Open mike 12/03/2023

23 comments on “Open mike 12/03/2023 ”

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1. Ad 1

   12 March 2023 at 9:52 am

   Good party Sanctuary.

   We can bring the limes next time from our tree.
   • Belladonna 1.1

     12 March 2023 at 8:22 pm

     Saw limes at the supermarket today, and thought of you, Sanctuary…..
2. Belladonna 2

   12 March 2023 at 9:57 am

   Really respect people in high pressure jobs, with a long-established drinking 'culture' (especially including politics and journalism) who are coming out and talking about the negative effects of alcohol. And that you don't have to be rolling-in-the-gutter-after-downing-a-bottle-of-vodka to admit that it's not helping you, your work performance or your family life.

   https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ask-me-anything-guyon-espiner-and-paula-bennett-talk-quitting-drinking-and-alcohol-in-new-zealand/MYA22LOIZVGO5ATTCTGQCU4PJY/
3. Peter 3

   12 March 2023 at 10:59 am

   Perspectives on refugees in Britain, perspectives of politicians there, perspectives on the BBC.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXqVGtxFppQ
   • tWiggle 3.1

     12 March 2023 at 10:34 pm

     Hypocricy at BBC. Guardian article lists many non-news presenters who have expressed political positions in their personal social media. The new head of BBC, appointed by Boris Johnson after he organised an £800k loan for him, is selective in throttling independence of media personalities.

     https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/11/gary-lineker-was-singled-out-from-a-long-list-of-bbc-stars-who-express-political-views
4. joe90 4

   12 March 2023 at 11:27 am

   Just hearing about adverse side effects can lead to adverse side effects. Cool.

   //

   Negative reporting on Covid-19 shots that aired on Fox News was linked to increased vaccine hesitancy, according to a new study that shows how the nation’s No. 1 news network influenced viewers during a pandemic that has killed more than 1.1 million people in the US.

   Concerns about the safety of Covid vaccines as measured in reported side effects increased following heightened periods of negativity in Fox News coverage of vaccines, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal Political Communication. Public opinion surveys also showed Fox viewers reported elevated levels of vaccine hesitancy throughout the pandemic compared to regular viewers of other programs.

   […]

   Motta and Stecula used the database as a proxy for public perception of Covid vaccines. Typically, you would expect to see reports of side effects distributed regularly over time as the vaccines rolled out and more Americans were immunized.

   Instead, the analysis found that increases in reports of side effects tended to follow negative coverage of the vaccines on Fox News. Public opinion surveys conducted by the pair backed up their findings.

   “There’s a remarkable correlation between VAERS reports and use of the anti-vaccine themes and the reporting that's done on the virus on Fox,” Stecula said.

   https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-10/fox-news-content-led-to-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-among-viewers

   https://archive.li/HsPIJ
   • Visubversa 4.1

     12 March 2023 at 11:59 am

     VAERS of course is a "no fault" reporting system which was instituted to stop medical advances being bogged down in the American system of throwing law suits around like confetti. There is no requirements to establish any kind of scientific linkage between the vaccine you say you had and the harm you say you suffered.
     • AB 4.1.1

       12 March 2023 at 12:53 pm

       Yes – systems such as VAERs are good in that respect. They provide a lot of data where analysts can look for 'signals' that suggest something adverse is happening across a patient population that might be more than merely random stuff that happens. These signals can then be looked at further – including whether the mechanism of action of the drug could plausibly produce such an adverse event. It seems they are also quite good at detecting changes in the data that are unrelated to the drug itself, but are a function of the social and political environment. Quelle surprise!
   • fender 4.2

     12 March 2023 at 6:29 pm

     Pretty sad for the public of any supposedly democratic country (let alone one that claims to be the leaders of the free world), that the no.1 news network has been exposed as anything but an actual news network.

     Papers presented in court show that this no.1 news network knowingly lied to their viewers while being fully aware their stories were incorrect. These lies were a catalyst for the violence that resulted from the attack on the US Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the legitimate winner of an election.

     These revelations could hopefully end this network due to the financial repercussions of being sued by voting machine manufacturer Dominion for defamation as well as (hopefully) every law enforcement officer trying to uphold the rule of law filing a class action lawsuit for damages.

     It's not surprising to learn Fox has also played a part in unnecessary Covid deaths due to spreading vaccine hesitancy amongst its viewers. The sooner this network has its license to broadcast revoked, the better.
     • Joe90 4.2.1

       12 March 2023 at 6:51 pm

       Whatever it takes to win the votes they need. Former Repug and never Trumper Tom Nichols writes about the contempt the GOP and it's boosters have for their base.

       It’s time to talk about elitism.

       Last month, I wrote that the revelations about Fox News in the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit showed that Fox personalities, for all their populist bloviation, are actually titanic elitists. This is not the elitism of those who think they are smarter or more capable than others—I’ll get to that in a moment—but a new and gruesome elitism of the American right, a kind of hatred and disgust on the part of right-wing media and political leaders for the people they claim to love and defend. Greed and cynicism and moral poverty can explain only so much of what we’ve learned about Fox; what the Dominion filings show is a staggering, dehumanizing version of elitism among people who have made a living by presenting themselves as the only truth-tellers who can be trusted by ordinary Americans.

       https://archive.li/AcnOs (The Atlantic)
       • fender 4.2.1.1

         12 March 2023 at 8:04 pm

         To save embarrassment if the base ever realized the contempt for them by their elites, they'll likely only respond with something like: All the elites hate us, but at least our ones aren't woke.

         I think they admire the dehumanizing aspect as it gives them license to behave the same way towards people they dislike, or groups they have an unhealthy hang- up about, often due to unresolved repressed feelings.
     • tWiggle 4.2.2

       12 March 2023 at 7:47 pm

       Apparently Fox News does do standard news during the day, although strongly pro-Republican. It's the OpEd commentator programmes in the evening which peddle stuff that sounds like news, but which is outrage infotainment. It is thoroughly laden with lies, spin, and whacko conspiracy theories.

       So technically, it is a news channel.
       • fender 4.2.2.1

         12 March 2023 at 8:20 pm

         Fox is essentially a Republican Super P(olitical)A(ction)C(ommittee)
5. Robert Guyton 5

   12 March 2023 at 11:39 am

   Rod Oram – always good:

   https://www.newsroom.co.nz/farmers-self-interest-should-encourage-climate-mitigation-if-nothing-else
   • Craig H 5.1

     12 March 2023 at 6:30 pm

     There is a good point made about positive impacts of an climate policy for agriculture based on mitigation e.g. better trade and marketing opportunities. One could add the negative impacts of not doing it, besides the obvious climate disasters, could be NZ farming exports being less desirable, and potentially even not purchased at all by some large supermarket chains.
   • Patricia Bremner 5.2

     12 March 2023 at 7:17 pm

     +100
6. Robert Guyton 6

   12 March 2023 at 1:20 pm

   David Farrar is emailing this (segment only) message out today:

   " I'm sorry to email on a Sunday – and I apologise it is so long – but it is important. While Three Waters was about community/council assets, this email is about a new series of bills going through Parliament right now that will dictate what you can can do with your house, your farm, and your business. And unlike Three Waters, it is getting nearly no media attention. David Parker's new planning bills are even worse than Three Waters – and apply to your land/house/business Right now, the Government is sneaking through legislation that is almost identical to Nanaia Mahuta's original plans with Three Waters, but relates to our homes, town planning, consenting, and natural environment. The short point is , if you thought Three Waters was bad, the Government's proposed replacement to the Resource Management Act is much, much worse.I am asking for your support to stop these radical reforms in their tracks." etc.
   • weka 6.1

     12 March 2023 at 2:39 pm

     I found a version online. Strangely long email for someone asking for money.

     https://nzissues.com/Community/threads/rma-2-0-looks-like-it-is-another-nightmare-from-central-planning.40614/#post-1703457
     • tWiggle 6.1.1

       12 March 2023 at 8:16 pm

       Is it the Spatial Planning Bill?

       https://legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2022/0187/latest/LMS545761.html?search=ts_bill_planning_resel_25_a&p=1

       Stated aim is to co-ordinate Local Govt Act, Natural and Built Environment Act and the Land Transport Act. There will be 30y Regional Plans, reviewed every 9 years. Consultation on concerns and interests of local Māori groups is included in the planning process. Regions can join to make cross-regional plans.

       All seems straight forward, although a shitload of work for Regional councils. It makes sense to have environment, water, transport and town planning/industry planning all in one master plan.

       Don't know how this is even eviler than 3 Waters.
   • AB 6.2

     12 March 2023 at 3:53 pm

     It might be a better idea to send some money to the Disinformation Project so they can start tracking Farrar (and by extension) Curia?
   • pat 6.3

     12 March 2023 at 7:58 pm

     It appears Labour are again repeating the mistakes of 3 Waters. As always the devilwill be in the detail and once again the proliferation of high level statements alongside a dearth of process leaves the whole proposal wide open to whatever interpretation the reader wishes to apply.

     Until such time as they are prepared to present a detailed model they will struggle to convince anyone that their proposal has any merit….whether that lack of detail is a result of a lack of planning or political reticence largely matters not, meanwhile Mr Farrar and co will happily exploit the former.

     And fair enough…if Labour are unable or unwilling to front the practicalities then they deserve nothing less.
7. Craig H 7

   12 March 2023 at 6:32 pm

   https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/131473072/labour-stalwart-wins-selection-to-contest-christchurch-east

   Reuben Davidson has been selected as Labour candidate for Christchurch East.
8. tWiggle 8

   12 March 2023 at 10:23 pm

   Aljazeera opinion piece on Jewish opposition to right-wing government steps to dismantle judiciary power, in the context of broader anti-Palestinian attitudes.

   https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/3/10/turmoil-in-israel-trepidation-in

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