Are you SBNR? Yet another initialism! but believe it or not there are a growing number who claim to be ‘spiritual but not religious.’ Repudiating an anthropomorphic deity, indoctrination of children by zealous parents, wars waged in the name of religion and the host of belief systems based on fear, superstition and narrow-mindedness, SBNR’s hold a mind set open to a universe of limitless possibilities. Many subscribe to agnosticism, a perspective held even by Richard Dawkins, much revered guru of atheists. If SBNR adherents weren’t enough a web search for spiritual atheists turns up 750 000 hits.
It is not surprising we seek the ‘other’ whether in terms of a deity, our higher selves, or simply the capacity to transcend the mundane, – as evidenced by the multi-billion dollar drug industry. Embedded within consciousness is the concept of infinity, – a troubling element that’s difficult to put to bed in a world where value is measured on finite scales of possessions and money. Will enough ever be enough? Seems unlikely, as symbolised by the state of our depleted earth and the ravages of wanton capitalism.
“Ordinary experience” as lived out in our three-dimensional and temporal worlds can and must be left behind to still the dragon of inner longing. This has been recognised for millennia, and pathways to transcendence have been pointed out by great lights who disseminated the indications according to the evolutionary status of audiences of their time.
Today, as ever, there persists an aspect of the psyche which when activated floods the mind with a revised attitude towards life and its values. In the past primarily equated with so called ‘religious conversion’, today many attest to its veracity via meditation, yoga, mindfulness and similar pursuits.
This can easily be written off as emotional hysteria, based on need at a time of extreme stimulation; it is also possible to find documentation of countless lives that have been permanently altered for the better through it.
What has actually occurred is a paradigm shift from being force fed a belief over to deciding for themselves what belief suits.
When I hear people claim to be spiritual rather than religious I can’t help but think of Bert Potter (plenty of other examples) who would have no doubt referred to himself spiritual. My point is that the change in nomenclature doesn’t lessen the danger nor the ability to manipulate people.
I am an atheist but I really marvel at the interior of walnuts, and the clever survival of sparrows, and the transient colours of sunsets, and the crashing of the waves.
Nothing to do with religion but it might be spiritual as in the uplifting of the spirit.
I am an atheist but I really marvel at the interior of walnuts, and the clever survival of sparrows, and the transient colours of sunsets, and the crashing of the waves.
Well, exactly. The actually-existing world isn’t short of marvels, there’s no need to go making stuff up.
What makes you think that empathetic and creative capabilities aren’t rational?
Intuition is usually the result of unconscious thought based upon what people have been taught (of course, if the teachings are wrong then the intuition is wrong as well).
It is very fashionable to be ‘in the moment’ (the more sport-minded call it ‘in zone’) and rationally speaking sex is like the time before time existed and the orgasmic Big Bang. So, you’re bang on that the Higgs is the continuity of that formless energy.
Sure. But it does allow you to understand why you wouldn’t turn your dead grandma into pet food, without having to make a whole lot of shit up. Which in turn helps you with making assessments about which emotions it’s reasonable to act on (eg, “Of course you can’t feed dead grandma to your dog!”) and which it isn’t (eg, “This cunt needs the shit kicked out of him”).
It’s about the integration of rationality (which tends to dissect things into parts), and the “irrational”, intuitive, emotional, etc (which tends to see things more as a whole, integrated into the social and environmental fabric.
I see it more as the manifold inherent dangers of irrationality being minimised by the application of rationality, most importantly in not making shit up to explain what you don’t know.
It is all just puny human words trying to describe the indescribable. Often sprinkled with judgments, bigotry and self serving sentiments. People believe shit – get over it, it’s all good, even the bad.
“It is all just puny human words trying to describe the indescribable.”
Certainly not. When asked about God Buddha replied ‘I’m not going to tell you whether there is God or not; if I say “there is god” you will go forth proclaiming it as truth, and it will make no difference to your lives whatsoever. If I say “there is no god” you will go your way exclaiming the Buddha says there is no god, and your lives will go on just as before.’ Urging his followers to be lamps unto themselves, his teachings continue to strike chords of hope to this day.
Yeah i asked jim about America he said whether I tell you about it or not won’t affect the quality of the burgers. Fucken deep that Jim all right, very fucken deep.
The Dunning–Kruger effect only implies that smarter people are more able to detect and correct their own mistakes. It doesn’t say that intelligent people are necessarily wracked by self-doubt, and certainly not that they lack all conviction.
I tried to place Russell’s quote in the context of Ant’s original comment @ 1 and the most of this thread which is largely about being spiritual-religious and rationality. Perhaps the quote wasn’t entirely appropriate.
Anyway, in the context of (spiritual-religious) faith doubt plays a crucial role and the not-knowing (for sure) ought to open one’s mind (and heart), and keep it opened, to new information and (full) experiences.
In other words, it is a dynamic, not a fixed position, between faith/conviction & doubt.
I’d like to think that this is consistent with Russell’s quote although I cannot be sure and it might have been stupid to even consider it but it did stimulate our thinking so I am now convinced I was dead right 😉
Agreed. Once the rational aspect of the mind has exhausted the full range of laterally generated paradoxes it finds the fields of unknowing refreshing and intriguing. There are energies there not readily reducible to logic, formula or descriptive prose. It may be that the Nazarene’s “become as little children” refers to putting rationality in abeyance, rather than become childlike in faith.
Neuro-anatomically rational and irrational function & behaviour are thought to be centred in different parts of the brain.
It is perhaps not surprising that people have tried to connect or integrate even quantum mechanics – truly weird and very complex stuff and sometimes called “spooky” – with Jung’s concepts and archetypes. It is quite possibly a realm where a strict or purely logic/rational (dogmatic) approach won’t get you far; I certainly struggle to follow the few who have made inroads here but as Mr Spock would say it all is “fascinating”.
Interestingly, archetypes are universal ‘bridges’ between the spiritual and material worlds and not taught or created by socio-cultural forces. So, we all share (and contribute to) them but in daily life they get ‘expressed & shaped’ by our personal circumstances.
How vital is rationalism. We see what the lack of it has brought us. The only thing it, vitally, lacks is evangelists.
English socialism had them, modelled point by point on 19th century evangelical Christianity. My g.grandfather was ‘first to bring the word to Preston’ Lancashire. Not surprising rationalism requires both its warmth and its coldness so expressed. A narrative.
Interesting point made by Richard A. Clarke – former U.S. National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counterterrorism, that Russia created thousands of false Facebook and twitter identities before the last election, micro-targeting people and shaping their opinion – “psychological warfare on a grand scale – they conducted the largest pyschological warfare campaign in history and they won” – Just as fascinatingly, he says the ransomware attack wasn’t even genuine ransomeware. It’s real purpose was to do what it did and that was to permanently erase files on computers. It was targeted at the Ukraine but slipped out of the Ukraine. He says the same thing happende when the US attacked Iran with its own malware which ended up going everywhere else as well
Very similar to NZ. Some of our companies may not be fully privatised but the SOE & COO model’s mean they are expected to operate that way. The National’s party’s quest on lazy immigration, fake degrees and our global housing and land sale strategy has ensured a housing shortage during a population explosion and expanded the high cost of housing and renting (as related to local wages). Yep now the taxpayers are expected to subsidise the clusterfuck through accomodation allowances, increase benefits to pay for power and water blow outs.
Forget austerity, here’s who is to blame for your empty pockets
Patrick Collinson
Research this week by Santander blows the whistle on the ever-growing portion of our monthly pay that goes on largely unavoidable household bills. It looked at bills for gas, electricity, water, TV, phone and so on – and found they have escalated in price far, far ahead of average wage rises. Since 2006, average pay packets in Britain have gone up by 19% in pounds and pence terms (in other words, not adjusting for inflation). Meanwhile, the average gas bill has gone up 73%, electricity 72%, and water 41%.
The general effect of privatisation upon a society. It simply makes it too expensive for the majority to live and thus causes the society to collapse.
It suggests China’s official word cannot be trusted, whether the issue is Hong Kong’s (and Taiwan’s) continued freedoms, illegal regional military expansion, or investment in Britain’s nuclear industry, retailers and real estate.
And we should already have learned that lesson from our own dealings with China.
If the worlds nations stuck to the Charter of the UN that they’ve signed then Hong Kong would have the choice if they wished to be part of China or not. So would Taiwan. The Kurds would have the choice to make their own state.
All indications are that the UN Charter has been a dead document for decades as the powerful simply do what they want.
Mate it was good night nurse after they dotted down. All credit, it was a game of two halves alright but rugby was the winner on the day. Gotta tighten up the loose and losen up the tight – drive over the advantage line and make their presence felt. Great day they really grew another arm and leg and got the job done. Proud of ya boys onya beauty kinoath yeah nah.
The better team was the winner on the day. They dug deep, and played for the full 80 minutes. They tightened up on their discipline as the game wore on, played as a team to the conditions… yadda yadda yadda.
Yep they made some spot tackles and forced errors with solid defence and swung it wide for the flash Harry’s and glory boys to pop it under the post. The engine room chugged on as every man played for his brother and went the extra mile. Epic.
At the end of the day I would like to point out to all those who used the phrase ‘on the day’ that the game was played at night-time. Obviously, a rugby calendar day has three halves: morning, afternoon, and night. This was not a game of 2 halves – it was a game of the third half. Just wanted to clear that up for people like James.
He is like many National people.
Happy to bask in the glory of others when they are winning.
AWOL when they lose.
I actually question his support of sports teams except as a prop for his devoted National Party
Looks like there is going to be an actual contest for the 3rd match.
Everything to play for.For pretty much all of the AB players, this will be the only time they get to play the Lions.
Though I am picking we may not get to see another Lions tour, not in the form we are used to. The next tour here is due in 2029, but the game might change in that time.
Fabulous NZ country Mt White Station is Ed. Be great pity if foreign owners not only own it but block out NZers. Wonder if new foreign owners will farm it or just look at it?
It’s no different from when Labour were in power and they really won’t be changing it much once they get in power – NZ will still be for sale to the highest bidder and thus making NZers poorer.
Oh goody, those tiny fingers aren’t going to stop any time soon – it’s “MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL”. Woe betide anyone who dares try to take that phone away.
When history talks of life expectancy in say the 18th Century being only about 40 years this because the huge infant mortality rate kept the averages down, and many lived to 60 + years. Just getting past the birth and early years was the hurdle.
The Making of the English Working Class written by E. P. Thompson, a notable ‘New Left’ historian; it was published in 1963 by Victor Gollancz
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The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],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, Thursday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
Are you SBNR? Yet another initialism! but believe it or not there are a growing number who claim to be ‘spiritual but not religious.’ Repudiating an anthropomorphic deity, indoctrination of children by zealous parents, wars waged in the name of religion and the host of belief systems based on fear, superstition and narrow-mindedness, SBNR’s hold a mind set open to a universe of limitless possibilities. Many subscribe to agnosticism, a perspective held even by Richard Dawkins, much revered guru of atheists. If SBNR adherents weren’t enough a web search for spiritual atheists turns up 750 000 hits.
It is not surprising we seek the ‘other’ whether in terms of a deity, our higher selves, or simply the capacity to transcend the mundane, – as evidenced by the multi-billion dollar drug industry. Embedded within consciousness is the concept of infinity, – a troubling element that’s difficult to put to bed in a world where value is measured on finite scales of possessions and money. Will enough ever be enough? Seems unlikely, as symbolised by the state of our depleted earth and the ravages of wanton capitalism.
“Ordinary experience” as lived out in our three-dimensional and temporal worlds can and must be left behind to still the dragon of inner longing. This has been recognised for millennia, and pathways to transcendence have been pointed out by great lights who disseminated the indications according to the evolutionary status of audiences of their time.
Today, as ever, there persists an aspect of the psyche which when activated floods the mind with a revised attitude towards life and its values. In the past primarily equated with so called ‘religious conversion’, today many attest to its veracity via meditation, yoga, mindfulness and similar pursuits.
This can easily be written off as emotional hysteria, based on need at a time of extreme stimulation; it is also possible to find documentation of countless lives that have been permanently altered for the better through it.
What has actually occurred is a paradigm shift from being force fed a belief over to deciding for themselves what belief suits.
When I hear people claim to be spiritual rather than religious I can’t help but think of Bert Potter (plenty of other examples) who would have no doubt referred to himself spiritual. My point is that the change in nomenclature doesn’t lessen the danger nor the ability to manipulate people.
Enjoy your new acronym.
Agreed, as advertising continues to manipulate millions to subscribe to the god of capitalism.
…believe it or not there are a growing number who claim to be ‘spiritual but not religious.’
Oh, I can believe it alright. Rationalism seems to be decidedly unfashionable these days. That’s not a good thing.
I am an atheist but I really marvel at the interior of walnuts, and the clever survival of sparrows, and the transient colours of sunsets, and the crashing of the waves.
Nothing to do with religion but it might be spiritual as in the uplifting of the spirit.
Spiritual atheists would welcome you as a kindred spirit 😉
I am an atheist but I really marvel at the interior of walnuts, and the clever survival of sparrows, and the transient colours of sunsets, and the crashing of the waves.
Well, exactly. The actually-existing world isn’t short of marvels, there’s no need to go making stuff up.
Humans, and the world we inhabit, do not survive on rationality alone.
The rational, the intuitive, the empathetic, spiritual, and creative capabilities need to be in a kind of balance, or bad things can happen.
What makes you think that empathetic and creative capabilities aren’t rational?
Intuition is usually the result of unconscious thought based upon what people have been taught (of course, if the teachings are wrong then the intuition is wrong as well).
‘Rationalism’
Only exists inside ones own head
That you believe it to be ‘unfashionable’, is only by the interpretation you put on it..
Which counts for nothing..
Except to you..which is all it should be…
“The Higgs boson is the continuity of formless sexual energy”
It is very fashionable to be ‘in the moment’ (the more sport-minded call it ‘in zone’) and rationally speaking sex is like the time before time existed and the orgasmic Big Bang. So, you’re bang on that the Higgs is the continuity of that formless energy.
Rationalism has many virtues, the chief one being it can be used to curtail the excesses of enthusiasms.
But, rationalism has no reason not to feed one’s deceased grandmother to the dog.
Sure. But it does allow you to understand why you wouldn’t turn your dead grandma into pet food, without having to make a whole lot of shit up. Which in turn helps you with making assessments about which emotions it’s reasonable to act on (eg, “Of course you can’t feed dead grandma to your dog!”) and which it isn’t (eg, “This cunt needs the shit kicked out of him”).
Exactly.
It’s about the integration of rationality (which tends to dissect things into parts), and the “irrational”, intuitive, emotional, etc (which tends to see things more as a whole, integrated into the social and environmental fabric.
I see it more as the manifold inherent dangers of irrationality being minimised by the application of rationality, most importantly in not making shit up to explain what you don’t know.
It is all just puny human words trying to describe the indescribable. Often sprinkled with judgments, bigotry and self serving sentiments. People believe shit – get over it, it’s all good, even the bad.
“It is all just puny human words trying to describe the indescribable.”
Certainly not. When asked about God Buddha replied ‘I’m not going to tell you whether there is God or not; if I say “there is god” you will go forth proclaiming it as truth, and it will make no difference to your lives whatsoever. If I say “there is no god” you will go your way exclaiming the Buddha says there is no god, and your lives will go on just as before.’ Urging his followers to be lamps unto themselves, his teachings continue to strike chords of hope to this day.
Yeah i asked jim about America he said whether I tell you about it or not won’t affect the quality of the burgers. Fucken deep that Jim all right, very fucken deep.
All the dynamic is between those two absolute positions.
The stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt. [Bertrand Russell]
Haven’t seen this quote before. Interesting one. My search brought up, among other things, this explanation of the evidence for the first part of the quote, and the limitations of the second.
Thank you.
I tried to place Russell’s quote in the context of Ant’s original comment @ 1 and the most of this thread which is largely about being spiritual-religious and rationality. Perhaps the quote wasn’t entirely appropriate.
Anyway, in the context of (spiritual-religious) faith doubt plays a crucial role and the not-knowing (for sure) ought to open one’s mind (and heart), and keep it opened, to new information and (full) experiences.
In other words, it is a dynamic, not a fixed position, between faith/conviction & doubt.
I’d like to think that this is consistent with Russell’s quote although I cannot be sure and it might have been stupid to even consider it but it did stimulate our thinking so I am now convinced I was dead right 😉
Agreed. Once the rational aspect of the mind has exhausted the full range of laterally generated paradoxes it finds the fields of unknowing refreshing and intriguing. There are energies there not readily reducible to logic, formula or descriptive prose. It may be that the Nazarene’s “become as little children” refers to putting rationality in abeyance, rather than become childlike in faith.
Neuro-anatomically rational and irrational function & behaviour are thought to be centred in different parts of the brain.
It is perhaps not surprising that people have tried to connect or integrate even quantum mechanics – truly weird and very complex stuff and sometimes called “spooky” – with Jung’s concepts and archetypes. It is quite possibly a realm where a strict or purely logic/rational (dogmatic) approach won’t get you far; I certainly struggle to follow the few who have made inroads here but as Mr Spock would say it all is “fascinating”.
Interestingly, archetypes are universal ‘bridges’ between the spiritual and material worlds and not taught or created by socio-cultural forces. So, we all share (and contribute to) them but in daily life they get ‘expressed & shaped’ by our personal circumstances.
Thank you for kick-starting this @ 1.
Arthur Balfour said something similar about the bold. Didn’t stop him promising something already promised.
I’m sure people’s eagerness to think they’re better than they are would strike John Bonifield as adorable.
The many disadvantaged by drug-dependency, depression and suicidal thoughts surely need to think they are better than they are.
My
How vital is rationalism. We see what the lack of it has brought us. The only thing it, vitally, lacks is evangelists.
English socialism had them, modelled point by point on 19th century evangelical Christianity. My g.grandfather was ‘first to bring the word to Preston’ Lancashire. Not surprising rationalism requires both its warmth and its coldness so expressed. A narrative.
Interesting point made by Richard A. Clarke – former U.S. National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counterterrorism, that Russia created thousands of false Facebook and twitter identities before the last election, micro-targeting people and shaping their opinion – “psychological warfare on a grand scale – they conducted the largest pyschological warfare campaign in history and they won” – Just as fascinatingly, he says the ransomware attack wasn’t even genuine ransomeware. It’s real purpose was to do what it did and that was to permanently erase files on computers. It was targeted at the Ukraine but slipped out of the Ukraine. He says the same thing happende when the US attacked Iran with its own malware which ended up going everywhere else as well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCBJSmWY6nE&feature=share
For a bit of balance, because we know most of the powerful players in the US go along with the “Russia” meme.
https://consortiumnews.com/2017/06/30/the-mad-chase-for-russia-gate-prey/
Very similar to NZ. Some of our companies may not be fully privatised but the SOE & COO model’s mean they are expected to operate that way. The National’s party’s quest on lazy immigration, fake degrees and our global housing and land sale strategy has ensured a housing shortage during a population explosion and expanded the high cost of housing and renting (as related to local wages). Yep now the taxpayers are expected to subsidise the clusterfuck through accomodation allowances, increase benefits to pay for power and water blow outs.
Forget austerity, here’s who is to blame for your empty pockets
Patrick Collinson
https://www.theguardian.com/money/blog/2017/jul/01/forget-austerity-government-cuts-profiteering-private-companies
Importing Asian House Farmers – National’s Growth Strategy
The general effect of privatisation upon a society. It simply makes it too expensive for the majority to live and thus causes the society to collapse.
We cannot afford the rich
China tears up promises to UK and shows the world who is in charge
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/01/china-tears-up-promises-to-uk-and-shows-the-world-who-is-in-charge
And we should already have learned that lesson from our own dealings with China.
IMO Hong Kong, along with Macau, should have become an independent city’state, similar to Singapore.
If the worlds nations stuck to the Charter of the UN that they’ve signed then Hong Kong would have the choice if they wished to be part of China or not. So would Taiwan. The Kurds would have the choice to make their own state.
All indications are that the UN Charter has been a dead document for decades as the powerful simply do what they want.
Sad and true.
Q: Where’s James with his Sunday Morning Rugby report?
A: In tears
A: Shouting at, and kicking his cat.
To be fair the Lions had to win or they would have been a laughing stock. Not winning when playing 15 against 14 would make them look like no-hopers.
Mate it was good night nurse after they dotted down. All credit, it was a game of two halves alright but rugby was the winner on the day. Gotta tighten up the loose and losen up the tight – drive over the advantage line and make their presence felt. Great day they really grew another arm and leg and got the job done. Proud of ya boys onya beauty kinoath yeah nah.
🙂
The better team was the winner on the day. They dug deep, and played for the full 80 minutes. They tightened up on their discipline as the game wore on, played as a team to the conditions… yadda yadda yadda.
Yep they made some spot tackles and forced errors with solid defence and swung it wide for the flash Harry’s and glory boys to pop it under the post. The engine room chugged on as every man played for his brother and went the extra mile. Epic.
Full credit to the opposition and three cheers to the Ref!
At the end of the day I would like to point out to all those who used the phrase ‘on the day’ that the game was played at night-time. Obviously, a rugby calendar day has three halves: morning, afternoon, and night. This was not a game of 2 halves – it was a game of the third half. Just wanted to clear that up for people like James.
+1
Was there a game on? Who was playing?
Did anyone drown? No? Pity.
Pity.
What do you mean by that Anne?
Tongue in cheek dear boy. Note, I was replying to Andre @5.3. who was stirring. 😉
Ask Bill, I’m sure he would have been there with james.
He is like many National people.
Happy to bask in the glory of others when they are winning.
AWOL when they lose.
I actually question his support of sports teams except as a prop for his devoted National Party
It was a good game and the best team on the day, won.
Well, that was cathartic.
James mate, you’re a legend!
And the crowd kept chanting ‘oooh Jeremy Corbyn’ – that was the best part of the game
It was a fantastic game.
You’re kidding us?
Looks like there is going to be an actual contest for the 3rd match.
Everything to play for.For pretty much all of the AB players, this will be the only time they get to play the Lions.
Though I am picking we may not get to see another Lions tour, not in the form we are used to. The next tour here is due in 2029, but the game might change in that time.
I could have told you that wearing those red socks would bring bad luck.
NZ under National for sale.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/94289508/magnificent-40000-hectare-south-island-station-attracting-strong-interest-from-overseas-buyers
Fabulous NZ country Mt White Station is Ed. Be great pity if foreign owners not only own it but block out NZers. Wonder if new foreign owners will farm it or just look at it?
Hugh and Sian seem foreign to me, Ted Phipps possibly a bit closer to home. Anyway I reckon they’d all scream “I’m Kiwi, I’m a Kiwi, I’m a Kiwi, I’m a Kiwi, I’m a Kiwi”.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/4620625/New-gate-blocking-access-to-lake
It’s no different from when Labour were in power and they really won’t be changing it much once they get in power – NZ will still be for sale to the highest bidder and thus making NZers poorer.
Oh goody, those tiny fingers aren’t going to stop any time soon – it’s “MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL”. Woe betide anyone who dares try to take that phone away.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/07/01/trump_won_t_stop_tweeting_because_it_s_modern_day_presidential.html
Must be like some forms of art: Simplified, massively ugly and only liked in small echo chambers.
An interesting thread on health.
When history talks of life expectancy in say the 18th Century being only about 40 years this because the huge infant mortality rate kept the averages down, and many lived to 60 + years. Just getting past the birth and early years was the hurdle.
The Making of the English Working Class written by E. P. Thompson, a notable ‘New Left’ historian; it was published in 1963 by Victor Gollancz
If you really want to know how bad things can get, especially for the poor (and especially children) in an unregulated capitalist economy, this is a spine-chilling read.