Open mike 12/01/2021

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, January 12th, 2021 - 50 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

50 comments on “Open mike 12/01/2021 ”

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  1. lprent 1
    12 January 2021 at 8:15 am

    No comments today? This is a test comment to check that nothing is wrong.

    It appears to be working.

    Must be the weather. Nice day to ride to work.

  2. Jimmy 2
    12 January 2021 at 8:52 am

    Always sad when a trusted employee uses their position of trust to steal from their employer. Stole over $10k a month ($170k in total). She is very lucky to only get home detention, I guess due to the baby.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/123917100/staffer-steals-170k-from-highprofile-christchurch-criminal-lawyers

    • aom 2.1
      12 January 2021 at 8:59 am

      No Jimmy – white middle-class offending and white collar crime. The sentence was pretty much par for the course.

  3. francesca 3
    12 January 2021 at 9:07 am

    I really appreciate Jonathon Cook's analytical in depth approach to the the sophisticated PR war against the the left

    He quotes Varoufakis

    Now what they do is something far worse. They accuse you of something that really hurts you. Calling somebody like us a racist, a bigot, an antisemite, a rapist. This is what really hurts because if anybody calls me a rapist today, right, even if it’s complete baloney, I feel as a feminist I have the need to give the woman, implied or involved somehow in this accusation, the opportunity to speak against me. Because that is what we left-wingers do.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/56155.htm

    • lurgee 3.1
      12 January 2021 at 9:20 am

      The other day I encountered Varoufakis claiming in deadly seriousness that Hillary Clinton plotting to assassinate Julian Assange, based on some unsubstantiated comments that were 'reported' on a blog.

      He's got about as much credibility as Donald Trump and he is probably more interested in promoting himself.

      A large section of the left lost its collective shit over Julian Assange and never got it back.

      • Phillip ure 3.1.1
        12 January 2021 at 9:58 am

        gotta link for that varoufakis accusation..?

        or was your ‘encounter’ in person..?

      • francesca 3.1.2
        12 January 2021 at 12:48 pm

        Would love to see that link lurge.

        But rather off topic

        Debate the ideas, not the man .

        I can't fault what Varoufakis said here(in quotes) , and he's far more of an intellect than you give him credit for , likening him to Trump is a stretch

        "Cant we just drone the guy" is probably the quote from one of those State dept sources provenance unknown .Anonymous state dept sources have also been used to discredit Trump, and in those instances are taken up with alacrity .

        Selective fact checking going on , but the quote would certainly be on form for Clinton..she of the "We came , we saw, he died..hahaha"on hearing of Gadaffi's barbaric death.And of course she was Sec of State during the escalated Obama led drone killings.

        She is no stranger to drones, death and assassinations

        A large section of the left lost their shit over the attack on freedom of information, journalism and free speech

        Seems like you got hung up on personality out of personal dislike for the players.

        • Phillip ure 3.1.2.1
          12 January 2021 at 1:25 pm

          h.clinton/obama/biden were all in the room together..watching the hit go down on their former operative..osama bin laden..

          they all seemed to enjoy it just a wee bit too much..

          so she does have form..in taking part in hits. .

        • lurgee 3.1.2.2
          13 January 2021 at 11:15 pm

          Would love to see that link lurge.

          But rather off topic

          Debate the ideas, not the man .

          Link provided above. And in this case, the ideas define the man. By mouthing ludicrous Trump level absurdities, he makes himself a joke.

          I assume he knows what he is doing – we were told, back in the day, how he was a world expert on Game Theory – and is boosting his profile with the only people who will still listen to him by saying whatever they want to hear. Again, like Trump.

  4. Sanctuary 4
    12 January 2021 at 9:14 am

    The media is back at full volume fear mongering, being panic merchants and acting as a megaphone for assorted lobbyists and moaners over our COVID response, where in the government? Are they all still all on holiday?

    Unless Labour is careful, a new community outbreak of the highly contagious Kent Corona while it's enemies get to set the narrative about a supposed complacent and slow vaccine roll-out will be very, very damaging.

    Labour need to wake up and get back to work. Holiday over!

    • mpledger 4.1
      12 January 2021 at 9:25 am

      The "fast" vaccine roll-out in the USA has turned into a big mess. The roll-out in the UK has been to turn the two dose vaccine into "who knows when you'll get a second dose" .. for those who can get a first dose.

      At the moment we have time on our side to plan the vaccination process well. Let's use it.

      • Sanctuary 4.1.1
        12 January 2021 at 9:37 am

        I am not doubting the plan, but I am wondering about the lack of communication from the government who all appear to be still at the beach and giving free hits to every person with an axe to grind.

        • Phillip ure 4.1.1.1
          12 January 2021 at 10:46 am

          aren't they busy beavering away on their master-plans to fix the poverty/homeless/housing/environmental issues that so blight us..?

          one would hope/expect that they are doing that..

          and awaiting the relevant announcements..

        • Anne 4.1.1.2
          12 January 2021 at 11:22 am

          It is normal for parliamentarians to have a break until the end of January.

          Select committees usually get up and running after Auckland's Anniversary Weekend, and that's when the MPs return to Wellington. Cabinet minsters return sooner from memory but when one considers the very long hours they put in, a month off at this time of the year is needed to refresh batteries – especially after 2020.

          PM Ardern and DPM Grant Robertson will be quietly beavering away on current issues but I wouldn't think they will be advertising their presence yet – unless an emergency occurs.

        • Gabby 4.1.1.3
          12 January 2021 at 6:28 pm

          They maybe realise that everyone else is at the beach too.

    • Fran 4.3
      12 January 2021 at 10:51 am

      I am really happy about our government's response to the potential vaccine rollout. The safety trials are not yet complete and we can afford to wait as our border security systems are holding for now.

      There are some pretty disturbing stories coming out of Britain about reactions to the Phizer vaccine so I am happy to wait and make sure that the solution is not worse than the problem.

      There is simply too much we don't know yet, which is what Medsafe are saying. Panic does not ensure good decision making and unlike most of the world we don't need to panic yet.

    • Patricia Bremner 4.4
      12 January 2021 at 5:10 pm

      They were not on holiday. Fix has been put in place. (much gnashing of dentures in the troll gallery).

    • Gabby 4.5
      12 January 2021 at 6:27 pm

      Judith Codger is very cross that the Labour government isn't whipping the public into foam flecked panic over this English virus.

    • Ad 4.6
      12 January 2021 at 10:10 pm

      Your wish is their command:

      “I have also today signed further amendments to our Air Border Order which include:

      • from 11.59pm on Friday 15 January, travellers arriving on all flights from the UK and US must have had a negative test result for COVID-19 in the 72 hours before their departure
      • the Director-General of Health is now formally authorised to and will soon expand the pre-departure test requirement to all countries and territories excluding Australia, Antarctica and some Pacific Island nations.

      “New Zealand already has some of the most stringent border protection measures in the world. Today’s amendments further strengthen that position in line with the Government’s overall elimination strategy,” Chris Hipkins said.

      https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2101/S00019/additional-actions-to-keep-covid-19-out-of-nz.htm

  5. Bruce 5
    12 January 2021 at 9:20 am

    Prison worker 'ashamed' to have worked for Department of Corrections https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/434369/prison-worker-ashamed-to-have-worked-for-department-of-corrections

    I'm sick of making the comment; but the solution is so obvious, it's not until you take the thugs and bullies who rise through the ranks to run these places out of management and replace them with educated and informed rehabilitationists nothing will change.

    • Forget now 5.1
      12 January 2021 at 11:16 am

      So simple Bruce? The Stanford prison experiments have been demonstrated to have bias, but I still believe that; until prisons themselves change, the power dynamics will continue to bend prison guards into twisted Screws. Though some of them do seek that out.

      This stood out from your link:

      What I realised was, I was becoming like them and becoming a person I didn't want to be…

      I wanted to help these guys more but I wasn't even helping them, I was turning into a monster myself.

      • Descendant Of Smith 5.1.1
        12 January 2021 at 12:19 pm

        Sometime ago I posted about the fact that once public servants are won over to a particular (obedient) way of thinking then they can carry out evil with ruthless efficiency.

        At the time part of the context was Trump separating families and children. Public servants do this – not Trump himself. Locally you saw the same behaviours with the well publicised toxic WINZ environment pre-Labour getting in.

        There is a strong link between Johnathon Cook's analysis of how the fascist right have become skilled at the art of personal character assassination and the creation of such toxic environments and behaviours. Those who stand-up against such behaviours and policies become organisationally marginalised and attacked personally. I sense from years of reading Anne's posts that this occurred to her and can see this had occurred to Mike Rowntree.

        It partly of the corporate control of language – George Orwell, Dale Spender, Noam Chomsky and many others have written at length on this. Simple changes in the 80's from staff/personal to human resources dehumanised people to be considered the same as a paperclip.

        It is partly the private sector concept of "team" which doesn't allow for dissent and disagreement becomes personalised. "There is no I in team", the requirement to look and behave in certain ways, loyalty, extroversion and style valued more than substance.

        It is partly the control and fear engendered through often meaningless and irrelevant corporate targets. Meeting the target becomes the over-riding factor and not service to citizen.

        It is partly the capitalist myth of individualism – the fairy tale that anyone can become a millionaire if only they try hard enough. The fake theory of equality – that we are all the same and if we can't do it is our own fault.

        30 plus years of such policies driven by politicians in bed with the private sector capitalists lead us to where we are heading – back to the 1800's.

        Right now the current labour government is just a blip in the continuation of these trends. Without radical change then normal transmission will be resumed.

        Arnie has a bit to say about public servants here which is worth listening to.

        https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/10/capitol-riot-schwarzenegger-rebukes-trump-kristallnacht

        • Forget now 5.1.1.1
          12 January 2021 at 4:47 pm

          I thought that Schwarzenegger speech was one of the few things done by a Republican in response to the Trumpist putsch that is likely to have any effect in quelling the insurrection. That servant line was in the bit about his Catholic upbringing though, and if there is one thing a certain type of Christian hates more than a Muslin, it's a different kind of Christian.

          Certainly agree that the notion of Human Resources is instrumental in dehumanizing human people.

        • Anne 5.1.1.2
          12 January 2021 at 4:48 pm

          There is a strong link between Johnathon Cook's analysis of how the fascist right have become skilled at the art of personal character assassination and the creation of such toxic environments and behaviours. Those who stand-up against such behaviours and policies become organisationally marginalised and attacked personally. I sense from years of reading Anne's posts that this occurred to her and can see this had occurred to Mike Rowntree.

          Absolutely Descendant Of Smith.

          I went to the police on several occasions over the years to report the associated criminal activity and to my knowledge the police never lifted a finger. Some of it was politically damaging to our democratic processes too (in the 1970s and 80s) but the perpetrators were allowed to get clean away with it. Why? That is an intriguing question, and I have good reason to suspect the truth does not solely lie within the bounds of this country.

  6. WeTheBleeple 6
    12 January 2021 at 11:33 am

    Energy generated from brownian motion in graphene. "Clean, limitless, low-voltage power for small devices or sensors".

    https://phys.org/news/2020-10-physicists-circuit-limitless-power-graphene.html

    Sounds like a breakthrough till one considers the limitation of the price of graphene ~ $100 USD per gram.

    But wait! Some clever clods have already learned to make it on the cheap – out of garbage!

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottsnowden/2020/07/24/ground-breaking-method-to-make-graphene-from-garbage-is-modern-day-alchemy/?sh=4731525950d7

    These technologies, developed, could be game changers.

  8. weka 8
    12 January 2021 at 4:53 pm

    Anyone want to bullet point catch me up on the past 4 days? Haven't been following the news much. Nice that we haven't had a nuclear war though.

    • Anne 8.1
      12 January 2021 at 6:39 pm

      Don't speak too soon but I imagine the US military has that possibility well in hand. I darn well hope so. 😮

      The FBI has warned that the maniacs (my word) who support Trump are equipping themselves with guns and other tools of violence and intend to wage war against State Governments over the coming week – as we speak.

    • RosieLee 8.2
      12 January 2021 at 8:50 pm

      Bullet points? Might need to rephrase that.

  9. joe90 9
    12 January 2021 at 6:57 pm

    I fucking hate zoos. (we know how this ends)

    Several gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for the coronavirus in what is believed to be the first known cases among such primates in the United States and possibly the world.

    The park’s executive director, Lisa Peterson, told The Associated Press on Monday that eight gorillas that live together at the park are believed to have the virus and several have been coughing.

    It appears the infection came from a member of the park’s wildlife care team who also tested positive for the virus but has been asymptomatic and wore a mask at all times around the gorillas. The park has been closed to the public since Dec. 6 as part of the state of California's lockdown efforts to curb coronavirus cases.

    https://www.kcra.com/article/gorillas-test-positive-for-coronavirus-at-san-diego-park/35181813#

    • Treetop 9.1
      12 January 2021 at 9:30 pm

      Covid has no limits as humans can pass it on to animals.

      Appears that animals may also require a vaccine.

      Are animals causing new strains due to being infected by humans?

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