On Tuesday last week we had the launch for the book Whale Oil by Margie Thomson. It was an incredible and humbling experience. About three hundred people turned up. My wife and kids attended and afterwards they talked about what an amazing night they had with other friends and family.
This weekend with the dust starting to settle I looked back at the week that followed the launch and I felt uncomfortable. It was a busy week with media appearances and messages of support, and naturally there was a big focus on the details of my protracted battle against Cameron Slater. What got me thinking, though, was a book review on Newsroom by Finlay Macdonald – not his words but the image at the top of the page: Cameron Slater knocked out in the first round of his boxing match with Jesse Rider. He looks broken. I needed to beat Cameron in court in order to win back my reputation. It was never my intention to break the man.
Cameron Slater has had his struggles in life. He’s had business failures. He struggled with mental illness; he lost his home. More recently he has had health issues. It follows that my mind takes me to a place of sympathy for Slater. He has a wife and kids just like me; he has tried to succeed, just like me. I feel increasingly concerned at the tone of some of the comments about him that are appearing online. I know what it’s like first hand to be ridiculed online, to be bullied and it affects more than just the individual. It flows through to that person’s friends and family.
Slater is not well. His attacks against me are not the actions of a right thinking individual. He needs help.
I’m concerned that some of the coverage given to the publication of Margie’s book gives the impression this book is a tit-for-tat exercise. It’s not, and that’s clear to anyone reading it. Yes, it’s the story of my long struggle to rescue my reputation and get justice, but
it’s about much more than a fight between two individuals. It is about our changing world and a system that needs to change so that our children are protected. It introduces readers to some incredible individuals and shows that even during the hardest of times good people will stand up and be counted. It’s about never giving up, and that sometimes the decision to fight can come from a place of love, compassion and family. Finally, it’s about people as a whole and how we choose to live not only on the internet but as a society.
The people who have read the book have all had the same reaction; a feeling of surprise. It follows that those same people have expressed to me what an important book this is and how much it impacted them as individuals.
I am now going to focus on my family, my health, my education and hopefully move past this. My story has been told.
I hope that people will move past attacking what can be only be described as a damaged individual. Let’s put him where he belongs, in the footnote of history, and move on to talking about the important issues he only symbolizes.
It's great that Blomfield can be so objective and magnanimous, but the evil of Slater is not just confined to him.
That p.o.s. Slater has destroyed so many lives with his obsessive hatred, revelling in the hurt and suffering he inflicted on grieving families and systematic attempts to destroy public servants and the undermining of our justice system.
Yes, sociopaths, for clearly that is what he is, can be smart. His blog did a great job with political commentary but sadly now has morphed into conspiracy theories and Islamophobia under the direction of his wife. I detest the childish nonsense of Karma, but his current suffering is well deserved.
Not depravity – it may be that people just don't like sitting in bird poo. Perhaps the seats should have been shifted free of trees.
.
The streets and pavements would still have lots of white spots. But hey in other civilised countries there is a night-time water spray over city streets (they also clean their buildings too), so perhaps some NZ cities could start taking more pride in the civic appearance, Palmerston North leading the way!
Cars receiving droppings could accept it as one-of-life's problems during the day.
At night near twilight when the birds are gathering en masse and letting it all hang out, twittering about the day's events, and people gathering at bars doing the same, cars might be hit then. It would be a good incentive to cut the cackle, down a few beers and go and get some food. There is a way of managing such things without abandoning lots of trees.
In the Palmerston North example (trees along Broadway felled because people complained about birdshit on their cars), the result has been that, in the evenings, the few remaining trees (around the Square) now host all the birds in the central city and God help you if you park your car under one – you won't be able to see out the windows when you return to it. No doubt the city's councillors will apply their awesome problem-solving skills to the issue and cut down the remaining trees.
Australia's Controversial Adani Coal Mine Now One Approval Away From Construction
….."Assessment of this plan has been a rigorous process, informed by the best available science," a DES spokesperson said in a statement reported by The Guardian. "DES has met regularly with Adani to ensure that the plan is robust and is well-placed to deliver the best outcomes for the protection of the black-throated finch.
‘Rigorous’?
Hardly.
Not one mention of climate change as a reason to stop the Adani mega coal mine project
In many ways this mirrors the approval process for coal mines in this country. – Make a big fuss about giant snails or weta but stay a million miles away from any mention of climate change.
Actually, in New Zealand it is illegal for a consent tribunal to allow climate change evidence to be heard in any consent hearings for fossil fuel projects, including coal mines.
I wonder why?
Is it because, if climate change was allowed to raised as an objection, the evidence is so compelling that no new coal mine or oil well would ever win approval?
Extinction: The species your are worrying about, may be your own.
In 2009 250years above the 1750 baseline we were at .85c. Now a mere 10 years later in 2019 we've added another .9c to make 1.75c. We're now in exponential climate change. The Australian government is quite happy to destroy the liveability of the Planet to make more money. We're heading for hot house earth. The old white Oz morons running the show there, Australia is being impacted by climate change severely now, will be long dead when the sh*t really hits the fan. And that wonder of our planet: The great barrier reef is dying ,its beauty could be seen from space.
As to the controversy over the Powelliphanta Snails and the Black Throated Finch prove,
The first rule of climate change denial; Don't say anything about climate change denial.
If the Green Party ever achieve anything meaningful in government about climate change, it would be to strive like hell to raise the issue of getting rid of the iniquitous legislation that makes it illegal for a planning consent tribunal to hear objections based on climate change evidence. And if the rest of the government don't agree, to make it an election issue.
The real tragedy of the so called political consensus between all the political parties around Zero Carbon Act that the Green Party has tried so hard to achieve, and sacrificed real policy for, is that climate change will again not be debated in the elections.
Why would it? They all agree. There is consensus.
It is a consensus to say, (and do), nothing.
The first rule of climate change denial; Don't say anything about climate change denial.
“in the evenings, the few remaining trees (around the Square) now host all the birds in the central city and God help you if you park your car under one”
"God help you" – sounds like a real crisis and your link reveals just how appalling, nay existentially threatening, those birds are! Can they be annihilated, please, for the sake of the children?
In Vancouver, we walked past some trees near Stanley Park where the Blue Herons nest. There were a shedload of signs pointing out that there were nests above, and that herons (as fish eaters) have smelly and corrosive droppings and you should therefore not park your car underneath these trees. It seemed to work. Unfortunately, thanks to Rodney Hide and the NACT government of the time, the only trees that have any protection are those which are individually scheduled, or those on public land.
Robert – I live near some of these desecrations and though we protested / tried to guard 24 hours daily the processes of law overwhelmed us.
Now we have ticky tacky houses / apartments in the place of once beautiful trees. All they want in Auckand is as many houses on tiny sites as can be built ; the inhabitants live squashed in like lab rats and no lawns or trees nearby. Often no garages either so cars clutter up the roads.
"A meme has gotten loose on this planet the socially equivalent of cancer (in my opinion), and what it is–is capitalism. Capitalism does not serve human beings. It serves itself, in the same way cancer does not serve a human being it serves itself. "
Yesterday I was examining well placed street trees vs random plantings that will be culled, trying to figure out what the formula is to plant a tree with some reasonable chance of its longevity. After my impromptu study I came home and read that article. I've seen so many trees vanish I've stopped mentioning it.
Avoiding parking areas was one of the first things I thought of. Not because bird shit is a real issue, but preciousness certainly is. Plant away from car parks.
Avoiding power lines. This is a no brainer but you'd be surprised how many fail to look up when they plant things that grow tall. Likewise guttering. I don't mind cleaning mine, and gutter guards work well, but be aware of the previously mentioned preciousness of people.
What's under the ground? Avoiding electrical and plumbing infrastructure is wise, but requires some investigation. Your local council has the details.
To recap – trees are an ever expanding three dimensional structure. They can be pruned but ideally they are left to do their own thing.
Education. People have no idea of the ecosystem services trees provide, or perhaps they're national voters who want the benefits but no leaves on their driveways.
Trees are free. I walk about and see a tree I like in seed I grab some seed and throw it in a pot or two and leave them be. This summer/autumn I've sprouted Coprosmas, Kowhai, Karo, Pohutakawa, Jacaranda, Albizia, Inga, Acacia…
We need to reverse the laws favoring developers and people over nature, or we will also perish.
Plant trees wisely, make them count.
P.S. I grow very wary of going back to edit every post because the software insists on putting all sorts of shit formatting in plain view. The above has already been edited twice.
I've just come inside from planting the seeds of Himalayan Tree Strawberry; lots of them. Also, Sweet Chestnuts, about 200, straight into a sawdust/soil bed. My peach stones have been in for a couple of weeks now. This afternoon, I'll sow the seeds of the Chinese Hawthorn and Cornelian Cherry (really a dogwood). All these trees will go "somewhere", I know nor care not where, just out there, where they are needed. Great gifts, trees.
One thing, WTB, if you accidentally hold down the Crtl/Cmd key while you are typing a space, it turns into a special non-breaking one which the editor then shows as "nbsp".
Basically if the UK had any pretension to being a justice based democracy and upholder of the "rules based order" it would free Assange as per UN rulings, so as to allow him to have urgently needed medical attention , and to prepare his defence in the Swedish case. It would never have without any objection, parcelled up Assange's belongings and handed them over to the US
I think we can see whose "rules" have priority here.
Sweden could assure him that it would not extradite to the US, as per Amnesty International
If the Swedes had done this back in 2012, the Swedish complainants and Assange would have had their day in court, and justice would have been done
Why such intransigence? Didn't the Swedes feel that the most important issue was that the Swedish women have their complaints heard?
Probably not, according to Amnesty International's recent report on sexual violence in the Nordic countries .The courts are notoriously slow to act, sexual violence is widespread, and there are very few convictions compared to complaints. Only 6% of cases resulted in prosecution in 2017!
Thankyou for your intelligent and accurate observations which are 100% true, Francesca, 🙂 . The U$K has joined the war criminal enterprise of the U$. And also has committed crimes at home against its own poor people.
130,000 preventable austerity deaths as banquet is laid for trump
“We have been watching the slow-motion assassination of Julian Assange. They have been choking him to death by tactical psyops, siege tactics, and wilful neglect as surely as if they placed a noose tied around his neck, not just in Belmarsh Prison but in the embassy as well. The only difference between his execution and someone on death row is the same as the difference between covert and overt warfare, which makes sense because the intelligence, judicial and military agencies who are carrying out his death sentence operate within the same power structure which carries out war. First came the smears (propaganda), then came the siege (sanctions), and they staged their coup (dragged him out of the embassy) and now they’ve got him in their clutches and they can do what they want behind closed doors. That’s how you kill a nation while still looking like a nice guy, and that’s how they’re killing Assange.”
If the world stands for the US/UK/Swedish judicial murder of an innocent man, the world does not deserve to exist another second.
Your ability to stoically ignore the crushing of democracy is impressive, Marty.
But not in a good way. Mind you, I recall you springing to the defence of “Sir” Mark Solomon’s “leadership” a few years ago, so this latest expression of contempt for democracy, though far uglier and more extreme, is really not a surprise.
"Anyone who is pushing the provably fake rape charges as a reason to not support a man dying in prison is a piece of s**t and waste of oxygen" – Twitter comment, and quite correct.
Your ability to get it wrong so much is impressive though minor morrie in the scheme of things – your 3rd rate stenographer skills and outright fabrications as well as your abysmal understanding of our national game put you in a class of your own – sadly that class is no class and a shadow of class – classless I think it is.
None of that is criticism, Sacha. It's merely abuse. Not very pointed or clever abuse, but abuse is what it is.
Our friend Marty's mustering and deployment of as many derogatory adjectives as he could remember has as much relationship to criticism as Judge Michael Snow's words in that kangaroo court on April 11th have to justice.
Marty. Should the war crimes exposed by Manning and Assange be pursued as ruthlessly as both these individuals are. It's clear they are not, why do you think this is? Do you think it is because they have better character than Assange and Manning?
Related to Assange punitive detention and resulting suffering, at the hands of the vengeful US State Department, is the continued punitive detention and suffering of Chelsea Manning.
Manning's lawyers filed court papers Friday asking a federal judge to reconsider his decision to send Manning to the Alexandria jail for refusing to testify to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks…..
…..
Manning is suffering physically as a result of her incarceration and is in the midst of losing her home because of the financial effect it is having on her.
Manning has been jailed for civil contempt since May 16. She could remain in jail for up to 18 months — the length of the grand-jury term. Judge Anthony Trenga also ordered fines of $500 a day to kick in after 30 days of confinement and $1,000 a day after 60 days.
This follows a two-month jail term earlier this year for refusing to testify to a previous grand jury.
…….Under federal law, a recalcitrant witness can only be jailed for civil contempt if there is a reasonable belief that incarceration will coerce the witness into testifying. If the jail time has no coercive effect and is purely punitive, the recalcitrant witness is supposed to be released….
……Manning, in response, penned a lengthy letter to the judge reiterating her rationale. She included a lengthy history on the use of grand juries around the world, and says that many Western countries have abandoned the system because it operates in secret and in a one-sided fashion to the benefit of prosecutors against those accused.
……Manning has said she believes grand juries in general are an abuse of power and that she would rather starve to death than testify.
Do McFlock and the rest of the mob pour filthy abuse on Chelsea Manning as well? I remember they ridiculed Edward Snowden, deriving a great deal of lynch-mob hilarity from the fact his girlfriend had been a stripper. It was almost as good as Julian Assange's cat as a device to belittle him with unfunny quips.
Not sure the Cardinal’s experience was too happy, either. Got there in the end, but after how long? He must have not had a cat.
Notice that most of the same people who buy into this establishment anti Assange at all costs narrative, are also the same people who pushed the Russia conspiracy, go along with intervention in Venezuela etc etc they probably believe Corbyn is anti semitic too…it's like they just can't help but get sucked into every establishment MSM narrative that gets spun to them, almost like they have no defense, broken internal bullshit detectors or something.
Moz, it's one thing to argue that we don't know he's guilty. But every time you call it a concocted story, I'll call you a rape apologist. Because you are.
Here is British justice for you…they will protect Pinochet but give Assange to the wolves
Margaret Thatcher "The chance of Senator Pinochet receiving anything resembling what Britain would recognise as justice in a Spanish court is minimal, not least because key witnesses for his defence run the risk of immediate arrest if they set foot on Spanish soil. What is planned then is a show trial with a preordained outcome. Lingering death in a foreign land."
I think Pinochet was nice to Margaret Thatcher in some way; did he help her during the Falklands War? She knew which side her bread was buttered, with only the best butter of course, and knew who to butter up. On further consideration she could give butter a bad name, so forget I mentioned it.
To follow on from the the sentiments expressed by Matt Blomfield (via Pete George, cheers Pete) and Peter Chch's comment.
It's pleasing to see on one got a gong for being a sociopath (Services to Business) in this years Queen's Birthday Honours. But rather people who've selflessly worked to make our society a better place.
The awarding of a gong to Fran Walsh reminded me of her teary performance (along with Phillipa Boyens) with Kathryn Ryan on Nine To Noon. it was related to the Hobbitt/Warners dispute. Misinformation, obfuscation and out and out lies were the tactics used.
Re- Fran Walsh… my immediate thoughts too. Just another example of: it is not what you know, but who you know that counts.
There are no doubt some very worthy recipients who deserve all the accolades they will receive but I can't help noticing the number of honours for… Services to Science. ONE.
Apart from a Dr. Marie MCLintock for services to haemotology and obstretics, no other scientist has been honoured. Yet these are among our most intelligent and talented NZers whose research work is frequently internationally recognised, and they have the ability to change or save the lives of many thousands of people.
Even worse was her and Boyens teaming up with John Barnett and Paul "I am a GOOD MAN" Holmes on Q&A to snarl at and belittle Sue Bradford. Peter Jackson was sitting there too, looking extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable. He was almost completely silent throughout.
There was the infamous Q&A Holmes interview with John Barnett and Helen Kelly, but I don't recall Peter Jackson being present. I do remember him being interviewed on other occasions and being disgusted at his attitude. But nobody could see past his Lord of the Rings Hollywood success and were blind to his abysmal behaviour over the reasonable protests of the local artistic community – not the least Holmes himself.
Those swine managed to get onto Q&A several times. Yes, Barnett tried to be extremely intimidating to Helen Kelly, and Holmes was harsh and derogatory towards her as well.
On another episode, Boyens and Walsh and Peter Jackson opposed Sue Bradford. Boyens and Walsh were extremely unpleasant throughout the programme.
That Walsh gets rewarded in spite of that repulsive display—and we can be sure she was even crueler and nastier away from the television cameras—is another reason to scrap these ridiculous "honours".
Saint Sue should never be criticised. Jackson and Walsh who are hard-working entrepreneurs bringing NZ into the world 'stage' are downright cruel and nasty. Creatives like Robyn Malcolm are wonderful and deserve to exist on Cloud 9, where all self-made successful wonders get to be. Comment BAU.
The one person deserving an award was Helen Kelly. She might have refused it. She remains at the peak of my list of Great New Zealanders and her treatment during that dispute by Walsh and the director whose name I refuse to utter, and whose movies I refuse to watch, was quite disgusting
Q+A: Barnett and Holmes meet their match in Helen Kelly
TV1, Sunday Oct. 24, 2010
Preliminary comment by JACK A. NAPES, for Daisycutter Sports Inc. ….
This is billed as an "interview", but it's more of an attempted
mugging. Unfortunately for Barnett and Holmes, Kelly is not
intimidated by their antics. She remains polite and perfectly composed
throughout, unlike her two opponents. Holmes interrupts Helen Kelly
nearly every time she speaks, and Barnett interrupts her three times.
But all this fails to upset her; she's an experienced union
negotiator, and these two are lightweights compared to some business
and union leaders she meets routinely. Barnett gets really angry when
Kelly points out that he's a slack employer: "You yourself don't
comply with the guidelines." Holmes calls her "clueless" twice and he
swears angrily on two occasions. Note the way that Holmes won't let
her speak even at the end, shouting: "No, Helen's had ENOUGH!"
Q+A: Interview with Helen Kelly and John Barnett
Published: 4:12PM Sunday October 24, 2010 Source: Q+A
Related News Paul Holmes interviews Helen Kelly and John Barnett about the saga
surrounding filming of The Hobbit.
PAUL: We are joined by two folk at the heart of negotiations. Helen
Kelly is president of the Combined Trade Unions, and John Barnett is
the managing director of South Pacific Picture – very experienced film
man. Of course, one of the most experienced film people in this
country. So Helen Kelly, we'll start with you first of all. Good
morning. HELEN KELLY: Good morning. PAUL: So, what we've got is the actors now in FULL RETREAT. What we've
seen after last week with your handling of things is a complete
failure for the union movement. That's so, isn't it? HELEN: Well, no, actually, Paul, this dispute wasn't settled last
week. It was settled the week before with encouragement from Peter
Jackson, who sent several emails to me saying, 'I'm encouraging SPADA
to meet and to talk through all the issues and find a resolution.'
That's what I did. I stepped into this dispute only at the end of
September to help the parties find a way through. We've found a way
through. It's completely settled… PAUL: I think… With the greatest respect, Ms Kelly, I think you
might be fantasising. ….
Jesus. I'm not ordinarily one to speak ill of the dead, but Paul Holmes was just a massive partisan arsehole all the way through that 'interview'. Interrupting, badgering, condescension, mockery and accusations of lying. How Helen Kelly kept from lunging across the table and punching him in the gob I don't know. She was a class act, rest her soul.
@aj, +100….' The one person deserving an award was Helen Kelly'…lost our only chance of having a real and relevant Labour back at any time soon when we lost her.
Knighthoods aye? What do you reckon you would need to have done to receive such a thing for "philanthropy" in particular?
I see local Tauranga "businessman" Paul Adams now has one, and as someone from Tauranga I would have said the interests that led to it are far more personal than philanthropic. The Herald story attached says "As chairman of Accessible Properties, Sir Paul has helped to develop social housing in Tauranga, including negotiating to buy more than 1000 Housing New Zealand homes for the city." which reads well but in fact was the only single sale of NZ city or towns's entire – to my knowledge 1138 – Housing NZ stock. The only other one to come close was Invercargill which fell through.
The houses were already here – The Government will transfer ownership and management of 1138 Housing New Zealand properties and tenancies in Tauranga to a new landlord, Accessible Properties from 1 April 2017. https://www.accessibleproperties.co.nz/tauranga-tenants/qas/
So "it" and he "developed" nothing other than to work with the National govt to pusrchase all of Tauranga's Housing NZ stock for an undisclosed amount and with the agreement that the tax payer would continue to meet the bill to bring them up to standard and that incl the flawed "P" testing and any work attached to that.
Having at the end of last year helped a young single working mum get decent accommodation in Tauranga we couldn't even work out if there a Housing NZ office in Tauranga or even who to approach so gave up even considering that – in the end we could fix it and there will be others in more need.
But getting back to "Mr" Adams the majority of his "philanthropic" interest seem to have been in the main local sporting and hobby groups and nothing too "socially" demanding. One thing is for sure that his previous "business" interests were very deep in a lot of ring-fencing land in the area that has benefitted a few rather than the many hopeful homeowners here.
As far and away the largest contributor to local MP Bridges election campaign funds how coincidental is this former award "It is not the first time he has been recognised in the Queen's Honours List after being awarded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for business and philanthropy in 2015." and I wonder who made this nomination?
At all happened here in Tauranga and scarcely a peep. Maybe, as we do have some good local advocates there is an "upside" in there that the general public don't see but for two or so years I have found the whole thing peculiar that it is painted in this light and comes with a "reward". More than a few "charities" look to me to be personal hobby horses and avenues for networking, and for some a salaried past-time, and are nothing more than that.
Sadly the disability sector is crammed quite solid with such. They attract government funding for "advocacy" and "service provision" and get to sit on all manner of EAGs and TAGs and Consumer Consortiums and the like. The become dependent on the funding from the MOH or MSD or even ACC and the kudos that comes with being called a CEO (because, like, charities have to have a corporate structure) is quite a heady brew.
Their ability to do any real and effective hob-nailed boots advocacy is weakened as they are reluctant to challenge their Government/Ministerial overlords.
Thanks for the reality check and deconstructing the property developer cares more about people than profit BS.
This guy has done handsomely profiting from land development while his community suffers from possibly it's worst housing crisis in history. Not only that, but seeking to profit from our most vulnerable's housing situation is the lowest of the low.
He is no hero. The only heroes in this are people like all of those from Te Puea Marae who gave up their own meagre property/assets and time to house others in their hour of need.
Many knighthoods are bought and paid for, perhaps not in an obvious fashion, but nevertheless. It also helps to be the 'right sort of person', know the 'right sorts of people', have passed through the 'right educational institutions', been employed by the 'right organisations' and have made considerable donations to the 'right political parties'. Quid pro quo and all that. Nothing is unforgivable if you've done right by the 'right people'. You could, for instance, repeatedly assault a waitress in a public place, and as long as you atone for your misdeeds with a weak apology and a couple of bottles of plonk, you're away laughing. Nothing to see here, move along.
Alternatively, you could just be really good at throwing a ball about.
Toxic attitudes – what sort of shit would we find under your bed mr priest.
Diocese of Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin sparked a backlash beginning on Saturday when he tweeted: "A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ 'Pride Month' events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children."
The posting spurred rebukes by thousands of people who replied on Twitter, including actresses Mia Farrow and Patricia Arquette.
Many invoked the scandals of clergy sexual abuse of children in the church…
…Tobin is a conservative bishop who has said that he was aware of incidents of sexual abuse reported to church officials while working in Pennsylvania, but that it wasn't his job to deal with them. He was auxiliary bishop of Pittsburgh from 1992 until 1996.
A Pennsylvania grand jury report last year detailed decades of abuse and cover-up in six dioceses, including the Pittsburgh diocese.
In July 2018, Tobin deleted his Twitter account, calling it a major distraction, an obstacle to his spiritual life and an "occasion of sin" for himself and others. But he resumed tweeting in January, according to his current Twitter account.
You are getting sour Rosemary, try some honey with your lemon drink. There are too many negatives to notice them all without a break for some positives, and things to feel gratitude for.
Donald Trump has said he did not call Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, “nasty” when giving an interview to the Sun, despite an audio recording released by the paper.
Speaking to the tabloid before his visit to the UK, Trump was told that Meghan “wasn’t so nice” about him during the 2016 US presidential campaign, to which he replied: “I didn’t know that. What can I say? I didn’t know that she was nasty.”
However, in a series of early morning tweets on Sunday, the US president said he “never called Meghan Markle nasty” and that the “Fake News Media” had invented his remarks.
Royals to serve as extras in Donald Trump’s victory lap of UK
He said it was “Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will CNN, NY Times and others apologize? Doubt it!”
Spot on Moz, Clinton who supported her rapist husband then jumps on me too movement, Hilary who vaporised her hard drive destroying 30000 emails, then burnt her phones, Hillary who lied about Libya God she even lied about how she got her first name, claiming our Ed. Give Trump his due over Hillary ; he doesn’t pretend to be somebody else than a narcissist bull shitter Likewise some of his policies are ok
"Coltan is Venezuela’s Oro Azul or ‘blue gold’. In 2009, President Hugo Chávezannounced the discovery of reserves worth $100 billion of “the blue gold of the 21st century” in the Amazon region of the country.
The price of this blue gold follows an increasing demand for a high-grade metal known as tantalum, processed from refined coltan. Demand for coltan is so intense, it fetches a higher price on the international market than even gold or diamonds.
Tantalum is the metal used in capacitors that store energy in modern electronics like smart phones and tablets. Tantalum capacitors are also essential in powering modern military weaponry because the metal resists corrosion and can withstand the extreme temperatures generated by the new military applications. Without it, weapons systems would overheat.
The US relies on tantalum to build the basic circuitry in guidance control systems in smart bombs, the on-board navigational systems in drones, anti-tank systems, robots and most weapons systems.
The metal is vital to US defense. Yet, it has no domestic source of coltan. Importing and stockpiling tantalum is its only recourse."
The third tool is exports of certain goods that are critical to some important U.S. industries.
One is rare earth metals, a group of minerals that are vital to advanced electronics and power systems, including smartphones, batteries for many applications including electric vehicles, and high-tech military weapons. China is the source of 80% of the world’s supply and there are signs the country has threatened a potential restriction of rare earth exports to U.S. firms, according to CNBC.
Rare earths are a group of 17 minerals that have a wide variety of uses, including electronics, magnets, lasers, ceramics, batteries, medical equipment, and optics. The name can be misleading, as, in theory, the materials are plentiful. But they are thinly distributed. The rare part is having heavy enough concentrations to make mining economically possible. A complication is environmental impact because processing uses dangerous chemicals and high heat that can release pollutants."
We don't want to see two big powers going head to head – orange and black – too much colour contrast there. Red will be the next colour revealed, and grey, brown?
If the citizens of the USA took their hand off their hearts, which is a required response for saluting the USA and as ubiquitous as an outstretched arm in 1930's Europe (which also excited certain groups in the USA), then they might get a better understanding of the country they live in, and they could go two-handed at making it better. At present the USA is beefing up its wish for dominance in the China seas, which is trying to have a ring of protection around it, just like the USA has had probably since WW1. The USA is perverting the financial system by running a huge deficit for attack weapons of advanced type, threatening everyone's security, because it can – so bugger off everybody who quails and complains.
Mine of info joe 90. Hadn't heard of that – Bellamy salute eh. I must pull myself away from this addictive screen and go take part in the physical world. I will read about Bellamy later. Perhaps this is the modern version of hell, to be able to read all that has happened from which we have never learned, and only be able to watch a new version of the old play – perhaps called Love's Labour Lost or Titus Andronicus with a new name that relates to modern ears.
All the conventions conspire To make this fort assume The furniture of home; Lest we should see where we are, Lost in a haunted wood, Children afraid of the night Who have never been happy or good.
But there is another material from Venezuelan soil that could be extremely valuable. Its name is torio (Thorium), and it has the potential of becoming an ecological nuclear fuel. Professor Eduardo Greaves, an expert in nuclear physics and a professor at Simón Bolívar University, pointed out that Venezuela has “a huge deposit” of Thorium in the Cerro Impacto in the southern state of Amazonas, which is part of the Orinoco Mining Arc, of which China knows all about, having directed the development of the geological and mining map of the Venezuelan territory. Greaves said these reserves could be used in thorium nuclear reactors for at least 300 years.
There is a genuine and exciting rennaisance in the nuclear power game at present, especially around the various forms of molten salt reactors. These designs are completely different from the first generation machines, are much safer in operation, have much less waste and can burn existing waste stockpiles.
There are at least three companies who are within five years of an operating machine. Moltex and Thorcon are two that look very realistic, and this intro is less than five minutes:
A great read on why another Brexit Referendum in itself will not address the woes in England.
“Another referendum may, conceivably, get us out of the worst practical consequences of the Brexit mess. But that will not win the culture war (what, anyway, does victory or defeat look like in a culture war?) and it is certainly fanciful to think that it would “cauterise the gaping national split and confront once and for all the many dark issue that lurk beneath the nativist Brexit idea,,” ”
Can't help wondering if the statement from the floor about our financial system and government issued sovereign currency lies at the heart of a meaningful answer.
I fail to see the imagination let alone the courage for that to happen.
Prof Kelsey and her words on preparing for the changes needed were encouraging.
Can't help wondering if the statement from the floor about our financial system and government issued sovereign currency lies at the heart of a meaningful answer
Social Credit Party Leader, Chris Leitch, told the party’s Canterbury Regional conference Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s budget could have contained an additional $6 billion in spending without costing taxpayers a single cent more.
Leitch said, the Finance Minister could save that amount every year on interest payments on the government’s borrowing.
Finance Ministers in Japan and China access funding from their central bank at no interest and use the money saved on interest payments to benefit their citizens.
Bryan Bruce mced a great town hall type panel and discussion last night
Trotter disappointing but probably to a degree correct.He says too many of us have done well(I'm talking baby boomers here)out of the property bonanza to feel urgency for those who haven't .His "grand old man of the left" routine was a bit too pretentious for my tastes, and I'm usually a fan of his historical offerings
Wayne Hope was impressive, as was Russell Norman, god I miss him as co leader of the Greens.
We could do with more of this stuff. Commentators from the coal face
Yes, we could do with more of this stuff, francesca. Particularly in the mainstream.
And yes, bring back Russell Norman. It was interesting to hear (on the above screening) that it was Shaw that pushed for and succeeded in securing the BRR. Largely aligning the fiscal oversight of the two main parties.
I disagree with Trotter. Improvement doesn't require reducing the wealth of the majority. For example, a CGT wasn't going to apply to the family home. Kiwibuild (which was welcomed from across the political spectrum) objective was to slow the pace of increase, not reduce current values
Annie Newman from the living wage made a good point. And if we take the regional spend that the Government has been dishing out to the private sector as an example, where are the strings attached ensuring jobs the Government is fiscally helping to create are decent jobs that pay a living wage?
As the funding is already being given away, adding these strings wouldn't come at any extra cost to the Government.
Overall, it's well worth a look. It was a good discussion with many good points made.
Disappointing there weren't too many (if any) political faces (Greens, Labour, etc) seen in attendance.
Chris Trotter has to make a living and he has to be able to see the problems from both sides. I think he does well in being able to lift slightly and regularly the cloth of gold curtain of the comfortably off so they can receive peeks at life for the others, and so get some innoculation for the shock of the innovation of some disease-ridden policy that cuts down their supplies of goodies.
Fanatics, cynics, sadists and moral cowards
Exhibit No. 1: The Panel, RNZ National, Tuesday 1 July 2014
JIM MORA: Now, Julian Assange on the catwalk. DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET:[highly amused] Yes! MORA: How’s he going to manage this? ZARA POTTS: Well, it hasn’t stopped him, his asylum claim hasn’t stopped him from doing all sorts of things. Even last week he opened rapper MIA’s New York concert with a ten minute Skype chat, so he’s pretty busy. DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: I thought he couldn’t leave though. ZARA POTTS: He does it all on his computer. DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Oh, right. ZARA POTTS: This is Vivienne Westwood’s son Ben, and as part of London Fashion Week, he is going to take the catwalk to Julian Assange in the Ecadorian embassy. GRAHAM BELL:[derisive snort] Ha! DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET:[querulous tone] How-w-w-w-w? GRAHAM BELL: Some people will do ANYTHING to get publicity. DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Ha ha ha ha ha! ZARA POTTS: Ha ha ha ha ha! Yes, it’s not because he cuts a particularly dashing figure or wears clothes THAT well. The whole thing is a little bit more political than that. Ben Westwood is saying that he wants Julian Assange in his show so that Assange doesn’t slip into obscurity. MORA: There’s not much danger of that though, is there. ZARA POTTS: No. He’s wanting to highlight his plight. DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: So he’s going to be modeling the clothes. ZARA POTTS: Yes. GRAHAM BELL: It’ll be the look for the very OILY character. Hm hm hm hm hm. DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Yeowww! GRAHAM BELL: Hm hm hm hm hm. MORA: How do they put a runway into an embassy? It’s basically just a big HOUSE, isn’t it. ZARA POTTS: Maybe they’ve got a big hallway. The collection has been influenced by Clint Eastwood’s Western films and also Assange’s “combat beret look”.
….[General snickering, snorting and guffawing]….
ZARA POTTS: And there is also a garment with Julian Assange’s image printed on it. He he he he he! DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Ha ha ha ha ha! GRAHAM BELL: Ho ho ho ho ho! Can’t WAIT! MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha! ZARA POTTS: The soundtrack is from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, so that will be something to, uh, see….
An assurance of goodwill from a member of the lynch mob
Yesterday one of our resident fools, "The Al1en", interjected himself into a witchburning in order to offer the following assurance of future fair treatment for the bound and gagged victim: "@McFlock I'm sure he'll get more support once he's faced and beaten the rape charges in a court of law." In the Deep South not so long ago, similar moral idiots turned to their neighbours and said: "@Travis I'm sure this ni*&er will get more support once he's faced and beaten the rape charges in a court of law."
You mentioned me twice today. That caught my eye. Your continued attempts to make the world safe for Assange to commit rape (regardless of whether he actually did anything in 2010) hold my attention.
Apparently one wikileaks is good for at least two abandoned rape investigations, according to your ethical model.
Doubling down on your wild, fantastic allegations doesn't make them one whit more credible. Even if they are officially sanctioned by four rogue states. You know as well as everyone else in the world knows: there is no credible case against Assange—other than the case that he is a dangerous truth-telling journalist.
You should do some reading then, solkta. A lot of reading. And discriminate in your reading. Don't just swallow state media (TheGrauniad, the Murdoch media empire, the BBC, MSNBC) wholesale.
I've seen the kind of bullshit that you call homework.Remember that Skeletons in the Cupboard bollocks. Oh wait, you probably still believe in that. Keep trying.
Just like those foolish lawyers in the Deep South who represented black men accused, with similar rigorous devotion to lawful process, of rape. They were accused of being "rape apologists" by people like you.
You remember when dolt45 said he could shoot someone on 5th avenue and not lose any voters? Yeah, that's you're support for Assange: unquestioning, and oblivious to reality.
You're about one tab of acid away from joining a suicide cult.
You can be as creative and ridiculous in your abuse as you want—comparing me to a Trump supporter, for pity's sake!—but it doesn't change the fact you've been caught out.
But this is also a different topic. I understand that you have difficulty distinguishing between separate issues, but come on, even you should be able to figure that one out.
You and the rest of the woke have been quite pathetic in your assault on Julian Assange and anyone who might defend Assange and the democratic processes that are being trampled on by the U.S. People like me, we hold no ill will against Assange or the alleged rape victims but you and the woke Trying to curse out anyone who understands that the U.S isn't playing ball is just pathetic.
The simple fact you seem incapable of processing is that it is perfectly possible that Assange did wikileaks as well as committing sexual assault. People can be complicated. Do you think the Swedes invented an entire high-profile sexual assault investigation just to get Assange into their custody so they could extradite him to the USA? Because if they did not invent that investigation, he needs to go to Sweden and face it.
It wasn't "the Swedes" who concocted that fantastic allegation, it was some malignant strategist in the State Department. Instead of blaming "the Swedes", we need to be specific and narrow it down to the culprit: one very beleaguered and browbeaten State Persecutor, the Dishonorable Marianne Ny.
Sure: if he did. But fantastical allegations concocted by some evil functionary/functionaries at the U.S. State Department is not a compelling or credible case whatsoever.
Still, you're invested in this as surely as Tony Blair was invested in another campaign of destruction; you're never going to resile from your comments and your allegations now.
Please fire some more "rape apologist" slurs at me; they're as convincing as the case against Assange.
The onus is on the persecutors—-i.e. the people he and Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning exposed as mass murderers—to prove the allegations. They have no evidence whatsoever, and you know that as well as the rest of us do.
My suggestion is that you would defend Assange even if he committed a crime because nothing would convince you that he had committed a crime.
So under what circumstances, as an internet denizen probably located in NZ, how would you know that some prosecutor's claims against Assange were true?
We literally have transcripts and records, and you're still adamant that he did nothing wrong. You refuse to countenance the possibility that they are accurate. So what would it actually take to convince you?
The two women who engaged in consensual sex with Assange both wanted all the proceedings against him stopped. They—just like you—could see that the state prosecutor was trying to fit him up.
“Irrelevant”? How so? The brutal, disrespectful, and witless chatter in that radio studio is a useful example of the intellectual and moral calibre of Assange's persecutors.
It's a matter of public record that the U.S manufactured this whole situation. Could you even imagine how lonely the two alleged rape victims are right now knowing that the U.S is putting pressure on them and the Swedish state to produce results for the U.S. Are you even aware of your own ideology.
Sam, you're wasting your energy—-four generations ago, you would have had similar satisfactioin trying to reason with a Soviet commissar during the Great Terror.
All that comes off of your keyboard, McFlock (lol) is slow learner, bigot, nazi, transphob, apologist for Assad/Putin/Assange/Trump/Rape with some a's Ames and buts mixed in. Although these ideological utterances separates McFlock (lol) and I, he's still debating at a pretty high level. What does separate McFlock and I is McFlock debates with a bit more emotion. This is why McFlock will regularly spam 100 or 200 or 300 comments and regularly pops in some ad homing only to then fain outrage at being retaliated against. While being emotional like this is a weakness a bit like being raped, it is a weakness although probably due to a lack of discipline or experience. When people get overly emotional there IQ falls several points and are not able to think clearly especially in a rape crises where margins of error are basically non existent.
So there you have it guys, too very different debating styles let me know which one you'd prefer. So I'll just allow for the crowds to decide who won, the Pro Assange side (my side) or McFlock.
I prefer commenters who deal with the topic at hand and don’t go off reserve attacking other commenters. Sam, you’re at your best here when you genuinely debate the topic and leave out the personal insults. Just saying.
Calm down Morrissey – you are just spreading hate and vicious talk and hysteria. We are up to our necks in it already. Please desist, take a deep breath, go out into the sun if you can find it, and dig the garden. Soothe yourself and don't exacerbate what we already have to put up with. We know what you know, we don't need to have it again brought up and shoved down our throats in large, violent gobstoppers.
… you are just spreading hate and vicious talk and hysteria.
So it's ME that's shouting "rapist" at a political prisoner and laughing at his suffering?
We know what you know, we don't need to have it again brought up and shoved down our throats in large, violent gobstoppers.
Certainly I'll stop reminding people that these vicious people are moral cowards and flunkies—as soon as they stop posting their lies, smears, and their unfunny jokes about Assange's cat.
Only a fucked up single minded, played out, one trick pony would compare the Swedish judicial system to one lynching black people in the deep south of the fifties and sixties to push a support point for an alleged rapist who fled from justice because he dished shit on the yanks and in particular Hilary Clinton.
Set the narrative however you want, but to borrow a phrase, rape enabling shitheel – Go fuck yourself
You mean this legal system… U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer on Assange…“In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution, I have never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonize and abuse a single individual for such a long time.”
The fuckup above compared the Jim Crow era with the modern day Swedish judiciary. If you want to agree with him on that point, and make excusing arguments for an alleged rapist who has done nothing to answer the allegations but fight extradition, lose, and run off to self imposed exile, so be it.
And please tell us with a straight face: you would have supported those young black men and not backed the "authorities" and their army of media and society backers in calling for what they termed those "animals" to be executed.
Well some determined special little soldier is enjoying setting false narratives.
Me, I don't fall into traps, especially the pointedly obvious ones. I just like to state my point and if others twist it to whatever the see as their advantage, that's what free speech is all about.
You, in between being Mr Angry from Cheam and welded to your warrior keyboard spouting bullshit at those who don't agree with you can stay playing at chief R.E.S, but unlike the incarcerated alleged rapist and you, I'm off outside for a freedom walk in the sunshine.
The ones that I was concerned about was the ones involving U.S military and bureaucrats raping and murdering female adults and minors on a systemic level. Here we have the hypocrisy of the u.s and its apologists going hard out for Julian Assange.
.What you are saying here?…that the UK govt spent millions of pounds watching and monitoring Assange for the sake of a couple of alleged rape cases?
If you actually really believe this has anything whatsoever to do with those two woman in Sweden then (and I hate to be rude) you must be either extremely naive or extremely stupid
… you must be either extremely naive or extremely stupid
He's neither of those, Adrian. He's simply chosen his gang, his mob, and is sticking with it. It's prideful and ornery behaviour, which we see from many others on this forum.
He would indeed be stupid if he had been serious when he said to another member of that baying lynch-mob that he was sure that Assange will "get more support once he's faced and beaten the rape charges in a court of law."
But I don't think he believed a word of that statement.
Clearest case of projection you'll ever see on the internet from someone who, along with the same handful of regular Assange supporters/anti American/Clinton hating/Pro Putin bots, attempt to set their own narrative as default, shouting down any dissenting opinion with persistent insults, whataboutisms and an apparent mastery of the 'if you believe this' then 'you must believe that' trope.
I personally don't give a fuck if you want to, by way of your habit, spend your lives trying to make your views the only line The Standard will tolerate airing. I think it's great that you have the ability to push shit uphill in public and long may that last, but you have to realise you're not the tone setter, nor the final word, and as long as you continue exhibiting your agenda, you're always gonna get push back, especially when you’re wrong and nutty as a fruit bar.
As for starting topics with no other reasons apart from trolling, personal aggrandizing and the feel goods they obviously bring to someone like you, as you did here today, then they're just hit outs and no serious value can come from them. No points made, no minds changed, just internet fights for the bored of heart and simple of mind. Excellent to waste a few hours on, but ultimately pointless. Your success at it is also your biggest weakness, and you can’t even see it.
Clearest case of projection you'll ever see on the internet…
"Projection"? Oh, I get it: you mean that the witness becomes the crime he's reporting on. Very hard to understand, I must confess, but I guess you're a philosopher, a thinker of some kind? Zen, is it?
from someone who, along with the same handful of regular Assange supporters/anti American/Clinton hating/Pro Putin bots, ….
Well, yes, I do support the right of journalists to report the crimes of governments. So you got the Assange supporter bit right. But "anti American"? You'll need to justify that charge, but I don't think you have the ability to do that. "Clinton hating"? I'm opposed to the Clintons, certainly—Bill, Hillary, and their foolish daughter; but I don't hate them. Hatred, the foulest vituperation and the most malignant defamation is what we see every day displayed here on this forum towards the world's most famous journalist and political dissident. Of all your allegations, the one that intrigued me the most was the one claiming that I'm a "Pro Putin bot." Боже, помоги мне! Я русский робот!
@ The Al1en, You haven't answered my question… that the UK govt spent millions of pounds watching and monitoring Assange for the sake of a couple of alleged rape cases?
Do you really think so?, you are saying that you actually believe that the UK govt would have spent seven years and millions of pounds watching David Beckham if he had skipped bail?…seriously.
"…who has done nothing to answer the allegations but fight extradition…"
Well that's not quite true, he was happy to be interviewed over the allegations and that only took 6 or 7 years for the authorities to get round to it even though they had the victim statements and the physical evidence. Once interviewed the case was quickly dropped thereafter.
The alarm bells should be ring-a-ding-ling-a-ling that something is quite amiss here.
And much closer to home in Australia we have another whistleblower being abused by the system. Note carefully his description of the debilitating stress of this:
Mr Boyle said he lost his job, had a breakdown, suffered chronic insomnia and has had a series of stress-related heart issues.
"I've had some dark moments," he said. "It's taken a huge toll on my mental health. I couldn't work. I couldn't sleep and my health spiralled into what I describe as a devastating situation."
Holy hell, that is one rough story, first time I have heard of it.
" He alleged that some ATO staff were instructed to use an aggressive debt collection practice known as garnishee notices, which allows the ATO to seize funds from the bank accounts of Australian taxpayers without notice or consideration of their circumstances."
I had business partner (long time ago) who had been audited by the IRD previous to out partnership, he told me it was the worst experience of his life, just under two years they took, said they looked into absolutely every facet of his life, and came up with SFA.
The only thing good to come out of it was that his books where immaculate at the end of the ordeal (that was his joke)..more than can be said of mine!
In my modest experience the most corrosive aspect of this kind of stress is the constant threat, uncertainty and instability. Until you've been through something like it for an extended period, most people have no fucking clue what it's like.
Yes that is true, although in no way as serious, I had a pretty serious burn out about fifteen years ago, brought on by small business stress, financial insecurity, young family, to way much work etc..what I learnt was, that when you step over that invisible line that many people are teetering on, you don't get to step back…it took me many years to fully recover, it was brutal.
That burn out, although terrible has had one very positive effect on my life, it gave me a very real insight into mental health both though my experience and through the reading I did on the subject when I was going through it.
Hence my utter disgust at the treatment of Assange, right out in the open, right in front of our eyes, and what makes it even worse is it is done with the total support of nearly all media, history won't judge this period well I think.
Until you've been through something like it for an extended period, most people have no fucking clue what it's like.
Tell me about it. It isn't a common experience so makes it even harder for people to understand the effects.
And I agree with Adrian thornton. While I don't take sides on the Assange affair, I do have sympathy for his current predicament no matter if he was responsible (in part at least) for bringing it about. The stress of isolation, being surrounded by enemies and the fear for his life is not only hugely debilitating but it is inevitable paranoia will set in as well – something the authorities after his blood are only too well aware.
As the funding has now run out for cleaning up the pollution disaster on the West coast and the volunteers have had to resort to a give a little page to beg for donations to help stem a situation that will take the the next few years and a lot more than $300.000 put up by the government to sort this mess out it points too a larger problem on our back door step the Pacific.
If government wasn't so busy fudging unecployment stats, in concert with OECD, they might make some Task Force Green action groups up from willing workers and give them a West Coast working holiday.
Yesterday we were talking about bringing sexual cases to justice and murder being covered up. I talked about Betty in Canada,
This morning on Radionz doco roundup the reviewer Sarah referred to ROLL RED ROLL is the true story of the Stubenville rape case – and how concerned journalists pulled the story together and pushed for prosecution.
I thought this was an important documentation and a sterling job by journalists to assemble unassailable facts that honour the live taken and dishonour the awful amoral system in Stubenville. So keep an eye out for it.
Sarah McMullan: Doc Edge Film Festival
Film Reviewer Sarah McMullan has checked out Doc Edge 2019: a festival of documentaries and will be talking about her top picks, including THE MENS ROOM, an all male Norwegian choir that prides itself on its beer-drinking ability and beards, who is asked to open for Black Sabbath – but that's not the only surprise they get. A NZ film that picked up two festival awards for its tale of six strangers walking the 800km Camino de Santiago (Camino Skies) Is 2019 the year of the asshole? ASSHOLE: A THEORY attempts to answer that question, while HALF THE PICTURE asks why are there so few women directing film and TV? What's going on and how do we change it?
And ROLL RED ROLL is the true story of the Stubenville rape case – and how concerned journalists pulled the story together and pushed for prosecution.
And how lucky are we that our last govt did not try the same here after the Australian insurance industry turned down the chance to own part of our ACC system.
My search isn't working and I can't find quickly where I said to you to ease up. Thinking about it I still feel the same, but recognise that I am in the same place so am going to follow my advice to you. If I can I will stay away from TS for a while and perhaps the news!
Children left too long on devices can build their own reality inside their head and trying to dissuade them from their beliefs instead of fact can be impossible. It is called Cognitive Dissonance.
Parents under stress, financially and time poor, don't have time to have lovely little conversations with their children. They have to be up early and dump their kids at school while they go to their poorly paid jobs and worry about explaining why their kids can't take part in things because their shoes, equipment are broken, stolen, or whatever.
They aren't meant to enjoy life because if they are strugglers and not getting enough to live on, its probably because they don't try enough. If they are on a benefit, ditto, and the immoral filter is applied to the Welfare view of them and happiness would mean that they were enjoying life on the benefit and the point is for them to get unhappy to get the lazy buggers out in the workforce where it is a cliche' that employment will be the motivator for them to be happy and successful
When I was at school what gave you 'class' was to be good at sport. Reading and expression and comprehension was second to that. So advice from the professionals needs to be more than exhortion – it could be how to initiate discussion on something at the meal table; what happened at school, what was new, how the kids' friends are getting on, whether their child is getting on, something that is coming to town and sounds interesting, ideas for their plot in the garden. My grandchildren often talk garbage at the table, turning it into some sort of game. Talking isn't the problem, they never stop or they sing. It's like being at a circus. Just some time together talking about something that interests them all and keeps them thinking about staying at the table and eating the meal would be good. They could vote for their favourite meal and plan meals for the weekend even.
"We do trust the judiciary to be independent and impartial…. I do trust Lt General’s Mateparae and Jones."
DR. WAYNE MAPP: I am pretty sure that most members of the current government also believe that the UK and Sweden have an independent judiciary. I would have thought it is axiomatic that one of the fundamental principles of our democratic system is that we do trust the judiciary to be independent and impartial, even if they do make mistakes from time to time. Since you mention Afghanistan, it will not have escaped your notice that I thought an independent Inquiry was necessary as soon as it was apparent there were credible allegations of civilian casualties (by Jon Stephenson in 2014 in his programme on Maori TV). But nevertheless, I do trust Lt General’s Mateparae and Jones.
MORRISSEY BREEN: In the 1930s people like you counselled concerned Germans to trust jurists like Roland Freisler.
DR. WAYNE MAPP: The Nazi comparison is offensive, as well you know. But not unsurprising from you.
MORRISSEY BREEN: All right, then: people like you counselled concerned Soviet citizens to trust jurists like Andrey Vyshinsky, and to trust that jury in Florida in 2013.
The ALP has taken a turn right in Australia, they are now pro coal and anti Nauru asylum seekers. And all their climate policies are now under review. Albanese has said that the Australian public are clearly right of the current Labour position, so the ALP must go right to meet them. Not great news for progressives in Australia.
"In Canberra last week I met some Australian members of parliament. It gave me hope, because until I heard them speak I had always thought that Israel’s right wing politicians were the worst. —-(LAUGHTER)— I’ve never heard any Israeli politician speak about the Palestinian people the way that those Australian politicians did. But they are Australia’s problem, not mine. (LAUGHTER) I spoke with the Australian foreign minister; she talked and she was very nice but we could not agree on anything." (LAUGHTER)
—- Gideon Levy, speaking in Auckland, Dec. 3, 2017
"We are at war with Russia!" he rants, hilariously. (Apologies to The Al1en, Andre and all the other conspiracy theorists on this mostly excellent site.)
In Nelson we have had big paper advertisements for energyclub nz offering low this and that on electricity retail. I don't respond to cheapest, I don't trust big business and I haven't caught up with this company yet. Can someone who knows give me a quick low-down?
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It’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a third medical school in New Zealand, ...
Time To Choose: Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into AUKUS’s “Pillar 2” – or they are going to China.HAD ZHENG HE’S FLEET sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks ...
Henry Ergas writes – When in Randall Jarrell’s Pictures from an Institution, a college president is accused of being a hypocrite, the novel’s narrator retorts that the description is grossly unfair. After all, the man is still far from the stage of moral development at which the charge ...
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...
New Zealand’s economic performance and the PM’s vision Michael Reddell writes – When I wrote yesterday morning’s post, highlighting how poorly both New Zealand and its Anglo peer countries have been doing in respect of productivity in recent times (ie, in the case of New ...
Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...
If there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gaye Taylor As widespread drought raises expectations for a repeat of last year’s ferocious wildfire season, response teams across Canada are grappling with the rapidly changing face of fire in a warming climate. No longer quenched by winter, nor quelled by the ...
Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...
Seeing that, in order to discredit the figures and achieve moral superiority while attempting to deflect attention away from the military assault on Rafa, Israel supporters in NZ have seized on reports that casualty numbers in Gaza may be inflated … Continue reading → ...
David Farrar writes – Newstalk ZB report: The man responsible for a horror hit and run in central Wellington last year was on a suspended licence and was so drunk he later asked police, “Did I kill someone?” Jason Tuitama injured two women when he ran a red ...
Muriel Newman writes – Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” The fight for ...
Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour Gary Judd writes – In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the proposed legislation. Twenty-seven thousand submissions have been made to Parliament ...
An average of 166 New Zealand citizens left the country every day during the March quarter, up 54% from a year ago.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy and housing market is sinking into a longer recession through the winter after a slump in business and consumer confidence in ...
The government has made it abundantly clear they’re addicted to the smell of new asphalt. On Tuesday they introduced a new term to the country’s roading lexicon, the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), a little brother for the Roads of National (Party) Significance (RoNS). Driving ahead with Roads of Regional ...
School is outAnd I walk the empty hallwaysI walk aloneAlone as alwaysThere's so many lucky penniesLying on the floorBut where the hell are all the lucky peopleI can't see them any moreYesterday morning, I’d just sent out my newsletter on Tama Potaka, and I was struggling to make the coffee. ...
Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...
I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
“The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...
Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...
In 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...
David Farrar writes – Kata MacNamara reports: Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...
Chris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...
RNZ reports – It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. Usually we have a video chat to go with this wrap, but were unable to do one this week. We’ll be back next week.Several reports ...
The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...
To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...
Yesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...
And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...
The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...
Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...
Buzz from the BeehiveTolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...
Don Brash writes – There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...
Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...
Hi,Thanks to all the beautiful Worms who came to the LA Webworm popup on Saturday.It was a way to celebrate the online store we launched last week — and it was super special.As I talk about a lot, I really value our community here — and it was a BLAST ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 5, 2024 thru Sat, May 11, 2024. (Unfortunate) Story of the week "Grief that stops at despair is an ending that I and many others, most notably ...
Last night the largest solar storm in decades resulted in Aurorae being seen across Aotearoa, causing many to ask why?Why was the sky pink? What was all this stuff about the power grid? Have we, as so many have wondered since the election, reached the end of days?I had a ...
We have been on the road in England, squeezing down narrow lanes, flying up the M6, loving hedgerows and villages and cathedrals, liking the 21st century less.There have been moments when it’s felt like a movie trope. The pub in Exford, lovely seventeenth century bar, almost more dogs than people, ...
There’s a solar-storm on at the moment, and since the South Island is having a day and night with clear skies, that means Aurorae. I have just got back from a midnight visit to Tunnel Beach – southwards-looking over the Sea, and without the light pollution. Quite a few others ...
Michael Bassett writes – I’m not sure that it’s much comfort to anyone to know that the post-Covid surge in violent crimes, gang activity, ram raids, random shootings, thuggery and stabbings is occurring in other countries as well as New Zealand. These days, wagging school, out-of-control welfare and ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – Cast your mind back to mid-December. A new Prime Minister had just been sworn in, the new Government started its 100-day programme, and Christmas was only days away.Amid all the haste, a report landed that would have deserved our attention.I am talking about the ...
TL;DR: An unseasonally early icy blast at the same time as some long-overdue maintenance almost caused Aotearoa-NZ’s electricity system to black out this week. That’s because a quadropoly of gentailers1 have prioritised paying dividends from their rising profits and adding debt over investing in 1.5 GigaWatts of new wind farms ...
Hi,Before we crack into today’s Webworm, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that Israel is pushing into Rafah. Over 100,000 Palestinians are now attempting to flee the one place that was deemed “safe”.Trouble is, the place they’re fleeing to is already destroyed. Total annihilation is the end goal here.“Israel is ...
‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveReporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
Peter Dunne writes – I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos Chris Trotter writes – TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
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New Zealand’s drug legislation hasn’t been overhauled in nearly 50 years, in spite of a recommendation from the Law Commission in 2011 to do so. Our Misuse of Drugs Act was passed in 1975 and is based on a United Nations framework set in 1961. Now a new organisation, Harm ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99) A free copy of this amazing story of a woman who operated behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied France was up for grabs this past fortnight. Readers were asked to share a story of wartime bravery, ...
It’s been a recess week at Parliament, which might indicate slim pickings for conversation topics for the Raw Politics team. But things are never dull in politics, especially with a new Government keen to follow through on its law and order promises, and a NZ First minister who wants to ...
Dear Hon Judith Collins, Minister of Defence, and Hon Christopher Penk, Associate Minister of Defence I have written to you, to attempt to give you an insight into the incredible hardship of being an NZDF family. Whilst I cannot speak on behalf of serving personnel, I can speak from my ...
Analysis: What a difference a year makes. In mid 2023, Wayne Brown the Auckland Mayor was a politician diminished by a calamitous response to the region’s Anniversary Weekend storm emergency and later forced against his preference into a half sale only of the city’s airport shares. His demeanour among his ...
Asia Pacific Report An open letter to The New Zealand Herald has challenged a full page Zionist advertisement this week for failing to acknowledge the “terrible injustices” suffered by the Palestinian people in Israel’s seven-month genocidal war on Gaza. In the latest of several international reports that have condemned genocide ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When he was opposition leader, Bill Shorten faced Coalition criticism for attacking “the top end of town”, a phrase he used in his 2019 budget reply. Now Peter Dutton is finding the line “billions of ...
By Adam Burns, RNZ News reporter Worried New Caledonian expats in Aotearoa admit they are “terrified” for friends and family amid ongoing violence and civil unrest in the French Pacific territory. The death toll remained at four tonight, and hundreds have been injured after electoral changes sparked widespread rioting by ...
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They held a noisy but peaceful demonstration against the ongoing genocide being carried out by the State of Israel, condemning the Israeli ambassador who was hosting an invitation-only event to celebrate the establishment of the State of Israel. ...
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Karen Chhour wants Oranga Tamiriki to establish more partnerships with Māori, despite introducing a bill to Parliament removing their obligation to do so. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bridget Haire, Senior lecturer, public health ethics, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Bowonpat Sakaew/Shutterstock HIV prevention was allocated A$43.9 million over three years in this week’s federal budget. Some $26m of this is for “PrEP” for people without access to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole George, Associate Professor in Peace and Conflict Studies, The University of Queensland New Caledonia’s capital city, Noumea, has endured widespread violent rioting over the past 48 hours. This crisis intensified rapidly, taking local authorities by surprise. Peaceful protests had been ...
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With less than six months to go, it’s time to start paying attention to what could be the most consequential election of our lifetimes. It’s less than half a year until election day in the United States, which makes this a good opportunity to review what’s happened thus far in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ryan Storr, Research fellow, Swinburne University of Technology The topic of homophobia in sport has recently made headlines in Australia, with a series of homophobic incidents involving men’s AFL players. These homophobic incidents are usually well-reported in news media, but research ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ryan Storr, Research fellow, Swinburne University of Technology The topic of homophobia in sport has recently made headlines in Australia, with a series of homophobic incidents involving men’s AFL players. These homophobic incidents are usually well-reported in news media, but research ...
Asia Pacific Report France has declared a state of emergency on the Pacific territory of New Caledonia — New Zealand’s closest neighbour — after four people, including a police officer, have been killed in pro-independence riots over voting changes that further marginalise indigenous Kanaks, news agencies report. The move came ...
The biggest winner from the 2024 Ockham book awards talks to Madeleine Chapman about her fascination with stages of life, advocating for the arts, and what’s next. Last night, at a not-as-long-as-expected ceremony at Q Theatre in downtown Auckland, Emily Perkins won the Big Prize for the second time. Her ...
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. On Tuesday morning the PSA held a snap protest outside the National Library in Wellington, urging the government to continue funding the ...
“North Korea would better serve its people by meaningfully re-engaging with the international community through diplomacy rather than threats” says Mr Peters. ...
Following comments from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in yesterday’s pre-budget speech that not adjusting tax brackets for inflation each year is “lazy”, the Taxpayers’ Union is releasing a new poll that reveals that the vast majority of ...
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Should I tell her before I see someone else? Invent a story about being stuck overseas? Grow my hair long? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzHello Hera,I’ve been seeing my hairdresser for about 12 years, making this one of the longest relationships of my adult life (longer than my ...
More than 25 environmental and community groups have published an Open Letter calling on Parliament to honour Te Tiriti and protect the environment. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jakob Weis, Postdoctoral research associate, University of Tasmania Dust storm blowing off the Australian east coast over the South Pacific.Jeff Schmaltz/NASA GSFC, Author provided The Southern Ocean, a region critical to Earth’s climate, hosts vast blooms of microscopic ocean plants known ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Belinda Smaill, Professor of Film and Screen Studies, Monash University National Archives of Australia In 2017, then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull alighted from a helicopter to announce a grand plan: Snowy Hydro 2.0. It would turn the famous hydroelectric scheme into a ...
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WorkSafe has found shortcomings at Fire and Emergency (FENZ) over how two volunteer firefighters died in a landslide in Cyclone Gabrielle. But it will not prosecute FENZ, nor release its ...
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The prime minister has made it clear this is a no frills budget in all but name, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The group has also raised concerns about the power that ministers could have after it was revealed Shane Jones failed to report a dinner with a company deputy chair. ...
Minister Shane Jones’ failure to declare a dinner with mining interests is just one red flag of many about the Government’s proposed fast-track legislation, Transparency International says. Earlier this week, Newsroom revealed Jones, the Resources Minister, at a dinner on the West Coast on February 16, encouraged a mining company ...
Exclusive: A transgender man is bringing an unprecedented human rights case against the Department of Corrections. He tells Alex Casey about his experience at work and what he’s fighting for. This story contains transphobic language and references to self-harm. Take care. A trans Corrections officer is taking a case against ...
Opinion: A recent study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports recently presented a novel approach to predicting which chemicals might be emitted from a vape. During heating, chemicals can break down into smaller molecules. A process known as pyrolysis. This study combined deep learning computational methods with chemical structure information from ...
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While women’s sport is exploding in Aotearoa and around the world, you still don’t hear a lot of talk about athletes and their periods, RED-S, breastfeeding and visible panty-lines. SASS Talk isn’t afraid to have that kōrero.LockerRoom founder Suzanne McFadden and Olympian broadcaster Sarah Cowley Ross host the episodic podcast, sparking ...
Opinion: New Zealand is a country of food producers. We may be a small, isolated nation at the end of the world, but we create an outsized amount of kai, most of it bound for faraway shores. Each year New Zealand exports enough food to feed 39 million people their ...
When households and businesses pulled the country back from the brink of painful power cuts on the coldest day of the year, there was no reward for the sacrifices they made in turning off their heat pumps and lights. Matt Ward, SolarZero CEO Photo: Supplied Consumers saved the day ...
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COMMENTARY:By Antoinette Lattouf Sorry Palestinian women and children. It seems Australia’s leading women’s media company has more pressing issues to cover than the seemingly endless human rights atrocities committed against you. It’s been seven months of almost complete silence from Mamamia and their most popular writers and podcast hosts. ...
Asia Pacific Report As Israel drives the Palestinians deeper into another Nakba in Gaza with its assault on Rafah, the Palestine Youth Aotearoa (PYA) and solidarity supporters in Aotearoa New Zealand tonight commemorated the original Nakba — “the Catastrophe” — of 1948. The 1948 Nakba . . . more than ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Tuesday handed down his third budget. It had a second successive surplus and sweeteners, including relief on energy bills, and tax breaks for development of green hydrogen and critical minerals processing. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reports on the winners of this year’s book awards.Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction ($65,000 prize)Lioness by Emily Perkins (published by Bloomsbury), about a middle-aged woman wrestling with her life choices, has won the $65,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction.Hooo boy this ...
Emily Perkins has won the fiction prize at the 2024 Ockham book awards for her novel Lioness. She collects $65,000, the most loot you can pocket in New Zealand letters, as winner of the Jan Medlicott Acorn fiction prize for her satire of the anxious rich. It’s kind of ...
A statement from Matt Blomfield:
It's great that Blomfield can be so objective and magnanimous, but the evil of Slater is not just confined to him.
That p.o.s. Slater has destroyed so many lives with his obsessive hatred, revelling in the hurt and suffering he inflicted on grieving families and systematic attempts to destroy public servants and the undermining of our justice system.
Yes, sociopaths, for clearly that is what he is, can be smart. His blog did a great job with political commentary but sadly now has morphed into conspiracy theories and Islamophobia under the direction of his wife. I detest the childish nonsense of Karma, but his current suffering is well deserved.
This story; read and weep, fellow humans; this is the way we roll.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/112898870/the-aotearoa-chainsaw-massacre
"22 trees were cut down along Palmerston North's main street because of complaints about bird poo."
Thus the utter depravity of our feelings of divorce from nature, from OUR nature, leads us to destruction.
Not depravity – it may be that people just don't like sitting in bird poo. Perhaps the seats should have been shifted free of trees.
.
The streets and pavements would still have lots of white spots. But hey in other civilised countries there is a night-time water spray over city streets (they also clean their buildings too), so perhaps some NZ cities could start taking more pride in the civic appearance, Palmerston North leading the way!
Cars receiving droppings could accept it as one-of-life's problems during the day.
At night near twilight when the birds are gathering en masse and letting it all hang out, twittering about the day's events, and people gathering at bars doing the same, cars might be hit then. It would be a good incentive to cut the cackle, down a few beers and go and get some food. There is a way of managing such things without abandoning lots of trees.
In the Palmerston North example (trees along Broadway felled because people complained about birdshit on their cars), the result has been that, in the evenings, the few remaining trees (around the Square) now host all the birds in the central city and God help you if you park your car under one – you won't be able to see out the windows when you return to it. No doubt the city's councillors will apply their awesome problem-solving skills to the issue and cut down the remaining trees.
‘Rigorous’?
Hardly.
Not one mention of climate change as a reason to stop the Adani mega coal mine project
In many ways this mirrors the approval process for coal mines in this country. – Make a big fuss about giant snails or weta but stay a million miles away from any mention of climate change.
Actually, in New Zealand it is illegal for a consent tribunal to allow climate change evidence to be heard in any consent hearings for fossil fuel projects, including coal mines.
I wonder why?
Is it because, if climate change was allowed to raised as an objection, the evidence is so compelling that no new coal mine or oil well would ever win approval?
Extinction: The species your are worrying about, may be your own.
In 2009 250years above the 1750 baseline we were at .85c. Now a mere 10 years later in 2019 we've added another .9c to make 1.75c. We're now in exponential climate change. The Australian government is quite happy to destroy the liveability of the Planet to make more money. We're heading for hot house earth. The old white Oz morons running the show there, Australia is being impacted by climate change severely now, will be long dead when the sh*t really hits the fan. And that wonder of our planet: The great barrier reef is dying ,its beauty could be seen from space.
As to the controversy over the Powelliphanta Snails and the Black Throated Finch prove,
The first rule of climate change denial; Don't say anything about climate change denial.
If the Green Party ever achieve anything meaningful in government about climate change, it would be to strive like hell to raise the issue of getting rid of the iniquitous legislation that makes it illegal for a planning consent tribunal to hear objections based on climate change evidence. And if the rest of the government don't agree, to make it an election issue.
The real tragedy of the so called political consensus between all the political parties around Zero Carbon Act that the Green Party has tried so hard to achieve, and sacrificed real policy for, is that climate change will again not be debated in the elections.
Why would it? They all agree. There is consensus.
It is a consensus to say, (and do), nothing.
The first rule of climate change denial; Don't say anything about climate change denial.
“in the evenings, the few remaining trees (around the Square) now host all the birds in the central city and God help you if you park your car under one”
Fresh photographic evidence from Palmy: https://twitter.com/dairymanNZ/status/1135082969163419648
"God help you" – sounds like a real crisis and your link reveals just how appalling, nay existentially threatening, those birds are! Can they be annihilated, please, for the sake of the children?
Have to wonder where all the other trees in their town centre have gone.
In Vancouver, we walked past some trees near Stanley Park where the Blue Herons nest. There were a shedload of signs pointing out that there were nests above, and that herons (as fish eaters) have smelly and corrosive droppings and you should therefore not park your car underneath these trees. It seemed to work. Unfortunately, thanks to Rodney Hide and the NACT government of the time, the only trees that have any protection are those which are individually scheduled, or those on public land.
Robert – I live near some of these desecrations and though we protested / tried to guard 24 hours daily the processes of law overwhelmed us.
Now we have ticky tacky houses / apartments in the place of once beautiful trees. All they want in Auckand is as many houses on tiny sites as can be built ; the inhabitants live squashed in like lab rats and no lawns or trees nearby. Often no garages either so cars clutter up the roads.
"A meme has gotten loose on this planet the socially equivalent of cancer (in my opinion), and what it is–is capitalism. Capitalism does not serve human beings. It serves itself, in the same way cancer does not serve a human being it serves itself. "
so you were protesting some one going about their perfectly legal activities on their own land?
[Deleted. WTB, you may not think highly of James but please address the topic and don’t attack another commenter with pointless abuse – Incognito]
Yesterday I was examining well placed street trees vs random plantings that will be culled, trying to figure out what the formula is to plant a tree with some reasonable chance of its longevity. After my impromptu study I came home and read that article. I've seen so many trees vanish I've stopped mentioning it.
Avoiding parking areas was one of the first things I thought of. Not because bird shit is a real issue, but preciousness certainly is. Plant away from car parks.
Avoiding power lines. This is a no brainer but you'd be surprised how many fail to look up when they plant things that grow tall. Likewise guttering. I don't mind cleaning mine, and gutter guards work well, but be aware of the previously mentioned preciousness of people.
What's under the ground? Avoiding electrical and plumbing infrastructure is wise, but requires some investigation. Your local council has the details.
To recap – trees are an ever expanding three dimensional structure. They can be pruned but ideally they are left to do their own thing.
Education. People have no idea of the ecosystem services trees provide, or perhaps they're national voters who want the benefits but no leaves on their driveways.
Trees are free. I walk about and see a tree I like in seed I grab some seed and throw it in a pot or two and leave them be. This summer/autumn I've sprouted Coprosmas, Kowhai, Karo, Pohutakawa, Jacaranda, Albizia, Inga, Acacia…
We need to reverse the laws favoring developers and people over nature, or we will also perish.
Plant trees wisely, make them count.
P.S. I grow very wary of going back to edit every post because the software insists on putting all sorts of shit formatting in plain view. The above has already been edited twice.
I've just come inside from planting the seeds of Himalayan Tree Strawberry; lots of them. Also, Sweet Chestnuts, about 200, straight into a sawdust/soil bed. My peach stones have been in for a couple of weeks now. This afternoon, I'll sow the seeds of the Chinese Hawthorn and Cornelian Cherry (really a dogwood). All these trees will go "somewhere", I know nor care not where, just out there, where they are needed. Great gifts, trees.
One thing, WTB, if you accidentally hold down the Crtl/Cmd key while you are typing a space, it turns into a special non-breaking one which the editor then shows as "nbsp".
Australian Doco clearly showing Assange’s innocence and the events that happened-must watch
https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/sex-lies-and-julian-assange/4156420?fbclid=IwAR0MqSZXx58MvlWi9nlM6sfhTQeyEoDXyCDazYmAO_Gt5o7UMA-z3Mps5Vo
Basically if the UK had any pretension to being a justice based democracy and upholder of the "rules based order" it would free Assange as per UN rulings, so as to allow him to have urgently needed medical attention , and to prepare his defence in the Swedish case. It would never have without any objection, parcelled up Assange's belongings and handed them over to the US
I think we can see whose "rules" have priority here.
Sweden could assure him that it would not extradite to the US, as per Amnesty International
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2012/09/sweden-should-issue-assurance-it-won-t-extradite-assange-usa/
If the Swedes had done this back in 2012, the Swedish complainants and Assange would have had their day in court, and justice would have been done
Why such intransigence? Didn't the Swedes feel that the most important issue was that the Swedish women have their complaints heard?
Probably not, according to Amnesty International's recent report on sexual violence in the Nordic countries .The courts are notoriously slow to act, sexual violence is widespread, and there are very few convictions compared to complaints. Only 6% of cases resulted in prosecution in 2017!
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/04/rape-and-sexual-violence-in-nordic-countries-consent-laws/
So it seems that the Assange case has been unusual, pursued with far more vigour than any other of similar degree
Frankly , I think its time to give up on the stubborn diehards who assert Assange has brought this on himself.
I'm going with the UN on this one
Some US soldiers murdered citizens and Reuters reporters in cold blood. Assange published it. Who should face justice?
Thankyou for your intelligent and accurate observations which are 100% true, Francesca, 🙂 . The U$K has joined the war criminal enterprise of the U$. And also has committed crimes at home against its own poor people.
130,000 preventable austerity deaths as banquet is laid for trump
Julian Assange Is Being Murdered By The British Because Washington Wants Him Dead But Doesn’t Have A Case Against Him
Caitlin sums it up: https://russia-insider.com/en/are-assanges-jailers-trying-kill-him-hes-so-ill-he-cant-speak-properly/ri27153
“We have been watching the slow-motion assassination of Julian Assange. They have been choking him to death by tactical psyops, siege tactics, and wilful neglect as surely as if they placed a noose tied around his neck, not just in Belmarsh Prison but in the embassy as well. The only difference between his execution and someone on death row is the same as the difference between covert and overt warfare, which makes sense because the intelligence, judicial and military agencies who are carrying out his death sentence operate within the same power structure which carries out war. First came the smears (propaganda), then came the siege (sanctions), and they staged their coup (dragged him out of the embassy) and now they’ve got him in their clutches and they can do what they want behind closed doors. That’s how you kill a nation while still looking like a nice guy, and that’s how they’re killing Assange.”
If the world stands for the US/UK/Swedish judicial murder of an innocent man, the world does not deserve to exist another second.
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2019/05/30/julian-assange-is-being-murdered-by-the-british-because-washington-wants-him-dead-but-doesnt-have-a-case-against-him/
Well I followed your links – self referencing and fevered speculation. Waste of my time thanks for nothing.
Your ability to stoically ignore the crushing of democracy is impressive, Marty.
But not in a good way. Mind you, I recall you springing to the defence of “Sir” Mark Solomon’s “leadership” a few years ago, so this latest expression of contempt for democracy, though far uglier and more extreme, is really not a surprise.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/11/kai-tahu-should-demand-better-leaders.html
"Anyone who is pushing the provably fake rape charges as a reason to not support a man dying in prison is a piece of s**t and waste of oxygen" – Twitter comment, and quite correct.
Your ability to get it wrong so much is impressive though minor morrie in the scheme of things – your 3rd rate stenographer skills and outright fabrications as well as your abysmal understanding of our national game put you in a class of your own – sadly that class is no class and a shadow of class – classless I think it is.
That was more than a little incoherent. Could you rephrase?
Here's a bit of advice: Edit, edit, edit.
back into your hutch little bunny
Any criticism is interpreted as 'incoherence'. Long-used survival mechanism, I guess.
"Criticism"? What "criticism"?
You're probably the least appropriate person on this forum to talk about incoherence. Or gullibility.
"ability to get it wrong"
"3rd rate stenographer skills"
"outright fabrications"
"abysmal understanding of our national game"
.. sure seem like criticisms. Never mind, some long-forgotten soviet dude probably has a quote about it you could highlight for us plebs.
None of that is criticism, Sacha. It's merely abuse. Not very pointed or clever abuse, but abuse is what it is.
Our friend Marty's mustering and deployment of as many derogatory adjectives as he could remember has as much relationship to criticism as Judge Michael Snow's words in that kangaroo court on April 11th have to justice.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/11/assange-branded-a-narcissist-by-judge-who-found-him-guilty
I know you're hurting because the truth hurts. My friend, you need a lie down.
The truth might hurt, but lame abuse does not. Do you still proudly support "Sir" Mark Solomon, by the way?
Acting the idiot doesn't really suit you – stop playing the fool and say something worthwhile, if you can,
Marty. Should the war crimes exposed by Manning and Assange be pursued as ruthlessly as both these individuals are. It's clear they are not, why do you think this is? Do you think it is because they have better character than Assange and Manning?
Robert Fisk addresses these questions far better than I.
Related to Assange punitive detention and resulting suffering, at the hands of the vengeful US State Department, is the continued punitive detention and suffering of Chelsea Manning.
Do McFlock and the rest of the mob pour filthy abuse on Chelsea Manning as well? I remember they ridiculed Edward Snowden, deriving a great deal of lynch-mob hilarity from the fact his girlfriend had been a stripper. It was almost as good as Julian Assange's cat as a device to belittle him with unfunny quips.
Notice that most of the same people who buy into this establishment anti Assange at all costs narrative, are also the same people who pushed the Russia conspiracy, go along with intervention in Venezuela etc etc they probably believe Corbyn is anti semitic too…it's like they just can't help but get sucked into every establishment MSM narrative that gets spun to them, almost like they have no defense, broken internal bullshit detectors or something.
they probably believe Corbyn is anti semitic too…
I'm sure they no one actually believes that, Adrian, any more than they believe that concocted story about rape in Sweden.
It doesn't stop them repeating it, however.
Moz, it's one thing to argue that we don't know he's guilty. But every time you call it a concocted story, I'll call you a rape apologist. Because you are.
Actually, Snowden did it right. And I have respect for Manning, too.
More morrissey nuttiness.
That is wrongful incarceration and an utter disgrace. I spit on everyone involved in that process.
Here is British justice for you…they will protect Pinochet but give Assange to the wolves
Margaret Thatcher "The chance of Senator Pinochet receiving anything resembling what Britain would recognise as justice in a Spanish court is minimal, not least because key witnesses for his defence run the risk of immediate arrest if they set foot on Spanish soil. What is planned then is a show trial with a preordained outcome. Lingering death in a foreign land."
I think Pinochet was nice to Margaret Thatcher in some way; did he help her during the Falklands War? She knew which side her bread was buttered, with only the best butter of course, and knew who to butter up. On further consideration she could give butter a bad name, so forget I mentioned it.
Yeah probably beutiful imported New Zealand butter no doubt, not besmirching the name of our fine product I hope.
Perhaps he can try showing that in court.
To follow on from the the sentiments expressed by Matt Blomfield (via Pete George, cheers Pete) and Peter Chch's comment.
It's pleasing to see on one got a gong for being a sociopath (Services to Business) in this years Queen's Birthday Honours. But rather people who've selflessly worked to make our society a better place.
Congratulations to them all.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/06/full-queen-s-birthday-2019-honours-list.html
Well congrats to nearly all..
The awarding of a gong to Fran Walsh reminded me of her teary performance (along with Phillipa Boyens) with Kathryn Ryan on Nine To Noon. it was related to the Hobbitt/Warners dispute. Misinformation, obfuscation and out and out lies were the tactics used.
Reading this article, from the other side, bought up an unpleasant time and raises some still unanswered questions:http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1104/S00081/helen-kelly-the-hobbit-dispute.htm
Re- Fran Walsh… my immediate thoughts too. Just another example of: it is not what you know, but who you know that counts.
There are no doubt some very worthy recipients who deserve all the accolades they will receive but I can't help noticing the number of honours for… Services to Science. ONE.
Apart from a Dr. Marie MCLintock for services to haemotology and obstretics, no other scientist has been honoured. Yet these are among our most intelligent and talented NZers whose research work is frequently internationally recognised, and they have the ability to change or save the lives of many thousands of people.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/113179374/cawthron-institute-ceo-named-in-queens-birthday-honours
Even worse was her and Boyens teaming up with John Barnett and Paul "I am a GOOD MAN" Holmes on Q&A to snarl at and belittle Sue Bradford. Peter Jackson was sitting there too, looking extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable. He was almost completely silent throughout.
There was the infamous Q&A Holmes interview with John Barnett and Helen Kelly, but I don't recall Peter Jackson being present. I do remember him being interviewed on other occasions and being disgusted at his attitude. But nobody could see past his Lord of the Rings Hollywood success and were blind to his abysmal behaviour over the reasonable protests of the local artistic community – not the least Holmes himself.
Those swine managed to get onto Q&A several times. Yes, Barnett tried to be extremely intimidating to Helen Kelly, and Holmes was harsh and derogatory towards her as well.
On another episode, Boyens and Walsh and Peter Jackson opposed Sue Bradford. Boyens and Walsh were extremely unpleasant throughout the programme.
That Walsh gets rewarded in spite of that repulsive display—and we can be sure she was even crueler and nastier away from the television cameras—is another reason to scrap these ridiculous "honours".
Brownlee is caught in a lie in the Scoop article.
Saint Sue should never be criticised. Jackson and Walsh who are hard-working entrepreneurs bringing NZ into the world 'stage' are downright cruel and nasty. Creatives like Robyn Malcolm are wonderful and deserve to exist on Cloud 9, where all self-made successful wonders get to be. Comment BAU.
Well, as I said @ 4.1.1:
It is not what you know that counts, but who you know.
To be fair there are some exceptions to that rule.
Jackson can't decide if he's a common man or a rich prick.
A friend visited him he juggled his Oscars to try give the illusion he cares not for such accolades. Then he got in bed with John Key.
The one person deserving an award was Helen Kelly. She might have refused it. She remains at the peak of my list of Great New Zealanders and her treatment during that dispute by Walsh and the director whose name I refuse to utter, and whose movies I refuse to watch, was quite disgusting
Q+A: Barnett and Holmes meet their match in Helen Kelly
TV1, Sunday Oct. 24, 2010
Preliminary comment by JACK A. NAPES, for Daisycutter Sports Inc. ….
This is billed as an "interview", but it's more of an attempted
mugging. Unfortunately for Barnett and Holmes, Kelly is not
intimidated by their antics. She remains polite and perfectly composed
throughout, unlike her two opponents. Holmes interrupts Helen Kelly
nearly every time she speaks, and Barnett interrupts her three times.
But all this fails to upset her; she's an experienced union
negotiator, and these two are lightweights compared to some business
and union leaders she meets routinely. Barnett gets really angry when
Kelly points out that he's a slack employer: "You yourself don't
comply with the guidelines." Holmes calls her "clueless" twice and he
swears angrily on two occasions. Note the way that Holmes won't let
her speak even at the end, shouting: "No, Helen's had ENOUGH!"
Q+A: Interview with Helen Kelly and John Barnett
Published: 4:12PM Sunday October 24, 2010 Source: Q+A
Related News
Paul Holmes interviews Helen Kelly and John Barnett about the saga
surrounding filming of The Hobbit.
PAUL: We are joined by two folk at the heart of negotiations. Helen
Kelly is president of the Combined Trade Unions, and John Barnett is
the managing director of South Pacific Picture – very experienced film
man. Of course, one of the most experienced film people in this
country. So Helen Kelly, we'll start with you first of all. Good
morning.
HELEN KELLY: Good morning.
PAUL: So, what we've got is the actors now in FULL RETREAT. What we've
seen after last week with your handling of things is a complete
failure for the union movement. That's so, isn't it?
HELEN: Well, no, actually, Paul, this dispute wasn't settled last
week. It was settled the week before with encouragement from Peter
Jackson, who sent several emails to me saying, 'I'm encouraging SPADA
to meet and to talk through all the issues and find a resolution.'
That's what I did. I stepped into this dispute only at the end of
September to help the parties find a way through. We've found a way
through. It's completely settled…
PAUL: I think… With the greatest respect, Ms Kelly, I think you
might be fantasising. ….
Read the whole thing….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/01/qa-barnett-and-homes-meet-their-match.html
Jesus. I'm not ordinarily one to speak ill of the dead, but Paul Holmes was just a massive partisan arsehole all the way through that 'interview'. Interrupting, badgering, condescension, mockery and accusations of lying. How Helen Kelly kept from lunging across the table and punching him in the gob I don't know. She was a class act, rest her soul.
@aj Hear hear on Helen Kelly.
I feel compromised on the afore not mentioned director.
I saw Bad Taste at the film festival at the Regent in Palmy.
Still one of my favourites.
I find myself politically disalinged from him on workers rights.
I to loved Jackson's earlier works, however IMO he hasn't made a good movie for a long long time.
@aj, +100….' The one person deserving an award was Helen Kelly'…lost our only chance of having a real and relevant Labour back at any time soon when we lost her.
Knighthoods aye? What do you reckon you would need to have done to receive such a thing for "philanthropy" in particular?
I see local Tauranga "businessman" Paul Adams now has one, and as someone from Tauranga I would have said the interests that led to it are far more personal than philanthropic. The Herald story attached says "As chairman of Accessible Properties, Sir Paul has helped to develop social housing in Tauranga, including negotiating to buy more than 1000 Housing New Zealand homes for the city." which reads well but in fact was the only single sale of NZ city or towns's entire – to my knowledge 1138 – Housing NZ stock. The only other one to come close was Invercargill which fell through.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12235832
The houses were already here – The Government will transfer ownership and management of 1138 Housing New Zealand properties and tenancies in Tauranga to a new landlord, Accessible Properties from 1 April 2017.
https://www.accessibleproperties.co.nz/tauranga-tenants/qas/
So "it" and he "developed" nothing other than to work with the National govt to pusrchase all of Tauranga's Housing NZ stock for an undisclosed amount and with the agreement that the tax payer would continue to meet the bill to bring them up to standard and that incl the flawed "P" testing and any work attached to that.
Having at the end of last year helped a young single working mum get decent accommodation in Tauranga we couldn't even work out if there a Housing NZ office in Tauranga or even who to approach so gave up even considering that – in the end we could fix it and there will be others in more need.
But getting back to "Mr" Adams the majority of his "philanthropic" interest seem to have been in the main local sporting and hobby groups and nothing too "socially" demanding. One thing is for sure that his previous "business" interests were very deep in a lot of ring-fencing land in the area that has benefitted a few rather than the many hopeful homeowners here.
As far and away the largest contributor to local MP Bridges election campaign funds how coincidental is this former award "It is not the first time he has been recognised in the Queen's Honours List after being awarded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for business and philanthropy in 2015." and I wonder who made this nomination?
Thank you Rapunzel for shining a strong light into that particularly dark place.
For some people, saying someone is involved with IHC is an automatic reputational boost.
It ain't necessarily so.
At all happened here in Tauranga and scarcely a peep. Maybe, as we do have some good local advocates there is an "upside" in there that the general public don't see but for two or so years I have found the whole thing peculiar that it is painted in this light and comes with a "reward". More than a few "charities" look to me to be personal hobby horses and avenues for networking, and for some a salaried past-time, and are nothing more than that.
Quite a few of the murderous troughers seek to sanitise their careers with a spot of whitewashing charity work
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/25/save-the-children-furious-charity-global-legacy-tony-blair
Sadly the disability sector is crammed quite solid with such. They attract government funding for "advocacy" and "service provision" and get to sit on all manner of EAGs and TAGs and Consumer Consortiums and the like. The become dependent on the funding from the MOH or MSD or even ACC and the kudos that comes with being called a CEO (because, like, charities have to have a corporate structure) is quite a heady brew.
Their ability to do any real and effective hob-nailed boots advocacy is weakened as they are reluctant to challenge their Government/Ministerial overlords.
Have you read…https://www.victoria.ac.nz/sacs/pdf-files/Fears-constraints-and-contracts-Grey-and-Sedgwick-2014.pdf
All very depressing.
Thanks for the reality check and deconstructing the property developer cares more about people than profit BS.
This guy has done handsomely profiting from land development while his community suffers from possibly it's worst housing crisis in history. Not only that, but seeking to profit from our most vulnerable's housing situation is the lowest of the low.
He is no hero. The only heroes in this are people like all of those from Te Puea Marae who gave up their own meagre property/assets and time to house others in their hour of need.
Many knighthoods are bought and paid for, perhaps not in an obvious fashion, but nevertheless. It also helps to be the 'right sort of person', know the 'right sorts of people', have passed through the 'right educational institutions', been employed by the 'right organisations' and have made considerable donations to the 'right political parties'. Quid pro quo and all that. Nothing is unforgivable if you've done right by the 'right people'. You could, for instance, repeatedly assault a waitress in a public place, and as long as you atone for your misdeeds with a weak apology and a couple of bottles of plonk, you're away laughing. Nothing to see here, move along.
Alternatively, you could just be really good at throwing a ball about.
Toxic attitudes – what sort of shit would we find under your bed mr priest.
an occasion of sin revisited – sure mate we believe you NOT
Hey Marty, did you see Bishop Tamaki apologising on the tele news last night?
I am pretty sure it was the lead story, I have to admit being quite surprised and heartened.
Heartened, not so much https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/113187353/destiny-churchs-apology-to-the-rainbow-community-a-cynical-play-for-votes
The Good Lord giveth and the Good Lord taketh away….occasionally within the same breath.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
You are getting sour Rosemary, try some honey with your lemon drink. There are too many negatives to notice them all without a break for some positives, and things to feel gratitude for.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/391053/destiny-church-s-brian-tamaki-says-sorry-to-gay-community-but-still-doesn-t-agree-with-homosexuality
I hope he is sincere – for his sake – his boss don't like insincere.
How to lie for beginners
1. lie
2. Keep lying
3. lie some more
Don't worry his thick supporters will lap it up.
What about the thick ones who voted for Clinton? Which are thicker, do you think?
Spot on Moz, Clinton who supported her rapist husband then jumps on me too movement, Hilary who vaporised her hard drive destroying 30000 emails, then burnt her phones, Hillary who lied about Libya God she even lied about how she got her first name, claiming our Ed. Give Trump his due over Hillary ; he doesn’t pretend to be somebody else than a narcissist bull shitter Likewise some of his policies are ok
Whataboutism is usually a bit more subtle.
Nope, you don't got it.
Are they going to sue him?
"Coltan is Venezuela’s Oro Azul or ‘blue gold’. In 2009, President Hugo Chávezannounced the discovery of reserves worth $100 billion of “the blue gold of the 21st century” in the Amazon region of the country.
The price of this blue gold follows an increasing demand for a high-grade metal known as tantalum, processed from refined coltan. Demand for coltan is so intense, it fetches a higher price on the international market than even gold or diamonds.
Tantalum is the metal used in capacitors that store energy in modern electronics like smart phones and tablets. Tantalum capacitors are also essential in powering modern military weaponry because the metal resists corrosion and can withstand the extreme temperatures generated by the new military applications. Without it, weapons systems would overheat.
The US relies on tantalum to build the basic circuitry in guidance control systems in smart bombs, the on-board navigational systems in drones, anti-tank systems, robots and most weapons systems.
The metal is vital to US defense. Yet, it has no domestic source of coltan. Importing and stockpiling tantalum is its only recourse."
https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/11372
"The Rare Earth Threat
The third tool is exports of certain goods that are critical to some important U.S. industries.
One is rare earth metals, a group of minerals that are vital to advanced electronics and power systems, including smartphones, batteries for many applications including electric vehicles, and high-tech military weapons. China is the source of 80% of the world’s supply and there are signs the country has threatened a potential restriction of rare earth exports to U.S. firms, according to CNBC.
Rare earths are a group of 17 minerals that have a wide variety of uses, including electronics, magnets, lasers, ceramics, batteries, medical equipment, and optics. The name can be misleading, as, in theory, the materials are plentiful. But they are thinly distributed. The rare part is having heavy enough concentrations to make mining economically possible. A complication is environmental impact because processing uses dangerous chemicals and high heat that can release pollutants."
http://fortune.com/2019/05/29/rare-earths-bonds-and-permit-hell-three-weapons-china-can-use-to-escalate-the-trade-war/
We don't want to see two big powers going head to head – orange and black – too much colour contrast there. Red will be the next colour revealed, and grey, brown?
If the citizens of the USA took their hand off their hearts, which is a required response for saluting the USA and as ubiquitous as an outstretched arm in 1930's Europe (which also excited certain groups in the USA), then they might get a better understanding of the country they live in, and they could go two-handed at making it better. At present the USA is beefing up its wish for dominance in the China seas, which is trying to have a ring of protection around it, just like the USA has had probably since WW1. The USA is perverting the financial system by running a huge deficit for attack weapons of advanced type, threatening everyone's security, because it can – so bugger off everybody who quails and complains.
The Bellamy salute preceded the hand over heart jobbie.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellamy_salute
Mine of info joe 90. Hadn't heard of that – Bellamy salute eh. I must pull myself away from this addictive screen and go take part in the physical world. I will read about Bellamy later. Perhaps this is the modern version of hell, to be able to read all that has happened from which we have never learned, and only be able to watch a new version of the old play – perhaps called Love's Labour Lost or Titus Andronicus with a new name that relates to modern ears.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_Andronicus
All the conventions conspire To make this fort assume The furniture of home; Lest we should see where we are, Lost in a haunted wood, Children afraid of the night Who have never been happy or good.
1/9/1939 whauden
Sorry to wax woebegone.
But there is another material from Venezuelan soil that could be extremely valuable. Its name is torio (Thorium), and it has the potential of becoming an ecological nuclear fuel. Professor Eduardo Greaves, an expert in nuclear physics and a professor at Simón Bolívar University, pointed out that Venezuela has “a huge deposit” of Thorium in the Cerro Impacto in the southern state of Amazonas, which is part of the Orinoco Mining Arc, of which China knows all about, having directed the development of the geological and mining map of the Venezuelan territory. Greaves said these reserves could be used in thorium nuclear reactors for at least 300 years.
https://supchina.com/2019/01/14/venezuela-china-explained-2/
Thorium is relatively abundant everywhere; there is no shortage of it.
https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/thorium.aspx
There is a genuine and exciting rennaisance in the nuclear power game at present, especially around the various forms of molten salt reactors. These designs are completely different from the first generation machines, are much safer in operation, have much less waste and can burn existing waste stockpiles.
There are at least three companies who are within five years of an operating machine. Moltex and Thorcon are two that look very realistic, and this intro is less than five minutes:
A great read on why another Brexit Referendum in itself will not address the woes in England.
“Another referendum may, conceivably, get us out of the worst practical consequences of the Brexit mess. But that will not win the culture war (what, anyway, does victory or defeat look like in a culture war?) and it is certainly fanciful to think that it would “cauterise the gaping national split and confront once and for all the many dark issue that lurk beneath the nativist Brexit idea,,” ”
http://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/
The People's Budget
bloody hell Chair
snap!
Speak up, mauī. Why are you giving this (The People's Budget) the thumbs down?
Has Bryan Bruce received a gong? Ever?
Probably too honourable.
TBH, I don't know, Rosemary. But I do like his effort.
I sense he may be working on a doc that is going to hold Jacinda/Labour to account for their big talk and poor delivery.
Thanks chairman, I enjoyed that hour.
Can't help wondering if the statement from the floor about our financial system and government issued sovereign currency lies at the heart of a meaningful answer.
I fail to see the imagination let alone the courage for that to happen.
Prof Kelsey and her words on preparing for the changes needed were encouraging.
Social Credit Party Leader, Chris Leitch, told the party’s Canterbury Regional conference Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s budget could have contained an additional $6 billion in spending without costing taxpayers a single cent more.
Leitch said, the Finance Minister could save that amount every year on interest payments on the government’s borrowing.
Finance Ministers in Japan and China access funding from their central bank at no interest and use the money saved on interest payments to benefit their citizens.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/05/21/robertsons-budget-6-billion-short-social-credit/
Bryan Bruce mced a great town hall type panel and discussion last night
Trotter disappointing but probably to a degree correct.He says too many of us have done well(I'm talking baby boomers here)out of the property bonanza to feel urgency for those who haven't .His "grand old man of the left" routine was a bit too pretentious for my tastes, and I'm usually a fan of his historical offerings
Wayne Hope was impressive, as was Russell Norman, god I miss him as co leader of the Greens.
We could do with more of this stuff. Commentators from the coal face
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/
That discussion should replace the complete 6-7pm drivel on TV1 and the country would be better for it. No, it will never happen.
Yes, we could do with more of this stuff, francesca. Particularly in the mainstream.
And yes, bring back Russell Norman. It was interesting to hear (on the above screening) that it was Shaw that pushed for and succeeded in securing the BRR. Largely aligning the fiscal oversight of the two main parties.
I disagree with Trotter. Improvement doesn't require reducing the wealth of the majority. For example, a CGT wasn't going to apply to the family home. Kiwibuild (which was welcomed from across the political spectrum) objective was to slow the pace of increase, not reduce current values
Annie Newman from the living wage made a good point. And if we take the regional spend that the Government has been dishing out to the private sector as an example, where are the strings attached ensuring jobs the Government is fiscally helping to create are decent jobs that pay a living wage?
As the funding is already being given away, adding these strings wouldn't come at any extra cost to the Government.
Overall, it's well worth a look. It was a good discussion with many good points made.
Disappointing there weren't too many (if any) political faces (Greens, Labour, etc) seen in attendance.
Chris Trotter has to make a living and he has to be able to see the problems from both sides. I think he does well in being able to lift slightly and regularly the cloth of gold curtain of the comfortably off so they can receive peeks at life for the others, and so get some innoculation for the shock of the innovation of some disease-ridden policy that cuts down their supplies of goodies.
Trotter is himself 'comfortably off'.
Fanatics, cynics, sadists and moral cowards
Exhibit No. 1: The Panel, RNZ National, Tuesday 1 July 2014
JIM MORA: Now, Julian Assange on the catwalk.
DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: [highly amused] Yes!
MORA: How’s he going to manage this?
ZARA POTTS: Well, it hasn’t stopped him, his asylum claim hasn’t stopped him from doing all sorts of things. Even last week he opened rapper MIA’s New York concert with a ten minute Skype chat, so he’s pretty busy.
DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: I thought he couldn’t leave though.
ZARA POTTS: He does it all on his computer.
DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Oh, right.
ZARA POTTS: This is Vivienne Westwood’s son Ben, and as part of London Fashion Week, he is going to take the catwalk to Julian Assange in the Ecadorian embassy.
GRAHAM BELL: [derisive snort] Ha!
DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: [querulous tone] How-w-w-w-w?
GRAHAM BELL: Some people will do ANYTHING to get publicity.
DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Ha ha ha ha ha!
ZARA POTTS: Ha ha ha ha ha! Yes, it’s not because he cuts a particularly dashing figure or wears clothes THAT well. The whole thing is a little bit more political than that. Ben Westwood is saying that he wants Julian Assange in his show so that Assange doesn’t slip into obscurity.
MORA: There’s not much danger of that though, is there.
ZARA POTTS: No. He’s wanting to highlight his plight.
DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: So he’s going to be modeling the clothes.
ZARA POTTS: Yes.
GRAHAM BELL: It’ll be the look for the very OILY character. Hm hm hm hm hm.
DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Yeowww!
GRAHAM BELL: Hm hm hm hm hm.
MORA: How do they put a runway into an embassy? It’s basically just a big HOUSE, isn’t it.
ZARA POTTS: Maybe they’ve got a big hallway. The collection has been influenced by Clint Eastwood’s Western films and also Assange’s “combat beret look”.
….[General snickering, snorting and guffawing]….
ZARA POTTS: And there is also a garment with Julian Assange’s image printed on it. He he he he he!
DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Ha ha ha ha ha!
GRAHAM BELL: Ho ho ho ho ho! Can’t WAIT!
MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha!
ZARA POTTS: The soundtrack is from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, so that will be something to, uh, see….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/graham-bell-continues-to-run-amok-on.html
"Abstaining from the witchhunt would have classed the dissenter as an enemy. Stalin was supported by fanatics, cynics, sadists and moral cowards."
—-Donald Rayfield, Stalin and His Hangmen: An Authoritative Portrait of a Tyrant and Those Who Served Him (Viking, 2004)
Do carry on.
https://twitter.com/HotPockets4All/status/1135206146158075910
An assurance of goodwill from a member of the lynch mob
Yesterday one of our resident fools, "The Al1en", interjected himself into a witchburning in order to offer the following assurance of future fair treatment for the bound and gagged victim: "@McFlock I'm sure he'll get more support once he's faced and beaten the rape charges in a court of law." In the Deep South not so long ago, similar moral idiots turned to their neighbours and said: "@Travis I'm sure this ni*&er will get more support once he's faced and beaten the rape charges in a court of law."
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-01-06-2019/#comment-1623641
Get a hobby.
Unfortunately, this is it.
Haven't you got some vitriol to pour over Assange? Why are you wasting your time making facetious little comments like that about me?
Still, it's funnier than your cat joke.
You mentioned me twice today. That caught my eye. Your continued attempts to make the world safe for Assange to commit rape (regardless of whether he actually did anything in 2010) hold my attention.
Apparently one wikileaks is good for at least two abandoned rape investigations, according to your ethical model.
Doubling down on your wild, fantastic allegations doesn't make them one whit more credible. Even if they are officially sanctioned by four rogue states. You know as well as everyone else in the world knows: there is no credible case against Assange—other than the case that he is a dangerous truth-telling journalist.
You know as well as everyone else in the world knows
Fuck, does that include me? Thanks for that, i didn't know that i knew. Now i know what i didn't know that i knew.
Sorry—maybe you're a flat earther and a flying saucer enthusiast. I was talking about people with an I.Q. above room temperature.
Wow, you managed to find two conspiracy theories that you don't believe in. Keep trying.
Ha
Ah! A choosy conspiracy theorist. A selective and discerning one. You believe that Assange is a tool of those cunning Russian masterminds, do you?
I don't believe anything about Assange. I don't have enough information to come to any conclusions. Funny to watch you though.
You should do some reading then, solkta. A lot of reading. And discriminate in your reading. Don't just swallow state media (The Grauniad, the Murdoch media empire, the BBC, MSNBC) wholesale.
See you back here when you've done your homework~
I've seen the kind of bullshit that you call homework.Remember that Skeletons in the Cupboard bollocks. Oh wait, you probably still believe in that. Keep trying.
In your case, the odds are more in favour that you're delusional rather than a liar.
Either way, you're still a rape apologist.
Just like those foolish lawyers in the Deep South who represented black men accused, with similar rigorous devotion to lawful process, of rape. They were accused of being "rape apologists" by people like you.
You remember when dolt45 said he could shoot someone on 5th avenue and not lose any voters? Yeah, that's you're support for Assange: unquestioning, and oblivious to reality.
You're about one tab of acid away from joining a suicide cult.
You can be as creative and ridiculous in your abuse as you want—comparing me to a Trump supporter, for pity's sake!—but it doesn't change the fact you've been caught out.
damn, looks like you popped that tab already.
Abuse away, my friend. You've been caught out, and abuse is all you have left.
Fire away: you haven't called me a Russian bot like one of your compadres did a while ago.
But this is also a different topic. I understand that you have difficulty distinguishing between separate issues, but come on, even you should be able to figure that one out.
“Apparently one wikileaks is good for at least two abandoned rape investigations, according to your ethical model.”
Just be thankful it wasn't Gary Glitter who ran wikileaks
Idiot you are.
So alleged rape is okay but you draw a line at kiddie porn?
lol
You laughed at that?
Well, it was funnier than your cat joke, I guess.
Like the best comedy, it's always based on truth.
I suspect 100% you'd be claiming the files were put on Glitter's hard drive by the cia and complaining conspiracy.
????
You're now claiming I'm a conspiracy theorist. Please carry on.
No, I said you'd be complaining conspiracy.
conspiracy
/kənˈspɪrəsi/
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noun
You and the rest of the woke have been quite pathetic in your assault on Julian Assange and anyone who might defend Assange and the democratic processes that are being trampled on by the U.S. People like me, we hold no ill will against Assange or the alleged rape victims but you and the woke Trying to curse out anyone who understands that the U.S isn't playing ball is just pathetic.
The simple fact you seem incapable of processing is that it is perfectly possible that Assange did wikileaks as well as committing sexual assault. People can be complicated. Do you think the Swedes invented an entire high-profile sexual assault investigation just to get Assange into their custody so they could extradite him to the USA? Because if they did not invent that investigation, he needs to go to Sweden and face it.
It wasn't "the Swedes" who concocted that fantastic allegation, it was some malignant strategist in the State Department. Instead of blaming "the Swedes", we need to be specific and narrow it down to the culprit: one very beleaguered and browbeaten State Persecutor, the Dishonorable Marianne Ny.
Is there any circumstance in which Assange could commit sexual assault and you wouldn't proclaim his innocence? I doubt it.
Sure: if he did. But fantastical allegations concocted by some evil functionary/functionaries at the U.S. State Department is not a compelling or credible case whatsoever.
Still, you're invested in this as surely as Tony Blair was invested in another campaign of destruction; you're never going to resile from your comments and your allegations now.
Please fire some more "rape apologist" slurs at me; they're as convincing as the case against Assange.
lol "if he did".
How would you know?
The onus is on the persecutors—-i.e. the people he and Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning exposed as mass murderers—to prove the allegations. They have no evidence whatsoever, and you know that as well as the rest of us do.
That wasn't the question.
My suggestion is that you would defend Assange even if he committed a crime because nothing would convince you that he had committed a crime.
So under what circumstances, as an internet denizen probably located in NZ, how would you know that some prosecutor's claims against Assange were true?
We literally have transcripts and records, and you're still adamant that he did nothing wrong. You refuse to countenance the possibility that they are accurate. So what would it actually take to convince you?
Evidence. There is none.
The two women who engaged in consensual sex with Assange both wanted all the proceedings against him stopped. They—just like you—could see that the state prosecutor was trying to fit him up.
Delusional right there.
I agree with that. Also…
Should he be extradited to the usa for the leaks? – No, even though it's cowardly on his part after Manning served time.
Should he go to Sweden, face up to the rape allegations and clear his name? – Yes.
And if the Swedes don't bring charges and require him in court? – Once his 50 weeks are up, deport him to Australia.
Are you even aware Australia revoked Assanges citizenship?
Are you sure?
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/14/julian-assange-should-be-extradited-to-australia-father-says
“Morrison has previously said Assange, an Australian citizen, would have consular assistance available to him but would not get “special treatment”.”
Scott Morrison, that imbecile.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/11/three-thoughtful-kiwi-commentatorswell.html
Irrelevant
“Irrelevant”? How so? The brutal, disrespectful, and witless chatter in that radio studio is a useful example of the intellectual and moral calibre of Assange's persecutors.
Because it's about the alleged rapist still being an Australian citizen as outlined in the quote from the link, not what you think of the PM.
It's a matter of public record that the U.S manufactured this whole situation. Could you even imagine how lonely the two alleged rape victims are right now knowing that the U.S is putting pressure on them and the Swedish state to produce results for the U.S. Are you even aware of your own ideology.
If that were the situation, he wouldn't have lost his extradition case.
I don't know what you are talking about. It is still a matter of public record that America orchestrated the whole affair
Sam, you're wasting your energy—-four generations ago, you would have had similar satisfactioin trying to reason with a Soviet commissar during the Great Terror.
I like it when you give sam encouragement.
Something sweet about a delusional encouraging a dunce.
I'll leave Sam to comment on the "dunce" crack against him. Now, how am I "delusional" exactly?
dosnt help prove your theories McFlock
Not my theories. I'm not the one claiming that he is innocent, or that he is guilty.
That's you guys claiming to know it's all a fabrication against poor, innocent Julian.
All that comes off of your keyboard, McFlock (lol) is slow learner, bigot, nazi, transphob, apologist for Assad/Putin/Assange/Trump/Rape with some a's Ames and buts mixed in. Although these ideological utterances separates McFlock (lol) and I, he's still debating at a pretty high level. What does separate McFlock and I is McFlock debates with a bit more emotion. This is why McFlock will regularly spam 100 or 200 or 300 comments and regularly pops in some ad homing only to then fain outrage at being retaliated against. While being emotional like this is a weakness a bit like being raped, it is a weakness although probably due to a lack of discipline or experience. When people get overly emotional there IQ falls several points and are not able to think clearly especially in a rape crises where margins of error are basically non existent.
So there you have it guys, too very different debating styles let me know which one you'd prefer. So I'll just allow for the crowds to decide who won, the Pro Assange side (my side) or McFlock.
I prefer commenters who deal with the topic at hand and don’t go off reserve attacking other commenters. Sam, you’re at your best here when you genuinely debate the topic and leave out the personal insults. Just saying.
Calm down Morrissey – you are just spreading hate and vicious talk and hysteria. We are up to our necks in it already. Please desist, take a deep breath, go out into the sun if you can find it, and dig the garden. Soothe yourself and don't exacerbate what we already have to put up with. We know what you know, we don't need to have it again brought up and shoved down our throats in large, violent gobstoppers.
… you are just spreading hate and vicious talk and hysteria.
So it's ME that's shouting "rapist" at a political prisoner and laughing at his suffering?
We know what you know, we don't need to have it again brought up and shoved down our throats in large, violent gobstoppers.
Certainly I'll stop reminding people that these vicious people are moral cowards and flunkies—as soon as they stop posting their lies, smears, and their unfunny jokes about Assange's cat.
There's only one person here shouting. Get a grip. You are shitting all over this place.
Are you still here? Could you actually compose something intelligent one of these days?
Only a fucked up single minded, played out, one trick pony would compare the Swedish judicial system to one lynching black people in the deep south of the fifties and sixties to push a support point for an alleged rapist who fled from justice because he dished shit on the yanks and in particular Hilary Clinton.
Set the narrative however you want, but to borrow a phrase, rape enabling shitheel – Go fuck yourself
You mean this legal system… U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer on Assange…“In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution, I have never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonize and abuse a single individual for such a long time.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErW1taJEPrs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErW1taJEPrs
The fuckup above compared the Jim Crow era with the modern day Swedish judiciary. If you want to agree with him on that point, and make excusing arguments for an alleged rapist who has done nothing to answer the allegations but fight extradition, lose, and run off to self imposed exile, so be it.
I think Morrissey has a point. Iv never heard of the U.S fighting so hard to have some one charged with rape since the Jim Crow days.
You're not familiar with the Central Park five?
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/06/when-they-see-us-shows-cases-impact-us-policy/590779/
Just aired.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7137906/
And please tell us with a straight face: you would have supported those young black men and not backed the "authorities" and their army of media and society backers in calling for what they termed those "animals" to be executed.
Well some determined special little soldier is enjoying setting false narratives.
Me, I don't fall into traps, especially the pointedly obvious ones. I just like to state my point and if others twist it to whatever the see as their advantage, that's what free speech is all about.
You, in between being Mr Angry from Cheam and welded to your warrior keyboard spouting bullshit at those who don't agree with you can stay playing at chief R.E.S, but unlike the incarcerated alleged rapist and you, I'm off outside for a freedom walk in the sunshine.
Me, I don't fall into traps…
?????
So what are you doing in a lynch mob?
The ones that I was concerned about was the ones involving U.S military and bureaucrats raping and murdering female adults and minors on a systemic level. Here we have the hypocrisy of the u.s and its apologists going hard out for Julian Assange.
.What you are saying here?…that the UK govt spent millions of pounds watching and monitoring Assange for the sake of a couple of alleged rape cases?
If you actually really believe this has anything whatsoever to do with those two woman in Sweden then (and I hate to be rude) you must be either extremely naive or extremely stupid
… you must be either extremely naive or extremely stupid
He's neither of those, Adrian. He's simply chosen his gang, his mob, and is sticking with it. It's prideful and ornery behaviour, which we see from many others on this forum.
He would indeed be stupid if he had been serious when he said to another member of that baying lynch-mob that he was sure that Assange will "get more support once he's faced and beaten the rape charges in a court of law."
But I don't think he believed a word of that statement.
Clearest case of projection you'll ever see on the internet from someone who, along with the same handful of regular Assange supporters/anti American/Clinton hating/Pro Putin bots, attempt to set their own narrative as default, shouting down any dissenting opinion with persistent insults, whataboutisms and an apparent mastery of the 'if you believe this' then 'you must believe that' trope.
I personally don't give a fuck if you want to, by way of your habit, spend your lives trying to make your views the only line The Standard will tolerate airing. I think it's great that you have the ability to push shit uphill in public and long may that last, but you have to realise you're not the tone setter, nor the final word, and as long as you continue exhibiting your agenda, you're always gonna get push back, especially when you’re wrong and nutty as a fruit bar.
As for starting topics with no other reasons apart from trolling, personal aggrandizing and the feel goods they obviously bring to someone like you, as you did here today, then they're just hit outs and no serious value can come from them. No points made, no minds changed, just internet fights for the bored of heart and simple of mind. Excellent to waste a few hours on, but ultimately pointless. Your success at it is also your biggest weakness, and you can’t even see it.
Clearest case of projection you'll ever see on the internet…
"Projection"? Oh, I get it: you mean that the witness becomes the crime he's reporting on. Very hard to understand, I must confess, but I guess you're a philosopher, a thinker of some kind? Zen, is it?
from someone who, along with the same handful of regular Assange supporters/anti American/Clinton hating/Pro Putin bots, ….
Well, yes, I do support the right of journalists to report the crimes of governments. So you got the Assange supporter bit right. But "anti American"? You'll need to justify that charge, but I don't think you have the ability to do that. "Clinton hating"? I'm opposed to the Clintons, certainly—Bill, Hillary, and their foolish daughter; but I don't hate them. Hatred, the foulest vituperation and the most malignant defamation is what we see every day displayed here on this forum towards the world's most famous journalist and political dissident. Of all your allegations, the one that intrigued me the most was the one claiming that I'm a "Pro Putin bot." Боже, помоги мне! Я русский робот!
Yeah, yeah, you're only playing with yourself, and I’m not a voyeur.
Come back when you're all kleenexed out.
Here you go, Al1en: an honorable way out for you….
https://media1.tenor.com/images/7227be633ae5578164544ffda8fd337e/tenor.gif?itemid=10882805
@ The Al1en, You haven't answered my question… that the UK govt spent millions of pounds watching and monitoring Assange for the sake of a couple of alleged rape cases?
They would have done the same if it were David Beckham or Elton John who'd skipped bail and hid in an embassy.
Do you really think so?, you are saying that you actually believe that the UK govt would have spent seven years and millions of pounds watching David Beckham if he had skipped bail?…seriously.
Any high profile fugitive would have received similar observation.
Adrian, you're wasting your time with this fellow.
"…who has done nothing to answer the allegations but fight extradition…"
Well that's not quite true, he was happy to be interviewed over the allegations and that only took 6 or 7 years for the authorities to get round to it even though they had the victim statements and the physical evidence. Once interviewed the case was quickly dropped thereafter.
The alarm bells should be ring-a-ding-ling-a-ling that something is quite amiss here.
@maui, "The alarm bells should be ring-a-ding-ling-a-ling that something is quite amiss here"
Yeah so you would think…..but strangely not for some.
He doesn't know what he means, Adrian.
And much closer to home in Australia we have another whistleblower being abused by the system. Note carefully his description of the debilitating stress of this:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-03/ato-whistleblower-facing-prison-says-he-almost-died-from-stress/11167954
And this for just one year.
Holy hell, that is one rough story, first time I have heard of it.
" He alleged that some ATO staff were instructed to use an aggressive debt collection practice known as garnishee notices, which allows the ATO to seize funds from the bank accounts of Australian taxpayers without notice or consideration of their circumstances."
I had business partner (long time ago) who had been audited by the IRD previous to out partnership, he told me it was the worst experience of his life, just under two years they took, said they looked into absolutely every facet of his life, and came up with SFA.
The only thing good to come out of it was that his books where immaculate at the end of the ordeal (that was his joke)..more than can be said of mine!
In my modest experience the most corrosive aspect of this kind of stress is the constant threat, uncertainty and instability. Until you've been through something like it for an extended period, most people have no fucking clue what it's like.
Yes that is true, although in no way as serious, I had a pretty serious burn out about fifteen years ago, brought on by small business stress, financial insecurity, young family, to way much work etc..what I learnt was, that when you step over that invisible line that many people are teetering on, you don't get to step back…it took me many years to fully recover, it was brutal.
That burn out, although terrible has had one very positive effect on my life, it gave me a very real insight into mental health both though my experience and through the reading I did on the subject when I was going through it.
Hence my utter disgust at the treatment of Assange, right out in the open, right in front of our eyes, and what makes it even worse is it is done with the total support of nearly all media, history won't judge this period well I think.
Until you've been through something like it for an extended period, most people have no fucking clue what it's like.
Tell me about it. It isn't a common experience so makes it even harder for people to understand the effects.
And I agree with Adrian thornton. While I don't take sides on the Assange affair, I do have sympathy for his current predicament no matter if he was responsible (in part at least) for bringing it about. The stress of isolation, being surrounded by enemies and the fear for his life is not only hugely debilitating but it is inevitable paranoia will set in as well – something the authorities after his blood are only too well aware.
You "don't take sides"? Why not?
What could possibly go wrong?
https://twitter.com/KPIXtv/status/1134688276542042112
Brilliant.
As the funding has now run out for cleaning up the pollution disaster on the West coast and the volunteers have had to resort to a give a little page to beg for donations to help stem a situation that will take the the next few years and a lot more than $300.000 put up by the government to sort this mess out it points too a larger problem on our back door step the Pacific.
Tipping point for Pacific waste problems – SPREP
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/391106/tipping-point-for-pacific-waste-problems-sprep
If government wasn't so busy fudging unecployment stats, in concert with OECD, they might make some Task Force Green action groups up from willing workers and give them a West Coast working holiday.
Yesterday we were talking about bringing sexual cases to justice and murder being covered up. I talked about Betty in Canada,
This morning on Radionz doco roundup the reviewer Sarah referred to ROLL RED ROLL is the true story of the Stubenville rape case – and how concerned journalists pulled the story together and pushed for prosecution.
I thought this was an important documentation and a sterling job by journalists to assemble unassailable facts that honour the live taken and dishonour the awful amoral system in Stubenville. So keep an eye out for it.
Sarah McMullan: Doc Edge Film Festival
Film Reviewer Sarah McMullan has checked out Doc Edge 2019: a festival of documentaries and will be talking about her top picks, including THE MENS ROOM, an all male Norwegian choir that prides itself on its beer-drinking ability and beards, who is asked to open for Black Sabbath – but that's not the only surprise they get. A NZ film that picked up two festival awards for its tale of six strangers walking the 800km Camino de Santiago (Camino Skies) Is 2019 the year of the asshole? ASSHOLE: A THEORY attempts to answer that question, while HALF THE PICTURE asks why are there so few women directing film and TV? What's going on and how do we change it?
And ROLL RED ROLL is the true story of the Stubenville rape case – and how concerned journalists pulled the story together and pushed for prosecution.
Have to go.
Selling the UK’s National Health Service to US corporations would cap off the grand brexit plan..
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/02/us-wants-access-to-nhs-in-post-brexit-deal-ambassador-to-uk-says
And how lucky are we that our last govt did not try the same here after the Australian insurance industry turned down the chance to own part of our ACC system.
Brexit has always been about opportunities for disaster capitalists.
https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1135149199144771584
Absolutely. There's local's have sold up here just to play their dirty games in UK.
The world doesn't need these assholes anymore their use by date is long gone.
Does Eric Watson come to mind?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/111250717/eric-watsons-battles-has-the-high-flyer-been-brought-low
Morrissey
My search isn't working and I can't find quickly where I said to you to ease up. Thinking about it I still feel the same, but recognise that I am in the same place so am going to follow my advice to you. If I can I will stay away from TS for a while and perhaps the news!
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03-06-2019/#comment-1624129
You have not been 'spreading hate and vicious talk and hysteria' yourself but do enjoy some time away from the keyboard.
Thanks I find it hard to refrain. Bit addicted and look for intelligent comment on everything here. And often find it!
Not just children.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/opinion/113198575/children-need-to-learn-to-speak-well-to-function-in-society
Parents under stress, financially and time poor, don't have time to have lovely little conversations with their children. They have to be up early and dump their kids at school while they go to their poorly paid jobs and worry about explaining why their kids can't take part in things because their shoes, equipment are broken, stolen, or whatever.
They aren't meant to enjoy life because if they are strugglers and not getting enough to live on, its probably because they don't try enough. If they are on a benefit, ditto, and the immoral filter is applied to the Welfare view of them and happiness would mean that they were enjoying life on the benefit and the point is for them to get unhappy to get the lazy buggers out in the workforce where it is a cliche' that employment will be the motivator for them to be happy and successful
When I was at school what gave you 'class' was to be good at sport. Reading and expression and comprehension was second to that. So advice from the professionals needs to be more than exhortion – it could be how to initiate discussion on something at the meal table; what happened at school, what was new, how the kids' friends are getting on, whether their child is getting on, something that is coming to town and sounds interesting, ideas for their plot in the garden. My grandchildren often talk garbage at the table, turning it into some sort of game. Talking isn't the problem, they never stop or they sing. It's like being at a circus. Just some time together talking about something that interests them all and keeps them thinking about staying at the table and eating the meal would be good. They could vote for their favourite meal and plan meals for the weekend even.
"We do trust the judiciary to be independent and impartial…. I do trust Lt General’s Mateparae and Jones."
DR. WAYNE MAPP: I am pretty sure that most members of the current government also believe that the UK and Sweden have an independent judiciary. I would have thought it is axiomatic that one of the fundamental principles of our democratic system is that we do trust the judiciary to be independent and impartial, even if they do make mistakes from time to time. Since you mention Afghanistan, it will not have escaped your notice that I thought an independent Inquiry was necessary as soon as it was apparent there were credible allegations of civilian casualties (by Jon Stephenson in 2014 in his programme on Maori TV). But nevertheless, I do trust Lt General’s Mateparae and Jones.
MORRISSEY BREEN: In the 1930s people like you counselled concerned Germans to trust jurists like Roland Freisler.
DR. WAYNE MAPP: The Nazi comparison is offensive, as well you know. But not unsurprising from you.
MORRISSEY BREEN: All right, then: people like you counselled concerned Soviet citizens to trust jurists like Andrey Vyshinsky, and to trust that jury in Florida in 2013.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-02-06-2019/#comment-1623996
Unfortunately, this kind of horrifying expression of faith in the "justice system" is not limited to former Ministers of "Defence"…. https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/chris-trotter-reckons-zimmerman-jury.html
https://twitter.com/KongTsungGan/status/1134997550119784448
http://archive.li/yXt8j
The ALP has taken a turn right in Australia, they are now pro coal and anti Nauru asylum seekers. And all their climate policies are now under review. Albanese has said that the Australian public are clearly right of the current Labour position, so the ALP must go right to meet them. Not great news for progressives in Australia.
"In Canberra last week I met some Australian members of parliament. It gave me hope, because until I heard them speak I had always thought that Israel’s right wing politicians were the worst. —-(LAUGHTER)— I’ve never heard any Israeli politician speak about the Palestinian people the way that those Australian politicians did. But they are Australia’s problem, not mine. (LAUGHTER) I spoke with the Australian foreign minister; she talked and she was very nice but we could not agree on anything." (LAUGHTER)
—- Gideon Levy, speaking in Auckland, Dec. 3, 2017
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2017/12/unbelievable-brutality-day-after-day.html
"SCUM! Russian SCUM!!!" (Keith Olberman going nuts)
"We are at war with Russia!" he rants, hilariously. (Apologies to The Al1en, Andre and all the other conspiracy theorists on this mostly excellent site.)
Can a moderator please take out the trash. It's stinking up the place.
Suggested course of action for you, Sacha…..
https://media1.tenor.com/images/a3a8ff64e4cffc6673805840fd8b25ef/tenor.gif?itemid=10882889
Turd in aisle three.
?
Either this woman is seriously brain-damaged, or the new vacuum cleaner has arrived.
Sockpuppets are just another variety of the same stench.
Strike out the second option.
'Sockpuppets, the second option'
In Nelson we have had big paper advertisements for energyclub nz offering low this and that on electricity retail. I don't respond to cheapest, I don't trust big business and I haven't caught up with this company yet. Can someone who knows give me a quick low-down?
Chris Trotter at Bryan Bruce's town hall meeting for The People's Budget.
https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/100017/chris-trotter-says-left-can-detail-many-privations-too-many-our-citizens-they-cant
Chris Trotter says the left can detail the many privations of too-many of our citizens. But they can't figure out why poverty, inequality, homelessness and environmental despoliation are happening, so their political message doesn't connect