Daily review 12/02/2019

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, February 12th, 2019 - 50 comments
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Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

50 comments on “Daily review 12/02/2019 ”

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  1. bwaghorn 1
    12 February 2019 at 5:43 pm

    “””The recent Fed Farmers survey is a shocker – worst farmer confidence since 2009 when the Global Financial Crisis was biting hard. While international issues like Brexit and potential trade wars are causing concern most of the pessimism is resulting from Govt policies like:
    – Cancelling Crown Irrigation funding
    – Halving R&D funding
    – Increased union access
    – Fertiliser tax
    – Water tax
    – Restricted hill country cropping
    – Regulated winter grazing
    – Failing to support Taratahi””

    Found this on Facebook from guy .what’s true and what’s bull

    https://www.national.org.nz/headwinds_affecting_farmers_confidence

    • bwaghorn 1.1
      12 February 2019 at 6:01 pm

      The only one I agree with so far is the failure to support taratahi while bailing out city ucols.
      It was great pathway to a good life for kids who like it outside.

      • Cinny 1.1.1
        12 February 2019 at 6:27 pm

        How much money did Taratahi need for their bail out?

        Wonder why they needed bailing out?

        Could it be a result of bad management, a bit like nathan guy with micro plasma bovis and other bio-security issues that happened on his watch?

        Edit…

        Found some info…

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/110008671/low-student-numbers-and-mounting-debts-sunk-taratahi-agricultural-training-centre

        • greywarshark 1.1.1.1
          12 February 2019 at 8:23 pm

          Cinny
          A bad situation still for Taratahi and Telford. The very mainstay of our country’s enterprise, the agricultural sector, having agricultural education treated as if its product had little value and could be abandoned as just another private enterprise profit-maker.

          Taratahi had a give a little page which raised about $5,700 from 48 donors, not a huge purse of support from the farming community during its nine days from January 14-23rd. It’s hard to warm to farmers at the moment, as they don’t show their communitys’ support for matters that would seem to benefit them most.

          I understood that the whole purpose of introducing business thinking into government and governance management was to ensure that the public sector didn’t get moribund. Now it’s gone to the level that making a profit and meeting tough and possibly unrealistic targets have become the main priorities for anything government-oriented.

          It has shown how dangerous it is to listen to clever bums on seats, who might have been brought up on farms, but don’t have the necessary commitment to devising policies for a smart, fairly run, intelligence, and experientially-based, business and workforce. Evidence-based policy would put paid to most of the lala land stuff from economists and private business’ PR- merchants who think they can walk on water.

          The good news is that the government is bailing Taratahi or Telford or both out for this year and it comes under the umbrella of the Southern Institute of Technology. But there is not absolute certainty about its future. (Seems another dropped goal as a result of being fiscanally retentive.)
          https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/110387166/editorial-over-the-bills-and-farm-away

          The final point asks a question – …[we’re left] wondering aloud whether the likes of the Tertiary Education Commission, NZQA and Tertiary Education Union might have quietly contributed a measure of helpfulness.

          Is it a case of advisors and bureaucrats with desk-sized viewpoints and future visions, taking a leading role in shredding us along their dotted lines?

          https://educationcentral.co.nz/hipkins-great-outcome-for-telford-students/
          https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/south-otago/work-secure-future-just-beginning
          https://www.taratahi.ac.nz/
          This from Wairarapa 7 Feb 2019 : https://times-age.co.nz/its-gone/

          • Cinny 1.1.1.1.1
            12 February 2019 at 9:34 pm

            Thanks for explaining Grey.

            So it’s coming under S.I.T instead that’s got to be the start of a good thing for those wanting to learn the farming trade.

            Something else caught my eye today re tertiary institutions and bad management.

            Wintec and their spend up…

            Wintec’s new boss, who was on big-spending trips to Asia with former chief executive Mark Flowers, won’t explain where taxpayers’ money was spent.

            ” So far the publicly funded polytech has spent more than $500,000 on lawyers, spin doctors, security guards and reports over three years, during which time Flowers refused to be interviewed.

            Meanwhile, the woman who led Wintec Council during the time of the travel spending says taxpayers got “value for money”, while Wintec bosses’ wined and dined on the public purse during business trips to Asia.”

            https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/110527766/former-wintec-chair-says-taxpayers-got-value-for-money

            I’m left wondering if the prior government encouraged institutes to over inflate a focus on overseas students. And as a result institutions were ‘banking’ on more students than they should, maybe even spending more money than they should trying to lure overseas students.

      • gsays 1.1.2
        12 February 2019 at 6:59 pm

        how much of this ‘confidence’ is because of the unknown?

        it must be a tad unnerving to have a new regime in that is making noises about tackling climate change and cleaning up water ways.

        i realise that farmers aren’t the only cause of those two issues, but the ag and horticuture sectors seemed well protected by keys mob; not fully involved in the workplace health and safety reforms, not part of the ETS…

  2. Kat 2
    12 February 2019 at 6:03 pm

    Hawkesby has her answer to why voters don’t like Simon Bridges, just watch his ridiculous shouty rant in parliament today, By contrast the PM was superb and Winston could easily have been channeling Spike Milligan. I hope Winston is around for another term or two, he seems just like a good malt to get better with age.

  3. One Two 3
    12 February 2019 at 6:22 pm

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6652665/The-60-Australian-suburbs-access-5G-mobile-coverage-did-make-list.html

    Optus Australia 5G human/environment testing…

    I make no comment on TDM, except the level of PR again has no mention of health issues being gathered around the globe…

    In Australia there will be at least 3 core 5G networks all requiring vast raw materials to biild the infrastructure, and each with their own sites to mount the radiative antennae…public sites like lamposts etc..

    OPTUS
    TELSTRA
    VODAFONE

    TPG have pulled back citing non availability of Huawei gear in Australia

    The comments section is worth a look.

    • A 3.1
      12 February 2019 at 6:42 pm

      5G is disturbing but it was clearly planned for a decade in advance. I always wondered why there were poles on the motorway every few hundred meters massively overspec for anything we had like cameras, cellsites.

    • Andre 3.2
      12 February 2019 at 6:47 pm

      Dunno why yer getting worried about it.

      All ya gotta do is get yerself a 5G device, make sure it’s charged, turn it on. Put it where it gets the best signal strength, get some glass bottles or jars full of water, and stack them around your device. Leave it for a week or so and it will absorb the full spectrum of harmful emanations, vibrations and radiations into the innate intelligence of the water.

      Mix all the water from the different containers into one big one and mix it thoroughly. Shaken, not stirred. Get a fresh container and mostly fill it with a measured amount of fresh water, and mix in 1/100 of the measure from your batch of water that’s been absorbing the harmful essence, and mix it thoroughly. Again, shaken, not stirred. Repeat another nine times.

      Voila. Here’s your very own homeopathic protection from the evils of 5G.

      Any time you feel the need of a top-up on your protection, take another dose. When it gets low, just top it up and mix thoroughly. Shaken, not stirred. The beauty of this homeopathic stuff is every time you have to top it up, the protection gets even more powerful.

      • One Two 3.2.1
        12 February 2019 at 7:51 pm

        Dunno why yer getting worried about it

        That is correct, Andre…your comment says you don’t understand….

        Multiple paragraphs of, trying to be funny was it….you’ve been called out before about just how poor you are when trying to be funny…among other things…

        If you would like to discuss digital networks, design, security, risks, regulatory capture, frequencies, public health issues, and the already volumous data archives of damage caused east to west…by existing technologies…off you go…

        Then we can also discuss the damage… next generation wireless technology, military grade weapons, the proposed (being deployed) IoT will be impart into humans, animals and the environment…

        Start with mm wave pulse tech and small cell…we can pick it up from there…

        • Doogs 3.2.1.1
          12 February 2019 at 8:29 pm

          Well OneTwo – One thing’s for sure, he’s a helluva lot funnier than you.

        • Andre 3.2.1.2
          12 February 2019 at 8:32 pm

          Well, here’s a good discussion of the actual physics around the likelihood of the electromagnetic energy from 5G causing any health effects.

          https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4629874/

          In short, microwaves in the frequency ranges being considered for 5G carry their energy on photons with individual photon energies of .01milli-eV up to 0.2milli-eV.

          It’s generally considered that electromagnetic radiation has no known health effects until the individual photons are carrying enough energy to actually start ionising atoms that absorb them. This generally requires around 12 eV or more, ie the photons need to be around 60 000 times more energetic. Photons with energy 12 eV and above are more commonly known as UV light.

          So yeah, nah. I’m not bovvered about maybe catching maybe a maximum of 10W/m^2 (if I stand right next to a tower antenna) of microwaves that are too feeble to cause harm by a factor of 1/60000. Especially not when I’m copping something like 40W/m^2 of actually harmful UV radiation every time I’m exposed to that great thermonuclear reactor in the sky.

          I really do wish these people talking about 5G would stop intoning “radiation” in ominous tones as if there’s a bit of essence of Chernobyl in every device. Electromagnetic radiation in the form of visible light, microwaves, radio waves etc really isn’t scary and has absolutely nothing to do with radioactivity.

          • One Two 3.2.1.2.1
            12 February 2019 at 9:14 pm

            I really do wish these people talking about 5G would stop intoning “radiation” in ominous tones as if there’s a bit of essence of Chernobyl in every device.

            Radiation emitting in the form of EMFs from transmitting devices are a form of radiation…or are you saying you do not understand what is well documented, and agreed upon?

            Electromagnetic radiation in the form of visible light, microwaves, radio waves etc really isn’t scary and has absolutely nothing to do with radioactivity.

            Yes, Andre…it does…just not the false equivalence you have attempted to dismiss it as being compared to chernobyl…or the sun…

            You’re not bovvered (cool saying)…that’s fine…you won’t need to keep replying…

            • Andre 3.2.1.2.1.1
              12 February 2019 at 10:10 pm

              Radiation as a word has a very broad meaning – in its most general sense it means just about anything travelling outward from a source. It could even be used to refer to, say, the radiation outwards of an introduced pest species from its point of introduction.

              In electromagnetics, as in radiation of radio waves or microwaves or light or x-rays or gamma rays, it means electromagnetic energy travelling outwards from a source at the speed of light, with the energy carried by particle-like zero-mass photons with defined relationships between the wavelength, frequency, and energy carried by each photon. At low photon energies, the only detectable effects of these photons is heating whatever absorbs them. At higher energies, above around 12 eV per photon, an atom absorbing a photon generally gets an electron knocked free and then becomes chemically reactive. DNA damage etc. 12 eV per photon corresponds to UV light. As the photon energy increases, the spectrum shifts into X-rays and then gamma rays.

              Radiation as in Chernobyl style radioactivity refers more to atoms with unstable nuclei. These unstable nuclei decay by emitting alpha particles (basically a helium nucleus), beta particles (electrons) and gamma rays (photons carrying huge amounts of energy). This kind of radiation is really bad juju biologically because not only are there ionising particles getting released to cause weird chemical reactions in weird places, but also with alpha or beta decay, the original atom has turned into a different kind of atom. Which really fucks up the biological process it was a part of. For instance, Iodine is really important in thyroid function, and unstable Iodine 131 is really common in nuclear fallout. Iodine 131 typically beta and gamma decays to Xenon 131, which is a completely inert noble gas.

              The only thing linking electromagnetic radiation with radioactivity radiation is some radioactivity radiation is a very specific, highly dangerous type of electromagnetic (photon) radiation with very limited highly specialist uses (such as inspecting pipeline welds).

              BTW One Two, this really isn’t for your benefit. It’s in case any lurkers are interested.

              • Drowsy M. Kram …
                13 February 2019 at 12:31 pm

                Andre, I’ve got no reason to doubt your comments about the safety of 5G technology/radiation as far as biological systems go, but suppose it’s possible that some deleterious effects might be found (going forward), once the experiment is underway on a large scale, simlar to the public offering of Merck’s Vioxx.

                I’d like to see evidence of some balance and caution on the part of 5G advocates – too much gun-ho hype for me. Three decades ago, who would have thunk that global insect populations might collapse any time soon?

                How necessary is the 5G rollout? It seems like a form of growth – what sort of physical resources (space and materials) will be consumed (as opposed to recycled) for the rollout? Many/most of us may eventually become reliant on a 5G network – is 5G more or less reliant/secure than the current network? And how soon before 6G?

                “Let me be very clear: Five years from now your smartphone will be using 4G almost all the time, even when you’ve got a 5G phone in a 5G city.”

                https://www.cio.co.nz/article/647482/why-5g-will-disappoint-everyone/

                • Andre …
                  13 February 2019 at 12:49 pm

                  In the case of Vioxx, Merck actually had enough information that they should have talked through with the FDA pre-release and if it was still approved, should have included a shitload of contra-indication information. That they failed in their duty of disclosure was the basis for the legal pummeling they rightly took. (Disclosure: my grandmother passed down a chunk of Merck shares I still own)

                  In the case of potential health effects of 5G, there’s no known mechanisms for the microwaves at the proposed frequencies and power levels to actually cause harm. Nor is there any credible empirical evidence of actual harm being caused by previously unknown mechanisms. Furthermore, the extremely rapid attenuation of the 60GHz signal by atmospheric oxygen means the signals will be less present in areas away from towers, in case you’re wondering if there’s anything to the idea the insects are getting scrambled by all the radio and microwave signals we’re sending around already.

                  So in this case, invoking the precautionary principle because of a very nebulous ‘we don’t know everything’ is at a level where it could be invoked against absolutely every action and non-action ever contemplated.

                  • Drowsy M. Kram …
                    13 February 2019 at 1:02 pm

                    Thanks Andre, I’ll take “there’s no known mechanisms” as an acknowledgement that we cannot be certain about the effects (positive or negative) of widespread 5G networks on biological systems. (Disclosure: I’m not a cellphone user, so am unlikely to benefit directly from any 5G rollout, but acknowledge that there will be costs and benefits.)

                    • Andre …
                      13 February 2019 at 3:20 pm

                      “…no known mechanisms …”

                      It’s the routine acknowledgement of the limits of knowledge that most scientifically minded people make when looking at a new situation.

                      It’s not in any way a suggestion to take seriously some random that decides they don’t like something new and has no facts or generally accepted theory to back up their objection so they just make up a whole bunch of maybes and dress it up in pseudoscientific gobbledygook. (DMK, I’m not accusing you of this. Others, yes, but not what you’ve written). Particularly when past very similar objections to similar new situations have been thoroughly examined and found meritless.

                  • Drowsy M. Kram …
                    13 February 2019 at 3:20 pm

                    “Nor is there any credible empirical evidence of actual harm being caused by previously unknown mechanisms.” – it’s not the previously unknown mechanisms that I’m speculating about.

      • alwyn 3.2.3
        12 February 2019 at 8:53 pm

        Are you sure about your recipe?
        I have heard that it only works if you alternate between shaking and stirring. First dilution shake. Second time stir. And so on.
        That’s what I have been doing. Perhaps that is why it hasn’t been working for me?

        • Andre 3.2.3.1
          12 February 2019 at 8:58 pm

          Succussion, good sir. It must be succussion and only succussion.

          However, the flaws introduced into your preparation by your unfortunate stirring are sufficient to account for the content of your commentary here.

  4. A 4
    12 February 2019 at 6:32 pm

    They still suck at housing particularly disabled with multi year waiting lists and in certain regions generally but yeah pretty good result.

    • patricia bremner 4.1
      12 February 2019 at 8:24 pm

      Yes well 11 in Whangarei today. Multi year…. so not during this Goverments’ time?

  5. Muttonbird 5
    12 February 2019 at 7:12 pm

    Here is a further lie from the RWNJs. Hosking now promoting complete untruths about Kiwibuild.

    He also claims the houses which weren’t able to be sold in the original ballot are now “on the open market”.

    They are not “on the open market” because any buyer must be Kiwibuild eligible.

    Someone really needs to take these clowns to task on this but I expect the government is too busy soaring in the polls…

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12202920

    I actually have compliment Farrar at this point because he put a post up this morning on this very story and nowhere did he lie like Hosking and alwyn have by saying these houses were “on the open market”

    Good for him.

  6. Muttonbird 6
    12 February 2019 at 8:21 pm

    Alliteration game.

    The right wing were cock-a-hoop when they settled upon ‘Angry Andy’ as their special descriptor for Andrew Little. It had the advantage of being easy to grasp which was perfect for them.

    JA indirectly coined a phrase, ‘Simple, Simon’ but it is one which we on the socially conscious left, being shy of such phrases, won’t pursue because it is harmful for people with learning disabilities to be compared with Simon Bridges.

    After seeing pictures of Simon’s desperate finger pointing in Parliament today I couldn’t help but think he is every bit as angry as Andrew Little was purported to be, and equally as pumped up as the ponytail-puller when accusing Labour of supporting rapists.

    So why not create a moniker for Simon Bridges? Here’s a few:

    Racist Simon Whoops, not alliteration.
    Stroppy Simon
    Unbuilt Bridges
    Quarrelsimon
    Lying Simon
    Bumbling Bridges
    Dead man walkingSorry, we don’t know that at this stage
    Barking Bridges
    Dickhead

    That’s all I got. I also do birthdays and bar mitzvahs.

    • patricia bremner 6.1
      12 February 2019 at 8:40 pm

      I like ShoutySimon”

    • Robert Guyton 6.2
      12 February 2019 at 8:44 pm

      Bad-timin’ Simon?

    • alwyn 6.3
      12 February 2019 at 11:26 pm

      You are trying far to hard.
      That and the fact that you don’t have any truly imaginative or witty options.

      Why don’t you take lessons from the master of putdowns. Learn from the lycra clad Speaker of the House. Admire the skill of the “Right Honourable” Trevor Mallard.
      In one simple aside he produced the only nickname that will outlive both him and the subject of the slur.
      “Silly Little Girl” or, abbreviated SLG.
      He announced his description in Parliament. He claimed he had heard it said by someone on his deaf side but it was clearly all his own work. No-one else ever heard it and try as they could it was never detected on the tapes of business in the house. Short and sweet. Widely used by the subjects friends(?) and foes. Absolutely fitting because of the accuracy of the description.
      Still, it will live for the remaining 20 months of his targets political career, and of his own. Simple but memorable. It will last in the same way that “Piggy” defined Muldoon. Short, simple and a perfect summary of its subject.

      Learn from the master oh diesel soaked seagull. Your puerile attempts here really don’t qualify.

    • Gabby 6.4
      13 February 2019 at 10:09 am

      Slick don’t need no steenkin nickname mutty.

    • Morrissey 6.5
      13 February 2019 at 11:14 am

      Sidekick Simon.

    • Incognito 6.6
      13 February 2019 at 6:42 pm

      Sinking Simon

  7. Stuart Munro 7
    12 February 2019 at 8:58 pm

    Soymin – he’s as wobbly as the major ingredient of Malah Dofu, and he seems to be quietly sinified.

    There is also the rather apt Simony – which those who’ve read Dante will recall is the sin of selling holy offices and roles.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 7.1
      13 February 2019 at 12:49 pm

      Speaking of ‘wobbly’ –

      Tacoma Bridges

      “Fortunately, the only casualties were a car stored on the bridge, and a dog.”

  8. Muttonbird 8
    12 February 2019 at 9:08 pm

    How ironic that on Huawei the Ardern government has sided with Trump’s US at their request, and the Bridges opposition is siding with the Communist Party of China.

    What a strange world.

    Perhaps Simon should take a trip to Beijing to speak directly to the CPC on how to ‘resolve’ this issue…

  9. Muttonbird 9
    12 February 2019 at 10:40 pm

    There are some signs that Kiwiblog is creaking under the strain of National falling in the polls under the leadership of Simon Bridges. I suspect David Farrar is very busy right now.

    Several days in the last two weeks have been missing a general debate thread, unannounced, much to the chagrin…

    …do you know what? Who cares!

    • alwyn 9.1
      13 February 2019 at 9:03 am

      Kiwiblog’s General debate is certainly more popular than the one here though isn’t it MB?
      As of 9.00am today the General debate there for 13/02 had received 84 comments.
      The one here had only 3.
      Even some of the most dedicated contributors to this site are commenting much more frequently in Kiwiblog. I guess they just want an audience.

      • Incognito 9.1.1
        13 February 2019 at 7:13 pm

        Quantity has a quality all its own.

        I guess they just want an audience.

        I guess you’re projecting.

        • alwyn 9.1.1.1
          13 February 2019 at 7:32 pm

          Perhaps you are right.
          On the other hand Open Mike here today had received 35 comments as at 7.30pm.
          General Debate on Kiwiblog had 480 at the same time.

          • Muttonbird 9.1.1.1.1
            13 February 2019 at 8:02 pm

            I think you have to look at the demographic of the average KB commenters.

            Angry, white, middle-aged, lonely and retired. People with a significant amount of time on their hands to get worked up and say awful things about Jacinda Ardern.

            That’s literally what those 480 comments are about – misogynistic and racist venting.

            • alwyn 9.1.1.1.1.1
              13 February 2019 at 8:24 pm

              That’s all right.
              I am willing to wager that it accurately describes most of the people who comment on this site.
              Except for Jacinda Ardern of course. To most of the people who comment on this site she is an amalgam of Saint Teresa, Madame Curie, Gina Lollobrigida and Hillary Clinton. I’ve chosen a bunch of oldies as I think the term “late” middle-aged is appropriate.
              On the other hand they don’t seem to realise that, like Elvis, John Key has left the building. The demented raging about him never ceases to amaze me.

              I think you are a bit unfair to the Kiwiblog commentators though. At least half of them seem to be reasonably rational.
              It is the right wing comments on Whaleoil that most resemble the Left wing ones here. Crazy all of them.

              • Muttonbird …
                13 February 2019 at 8:34 pm

                I’d say about 15% are “reasonably rational”. 2/3rds are unhinged and abusive people with some serious personality disorders, and then there’s at least another 15% who appear to be very dangerous psychopaths.

                Have you amended your incorrect assertion that the six Wanaka Kiwibuild houses are now “on the open market”?

                • alwyn …
                  13 February 2019 at 9:00 pm

                  Wow, I assume you have no training in psychiatry.
                  Your judgement never was terribly good. You still seem to be one of those suffering from a very bad case of Key Derangement Syndrome.

                  Incorrect assertion about the Kiwibuild houses?
                  You seem to be about the only person in New Zealand who believes your claim
                  I think Stuff got it absolutely right when they created the headline for this article.
                  https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/110468062/six-wanaka-kiwibuild-houses-on-open-market
                  You, on the other hand told some real porkies about Kiwibuild.
                  Was it not you who claimed that three bedroom homes were always going to be about $650,000?
                  Yes it was. You didn’t even blush when it was proved that you were lying about the matter.

                  Give it up. Your favourite idiot, Phool Twitford has stuffed this up royally.

                  • Muttonbird …
                    13 February 2019 at 9:07 pm

                    I’ve acknowledged I got that figure wrong even though $600K was a 2017 figure and house price increases easily allow for the difference.

                    You however are determined to spread the untruth that the houses are on the open market and seem incapable of backing away from that blatant lie.

                    You’ll get a lot of credit here if you manage to suck it up, be brave, and apologise for your mistake.

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