Open mike 06/04/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 6th, 2015 - 183 comments
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openmikeOpen mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

183 comments on “Open mike 06/04/2015 ”

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  1. mickysavage 1
    6 April 2015 at 7:23 am

    And in the middle east a Palestinian Feminist MP is placed in administrative detention by Isreali forces. She is one of 17 legislators who have been treated this way.

    “According to the Alternative Information Center, Jarrar is joining 16 other members of the PLC who are currently serving time in Israeli prisons, which means that more than 10 percent of Palestinian lawmakers are currently in Israeli prisons. Nine of those members — including Hamas member Aziz Dweik — are in administrative detention, and have not stood trial nor been sentenced. The PLC is comprised of 132 members who were elected in the last democratic elections held in the PA in 2006.”

    http://972mag.com/israel-puts-feminist-palestinian-mp-in-admin-detention/105317/

    • Ron 1.1
      6 April 2015 at 8:21 am

      Unusual way of spelling Israel Mickey, or was that intentional?

      • Anne 1.1.1
        6 April 2015 at 9:45 am

        Typo Ron. Easy to transpose two letters when typing.

      • mickysavage 1.1.2
        6 April 2015 at 12:40 pm

        Totally accidental Ron. I was in a hurry …

        • Ron 1.1.2.1
          6 April 2015 at 12:59 pm

          No Problem I just had a thought that you might have intentionally spelt it that way to make a point.

          • Weepus beard 1.1.2.1.1
            6 April 2015 at 3:19 pm

            Ron, what was the point you imagined mickysavage might have been making?

            • Ron 1.1.2.1.1.1
              6 April 2015 at 7:57 pm

              The el at the end of Israel refers to their God. Thought he might have been making a point on that considering the subject.
              My mind works in funny ways, just wanted to see if I was seeing something that sounded interesting to me.

    • Philip Ferguson 1.2
      6 April 2015 at 12:20 pm

      The “Palestinian feminist MP” thing is a bit misleading (makes her sound like she could be a Palestinian version of Hillary Clinton!).

      This isn’t at all a criticism of you Micky, you just got it from another magazine and it’s great that you’ve mentioned her case – but I really dislike the way people in the West, like that magazine, continuously deny agency to the Palestinians. In this case denying Khalida Jarrar the right to be presented as what she actually is.

      Khalida Jarrar is a Marxist and a member of the Politbureau of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. That’s why she was snatched by the Israeli occupation forces.

      Her two main areas of work as a central leader of the PFLP are around prisoners and women’s rights. The occupation has been continuously harassing her, trying to force her to leave Ramallah, while simultaneously attempting to prevent her leaving the country.
      https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/free-khalida-jarrar/

      On ‘administrative detention’ see:
      https://rdln.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/palestine-ireland-free-the-political-prisoners/
      (this is from a talk I gave a few years ago on political prisoners in Ireland and Palestine, places internment without trial have been widely used)

      An update on ‘administrative detention’ was provided by one of our readers yeterday, see: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/israels-use-of-administrative-detention-an-update/

  2. les 2
    6 April 2015 at 7:24 am

    Police shut 30 stations in an effort to combat budget cuts-‘O’connor says stations are being moved from low-socio economic areas, because residents tend to put up less of a fight. “That’s why we are a little cynical about this . . . people there often do need somewhere to go running to.”

    – The Dominion Post

    • Weepus beard 2.1
      6 April 2015 at 8:19 am

      They claim there are more cops on the street instead of in the station but 111 call response times have lengthened and have failed to meet targets which makes a mockery of the “street vs station approach” does it not?

      David Farrar’s love of statistics is well known – I wonder if he’ll highlight this?

    • RedBaronCV 2.2
      6 April 2015 at 8:58 am

      And there has been this 20% drop in crime says Mike Bush – really so why not have budget cuts too ?? Or is the drop just lack of recording

    • millsy 2.3
      6 April 2015 at 11:51 am

      First it was the post offices…
      ..then it was the hospitals…
      ..then the schools…
      now the police stations..

  4. John Shears 4
    6 April 2015 at 9:06 am

    I have just searched TS (POA Tony Gibson) and am puzzled as to why the latest item about POA on TS dates back to the fight between the Union and POA in 2012.

    ON TVNZ Q&A yesterday Gibson claimed he was not arrogant , that he had discussed
    expansion plans, that the extensions proposed did not need to be notified , etc etc etc ad nauseum.

    It is my opinion that the complex governance arrangement where our elected Mayor & Councillors are twice removed from the POA by two appointed boards, ACIL and POA
    who appear to be in thrall to the CEO Tony Gibson is part of the problem.

    Be quite clear that the major shipping company using POA is Maersk and Tony Gibson is an ex CEO of Maersk , The Fox in the Henhouse?

    He also said that continuing expansion will not be needed as there will be a “Paradigm Shift” in the international freight industry , what ever that means.

    The fact that we Aucklanders own the POA outright and that we have elected a Mayor and Council seems to be lost to the people near the action, is this Democracy in the 21st Century?

    • lprent 4.1
      6 April 2015 at 9:48 am

      So many things to write about, so little time…. And authors tend to write opinions about things that they are interested in

      Guest post

    • Anne 4.2
      6 April 2015 at 10:00 am

      I noted in the first interview that Mayor, Les Brown suggested expanding the Onehunga port on the Manukau Harbour and building the much needed railway across the isthmus connecting the two ports. Seemed like an eminently sensible idea to me and would counter the need to expand out into the harbour.

      When it came to the interview with Gibson, he appeared to ignore Brown’s suggestion and to concentrate instead on the geographical and economic inadequacies of moving port facilities to Whangarei or Tauranga. I had the impression he deliberately left out the alternate idea of the Onehunga port expansion probably because it came from Mayor Brown. In other words there is the usual political game playing from POA.

      These POA executives were put in place by Rodney Hide were they not?

      • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1
        6 April 2015 at 10:32 am

        The Manukau is a mass of shifting sandbanks and not really suitable for a major port:

        Because of the large harbour area and narrow mouth between the Manukau Heads, tidal flow is rapid and a bar at the mouth makes navigating in or out of the harbour dangerous. New Zealand’s most tragic shipwreck occurred on the bar in 1863 when HMS Orpheus ran aground in clear weather with a loss of 189 lives. For this reason, along with the harbour’s shallowness, it is not Auckland’s favoured port, and the facilities at Onehunga are not very large compared to the other Ports of Auckland facilities on the Waitemata Harbour on the northeast of the isthmus.

        • Anne 4.2.1.1
          6 April 2015 at 11:17 am

          Surely with modern equipment the sandbanks and the bar at the mouth could be regularly dredged to keep a channel open and clear. Of course the large container ships could not use the port, but the small cargo boats – and there’s plenty of them – could be diverted to Onehunga, especially if facilities are expanded to cater for them.

          • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1.1.1
            6 April 2015 at 11:23 am

            It probably could be but how much damage do you want to do to the ecosystem there?

            Personally I’m more in favour of shutting down the ports and moving most of the operation to Marsden Point where there’s a nice deep harbour and rail to Auckland.

            • John Shears 4.2.1.1.1.1
              6 April 2015 at 1:35 pm

              @ DTB
              As I understand it there is no rail link to Marsden from Whangarei and the tunnels to Auckland are not big enough for 40ft containers, other wise that does seem to be a smart solution for more and bigger ships.

              • Draco T Bastard …
                6 April 2015 at 1:53 pm

                As I understand it there is no rail link to Marsden from Whangarei

                Heh, was wondering about that but couldn’t find it either way so just guessed. Still, it’s one of those things that should be put in before more roads.

                • alwyn …
                  6 April 2015 at 2:56 pm

                  I’m sure that there will be one by the end of the year.
                  Their new MP has promised it. As he said while campaigning.

                  “Mr Peters said the Northland to Auckland line has been run down, but worse than that was no rail link to the deep water port at Marsden Pt. “We will fix both of those up.””

                  He didn’t say how he would get it to happen though.
                  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11317686

                  • Draco T Bastard …
                    6 April 2015 at 3:04 pm

                    He can advance a members bill and I’m reasonably certain that a majority of MPs in parliament would support it – if it gets pulled from the hat. We really do need to make government more representative of the voters.

                  • North …
                    6 April 2015 at 5:55 pm

                    Alwyn above @ 2.56 pm today – some bleak consolation I guess that the 13,000 turnaround Northland thrashing can be turned to fuel a mock-fest because Peters not being in government is actually powerless without the happenchance of ballot draw supported beyond the opposition benches.

                    Something we all knew of course when ‘sending the message’ about conceit and duplicity and emperor-no-clothes. Apparently not known to the conceited and duplicitous and emperor-no-clothes however who invested considerable fetid air in fearmongering that the sky would fall in if they weren’t ‘allowed’ to win.

                    Goodness…….the unnatural contortions of the miffed ‘Born To Rule’, found out and suffering third-termitis !

      • John Shears 4.2.2
        7 April 2015 at 7:52 am

        @Anne The suggestion about using Onehunga may not be as silly as some think.
        What if the waste area above the bridge was reclaimed and used for industry but more importantly heaps of space to store imported cars while they are processed before being released for sale thus leaving a huge area clear for container freight at Auckland . The vehicle ships would simply use Onehunga rather than Auckland.
        Sound too simple??

        • Anne 4.2.2.1
          7 April 2015 at 9:06 am

          My knowledge of the subject is very limited, but every time I cross the bridge and look across at the port it saddens me that it has been left to run down. It was a bustling port once. My conclusion is that the decision over the decades to ignore the area is a political one. That is, there were/are few votes in it for the predominantly National govts. since the 1950s. The potential to turn it into a modern day collection point for appropriate cargo storage and a quick turn-around for the smaller cargo boats is huge. Add a dedicated railway link between the two ports and that has got to be good for the entire Auckland isthmus and well beyond.

          The problem is, it takes imagination and a long term outlook. We know the self- grandiosing NAct puppets have negligible quantities of both.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.3
      6 April 2015 at 10:25 am

      The fact that we Aucklanders own the POA outright and that we have elected a Mayor and Council seems to be lost to the people near the action, is this Democracy in the 21st Century?

      The capitalists don’t like democracy as it gets in the way of them doing anything they want. This is shown in National’s canning of democracy and implementation of dictatorship in Canterbury.

      The fact of the matter is that our entire Representative Democracy was set up so as to prevent actual democracy and to leave the rich and powerful in charge.

    • Skinny 4.4
      6 April 2015 at 11:17 am

      How Gibson wasn’t frog marched into council chambers and dismissed after the antics exposed in the book Dirty Politics has me fucked. On that note the one pity of Maritime Union finally settling their collective agreement with the POAL, was the union didn’t seek discovery. This is the real reason the port company settled. Damage control and what came out would have been very very interesting.

      Gibson is scum, the first thing Phil Goff Off needs to be pinned down on is a shake up of the port board and getting rid of Gibson and or both.

    • KJT 4.5
      6 April 2015 at 3:17 pm

      Most likely that the fake competition between ports, and lack of co-operative planning, will result in NZ losing the major hub port to Australia or Singapore.

  5. Pasupial 5
    6 April 2015 at 9:51 am

    6 days remaining until the scheduled return of the Rawshark 2.

  6. Bearded Git 6
    6 April 2015 at 10:29 am

    This is hilarious-and would probably have been banned in an election here….(maybe not any more after the recent HC decision)

    https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FiSo39wiRxOM&h=DAQG4tBci

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    6 April 2015 at 11:03 am

    Greece draws up drachma plans, prepares to miss IMF payment

    The drama comes after the creditors refused to rubber stamp Athens’ latest bid to unlock funds, raising objections over Syriza plans to boost union powers in collective bargaining and boost pensions for lower income groups.

    So the creditors are upset that Greece may help it’s people? This comes back to:

    When you loan someone money you’re taking the risk that you’re not going to get it back.

    And now they’re whinging that they won’t get it back despite knowing that risk.

    • Kevin 7.1
      6 April 2015 at 2:00 pm

      Former European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso warned Greece that they have a moral obligation to other states, describing the demands for more time and money as “completely unacceptable”.
      “We should remember that there are poorer countries that are lending money to Greece, so to propose a cut to their debt would be certain to receive a no from their partners,” he said.

      Poorer than Greece… lending them money…

      That makes sense.

  8. Philip Ferguson 8
    6 April 2015 at 11:11 am

    As we’re being blessed with increasing establishment palaver about Gallipoli, it’s important to remember just what a dirty political business it was. Nothing glorious about NZ’s motives – we were helping invade Turkey so that Britain (and France) could carve up the Ottoman Empire.

    Gallipoli: a dirty and bloody business: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/gallipoli-invasion-a-dirty-and-bloody-business/

    And for NZ society in WW1, you can’t go past Eldred-Grigg’s work: Stevan Eldred-Grigg’s The Great Wrong War: NZ society and WW1: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/stevan-eldred-griggs-the-great-wrong-war-nz-society-and-ww1/

    Plus Field Punishment Number One reviewed: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/04/24/field-punishment-no-1-reviewed-reminder-that-the-wars-not-over/

  9. Philip Ferguson 9
    6 April 2015 at 12:22 pm

    I’ve stuck up on Redline a major feature on the catastrophe in the Middle East since the western powers invaded Iraq:
    https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/the-middle-east-blowback-from-the-iraq-war/

  10. Clemgeopin 10
    6 April 2015 at 12:56 pm

    A Kiwi mum in Perth whose baby boy has a rare medical condition is pleading for help.

    Stacy Maitai had to give up her job to care for her baby and she now survives on less than $100 a week.

    Her son, Malakai, is seven months old and has never left hospital.

    “It breaks my heart that I can’t do that for him, I can’t do what I can to get him home,” Ms Maitai says.

    Ms Maitai is from Tolaga Bay and moved to Perth four years ago.

    Her baby boy has a rare condition called Pallister Killian Syndrome (PKS), and he can’t see or hear and struggles to breathe.

    A single mother of two, Ms Maitai has had to give up work to care for him, but because she’s not an Australian citizen, she survives on $180 a fortnight. She can barely pay for her bus ride to the hospital.

    “I’ve looked at every avenue to get support for us, but basically there is nothing, only because I am a Kiwi,” says Ms Maitai.

    “If Malakai was just a normal baby I would be able to part-time work, but because of my condition there’s a stop with my future because of what I can do and what I can’t do.”

    PKS is a rare developmental disorder, with only a few hundred people diagnosed with it. Two live here in New Zealand – one in Whangarei, the other in the Waikato.

    Read more:
    http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/kiwi-mum-needs-help-with-sick-baby-2015040517#ixzz3WUBIlFVs

    A ‘Hope for Malakai’ fundraising page has been set up. If you would like to contribute, here is the link to the fund raising page:

    https://www.mycause.com.au/page/90460/hopeformalakai

  11. Penny Bright 11
    6 April 2015 at 1:24 pm

    How many of folks on The Standard, have actually read and considered the research and opinions of over 2000 registered architects and engineers for 9/11 truth?

    http://www.ae911truth.org

    Given that 9/11 was arguably a convenient UNtruth upon which was based the (unlawful) invasion of Iraq, the never-ending (and very profitable) ‘War on Terror’, the mass surveillance and attacks on privacy of millions of people, and attacks on civil liberties and democratic rights of USA citizens under the Patriot Act?

    Remember – the focus of architects and engineers for 9/11 TRUTH is not WHO was behind and caused 9/11.

    The focus is HOW 9/11 happened.

    Could the heat generated by burning airline fuel (kerosene), cause the collapse of the Twin Towers in their footprint at ‘free fall’ speed?

    Seriously?

    If so – how come your kerosene heater doesn’t melt when you fire it up?

    Penny Bright

    • Paul 11.1
      6 April 2015 at 1:29 pm

      I agree Penny.
      Expect to cop some abuse for saying this.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 11.2
      6 April 2015 at 1:42 pm

      What happens if you put a bunch of curtains and office furniture and stationary and other flammable items on your burning kerosene heater?

      PS: how does temperature affect the tensile strength of steel?

      • McFlock 11.2.1
        6 April 2015 at 1:46 pm

        …and is her kerosene heater holding up a decent-sized building while being used</i.

    • McFlock 11.3
      6 April 2015 at 1:43 pm

      For the upteenth time:

      1: it wasn’t “free fall speed”
      2: they didn’t collapse into their own “footprint”
      3: even if we assumed the fire consisted solely of “kerosene” and had no other environmental factors, it would have been hot enough to significantly weaken steel structures that were already overloaded due to having an aircraft collision damage the structure.

      Yes, bush/cheney used 9/11 and spurious intelligence on Al Qaeda connections as excuses to invade Iraq. That doesn’t mean that they engineered the 9/11 attacks.

      • The Murphey 11.3.1
        6 April 2015 at 2:39 pm

        Yes, bush/cheney used 9/11 and spurious intelligence on Al Qaeda connections as excuses to invade Iraq. That doesn’t mean that they engineered the 9/11 attacks

        It makes them along with a number of others who share long standing associations the top of the suspects sheet

        So about those 28 redacted pages

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Inquiry_into_Intelligence_Community_Activities_before_and_after_the_Terrorist_Attacks_of_September_11,_2001#Redacted_sections

        [lprent: Interesting, you just used a IP that has been previously used to permanently exclude a troll. A offshore cell IP. Explanation please. ]

      • Paul 11.3.2
        6 April 2015 at 2:52 pm

        Most people who question the 9/11 fairy tale just want an open, full and transparent enquiry.
        Not a big ask.

        BTW, 9/11 was also the gateway for major incursions into our civil rights.
        Five Eyes and total surveillance could not have happened without 9/11.

        That’s why the events of that day are so important and need to be investigated properly.

        • te reo putake 11.3.2.1
          6 April 2015 at 3:05 pm

          Five Eyes was going long before 9/11, fool. All that’s changed in the last 14 years is the technology.

          As for a full and transparent enquiry, the yanks went one better and had a commission. You wanna try reading the report, all the answers are in there. Or you can continue parroting the lines of the US right, boring friends and acquaintances shitless with your witterings. Happily, as time goes by, less and less time is wasted on this shit.

          Is it a nice day where you are? Why don’t you go for a walk?

          • Draco T Bastard 11.3.2.1.1
            6 April 2015 at 4:48 pm

            You wanna try reading the report, all the answers are ██ █████.

            FTFY

            • te reo putake 11.3.2.1.1.1
              6 April 2015 at 6:11 pm

              Yeah, that’s right, Draco. 800 pages that explain exactly what happened doesn’t count. The eyewitness testimony of thousands of New Yorkers doesn’t count. The deaths of 3000 people doesn’t count. Some mad righties with no alternatives frothing on the interwebs? Totes reliable.

              • felix …
                6 April 2015 at 8:36 pm

                “The deaths of 3000 people doesn’t count.”

                How is that relevant to the point you’re making?

                • McFlock …
                  6 April 2015 at 9:12 pm

                  unless the redactions in the 911 commission report include bits like “and everything else in this report is fabricated and made up”, it’s erroneous to say that “all the answers are ██ █████.”

                  Included in the unredacted bits are analyses of how 3000 people died.

                  • felix …
                    6 April 2015 at 9:30 pm

                    I didn’t think anyone was arguing that 3000 people hadn’t died though.

                    • McFlock …
                      6 April 2015 at 9:48 pm

                      depends on which flavour truther you speak to, apparently

                    • felix …
                      6 April 2015 at 10:55 pm

                      Seriously? That’s fucking nuts. Who here is arguing that?

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      6 April 2015 at 11:25 pm

                      McFlock is just out on some sort of flight of fancy reading in more than what was there.

                    • felix …
                      6 April 2015 at 11:30 pm

                      Weird thing for TRP to say.

                    • McFlock …
                      6 April 2015 at 11:50 pm

                      There’s been a lot of that lately:
                      “doesn’t count” becoming “hadn’t died”, for example.

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 12:11 am

                      So where’s the relevance then?

                      All I’m doing is pointing out a weird non-sequitur. If you think there’s a reasonable explanation for it that doesn’t amount to ‘AND THEY HATE PUPPIES TOO!!!’ then I’m all ears.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 12:17 am

                      Ok Felix:

                      Draco said all the answers are redacted.
                      TRP listed three things that supply or strongly imply answers: 800 pages, eyewitness testimony, and 3000 deaths. And TRP said that apparently according to DTB, none of those things count, but some rightwing nutter on the internet provides totally reliable evidence.

                      Are you up with the play, now?

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 12:36 am

                      I have been all along buddy.

                      It only makes sense if TRP is saying that Draco doesn’t believe those examples represent facts.

                      Draco contests the redacted report. TRP therefore reasonably attributes to Draco the belief that the report doesn’t count.

                      Then – in the exact same context – he attributes the belief that “the deaths of 3000 people doesn’t count”.

                      The problem with that is that the fact that 3000 people died isn’t evidence for or against any particular theory under discussion, crackpot or otherwise.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 12:57 am

                      Like I say, it depends what flavour crackpot we’re dealing with. But whatever. If you want to focus on one out of three as some sort of victory of… whatever, that’s cool. What about the other two?

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 1:01 am

                      The other two relate to the discussion. The third one was a weird irrelevant accusation.

                      Are you up with the play yet?

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 1:21 am

                      Yeah I’ve figured out that you’re playing the “ignore things that don’t suit you, fixate on the one thing you think you can distract with” game.

                      Although personally I’d like every truther here to categorically state that they believe the official victim count is correct before I agree with your call on its relevance.

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 1:33 am

                      So go ahead and ask them, but playing games with the precise body count doesn’t change what’s already been said and it doesn’t open up any explanations for it neither.

                      And I’ll thank you not to ascribe motives to me when you seem to be having so much trouble even following what I’ve said, which really hasn’t been all that complicated.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 2:28 am

                      Meh ok I’ll rephrase without suggesting motive:

                      You’ve spent half a dozen comments debating one of three things trp listed that contradict dtb’s statement that all the answers are redacted.
                      You have made no comments on the other points.
                      Dtb is still incorrect.

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      7 April 2015 at 8:05 am

                      Here you go McFlock, France has an answer for you.

                      😈 😆

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 10:09 am

                      “You’ve spent half a dozen comments debating one of three things trp listed that contradict dtb’s statement that all the answers are redacted.
                      You have made no comments on the other points.”

                      Why should I respond to those other points, McFlock? I’m not disputing them.

                      If you like I can go through every comment on every thread on TheStandard and put a +1 after all the ones I agree with, but I reckon you might then want to know why I haven’t actively disputed all of the remainder.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 1:57 pm

                      Arguing about the relevance of a single point when the outcome of that argument is irrelevant to the outcome of the argument that the points were made in does seem remarkably postmodern of you, Felix.

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 2:25 pm

                      Whereas sandwiching emotive attacks on your opponents in-between relevant rebuttals of their arguments is just an excersise in nasty dishonest bullshit.

                      So in this instance, sure I’ll be the post-modernist. Of course you could probably qualify too by arguing that being right about something means you can ascribe absolutely any view to people who are wrong about that thing, and that process doesn’t matter as long as the outcome doesn’t change.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 2:57 pm

                      It’s not dishonest. It’s the honest outcome of listening to ten years of nutbars fail to comprehend basic concepts like gravity and footprint. Given that and the nanothermite bullshit in links commenters have posted in this very thread, you’re lucky that only every other comment has been “emotive”.

                      While you’ve apparently been a fucking Vulcan all along. /sarc

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 4:06 pm

                      No I’m just a Vulcan right now. It’s a post modern thing.

                      I understand your frustration on this topic. However there is no justification for accusing people of thinking 3000 deaths “doesn’t count” when they haven’t said anything of the sort.

                      Even if they’ve said other things that drive you nuts.

                      Even if they’re wrong about all of them.

                      Even when you have other valid points to make, that just isn’t one of them.

                      And although it’s right up TRP’s alley to fling that sort of monkey shit at the wall, it’s beneath you to defend it.

                    • Lanthanide …
                      7 April 2015 at 4:17 pm

                      +1 felix

                      I had a browse of this thread and while I couldn’t really understand what you and McFlock were arguing about, your summary here clarifies it quite a bit. It really is very poor to attribute outrageous statements to people when they didn’t make them.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 5:20 pm

                      “doesn’t count” as evidence. Like the other two things in TRP’s list. If all the answers are redacted, nothing can be concluded from everything that is unredacted. Which is bullshit.

                      But even if your complaint were accurate, what’s your point: that it harms the reputation of a bunch of nutbars who seem to treat 911 as a hobby? It doesn’t.

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 6:00 pm

                      Nope, the point is (still) that he didn’t say it. And you (still) don’t think that matters, because nutbars. Or something.

                      And it (still) wouldn’t be evidence anyway unless someone were denying that 3000 people died, which (still) no-one here seems to have done.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 6:26 pm

                      how did you get “denying that 3000 people died” from “The deaths of 3000 people doesn’t count”, again?

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 6:37 pm

                      I didn’t, you did. Because that’s what would have to have been said in order for your “evidence” defense to stand.

                      Again.

                      Yawn.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 6:52 pm

                      Because that’s what would have to have been said in order for your “evidence” defense to stand.

                      You are incorrect. What would have to have been said is that the deaths of 3000 people do not count as evidence, not that they didn’t happen.

                      As in “oh fuck, all these people are dead. What can we infer from that? Nothing. Wow – 800 pages of report. what can we infer from that? Nothing. Holy crap, loads of eyewitnesses say that they saw planes fly into buildings. What can we infer from that? Nothing”.

                      All because some of one report was redacted. Which is what dtb said: “all the answers are ██ █████”.

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 8:06 pm

                      “You are incorrect. What would have to have been said is that the deaths of 3000 people do not count as evidence, not that they didn’t happen.”

                      Only (yawn) if it was (yaaawn) someone’s argument that (yaaaaaawn) those people didn’t die, i.e. that the (yaaaaawn) event itself never occurred.

                      Which it (yaaaaaaaaaawn) still isn’t.

                      Seriously dude, I’ve explained this to you so many times now. You’re either not being honest or you have a serious problem with comprehension. And you’ve never struck me as a fool.

                      It’s all there in black and white for anyone who’s interested, I’m done wasting time with people who treat 911 as a hobby.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 8:34 pm

                      Only (yawn) if it was (yaaawn) someone’s argument that (yaaaaaawn) those people didn’t die, i.e. that the (yaaaaawn) event itself never occurred.

                      Ah.
                      Your fixation on a logical fallacy is obviously due to fatigue.
                      Fuck off and get some sleep, then. Maybe you’ll understand basic logic when you wake up.

                      I’m done wasting time with people who treat 911 as a hobby.

                      And yet you go to such effort to defend their reputations.

              • The Murphey …
                6 April 2015 at 10:29 pm

                Q. How does the report explain exactly what happened ?

              • Paul …
                6 April 2015 at 10:29 pm

                You are unwilling to debate this topic reasonably

    • TheContrarian 11.4
      6 April 2015 at 1:59 pm

      It absolutely did not fall at free fall speed. Why do people keep repeating this easily disproved “fact” when it has conclusively shown to be fucking rubbish?

      • Paul 11.4.1
        6 April 2015 at 2:06 pm

        Have you seen the Architects and Engineers film?

        • TheContrarian 11.4.1.1
          6 April 2015 at 2:13 pm

          You can see chunks of rubble, which are in free fall, fall faster than the building. Pretty clear evidence the building isn’t falling at free fall.

          • Paul 11.4.1.1.1
            6 April 2015 at 2:15 pm

            Have you seen the Architects and Engineers film?

            • TheContrarian 11.4.1.1.1.1
              6 April 2015 at 2:18 pm

              Yes. An it is still very clear that the building isn’t falling at free fall.

              • Paul …
                6 April 2015 at 2:31 pm

                It’s clear the official story is nonsense.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  7 April 2015 at 7:39 am

                  How would you know? You haven’t even read the official story, nor are you equipped to assess its veracity, nor willing to debate any of your talking points.

                  For example, when Penny Bright displayed her ignorance of the tensile response of steel to temperature, and pretended that aviation fuel was the only flammable substance present, you agreed with her, then failed to respond to the rebuttal.

                  I take this as a demonstration of ignorance and bias rather than willful deceit. Apparently 0.1% (approx.) of the architects and engineers of the USA are similarly afflicted. So what?

      • Paul 11.4.2
        6 April 2015 at 2:09 pm

        Name 1 steel framed skyscraper that has collapsed due to fire except on 9/11

        • TheContrarian 11.4.2.1
          6 April 2015 at 2:15 pm

          I think you are missing something…was it just a fire or was it a fire caused by a fucking airliner smashing into the building at several 100’s of kms per hour.

        • McFlock 11.4.2.2
          6 April 2015 at 2:18 pm

          but it wasn’t just “steel framed”, was it. And it wasn’t just a fire, was it.

          Or to flip it around, can you name a single building with similar construction design (as well as materials) that had a decent-sized passenger jet fly into it and it didn’t collapse? Because AFAIK plane crashes are running at two for two.

          • Paul 11.4.2.2.1
            6 April 2015 at 2:24 pm

            No plane crashed into WTC7.
            Apparently it crashed due to fire.
            Are you aware of WTC7?

            • McFlock 11.4.2.2.1.1
              6 April 2015 at 2:34 pm

              Indeed I am.
              So feel free to replace “decent-sized passenger jet fly into it” with “hit by debris from a larger building collapsing next to it”, if you wish.

              • Paul …
                6 April 2015 at 2:39 pm

                Hardly touched it.
                And there were only tiny fires.
                Are you aware the BBC reported its collapse before it happened.
                Have you seen clips of its free fall collapse?
                Clips of firefighters saying they were blowing it?
                Really have you actually looked at the mass of evidence supported by architects and engineers about WTC7?
                I take evidence from experts seriously.
                Who do you listen to?
                The governments flawed enquiry ?

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  6 April 2015 at 2:45 pm

                  You cherry pick the evidence that suits your beliefs, while either ignoring the vast majority of opinion, or implying that everyone who disagrees with you is corrupt.

                  It’s pathetic.

                • te reo putake …
                  6 April 2015 at 2:47 pm

                  4,954 Days. No evidence.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  6 April 2015 at 2:53 pm

                  “Hardly touched it”.

                  How would you know? You’re too lazy to gain an understanding of the engineering reports, and yet suddenly now you’re an expert on building fires.

                • McFlock …
                  6 April 2015 at 3:02 pm

                  See, the thing is that I have seen those clips due to previous arguments. And they never live up to their advertising, or rely on heavy editing. Like your “free fall collapse” theory, it took significantly longer than free-fall time to collapse. The math blatantly disproves the “free fall” hyperbole. I argued this with CR last time, using footage and G calculators and everything.

                  I’m surprised you missed that debate.
                  And another one.
                  And another one.
                  And oh look, 2009.
                  But feel free to keep recycling the same old bullshit.

            • tinfoilhat 11.4.2.2.1.2
              6 April 2015 at 3:20 pm

              Hi Paul

              I must admit i’m a bit bemused that people still debate what happened that day. I’ve never found it surprising that any of the buildings collapsed after the damage that they suffered.

              Can you explain what issue you have with the official story of plane crashes followed by fires and the other nearby buildings being collateral damage from the major two buildings collapsing ?

              • ropata …
                6 April 2015 at 11:53 pm

                I think the significant issue is that 911 was used as a pretext for extreme paranoia, the creation of a police state, and an endless war on terror in “the land of the free”.

                With the strange stock market fluctuations leading up to the disaster, and GWB’s weird reaction to it, it’s not too much of a leap to think it was an inside job.

                If it wasn’t a deliberate false flag operation it was a perfect opportunity for Bush, Cheney et al to live out their teenage wet dreams and play global war games (encouraged by their .mil sponsors).

                But as Hanlon’s razor goes (paraphrase) “never attribute to conspiracy that which is adequately explained by an epic fuck-up”

                • McFlock …
                  7 April 2015 at 12:08 am

                  I would have thought they could have come up with a better load of perpetrators than “Saudis trained in Afghanistan”, if it were all a bush/cheney concoction to invade Iraq.

                  Iraqi kurds, for example. Then throw in suspicion that it was Saddam not the Kurds.

                  I fully agree that it was an excuse to invade Iraq, and even that maybe they thought they might be able to build and protect an oil pipeline across Afghanistan as well. But a number of charlatans have also made a lot of money out of pretending way more happened than what seemed to happen on the day: nineteen hijackers gambling that hostages on four aircraft will work to an old template, while the hijackers switch it up a notch.

                  • ropata …
                    7 April 2015 at 2:16 am

                    Here’s a handy index to truther claims and the rebuttals thereof. Should save you some effort in future iterations of this argument.

                    Skepticism is healthy when applied to TPTB but not so useful when opining on matters requiring some training in engineering or science.

                    There are plenty of real conspiracies happening under our noses, no need to add a fictional one

                    (the military surveillance state, brazen bankster rorts, TPPA and the sale of NZ for example)

                    • Anne …
                      7 April 2015 at 5:23 pm

                      There are plenty of real conspiracies happening under our noses, no need to add a fictional one.

                      (the military surveillance state, brazen bankster rorts, TPPA and the sale of NZ for example)

                      plus 100 ropata!

                    • tinfoilhat …
                      7 April 2015 at 5:46 pm

                      “There are plenty of real conspiracies happening under our noses, no need to add a fictional one.”

                      Oh i agree with you on that – the 9/11 stuff all seems as a bit of a distraction from the more important stuff that you’ve highlighted.

  12. Penny Bright 12
    6 April 2015 at 2:08 pm

    Any of you folk arguing against 9/11 TRUTH ever cut steel with an oxy-acetylene gas axe ?

    Familiar with the term ‘heat sink’?

    Have you actually bothered reading the research of over 2000 qualified architects and engineers on this matter?

    Seriously?

    http://www.ae911truth.org

    Just have a look for yourselves – with an open mind?

    Kind regards

    Penny Bright

    • Paul 13.1
      6 April 2015 at 2:43 pm

      Believing the official 9/11 story.
      Why is that still a thing?

      • te reo putake 13.1.1
        6 April 2015 at 2:49 pm

        Trolling. Why is that still a thing?

        • Paul 13.1.1.1
          6 April 2015 at 2:54 pm

          No…debating a vital topic that makes sense of the the events since 2001.
          The Elephant in the Room
          You appear in denial.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 13.1.1.1.1
            6 April 2015 at 3:07 pm

            Denial?

          • McFlock 13.1.1.1.2
            6 April 2015 at 3:13 pm

            Ever think you might be wrong, that the events have already been pretty thoroughly explained by the “official” story?

            • Paul 13.1.1.1.2.1
              6 April 2015 at 3:22 pm

              Most polls show that increasing numbers of people question 9/11.
              We now know the US government lied about WMD in Iraq, chemical weapons in Syria and through Snowden we know they’ve lied about spying.
              And so you take the fairy tale about 9/11 as gospel truth.
              Most people no longer believe the official tale.

              • McFlock …
                6 April 2015 at 3:36 pm

                lol
                You started with “increasing numbers of people” and finished with “most people”. In one comment.

                And yet only 2000 architects and engineers are in that group…

              • te reo putake …
                6 April 2015 at 4:01 pm

                Most polls? Go on, cite me baby! Last time I looked, one in twenty Americans believed Elvis was still alive. I’m told quite a few of them are also convinced that God exists. Funny old world, eh?

  14. ropata 14
    6 April 2015 at 3:06 pm

    via the Irascible Curmudgeon, in the sidebar
    `
    There’s trouble brewing in Middle Earth
    1. Huge dairy slump, down 45% since 2013
    2. Overall exports down 27% since last February
    3. World dairy prices slide 10.8% in 2 weeks, in anticipation of a huge oversupply
    4. Auckland property CVs out of date, 20% jump in median price in 18 months

    It must be an Anglo-Saxon disease. You can see it in London, in Sydney, Melbourne, New York, Toronto. The new normal way to make your failing economy look ‘healthy’ is to sell assets to any rich foreigner or investment fund who comes knocking, no matter what the consequences, short term or long term. In all these cities, young people can forget about buying a home, that allegedly government supported dream.

    And everyone but the rich are pushed out ever further into the boondock burbs. It’s a ‘policy’ that kills cities, of necessity. Cities need people, real people, all people, poor and rich and old and young, that have grown up where they live, they love where they live, they are interested in making it look good and feel good. This is an ongoing and organic process, because cities are alive, and yes, you can kill them. But that’s for another story.

    …The country’s prime minister since 2008, John Key, used to work at Merrill Lynch and the New York Fed, and that sort of background guarantees valiant efforts to sell anything in the country that’s not bolted down, and take an axe to what is. It also guarantees zero initiative to become self-sufficient.

    Here’s Bernard Hickey:

    China embarked on an infrastructure spree after the global financial crisis. Over the three years to 2013, China poured 6.4 gigatonnes of concrete, which was more than was poured in the US in the entire 20th century. All that concrete needed reinforcing with steel and China didn’t have enough iron ore and coking coal to make it. That building boom created a glut of apartments and debt, which China now needs to digest.

    … iron ore production in Australia has only now ramped up to its peak levels. Weak demand met high supply to produce a price slump. This all may seem irrelevant to New Zealand, but it’s not. The Australian dollar has fallen in response to the iron ore crash, while New Zealand’s dollar has remained strong because our economy is humming along, thanks to building surges in Christchurch and Auckland and plenty of spending and investment.

    …The biggest log-trucking firm in the Nelson region was recently put into voluntary administration owing $14m, partly because of a slump in log exports to China. New Zealand’s logs are now mostly shipped to China to be timber boxing for the concrete being poured in its new “ghost” cities. The Chinese iron ore butterfly has flapped and now we’re seeing Gold Coast winter breaks become cheaper and logging contracts rarer.

    Time is winding down for NZ’s housing bubble ponzi scheme

  15. Bearded Git 15
    6 April 2015 at 4:06 pm

    On Radio NZ news just now:

    “Taxpayers Union Executive Director Jordan Williams welcomes the return of 10 years passports.”

    Why do they continue to quote this star of “Dirty Politics” and his far-right group?

    Anybody out there know the structure and status of of the Taxpayers Union; how many members; who funds it?

  16. Draco T Bastard 16
    6 April 2015 at 11:30 pm

    Over the years I’ve watched lots of sci-fi on TV and at the movies. Quite a few of them would have cars and trucks in them with dashboards that’d make a battleships sensors officer jealous.

    and then this turned up on twitter.

  17. AsleepWhlieWalking 17
    7 April 2015 at 6:11 am

    India to use weaponized drones for crowd control
    http://www.thedailysheeple.com/india-to-use-weaponized-drones-for-crowd-control_042015

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    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    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. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    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 ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    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 ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    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, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    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 ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    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. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    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 Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VII
    In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Accelerating the Growth Rate?
    There is a constant theme from the economic commentariat that New Zealand needs to lift its economic growth rate, coupled with policies which they are certain will attain that objective. Their prescriptions are usually characterised by two features. First, they tend to be in their advocate’s self-interest. Second, they are ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    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 - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    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, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Fast Track Projects advisory group named
    The coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. “Our Fast Track Approval process will make it easier and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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