Daily review 21/09/2022
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5:30 pm, September 21st, 2022 - 32 comments
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- Love, happiness, blur
The last few days have been a bit too much of a whirl for me to manage a fresh edition each day. It's been that kind of year. Hope you don't mind.I’ve been coming around to thinking that it doesn't really matter if you don't have something to say every ...37 minutes ago - All I Want For Christmas
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Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...11 hours ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Monday, December 23
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...12 hours ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #51
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Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...1 day ago - Government Forces Universities to Enforce “Free Speech” While Limiting Universities̵...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...1 day ago - Fact brief – Are we heading into an ‘ice age’?
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The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...2 days ago - Bernard’s last Saturday Soliloquy for 2024
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...2 days ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Saturday, December 21
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The government published its first Biennial Transparency Report under the Paris Agreement yesterday, and the media has correctly noted that it is missing any plan to actually meet our target. While it hypes domestic emissions reductions so far - which have been good, but will likely get worse thanks to ...3 days ago
- Economic Bulletin December 2024
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- ZB’s Power Couple
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...3 days ago - Austerity thumps GDP most since 1991
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- Weekly Roundup 20-December-2024
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The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...3 days ago
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Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment: Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...4 days ago
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Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...4 days ago
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The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...5 days ago
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AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...6 days ago - Minimum wage ‘increase’ is an effective cut
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The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...7 days ago
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This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...7 days ago
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And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...1 week ago - A Lipstick Government
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Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...1 week ago
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- Thank You
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...1 week ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #50
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...3 days ago
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It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...3 days ago
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The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...3 days ago
- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...4 days ago
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The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...4 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...5 days ago
- ECE no place to cut corners
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...5 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...6 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...6 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...6 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...6 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...6 days ago
- Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...6 days ago
- Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
- Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...1 week ago
- Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...1 week ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
- Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour fully supports greyhound racing ban
The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
- Greyhound racing industry ban marks new era for animal welfare
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- Rangatahi voices must be centred in Government’s Relationship and Sexuality Education refresh
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt introduces archaic anti-worker legislation
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- Winston Peters – Kinleith Mill Speech
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- Internationally-trained doctors jump at chance to boost health workforce
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- PM appoints business leader to APEC Business Advisory Council
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- Actions to speed up air travel delivering results
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- Ending contracted emergency housing in Rotorua
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- Vocational education and training decisions support return to regions
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- Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ
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- Launch of Emergency Cellular Priority Service
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- Funding confirmed for second Ashburton Bridge
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- Government seeks partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned-land
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- Torture redress for survivors of the Lake Alice Unit
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- New appointments to the Charities Registration Board
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- New Zealand to assist Vanuatu on earthquake response
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- Offshore Renewable Energy Bill passes first reading
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- Church Bioethics Agencies Express Dismay at the Rushed Consultation Period for Submissions on the Ge...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...13 hours ago
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I thought I would ask a question of some of our TS boffins.
My significant other has accumulated long service leave of 40 hours. They have now gone from full-time to .9 and their leave has dropped by 4 hours.
Can someone explain or justify this to me. My simple reckons say that the leave should be locked away as it was earned and has no bearing on what is going on nowadays.
Cheers in advance.
I think Long Service Leave is at the discretion of the employer and not a statutory entitlement.
Heh.
Sums it up really, the employer is Mid-Central Health.
I wonder why nurses are hard to come by?
Yes so it is as per my first comment.
Treating nurses like s…t…………..I am sure if she was a member of the professional managerial class it would be different.
And just to remind ourselves most people in Health NZ will be getting paid significantly more than her. Salt meet wound.
Is it specified in an employment contract clause?
I cant tell you atm.
The leave had been awarded, had been there 4 years and now it has gotten smaller.
Edit: Have found the offending sentence in the MECA.
The leave is awarded at the pro-rata of the full-time equivalent.
Seems niggardly, the employer has had the benefit of the 5 years full time mahi…
It may have been the result of an automated pay system (automatically applying ratios) rather than a deliberate decision by a human.
It would certainly be worthwhile querying it with HR, and requesting that the number of hours of special leave reflect the work pattern at the time the leave was granted.
At least, you'd then know it was a deliberate slap in the face, rather than an unintentional one.
I seem to think your partner is a health professional gsays. It shows the pettiness and lack of good will towards health professionals.
Frankly it stinks but doesn't surprize me.
Like avoiding a beer brewed by accountants, this is what you get when bean-counters run hospitals.
If it is in the past employment agreement and already earned. It cannot be removed by the employer.
I don't think you can turn say five days long service leave into more than five days by reducing your hours. It stays as five days regardless of the hours you work. Long service leave generally has to be all taken at once so it isn't like accrued annual leave. You get it purely on the basis of working so many years.
Equally if you increase your hours it still stays at five days.
I am deeply saddened by the reported news that the photo of Slime the Nitrate Monster has been left out of the election booklet for the Otago Regional Council.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/129950602/slime-the-nitrate-monster-has-photo-left-off-election-booklet
Saddened Belladonna? It is an outrage!
Vote for Slime!
An attack on free and fair elections in NZ. 🙂
One of my votes is definately going to Slime !!!
A lawyer weighs in on a Duma proposal to criminalise refusal to take part in combat operations. Punishable by up to 10 years in penal colony.
It seems that mobilization is being seriously prepared in Russia – and for this they even rewrote the Criminal Code. What if I don't want to fight? We discuss with a lawyer who helps recruits
[…]
Who is primarily targeted by the new laws?
“Today, they concern military personnel who are doing military service both under contract and by conscription, and citizens who are undergoing military training . The key, in my opinion, is the criminal liability for refusing to participate in hostilities. Over the past six months , a huge number of refuseniks have appeared who did not want to take part in the military operation or, already being there, refused and left for home. During these months, the term “500th” appeared – this is the name of those soldiers who do not want to go to war. In my opinion, this law was adopted primarily to combat them.
Commanders used to threaten military personnel for refusing to participate in the SVO. They said that they would be attracted for desertion or imprisoned for five years, but in fact not a single criminal case was initiated. Now such cases may appear. Today is actually the last day when you can refuse to participate in the CBO without the threat of criminal prosecution. This will be difficult to do in the future. If [the Federation Council and the President] sign and publish this bill today, it will be in force tomorrow.
[…]
– How will the new amendments affect conscripts?
– There was information that conscripts were being transferred to the border. For urgent service, everything changes in the same way as for contract service. Despite the fact that there were promises from both the President and the Minister of Defense that the conscripts would not participate in the military operation, we see that they are sent to the zone of this operation . Today they promise one thing, tomorrow another, and the legislation is written in a third way. Previously, the law allowedthe participation of conscripts in hostilities after four months of training in military registration specialty, and now [according to the new amendments] such a serviceman, if he is involved in hostilities after four months of service, will be subject to criminal liability for refusing to execute an order to participate in hostilities.
Moreover, the situation is even worse for conscripts. If a contract serviceman can seek early dismissal, then a conscripted serviceman is not subject to early dismissal. If the state really wanted to protect conscripts from participating in hostilities, they would have introduced appropriate prohibitions.
google translate
https://meduza.io/feature/2022/09/20/kazhetsya-v-rossii-vseriez-gotovyat-mobilizatsiyu-i-radi-etogo-dazhe-perepisali-ugolovnyy-kodeks-chto-delat-esli-ya-ne-hochu-voevat
News report about the complaints of Russian soldiers and their families.
Bloomberg reporting Putin live address to Russia.Says western powers causing problems with Russian Sovereignty,announces partial mobilization,US dollar goes upward,Kiwi down.
Power play to upset markets (euro drops 1/4%) etc.Kiwi at .5884.
Sabre rattling from RT's editor in chief.
Judging by what is happening and still about to happen, this week marks either the eve of our imminent victory, or the eve of nuclear war. I can't see anything third.
https://twitter.com/M_Simonyan/status/1572168609555701760
I think he shorted the euro,Oil up as well.
And this from state TV.
https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1571821303253946368
The language was strong (this is not a joke,we will defend Donbass) Blames Nato satellites etc,and mobilization is underway 300k reserves.
With most world leaders asleep in NY for UN meet,and FED decision coming in,significant timing.
Global debt markets fall as funds move to safe have and commodities.
Japan Central Bank mobilizes Japanese industrial strength as Panasonic and Toshiba printers turned to super max as BOJ starts buying of 1 trillion yen of bonds,to defend Yen.
.
Seen a couple of reckons that Poots' urgency about referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk is about turning his special military operations into a defensive war.
The recent UkR Counter Offensive, is like LCPL Jones sticking a cold one up'em.
The Russians are now playing for time & they know the next Phase of the UkR Offensive. Means they likely to lose the lot in Eastern Ukraine. On top of the Situation in the Kherson Pocket, which is slowly becoming his Stalingrad.
Poot's has almost gone all in on the poker table & hoping he can still bluff everyone with his pair 2's for the pot.
He'd be lucky if he still has a pair.
https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/status/1572358998858293249
https://twitter.com/OlgaNYC1211/status/1572439090171351040
https://twitter.com/zoyashef/status/1572150745730002944
Also all NATO Aircraft from the Baltic to the Black Sea over the last 24hrs have switched off their Transponders.
There is also appears to be another OPSEC blackout in Ukraine especially in the Nth East- East.
Tsar Poot's actions of the last 24hrs both & Military & Politically has got a Götterdämmerung feel to it.
It feels, he's about to all in on the poker table & still bluff his way to the pot with his pair of 2's he still holding.
Got some mates in the Pommy Army & RAF Regt.
Apart my mate in RAF Rgt who been a tad busy on ceremonial duties,
The lads in Eastern Europe having been appearing less frequent on SM & only are talking to their NOK only via phone now.
Even of the UK Recce/ Light Cav Units I follow have gone very quiet for this time of the yr apart from the usual HM tributes on SM.
I hope I'm reading to much in my tea leaves, even though I drink tea like I do with a 12doz & jug in my hand.
Scud how is the health system treating you this week?
You were having a torrid time recently.
Its been a complete dogs breakfast atm, 2hrs on the MRI this morning wasn't fun.
Currently transition drugs for the morning which has been tough for this particular drug as most people trip up trying to get off it. Hoping to start the another one next week, but we leave it until my next visit as the Dr's would like get me back home for a break.
As 2mths in the Jamie Lacombe Centre, has been bloody tough both mentally & physically.
Weren't China's US debt holdings supposed to be their financial weapon?
https://twitter.com/JeffreyKleintop/status/1571554702189563904
Ardern, at the UN, ruling out windfall taxes on Energy companies in NZ.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/jacinda-ardern-brushes-off-un-call-for-tax-on-energy-companies/ZJZ4XVVBCCTUEOH4FCFHSAM7MU/?c_id=1&objectid=12553489&ref=rss
A tiny capital-poor country caged by oligopolies creaming it in energy, fuel, banking, ports, airports, supermarkets, dairy, insurance, water, fishing, and more.
What could a strongre-nationalising government like this one do?
An Auckland school hired a sexual abuser.
Naturally enough parents are upset. Some parents are demanding that the principal be stood down while the matter is investigated.
One parent at a Board of Trustees meeting threatened to take their child from the school unless the principal was suspended. I think he should take his kid to some other school. One where threats to override due process are welcomed.
Another parent, a lawyer, said if the school did not take their complaints seriously he would take legal action against the board.
What does "take their complaints seriously"mean? Does it mean the school should do what he wants? Them not doing what he wants means they're not taking the issue seriously?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/furious-parents-demand-principal-step-down-at-school-which-hired-sexual-abuser/M5DTCGDOW6A5DNZ7OP6ICJOVNU/
https://twitter.com/ksadjadpour/status/1572359104093470724