Heralds apparently spent some money on a proper opinion writer. One who writes an article in the style I quite like, sarcasm that is poignant and makes you think a little.
yep I like their new opinion writer, should add a little required balance that nanny had been so lacking for so long if she stays on this sort of mid ground tune.
Stewart said she accepted people would disagree with her or criticise her work, and she welcomed robust debate. However, responses of an overtly sexual or derogatory nature abusing individuals were offensive and unnecessary.
“No one has discussed the issues raised in the column at all – choosing instead to attack rather than engage.”
The other day I called trolls the venereal disease of the internet …..
I realised my diagnosis of them was wrong ……………… and they are clearly the ‘ dick pics’ of the internet …. as the trolls are always male …..
Spotty dicks … drippy dicks and most often limp dicks ………..
When a self posting dick pic leaves a smelly discharge in a thread, such as …. “Shes just another ranty hypocrite” …. see it as just what drippy dicks do …………
Oh dang, what a read, loved it. Thanks so much for posting the link. Looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
This part had me in stitches…
“Our own Prime Minister is pretty much off his rocker but, hey, let’s not labour the point. Unless, it’s all Labour’s fault. Which it probably is. It’s just got to be their fault he got in that cage and bent down and picked up the soap on command. Or that he’s overseen the new and unprecedented era of wadeable versus swimmable rivers. Or that children living in poverty are way harder to count than rodents. Even if they don’t move as fast. Even when you offer them $5000.”
Did they really have to put her photo at the head of the article?
I clicked on your link and the first thing I found was a photo that looked just like Donald Trump! Same eyes and hair tone.
Poor thing. She deserves sympathy.
Quite put me off my breakfast.
I made no comment at all about what I thought of the article.
Your imagination is therefore running completely out of control when you claim “Doesn’t like what the person said and so attacks her looks”
I neither said that I didn’t like what she said and I didn’t “attack” her. I sympathised with her.
And yes, if any other journalist’s photo reminded me so strongly of Trump I would have sympathised with them too.
Actually I have previously commented that one of the Wellington City Council candidates has a photo on his billboards that appears to have been copied from the John Key photo from the last election. I don’t know whether Simon Woolf is going to gain or lose from the resemblance.
I neither said that I didn’t like what she said and I didn’t “attack” her. I sympathised with her.
Why would you need to sympathise with how people look?
The answer is that you don’t, don’t even have to bring it up, and thus it was an attack on her and what she wrote and not sympathy.
When I saw her photo I was reminded of Donald Trump.
That man is so appalling that it would put anyone of their breakfast.
Do you seriously expect me to think kind thought about “The Donald” rather than be totally horrified by the man?
Oh Alwyn – so presumably when you look in the mirror there is a face looking back at you that is stunningly attractive, with a great hair style, wearing smart attire. So you have therefore given yourself the right to judge someone’s appearance who does not match your gorgeousness. How shallow.
I thought the column was brilliant and so refreshingly clever.
“looking back at you that is stunningly attractive, with a great hair style, wearing smart attire”.
Well no. I see someone who is getting distinctly old, wearing old clothes and looking like anyone else of my age.
The only thing I can claim is that I still have my hair, although it is now totally white.
I didn’t even say she was not gorgeous, did I? I merely commented that she reminded me very strongly of Donald Trump. Could it be that you don’t approve of The Donald’s looks? How judgemental of you.
Oh well, I assume in the future no one on this site will describe Cameron Slater as being fat and everyone will ignore Gerry Brownlie’s excessive weight.
Jesse Mulligan: “Sometimes when I read this stuff I get
the sense that Russia are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ for trouble…”
RNZ National, Tuesday 4 October 2016, 4:47 p.m.
Jesse Mulligan, James Nokise, Chris Wikaira
Incredibly, RNZ’s sorry light chat show The Panel just keeps getting worse. I’m sorry to have to say that in his occasional hosting stints, comedian Jesse Mulligan has shown himself to be as ill-informed and smug as the regular host Jim Mora. The following farcical exchange was horrible to listen to, not only because of Mulligan’s abysmal ignorance—it’s obvious he has read virtually no “stuff” on Syria—but also because of Professor Gillespie’s mealy-mouthed performance. It seems he’s more concerned with avoiding a browbeating from his notorious right wing Waikato colleagues Ron Smith and Dov Bing than he is with informing the audience. The end effect of five minutes of Al Gillespie is similar to sitting through five minutes of a Donal Trump speech—you feel you’ve wasted your time, and you actually feel stupider at the end of it…..
JESSE MULLIGAN: So let’s move on as well, and we’ll go international now, with a look at the world with Al Gillespie. The United States has suspended Syrian ceasefire talks with Russia, and they made the call after frustrations with Moscow and its ability to live up to a ceasefire agreement. That announcement comes two weeks after the most recent attempt at a ceasefire fell apart, when a humanitarian aid convoy trying to reach besieged areas of rebel-held Aleppo was destroyed by an air strike. Al Gillespie of the University of Waikato joins us now. Al, hullo there, how ARE you today?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Hey Jessie, I’m well. Thank you.
JESSE MULLIGAN:[extended intake of breath to convey how serious he is] Who do we believe: United States or Russia?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Well, there’s two sides to it. The Americans said they’ll only go back into the talks if the Russians stop bombing Aleppo, and the Russians say they can only stop bombing Aleppo if the Americans distinguish between the moderate rebels and Al Qaeda, which is a legitimate target.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Aaaaand is your understanding that the Russians have a POINT in that respect or do the United States deny it?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: I, uh, I, …[baffled world-weary sigh]… there’s no-o-o-o-o black and white any more in, in Syria, especially in Aleppo. And often the sides, some of those that are moderate and not meant to be targeted, blend with the ILLEGITIMATE, more religious extremists which CAN be targeted. It’s pretty hard to get a clear dividing line.
JESSE MULLIGAN: How bad news IS this, that talks have broken down between the U.S. and Russia?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: It’s very bad, I mean we can’t even get a ceasefire at the moment, so we can’t, you need a ceasefire before you can start talking about a peace plan. We need to be thinking that this conflict could go on for many years from here.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Why do ceasefires break down, Al, if uh, if no one enjoys war? [snickers nervously]
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: There’s no trust on the ground. No one believes that it’s safe to bring in aid, water, or food, and so unless you can get the most basic modicum of trust, you can’t build up.
JESSE MULLIGAN: So how do you CREATE it?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: You get the teams, well you need two things. One, people have to get tired of fighting, and neither side has to believe that they can WIN. At the moment, there’s so much money, men, and ammunition going into the fight, both sides believe that they still have the upper hand. And then you need to have confidence-building measures, and right now they can’t even achieve THAT.
JESSE MULLIGAN:[speaking very slowly, to convey thoughtfulness] Sometimes when I read this stuff I get the sense that Russia are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ for trouble, are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ to create tension with the U.S. Is that fair?
….Long pause….
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE:[slowly, deliberately, to convey deep thinking] Ahhhhhmmm, partly, partly not. I mean, Russia’s there by a treaty it had with Syria from the early 1970s, a legitimate treaty for a defensive alliance, and Assad is still to a degree in power, so Russia’s doing what it was bound to do by treaty. The problem is, that at some point, as long as you’re propping up these sides the war will continue and you may have to, everyone just back out and see what the actual outcome is.
….Long pause…
JESSE MULLIGAN: Meanwhile, there’s this OTHER story around today, that Russia have walked away from the protocol on weapons-grade plutonium control. Can you give us a bit of background to that, Al?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Certainly. So the nuclear arms treaty’s like a collection of documents which regulate nuclear weapons. One of the protocols was about the reduction of plutonium, surplus plutonium, so it would not be diverted to create more nuclear warheads. The Russians have suspended their talks in this protocol exactly the same day as the Americans suspended their talks about the ceasefire in Syria. It’s a blow to nuclear arms control, it’s not MASSIVE, but it’s certainly starting to wobble the architecture.
…Long pause…
JESSE MULLIGAN: And once AGA-A-AIN, if we look at both parties, do both parties have some culpability here, or is it the Russians MAKING TROUBLE?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: U-u-u-u-u-ummm, both parties have some —the Russians are saying that they can’t trust the Americans with the technology that they’re using to turn their plutonium into a safe form of nuclear material, and the Americans are saying that if they work together they can come to a compromise. So there’s good and bad on both sides.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Mmmm-kay. Finally today, the Colombian peace deal veto. You better give us some background to this as well, Al, it’ll be the first time a lot of people have HEARD about this….
…ad nauseam…
Anyone wishing to, unlike Jesse Mulligan, do some serious study of what is happening in Syria, should bypass the likes of Al Gillespie and read or listen to someone who knows what he’s talking about. There is no one better on this than Noam Chomsky…. http://www.democracynow.org/2016/5/17/noam_chomsky_on_syria_conflict_cut
Typical of the relentless dumbing down of National radio, it drives me fucking crazy.
I have emailed 9-noon a number of times the about pointlessness of having that private prison loving centrist Mike Williams on the voices from the right and left on Mondays, what a complete waste of time, he more often than not ends up agreeing tacitly with Hooten’s position, and why wouldn’t he, they are basically two sides of the same coin….don’t get me started.
Williams doesn’t “tacitly” agree with Hooton, Adrian, he makes a point of saying “I agree with Matthew” several times in every show, almost as often as he chortles along with Hooton whenever a politician like Jeremy Corbyn is mentioned.
Maybe he learned to ingratiate himself with superior personalities when he was a high school classmate of Paul Holmes.
I know I was trying to be diplomatic, I have also replied to quite a few of Williams opinion pieces in the Hawks Bay today, however our local newspaper isn’t that interested in community conversation so only publish comments spasmodically.
I can’t understand RNZ’s logic of not actually having a hard hitting left intellectual on the show to challenge Hooton, and spark real debate. Surely even from their own rating perspective that must make sense?
They have occasionally put decent opponents up against Hooton, much to his evident discomfort. Laila Harré never let him get away with anything, and Andrew Campbell stymied him regularly.
I’m sure the RNZ National management had a role in getting rid of those difficult people and replacing them with patsies like Williams.
Ratings aren’t important: conformity is all that matters.
I think it was a very opportune outage. It will have saved red faces all round.
The more devoted Andrew-philes would have been in a terrible dilemma if they had been able to comment yesterday morning.
After listening to Little’s repeated promises on Morning Report to pay all parents a $60/week benefit for the first year of a babies life there would have been paens of praise about what great leadership Labour were offering and that we now saw what a wonderful man Little was.
Then, about four hours later they would be stuck with having to explain how he had never said any such thing and that he was being grossly misinterpreted. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11722111
Even the Herald seems to have decided he had stuffed up again.
Only four hours from cock of the walk to a feather duster.
I must admit I was quite surprised how much I missed the presence of this site though. I think I need to take a holiday. Thanks for fixing my fix.
Little’s interview was way better than John Key’s pathetic effort. Little said it would take 2 terms-6 years- to make a real difference to child poverty, which is about right, and floated the old Labour $60 policy as one way of alleviating this. So at least he committed Labour to do something about this scandalous situation-nobody announces actual policies this far out.
Did we see a massive article in the Herald critisising Key’s pathetic do-nothing, the market will sort it out, what about the rodents, interview response? No.
ittle’s interview was way better than John Key’s pathetic effort. Little said it would take 2 terms-6 years- to make a real difference to child poverty, which is about right
Meanwhile, that poverty permanently damages the life prospects of 300,000-400,000 children, while the six figure types in Wellington fret around in the Koru Club.
How long does it really take to raise benefits by $30/week and make the first $5,000 earned in wages/salary exempt from income tax and WINZ calculations?
How long does it really take to raise benefits by $30/week and make the first $5,000 earned in wages/salary exempt from income tax and WINZ calculations?
And how long would it take for the capitalists to raise prices so that they could grab all the extra money for themselves thus ensuring that it would make no difference for the poor?
The two most interesting things about John key are….
His bailout and the amount of money he took from u.s.a pension funds …
2008: 2 Interests (such as shares and bonds)in companies and business entities
Little Nell – property investment
MerrillLynch – investment banking
JacksonMining – gold mining ……………………
And after then the bailout ………….
2009: 2 Interests (such as shares and bonds) in companies and business entities
Little Nell – property investment
Bank of America – banking
Jackson Mining – gold mining
The other interesting thing is how the media, wikipedia and his biography do not mention his good fortune and millions in charity ……..
The truth looks like a millionare taking millions in charity from ordinary citizens for his worthless investment in ponzi merrill lynch ( merrills share price had been climbing rapidly before imploding )
Key seems to support fraud both overseas and here in NZ ……….. “” a contentious exemption of professional services firms – mostly lawyers, accountants and real estate agents – from being covered by anti-money laundering laws passed in 2009.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11706741
lol…i can see you…you are a person of interest …and how do yu know who I am and what my real beliefs are?…I could work for the government and the secret service…i may not even be a Chooky
I think the difference is though that KDC was attempting to help National lose the election (like it seems Julian Assange is with Hilary Clinton) whereas National has been trying to win elections
On that score Assange seems to be as successful as KDC
yes well it is a gamble…but sometimes it pays to keep a little bit in storage as insurance just in case something happens to you …as Robert Fisk once said
You mean that completely unsourced and unverifiable claim from a single “news” source? The Clinton conspiracies get wilder by the day.
I wouldn’t be surprised if pretty soon someone claims she used HAARP to make Chemtrails rain GMO gluten seeds on Haiti.
Seriously, Clinton as a poor choice for president is obvious, there is no need to make shit up when her record speaks for itself.
Clinton has caused all the bad shit that has happened over the last THIRTY, I say again, THIRTY years. From fukashima, plastic gryes in the ocean, earthquakes, mountineers not making it, famines, reruns of pissweak UK shit series, all the way to mass murderers, drinking games that arent really games, the middle east and the west and east east too, racial and sexual intolerance, the mullet haircut putin having inappropriate liasons with that tiger. The list – endlist ///sarc
Not sure about Clinton wanting to drone Assange – but given that Assange is an enemy of the US security state that would seem likely.
Also you seem to have forgotten that Sec State Clinton was a leading figure in the Obama Administration’s record breaking use of illegal/extra-judicial drone assassinations – under Obama the US droned far more people than GW did.
The Tasman District Council are making it very difficult for me to cast a special vote. Apparently I have to drive to their HQ in Richmond (30mins on the open road) and cannot cast a special vote from their service centre in Motueka. I was wonder if any whom live over the hill in Golden Bay on the unpublished roll, and if they have to go all the way to Richmond to vote (an hour and a half drive on the open road), because they aren’t allowed to cast their special vote from the Golden Bay service centre, just like I’m experiencing.
To bad if people on the unpublished roll can’t get to Richmond to cast their special vote.
Are other councils making it difficult for those on the unpublished roll? I didn’t have this problem with the general election.
Essentially, if they just try to be fluffy tories, real tories do a better job of being tories and those they’ve abandoned for their Pt Chevalier dinner parties look to the far right or radical left. In order to keep either out of office, they find themselves directly complicit with the tories as junior partners. The problem for the radical left is that its still too fragmented and incoherent to achieve much effect in parliaments and finds itself blocked.
The problem for the radical left is that its still too fragmented and incoherent to achieve much effect in parliaments and finds itself blocked.
The deeper problem is that the right now have all the levers. The right, having persuaded populations that they would all end up as shareholders, and that unemployment etc. were just temporary pains, changed tack as soon as they had what they wanted (all the levers). This left the centre left parties, who had geared themselves toward making sure the shareholder society would be inclusive, with nowhere to go. One of two things has to happen. Either the right themselves will start to reconfigure their aims, fearing that being top dog in a fractured, disabled society makes one vulnerable to worse threats than mere trade unions, or the left will build up the numbers to give them a run for their money even without the levers. While the lack of levers keeps the left fragmented, things have come a long way from movements like “occupy” to Sanders, Corbyn, Podemos, etc.
Real Clear Politics has Clinton with a poll lead of 3.8% and a 322-216 lead on the state by state electoral vote map. Not quite a real clear lead but the trend is good.
“Documents reportedly hacked from the Clinton Foundation servers have identified major Democratic donors and troubling ties between TARP aid given to banks and their political contributions. One folder is outright labeled “Pay to Play.”
A Hacker calling himself “Guccifer 2.0,” who claimed responsibility for previous breaches of the Democratic National Committee and the congressional Democrats, published the documents on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the vice-presidential debates.
“I hacked the Clinton Foundation server and downloaded hundreds of thousands of docs and donors’ databases,” the hacker wrote on his blog. “Clinton and her staff don’t even bother about the information security.”
The Clinton Foundation has denied the hack, with president Donna Shalala saying that “none of the files or folders shown are ours.”…
Scroll through to 8 minutes for my presentation to the Auckland Council Governing Body Meeting of 24 February 2016.
This is where I outline why I think Auckland Council failed to follow lawful due process regarding the ‘out of scope evidence’ provided to the Independent Hearings Panel, and I defended the lawful rights of citizens from ‘the leafy suburbs’.
(This is one of the 27 Auckland Council Governing Body meetings to which I have presented since 1 November 2010).
“I defended the lawful rights of citizens from ‘the leafy suburbs”
Thank goodness someone is defending our coastal nimbys from their future. Imagine if they had to rely on their own meagre resources to hold back change. Will someone think of the lawyers?
Tony Veitch (not the partner-bashing 3rd rate broadcaster 13
“[Trump] hasn’t spent 30 years in the system, he hasn’t memorised the playbook, he’s not part of the status quo and therefore he is the disrupter that we need in the environment that we’re in today,”
“[Hillary] talked about a basket of deplorables, I think you really need to turn the tables, the basket of deplorables are the policies that she’s been associated with and her generation of leaders ever since the 1980s.”
So Key asserted the Government is committed to reducing the number of children in poverty (albeit without setting targets).
Therefore, if National are genuinely committed, will they be extending WFF to all low income children (as called for by Professor Susan St John)?
Will they adjust WFF for past inflation and index it annually to wages?
While Labour are committed to setting targets, unfortunately they’ve yet to commit to the WFF measures mentioned above. Therefore, we can’t expect Labour to apply political pressure on this one just yet (and perhaps not at all).
It’s a shame Labour haven’t got their policy together yet, it results in a weaker opposition.
I watched a fund raiser, was harangued about a new book and eventually trolled by an alleged rapist who revealed nothing new about Clinton, and he seemed to throw cold water on the notion that any revelations he had in store would destroy Clinton’s campaign.
Trump (the so-called anti-establishment presidential candidate) wants to slash the corporate tax rate by over 50% with no strings attached.
The reasoning for this is he hopes to attract businesses back to the States to help boost employment and stimulate the economy.
Unfortunately, Trump made no mention of stipulating criteria (living wage, employment expectations, etc) companies would have to meet to receive the tax cuts while ensuring his objectives are met.
Wonder how his anti-establishment supporters feel about that one?
Could only sign into the back end of the site. Every time I hit the front end, it appeared I was automatically signed out. Then I submitted a comment and I was suddenly signed in again. Sort of.
Still can’t access private posts on the front end. Can access them on the back end, but not to comment .
And depending on how I navigate around the front end, I appear to be variously signed out or signed in.
I was locked out so changed browser – This message:
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[lprent: That usually happens when you have too many calls to the site within too short a timeframe. It is there to prevent the site getting overwhelmed by bots masquerading as human. But I’ve been playing with the cache, and didn’t really have time to fine tune it last night. I’ll have a look at it after I get home and make some dinner. ]
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Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
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I am confused.
Key says hard to measure count the kids in poverty,
BUT YET
the moe can measure kids at risk for school funding!!!!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11722436
PS well done LPent
One is measured poorly, the other isn’t.
Yes. Thanks Lyn. Absence makes the heart grow fonder- or something. 🙂
I was going thru withdrawal symptoms!
My very heartfelt thanks LPrent.
National government strategy on CC resembles its plan on the Auckland housing crisis….a lot of spin and no action….”its complicated”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201818700/nz-ratifies-paris-agreement-to-fight-climate-change
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11722306
Heralds apparently spent some money on a proper opinion writer. One who writes an article in the style I quite like, sarcasm that is poignant and makes you think a little.
yep I like their new opinion writer, should add a little required balance that nanny had been so lacking for so long if she stays on this sort of mid ground tune.
Shes just another ranty hypocrite in my opinion but if you like her writing then its all good
Who’s literary musing do you salivate over PR, Hitlers, Mein Kampf? /joke
You can not like her PR I don’t care, but calling her a hypocrite smacks of immaturity, care too offer some reasoning behind your comment?
Ok, theres this:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/65378670/Police-investigate-threat-to-columnist-Rachel-Stewart
Stewart said she accepted people would disagree with her or criticise her work, and she welcomed robust debate. However, responses of an overtly sexual or derogatory nature abusing individuals were offensive and unnecessary.
“No one has discussed the issues raised in the column at all – choosing instead to attack rather than engage.”
then this:
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2016/09/fairfax_columnist_advocates_violence.html
I suppose one could make the claim she wasn’t serious but theres no real indication its a joke, likes there no emoticons used or anything
The other day I called trolls the venereal disease of the internet …..
I realised my diagnosis of them was wrong ……………… and they are clearly the ‘ dick pics’ of the internet …. as the trolls are always male …..
Spotty dicks … drippy dicks and most often limp dicks ………..
When a self posting dick pic leaves a smelly discharge in a thread, such as …. “Shes just another ranty hypocrite” …. see it as just what drippy dicks do …………
I used to think of Puck as like these guys http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.10660581.1630/flat,1000×1000,075,f.jpg …. which funnily enough also involved dicks… but expressing whose and how lead to a short and justified ban for me in the past …. so I wont go there again :0 …………
This seems more natural for him anyway …. https://www.scifinow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Mason.jpg
https://kenpire.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/mason-verger-tear-martini.png?w=788&h=1000
https://fathersonholygore.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_1724.png
https://notnumber6.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/174598_105937692815114_903723_n.jpg
Oh dang, what a read, loved it. Thanks so much for posting the link. Looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
This part had me in stitches…
“Our own Prime Minister is pretty much off his rocker but, hey, let’s not labour the point. Unless, it’s all Labour’s fault. Which it probably is. It’s just got to be their fault he got in that cage and bent down and picked up the soap on command. Or that he’s overseen the new and unprecedented era of wadeable versus swimmable rivers. Or that children living in poverty are way harder to count than rodents. Even if they don’t move as fast. Even when you offer them $5000.”
It’s not really covert. We’ve just been conditioned to accept it, to worship those who are it and to chase being it…
…and that’s being rich.
We cannot afford rich people and chasing being ever richer is destroying society and the environment around us.
Did they really have to put her photo at the head of the article?
I clicked on your link and the first thing I found was a photo that looked just like Donald Trump! Same eyes and hair tone.
Poor thing. She deserves sympathy.
Quite put me off my breakfast.
Ah, a typical nasty RWNJ.
Doesn’t like what the person said and so attacks her looks.
Tell me, would have done that if the author had been a male?
I made no comment at all about what I thought of the article.
Your imagination is therefore running completely out of control when you claim “Doesn’t like what the person said and so attacks her looks”
I neither said that I didn’t like what she said and I didn’t “attack” her. I sympathised with her.
And yes, if any other journalist’s photo reminded me so strongly of Trump I would have sympathised with them too.
Actually I have previously commented that one of the Wellington City Council candidates has a photo on his billboards that appears to have been copied from the John Key photo from the last election. I don’t know whether Simon Woolf is going to gain or lose from the resemblance.
Why would you need to sympathise with how people look?
The answer is that you don’t, don’t even have to bring it up, and thus it was an attack on her and what she wrote and not sympathy.
I actually agree on this, you see this all the time (on the left and right) where people feel free to point out other people physical attributes
Its not right, its not helpful and its just plain wrong
When I saw her photo I was reminded of Donald Trump.
That man is so appalling that it would put anyone of their breakfast.
Do you seriously expect me to think kind thought about “The Donald” rather than be totally horrified by the man?
Call her up on her hypocrisy, call her up on her writing its all good but don’t go around belittling her on her looks
Its demeaning to her and to you
And you come across like this alwyn …… http://beatlephotoblog.com/photos/2010/09/53.jpg
But I suspect physically your a bit more of a broken down old cart horse …
you’re….
Not cool bro, not cool at all.
Can we all please stop making reference to what people look like and focus on what they say/do instead
Oh Alwyn – so presumably when you look in the mirror there is a face looking back at you that is stunningly attractive, with a great hair style, wearing smart attire. So you have therefore given yourself the right to judge someone’s appearance who does not match your gorgeousness. How shallow.
I thought the column was brilliant and so refreshingly clever.
“looking back at you that is stunningly attractive, with a great hair style, wearing smart attire”.
Well no. I see someone who is getting distinctly old, wearing old clothes and looking like anyone else of my age.
The only thing I can claim is that I still have my hair, although it is now totally white.
I didn’t even say she was not gorgeous, did I? I merely commented that she reminded me very strongly of Donald Trump. Could it be that you don’t approve of The Donald’s looks? How judgemental of you.
Oh well, I assume in the future no one on this site will describe Cameron Slater as being fat and everyone will ignore Gerry Brownlie’s excessive weight.
“I didn’t even say she was not gorgeous, did I?”
you definatelky implied it.
Just stop digging the hole and admit that it was a low blow
“you definatelky implied it”.
I do not consider I have any responsibility for the results of your fevered imagination.
FFS – what is wrong with you?
It’s a symptom of a wider malaise. Don’t waste your keystrokes. He’s too far gone to be saved.
Too ranty for me – kinda like Bomber. Much rant with little substance.
Also:
“Our own Prime Minister is pretty much off his rocker but, hey, let’s not labour the point. Unless, it’s all Labour’s fault.”
It should be ” let’s not belabour the point”. Grinds me gears!
ahhh but using the word labour instead of belabour ie sarcasm was deliberate do you not think?
Possibly, but could still have worked spelled correctly.
As a former journo and comms manager I am a self-confessed grammar Nazi
Jesse Mulligan: “Sometimes when I read this stuff I get
the sense that Russia are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ for trouble…”
RNZ National, Tuesday 4 October 2016, 4:47 p.m.
Jesse Mulligan, James Nokise, Chris Wikaira
Incredibly, RNZ’s sorry light chat show The Panel just keeps getting worse. I’m sorry to have to say that in his occasional hosting stints, comedian Jesse Mulligan has shown himself to be as ill-informed and smug as the regular host Jim Mora. The following farcical exchange was horrible to listen to, not only because of Mulligan’s abysmal ignorance—it’s obvious he has read virtually no “stuff” on Syria—but also because of Professor Gillespie’s mealy-mouthed performance. It seems he’s more concerned with avoiding a browbeating from his notorious right wing Waikato colleagues Ron Smith and Dov Bing than he is with informing the audience. The end effect of five minutes of Al Gillespie is similar to sitting through five minutes of a Donal Trump speech—you feel you’ve wasted your time, and you actually feel stupider at the end of it…..
JESSE MULLIGAN: So let’s move on as well, and we’ll go international now, with a look at the world with Al Gillespie. The United States has suspended Syrian ceasefire talks with Russia, and they made the call after frustrations with Moscow and its ability to live up to a ceasefire agreement. That announcement comes two weeks after the most recent attempt at a ceasefire fell apart, when a humanitarian aid convoy trying to reach besieged areas of rebel-held Aleppo was destroyed by an air strike. Al Gillespie of the University of Waikato joins us now. Al, hullo there, how ARE you today?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Hey Jessie, I’m well. Thank you.
JESSE MULLIGAN: [extended intake of breath to convey how serious he is] Who do we believe: United States or Russia?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Well, there’s two sides to it. The Americans said they’ll only go back into the talks if the Russians stop bombing Aleppo, and the Russians say they can only stop bombing Aleppo if the Americans distinguish between the moderate rebels and Al Qaeda, which is a legitimate target.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Aaaaand is your understanding that the Russians have a POINT in that respect or do the United States deny it?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: I, uh, I, …[baffled world-weary sigh]… there’s no-o-o-o-o black and white any more in, in Syria, especially in Aleppo. And often the sides, some of those that are moderate and not meant to be targeted, blend with the ILLEGITIMATE, more religious extremists which CAN be targeted. It’s pretty hard to get a clear dividing line.
JESSE MULLIGAN: How bad news IS this, that talks have broken down between the U.S. and Russia?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: It’s very bad, I mean we can’t even get a ceasefire at the moment, so we can’t, you need a ceasefire before you can start talking about a peace plan. We need to be thinking that this conflict could go on for many years from here.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Why do ceasefires break down, Al, if uh, if no one enjoys war? [snickers nervously]
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: There’s no trust on the ground. No one believes that it’s safe to bring in aid, water, or food, and so unless you can get the most basic modicum of trust, you can’t build up.
JESSE MULLIGAN: So how do you CREATE it?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: You get the teams, well you need two things. One, people have to get tired of fighting, and neither side has to believe that they can WIN. At the moment, there’s so much money, men, and ammunition going into the fight, both sides believe that they still have the upper hand. And then you need to have confidence-building measures, and right now they can’t even achieve THAT.
JESSE MULLIGAN: [speaking very slowly, to convey thoughtfulness] Sometimes when I read this stuff I get the sense that Russia are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ for trouble, are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ to create tension with the U.S. Is that fair?
….Long pause….
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: [slowly, deliberately, to convey deep thinking] Ahhhhhmmm, partly, partly not. I mean, Russia’s there by a treaty it had with Syria from the early 1970s, a legitimate treaty for a defensive alliance, and Assad is still to a degree in power, so Russia’s doing what it was bound to do by treaty. The problem is, that at some point, as long as you’re propping up these sides the war will continue and you may have to, everyone just back out and see what the actual outcome is.
….Long pause…
JESSE MULLIGAN: Meanwhile, there’s this OTHER story around today, that Russia have walked away from the protocol on weapons-grade plutonium control. Can you give us a bit of background to that, Al?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Certainly. So the nuclear arms treaty’s like a collection of documents which regulate nuclear weapons. One of the protocols was about the reduction of plutonium, surplus plutonium, so it would not be diverted to create more nuclear warheads. The Russians have suspended their talks in this protocol exactly the same day as the Americans suspended their talks about the ceasefire in Syria. It’s a blow to nuclear arms control, it’s not MASSIVE, but it’s certainly starting to wobble the architecture.
…Long pause…
JESSE MULLIGAN: And once AGA-A-AIN, if we look at both parties, do both parties have some culpability here, or is it the Russians MAKING TROUBLE?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: U-u-u-u-u-ummm, both parties have some —the Russians are saying that they can’t trust the Americans with the technology that they’re using to turn their plutonium into a safe form of nuclear material, and the Americans are saying that if they work together they can come to a compromise. So there’s good and bad on both sides.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Mmmm-kay. Finally today, the Colombian peace deal veto. You better give us some background to this as well, Al, it’ll be the first time a lot of people have HEARD about this….
…ad nauseam…
Anyone wishing to, unlike Jesse Mulligan, do some serious study of what is happening in Syria, should bypass the likes of Al Gillespie and read or listen to someone who knows what he’s talking about. There is no one better on this than Noam Chomsky….
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/5/17/noam_chomsky_on_syria_conflict_cut
Typical of the relentless dumbing down of National radio, it drives me fucking crazy.
I have emailed 9-noon a number of times the about pointlessness of having that private prison loving centrist Mike Williams on the voices from the right and left on Mondays, what a complete waste of time, he more often than not ends up agreeing tacitly with Hooten’s position, and why wouldn’t he, they are basically two sides of the same coin….don’t get me started.
Williams doesn’t “tacitly” agree with Hooton, Adrian, he makes a point of saying “I agree with Matthew” several times in every show, almost as often as he chortles along with Hooton whenever a politician like Jeremy Corbyn is mentioned.
Maybe he learned to ingratiate himself with superior personalities when he was a high school classmate of Paul Holmes.
I know I was trying to be diplomatic, I have also replied to quite a few of Williams opinion pieces in the Hawks Bay today, however our local newspaper isn’t that interested in community conversation so only publish comments spasmodically.
I can’t understand RNZ’s logic of not actually having a hard hitting left intellectual on the show to challenge Hooton, and spark real debate. Surely even from their own rating perspective that must make sense?
They have occasionally put decent opponents up against Hooton, much to his evident discomfort. Laila Harré never let him get away with anything, and Andrew Campbell stymied him regularly.
I’m sure the RNZ National management had a role in getting rid of those difficult people and replacing them with patsies like Williams.
Ratings aren’t important: conformity is all that matters.
Thanks Adrian for sorting out thre ” 2 Adrians ” thing.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Why do ceasefires break down, Al, if uh, if no one enjoys war? [snickers nervously]
That alone should get him thrown out of a window. I mean, does he come to work drunk or something?
Thanks for getting the site back up and running, lprent.
+1
I think it was a very opportune outage. It will have saved red faces all round.
The more devoted Andrew-philes would have been in a terrible dilemma if they had been able to comment yesterday morning.
After listening to Little’s repeated promises on Morning Report to pay all parents a $60/week benefit for the first year of a babies life there would have been paens of praise about what great leadership Labour were offering and that we now saw what a wonderful man Little was.
Then, about four hours later they would be stuck with having to explain how he had never said any such thing and that he was being grossly misinterpreted.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11722111
Even the Herald seems to have decided he had stuffed up again.
Only four hours from cock of the walk to a feather duster.
I must admit I was quite surprised how much I missed the presence of this site though. I think I need to take a holiday. Thanks for fixing my fix.
Little’s interview was way better than John Key’s pathetic effort. Little said it would take 2 terms-6 years- to make a real difference to child poverty, which is about right, and floated the old Labour $60 policy as one way of alleviating this. So at least he committed Labour to do something about this scandalous situation-nobody announces actual policies this far out.
Did we see a massive article in the Herald critisising Key’s pathetic do-nothing, the market will sort it out, what about the rodents, interview response? No.
p.s Great to have TS back!
Meanwhile, that poverty permanently damages the life prospects of 300,000-400,000 children, while the six figure types in Wellington fret around in the Koru Club.
How long does it really take to raise benefits by $30/week and make the first $5,000 earned in wages/salary exempt from income tax and WINZ calculations?
And how long would it take for the capitalists to raise prices so that they could grab all the extra money for themselves thus ensuring that it would make no difference for the poor?
Yep Andrew Little reversed away faster from his earlier comments than a Italian tank driver in WW2 from the front line.
Little clarified the “policy” needs more work, as in who / how they were going to pay for it.
No no you don’t understand, John Key tells lies, whereas Andrew Little is the victim of the MSM reporting what he says
The two most interesting things about John key are….
His bailout and the amount of money he took from u.s.a pension funds …
2008: 2 Interests (such as shares and bonds)in companies and business entities
Little Nell – property investment
MerrillLynch – investment banking
JacksonMining – gold mining ……………………
And after then the bailout ………….
2009: 2 Interests (such as shares and bonds) in companies and business entities
Little Nell – property investment
Bank of America – banking
Jackson Mining – gold mining
The other interesting thing is how the media, wikipedia and his biography do not mention his good fortune and millions in charity ……..
The truth looks like a millionare taking millions in charity from ordinary citizens for his worthless investment in ponzi merrill lynch ( merrills share price had been climbing rapidly before imploding )
Key seems to support fraud both overseas and here in NZ ……….. “” a contentious exemption of professional services firms – mostly lawyers, accountants and real estate agents – from being covered by anti-money laundering laws passed in 2009.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11706741
“Yep Andrew Little reversed away faster from his earlier comments than an Italian tank driver in WW2 from the front line.”
I find that comment in very bad taste,
Have you heard or read anything about the Italian Frogman during the second would war? They would be some of the bravest people in the conflict
The Italian frogmen had the sense to stay well away from tanks. Well, not oxygen tanks. Or water tanks probably.
5 eyes just letting everyone know they’re lurking in the shadows and can strike at any time…
Pretty sure that they can crash the firmware on any piece of consumer technology and make it brick/wipe itself.
http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/74/74b761a4f7992b0114e491e0802a390f831e4537048ece830428d571cf1803ae.jpg
Time to stop hosting it in his sex dungeon and put it on something like aws, hell even digital ocean. Isn’t The Standard a charity?
+100%…but why do I always have to repeat my name and mail in the box every time?
So we can track you more easily…
lol…sqwark…it didnt know there were other Chooky imposters out there
We have eyes everywhere, we see everything…nice top you have on today, the colour suits your eyes and the pattern is quite fetching
obviously you can’t see me!
Maybe that’s what I want you to think, underestimate our true power…you’ll never see us coming 😉
lol…i can see you…you are a person of interest …and how do yu know who I am and what my real beliefs are?…I could work for the government and the secret service…i may not even be a Chooky
Oh I think your support for Penny bright suggests you are somewhat a chook
…You mean you hope I am just a chook (got you scared haven’t I?)
I’ve Got a Little List –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NLV24qTnlg
Chooky have you had an answer, it means no reply button above, cant see whos being giving cheek. Ha
has someone been giving me more cheek?…and yes I can’t see any reply button to the The Mikado’s Little List
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3821062/Is-moment-tank-Hillary-s-campaign-Julian-Assange-set-speak-WikiLeaks-conference-promising-release-damaging-information-Clinton.html
Sounds a bit like Kim Dot Cons moment of truth to me, all sizzle and not steak
Bit like English’s budgets then?
Or Murray McCully’s Saudi deal
Or the CHCH convention centre
etc
I think the difference is though that KDC was attempting to help National lose the election (like it seems Julian Assange is with Hilary Clinton) whereas National has been trying to win elections
On that score Assange seems to be as successful as KDC
Without media traction or faux outrage, no one gave a shit.
..,and just because the government and media didn’t take it on, doesn’t mean what they said wasn’t true.
What did KDC have? Some dodgy email that couldn’t be proven, wow
Ah, no, he had Edward Snowden and all of his facts to back up what he said and a couple of award winning journalists as well.
Ah yes “facts” (see what I did there?) and all those “facts”, all the money, all the hype and all the journalists and yet it was a big fat nothing
The truth will out and KDC got outed
Really – so what facts did he have to back up that fake email again?
What fake email?
As far as I know there was no fake emails in KDCs Moment of Truth.
Then it appears you do not know much.
You’re the one that can’t supply a reference.
diddums…I know it was a disappointment to you but Julian is not going away..despite Hillary’s drone threat
‘Assange: WikiLeaks will publish all US election docs by Nov. 8’
https://www.rt.com/usa/361533-assange-documents-elections-usa/
I’d actually prefer Trump over Clinton to win the presidency by the way
I think Clinton has more knowledge of how to cause damage then Trump does
I’m more ticked off that nothing was released, like KDCs moment. I want to see…something but all its been is one big let down
“We’ve got something and we’re going to show it, not today but soon”
and it never happens
yes …I know others who are disappointed…but maybe he has his reasons …sometimes a slow leak is more effective than a one off dump
….and who knows what the pressure he has been under at the Ecuadorian Embassy?
http://truepundit.com/under-intense-pressure-to-silence-wikileaks-secretary-of-state-hillary-clinton-proposed-drone-strike-on-julian-assange/
sometimes a slow leak is more effective than a one off dump
Ask Nicky Hager 🙂
yes well it is a gamble…but sometimes it pays to keep a little bit in storage as insurance just in case something happens to you …as Robert Fisk once said
Hillary’s drone threat?
You mean that completely unsourced and unverifiable claim from a single “news” source? The Clinton conspiracies get wilder by the day.
I wouldn’t be surprised if pretty soon someone claims she used HAARP to make Chemtrails rain GMO gluten seeds on Haiti.
Seriously, Clinton as a poor choice for president is obvious, there is no need to make shit up when her record speaks for itself.
Clinton has caused all the bad shit that has happened over the last THIRTY, I say again, THIRTY years. From fukashima, plastic gryes in the ocean, earthquakes, mountineers not making it, famines, reruns of pissweak UK shit series, all the way to mass murderers, drinking games that arent really games, the middle east and the west and east east too, racial and sexual intolerance, the mullet haircut putin having inappropriate liasons with that tiger. The list – endlist ///sarc
Wake up Clinton is everwhere – check out the video and change Elvis to Clinton –
https://youtu.be/mpb4ZAAP6Z4
Not sure about Clinton wanting to drone Assange – but given that Assange is an enemy of the US security state that would seem likely.
Also you seem to have forgotten that Sec State Clinton was a leading figure in the Obama Administration’s record breaking use of illegal/extra-judicial drone assassinations – under Obama the US droned far more people than GW did.
yeah she done it and 911 and built the pyramids
We wus trolled. (video inside)
Is anyone else on the unpublished electoral roll?
The Tasman District Council are making it very difficult for me to cast a special vote. Apparently I have to drive to their HQ in Richmond (30mins on the open road) and cannot cast a special vote from their service centre in Motueka. I was wonder if any whom live over the hill in Golden Bay on the unpublished roll, and if they have to go all the way to Richmond to vote (an hour and a half drive on the open road), because they aren’t allowed to cast their special vote from the Golden Bay service centre, just like I’m experiencing.
To bad if people on the unpublished roll can’t get to Richmond to cast their special vote.
Are other councils making it difficult for those on the unpublished roll? I didn’t have this problem with the general election.
And they wonder why voter turn out is low.
Did you apply to the local electorial officer at the local council to be issued with a special declaration vote?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/84972223/bps-uk-oil-field-clair-still-shut-following-leak-in-the-north-sea
How’s NZ for oil drilling? Still confident in the likes of BP?
On the crisis of relevance for the social-democratic beige left parties:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/03/europe-centre-left-spain-socialist-party-leader-coup
Essentially, if they just try to be fluffy tories, real tories do a better job of being tories and those they’ve abandoned for their Pt Chevalier dinner parties look to the far right or radical left. In order to keep either out of office, they find themselves directly complicit with the tories as junior partners. The problem for the radical left is that its still too fragmented and incoherent to achieve much effect in parliaments and finds itself blocked.
The problem for the radical left is that its still too fragmented and incoherent to achieve much effect in parliaments and finds itself blocked.
The deeper problem is that the right now have all the levers. The right, having persuaded populations that they would all end up as shareholders, and that unemployment etc. were just temporary pains, changed tack as soon as they had what they wanted (all the levers). This left the centre left parties, who had geared themselves toward making sure the shareholder society would be inclusive, with nowhere to go. One of two things has to happen. Either the right themselves will start to reconfigure their aims, fearing that being top dog in a fractured, disabled society makes one vulnerable to worse threats than mere trade unions, or the left will build up the numbers to give them a run for their money even without the levers. While the lack of levers keeps the left fragmented, things have come a long way from movements like “occupy” to Sanders, Corbyn, Podemos, etc.
Real Clear Politics has Clinton with a poll lead of 3.8% and a 322-216 lead on the state by state electoral vote map. Not quite a real clear lead but the trend is good.
A passing blip 🙂
hope so…hope Clinton goes down the gurgler
‘Hacked Clinton Foundation files show ‘pay to play’, bank ties’
https://www.rt.com/usa/361608-clinton-foundation-hacked-guccifer/
“Documents reportedly hacked from the Clinton Foundation servers have identified major Democratic donors and troubling ties between TARP aid given to banks and their political contributions. One folder is outright labeled “Pay to Play.”
A Hacker calling himself “Guccifer 2.0,” who claimed responsibility for previous breaches of the Democratic National Committee and the congressional Democrats, published the documents on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the vice-presidential debates.
“I hacked the Clinton Foundation server and downloaded hundreds of thousands of docs and donors’ databases,” the hacker wrote on his blog. “Clinton and her staff don’t even bother about the information security.”
The Clinton Foundation has denied the hack, with president Donna Shalala saying that “none of the files or folders shown are ours.”…
Taken a long time for it to pass…
Your future Auckland ‘Peoples’ Mayor – in action!
😉
http://councillive.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/video/240216-governing-body-meeting-part-3
Scroll through to 8 minutes for my presentation to the Auckland Council Governing Body Meeting of 24 February 2016.
This is where I outline why I think Auckland Council failed to follow lawful due process regarding the ‘out of scope evidence’ provided to the Independent Hearings Panel, and I defended the lawful rights of citizens from ‘the leafy suburbs’.
(This is one of the 27 Auckland Council Governing Body meetings to which I have presented since 1 November 2010).
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Penny…I wish I was in Auckland so I could vote for you!…you would be a brilliant democratic colourful people’s Mayor!
All chookys of Auckland unite to support Penny for Mayor!
…she would be much better than any of the boys …in the past
…she would sort Auckland out with style and flair and democracy
Penny,
Ill bet you your outstanding rates bill that you are not our next Mayor.
Penny, I only have a couple of words
alalalalalalalalallalalalalal
lolz, never seen anything so out there in my entire life as that video of the live university debate.
after that, no one could possible ever take local elections seriously again.
“I defended the lawful rights of citizens from ‘the leafy suburbs”
Thank goodness someone is defending our coastal nimbys from their future. Imagine if they had to rely on their own meagre resources to hold back change. Will someone think of the lawyers?
Clinton vs Trump . . . again!
Just watched Max Keiser – at about 10 minutes in, an interview with David Stockman, Ronald Regan’s budget advisor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evVewdUHcIg
A couple of quotes:
“[Trump] hasn’t spent 30 years in the system, he hasn’t memorised the playbook, he’s not part of the status quo and therefore he is the disrupter that we need in the environment that we’re in today,”
“[Hillary] talked about a basket of deplorables, I think you really need to turn the tables, the basket of deplorables are the policies that she’s been associated with and her generation of leaders ever since the 1980s.”
An intersting interview.
So Key asserted the Government is committed to reducing the number of children in poverty (albeit without setting targets).
Therefore, if National are genuinely committed, will they be extending WFF to all low income children (as called for by Professor Susan St John)?
Will they adjust WFF for past inflation and index it annually to wages?
While Labour are committed to setting targets, unfortunately they’ve yet to commit to the WFF measures mentioned above. Therefore, we can’t expect Labour to apply political pressure on this one just yet (and perhaps not at all).
It’s a shame Labour haven’t got their policy together yet, it results in a weaker opposition.
http://thehackernews.com/2016/10/wikileaks-google-election-leak.html
Wikileaks 10 year anniversary press conference with assange and others, Somewhat long winded but I learned some new stuff. Well worth it
Really?…..do tell…
watch and learn 🙂
I watched a fund raiser, was harangued about a new book and eventually trolled by an alleged rapist who revealed nothing new about Clinton, and he seemed to throw cold water on the notion that any revelations he had in store would destroy Clinton’s campaign.
You?.
Trump (the so-called anti-establishment presidential candidate) wants to slash the corporate tax rate by over 50% with no strings attached.
The reasoning for this is he hopes to attract businesses back to the States to help boost employment and stimulate the economy.
Unfortunately, Trump made no mention of stipulating criteria (living wage, employment expectations, etc) companies would have to meet to receive the tax cuts while ensuring his objectives are met.
Wonder how his anti-establishment supporters feel about that one?
fyi Lynn.
Could only sign into the back end of the site. Every time I hit the front end, it appeared I was automatically signed out. Then I submitted a comment and I was suddenly signed in again. Sort of.
Still can’t access private posts on the front end. Can access them on the back end, but not to comment .
And depending on how I navigate around the front end, I appear to be variously signed out or signed in.
windows 7 chrome
I’ve been hitting the “Exceeded the maximum global requests per minute for crawlers or humans” locked out warning all day.
Hilarys trying to shut you down!
Same here. If I’m allowed access to TS , comments also deleted. Except (hopefully) this one which I’ve sent via Firefox rather than google chrome.
I couldn’t access the site for a few days – till today. See if this goes through..
I was locked out so changed browser – This message:
Your access to this site has been limited
Your access to this service has been temporarily limited. Please try again in a few minutes. (HTTP response code 503)
Reason: Exceeded the maximum global requests per minute for crawlers or humans.
Important note for site admins: If you are the administrator of this website note that your access has been limited because you broke one of the Wordfence firewall rules. The reason your access was limited is: “Exceeded the maximum global requests per minute for crawlers or humans.”.
If this is a false positive, meaning that your access to your own site has been limited incorrectly, then you will need to regain access to your site, go to the Wordfence “options” page, go to the section for Rate Limiting Rules and disable the rule that caused you to be blocked. For example, if you were blocked because it was detected that you are a fake Google crawler, then disable the rule that blocks fake google crawlers. Or if you were blocked because you were accessing your site too quickly, then increase the number of accesses allowed per minute.
If you’re still having trouble, then simply disable the Wordfence firewall and you will still benefit from the other security features that Wordfence provides.
If you are a site administrator and have been accidentally locked out, please enter your email in the box below and click “Send”. If the email address you enter belongs to a known site administrator or someone set to receive Wordfence alerts, we will send you an email to help you regain access. Please read this FAQ entry if this does not work.
This response was generated by Wordfence.
[lprent: That usually happens when you have too many calls to the site within too short a timeframe. It is there to prevent the site getting overwhelmed by bots masquerading as human. But I’ve been playing with the cache, and didn’t really have time to fine tune it last night. I’ll have a look at it after I get home and make some dinner. ]
There was also a link to click and a box to put your email address – these are not showing on the c/p
The disclosure bill, which is now under review by select committee, has the singular feature that it arguably does not increase disclosure.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/85000994/john-key-keeps-lid-on-hidden-billions