This interview shows the frightening reality of what the neo-libs of our National government want to roll out here. It has already begun in two big ways – NCEA/National Standards, and the promotion of charter schools.
Governments of this ilk want docility and compliance. They want narrowness of thinking and standards that leave little room for depth of thought, or breadth of understanding. People schooled like that swallow propaganda and do what they are told (1984) and authorities can easily push through agendas to suit themselves and their cronies.
We need to stand up and defeat this pernicious agenda.
Schools need the arts – music, dance, painting, drama. They also need proper programmes that promote awareness of the world and the implications for the environment of certain activities, so that alternatives are looked at.
If we do not push back against this crappy approach to what is cynically called a ‘good’ education, then we are doomed to become bots in a neo-lib world of crushingly oppressive monotony. An overstatement? I don’t think so!
It’s worse than that, my point is shown up rather well by what Gosman put up as a question.
Exceptionalism, and ideology become the replacement for critical thinking , the engagement of ones brain to solve complex issues, and creativity.
People keep banging on a bout a golden age of television, but all I’m seeing is some fancy film trick transferred to the small screen, without much in the way of engaging people to think. A reflection or a reality in the face of a population whose education is in perpetual decline? Time will tell.
Except the evidence for your hypothesis is seriously lacking. We are currently living in the greatest age of innivation and creativity and the US is at the forefront of much of this.
Neoliberalism has invaded our thinking and has all but taken over the education of our children, which means that a whole generation has been impregnated and will grow up with neoliberal indoctrination. We raise and educate our children to become self-managers or “entrepreneurs of the self” (Foucault) and teach them that everything has a price and thus anything can be had/owned if one is willing (and able, because of the ‘right’ choices) to pay that price.
Education is seen as a means to an end, an investment, and each customer-student will need to extract as much value from his/her education as possible, to better him/herself so that (economic) success is (almost) secure in future. Of course, this breeds individualism and diminishes respect for others – who are oft viewed as competitors – and (thus) for authority; all success is only for and because of one self and his/her own efforts. NB The irony is that neoliberals frequently cry out a lot about Law & order
Even The Kiwi Dream is steeped in neoliberalism and corresponding economic benchmarks with its emphasis on home ownership, a stronger economy with more jobs and higher wages, and world-class education (!) and the success of our kids, for example.
No (automatic) respect for authority is an excellent place to start with education.
An understanding that respect is to be earned and not given.
An understanding that respect must have a moral and intellectual justification.
So, I watched the first 20 seconds, and here’s an activist who looks like he left school yesterday listing the complaints that young activists have had about every country’s education system since at least the 1960s. Didn’t fill me with the urge to watch any further, but I have to say it is pretty funny to see RT, of all possible TV channels, berating the American education system for inculcating obedience and deference to authority. Oh, the irony…
As I said about Gosman, you seem to be in the same ilk. Going for exceptionalism, putting your prejudices first, and repeating the party line – rather than engaging your brain. Ironic enough for you…
If you engaged with the material, rather than just pontificate – I’d have somthing to work with. The above case is a classic example, you watch for 20 seconds, then pass judgement.
According to my sister, a teacher, the best educated people are people who have been home schooled. They’re more stable, have better artistic and creative capability, and they even do better in maths and science. And the parents also become better educated.
Given this perhaps we should be closing schools altogether and giving full support to home schooling.
Oh, great – a return to stay-at-home parenting. Which parent do you figure would be most likely to get saddled with the staying at home to be a teacher?
Ask Betty Friedan. Also, if both parents have careers they don’t fancy shelving, there’s plenty wrong with it.
At a more general level, there’s also lies, damned lies and statistics. Home schoolers tend to be intelligent and well-educated people highly-motivated to educate their kids to a high standard – and the results reflect that. If home schooling was instead something preferred by people at the bottom ends of the intelligence and education bell curves who didn’t really give a shit about education, your sister would be telling you how the worst-educated people are the ones who’ve been home schooled.
Plenty of families would like to try it. However, many are held back by the assumption that one parent (likely Mom) would have to stop working. But talk to homeschooling parents and you find that a number are attempting the ultimate “second shift”: building a career while running a small school operation at the same time.
It sounds crazy, but it’s doable for people committed to the approach. Catherine Gillespie, a marketing consultant, says that combining the two means she earns a good living while “getting to give my kids individualized educations that really meet their needs.”
Home schoolers tend to be intelligent and well-educated people highly-motivated to educate their kids to a high standard – and the results reflect that.
To some degree but, IMO, the results more reflect the environment that the children learn in one component of which is that their teacher is actually taking an interest in them.
And the parents will have to learn as well so even if they start off uneducated they won’t be by the time they’ve got a 10 year old child.
Lol 2: is it my responsibility to home doctor my kids as well, or is it OK to outsource that one?
And I feel real sorry for people who think their careers are all that matters. They have such a limited view of life.
Well, sure, they sound like terrible people to be around. Fortunately, not wanting to give up your career != thinking your career is all that matters.
And then there’s this:
Yep. And, funnily enough, all the parents they talk to who are home schooling their kids and working part-time are women. I’m picking the number of women who’d be enthusiastic about the prospect of having teaching added to their existing child-minding, housework and paid employment jobs would be a fairly small one.
Why are you so insistent that everybody has to work? Think about that one really hard because that is actually what you’re saying.
Why are you so insistent that only women can stay home to home school the kids? Perhaps having the men do it will help change the rape culture we have.
And, yes, having children is a responsibility. I think it’s a responsibility shared between society and the parents but the parents do hold a lot of that responsibility.
And then consider: How many parents with both working could find a couple of hours each day to teach their kids? Yeah, that’s all it takes. All that creativity that home schooled kids have comes from the fact that they spend most of their time playing. Using their minds in a creative manner all the time rather than having it regimented in a box.
Why are you so insistent that everybody has to work?
I am? And here I was thinking I was replying to your comment suggesting we should do away with the public education system so that parents have no choice but to educate their children themselves. I’m saying everybody who wants to work should be able to – there’s a difference.
But, since you asked – what is the case for people working for a living and contributing to their society beyond simply producing more humans? Because we’re not rabbits, that’s why. If the sum achievement of your life is that you made a few more like yourself, any bacterium or even virus could regard itself as superior. A human should aspire to something a little higher.
Why are you so insistent that only women can stay home to home school the kids?
It ain’t me that’s insisting, I’m just pointing out the society we have in the real, actually-existing world, as opposed to the one you’d prefer us to have in the realms of ideology.
How many parents with both working could find a couple of hours each day to teach their kids?
I get the feeling that child-rearing for you is a strictly theoretical concept. For what it’s worth, parents who both work spend the majority of their time caring for and, yes, educating their children. That 45 hours of the week they outsource it is a fraction of the total – even if you just count the awake hours it’s a lot less than half.
And I am sure that the innovative “Number 8 wire ” approach to things came out of the little country schools which have mostly been closed down now … vanishing with it the “Number 8 wire” innovators.
I recall a physics experiment that required some shielding: MIT grad students used titanium and all sorts of exotic materials, at great cost and delay.
Otago replicated the results with cardboard painted black. They might have required two layers of it, though…
Yeah, you don’t number 8 wire a bridge construction. People die. But it can be appropriate and quicker than conventional solutions. That’s the benefit of diversity.
The “number 8 wire ” mentality is the ability to think outside the square. Lateral thinking like this is on the wan and is something that our modern schools have noted and that they are trying to find ways to nurture. With Home schooling there is more opportunity because there is more time to expand a child’s way of thinking and looking at things. Lateral thinkers are a great asset to a country.
PS. My grandfather did build a bridge with number 8 wire – a swing bridge that he could ride his horse over and drive his modified tractor over ! No body died!
Any Aucklanders out there who want to hang with the ecologically minded, it’s Eco-Day in New Lynn today. A good track-meet for everyone involved in any campaign of any kind on the left.
New Bill Would Give Israeli Government Full Control of Broadcast Media
Under legislation being prepared by Communications Ministry, all figures of authority would be appointed by politicians.
Yes indeed, we’ll give you all the news that we want you to hear and not the news that you need to know, a depressing world wide phenomenon. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.776094
Interesting to see Phil Twyford indicating that Labour would lower inbound immigration numbers.
Would be good to see Labour clarify that – there’s plenty of inroads National can make into specific ethnicities if Labour causes anxieties into their traditional immigrant base.
Even migrants are complaining about the free for all immigration policy in Auckland – those migrants on minimum wages especially – people can no longer even travel around the city to work, god knows whats going to happen with any more people and climate change with all the houses and roads being flooded and falling off cliffs. For every 100 new arrivals we have 2 housing consents at 1 million dollars a pop and 7 houses being out of use due to climate change. Do the maths!
The dimwits at Auckland Transport are in a nolib meeting about how efficient they are and Phils going on about a billion dollar sports stadium! The Natz want more people in because there is no housing or transport crisis that the free market and deregulation can’t fix… apparently and I guess the hospitals and schools and police just have to suck it up more public funding in 2070…
So eloquent SaveNZ, as an Aucklander I couldn’t have explained our situation here any more clearly. In dumb speak, we are up the shit and there’s no clearing the blockage any time soon. In the past 3 years I read or heard recently we have had the population of Tauranga squeezed into our city – doing the sums even for a lackwit anybody can see what a disaster we are heading for. An old fella in the library (older than me) said to me this morning, “don’t worry the Chinese will fix it all up for us” (sarc) .
Mr Goff doesn’t have a dog show getting any funds out of Central Government. He was saying in a recent interview that our arterial roads now carry more on a daily basis than transit roads and maybe the Government should heed this and place this burden on Transit for funding, I thought to myself dream on Mr Goff. Our city fathers with the exception of Robbie have had no vision for city planning and Government love the money which comes into the city but loathes to help us out.
Every winter Sarah* and Mike make the choice between groceries, or clothes for their children.
Born 14 weeks early, Destiny has a weakened immune system and gets sick easily. Last winter, she missed a whole term of school due to sickness.
Poverty has been labelled the key driver for respiratory illnesses that are weighing on New Zealand’s economy to the tune of $6 billion each year, according to figures from the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation.
But with a family of eight, the $500-odd they get from Work and Income and Mark’s part-time job as a teacher aide only goes so far, Sarah said.
David Farrar makes an obvious point:
Maybe have fewer kids?
I am all for a welfare system that allows a couple, no matter their income, to support say a couple of kids. But six kids? Surely there should be some personal responsibility about having more kids than you can afford.
That’s a fair point.
But the couple already have eight kids, and those kids didn’t chose to be in large family. The State has no choice but to help support them.
But perhaps the State could also do more to educate and encourage people to be sensible and responsible about how many babies they have before they become such a problem.
Farrar flies regularly around the world on holidays he then blogs about.
Surely there should be some personal responsibility about having more overseas flights than the planet can afford. Maybe have fewer flights?
Perhaps two?
For goodness sake, Pete.
Get a life.
I thought very carefully about how many children to have, considering things like world population and how to give what kids I had the best opportunities with my resources.
Good for you. How about leaving everyone else to make their own choices about how many children they have; you and Farrar both;
“perhaps two”
How magnanimous!
Is this what you are talking about? Only have children you can afford? Sensible Family planning?
Are you then also talking about
sexual education – the biological kind with how babies are made and born,
the fund kind – sex, how to, with whom and why, and how to consent
Birth Controll – the pill, the morning after pill, IUD, condoms?
Vasectomies and Hysterectomies on demand – non of that ‘but what if you want to have children later’ ‘or your husband/wife might want to have children later”
abortion – legal and on demand
or are you one of these compassionate conservatives that advocate abstinence only, and intercourse only for those who are married and then only when procreating?
How would you want for people to sensibly plan their families? And do you think out PM did, and could our PM afford his children if he were not living and has lived most of his life carefully maintained by the tax payers largesse?
You are a fucken idiot Pete George – you just want everyone to be the same boring beige as you – thank the gods you are irrelevant – people like you and your insipid views are what is wrong with this world imo.
You know the lie that really gets my goat from the right, is inflation. The refuse to acknowledge that housing has been a run away inflationary nightmare, that has forced the majority of working people, and great swaths of the middle class – into debt.
But then again, when they can lie about simple things.
You can call it what you like but de facto it’s eugenics with a plutocratic paternalistic rationale.
Let me remind you of a couple who have eight kids and are opposed to birth control. They were so short of money their dad, a lifelong state employee and beneficiary who liked to pretend that he was a farmer had to resort to corrupt double dipping – stealing from the taxpayer – to pay for the lifestyle they wanted.
If only they’d been better educated…
You know who I’m talking about, but no, it’s the poor who have to be ‘educated’ to know their proper place – for their own good of course.
Hang on, it might be six… but all larvae look alike, so it’s hard to count. In any case, if it is a callous resources versus children debate and all children are mere economic/ecological units, then all Americans should be sterilised immediately based on their ecological footprint. As should the rich; the world certainly can’t carry more Trumpspawn.
Anyway, that’s my modest proposal. We’ll discuss infant cannibalism later.
“all larvae look alike”
Speciesist.
A blowfly mum knows each and every one of her maggots by their distinctive features; a cheeky look here, a cute curl of a lip there, their various likes and dislikes, favourite foods they dive into, others they turn their noses up at. Plus, names.
In one of Pratchett’s Discworld stories he mentions the dreaded Star-Toad With a Million Young. It’s method of killing is truly horrible: it shows its victims pictures of its children until their brains implode.
Even though you overcounted the kids, no it’s not a fair fucking point.
Between blended families, changing circumstances and what have you, who the hell knows where we’ll be in three years. House burn down and insurance fuck you around? Factory goes under and you both lose your jobs?
You and farrar can shove your kid-rationing up your respective arseholes.
Simply put, the planet, and New Zealand, cannot afford for people to be so irresponsible as to have 6+ children, regardless of their personal circumstances.
ok, so what are you going to do about it: forced sterilisation? Take the kids off them? Let the kids get sick or starve? What about a brady bunch scenario? Would they have an excuse you deem worthy enough to not sniff at then?
How’s this for an option: economically developed countries tend to have low birthrates, some even below population maintenance. Developing nations have high birthrates. Maybe if we addressed global, regional and local income inequality, the birthrate problem will take care of itself.
Good point people in existing relationships who were supporting their children without any financial help get assistance for a set period of time.
What it boils down to though is if you can afford to have one kid, have one, two have two, etc
Just don’t keep having kids and expecting the taxpayer to pay you.
Climate change, automation and extended life are going to be major issues in the near future governments really have to start to think about how many new people they bring into the mix.
How many people on the DPB currently had all their kids while on the DPB?
CC is a real imperative to move to a steady or declining population. But that has nothing to do with individual family size. It’s to do with the ecological footprint that NZ and the planet can sustain. Given NZ is still increasing in population, how do you propose to stop people having kids? Because I’m pretty sure that it’s not the odd woman on the DPB with 6 kids that is causing that rise. So I’d love to hear the plan for restricting NZ’s population, esp the middle classes and 1% era who use up the most resources and pollute the most.
I do think people will soon have start to seriously think about automation, sure there’s a hardwired biological urge to breed, but what sort of life are they setting their children up for?
It’s getting pretty tough now with everyone needing a degree to even make the first cut for 90% of jobs, massive loan and a shrinking job market, there will be tough times ahead.
I have no doubt 50% unemployment will be the norm in the next 20-25 years, there’s going to be massive social upheaval as society adapts to that.
I have no doubt 50% unemployment will be the norm in the next 20-25 years,
Only if we allow the capitalists to remain in charge.
If we don’t and change the system the 50% unemployment will be 50% in R&D.
R&D is a numbers game. The more people you have in it the more ideas you have to look at and thus the more workable ideas will be found and developed.
Unfortunately, NZ puts the numbers into doing more of the same old stuff rather than developing new ideas and that is the result of the capitalists trying to do things on the cheap.
President Trump ordered a military strike on Syria Thursday night in response to a recent chemical attack. By Friday afternoon, a supportive PAC was fundraising off of the strike.
“Last night, President Trump ordered military action against Syria in response to their chemical weapons attack,” an email from the Great America PAC, first flagged by Dave Levinthal at the Center for Public Integrity, read.
“59 United States tomahawk missiles destroyed the airfield used to store Syria’s toxic weapons and aircraft involved in the Sarin gas attack.
Wait59 Tomahawks? 59? 59 TLAMs is enough firepower to level a city center – and yet didn't disable a runway? I call bullshit— Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) April 8, 2017
(THREAD) The evidence that Trump's completely ineffectual military strike on Syria was just an empty political gesture is now overwhelming. pic.twitter.com/hI6sBgIQX1— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) April 7, 2017
[…]
(9) Incredibly—bizarrely—Trump somehow struck Syria with _59 Tomahawk missiles_ without articulating even a _single_ coherent strategic aim. pic.twitter.com/G3G6Md25SB— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) April 7, 2017
[…]
(UPDATE) Reuters confirms Syria has continued launching strikes from the base Trump hit. This was the most ineffectual US strike in decades. pic.twitter.com/eiKzXoWfEa— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) April 7, 2017
(PICS 1) Notice that the airfield is still usable. Only one of five aircraft shelters was destroyed. "Damaged" shelters mean intact planes. pic.twitter.com/C1ezEitfgz— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) April 7, 2017
TLAMs are not really designed to destroy runways. They are used to destroy buildings, aircraft, and vehicles. To destroy a runway requires a concrete penetration bomb to crater the runway. But it is still relatively easy to repair. It is easier to destroy associated infrastructure and of of course the aircraft.
Nevertheless airbases are actually difficult to knock out completely. They are simply too dispersed, with lots of blast protecting revertments around each building and each aircraft park. Thus each building/aircraft requires a separate direct hit.
What was the supposed outcome, and was it achieved. In the meantime, lets praise dear leader and his awesome weapons. Would be a shame if no one would use them ey?
i only point out that the discussion about the weapons used is pointless. The question should be what was supposed to be achieved by this campaign and was it achieved. All the rest is weapons porn for arms aficionados and rather pointless.
I’m not really that surprise that air operations have resume at that airbase as it tells me the Syrian Airforce has really good Post- Attack Recovery Drills and flying old Soviet era aircraft such as the Su-22 which is built like a tank and almost flies like one operating from that Airbase. Soviet era aircraft were designed to fly from rough or semi prepare runways or airfields unlike most western built combat aircraft.
If you’ve got a spare couple of hours, a fascinating youtube discussion by some of the United States best alternative/realist thinkers in my opinion. Very relatable to New Zealand too.
“This summit brought together an amazing panel that consisted of John Michael Greer, James Howard Kunstler, Chris Martenson, Frank Morris, and Dmitry Orlov to talk about issues ranging from politics, the economy, the food we eat, immigration, labor, poverty, minorities, war, and much more. Please be sure to like and share and stay tuned for more dynamic events from The Center For Progressive Urban Politics!”
A U.S. Navy strike group will be moving toward the western Pacific Ocean near the Korean peninsula, a U.S. official told Reuters on Saturday.
The moves comes as concerns grow about North Korea’s advancing weapons program. Earlier this month North Korea tested a liquid-fueled Scud missile which only traveled a fraction of its range.
The Carl Vinson strike group, which includes an aircraft carrier, will make its way from Singapore toward the Korean peninsula, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
BUDAPEST, Hungary — A group with alleged historical links to Nazi Germany has told NBC News it was “proud” when President Donald Trump’s deputy assistant wore its medal.
Controversy has swirled around Sebastian Gorka, one of Trump’s top counterterrorism advisers, ever since he attended the president’s Jan. 20 Inaugural Ball wearing the honorary medal of Hungarian nationalist organization Vitezi Rend.
NBC News traveled to Hungary to dig deeper into Gorka’s ties with the group, speaking with members of the organization as well as with locals who knew him when he lived there.
“When he appeared on U.S. television … with the medal of the Vitez Order … it made me really proud,” Vitezi Rend spokesman Andras Horvath said in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. Vitezi Rend is also known as the Order of Vitez.
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 19 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...
The Tribunal had called on Minister for Children Karen Chhour to provide evidence at an urgent inquiry into the repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Midjourney image by T.J. Thomson As more than half of Australian office workers report using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for work, we’re starting to see this technology affect every ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nicole Sharwood, Injury epidemiologist | Expert Witness, UNSW Sydney Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock Injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among Australian children and adolescents. At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related. Injuries can ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Di Winkler, Adjunct Associate Professor, Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University Shutterstock/Ground PictureMany Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Salman Shooshtarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Salman Shooshtarian Asbestos has been found in mulch used for playgrounds, schools, parks and gardens across Sydney and Melbourne. Local communities naturally fear for the health of their ...
Family First says that the latest abortion statistics make grim and upsetting reading, with a 25% increase in abortions since the decriminalisation of abortion in March 2020. According to an Official Information Act request received by Right to Life ...
Ipsos New Zealand's inaugural participation in a global study on populism reveals a pervasive sense of societal and economic decline among New Zealanders. MORE DETAILS AND FULL REPORT HERE Ipsos New Zealand's inaugural participation in a global study ...
No wonder great swaths of the USA public are uncritical.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4DocEU2aTc
Which country has driven innovation around the aworld for the past Century and longer?
India
What innovations has India come up with in the past 100 years?
Oh please don’t be that dumb Gosman, it’s too early in the morning for you to play any racist games.
He’s not playing games, adam. He’s simply dumb and racist.
+1 Morrissey
lamb korma
scotland’s done its share as well
This interview shows the frightening reality of what the neo-libs of our National government want to roll out here. It has already begun in two big ways – NCEA/National Standards, and the promotion of charter schools.
Governments of this ilk want docility and compliance. They want narrowness of thinking and standards that leave little room for depth of thought, or breadth of understanding. People schooled like that swallow propaganda and do what they are told (1984) and authorities can easily push through agendas to suit themselves and their cronies.
We need to stand up and defeat this pernicious agenda.
Schools need the arts – music, dance, painting, drama. They also need proper programmes that promote awareness of the world and the implications for the environment of certain activities, so that alternatives are looked at.
If we do not push back against this crappy approach to what is cynically called a ‘good’ education, then we are doomed to become bots in a neo-lib world of crushingly oppressive monotony. An overstatement? I don’t think so!
It’s worse than that, my point is shown up rather well by what Gosman put up as a question.
Exceptionalism, and ideology become the replacement for critical thinking , the engagement of ones brain to solve complex issues, and creativity.
People keep banging on a bout a golden age of television, but all I’m seeing is some fancy film trick transferred to the small screen, without much in the way of engaging people to think. A reflection or a reality in the face of a population whose education is in perpetual decline? Time will tell.
Except the evidence for your hypothesis is seriously lacking. We are currently living in the greatest age of innivation and creativity and the US is at the forefront of much of this.
Neoliberalism has invaded our thinking and has all but taken over the education of our children, which means that a whole generation has been impregnated and will grow up with neoliberal indoctrination. We raise and educate our children to become self-managers or “entrepreneurs of the self” (Foucault) and teach them that everything has a price and thus anything can be had/owned if one is willing (and able, because of the ‘right’ choices) to pay that price.
Education is seen as a means to an end, an investment, and each customer-student will need to extract as much value from his/her education as possible, to better him/herself so that (economic) success is (almost) secure in future. Of course, this breeds individualism and diminishes respect for others – who are oft viewed as competitors – and (thus) for authority; all success is only for and because of one self and his/her own efforts. NB The irony is that neoliberals frequently cry out a lot about Law & order
Even The Kiwi Dream is steeped in neoliberalism and corresponding economic benchmarks with its emphasis on home ownership, a stronger economy with more jobs and higher wages, and world-class education (!) and the success of our kids, for example.
What’s purpose is served by creating armies of know all angry kids who have no respect for authority and want to spend their lives fighting society?
Unemployment and misery is the only thing you’ll find if you want to go down that pathway.
And you know this, how? A feeling, a vibe, or some other mystical skill you have developed?
Or are you saying – Oh wait you did not watch the video – come back when you have, and we will carry on the discussion.
No (automatic) respect for authority is an excellent place to start with education.
An understanding that respect is to be earned and not given.
An understanding that respect must have a moral and intellectual justification.
Sounds to me like revolution will be found going down that pathway.
Lol at you lefties and this revolution wankery.
So, I watched the first 20 seconds, and here’s an activist who looks like he left school yesterday listing the complaints that young activists have had about every country’s education system since at least the 1960s. Didn’t fill me with the urge to watch any further, but I have to say it is pretty funny to see RT, of all possible TV channels, berating the American education system for inculcating obedience and deference to authority. Oh, the irony…
Same.
As I said about Gosman, you seem to be in the same ilk. Going for exceptionalism, putting your prejudices first, and repeating the party line – rather than engaging your brain. Ironic enough for you…
As usual, your comment attempts remote amateur psychological assessment, but doesn’t bother actually addressing the points in the comment.
If you engaged with the material, rather than just pontificate – I’d have somthing to work with. The above case is a classic example, you watch for 20 seconds, then pass judgement.
According to my sister, a teacher, the best educated people are people who have been home schooled. They’re more stable, have better artistic and creative capability, and they even do better in maths and science. And the parents also become better educated.
Given this perhaps we should be closing schools altogether and giving full support to home schooling.
Oh, great – a return to stay-at-home parenting. Which parent do you figure would be most likely to get saddled with the staying at home to be a teacher?
And there’s something wrong with that?
Ask Betty Friedan. Also, if both parents have careers they don’t fancy shelving, there’s plenty wrong with it.
At a more general level, there’s also lies, damned lies and statistics. Home schoolers tend to be intelligent and well-educated people highly-motivated to educate their kids to a high standard – and the results reflect that. If home schooling was instead something preferred by people at the bottom ends of the intelligence and education bell curves who didn’t really give a shit about education, your sister would be telling you how the worst-educated people are the ones who’ve been home schooled.
Then perhaps they shouldn’t have children if they’re not willing to accept the responsibility?
And I feel real sorry for people who think their careers are all that matters. They have such a limited view of life.
And then there’s this:
To some degree but, IMO, the results more reflect the environment that the children learn in one component of which is that their teacher is actually taking an interest in them.
And the parents will have to learn as well so even if they start off uneducated they won’t be by the time they’ve got a 10 year old child.
Then perhaps they shouldn’t have children if they’re not willing to accept the responsibility?
Lol 1: you should get together with Pete George downthread.
Lol 2: is it my responsibility to home doctor my kids as well, or is it OK to outsource that one?
And I feel real sorry for people who think their careers are all that matters. They have such a limited view of life.
Well, sure, they sound like terrible people to be around. Fortunately, not wanting to give up your career != thinking your career is all that matters.
And then there’s this:
Yep. And, funnily enough, all the parents they talk to who are home schooling their kids and working part-time are women. I’m picking the number of women who’d be enthusiastic about the prospect of having teaching added to their existing child-minding, housework and paid employment jobs would be a fairly small one.
Why are you so insistent that everybody has to work? Think about that one really hard because that is actually what you’re saying.
Why are you so insistent that only women can stay home to home school the kids? Perhaps having the men do it will help change the rape culture we have.
And, yes, having children is a responsibility. I think it’s a responsibility shared between society and the parents but the parents do hold a lot of that responsibility.
And then consider: How many parents with both working could find a couple of hours each day to teach their kids? Yeah, that’s all it takes. All that creativity that home schooled kids have comes from the fact that they spend most of their time playing. Using their minds in a creative manner all the time rather than having it regimented in a box.
Why are you so insistent that everybody has to work?
I am? And here I was thinking I was replying to your comment suggesting we should do away with the public education system so that parents have no choice but to educate their children themselves. I’m saying everybody who wants to work should be able to – there’s a difference.
But, since you asked – what is the case for people working for a living and contributing to their society beyond simply producing more humans? Because we’re not rabbits, that’s why. If the sum achievement of your life is that you made a few more like yourself, any bacterium or even virus could regard itself as superior. A human should aspire to something a little higher.
Why are you so insistent that only women can stay home to home school the kids?
It ain’t me that’s insisting, I’m just pointing out the society we have in the real, actually-existing world, as opposed to the one you’d prefer us to have in the realms of ideology.
How many parents with both working could find a couple of hours each day to teach their kids?
I get the feeling that child-rearing for you is a strictly theoretical concept. For what it’s worth, parents who both work spend the majority of their time caring for and, yes, educating their children. That 45 hours of the week they outsource it is a fraction of the total – even if you just count the awake hours it’s a lot less than half.
And I am sure that the innovative “Number 8 wire ” approach to things came out of the little country schools which have mostly been closed down now … vanishing with it the “Number 8 wire” innovators.
Good.
We’re no longer a pioneering country cut off from the rest of the world, that do it cheap and half-arsed way of thinking is a liability, not an asset.
It can definitely be an asset.
I recall a physics experiment that required some shielding: MIT grad students used titanium and all sorts of exotic materials, at great cost and delay.
Otago replicated the results with cardboard painted black. They might have required two layers of it, though…
Yeah, you don’t number 8 wire a bridge construction. People die. But it can be appropriate and quicker than conventional solutions. That’s the benefit of diversity.
The “number 8 wire ” mentality is the ability to think outside the square. Lateral thinking like this is on the wan and is something that our modern schools have noted and that they are trying to find ways to nurture. With Home schooling there is more opportunity because there is more time to expand a child’s way of thinking and looking at things. Lateral thinkers are a great asset to a country.
PS. My grandfather did build a bridge with number 8 wire – a swing bridge that he could ride his horse over and drive his modified tractor over ! No body died!
🙄 good grief.
+1
Where is your citation Bastard?
Did you read the bit where I said ‘my sister’?
Any Aucklanders out there who want to hang with the ecologically minded, it’s Eco-Day in New Lynn today. A good track-meet for everyone involved in any campaign of any kind on the left.
Having a go at a sorcerer is probably a pretty bad idea for the National Party. How about another tornado at your upstream headquarters?
MSD = GCSB is not so far off. A question begging many answers.
Wake up.
How dare you try to challenge God
Er, What?
Only god round here is Lpent.
New Bill Would Give Israeli Government Full Control of Broadcast Media
Under legislation being prepared by Communications Ministry, all figures of authority would be appointed by politicians.
Yes indeed, we’ll give you all the news that we want you to hear and not the news that you need to know, a depressing world wide phenomenon.
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.776094
“He’s just a conniving hateful bloated punk who despises mankind.”
No, not Cameron “Fat Slob” Slater. Sean Penn is talking about Steve Bannon…..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/04/08/sean-penn-confirms-steve-bannon-was-a-bitter-hollywood-wannabe_a_22031754/?ncid=edlinkauhpmg00000003
Interesting to see Phil Twyford indicating that Labour would lower inbound immigration numbers.
Would be good to see Labour clarify that – there’s plenty of inroads National can make into specific ethnicities if Labour causes anxieties into their traditional immigrant base.
Even migrants are complaining about the free for all immigration policy in Auckland – those migrants on minimum wages especially – people can no longer even travel around the city to work, god knows whats going to happen with any more people and climate change with all the houses and roads being flooded and falling off cliffs. For every 100 new arrivals we have 2 housing consents at 1 million dollars a pop and 7 houses being out of use due to climate change. Do the maths!
The dimwits at Auckland Transport are in a nolib meeting about how efficient they are and Phils going on about a billion dollar sports stadium! The Natz want more people in because there is no housing or transport crisis that the free market and deregulation can’t fix… apparently and I guess the hospitals and schools and police just have to suck it up more public funding in 2070…
So eloquent SaveNZ, as an Aucklander I couldn’t have explained our situation here any more clearly. In dumb speak, we are up the shit and there’s no clearing the blockage any time soon. In the past 3 years I read or heard recently we have had the population of Tauranga squeezed into our city – doing the sums even for a lackwit anybody can see what a disaster we are heading for. An old fella in the library (older than me) said to me this morning, “don’t worry the Chinese will fix it all up for us” (sarc) .
Mr Goff doesn’t have a dog show getting any funds out of Central Government. He was saying in a recent interview that our arterial roads now carry more on a daily basis than transit roads and maybe the Government should heed this and place this burden on Transit for funding, I thought to myself dream on Mr Goff. Our city fathers with the exception of Robbie have had no vision for city planning and Government love the money which comes into the city but loathes to help us out.
Stuff Close to 500 Kiwi kids on charity waiting list for basic needs:
David Farrar makes an obvious point:
That’s a fair point.
But the couple already have eight kids, and those kids didn’t chose to be in large family. The State has no choice but to help support them.
But perhaps the State could also do more to educate and encourage people to be sensible and responsible about how many babies they have before they become such a problem.
Farrar flies regularly around the world on holidays he then blogs about.
Surely there should be some personal responsibility about having more overseas flights than the planet can afford.
Maybe have fewer flights?
Perhaps two?
For goodness sake, Pete.
Get a life.
I don’t have any problem with my life.
I thought very carefully about how many children to have, considering things like world population and how to give what kids I had the best opportunities with my resources.
Good for you. How about leaving everyone else to make their own choices about how many children they have; you and Farrar both;
“perhaps two”
How magnanimous!
Of course people should make their own choices, especially about something as fundamental as how many children they have.
It is best to be a well informed choice about the possible consequences and what will be best for the children, and for the world.
And it should include an understanding that everything they would like may not be provided for them by the State.
It would be irresponsible to tell them or give them the impression that others will step in and provide everything if they can’t manage it themselves.
People will be caught out by changed circumstances – but the risk to children can be mitigated by sensible family planning.
Is this what you are talking about? Only have children you can afford? Sensible Family planning?
Are you then also talking about
sexual education – the biological kind with how babies are made and born,
the fund kind – sex, how to, with whom and why, and how to consent
Birth Controll – the pill, the morning after pill, IUD, condoms?
Vasectomies and Hysterectomies on demand – non of that ‘but what if you want to have children later’ ‘or your husband/wife might want to have children later”
abortion – legal and on demand
or are you one of these compassionate conservatives that advocate abstinence only, and intercourse only for those who are married and then only when procreating?
How would you want for people to sensibly plan their families? And do you think out PM did, and could our PM afford his children if he were not living and has lived most of his life carefully maintained by the tax payers largesse?
You are a fucken idiot Pete George – you just want everyone to be the same boring beige as you – thank the gods you are irrelevant – people like you and your insipid views are what is wrong with this world imo.
Io Pan!
Yep – sad tired weak right wingers lay their usual disproved lies down like some revelation – pathetic.
You know the lie that really gets my goat from the right, is inflation. The refuse to acknowledge that housing has been a run away inflationary nightmare, that has forced the majority of working people, and great swaths of the middle class – into debt.
But then again, when they can lie about simple things.
You can call it what you like but de facto it’s eugenics with a plutocratic paternalistic rationale.
Let me remind you of a couple who have eight kids and are opposed to birth control. They were so short of money their dad, a lifelong state employee and beneficiary who liked to pretend that he was a farmer had to resort to corrupt double dipping – stealing from the taxpayer – to pay for the lifestyle they wanted.
If only they’d been better educated…
You know who I’m talking about, but no, it’s the poor who have to be ‘educated’ to know their proper place – for their own good of course.
Well said, rhinocrates – and in plain English!
What does “English” translate to, or look like in Chinese? –I always want to learn.
围栏
Thanks Robert, Now we all have become more wise. Mutcha Gracaisis..
I see what you did there.
你聰明的男孩,你
笑脸
Cute, nicely put.
Hear hear!.
Hang on, it might be six… but all larvae look alike, so it’s hard to count. In any case, if it is a callous resources versus children debate and all children are mere economic/ecological units, then all Americans should be sterilised immediately based on their ecological footprint. As should the rich; the world certainly can’t carry more Trumpspawn.
Anyway, that’s my modest proposal. We’ll discuss infant cannibalism later.
“all larvae look alike”
Speciesist.
A blowfly mum knows each and every one of her maggots by their distinctive features; a cheeky look here, a cute curl of a lip there, their various likes and dislikes, favourite foods they dive into, others they turn their noses up at. Plus, names.
In one of Pratchett’s Discworld stories he mentions the dreaded Star-Toad With a Million Young. It’s method of killing is truly horrible: it shows its victims pictures of its children until their brains implode.
@ rhinocrates (7.2) … very descriptive English 🙂
Excellent rhino, comment of the day.
Bravo.
Even though you overcounted the kids, no it’s not a fair fucking point.
Between blended families, changing circumstances and what have you, who the hell knows where we’ll be in three years. House burn down and insurance fuck you around? Factory goes under and you both lose your jobs?
You and farrar can shove your kid-rationing up your respective arseholes.
Simply put, the planet, and New Zealand, cannot afford for people to be so irresponsible as to have 6+ children, regardless of their personal circumstances.
ok, so what are you going to do about it: forced sterilisation? Take the kids off them? Let the kids get sick or starve? What about a brady bunch scenario? Would they have an excuse you deem worthy enough to not sniff at then?
How’s this for an option: economically developed countries tend to have low birthrates, some even below population maintenance. Developing nations have high birthrates. Maybe if we addressed global, regional and local income inequality, the birthrate problem will take care of itself.
How about no financial help, no DPB etc.
That will soon focus people’s thinking.
You could start now be saying that the DPB/WFF is only available for the next 10 years after that you’re on your own.
Are you suggesting the DPB/WFF policy dictates the birth rate there? Because I suggest that belief might be ‘barking’.
May as well just chain women to the kitchen and factory and be done with it. If I wasn’t on the phone I’d link to the new Handmaids Tale short.
Good point people in existing relationships who were supporting their children without any financial help get assistance for a set period of time.
What it boils down to though is if you can afford to have one kid, have one, two have two, etc
Just don’t keep having kids and expecting the taxpayer to pay you.
Climate change, automation and extended life are going to be major issues in the near future governments really have to start to think about how many new people they bring into the mix.
How many people on the DPB currently had all their kids while on the DPB?
CC is a real imperative to move to a steady or declining population. But that has nothing to do with individual family size. It’s to do with the ecological footprint that NZ and the planet can sustain. Given NZ is still increasing in population, how do you propose to stop people having kids? Because I’m pretty sure that it’s not the odd woman on the DPB with 6 kids that is causing that rise. So I’d love to hear the plan for restricting NZ’s population, esp the middle classes and 1% era who use up the most resources and pollute the most.
I do think people will soon have start to seriously think about automation, sure there’s a hardwired biological urge to breed, but what sort of life are they setting their children up for?
It’s getting pretty tough now with everyone needing a degree to even make the first cut for 90% of jobs, massive loan and a shrinking job market, there will be tough times ahead.
I have no doubt 50% unemployment will be the norm in the next 20-25 years, there’s going to be massive social upheaval as society adapts to that.
Only if we allow the capitalists to remain in charge.
If we don’t and change the system the 50% unemployment will be 50% in R&D.
R&D is a numbers game. The more people you have in it the more ideas you have to look at and thus the more workable ideas will be found and developed.
Unfortunately, NZ puts the numbers into doing more of the same old stuff rather than developing new ideas and that is the result of the capitalists trying to do things on the cheap.
What a load of lies you tell, and yet still utterly fail to conceal your vile ethics of hatred, judgement and betrayal.
The only valid defence for your behaviour is that you are suffering from a physical amygdala-based disability.
Are you a catholic?
Oh, do tell us exactly how many kids you can afford to have. No rounding, we want to know the number and how certain you are able to be about it.
Is it 1.41421?
Or 2.71828?
Or maybe 3.14159?
Volunteer your family and friends then bm – let’s start there – you could dob them in to the Ministry cos you think it’s such a great idea.
punish the children for the sins of their parents, eh?
Nah, I’d rather we defend children against you, without regard to the consequences for you.
BM – you’re a wuss. That’s too long a timeframe. Legalise cannibalism instead. “Eat a hungry kid today” could be the motto.
+1
No shame.
President Trump ordered a military strike on Syria Thursday night in response to a recent chemical attack. By Friday afternoon, a supportive PAC was fundraising off of the strike.
“Last night, President Trump ordered military action against Syria in response to their chemical weapons attack,” an email from the Great America PAC, first flagged by Dave Levinthal at the Center for Public Integrity, read.
“59 United States tomahawk missiles destroyed the airfield used to store Syria’s toxic weapons and aircraft involved in the Sarin gas attack.
What are your thoughts?”
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/04/07/pro-trump-pac-raising-money-off-syria-strikes.html
My thoughts are mostly about the kind of people who’d use this as a cash-generating opportunity, but this also struck me:
…destroyed the airfield used to store Syria’s toxic weapons and aircraft involved in the Sarin gas attack.
That’s a couple of pretty bold claims there – my thoughts are “This fuck’s lying to us.”
Jim Wright called bullshit, too.
https://twitter.com/Stonekettle/status/850529542125088768
Tomahawks can be nuclear or conventionally armed. These were conventionally armed.
By the way, Trump has stock in the manufacturer, Raytheon. Their share price just went up sharply.
http://fortune.com/2017/04/07/syria-airstrikes-tomahawk-missile-boeing-raytheon-stock/
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tomahawk-maker-raytheon-leads-rally-in-defense-and-energy-stocks-premarket-2017-04-07
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/according-to-his-most-r-firing-59-missiles-into-syria/
https://www.scribd.com/document/315632622/Donald-Trump-form-278e-disclosure-2016
A political stunt.
[…]
[…]
https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/850380219961815040
He’s just taking advice from the best of them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rrXn-PwwCw
The US has carried out 7,000 plus airstrikes in Syria since 2014 and HRC, a private citizen since late 2012, is relevant?.
/
https://www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/0814_Inherent-Resolve
someone said something very pointed today.
If Hillary wins – we will be at war within 6 month.
3 million more voted for Hillary.
We are at war, it must be that we and Hillary have won.
and of course it is very very important what she said. Never mind that she literally can say what she wants, it would not matter one iota.
TLAMs are not really designed to destroy runways. They are used to destroy buildings, aircraft, and vehicles. To destroy a runway requires a concrete penetration bomb to crater the runway. But it is still relatively easy to repair. It is easier to destroy associated infrastructure and of of course the aircraft.
Nevertheless airbases are actually difficult to knock out completely. They are simply too dispersed, with lots of blast protecting revertments around each building and each aircraft park. Thus each building/aircraft requires a separate direct hit.
all Hail Trump, the defender of the free world.
bit of a weird response to a fairly straightforward comment about what different weapons do in the context of current events
A knife is a knife is a knife.
What was the supposed outcome, and was it achieved. In the meantime, lets praise dear leader and his awesome weapons. Would be a shame if no one would use them ey?
They’re the same weapons every PotUS since Reagan has had. What’s your point?
point being
what was to be achieved with this rather pointless ‘attack’
and was it achieved.
as for my comment about the awesome weapons and why not use it?
Here have dear leader ask himself
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/03/trump-asks-why-us-cant-use-nukes-msnbcs-joe-scarborough-reports.html
i only point out that the discussion about the weapons used is pointless. The question should be what was supposed to be achieved by this campaign and was it achieved. All the rest is weapons porn for arms aficionados and rather pointless.
I’m not really that surprise that air operations have resume at that airbase as it tells me the Syrian Airforce has really good Post- Attack Recovery Drills and flying old Soviet era aircraft such as the Su-22 which is built like a tank and almost flies like one operating from that Airbase. Soviet era aircraft were designed to fly from rough or semi prepare runways or airfields unlike most western built combat aircraft.
If you’ve got a spare couple of hours, a fascinating youtube discussion by some of the United States best alternative/realist thinkers in my opinion. Very relatable to New Zealand too.
“This summit brought together an amazing panel that consisted of John Michael Greer, James Howard Kunstler, Chris Martenson, Frank Morris, and Dmitry Orlov to talk about issues ranging from politics, the economy, the food we eat, immigration, labor, poverty, minorities, war, and much more. Please be sure to like and share and stay tuned for more dynamic events from The Center For Progressive Urban Politics!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOFc0ZEmaHI
Trump’s gunboat diplomacy.
A U.S. Navy strike group will be moving toward the western Pacific Ocean near the Korean peninsula, a U.S. official told Reuters on Saturday.
The moves comes as concerns grow about North Korea’s advancing weapons program. Earlier this month North Korea tested a liquid-fueled Scud missile which only traveled a fraction of its range.
The Carl Vinson strike group, which includes an aircraft carrier, will make its way from Singapore toward the Korean peninsula, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-navy-korea-idUSL1N1HG0LO
Actual nazis proud of Trump’s nazi.
BUDAPEST, Hungary — A group with alleged historical links to Nazi Germany has told NBC News it was “proud” when President Donald Trump’s deputy assistant wore its medal.
Controversy has swirled around Sebastian Gorka, one of Trump’s top counterterrorism advisers, ever since he attended the president’s Jan. 20 Inaugural Ball wearing the honorary medal of Hungarian nationalist organization Vitezi Rend.
NBC News traveled to Hungary to dig deeper into Gorka’s ties with the group, speaking with members of the organization as well as with locals who knew him when he lived there.
“When he appeared on U.S. television … with the medal of the Vitez Order … it made me really proud,” Vitezi Rend spokesman Andras Horvath said in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. Vitezi Rend is also known as the Order of Vitez.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/sebastian-gorka-made-nazi-linked-vitezi-rend-proud-wearing-its-n742851
As expected.
http://occupydemocrats.com/2017/03/05/actor-don-cheadle-just-revealed-trump-refers-black-women-golfing/