media and in politics. I’ll post up a few of the more unhinged reactions to remind you if you like. (Think Kerre Woodham, Michael Laws, Leighton Smith, Wayne Mapp, Stephen Franks….)
Legend
and you, breen, disrespect him? lol you are no tigerworm.
He is angry because it is, he says, symptomatic of the demonisation of politicians, particularly on the left, particularly Corbyn…
He said that in April this year. Yet less than three months later, he's demonizing Corbyn in a far more ruthless way than those ignorant squaddies did in Afghanistan. Bragg has chosen to tag along with this ridiculous campaign led by the opportunistic and cynical Tom Watson, along with dreadful old Yenta Hodge and the most rabidly right wing Israeli apologists in the country.
There are many smart, intelligent, serious, thoughtful musicians in Britain—Richard Thompson, P.J. Harvey, Roger Waters and Captain SKA to name just a few—but there are also the likes of Tony Hadley, Phil Collins, Geri Halliwell, Eric Clapton, and Billy "One Thousand Breens" Bragg,
and you, breen, disrespect him?
I despise him, as I despise other foolish and shallow musicians, like this twit…..
he is a star and you are a twinkler
he is the sea and you are a thimble of urine
he is staunch and left and you are fickle and clickbait driven
no wonder you despise him – he shows you up for the flake you are – lol slink off dimwit.
He's "staunch and left", but he sings at a concert for a war criminal and hounder of journalists. What are you smoking, marty? And, no, I do NOT want any of it.
But at least Springsteen has not joined in on any anti-Bernie lynch mob, to my knowledge.
The wrong sort of jews…
https://www.dumptheguardian.com/news/2019/jul/08/jewish-support-for-chris-williamson
"We the undersigned, all Jews, are writing in support of Chris Williamson and to register our dismay at the recent letter organised by Tom Watson, and signed by parliamentary Labour party and House of Lords members, calling for his suspension (Anger over return of MP who said Labour was ‘too apologetic’ over antisemitism, 28 June).
Chris Williamson did not say that the party had been “too apologetic about antisemitism”, as has been widely misreported. He correctly stated that the Labour party has done more than any other party to combat the scourge of antisemitism and that, therefore, its stance should be less apologetic. Such attacks on Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters aim to undermine not only the Labour party’s leadership but also all pro-Palestinian members.
The mass media have ignored the huge support for Chris both within and beyond the Labour party. Support that includes many Jews. The party needs people like him, with the energy and determination to fight for social justice. As anti-racist Jews, we regard Chris as our ally: he stands as we do with the oppressed rather than the oppressor. It should also be noted that he has a longer record of campaigning against racism and fascism than most of his detractors.
The Chakrabarti report recommended that the party’s disciplinary procedures respect due process, favour education over expulsion and promote a culture of free speech, yet this has been abandoned in practice. We ask the Labour party to reinstate Chris Williamson and cease persecuting such members on false allegations of antisemitism.
Noam Chomsky MIT,
Norman Finkelstein Lecturer and writer,
Ed Asner Actor,
Prof Richard Falk Princeton University,
Leah Lavene
and Jenny Manson Jewish Voice for Labour
and more than 100 others. "
Full list at tinyurl.com/y4mr4lwb
Edit:
We are up against government v privatised entities every day so will stick this informative report about the path to privatisation here. It has lots of what seem to be facts, good stuff.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=14695
Brian Gaynor on How asset sales went wrong 30 Jun, 2000 3:24pm
He does a bit of calculating, thinking of the opprobrium thrown at the Think Big Projects which were figured at a loss to NZ of $7.4 billion.
In recent years Sir William Birch has spearheaded the privatisation programme. He was also the driving force behind the Government-funded Think Big energy projects in the early 1980s. The total loss from these projects was $7.4 billion.
He shows the figures for the various ways we lost out on our selling of government assets, which is a mind-boggling list. (Telecom reflects the overall sales programme – most of the profits have gone offshore.) Then he looks at the figures concerning the way the government sold Telecom as a comparison to the Think Big project losses, and finds they were less than the losses taken on Telecom through poor government decision-making.
A partial sale of Telecom, similar to the Telstra sale, would have reduced the wealth transferred to overseas shareholders by more than $8 billion and increased the wealth of New Zealand taxpayers and investors by the same amount.
Just saw this from Marty G from 2010. On asset sales etc. 88 comments.
Haven't read it but it will be full of facts.
https://thestandard.org.nz/privatisation-the-facts/
Fabian Society
https://www.fabians.org.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110:issues-in-privatisation-costs-a-benefits&catid=54:events
Issues in Privatisation – Costs & Benefits
Date 6 October ? (Usual lack of precise date for internet.)
http://werewolf.co.nz/2011/09/ten-myths-about-asset-sales/ 2011, 12 Sept
Ten Myths About Asset Sales