Today's open mike. Scroll down the covidian arguments (if you can be bothered) and look at which channel provides the bulk of the youtube links people use.
McFlock is providing his opinion – off-thread – of the validity of this person –
check our employment and education – having the audacity to talk to this person – who has only published these and advises the Danish government on the Covid response – and both coming to the conclusion that aspiration should be the method of Covid vaccine delivery.
Opinions of the pathologist who performed the autopsy are most certainly to be taken seriously(unless you're so invested in a particular opinion yourself you are driven to oppose that expert advice)
I was noting how people with shared opinions seem to share sources. [Not a medical] Dr John might be the best or only communicator of medical science on youtube. Or it could just be that "do your own research" simply means "watch this youtube channel I like".
But hey, he supports your preconceptions, he must be telling the truth (the whole truth, and nothing but the truth) rather than selecting his sources based on what his segment likes.
he does seem to have skills at explaining things in ways that are easy to follow. That's useful, but I noted the other day that he uses words like 'may' a lot. Which is fine but I'm not sure why people attribute certainty in that case.
"…but I noted the other day that he uses words like 'may' a lot. "
That's one of the reasons I link to him, he doesn't draw conclusions from newly released data or unreviewed papers. I don't mind that aspect, and given the links you can go and investigate further.
Given the emergent nature of Covid and its variants looking for trends is going to help adapt responses. I'm alright with the uncertain nature, its a result of the situation. I've tried not to claim certainty when none has been given, either in the video or the links.
I completely agree. Unfortunately his videos are being used to forward arguments by people who are asserting certainty.
I haven't watched him enough to know if he is playing to that audience or if he is genuinely just providing data and analysis and some people are misusing that.
My own position, precautionary principle, is based on the uncertainty and once we push that button there is no going back. I think there is much to be discussed about why people chose the position they do. I was talking to a young woman recently who referenced JC's vids, and who seems to believe that opening up is the best thing in the basis that omicron is mild. It was kind of hard to point out that we just don't know yet. When I dug a bit deeper, it turns out she really just needs some good news. And despite us talking a bit about the importance of good information she seemed unaware of how that need was impacting on what she was believing.
We all have bias of course. But more so than most areas generally I see people strongly attached to their belief across the board.
I haven't watched him enough to know if he is playing to that audience or if he is genuinely just providing data and analysis and some people are misusing that.
He is genuinely just providing analysis, and I believe (from delving into his archive pre Covid) he sincerely wants to explain and demystify physiology and basic biochemistry and pharmacology. He is a nurse, and an educator.
Covid has seen him (and a few others) really step up and put the stats and the research before the public. His very early discussions on Vitamin D3 saw him step slightly away from the hard core government line. He has been staunchly pro vax from the start. At the cost of some viewers and has attracted some unkind comments.
However…he has done deep dives into Ivermectin…and compared that existing drug (with a solid decades long safety record) with the new Pfizer protease inhibitor (with fuck all safety record and a narrower MOA). He has clearly been through some intellectual changes as he has had to get his head around the massive censorship of certain research and Covid treatments and the dismissal by officials of basic public health and nursing protocols.
…most certainly gave him a prominent position on the global scale.
Much needed mainstream discussion of the very serious and not so rare side effects of the mRNA vaccines and continued discussion of aspiration when administering the jabs.
A simple procedure, and clearly Campbell (and millions of others of us throughout the world) is truly baffled why this is not being made compulsory simply as a precautionary measure.
And I find his avoidance of dogma refreshing.
Don't know about anyone else, but the supposed certainties of "safe and effective" and "protects from serious disease, hospitalisation and death" a little unnerving…from a political point of view…especially when delivered repeatedly from the podium of the single source of truth.
Thanks Rosemary, I will take a look at his pre-covid vids.
Yeah, I don't think anything is certain at this point and I've always assumed that the vaccines would have down sides (and this was definitely part of my personal risk assessment in choosing to be vaccinated). The first year of debate here about it all being glorious and going to save us was tedious. I'm glad that's settled down a bit as people realise the limitations of the covid vaccine and how that factors in what we need to be doing.
Ther flipside is that he does a lot of deep dives on a variety of issue that are well outside his area of training, which means that for a lot of it he doesn't really know the context of his source material. Especially when he raised studies that have been largely ignored, maybe they were ignored because of horrendous systemic bias in the global medical system, or maybe they've been largely ignored because they are small and have some confounding factors that weren't clearly addressed.
Additionally, a lack of specialist knowledge places more emphasis on how he gathers his source articles and interviewees. If he has a systemic bias, eg involves some reference gathering from his comments section, that's a problem.
But some folks with a particular distrust of the medical profession like what they hear, so good for him, I guess. Whether they hear what he said, or whether what he said reflects the research he's reporting, or whether his research is a fair coverage of whatever pretty dense sector of study he's reporting on… those are other questions entirely.
Scott Morrison's best mate, right wing libertarian, pro-business premier of NSW, Dominic Perrotet (we call him Parrot Hat for some reason) is just beginning to panic* as case numbers and hospitalisations are rapidly increasing in NSW. 80% of cases are now Omicron, so what happens here will be certainly worth watching in NZ for when the inevitable happens and Omicron escapes from MIQ. Thanks to the border between Queensland and NSW opening, Queensland's case numbers, mostly Omicron like NSW, are also rapidly increasing. It's the first time since we flew back to Brisbane from Auckland last April that there is a palpable sense of worry in this state.
We are so incredibly lucky in NZ to be behind the rest of the world.
And steering our own course without the need to copy the actions of the UK and Australia. The Aus example of personal responsibility when Omicron is running rampant seems a pretty odd sort of path. Though if their hospitals have the capacity, they may be just letting her rip until this capacity is reached then putting the brakes on again.
Despite a milder version their health system (which is better resourced than our own) appears to be struggling.
"With about 1500 hospital workers across the state’s health system in isolation due to COVID-19, some staff have been asked to reverse holiday leave to bolster the workforce as the outbreak grows."….
"“If you don’t feel unwell, you don’t need to be tested,” Mr Perrottet said. “Many people across the state who are asymptomatic, who do not feel unwell, are lining up for a PCR test. This is putting enormous pressure on the system.”….
"Screenshots of NSW Ambulance’s control centre status board, seen by the Herald, show that on Wednesday the average response time for P1, or potentially life-threatening cases, was 58 minutes across the Sydney metropolitan area.
P1 category cases include unconscious patients, people having an acute heart attack or choking.
“We’re asking people to save calling triple zero for saving lives,” Mr Dutton said."
Add to that, the issue of long covid and/or recurrent acute infections in health care providers. This is the concern with the NHS in the UK now, so many staff are dead, burned out, traumatised, long covid, or quit while they still could, and how will the system sustain itself over the next ten years? I guess in neoliberal marketland, there are always more workers waiting to be exploited.
The problem seems to be 'staff isolating' when maybe they don't need to be. And besides aren't they all fully vaccinated and therefore unable to pass the virus on?
Staff isolating is part of it…i'd suggest a small part. Theres inability to fill positions, increased workload, increased precautions etc…it all adds to the problem….and I assume the vaccination comment is tongue in cheek.
Staff isolating is part of it…i'd suggest a small part.
Well the linked article suggested otherwise with over 1500 staff stood down. That's non-trivial in my book and only adds pressure to an already stressed system – as you say. But if it’s Omicron involved in these stand downs, the logic of this is open to question in my view.
Another aspect to be cautious of is that Australia is still seeing a mix of Delta and Omicron cases – and given their very different severity it's going to be important to separate the data for both in order to properly understand what's going on.
According to Kerry Chant (NSW's CHO), 80% of all new cases in NSW are Omicron. That ratio is probably higher in Queensland. There is no consensus on how severe Omicron is compared to Delta, as yet. I know we all hope new variants become less severe, but there is no guarantee that will happen. The 7 day hospitalisation rate for NSW is definitely following the trend for case numbers, i.e. upwards, but later and not so steep. Fingers crossed, but a lot of nervousness in Oz and a precautionary stance is definitely the best stratgey at the moment.
More or less agree. The challenge to understand what's happening in Australia right now is the mix of factors playing into it. Regardless of Omicron or not, the relaxation of restrictions was always going to see something of a surge in Delta cases and deaths anyway.
Then Omicron has come along right over the top of this, confusing the hell out of the picture.
According to Kerry Chant (NSW's CHO), 80% of all new cases in NSW are Omicron. That ratio is probably higher in Queensland. There is no consensus on how severe Omicron is compared to Delta, as yet. I know we all hope new variants become less severe, but there is no guarantee that will happen. The 7 day hospitalisation rate for NSW is definitely following the trend for case numbers, i.e. upwards, but later and not so steep. Fingers crossed, but a lot of nervousness in Oz and a precautionary stance is definitely the best strategy at the moment.
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Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
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The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
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“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
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A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
Videos from [not a medical] Dr John Campbell seemed to substitute for a lot of work today.
He sure knows how to target a market segment.
His PhD focused on the development of open learning resources for nurses. The PhD allows him to use the Dr title.
Indeed.
But he's not a medical doctor.
I didn't see anything of this – is there a url to be enlightened?
Today's open mike. Scroll down the covidian arguments (if you can be bothered) and look at which channel provides the bulk of the youtube links people use.
McFlock is providing his opinion – off-thread – of the validity of this person –
check our employment and education – having the audacity to talk to this person – who has only published these and advises the Danish government on the Covid response – and both coming to the conclusion that aspiration should be the method of Covid vaccine delivery.
Horror of horrors, it was then posted on the dreaded Youtube.
The inhumanity didn't stop there, as always the conclusion was quantified and links provided for independent research.
Then someone on TS had the temerity to post the link to such unqualified discussion as an explanatory, and source of further links.
As we know, preferred robust debate is comments bravely made off-thread in a snarky manner, without actually getting dirtied by actual discussion.
I'm practicing this method here.
And a NZ link on today's Open Mike also recommends our vaccinators aspirate in light of the latest vaccine related myocarditis death .
But McFlock knows best!!
Opinions ain't recommendations.
Opinions of the pathologist who performed the autopsy are most certainly to be taken seriously(unless you're so invested in a particular opinion yourself you are driven to oppose that expert advice)
It's a different thread.
I was noting how people with shared opinions seem to share sources. [Not a medical] Dr John might be the best or only communicator of medical science on youtube. Or it could just be that "do your own research" simply means "watch this youtube channel I like".
But hey, he supports your preconceptions, he must be telling the truth (the whole truth, and nothing but the truth) rather than selecting his sources based on what his segment likes.
he does seem to have skills at explaining things in ways that are easy to follow. That's useful, but I noted the other day that he uses words like 'may' a lot. Which is fine but I'm not sure why people attribute certainty in that case.
"…but I noted the other day that he uses words like 'may' a lot. "
That's one of the reasons I link to him, he doesn't draw conclusions from newly released data or unreviewed papers. I don't mind that aspect, and given the links you can go and investigate further.
Given the emergent nature of Covid and its variants looking for trends is going to help adapt responses. I'm alright with the uncertain nature, its a result of the situation. I've tried not to claim certainty when none has been given, either in the video or the links.
I completely agree. Unfortunately his videos are being used to forward arguments by people who are asserting certainty.
I haven't watched him enough to know if he is playing to that audience or if he is genuinely just providing data and analysis and some people are misusing that.
My own position, precautionary principle, is based on the uncertainty and once we push that button there is no going back. I think there is much to be discussed about why people chose the position they do. I was talking to a young woman recently who referenced JC's vids, and who seems to believe that opening up is the best thing in the basis that omicron is mild. It was kind of hard to point out that we just don't know yet. When I dug a bit deeper, it turns out she really just needs some good news. And despite us talking a bit about the importance of good information she seemed unaware of how that need was impacting on what she was believing.
We all have bias of course. But more so than most areas generally I see people strongly attached to their belief across the board.
I haven't watched him enough to know if he is playing to that audience or if he is genuinely just providing data and analysis and some people are misusing that.
He is genuinely just providing analysis, and I believe (from delving into his archive pre Covid) he sincerely wants to explain and demystify physiology and basic biochemistry and pharmacology. He is a nurse, and an educator.
Covid has seen him (and a few others) really step up and put the stats and the research before the public. His very early discussions on Vitamin D3 saw him step slightly away from the hard core government line. He has been staunchly pro vax from the start. At the cost of some viewers and has attracted some unkind comments.
However…he has done deep dives into Ivermectin…and compared that existing drug (with a solid decades long safety record) with the new Pfizer protease inhibitor (with fuck all safety record and a narrower MOA). He has clearly been through some intellectual changes as he has had to get his head around the massive censorship of certain research and Covid treatments and the dismissal by officials of basic public health and nursing protocols.
His long interview with young Kyle….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7inaTiDKaU&t=0s
…most certainly gave him a prominent position on the global scale.
Much needed mainstream discussion of the very serious and not so rare side effects of the mRNA vaccines and continued discussion of aspiration when administering the jabs.
A simple procedure, and clearly Campbell (and millions of others of us throughout the world) is truly baffled why this is not being made compulsory simply as a precautionary measure.
And I find his avoidance of dogma refreshing.
Don't know about anyone else, but the supposed certainties of "safe and effective" and "protects from serious disease, hospitalisation and death" a little unnerving…from a political point of view…especially when delivered repeatedly from the podium of the single source of truth.
Thanks Rosemary, I will take a look at his pre-covid vids.
Yeah, I don't think anything is certain at this point and I've always assumed that the vaccines would have down sides (and this was definitely part of my personal risk assessment in choosing to be vaccinated). The first year of debate here about it all being glorious and going to save us was tedious. I'm glad that's settled down a bit as people realise the limitations of the covid vaccine and how that factors in what we need to be doing.
Ther flipside is that he does a lot of deep dives on a variety of issue that are well outside his area of training, which means that for a lot of it he doesn't really know the context of his source material. Especially when he raised studies that have been largely ignored, maybe they were ignored because of horrendous systemic bias in the global medical system, or maybe they've been largely ignored because they are small and have some confounding factors that weren't clearly addressed.
Additionally, a lack of specialist knowledge places more emphasis on how he gathers his source articles and interviewees. If he has a systemic bias, eg involves some reference gathering from his comments section, that's a problem.
But some folks with a particular distrust of the medical profession like what they hear, so good for him, I guess. Whether they hear what he said, or whether what he said reflects the research he's reporting, or whether his research is a fair coverage of whatever pretty dense sector of study he's reporting on… those are other questions entirely.
Fun twitter thread #1: The tree frog
https://twitter.com/simoncurtis/status/1473144616828510212?s=20
I see a frog.
https://twitter.com/Stonekettle/status/1473399146266644485
Fun tweet #2: Punk rock goat
https://twitter.com/pietersender/status/1473423423716175873?s=20
but did she learn to pogo? probably sussed the spitting first…
Scott Morrison's best mate, right wing libertarian, pro-business premier of NSW, Dominic Perrotet (we call him Parrot Hat for some reason) is just beginning to panic* as case numbers and hospitalisations are rapidly increasing in NSW. 80% of cases are now Omicron, so what happens here will be certainly worth watching in NZ for when the inevitable happens and Omicron escapes from MIQ. Thanks to the border between Queensland and NSW opening, Queensland's case numbers, mostly Omicron like NSW, are also rapidly increasing. It's the first time since we flew back to Brisbane from Auckland last April that there is a palpable sense of worry in this state.
ah, the laissex-faire pandemic response. The market (or nature) will prevail and all will be well. /snort
We are so incredibly lucky in NZ to be behind the rest of the world.
And steering our own course without the need to copy the actions of the UK and Australia. The Aus example of personal responsibility when Omicron is running rampant seems a pretty odd sort of path. Though if their hospitals have the capacity, they may be just letting her rip until this capacity is reached then putting the brakes on again.
Despite a milder version their health system (which is better resourced than our own) appears to be struggling.
"With about 1500 hospital workers across the state’s health system in isolation due to COVID-19, some staff have been asked to reverse holiday leave to bolster the workforce as the outbreak grows."….
"“If you don’t feel unwell, you don’t need to be tested,” Mr Perrottet said. “Many people across the state who are asymptomatic, who do not feel unwell, are lining up for a PCR test. This is putting enormous pressure on the system.”….
"Screenshots of NSW Ambulance’s control centre status board, seen by the Herald, show that on Wednesday the average response time for P1, or potentially life-threatening cases, was 58 minutes across the Sydney metropolitan area.
P1 category cases include unconscious patients, people having an acute heart attack or choking.
“We’re asking people to save calling triple zero for saving lives,” Mr Dutton said."
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/hospitals-under-pressure-with-hundreds-of-staff-isolating-as-restrictions-return-20211223-p59jsc.html
that's incredibly sobering.
Add to that, the issue of long covid and/or recurrent acute infections in health care providers. This is the concern with the NHS in the UK now, so many staff are dead, burned out, traumatised, long covid, or quit while they still could, and how will the system sustain itself over the next ten years? I guess in neoliberal marketland, there are always more workers waiting to be exploited.
Its worth noting how wide the impacts are….the 'health system' is more than hospitals and nurses.
I doubt we can afford to burn out/disincentivise the limited health sector workers we currently enjoy.
yes, I'm just writing a post, and pointing out that hospitals can't function without cleaners and service people either.
The problem seems to be 'staff isolating' when maybe they don't need to be. And besides aren't they all fully vaccinated and therefore unable to pass the virus on?
Staff isolating is part of it…i'd suggest a small part. Theres inability to fill positions, increased workload, increased precautions etc…it all adds to the problem….and I assume the vaccination comment is tongue in cheek.
Staff isolating is part of it…i'd suggest a small part.
Well the linked article suggested otherwise with over 1500 staff stood down. That's non-trivial in my book and only adds pressure to an already stressed system – as you say. But if it’s Omicron involved in these stand downs, the logic of this is open to question in my view.
Another aspect to be cautious of is that Australia is still seeing a mix of Delta and Omicron cases – and given their very different severity it's going to be important to separate the data for both in order to properly understand what's going on.
And yes tongue was in cheek somewhat.
Stood down, or on sick leave……and 'a small part' does not equate to trivial.
According to Kerry Chant (NSW's CHO), 80% of all new cases in NSW are Omicron. That ratio is probably higher in Queensland. There is no consensus on how severe Omicron is compared to Delta, as yet. I know we all hope new variants become less severe, but there is no guarantee that will happen. The 7 day hospitalisation rate for NSW is definitely following the trend for case numbers, i.e. upwards, but later and not so steep. Fingers crossed, but a lot of nervousness in Oz and a precautionary stance is definitely the best stratgey at the moment.
More or less agree. The challenge to understand what's happening in Australia right now is the mix of factors playing into it. Regardless of Omicron or not, the relaxation of restrictions was always going to see something of a surge in Delta cases and deaths anyway.
Then Omicron has come along right over the top of this, confusing the hell out of the picture.
Given the first known cases of Omicron arose in Botswana on November 9th – we've actually got close to seven weeks of experience with this variant now. I would expect we should have a clear idea of how it behaves in various settings by the end of January at the latest.
According to Kerry Chant (NSW's CHO), 80% of all new cases in NSW are Omicron. That ratio is probably higher in Queensland. There is no consensus on how severe Omicron is compared to Delta, as yet. I know we all hope new variants become less severe, but there is no guarantee that will happen. The 7 day hospitalisation rate for NSW is definitely following the trend for case numbers, i.e. upwards, but later and not so steep. Fingers crossed, but a lot of nervousness in Oz and a precautionary stance is definitely the best strategy at the moment.