I see that Mike Hosking is continuing to promote a crypto currency trading site. He claims, probably truthfully, that he is making large profits from his investments. One wonders what the source of these profits is. Or are these crypto currency investments just another 'ponzi' scheme, and due to crash at some point in the future.
"One wonders what the source of these profits is. Or are these crypto currency investments just another 'ponzi' scheme, and due to crash at some point in the future."
It crashes regularly….if you have have money you are willing to lose then you could make a profit trading….until enough decide theres something else better to milk.
[Please explain why there are three different commenters here commenting from the same IP address.
All three commenters have attracted the attention of different Moderators, which is usually not a good sign either.
You may also want to explain why we should click on the link in this comment of yours, what to expect, why it is worth our time, what you think about it yourself, et cetera. Link dumping without a (brief) reason is spray & walkaway and a telltale sign of trolls who have no interest in engaging here.
Failing to acknowledge and respond to this Moderation note will see you banned – Incognito]
[Must try harder. You are wasting Moderator time. Put up or take a ban – Incognito]
[Let’s see whether a short instructive ban has the desired effect in lieu of an explanation or satisfactory response. One week for each of the three aliases coming from the same IP address that you are using. See also Lprent’s Moderation note to you, which I suggest you take seriously if you don’t want to receive a longer more punitive ban in future – Incognito]
Wouldn't it be great if there was a political movement working for the environment in New Zealand to support our personal efforts in this. Imagine what could have been achieved in the last two generations has such a movement focused on environmental matters.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
well I do actually think it is relevant. we are all personally contributing to climate change because to a very large extent except for a very few privileged like ourselves we really have no choice. The answer does lie in collective action and in our democratic situation that means govt. The derailment of environmental concerns by the NZ green party is very significant contribution to climate change. That they have occupied that space without actually largely giving a shit is a devastating betrayal. sorry but it does have to be said and if thats me then so be it.
So rather than a risk a lock-down and waste time and money pre testing, which will not be fool proof anyway, would it not be sensible to close the border while it is dominant?
Given the nature of viruses, this will not be the last significant mutation. Pre-flight testing makes little difference – all the other protective measures need to stay in place.
There is nothing in this variant that should cause any more problems for us in terms of the existing MIQ. If it manages to break out of the quarantine, there are considerable defences behind that to constrain and quell outbreaks. An increase in transmission rates doesn't change anything with that.
As Sacha says – this won't be the last significiant mutation or selection for this virus. We will be in some form of quarantine for quite a lot longer as the world learns to manage, contain and quell the virus – especially those areas in the world like the US, Russia, UK, and Brazil that have been far too irresponsible and blase about dealing with it
Shutting the door won't increase the security of NZ because if this variant gives a selective advantage than it will become dominant world wide in areas without an effective quarantine – ie almost everywhere apart from here, Taiwan, and very few other countries (see map). So will later favourable mutations.
We'd be better off doing what we have already – just dealing with it at the border and with the in depth outbreak defences internally.
We'd be better off doing what we have already – just dealing with it at the border and with the in depth outbreak defences internally.
Agree that we should keep doing what's worked well so far, and implement any cost-effective improvements that may become available as pandemic responses 'bed in'.
Pre-flight testing will give us a (very?) rough idea of how effective the new (15 January) precaution is at decreasing the number of COVID-carriers boarding flights to NZ. If, after a month or two, it turns out to be ineffective (and/or unnecessary), then by all means can it. The Australian federal government currently deems pre-flight UK testing unnecessary, so NZ is the Australasian guinea pig on this one.
Taiwan's pre-flight precautions are interesting too.
November 18, 2020
Fall-winter COVID-19 prevention program to be launched on December 1; CECC urges the public and healthcare facilities to follow related measures
On November 18, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that it would launch the Fall-winter COVID-19 Prevention Program on December 1 to enhance border quarantine control and to strengthen community prevention and medical response measures. The CECC urges the public and medical institutions to follow these measures.
Program details are listed below. A. Border quarantine: all travelers coming to Taiwan and transit passengers are required to provide a certificate of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result issued within three days prior to boarding the flight to Taiwan.
Starting from December 1, 2020, until February 28, 2021 (local time at the place of departure), travelers arriving at airports in Taiwan or transit passengers at airports in Taiwan, regardless of nationality (Taiwanese nationals or foreign nationals) or travel purpose (studies, work, diplomatic or official business, or others) are all required to present a certificate of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result issued within three days (working days) of boarding before they are allowed to board their flight to Taiwan. After travelers arrive in Taiwan, if following investigations find that travelers have provided a false or an incorrect test result or they refuse, evade or obstruct the related quarantine measures, such travelers may face a fine of between NT$10,000 to NT$150,000 [~NZ$7,400] according to Articles 58 and 69 of the Communicable Disease Control Act. Furthermore, the criminal liability of the Offenses of Forging Instruments or Seals may be imposed on such travelers for their act of providing a false or an incorrect test result.
The CECC stated that a certificate of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result must be issued by a medical institution deemed qualified by the local government in the traveler’s place of departure. In principle, such a certificate shall be written in English, Chinese, or both Chinese and English (bilingual version). Such a certificate shall include the following information: the name on the passport of the traveler, the date of birth or passport number of the traveler, specimen collection date and test report date, the virus name, testing method, and the result. Related details and measures to comply with are listed below.
can you feel the economic anxiety of the white male working class? Or should we file it under 'a mobster is gonna mobster'?
oh well, no one could have foreseen that voting for a shithead will result in shit being flung about everywhere and never mind the 350.000 dead people. But the economy aka the stock market is doing better then ever.
Trump: OK, thank you very much. Hello Brad and Ryan and everybody. We appreciate the time and the call. So we’ve spent a lot of time on this and if we could just go over some of the numbers, I think it’s pretty clear that we won. We won very substantially in Georgia. You even see it by rally size, frankly. We’d be getting 25-30,000 people a rally and the competition would get less than 100 people. And it never made sense.
But we have a number of things. We have at least 2 or 3 — anywhere from 250-300,000 ballots were dropped mysteriously into the rolls. Much of that had to do with Fulton County, which hasn’t been checked. We think that if you check the signatures — a real check of the signatures going back in Fulton County you’ll find at least a couple of hundred thousand of forged signatures of people who have been forged. And we are quite sure that’s going to happen……………………….
Meadows: So Mr. President, if I might be able to jump in and I’ll give Brad a chance. Mr. Secretary, obviously there is, there are allegations where we believe that not every vote or fair vote and legal vote was counted and that’s at odds with the representation from the secretary of state’s office.
What I’m hopeful for is there some way that we can we can find some kind of agreement to look at this a little bit more fully. You know the president mentioned Fulton County.
But in some of these areas where there seems to be a difference of where the facts seem to lead, and so Mr. Secretary, I was hopeful that, you know, in the spirit of cooperation and compromise is there something that we can at least have a discussion to look at some of these allegations to find a path forward that’s less litigious?
read the whole thing, or if you have the stomach listen to it. Mind its an hour long phone call featuring the mobster, his lawyers and the republican secretary of state of Georgia and their lawyers.
In case anyone is curious what laws might be applicable, here's one:
U.S. Code Title 52 (Voting and Elections), Section 20511 (relevant portions in bold):
A person, including an election official, who in any election for Federal office-
(1) knowingly and willfully intimidates, threatens, or coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any person for-
(A) registering to vote, or voting, or attempting to register or vote;
(B) urging or aiding any person to register to vote, to vote, or to attempt to register or vote; or
(C) exercising any right under this chapter; or
(2) knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process, by-
(A) the procurement or submission of voter registration applications that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held; or
(B) the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held,
shall be fined in accordance with title 18 (which fines shall be paid into the general fund of the Treasury, miscellaneous receipts (pursuant to section 3302 of title 31), notwithstanding any other law), or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
Well, searching for trump property in georgia turns up a lot of whiffy potential dealings in the former soviet country, but nothing that's actually gone ahead in the southern US state.
So the Georgia authorities don't have anything they can hold hostage, and I've no idea what kind of extradition arrangements there are between states. Maybe Drongo Unbrained will just avoid Georgia for the rest of his life.
I really don't want to try to guess what kind of chatter is going around when all 10 living former Secretaries of Defense sign on to a letter saying the military has no place and no business in determining the outcome of an election.
It's clear who the letter is aimed at – not the Tinyfingers Twittertwat, but those in the chain of command that might get asked or told to do something illegal.
"Civilian and military officials who direct or carry out such measures would be accountable, including potentially facing criminal penalties, for the grave consequences of their actions on our republic," the letter states.
Where there's smoke, a nearby dolt is playing with matches.
I invite Andre to tell us what kind of dolt. Sometimes I think the amount of product on his hair the usual one would be quite inflammable as well as being quite inflammable in other ways.
I'm not sure it's wise to invite me to list the titles bestowed upon the failed QVC steak salesman that somehow became Dolt45, Supreme Dotard of Doltistan. It could take quite a while to cover the gamut, from the informal ones used by his friends, such as Donnie Two-Scoops, and "orange pustule on Pootee's sphincter", to those acknowledging his contributions to arts and culture such as "short-fingered vulgarian" and "genital-grabbing golem".
At 12 noon on the 20th, I dunno what to put my money on for what the terracotta turdface will be doing.
Clinging to the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as the Secret Service comes in to remove trespassers?
Supervising renovations at Mal-a-Plaguo coz he didn't like the ones Melanoma had done?
Holding an "I wuz robbed" grievance rally somewhere in Drumpfuckistan?
Fronting an all-day craptavaganza for the start-up of his new TV channel?
Smearing his feces all over the second floor residential area walls?
I certainly wouldn't put money on him quietly and respectfully attending Biden's inauguration, but if anyone else wants to put money on that, I'll take the bet.
yes..I have much respect for films like 'earthlings'..
so many people cite them as changing their lives..
and what is not often talked about is how bloody good it feels to be a vegan..
in the sense of how you feel within yourself..
I was vegetarian for 15 yrs before going vegan..
so I already knew that being vegetarian felt better than being a flesh-eaters..
but my expectations for feeling even better from going vegan weren't much..
and much to my surprise..the improvement in general feelings of wellbeing was far greater going vegan .. than it had been going from fleshie to vegetarian..
and I really must emphasise..just how bloody good it feels to live on a vegan diet..
..and I love food..and I miss nothing..
..being vegan is almost decadent..the food is so good..
..and I feel so good…
really..!..people don't know what they are missing..
Whilst we are on about prisons and prisoners, let's all have a bit of thought for Assange who has suffered as an innocent person (by UK law a person is innocent until found guilty) gone though conditions worse than a convicted murderer because he brought to light and had the courage through Wiki Leaks to show what a pack of scum the American Administration are murdering innocent people
The treatment and conditions he has had to go through have not been reported by the compliant media. who toe the rightwing vested interest line. Today is the day we find out after months of torture if he will be extradited to America to live the rest of his life possibly in confinement and subject to further torture because he had the courage to report to the world what really was going on. So on that note fuck the Herald, Stuff, The backstabbing Guardian, RNZ, TVNZ Media Works and all the other pathetic outlets that pass themselves off as news outlets, stuff the lot of you for not having the courage like this guy to report what has been going on or protesting for the future freedom of the press.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[lprent: Hey, fuckwit (to quote an expression of yours from a previous comment) – Banned for 4 weeks. This was completely off topic in my post about prison conditions in NZ.
Bad idea taking a risk like that. Bearing in mind that Assange just had a excellent reprieve, I thought that your effort deserved a reward for stupidity – you won’t be able to comment here. I suspect that will enhance the discussion considerably.
BTW: please complain. I like judging ranting morons people who shout at others and try to trash my posts with off topic comments. ]
Do the crime, do the time, especially if you try to evade justice by hiding out in a foreign embassy, hardly the actions of an innocent man awaiting his time in court
So I take it then dickhead reporting the truth is now a crime is it? What other crimes has he done? apart from the so-called jacked-up rape charges and what trail has he attended and been found guilty?
Halfdick He had a rape charge in Sweden, plus faces 18 federal charges in the US including espionage and hacking He took a risk got caught, face the music and prove his innocence in a court of law He Just needs to suck it up, like you need do as well and not hide in the basement South American embassy or spin bs he is a journalist
You're so hopelessly ignorant of the matter I cant even be bothered correcting you. For fucks sake go do a bit of research. Just to start your off there was no rape charge.
Assuming that the US is able to extradite him on appeal. Which seems like a hard ask because they have to prove that the UK district court judge got it wrong on the probability of suicide within the inhumane US supermax prison system.
Most of the charges look spurious. Since none of them have been tested in a US court of law (Grand Juries being a useless farce governed only by a prosecutor and definitely not a court), I suspect that the federal prosecution would be a comedic farce. What will be certain is that they will drag on for years with freedom of the press and major jurisdictional issues.
There is a nice bit of good scientific forecasting for the NH stratosphere,that is now underway,a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) the Arctic vortex should split,and concomitant with a negative Arctic oscillation should see some significant cold events over NH mid and high latitudes.
That arctic stratospheric warming is going to make for some bloody cold surface weather somewhere further south. What is the usual delay before the cold hits Eurasia / North America? It’d take a couple of weeks from memory. I suppose I could look up the current oscillation..
Looks like a probable cold snap in northern Europe and mid-Russia to my eye.
The AO is negative and will deepen then split with a breakdown of the arctic vortex. Propogation to the troposphere is around 2 weeks.There is already significant cold events in Eurasia eg mongolia.
Yeah, I've been flicking through the judgement (cheers for the link).
I guess he only had to be lucky once, but sheesh – other than the argument that his possible US prison conditions might be bad enough for him to kill himself, his lawyers seemed to lose every single legal argument they came up with (and got slapped badly on a couple).
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Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
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I see that Mike Hosking is continuing to promote a crypto currency trading site. He claims, probably truthfully, that he is making large profits from his investments. One wonders what the source of these profits is. Or are these crypto currency investments just another 'ponzi' scheme, and due to crash at some point in the future.
"One wonders what the source of these profits is. Or are these crypto currency investments just another 'ponzi' scheme, and due to crash at some point in the future."
The bigger fool(s).
https://www.statista.com/statistics/326707/bitcoin-price-index/
It crashes regularly….if you have have money you are willing to lose then you could make a profit trading….until enough decide theres something else better to milk.
Do you feel lucky?
[Link required]
Given that global scammers frequently use high-profile local media figures to promote their wares, a link might not be helpful in this case. 🙂
True, true, but folks have become a little lazy linking here and there’s going to be tears soon. Ignorance is no excuse.
You know my feelings on that front..
I share them but Moderators cannot act on feelz alone.
Mine are informed by simple guidelines like:
– is there a quote?
– is there a claim that someone asserted something?
(which is why I would lean differently on yesterday's creative wordplay around Sir Dobbyn)
I don’t lean, I sway.
I rock for comfort
I quite enjoyed the Dobbo comment yesterday.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/greaterfooltheory.asp
[Please explain why there are three different commenters here commenting from the same IP address.
All three commenters have attracted the attention of different Moderators, which is usually not a good sign either.
You may also want to explain why we should click on the link in this comment of yours, what to expect, why it is worth our time, what you think about it yourself, et cetera. Link dumping without a (brief) reason is spray & walkaway and a telltale sign of trolls who have no interest in engaging here.
Failing to acknowledge and respond to this Moderation note will see you banned – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 8:06 AM.
Correcting Pats Bigger Fool.
[Must try harder. You are wasting Moderator time. Put up or take a ban – Incognito]
[Let’s see whether a short instructive ban has the desired effect in lieu of an explanation or satisfactory response. One week for each of the three aliases coming from the same IP address that you are using. See also Lprent’s Moderation note to you, which I suggest you take seriously if you don’t want to receive a longer more punitive ban in future – Incognito]
Bigger , greater…depends which school you went to,,,the theory is the same.
See my Moderation note @ 11:04 AM.
See my second Moderation note @ 11:04 AM.
Wouldn't it be great if there was a political movement working for the environment in New Zealand to support our personal efforts in this. Imagine what could have been achieved in the last two generations has such a movement focused on environmental matters.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[please don’t troll my posts – weka]
well I do actually think it is relevant. we are all personally contributing to climate change because to a very large extent except for a very few privileged like ourselves we really have no choice. The answer does lie in collective action and in our democratic situation that means govt. The derailment of environmental concerns by the NZ green party is very significant contribution to climate change. That they have occupied that space without actually largely giving a shit is a devastating betrayal. sorry but it does have to be said and if thats me then so be it.
“NZ Herald 4 January 2021
Pre-departure test move was inevitable – Prof Baker
[deleted]
[please repost with a link for the bits you cut and paste – weka]
mod note
Pre-departure test move was inevitable – Prof Baker
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-variant-will-become-dominant-all-over-the-world-epidemiologist/O73JXSZTQCIHQXSSQUB5O32D7I/
So rather than a risk a lock-down and waste time and money pre testing, which will not be fool proof anyway, would it not be sensible to close the border while it is dominant?
Given the nature of viruses, this will not be the last significant mutation. Pre-flight testing makes little difference – all the other protective measures need to stay in place.
I was meaning totally shut the door at the border while the virus is dominant .
I'd agree with Sacha.
There is nothing in this variant that should cause any more problems for us in terms of the existing MIQ. If it manages to break out of the quarantine, there are considerable defences behind that to constrain and quell outbreaks. An increase in transmission rates doesn't change anything with that.
As Sacha says – this won't be the last significiant mutation or selection for this virus. We will be in some form of quarantine for quite a lot longer as the world learns to manage, contain and quell the virus – especially those areas in the world like the US, Russia, UK, and Brazil that have been far too irresponsible and blase about dealing with it
Shutting the door won't increase the security of NZ because if this variant gives a selective advantage than it will become dominant world wide in areas without an effective quarantine – ie almost everywhere apart from here, Taiwan, and very few other countries (see map). So will later favourable mutations.
We'd be better off doing what we have already – just dealing with it at the border and with the in depth outbreak defences internally.
Agree that we should keep doing what's worked well so far, and implement any cost-effective improvements that may become available as pandemic responses 'bed in'.
Pre-flight testing will give us a (very?) rough idea of how effective the new (15 January) precaution is at decreasing the number of COVID-carriers boarding flights to NZ. If, after a month or two, it turns out to be ineffective (and/or unnecessary), then by all means can it. The Australian federal government currently deems pre-flight UK testing unnecessary, so NZ is the Australasian guinea pig on this one.
Taiwan's pre-flight precautions are interesting too.
can you feel the economic anxiety of the white male working class? Or should we file it under 'a mobster is gonna mobster'?
oh well, no one could have foreseen that voting for a shithead will result in shit being flung about everywhere and never mind the 350.000 dead people. But the economy aka the stock market is doing better then ever.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-transcript-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/2768e0cc-4ddd-11eb-83e3-322644d82356_story.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social
read the whole thing, or if you have the stomach listen to it. Mind its an hour long phone call featuring the mobster, his lawyers and the republican secretary of state of Georgia and their lawyers.
good grief.
In case anyone is curious what laws might be applicable, here's one:
https://twitter.com/SenWhitehouse/status/1345915993202286592?s=20
Well, searching for trump property in georgia turns up a lot of whiffy potential dealings in the former soviet country, but nothing that's actually gone ahead in the southern US state.
So the Georgia authorities don't have anything they can hold hostage, and I've no idea what kind of extradition arrangements there are between states. Maybe Drongo Unbrained will just avoid Georgia for the rest of his life.
https://twitter.com/j_putin/status/1345926259805544448
brief audio summary (for tone):
https://twitter.com/Bill_Maxwell_/status/1345817151114944512
Full audio..
https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/1345881068663046145
We need Hamill to re-record it in his Joker voice …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVjWVzFIPrk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFpq3-GtnJQ
Ooh, had not heard those.
The foot-shooting continues..
https://twitter.com/lp2100rg/status/1345892972399906818
That is one case he should loose.
The "one consent law" has been around in the US for some time.
I really don't want to try to guess what kind of chatter is going around when all 10 living former Secretaries of Defense sign on to a letter saying the military has no place and no business in determining the outcome of an election.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/03/politics/trump-election-defense-secretaries-public-letter/index.html
It's clear who the letter is aimed at – not the Tinyfingers Twittertwat, but those in the chain of command that might get asked or told to do something illegal.
Where there's smoke, a nearby dolt is playing with matches.
I invite Andre to tell us what kind of dolt. Sometimes I think the amount of product on his hair the usual one would be quite inflammable as well as being quite inflammable in other ways.
Well,
the Zodiac Killerson of JFK assassination co-conspiratorimmigrant preznit wannabe Ted Cruz swears he's not the one throwing matches around.I'm not sure it's wise to invite me to list the titles bestowed upon the failed QVC steak salesman that somehow became Dolt45, Supreme Dotard of Doltistan. It could take quite a while to cover the gamut, from the informal ones used by his friends, such as Donnie Two-Scoops, and "orange pustule on Pootee's sphincter", to those acknowledging his contributions to arts and culture such as "short-fingered vulgarian" and "genital-grabbing golem".
You really wanna do this?
Those are good…too many and it is like eating too much chocolate at a time. Makes my day, in a way, to see the day's name for the fiend!
Trump needs to go quietly. Nah not his style. With a bit of luck Trump can be managed for 18 days.
I want to see if Trump will attend Biden's inauguration. I think not.
At 12 noon on the 20th, I dunno what to put my money on for what the terracotta turdface will be doing.
Clinging to the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as the Secret Service comes in to remove trespassers?
Supervising renovations at Mal-a-Plaguo coz he didn't like the ones Melanoma had done?
Holding an "I wuz robbed" grievance rally somewhere in Drumpfuckistan?
Fronting an all-day craptavaganza for the start-up of his new TV channel?
Smearing his feces all over the second floor residential area walls?
I certainly wouldn't put money on him quietly and respectfully attending Biden's inauguration, but if anyone else wants to put money on that, I'll take the bet.
So up until the second Biden is sworn in is Trump still the President?
Your last paragraph says a lot. I plan to make an occasion of it to see Biden sworn in.
Probably Biden has some options or a contingency were Trump to cause havoc.
Knowing when Trump is no longer President will need to be considered. With a bit of luck from 11.59 pm on 19 January 2021.
The 20th Amendment of the Constitution says:
Thanks for that.
I looked up the time for the inauguration yesterday and I could not find it. So it is 12 noon.
this clearly draws the lines between what we do to animals..
and the pandemics we have had..have now..and will have again in the future..
if we don't change our ways/diets..
https://plantbasednews.org/culture/film/pbn-documentary-vegan-2020-available-now/I
Thanks Phillip for your leadership here.
I stopped eating meat 3 years ago because of climate change and animal cruelty.
A welcome side effect is that a plant based diet is also excellent for one’s health.
My nephew showed me the film ‘Earthlings ‘ which was the end of eating animals for me.
yes..I have much respect for films like 'earthlings'..
so many people cite them as changing their lives..
and what is not often talked about is how bloody good it feels to be a vegan..
in the sense of how you feel within yourself..
I was vegetarian for 15 yrs before going vegan..
so I already knew that being vegetarian felt better than being a flesh-eaters..
but my expectations for feeling even better from going vegan weren't much..
and much to my surprise..the improvement in general feelings of wellbeing was far greater going vegan .. than it had been going from fleshie to vegetarian..
and I really must emphasise..just how bloody good it feels to live on a vegan diet..
..and I love food..and I miss nothing..
..being vegan is almost decadent..the food is so good..
..and I feel so good…
really..!..people don't know what they are missing..
they could follow your path..
and watch ‘earthlings’
one for the vegan-curious..
current favourite vegan fast-food:
wraps..
slice a couple of vegan burger patties into slivers..
..and throw into frying pan/under grill..
while they are cooking on the wrap put some vegan butter..then some vegemite .
..then some avocado..(squeeze a bit of lemon juice onto avo..and grind some black pepper onto it)
then some hummus..then some tomato/sprouts/beetroot..and then some grated vegan cheese..
then pile the cooked slivers on the top..and put some high quality tomato sauce on them..
then roll it all up…
it tastes really fucken good..
miso rather than vegemite, please
yep. Misomite from the company in Nelson is awesome.
ok..miso on both of yours..
Whilst we are on about prisons and prisoners, let's all have a bit of thought for Assange who has suffered as an innocent person (by UK law a person is innocent until found guilty) gone though conditions worse than a convicted murderer because he brought to light and had the courage through Wiki Leaks to show what a pack of scum the American Administration are murdering innocent people
The treatment and conditions he has had to go through have not been reported by the compliant media. who toe the rightwing vested interest line. Today is the day we find out after months of torture if he will be extradited to America to live the rest of his life possibly in confinement and subject to further torture because he had the courage to report to the world what really was going on. So on that note fuck the Herald, Stuff, The backstabbing Guardian, RNZ, TVNZ Media Works and all the other pathetic outlets that pass themselves off as news outlets, stuff the lot of you for not having the courage like this guy to report what has been going on or protesting for the future freedom of the press.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[lprent: Hey, fuckwit (to quote an expression of yours from a previous comment) – Banned for 4 weeks. This was completely off topic in my post about prison conditions in NZ.
Bad idea taking a risk like that. Bearing in mind that Assange just had a excellent reprieve, I thought that your effort deserved a reward for stupidity – you won’t be able to comment here. I suspect that will enhance the discussion considerably.
BTW: please complain. I like judging
ranting moronspeople who shout at others and try to trash my posts with off topic comments. ]Do the crime, do the time, especially if you try to evade justice by hiding out in a foreign embassy, hardly the actions of an innocent man awaiting his time in court
So I take it then dickhead reporting the truth is now a crime is it? What other crimes has he done? apart from the so-called jacked-up rape charges and what trail has he attended and been found guilty?
Cmon can we please not drag up that guy again. Had more than enough of the topic last year. I doubt anyone here is learning anything new by now.
Halfdick He had a rape charge in Sweden, plus faces 18 federal charges in the US including espionage and hacking He took a risk got caught, face the music and prove his innocence in a court of law He Just needs to suck it up, like you need do as well and not hide in the basement South American embassy or spin bs he is a journalist
You're so hopelessly ignorant of the matter I cant even be bothered correcting you. For fucks sake go do a bit of research. Just to start your off there was no rape charge.
Note, “he had” ( past tense)
he “still “ faces 18 US federal charges, hope this helps with your comprehension Brigid
Assuming that the US is able to extradite him on appeal. Which seems like a hard ask because they have to prove that the UK district court judge got it wrong on the probability of suicide within the inhumane US supermax prison system.
Most of the charges look spurious. Since none of them have been tested in a US court of law (Grand Juries being a useless farce governed only by a prosecutor and definitely not a court), I suspect that the federal prosecution would be a comedic farce. What will be certain is that they will drag on for years with freedom of the press and major jurisdictional issues.
There is a nice bit of good scientific forecasting for the NH stratosphere,that is now underway,a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) the Arctic vortex should split,and concomitant with a negative Arctic oscillation should see some significant cold events over NH mid and high latitudes.
https://twitter.com/DrAHButler/status/1342218041279578112
SSW is called that for a reason.
That is not good on top of Covid-19 lockdowns
That arctic stratospheric warming is going to make for some bloody cold surface weather somewhere further south. What is the usual delay before the cold hits Eurasia / North America? It’d take a couple of weeks from memory. I suppose I could look up the current oscillation..
Looks like a probable cold snap in northern Europe and mid-Russia to my eye.
Yep – UK news https://www.express.co.uk/news/weather/1379279/Snow-forecast-latest-live-update-weather-cold-UK-heavy-snow
The AO is negative and will deepen then split with a breakdown of the arctic vortex. Propogation to the troposphere is around 2 weeks.There is already significant cold events in Eurasia eg mongolia.
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/daily_ao_index/ao_index.html
Assange not extradited from UK because of suicide risk in a US prison.
https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1346048761588543490
Judge's full ruling: https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/usa-v-julian-assange/
I suppose that's another way to avoid extradition.
Given the Obama administration's attitude to the case, Biden might choose to not appeal the ruling. Which would be a good thing.
Their officials will make that decision – in the next hour or three.
Judge heavily sided with the US case otherwise, and opened door for a UK prosecution.
Yeah, I've been flicking through the judgement (cheers for the link).
I guess he only had to be lucky once, but sheesh – other than the argument that his possible US prison conditions might be bad enough for him to kill himself, his lawyers seemed to lose every single legal argument they came up with (and got slapped badly on a couple).
So now the UK can deport him back to Aussie. Good.
Not if they decide to prosecute him themselves.
Who? Brits or Aussies?
Brits. See comment above. Turning in now.
Can't see why they'd bother.
He's got no reason to stay in the UK, so best fuck him off back to his homeland and be rid. 501 in reverse.