Open mike 11/12/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, December 11th, 2022 - 58 comments
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58 comments on “Open mike 11/12/2022 ”

    • Francesca 1.1

      Time this was finished with. Assange's life and that of his wife and children have been damaged enough .And yet not a peep from any politician here, bar Chris Leitch.

      Our leaders dutifully denounce adversaries of the US for human rights breaches and assaults on the press, but not a squeak about Assange.

      Pathetic!

      • aj 1.1.1

        Time this was finished with. Assange's life and that of his wife and children have been damaged enough .And yet not a peep from any politician here, bar Chris Leitch.

        Albonese's lack of action regarding Assange points to exactly how subservient Australia is.

        The Munk Debates are a semi-annual series of debates on major policy issues held in Toronto.

        On Nov 30th Douglas Murray and Matt Taibbi argued that the MSN cannot be trusted, New Yorker contributor Malcolm Gladwell and columnist Michelle Goldberg of the New York defended the MSN. Murray and Taibbi won with the largest swing in the event’s history, moving from a 48%-52% voter deficit to a 67%-33% win. This debate is worth watching because Gladwell and Goldberg couldn't put up a defense worth a penny, but is long, takes 90 mins.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8OgH9EfxuM&list=PLWECjwdXWfiqWMsj6IZ2XFBM9oAG1iyb6&index=6&t=2s

        It's relevant because of the media treatment of Assange case, and the revelation late last month that five of the world’s leading news outlets have sent an open letter to US President Joe Biden asking him to drop the charges against Australian Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, after effectively hanging him out to dry once the USA starting chasing him down.

        Two days ago Aaron Mate and Katie Halper had a great interview with Matt Kennard of Declassified UK, Kennard nails the complete corruption of the UK judiciary (and the media in my view) in this matter.

        “It’s a complete stitch up,” Matt Kennard, author and co-founder of Declassified UK, tells Useful Idiots about Julian Assange’s extradition case. “None of the rules of the game apply.” Assange, who has been jailed and tortured for nearly a decade for releasing documents which shed light on the crimes of the US government, now faces an extradition trial teeming with corruption. But after a crucial witness admitted to lying, the US government was caught plotting an assassination, and UK judges were revealed to have major conflicts of interest, the case is somehow still continuing on. “It doesn’t seem like anything can come out that will stop it.” Kennard says. “That for me is the scariest thing. If certain powerful forces within the deep structure of our country want to get you, they can, and none of the principles we’re taught at school apply. They will get you and you will be ruined and the message will be sent that you can’t play at this level again.”

        https://youtu.be/iwyICKN3lac?t=1410

  1. Peter 2

    I presume as well as cardiologists and paediatricians there are mental health staff involved or keeping a close eye on proceedings in Auckland:

    "Liz Gunn and the 'purebloods'."

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130704550/liz-gunn-and-the-purebloods-how-the-baby-blood-donor-story-unfolded

    • weka 2.1

      mental health services are wholly unprepared for dealing with this phenomenon. Much like the rest of society.

    • Anne 2.2

      “A review of many hours of footage – much of which was generated by Gunn herself – shows how a private dispute became a public circus in online conspiracy groups, and ended with two parents, claiming to be prisoners in a children’s hospital, having their child taken from them in the night.”

      Liz Gunn is a deranged and deluded woman who is using her training and knowledge as a journalist to create false memes about her ‘targets’ – in this case the baby’s surgeons and the prime minster. She is telling bald faced lies and when things don’t go her way she falls into emotional victim mode and starts projecting her behaviour on to the targets.

      30 plus years ago, I was the victim of a similar individual but in my case she approached influential people in government and elsewhere whom she had met – or knew of – through a sibling (long deceased) who was a high level legal beagle with fingers in lots of pies.

      As someone who suffered fallout from my experience, I can claim that not enough attention is given to these types. They are narcissistic with sociopathic tendencies and are not beyond committing covert criminal activity.

      • RosieLee 2.2.1

        Then, surely, the best thing to do is stop feeding their egos. No more attention, interviews and microphones in their faces, no more tabloid type fuss in the papers. Blank them.

        • Anne 2.2.1.1

          I'm not meaning that sort of attention. I agree whole heartedly with your sentiments.

          I'm referring to those in authority charged with keeping the peace. Some of these types also have a tendency to commit unlawful acts but are very clever at covering their tracks. At present they almost always get away with it which is not helpful to those who have been victimised by them.

      • Mike the Lefty 2.2.2

        Underneath the (very) thin veneer of professionalism, Liz Gunn is basically a nutter. That's all that really needs to be said about her.

    • mauī 2.3

      Maybe it will be the psychologists that will finally get it through to them that wanting blood for a baby with a heart condition that is free from a drug with the ability to cause myocarditis/pericarditis is completely nuts?

      • Incognito 2.3.1

        [Consider this your Mod note]

        I’ve just about had with you and your mis- and dis-information on this forum. You are entirely free to believe that fairies have landed on the moon. You are free to state your belief here as your belief. You are not allowed here to state it as a fact, which is what you have done again about blood from NZ donors obtained through NZBS.

        [46] Dr Morley’s evidence (including her reply affidavit) is that there is no scientific evidence there is any COVID-19 vaccine related risk from blood donated by donors previously vaccinated with any New Zealand approved COVID-19 vaccine, and there are no known or suspected harmful vaccine related effects of blood from a vaccinated individual to a recipient of any age, after millions of transfusions around the world. There is no evidence that trace amounts of vaccine in blood or blood products could cause myocarditis. If there is any spike protein at all in blood, it will be in the picogram range (one trillionth of a gram).

        https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/cases/2022/2022-NZHC-3283.pdf

        Points 45 and 47-50 are also highly pertinent.

        I note that spike protein is not included in the Covid-19 vaccine.

        I also note that the mechanism for myocarditis caused by Covid-19 and other non-mRNA vaccines, including vaccines against other diseases, is unclear.

        • mauī 2.3.1.1

          How is what I've said misinformation? NZ's own COVID-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board has stated that the vaccine has the ability to cause myocarditis:

          • With the current available information, the Board has considered that the myocarditis was probably due to vaccination in this individual.

          https://covid19.govt.nz/news-and-data/latest-news/statement-from-the-covid-19-vaccine-independent-safety-monitoring-board/

          You also say there is no spike protein included in the vaccine, yet the judge in his decision states:

          • [48]… "However, it appears to be common ground and I do accept that mRNA vaccine-derived spikes could be detected in blood up until at least two weeks post-inoculation."

          [You claimed that blood [from NZBS] contains “a drug with the ability to cause myocarditis/pericarditis”. There is no evidence to back up this claim and thus you are spreading mis-information, at best. You should also re-read paragraph 46 of the Judgement, which I quoted verbatim in my previous comment. This is your final warning – Incognito]

    • I'm assuming that this isn't serious – because I'd hope that you know the crisis that the mental health professionals are dealing with right now.

      Mental health staff are utterly inundated with serious cases (people at imminent risk of harm to themselves and others) – and have neither time nor attention to spare for anything like this.

      People at moderate risk of harm are unable to get appointments in any reasonable timeframe.

      Nor would it be ethically appropriate for them to intervene without being requested to do so (self-referral, or referral after being sectioned).

  2. Ad 3

    Did anyone notice Auckland's climate change moment last night?

    We had three concerts going simultaneously that together invited 300,000 people to travel inward in the space of two hours.

    In those same two hours tropical downpours were so heavy that the Onehunga and Geeenlane rail lines were temporarily shut down, and rain volumes were such that traffic were down to 20kms coming in from both north and south.

    That is, at precisely the moment we needed all transport systems to work at highest efficiency, none of them worked, and it was because of heavy tropical systems hitting hard.

    There's really no work-around either. Quite a climate moment if one can see it.

    • Anne 3.1

      "Did anyone notice Auckland's climate change moment last night?"

      You bet. I was on my way home from an afternoon Xmas function and copped the load. Traffic was extremely heavy and we were reduced to a crawl for the entire journey. This is becoming the norm and is going to happen with rapidly increasing frequency. Yet there still does not seem to be any real comprehension of the enormous effect it is going to have on all our lives.

    • Sabine 3.2

      You get the services that you pay for and that you plan for. We neither plan for public transport, nor do we want to pay for it.

      And i am sure that the three mega events will have been mega super duper covid spreaders.

    • AB 3.3

      Add half a metre to a metre of sea-level rise and a full tide – then it's real fun. I worry about the centre-left urbanists who still want, in 2022, to do the work that should have been done and dusted in 1945-1970 – i.e. making Auckland a high-density, high PT-use, rail-based, non-car-dependent city. Long-term planning now should be about how on earth we abandon parts of the place, move it, break it up into smaller, more autonomous parts, etc.

      • Sabine 3.3.1

        And not only Auckland. Have a look at Papamoa and Tauranga. Wellington. Whakatane, Gisborne, and so on and so forth.

  3. Stephen D 4

    A centre right mate of mine asked me why not institute a wage/price freeze for a year, to stabilise inflation.

    So, why not?

    • weka 4.1

      because it disproportionately harms low income people and those living in poverty and thus compounds the problems with that. Even if you don't care about those people, there are still flow on effects in society eg increases in the costs of health care, mental health, WINZ, justice system and so on.

      • Sabine 4.1.1

        The issue that is still not addressed in all of that is the fact that you can not increases wages enough to ever catch up with price increases that may or may not be based on costs.

        You can have everyone on a wage of 2000 a week, but if your rent is 1750 you still don't make it.

        So essentially you will need to start with some freezes somewhere. People aren't spending in order to 'reduce' spending, they aren't spending as all their costs have increased to such an extend that no one has any dollars left to spend. It matters not what the RB or GR say in regards to inflation.

        Unless there is a concentrated effort to regulate basic living costs, regulate prices of shelter, food, electricity/internet and public transport nothing is going to change.

        We will always only play catch up and we be playing a really shitty and bad game to boot.

        • weka 4.1.1.1

          I don't understand why this isn't obvious to everyone. Honestly.

          • weka 4.1.1.1.1

            I mean, I guess it's harder to see if you own property and don't housing costs affected.

            • Sabine 4.1.1.1.1.1

              Most people don't own property, they own mortgages. They still have to pay weekly payments in order to keep that 'property'.

              I am one of these people, having bought a very small very cheap very rundown, very cold and very old property a few years ago when it came available. I don't own that property. The bank does. I own the costs of running the property, the cold, the rundown, the need to be fixed before winter bits, but that is all i own. And if i default on a payment I am as homeless as the person who can not afford to pay rent.

              The only difference is that the bank does not come knocking for a property inspections every other week.

          • Sabine 4.1.1.1.2

            It is not lucrative enough to be understood by the ones that would matter. Thus we get token increases in wages while everything else becomes unaffordable.

            And with every increase in cost a job is shelved somewhere else. a business closes down, but i guess that business just was no viable so it won't matter, a service cut here and there and suddenly, the world ain't that bright anymore.

            How many jobs need to be lost in order to get 'inflation' in order? And whose jobs would that be?

    • KJT 4.2

      Because inflation currently is not driven by local prices, or wage rises that haven't even happened yet.

      • Herodotus 4.2.1

        Over the majority of this century inflation was Imported ie tradable eg cheaper tvs , international travel etc yet many were counting this as success !! Well the short comings are now apparent, well done to all those governments of which labour has dominated. But most here cannot or will not accept this – muppets 😱 if you cannot take ownership how can you find solutions ???
        And now what ? a designed recession as the solution !!!

        https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/hub/publications/speech/2022/speech2022-02-25

        • KJT 4.2.1.1

          Whatever the last two Labour Governments have done, it would now be ten times worse if National had remained in.

          No plan, apart from increasing immigration, underfunding infrastructure and borrowing for tax cuts for the rich, and selling off everything that isn't nailed down.

          Unfortunately Labour have backed down, and, like National, expect ordinary people to take the inflation hit, rather than profit gouging corporates.

          http://werewolf.co.nz/2022/11/gordon-campbell-on-the-gaslighting-about-inflation/

          • Peter 4.2.1.1.1

            Mind you National wouldn't have turned motels into housing estates in places like Rotorua. Umm… just a minute, let me think about that.

            • KJT 4.2.1.1.1.1

              Maybe not.

              National preferred to support the second hand car trade, by tossing families on the street.

              • Herodotus

                Are you even noticing what is happening out there ?? People still live in cars – Even if the PM refutes it – It is still happening – Why are SO many Labour supporters unable to see how ineffective this govt is ?? Perhaps because as lawyers and other professionals they are not or ever have been exposed to the real world, They have spend all their lives in their upper middle class privileged lives. Go back and find some other reason to blindly argue that Labour is good – Because they are are a sham.

                https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/08/01/hundreds-living-in-cars-as-winter-chill-bites/

                • KJT

                  I am very much in the working class real world, though admittedly, a well remunerated tradesman, I spend my time with workers and people who have been disadvantaged by years of callous indifference to their circumstances. I've seen first hand Labour/Greens starting to turn around some of the shit.

                  You underestimate the magnitude of the task. Reversing decades of destruction which started before many of the current Labour/Green MP's were even born. And the effectiveness of the opposition, from those who benefit from them, to reversing the "trickle up" policies that date back to the 80's.

            • Sabine 4.2.1.1.1.2

              National would have done exactly the same, and the left would have complained about it, and rightly so.

              That is the only difference between the left and the right. The left will not complain about that shit when the housing of the homeless in rundown motels and other hovels is policy by Labour.

              And thus, here we are, people stacked like wood in rundown motels and other hovels without tenancy rights, without cooking facilities, without basic safety, and gang rule. And when the right does it in the near future – as the will to build housing for the poor is a bipartisan failure of epic proportions – the left will squeek up again, to no avail. After all if it is good for Labour it will be perfectly fine for National.

          • Sabine 4.2.1.1.2

            Worse then what?

            Not having a house to live in? Not having food to eat? Not having affordable shoes and clothing available? Not being able to see a doctor – any doctor? Kids dying of tonsilitis in a hospital emergency room due to lack of emergency care?

            Define worse. Seriously, why is it so hard to admit that both Labour and National have been very good for some, and an absolute failure for many? With the many being the poor, the almost poor, the soon to be poor?

            • KJT 4.2.1.1.2.1

              So much of what is happening now is due to right Wing failures, dating right back to the 1980's, and yes it was the Lange Government, Labour, that started it.

              At least the current Government are reversing many of those policy failures, even if way too slowly.

              However in fairness, the capacity to fix a lot of this stuff has been decimated to the extent that it will take decades, without a National/ACT Government fucking it up yet again, to sort it out.

              • weka

                My mum was social worker in the 90s. She said it was going to generations to sort out the damage being done. Here we are. Fucking grim.

              • Sabine

                No one denies that National is and has and will fuck up. Labours insistence in getting right however is not to be underestimated.

                In all these years of living in NZ i have seen rental prices only ever go up and until 5 years ago i was a renter. And fwiw, i can understand everyone that wants to buy a house, the bank is the best and the fairest landlord in the country.

                Maybe the government should act a bit more like a bank towards its citizens and keep the interest rates in check lest some more people end up on the homeless housed in a rundown motels somewhere train to nowhere.

    • Cricklewood 4.3

      Don't think you could call anyone advocating a wage/price freeze centre right

    • Sabine 4.4

      I would agree with a 'price' freeze on the following

      rents – private, council, state

      food – all supermarkets to not increase prices on basic items – remove GST

      basics – no increases for gasoline, electricity, internet,

      interest – a freeze on current interest rates, mandated by government, if the banks scream woe betide us, point to their profits

      public transport – free of charge – use some of that untaxed wealth and start taxing it to fund public transport, after all i hear that climate change is gonna have us all walking.

      Nothing however will happen, as profit must be made and some will pay in blood for these profits.

      The poor will be as always poor, the ones currently suffering are the middle of the middle class that is a pothole away from poverty.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 4.5

      A freeze or limit on company profits could also work, and would impact far fewer people, and those people much more likely to be able to manage compared to many people working for wages

      • Scott 4.5.1

        Uncooked we don't want to freeze company profits.

        The more profit companies make the more tax they pay and the bigger companies grow the more people they employ.

        • KJT 4.5.1.1

          Even the most ardent Capitalist will find it hard to defend companies that borrow against assets and future earnings, to pay dividends way in excess of current earnings, while neglecting investment in plant and employees.

        • UncookedSelachimorpha 4.5.1.2

          Seems that exactly the same arguments apply against a wage freeze.

          The more people get paid, the more tax they pay

          The more people have to spend, the more the economy will employ.

          Difference is that business owners (and share holders) are often better off than many wage earners.

      • Graeme 4.5.2

        A progressive scale for company tax so that more is put back into the company, rather than paid in dividends or used to buy back the companies stock would be a good start. Was a feature of many jurisdictions' tax policy through 50's – 70's but went out the window in the neolib revolution.

  4. Jenny are we there yetaa 5

    BAU is over. Infrastructure will continue to be struck by extreme weather events until it becomes unsustainable to repair or maintain.
    Case in point the lunatics who want to excavate a tunnel under the Waitemata.
    Within the lifetime of people being born today the portals of this proposed tunnel will be swamped by a storm surge, and flooded beyond recovery.

  5. Adrian 6

    Well bugger me, a heavy downpour in Auckland , it feels like just like 1952 all over again, or 32 or 22 or 1852 etc etc. It has rained like that in Suckland for 1000s of years it is a sub-tropical city ffs.

    • Tony Veitch 6.1

      You've gotta love a climate change denier!

      • Mac1 6.1.1

        Tony, you have to understand a view from a South Islander where the annual rainfall is traditionally about 700mm annually who also has a well developed sense of irony.

        For us, Auckland has always been associated with humid rainfall.

        We live in a grape-growing area. We know, because we are friends of local scientists, that the globe is indeed warming.The data from fifty years of grape research tells us that, incontrovertibly.

        I didn't need a scientist to tell me, a poor English grad. My asparagus bed produced spears in August. My potatoes planted in August were harvested in November.

        So, Adrian needs to be read as someone who is an erudite, very clever, singular entity who knows about wine, film-making and exaggeration.

        He is a friend, a plain speaker, and an engaging personality. I bet he and our Southland personality in Riverton would have much in common.

  6. Visubversa 7

    Not denying anything, but these 3 events actually went ahead. People got to where they needed to be. Guns and Roses at Eden Park caused pensioners to remove their hearing aids from Avondale to Epsom, and from Newton to Mangere, someone I had never heard of made the appropriate amount of noise at Western Springs, and the usual fireworks from the Xmas in the Park at the Domain were heard as usual as far west as Kingsland.

    The transport systems coped. Maybe not as well as some people would have liked, but they coped.

  7. joe90 8

    Despicable.

    A top MEP has been suspended from her party after police launched an investigation into alleged illicit lobbying activities by Qatar, in what threatens to blow up into a major crisis at the heart of the European Union.

    Belgian police searched 16 homes and detained at least four people in and around Brussels on Friday as part of an inquiry into what prosecutors called “criminal organization, corruption and money laundering,” as first reported by Belgian media and confirmed to POLITICO by Belgian federal police.

    European Parliament vice-president Eva Kaili, from the Greek socialist party Pasok, was said to be among those detained. She was suspended from the Socialists and Democrats group in the parliament “with immediate effect, in response to the ongoing investigations,” the EU-level group tweeted late Friday. Kaili was also expelled from the center-left Pasok party in Greece.

    […]

    Kaili, one of the parliament’s 14 vice-presidents, recently called Qatar a “frontrunner in labor rights” after meeting with the country’s labor minister, despite deep international concerns about conditions for stadium construction workers. She did not immediately reply to requests for comment Friday evening. POLITICO repeatedly tried to reach Kaili on her mobile phone but it was switched off.

    https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium-police-raid-gulf-lobbying-eu-parliament/

  8. joe90 10

    Happy 207th to Ada.

    https://twitter.com/SandiaLabs/status/1601593168059072518

    Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (née Byron; 10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852) was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. She was the first to recognise that the machine had applications beyond pure calculation, and to have published the first algorithm intended to be carried out by such a machine. As a result, she is often regarded as the first computer programmer

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace

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    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    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. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    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 ...
    2 days ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    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 ...
    2 days ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    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, ...
    2 days ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    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, ...
    2 days ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    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 ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    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 ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    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 ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    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.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    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 ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    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 ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 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 ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    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 ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    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. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    4 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    4 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    4 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    5 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
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