Heard something on TV3 News this morning about National increasing its lead to 55% of something compared to Labour’s 30% whatevers. No context about which questions were asked, who they asked, when the poll was taken, or anything much of all.
Ansell went for broke and may have terminally broken Act. I can’t see them getting many vote from women and I doubt many men will buy into his superiority complex either.
The women who support ACT are not squeamish about speaking bluntly about rational issues (including racial issues). I respect them very much.
In short, theyâve got guts.
More typical women are less rational and more emotional. Theyâd rather preserve relationships than rock the boat. Is that not true?
But women, by a reasonable margin, preferred to cuddle the various minority groups and spend more of other peopleâs money on welfare that to take the hard economic decisions.
New Zealand is awash with parties that represent the female view of the world: Labour, the Greens, the latter-day Nats.
But only ACT represents rational women and rational men. The party should not be ashamed to say so.
Secret Squirrel – I think this response thing could be helped if people first put the name being replied to, and that person can do a search under their own name, and the responses will pop up without time wasting.
Ummm it is an issue especially with the numbers of comments going into the system right now. What if I put an extra tab on the right panel for “Responses” ?
I Â have either the login or the last comment details in the cookies. It wouldn’t be hard to run a query for your last few hundred comment comments and then any direct responses to them.
Computationally it sucks up CPU – but it would only be doing it for the relatively few page loads from people who comment. That also means the spiders and bots won’t read it.
I think the Greens are a niche party, albeit with a strong level of support right now due to Labour’s soft support levels. Greens are trying to position themselves as more mainstream but I think they’ll find this difficult.
They have had and still have MPs who are on the extreme side of our spectrum, eg Sue Bradford and Keith Locke. Green policies on things like exploring for and utilising natural resources are relatively radical.
UF is very middle of the road on most things, not radical. They have low party support because they are seen as a single electorate single person party, Dunne’s personal versus the UF party vote in Ohariu in 2008 illustrates this.UF competes in a large middle ground occupied most byNational and Labour.
I don’t judge niche on level of support, I see it as representing more special interest rather than general appeal.
I support Greens being in parliamanet, and I support some of their policiies, and I have voted for them in the past, but as a niche party, I wouldn’t support them becoming a major mainstream party – unless of course they radically from their current niche positioning.
SS, you’re still just throwing the word “radical” around without defining it. It usually implies some sort of extremism, but in the context you’re using it it can’t possibly mean any such thing.
“UF competes in a large middle ground occupied most by National and Labour.”
And picked up 0.87% of the vote in this “middle ground”. That’s not the score of a party with broad popular appeal. That’s not the score of a party representing the mainstream of NZ.
“I donât judge niche on level of support, I see it as representing more special interest rather than general appeal.”
This is getting closer to a definition, but it still contradicts the facts. The Greens have several times the “general appeal” of UF. So why do you insist that they’re the outlier, the niche, the radical, when by your own measure UF is far more so?
Come on Squirrel, stop running away from the discussions you start.
Anyone considering taking you at your word that you want to encourage a more consultative, more inclusive, more transparent system of govt should have a close look at the way you conduct yourself in discussions on this site.
Couple of thoughts for the day with relevance to RWNJs (BB et al), Randists and free market afficienados…..just listened to a speach from Orlov when he mentioned the following…
Free markets are marginally more efficient than planned economies at using all the resources up until collapse is inevitable
and The free market is like a casino where all the chips end up in a few hands, when that happens the casino collapses, shuts doors and the chips are useless……
And, yeah, the obvious conclusion of the capitalist free-market is, firstly, economic collapse as the money ends up as large pools in the hands of a few followed (after an “economic rescue” ie, New Deal etc) by total collapse as the resources are used up.
The money ends up in a few hands and they don’t spend it trying to live on the interest (Money generated through other peoples work and ideas) rather than being productive. As the money accumulates at the top the interest payments increase resulting in even more of the money going to the few while the money going to everyone else declines. Eventually the economy collapses because there isn’t enough money in the hands of the many to keep it going.
Keynes seems to have seen the problem but his solution appears* to have been to get the government to borrow that money from the rich at interest**. At best this would extend the time between economic collapses but, eventually, the governments would have borrowed so much that nobody would be willing to loan to them.
* The a reason why I use “seems” and “appears” here is because, according to Steve Keen, Keynes’ 1936 work was misinterpreted.
** Now consider just what National wanted to achieve by cutting taxes over the last decade and why they’ve suddenly gone to borrowing far more than they need to.
It is rather sad that we argue left versus right in politics and the respective economics. Both entirely miss the point, they are predicated on continuous growth in consumption and debt. Neither is sustainable on a finite planet, arguing the toss about which version you prefer is deck chair shuffling on the Titanic.
There is one critical need to argue however, as we decline the usual RWNJ suspects will attempt to cushion their fall at the expense of the masses, by way of debt, force, expropriation etc. We conversely must resist and make them observe a good left wing prescription: the sharing of what is available equitably.
Unfortunately, even the economists who see the problems of austerity don’t realise the problems inherent within a socio-economic system that requires larger and larger markets. It is impossible to fulfil their vision of trickle down or even redistributed growth from a finite planet. Hell, the definition of economics given to me at uni was the study of the distribution of limited resources and yet the economists fail to realise that the theory they postulate and teach must result in the destruction of the environment,all the resources being used up and the few ending up with all the wealth (not that it’ll do them much good once the environments fucked).
We need to move to an socio-economic system that’s based around resource use and then we might get round to having some prosperity.
Labour’s flyers/pamphleets had been vetted and checked by Parliamentary Services where they were assessed as being neither electioneering or party promotional material. Therefore, at the time, those materials were given the independent OK to contain the Parliamentary Services seal.
Saw it BB and posted on it. I had a read of the legislation and can understand how someone would see it differently to the EC. From now on IMHO all parties should put “Authorised by …” on everything.
Â
It misses the point though. The authorisation requirement was to address the Exclusive Bretheren scenario where shadowy entities put out publications and no one had the chance to see where the publication was coming from.
Â
It aint called “stealing” BB it is called “mucking up the paper work”.Â
Â
BTW I thought you were all for freedom of speech and against Nanny State? This is pretty aggressive nanny statism doncha think?
Â
I support Phil. I reckon he has a good chance of creating history and in defeating a National Government after only one term. If he does not succeed and resigns then Cunliffe would be a wonderful replacement.
Labour had those materials independently checked and vetted by Parliamentary Services b.b. As for theft, check out the $7B asset give away that Key and English are sponsoring – those assets belong to the children and great grandchildren of NZ, not to the Chinese and Saudis.
The AG deemed it to be theft, remember how Clark had to change the law to make her theft legal?
You lot really do like rewriting history don’t you.
As for the 49% sale of the “assets” well the people of NZ don’t seem to mind much about that Viper, the coming election will prove that. Mind you, I know that will not stop you guys moaning about it, democracy is not something you really bother with.
So..one again I ask you, do you lot think stealing is OK?. we know that your MP’s think it is perfectly fine to steal from the tax payer I just want to know if you are of the same opinion.
[lprent: The AG never said it was theft as far as I’m aware. A three week ban for putting words into the AG’s mouth unless you can link to something where the AG explicitly said it was “theft”.
Arggh reading your comments – I can’t be bothered with idiot trolling. You are on probation for a ban until after the election and the only reason you didn’t get it is because you don’t normally act quite as much of a dickhead. ]
Bruv
Â
There is no suggestion that Labour has been stealing. The pamphlet is being reported to the police because the law says it has to. This is only happening because “Authorised by …” was not printed on the pamphlet although given the fact that it is clearly a Labour Party publication and has Phil’s details all over it I think it is pretty clear that it was authorised.
âŠremember how Clark had to change the law to make her theft legal?
Don’t forget all the other parties that got caught up in the AG’s rule change which included National who also overspent their allowed electioneering spend by the amount of GST.
Working conditions in the US IT industry : My current company, has no vacations. You simply tell them when you are not going to be there, and they decide if they want to fire you for the absence.
They also do not have weekends. On the Friday before each customary “3-day” weekend the owner declares an emergency that, somehow, MUST be finished by Tuesday.
No one wants to work there for very long. Turnover is very high. Projects don’t get finished, precisely because of the turnover. Other projects do get “finished’, but don’t work, also because of the turnover
The owner doesn’t seem to realize that he is sabotaging his own projects.
Obama hasn’t tried socialism bruv. His health care plan was stolen from the republicans, his ‘stimulus’ (which is now dropping off, expect to see further contraction and more unemoployment) was weighted heavily towards tax cuts at the top end.
About the only thing that has worked was the auto industry bail out.
No, it was the greed, outsourcing and the bad (because their boards are populated by oil guys)strategic decisions with regards to their designs (Bigger, more gas guzzling as opposed to small energy efficient) that made the industry collapse and the bailout worked because it allowed them to screw the US workers even more by financing more outsourcing making the fat cats and their shareholders happy.
Yawn. If the us had a proper health care system like grown up countries do then the unions wouldn’t have to negotiate that stuff.
And your idea that the US union movement is either powerful or socialist only goes to prove that you wouldn’t know socialism if it nationalised your nutsack
it was the unions (socialist to the core) who fucked the auto industry
Â
Yep you go to the Bahamas now and the beaches are full of retired auto workers drinking their pina coladas and living it up on their ill gotten gains.
Â
And you then go back to Pensylvania and there are all these ex merchant bankers and Wall Street types living out of scraps they get from Dumpsters and sleeping rough.
Â
Those god forsaken communist unions sure knew what they were doing …
Â
Â
Big Bruv, you really need to gen up on the term ‘Fordism’ – Henry T Ford paid wages way above the market rate for two reasons; firstly the jobs were tedious and boring, secondly nobody could afford his new cars, hence he paid his staff nearly double the average wage and they all bought cars too. Guess what, he started a thing called commercialisation, where everyone was envious of their neighbours vehicle.
Â
Blame the companies not the unions – BTWÂ can you actually tell me the real root of socialism? Let’s see….
Something called “big bruv” is, unwisely, trying to be clever….
So the next step is for you to admit that Socialism is a failed ideology,
Do you even know what you are talking about?
Obama has tried it
No he has not. It’s clear you don’t know what you’re talking about.
and near destroyed the Yankee economy.
“Yankee”? Clearly, as well as knowing nothing about political and economic theory, you also know nothing about American culture.
Why don’t you take some time off, my friend, and read a few books? Seriously, you need to do that. You are way out of your depth at the moment.
Reminds me of a joke doing the rounds: A CEO, a worker and an unionist sit down at a table. On the table are a plate with 12 cookies. The CEO takes 11 cookies and puts them in his pocket than he points the finger at the union guy and tells the worker:” Be afraid boy, be very afraid because that union guy wants part of your cookie”!
Tell me BB what don’t you get about 1% owning 50% of all wealth and resources of the US while 50% have to make do with 2% being unfair and those 50% organising themselves to get a bigger part of the pie being with unions being a good idea?
More than likely management that did for GM etc., parasitic, low life management.
Remember Reagan, Bush etc.? Unmitigated disasters for many Americans except for a few wealthy ones, funny that.
You and I agree that the management of GM were pathetic.
Pathetic for giving into parasitic union thugs
Pathetic for agreeing to pension demands that sent the company bankrupt
Pathetic for not taking on the low life unions and smashing them.
The tax payer owns GM. GM should have been left to fail, however Obama is so closely tied to the scum union movement that he wasted billions of tax payer dollars propping up GM.
Do a bit of research Viper, have a look at the facts, GM could not compete with other car makers because their wage and pension plans were crippling the company.
Unions are crucial to any strong well paid, successful industry. There are of course right and wrong ways to do union/industry relationships.
And remember, the unions did not negotiate the Private Jets for GM executives đ
GM could not compete with other car makers because their wage and pension plans were crippling the company.
This was only 40%-50% of GM’s problems.
Their repeated string of dud designs, over reliance on fuel guzzling trucks, unwillingness to support new pollution and fuel efficiency measures, and slow progress in closing the quality gap with the Japanese formed the rest.
Obama isn’t a failure for his “Socialism” BB but for his sleazy surrender to the banksters and the Military industrial complex, pandering to their insatiable thirst for more wars and more looting while the populations of the countries they invade and destroy and the American population die and wither as a result.
That’s the problem with you socialists, you cannot defend your beloved system despite the fact that it has failed everywhere it has been tried so you resort to abuse.
What a lot of tripe you utter BB. Socialism failed ? Not in the Scandinavian countries who have the highest standard of living in the world. Nearer to home how about Fonterra which is pure Socialism. Something you and farmers conveniently forget.
The price of oil won’t go above about $130/barrel as the economy can’t sustain that. Of course, the economy will still collapse once we start going down the other side of Hubbert’s Peak.
[lprent: Removed the excess bold. There was no need to make your text shout. You might think that it is IMPORTANT and requiring emphasis – others do not. It didn’t have a reason in doing it, went beyond the permitted minor emphasis, and I’m really really uninterested in having an emphasis war.
I could start emphasizing how much I disapprove by removing the offenders to save my eyes. ]
It was only one line! I always make sure to avoid excess bold or excess capital letters. I understand what you’re saying, but I didn’t think one line was excessive.
[lprent: Two single lines – your complete contribution to the comment in fact :twisted:. It is hard to figure out a point that it was being used for when it is the whole comment. You comment above is a lot better – the bold was an emphasis on your point (even if that was incorrect). ]
He’s heading that way. poor bruv. He had such high hopes. Turns out the country doesn’t like racist old misanthropes. Whocoodanode?
Speaking of Brash Bruv, where do you stand in the great Brash v Ansell throwdown? Brash was for Ansell before he was against him, so you could go that route too, I suppose. Like you were for Hide before you were against him, IIRC.
Don Brash this morning: “I can speak for most NZers that they don’t want Maorisation.”
Don Brash this morning: “I can’t speak for the others in my Party about how they regard the current publicity.”
On National Radio on Sunday morning they had a retrospective on the homosexual law reform, passed 25 years ago.
Didn’t listen to much of it, but did catch a speech by John Banks MP saying it would be a sad day long remembered in New Zealand because of what was being passed, with a very dark cloud hanging over parliament. Seems like he couldn’t have been more wrong.
Be nice if this little speech could be brought up around Epsom: 25 years ago John Banks said this, do you really want to be represented by a small-minded bigot from the past?
Banksie tried to chum up with gays during the supercity mayoral contest and it looked most unconvincing. Todays voters should know what a cockroach he is.
Homosexual law reform was indeed a reform that worked and has lasted, not perfect but made life that bit more bearable and fair for part of our community. Anyone remember the straight supporters little pink HUG buttons (Heterosexuals Unafraid of Gays) and Blue Jeans Day which could be hilarious?
The poor working conditions on NZ-chartered fishing trawlers is an ongoing disgrace to this country. Stuff reports on the latest saga here, but gives few details. Another article summarises the background and specific allegations:
 Slave labour conditions in NZ’s fishing industry
Â
If what this latter article states about the collaboration/indifference of Iwi company owners and the Maritime Union in perpetuating this situation is true, it is a sad day.
Intermittent signal July 2011/3
Great sounding NZ research that should make a big difference in energy, finding non-food sources, and can reduce waste. Don’t know what the disadvantages are – I guess that there is some law that for every improvement there is one. http://www.lanzatech.co.nz/
Hear interview on Radio nz – Can’t provide instant control, but your own work can get there in a few seconds.
Details from RadioNZ 9 to Noon program.
Feature Guest – Sean Simpson
Sean Simpson is the co-founder, and head of the science team at Lanzatech – a privately owned, NZ-based company which has developed and patented a microbe that eats polluting gases and excretes ethanol. (30âČ48âł)
Download: Ogg Vorbis MP3 (He makes some comments on the effects of our present tax system on forward-looking research and development in NZ, I think it’s called imputation.)
Seeing as how everyones labelling everyone a racist these days. Let’s have a debate about ‘race’ as it applies specifically to NZ ?
First we’ll define the terms of reference, then we’ll compare racial characteristics by a number of indicators to determine whether in fact some ‘races’ are indeed superior/inferior to others.
We’ll naturally include assimilated phenotypes, genetic markers, social norms, cultural values and ideals as indicators of any evolutionary oneupmanship with regards to adaptibility and natural selection/survival of the fittest.
…and then based on the outcome we’ll determine which ‘race’, if any, has the right to determine the “one rule of law, irrespective of race by which we as NZers should all live by”. and whether promoting any such rule of law is indeed racist.
yeah, nah…is that a radical idea whose time has come or are we still too chickenshit as a nation to truly confront our fears and prejudices ?
Further to my comments on young women, careless boozing, irresponsibility, and reliance on men to have superior standards to their own: nz herald 11/7/2011
A Timaru gynaecologist wants a campaign against promiscuity after encountering a shocking number of pregnant patients who cannot remember whom they had sex with.
Dr Albert Makary, who has been in Timaru for 20 years, called on national leaders, sports stars, schools and the media at a Forum on the Family in Auckland yesterday to “stigmatise” both promiscuity and the binge drinking that usually preceded it.
He cited a survey by a condom maker that said New Zealand women were the most promiscuous in the world, with 20.3 sexual partners on average. The world average was 7.3.
Kiwi men were also above average with 16.8 partners. New Zealand was the only country where women had more sexual partners than men.
“I get women coming in and saying, ‘Doctor, I can’t remember who I slept with yesterday.’
“It is very, very frequent. I’m not talking about one or two or three or 1000 cases. I’m talking about thousands and thousands of cases a year [nationally].” What’s more, they’re proud of it.
He said such promiscuity undermined stable life-long relationships.
The symptoms were increasing violence, sexual assault, alcohol and drug-fuelled car accidents, a growing incidence of depression and the world’s highest rates of both chlamydia and youth suicide.
It only takes one fundamentalist to discover a whole lot of sinners
I rather think you missed the point, Campbell. The reason these things have been called sins in the first place, is because of the damage they do to relationships and to people. There are examples in my own family – my somewhat dim-witted nephew has a wife who is hell-bent on churning out baby after baby despite repeated bouts of post-natal depression, because her own family life was so f***ed up. The reason they married in the first place, I have been told is because she was preggers, and because she was “easy”. Result, 4 children under 5 years old, and my sister is going round the bend trying to support this dysfunctional family (financially and emotionally). They’re both under 25 years old.
Hi Vicky, apologies for not being clearer. There are serious issues raised and I do not mean to make light of them. I do think that the articles could have done a better job of avoiding the potential reinforcement of negative stereotypes of woman and was wondering if the promiscuity debate was going to be used as part of a UFuture (or others) election campaign around family values.
and was wondering if the promiscuity debate was going to be used as part of a UFuture (or others) election campaign around family values.
That’s always possible – but I would stick my neck out as far as to say that “family values” aren’t necessarily a bad thing! Saving young women from STDS, broken hearts and a broken family can only be a good thing, I’d have thought.
As a woman (and back when I was a younger woman I felt the same way) I always felt a mixture of pity and revulsion towards promiscuous girls. (That applied to myself when I was one! đ )
Given that in some (but by no means all) cases there are underlying issues which promiscuity is but a symptom of don’t you think revulsion is a quite a negitive emotion/ tag which if normalized as a response is likely to cause further distress to the very people that you want to help?
…Chaste does not imply moral – there are no doubt many ‘promiscuous’ people who would object to the assertion that they are somehow less caring or functional because of the way they express thier sexuality.
Campbell Larsen – This is a sticky mixture of sentimentality and political correctness which does not give the women involved the respect due to them as adults who need to find adult ways to cope with life.
Prism – ‘sentimental’ ‘PC’ and somehow disrespectful at the same time?
Easy up on the name calling tiger – I don’t think we disagree as much as you think – the issue is health, both individual and societal – the approach to any problems should also be health focused and not come from a faith based or religious perspective, or from claims to the moral high ground.
Campbell Larsen – My point was that there is a sticky trap for those trained in political correctness often through social work courses, which actually involves fudging the issues of those people supposedly being helped. The focus of attention may be to the difficulties they face – their disadvantaged position in society, bad parent role models, constant sexual emphasis in advertising even to the very young girl etc.
In the case of promiscuous females this would occur if their behaviour was not directly discussed, with an emphasis on their own agency in the unfortunate result. Understanding the societal pressures should not prevent helping the person to develop their own adult competency to handle those societal problems. That is what I mean by having respect – that is respect for their own abilities, understandings and strengths. Anything else is patronising and infantilising.
well, seeing as we’re in the “pc gone mad” stage, why are you talking about female promiscuity and not male promiscuity?
Males get tracked down by IRD for 18 years of maintenance, have the emotional upheaval, and also find out that it really CAN fall off. And males are the ones who wear the major prophylactic against these issues.
But then of course, male “promiscuity” doesn’t seem to be the public health tragedy that female “promiscuity” is.
Â
… there are no doubt many âpromiscuousâ people who would object to the assertion that they are somehow less caring or functional because of the way they express thier sexuality.
True, but these are not the girls referred to in the original source! The ones referred to are living pretty dysfunctional lives, and have such bad relationships with alcohol, that they can’t have good relationships with guys.
‘The symptoms were increasing violence, sexual assault, alcohol and drug-fuelled car accidents, a growing incidence of depression and the worldâs highest rates of both chlamydia and youth suicide.’
Hm, most of which were instigated by said young [drunk at time of conception] women.
Scarlet As, people? Of course this problem is young women’s fault. Nothing to do with the rest of us.
Jim Nald Promiscuity? It takes two to tango?
The excerpt covers the two sexes and their promiscuity. (Doesn’t mention anything about the third), ie
He cited a survey by a condom maker that said New Zealand women were the most promiscuous in the world, with 20.3 sexual partners on average. The world average was 7.3.
Kiwi men were also above average with 16.8 partners. New Zealand was the only country where women had more sexual partners than men.
Also from CV’s link – “She said times have changed so much that the fear of getting pregnant or catching a sexually transmitted disease were no longer seen as reasons for not having sex.
“We don’t even call them sexually transmitted diseases anymore, we’ve changed that to infections which kind of downgrades it and makes it not as serious as they can be.”
A Timaru gynaecologist wants a campaign against promiscuity after encountering a shocking number of pregnant patients who cannot remember whom they had sex with.
My giddy aunt! No one can possibly think that’s a good thing can they? Aside from anything else, if they keep the child, what will they tell her when she is 5 and asks “who’s my Daddy, Mum, and why don’t we ever see him?” (She/he will ask, you can depend on that…)
Agreed.
We need to distribute more condoms and increase the availability of abortions and other family planning services.
Oh, is that not what you meant?
Agreed.
We need to distribute more condoms and increase the availability of abortions and other family planning services.
Yeah, that’ll help! Not! The issue as I see it, is the emotional harm done to both boys and girls, by a pattern of behaviour that causes huge problems for them and the children they have who escape being slaughtered! (Abortion also causes huge emotional problems especially if the girl allows herself to be pressured into it, either by her parents or the boy’s..) I’ve seen this in my own family.
When my son went to his school ball (he went only once, for the experience, as she and his friends were the designated nerds, therefore not interested.) He was both amused and embarassed to be issued condoms and pamphlets about STIs and what we used to call ‘the clap clinic’, with his ball tickets. He had no intention of either getting trolleyed or having sex that or any othert night.
If instead of being issued condoms and even more sex ed., (by year 11 they will have years of it years of it), girls and boys were taught more about the benefits of further education, there’d be far fewer teen pregnancies to abort…
Right – because tertiary education really lowers the libido!
Basically, from a public health perspective, getting 17-24y.o. who are all piled into a concentrated area to not shag each other is pushing shit uphill. The best you can do is throw rubbers at anyone and everyone so that they’re available when the impulse strikes, and they don’t have to overcome embarrassment to buy a french tickler themselves. “Promise rings” and other abstinence bs just plain doesn’t work, and they end up having unprotected sex (or unprotected anal sex on the grounds that it “doesn’t count”) and that leads to all sorts of bad stuff.
Drinking is another matter – price controls and licensing restrictions (not to mention better tools to enforce the current law) should take the edge off the worst of the binge drinking culture.
Â
Right â because tertiary education really lowers the libido!
Basically, from a public health perspective, getting 17-24y.o. who are all piled into a concentrated area to not shag each other is pushing shit uphill. The best you can do is throw rubbers at anyone and everyone so that theyâre available when the impulse strikes, and they donât have to overcome embarrassment to buy a french tickler themselves. âPromise ringsâ and other abstinence bs just plain doesnât work, and they end up having unprotected sex (or unprotected anal sex on the grounds that it âdoesnât countâ) and that leads to all sorts of bad stuff.
I never said it lowers the libido. But what it does do, is give these people a sense of having a future that they don’t want to risk. Do you know any 17-24 year olds? My son and his friends didn’t shag their way through university, neither did I when it was my turn. You seem to be very cynical about students. The ones who drank and shagged their way through uni rather than studying, are the ones who graduate (or not) and instead of being doctors, cardiac nurses (as my son now is) or lawyers, work in insurance companies, regretting their lost opportunities.
Your cynicism shows itself in the unsupported assertion that “âPromise ringsâ and other abstinence bs just plain doesnât work, and they end up having unprotected sex (or unprotected anal sex on the grounds that it âdoesnât countâ) and that leads to all sorts of bad stuff.” Your assertion is widely believed but it’s not true. People are perfectly capable of abstinence if they feel they have a reason, and I mean abstinence from sex and also from binge drinking! Sex is not a physiological necessity, no one dies from the absence of it, Shortland Street and other NZ TV drama notwithstanding. You seem to have a very low opinion of human nature, and you remind me of that satirical song by the Bloodhound Gang which my abstinent son used to quote: “You and me, baby/We ain’t nothing but mammals/So let’s do it like they do/On the Discovery channel”. Possibly you didn’t even get that it was satirical?
Years ago, I read a book about adoption, and the girls who in the 60s and early 70s, who were pressured into giving up their babies. The author (whose name escapes me right now) talked about the fact that the girls who devoted themselves to getting an education instead of an STI were on the whole much happier.
You’re also wronger than a professor of wrong at Oxford University that these people don’t want relationships, they just want to shag. That attitude is one I’ve heard put forward by the middle aged and older male, not by young women or young men. 17-24 year olds are terribly hung up on romance. Every time a teenage girl (or boy) has sex with a new partner she’s secretly hoping he might be “the one”. Trust me on this – my son is 24, and I remember my 17-24 years far more vividly than I ought to!
Â
Â
âYou and me, baby/We ainât nothing but mammals/So letâs do it like they do/On the Discovery channelâ.
Actually apart from our nearest genetic cousins the bonobos and chimps, most mammals have sex quite at quite limited seasons or stages of their lives. Many species will get by quite well with only several dozen acts of intercourse in their entire lives. Contrast that to the many thousands of times we are capable of engaging in it more or less anytime any place…with anyone… if we so desire.
So actually comparing us to animals isn’t right… they are usually far more restrained than us.
The abstinence debate has been well-travelled especially regarding the states and Africa. There is a reason that e.g. the Catholic missionaries went from Abstinence-only to ABC (abstinence – but if doing it, use a condom). Heck, armies have been trying to stop soldiers getting stds for centuries, and success only started with antibiotics and distribution of condoms. And, on occasion, regulated military brothels.
I worked in a university providing various services to students for many years. It might be cynical, but I think it’s realistic for at least 25% of the tertiary population, if not treble that (according to various NZ studies in the area). Not all students have sex at university, but quite a few do. Not all of those who have sex have it for reasons that are healthy, and not all who have sex practise safe sex. It’s the last two that are problems.
Oh, and your idea that everytime a teenager has sex they think s/he’s “the one”? Don’t make me laugh – and that goes for quite a few women as well as men.
Human beings are the most extraordinarily hyper-sexual creature evolution has ever produced. Yet the amazing thing really is how few partners most people have, compared with our physical capacity to have sex. Most people actually make pretty restrained choices around sex the vast majority of the time…so let’s not get too morally panicky here.
The real issue I believe, and lots of others have said this, is the prevalence of alochol abuse. And while both genders are responsible for their behaviour, ultimately it’s the dissolving of inhibitions that results in girls drunk in charge of their pussy.. and then having to wear the consequences.
And that is what has changed in the last decade or so. Now I do recall sometime in the 70’s ‘chaperoning’ a good friend of mine (later we almost married… but that’s another story) around a pub crawl to celebrate the end of the uni year. She held together remarkably well almost to the end, and I eventually got her home safe and sound… and unfucked as agreed. But it was pretty much a one off, we never made a habit of that sort of thing.
But these days the sheer numbers of scantily clad young women staggering about in public, utterly muntered is what has changed. The unplanned, unsafe sex is the consequence of this unsafe, out-of-control alcohol abuse. It’s the drinking that’s the root cause here; address that.
not all is as it seems that median vs average problem seems to be behind the high rates of sexual activity.
The long-running Otago multi-disciplinary study, which has tracked just over 1000 people since they were born in Dunedin in 1973, has found that half of the men had 10 or fewer sexual partners by age 32, and half the women had eight or fewer partners.
But a small group of highly active men and women pushed up the average number of sexual partners by age 32 – the total of all sexual partners divided by the number of people surveyed – to 20.8 for men and 13.3 for women.
Those figures are comparable, although gender-reversed, with a survey of 26 nations by a condom maker that found Kiwi men had an average of 16.8 partners and Kiwi women an average of 20.4 partners. The women’s figure was the highest in the world.
I blame the booze. Oh and maybe women here are more accurate in their counting or more likely to treat the survey as a joke – a cultural difference?
Brave Little Israel fights off Non-Violent Peace Protestors
Radio New Zealand National “World Watch”, 12.45 p.m. Monday 11 July 2011
Israel’s paranoid and increasingly insane political leaders are worried—they’re certainly working hard to stop dissenters focusing international attention on the illegal blockade of Gaza. More than 30 human rights and peace protestors from many countries, after being prevented from sailing from Athens, have now tried to enter Jerusalem’s Ben-Gurion Airport, but have again been blocked by Israeli machinations.
To cover this, Radio New Zealand National chose to run a ridiculously biased, cynical Deutsche-Welle “report” by the notorious Irris Makler. After approvingly outlining how the Israelis had inveigled several airlines, including Lufthansa, to actually do their dirty work for them, Makler said this: “Some Canadian pilgrims, however, found that it’s easy to get into Israel if you come in with a less aggressive agenda.”
But Makler was not finished. “A group of Israeli families of suicide bomb victims,” she sneered, “wants to meet with the protestors—if they get through.”
In spite of the dire and depressing quality of this travesty of journalism, it’s still interesting for what it reveals about the state of Israeli apologetics. People like Irris Makler really have only two weapons: defamation and diversion. Note how, after working hard at defaming the protestors with their “aggressive agenda” of peaceful protest, Irris Makler also played the diversion card—avoid the real and continuing oppression of Gaza, and talk about something else, in this case, suicide bombings which happened more than a decade ago.
I think a report as flagrantly dishonest as this one could be a case for an official complaint to Radio New Zealand, as well as Deutsch-Welle. What do others think?
I think a report as flagrantly dishonest as this one could be a case for an official complaint to Radio New Zealand, as well as Deutsch-Welle. What do others think?
I agree absolutely!
P.S., I am trying to post this comment and keep getting an error message, fill in name & email yet I am logged in. Was gibt? 3rd try… 5th try and for some insane reason I’ve been logged out. What on earth is wrong?
The login actually has a time limit that does not renew every time you come to the site. Unfortunately it can strike while you’re reading a thread so, even though the page says that you’re logged in, you’re actually logged out. You have to refresh the page and log in again.
Good description. I looked at it in 2009 and decided that there was bugger all that I could do to improve it. I didn’t want to play with the login cookie system. I should have another peek at it and see if they opened up the convoluted login code.
Warren Buffet knows that the rich have waged class war upon the poor for years; he said it publicly.
Edit – wait, he gave most of that money to Bill Gates???? Who in return seems to be giving most of that money to already well paid professionals at big universities and pharma companies??? If I may politely say, wtf.
Once again we’re witness to the horrendous images of starving people arriving at refugee camps in east Africa, with nearly 12 million people facing starvation across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia…
This is one of those problems where the more we spend the worse the problem gets. Ensuring that a group of people don’t starve to death just ensures that their children probably will because we haven’t addressed the underlying problem of over population. As long as we don’t address that these things will just keep getting worse.
The cronyism you note is par for the course for National.
It’s pretty despicable to cut foreign aid at a time when it’s most needed. Most of what National does I’m reasonably indifferent to, but this really pisses me off! National really are a bunch of heartless old bastards!
It’s an issue that isn’t going to go away anytime soon. Some of the problem lies with administration costs whereby a lot of the aid funds don’t get to where they are required. Controlling distribution lines would also help to ensure aid got to where it is most needed.
Another issue is that many areas affected by drought don’t have the means to irrigate or produce seed to grow their own crops, which is usually the underlying issue to starvation. Supporting farmers in areas of food insecurity through such measures as free or subsidized fertilizers and seeds increases food harvest and reduces food prices.
Crop failure will become more prevalent with the increased effects of climate change. That could be a serious issue considering the UN recently said food production will need to double by 2050 to meet demand.
Overpopulation is a tricky one. Education is probably the best remedy there. The more education the less incidence of starvation or implementation of more draconian policies.
The earth can in fact sustain many more humans with proper wealth distribution and measures to increase food production such as proper crop selection. Restricting the use of genetically engineered seeds, helping countries develop proper irrigation systems and education goes a long way to developing self reliance.
It’s not all bad news though. The share of malnourished and starving people in the world has been more or less continually decreasing for at least several centuries. This is due to an increasing supply of food and to overall gains in economic efficiency.
Share of undernourished people in the developing world
we can add single generation seeds onto the list of current threats to global food production. It is one that will continue to become more prominent as the decades roll on. They are in the EcoSystem. What this will eventually do to the Environment, no-one can honestly know.
Re -McFlock âŠ
12 July 2011 at 5:29 pm
I agree about promiscuity of both sexes. But what appears to have happened is a race to the bottom with women trying to echo mens attitudes, or what they imagine these are.
Women are likely to come off worse in this situation, diseases, unwanted pregnancies, interruption of their education which was supposed to set them up for an adult life. They might end up sterile because of chlamydia or despising sex which would affect future close loving relationships.
As opposed to men who end up viewing women as strictly a vagina? Or the couple who got married as virgins and it turned out one party was hoping that heterosexual sex would get rid of their inclinations? Or the teen who believed that you couldn’t get pregnant the first time you did it? Or the guy who doesn’t take his warty leaking appendage to the doctor until it’s far to late? Or etc etc etc.
Some people like and can handle higher volume sex than others, without it being the result of (or resulting in) some sort of emotional disorder – everyone is different. This is not a problem. As long as people are doing it for reasons they recognise and are at home with is fine. Not having the good sense to roll a johnny on the wee chap (or, for that matter, use dental dams, spermicide, sponges, caps, rubber gloves and so on) IS a problem.
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Governmentâs official website – arrived in Point of Orderâs email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive  Melissa Lee â as may be discerned from the screenshot above â has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Governmentâs focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes –Â Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu â often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the governmentâs readiness to make urgent changes to âthe resource management systemâ through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes donât go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a âmedia summitâ to discuss âthe state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalismâ. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes –Â This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
 Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for âfast trackâ consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill â currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes-Â The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you arenât wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said âSince we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that âNew Zealandâs economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerfulâ. They also believe that âNew Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerfulâ. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
âYou talking about me?âThe neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hallâs âGlide Timeâ caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, 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?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veteransâ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veteransâ affairs spokesperson Greg OâConnor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxonâs management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last yearâs severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labourâs environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our countryâs most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a âget out of jail freeâ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
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 Zealandâs good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National governmentâs 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 TÄmaki 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 Governmentâs democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Governmentâs 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 thatâs great for the planet and great for consumers after her memberâs 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 countryâs books after Teanau Tuionoâs membersâ 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 memberâs bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Todayâs 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 Governmentâs newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealandâs urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - Â It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Â Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Â Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. âOur Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealandâs hydrogen future, with the opening of the countryâs first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. âI want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealandâs own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealandâs energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. âThe report shows that New Zealandâs emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,â Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where heâll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Governmentâs work to restore law and order. âAttending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealandâs human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the worldâs largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. âThe reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealandâs wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin  NgÄ mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho  Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.  I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. âOur Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealandâs overseas missions.  âOur diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealandâs interests around the world,â Mr Peters says.  âI am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. Â âOver 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. âIt is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. âOur coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
âChina remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,â Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
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. âRecently 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 Teachersâ 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.  âThe 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. âScience, 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 todayâs 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. âThe Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in TaupĆ as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the TaupĆ International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. âAnticipation for the ITM TaupĆ 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. âThe 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. âThis project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sectorâs productivity,â Mr Jones says. âThe project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Governmentâs plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. âBenefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Governmentâs commitment to doubling New Zealandâs 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 Zealandâs 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. âOur 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. âNew 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 Governmentâs intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. âThe introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Todayâs 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 Governmentâs plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. âInflation 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 sectorâs role in the export-led recovery of the economy. âI 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 Governmentâs support for the revitalisation the sector.  "New Zealandâs 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, ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandelaâs grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesnât normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australiaâs inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and itâs now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
PĆneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealandâs complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the RĂĄkĂłczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).SĂĄndor HegedƱs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesnât really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didnât really want to, because of a war they didnât ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the publicâs democratic right to have âa fair sayâ and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard â in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
Iâm on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Heraâs help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener youâre likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
âNever again - No AUKUSâ was the message of the wreath laid at this morningâs national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now sheâs very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice â both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high schoolâs head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble. Â Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhireâs 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.  My World War I Poem  Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging.  Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihanâs gorgeous and sad debut KĆhine, Noelle McCarthyâs memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend NgÄhuia te ...
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, Thursday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australiaâs University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourneâs Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australiaâs inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and itâs now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this weekâs Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealandâs coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Leeâs spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammageâs Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australiaâs forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmersâs third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief â beyond the tax cuts â although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Leeâs recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmannâs defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Leeâs âforensicâ and ânuancedâ application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Itâs one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayersâ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of âsix decades of treacheryâ over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazineâs 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish Iâd writtenIf I wish Iâd written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
âThree Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.â ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunalâs report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallaceâs debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that heâs always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe itâs something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. Sheâs ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whÄnau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says âoutlook not greatâ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoffâs morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, itâs not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The âfinancial sustainability targetâ, which was âallocatedâ to Waitaha, is consistent with whatâs happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
So chaps, how much has the Labour party stolen from the tax payer this week?
So chaps how much has the National Party lied to the tax payer this week?
How many government minister have stayed in expensive hotels whilst war veterans were left to fend for themselves?
Heard something on TV3 News this morning about National increasing its lead to 55% of something compared to Labour’s 30% whatevers. No context about which questions were asked, who they asked, when the poll was taken, or anything much of all.
Haha it reminds me of the polls saying that Gaddaffi has the support of 97% of his people.
When will we see Goff rolled?, will it be before Wednesday?
Oh no, the goon squad has arrived again!
Keep dreaming big bruv, keep dreaming.
RWNJs are so out of ideas, just like Key and English đ
Yeah, even C/T seem to have run out of spin. BB seems to have been forced to use his own limited repertoire of memorised anti-Labour slogans.
When will we see English Dumped?, will it be before Wednesday?
Ansell went for broke and may have terminally broken Act. I can’t see them getting many vote from women and I doubt many men will buy into his superiority complex either.
What is it with Women and Act?
SS, your daily links raise interesting issues from time to time.
It gets a little annoying, however, that you start a discussion and then won’t engage with the responses.
For example, I’m still waiting for a response here: http://thestandard.org.nz/exit-stage-right/#comment-350166
It doesn’t bode well for your new way of doing democracy if you want all the communication to be one way.
I try to engage, but it’s easy to miss responses. I’ll have a look at that one.
Secret Squirrel – I think this response thing could be helped if people first put the name being replied to, and that person can do a search under their own name, and the responses will pop up without time wasting.
Ummm it is an issue especially with the numbers of comments going into the system right now. What if I put an extra tab on the right panel for “Responses” ?
I Â have either the login or the last comment details in the cookies. It wouldn’t be hard to run a query for your last few hundred comment comments and then any direct responses to them.
Computationally it sucks up CPU – but it would only be doing it for the relatively few page loads from people who comment. That also means the spiders and bots won’t read it.
Re Greens and “niche”.
I think the Greens are a niche party, albeit with a strong level of support right now due to Labour’s soft support levels. Greens are trying to position themselves as more mainstream but I think they’ll find this difficult.
They have had and still have MPs who are on the extreme side of our spectrum, eg Sue Bradford and Keith Locke. Green policies on things like exploring for and utilising natural resources are relatively radical.
UF is very middle of the road on most things, not radical. They have low party support because they are seen as a single electorate single person party, Dunne’s personal versus the UF party vote in Ohariu in 2008 illustrates this.UF competes in a large middle ground occupied most byNational and Labour.
I don’t judge niche on level of support, I see it as representing more special interest rather than general appeal.
I support Greens being in parliamanet, and I support some of their policiies, and I have voted for them in the past, but as a niche party, I wouldn’t support them becoming a major mainstream party – unless of course they radically from their current niche positioning.
SS, you’re still just throwing the word “radical” around without defining it. It usually implies some sort of extremism, but in the context you’re using it it can’t possibly mean any such thing.
“UF competes in a large middle ground occupied most by National and Labour.”
And picked up 0.87% of the vote in this “middle ground”. That’s not the score of a party with broad popular appeal. That’s not the score of a party representing the mainstream of NZ.
“I donât judge niche on level of support, I see it as representing more special interest rather than general appeal.”
This is getting closer to a definition, but it still contradicts the facts. The Greens have several times the “general appeal” of UF. So why do you insist that they’re the outlier, the niche, the radical, when by your own measure UF is far more so?
Sorry, I presumed you would know what they meant.
niche: a distinct segment of a market, derivative of Latin nÄ«dus – nest
It’s got nothing to do with size, it’s about being distinctive. The Green Party has one of the more distinct market segments in our politics.
radical: favoring drastic political, economic, or social reforms
That description fits Green far more than UF policies.
And how are you determining that either of those descriptions befits the Greens but not UF?
What is “mainstream” if it’s not defined by numbers?
If UF is a “mainstream” party rather than a “niche” party then why do they only attract a tiny niche of voters?
Come on Squirrel, stop running away from the discussions you start.
Anyone considering taking you at your word that you want to encourage a more consultative, more inclusive, more transparent system of govt should have a close look at the way you conduct yourself in discussions on this site.
Quite simply your words don’t match your actions.
And what is it with your site which is currently advertising “hot colombian beauties.”
Cos he makes $ from doing so
hope ur payuing your tax squirrel and not stashing it away
Couple of thoughts for the day with relevance to RWNJs (BB et al), Randists and free market afficienados…..just listened to a speach from Orlov when he mentioned the following…
Free markets are marginally more efficient than planned economies at using all the resources up until collapse is inevitable
and The free market is like a casino where all the chips end up in a few hands, when that happens the casino collapses, shuts doors and the chips are useless……
Have fun all you monetized rationalist morons.
Orlov is pretty good eh.
Got link?
And, yeah, the obvious conclusion of the capitalist free-market is, firstly, economic collapse as the money ends up as large pools in the hands of a few followed (after an “economic rescue” ie, New Deal etc) by total collapse as the resources are used up.
The money ends up in a few hands and they don’t spend it trying to live on the interest (Money generated through other peoples work and ideas) rather than being productive. As the money accumulates at the top the interest payments increase resulting in even more of the money going to the few while the money going to everyone else declines. Eventually the economy collapses because there isn’t enough money in the hands of the many to keep it going.
Keynes seems to have seen the problem but his solution appears* to have been to get the government to borrow that money from the rich at interest**. At best this would extend the time between economic collapses but, eventually, the governments would have borrowed so much that nobody would be willing to loan to them.
* The a reason why I use “seems” and “appears” here is because, according to Steve Keen, Keynes’ 1936 work was misinterpreted.
** Now consider just what National wanted to achieve by cutting taxes over the last decade and why they’ve suddenly gone to borrowing far more than they need to.
Draco, the video is well worth while, link is http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2011/06/road-ahead-for-community-action.html
It is rather sad that we argue left versus right in politics and the respective economics. Both entirely miss the point, they are predicated on continuous growth in consumption and debt. Neither is sustainable on a finite planet, arguing the toss about which version you prefer is deck chair shuffling on the Titanic.
There is one critical need to argue however, as we decline the usual RWNJ suspects will attempt to cushion their fall at the expense of the masses, by way of debt, force, expropriation etc. We conversely must resist and make them observe a good left wing prescription: the sharing of what is available equitably.
Unfortunately, even the economists who see the problems of austerity don’t realise the problems inherent within a socio-economic system that requires larger and larger markets. It is impossible to fulfil their vision of trickle down or even redistributed growth from a finite planet. Hell, the definition of economics given to me at uni was the study of the distribution of limited resources and yet the economists fail to realise that the theory they postulate and teach must result in the destruction of the environment,all the resources being used up and the few ending up with all the wealth (not that it’ll do them much good once the environments fucked).
We need to move to an socio-economic system that’s based around resource use and then we might get round to having some prosperity.
Micky
You missed this story?
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/07/labour_referred_to_the_police_for_electoral_act_breach.html
It’s called stealing Micky, something your lot don’t seem to have a problem with.
BTW Micky, are you behind Goff or Cunliffe?
Labour’s flyers/pamphleets had been vetted and checked by Parliamentary Services where they were assessed as being neither electioneering or party promotional material. Therefore, at the time, those materials were given the independent OK to contain the Parliamentary Services seal.
Saw it BB and posted on it. I had a read of the legislation and can understand how someone would see it differently to the EC. From now on IMHO all parties should put “Authorised by …” on everything.
Â
It misses the point though. The authorisation requirement was to address the Exclusive Bretheren scenario where shadowy entities put out publications and no one had the chance to see where the publication was coming from.
Â
It aint called “stealing” BB it is called “mucking up the paper work”.Â
Â
BTW I thought you were all for freedom of speech and against Nanny State? This is pretty aggressive nanny statism doncha think?
Â
I support Phil. I reckon he has a good chance of creating history and in defeating a National Government after only one term. If he does not succeed and resigns then Cunliffe would be a wonderful replacement.
Oh Come on Viper…are you still sticking to that pathetic line?….reminds me of the 850k you lot nicked back in 05.
Tell me Viper, do you lot think stealing is OK?
Labour had those materials independently checked and vetted by Parliamentary Services b.b. As for theft, check out the $7B asset give away that Key and English are sponsoring – those assets belong to the children and great grandchildren of NZ, not to the Chinese and Saudis.
Stop telling lies Viper
The AG deemed it to be theft, remember how Clark had to change the law to make her theft legal?
You lot really do like rewriting history don’t you.
As for the 49% sale of the “assets” well the people of NZ don’t seem to mind much about that Viper, the coming election will prove that. Mind you, I know that will not stop you guys moaning about it, democracy is not something you really bother with.
So..one again I ask you, do you lot think stealing is OK?. we know that your MP’s think it is perfectly fine to steal from the tax payer I just want to know if you are of the same opinion.
[lprent: The AG never said it was theft as far as I’m aware. A three week ban for putting words into the AG’s mouth unless you can link to something where the AG explicitly said it was “theft”.
Arggh reading your comments – I can’t be bothered with idiot trolling. You are on probation for a ban until after the election and the only reason you didn’t get it is because you don’t normally act quite as much of a dickhead. ]
Bruv
Â
There is no suggestion that Labour has been stealing. The pamphlet is being reported to the police because the law says it has to. This is only happening because “Authorised by …” was not printed on the pamphlet although given the fact that it is clearly a Labour Party publication and has Phil’s details all over it I think it is pretty clear that it was authorised.
Micky
There is every suggestion that Labour have had their dirty hands in the tap payer pocket once again.
Once a thief always a thief.
[lprent: See http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11072011/#comment-350555 ]
So also those blue budget leaflets and letters are also legal – my arse!
What’s a “tap payer pocket”, BBÂ ?
Good to see Big Suze is so strongly in favour of strict transparent electoral finance regulation.
Don’t forget all the other parties that got caught up in the AG’s rule change which included National who also overspent their allowed electioneering spend by the amount of GST.
Anything done by Labour recently pales into insignificance compared to the theft of our wealth that NACT are intent on carrying out.
Working conditions in the US IT industry :
My current company, has no vacations. You simply tell them when you are not going to be there, and they decide if they want to fire you for the absence.
They also do not have weekends. On the Friday before each customary “3-day” weekend the owner declares an emergency that, somehow, MUST be finished by Tuesday.
No one wants to work there for very long. Turnover is very high. Projects don’t get finished, precisely because of the turnover. Other projects do get “finished’, but don’t work, also because of the turnover
The owner doesn’t seem to realize that he is sabotaging his own projects.
http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/07/10/1410234/IT-Crises-vs-Vacation-Sometimes-It-Isnt-Pretty
US is 6 to 12 months from a breakdown moment. Oil at $175-$200 barrel should do it.
Ready to admit that Obama is a failure yet Viper?
Mate, that became bloody obvious when he hired Geithner, Bernanke and Summers. And decided to sideline Volker, Warren and Krugman.
Plus, despite overwhelming public support, he couldn’t/wouldn’t get a public healthcare option through.
OK…we are getting there Viper.
So the next step is for you to admit that Socialism is a failed ideology, Obama has tried it and near destroyed the Yankee economy.
I see you emerging from the dark hole of socialism Viper, keep up the good work.
Obama hasn’t tried socialism bruv. His health care plan was stolen from the republicans, his ‘stimulus’ (which is now dropping off, expect to see further contraction and more unemoployment) was weighted heavily towards tax cuts at the top end.
About the only thing that has worked was the auto industry bail out.
Lol…how ironic given it was the unions (socialist to the core) who fucked the auto industry in the first place.
No, it was the greed, outsourcing and the bad (because their boards are populated by oil guys)strategic decisions with regards to their designs (Bigger, more gas guzzling as opposed to small energy efficient) that made the industry collapse and the bailout worked because it allowed them to screw the US workers even more by financing more outsourcing making the fat cats and their shareholders happy.
Yawn. If the us had a proper health care system like grown up countries do then the unions wouldn’t have to negotiate that stuff.
And your idea that the US union movement is either powerful or socialist only goes to prove that you wouldn’t know socialism if it nationalised your nutsack
it was the unions (socialist to the core) who fucked the auto industry
Â
Yep you go to the Bahamas now and the beaches are full of retired auto workers drinking their pina coladas and living it up on their ill gotten gains.
Â
And you then go back to Pensylvania and there are all these ex merchant bankers and Wall Street types living out of scraps they get from Dumpsters and sleeping rough.
Â
Those god forsaken communist unions sure knew what they were doing …
Â
Â
Big Bruv, you really need to gen up on the term ‘Fordism’ – Henry T Ford paid wages way above the market rate for two reasons; firstly the jobs were tedious and boring, secondly nobody could afford his new cars, hence he paid his staff nearly double the average wage and they all bought cars too. Guess what, he started a thing called commercialisation, where everyone was envious of their neighbours vehicle.
Â
Blame the companies not the unions – BTWÂ can you actually tell me the real root of socialism? Let’s see….
Democracy heaven forbid giving the vote to the poor peasants or even allowing them to have an opinion they might vote for some income redistribution
Something called “big bruv” is, unwisely, trying to be clever….
So the next step is for you to admit that Socialism is a failed ideology,
Do you even know what you are talking about?
Obama has tried it
No he has not. It’s clear you don’t know what you’re talking about.
and near destroyed the Yankee economy.
“Yankee”? Clearly, as well as knowing nothing about political and economic theory, you also know nothing about American culture.
Why don’t you take some time off, my friend, and read a few books? Seriously, you need to do that. You are way out of your depth at the moment.
Morrissey:Â My guess is the only books Burv reads are Penthouse and Playboy and he only reads the pictures.
I think Penthouse Forum banned him from writing any more letters, and he dispels all that pent-up energy by coming onto fora like this.
I think he gets one of those braille copies……….
Very funny grumpy – đ I have the image of Penthouse in braille – a whole new touch sensation.
lol you get that Obama tried socialism by rehiring a bunch of senior Goldman Sachs hacks to be his economic team?
You’re an idiot.
Hilarious Big Bruv! Obama, a socialist? It is to laugh… Really… Prove it! đ
It’s the neoliberal agenda that has fucked the USA.
Not really, that’s just the label of the day for too much interwoven power and money.
marsman
And yet the facts don’t back up your claim….funny that.
Want to know what “fucked” GM, Chrysler and to a lesser extend Ford?
Yep..unions, low life, parasitic unions.
Reminds me of a joke doing the rounds: A CEO, a worker and an unionist sit down at a table. On the table are a plate with 12 cookies. The CEO takes 11 cookies and puts them in his pocket than he points the finger at the union guy and tells the worker:” Be afraid boy, be very afraid because that union guy wants part of your cookie”!
Tell me BB what don’t you get about 1% owning 50% of all wealth and resources of the US while 50% have to make do with 2% being unfair and those 50% organising themselves to get a bigger part of the pie being with unions being a good idea?
More than likely management that did for GM etc., parasitic, low life management.
Remember Reagan, Bush etc.? Unmitigated disasters for many Americans except for a few wealthy ones, funny that.
marsman
You and I agree that the management of GM were pathetic.
Pathetic for giving into parasitic union thugs
Pathetic for agreeing to pension demands that sent the company bankrupt
Pathetic for not taking on the low life unions and smashing them.
Unions need to become stronger and more active with larger memberships. A rise in unions = a rise in worker pay and condition.
GM fucked up by not producing cars that people wanted, and when the oil crunch came they were fully unprepared.
The unions now own GM lol.
Stop telling lies Viper.
The tax payer owns GM. GM should have been left to fail, however Obama is so closely tied to the scum union movement that he wasted billions of tax payer dollars propping up GM.
Do a bit of research Viper, have a look at the facts, GM could not compete with other car makers because their wage and pension plans were crippling the company.
[lprent: Talking about lying – see http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11072011/#comment-350555 ]
đ
Unions are crucial to any strong well paid, successful industry. There are of course right and wrong ways to do union/industry relationships.
And remember, the unions did not negotiate the Private Jets for GM executives đ
This was only 40%-50% of GM’s problems.
Their repeated string of dud designs, over reliance on fuel guzzling trucks, unwillingness to support new pollution and fuel efficiency measures, and slow progress in closing the quality gap with the Japanese formed the rest.
And through economics academia, central banks and various international bankster institutions, the rest of the western world.
There is now many times more debt and financial obligations in existence than the real economy has the resources to deliver on.
Obama isn’t a failure for his “Socialism” BB but for his sleazy surrender to the banksters and the Military industrial complex, pandering to their insatiable thirst for more wars and more looting while the populations of the countries they invade and destroy and the American population die and wither as a result.
trav
Obama is a failure for socialism, just as socialism has failed everywhere else it has been tried.
What part of that do you not get?
BB, you’re so brain dead it’s not even funny any more.
Given up already Trav?
That’s the problem with you socialists, you cannot defend your beloved system despite the fact that it has failed everywhere it has been tried so you resort to abuse.
Shame.
From ultra right wing to socialist in a few comments! Wow.
No, BB unlike you I actually have life and besides I’ve come to the conclusion that your Ignotrance lifestyle choices are a waste of time to me.
Have a nice day!
Troll
What a lot of tripe you utter BB. Socialism failed ? Not in the Scandinavian countries who have the highest standard of living in the world. Nearer to home how about Fonterra which is pure Socialism. Something you and farmers conveniently forget.
I don’t think we’ll see $175-200 within 12 months. The economy will simply collapse and won’t sustain that price.
/agreed
The price of oil won’t go above about $130/barrel as the economy can’t sustain that. Of course, the economy will still collapse once we start going down the other side of Hubbert’s Peak.
Imagine if a Palestinian or Zimbabwean protestor did THIS to an official supervising a house destruction…
http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/a-proactive-approach-to-eviction-orders/
A proactive approach to eviction orders
http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/a-proactive-approach-to-eviction-orders/
[lprent: Removed the excess bold. There was no need to make your text shout. You might think that it is IMPORTANT and requiring emphasis – others do not. It didn’t have a reason in doing it, went beyond the permitted minor emphasis, and I’m really really uninterested in having an emphasis war.
I could start emphasizing how much I disapprove by removing the offenders to save my eyes. ]
It was only one line! I always make sure to avoid excess bold or excess capital letters. I understand what you’re saying, but I didn’t think one line was excessive.
[lprent: Two single lines – your complete contribution to the comment in fact :twisted:. It is hard to figure out a point that it was being used for when it is the whole comment. You comment above is a lot better – the bold was an emphasis on your point (even if that was incorrect). ]
So..how about them polls then?
Is Brash on 40 yet? 4 even?
Is Brash on 40 yet? 4 even?
Actually, it’s 1.7 per cent, and falling. Once again: that’s ONE POINT SEVEN.
0.4?
He’s heading that way. poor bruv. He had such high hopes. Turns out the country doesn’t like racist old misanthropes. Whocoodanode?
Speaking of Brash Bruv, where do you stand in the great Brash v Ansell throwdown? Brash was for Ansell before he was against him, so you could go that route too, I suppose. Like you were for Hide before you were against him, IIRC.
Don Brash this morning: “I can speak for most NZers that they don’t want Maorisation.”
Don Brash this morning: “I can’t speak for the others in my Party about how they regard the current publicity.”
It’s an issue, but to be fair it shouldnât be looked at in isolation, there are many competing -ifications.
How bad is Maorification?
Compared to the rest?
I am in awe!
On National Radio on Sunday morning they had a retrospective on the homosexual law reform, passed 25 years ago.
Didn’t listen to much of it, but did catch a speech by John Banks MP saying it would be a sad day long remembered in New Zealand because of what was being passed, with a very dark cloud hanging over parliament. Seems like he couldn’t have been more wrong.
Be nice if this little speech could be brought up around Epsom: 25 years ago John Banks said this, do you really want to be represented by a small-minded bigot from the past?
Banksie tried to chum up with gays during the supercity mayoral contest and it looked most unconvincing. Todays voters should know what a cockroach he is.
Homosexual law reform was indeed a reform that worked and has lasted, not perfect but made life that bit more bearable and fair for part of our community. Anyone remember the straight supporters little pink HUG buttons (Heterosexuals Unafraid of Gays) and Blue Jeans Day which could be hilarious?
The poor working conditions on NZ-chartered fishing trawlers is an ongoing disgrace to this country. Stuff reports on the latest saga here, but gives few details. Another article summarises the background and specific allegations:
Â
Slave labour conditions in NZ’s fishing industry
Â
If what this latter article states about the collaboration/indifference of Iwi company owners and the Maritime Union in perpetuating this situation is true, it is a sad day.
The maritime unions are not exactly happy about it, but as they no longer have the right to strike there is not much they can do about it.
ITF and the maritime unions in NZ have done what they can for the welfare of the fishing crews.
Unfortunately we have a Government who believes that all workers should have the same lack of rights.
With 25000 unemployed youth in Northland, why are fishing boat owners allowed to exploit foreign crews, anyway?
Intermittent signal July 2011/3
Great sounding NZ research that should make a big difference in energy, finding non-food sources, and can reduce waste. Don’t know what the disadvantages are – I guess that there is some law that for every improvement there is one.
http://www.lanzatech.co.nz/
Hear interview on Radio nz – Can’t provide instant control, but your own work can get there in a few seconds.
Details from RadioNZ 9 to Noon program.
Feature Guest – Sean Simpson
Sean Simpson is the co-founder, and head of the science team at Lanzatech – a privately owned, NZ-based company which has developed and patented a microbe that eats polluting gases and excretes ethanol. (30âČ48âł)
Download: Ogg Vorbis MP3 (He makes some comments on the effects of our present tax system on forward-looking research and development in NZ, I think it’s called imputation.)
Seeing as how everyones labelling everyone a racist these days. Let’s have a debate about ‘race’ as it applies specifically to NZ ?
First we’ll define the terms of reference, then we’ll compare racial characteristics by a number of indicators to determine whether in fact some ‘races’ are indeed superior/inferior to others.
We’ll naturally include assimilated phenotypes, genetic markers, social norms, cultural values and ideals as indicators of any evolutionary oneupmanship with regards to adaptibility and natural selection/survival of the fittest.
…and then based on the outcome we’ll determine which ‘race’, if any, has the right to determine the “one rule of law, irrespective of race by which we as NZers should all live by”. and whether promoting any such rule of law is indeed racist.
yeah, nah…is that a radical idea whose time has come or are we still too chickenshit as a nation to truly confront our fears and prejudices ?
“NZ dollar strength depends on US: Key”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10737756
New Zealand’s future is grim.
And we’re not even locked into a free trade with the US. Yet.
Imagine how much freer we are now?
And on free trade … how come the more free trade agreements we sign up to, the less free we become in controlling our own economy?
How come it feels like we’re more like losers when we play this global game called free trade? What’s wrong with us?
Jane Kelsey’s blog has some good info on the Trans-pacific partnership our Goverment is negotiating at the moment. http://web.me.com/jane_kelsey/Jane/Welcome.html
Further to my comments on young women, careless boozing, irresponsibility, and reliance on men to have superior standards to their own:
nz herald 11/7/2011
A Timaru gynaecologist wants a campaign against promiscuity after encountering a shocking number of pregnant patients who cannot remember whom they had sex with.
Dr Albert Makary, who has been in Timaru for 20 years, called on national leaders, sports stars, schools and the media at a Forum on the Family in Auckland yesterday to “stigmatise” both promiscuity and the binge drinking that usually preceded it.
He cited a survey by a condom maker that said New Zealand women were the most promiscuous in the world, with 20.3 sexual partners on average. The world average was 7.3.
Kiwi men were also above average with 16.8 partners. New Zealand was the only country where women had more sexual partners than men.
“I get women coming in and saying, ‘Doctor, I can’t remember who I slept with yesterday.’
“It is very, very frequent. I’m not talking about one or two or three or 1000 cases. I’m talking about thousands and thousands of cases a year [nationally].” What’s more, they’re proud of it.
He said such promiscuity undermined stable life-long relationships.
The symptoms were increasing violence, sexual assault, alcohol and drug-fuelled car accidents, a growing incidence of depression and the world’s highest rates of both chlamydia and youth suicide.
Promiscuity?
It takes two to tango? đ
It only takes one fundamentalist to discover a whole lot of sinners
I rather think you missed the point, Campbell. The reason these things have been called sins in the first place, is because of the damage they do to relationships and to people. There are examples in my own family – my somewhat dim-witted nephew has a wife who is hell-bent on churning out baby after baby despite repeated bouts of post-natal depression, because her own family life was so f***ed up. The reason they married in the first place, I have been told is because she was preggers, and because she was “easy”. Result, 4 children under 5 years old, and my sister is going round the bend trying to support this dysfunctional family (financially and emotionally). They’re both under 25 years old.
Hi Vicky, apologies for not being clearer. There are serious issues raised and I do not mean to make light of them. I do think that the articles could have done a better job of avoiding the potential reinforcement of negative stereotypes of woman and was wondering if the promiscuity debate was going to be used as part of a UFuture (or others) election campaign around family values.
That’s always possible – but I would stick my neck out as far as to say that “family values” aren’t necessarily a bad thing! Saving young women from STDS, broken hearts and a broken family can only be a good thing, I’d have thought.
As a woman (and back when I was a younger woman I felt the same way) I always felt a mixture of pity and revulsion towards promiscuous girls. (That applied to myself when I was one! đ )
Given that in some (but by no means all) cases there are underlying issues which promiscuity is but a symptom of don’t you think revulsion is a quite a negitive emotion/ tag which if normalized as a response is likely to cause further distress to the very people that you want to help?
…Chaste does not imply moral – there are no doubt many ‘promiscuous’ people who would object to the assertion that they are somehow less caring or functional because of the way they express thier sexuality.
Campbell Larsen – This is a sticky mixture of sentimentality and political correctness which does not give the women involved the respect due to them as adults who need to find adult ways to cope with life.
Prism – ‘sentimental’ ‘PC’ and somehow disrespectful at the same time?
Easy up on the name calling tiger – I don’t think we disagree as much as you think – the issue is health, both individual and societal – the approach to any problems should also be health focused and not come from a faith based or religious perspective, or from claims to the moral high ground.
Campbell Larsen – My point was that there is a sticky trap for those trained in political correctness often through social work courses, which actually involves fudging the issues of those people supposedly being helped. The focus of attention may be to the difficulties they face – their disadvantaged position in society, bad parent role models, constant sexual emphasis in advertising even to the very young girl etc.
In the case of promiscuous females this would occur if their behaviour was not directly discussed, with an emphasis on their own agency in the unfortunate result. Understanding the societal pressures should not prevent helping the person to develop their own adult competency to handle those societal problems. That is what I mean by having respect – that is respect for their own abilities, understandings and strengths. Anything else is patronising and infantilising.
well, seeing as we’re in the “pc gone mad” stage, why are you talking about female promiscuity and not male promiscuity?
Males get tracked down by IRD for 18 years of maintenance, have the emotional upheaval, and also find out that it really CAN fall off. And males are the ones who wear the major prophylactic against these issues.
But then of course, male “promiscuity” doesn’t seem to be the public health tragedy that female “promiscuity” is.
Â
True, but these are not the girls referred to in the original source! The ones referred to are living pretty dysfunctional lives, and have such bad relationships with alcohol, that they can’t have good relationships with guys.
Really? Maybe they don’t want a “good relationship” with one guy at that stage of their life?
Binge drinking is a major issue, but “promiscuity” is a judgement.
‘The symptoms were increasing violence, sexual assault, alcohol and drug-fuelled car accidents, a growing incidence of depression and the worldâs highest rates of both chlamydia and youth suicide.’
Hm, most of which were instigated by said young [drunk at time of conception] women.
Scarlet As, people? Of course this problem is young women’s fault. Nothing to do with the rest of us.
Jim Nald Promiscuity? It takes two to tango?
The excerpt covers the two sexes and their promiscuity. (Doesn’t mention anything about the third), ie
Also from CV’s link – “She said times have changed so much that the fear of getting pregnant or catching a sexually transmitted disease were no longer seen as reasons for not having sex.
“We don’t even call them sexually transmitted diseases anymore, we’ve changed that to infections which kind of downgrades it and makes it not as serious as they can be.”
bingo, thanks JN
This is related as well
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10737698
My giddy aunt! No one can possibly think that’s a good thing can they? Aside from anything else, if they keep the child, what will they tell her when she is 5 and asks “who’s my Daddy, Mum, and why don’t we ever see him?” (She/he will ask, you can depend on that…)
Agreed.
We need to distribute more condoms and increase the availability of abortions and other family planning services.
Oh, is that not what you meant?
Yeah, that’ll help! Not! The issue as I see it, is the emotional harm done to both boys and girls, by a pattern of behaviour that causes huge problems for them and the children they have who escape being slaughtered! (Abortion also causes huge emotional problems especially if the girl allows herself to be pressured into it, either by her parents or the boy’s..) I’ve seen this in my own family.
When my son went to his school ball (he went only once, for the experience, as she and his friends were the designated nerds, therefore not interested.) He was both amused and embarassed to be issued condoms and pamphlets about STIs and what we used to call ‘the clap clinic’, with his ball tickets. He had no intention of either getting trolleyed or having sex that or any othert night.
If instead of being issued condoms and even more sex ed., (by year 11 they will have years of it years of it), girls and boys were taught more about the benefits of further education, there’d be far fewer teen pregnancies to abort…
Right – because tertiary education really lowers the libido!
Basically, from a public health perspective, getting 17-24y.o. who are all piled into a concentrated area to not shag each other is pushing shit uphill. The best you can do is throw rubbers at anyone and everyone so that they’re available when the impulse strikes, and they don’t have to overcome embarrassment to buy a french tickler themselves. “Promise rings” and other abstinence bs just plain doesn’t work, and they end up having unprotected sex (or unprotected anal sex on the grounds that it “doesn’t count”) and that leads to all sorts of bad stuff.
Drinking is another matter – price controls and licensing restrictions (not to mention better tools to enforce the current law) should take the edge off the worst of the binge drinking culture.
Â
I never said it lowers the libido. But what it does do, is give these people a sense of having a future that they don’t want to risk. Do you know any 17-24 year olds? My son and his friends didn’t shag their way through university, neither did I when it was my turn. You seem to be very cynical about students. The ones who drank and shagged their way through uni rather than studying, are the ones who graduate (or not) and instead of being doctors, cardiac nurses (as my son now is) or lawyers, work in insurance companies, regretting their lost opportunities.
Your cynicism shows itself in the unsupported assertion that “âPromise ringsâ and other abstinence bs just plain doesnât work, and they end up having unprotected sex (or unprotected anal sex on the grounds that it âdoesnât countâ) and that leads to all sorts of bad stuff.” Your assertion is widely believed but it’s not true. People are perfectly capable of abstinence if they feel they have a reason, and I mean abstinence from sex and also from binge drinking! Sex is not a physiological necessity, no one dies from the absence of it, Shortland Street and other NZ TV drama notwithstanding. You seem to have a very low opinion of human nature, and you remind me of that satirical song by the Bloodhound Gang which my abstinent son used to quote: “You and me, baby/We ain’t nothing but mammals/So let’s do it like they do/On the Discovery channel”. Possibly you didn’t even get that it was satirical?
Years ago, I read a book about adoption, and the girls who in the 60s and early 70s, who were pressured into giving up their babies. The author (whose name escapes me right now) talked about the fact that the girls who devoted themselves to getting an education instead of an STI were on the whole much happier.
You’re also wronger than a professor of wrong at Oxford University that these people don’t want relationships, they just want to shag. That attitude is one I’ve heard put forward by the middle aged and older male, not by young women or young men. 17-24 year olds are terribly hung up on romance. Every time a teenage girl (or boy) has sex with a new partner she’s secretly hoping he might be “the one”. Trust me on this – my son is 24, and I remember my 17-24 years far more vividly than I ought to!
Â
Â
âYou and me, baby/We ainât nothing but mammals/So letâs do it like they do/On the Discovery channelâ.
Actually apart from our nearest genetic cousins the bonobos and chimps, most mammals have sex quite at quite limited seasons or stages of their lives. Many species will get by quite well with only several dozen acts of intercourse in their entire lives. Contrast that to the many thousands of times we are capable of engaging in it more or less anytime any place…with anyone… if we so desire.
So actually comparing us to animals isn’t right… they are usually far more restrained than us.
That Bloodhound Gang Song certainly is satirical.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xat1GVnl8-k
As is the song âHell Yeahâ from the same album, âHooray for boobiesâ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4JDYD_0-mM
I always figured the target for the satire was the same in both songs. But Iâd love to be corrected if Iâm wrong.
The abstinence debate has been well-travelled especially regarding the states and Africa. There is a reason that e.g. the Catholic missionaries went from Abstinence-only to ABC (abstinence – but if doing it, use a condom). Heck, armies have been trying to stop soldiers getting stds for centuries, and success only started with antibiotics and distribution of condoms. And, on occasion, regulated military brothels.
I worked in a university providing various services to students for many years. It might be cynical, but I think it’s realistic for at least 25% of the tertiary population, if not treble that (according to various NZ studies in the area). Not all students have sex at university, but quite a few do. Not all of those who have sex have it for reasons that are healthy, and not all who have sex practise safe sex. It’s the last two that are problems.
Oh, and your idea that everytime a teenager has sex they think s/he’s “the one”? Don’t make me laugh – and that goes for quite a few women as well as men.
Human beings are the most extraordinarily hyper-sexual creature evolution has ever produced. Yet the amazing thing really is how few partners most people have, compared with our physical capacity to have sex. Most people actually make pretty restrained choices around sex the vast majority of the time…so let’s not get too morally panicky here.
The real issue I believe, and lots of others have said this, is the prevalence of alochol abuse. And while both genders are responsible for their behaviour, ultimately it’s the dissolving of inhibitions that results in girls drunk in charge of their pussy.. and then having to wear the consequences.
And that is what has changed in the last decade or so. Now I do recall sometime in the 70’s ‘chaperoning’ a good friend of mine (later we almost married… but that’s another story) around a pub crawl to celebrate the end of the uni year. She held together remarkably well almost to the end, and I eventually got her home safe and sound… and unfucked as agreed. But it was pretty much a one off, we never made a habit of that sort of thing.
But these days the sheer numbers of scantily clad young women staggering about in public, utterly muntered is what has changed. The unplanned, unsafe sex is the consequence of this unsafe, out-of-control alcohol abuse. It’s the drinking that’s the root cause here; address that.
not all is as it seems that median vs average problem seems to be behind the high rates of sexual activity.
I blame the booze. Oh and maybe women here are more accurate in their counting or more likely to treat the survey as a joke – a cultural difference?
Brave Little Israel fights off Non-Violent Peace Protestors
Radio New Zealand National “World Watch”, 12.45 p.m. Monday 11 July 2011
Israel’s paranoid and increasingly insane political leaders are worried—they’re certainly working hard to stop dissenters focusing international attention on the illegal blockade of Gaza. More than 30 human rights and peace protestors from many countries, after being prevented from sailing from Athens, have now tried to enter Jerusalem’s Ben-Gurion Airport, but have again been blocked by Israeli machinations.
To cover this, Radio New Zealand National chose to run a ridiculously biased, cynical Deutsche-Welle “report” by the notorious Irris Makler. After approvingly outlining how the Israelis had inveigled several airlines, including Lufthansa, to actually do their dirty work for them, Makler said this: “Some Canadian pilgrims, however, found that it’s easy to get into Israel if you come in with a less aggressive agenda.”
Excuse me? Protesting against an illegal blockade and against the continual harassment, brutalization and killing of Gaza’s population is an “aggressive agenda”, now? Even in the Looking Glass world of Israeli state propaganda, that statement is meshuga and Ś ŚÖ·ŚšŚŚ©.
But Makler was not finished. “A group of Israeli families of suicide bomb victims,” she sneered, “wants to meet with the protestors—if they get through.”
In spite of the dire and depressing quality of this travesty of journalism, it’s still interesting for what it reveals about the state of Israeli apologetics. People like Irris Makler really have only two weapons: defamation and diversion. Note how, after working hard at defaming the protestors with their “aggressive agenda” of peaceful protest, Irris Makler also played the diversion card—avoid the real and continuing oppression of Gaza, and talk about something else, in this case, suicide bombings which happened more than a decade ago.
I think a report as flagrantly dishonest as this one could be a case for an official complaint to Radio New Zealand, as well as Deutsch-Welle. What do others think?
I think you need a good little lie down……….
Come on, grumpy, planking is so last month.
I agree absolutely!
P.S., I am trying to post this comment and keep getting an error message, fill in name & email yet I am logged in. Was gibt? 3rd try… 5th try and for some insane reason I’ve been logged out. What on earth is wrong?
The login actually has a time limit that does not renew every time you come to the site. Unfortunately it can strike while you’re reading a thread so, even though the page says that you’re logged in, you’re actually logged out. You have to refresh the page and log in again.
Good description. I looked at it in 2009 and decided that there was bugger all that I could do to improve it. I didn’t want to play with the login cookie system. I should have another peek at it and see if they opened up the convoluted login code.
Thanks DtB and lprent for the explanation… It’s great! đ
Morrissey – Agree. I hope for good stuff from National Radio. How much are they paying Makler for this partisan slop?
Warren Buffett has just given away 99% of his US$1.87 billion fortune
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/81436,business,warren-buffett-gives-away-178bn-shares
Â
Therefore not all the mega rich are twats; also he has some interesting views on tax
Â
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/71836,business,tax-the-rich-says-billionaire-warren-buffett-
Warren Buffet knows that the rich have waged class war upon the poor for years; he said it publicly.
Edit – wait, he gave most of that money to Bill Gates???? Who in return seems to be giving most of that money to already well paid professionals at big universities and pharma companies??? If I may politely say, wtf.
Don Brash Vs Pita Sharples on Native Affairs tonight. 830 MÄori TV. .
National Contributes to Africa’s Misery
Once again we’re witness to the horrendous images of starving people arriving at refugee camps in east Africa, with nearly 12 million people facing starvation across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia…
This is one of those problems where the more we spend the worse the problem gets. Ensuring that a group of people don’t starve to death just ensures that their children probably will because we haven’t addressed the underlying problem of over population. As long as we don’t address that these things will just keep getting worse.
The cronyism you note is par for the course for National.
It’s pretty despicable to cut foreign aid at a time when it’s most needed. Most of what National does I’m reasonably indifferent to, but this really pisses me off! National really are a bunch of heartless old bastards!
It’s an issue that isn’t going to go away anytime soon. Some of the problem lies with administration costs whereby a lot of the aid funds don’t get to where they are required. Controlling distribution lines would also help to ensure aid got to where it is most needed.
Another issue is that many areas affected by drought don’t have the means to irrigate or produce seed to grow their own crops, which is usually the underlying issue to starvation. Supporting farmers in areas of food insecurity through such measures as free or subsidized fertilizers and seeds increases food harvest and reduces food prices.
Crop failure will become more prevalent with the increased effects of climate change. That could be a serious issue considering the UN recently said food production will need to double by 2050 to meet demand.
Overpopulation is a tricky one. Education is probably the best remedy there. The more education the less incidence of starvation or implementation of more draconian policies.
The earth can in fact sustain many more humans with proper wealth distribution and measures to increase food production such as proper crop selection. Restricting the use of genetically engineered seeds, helping countries develop proper irrigation systems and education goes a long way to developing self reliance.
It’s not all bad news though. The share of malnourished and starving people in the world has been more or less continually decreasing for at least several centuries. This is due to an increasing supply of food and to overall gains in economic efficiency.
Share of undernourished people in the developing world
1970 1980 1990 2005 2007 2009
37 % 28 % 20 % 16 % 17 % 16 %
What peak oil is going to do to that trend is another question.
we can add single generation seeds onto the list of current threats to global food production. It is one that will continue to become more prominent as the decades roll on. They are in the EcoSystem. What this will eventually do to the Environment, no-one can honestly know.
There’s definitely no question as to what peak oil will do to that trend.
What peak oil does to the trend in the Developed World should also be asked.
Re -McFlock âŠ
12 July 2011 at 5:29 pm
I agree about promiscuity of both sexes. But what appears to have happened is a race to the bottom with women trying to echo mens attitudes, or what they imagine these are.
Women are likely to come off worse in this situation, diseases, unwanted pregnancies, interruption of their education which was supposed to set them up for an adult life. They might end up sterile because of chlamydia or despising sex which would affect future close loving relationships.
As opposed to men who end up viewing women as strictly a vagina? Or the couple who got married as virgins and it turned out one party was hoping that heterosexual sex would get rid of their inclinations? Or the teen who believed that you couldn’t get pregnant the first time you did it? Or the guy who doesn’t take his warty leaking appendage to the doctor until it’s far to late? Or etc etc etc.
Some people like and can handle higher volume sex than others, without it being the result of (or resulting in) some sort of emotional disorder – everyone is different. This is not a problem. As long as people are doing it for reasons they recognise and are at home with is fine. Not having the good sense to roll a johnny on the wee chap (or, for that matter, use dental dams, spermicide, sponges, caps, rubber gloves and so on) IS a problem.