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notices and features - Date published:
6:00 am, March 7th, 2021 - 31 comments
Categories: open mike -
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The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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I had Covid overload a long time back and hadn't bothered visiting any of the usual site with international Covid totals for some time. But this is a good way of showing what's been happening and a lot of other interesting stuff.
Interactive data visualizations of COVID-19
https://health-infobase.canada.ca/covid-19/international/
I think most people are getting tired of covid, including the PM.
less compliance with level three this time. Not sure what can be done about it. We all need to remain vigilant.
Borders will be gradually getting more secure with the vaccine rollout. The Govt will face difficult decisions and pressures for at least 1-2yrs to come on how to expand our contact with overseas countries.
Yes – the current vaccination of border, and border adjacent, workers lowers the immediate health danger sharply. But the political pressure on the government is going to increase.
They have already emphatically won the ideological battle over the elimination strategy, and their critics are reduced to pathetic catastrophising and finger-pointing over the minutiae of the execution of that strategy. But as the vaccine is rolled out, working out how, and how quickly, to dismantle our border controls will open up another front for political attack.
The best hope is that enough of the public now have a taste for the safety and security of the elimination strategy, that they will want to see a similar mindset dominate the winding down of border controls.
Opening the borders can only occur when a population has immunity or a vaccine which gives enough protection. There is still so much to be known about having immunity from a vaccine and immunity from having been infected with a strain of Covid-19.
Who said humans do not have a hive mind?
It’s mayhem at the shops in Auckland with enormous queues and busier than at Christmas time.
As a newbie apiarist, I find comparing the zombies at the malls with the wonderful community that is bees, highly dubious.
I can just sit and watch them leaving and arriving at the hive for ages. Hilarious how they evict the drones. It's a shame people don't treat property infestors similarly.
Bees go out to collect stuff that satisfies the needs of the collective. It is productive activity.
Humans go out to collect crap that satisfies the needs of the individual. It is destructive activity.
anxiety fuels retail
Addiction fuels a need and a need fuels an addiction. It was horrendous, carparks that are normally empty were chocker and the queues at check-outs were miles long. And I’m not referring to supermarkets. It was crazy.
I certainly did not want to participate in the shoppingasm. Messy.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/03/coronavirus-auckland-malls-boxing-day-busy-as-city-enters-level-2.html
changing the subject from Covid19. Months ago Donald Trump predicted someone would try to steal the recent US elections. He was correct.
Thankfully people stood up to him and stopped his cynical attempt to pervert democracy and steal the election.
I am surprised no trump supporters are claiming him to be a clairvoyant, predicting he will try and steal the election months after he stated such
A good example of what Bob Dylan meant when he said:
"Now, a very great man once said; That some people rob you with a fountain pen."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124329193/six-months-after-womans-two-cars-were-stolen-insurer-iag-has-not-paid-her-claim
Shouldn't that be Woody Guthrie?
The "Great man" referred to is Woody Guthrie. The bit quoted, starting with "That" was out of Guthrie's song Pretty Boy Floyd. So the piece given is by Bob Dylan who is quoting Woody Guthrie.
Bob Dylan? He should stick to writing songs.
[link fixed]
Sigh
You figured that you’re thinking about Bob Dylan is what Noam Chomsky is thinking about Bob Dylan? So, you Googled it and found that brilliant quote that nailed it?
As to possibly your only own original words in your comment:
Brilliant, utterly magnificent! Such a wonderful and original contribution. Can I ask, as opposed to what Bob Dylan is doing, today or in 1966-7 or so?
BTW, I fixed your link. It was as useful as the rest of your comment.
BTW, I fixed your link.
Thanks Incognito! Much appreciated.
It was as useful as the rest of your comment.
Ouch.
Well, let’s be fair here, it did not contain one original thought or opinion from you, did it? In fact, it was just another ad hom, albeit an indirect one. You earn more respect and make for better conversation here if you were to actually put some analysis into your comments. That applies to a few other regulars here too, BTW.
A very fair comment, my friend.
I remember we had a commenter here, James I think, who praised Jair Bolsonaro.
Still, despite the far right wing evil in charge of Brazil I do take issue with the headline. They are doing better than Britain by some margin. So what does that say about Boris Johnson?
Covid-19 deaths/million:
Brazil – 1238
UK – 1826
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/brazil-battling-worlds-worst-coronavirus-outbreak-as-mutant-strain-spreads/TBKBC56ZCGVNU6EZDHIBO65UTE/
Both counts per million IMO are heavily understated
Though the West has largely forgotten it, there was a time when political leaders felt obliged to cultivate and display sensibility.
That we often derive sorrow from the sorrow of others, is a matter of fact too obvious to require any instances to prove it; for this sentiment, like all the other original passions of human nature, is by no means confined to the virtuous and humane, though they perhaps may feel it with the most exquisite sensibility.
Adam Smith – his economics were not his main work.
Bolsonaro is not able to show empathy for the gravity of how Covid-19 is affecting the population or the impact that it is having on the health service.
Were Bolsonaro to require hospital treatment for Covid-19 he would get a bed in a prestigious hospital and he would have access to experts. He would have a high chance of survival compared to most people.
Mmmmmm. Sounds familiar. Was there another RW self absorbed President in the same continent that this happened to?
He already had it, in July last year:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-53319517
I was aware of him having had Covid-19. I am not sure if the latest strain could infect him.
Money can't buy you love apparently!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018786463/why-happiness-doesn-t-cost-any-money-at-all
…Solomon Islanders are able to produce their own food, to make their own shelter and have strong communities.
"They have the elements that we see in satisfied wealthy countries that make people satisfied but the thing is they achieve those without money and importantly with very low material needs, so they have low environmental impacts."
Solomon Islanders are able to produce their own food, to make their own shelter and have strong communities.
"They have the elements that we see in satisfied wealthy countries that make people satisfied but the thing is they achieve those without money and importantly with very low material needs, so they have low environmental impacts."
What have they got that we haven't? Perhaps we should adjust our thoughts – my suggestion is stop watching television etc. Read a book of fiction? Let someone tell you a different story than your usual. Go to a film – get out in the community. Make sure we keep the one we have.
Oh damn. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/437846/pop-up-globe-files-for-bankruptcy
Try a little garden. My gherkins this year were showing a lot of potential in my limited garden, lots of flowers and then curled up and dried gherkins. Not enough bees pollinating the male and female flowers. There is next year to get it right.