Yeah, another poll showing the opposition out polling the right. Note the desperate optimism and pisspoor mathematics in this bit of analysis:
“National would get 58 seats, add three from the Maori Party and one each from Act and United Future and the centre-right would have a majority of 63.”
A more marginally more accurate reading of NZF’s popularity totally changes the electoral outcome as well. Over 5% and Key loses control.
Still perplexing to see little recent tracking progress for Labour.
Annoying that Peters is getting up there in the Preferred PM stakes. Naturally I was pleased when he left Shipley’s government for the sale of Wellington Airport. But it’s still a shudder of instability in a government.
A relief to see Key is far less of an asset to National than previous. If he survives into a third term, his government will be as smelly as a six month old whale on a beach, and as prone to having further bits fall off. I probably wouldn’t wish that on the country.
National have, support wise, lost half their governing majority in less than a year. Another year and they lose the other half. A year after that – oh look, election time…
Fox has released an excellent video that is bound to destroy the election chances of that damned new dealer Obama and return the control of America to the very wealthy. God bless America!
what is interesting is the media coverage of thousands of people in ” the greatest city on earth” queueing for half a day on foot, or in their cars, for petrol (maybe for the ride-on mower); In large cities it appears a great deal of the population are totally enmeshed and dependent on services supplied by other concerns.
Now it’s gonna freeze over the big apple and related fruit; sorta reminds me of Moscow before glastnost.
Many on here and elsewhere have tried to defend Key’s comments re Beckham.
The simple fact is, those same people need to ask the question, What sort of person makes that sort of statement off the cuff to that sort of audience? And can they list what other country leaders would have made them.
Mr Taylor said a CEO’s remuneration “should be measured by how well he or she protects jobs and should bear a direct relationship to how well the employees … are paid”.
In a letter to the Herald, he referred to a comment last week by former Nuplex chairman Fred Holland, who, when referring to a 26 per cent rise for non-executive directors, said: “You won’t get anything but monkeys if you pay peanuts.”
Mr Taylor said: “If that means I have joined our fellow primates in his eyes then I know who I would rather spend my time with: Them and the countless other CEOs and management of small New Zealand companies who still live in the real world.”
Mr Taylor’s business, established in 1990, is considered to be one of the top computer animation companies in the country.
a comment last week by former Nuplex chairman Fred Holland, who, when referring to a 26 per cent rise for non-executive directors, said: “You won’t get anything but monkeys if you pay peanuts.”
This is the sort of cliche that a shallow thinker comes up with. Cliches can be handy but this situation requires more than a throw-away line. But he can’t justify his salary so the flip cliche works best. It doesn’t say much for the acumen and intelligence of Mr Holland, and yet I think it is likely to be the tone and extent of thinking of many of our CEOs. Probably psychopaths most of them, who are known for relentless self promotion, stealing any kudos that should have gone to others etc.
Interesting to see that Andrew Little is putting forward the idea that ACC should be extended to cover illnesses and disease. He also favours dropping the “fully funded” model, as it is only relevant when it is in competition with other systems.
I’m for the extension, but I’m not so sure about dumping the fully funded model.
Great to see new innovative proposals from Labour. Even if the details are not there its important to get Joe Public understanding that yes, there are real alternatives.
holy shit, and i thought we had a social security system that looked after people if they became sick.
I guess instead of this, we’ve just got to introduce an insurance based model and when it’s all nicely set up we can introduce a bit’o’competition……
“holy shit, and i thought we had a social security system that looked after people if they became sick.”
No. We have a social security system that deliberately sets benefit rates below the poverty line. And of next year, all sickness beneficiaries will be deemed unemployed ie available for work unless they can prove otherwise.
chanced across Chris Trotters’ article on violence in the Dom at the library; very timely if you have watched the development of violence in NZ over say, four decades. ( I watch less and less audio-visual now, de-sensitization, bias and all that) Though, I did see an article on the right-wing allegiences of the Greek police, and how painful that is turning out for left-wing demonstrators and activists; if Greek portrays the birth place of democracy (athenian) and its denoument, then Heaven help us!
RogueT
We do need to keep an eye on heaven which we might need to help us. In fact Bracken put it in our national anthem ‘God Defend New Zealand’. We should never get puffed up with the idea that we can’t get torn apart by implacable forces and need some greater aid.
There need to be more first names released from the lock-up for men in NZ. First there seems to be too many Davids and I have recently heard David Farrier speaking, not The David Farrar.
Then there is Matthew Horton and Matthew Hooton.
I have this interest in how many men’s names are from the bible. What about going to Greek mythology, gods etc. Zeus, Hermes etc. Or more stressing strength and son of the planet stuff, Rock, Cliff, Clay? Compost even.
My middle son has always insisted that he will call his son Horus. (Pity his wife doesn’t agree!) 🙂
My youngest says his daughter will be called Storm (he has yet to meet her mother, but is confident that she will be persuaded).
Theoretically he is right, but in practice he forgets that the formats people would use to publish his call for “more speech” aren’t impartial in themselves. Facebook and twitter comments are taken from their original environment and then played with by existing forces within the mainstream media. The MSM has it’s bias and method and predestined outcome for matters, usually adhering to a particular cultural norm. Under that format, “more speech” will only ever favour one side of the equation. MSM is not a two way dialogue or a dialogue at all, it’s all statements dressed as enquiries.
So while freedom of speech is a great idea in the abstract, it runs into problems in practice and not many people have the ability to create a format or environment suitable to hearing “more speech” in the way he would like.
The next problem his request for “more speech” runs into is outlined in his story of the teen arrested for calling a police horse “gay”. This is one side of a particular line of argument that you often find LGBT, feminist and indigenous rights groups arguing: that however “normalised” a colloquial word has become, it started out as a prejudice that deeply effected, or currently effects, the lives of certain people in real and negetive terms. To hear such a word, even in passing, often raises strong emotions, from aggressive through to depressive, in the target.
For people not affected by these words to then say, let’s hear more of this without any format changes or discretion on who may speak, in the interests of working it all out, is pretty insensitive. It would be a difficult balance to meet, with the clumsy media tools we have, between those that are aware and those that aren’t and be able to recognise the malicious attacks on both sides of those who just like to fight. There’d need to be some kind of harmonic global community, with a shared language and generous portions of goodwill – otherwise known as Utopia – for it work.
The next problem with “more free speech” is that these days it is mostly considered as “freedom of unexamined opinion”. No one is obliged to think about what they say, or research the subject to the best of their ability. Choosing not to speak is hardly ever promoted, but having a critical opinion is regularly considered the highest form of communication. Expressing opinions may well be more than half the problem, but that is best solved on an individual basis. The immediacy with which anyone can publish an opinion could also contribute to the problem.
It’s too hard for my brain to give a conclusive answer. If somone handed me a pen right now and said, here, write an anti-hate speech law for us, maybe it would be something along the lines of don’t tell people, or imply, that you want them dead or oppressed, or encourage other people to kill or oppress them. Penalties for implication over open calls would vary depending on the specifics of the situation.
very wise. 🙂
it is very encouraging to have “decided” on such a “caring” “worldview”, do you think? After all, there are worse things I could do…. . Seriously though, for someone so knowledgeble, what have you determined to be a helpful “perspective” ? and do you think one could really “get in trouble” for asthetically bearing such ideas, here and now? After all, thinkers like these (loved Lacan, although a little wordy those Europeans) would be a great help in the further emancipation of our fellows, don’t you think? (or every body can just continue tearing themselves and others apart to fit the dominant hegemony / discourse?)
and a person could be in a lot worse idea company than Ecclesiastes / Solomon or Tolstoy I was thinking as I weeded.
Re Jacque Ellul, nope hadn’t come across him. Last night I had a look on online sources of his ideas. Christian Anarchist sounds like an interesting mix.
To stay in context of Rowan’s speech, I think that the issue of free speech in heavily populated and mixed culture cities is more one of crowd control than pushing for “liberty and freedom” and the inherent difficulties and impossibilities of that task.
My only experience of the police at street level in the UK was in the mid 1990’s and they appeared to me like a confident and pragmatic type: seperating parties in dispute as a first measure and not diving for arrests and displays of authority just because they could. Things may well have changed; police forces are often politicised. In Australia police can issue “move on” notices and this also seperates and neutralises situations they see getting out of control without using more resources than necessary. Here, I’ve only come across “behaviour likely to cause violence” and for that you will likely end up in court. Anyone wandering around making an ass of themselves or abusing other people is likely to attract discretionary police attention without organised groups getting worked up about “thought control”.
Top-down laws that say “thou shalt not be mean” aren’t likely to stop humans being humans and will take a few generations to become normalised at street level. Laws that say “don’t abuse people in public” won’t stop people being abused, but it may create a breathing space for certain groups of society that need it and I think that is a good progression towards offering an equal distribution of care by society’s keepers. The real problem may be centralised power and millions of people hearded together in confined areas, but that’s more difficult to address than crowd control.
Brett D Thanks for giving us this. Rowan’s speech on free speech 18/10/12. Section 5 of a Brit Act that allows people to be censured for saying anything that others ‘might’ regard as offensive (or similar). There doesn’t have to be a specific complaint for the police to act. Words like censorious, new intolerance, authoritarian were voiced by Rowan and rightly.
Yes an interesting speech on the right to express yourself freely. I particularly liked Rowan’s acknowledgement, in summary, that ‘firstly we all have to take responsibility for what we say’.
In the June 2012 quarter compared with the June 2011 quarter:
The seasonally adjusted number of filled jobs rose 1.9 percent.
The seasonally adjusted number of FTEs rose 2.0 percent.
Average ordinary time hourly earnings rose 2.9 percent.
Those docs last week that showed the whole reason behind preventing elections for ECAN was to ensure that the ‘water for cows first’ policy gets bedded in?
There is only one conclusion – they (the relevant farmers and their political lackeys) don’t care.
They don’t care that for the last dozen years or so the shit from their cows has leaked into the aquifers that supply people with their drinking water. These farmers don’t care for the people who drink that water, they only care for the $kg/butterfat.
This is evidenced by the fact that there was no pause or hesitancy in loading up the paddocks with cows. Get the herd on and bugger the consequences. That was the starting attitude.
This is also evidenced by the fact that none of these farmers are standing up and doing something about their shit in people’s drinking water. This is the continuing attitude.
I would love to be shown how this is not and has not been the attitude …………. anyone?
Not South Island example but this from Forest and Bird site
“One dairy farmer who has taken a different route to most is Jeff Williams from Manawatu, who has reduced the need for fertiliser and cut the number of cows his property carries. His methods mean he produces less milk but he is more profitable because his costs are much lower. He calls the heavy use of fertiliser and squeezing as many animals as possible on every paddock the “moron theory”.”
Further reading about this farmer’s biological approach is around.
As far as South Island, I can’t think off hand any exception to the “moron theory” not to say they don’t exist.
The rivers and streams are already polluted on the plains.. Nutrient levels set by asking the industry what they could manage are meaningless. By the time they enforce and test (years?) the system they are angling for most likely the situation will be much worse. Take more water out of the system and add more nutrient, guess what happens?
Acshually there was a report on radionz this a.m. by a doc who said that babies were at risk from high nitrates that have built up in the Christchurch water. This is dangerous for bottle fed babies and can lead to ‘ble baby syndrome’ or similar, and even death was mentioned. These annoying side effects can occur when there is too much focus on what ‘I’ want to institute that will make money for ‘me’. And ‘we’ don’t worry about how ‘they’ might be affected.
Key weaseling around the issue of his undiplomatic slur is in my opinion further insult to injury. Why doesn’t he just admit the gaffe, apologize to the thousands of people he’s offended and move on? That’s what anybody else with an iota of credibility would do. The story would soon die in a ditch, and Key could focus on what a government is meant to be doing…
While i think to ask, how has it come about that people like you (in particular) and the many other informed people who comment here know so much, about such a wide range of topics individually?
For me specifically, my interests are broad and I’ve looked into those interests by reading what’s available on the internet and in libraries. I’ve also worked in numerous industries and positions within those industries.
And why aren’t some of you people running for parliament?
Never wanted the job and, mostly I think, didn’t grow up in a politically active family. The way things are going though I may change my mind about going for the job though as it’s becoming obvious that we can’t leave the idiots that we have there in charge or nothing will change.
Personally I’ve found that blogging has vastly increased my knowledge on certain subjects, and also removed some previous misconceptions. Although I’ve never actually blogged about my particular areas of expertise, I find the blogosphere to be an effective and cheap way of increasing my knowledge about how the world works and the way people think.
As for being a politician… There’s always the problem of becoming the thing you want to change. Never underestimate the insidious effects of power and its ability to corrupt.
Someone who has a great desire to become a politician probably should be discounted. I think underestimating the insidious nature of power and its influence on our daily lives is the reason things are such a mess at the moment. The sneaky and the unscrupulous, the greedy and immoral have quietly taken over and now own democracy.
I certainly enjoy DTB commentary and some others and share many views as well as changed my views on reflection.
Debating is very important.
That was Rogue Trooper but it was OT so I moved it here.
As for being a politician… There’s always the problem of becoming the thing you want to change. Never underestimate the insidious effects of power and its ability to corrupt.
There is that problem but we really can’t leave it to those that have already been corrupted. Catch 22.
Actually, the only one that has a two term limit is the president – the rest have no such limits so a two term limit on every elected official might work but it also has one other drawback – it means we lose the experience.
Reading this blog, and appreciating it’s collective ethic of care (Habermas et al;) , which it conveys a significant portion of the time (and space), has REALLY developed my mind and established a security for the types of thinking I have always had; ya thrown into the world, dasein, which is something to be grateful for, and then the human distortions start, in your home and nuclear family first, and before long one may become a distortion distorting distortions.
Thank God for helpful thinkers, helpful ideas and helpful stories and text, and the discernment to stick to what we understand.
(I just love the revelation idea concerning The Propaganda of Man, Ellul; master that and we are getting somewhere )
I do not know if that was your intention Ad, but some things are like “the garden path”; once you have been “down” there, you can never go back!
now I better finish a book, and I really recommend The Great Partnership by Jonathan Sacks (it’s also got great bibliography)
🙂 (i’m over wasting mental energy on our “sign of the times” pm; he’s not fooling anyone but the greedy and himself; I saw them trying to soften Collins’ portrayal in the MSM recently, softer than Power was the angle)
🙂
Oh it’s as much about a basic problem with this site: on the one hand, New Zealanders are often Heideggerian in that they are so often proud of their version of dasein – having so many of their own Black Forest equivalents to wander through, in which “regioning is a gathering and a sheltering within a resting and an abiding”. Heidegger, On The Way To Language.
And yet New Zealanders are so in love with speed and travel, of which Habermas’s theory of communicative competence that strips out psychoanalytic depth is so well suited to this kind of anonymised site. Because we can be as free and fast as we like.
We are free to be regioned, free to communicate, but resolutely generally unfree to join the two by naming – naming ourselves.
So the realm of freedom gets pretty constrained pretty fast if one’s prosthetic selves stay so compartmentalised.
I used to think that there were only two types of freedom: freedom from (against constraint), and freedom to (the generous and generative capacity). But the self-willed unfreedom of anonymity points to another freedom (a kind of sweet spot between belonging and communicating). Someone will have to theorise it at some point. Ellul is too deep into his atavistic surges into old analogue space to really get this.
oscillation between anonymity and name has been practised, in situ, tabla rasa by moi, and considering the forum, was experienced as both exhile-arating and fear-arousing (but then i’m a sensitive sort of a chap), yet it was very empowering, what-ever-this-may-mean.
While looking at some of the youtube offerings I found this one of John Cleese with an instructional message for air travellers from AirNewZealand with a Hobbit theme. Watch for Peter Jackson. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_bsMGsBjWc&feature=related
An occasional interloper only, so fuff shit any and all criticism] BUT re Poik Riva
Cheers to Kate Wilkinsons who is the HONOURABLE Minsta.
Not so however Ger Brownlee or the Proim Minsta (who was going to to “whatever i takes”)
ALL have blood on their hands. At the very least, there’s one that I’d usually refer to as a pathetic silly bitch, that has the Honour to resign.
Blubber boy is running for cover, meanwhile ………… itchim sssssmetchim, goan forwid ………etc.
(The one that appeared on “BREAKFAST” this moring telling us there would be some “learnings” – After telling us all how thick as pig-shit Beckam was.
Well Jonky – hopefully the Roil Kmishun has learned ya.
And let’s hope – yea – you know what I mean………..but its all as shakey es waifa-thin.
Ooh aaaaH Jonky hes jiss septid Wilksins resnashun.
Oh well, then that makes it all ok yea?
I need to replay the video right now to try and unna Stan shhhssh itsch schmozzz ssssss itch itch setch shmuzzz roit insayn scruptiv snatcah cha cha cha…….etc to make sure I unna STAN what the Proim Minsta is actually saying. (Generally I find it easier to understand most people that are completely pissed.
Hissss schscsh smmmmmmmmmmmmmmmiz truncate truncate shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhwazz smiiiiizzzzzzzzzz neeeeeeeeeeese ta prove,,,,,,,,,,,,, veeeissssly un ssssssssssssssept BULL.
The one electorate seat threshold for the allocation of list seats should be abolished.
The party vote threshold should be lowered from 5% to 4%.
There should be a statutory requirement for the Electoral Commission to review the operation of the 4% party vote threshold and report to the Minister of Justice for presentation to Parliament after three general elections.
If the one electorate seat threshold is abolished, the provision for overhang seats should be abolished.
Consideration should be given to fixing the ratio of electorate seats to list seats at 60:40 to help maintain the diversity of representation and proportionality in Parliament obtained through the list seats.
Political parties should continue to have responsibility for the selection and ranking of candidates on their party lists.
Political parties should be required to give a public assurance by statutory declaration that they have complied with their rules in selecting and ranking their list candidates.
In any dispute relating to the selection of candidates for election as members of Parliament, the version of the party’s rules that should be applied is that supplied to the Commission under section 71B as at the time the dispute arose.
Candidates should continue to be able to stand both for an electorate seat and be on a party list at a general election.
List MPs should continue to be able to contest by-elections.
Jar rekin Meth Yootin kin spin this one eart on Noint Noon? I’ll bet he’s exploring all the ways possible along with a muppet called Farrar on Kwoiblog misinterpreting and spinning statistics (yea that’s roit: stat – isss-tiks) for all he’s worth
Only problem is now we have Chris Finlayson who lost his balls somewhere along the high-road/left road junction on route 69 – the Bitter Old Queen Route to Eternity.
Awake Sleepy Hobbits – or forever hold your ‘pieces’
The fact that they put Chris Finlayson on to the portfolio is a damn good thing. He is one of a small handful of seriously competent people in that Cabinet.
This is an eye-waterer about city councils posturing as biiig important financial entities from Jim Mora’s guest Dr Robert Hamlin this afternoon. This is just a taste from google heading.
Afternoons with Jim Mora: The Panel today [DCC interest rate swaps …
dunedinstadium.wordpress.com/…/afternoons-with-jim-mora-the-pan…
40 minutes ago – The two councils together may have lost up to $200 million of ratepayer funds. In Dunedin City Treasury’s case, interest swap rates may be being used to ‘assist’ … businesses and local bodies into high levels of interest ahead of those rates falling. …. DCC consolidated debt substantially more than $616m to June 30, 2012 …
Basically, bad news for anyone who is not a professional trader. The fact that banks sold these derivative products to unsuspecting people and tried to position them as a kind of ‘insurance’ is, to my mind, fraud.
Especially if they don’t inform the customer of the potential for massive losses should unexpected market movements occur.
In the US, derivative products like this were sold to unsuspecting municipal bodies and pension funds, causing massive losses to those organisations…while the banks reaped the upside on the other end of the trade.
Again I ask myself why 3 News in general and Patrick Gair in particular, are so desperately pro-Romney and against Obama? I mean, seriously, what’s in it for them?
This international report on alternative studies for young people who aren’t getting a lot from school was interesting and could shed some light on possibilities for charter schools. If only the government wasn’t setting such low teacher numbers I could be almost positive about what they could achieve.
Windows on the World
Monday 5 November: School for Entrepreneurs
The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) is a 25-year-old initiative started in the USA which now has programmes in India, China and Saudi Arabia. It goes into schools in deprived areas and teaches entrepreneurship from the age of 12. Peter Day finds out how it works and speaks to two female alumni, one from Calcutta and one from Chicago.
Just listening to the cacophony in the neighbourhood this evening (poor dog fretting and shaking like a leaf at our side) and cannot help wondering how many school lunches and pairs of shoes and trips and other unaffordables have gone up in smoke for the sake of a good bang …
Round here the Dog doesn’t seem to mind fireworks at all. Or even register them really. Which is odd for an animal who freaks out at the sound of rain on the roof.
Exactly. My neighbours had started ‘celebrating’ with fireworks on Saturday night, so my patience was in shreds by last night.
“More money than sense” is what I kept thinking…
Better give up on sense and other “sensible” things, recommend some music, which is now mainstream anyway. So what the heck? It is not even worth mentioning. aye?
Asked at his post-Cabinet press conference whether he was homophobic, Mr Key said: “No, I’m voting for gay marriage, I’m hardly homophobic – I led the charge on it.”
Thought it was Louisa Wall who did that. Nah, turns out I was wrong.
Why not turn homo-amorphous, embrace, re-“marry”, indulge and share your “free” love full galore with Hone Key? He is desparate to be “loved”, after all that hostile treatment as of recent. I am sure, he needs a “fix”!
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Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
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. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
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 ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
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http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/national-support-holds-labour-slips-in-poll-5194717
Don’t worry its just a rogue poll, everything is going to plan.
Yeah, another poll showing the opposition out polling the right. Note the desperate optimism and pisspoor mathematics in this bit of analysis:
“National would get 58 seats, add three from the Maori Party and one each from Act and United Future and the centre-right would have a majority of 63.”
A more marginally more accurate reading of NZF’s popularity totally changes the electoral outcome as well. Over 5% and Key loses control.
Agreed. A coalition government in the offing.
Still perplexing to see little recent tracking progress for Labour.
Annoying that Peters is getting up there in the Preferred PM stakes. Naturally I was pleased when he left Shipley’s government for the sale of Wellington Airport. But it’s still a shudder of instability in a government.
A relief to see Key is far less of an asset to National than previous. If he survives into a third term, his government will be as smelly as a six month old whale on a beach, and as prone to having further bits fall off. I probably wouldn’t wish that on the country.
So Labour going down and n/c for the Greens is a good thing? Relying on WinstonFirst is a good thing?
Is the election to be held tomorrow? Nope.
National have, support wise, lost half their governing majority in less than a year. Another year and they lose the other half. A year after that – oh look, election time…
Labour only need to sit tight and wait for the tide to go out on National to get back in. That’s what all the trends say.
Indeed.
But I grant you that they’d get farther, quicker, if they did more paddling themselves.
I just see no reason to give them up as lost at sea quite yet.
Fox has released an excellent video that is bound to destroy the election chances of that damned new dealer Obama and return the control of America to the very wealthy. God bless America!
what is interesting is the media coverage of thousands of people in ” the greatest city on earth” queueing for half a day on foot, or in their cars, for petrol (maybe for the ride-on mower); In large cities it appears a great deal of the population are totally enmeshed and dependent on services supplied by other concerns.
Now it’s gonna freeze over the big apple and related fruit; sorta reminds me of Moscow before glastnost.
Many on here and elsewhere have tried to defend Key’s comments re Beckham.
The simple fact is, those same people need to ask the question, What sort of person makes that sort of statement off the cuff to that sort of audience? And can they list what other country leaders would have made them.
Obama? Thatcher? Howard? Bulger? Frazer? Menzies? Rowling? …
The simple answer is none – except Joky
Hawke.
So true Logie.
Clinton
For example?
Abbott is capable of saying anything, but he’s only leader of the opposition.
Top exec and businessman speaks out against outrageous executive pay
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10845155
CV 4
This is the sort of cliche that a shallow thinker comes up with. Cliches can be handy but this situation requires more than a throw-away line. But he can’t justify his salary so the flip cliche works best. It doesn’t say much for the acumen and intelligence of Mr Holland, and yet I think it is likely to be the tone and extent of thinking of many of our CEOs. Probably psychopaths most of them, who are known for relentless self promotion, stealing any kudos that should have gone to others etc.
Since minimum wage workers are paid peanuts, minimum wage workers must be “Monkeys” QED
Good to understand how the societal logic of the elites work, isn’t it.
Interesting to see that Andrew Little is putting forward the idea that ACC should be extended to cover illnesses and disease. He also favours dropping the “fully funded” model, as it is only relevant when it is in competition with other systems.
I’m for the extension, but I’m not so sure about dumping the fully funded model.
Great to see new innovative proposals from Labour. Even if the details are not there its important to get Joe Public understanding that yes, there are real alternatives.
CV – of course there are always real alternatives to just about anything – but is Joe Public going to like them when details are spelled out?
holy shit, and i thought we had a social security system that looked after people if they became sick.
I guess instead of this, we’ve just got to introduce an insurance based model and when it’s all nicely set up we can introduce a bit’o’competition……
“holy shit, and i thought we had a social security system that looked after people if they became sick.”
No. We have a social security system that deliberately sets benefit rates below the poverty line. And of next year, all sickness beneficiaries will be deemed unemployed ie available for work unless they can prove otherwise.
I am confused, I thought it already had been!
chanced across Chris Trotters’ article on violence in the Dom at the library; very timely if you have watched the development of violence in NZ over say, four decades. ( I watch less and less audio-visual now, de-sensitization, bias and all that) Though, I did see an article on the right-wing allegiences of the Greek police, and how painful that is turning out for left-wing demonstrators and activists; if Greek portrays the birth place of democracy (athenian) and its denoument, then Heaven help us!
RogueT
We do need to keep an eye on heaven which we might need to help us. In fact Bracken put it in our national anthem ‘God Defend New Zealand’. We should never get puffed up with the idea that we can’t get torn apart by implacable forces and need some greater aid.
There need to be more first names released from the lock-up for men in NZ. First there seems to be too many Davids and I have recently heard David Farrier speaking, not The David Farrar.
Then there is Matthew Horton and Matthew Hooton.
I have this interest in how many men’s names are from the bible. What about going to Greek mythology, gods etc. Zeus, Hermes etc. Or more stressing strength and son of the planet stuff, Rock, Cliff, Clay? Compost even.
My middle son has always insisted that he will call his son Horus. (Pity his wife doesn’t agree!) 🙂
My youngest says his daughter will be called Storm (he has yet to meet her mother, but is confident that she will be persuaded).
Rowan Atkinson’s brilliant political speech.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gciegyiLYtY
Theoretically he is right, but in practice he forgets that the formats people would use to publish his call for “more speech” aren’t impartial in themselves. Facebook and twitter comments are taken from their original environment and then played with by existing forces within the mainstream media. The MSM has it’s bias and method and predestined outcome for matters, usually adhering to a particular cultural norm. Under that format, “more speech” will only ever favour one side of the equation. MSM is not a two way dialogue or a dialogue at all, it’s all statements dressed as enquiries.
So while freedom of speech is a great idea in the abstract, it runs into problems in practice and not many people have the ability to create a format or environment suitable to hearing “more speech” in the way he would like.
The next problem his request for “more speech” runs into is outlined in his story of the teen arrested for calling a police horse “gay”. This is one side of a particular line of argument that you often find LGBT, feminist and indigenous rights groups arguing: that however “normalised” a colloquial word has become, it started out as a prejudice that deeply effected, or currently effects, the lives of certain people in real and negetive terms. To hear such a word, even in passing, often raises strong emotions, from aggressive through to depressive, in the target.
For people not affected by these words to then say, let’s hear more of this without any format changes or discretion on who may speak, in the interests of working it all out, is pretty insensitive. It would be a difficult balance to meet, with the clumsy media tools we have, between those that are aware and those that aren’t and be able to recognise the malicious attacks on both sides of those who just like to fight. There’d need to be some kind of harmonic global community, with a shared language and generous portions of goodwill – otherwise known as Utopia – for it work.
The next problem with “more free speech” is that these days it is mostly considered as “freedom of unexamined opinion”. No one is obliged to think about what they say, or research the subject to the best of their ability. Choosing not to speak is hardly ever promoted, but having a critical opinion is regularly considered the highest form of communication. Expressing opinions may well be more than half the problem, but that is best solved on an individual basis. The immediacy with which anyone can publish an opinion could also contribute to the problem.
It’s too hard for my brain to give a conclusive answer. If somone handed me a pen right now and said, here, write an anti-hate speech law for us, maybe it would be something along the lines of don’t tell people, or imply, that you want them dead or oppressed, or encourage other people to kill or oppress them. Penalties for implication over open calls would vary depending on the specifics of the situation.
have ya checked out Jacque Ellul on “freedom”?
personally, this entire project of “freedom” and “liberty” appears to have been a poisoned chalice!
“God is dead but his locus has survived Him. Into that absence we now project the blueprint of freedom.” – Ernst Bloch.
Or something like that.
Bon mots to buttress up a worldview.
very wise. 🙂
it is very encouraging to have “decided” on such a “caring” “worldview”, do you think? After all, there are worse things I could do…. . Seriously though, for someone so knowledgeble, what have you determined to be a helpful “perspective” ? and do you think one could really “get in trouble” for asthetically bearing such ideas, here and now? After all, thinkers like these (loved Lacan, although a little wordy those Europeans) would be a great help in the further emancipation of our fellows, don’t you think? (or every body can just continue tearing themselves and others apart to fit the dominant hegemony / discourse?)
and a person could be in a lot worse idea company than Ecclesiastes / Solomon or Tolstoy I was thinking as I weeded.
Re Jacque Ellul, nope hadn’t come across him. Last night I had a look on online sources of his ideas. Christian Anarchist sounds like an interesting mix.
To stay in context of Rowan’s speech, I think that the issue of free speech in heavily populated and mixed culture cities is more one of crowd control than pushing for “liberty and freedom” and the inherent difficulties and impossibilities of that task.
My only experience of the police at street level in the UK was in the mid 1990’s and they appeared to me like a confident and pragmatic type: seperating parties in dispute as a first measure and not diving for arrests and displays of authority just because they could. Things may well have changed; police forces are often politicised. In Australia police can issue “move on” notices and this also seperates and neutralises situations they see getting out of control without using more resources than necessary. Here, I’ve only come across “behaviour likely to cause violence” and for that you will likely end up in court. Anyone wandering around making an ass of themselves or abusing other people is likely to attract discretionary police attention without organised groups getting worked up about “thought control”.
Top-down laws that say “thou shalt not be mean” aren’t likely to stop humans being humans and will take a few generations to become normalised at street level. Laws that say “don’t abuse people in public” won’t stop people being abused, but it may create a breathing space for certain groups of society that need it and I think that is a good progression towards offering an equal distribution of care by society’s keepers. The real problem may be centralised power and millions of people hearded together in confined areas, but that’s more difficult to address than crowd control.
Brett D Thanks for giving us this. Rowan’s speech on free speech 18/10/12. Section 5 of a Brit Act that allows people to be censured for saying anything that others ‘might’ regard as offensive (or similar). There doesn’t have to be a specific complaint for the police to act. Words like censorious, new intolerance, authoritarian were voiced by Rowan and rightly.
Yes an interesting speech on the right to express yourself freely. I particularly liked Rowan’s acknowledgement, in summary, that ‘firstly we all have to take responsibility for what we say’.
In the June 2012 quarter compared with the June 2011 quarter:
The seasonally adjusted number of filled jobs rose 1.9 percent.
The seasonally adjusted number of FTEs rose 2.0 percent.
Average ordinary time hourly earnings rose 2.9 percent.
Source http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/income-and-work/employment_and_unemployment/QuarterlyEmploymentSurvey_HOTPJun12qtr.aspx
Its all about the economy
Good thoughts to all, Ally
Those docs last week that showed the whole reason behind preventing elections for ECAN was to ensure that the ‘water for cows first’ policy gets bedded in?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/7905535/Canterbury-water-quality-poses-risks
wankers.
Yep p’s b.
There is only one conclusion – they (the relevant farmers and their political lackeys) don’t care.
They don’t care that for the last dozen years or so the shit from their cows has leaked into the aquifers that supply people with their drinking water. These farmers don’t care for the people who drink that water, they only care for the $kg/butterfat.
This is evidenced by the fact that there was no pause or hesitancy in loading up the paddocks with cows. Get the herd on and bugger the consequences. That was the starting attitude.
This is also evidenced by the fact that none of these farmers are standing up and doing something about their shit in people’s drinking water. This is the continuing attitude.
I would love to be shown how this is not and has not been the attitude …………. anyone?
Not South Island example but this from Forest and Bird site
“One dairy farmer who has taken a different route to most is Jeff Williams from Manawatu, who has reduced the need for fertiliser and cut the number of cows his property carries. His methods mean he produces less milk but he is more profitable because his costs are much lower. He calls the heavy use of fertiliser and squeezing as many animals as possible on every paddock the “moron theory”.”
Further reading about this farmer’s biological approach is around.
As far as South Island, I can’t think off hand any exception to the “moron theory” not to say they don’t exist.
The rivers and streams are already polluted on the plains.. Nutrient levels set by asking the industry what they could manage are meaningless. By the time they enforce and test (years?) the system they are angling for most likely the situation will be much worse. Take more water out of the system and add more nutrient, guess what happens?
Acshually there was a report on radionz this a.m. by a doc who said that babies were at risk from high nitrates that have built up in the Christchurch water. This is dangerous for bottle fed babies and can lead to ‘ble baby syndrome’ or similar, and even death was mentioned. These annoying side effects can occur when there is too much focus on what ‘I’ want to institute that will make money for ‘me’. And ‘we’ don’t worry about how ‘they’ might be affected.
Check out the Tait Cullen paper about External Costs of Dairy Farms in Canterbury.
Love the line in the conclusion.
“The consequences of the environmental risks of industrial agriculture are not entirely known or understood.”
I would argue social, economic and environmental risks.
Makes no odds to a corporate fascist government.
Thicker than batshit
Key weaseling around the issue of his undiplomatic slur is in my opinion further insult to injury. Why doesn’t he just admit the gaffe, apologize to the thousands of people he’s offended and move on? That’s what anybody else with an iota of credibility would do. The story would soon die in a ditch, and Key could focus on what a government is meant to be doing…
Because in his mind that’s permanently on Planet Key, he has just made an earth shattering funny.
Here on Planet Earth we all cringe.
For me specifically, my interests are broad and I’ve looked into those interests by reading what’s available on the internet and in libraries. I’ve also worked in numerous industries and positions within those industries.
Never wanted the job and, mostly I think, didn’t grow up in a politically active family. The way things are going though I may change my mind about going for the job though as it’s becoming obvious that we can’t leave the idiots that we have there in charge or nothing will change.
You’ve got my vote
Who are you replying to DTB?
Personally I’ve found that blogging has vastly increased my knowledge on certain subjects, and also removed some previous misconceptions. Although I’ve never actually blogged about my particular areas of expertise, I find the blogosphere to be an effective and cheap way of increasing my knowledge about how the world works and the way people think.
As for being a politician… There’s always the problem of becoming the thing you want to change. Never underestimate the insidious effects of power and its ability to corrupt.
Someone who has a great desire to become a politician probably should be discounted. I think underestimating the insidious nature of power and its influence on our daily lives is the reason things are such a mess at the moment. The sneaky and the unscrupulous, the greedy and immoral have quietly taken over and now own democracy.
I certainly enjoy DTB commentary and some others and share many views as well as changed my views on reflection.
Debating is very important.
That was Rogue Trooper but it was OT so I moved it here.
There is that problem but we really can’t leave it to those that have already been corrupted. Catch 22.
So give em a time limit, like America, election every four years and only 2 terms or less if you are useless.
And the US is so not corrupt…
Oh, wait…
Actually, the only one that has a two term limit is the president – the rest have no such limits so a two term limit on every elected official might work but it also has one other drawback – it means we lose the experience.
Reading this blog, and appreciating it’s collective ethic of care (Habermas et al;) , which it conveys a significant portion of the time (and space), has REALLY developed my mind and established a security for the types of thinking I have always had; ya thrown into the world, dasein, which is something to be grateful for, and then the human distortions start, in your home and nuclear family first, and before long one may become a distortion distorting distortions.
Thank God for helpful thinkers, helpful ideas and helpful stories and text, and the discernment to stick to what we understand.
(I just love the revelation idea concerning The Propaganda of Man, Ellul; master that and we are getting somewhere )
I do not know if that was your intention Ad, but some things are like “the garden path”; once you have been “down” there, you can never go back!
now I better finish a book, and I really recommend The Great Partnership by Jonathan Sacks (it’s also got great bibliography)
🙂 (i’m over wasting mental energy on our “sign of the times” pm; he’s not fooling anyone but the greedy and himself; I saw them trying to soften Collins’ portrayal in the MSM recently, softer than Power was the angle)
🙂
Oh it’s as much about a basic problem with this site: on the one hand, New Zealanders are often Heideggerian in that they are so often proud of their version of dasein – having so many of their own Black Forest equivalents to wander through, in which “regioning is a gathering and a sheltering within a resting and an abiding”. Heidegger, On The Way To Language.
And yet New Zealanders are so in love with speed and travel, of which Habermas’s theory of communicative competence that strips out psychoanalytic depth is so well suited to this kind of anonymised site. Because we can be as free and fast as we like.
We are free to be regioned, free to communicate, but resolutely generally unfree to join the two by naming – naming ourselves.
So the realm of freedom gets pretty constrained pretty fast if one’s prosthetic selves stay so compartmentalised.
I used to think that there were only two types of freedom: freedom from (against constraint), and freedom to (the generous and generative capacity). But the self-willed unfreedom of anonymity points to another freedom (a kind of sweet spot between belonging and communicating). Someone will have to theorise it at some point. Ellul is too deep into his atavistic surges into old analogue space to really get this.
oscillation between anonymity and name has been practised, in situ, tabla rasa by moi, and considering the forum, was experienced as both exhile-arating and fear-arousing (but then i’m a sensitive sort of a chap), yet it was very empowering, what-ever-this-may-mean.
I wonder if the Gnats’ are going to argue the TPPA with the USA re Kim Dotcoms’ new business venture ??
What was the bloody document meant to do for us all again ?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10845253
A “funny” Gay remark from Key?? Surely not!
I warned everyone the other day that Key would be going into 24/7 dickhead mode.
It’s all he’s got left.
Now, he is really losing it!
While looking at some of the youtube offerings I found this one of John Cleese with an instructional message for air travellers from AirNewZealand with a Hobbit theme. Watch for Peter Jackson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_bsMGsBjWc&feature=related
Don’t know where airnz went? http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/233376/air-nz-hobbit-video-draws-6-million-views
Following John Key’s lead I’m going to start using “batshit” as an all purpose word, regardless of meaning or convention.
It could be funny as batshit or it could get batshit confusing. We’ll see.
Kate Wilkinson has resigned as Labour Minister in the wake of the Pike River report
Here is a live stream of the Post-cabinet press conference
http://www.3news.co.nz/LIVE-STREAM-Post-Cabinet-press-confrence/tabid/1568/articleID/275465/Default.aspx
Wow. Kudos to Wilkinson for stepping up and being accountable. Shes gone up in my estimation, significantly.
Well, she’s shown she’s got more integrity than the Prime Minister. And unlike some of Key’s other incompetents, at least we know why she’s going.
Good to see that someone in that party still has a sense of responsibility.
An occasional interloper only, so fuff shit any and all criticism] BUT re Poik Riva
Cheers to Kate Wilkinsons who is the HONOURABLE Minsta.
Not so however Ger Brownlee or the Proim Minsta (who was going to to “whatever i takes”)
ALL have blood on their hands. At the very least, there’s one that I’d usually refer to as a pathetic silly bitch, that has the Honour to resign.
Blubber boy is running for cover, meanwhile ………… itchim sssssmetchim, goan forwid ………etc.
(The one that appeared on “BREAKFAST” this moring telling us there would be some “learnings” – After telling us all how thick as pig-shit Beckam was.
Well Jonky – hopefully the Roil Kmishun has learned ya.
And let’s hope – yea – you know what I mean………..but its all as shakey es waifa-thin.
Ooh aaaaH Jonky hes jiss septid Wilksins resnashun.
Oh well, then that makes it all ok yea?
I need to replay the video right now to try and unna Stan shhhssh itsch schmozzz ssssss itch itch setch shmuzzz roit insayn scruptiv snatcah cha cha cha…….etc to make sure I unna STAN what the Proim Minsta is actually saying. (Generally I find it easier to understand most people that are completely pissed.
Hissss schscsh smmmmmmmmmmmmmmmiz truncate truncate shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhwazz smiiiiizzzzzzzzzz neeeeeeeeeeese ta prove,,,,,,,,,,,,, veeeissssly un ssssssssssssssept BULL.
MMP Review is out (PDF).
Jar rekin Meth Yootin kin spin this one eart on Noint Noon? I’ll bet he’s exploring all the ways possible along with a muppet called Farrar on Kwoiblog misinterpreting and spinning statistics (yea that’s roit: stat – isss-tiks) for all he’s worth
Only problem is now we have Chris Finlayson who lost his balls somewhere along the high-road/left road junction on route 69 – the Bitter Old Queen Route to Eternity.
Awake Sleepy Hobbits – or forever hold your ‘pieces’
The fact that they put Chris Finlayson on to the portfolio is a damn good thing. He is one of a small handful of seriously competent people in that Cabinet.
This is an eye-waterer about city councils posturing as biiig important financial entities from Jim Mora’s guest Dr Robert Hamlin this afternoon. This is just a taste from google heading.
Afternoons with Jim Mora: The Panel today [DCC interest rate swaps …
dunedinstadium.wordpress.com/…/afternoons-with-jim-mora-the-pan…
40 minutes ago – The two councils together may have lost up to $200 million of ratepayer funds. In Dunedin City Treasury’s case, interest swap rates may be being used to ‘assist’ … businesses and local bodies into high levels of interest ahead of those rates falling. …. DCC consolidated debt substantially more than $616m to June 30, 2012 …
http://dunedinstadium.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/afternoons-with-jim-mora-the-panel-today-dcc-interest-rate-swaps/
also
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/7903907/Banks-plundering-society-globally
What is an interest rate swap?
Basically, bad news for anyone who is not a professional trader. The fact that banks sold these derivative products to unsuspecting people and tried to position them as a kind of ‘insurance’ is, to my mind, fraud.
Especially if they don’t inform the customer of the potential for massive losses should unexpected market movements occur.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest_rate_swap
In the US, derivative products like this were sold to unsuspecting municipal bodies and pension funds, causing massive losses to those organisations…while the banks reaped the upside on the other end of the trade.
Scum.
Again I ask myself why 3 News in general and Patrick Gair in particular, are so desperately pro-Romney and against Obama? I mean, seriously, what’s in it for them?
Who owns TV3 these days?
This international report on alternative studies for young people who aren’t getting a lot from school was interesting and could shed some light on possibilities for charter schools. If only the government wasn’t setting such low teacher numbers I could be almost positive about what they could achieve.
Windows on the World
Monday 5 November: School for Entrepreneurs
The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) is a 25-year-old initiative started in the USA which now has programmes in India, China and Saudi Arabia. It goes into schools in deprived areas and teaches entrepreneurship from the age of 12. Peter Day finds out how it works and speaks to two female alumni, one from Calcutta and one from Chicago.
I meant to note that the report on young entrepreneurs was on Radionz tonight.
Just listening to the cacophony in the neighbourhood this evening (poor dog fretting and shaking like a leaf at our side) and cannot help wondering how many school lunches and pairs of shoes and trips and other unaffordables have gone up in smoke for the sake of a good bang …
4 nights in a row in my neighbourhood. I don’t mind so much tonight, but at the weekend it kept me awake when I had to get up for work the next day.
Round here the Dog doesn’t seem to mind fireworks at all. Or even register them really. Which is odd for an animal who freaks out at the sound of rain on the roof.
Exactly. My neighbours had started ‘celebrating’ with fireworks on Saturday night, so my patience was in shreds by last night.
“More money than sense” is what I kept thinking…
The shit is going down!
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/estuaries-shellfish-and-shit.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fRVOew2WpA&feature=fvwrel
What is all this about?
Better give up on sense and other “sensible” things, recommend some music, which is now mainstream anyway. So what the heck? It is not even worth mentioning. aye?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fRVOew2WpA&feature=fvwrel
just got a new news feed exposing that excitement is not well justified. Who can you trust and bother with now???
What a hero!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10845253
Asked at his post-Cabinet press conference whether he was homophobic, Mr Key said: “No, I’m voting for gay marriage, I’m hardly homophobic – I led the charge on it.”
Thought it was Louisa Wall who did that. Nah, turns out I was wrong.
Why not turn homo-amorphous, embrace, re-“marry”, indulge and share your “free” love full galore with Hone Key? He is desparate to be “loved”, after all that hostile treatment as of recent. I am sure, he needs a “fix”!
This guy Key is either mentally unwell or should be made to undertake a drugs test.