People in dangerous bushfire zones delay taking action until the last minute because they're too optimistic about their own risk, new research has shown.
The highest fire danger warning has been forecast for Sydney, the first time the warning has been issued in Australia’s most populous region since the ‘catastrophic’ category was introduced in 2009.
Yes. But they often live in areas where the fire risk is high every year. I think they also see stories of how the fire will burn some houses but skip others, sometimes because the owners defended the house.
Until recently the advice was to leave early OR stay and defend your house if you made the recommended clearing of material from around the house. The worst decision was to stay and then leave when the fire front could be seen.
The 2009 bushfires in Victoria swept through some small towns where people had taken shelter after leaving their homes. Up up 180 lost there lives.
Victoria is an area Im more familiar with and there is a long history of large loss of life
2009 – 7 February – March “Black Saturday” (173 deaths)
1939 – December – January “Black Friday” (71 deaths)
1926 – 14 February – March “Black Sunday” (60 deaths)
1944 – December – February (51 deaths)
1983 – 16 February “Ash Wednesday” (47 in Victoria)
1962 – 14–16 January (33 deaths)
1969 – 8 January (23 deaths)
1942 – Western Victoria (20 deaths) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushfires_in_Victoria
Yep, I've seen a few in Sydney. One I saw progressed from the south, then SW, West, NW, then north of Sydney .. almost as if someone was driving around with a box of matches.
NSW police later caught some kids carrying matches according to ABC radio, but I don't know the details.
Not covered much, this side of the globe especially.
His work was described by one journalist as; "gentrified xenophobia", but such a description is questionable, and motive for such comment worthy of further examination.
The issues he puts forward is important even to NZ, more particularly in relation to use of immigration as a "numbers game".
Axiomatic, looking clearly at global migration patterns in the 21st century with a net population growth of around up to quarter of a million people per day, and a commonly overlooked potential for mass movement by "climate/environmental refugees" on top of other migration.
This is before the topic of cultural and religious domination (as opposed to integration) is even seriously considered.
Europe is really in a precarious situation, and is going to have to wake up very soon.
I accept, that many historic European "ills" identity/sub-culture (ref: the empire accusation) needed some fixing, but this blame game wont solve the real problems facing them.
Long-time Repug strategist reckons the way to Dump-a-chump is to make the Senate trial vote a secret ballot. Since that only requires a handful of Republican senators, it might be a lot likelier than most people think.
However, she doesn't mention that the plan requires Mitch McTurtle to sacrifice his Senate seat for the greater benefit to the Republican party. Because he would become the lightning rod for angry Drumpfkins by actually allowing the vote to make it a secret ballot. That might be the biggest obstacle to the whole plan.
No sign of the shield wall cracking yet because any public signs of cracking will bring the immediate wrath of Drumpf.
If cracking starts, I suspect there's a good chance we might not see any public cracks until there's an announcement that the world's most stable genius has won everything and solved all the world's problems and don't blame him when it all turns to shit after he left because it was all perfect when he finished his work.
Then over the next few months the stories of late-night delegations visiting the White House will trickle out …
Yeah, it's a long shot. About the only way I could see it happening is if they become convinced they'll lose the senate majority as well as the presidency with the fake-bronze Brezhnev at the top, but might have a chance of keeping the senate with something like a Pence-Haley ticket.
Depends on how important it is to make it clear that the president is required to act in accordance with the constitution and in the best interests of the country.
So if the idea is to set the norm that the president is elected to be an unacccountable king to do whatever the fuck he wants for four years, then sure, just pretend it's all good to just wait to let the voters sort it out. That seems to be the Repug position.
But if it's still important to hold the principle that the president is still a citizen accountable to the law and constitution, then it seems clear his behaviour has stepped so far over the line that Congress has no choice but to go through the process, even if it may be electorally disadvantageous to individual members. That seems to be the Dem position.
The clearest rehearsal for the Repugs is their performance in the Russian election interference hearings. They made their decision to lock down behind him then.
It's good mental protection to be as pessimistic as possible right now.
Dems having a few issues with their key witness testimonies…
It’s crazy how many press reports are covering Taylor’s testimony as if it’s based on 1st hand info. In some cases, it’s even 3rd or 4th hand. https://t.co/ajKGkDvKV9
That would be Sean Davis, founder of The Federalist website? Another Alex Jones type, minus the performance art? His twitter is certainly … ahem … interesting.
Meanwhile, searching Taylor's transcript for that quote (to find the context) turns up nothing, and searching da webz for that quote only turns up the kookiest of Repug and far-right sites.
You sure you're not just spattering around shit that's just been outright fabricated?
So the context is Zeldin is trying to get Taylor to make some sort of assertion about what Trump's state of mind or motivation was when he tried to extort Ukraine into opening sham investigations into his political opponents.
It's pure diversionary smokescreen.that is immaterial to establishing or refuting the fact that Trump was indeed trying to extort Ukraine by withholding the aid approved by Congress.
BTW maui, do you think it's OK for the president to withhold Congress approved and taxpayer funded aid to try to extort a foreign country into smearing a political opponent of the president?
This is now the fourth time I've asked you this exact question. The first time you evaded, and the next two you ghosted.
I really can't understand why it might be difficult to answer "no, it's not OK". Unless you're anticipating the need to be able to claim "yes, it is ok" when the evidence becomes undeniable to even the most delusional Drumpfkin.
Zeldin’s Twitter rant was a classic racist dog whistle. It was a wink and nod to all his pals who hate seeing a woman of color wearing a hijab in a position of power. But it was written with just the right lack of specificity that he could claim ignorance when confronted with the nasty implications of his message.
[…]
Last month, for example, she recalibrated her defense of a tweet during the 2012 Gaza War, in which she wrote, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.” In response to a New York Times column about her tweet and the history of anti-Semitic portrayals of Jews as deceitful manipulators, she defended her criticism of the Israeli military but said she regretted unintentionally invoking the trope.
Zeldin, however, has shown no such willingness to evolve.
In 2015 he met with the Long Island Oath Keepers, a New York chapter of a far-right anti-government militia movement. He has appeared as a guest on a radio show hosted by Frank Gaffney, an Islamophobic conspiracy theorist who has also had white nationalist Jared Taylor on his show. Gaffney is best known for suggesting that former President Barack Obama is Muslim, accusing opponents of submitting to Sharia and objecting to having Muslim members of Congress serve on the House Intelligence Committee because they might leak information to the Muslim Brotherhood. Last year, Zeldin held a fundraising event with Sebastian Gorka, a former White House adviser who was photographed wearing a medal indicating membership in the Vitezi Rend, a Hungarian group that collaborated with the Nazis in World War II.
If only he hadn't changed the constitution to run for office again, and then stopped the election count for 24 hours, before being declared winner with just enough votes to win outright and avoiding a run off and drawing the attention of the poll observers who warned of serious irregularities.
It always seems sadder when left wing politicians get power crazy and corrupt.
Care to explain the 24 hour "pause" in announcing the results? That doesn't usually go along with free and fair elections. Or are you one of these one eyed type leftists who excuse any abuse of democracy because it is committed by a Socialist and is therefore okay?
Maybe not – Mark Weisbrot seems to think otherwise. We should go with the default assumption based on historical experience – which is a resource-theft coup engineered by the global hegemon.
There was a 24 hour pause because at the centre of virtually all Central and South American elections there is the odour of Dodgy on the air.
When the ticket to a better life revolves around knowing someone with some political pull, we will always get candidates with hidden agendas. Left, Right, doesn't matter.
The OAS recommended a system of vote counting that goes in 2 parts. First a very quick count to get the general gist, and then the slower more careful count
"Kevin Cashman @kevinmcashman – 1:36 UTC · Nov 11, 2019
Eventually, the official count was released: Morales won in the first round 47.08% to 36.51%. If you had been watching the polls before the election, 5 out of 6 of them predicted the same result. Weird to have a fraud that matches up with polls." Poll Tracker: Bolivia's 2019 Presidential Race
Listen to Weisbrot. There are two counts – a quick count and an official count. The quick count has historically been stopped before 100% as it is meant to be indicative only. The official count carries on to 100%. The supposed 'pause' is simply the time interval between the cessation of the quick count and the end of the official count. If Weisbrot is correct, and there is no reason to assume he's not, the accusation is bullshit.
So I'm sticking with my hunch – yet another resource-theft coup orchestrated by the global hegemon and gleefully and violently supported by local elites on the ground who stand to benefit. A Marxist (and I'm not one) would correctly call it "primitive accumulation". The suggestion is that the resource in question is lithum – there's a truckload of money to be made in the near future with batteries I'm picking. BTW – are you actually Juan Guaido with a bit of time on your hands?
A thought experiment and a question. An oak tree was planted somewhere in Auckland in 1840, by a Maori who wants to see how these new fangled trees grew. In 1880, an acorn fell from this tree and grew spontaneously. In 1919 a grieving Pakeha parent took a sapling from this second oak tree and planted it on the slopes of one of Auckland's cones as a quiet memorial to a son lost in the Geat War. Today, this NZ third generation oak is 100 years old and the family of the person who planted it – informally, just amongst themselves – know of it's story and take comfort when they walk or drive past when they see "their" tree.
The question is, is that oak tree now a native, or is it forever an exotic?
Mankind made it happen, planted the seed or it was on the hoof of his horse = exotic tree
….If a South American Macaw flew from Sydney to Devonport and deposited an Australian native plant seed that flourished, is that plant native or exotic?
Correct me if I'm wrong but native is something that can be in other countries but is of the place its found and endemic is native but only found in that place .
So a non endemic native is self introduced through natural methods. As opposed to introduced by other means .
Which kinda means that as humans have always naturally spread across the planet, anyone not forcibly transplanted is native . Especially their offspring.
Good question, can't be answered definitively. I listened to someone describing a native person as one who recognised every bird call in a place, knew its meaning and how that changed according to season and time of day. I think this definition, given our present dire situation, is more useful than circumstantial; first-in-first-served model we have come to accept.
I think that if we used that definition Robert there wouldn't be anyone in the country who could possibly claim the title of being a "native" of New Zealand.
Do you know, for example, what is the call of a sooty shearwater chick when it wants to be fed by its father rather than its mother? Please provide a full, detailed, explanation of the differences between the calls made to each parent.
I wouldn't worry it is just a made up definition. Experts in one type of knowledge were experts for that and not everyone was/is expert in all areas imo
I really wasn't planning to lose any sleep over it Marty. Do I have to put JOKE everywhere?
On the other hand I am desperately interested in the question about the Mutton bird*. I haven't been able to determine the exact sequence of notes in each of the calls I was inquiring about and I thought that Robert was sure to know.
Alwyn; it may surprise you greatly to learn that I spent a season on one of the most far-flung titi islands, Putauhinu, south of Rakiura/Stewart Island and while I can certainly describe a range of calls made by parent and chick titi, having heard them many, many times, I could not differentiate as finely as you have demanded, however, I haven't claimed to be a native of Putauhinu, so don't feel compromised. I imagine, reading your question, that you are very familiar with the range of calls the galah and consider your self a native of Australia?
I am truly impressed Robert. Even in my much younger days I think I would have found spending time on those Southern Islands rather harder than I would have desired. Tramping on Stewart Island itself was quite enough for me.
I wonder if bird calls actually do get as selective as my hypothesis suggests? Surely not.
As far as Australian birds go I found them to be much more spectacular in their colouring than New Zealand ones but I can't think of any where the song was attractive. Just the opposite of most New Zealand species. Still I suppose the Australian birds were quite appropriate for the country. The sounded just as raucous as most of the inhabitants.
It wasn’t my definition, Marty, it was that of a man who teaches "becoming native" and begins by training people to recognise bird calls and their meanings. It's fascinating stuff and his ability to know stuff about his surroundings through the behaviour of birds is phenomenal. He's a tracker also and takes his awareness to incredible levels with his reading of tiny signs in the environment. He runs a podcast course that I highly recommend; with a bit of training, you too could become native
He's American, living in America. His concept is an interesting one though, but one of many views on what "native" might mean. I like to hear various interpretations and recognise that a person can hold more than one view quite comfortably; the trick being not to negate one with another. We were talking today about a woman from Rekohu who "jumped ship" while it was anchored at Rakiura and made her way to Oraka, just down the road from me where she met and married a Maori man, bore children whose children's children are amongst those I taught when I was a teacher a couple of decades ago. Was she native to this role?
I don't really use the term native – a bit too much baggage to me here, let alone from over there. Indigenous, Māori, Ngāi Tahu mean a lot more. Plenty of people without a whakapapa want to be native here – I don't really care tbh.
Have you had a gander at this?
A project dedicated to creating a Ngāi Tahu Atlas of place names and histories
Yeah, that's wonderful, isn't it. I saw it when it was at its early stage, presented to us at the council. You see Hautere off the bottom of the south coast? I went there one day; hitch-hiked on a DoC provided helicopter; marvellous island, wouldn't want to stay there for more than an afternoon though; very, very exposed. Hineahitea and her man paddled from there to the mainland in a coracle made from twisted branches and seal skins, to escape being marooned there for his misdeeds. She was the brains behind the escape, imo
My mate Stewart Bull, speaking in our big yurt, said he thinks tikanga, rather than tikanga Maori, when he's involved in shared kaitiaki projects. He tangata tino pai ia!
I often wonder how the rellies lived on Whenua Hou and carved a life out of there – amazingly resilient and so generous – as many of their descendants are today. Haven't been there – will need to be saving the Kākāpō I spose – but the pouwhenua look great.
Whenua Hou is just across the water from us; te Ara a Kewa. I can see it from the beach. Like you, I've not yet been there, but have friends who have. Kakapo work is hard! Perhaps you know Estelle Leask?
Early visitors from Europe to New Zealand generally referred to the indigenous inhabitants as "New Zealanders" or as "natives".[12] The Māori used the term Māori to describe themselves in a pan-tribal sense.[ii] Māori people often use the term tangata whenua (literally, "people of the land") to identify in a way that expresses their relationship with a particular area of land; a tribe may be the tangata whenua in one area, but not in another.[13] The term can also refer to the Māori people as a whole in relation to New Zealand (Aotearoa) as a whole.
The point of environmentalism. Surely to enhance said biodiversity. That includes introducing new species. We are an introduced species, that has increased diversity of Aotearoa. Western Europeans have done more to maximize the number of species in Nz. The question of protection is one of stopping degradation of previous species, this does not mean Maori since they drive, eat, behave much like pakeha, and are human beings, no human left behind!
if we can introduce a tree that saves the kiwi should we? hell yes.
How about a genetical engineered tree that provides a nest that allows the kiwi the ability to peck a intruding cat, stout in the back of the head. Over time kiwis could become canavories…
oh, on, science, how about WiFi absorbing wall paint that heats your home rather than your brain. 5G will lower my power bill and stop me getting brain cancer, whoopi.
A long time ago a wise old Māori woman told me that where you are born if there is a tree or significant tree species nearby, then that will become your spiritual tree species for life. There was no distinction between native and exotic. That was a mind opener for sure…
The deaths are before the coroner and will be for a very long time. It's not likely to ever be 100% certain the switch was the direct cause but when you understand how all this works there's a strong possibility it's connected. Were this a food product, or a seat belt, or airbag, there would be an immediate recall to err on the side of caution. Do we have to wait till the coroner's make their recommendations before Pharmac cancel this switch??
All of a sudden the Minister of Health is suddenly taken this 'very seriously' and asking a lot of questions. I guess the word "deaths" in the public arena isn't a good look from a PR perspective. And we know how the one thing Ministers HATE is being publicly embarrassed.
David Clark has been bombarded with our concerns about this switch all year, some of us have been attempting to correspond with him since September 2018 when this was first mooted because we knew full well this outcome was likely. 'Attempted' because it's been very difficult to get a response, and the responses we did get are all identical cut and paste jobs. Not even acknowledgments from his office that our correspondence had been received. Welcome to NZ democracy where our elected representatives deliberately ignore or fob off serious situations they don't want to deal with until the shit really hits the fan in the media and they're forced to act all ministerial.
(nb if anyone still wants to try that line that the brands/generics are exactly the same then I'm going to either totally ignore you or give you what for. Probably ignore you because I don't want to get a ban. In real life you'd probably get screamed at. I'm not even trying to be polite and reasonable any more if you're not prepare to listen or do your research and many of my peers in this fight have reached this point as well)
+100000 Kay. Did hear the coverage on RNZ National yesterday and immediately thought of you; and I now see that it has also been widely covered in other media – TVNZ, Herald, The Press, Stuff , Voxy amongst others.
For anyone interested in the other coverage, rather than links to each of these other media, here is a generic Google link with links to these other media articles in the last 24 hours
Anyone regularly here on TS who takes the line that generics are no different from 'branded' versions are being wilfully and woefully ignorant.
Espiner has done well to keep this pot boiling…isn't it interesting how being personally affected by a serious health crisis heightens one's awareness of the significant issues threatening the lives of others?
As a nation we can fix this….so why the hell is it dragging on?
Ha, you are so right re: Generics vs Best in field Brand names.
We all know what you mean. The ingredients lists on the Coke, Watties and Gillette labels are identical to the Pams Products labels. Teenagers the world over are fed up with trying to convince their Mum's that Coca-cola and Fun Cola are exactly the same thing.
I have no experience with prescription drugs but with Colas, sorry Mum, everyone knows they aren't the same thing and yes we can taste it.
On assumed advice from MOH/IMAC and using a combination of standing orders and unapproved indication.
Babies as young as 6mths of age have been and can be injected with MMR vaccine.
Unapproved Indication means the product is not licenced for use in ages 6-11mths age group.
The same applies to pregnant women with DTaP/Flu. Unlicensed use.
Unapproved Indications have no established safety profile which has basis in recent science, and has IMAC Says "No Efficacy Answer"(no protective benefit profile) at all. Zero.
As per publicly available IMAC/MOH documents. Linked.
[It didn’t take you long after your 3-month ban to jump on one of your hobby horses and ride roughshod over a thread that is about generic vs. brand drugs and whether a switch of prescribing an epilepsy drug may have contributed to the deaths of three patients. In addition, your selective quoting belies an inquisitive mind in search of accuracy and the truth. I have no patience for you hijacking threads so let this be your only warning – Incognito]
The full quote from the link, which One Two has cherry-picked to create a deceptive impression, is:
How well does MMR0 protect infants aged 6–11 months from measles?There is no efficacy answer. Any immunity from MMR administered when they are under 12 months old is determined by the presence of maternal measles antibody. If there is enough maternal antibody to inactivate the vaccine the infant will not develop any immunity. If there is no maternal antibody then they probably will develop immunity. We cannot determine the likelihood of maternal measles antibody in individual babies.
Two of the babies given MMR vazcines at well under twelve months of age are my grandniece and grandnephew. Because their mother is a doctor helping deal with a measles outbreak where the majority of those with measles are idiot anti-vaxxers.
If any readers are considering whether an infant under twelve months should get vaccinated, the reason for the "over twelve months" recommendation is that it's less effective for younger infants, due to the possible residual presence of maternal antibodies. So the recommendation for infants that received their first dose before twelve months is that they get a further 2 doses (3 total) to ensure best protection.
Oddly enough, one big factor that might "create expanded cohorts of susceptibles in all age groups" is actually getting measles.
It seems that one of the long-term effects of measles in some people is that it reduces or destroys the immunity they had developed towards other diseases – it seems measles causes immune system amnesia. Yet one more reason to ensure your measles vaccination has been done.
To be honest, I really don't like. I'm only moved to have a say when I see misinformation that might cause actual harm.
So I'm happy to drop out when the misinformation moves on to someone just re-asserting something previously shown to be a taken-out-of-context cherry pick, or delving into the minutiae at the fringes of a topic that really don't affect the core issue.
In the spirit of continuing honesty, I'm surprised at the continued tolerance here of harmful anti-vax misinformation. Particularly since we're dealing with an outbreak that's harming thousands that's at least partly due to anti-vax misinformation getting spread into vulnerable communities. But hey, this site is not my playground, those that put the work into making the playground available and keep it running get to set the rules.
Hi Andre, I have left a long moderation note for One Two at 6:44 PM.
I wish to respond to your comments about tolerance and the apparent lack of ‘policing’ on this site.
With an online forum such as this site, there are two aspects to consider: content and process-flow.
Content is determined by Authors who write Posts but also by the commenters. The site does not dictate nor restrict content and shouldn’t IMO.
Moderators keep their distance and only jump in when the boundaries are crossed or rules violated as set out in the site’s Policy. The idea is that commenters self-moderate and nobody excludes others, for example.
As with the content, the process-flow is largely determined by the online ‘commentariat’, the online community. It is up to all of you/us to deal with stuff in a positive constructive way that allows for dissenting views, disagreements, differences of opinions, criticism, and even personal dislikes or rather dislike of content and/or style of comment, given that we don’t know each other from a bar of soap on this site. What is not tolerated is personal insults, for example.
The rules-boundaries are lenient to encourage free and frank debate on a wide range of topics. As with all free speech, this can create tension, especially when the boundaries get ‘tested’.
I hope this clarifies how I view things here, as commenter and as moderator.
Thanks for all that, particularly since I'm pretty sure your actual expertise about the workings of the immune system far exceeds mine. And apologies for my contributions to a situation that took up so much of your time.
Where I'm coming from on this topic is I see anti-vax speech as something that can plausibly lead to direct specific harm to identifiable vulnerable persons.
To me, that puts it on a moral plane pretty darn close to that occupied by hate speech. Were I to put the effort in and get invited to join the team helping keep the site running, I'd certainly want to treat it as such, which is probably a pretty good indication I shouldn't ever be granted that authority.
"Welcome to NZ democracy where our elected representatives deliberately ignore or fob off serious situations they don't want to deal with until the shit really hits the fan in the media and they're forced to act all ministerial."
From memory, this was the interview where the Minister said something like how important is was to maintain the independence of Pharmac. (even if it's killing people apparently)
Some of elected reps really are masochists at times, and don't seem to have adequate bullshit detectors fitted
More coverage likely on Checkpoint and One news this evening according to my close source. I'd love to see David facing the cameras telling us he's ordered Pharmac to stop the switch immediately (flying pigs….)
Pharmac will fight this to the death for the simple reason this is their business model, and conceding now will mean they can no longer pull this stunt with certain classes of drugs. People's lives have never come into their decisions, only money.
"People's lives have never come into their [Pharmac's] decisions, only money." As a Pharmac beneficiary, that doesn't strike me as a fair opinion.
IMHO, it would be more reasonable to state that 'Pharmac's decisions are based on people's health outcomes and maximising value for money on a limited budget."
Given PHARMAC’s mandate, generics will always play a major part in the decision-making. In the US, the vast majority of prescribed drugs are generics and cost up to 85% less than the corresponding brand drugs.
For information, links to a couple of relevant papers (the first from your link.)
“Generic lamotrigine versus brand-name Lamictal bioequivalence in patients with epilepsy: A field test of the FDA bioequivalence standard.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26201987
In that relatively small study, 40% of epilepsy patients were categorised as generic brittle.
I think that epilepsy and the ‘NZ experience’ with the drug switch are not typical and should not be used to jump to conclusions and make sweeping statements about generics vs. brand drugs.
Interesting again, thinking about possible crossover between genetic-brittle and generic-brittle, and making the most of the hand you’re dealt.
Like your last para – agreed, and shouldn't be used as yet another stick with which to beat Pharmac, when we are collectively so much better off than previous generations. Is this as good as it gets, and if it is, would that be so terrible?
Being the beneficiary of various generics @Incognito, I agree. However in this case I don't really see that as the issue here. More to do with the way the Minister and Pharmac have responded when concerns have been raised.
There are multiple issues at play. It started off with one aspect @ 7 but then the money aspect got dragged into it @ 7.3.1 and in an unfair, uninformed and prejudiced way, IMO.
Mayor Andy Foster invites the wrath of the Taxpayers Union. They'll be into him boots and all – won't they?
He's reintroducing catered lunches which he led moves to get rid of some years back.
"People felt when you didn't have lunches provided on days when you were working through [into the afternoon], councillors tended to disappear all over the place to get lunch. It reduced team bonding."
I know in the scheme of things it's small change. I understand the sense of everyone eating together and the context of their meeting days. And I reckon if it'd been a Labour mayor introducing it the loonies would be going loopy about 'sense of entitlement, troughing lefties' and the usual.
I don't know why, just like anyone going to work, the councillors can't take lunch with them and sit and eat together and do the 'team bonding.' Can't team bonding happen unless it's a free lunch? Or can't highly motivated, organised people, with the serious responsibility of an important job, actually organise and their own lunch a couple of days a week so as to enable the critical team building?
You watch, Jordan Williams and David Farrar will be spewing!
A big assumption there as to what type of lunch would be provided, Duke. As a Wellingtonian, I can assure you that we have an abundance (even overabundance) of caterers providing very healthy lighter style lunches with lots of fresh produce and options (vegetarian.vegan. gluten free, dairy free etc. LOL.
Multiple Options like that cost a lot more to provide, you seem to be in the industry and would be hoping its a 'smorgasbord' of vegan this and gluten free that
I understand why you might be a bit sensitive to other people's comments at present and I want you to know that I am disgusted by the ongoing personal attacks you continue to be subjected to by Greywarshark.
Its a case of "Pot/Kettle" and Grey needs to look in a mirror.
Much for all her/his/its " lets be positive, kind" etc sanctimonious sermons, Grey has been posting snide put downs of other commenters who Grey thinks should not comment on TS regularly since she/he/it first started commenting here as Prism on 28 October 2009 – and through her/his/its transition through "Rose-Tinted" and "greywarbler" to "Greywarshark".
And not just on TS but also on TDB (and then wonders why her/his/its comments as "greywarbler" disappear), and on Bowalley Road. Just two days ago this appeared on Bowalley Road.
greywarbler said…
Odysseus your comment reminds me of the words odious. Please try not to bring Islam into the conversation at the slightest chance. You don't seem to have anything worthwhile to say, so don't just post a sneer and stick a put-down onto it like a post-it. I see about Odysseus, he was 'Famed for his courage, intelligence, and leadership', so try to live up to your name.
So please don’t think others here support Grey’s put downs of you . Many otheres have been in your position in the past.
In terms of the TS Policy, I would have thought that the following provision of TS Policy was relevant but it is not my right to suggest moderation be exercised –
"What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others. "
And just wanted to mention that I am a female in a similar age range/same decade to Grey albeit a few years younger so my comments are not a "OK Boomer" situation.
Re people, I agree 'it' is not appropriate – was thinking of birds and fish.
Putting both handles (Grey and Duke's full handles) into Search comes up with almost two pages of interactions going back to 2015, of which quite a few have little "bites/nibbles" and more. But not sure this search has picked up all the recent ones, but will leave it there. But Duke is just one person who has had this treatment.
Had a closer look at the list that popped out of that search and it is missing a lot over the last month or so as have done a more detailed check going back from today to Sept. If I get time, I will drop an email to you at the back end in the next day or so.
Perhaps Foster is trying to find work for his predecessor Justin?
He owned, or at least part owned, a salad bar business if my memory serves me right. Perhaps the Council will give him the contract if he goes back to it?
Gee I manage every day to get up and make my lunch and be out the door by 7 . Like a huge amount of workers in this country. This is why we grow to despise the people up the food chain .
Yes I have read it weka. And don't understand why you do not discourage such pointless negativity in these negative times. A place for prople to cojme and do the new thing of talking and thinking of politics is so important these days. Why do you not encourage a greater number instead of allowing a smug, sneering type like this troll?
That comment I asked you to read *is my discouraging pointless negativity. Yours.
Beyond that, it's a balancing act. The ethos of TS is robust debate. There are limits on that, hence the language and tone part of the Policy.
Duke isn't (usually) a troll. He's annoying at times but that's not unusual here, and he brings useful perspectives to the site. Gosman is our resident (RW) troll if you want a standard to go by. Puckish Rogue at times too, but he gets away with it more because he is also often funny.
Other than that, any of the regulars can get into trouble if they start doing comments that are abusive with no politics. Mostly a reminder to not do that will suffice, but sometimes people get a short ban (or long one if they give the moderator shit).
I'll say again, that ime the best way to change the culture of the place is to encourage and do the kinds of comments that you want to see here. Giving people shit for giving people shit will almost always result in more shit. Moderation will limit the shit posting, trolling and flames, but it won't create good interactions or better comments, it just creates the space for them. Improving the commentary requires creative acts.
Those that desire to dine on butterfly wings in a white whine sauce can and the bill will still be cheaper than caterers. Caterers are so Elizabethan (II). Attach an extensive Uber Eats menu to the 'We're workin' late you bastards' memo.
Un-bloody-believable: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/117378375/epas-inappropriate-reaction-to-students-speech. From the start, the Environmental Protection Agency has consistently demonstrated that its role is the opposite of its title. The fact that a young woman who spoke in support of environmental protection was subjected to a 'shout over' then accused of being bad mannered is bizarre. The farcical EPA should be disposed of. At the very least, Allan Freeth should be sent down the road – the fish is obviously still rotting from the head.
Yes aom. Freeth represents those old men with old minds and contempt for new ideas especially if they come from youth. The National Party is littered with such people.
Forest & Bird has called the EPA's reaction to a speech a student gave during a stakeholder meeting – which included sending an apology letter to attendees – "totally inappropriate".
…Forest & Bird's Lower North Island regional manager Karen Evans was at the event and said she was taken aback by the response to the speech.
"Allan Freeth publicly chastised her [the student] for lack of 'politeness' and the inappropriateness of the speech – seemingly more concerned about the offence caused to other 'invited guests'. From what I witnessed, I believe he was particularly acknowledging a rep from the oil and gas industry, who not only shouted at Sorcha during and after her speech, but immediately stormed out and accosted senior EPA staff to express his outrage at the 'ridiculousness', inappropriateness and 'bad taste' of her speech."
Apart from the 'inversion' by Freeth over what was unacceptable. Shines a light on 'private meetings' EPA runs where it only wants to listen to one side.
Looking at the management team seems to be far too many 'acting' in their job title, maybe one or 2. Theres is 6.
Rick Gates direct is over. Brief but hardly lacking in substance, including government getting on record that Donald Trump himself talked about upcoming WikiLeaks disclosures based on conversation with Roger Stone
“I do not recall discussing WikiLeaks with [Stone], nor do I recall being aware of Mr. Stone having discussed WikiLeaks with individuals associated with my campaign."
Socialists and Unidas Podemos have made a preliminary deal to form a coalition government.
Caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the leader of left-wing Unidas Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, have signed a preliminary agreement to form a coalition government after Sunday’s inconclusive repeat general election in Spain. Despite months of negotiations between the parties to strike a governing deal following the April poll, the two leaders have done this deal less than 48 hours after Sunday’s vote
ILG just on the radio regarding Immigration – Labour in the 2017 election had no targets
So that we have only a minimal reduction – we now have a need for many thousands of additional houses and large increase in cars on the road – No wonder we haveSTILL major issues that remain from the change of government – Time to deliver because the consequences of this NON DELIVERY is crushing the country.
"In total, these changes are estimated to reduce net migration by 20,000-30,000. Without these changes there would be up to 10,000 more houses needed and up to 20,000 more vehicles on our roads annually. Our immigration system will be regularly reviewed to ensure it is functioning well."
I've been listening to Michelle Boag on RNZ. She hates the notions of common good and communities working together in education and schools, she wants dog-eat-dog competitive ways of operating. No surprise.
I suppose in a world of free speech, getting a female dog on to spout narrow-minded, self serving rabidity probably helps cover the angles. Mind you she did say, "I know some principals." I'd bet they haven't got empires to protect too. Not.
I didn't hear it Peter but she'll be coming at it from the angle of "personal responsibility" and everyone having the "freedom to choose" etc. etc. In other words as you say… dog eat dog competition in all things.
The thought of "common good" and "communities working together" would conjure up the dreaded word "socialism" in the books of the neo-liberal apostles, or even worse "communism".
Bridges also said that in his shambolic interview this morning. He said he wants the competitive model to continue and spoke against the cooperative model. Idiot!
As you've backed away from no efficacy answer as well as completely ignored the unapproved indication.
– No vaccine efficacy profile exists
– No licenced safety profile exists
If you require further explanation of the above and why maternal antibodies are only relevant in vaccine context to illustrate how vaccines have created inferior maternal antibodies. We can have that conversation.
To address the immune amnesia hypothesis, which is not new.
First of all vaccine antibody theory needs to be examined. And for that the link below
Rolf Martin Zinkernagel AC, FAA is Professor of Experimental Immunology at the University of Zurich.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1996 for the discovery of how the immune syatem recognises virus infected cells.
Abstract
'So-called 'immunological memory' is, in my view, a typical example where a field of enquiry, i.e. to understand long-term protection to survive reexposure to infection, has been overtaken by 'l'art pour l'art' of 'basic immunology'
The remainder of the abstract is in the link provided.
It's saying that immune memory is not necessary for protective immunity.
If correct, then immune amnesia isn’t relevant except to expose the desperation of the vaccine industry.
Mina 2019is flawed for many primary reasons. None more so than as linked to above.
[You may have some good points to make but most of your comments create a foggy web of cherry-picked facts, links to humongous hard-to-read documents by (overseas) regulatory agencies, and science sophistry. The outcome is that you confuse people into thinking that vaccination is ineffective and dangerous and that governments, including NZ’s, and the pharma-industrial complex, cover this up.
With a complex topic such as the immune system and the subject of vaccination, we need clarity and not somebody with an agenda and poor communication skills clouding people’s minds.
For example, you quote Rolf Zinkernagel, Professor of Experimental Immunology at the University of Zurich and Nobel Laureate “for their discoveries concerning the specificity of the cell mediated immune defence”, to support your questionable opinions in a misleading appeal to authority. Zinkernagel questions how the idea of “immunological memory” explains the improved resistance against disease caused by a second infection with the same agent through vaccination and he rejects this concept. However, he does not reject the effectivity of vaccines and vaccination. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
Here’s the full abstract of another more recent review by Zinkernagel in the high-impact journal IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS:
What if protective immunity is antigen-driven and not due to so-called “memory” B and T cells?
Zinkernagel RM.
Abstract
Vaccines or early childhood exposure to infection mediate immunity, that is, improved resistance against disease and death caused by a second infection with the same agent. This has been explained by and equaled to immunological memory, that is, an “altered immune system behavior” that is maintained in a presumably antigen-independent fashion. This review summarizes epidemiological and experimental data, that largely falsify this idea and that show that periodic re-exposure to antigen either, artificially as vaccines or naturally as low-level persisting antigens or infections, or immune complexes on follicular dendritic cells or endemic re-exposure is necessary for protection. Both, the huge success of vaccines in controlling childhood infections, the reduction in clinical disease and the chance of endemically re-exposure, have gradually reduced periodical re-exposure to infections and thereby endangered protective herd immunity. In parallel, vaccine deniers have created susceptibility islands even in an otherwise well vaccinated population, thereby creating a very new situation when compared to the later parts of the 20th century. If protective Immunity is-as emphasized here-antigen driven, then increasingly frequent revaccinations will be necessary (even more so with too much attenuated vaccines) to maintain both herd immunity and individual resistance to acute infections. Of course, this rule also applies to tumor vaccines. [my emphasis]
The reason I quote the full abstract is that other people can read and come to their own conclusions rather than be guided by your nebulous comments and ‘statements of fact’.
In summary, nobody is served by your comments here about vaccination. In fact, it confuses (‘drowns’) and misleads with potentially dire consequences. If you want to make a point about vaccination, keep it simple with clear arguments with integrity and in an honest manner. Banned for another two weeks and bans will escalate from hereon – Incognito]
That's an interesting April 2012 review by Zinkernagel. Here's a more recent link regarding "Immunological memory: What’s in a name?"
"Altogether, we agree with the conclusion proposed in the introductory review [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29664563 ]; that immunologic memory is best conceived of as a multi-dimensional concept with physical correlates in far more components of the adaptive and innate immune system than previously appreciated."
It may be that our incomplete understanding of the 'arms race' between the human immune system and pathogens, coupled with evolving vaccination programmes, is incubating a crisis similar to the rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens fueled by the indiscriminate use of antibiotics.
Nevertheless, remember this hopeful quote by Prof. Christine Stabell Benn in her January 2019 TEDx talk How vaccines train the immune system in ways no one expected:
"And this makes vaccines the largest untapped resource for improving health globally." [ @13:30 minutes ]
Targetted scientific research may yet enable clinicians to realise that vision.
That's an interesting April 2012 review by Zinkernagel.
If you have taken a look into RZ's background then you understand the credibility his assessments have regarding vaccination theory .
The goalposts were shifted from the position I had aligned with the generic drug changes ,and the consequences coming to light of the dangers of the changes.
The position was that of using unlicensed vaccines (Unapproved Indication) which lack not only an adequately proven P3 safety profile, but also are confirmed to have zero efficacy vaccine profile.
Not Safe
Not effective
That leaves only a risk profile.
The current government have deemed (on assumed advise of MOH/IMAC which those agencies in turn have been provided with from offshore) that it is appropriately safe and effective to inject 6-11mth babies with MMR vaccine.
It is scientifically and medically the complete opposite. But this is where NZ finds itself as a result of 30 years of expanding government vaccine programs.
Andre responded avoiding the discussion about unapproved indication and no efficacy answer, so it is not apparent if he believes it acceptable or not to used unlicensed vaccines on some of the most vulnerable age groups in NZ.
Given that his direct relatives under 12mths were injected with MMR, it could be deduced he does agree in using unlicensed, useless and dangerous vaccines on 6-11mth babies.
If you would like to discuss the how this has come to be NZ's public health decision, and the consequences of the entry and exit of such decision points, I would be more than happy to have that conversation with you initially.
If not then the below may/may not be of interest.
The Finland study is cited in NZ Immunisation Handbook 2017 as the safety study for the unapproved indication, and indeed is the only study cited/referenced in NZ's official MMR documents available to the public regarding MMR vaccine safety. The study is from 1986. Ref 24
It was a vaccinated vs vaccinated study. Which can't provide any sane definition of a safety profile because the participants were already vaccinated, and were then vaccinated with MMR2 v non inert placebo vaccine.
That is not real science, which is precisely why the charade is currently falling apart around the world including NZ.
Merck sponsored this study (MMR2) and >90% of study participants had been previously vaccinated per Finnish national schedule prior to commencement of the study
Study states that lack of boosting by wild virus increases rate of vaccine failure and creates expanding cohorts of susceptibles in all age groups
Given how long ago you were bloating around shouting how you were going to vaccinate your kids anyway, and then got repeatedly emotional and abusive when I asked you to post the evidence. Perhaps you've forgotten?
I don't care what you do marty, it's none of my business. But you had some inner sense of [whatever it was] which compelled you to bring that up yet again as if I believe anything you write.
12-18 months or so, after you first said you were going to take action.
So as you don't get the message mixed up again…
I do not care what decisions you make about vaccinating your kids.
you kept going on about it so I wanted to tie it off
Your memory isn't very good Marty. I can re-post the conversations if you like?
All done now
Not comprehending well at all, are you. In the previous message twice I stated that I do not care.
Thanks.
That is twice you have thanked me, and if you can muster up the brain cells to recall the original conversation where I advised you not to take any decision outside of your own head in my direction.
In thanking me, it feels like you are seeking to outsource your parental decision making [whatever form that comes] in my direction, yet again.
I didn't ask to know your family business, marty. But I understand your head set from the years we have swapped messages here, that you felt like a big man putting it onto me, eh.
The comment you responded to must have triggered the shit out of you. Yeah you were triggered, I can tell from the words you used. Again, don’t put your fear onto me.
Just keep it to yourself, and perhaps continue to avoid reading the links and comments I post. The science contained isn't aligned with your alleged choices, it doesn’t support your alleged choices. Not at all, and the surface has not even been scratched.
Do you have any thoughts or comments about NZ government and health agencies using an unlicensed vaccine which has no efficacy answer and no adequate safety profile?
Used on 6-11mths old babies outside the license issued by the FDA to the vaccine manufacturers ?
Do you understand the reasons of why this is happening ?
Edit: McFlock. Perhaps you might like to have a try?
Andre stil hasn’t a clue. What about the rest of you skeptics .
tbh I don't really think you're an authority on much and certainly not this subject – but you know that already. So just move on please. As I said – I just wanted to put your question to bed, which I have now done. Thanks.
Marty, your memory isn't good at all. It is distinctly like you’re trying to prove something to yourself.
It was never my question to enquire if you vaccinated your kids or not.
You stated a long time ago that you were going to. You shouted it numerous times because you couldn’t handle the contents of my comments.
All this time later and you still can’t handle it, but must show otherwise. Amazing.
I didn't ask you initially. Thats all your own wasted brain cells.
My comment and follow ups to you were for you to post the evidence of your actions, such was your bluster over an extended time. I asked you to post the evidence when you put yourself in my face, which you repeatedly did.
What does matter is that you have now selfishly wanted to close off what you started.
Hardly the actions of a reflective individual. More of a narcissistic tendency IMO.
Oh, and anyone can be an authority on this or any subject, marty.
All it takes is the ability to read and a network of people in various places doing lotsa science and legal stuff.
Any broader contribution from me for this thread would only be to reiterate the fact that you're still plugging this scaremongering bullshit even after literally hundreds of people have been hospitalised.
And then my arse would cop a ban because I have no polite words with which to describe my opinion of you.
plugging this scaremongering bullshit after literally hundreds of people have been hospitalised.
I'm currently using the governments official public immunisation documents and referenced research citations , which illustrate the reasons for the issues faced.
That being caused by government vaccine programs. The primary study from 1986 says that vqccines failure will continue to become more of a problem
How is using govt documents and referenced scaremingering?
Read the Finland 1986 study I linked to. It’sall in there. Farcical.
Hospitalizations are a meaningless metric. Surely you understand why?
yup. You will cherry-pick from govt documents and peer-reviewed articles, but you don't trust the data upon which many of those documents and articles are based.
Linking to Andres comment further exposes his level of misunderstanding of simple concepts like cherry picking consists of, and highlights his lack of basic comprehension.
It also signals there must be some other factors why the two of you denialists won't or can't accept the govts own documents which tell you the studies they cite as evidence of safety with the vaccine program.
The study (singular) relied on as primary evidence of MMR vaccine safety is from 1986 and is an insult to science, medicine and the public health.
That singular study is currently being used by NZ agencies as evidence that it is safe to inject 6-11m babies with an unlicensed product with no efficacy profile and inadequate safety profile
The manufacturers approval licence was not issued for 6-11m babies.
Because the P3 testing was not completed in that age group which is why the national schedule is and will remain starting at 12/15mths for MMR1.
Unsafe – No adequate safety profile. Off licence use.
No benefit – There is no efficacy answer.
The Immunisation Handbook and IMAC quick sheets cite the same singular study as evidence of MMR vaccine safety from 1986.
Ka pai to this new invention. You see if we invest in smart solutions to the challenges of becoming a carbon neutral society we will find them.
A bioplastic made of organic fish waste that would otherwise end up in landfill – with the potential to replace plastic in food and drink packaging – has landed its UK designer a prestigious international award and £30,000 prize.
Lucy Hughes, 24, a graduate in product design from the University of Sussex, scooped the James Dyson award for her biodegradable and compostable material known as MarinaTex.
Hughes sought to tackle the problems of environmentally harmful single-use plastics and inefficient waste streams by harnessing fish offcuts to create an eco-friendly plastic alternative. Global figures estimate that 40% of plastic produced for packaging is used once and discarded.
Ka pai to the Palau government for making laws to protect their reef fish.
The Palau government says its new National Marine Sanctuary Act enables islanders and tourists to eat pelagic fish while reducing demand for coral reef fish
The minister for natural resources, environment and tourism, Fleming Sengebau, made the comment while attending the Pacific Ocean Finance Conference in Fiji this week
Someone needs to be held accountable for the Shambles that health services is in up North.
Congratulations to all the Tangata who got tohu at the Waiata awards.
Maraki is a great company that shows that Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa have the skills of our Tipuna.
Ka pai for Te Kura for teaching the correct history. We have to teach all of our tamariki our true history so they can understand why Maori are we're we are at the minute.
Here is one of my favourite subjects mitigate climate change to protect all our Mokopuna future.
The IEA expects the growth of renewables to accelerate over the coming decades, but warned it would not be enough to put a ceiling on the energy sector’s emissions before 2040.
Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director, said there was a “deep disparity” between the aim to tackle the climate crisis by curbing carbon emissions and the existing policies which had allowed a “relentless upward march” for emissions.
The IEA’s latest figures estimate that carbon emissions are on track to keep rising by 100m tonnes a year for at least another 20 years under existing policy plans.
This rate would be two-thirds slower than the emissions hikes recorded in previous decades, but would fall very far short of what is needed to achieve the goals of the Paris agreement.
“We will need to see great political will around the world,” Birol said. “This is why I believe that the world needs to build a grand coalition encompassing governments, investors, companies and everyone else who is genuinely committed to tackling climate change.”
The IEA said it presented the modelling based on stated policies to “hold up a mirror” to global governments to show the consequences of their policies.
Venice council flooded moments after rejecting climate crisis plan
Rightwing parties reject proposals as lagoon city faces worst flooding in 53 years
Veneto’s regional council rejected a plan to combat climate change minutes before its offices on the Grand Canal, in Venice, were flooded, it has emerged as the city continues to battle high water levels.
Venice has been hit by recurrent flooding since Tuesday, with 70% of the lagoon city engulfed on Friday morning as the acqua alta, or high water, level reached 1.54 metres amid heavy downpours. Tuesday night, as Veneto councillors were debating the climate emergency in Ferro Fini Palace, Venice experienced its worst flooding since 1966.
Politicians from the regional council’s majority rightwing parties: the League, Brothers of Italy and Forza Italia, rejected amendments to fight the climate crisis in the 2020 budget that were proposed by the centre-left Democratic party.
Sharing pictures of the room as water entered, Andrea Zanoni, the Democratic party’s deputy chairman of the council’s environment committee, wrote on Facebook: “Ironically, the chamber was flooded two minutes after the majority parties rejected our proposals to tackle climate change
That's awesome that our biggest food company's are lowering the sugar and salt in our food. Whanau I dropped coffee and tea out of my diet to just Wai well 99. Of the time for the first time my blood pressure has reduced.
Prefabricated whare is the way of the future just like Tiny Whare the beauty about Tiny Whare is the bank won't own your hip pocket for life.
I think Hawaii needs renewable energy from my research most of Hawaii power comes from diesel generators may be a bit of talking to make it work we have to grab new technologies and make it work for Pacific tangata.
Dr Henare Williams book Kaumatua is a book I would like to read.
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Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Coming attraction: IPCC's upcoming major climate assessmentLook for more emphasis on 'solutions,' efforts by cities, climate equity ... and outlook for emissions cuts in ...
Ringing A Clear Historical Bell: The extraordinary images captured in and around the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021 mirror some of the worst images of America's past.THERE IS A SCENE in the 1982 movie Missing which has remained with me for nearly 40 years. Directed by the Greek-French ...
To impact or not to impeach? I understand why some of those who are justifiably aghast at Trump’s behaviour over recent days might still counsel against impeaching him for a second time. To impeach him, they argue, would run the risk of making him a martyr in the eyes of ...
The Capitol Building, Washington DC, Wednesday, 6 January 2021. Oh come, my little one, come.The day is almost done.Be at my side, behold the sightOf evening on the land.The life, my love, is hardAnd heavy is my heart.How should I live if you should leaveAnd we should be apart?Come, let me ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 3, 2021 through Sat, Jan 9, 2021Editor's ChoiceAfter the Insurrection: Accountability, Reform, and the Science of Democracy The poisonous lies and enablers of sedition--including Senator Hawley, pictured ...
This article, guest authored by Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala & Dr. Julie Loisel, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Dec 21, 2020. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments. Peatlands Peatlands are ecosystems unlike any other. Perpetually saturated, their ...
The assault on the US Capitol and constitutional crisis that it has caused was telegraphed, predictable and yet unexpected and confusing. There are several subplots involved: whether the occupation of the Michigan State House in May was a trial run for the attacks on Congress; whether people involved in the ...
On Christmas Eve, child number 1 spotted a crack in a window. It’s a double-glazed window, and inspection showed that the small, horizontal crack was in the outermost pane. It was perpendicular to the frame, about three-quarters of the way up one side. The origins are a mystery. It MIGHT ...
Anne-Marie Broudehoux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Will the COVID-19 pandemic prompt a shift to healthier cities that focus on wellness rather than functional and economic concerns? This is a hypothesis that seems to be supported by several researchers around the world. In many ways, containment and physical distancing ...
Does the US need to strike a grand bargain with like-minded countries to pool their efforts? What does this tell us about today’s global politics? Perhaps the most remarkable editorial of last year was the cover leader of the London Economist on 19 November 2020. Shortly after Joe Biden was ...
Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato and Valmaine Toki, University of WaikatoAotearoa New Zealand likes to think it punches above its weight internationally, but there is one area where we are conspicuously falling behind — the number of sites recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Globally, there are 1,121 ...
An event organised by the Auckland PhilippinesSolidarity group Have a three-course lunch at Nanam Eatery with us! Help support the organic farming of our Lumad communities through the Mindanao Community School Agricultural Foundation. Each ticket is $50. Food will be served on shared plates. To purchase, please email phsolidarity@gmail.com or ...
"Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here." Prisons are places of unceasing emotional and physical violence, unrelieved despair and unforgivable human waste.IT WAS NATIONAL’S Bill English who accurately described New Zealand’s prisons as “fiscal and moral failures”. On the same subject, Labour’s Dr Martyn Findlay memorably suggested that no prison ...
This is a re-post from Inside Climate News by Ilana Cohen. Inside Climate News is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Whether or not people accept the science on Covid-19 and climate change, both global crises will have lasting impacts on health and ...
. . American Burlesque As I write this (Wednesday evening, 6 January), the US Presidential election is all but resolved, confirming Joe Biden as the next President of the (Dis-)United State of America. Trump’s turbulent political career has lasted just four years – one of the few single-term US presidents ...
The session started off so well. Annalax – suitably chastised – spent a pleasant morning with his new girlfriend (he would say paramour, of course, but for our purposes, girlfriend is easier*). He told her about Waking World Drow, and their worship of Her Ladyship. And he started ...
In a recent column I wrote for local newspapers, I ventured to suggest that Donald Trump – in addition to being a liar and a cheat, and sexist and racist – was a fascist in the making and would probably try, if he were to lose the election, to defy ...
When I was preparing for my School C English exam I knew I needed some quotes to splash through my essays. But remembering lines was never my strong point, so I tended to look for the low-hanging fruit. We’d studied Shakespeare’s King Lear that year and perhaps the lowest hanging ...
When I went to bed last night, I was expecting today to be eventful. A lot of pouting in Congress as last-ditch Trumpers staged bad-faith "objections" to a democratic election, maybe some rioting on the streets of Washington DC from angry Trump supporters. But I wasn't expecting anything like an ...
A growing public housing waiting list and continued increase of house prices must be urgently addressed by Government, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...
The Government has released its Public Housing Plan 2021-2024 which outlines the intention of where 8,000 additional public and transitional housing places announced in Budget 2020, will go. “The Government is committed to continuing its public house build programme at pace and scale. The extra 8,000 homes – 6000 public ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated President Joe Biden on his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States of America. “I look forward to building a close relationship with President Biden and working with him on issues that matter to both our countries,” Jacinda Ardern said. “New Zealand ...
A major investment to tackle wilding pines in Mt Richmond will create jobs and help protect the area’s unique ecosystems, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says. The Mt Richmond Forest Park has unique ecosystems developed on mineral-rich geology, including taonga plant species found nowhere else in the country. “These special plant ...
To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Babies born with tongue-tie will be assessed and treated consistently under new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Around 5% to 10% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, in New Zealand each year. At least half can ...
The prisoner disorder event at Waikeria Prison is over, with all remaining prisoners now safely and securely detained, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. The majority of those involved in the event are members of the Mongols and Comancheros. Five of the men are deportees from Australia, with three subject to ...
Travellers from the United Kingdom or the United States bound for New Zealand will be required to get a negative test result for COVID-19 before departing, and work is underway to extend the requirement to other long haul flights to New Zealand, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. “The new PCR test requirement, foreshadowed last ...
How does one turn into a rabid extremist over the description of a children’s bike? Emily Writes looks at Facebook comments so you don’t have to.You’ve been there, I know it. You’re scrolling along, trying to avoid QAnon conspiracy theories and Trump apocalypse memes when a story catches your eye. ...
Joe Biden is now the President of the United States and many people across America and throughout the world will consequently be breathing more easily. But while the erratic, unpredictable and irresponsible years of the Trump Presidency may be over, ...
Tough border testing for New Zealand honey imports to Japan is re-igniting the conversation about the use of the weed killer glypohsate in New Zealand. ...
The Taxpayers Union should be aware of the law and of the history of ACC. The ACC is a legal system introduced in 1974 to replace the common law right of accident victims to sue for damages for personal injury sustained as a result of negligence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne Terrorism, political extremism, Donald Trump, social media and the phenomenon of “cancel culture” are confronting journalists with a range of agonising free-speech dilemmas to which there are no easy answers. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Associate Professor of the Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney You’ve just come from your monthly GP appointment with a new script for your ongoing medical condition. But your local pharmacy is out of stock of your usual medicine. Your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna D’Alessandro, Professor & ARC Future Fellow, University of Sydney On Wednesday this week, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was measured at at 415 parts per million (ppm). The level is the highest in human history, and is growing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (climate science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington It might be summer in New Zealand but we’re in for some wild weather this week with forecasts of heavy wind and rain, and a plunge in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zareh Ghazarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University Despite many young Australians having a deep interest in political issues, most teenagers have a limited understanding about their nation’s democratic system. Results from the 2019 National Assessment Program – Civics and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University Last week, the McIver’s Ladies Baths in Sydney came under fire for their (since removed) policy stating “only transgender women who’ve undergone a gender reassignment surgery are allowed entry”. The policy was ...
There are good grounds for optimism after the guardrails of American democracy held firm through to Joe Biden's inauguration today as President, writes Stephen Hoadley Pessimism abounds about the perilous condition of American democracy. Commentators and headline writers proffer memes such as ‘broken and divided nation’, ‘the threat from within’. ...
*This article was originally appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. Donald Trump will forever be remembered as the president who was impeached twice - and for his rhetoric that struck a chord so deep in America that it will take years to dissipate. Donald Trump leaves Washington with the lowest approval ...
A new plan shows how and where the Government will build 8,000 new state housing places it funded in Budget 2020, Marc Daalder reports Jacinda Ardern has kicked off the political year with a major announcement, promising hundreds of new state housing places in regional centres across the country. With ...
This is the full transcript of President Joe Biden's speech after being sworn in at his inauguration this morning in Washington DC Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Vice President Pence, and my distinguished guests, my fellow Americans, this is America's day. This ...
Analysis: President Donald Trump has left the White House, and his deputy chief of staff confirms he is withdrawing his candidacy to lead the OECD. New Zealander Christopher Liddell withdrew his nomination to be Secretary-General of the powerful 37-member OECD and was one of the last members of the Trump Administration to depart ...
Kate Wills is facing stage four cancer with the same fierce approach she takes into her ocean swimming - never say can't. Even on the mornings Kate Wills feels wretched from her fortnightly chemotherapy treatment, she drags herself up at 5am and goes swimming. “I have to. It’s my job – to ...
Some costs associated with meetings speak for themselves, others are less conspicuous. Victoria University of Wellington's Val Hooper lays those costs out, making suggestions on where we can rein them in. Meetings – when last did we count the costs? And so it’s back to work and one of the ...
Andrew Paul Wood assesses the best-selling picture book by Grahame Sydney It's no great secret the commercially very successful Grahame Sydney has a long-standing beef that his work doesn’t receive more critical and institutional approval. I sympathise about the lack of critical attention, but I can understand why. The Discourse™ ...
This story was produced in collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity and Columbia Journalism Investigations. It was originally published by Public Integrity, Mother Jones, The Arizona Republic and Orlando Sentinel. It is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the ...
Analysis: It has been easy to ignore anyone daring to criticise or even question any aspect of the government’s Covid-19 response. Their voices have rarely been heard, and when they have been raised they have been quickly and decisively howled down by the favoured coterie of academics. ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US presidential inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated through Wednesday and Thursday. The inauguration ceremony begins at 5.15am Thursday, NZ time, and Joe Biden takes the oath of office around 6am. 7.25am: And what about Trump?In the early hours of this morning, NZ ...
In 10 x 100, we survey a group of 100 people via Stickybeak and ask them 10 questions. Last month we quizzed Wellingtonians. Today, we ask NZ drivers how they’ve found a holiday period without international tourists, and what they get up to while they’re on the road.Across Aotearoa roads ...
Emmanuel Macron's anti-separatist policies have garnered backlash from the international Muslim community. Now, a global coalition has complained to the UN. ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they go on an odyssey of women’s rage, and find out how we can channel our anger into good. First published September 15, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by ...
By Lorraine Ecarma in Cebu City The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) will continue to stand against any threats to human rights, chancellor Clement Camposano has declared in response to the termination of a long-standing accord preventing military incursion on campus. In a Facebook post, Camposano said the academic ...
ANALYSIS:By Jennifer S. Hunt, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit different. If the last US presidential inauguration in 2017 debuted the phrase “alternative facts”, the ...
By Lulu Mark in Port Moresby In spite of Papua New Guinea’s mandatory mask-wearing requirement under the National Pandemic Act 2020, many public servants attending a dedication service in Port Moresby have failed to wear one. They were issued masks before entering the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex but took ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University How do scabs form? — Talila, aged 8 Great question, Talila! Our skin has many different jobs. One is to act as a barrier, protecting us from harmful things in the ...
US President Donald Trump is pardoning former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who is accused of fraud in a case involving funds for the border wall. ...
Joel Little with Lorde, Dera Meelan with Church & AP, Josh Fountain with Maala and Randa and Benee – producers make good songs great. Now a new fund from NZ on Air is putting the focus on them.Six months ago it looked like the music industry was on the brink ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Buiten, Senior Lecturer in Social Justice and Sociology, University of Notre Dame Australia On average, one child is killed by a parent almost every fortnight in Australia. Last week, three children — Claire, 7, Anna, 5, and Matthew, 3 — were ...
This commendable and realistic decision again underlines that it is the police, not government, who are largely responsible for the reduction in cannabis prosecutions over the past 15 years, writes Russell Brown.The news that New Zealand police have discontinued the annual Helicopter Recovery Operation, which has, each summer for more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilan Noy, Professor and Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington We will not be able to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us until the world’s population is mostly immune through vaccination ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated throughout Wednesday and Thursday, NZ time. Reach me at catherine@thespinoff.co.nz.4.00pm: What will Trump be doing tomorrow?It’s pretty well known by now that outgoing president Donald Trump intends to throw out the rulebook when it comes to ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling out Mayor Phil Goff for his undignified comment that the claim made by Councillor Greg Sayers asking why Auckland Council is funding yoga classes is “bullshit.” Yesterday, Councillor Greg Sayers penned ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne At 4am Thursday AEDT, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be inaugurated as president and vice president of the United States, replacing Donald Trump and Mike Pence. What follows is ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission. New Zealanders flocked to beaches and lakes this summer, but it wasn't enough to fill the gap left by international tourists in other regions. The tourism industry is struggling to fill a $6 billion hole left by international tourists ...
Summer reissue: Chef Monique Fiso joins us for a chat about Hiakai – her acclaimed Wellington restaurant, and the title of her stunning new book.First published November 3, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here to learn ...
A new trough was brought to our attention this morning, although ethnicity will limit the numbers of eligible applicants. If you are non-Maori, it looks like you shouldn’t bother getting into the queue – but who knows?We learned of the trough from the Scoop website, where the Kapiti ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Britta Denise Hardesty, Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing costs economies up to US$50 billion globally each year, and makes up to one-fifth of the global catch. It’s a huge problem not only for the ...
Police stopping major cannabis eradication operations has given the green light to drug dealers and gangs to expand operations, make more profit, and continue to wreak havoc on the most vulnerable in our society, says Sensible Sentencing Trust. ...
Varieties of merino wool footwear are emerging faster than Netflix series about British aristocracy. Michael Andrew takes a look at the rise of the shoe that almost everyone – including his 95-year-old grandma – is wearing.Some might say it all started with Allbirds. After all, to the average consumer, it ...
A new report from New Zealand’s Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) highlights the realities and challenges disabled people faced during the COVID-19 emergency. The report, Making Disability Rights Real in a Pandemic, Te Whakatinana i ngā Tika ...
The Maritime Union is questioning the reasons provided for ongoing delays at the Ports of Auckland. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says there is a need for an honest conversation about what has gone wrong at the ...
As New Zealand faces a dire shortage of veterinarians, a petition has been launched urging the Government to reclassify veterinarians as critical workers so we can Get Vets into NZ. “New Zealand desperately needs veterinarians from overseas to counter ...
New Zealand is fast developing a reputation as a South Pacific vandal, says Greenpeace, as the government continues to fight against increased ocean protection. At the upcoming meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), ...
The Department of Internal Affairs and Netsafe are urging parents and caregivers to be mindful of the online content their tamariki may be consuming in the lead up to the inauguration of president-elect of the United States of America Joe Biden ...
Care is at the centre of Auckland Zoo’s mandate, and it’s clear to see when you witness the staff doing their day-to-day jobs up close. Leonie Hayden went behind the scenes to talk to two people who would do anything for the animals they look after. “We were having this ...
The Game Animal Council (GAC) is applying its expertise in the use of firearms for hunting to work alongside Police, other agencies and stakeholder groups to improve the compliance provisions for hunters and other firearms users. The GAC has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Verica Rupar, Professor, Auckland University of Technology “The lie outlasts the liar,” writes historian Timothy Snyder, referring to outgoing president Donald Trump and his contribution to the “post-truth” era in the US. Indeed, the mass rejection of reason that erupted in a ...
The internet ain’t what it used to be, thanks to privacy issues, data leaks, censorship and hate speech. But a group of New Zealanders are working on a way to give power back to the people. A flood of headlines over the last week made it clear: the internet has become ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Brooks, Scientia Professor of Evolutionary Ecology; Academic Lead of UNSW’s Grand Challenges Program, UNSW The views of women and men can differ on important gendered issues such as abortion, gender equity and government spending priorities. Surprisingly, however, average differences in sex ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer S. Hunt, Lecturer in National Security, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle In Australia and around the world, research is showing changes in body weight, cooking, eating and drinking patterns associated with COVID lockdowns. Some changes have been positive, such as people cooking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hao Tan, Associate professor, University of Newcastle Australian coal exports to China plummeted last year. While this is due in part to recent trade tensions between Australia and China, our research suggests coal plant closures are a bigger threat to Australia’s export ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asha Bowen, Head, Skin Health, Telethon Kids Institute A year ago, in late January 2020, Australia reported its first cases of COVID-19. Since then, we have seen almost 29,000 confirmed cases and 909 deaths. As cases climbed in Australian cities in 2020, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Davis, Emeritus Professor of Finance, University of Melbourne Political pressure forced the federal government in 2017 – when Scott Morrison was treasurer – to call the royal commission into misconduct in the banking, superannuation and financial services sector. Commissioner Kenneth Hayne ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Ellis, Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Newcastle, University of Newcastle The Rise and Fall of Saint George is a story about place, belonging and community that taps into universal tensions of identity and faith in multicultural societies. Playing for ...
An in-depth analysis of media coverage of the euthanasia and cannabis referendums has found that while both sides of the euthanasia referendum were given reasonably fair and balanced coverage, the YES position in the cannabis debate received a heavily ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission Auckland has no plans to hand over the ownership of it assets under the government's planned water reforms, with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff saying his top priority is to ensure it stacks up for the city. Despite ...
Auckland Transport is putting nine new electric buses on the roads today, as it dramatically accelerates its plans to get rid of all its diesel buses – in a funding challenge to the council. Public transport operators are being told to not buy any more diesel buses or risk losing their council ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they find out exactly what we’re voting on in the cannabis referendum, and discover how legalising weed is a women’s issue.First published August 4, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is ...
A principal analyst for the Climate Change Commission says more needs to be done to reduce agricultural emissions or the country will miss its methane targets. ...
Concerts and some sports look likely to be on the move in Auckland after a big win for Eden Park – and politicians and officials may now want to win the public some control over the independent stadium. The advent of big concerts at Eden Park will, in all likelihood, mean ...
Despite promises of improvement, questions remain about colonoscopy services in Otago and Southland.David Williams reports The apology, when it came, was fulsome. “On behalf of the Southern DHB, I offer a sincere apology for lapses and inadequacies in colonoscopy services over the past several years,” district health board chair ...
New Zealand needs to be bold in making developers enhance the environment - not just limit its degradation, writes Stephen Knight-Lenihan All human activity should help restore the natural world. This is a concept that may resonate following the upheavals of 2020 and one which is beginning to appear in law. Imagine ...
Derek Challis, son of the legendary author Robin Hyde, died last Thursday. Michelle Leggott pays tribute He opens a suitcase and there they are, the precious manuscript notebooks written by his poet mother Iris Wilkinson aka Robin Hyde. We are in Dunedin for a Hyde conference. Yes, says Derek Arden ...
Former New Zealand gymnast Katya Nosova is now a champion bodybuilder, who was prepared to spend Christmas alone in quarantine to compete in the 'Olympics' of her sport. Katya Nosova was willing to do everything she could to pose on the world stage in her third Ms Olympia. Despite a ...
The issues political editor Justin Giovannetti will be keeping an eye on in 2021 (that have nothing to do with Covid-19).New Zealand will be busy in 2021. The border will remain closed to nearly all travellers and Covid-19 will continue to lead the news, but the country has a packed ...
People in dangerous bushfire zones delay taking action until the last minute because they're too optimistic about their own risk, new research has shown.
The highest fire danger warning has been forecast for Sydney, the first time the warning has been issued in Australia’s most populous region since the ‘catastrophic’ category was introduced in 2009.
https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/article/november-2019/get-out-now-why-sydneys-first-catastrophic-fire-warning-will-save-lives
Yes. But they often live in areas where the fire risk is high every year. I think they also see stories of how the fire will burn some houses but skip others, sometimes because the owners defended the house.
Until recently the advice was to leave early OR stay and defend your house if you made the recommended clearing of material from around the house. The worst decision was to stay and then leave when the fire front could be seen.
The 2009 bushfires in Victoria swept through some small towns where people had taken shelter after leaving their homes. Up up 180 lost there lives.
Victoria is an area Im more familiar with and there is a long history of large loss of life
2009 – 7 February – March “Black Saturday” (173 deaths)
1939 – December – January “Black Friday” (71 deaths)
1926 – 14 February – March “Black Sunday” (60 deaths)
1944 – December – February (51 deaths)
1983 – 16 February “Ash Wednesday” (47 in Victoria)
1962 – 14–16 January (33 deaths)
1969 – 8 January (23 deaths)
1942 – Western Victoria (20 deaths)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushfires_in_Victoria
Yep, I've seen a few in Sydney. One I saw progressed from the south, then SW, West, NW, then north of Sydney .. almost as if someone was driving around with a box of matches.
NSW police later caught some kids carrying matches according to ABC radio, but I don't know the details.
Morning!
Check out the stats 11-12 mins in. Interesting changes.
Hoover Inst – The Strange Death of Europe
Posting because its not a perspective covered much.
Agreed A.
Not covered much, this side of the globe especially.
His work was described by one journalist as; "gentrified xenophobia", but such a description is questionable, and motive for such comment worthy of further examination.
The issues he puts forward is important even to NZ, more particularly in relation to use of immigration as a "numbers game".
Axiomatic, looking clearly at global migration patterns in the 21st century with a net population growth of around up to quarter of a million people per day, and a commonly overlooked potential for mass movement by "climate/environmental refugees" on top of other migration.
This is before the topic of cultural and religious domination (as opposed to integration) is even seriously considered.
Europe is really in a precarious situation, and is going to have to wake up very soon.
I accept, that many historic European "ills" identity/sub-culture (ref: the empire accusation) needed some fixing, but this blame game wont solve the real problems facing them.
I enjoyed his perspective.
I'm only just checking replies to my post because I was afraid of backlash!! Happy there is none of that so I can go to sleep without any upset.
Long-time Repug strategist reckons the way to Dump-a-chump is to make the Senate trial vote a secret ballot. Since that only requires a handful of Republican senators, it might be a lot likelier than most people think.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/11/12/path-to-removing-donald-trump-from-office-229911
However, she doesn't mention that the plan requires Mitch McTurtle to sacrifice his Senate seat for the greater benefit to the Republican party. Because he would become the lightning rod for angry Drumpfkins by actually allowing the vote to make it a secret ballot. That might be the biggest obstacle to the whole plan.
It is in the Repugs interest to have such vote anonymity electorally. But can't see it helping the Dems.
No sign of the Senate majority shield wall cracking yet.
No sign of the shield wall cracking yet because any public signs of cracking will bring the immediate wrath of Drumpf.
If cracking starts, I suspect there's a good chance we might not see any public cracks until there's an announcement that the world's most stable genius has won everything and solved all the world's problems and don't blame him when it all turns to shit after he left because it was all perfect when he finished his work.
Then over the next few months the stories of late-night delegations visiting the White House will trickle out …
I cannot see the collective Repug leadership entertaining an alternative future this close to the election.
They are locked.
Yep, impeachment is a god send to Trump, go and look and his donation numbers since this all started..soaring
'If you think of the Internet as an ATM machine, impeachment is the PIN code'
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-donations-impeachment-inquiry-public-hearings-1.5354954
The Dems fail again at understanding how to do politics, no surprises there.
Yeah, it's a long shot. About the only way I could see it happening is if they become convinced they'll lose the senate majority as well as the presidency with the fake-bronze Brezhnev at the top, but might have a chance of keeping the senate with something like a Pence-Haley ticket.
alternatively…there is an election…next year!
Depends on how important it is to make it clear that the president is required to act in accordance with the constitution and in the best interests of the country.
So if the idea is to set the norm that the president is elected to be an unacccountable king to do whatever the fuck he wants for four years, then sure, just pretend it's all good to just wait to let the voters sort it out. That seems to be the Repug position.
But if it's still important to hold the principle that the president is still a citizen accountable to the law and constitution, then it seems clear his behaviour has stepped so far over the line that Congress has no choice but to go through the process, even if it may be electorally disadvantageous to individual members. That seems to be the Dem position.
The clearest rehearsal for the Repugs is their performance in the Russian election interference hearings. They made their decision to lock down behind him then.
It's good mental protection to be as pessimistic as possible right now.
Dems having a few issues with their key witness testimonies…
That would be Sean Davis, founder of The Federalist website? Another Alex Jones type, minus the performance art? His twitter is certainly … ahem … interesting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Federalist_(website)
Meanwhile, searching Taylor's transcript for that quote (to find the context) turns up nothing, and searching da webz for that quote only turns up the kookiest of Repug and far-right sites.
You sure you're not just spattering around shit that's just been outright fabricated?
p. 299 of the Taylor deposition.
So the context is Zeldin is trying to get Taylor to make some sort of assertion about what Trump's state of mind or motivation was when he tried to extort Ukraine into opening sham investigations into his political opponents.
It's pure diversionary smokescreen.that is immaterial to establishing or refuting the fact that Trump was indeed trying to extort Ukraine by withholding the aid approved by Congress.
BTW maui, do you think it's OK for the president to withhold Congress approved and taxpayer funded aid to try to extort a foreign country into smearing a political opponent of the president?
This is now the fourth time I've asked you this exact question. The first time you evaded, and the next two you ghosted.
I really can't understand why it might be difficult to answer "no, it's not OK". Unless you're anticipating the need to be able to claim "yes, it is ok" when the evidence becomes undeniable to even the most delusional Drumpfkin.
You dohave a thing for vile RWNJs.
Zeldin’s Twitter rant was a classic racist dog whistle. It was a wink and nod to all his pals who hate seeing a woman of color wearing a hijab in a position of power. But it was written with just the right lack of specificity that he could claim ignorance when confronted with the nasty implications of his message.
[…]
Last month, for example, she recalibrated her defense of a tweet during the 2012 Gaza War, in which she wrote, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.” In response to a New York Times column about her tweet and the history of anti-Semitic portrayals of Jews as deceitful manipulators, she defended her criticism of the Israeli military but said she regretted unintentionally invoking the trope.
Zeldin, however, has shown no such willingness to evolve.
In 2015 he met with the Long Island Oath Keepers, a New York chapter of a far-right anti-government militia movement. He has appeared as a guest on a radio show hosted by Frank Gaffney, an Islamophobic conspiracy theorist who has also had white nationalist Jared Taylor on his show. Gaffney is best known for suggesting that former President Barack Obama is Muslim, accusing opponents of submitting to Sharia and objecting to having Muslim members of Congress serve on the House Intelligence Committee because they might leak information to the Muslim Brotherhood. Last year, Zeldin held a fundraising event with Sebastian Gorka, a former White House adviser who was photographed wearing a medal indicating membership in the Vitezi Rend, a Hungarian group that collaborated with the Nazis in World War II.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lee-zeldin-ilhan-omar-racist-dog-whistle_n_5c54d2b5e4b0871047537f47
Nice deflection Joe…
Always a pleasure to note how you the opinions, half-truths and outright lies of bigots like Zeldin appeal to you, sport.
and 21 NZ firefighters are in OZ to help.
more usa fuckery in the world, in their fight against socialism … " Bolivian President Evo Morales Forced Out In Coup "
and a bright note over their previous support of fascisim .
" Brazil's Ex-President Lula Freed, Promises to Continue Fight for Justice "
If only he hadn't changed the constitution to run for office again, and then stopped the election count for 24 hours, before being declared winner with just enough votes to win outright and avoiding a run off and drawing the attention of the poll observers who warned of serious irregularities.
It always seems sadder when left wing politicians get power crazy and corrupt.
Listening uncritically to the OAC on left-wing latin american governments is a mistake.
They have a long history of fomenting regime change in central and south america.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change_in_Latin_America
Morales still is the elected president (from his previous term) until December so this cannot be anything but a coup.
It's always sad to see left-wingers repeat the accusations of Trump and Rubio.
Care to explain the 24 hour "pause" in announcing the results? That doesn't usually go along with free and fair elections. Or are you one of these one eyed type leftists who excuse any abuse of democracy because it is committed by a Socialist and is therefore okay?
If anyone is one-eyed Gosman, it is you, and we are all painfully aware of it.
An abuse of democracy is to force a democratically elected official to resign before his previous term is even finished. Care to explain that one?
Maybe not – Mark Weisbrot seems to think otherwise. We should go with the default assumption based on historical experience – which is a resource-theft coup engineered by the global hegemon.
Why do YOU think there was a sudden 24 hour pause in counting the results of the election?
There was a 24 hour pause because at the centre of virtually all Central and South American elections there is the odour of Dodgy on the air.
When the ticket to a better life revolves around knowing someone with some political pull, we will always get candidates with hidden agendas. Left, Right, doesn't matter.
The OAS recommended a system of vote counting that goes in 2 parts. First a very quick count to get the general gist, and then the slower more careful count
http://cepr.net/images/stories/reports/bolivia-elections-2019-11.pdf?v=2
"Kevin Cashman @kevinmcashman – 1:36 UTC · Nov 11, 2019
Eventually, the official count was released: Morales won in the first round 47.08% to 36.51%. If you had been watching the polls before the election, 5 out of 6 of them predicted the same result. Weird to have a fraud that matches up with polls."
Poll Tracker: Bolivia's 2019 Presidential Race
Listen to Weisbrot. There are two counts – a quick count and an official count. The quick count has historically been stopped before 100% as it is meant to be indicative only. The official count carries on to 100%. The supposed 'pause' is simply the time interval between the cessation of the quick count and the end of the official count. If Weisbrot is correct, and there is no reason to assume he's not, the accusation is bullshit.
So I'm sticking with my hunch – yet another resource-theft coup orchestrated by the global hegemon and gleefully and violently supported by local elites on the ground who stand to benefit. A Marxist (and I'm not one) would correctly call it "primitive accumulation". The suggestion is that the resource in question is lithum – there's a truckload of money to be made in the near future with batteries I'm picking. BTW – are you actually Juan Guaido with a bit of time on your hands?
si
A thought experiment and a question. An oak tree was planted somewhere in Auckland in 1840, by a Maori who wants to see how these new fangled trees grew. In 1880, an acorn fell from this tree and grew spontaneously. In 1919 a grieving Pakeha parent took a sapling from this second oak tree and planted it on the slopes of one of Auckland's cones as a quiet memorial to a son lost in the Geat War. Today, this NZ third generation oak is 100 years old and the family of the person who planted it – informally, just amongst themselves – know of it's story and take comfort when they walk or drive past when they see "their" tree.
The question is, is that oak tree now a native, or is it forever an exotic?
Mother Earth made the arrangements = native tree
Mankind made it happen, planted the seed or it was on the hoof of his horse = exotic tree
….If a South American Macaw flew from Sydney to Devonport and deposited an Australian native plant seed that flourished, is that plant native or exotic?
That macaw story is a good one .
Correct me if I'm wrong but native is something that can be in other countries but is of the place its found and endemic is native but only found in that place .
So a non endemic native is self introduced through natural methods. As opposed to introduced by other means .
Which kinda means that as humans have always naturally spread across the planet, anyone not forcibly transplanted is native . Especially their offspring.
If we agree that central Africa is the cradle of mankind…the only endemic people are those there. The rest of us, migrating exotics.
Good question, can't be answered definitively. I listened to someone describing a native person as one who recognised every bird call in a place, knew its meaning and how that changed according to season and time of day. I think this definition, given our present dire situation, is more useful than circumstantial; first-in-first-served model we have come to accept.
Good answer! 🙂
I think that if we used that definition Robert there wouldn't be anyone in the country who could possibly claim the title of being a "native" of New Zealand.
Do you know, for example, what is the call of a sooty shearwater chick when it wants to be fed by its father rather than its mother? Please provide a full, detailed, explanation of the differences between the calls made to each parent.
I wouldn't worry it is just a made up definition. Experts in one type of knowledge were experts for that and not everyone was/is expert in all areas imo
I really wasn't planning to lose any sleep over it Marty. Do I have to put JOKE everywhere?
On the other hand I am desperately interested in the question about the Mutton bird*. I haven't been able to determine the exact sequence of notes in each of the calls I was inquiring about and I thought that Robert was sure to know.
* (titi if you prefer).
alywn, just in case you are not aware of it, the website NZ Birds online, may have the answer to any questions about our birds.
(Including many recordings of different calls for any species.)
Alwyn; it may surprise you greatly to learn that I spent a season on one of the most far-flung titi islands, Putauhinu, south of Rakiura/Stewart Island and while I can certainly describe a range of calls made by parent and chick titi, having heard them many, many times, I could not differentiate as finely as you have demanded, however, I haven't claimed to be a native of Putauhinu, so don't feel compromised. I imagine, reading your question, that you are very familiar with the range of calls the galah and consider your self a native of Australia?
I am truly impressed Robert. Even in my much younger days I think I would have found spending time on those Southern Islands rather harder than I would have desired. Tramping on Stewart Island itself was quite enough for me.
I wonder if bird calls actually do get as selective as my hypothesis suggests? Surely not.
As far as Australian birds go I found them to be much more spectacular in their colouring than New Zealand ones but I can't think of any where the song was attractive. Just the opposite of most New Zealand species. Still I suppose the Australian birds were quite appropriate for the country. The sounded just as raucous as most of the inhabitants.
I prefer titi
Marty – all definitions are made up.
lol your one was that is for sure Robert
It wasn’t my definition, Marty, it was that of a man who teaches "becoming native" and begins by training people to recognise bird calls and their meanings. It's fascinating stuff and his ability to know stuff about his surroundings through the behaviour of birds is phenomenal. He's a tracker also and takes his awareness to incredible levels with his reading of tiny signs in the environment. He runs a podcast course that I highly recommend; with a bit of training, you too could become native
awesome – he sounds like a real tohuka – does he whakapapa to the deep south?
He's American, living in America. His concept is an interesting one though, but one of many views on what "native" might mean. I like to hear various interpretations and recognise that a person can hold more than one view quite comfortably; the trick being not to negate one with another. We were talking today about a woman from Rekohu who "jumped ship" while it was anchored at Rakiura and made her way to Oraka, just down the road from me where she met and married a Maori man, bore children whose children's children are amongst those I taught when I was a teacher a couple of decades ago. Was she native to this role?
I don't really use the term native – a bit too much baggage to me here, let alone from over there. Indigenous, Māori, Ngāi Tahu mean a lot more. Plenty of people without a whakapapa want to be native here – I don't really care tbh.
Have you had a gander at this?
Yeah, that's wonderful, isn't it. I saw it when it was at its early stage, presented to us at the council. You see Hautere off the bottom of the south coast? I went there one day; hitch-hiked on a DoC provided helicopter; marvellous island, wouldn't want to stay there for more than an afternoon though; very, very exposed. Hineahitea and her man paddled from there to the mainland in a coracle made from twisted branches and seal skins, to escape being marooned there for his misdeeds. She was the brains behind the escape, imo
My mate Stewart Bull, speaking in our big yurt, said he thinks tikanga, rather than tikanga Maori, when he's involved in shared kaitiaki projects. He tangata tino pai ia!
Yeah Stewart is a nice guy.
I often wonder how the rellies lived on Whenua Hou and carved a life out of there – amazingly resilient and so generous – as many of their descendants are today. Haven't been there – will need to be saving the Kākāpō I spose – but the pouwhenua look great.
https://ngaitahu.iwi.nz/our_stories/connecting-people-place-and-time-tk76/
Whenua Hou is just across the water from us; te Ara a Kewa. I can see it from the beach. Like you, I've not yet been there, but have friends who have. Kakapo work is hard! Perhaps you know Estelle Leask?
Sounds weird to me.
The point of environmentalism. Surely to enhance said biodiversity. That includes introducing new species. We are an introduced species, that has increased diversity of Aotearoa. Western Europeans have done more to maximize the number of species in Nz. The question of protection is one of stopping degradation of previous species, this does not mean Maori since they drive, eat, behave much like pakeha, and are human beings, no human left behind!
if we can introduce a tree that saves the kiwi should we? hell yes.
Cat and stoat eating trees?
How about a genetical engineered tree that provides a nest that allows the kiwi the ability to peck a intruding cat, stout in the back of the head. Over time kiwis could become canavories…
oh, on, science, how about WiFi absorbing wall paint that heats your home rather than your brain. 5G will lower my power bill and stop me getting brain cancer, whoopi.
Tokoekas don't struggle with cats now – no GE required.
A long time ago a wise old Māori woman told me that where you are born if there is a tree or significant tree species nearby, then that will become your spiritual tree species for life. There was no distinction between native and exotic. That was a mind opener for sure…
Nice, mauī
For anyone who didn't catch this breaking on Checkpoint last night:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018721883/three-deaths-reported-after-epilepsy-drug-switch
or the written version
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/403116/three-deaths-following-epilepsy-drug-brand-switch
The deaths are before the coroner and will be for a very long time. It's not likely to ever be 100% certain the switch was the direct cause but when you understand how all this works there's a strong possibility it's connected. Were this a food product, or a seat belt, or airbag, there would be an immediate recall to err on the side of caution. Do we have to wait till the coroner's make their recommendations before Pharmac cancel this switch??
All of a sudden the Minister of Health is suddenly taken this 'very seriously' and asking a lot of questions. I guess the word "deaths" in the public arena isn't a good look from a PR perspective. And we know how the one thing Ministers HATE is being publicly embarrassed.
David Clark has been bombarded with our concerns about this switch all year, some of us have been attempting to correspond with him since September 2018 when this was first mooted because we knew full well this outcome was likely. 'Attempted' because it's been very difficult to get a response, and the responses we did get are all identical cut and paste jobs. Not even acknowledgments from his office that our correspondence had been received. Welcome to NZ democracy where our elected representatives deliberately ignore or fob off serious situations they don't want to deal with until the shit really hits the fan in the media and they're forced to act all ministerial.
(nb if anyone still wants to try that line that the brands/generics are exactly the same then I'm going to either totally ignore you or give you what for. Probably ignore you because I don't want to get a ban. In real life you'd probably get screamed at. I'm not even trying to be polite and reasonable any more if you're not prepare to listen or do your research and many of my peers in this fight have reached this point as well)
+100000 Kay. Did hear the coverage on RNZ National yesterday and immediately thought of you; and I now see that it has also been widely covered in other media – TVNZ, Herald, The Press, Stuff , Voxy amongst others.
For anyone interested in the other coverage, rather than links to each of these other media, here is a generic Google link with links to these other media articles in the last 24 hours
https://www.google.com/search?q=epilepsy+new+zealand&rlz=1C1LDJZ_enNZ499&sxsrf=ACYBGNRhAj8SNpQ0rUY7ufWHZ8KSLsZcOQ:1573594520439&source=lnt&tbs=qdr:d&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwii4KSz0OXlAhUWA3IKHSReBbYQpwUIKQ&biw=1024&bih=724&dpr=1.25
"….thought about you. ( vw
)
Anyone regularly here on TS who takes the line that generics are no different from 'branded' versions are being wilfully and woefully ignorant.
Espiner has done well to keep this pot boiling…isn't it interesting how being personally affected by a serious health crisis heightens one's awareness of the significant issues threatening the lives of others?
As a nation we can fix this….so why the hell is it dragging on?
Thanks Kay for posting.
Ha, you are so right re: Generics vs Best in field Brand names.
We all know what you mean. The ingredients lists on the Coke, Watties and Gillette labels are identical to the Pams Products labels. Teenagers the world over are fed up with trying to convince their Mum's that Coca-cola and Fun Cola are exactly the same thing.
I have no experience with prescription drugs but with Colas, sorry Mum, everyone knows they aren't the same thing and yes we can taste it.
Medication changes and/or medical experiments?
Also as below.
On assumed advice from MOH/IMAC and using a combination of standing orders and unapproved indication.
Babies as young as 6mths of age have been and can be injected with MMR vaccine.
Unapproved Indication means the product is not licenced for use in ages 6-11mths age group.
The same applies to pregnant women with DTaP/Flu. Unlicensed use.
Unapproved Indications have no established safety profile which has basis in recent science, and has IMAC Says "No Efficacy Answer"(no protective benefit profile) at all. Zero.
As per publicly available IMAC/MOH documents. Linked.
[It didn’t take you long after your 3-month ban to jump on one of your hobby horses and ride roughshod over a thread that is about generic vs. brand drugs and whether a switch of prescribing an epilepsy drug may have contributed to the deaths of three patients. In addition, your selective quoting belies an inquisitive mind in search of accuracy and the truth. I have no patience for you hijacking threads so let this be your only warning – Incognito]
The full quote from the link, which One Two has cherry-picked to create a deceptive impression, is:
Two of the babies given MMR vazcines at well under twelve months of age are my grandniece and grandnephew. Because their mother is a doctor helping deal with a measles outbreak where the majority of those with measles are idiot anti-vaxxers.
If any readers are considering whether an infant under twelve months should get vaccinated, the reason for the "over twelve months" recommendation is that it's less effective for younger infants, due to the possible residual presence of maternal antibodies. So the recommendation for infants that received their first dose before twelve months is that they get a further 2 doses (3 total) to ensure best protection.
IMAC says there is no science which they can use as evidence of efficacy.
Efficacy profile from vaccine = zero.
Your comment served only to endorse and confirm what IMAC say in their own document.
Which part of no efficacy answer did you not understand?
While you're searching for info here is an explanation of what is happening and why.
And the cycle of vaccine failure through waning inferior anti bodies continues to create expanded cohorts of susceptibles in all age groups.
References available on request. You can share the CDC/Mayo Clinic research with your relative the doctor.
Oddly enough, one big factor that might "create expanded cohorts of susceptibles in all age groups" is actually getting measles.
It seems that one of the long-term effects of measles in some people is that it reduces or destroys the immunity they had developed towards other diseases – it seems measles causes immune system amnesia. Yet one more reason to ensure your measles vaccination has been done.
https://www.livescience.com/measles-wipes-immune-memory.html
See my Moderation note @ 3:49 PM.
Incognito I have read the note. Cheers.
If I continue the convo with Andre, seeing as he has again responded.
Is a fresh comment in OM , away from the drug swap thread going to be ok?
Thanks and if you and Andre like to continue your exchange on OM, you can do so.
Thanks for the confirmation.
Why do you hate people protecting their children from easily communicable diseases?
To be honest, I really don't like. I'm only moved to have a say when I see misinformation that might cause actual harm.
So I'm happy to drop out when the misinformation moves on to someone just re-asserting something previously shown to be a taken-out-of-context cherry pick, or delving into the minutiae at the fringes of a topic that really don't affect the core issue.
In the spirit of continuing honesty, I'm surprised at the continued tolerance here of harmful anti-vax misinformation. Particularly since we're dealing with an outbreak that's harming thousands that's at least partly due to anti-vax misinformation getting spread into vulnerable communities. But hey, this site is not my playground, those that put the work into making the playground available and keep it running get to set the rules.
Hi Andre, I have left a long moderation note for One Two at 6:44 PM.
I wish to respond to your comments about tolerance and the apparent lack of ‘policing’ on this site.
With an online forum such as this site, there are two aspects to consider: content and process-flow.
Content is determined by Authors who write Posts but also by the commenters. The site does not dictate nor restrict content and shouldn’t IMO.
Moderators keep their distance and only jump in when the boundaries are crossed or rules violated as set out in the site’s Policy. The idea is that commenters self-moderate and nobody excludes others, for example.
As with the content, the process-flow is largely determined by the online ‘commentariat’, the online community. It is up to all of you/us to deal with stuff in a positive constructive way that allows for dissenting views, disagreements, differences of opinions, criticism, and even personal dislikes or rather dislike of content and/or style of comment, given that we don’t know each other from a bar of soap on this site. What is not tolerated is personal insults, for example.
The rules-boundaries are lenient to encourage free and frank debate on a wide range of topics. As with all free speech, this can create tension, especially when the boundaries get ‘tested’.
I hope this clarifies how I view things here, as commenter and as moderator.
Cheers,
Incognito
Thanks for all that, particularly since I'm pretty sure your actual expertise about the workings of the immune system far exceeds mine. And apologies for my contributions to a situation that took up so much of your time.
Where I'm coming from on this topic is I see anti-vax speech as something that can plausibly lead to direct specific harm to identifiable vulnerable persons.
To me, that puts it on a moral plane pretty darn close to that occupied by hate speech. Were I to put the effort in and get invited to join the team helping keep the site running, I'd certainly want to treat it as such, which is probably a pretty good indication I shouldn't ever be granted that authority.
"Welcome to NZ democracy where our elected representatives deliberately ignore or fob off serious situations they don't want to deal with until the shit really hits the fan in the media and they're forced to act all ministerial."
From memory, this was the interview where the Minister said something like how important is was to maintain the independence of Pharmac. (even if it's killing people apparently)
Some of elected reps really are masochists at times, and don't seem to have adequate bullshit detectors fitted
More coverage likely on Checkpoint and One news this evening according to my close source. I'd love to see David facing the cameras telling us he's ordered Pharmac to stop the switch immediately (flying pigs….)
Pharmac will fight this to the death for the simple reason this is their business model, and conceding now will mean they can no longer pull this stunt with certain classes of drugs. People's lives have never come into their decisions, only money.
Maybe, or maybe not tonight Josephine.
They might be too busy waiting for NZQA’s ‘Comms People” to get back to them
"People's lives have never come into their [Pharmac's] decisions, only money." As a Pharmac beneficiary, that doesn't strike me as a fair opinion.
IMHO, it would be more reasonable to state that 'Pharmac's decisions are based on people's health outcomes and maximising value for money on a limited budget."
Given PHARMAC’s mandate, generics will always play a major part in the decision-making. In the US, the vast majority of prescribed drugs are generics and cost up to 85% less than the corresponding brand drugs.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31626574
Interesting thanks Incognito, especially re "Narrow Therapeutic Index (NTI) drugs".
There seems to have been some uncertainty about whether the anti-epilepsy drug lamotrigene and its generics should be categorised as NTI drugs.
For information, links to a couple of relevant papers (the first from your link.)
It is pretty complex. Did you see the term “generic-brittle”?
Here’s another recent abstract from the same authors: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30579779
In that relatively small study, 40% of epilepsy patients were categorised as generic brittle.
I think that epilepsy and the ‘NZ experience’ with the drug switch are not typical and should not be used to jump to conclusions and make sweeping statements about generics vs. brand drugs.
Interesting again, thinking about possible crossover between genetic-brittle and generic-brittle, and making the most of the hand you’re dealt.
Like your last para – agreed, and shouldn't be used as yet another stick with which to beat Pharmac, when we are collectively so much better off than previous generations. Is this as good as it gets, and if it is, would that be so terrible?
Being the beneficiary of various generics @Incognito, I agree. However in this case I don't really see that as the issue here. More to do with the way the Minister and Pharmac have responded when concerns have been raised.
There are multiple issues at play. It started off with one aspect @ 7 but then the money aspect got dragged into it @ 7.3.1 and in an unfair, uninformed and prejudiced way, IMO.
11000 brand switches (about half switched so far according to RNZ).
Each year, SUDEP affects about 1 in 1,000 adults with epilepsy and 1 in 4,500 children with epilepsy.
Three almost seems lower than expected.
Mayor Andy Foster invites the wrath of the Taxpayers Union. They'll be into him boots and all – won't they?
He's reintroducing catered lunches which he led moves to get rid of some years back.
"People felt when you didn't have lunches provided on days when you were working through [into the afternoon], councillors tended to disappear all over the place to get lunch. It reduced team bonding."
I know in the scheme of things it's small change. I understand the sense of everyone eating together and the context of their meeting days. And I reckon if it'd been a Labour mayor introducing it the loonies would be going loopy about 'sense of entitlement, troughing lefties' and the usual.
I don't know why, just like anyone going to work, the councillors can't take lunch with them and sit and eat together and do the 'team bonding.' Can't team bonding happen unless it's a free lunch? Or can't highly motivated, organised people, with the serious responsibility of an important job, actually organise and their own lunch a couple of days a week so as to enable the critical team building?
You watch, Jordan Williams and David Farrar will be spewing!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/117357944/wellington-mayor-andy-foster-brings-back-catered-councillor-lunches
"Or can't highly motivated, organised people, with the serious responsibility of an important job,"
A catered lunch probably means they all fall asleep by 3PM meals like that have that effect.
Now free drinks at 4Pm thats real team bonding.
A big assumption there as to what type of lunch would be provided, Duke. As a Wellingtonian, I can assure you that we have an abundance (even overabundance) of caterers providing very healthy lighter style lunches with lots of fresh produce and options (vegetarian.vegan. gluten free, dairy free etc. LOL.
Multiple Options like that cost a lot more to provide, you seem to be in the industry and would be hoping its a 'smorgasbord' of vegan this and gluten free that
It was being light hearted.
"It was being light hearted."
So was mine – hence the LOL in my comment.
I understand why you might be a bit sensitive to other people's comments at present and I want you to know that I am disgusted by the ongoing personal attacks you continue to be subjected to by Greywarshark.
Its a case of "Pot/Kettle" and Grey needs to look in a mirror.
Much for all her/his/its " lets be positive, kind" etc sanctimonious sermons, Grey has been posting snide put downs of other commenters who Grey thinks should not comment on TS regularly since she/he/it first started commenting here as Prism on 28 October 2009 – and through her/his/its transition through "Rose-Tinted" and "greywarbler" to "Greywarshark".
And not just on TS but also on TDB (and then wonders why her/his/its comments as "greywarbler" disappear), and on Bowalley Road. Just two days ago this appeared on Bowalley Road.
So please don’t think others here support Grey’s put downs of you . Many otheres have been in your position in the past.
In terms of the TS Policy, I would have thought that the following provision of TS Policy was relevant but it is not my right to suggest moderation be exercised –
"What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others. "
I just don't bother commenting much here any more
And just wanted to mention that I am a female in a similar age range/same decade to Grey albeit a few years younger so my comments are not a "OK Boomer" situation.
It's not gone unnoticed, although I will keep a closer eye on if Duke is being targeted specifically.
(best not refer to people as 'it', thanks).
Re people, I agree 'it' is not appropriate – was thinking of birds and fish.
Putting both handles (Grey and Duke's full handles) into Search comes up with almost two pages of interactions going back to 2015, of which quite a few have little "bites/nibbles" and more. But not sure this search has picked up all the recent ones, but will leave it there. But Duke is just one person who has had this treatment.
https://thestandard.org.nz/search/greywarshark+Dukeofurl/?search_comments=true&search_posts=true&search_sortby=date
Yes but if you look at that list it's mostly comments within the bounds of TS until the last few months, which is when I noticed a change as well.
Had a closer look at the list that popped out of that search and it is missing a lot over the last month or so as have done a more detailed check going back from today to Sept. If I get time, I will drop an email to you at the back end in the next day or so.
this is why I rarely use the TS search 😉
I'm ok with what you've told me so far, and will keep an eye on it, cheers.
Perhaps Foster is trying to find work for his predecessor Justin?
He owned, or at least part owned, a salad bar business if my memory serves me right. Perhaps the Council will give him the contract if he goes back to it?
Gee I manage every day to get up and make my lunch and be out the door by 7 . Like a huge amount of workers in this country. This is why we grow to despise the people up the food chain .
Put downs, negative again Duke of Url?
[give it a rest please. Please also let me know when you have read this, thanks https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-07-11-2019/#comment-1665176 – weka]
Oh thats that Jane Austen Character again , Mr Greywarshark
mod note for you above.
Yes I have read it weka. And don't understand why you do not discourage such pointless negativity in these negative times. A place for prople to cojme and do the new thing of talking and thinking of politics is so important these days. Why do you not encourage a greater number instead of allowing a smug, sneering type like this troll?
That comment I asked you to read *is my discouraging pointless negativity. Yours.
Beyond that, it's a balancing act. The ethos of TS is robust debate. There are limits on that, hence the language and tone part of the Policy.
Duke isn't (usually) a troll. He's annoying at times but that's not unusual here, and he brings useful perspectives to the site. Gosman is our resident (RW) troll if you want a standard to go by. Puckish Rogue at times too, but he gets away with it more because he is also often funny.
Other than that, any of the regulars can get into trouble if they start doing comments that are abusive with no politics. Mostly a reminder to not do that will suffice, but sometimes people get a short ban (or long one if they give the moderator shit).
I'll say again, that ime the best way to change the culture of the place is to encourage and do the kinds of comments that you want to see here. Giving people shit for giving people shit will almost always result in more shit. Moderation will limit the shit posting, trolling and flames, but it won't create good interactions or better comments, it just creates the space for them. Improving the commentary requires creative acts.
Uber Eats.
Those that desire to dine on butterfly wings in a white whine sauce can and the bill will still be cheaper than caterers. Caterers are so Elizabethan (II). Attach an extensive Uber Eats menu to the 'We're workin' late you bastards' memo.
(I work alone and drive myself hard.)
Un-bloody-believable: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/117378375/epas-inappropriate-reaction-to-students-speech. From the start, the Environmental Protection Agency has consistently demonstrated that its role is the opposite of its title. The fact that a young woman who spoke in support of environmental protection was subjected to a 'shout over' then accused of being bad mannered is bizarre. The farcical EPA should be disposed of. At the very least, Allan Freeth should be sent down the road – the fish is obviously still rotting from the head.
Yes aom. Freeth represents those old men with old minds and contempt for new ideas especially if they come from youth. The National Party is littered with such people.
Freeth's all about Freeth. When at telstra clear he pretty much demanded to be in any ads being shot for his own self promotion.
They lost good senior telco operators who grew sick of his ways and broken promises.
he’s clearly a club member swanning about in troughsville now.
Snap! Sorry for double posting below.
when the elephant in the room shits on you
Apart from the 'inversion' by Freeth over what was unacceptable. Shines a light on 'private meetings' EPA runs where it only wants to listen to one side.
Looking at the management team seems to be far too many 'acting' in their job title, maybe one or 2. Theres is 6.
https://www.epa.govt.nz/about-us/our-people/management-team/
Lots to unpack out of that one? Inviting Greenpeace is a "gesture " but others (oil companies?) are stakeholders? Who decides the category – the EPA?
Would this have happened if the speaker had not been a young person (woman) but an older white male?
Lookd at the CEO expenses. Nothing much to the enviromental stakeholders, mostly CEO type meetings. Couldn't see when the board terms expired.
Roger Stone’s trial continues.
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/12/roger-stone-trial-donald-trump-wikileaks-070368
Socialists and Unidas Podemos have made a preliminary deal to form a coalition government.
Caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the leader of left-wing Unidas Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, have signed a preliminary agreement to form a coalition government after Sunday’s inconclusive repeat general election in Spain. Despite months of negotiations between the parties to strike a governing deal following the April poll, the two leaders have done this deal less than 48 hours after Sunday’s vote
https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/11/12/inenglish/1573562718_041862.html?
ILG just on the radio regarding Immigration – Labour in the 2017 election had no targets
So that we have only a minimal reduction – we now have a need for many thousands of additional houses and large increase in cars on the road – No wonder we haveSTILL major issues that remain from the change of government – Time to deliver because the consequences of this NON DELIVERY is crushing the country.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/117318375/the-dirty-little-secret-in-new-zealands-migration-debate
"In total, these changes are estimated to reduce net migration by 20,000-30,000. Without these changes there would be up to 10,000 more houses needed and up to 20,000 more vehicles on our roads annually. Our immigration system will be regularly reviewed to ensure it is functioning well."
https://www.labour.org.nz/immigration
I've been listening to Michelle Boag on RNZ. She hates the notions of common good and communities working together in education and schools, she wants dog-eat-dog competitive ways of operating. No surprise.
I suppose in a world of free speech, getting a female dog on to spout narrow-minded, self serving rabidity probably helps cover the angles. Mind you she did say, "I know some principals." I'd bet they haven't got empires to protect too. Not.
I didn't hear it Peter but she'll be coming at it from the angle of "personal responsibility" and everyone having the "freedom to choose" etc. etc. In other words as you say… dog eat dog competition in all things.
The thought of "common good" and "communities working together" would conjure up the dreaded word "socialism" in the books of the neo-liberal apostles, or even worse "communism".
Bridges also said that in his shambolic interview this morning. He said he wants the competitive model to continue and spoke against the cooperative model. Idiot!
Andre. 7.2.2.1.1.1
As you've backed away from no efficacy answer as well as completely ignored the unapproved indication.
– No vaccine efficacy profile exists
– No licenced safety profile exists
If you require further explanation of the above and why maternal antibodies are only relevant in vaccine context to illustrate how vaccines have created inferior maternal antibodies. We can have that conversation.
To address the immune amnesia hypothesis, which is not new.
First of all vaccine antibody theory needs to be examined. And for that the link below
Immunological memory ≠ protective immunity
Abstract
The remainder of the abstract is in the link provided.
It's saying that immune memory is not necessary for protective immunity.
If correct, then immune amnesia isn’t relevant except to expose the desperation of the vaccine industry.
Mina 2019 is flawed for many primary reasons. None more so than as linked to above.
[You may have some good points to make but most of your comments create a foggy web of cherry-picked facts, links to humongous hard-to-read documents by (overseas) regulatory agencies, and science sophistry. The outcome is that you confuse people into thinking that vaccination is ineffective and dangerous and that governments, including NZ’s, and the pharma-industrial complex, cover this up.
With a complex topic such as the immune system and the subject of vaccination, we need clarity and not somebody with an agenda and poor communication skills clouding people’s minds.
For example, you quote Rolf Zinkernagel, Professor of Experimental Immunology at the University of Zurich and Nobel Laureate “for their discoveries concerning the specificity of the cell mediated immune defence”, to support your questionable opinions in a misleading appeal to authority. Zinkernagel questions how the idea of “immunological memory” explains the improved resistance against disease caused by a second infection with the same agent through vaccination and he rejects this concept. However, he does not reject the effectivity of vaccines and vaccination. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
Here’s the full abstract of another more recent review by Zinkernagel in the high-impact journal IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29664570
The reason I quote the full abstract is that other people can read and come to their own conclusions rather than be guided by your nebulous comments and ‘statements of fact’.
In summary, nobody is served by your comments here about vaccination. In fact, it confuses (‘drowns’) and misleads with potentially dire consequences. If you want to make a point about vaccination, keep it simple with clear arguments with integrity and in an honest manner. Banned for another two weeks and bans will escalate from hereon – Incognito]
That's an interesting April 2012 review by Zinkernagel. Here's a more recent link regarding "Immunological memory: What’s in a name?"
It may be that our incomplete understanding of the 'arms race' between the human immune system and pathogens, coupled with evolving vaccination programmes, is incubating a crisis similar to the rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens fueled by the indiscriminate use of antibiotics.
Nevertheless, remember this hopeful quote by Prof. Christine Stabell Benn in her January 2019 TEDx talk How vaccines train the immune system in ways no one expected:
Hi Drowsy, good shout thanks for the link.
If you have taken a look into RZ's background then you understand the credibility his assessments have regarding vaccination theory .
The goalposts were shifted from the position I had aligned with the generic drug changes ,and the consequences coming to light of the dangers of the changes.
The position was that of using unlicensed vaccines (Unapproved Indication) which lack not only an adequately proven P3 safety profile, but also are confirmed to have zero efficacy vaccine profile.
Not Safe
Not effective
That leaves only a risk profile.
The current government have deemed (on assumed advise of MOH/IMAC which those agencies in turn have been provided with from offshore) that it is appropriately safe and effective to inject 6-11mth babies with MMR vaccine.
It is scientifically and medically the complete opposite. But this is where NZ finds itself as a result of 30 years of expanding government vaccine programs.
Andre responded avoiding the discussion about unapproved indication and no efficacy answer, so it is not apparent if he believes it acceptable or not to used unlicensed vaccines on some of the most vulnerable age groups in NZ.
Given that his direct relatives under 12mths were injected with MMR, it could be deduced he does agree in using unlicensed, useless and dangerous vaccines on 6-11mth babies.
If you would like to discuss the how this has come to be NZ's public health decision, and the consequences of the entry and exit of such decision points, I would be more than happy to have that conversation with you initially.
If not then the below may/may not be of interest.
The Finland study is cited in NZ Immunisation Handbook 2017 as the safety study for the unapproved indication, and indeed is the only study cited/referenced in NZ's official MMR documents available to the public regarding MMR vaccine safety. The study is from 1986. Ref 24
It was a vaccinated vs vaccinated study. Which can't provide any sane definition of a safety profile because the participants were already vaccinated, and were then vaccinated with MMR2 v non inert placebo vaccine.
That is not real science, which is precisely why the charade is currently falling apart around the world including NZ.
hey mate – got the kids vaccinated now. Thanks.
Why do you reckon that is of any interest to me?
Given how long ago you were bloating around shouting how you were going to vaccinate your kids anyway, and then got repeatedly emotional and abusive when I asked you to post the evidence. Perhaps you've forgotten?
I don't care what you do marty, it's none of my business. But you had some inner sense of [whatever it was] which compelled you to bring that up yet again as if I believe anything you write.
12-18 months or so, after you first said you were going to take action.
So as you don't get the message mixed up again…
I do not care what decisions you make about vaccinating your kids.
Cool – you kept going on about it so I wanted to tie it off – took a while to get it sorted. All done now. Thanks.
Your memory isn't very good Marty. I can re-post the conversations if you like?
Not comprehending well at all, are you. In the previous message twice I stated that I do not care.
That is twice you have thanked me, and if you can muster up the brain cells to recall the original conversation where I advised you not to take any decision outside of your own head in my direction.
In thanking me, it feels like you are seeking to outsource your parental decision making [whatever form that comes] in my direction, yet again.
I didn't ask to know your family business, marty. But I understand your head set from the years we have swapped messages here, that you felt like a big man putting it onto me, eh.
The comment you responded to must have triggered the shit out of you. Yeah you were triggered, I can tell from the words you used. Again, don’t put your fear onto me.
Just keep it to yourself, and perhaps continue to avoid reading the links and comments I post. The science contained isn't aligned with your alleged choices, it doesn’t support your alleged choices. Not at all, and the surface has not even been scratched.
Kia Kaha
you sound a bit worked up buddy – chillax, you don't care remember
chuckles
Do you have any thoughts or comments about NZ government and health agencies using an unlicensed vaccine which has no efficacy answer and no adequate safety profile?
Used on 6-11mths old babies outside the license issued by the FDA to the vaccine manufacturers ?
Do you understand the reasons of why this is happening ?
Edit: McFlock. Perhaps you might like to have a try?
Andre stil hasn’t a clue. What about the rest of you skeptics .
tbh I don't really think you're an authority on much and certainly not this subject – but you know that already. So just move on please. As I said – I just wanted to put your question to bed, which I have now done. Thanks.
Marty, your memory isn't good at all. It is distinctly like you’re trying to prove something to yourself.
It was never my question to enquire if you vaccinated your kids or not.
You stated a long time ago that you were going to. You shouted it numerous times because you couldn’t handle the contents of my comments.
All this time later and you still can’t handle it, but must show otherwise. Amazing.
I didn't ask you initially. Thats all your own wasted brain cells.
My comment and follow ups to you were for you to post the evidence of your actions, such was your bluster over an extended time. I asked you to post the evidence when you put yourself in my face, which you repeatedly did.
What does matter is that you have now selfishly wanted to close off what you started.
Hardly the actions of a reflective individual. More of a narcissistic tendency IMO.
Oh, and anyone can be an authority on this or any subject, marty.
All it takes is the ability to read and a network of people in various places doing lotsa science and legal stuff.
And the time invested to navigate through it.
Lol whatever one two.
What network? The only network that pumps out anti-vaxx information is Facebook. Well known as a Russian misinformation platform.
one of Putin’s useful idiots are you?
Any broader contribution from me for this thread would only be to reiterate the fact that you're still plugging this scaremongering bullshit even after literally hundreds of people have been hospitalised.
And then my arse would cop a ban because I have no polite words with which to describe my opinion of you.
I'm currently using the governments official public immunisation documents and referenced research citations , which illustrate the reasons for the issues faced.
That being caused by government vaccine programs. The primary study from 1986 says that vqccines failure will continue to become more of a problem
How is using govt documents and referenced scaremingering?
Read the Finland 1986 study I linked to. It’sall in there. Farcical.
Hospitalizations are a meaningless metric. Surely you understand why?
yup. You will cherry-pick from govt documents and peer-reviewed articles, but you don't trust the data upon which many of those documents and articles are based.
Dunning-Kruger, come pick up your stupid kid.
Linking to Andres comment further exposes his level of misunderstanding of simple concepts like cherry picking consists of, and highlights his lack of basic comprehension.
It also signals there must be some other factors why the two of you denialists won't or can't accept the govts own documents which tell you the studies they cite as evidence of safety with the vaccine program.
The study (singular) relied on as primary evidence of MMR vaccine safety is from 1986 and is an insult to science, medicine and the public health.
That singular study is currently being used by NZ agencies as evidence that it is safe to inject 6-11m babies with an unlicensed product with no efficacy profile and inadequate safety profile
The manufacturers approval licence was not issued for 6-11m babies.
Because the P3 testing was not completed in that age group which is why the national schedule is and will remain starting at 12/15mths for MMR1.
Unsafe – No adequate safety profile. Off licence use.
No benefit – There is no efficacy answer.
The Immunisation Handbook and IMAC quick sheets cite the same singular study as evidence of MMR vaccine safety from 1986.
The data is garbage.
Meanwhile, hundreds of real people have been in hospital from a real disease.
See my Moderation note @ 6:44 PM.
Kia Ora 1 News.
I'm trying to teach my lot to be minimalist Ma Te Wa.
One of My Tipuna philosophys was to grab new technologies vaxcernation are great to protect our tamariki.
I don't stress at Christmas time now my Tamariki are grown.
Free I have a different reality it's like Ed TV
Ka kite Ano
Ka pai to this new invention. You see if we invest in smart solutions to the challenges of becoming a carbon neutral society we will find them.
A bioplastic made of organic fish waste that would otherwise end up in landfill – with the potential to replace plastic in food and drink packaging – has landed its UK designer a prestigious international award and £30,000 prize.
Lucy Hughes, 24, a graduate in product design from the University of Sussex, scooped the James Dyson award for her biodegradable and compostable material known as MarinaTex.
Hughes sought to tackle the problems of environmentally harmful single-use plastics and inefficient waste streams by harnessing fish offcuts to create an eco-friendly plastic alternative. Global figures estimate that 40% of plastic produced for packaging is used once and discarded.
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/14/plastic-substitute-made-of-fish-waste-hauls-in-uk-designer-dyson-award
Ka pai to the Palau government for making laws to protect their reef fish.
The Palau government says its new National Marine Sanctuary Act enables islanders and tourists to eat pelagic fish while reducing demand for coral reef fish
The minister for natural resources, environment and tourism, Fleming Sengebau, made the comment while attending the Pacific Ocean Finance Conference in Fiji this week
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/403323/palau-s-choose-pelagic-programme-protecting-reef-fish
Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Condolences to the Samoan people who losted their tamariki.
America needs tougher gun laws.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Someone needs to be held accountable for the Shambles that health services is in up North.
Congratulations to all the Tangata who got tohu at the Waiata awards.
Maraki is a great company that shows that Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa have the skills of our Tipuna.
Ka pai for Te Kura for teaching the correct history. We have to teach all of our tamariki our true history so they can understand why Maori are we're we are at the minute.
Ka kite Ano
Here is one of my favourite subjects mitigate climate change to protect all our Mokopuna future.
The IEA expects the growth of renewables to accelerate over the coming decades, but warned it would not be enough to put a ceiling on the energy sector’s emissions before 2040.
Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director, said there was a “deep disparity” between the aim to tackle the climate crisis by curbing carbon emissions and the existing policies which had allowed a “relentless upward march” for emissions.
The IEA’s latest figures estimate that carbon emissions are on track to keep rising by 100m tonnes a year for at least another 20 years under existing policy plans.
This rate would be two-thirds slower than the emissions hikes recorded in previous decades, but would fall very far short of what is needed to achieve the goals of the Paris agreement.
“We will need to see great political will around the world,” Birol said. “This is why I believe that the world needs to build a grand coalition encompassing governments, investors, companies and everyone else who is genuinely committed to tackling climate change.”
The IEA said it presented the modelling based on stated policies to “hold up a mirror” to global governments to show the consequences of their policies.
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/13/climate-change-do-more-now-or-risk-catastrophe-warns-energy-agency
Here is a interesting Phenomenon.
Venice council flooded moments after rejecting climate crisis plan
Rightwing parties reject proposals as lagoon city faces worst flooding in 53 years
Veneto’s regional council rejected a plan to combat climate change minutes before its offices on the Grand Canal, in Venice, were flooded, it has emerged as the city continues to battle high water levels.
Venice has been hit by recurrent flooding since Tuesday, with 70% of the lagoon city engulfed on Friday morning as the acqua alta, or high water, level reached 1.54 metres amid heavy downpours. Tuesday night, as Veneto councillors were debating the climate emergency in Ferro Fini Palace, Venice experienced its worst flooding since 1966.
Politicians from the regional council’s majority rightwing parties: the League, Brothers of Italy and Forza Italia, rejected amendments to fight the climate crisis in the 2020 budget that were proposed by the centre-left Democratic party.
Sharing pictures of the room as water entered, Andrea Zanoni, the Democratic party’s deputy chairman of the council’s environment committee, wrote on Facebook: “Ironically, the chamber was flooded two minutes after the majority parties rejected our proposals to tackle climate change
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/15/venice-council-flooded-moments-after-rejecting-climate-crisis-plan
Kia Ora 1 News.
That's awesome that our biggest food company's are lowering the sugar and salt in our food. Whanau I dropped coffee and tea out of my diet to just Wai well 99. Of the time for the first time my blood pressure has reduced.
Prefabricated whare is the way of the future just like Tiny Whare the beauty about Tiny Whare is the bank won't own your hip pocket for life.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
I think Hawaii needs renewable energy from my research most of Hawaii power comes from diesel generators may be a bit of talking to make it work we have to grab new technologies and make it work for Pacific tangata.
Dr Henare Williams book Kaumatua is a book I would like to read.
Ka kite Ano