If John Key’s feeling a little nervous about repeating his “under a Labour Government I lead” gaffe at this weekend’s National Party conference, perhaps he should spare a thought for Aussie Liberal MP Jason Wood…
The interesting thing Felix is that he’s completely coherent after the fact – think it shows that once a speech turns to cak it can go downhill very fast – I like how he realised he’d said orgasm and knew he had to correct himself and then said the same thing again – poor sod and it’s there for posterity now.
Reminds me of the time I was delivering a presentation in Australia went beautifully for 30 minutes until the first question from the audience…… did you know your fly was undone ?
Over on the Dim Post we’ve got Lynn Prentice calling Danyl a “tasteless little lynch-mob moron who really doesn’t seem to think before they write”.
I look forward to Lynn applying the same venom to Jasper’s 1:50pm comment.
[lprent: this is Danyl who described the writers here as “The worthless little hobgoblins over at Labour Party agitprop outlet The Standard” in the post I commented on. So you think this is a person worthy of respect? Tell me why? When they referred to us as “One doesn’t know whether to laugh in their faces or vomit on their laps;”. Friend of yours? Does he regurgitate for you? And so on…
Do you think I should maintain a double standard for a dipshit like that, and turn the other cheek? I don’t. If someone hits me in the cheek then I tend to see if I can make sure that they don’t want to do it again. Personally I think I was too moderate.
You also selectively quoted. I was describing his ability to ignore “the presumption of innocence” principle and wanting writer here to convict NZF and Winston without any evidence of illegality. ]
“You also selectively quoted. I was describing his ability to ignore “the presumption of innocence” principle and wanting writer here to convict NZF and Winston without any evidence of illegality. ]”
No – That is my point. Jasper wants to to push the alledged rape angle. No presumption of innocence favours there.
If we are throwing historical sexual abuse allegations about on this thread what about Dover S and his involvement with underage girls?
Remember well, you throw shit then d4j will crucify you with the cold steel of truth. I hope we are all VERY clear on that pre election lock and load promise.
Felix, as a crusader of the truth I can assure you sleep is good. I do feel many allegations are going to surface as we get closer to the election and I feel it’s not a good time to be sitting on a closet fill of haunting skeletons. The dirt will fly until the ultimate objective is achieved. I won’t say a few will fall from grace, as the scum I speak of do not own grace in any shape or form. Absolute power and grace are an impossible combination, but you already know that.
Bring it on girls.
Jasper can put what he/she likes in the comments. If it goes too far then it will get chopped, same as everyone else. In this case she/he didn’t ‘push’ it, they simply raised it and in the context of the thread.
I suspect you misunderstand why I was annoyed by danyl’s post.
What I was getting into danyl about what his abusive post trying to say what the writers here should believe. That is simply mob action – and I replied exactly in kind to their post about The Standard’s writers. What was asserted (amidst the verbiage) was that the writers here approved on Winston’s, Bob Jones, Owen Glenns and NZF actions in having anonymous donations.
The posters here are pretty much in same abeyance state that I am (from what I can see). They don’t particularly approve of the donations system from the Electoral Act 1993 – most would probably consider that part of the Act to be immoral. The donations were done under that act. At present there is nothing shown to be illegal under that Act.
There are far worse moral abuses of that donation system – for instance the actions of Act and National.
This is all obvious when you read the posts, and even more so when you read the comments. This little dipshit ignored all of that and wrote what is a straight attack post on this site. When I have time I usually take appropriate responses to that type of action. It goes far beyond any type of fair comment.
Why don’t you consider than Jasper’s comments went too far?
I could tell you where I would draw the line, but I don’t think it matters.
I say that if I wrote [equivalent comment about Labour MP/candidates/party officials] I reckon it would be gone in a flurry of bolded letters and threats of banning, but then I’d just sound like a rightie.
Honestly I saw it and was appalled, I assumed it would be gone the moment a moderator saw it. I don’t believe this is how anyone who hopes The Standard might make a difference would like to see the media describe The Standard. I don’t believe this is how 99% of the the left, or the labour movement, or social democrats, or, or, or would like “our side” to behave.
I am genuinely surprised that it’s still there, I am genuinely upset that anyone whose opinions I respect would defend it.
I’ve just deleted the comment from ‘Jasper’. Like Daveo suggests (how’s it going comrade?) the Jasper in this comment appears to be posting from a different IP than the Jasper who posts here. I’ll email our Jasper to make sure.
Dad4Justice: Not sure how Dover Samuel’s is relevant. As it turned out Dover was in his early twenties, the girl was 17, and he was separated from his wife at the time.
Anita: I’m not defending it. I have no idea if the fact (that there was an allegation or not) is true. At present it is just a statement from a ‘Jasper’. I don’t check those sorts of facts – not my sort of moderation.
If it is incorrect then I’d expect someone would find out and demonstrate it. Then I’d start killing repetitions of something that is untrue. If it is true, then I’d start killing it only if it become repititous (ie trolling), or used in a manner likely to start flamewars. Of course if another moderator bans it or kills it, then I’ll follow suit.
I’m afraid I agree with the courts on the subject. That people entering public life have a diminished right to privacy. When they seek publicity for their benefit, then they also can expect to get bad publicity based on past actions. Ask Benson-Pope… You can also see this in my handling of the allegations against Winston over the last week or so.
You’d also note that the same standard does not apply to people who are not seeking public life. They have a reasonable expectation of privacy, both here and in the courts.
But I don’t initiate the checking of facts in comments – I’m simply not that interested in keeping up with all of that stuff. I simply enforce what the other moderators decide.
Agreed Anita – well done Tane the less garbage like that the better – sadly I think we’re likely to see more of the same heading into the election on all the blogs and in the MSM.
Anita: I probably haven’t explained this all that clearly. I usually only moderate behaviour.
I’m a total libertarian in a lot of ways, and I look at structure rather than detail. Thats why Tane and the other moderators determine content questions. Same kind of reason that I don’t write many posts – I don’t bother keeping up with current politics.
However I’m a good BOFH and decent sysop – site stays running, gets upgraded, the comments section isn’t cesspool, and the writers and commentators don’t get attacked and shouted down all of the time.
BTW: people like hs and ALL of the regular commentators here should get an Gravator. It makes it a lot easier to do identity fraud checking for me. I do check it – but really only on people I know. For instance hs regularly mistypes his e-mail *sigh*
No problem that you only moderate some kinds of behaviour and did nothing about this. But you actually defended the comment:
Jasper can put what he/she likes in the comments. If it goes too far then it will get chopped, same as everyone else. In this case she/he didn’t ‘push’ it, they simply raised it and in the context of the thread.
Would you think it was ok if someone wrote:
I don’t know how [insert name here] is hoping to hold onto their seat given the rumours that they regularly sit in a ministerial car outside their local kindy wanking
Would it be enough if it was related the thread somehow and not “pushed”? Would it matter that it was not yet disproven?
Just in case anyone gets excited, that allegation is entirely made up – I’m hoping that its obvious unlikeliness was enough of flag, but I thought perhaps I should be clear.
In that case I would probably kill it. The keyword is ‘rumor’. That is a flamewar starter.
If someone said that:-
“Lynn has a criminal conviction for using illegal drugs and pushing them to children”
Then it’d technically be correct. I have a conviction for underage drinking at the Puhio when I was 18 and serving minors (my sister and brother) drinks by buying them at the bar for them. The drug alcohol was and still is illegal if served in a bar to minors.
It is a verifiable fact – similar to what “Jasper” said. I’d let that one through if someone asserted it to be true because it can be checked. I’d keep an eye out for whatever comes of it. (actually in this case I’d respond with some facts myself)
If after checking it was shown to be false, then I’d treat it as rumor and its use as a deliberate flamewar starter. I’d probably treat it as false if the target or almost anyone else said that it was false. It becomes up to the accuser to provide evidence.
If it was true, but if it was repeated over and over again as simple assertion with little discussion. Then I’d treat it as a flamewar starter or a trolling behavior.
If someone started demanding that the writers *must* write a post on the topic then I start getting heavy handed. Because I value the independence of the writers to usually post what they like or consider important here.
If someone starts saying that “The Standard” needs to do something. Then I’ll remind them that they’re trying to talk to a machine and getting me instead (and I’m irritated because they’re trying to treat me as a damn program).
If Tane or IB or one of the other moderators banned or moderated someone because they considered that they judged the comment to be offensive. Then I’d make sure that the ban or moderations stuck.
Think of me as a medieval sheriff with low justice powers. I usually don’t judge matters of fact. What I usually judge are matters of behavior against an established ruleset. It is a rough justice system, but probably the only one that is all that effective in a political blog attacked as often as this one.
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 ...
I can see very wellThere's a boat on the reef with a broken backAnd I can see it very wellThere's a joke and I know it very wellIt's one of those that I told you long agoTake my word I'm a madman, don't you knowSongwriters: Bernie Taupin / Elton JohnIt ...
.Acknowledgement: Tim PrebbleThanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..With each passing day of bad headlines, squandering tax revenue to enrich the rich, deep cuts to our social services and a government struggling to keep the lipstick on its neo-liberal pig ...
This is from the 36th Parallel social media account (as brief food for thought). We know that Trump is ahistorical at best but he seems to think that he is Teddy Roosevelt and can use the threat of invoking the Monroe Doctrine and “Big Stick” gunboat diplomacy against Panama and ...
Don't you cry tonightI still love you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightDon't you cry tonightThere's a heaven above you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightSong: Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so”, said possibly the greatest philosopher ever to walk this earth, Douglas Adams.We have entered the ...
Because you're magicYou're magic people to meSong: Dave Para/Molly Para.Morena all, I hope you had a good day yesterday, however you spent it. Today, a few words about our celebration and a look at the various messages from our politicians.A Rockel XmasChristmas morning was spent with the five of us ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). 2024 has been a series of bad news for climate change. From scorching global temperatures leading to devastating ...
Ríu Ríu ChíuRíu Ríu Chíu is a Spanish Christmas song from the 16th Century. The traditional carol would likely have passed unnoticed by the English-speaking world had the made-for-television American band The Monkees not performed the song as part of their special Christmas show back in 1967. The show's ...
Dunedin’s summer thus far has been warm and humid… and it looks like we’re in for a grey Christmas. But it is now officially Christmas Day in this time zone, so never mind. This year, I’ve stumbled across an Old English version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: [youtube ...
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 ...
“As we head into one of the busiest times of the year for Police, and family violence and sexual violence response services, it’s a good time to remind everyone what to do if they experience violence or are worried about others,” Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University Stained glass with a depiction of the martyred nuns, Saint Honoré d’Eylau Church, Paris.Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA The Martyrs of Compiègne, a group of 16 Discalced Carmelite nuns executed during the Reign of ...
Tara Ward wades bravely into one of the thorniest January questions: how late is too late to greet someone with a cheery ‘Happy New Year’? Every January, New Zealand faces a big problem. I’m not referring to penguins strolling into petrol stations or cranky seagulls eating your chips, but something ...
The proposed Bill cuts across existing and soon-to-be-implemented frameworks, including Part 4 of the Legislation Act 2019, which is slated to come into force next year, and will make sensible improvements to regulation-making. ...
Summer reissue: For all the spectacle of WoW, Alex Casey couldn’t tear her eyes off Christopher Luxon in the front row. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pavlina Jasovska, Senior Lecturer in International Business & Strategy, University of Technology Sydney Multiculturalism is central to Australia’s identity, with more than half the population coming from overseas or having parents who did. Most Australians view multiculturalism positively. However, many experience ...
Treaty issues will dominate the first six months, but that’s not all, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in the first Bulletin of 2025. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Summer reissue: The Kim Dotcom challenge to John Key culminated in an extravaganza joining dots from the US, the UK, Russia – even North Korea. And it got very messy. Toby Manhire casts his eye back a decade.The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have ...
In our latest in-depth podcast investigation, Fractured, Melanie Reid and her team delve deep into a complex case involving a controversial medical diagnosis and its fallout on a young family. While Fractured is a forensic examination of this case here in New Zealand, the diagnosis that started it all is ...
Close to 2000 New Zealanders died carrying student loans in 2024, with the Inland Revenue Department having to wipe $28.8 million in unpaid debt.Both the number and value of loans being written off due to the holder dying has tripled over the past decade, government figures show. In 2014, $9 ...
Opinion: In late December we learned that, after a four-year battle with the Charities Services, Te Whānau O Waipareira Trust looks set to be deregistered as a charity. Most of what we know about the activities of Waipareira Trust, and the resulting Charities Services’ investigations, is due to tenacious reporting ...
Summer reissue: As homelessness hits an all-time high, New Zealand’s frontline organisations are embracing unconventional and innovative strategies. Joel MacManus takes a closer look at the crisis and meets the people who claim to have the cure.The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 13 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s Sunday “soft launch” of his campaign for election year was carefully calibrated to pitch to the party faithful while seeking to project enough nuance to avoid alienating centrist voters. It ...
Paula Southgate says she is not standing for re-election as she wants to make way for emerging leaders and spend more time with her friends and family. ...
The bipartisan support in parliament for the Foreign Interference Bill is a warning that there is no constituency in the New Zealand ruling class for the maintenance of basic democratic rights. There has been no critical reporting on the bill in the ...
Democracy Now!AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! As we continue our discussion of President Jimmy Carter’s legacy, we look at his policies in the Middle East and North Africa, in particular, Israel and Palestine.On Thursday during the state funeral in Washington, President Carter’s former adviser Stuart Eizenstat praised ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk France’s naval flagship, the 261m aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, is to be deployed to the Pacific later this year, as part of an exercise codenamed “Clémenceau 25”. French Naval Command Etat-Major’s Commodore Jacques Mallard told a French media briefing that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Vaughan, PhD Researcher Sport Integrity, University of Canberra As the Australian Open gets under way in Melbourne, the sport is facing a crisis over positive doping tests involving two of the biggest stars in tennis. Last March, the top-ranked men’s player, ...
Summer reissue: New Zealand used to be a country of vibrant synthetic striped polyprop. Then we got boring – and discovered merino. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to ...
It was a mild, cloudy morning in May 1974 when Oliver Sutherland and his wife, Ulla Sköld, were confronted, on their doorstep, by one of the country’s top cops.The couple were key members of the group Auckland Committee on Racism and Discrimination (Acord), which had been pushing the government to ...
Summer reissue: With funding ending for Archives New Zealand’s digitisation programme, Hera Lindsay Bird shares a taste of what’s being lost – because history isn’t just about the big-ticket items. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please ...
Since the dramatic scenes at Kabul Airport in 2021 of thousands of Afghans desperately seeking to escape, fearful of what a new Taliban regime would mean for their lives and livelihoods, the focus on Afghanistan in New Zealand has predictably waned. New crises have emerged, with the conflicts in Ukraine ...
Summer reissue: Pāua, canned spaghetti, povi masima and taro: Pepe’s Cafe understands the nature of food as love and community. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: Rachel Hunter sold out a Christchurch school hall for a mysterious sounding ‘Community Event’. Alex Casey went along to find out what it was all about. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our ...
Summer reissue: Drinking wasn’t just a pastime, it was my profession – and it got way out of control. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Sunday 12 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report A Palestine solidarity advocate today appealed to New Zealanders to shed their feelings of powerlessness over the Gaza genocide and “take action” in support of an effective global strategy of boycott, divestment and sanctions. “Many of us have become addicted to ‘doom scrolling’ — reading or watching ...
A former lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump was found to have violated a court agreement after he suggested on a podcast in November two election workers were quadruple counting ballots and using a computer hard drive to fix the machines. ...
Summer reissue: The comedian takes us through her life in television, including her favourite Kardashian tiff, Taskmaster task, and the best thing about being Tina from Turners. Sieni Tiana Leo’o Olo, aka Bubbah, is used to being approached by men in bars – but not for the reasons you might ...
Summer reissue: A special live edition of the Spinoff politics podcast, revisiting the turbulent Lange years with very special guest Kim Hill. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to ...
Summer reissue: On learning an underappreciated but vitally important skill. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It has been almost a decade since I ...
Ouch trainwreck – good on him for having a laugh about it afterwards.
Jesus, that guy could give Key a run for his money in the jibbering monkey olympics.
The interesting thing Felix is that he’s completely coherent after the fact – think it shows that once a speech turns to cak it can go downhill very fast – I like how he realised he’d said orgasm and knew he had to correct himself and then said the same thing again – poor sod and it’s there for posterity now.
Reminds me of the time I was delivering a presentation in Australia went beautifully for 30 minutes until the first question from the audience…… did you know your fly was undone ?
Doh !
I love the fact that he could say “orgasm” afterwards without blushing – that speaks volumes about him.
orgasm orgasm orgasm orgasm orgasm…doh!
in your case randal, i suggest it would be more like a micro;
organism orgasm organism orgasm organism……
HS, yeah he seemed really comfortable talking to the camera, just not to the room…
BTW how did your speech go after that?
Over on the Dim Post we’ve got Lynn Prentice calling Danyl a “tasteless little lynch-mob moron who really doesn’t seem to think before they write”.
I look forward to Lynn applying the same venom to Jasper’s 1:50pm comment.
[lprent: this is Danyl who described the writers here as “The worthless little hobgoblins over at Labour Party agitprop outlet The Standard” in the post I commented on. So you think this is a person worthy of respect? Tell me why? When they referred to us as “One doesn’t know whether to laugh in their faces or vomit on their laps;”. Friend of yours? Does he regurgitate for you? And so on…
Do you think I should maintain a double standard for a dipshit like that, and turn the other cheek? I don’t. If someone hits me in the cheek then I tend to see if I can make sure that they don’t want to do it again. Personally I think I was too moderate.
You also selectively quoted. I was describing his ability to ignore “the presumption of innocence” principle and wanting writer here to convict NZF and Winston without any evidence of illegality. ]
“You also selectively quoted. I was describing his ability to ignore “the presumption of innocence” principle and wanting writer here to convict NZF and Winston without any evidence of illegality. ]”
No – That is my point. Jasper wants to to push the alledged rape angle. No presumption of innocence favours there.
If we are throwing historical sexual abuse allegations about on this thread what about Dover S and his involvement with underage girls?
Remember well, you throw shit then d4j will crucify you with the cold steel of truth. I hope we are all VERY clear on that pre election lock and load promise.
Morning Dad, good sleep?
Felix, as a crusader of the truth I can assure you sleep is good. I do feel many allegations are going to surface as we get closer to the election and I feel it’s not a good time to be sitting on a closet fill of haunting skeletons. The dirt will fly until the ultimate objective is achieved. I won’t say a few will fall from grace, as the scum I speak of do not own grace in any shape or form. Absolute power and grace are an impossible combination, but you already know that.
Bring it on girls.
Jasper can put what he/she likes in the comments. If it goes too far then it will get chopped, same as everyone else. In this case she/he didn’t ‘push’ it, they simply raised it and in the context of the thread.
I suspect you misunderstand why I was annoyed by danyl’s post.
What I was getting into danyl about what his abusive post trying to say what the writers here should believe. That is simply mob action – and I replied exactly in kind to their post about The Standard’s writers. What was asserted (amidst the verbiage) was that the writers here approved on Winston’s, Bob Jones, Owen Glenns and NZF actions in having anonymous donations.
The posters here are pretty much in same abeyance state that I am (from what I can see). They don’t particularly approve of the donations system from the Electoral Act 1993 – most would probably consider that part of the Act to be immoral. The donations were done under that act. At present there is nothing shown to be illegal under that Act.
There are far worse moral abuses of that donation system – for instance the actions of Act and National.
This is all obvious when you read the posts, and even more so when you read the comments. This little dipshit ignored all of that and wrote what is a straight attack post on this site. When I have time I usually take appropriate responses to that type of action. It goes far beyond any type of fair comment.
dont worry lprent…d4juice has one every time he presses the submit button
Dad, I think it’s done you a world of good – I’ve never seen you so lucid.
lprent,
Why don’t you consider than Jasper’s comments went too far?
I could tell you where I would draw the line, but I don’t think it matters.
I say that if I wrote [equivalent comment about Labour MP/candidates/party officials] I reckon it would be gone in a flurry of bolded letters and threats of banning, but then I’d just sound like a rightie.
Honestly I saw it and was appalled, I assumed it would be gone the moment a moderator saw it. I don’t believe this is how anyone who hopes The Standard might make a difference would like to see the media describe The Standard. I don’t believe this is how 99% of the the left, or the labour movement, or social democrats, or, or, or would like “our side” to behave.
I am genuinely surprised that it’s still there, I am genuinely upset that anyone whose opinions I respect would defend it.
humpf! Now the mean computer won’t let me edit that to put the word “could” in the third paragraph so that I sound coherent 🙂
Oh, and turn a comma into a semicolon in the fourth para.
I am too used to post fact proofing *sigh*
Question – are you sure it was the same Jasper who posts here? There’s no grey box around it.
I’ve just deleted the comment from ‘Jasper’. Like Daveo suggests (how’s it going comrade?) the Jasper in this comment appears to be posting from a different IP than the Jasper who posts here. I’ll email our Jasper to make sure.
In any case, it’s unacceptable.
Dad4Justice: Not sure how Dover Samuel’s is relevant. As it turned out Dover was in his early twenties, the girl was 17, and he was separated from his wife at the time.
Definitely rape.
Tane,
Thanks, my faith is a little restored. Lprent’s defence of it still disturbs me tho.
I’m assuming you’re not saying it would’ve been ok if it had been your Jasper.
Anita: I’m not defending it. I have no idea if the fact (that there was an allegation or not) is true. At present it is just a statement from a ‘Jasper’. I don’t check those sorts of facts – not my sort of moderation.
If it is incorrect then I’d expect someone would find out and demonstrate it. Then I’d start killing repetitions of something that is untrue. If it is true, then I’d start killing it only if it become repititous (ie trolling), or used in a manner likely to start flamewars. Of course if another moderator bans it or kills it, then I’ll follow suit.
I’m afraid I agree with the courts on the subject. That people entering public life have a diminished right to privacy. When they seek publicity for their benefit, then they also can expect to get bad publicity based on past actions. Ask Benson-Pope… You can also see this in my handling of the allegations against Winston over the last week or so.
You’d also note that the same standard does not apply to people who are not seeking public life. They have a reasonable expectation of privacy, both here and in the courts.
But I don’t initiate the checking of facts in comments – I’m simply not that interested in keeping up with all of that stuff. I simply enforce what the other moderators decide.
Does that clarify my position?
Agreed Anita – well done Tane the less garbage like that the better – sadly I think we’re likely to see more of the same heading into the election on all the blogs and in the MSM.
Oh I see Tane has checked and zapped. That is my bad – I should have checked the identicons. But I can’t remember ever seeing Jaspers icon.
Anita: I probably haven’t explained this all that clearly. I usually only moderate behaviour.
I’m a total libertarian in a lot of ways, and I look at structure rather than detail. Thats why Tane and the other moderators determine content questions. Same kind of reason that I don’t write many posts – I don’t bother keeping up with current politics.
However I’m a good BOFH and decent sysop – site stays running, gets upgraded, the comments section isn’t cesspool, and the writers and commentators don’t get attacked and shouted down all of the time.
BTW: people like hs and ALL of the regular commentators here should get an Gravator. It makes it a lot easier to do identity fraud checking for me. I do check it – but really only on people I know. For instance hs regularly mistypes his e-mail *sigh*
lprent,
No problem that you only moderate some kinds of behaviour and did nothing about this. But you actually defended the comment:
Would you think it was ok if someone wrote:
I don’t know how [insert name here] is hoping to hold onto their seat given the rumours that they regularly sit in a ministerial car outside their local kindy wanking
Would it be enough if it was related the thread somehow and not “pushed”? Would it matter that it was not yet disproven?
Just in case anyone gets excited, that allegation is entirely made up – I’m hoping that its obvious unlikeliness was enough of flag, but I thought perhaps I should be clear.
Hold onto their seat? Depends entirely on what sort of car they’re in.
In that case I would probably kill it. The keyword is ‘rumor’. That is a flamewar starter.
If someone said that:-
“Lynn has a criminal conviction for using illegal drugs and pushing them to children”
Then it’d technically be correct. I have a conviction for underage drinking at the Puhio when I was 18 and serving minors (my sister and brother) drinks by buying them at the bar for them. The drug alcohol was and still is illegal if served in a bar to minors.
It is a verifiable fact – similar to what “Jasper” said. I’d let that one through if someone asserted it to be true because it can be checked. I’d keep an eye out for whatever comes of it. (actually in this case I’d respond with some facts myself)
If after checking it was shown to be false, then I’d treat it as rumor and its use as a deliberate flamewar starter. I’d probably treat it as false if the target or almost anyone else said that it was false. It becomes up to the accuser to provide evidence.
If it was true, but if it was repeated over and over again as simple assertion with little discussion. Then I’d treat it as a flamewar starter or a trolling behavior.
If someone started demanding that the writers *must* write a post on the topic then I start getting heavy handed. Because I value the independence of the writers to usually post what they like or consider important here.
If someone starts saying that “The Standard” needs to do something. Then I’ll remind them that they’re trying to talk to a machine and getting me instead (and I’m irritated because they’re trying to treat me as a damn program).
If Tane or IB or one of the other moderators banned or moderated someone because they considered that they judged the comment to be offensive. Then I’d make sure that the ban or moderations stuck.
Think of me as a medieval sheriff with low justice powers. I usually don’t judge matters of fact. What I usually judge are matters of behavior against an established ruleset. It is a rough justice system, but probably the only one that is all that effective in a political blog attacked as often as this one.
Is that clearer?