Just thinking aloud for a moment reading the words… foreign political donations….. makes me think of jlr and all of his recent questions in parliament.
Pssst pauline, are these some of your mates on the youtube?
“Senior One Nation figures James Ashby and Steve Dickson claim they had been “on the sauce” drinking scotch for “three or four hours” when discussing seeking a $20m donation from the National Rifle Association to the far-right Australian party.”
Almost overlooked: You say the Jews are defending Mossad! That is a nasty smear on the Jews – OMG, from the NZ Jewish Council themselves! Ahmed Bhamji is the man, respect to the Masjid E Umar!
And over at stuffed we have that wee poodle Tracy Watkins standing on a bar stool.
Just what is Tract Watkins “sincerely hoping” for here when she says:
“Once the realities of domestic politics intrude – and they have already, after a week-long political truce – those expectations may run far ahead of what Ardern can realistically deliver. Because the extraordinary political circumstances that allowed her to announce new gun laws with near-unanimous support will likely never occur again – we sincerely hope……….”
But if it keeps on rising it will eventually turn cold and become an icicle and then it will fall back to earth and melt away to nothing. Ahhh… not sure what that’s got to do with the price of fish but never mind. It’s late.
Watkins and the rest of the Press Gallery have been reduced to bit players in the last week and a half, they will be wanting to rectify that and have normal service resumed ASAP.
And your answer is ‘ conservative’. Which really should translate not as ‘ conservative ‘ at all. Far more accurate to name her as she is : a neo liberal radical liberalist, a globalist.
… ‘ She was a founding member of the group Conservatives for an Australian Head of State ‘…
This is how the far right wing will launch their attacks on our Prime Minister. By couching her as a recipient of good favor by NZ First and Winston Peters,… which may be true to an extent ,… but certainly and by no means detract’s from the excellent job she is doing.
Is Judith jealous ???
PS : Here’s a clue…
———————————
Sloan said the New Zealand election was “surprising” considering the “success of the previous National Party governments” under former prime ministers John Key and Bill English. She said they “artfully” steered us through the global financial crisis and Christchurch earthquakes.
It’s The Australian. She’s preaching to the choir. Best to just ignore this bullshit.
With the NSW election out of the way it won’t be long now before Morrison calls the Federal polls. Prospects look terrible for the government and their media backers are starting to lose it.
None of it will matter in the long run though WK. Ardern is forging a bond now with the electorate that leaves the commentariat sidelined and grasping for relevance. I’ve stopped worrying.
The Ockers have got their knickers in a knot ’cause the good ol’ Kiwi dollar is up around 95c AUD, and was dollar for dollar a couple of weeks ago. NZD’s rightful place being AUD 80c or less.
Unfortunately for the poor Ockers it’s all their problem, NZD’s cross rates to most major currencies are in sort of normal ranges. Not happy times over the ditch
Yes, I nearly choke on my smoked Chicken roll at lunch today while reading that garbage from old Judith and I normally don’t read anything by her outside the finance section, and even then it’s usually a passing glance as it’s usually a load of bollocks most the time.
Most commentators and most of the journalists in the Oz or in most old Mates paper know 4/5ths of F*** all about MMP and if I had changed $5 since being in Oz since 98 for explaining MMP, the last election and why NZ has MMP I’ll flying about in MkVc Spritfire with my mid to late1930’s Bentley, SS or 3 wheel Morgan in the Hanger with couple of farms in Oz and NZ by now.
They think Key is god and old Bill is a saint over here in the Fourth Estate especially outside of the The Age, SMH and the ABC.
Sometimes I have to bite my tongue 😛 when reading the Oz paper in morning while have a coffee or tea at my local cafe.
Most commentators and most of the journalists in the Oz or in most old Mates paper know 4/5ths of F*** all about MMP and if I had changed $5 since being in Oz since 98 for explaining MMP, the last election and why NZ has MMP I’ll flying about in MkVc Spritfire with my mid to late1930’s Bentley, SS or 3 wheel Morgan in the Hanger with couple of farms in Oz and NZ by now.
You ol petrolhead!
Think of the planet – get a Tesla.
Rest assured Macro, the plant is safe for as I didn’t win $70m Oz lotto last night and I don’t think a Tesla will handle the NT environment as everything up here is big up here in the NT. Even the road trains and the other type of train (the Choo Choo one) have a few problems with the wildlife as the majors roads, rail line outside of Darwin or the major populated areas are unfenced.
Plus I haven’t seen a Tesla car or let alone any charging stations either around Darwin area, but I’ve seen an awful lot of those bloody big gas/ desiel guzzler Yankee 4wd Ute’s / pickup wagons of late and god only knows why the heck you want one of those big wide monsters anyway as they nexts to being bloody useless off road in the wet season.
LOL yeah I’m well aware of those road trains impressive! – I have family in Perth so have visited the West a few times and a friend in Queensland is one of those inveterate outbackers – they just did 10,000 km round the North – can’t for the life of me think why! Actually another mate of mine has a Tesla – and I have been having trouble with the 10th commandment ever since. I shall just have to make do with my hybrid.
Today it was mow the lawns at the bach day -not realising it was also beach hop day. OMG! Literally thousands of yank Tanks – fortunately they were going in the opposite direction. But I spent the day contemplating on the premiss that we really are an adolescent, if not infantile, species.
Having said that – I have a lasting recollection of a ’33 Bentley blatting around the Dunlop tyre factory in Upper Hutt one evening after work had finished for the day. My sis grazed her horse in the paddock next to the factory and I happened to be there when this Bentley arrived. The sound from its large copper pipe exhaust reverberating off the factory walls still lingers in my mind. I was an adolescent then and that sort of thing impressed.
Oh and I’ve got to sit in the cockpit of a Mosquito and been up close and personal to a Spit. Another mate is an ex warbird pilot.
You lucky sod for getting a sit in a mossie, my late NZ grandparents had a Austin 7 Saloon Vintage car which they drag me and younger brother when he was older a enough around NZ and hence my love of the 1930- 40’s cars and planes. But I’ve managed got to having sit in a Panzer 4 and Tiger 1 in the UK a few yrs, but buggers wouldn’t let me out of the hanger after I both started them. That same trip I also got an off limits tour of HMS Victory and would stay with me for a very long time.
hmmmm nice! 2020 delivery and 12,000 pre ordered so maybe not next year. 🙁 but certainly the way to go A range of 200 miles is ok but you would not be taking into the outback very far unfortunately.
Yeah, really needs an i3 style range extender. Workhorse were planning to put one in their w-15, but IIRC last I saw they’ve dropped it. California regs.
Now that is more like it! What was the prob with the regs? A 400 mile range would be very useful. One charge between Auckland and Wellington – making it very do-able.
There’s different regs for petrol-powered range extenders in Cal. Don’t remember exactly what they are, but they’re complicated. They’re the cause of US-spec i3s having to run the battery down to 5% before the range extender can kick on, and the fuel tank being software limited to 7 litres, so the range extender is more a limp-home tool. Whereas euro spec i3s you can tell the range extender to kick on anytime and maintain battery state of charge, and use the full 9 litres of fuel.
That vid is kinda old, it was from before the decision to not have the range extender. The 400 miles was basically 80 miles pure electric plus 320 miles petrol-powered range extension.
Look’s like they nicked a Landrover Defender and just plonked a electic motor in, with hi ho sliver of we go but a of range of 200km aren’t going to get you far in Oz or anywhere else for that matter unless you are Western Europe.
Yes I’ll watched it, as I would be interesting to know how big the engine bay is and wondering to see if it’s possible to retro fit an electric motor into my Landie in the future once the technology advances IRT to range and 4wd.
I have an on-line acquaintance from another site who has retrofitted an old toyota starlet with an electric motor and uses it for local running. It’s been his main mode of transport for some years now. He’s very excited about the new tesla batteries as even a smaller one of them will give him a much extended range. He lives just up the road in the Coromandel and his son attends the local ATC but we haven’t got to meet although he and my eldest used to travel together to Waikato Uni for lectures.
I’ve been watching Tesla IRT it’s batteries of late and have been quite impressed at what they are doing atm. It’s one of the reasons why i has to push the Minister of Finance to spend a little bit more on our on grid Solar System so we can make seemless transition to off grid in the future.
I’ve got fantasies of converting my Defender. Been looking out for a wrecked i3 REx to rob the powertrain and battery out of. Actually bid on one a while back, but it was an easily repairable one so someone else was willing to pay a lot more than I was.
Get rid of the diesel engine and gearbox, stick about a 3:1 single stage reducer on the electric motor, and run it straight into the transfer box. Then I’d have a useful highway speed range, and a useful crawler range.
The electric motor is roughly the same size as the gearbox, so the whole engine bay would be free for controller, range extender etc, and the battery pack would go in the back on the floor. Or maybe below the floor between the chassis rails if I could be bothered tearing it down to package it all in a bit better.
Thank god I’m not the only lunatic around here thinking of converting his Landie to a all electric drive Landie.
I was think of putting the battery system where the fuel tank would’ve been, but between the chassis rails seems a good idea.
My other concern is I have a separate stand alone battery system with Red Arc converter thingy for my fridge and freezer which only put in for very long trips when the local shop isn’t down the road so to speak. I’m wondering if that may need replacing when I go all electric?
I don’t think you’d need replace your existing electronic goods. As long as you’ve got a rough guess of total power output then you should know how much range and usage and storage you’ll need. My neighbour bought a second hand Tesla Model S battery pack online and that’s got enough storage to run his two person house, washer, solar cloth dryer, gadgets, water pump, it’s enough storage to run for three days with out recharging and electric vehicles are, at least the Tesla range is really customisable so you can increase the storage by what ever you want really. Base models are $30k US where as just a year ago they where over a $100k. So the more EVs sold the cheaper they’re getting.
This was the powerful routinely humiliating the powerless ….complete misunderstanding of the law my arse.
An investigation into illegal internal examinations of female prisoners at an Auckland jail brought back horrific memories for the victims, an independent watchdog says.
Auckland University sociologist Professor Tracey McIntosh spoke to prisoners and told Stuff there appeared to have been “a complete misunderstanding” of the law at the Auckland Region women’s jail at Wiri.
She said for her independent oversight role when Corrections investigated claims of illegal, intrusive physical searches of female inmates, the prisoners were brought in to see her and a senior Corrections staffer one by one.
To be able to charge loads of fees
To be able to make parents buy devices they cannot afford
To pander to internation students
To kick out ‘dumb kids’ that make their schools look bad
**TO RUN SCHOOLS AS A TRADEABLE BUSINESS COMMODITY AND NOT A PUBLIC SERVICE**
To be honest, I trust civil servants to run schools than the red faced reactionary bourgeois hacks that control most boards of trustees, and have their own little networks.
The Hubs are going to shine some light on all the corruption and nepotism that goes on in our education system, and some people dont like that.
All the Ruskies need to do is tweet “troops” and out go the lights in Venezuelan again. Hmmmm, James Bond says twice is a coincidence. Who remembers what 007 says about three times?
Guaido just confirmed he is behind the power outage!
“There will be no continuation of electricity in Venezuela until Maduro is removed.”
Looks like a US/Ruski cyber-tech-war over Venezuela. Most likely the power grid has a virus, which unreportedly drops the three phase down to one.
The final Atlas Network playbook puzzle piece is here, and it slipped in to Aotearoa New Zealand with little fan fare or attention. The implications are stark.Today, writes Dr Bex, the submission for the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill closes: 11:59pm January 16, 2025.As usual, the language of the ...
Excitement in the seaside village! Look what might be coming! 400 million dollars worth of investment! In the very beating heart of the village! Are we excited and eager to see this happen, what with every last bank branch gone and shops sitting forlornly quiet awaiting a customer?Yes please, apply ...
Much discussion has been held over the Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB), the latest in a series of rightwing attempts to enshrine into law pro-market precepts such as the primacy of private property ownership. Underneath the good governance and economic efficiency gobbledegook language of the Bill is an interest to strip ...
We are concerned that the Amendment Bill, as proposed, could impair the operations and legitimate interests of the NZ Trade Union movement. It is also likely to negatively impact the ability of other civil society actors to conduct their affairs without the threat of criminal sanctions. We ask that ...
I can't take itHow could I fake it?How could I fake it?And I can't take itHow could I fake it?How could I fake it?Song: The Lonely Biscuits.“A bit nippy”, I thought when I woke this morning, and then, soon after that, I wondered whether hell had frozen over. Dear friends, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Asheville, North Carolina, was once widely considered a climate haven thanks to its elevated, inland location and cooler temperatures than much of the Southeast. Then came the catastrophic floods of Hurricane Helene in September 2024. It was a stark reminder that nowhere is safe from ...
Early reports indicate that the temporary Israel/Hamas ceasefire deal (due to take effect on Sunday) will allow for the gradual release of groups of Israeli hostages, the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails (likely only a fraction of the total incarcerated population), and the withdrawal ...
My daily news diet is not what it once was.It was the TV news that lost me first. Too infantilising, too breathless, too frustrating.The Herald was next. You could look past the reactionary framing while it was being a decent newspaper of record, but once Shayne Currie began unleashing all ...
Hit the road Jack and don't you come backNo more, no more, no more, no moreHit the road Jack and don't you come back no moreWhat you say?Songwriters: Percy MayfieldMorena,I keep many of my posts, like this one, paywall-free so that everyone can read them.However, please consider supporting me as ...
This might be the longest delay between reading (or in this case re-reading) a work, and actually writing a review of it I have ever managed. Indeed, when I last read these books in December 2022, I was not planning on writing anything about them… but as A Phuulish Fellow ...
Kia Ora,I try to keep most my posts without a paywall for public interest journalism purposes. However, if you can afford to, please consider supporting me as a paid subscriber and/or supporting over at Ko-Fi. That will help me to continue, and to keep spending time on the work. Embarrassingly, ...
There was a time when Google was the best thing in my world. I was an early adopter of their AdWords program and boy did I like what it did for my business. It put rocket fuel in it, is what it did. For every dollar I spent, those ads ...
A while back I was engaged in an unpleasant exchange with a leader of the most well-known NZ anti-vax group and several like-minded trolls. I had responded to a racist meme on social media in which a rightwing podcaster in the US interviewed one of the leaders of the Proud ...
Hi,If you’ve been reading Webworm for a while, you’ll be familiar with Anna Wilding. Between 2020 and 2021 I looked at how the New Zealander had managed to weasel her way into countless news stories over the years, often with very little proof any of it had actually happened. When ...
It's a long white cloud for you, baby; staying together alwaysSummertime in AotearoaWhere the sunshine kisses the water, we will find it alwaysSummertime in AotearoaYeah, it′s SummertimeIt's SummertimeWriters: Codi Wehi Ngatai, Moresby Kainuku, Pipiwharauroa Campbell, Taulutoa Michael Schuster, Rebekah Jane Brady, Te Naawe Jordan Muturangi Tupe, Thomas Edward Scrase.Many of ...
Last year, 292 people died unnecessarily on our roads. That is the lowest result in over a decade and only the fourth time in the last 70 years we’ve seen fewer than 300 deaths in a calendar year. Yet, while it is 292 people too many, with each death being ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob HensonFlames from the Palisades Fire burn a building at Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The fast-moving wildfire had destroyed thousands of structures and ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Regulatory Standards Bill, as I understand it, seeks to bind parliament to a specific range of law-making.For example, it seems to ensure primacy of individual rights over that of community, environment, te Tiriti ...
Happy New Year!I had a lovely break, thanks very much for asking: friends, family, sunshine, books, podcasts, refreshing swims, barbecues, bike rides. So good to step away from the firehose for a while, to have less Trump and Seymour in your day. Who needs the Luxons in their risible PJs ...
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the Auckland City Centre Advisory Panel and a director of Greater Auckland In 2003, after much argument, including the election of a Mayor in 2001 who ran on stopping it, Britomart train station in downtown Auckland opened. A mere 1km twin track terminating branch ...
For the first time in a decade, a New Zealand Prime Minister is heading to the Middle East. The trip is more than just a courtesy call. New Zealand PMs frequently change planes in Dubai en route to destinations elsewhere. But Christopher Luxon’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 5, 2025 thru Sat, January 11, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The decade between 1952 and the early 1960s was the peak period for the style of music we now call doo wop, after which it got dissolved into soul music, girl groups, and within pop music in general. Basically, doo wop was a form of small group harmonising with a ...
The future teaches you to be aloneThe present to be afraid and coldSo if I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists…And if you tolerate thisThen your children will be nextSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Do you remember at school, studying the rise ...
When National won the New Zealand election in 2023, one of the first to congratulate Luxon was tech-billionaire and entrepreneur extraordinaire Elon Musk.And last year, after Luxon posted a video about a trip to Malaysia, Musk came forward again to heap praise on Christopher:So it was perhaps par for the ...
Hi,Today’s Webworm features a new short film from documentary maker Giorgio Angelini. It’s about Luigi Mangione — but it’s also, really, about everything in America right now.Bear with me.Shortly after I sent out my last missive from the fires on Wednesday, one broke out a little too close to home ...
So soon just after you've goneMy senses sharpenBut it always takes so damn longBefore I feel how much my eyes have darkenedFear hangs in a plane of gun smokeDrifting in our roomSo easy to disturb, with a thought, with a whisperWith a careless memorySongwriters: Andy Taylor / John Taylor / ...
Can we trust the Trump cabinet to act in the public interest?Nine of Trump’s closest advisers are billionaires. Their total net worth is in excess of $US375b (providing there is not a share-market crash). In contrast, the total net worth of Trump’s first Cabinet was about $6b. (Joe Biden’s Cabinet ...
Welcome back to our weekly roundup. We hope you had a good break (if you had one). Here’s a few of the stories that caught our attention over the last few weeks. This holiday period on Greater Auckland Since our last roundup we’ve: Taken a look back at ...
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partnerSometimes I feel like my only friendIs the city I live in, The City of AngelsLonely as I am together we crySong: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, Flea, John Frusciante.A home is engulfed in flames during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area. ...
Open access notablesLarge emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra, Torn et al., Nature Communications:Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Over the holidays, there was a rising tide of calls for people to submit on National's repulsive, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, along with a wave of advice and examples of what to say. And it looks like people rose to the occasion, with over 300,000 ...
The lie is my expenseThe scope of my desireThe Party blessed me with its futureAnd I protect it with fireI am the Nina The Pinta The Santa MariaThe noose and the rapistAnd the fields overseerThe agents of orangeThe priests of HiroshimaThe cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fireSongwriters: Brad ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkGlobal surface temperatures have risen around 1.3C since the preindustrial (1850-1900) period as a result of human activity.1 However, this aggregate number masks a lot of underlying factors that contribute to global surface temperature changes over time.These include CO2, which is the primary ...
There are times when movement around us seems to slow down. And the faster things get, the slower it all appears.And so it is with the whirlwind of early year political activity.They are harbingers for what is to come:Video: Wayne Wright Jnr, funder of Sean Plunket, talk growing power and ...
Hi,Right now the power is out, so I’m just relying on the laptop battery and tethering to my phone’s 5G which is dropping in and out. We’ll see how we go.First up — I’m fine. I can’t see any flames out the window. I live in the greater Hollywood area ...
2024 was a tough year for working Kiwis. But together we’ve been able to fight back for a just and fair New Zealand and in 2025 we need to keep standing up for what’s right and having our voices heard. That starts with our Mood of the Workforce Survey. It’s your ...
Time is never time at allYou can never ever leaveWithout leaving a piece of youthAnd our lives are forever changedWe will never be the sameThe more you change, the less you feelSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan.Babinden - Baba’s DayToday, January 8th, 2025, is Babinden, “The Day of the baba” or “The ...
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...
Everything is good and brownI'm here againWith a sunshine smile upon my faceMy friends are close at handAnd all my inhibitions have disappeared without a traceI'm glad, oh, that I found oohSomebody who I can rely onSongwriter: Jay KayGood morning, all you lovely people. Today, I’ve got nothing except a ...
Welcome to 2025. After wrapping up 2024, here’s a look at some of the things we can expect to see this year along with a few predictions. Council and Elections Elections One of the biggest things this year will be local body elections in October. Will Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Canadians can take a while to get angry – but when they finally do, watch out. Canada has been falling out of love with Justin Trudeau for years, and his exit has to be the least surprising news event of the New Year. On recent polling, Trudeau’s Liberal party has ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Much like 2023, many climate and energy records were broken in 2024. It was Earth’s hottest year on record by a wide margin, breaking the previous record that was set just last year by an even larger margin. Human-caused climate-warming pollution and ...
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...
Ooh, baby (ooh, baby)It's making me crazy (it's making me crazy)Every time I look around (look around)Every time I look around (every time I look around)Every time I look aroundIt's in my faceSongwriters: Alan Leo Jansson / Paul Lawrence L. Fuemana.Today, I’ll be talking about rich, middle-aged men who’ve made ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Hi,The thing that stood out at me while shopping for Christmas presents in New Zealand was how hard it was to avoid Zuru products. Toy manufacturer Zuru is a bit like Netflix, in that it has so much data on what people want they can flood the market with so ...
And when a child is born into this worldIt has no conceptOf the tone of skin it's living inAnd there's a million voicesAnd there's a million voicesTo tell you what you should be thinkingSong by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.The moment you see that face, you can hear her voice; ...
While we may not always have quality political leadership, a couple of recently published autobiographies indicate sometimes we strike it lucky. When ranking our prime ministers, retired professor of history Erik Olssen commented that ‘neither Holland nor Nash was especially effective as prime minister – even his private secretary thought ...
Baby, be the class clownI'll be the beauty queen in tearsIt's a new art form, showin' people how little we care (yeah)We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fearLet's go down to the tennis court and talk it up like, yeah (yeah)Songwriters: Joel Little / Ella Yelich O ...
Open access notables Why Misinformation Must Not Be Ignored, Ecker et al., American Psychologist:Recent academic debate has seen the emergence of the claim that misinformation is not a significant societal problem. We argue that the arguments used to support this minimizing position are flawed, particularly if interpreted (e.g., by policymakers or the public) as suggesting ...
What I’ve Been Doing: I buried a close family member.What I’ve Been Watching: Andor, Jack Reacher, Xmas movies.What I’ve Been Reflecting On: The Usefulness of Writing and the Worthiness of Doing So — especially as things become more transparent on their own.I also hate competing on any day, and if ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by John Wihbey. A version of this article first appeared on Yale Climate Connections on Nov. 11, 2008. (Image credits: The White House, Jonathan Cutrer / CC BY 2.0; President Jimmy Carter, Trikosko/Library of Congress; Solar dedication, Bill Fitz-Patrick / Jimmy Carter Library; Solar ...
Morena folks,We’re having a good break, recharging the batteries. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday period. I’m not feeling terribly inspired by much at the moment, I’m afraid—not from a writing point of view, anyway.So, today, we’re travelling back in time. You’ll have to imagine the wavy lines and sci-fi sound ...
Completed reads for 2024: Oration on the Dignity of Man, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola A Platonic Discourse Upon Love, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola Of Being and Unity, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola The Life of Pico della Mirandola, by Giovanni Francesco Pico Three Letters Written by Pico ...
Welcome to 2025, Aotearoa. Well… what can one really say? 2024 was a story of a bad beginning, an infernal middle and an indescribably farcical end. But to chart a course for a real future, it does pay to know where we’ve been… so we know where we need ...
Welcome to the official half-way point of the 2020s. Anyway, as per my New Years tradition, here’s where A Phuulish Fellow’s blog traffic came from in 2024: United States United Kingdom New Zealand Canada Sweden Australia Germany Spain Brazil Finland The top four are the same as 2023, ...
Completed reads for December: Be A Wolf!, by Brian Strickland The Magic Flute [libretto], by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder The Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Owl’s Ear, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Waters of Death, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Spider, by Hanns Heinz Ewers Who Knows?, by Guy de Maupassant ...
Well, it’s the last day of the year, so it’s time for a quick wrap-up of the most important things that happened in 2024 for urbanism and transport in our city. A huge thank you to everyone who has visited the blog and supported us in our mission to make ...
Leave your office, run past your funeralLeave your home, car, leave your pulpitJoin us in the streets where weJoin us in the streets where weDon't belong, don't belongHere under the starsThrowing light…Song: Jeffery BuckleyToday, I’ll discuss the standout politicians of the last 12 months. Each party will receive three awards, ...
Hi,A lot’s happened this year in the world of Webworm, and as 2024 comes to an end I thought I’d look back at a few of the things that popped. Maybe you missed them, or you might want to revisit some of these essay and podcast episodes over your break ...
Hi,I wanted to share this piece by film editor Dan Kircher about what cinema has been up to in 2024.Dan edited my documentary Mister Organ, as well as this year’s excellent crowd-pleasing Bookworm.Dan adores movies. He gets the language of cinema, he knows what he loves, and writes accordingly. And ...
Without delving into personal details but in order to give readers a sense of the year that was, I thought I would offer the study in contrasts that are Xmas 2023 and Xmas 2024: Xmas 2023 in Starship Children’s Hospital (after third of four surgeries). Even opening presents was an ...
Heavy disclaimer: Alpha/beta/omega dynamics is a popular trope that’s used in a wide range of stories and my thoughts on it do not apply to all cases. I’m most familiar with it through the lens of male-focused fanfic, typically m/m but sometimes also featuring m/f and that’s the situation I’m ...
Hi,Webworm has been pretty heavy this year — mainly because the world is pretty heavy. But as we sprint (or limp, you choose) through the final days of 2024, I wanted to keep Webworm a little lighter.So today I wanted to look at one of the biggest and weirdest elements ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 22, 2024 thru Sat, December 28, 2024. This week's roundup is the second one published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, ...
We’ll have a climate change ChristmasFrom now until foreverWarming our hearts and mindsAnd planet all togetherSpirits high and oceans higherChestnuts roast on wildfiresIf coal is on your wishlistMerry Climate Change ChristmasSong by Ian McConnellReindeer emissions are not something I’d thought about in terms of climate change. I guess some significant ...
KP continues to putt-putt along as a tiny niche blog that offers a NZ perspective on international affairs with a few observations about NZ domestic politics thrown in. In 2024 there was also some personal posts given that my son was in the last four months of a nine month ...
The Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this government assumed ...
Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. Māori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. “I know ...
From 1 January 2025, first-time tertiary learners will have access to a new Fees Free entitlement of up to $12,000 for their final year of provider-based study or final two years of work-based learning, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Targeting funding to the final year of study ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Port Vila More than 180,000 registered voters are expected to cast their votes today with polls now open in Vanuatu. It is remarkable the snap election is even able to happen with Friday marking one month since the 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck the ...
New Zealand needs to boost its productivity growth and become more attractive and accessible as a workplace in order to fix its labour market woes, a recruitment agency says.Commenting on new salary survey results from Robert Walters, Shay Peters, the company’s Australia and New Zealand chief executive, says the Government ...
Comment: When Newsroom’s editor Jonathan Milne invited me to write one of two special pieces for the summer break, I faced quite the conundrum. My options were to either review a work of non-fiction or write a column about hope and optimism for 2025.I initially misread Jonathan’s request to review ...
By Daniel Perese of Te Ao Māori News Māori politicians across the political spectrum in Aotearoa New Zealand have called for immediate aid to enter Gaza following a temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. The ceasefire, agreed yesterday, comes into effect on Sunday, January 19. Foreign Minister Winston Peters ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Sherlock, Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University Australian-owned brand UGG Since 1974 has announced it will change its name to “Since 74” for sales outside Australia and New Zealand. There has been a long-running battle over the rights ...
The committee has agreed to split into two sub-committees to increase the number of people it can hear from in the time available. Each sub-committee will meet for 30 hours total, together making up 60 of the 80 planned hours of hearings. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research scholar, Middle East studies, Australian National University The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, to come into effect on Sunday, has understandably been welcomed by the overwhelming majority of Israelis and Palestinians. Israelis are relieved that a process for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Carson, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia Over the past several days, the world has watched on in shock as wildfires have devastated large parts of Los Angeles. Beyond the obvious destruction – to landscapes, homes, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rose Cairns, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, University of Sydney AtlasStudio/Shutterstock TikTok and Instagram influencers have been peddling the “Barbie drug” to help you tan. But melanotan-II, as it’s called officially, is a solution that’s too good to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula Jarzabkowski, Professor in Strategic Management, The University of Queensland A series of wildfires in Los Angeles County have caused widespread devastation in California, including at least 24 deaths and the destruction of more than 12,000 homes and structures. Thousands of residents ...
COMMENTARY:By Monika Singh The lack of women representation in parliaments across the world remains a vexed and contentious issue. In Fiji, this problem has again surfaced for debate in response to Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica’s call for a quota system to increase women’s representation in Parliament. Kamikamica was ...
What compels someone of significant status in society to break the law, repeatedly, might be the same reason I did as a poor teenager. Former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman, who left parliament a year ago today following revelations of shoplifting, is now at the centre of another shoplifting complaint. As ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kath Albury, Professor of Media and Communication and Associate Investigator, ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making + Society, Swinburne University of Technology natamrli/Shutterstock Last week, social media giant Meta announced major changes to its content moderation practices. This includes an ...
"Gisborne has suffered from housing underdevelopment and a lack of supply, coupled with damage from severe weather events," Minister Tama Potaka says. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marta Andhov, Associate Professor, Law School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Iconic Bestiary/Shutterstock They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But in the world of legal contracts, pictures can be worth even more by making complicated concepts more ...
Asia Pacific Report The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Egyptian, Palestinian and Israeli authorities to allow foreign journalists into Gaza in the wake of the three-phase ceasefire agreement set to to begin on Sunday. The New York-based global media watchdog urged the international community “to independently investigate ...
The agreement will ease Palestinians’ suffering, but international agencies will struggle to meet the massive need for humanitarian relief. This is an excerpt from The World Bulletin, our weekly global current affairs newsletter exclusively for Spinoff Members. Sign up here. We start the World Bulletin’s year with a rare piece of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne After 467 days of violence, a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel has been reached and will come into effect on Sunday, pending Israeli government approval. This agreement will not end the ...
We love to suffer through tramps to enjoy natural beauty… except when we don’t.It can feel a bit shitty to stay inside and wallow all day when it’s nice out. Hot sunlight hits your window and your mum’s voice rings around in your head: get outside and enjoy the ...
Requests for official information involving potentially damning correspondence are totally legitimate – but have been put in the ‘too hard basket' by officials refusing to properly follow the Local Government Official Information and Meetings ...
With the local body elections in October, a long-awaited upgrade of Courtenay Place, and big changes for water, housing and the economy, it’s set to be another dramatic year for the capital city. The Golden Mile Conservative city councillors made a last-minute attempt in November to scrap the Golden Mile ...
I’ve already broken most of my resolutions, and it’s only January. How do I salvage my clean slate? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera,It’s only 6 days into the new year, and I’m already ready for 2026. I made five resolutions and have already broken ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group + School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney byvalet/Shutterstock Australia is considered a nation of beach lovers. But with all this water surrounding us, drownings remain tragically common. At least 55 people have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Uri Gal, Professor in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney Sergii Gnatiuk/Shutterstock Over the past two years, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has captivated public attention. This year signals the beginning of a new phase: the rise of AI agents. AI ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dorina Pojani, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland shisu_ka/Shutterstock A wide range of voices in the Australian media have been sounding the alarm about the phenomenon of “forever-renting”. This describes a situation in which individuals or families ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney Originally known as 2JJ, or Double Jay, when it launched in Sydney at 11am on January 19 1975, Triple J has since become the national youth network. The station now encompasses broadcast ...
Currently, under 18s are legally allowed to buy Lotto tickets. That’s about to change, explains The Bulletin’s Stewart Sowman-Lund. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The anonymised database is crucial to the government's social investment approach to funding programmes - but was incapable of doing so without extra investment. ...
Opinion: 2025 is a critical year for Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural world. With the entire environmental management system slated for reform, it’s the most important year in decades. If the hot-headed excesses of last year’s law-making continue, it will lead to terrible long-term outcomes. But if sense prevails, we could ...
Opinion: As I reflect on the tumultuous year that has passed and look forward to the year ahead, I wonder what it will hold.For me I can’t look past the middle of February right now as that is when my dissertation must be submitted, hopefully completing my master’s degree. It ...
An anticipated move to tax charities’ business operations would reduce charitable activity and may cause businesses to leave New Zealand, a lawyer warns. In a push to find new sources of revenue the Government is looking at implementing a charity tax, which would see the business arm of companies such as ...
As parliamentary staff start to read through thousands of submissions on the Treaty principles bill, Shanti Mathias explores how submitting became the go-to way to engage with politics – and asks whether it makes a difference. While the exact number is currently being confirmed, it seems almost certain that submissions ...
Fooork! Wonder if pauline has been watching Al Jazeera recently…. llolololollz.
That’s a wickedly excellent photo, perfectly capturing her nature. Kudos to the photographer.
Edit..
Australian PM denounces foreign vote meddling after NRA report
Scott Morrison says laws were made to ‘criminalise taking foreign political donations’ to prevent lobbyists’ influence
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/australian-pm-denounces-foreign-vote-meddling-nra-report-190326032714624.html
Just thinking aloud for a moment reading the words… foreign political donations….. makes me think of jlr and all of his recent questions in parliament.
Pssst pauline, are these some of your mates on the youtube?
…chaser…
https://twitter.com/RichAFerguson/status/1110290843338862592
Dang!!!!!
Thanks Joe
“Senior One Nation figures James Ashby and Steve Dickson claim they had been “on the sauce” drinking scotch for “three or four hours” when discussing seeking a $20m donation from the National Rifle Association to the far-right Australian party.”
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/mar/26/one-nations-james-ashby-says-he-was-on-the-sauce-when-seeking-20m-from-nra
Getting on the piss and seeking $20 million from the NRA to water down Australian gun laws sounds like something James Ashby would be proud of.
https://twitter.com/KayMart08727580/status/1110335521367048192
Mr Ashby been linked to physical altercations, dodgy dealings and sexual harassment allegations — some of which date back decades.
https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/the-biggest-james-ashby-scandals-laid-bare/news-story/34dc77f134ab44f5fe4e547be7bc9f27
hopefully the NRA exposure will trip Angry Paula and her white nation party ..
She was fringe anyway …
Most of us would agree with this short video …. and just need to overcome our shyness to express it more.
https://twitter.com/ShihabM666/status/1110383979067133953
No.
Natural.
Justice.
Yeah.
Right.
‘natural justice’ in Mainzeal judgment – Stuff.co.nz
https://www.stuff.co.nz/…/former-pm-jenny-shipley-alleges-no-natural-justice-in-main…
Here we go , – more stupidity from the far right.
When will it ever cease?
Big Read: Speargun and mass surveillance – the … – NZ Herald
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12216367
National Party gives platform to ‘Islamophobic’ misinformation via Facebook page in name of free speech
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/111567104/national-party-gives-platform-to-islamophobic-misinformation-via-facebook-page-in-name-of-free-speech
More madness going on.
Jews outraged after mosque leader blames Mossad for Christchurch …
https://www.newshub.co.nz/…/jews-outraged-after-mosque-leader-blames-mossad-for-…
”Their all going mad out there , – stark bloody raving mad ! ” …. said Uncle Hec after listening to the national broadcasts on his wireless…
Your link got redirected to spin about an arrest in Ozzy. Why am I not surprised. Madness is the new norm.
Almost overlooked: You say the Jews are defending Mossad! That is a nasty smear on the Jews – OMG, from the NZ Jewish Council themselves! Ahmed Bhamji is the man, respect to the Masjid E Umar!
Hey folks. It might pay to be wary of the rain. We have a state of emergency declared in Westland and the rain has been half a metre and more to come.
Surface flooding is exacerbated after drought conditions as the ground is hard and largely impervious.
Maureen Pugh’s tweeted about it so obviously Bridges was wrong about her as she can tweet. She’s tweeted about bridges washing out.
Irony, and wild weather.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12216555
Yeah , pretty damn epic weather,… but I’ve got to say,… with Bridges squawking so much lately…. I did think of Bridges being washed out…
Hell ,… lets all play it again for old times sake’s…
Mike Curb Congregation – Burning Bridges (with lyrics) – YouTube
And over at stuffed we have that wee poodle Tracy Watkins standing on a bar stool.
Just what is Tract Watkins “sincerely hoping” for here when she says:
“Once the realities of domestic politics intrude – and they have already, after a week-long political truce – those expectations may run far ahead of what Ardern can realistically deliver. Because the extraordinary political circumstances that allowed her to announce new gun laws with near-unanimous support will likely never occur again – we sincerely hope……….”
That was a disgraceful article from a clearly troubled Watkins. Troubled that she wouldn’t have any controversy to bait the government with.
Well, I guess if Watkins fell off the bar stool, who would notice. Really.
Hot air doesn’t fall; it rises up and makes your nostrils tingle and your eyes water.
But if it keeps on rising it will eventually turn cold and become an icicle and then it will fall back to earth and melt away to nothing. Ahhh… not sure what that’s got to do with the price of fish but never mind. It’s late.
You need ice to keep the fish fresh? 🙂
Watkins and the rest of the Press Gallery have been reduced to bit players in the last week and a half, they will be wanting to rectify that and have normal service resumed ASAP.
Pressure’s on for these Nats. Another in a ‘bitter relationship break up’. This one is a close advisor to Bennett.
National = car crash.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12216533
And just WHO is Judith Sloan ???
Australian economist Judith Sloan rips into ‘ordinary’ Jacinda Ardern …
https://www.newshub.co.nz/…/australian-economist-judith-sloan-rips-into-ordinary-jac…
Here’s the rub :
Judith Sloan – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Sloan
And your answer is ‘ conservative’. Which really should translate not as ‘ conservative ‘ at all. Far more accurate to name her as she is : a neo liberal radical liberalist, a globalist.
… ‘ She was a founding member of the group Conservatives for an Australian Head of State ‘…
This is how the far right wing will launch their attacks on our Prime Minister. By couching her as a recipient of good favor by NZ First and Winston Peters,… which may be true to an extent ,… but certainly and by no means detract’s from the excellent job she is doing.
Is Judith jealous ???
PS : Here’s a clue…
———————————
Sloan said the New Zealand election was “surprising” considering the “success of the previous National Party governments” under former prime ministers John Key and Bill English. She said they “artfully” steered us through the global financial crisis and Christchurch earthquakes.
———————————
There have been several mentions today in various news agencies of ‘speakers ‘ against MMP.
We can see whats being formed against this govt so just be a little vigilant for wolves in sheep’s clothing.
They are gearing up for distraction and an assault on our political system in 2020.
They are howling for vengeance.
Don’t let them have it.
“”I get it: she’s young… ”
Clearly she doesn’t get it at all. Jacinda has what Avasarala has: brains, integrity, and heart. The looks are just a bonus.
It’s The Australian. She’s preaching to the choir. Best to just ignore this bullshit.
With the NSW election out of the way it won’t be long now before Morrison calls the Federal polls. Prospects look terrible for the government and their media backers are starting to lose it.
Maybe, … but sticky little fingers making sticky little texts over the Tasman seem to carry a long way, … mates rates and favours,… so to speak…
None of it will matter in the long run though WK. Ardern is forging a bond now with the electorate that leaves the commentariat sidelined and grasping for relevance. I’ve stopped worrying.
Ever since Dirty Politics I wouldn’t trust em as far as I could kick em.
A Murdoch propagandist and a thoroughly unpleasant person.
The Ockers have got their knickers in a knot ’cause the good ol’ Kiwi dollar is up around 95c AUD, and was dollar for dollar a couple of weeks ago. NZD’s rightful place being AUD 80c or less.
Unfortunately for the poor Ockers it’s all their problem, NZD’s cross rates to most major currencies are in sort of normal ranges. Not happy times over the ditch
Yes, I nearly choke on my smoked Chicken roll at lunch today while reading that garbage from old Judith and I normally don’t read anything by her outside the finance section, and even then it’s usually a passing glance as it’s usually a load of bollocks most the time.
Most commentators and most of the journalists in the Oz or in most old Mates paper know 4/5ths of F*** all about MMP and if I had changed $5 since being in Oz since 98 for explaining MMP, the last election and why NZ has MMP I’ll flying about in MkVc Spritfire with my mid to late1930’s Bentley, SS or 3 wheel Morgan in the Hanger with couple of farms in Oz and NZ by now.
They think Key is god and old Bill is a saint over here in the Fourth Estate especially outside of the The Age, SMH and the ABC.
Sometimes I have to bite my tongue 😛 when reading the Oz paper in morning while have a coffee or tea at my local cafe.
You ol petrolhead!
Think of the planet – get a Tesla.
Rest assured Macro, the plant is safe for as I didn’t win $70m Oz lotto last night and I don’t think a Tesla will handle the NT environment as everything up here is big up here in the NT. Even the road trains and the other type of train (the Choo Choo one) have a few problems with the wildlife as the majors roads, rail line outside of Darwin or the major populated areas are unfenced.
Plus I haven’t seen a Tesla car or let alone any charging stations either around Darwin area, but I’ve seen an awful lot of those bloody big gas/ desiel guzzler Yankee 4wd Ute’s / pickup wagons of late and god only knows why the heck you want one of those big wide monsters anyway as they nexts to being bloody useless off road in the wet season.
LOL yeah I’m well aware of those road trains impressive! – I have family in Perth so have visited the West a few times and a friend in Queensland is one of those inveterate outbackers – they just did 10,000 km round the North – can’t for the life of me think why! Actually another mate of mine has a Tesla – and I have been having trouble with the 10th commandment ever since. I shall just have to make do with my hybrid.
Today it was mow the lawns at the bach day -not realising it was also beach hop day. OMG! Literally thousands of yank Tanks – fortunately they were going in the opposite direction. But I spent the day contemplating on the premiss that we really are an adolescent, if not infantile, species.
Having said that – I have a lasting recollection of a ’33 Bentley blatting around the Dunlop tyre factory in Upper Hutt one evening after work had finished for the day. My sis grazed her horse in the paddock next to the factory and I happened to be there when this Bentley arrived. The sound from its large copper pipe exhaust reverberating off the factory walls still lingers in my mind. I was an adolescent then and that sort of thing impressed.
Oh and I’ve got to sit in the cockpit of a Mosquito and been up close and personal to a Spit. Another mate is an ex warbird pilot.
You lucky sod for getting a sit in a mossie, my late NZ grandparents had a Austin 7 Saloon Vintage car which they drag me and younger brother when he was older a enough around NZ and hence my love of the 1930- 40’s cars and planes. But I’ve managed got to having sit in a Panzer 4 and Tiger 1 in the UK a few yrs, but buggers wouldn’t let me out of the hanger after I both started them. That same trip I also got an off limits tour of HMS Victory and would stay with me for a very long time.
In the wops outside Darwin, this might suit a bit better than a Tesla …
hmmmm nice! 2020 delivery and 12,000 pre ordered so maybe not next year. 🙁 but certainly the way to go A range of 200 miles is ok but you would not be taking into the outback very far unfortunately.
Yeah, really needs an i3 style range extender. Workhorse were planning to put one in their w-15, but IIRC last I saw they’ve dropped it. California regs.
Now that is more like it! What was the prob with the regs? A 400 mile range would be very useful. One charge between Auckland and Wellington – making it very do-able.
There’s different regs for petrol-powered range extenders in Cal. Don’t remember exactly what they are, but they’re complicated. They’re the cause of US-spec i3s having to run the battery down to 5% before the range extender can kick on, and the fuel tank being software limited to 7 litres, so the range extender is more a limp-home tool. Whereas euro spec i3s you can tell the range extender to kick on anytime and maintain battery state of charge, and use the full 9 litres of fuel.
That vid is kinda old, it was from before the decision to not have the range extender. The 400 miles was basically 80 miles pure electric plus 320 miles petrol-powered range extension.
Look’s like they nicked a Landrover Defender and just plonked a electic motor in, with hi ho sliver of we go but a of range of 200km aren’t going to get you far in Oz or anywhere else for that matter unless you are Western Europe.
Yeah it looks like a Landrover – but it is a unique design if u watch the vid.
Yes I’ll watched it, as I would be interesting to know how big the engine bay is and wondering to see if it’s possible to retro fit an electric motor into my Landie in the future once the technology advances IRT to range and 4wd.
I have an on-line acquaintance from another site who has retrofitted an old toyota starlet with an electric motor and uses it for local running. It’s been his main mode of transport for some years now. He’s very excited about the new tesla batteries as even a smaller one of them will give him a much extended range. He lives just up the road in the Coromandel and his son attends the local ATC but we haven’t got to meet although he and my eldest used to travel together to Waikato Uni for lectures.
I’ve been watching Tesla IRT it’s batteries of late and have been quite impressed at what they are doing atm. It’s one of the reasons why i has to push the Minister of Finance to spend a little bit more on our on grid Solar System so we can make seemless transition to off grid in the future.
I’ve got fantasies of converting my Defender. Been looking out for a wrecked i3 REx to rob the powertrain and battery out of. Actually bid on one a while back, but it was an easily repairable one so someone else was willing to pay a lot more than I was.
Get rid of the diesel engine and gearbox, stick about a 3:1 single stage reducer on the electric motor, and run it straight into the transfer box. Then I’d have a useful highway speed range, and a useful crawler range.
The electric motor is roughly the same size as the gearbox, so the whole engine bay would be free for controller, range extender etc, and the battery pack would go in the back on the floor. Or maybe below the floor between the chassis rails if I could be bothered tearing it down to package it all in a bit better.
Thank god I’m not the only lunatic around here thinking of converting his Landie to a all electric drive Landie.
I was think of putting the battery system where the fuel tank would’ve been, but between the chassis rails seems a good idea.
My other concern is I have a separate stand alone battery system with Red Arc converter thingy for my fridge and freezer which only put in for very long trips when the local shop isn’t down the road so to speak. I’m wondering if that may need replacing when I go all electric?
I don’t think you’d need replace your existing electronic goods. As long as you’ve got a rough guess of total power output then you should know how much range and usage and storage you’ll need. My neighbour bought a second hand Tesla Model S battery pack online and that’s got enough storage to run his two person house, washer, solar cloth dryer, gadgets, water pump, it’s enough storage to run for three days with out recharging and electric vehicles are, at least the Tesla range is really customisable so you can increase the storage by what ever you want really. Base models are $30k US where as just a year ago they where over a $100k. So the more EVs sold the cheaper they’re getting.
Speaking of One Nation – Mark Latham, the guy who used to be Australia’s next PM found his way into NSW’s upper house over the weekend.
The Labor government in Queensland has transferred two prisons back into state control from Serco.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-26/queensland-private-prisons-to-be-run-by-state-government/10938192?section=politics
This was the powerful routinely humiliating the powerless ….complete misunderstanding of the law my arse.
An investigation into illegal internal examinations of female prisoners at an Auckland jail brought back horrific memories for the victims, an independent watchdog says.
Auckland University sociologist Professor Tracey McIntosh spoke to prisoners and told Stuff there appeared to have been “a complete misunderstanding” of the law at the Auckland Region women’s jail at Wiri.
She said for her independent oversight role when Corrections investigated claims of illegal, intrusive physical searches of female inmates, the prisoners were brought in to see her and a senior Corrections staffer one by one.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/111569503/womens-prison-scandal-how-abhorrent-searches-came-to-light
Well hello Joe! Good to see you here. Small world isn’t it?
The rich schools oppose the plan to return education to being a public service for the greater good:
http://www.communityschools.org/
They want:
To be able to charge loads of fees
To be able to make parents buy devices they cannot afford
To pander to internation students
To kick out ‘dumb kids’ that make their schools look bad
**TO RUN SCHOOLS AS A TRADEABLE BUSINESS COMMODITY AND NOT A PUBLIC SERVICE**
To be honest, I trust civil servants to run schools than the red faced reactionary bourgeois hacks that control most boards of trustees, and have their own little networks.
The Hubs are going to shine some light on all the corruption and nepotism that goes on in our education system, and some people dont like that.
All right, OK , … lets get hip , baby ,… so hip were all pelvis …
Neil Diamond – You Got To Me 1967 – YouTube
All the Ruskies need to do is tweet “troops” and out go the lights in Venezuelan again. Hmmmm, James Bond says twice is a coincidence. Who remembers what 007 says about three times?
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/385493/russian-air-force-planes-land-in-venezuela-carrying-troops-report
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/venezuela-suffers-blackout-month-190326055858552.html
Guaido just confirmed he is behind the power outage!
“There will be no continuation of electricity in Venezuela until Maduro is removed.”
Looks like a US/Ruski cyber-tech-war over Venezuela. Most likely the power grid has a virus, which unreportedly drops the three phase down to one.