”Masic et al. found evidence of calcite-filled cracks in other samples of Roman concrete, supporting their hypothesis. They also created concrete samples in the lab with a hot mixing process, using ancient and modern recipes, then deliberately cracked the samples and ran water through them. They found that the cracks in the samples made with hot-mixed quicklime healed completely within two weeks, while the cracks never healed in the samples without quicklime.”
During the WWII preparation for D-Day the Mulberry Harbours where being prepared and it was found that the huge concrete cassions were too heavy to tow off the land into the sea and they had to be made in the sea. They were initially made from conventional concrete but it would not set in salt water. Churchill remembered reading of Roman concrete setting in salt water from his reading of Latin texts during his classical education and he instructed his scientific advisors to find out how that concrete worked.
The rest is history – The benefits of a Classical education ……
The oil giant Exxon privately “predicted global warming correctly and skilfully” only to then spend decades publicly rubbishing such science in order to protect its core business, new research has found.
A trove of internal documents and research papers has previously established that Exxon knew of the dangers of global heating from at least the 1970s, with other oil industry bodies knowing of the risk even earlier, from around the 1950s. They forcefully and successfully mobilized against the science to stymie any action to reduce fossil fuel use.
A new study, however, has made clear that Exxon’s scientists were uncannily accurate in their projections from the 1970s onwards, predicting an upward curve of global temperatures and carbon dioxide emissions that is close to matching what actually occurred as the world heated up at a pace not seen in millions of years.
I wonder if the tolerance for such bullshit will diminish once we have a tipping point % of the population reliant on electric transport rather than oil transport.
And maybe that is one of the reasons people are not worried, after all right, they can just buy a electric car and pretend they did their bid. Greenwashing at its finest.
Instead if really we wanted to bring a tipping point in understanding we would invest heavily into public transport -free of charge for everyone, and private non polluting transports i.e. bikes. And build future housing projects with public transport in mind rather then just go for infill housing in communities that have no public transport to speak of and thus everyone will use their car to get about.
I had a short stint working for Shell in the early 90s. Everyone in upper management was frothing at the mouth at the idea of the permafrost melting as you could drill baby drill. Their eyes shone with exitement talking about Russia and their resources that they would love to lay their hands on. Oh well………
In saying that, acid rain, ozone hole etc all these things have been with us for a while now and yet we still insist in having huge cars, huge tvs, huge houses, huge amounts of food etc etc etc.
I think those sorts of people in management champion magic thinking under the guise of an unshakeable belief in technological progress. That is, if CO2 and methane etc become a problem, we'll simply invent some form of technology to make the problem go away, and they want to make sure they are in the box seat for the profits to be made from that.
Magical thinking around climate change is rife, because the problem is so enormous and it poses so many fundamental questions about how our world is currently orgainsed.
Actually i think it is simpler then that. They know but hope to be in the income group that is considered important and rich enough to survive whilst the large part of the unwashed masses will simply die of hunger, pestilence or washed away in the floods.
Never underestimate how greed can influence your thinking.
Genuine question to people who may know these people better than I – what is the attraction of Russian fascism to so many aging once-were-lefties? You know, Mike Smith here and a couple of recent and frankly unhinged pieces from the likes of Malcolm Evans on the TDB, or Ken Perrott (granted he has always been a bit of a nutter). They've all become complete Putin tankies. The war in the Ukraine seems to have become a very strange rabbit hole for these people.
It is a very odd confection of paranoia, stupidity and reflexive anti-capitalist dogmatism – for example, while we can all agree the US military industrial complex is a bad thing and the invasion of Iraq was an illegal invasion and a war crime, how does it follow that arming the Ukraine is therefore bad, and that the illegal and unprovoked invasion of the Ukraine allows for a whattaboutism that somehow makes two wrongs a right? And don't even get me started on the insane belief these people seem to have that an emerging democracy like the Ukraine is run by Nazis, or the odd intellectual gymnastics that argues the Russians are the victims?
Is it just old age? Does old age do that to you? Oh God, I am getting old, am I doomed?
I've been very puzzled by it myself. Not all of them are old – AOC and the progressive left in USA seem to be falling into the error of supporting invasion, dictatorship, torture and authoritarianism. I've been disappointed by this behaviour in various people whose views on other matters I've often supported (Corbyn, AOC, Chomsky etc).
I am probably going too far, true. I don't think they actively believe in the dreadful things Russia are doing – but have done things that end up supporting Russia's appalling actions.
The most egregious was the letter in October, calling for negotiations with Russia (while Russia was committing war crimes left right and centre, all over Ukraine), and negotiations between the USA and Russia over Ukraine's fate (just stomp all over the victim). This was utterly tone deaf, harmed Ukraine and was amplified to the max by all the Russian propaganda channels. They tried to walk the letter back, claiming it was some sort of mistake – but the apology was pathetic relative to the harm caused – harm caused to the brutalised victim of terror and aggression.
I suspect many people don't understand what's happening here, so let me explain. In the UK (and other places) there has been a big push to provide toilets for the small but increasing number of trans and NB people.
Often what happens is that the women's toilets are converted into the NB/gender neutral/everyone except men toilet, and the men's toilet is left for men. This despite the fact that women's toilets are used more and under supplied compared to men's.
One of the reasons for that is that it's cheaper to just convert the women's toilet than build a new gender neurtal one, and they don't want to convert the men's toilet because it has the urinals.
Men's needs take precedent over women's. Women's needs are invisible, the need to privacy and safety from males for a whole range of reasons (dignity, dealing with menstruation and miscarriage, sexual assault prevention, male violence trauma survivors, and so on).
One of the rationales for providing trans/NB toilets has rightly been that trans/NB people need access to toilets so they don't have to hold on or be limited in how they take part in society. So why is it that women aren't granted the same respect? (that's not a rhetorical question, it's because of sexism and misogyny).
We will turn the women's toilet into a mixed sex toilet, and women who need/want a single sex toilet can walk to the other side of the building, dripping menstrual blood if necessary.
I'll also point out that male wheelchair users are being forced to use what is essentially the women's loos. That's fucked up as well.
And no, building floor to ceiling cubicles each with their own hand basin and room to change is not a particularly good situation outside of small cafes and other places where only one or two toilets is needed. We have single sex toilets for very good reasons. If society needs gender neutral toilets, that's a third space.
and I'll hazard a guess that the women's WC notice was an after thought. They did the conversion without thinking about women, and then women complained.
I do notice that some men only toilets do now have baby changing tables and nappy disposal receptacles in them. I guess some dads who take young children to town complained/made it known this facility was required.
Am guessing that the powers that be thought placing the otherly gendered persons in the mens toilets would be too dangerous with likely nastiness and forgot (or conveniently ignored) the danger transferred to women.
I don't let men I don't know come and use the toilet in my home as it suits them, I doubt you do either. No-one does.
I don't know anyone that has a toilet at home that men, women, girls, boys all use at the same time, except where those people already have intimate relationships. Women in particular would not let casual male visitors be using a bathroom/toilet with their girl children at the same time unless there was a strong relationship of trust already. What planet are you on?
If you can't understand the differences for women needing single sex spaces, between public toilets and the toilet in their own home, then you're an idiot whose ideas on this topic should be roundly ignored.
TWAW eh! That is a mantra, a slogan, a catechism, an expression of belief. You are welcome to believe it, but as it has zero proof of reality and zero testability, you cannot require others to so believe.
Yes, everyone should be safe – and men can be very harsh on others they see as non- conforming. They have demonstrated that on Gay men for decades, in toilets, and prisons etc. The problem is male violence. That does not mean that women should become the shields for non-conforming men.
There are not enough womens toilets in general.Women need them often with more urgency than men I"m referring to women in the anatomical and reproductive sense.
I shouldn't have to say this, but childbirth can play havoc with the bladder and sphincter muscle.Anyone who's been pregnant knows the increased frequency of urination .Any woman who's felt blood dripping down their legs in the street wants to get to a toilet fast, and while they're attending to themselves they don't want to hear a man pissing all over the seat in the next booth .
And they do that pretty bloody often
If I'm in town, among strangers ,I want to be able to go to a womens toilet and have the peace of mind to know I'm only going to encounter other women .
Transwomen don't cut it for me in that sense.Because I know that at their core they are men, and if anyone wants to hurt me, 99% of the time , it will be a man .I can't help it that I instinctively know , in some deep core of me , who is a man and who is a woman
And lets face it, most transwomen retain their penises, because the nightmarish alternative of a fake vagina has dire health consequences.
How many of we women have been assaulted by a man , raped by a man, threatened by a man .A pretty dreadful percentage It stays with you , and they don't always look like monsters.Some of those images Weka has shown of the terrible violence and threats uttered by transwomen activists is just downright horrific
I am now approaching the "elderly"bracket (actually I'm 70, but I've got a bit of go in me yet).I may just end up "holding on" rather than experience the visceral fear of sharing space with a strange man while attempting to have a private piss.
More toilets for women and gender neutral toilets for those that want them
Oh god, you're going to attempt to linguistically reprogram me?
in the same way that lesbians must be reprogrammed to accept male penises?
Woman … an adult female human being
All the contorted tortuous post modern verbiage in the world doesn't alter the reality that a woman is an adult female human being , and a transwoman is a man who for whatever reason feels more real presenting as a woman
Most people still use the word woman when referring to biologically female humans. For obvious reasons.
Men don't get to tell women what language we use about ourselves. But it's so interesting that you would try and get women here to accept TWAW while at the same time telling women how to conceptualise ourselves. When exactly did progressive men decide that trans people get self definition but women get defined by men?
Men don't get to tell women what language we use about ourselves.
Yeah you keep playing that card. When you say things that have actual (as opposed to theoretical) harmful consequences for whole groups of people, all humans will respond.
You're missing the point Sacha. You can respond. I'm calling you out as a hypocrite who says that trans people are allowed rights and self definition but women aren't. And doing that as a man with progressive politics.
When you say things that have actual (as opposed to theoretical) harmful consequences for whole groups of people, all humans will respond.
See, hypocrisy. In your world, it's ok to talk about harm to trans people, but it's not ok for women to talk about harm to women.
You literally argue against women being able to use our own language at the same time as telling us that we should use the designated language for trans people, presumably on the basis that trans people get their own language.
It's nuts. That's not the problem though, the problem is you won't make the actual argument for your position. My informed opinion about that is it's because you don't have an argument that stands up in a place like TS where robust debate is expected.
They don't want to hear a man pissing all over the seat in the next booth .
Does this really happen? I mean enough to call it a behavioural consistent requiring every public toilet to have a fourth space. Otherwise it seems like you are making up some dreaded fantasy.
Transwomen are women. They also expect safe spaces from men, for the same reasons.
TWATW. And duh, of course they need safe spaces. The question is why you want to sacrifice women's rights and safety to provide that instead of providing for both groups.
I advocated for third spaces for toilets, you came in with an inane, sound bite, TRA talking point about toilets at home being gender neutral, as if we haven't been hearing this lack of reasoning response for years. You don't address the points I raised, and default to TW are vulnerable too as if we don't already know that.
I'm going to save a lot of time and just point out that is classic gender ideology debating, it has no substance and rarely addresses the issues being raised. It relies on mantras like TWAW, but can't put up any arguments for why women should give up their single sex spaces.
Self ID means any man who says they are woman is to be accepted as a woman at any time, including violent men when want to access women's spaces. Again, if you believe that some men won't take advantage of that new found access, you're an idiot and your ideas on this topic should be ignored.
Interesting to compare you calling me an "idiot" with your previous official reaction to me saying things like I hope you and others find peace. All I have done today is make uncontroversial statements supported by 99.9% of the world's population.
[citation needed for “All I have done today is make uncontroversial statements supported by 99.9% of the world's population.”. You’re in premod until you do. If you want to be here and part of this debate, then up your game and make the actual arguments at the standard expected here – weka]
I will not be providing evidence for established knowledge any more than for the earth not being flat. Get over yourself.
[it’s neither reasonable nor viable to allow commenters here to have this degree of contempt for moderation. The Policy says,
We are intolerant of people starting or continuing flamewars where there is little discussion or debate. This includes making assertions that you are unable to substantiate with some proof (and that doesn’t mean endless links to unsubstantial authorities) or even argue when requested to do so.
Based on moderations in the past few months, I see no reason to think you will change nor that there is any point in giving you more chances. I’m also not willing to spend any more moderation time on this. 1 year ban as we are currently clearing out problems until after the election period – weka]
The evidence base to show that not even close to 99% of the world's population hold your beliefs about gender identity. For instance, polling shows that most Brits don't support your statements.
My reading of Sacha's point is that 99.9% of the population unprompted do not think about it too much. When asked a specific and narrow gender wars question they do have a response. Particularly in Britain which is by nature conservative and also highly populated by rolling gambling and polling institutions.
Sacha has often run the line that GCFs are a small minority and most people think like him. He had his chance to explain and present evidence /shrug
the YouGov polls show he is wrong, even taking your interpretation. Look at the 2022 YouGov link, they address the issue of how much attention people give to trans issues.
The only exposure I have to trans issues, as you call it, is on forums like this. In the real world it it does not come up for most people at all.
A lot of the scenarios are what ifs. A trans woman standing up pissing into the bowl in the next cubicle, and when they're done only rape is on their mind.
What evidence these things happen even remotely regularly?
what on earth are you on about? Who has said that the only thing on a TW’s mind in women’s toilets is rape. You just made that shit up and then you ask me if it happens regularly? It’s all in your head mate. If you want to have the conversation then have the conversation in ways that make sense. This means you need to get your head around the arguments instead of making things up. Just like in all the other arguments we have here about war or Labour or Nact or whatever. If you don’t understand then ask.
Interesting to compare you calling me an "idiot" with your previous official reaction to me saying things like I hope you and others find peace.
I thought about your comments about finding peace at the time. It was hard to know how to take that tbh. You are a genuine person, but it was juxtaposed with politics intent on removing my rights as a woman.
I don't understand your comparison here. I haven't made an official reaction to you wishing me peace, in fact I didn't respond to that part of your comment at all.
There is no basis in any reality. Every drop of your blood tells the truth about your sex. There is nothing about a man who demands to be called a woman that is not male in every pore and very action.
You might notice that gender ideology demands the repetition of the mantra that TWAW – but the only people who are allowed to call themselves women are those men. Women are no longer allowed to name themselves – we have become "pregnant people" or "people with uteri", or "cervix havers".
There is nothing about a man who demands to be called a woman that is not male in every pore and very action.
Just as there is nothing about a woman who demands to be called a man that is not female in every pore and (e)very action?
All (demanding) trans people must then be delusional (at least), although some have seen the error of their choices/requirements/demands, and more may yet be persuaded to make conformist 'sense of self' choices.
Best to leave persuading/educating to those with the necessary skills and experience. I tried once and it backfired – irrepairably. Never again.
Transwomen are men who – for whatever reason – require other people to consider them as women. This does not make them women. It also does not stop them from being men.
The mantra you spout is a particularly useful one for avoiding the consideration of impacts on women and girls. Its adoption leads to legislative and policy changes that ignore the fact that the one uniting factor that all transwomen have – is that they are men.
So, the consequence that we see in NZ is that any provision for women in terms of single-sex spaces, services, awards or support systems are now no longer single-sex. No consideration, no debate, no acknowledgement of the breaking of existing safeguarding assessments and boundaries.
A deliberate linguistic sleight-of-hand, which provided men access to women's spaces based on men's perceptions.
As more become aware of what has occurred, your mantra – which encompasses a circular definition – will be derided as the nonsense it is.
Transwomen are men. So, why are you not holding a safe space for them in men's single-sex spaces?
PS. Please provide GPS co-ordinates for your universally accessible home toilet. Not a choice I would make, but there's a list being compiled of such generous offerings. I'm sure Auckland Council would appreciate the private provision of such public facilities.
"They also expect safe spaces from men, for the same reasons."
No. The needs of women and men are different. The needs of women and men who want to be considered women are different. The motivations of entering a women's single-sex provision, are also different depending upon sex. Your lack of even a basic knowledge of this issue, continues to surprise.
The "urinary leash" was a deliberate strategy by mostly middle class men to keep women out of the pubic realm. They didn't care about working class women, they could piss in alleyways, and upper class women moved in different circles. Middle class men did not want "their" women out and about too far from home without them – and they did not want them competing with them in the workplace. Women had to fight for public conveniences for women. One of the early ones in London in 1901 was destructed at the prototype stage by a crowd of angry men who drove carriages etc into it. The first public women's toilet in Manchester was in the basement of the John Rylands library which opened in 1900. Men were still resisting toilets for women well into the 1970's where workplaces used the lack of changing/toilet facilities as an excuse not to employ women.
Yes, you can do good facilities that are safe for all users, but it is not cheap on a larger scale. One place I go regularly has 5 toilets in 3 spaces. Two of the spaces each has a toilet and a hand basin in a separate cubicle. The other space has 3 toilets – each in a separate cubicle, and one shared handbasin. Each are clearly labeled as to what is there so that users have a choice.
These days – the demand for "gender neutral" facilities is very much part of the denial of basic biology by the gender idealogues. It is also part of the men's rights movement push to remove all accommodations and safeguards for women. It is often done – as in the above example, by simply changing the sign on the door of the women's toilet – this shows clearly what is the target here.
When thinking of whether it is safe to have men able to walk in to any of the spaces established by and for women – the places where they are vulnerable or undressed, – don't think of the safest man you know – think of the worst man you know.
I still recall my Nana and Mum deciding on their shopping itinerary based on the shops/places which had good women's toilets.
Obvs – that wasn't the only places they went (not much chance at the butcher, or greengrocer), but they would structure the trip so that there would be opportunities to visit the loo at strategic points along the way.
and good women's toilets were really good. Rest rooms, you could sit down and have time out, there was often a lounge space separate from the toilets themselves. They were quiet and peaceful and comfortable. A great loss.
Yep. Smith and Caughey's ones were legendary. We rarely bought anything major there (being on the decidedly lower end of the middle class) – but always visited the restrooms.
Yep, and women just have to roll over and suck it up because they are so kind and compassionate.Womens toilets are becoming overcrowded with all the different genders they have to accommodate
No, just one-eyed. You need to be capable of seeing that both sides have interests to protect. Each is fighting over a chunk of territory to which each believes it has "ownership" rights. I'm inclined to take the side of Russia, because I think Russia, for long term defensive reasons, cannot afford to allow the Black Sea to become a Western lake; and therefor needs to hang on to Crimea and, preferably, to ensure land access to it. Ukraine seems, as a matter of government policy, determined to recover that territory ( which seems to imply invading it since Russia is unlikely to give it up).
Ukraine, on the other hand, believes that the territorial integrity of Ukraine requires the retention (now recovery) of Donetsk, Crimea, etc.
Before “Reliable Sources,” Kalb built an esteemed career as a journalist, working for the New York Times, CBS News and NBC News with a particular interest in international affairs.
After traveling with Henry Kissinger on diplomatic missions alongside his brother, journalist Marvin Kalb, the Kalb brothers wrote the 1974 biography “Kissinger, A Biography.”
Kalb was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs in 1984 for the U.S. State Department under Ronald Reagan’s administration. Kalb later quit when Bob Woodward revealed a secret plan from the White House that aimed to plant false information in the U.S. media in order to weaken Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, saying he knew nothing of it.
“In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies” – Winston Churchill.
Attention: Benedict Ferguson, President of the Public Service Association – Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi
Dear Benedict,
Thank you for your opinion piece* in Stuff and asking the rhetorical question what National and Luxon will do to public services in NZ. Unfortunately, you omitted the elephant in the room because National is of course a Trojan stalking horse for letting loose ACT policies on public services like a bull in a China shop – we all know how much National and its leaders love bull markets and China. ACT’s stance on public services is unequivocally negative as they have an inborn aversion to spending taxpayers’ money on this. Thus, the answer to your rhetorical question is anything but rhetorical and we know exactly how it is going to play out if ACT coattails into Government.
and richard prebble gets a whole page in todays wairarapa times age complaining about government redtape. well he would really squeal if farmers did what they liked and our export produce got turned away from our customers for having too many contaminants
simeob brown is in the dompost with a third of page two complaining about the busses in wellington. what the heck has that got to do with him pray tell?
My guess is that in the years to come we will see a shift from fewer happy to more unhappy farmers because of changing weather patterns. And that’s just (the) farmers.
Sepuloni acknowledged the Government was aware the refinery’s closure would “create some challenges in the CO2 market” but said it identified a number of opportunities to strengthen the domestic CO2 market” prior to the refinery’s closure.
“The sector has already begun implementing these opportunities which include increasing production at Kapuni, increasing imports, improving the efficiency of customers’ CO2 use, and investigating the feasibility of an additional domestic CO2 production facility.”
The current shortage of carbon dioxide did not change the economics behind the refinery’s decision to close, she said.
“This was a commercial decision made by its owners in response to falling refinery margins.”
Indeed, industry dropped the ball on this. When do NZ businesses start to think about resilience instead of the usual short-sighted fumbling that they label astute management and business experience? NZ is and will remain a small remote economy compounded by environmental risks.
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Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
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 Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s 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 ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
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 year’s 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, Labour’s 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 country’s 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 Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
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 Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - 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. 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. 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. “Our 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 Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I 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 Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s 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. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s 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 Ngā 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. “Our 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 Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I 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. “Over 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. “It is good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Chartres, Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney shutterstockAhmet Misirligul/Shutterstock You go to the gym, eat healthy and walk as much as possible. You wash your hands and get vaccinated. You control your health. This is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Hendriks, Research Fellow and Lecturer, Curtin University Children and young people may be seeing news headlines about men murdering women or footage of people rallying to call for action. Perhaps they or their friends have even gone to the protests. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Balanzategui, Senior Lecturer in Media, RMIT University ABC “Bluey mania” shows no sign of abating. Bluey’s season finale, The Sign, was the most viewed ABC program of all time on iView. A “hidden” follow-up episode, aptly named The Surprise, created ...
Labour market figures came in softer than the Reserve Bank had forecast, but they won’t be enough to move the needle on interest rates, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Unemployment ...
The campaign will engage the community and encourage submissions on the bill to the New Zealand government by the closing submission deadline of Friday 31st of May 2024 4pm. ...
The paper raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand's political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency plays in that. ...
The Urban Habitat Collective was an attempt to built an innovative new form of apartment building in Wellington. Here’s why it failed, and why the idea could still work, writes co-founder Bronwen Newton. When we started the Urban Habitat Collective in November 2018, we thought we were starting a revolution, ...
Two decades ago this week, a controversial law that attempted to define ownership of the foreshore and seabed prompted a formidable display of outrage and kōtahitanga as 15,000 marched to parliament. Jamie Tahana looks back.‘Hīkoi, hīkoi,” they chanted by the thousands as the biggest Māori march in a generation ...
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Maybe all those whining about potholes should pass this on to their local councils.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/01/ancient-roman-concrete-could-self-heal-thanks-to-hot-mixing-with-quicklime/?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=392591ed02-briefing-dy-20230112&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-392591ed02-47041915
”Masic et al. found evidence of calcite-filled cracks in other samples of Roman concrete, supporting their hypothesis. They also created concrete samples in the lab with a hot mixing process, using ancient and modern recipes, then deliberately cracked the samples and ran water through them. They found that the cracks in the samples made with hot-mixed quicklime healed completely within two weeks, while the cracks never healed in the samples without quicklime.”
During the WWII preparation for D-Day the Mulberry Harbours where being prepared and it was found that the huge concrete cassions were too heavy to tow off the land into the sea and they had to be made in the sea. They were initially made from conventional concrete but it would not set in salt water. Churchill remembered reading of Roman concrete setting in salt water from his reading of Latin texts during his classical education and he instructed his scientific advisors to find out how that concrete worked.
The rest is history – The benefits of a Classical education ……
Evil. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/12/exxon-climate-change-global-warming-research
Pathological organism.
Can the "body" of humanity recognise and treat such a pathological organism (before it kills it)?
I wonder if the tolerance for such bullshit will diminish once we have a tipping point % of the population reliant on electric transport rather than oil transport.
Damage already done.
obviously. Plenty more damage to be done still if it's not stopped.
And maybe that is one of the reasons people are not worried, after all right, they can just buy a electric car and pretend they did their bid. Greenwashing at its finest.
Instead if really we wanted to bring a tipping point in understanding we would invest heavily into public transport -free of charge for everyone, and private non polluting transports i.e. bikes. And build future housing projects with public transport in mind rather then just go for infill housing in communities that have no public transport to speak of and thus everyone will use their car to get about.
this is why I said electric transport rather than electric cars.
Makes sense. thanks for clarifying.
I had a short stint working for Shell in the early 90s. Everyone in upper management was frothing at the mouth at the idea of the permafrost melting as you could drill baby drill. Their eyes shone with exitement talking about Russia and their resources that they would love to lay their hands on. Oh well………
In saying that, acid rain, ozone hole etc all these things have been with us for a while now and yet we still insist in having huge cars, huge tvs, huge houses, huge amounts of food etc etc etc.
Go figure.
I think those sorts of people in management champion magic thinking under the guise of an unshakeable belief in technological progress. That is, if CO2 and methane etc become a problem, we'll simply invent some form of technology to make the problem go away, and they want to make sure they are in the box seat for the profits to be made from that.
Magical thinking around climate change is rife, because the problem is so enormous and it poses so many fundamental questions about how our world is currently orgainsed.
Actually i think it is simpler then that. They know but hope to be in the income group that is considered important and rich enough to survive whilst the large part of the unwashed masses will simply die of hunger, pestilence or washed away in the floods.
Never underestimate how greed can influence your thinking.
The old everyone who thinks about living in the middle ages imagines they are a noble syndrome….
Genuine question to people who may know these people better than I – what is the attraction of Russian fascism to so many aging once-were-lefties? You know, Mike Smith here and a couple of recent and frankly unhinged pieces from the likes of Malcolm Evans on the TDB, or Ken Perrott (granted he has always been a bit of a nutter). They've all become complete Putin tankies. The war in the Ukraine seems to have become a very strange rabbit hole for these people.
It is a very odd confection of paranoia, stupidity and reflexive anti-capitalist dogmatism – for example, while we can all agree the US military industrial complex is a bad thing and the invasion of Iraq was an illegal invasion and a war crime, how does it follow that arming the Ukraine is therefore bad, and that the illegal and unprovoked invasion of the Ukraine allows for a whattaboutism that somehow makes two wrongs a right? And don't even get me started on the insane belief these people seem to have that an emerging democracy like the Ukraine is run by Nazis, or the odd intellectual gymnastics that argues the Russians are the victims?
Is it just old age? Does old age do that to you? Oh God, I am getting old, am I doomed?
I've been very puzzled by it myself. Not all of them are old – AOC and the progressive left in USA seem to be falling into the error of supporting invasion, dictatorship, torture and authoritarianism. I've been disappointed by this behaviour in various people whose views on other matters I've often supported (Corbyn, AOC, Chomsky etc).
Care to share examples of that?
I am probably going too far, true. I don't think they actively believe in the dreadful things Russia are doing – but have done things that end up supporting Russia's appalling actions.
The most egregious was the letter in October, calling for negotiations with Russia (while Russia was committing war crimes left right and centre, all over Ukraine), and negotiations between the USA and Russia over Ukraine's fate (just stomp all over the victim). This was utterly tone deaf, harmed Ukraine and was amplified to the max by all the Russian propaganda channels. They tried to walk the letter back, claiming it was some sort of mistake – but the apology was pathetic relative to the harm caused – harm caused to the brutalised victim of terror and aggression.
More recently, AOC opposed a bill that would fund further military and other aid from the USA to Ukraine (she says for reasons around unrelated funding in the bill) – and I can't find any mention by her of regretting any harm to Ukraine from this.
I generally support the squad, but they haven't been great on the Ukraine injustice.
'Is it just old age? Does old age do that to you? Oh God, I am getting old, am I doomed?'
Yes just like the rest of us.
https://twitter.com/susiehawkes/status/1613414436475109377
(it’s the British Library).
I suspect many people don't understand what's happening here, so let me explain. In the UK (and other places) there has been a big push to provide toilets for the small but increasing number of trans and NB people.
Often what happens is that the women's toilets are converted into the NB/gender neutral/everyone except men toilet, and the men's toilet is left for men. This despite the fact that women's toilets are used more and under supplied compared to men's.
One of the reasons for that is that it's cheaper to just convert the women's toilet than build a new gender neurtal one, and they don't want to convert the men's toilet because it has the urinals.
Men's needs take precedent over women's. Women's needs are invisible, the need to privacy and safety from males for a whole range of reasons (dignity, dealing with menstruation and miscarriage, sexual assault prevention, male violence trauma survivors, and so on).
One of the rationales for providing trans/NB toilets has rightly been that trans/NB people need access to toilets so they don't have to hold on or be limited in how they take part in society. So why is it that women aren't granted the same respect? (that's not a rhetorical question, it's because of sexism and misogyny).
We will turn the women's toilet into a mixed sex toilet, and women who need/want a single sex toilet can walk to the other side of the building, dripping menstrual blood if necessary.
I'll also point out that male wheelchair users are being forced to use what is essentially the women's loos. That's fucked up as well.
And no, building floor to ceiling cubicles each with their own hand basin and room to change is not a particularly good situation outside of small cafes and other places where only one or two toilets is needed. We have single sex toilets for very good reasons. If society needs gender neutral toilets, that's a third space.
and I'll hazard a guess that the women's WC notice was an after thought. They did the conversion without thinking about women, and then women complained.
I do notice that some men only toilets do now have baby changing tables and nappy disposal receptacles in them. I guess some dads who take young children to town complained/made it known this facility was required.
Am guessing that the powers that be thought placing the otherly gendered persons in the mens toilets would be too dangerous with likely nastiness and forgot (or conveniently ignored) the danger transferred to women.
this looks like the original post
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4378456-British-Library-womens-toilets
Or every home.
I don't let men I don't know come and use the toilet in my home as it suits them, I doubt you do either. No-one does.
I don't know anyone that has a toilet at home that men, women, girls, boys all use at the same time, except where those people already have intimate relationships. Women in particular would not let casual male visitors be using a bathroom/toilet with their girl children at the same time unless there was a strong relationship of trust already. What planet are you on?
If you can't understand the differences for women needing single sex spaces, between public toilets and the toilet in their own home, then you're an idiot whose ideas on this topic should be roundly ignored.
Transwomen are women. They also expect safe spaces from men, for the same reasons.
TWAW eh! That is a mantra, a slogan, a catechism, an expression of belief. You are welcome to believe it, but as it has zero proof of reality and zero testability, you cannot require others to so believe.
Yes, everyone should be safe – and men can be very harsh on others they see as non- conforming. They have demonstrated that on Gay men for decades, in toilets, and prisons etc. The problem is male violence. That does not mean that women should become the shields for non-conforming men.
Absolutely right on !
The problem is male violence.
The problem is violence by men.
Site would not let me quote. Let's try that again.
The problem is violence by men.
And men who demand we call them women have the same pattern of violent behavior as other males.
There are not enough womens toilets in general.Women need them often with more urgency than men I"m referring to women in the anatomical and reproductive sense.
I shouldn't have to say this, but childbirth can play havoc with the bladder and sphincter muscle.Anyone who's been pregnant knows the increased frequency of urination .Any woman who's felt blood dripping down their legs in the street wants to get to a toilet fast, and while they're attending to themselves they don't want to hear a man pissing all over the seat in the next booth .
And they do that pretty bloody often
If I'm in town, among strangers ,I want to be able to go to a womens toilet and have the peace of mind to know I'm only going to encounter other women .
Transwomen don't cut it for me in that sense.Because I know that at their core they are men, and if anyone wants to hurt me, 99% of the time , it will be a man .I can't help it that I instinctively know , in some deep core of me , who is a man and who is a woman
And lets face it, most transwomen retain their penises, because the nightmarish alternative of a fake vagina has dire health consequences.
How many of we women have been assaulted by a man , raped by a man, threatened by a man .A pretty dreadful percentage It stays with you , and they don't always look like monsters.Some of those images Weka has shown of the terrible violence and threats uttered by transwomen activists is just downright horrific
I am now approaching the "elderly"bracket (actually I'm 70, but I've got a bit of go in me yet).I may just end up "holding on" rather than experience the visceral fear of sharing space with a strange man while attempting to have a private piss.
More toilets for women and gender neutral toilets for those that want them
Females then.
Oh god, you're going to attempt to linguistically reprogram me?
in the same way that lesbians must be reprogrammed to accept male penises?
Woman … an adult female human being
All the contorted tortuous post modern verbiage in the world doesn't alter the reality that a woman is an adult female human being , and a transwoman is a man who for whatever reason feels more real presenting as a woman
One of us is trying to change established language to suit an agenda, and it isn't me.
it is you. Even for those that accept TWAW, some words have more than one meaning, and woman still means adult human female.
But politically, you, a man, are actively trying to remove the word we have that is commonly used to describe adult human females. That's an agenda.
Most people still use the word woman when referring to biologically female humans. For obvious reasons.
Men don't get to tell women what language we use about ourselves. But it's so interesting that you would try and get women here to accept TWAW while at the same time telling women how to conceptualise ourselves. When exactly did progressive men decide that trans people get self definition but women get defined by men?
Yeah you keep playing that card. When you say things that have actual (as opposed to theoretical) harmful consequences for whole groups of people, all humans will respond.
You're missing the point Sacha. You can respond. I'm calling you out as a hypocrite who says that trans people are allowed rights and self definition but women aren't. And doing that as a man with progressive politics.
See, hypocrisy. In your world, it's ok to talk about harm to trans people, but it's not ok for women to talk about harm to women.
You literally argue against women being able to use our own language at the same time as telling us that we should use the designated language for trans people, presumably on the basis that trans people get their own language.
It's nuts. That's not the problem though, the problem is you won't make the actual argument for your position. My informed opinion about that is it's because you don't have an argument that stands up in a place like TS where robust debate is expected.
Does this really happen? I mean enough to call it a behavioural consistent requiring every public toilet to have a fourth space. Otherwise it seems like you are making up some dreaded fantasy.
You missed the point. Go back and reread the whole paragraph and see if you get it.
TWATW. And duh, of course they need safe spaces. The question is why you want to sacrifice women's rights and safety to provide that instead of providing for both groups.
I advocated for third spaces for toilets, you came in with an inane, sound bite, TRA talking point about toilets at home being gender neutral, as if we haven't been hearing this lack of reasoning response for years. You don't address the points I raised, and default to TW are vulnerable too as if we don't already know that.
I'm going to save a lot of time and just point out that is classic gender ideology debating, it has no substance and rarely addresses the issues being raised. It relies on mantras like TWAW, but can't put up any arguments for why women should give up their single sex spaces.
Self ID means any man who says they are woman is to be accepted as a woman at any time, including violent men when want to access women's spaces. Again, if you believe that some men won't take advantage of that new found access, you're an idiot and your ideas on this topic should be ignored.
Interesting to compare you calling me an "idiot" with your previous official reaction to me saying things like I hope you and others find peace. All I have done today is make uncontroversial statements supported by 99.9% of the world's population.
[citation needed for “All I have done today is make uncontroversial statements supported by 99.9% of the world's population.”. You’re in premod until you do. If you want to be here and part of this debate, then up your game and make the actual arguments at the standard expected here – weka]
I will not be providing evidence for established knowledge any more than for the earth not being flat. Get over yourself.
[it’s neither reasonable nor viable to allow commenters here to have this degree of contempt for moderation. The Policy says,
Based on moderations in the past few months, I see no reason to think you will change nor that there is any point in giving you more chances. I’m also not willing to spend any more moderation time on this. 1 year ban as we are currently clearing out problems until after the election period – weka]
The evidence base to show that not even close to 99% of the world's population hold your beliefs about gender identity. For instance, polling shows that most Brits don't support your statements.
UK YouGov polls from 2020 and 2022,
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2020/07/16/where-does-british-public-stand-transgender-rights
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/society/articles-reports/2022/07/20/where-does-british-public-stand-transgender-rights
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/philosophy/trackers/support-for-separate-toilets-for-men-and-women-and-gender-neutral-toilets-in-public-spaces
More polls here https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/explore/topic/Transgender
My reading of Sacha's point is that 99.9% of the population unprompted do not think about it too much. When asked a specific and narrow gender wars question they do have a response. Particularly in Britain which is by nature conservative and also highly populated by rolling gambling and polling institutions.
Sacha has often run the line that GCFs are a small minority and most people think like him. He had his chance to explain and present evidence /shrug
the YouGov polls show he is wrong, even taking your interpretation. Look at the 2022 YouGov link, they address the issue of how much attention people give to trans issues.
The only exposure I have to trans issues, as you call it, is on forums like this. In the real world it it does not come up for most people at all.
A lot of the scenarios are what ifs. A trans woman standing up pissing into the bowl in the next cubicle, and when they're done only rape is on their mind.
What evidence these things happen even remotely regularly?
what on earth are you on about? Who has said that the only thing on a TW’s mind in women’s toilets is rape. You just made that shit up and then you ask me if it happens regularly? It’s all in your head mate. If you want to have the conversation then have the conversation in ways that make sense. This means you need to get your head around the arguments instead of making things up. Just like in all the other arguments we have here about war or Labour or Nact or whatever. If you don’t understand then ask.
In the last three years I have had conversations with exactly two people IRL about the gender/sex wars. Thanks to No Debate.
I thought about your comments about finding peace at the time. It was hard to know how to take that tbh. You are a genuine person, but it was juxtaposed with politics intent on removing my rights as a woman.
I don't understand your comparison here. I haven't made an official reaction to you wishing me peace, in fact I didn't respond to that part of your comment at all.
"Transwomen are women. "
What is the basis in truth for that claim? Is it purely the subjective claims of transpeople, or is there some basis in objective reality?
There is no basis in any reality. Every drop of your blood tells the truth about your sex. There is nothing about a man who demands to be called a woman that is not male in every pore and very action.
You might notice that gender ideology demands the repetition of the mantra that TWAW – but the only people who are allowed to call themselves women are those men. Women are no longer allowed to name themselves – we have become "pregnant people" or "people with uteri", or "cervix havers".
Just as there is nothing about a woman who demands to be called a man that is not female in every pore and (e)very action?
All (demanding) trans people must then be delusional (at least), although some have seen the error of their choices/requirements/demands, and more may yet be persuaded to make conformist 'sense of self' choices.
Best to leave persuading/educating to those with the necessary skills and experience. I tried once and it backfired – irrepairably. Never again.
The TWAW claim seems to be both a denial of reality, and a denial of what it is to be a woman. How did we get to this?
"Transwomen are women".
Transwomen are men who – for whatever reason – require other people to consider them as women. This does not make them women. It also does not stop them from being men.
The mantra you spout is a particularly useful one for avoiding the consideration of impacts on women and girls. Its adoption leads to legislative and policy changes that ignore the fact that the one uniting factor that all transwomen have – is that they are men.
So, the consequence that we see in NZ is that any provision for women in terms of single-sex spaces, services, awards or support systems are now no longer single-sex. No consideration, no debate, no acknowledgement of the breaking of existing safeguarding assessments and boundaries.
A deliberate linguistic sleight-of-hand, which provided men access to women's spaces based on men's perceptions.
As more become aware of what has occurred, your mantra – which encompasses a circular definition – will be derided as the nonsense it is.
Transwomen are men. So, why are you not holding a safe space for them in men's single-sex spaces?
PS. Please provide GPS co-ordinates for your universally accessible home toilet. Not a choice I would make, but there's a list being compiled of such generous offerings. I'm sure Auckland Council would appreciate the private provision of such public facilities.
"They also expect safe spaces from men, for the same reasons."
No. The needs of women and men are different. The needs of women and men who want to be considered women are different. The motivations of entering a women's single-sex provision, are also different depending upon sex. Your lack of even a basic knowledge of this issue, continues to surprise.
The "urinary leash" was a deliberate strategy by mostly middle class men to keep women out of the pubic realm. They didn't care about working class women, they could piss in alleyways, and upper class women moved in different circles. Middle class men did not want "their" women out and about too far from home without them – and they did not want them competing with them in the workplace. Women had to fight for public conveniences for women. One of the early ones in London in 1901 was destructed at the prototype stage by a crowd of angry men who drove carriages etc into it. The first public women's toilet in Manchester was in the basement of the John Rylands library which opened in 1900. Men were still resisting toilets for women well into the 1970's where workplaces used the lack of changing/toilet facilities as an excuse not to employ women.
Yes, you can do good facilities that are safe for all users, but it is not cheap on a larger scale. One place I go regularly has 5 toilets in 3 spaces. Two of the spaces each has a toilet and a hand basin in a separate cubicle. The other space has 3 toilets – each in a separate cubicle, and one shared handbasin. Each are clearly labeled as to what is there so that users have a choice.
These days – the demand for "gender neutral" facilities is very much part of the denial of basic biology by the gender idealogues. It is also part of the men's rights movement push to remove all accommodations and safeguards for women. It is often done – as in the above example, by simply changing the sign on the door of the women's toilet – this shows clearly what is the target here.
When thinking of whether it is safe to have men able to walk in to any of the spaces established by and for women – the places where they are vulnerable or undressed, – don't think of the safest man you know – think of the worst man you know.
I suspect most men have never thought about who women's toilets came into being.
I still recall my Nana and Mum deciding on their shopping itinerary based on the shops/places which had good women's toilets.
Obvs – that wasn't the only places they went (not much chance at the butcher, or greengrocer), but they would structure the trip so that there would be opportunities to visit the loo at strategic points along the way.
and good women's toilets were really good. Rest rooms, you could sit down and have time out, there was often a lounge space separate from the toilets themselves. They were quiet and peaceful and comfortable. A great loss.
Yep. Smith and Caughey's ones were legendary. We rarely bought anything major there (being on the decidedly lower end of the middle class) – but always visited the restrooms.
and then there will be penis havers and others, and penis havers can also be others.
Yep, and women just have to roll over and suck it up because they are so kind and compassionate.Womens toilets are becoming overcrowded with all the different genders they have to accommodate
cimea
am I doomed?
No, just one-eyed. You need to be capable of seeing that both sides have interests to protect. Each is fighting over a chunk of territory to which each believes it has "ownership" rights. I'm inclined to take the side of Russia, because I think Russia, for long term defensive reasons, cannot afford to allow the Black Sea to become a Western lake; and therefor needs to hang on to Crimea and, preferably, to ensure land access to it. Ukraine seems, as a matter of government policy, determined to recover that territory ( which seems to imply invading it since Russia is unlikely to give it up).
Ukraine, on the other hand, believes that the territorial integrity of Ukraine requires the retention (now recovery) of Donetsk, Crimea, etc.
Sorry this comment is a reply to Sanctuary at (3). I must have forgotten to press the reply button.
A journalist with integrity, and a reminder that nothing changes.
Bernard Kalb, Founding ‘Reliable Sources’ Host and Journalist, Dies at 100
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bernard-kalb-founding-reliable-sources-004307235.html
“In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies” – Winston Churchill.
Attention: Benedict Ferguson, President of the Public Service Association – Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi
Dear Benedict,
Thank you for your opinion piece* in Stuff and asking the rhetorical question what National and Luxon will do to public services in NZ. Unfortunately, you omitted the elephant in the room because National is of course a Trojan stalking horse for letting loose ACT policies on public services like a bull in a China shop – we all know how much National and its leaders love bull markets and China. ACT’s stance on public services is unequivocally negative as they have an inborn aversion to spending taxpayers’ money on this. Thus, the answer to your rhetorical question is anything but rhetorical and we know exactly how it is going to play out if ACT coattails into Government.
Keep up the good work!
Incognito
* https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/130771276/we-need-to-know-what-the-plan-for-the-public-service-is-beyond-the-election
and richard prebble gets a whole page in todays wairarapa times age complaining about government redtape. well he would really squeal if farmers did what they liked and our export produce got turned away from our customers for having too many contaminants
simeob brown is in the dompost with a third of page two complaining about the busses in wellington. what the heck has that got to do with him pray tell?
Ya gotta wonder….
I'm sure it's pretty legal!!
lol, Nice : )
Already starting to feel depressed this year? Don’t worry, it is not the polls, yet.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/weather-news/300783636/auckland-on-track-to-have-darkest-january-since-1989
The Coromandel has in 11 days this year received 800mm of rain. Equivalent to 5 months of rainfall from Jan to May on average.
Yes, tragic stuff.
Some farmers are ecstatic, apparently.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300783447/its-raining-its-pouring-and-liquid-gold-is-falling-monsoon-weather-a-boon-for-farmers
Other farmers are deeply unhappy.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/482336/farmers-are-almost-at-their-wits-end-cyclone-recovery-likely-to-be-slow
Government is offering some financial assistance.
https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/rural-news/rural-general-news/govt-support-for-flood-affected-farmers-and-growers
My guess is that in the years to come we will see a shift from fewer happy to more unhappy farmers because of changing weather patterns. And that’s just (the) farmers.
Auckland with only 26 hours of bright sunshine recorded so far this month.
Far south, Invercargill, a little over 100hrs in same period
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/130964948/government-says-carbon-dioxide-supplies-being-rationed-and-prioritised
Indeed, industry dropped the ball on this. When do NZ businesses start to think about resilience instead of the usual short-sighted fumbling that they label astute management and business experience? NZ is and will remain a small remote economy compounded by environmental risks.