They are considering restricting building within a certain distance from foreshores and in low lying properties close to rivers. Current owners of expensive seaview properties are a bit of a road block, as the value of their property might decline. And would they expect the state to bale them out if their homes were severely damaged or destroyed in a storm?
LGNZ and insurers clearly know climate change is a thing.
The Insurance Council had been working with Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) for about three years to advise councils about the kinds of changes they could make to consent issuing processes that could help minimise property damage during severe weather events.
That work was likely to increase given recent flooding events through residential areas alongside river banks.
Lawrence Yule, the president of LGNZ and Hastings’ mayor, said research done by the organisation found weather events were becoming more severe and happening more often because of climate change and councils needed to respond accordingly.
“Ultimately, it might actually lead to rethinking about where people are populated and live. We’re working on that but it has to be a long term strategy, it’s not a simple fix.”
In 2011 the Dunedin City Council proposed adding flood information to LIM records. This was not followed through due to current owners fearing property values falling.
It’s too late, savvy buyers already factor this in when looking to buy a new property.
The future of centres like Pauinui on the Coromandel must be called into question. Built on sand, less than 10m above sea level, surrounded by water on 3 sides: the roll of the surf is overwhelmed by the flutter of notes, mixed with the rending of designer t-shirts, as beach house values erode away.
In Florida coastal areas insurance companies are stopping insuring properties for flood damage. This will become the norm here.
The question of whether socialising this individual risk to Council or Central government becomes key. I would be very reluctant to see policies put in place where coastal defence and property restoration becomes the norm. Given our current knowledge about the cost and limited effectiveness of coastal protection, managed retreat is the preferred response.
Managed retreat starts by stopping new builds in hazardous areas and then comes education. These approaches will see prices of seaside and riverside properties reduce and the number of affected houses reduce as the risks get factored in.
A big question will be whether insurance and real estate pricing are more effective in responding to climate change than anything local or central government could do or would want to do.
I think market forces are better placed, faster, more forceful and more direct than the cumbersome and unstable public sector here to respond to coastal housing retreat.
If the Government (local and central)
1. work with people to determine what particular parts of the country are of strategic value
2. Be clear that it could be YOUR HOME that is not going to be protected or compensated for.
3. Identify the cost, method and timetable the coastal defence system
Then,
4. the market can factor in that that million dollar view and seaside access is not going to be defended.
My view is that currently the “market” (otherwise known as how people act) has the expectation that somebody other than themselves is guaranteeing that their house and land will always be there. This is the presumption that needs to be explored.
So it’s not the market acting independently of government but in response to societal consensus and government regulation.
That would be a nice idea. But not a reality. Global insurers are more powerful than local government. The strongest example weve ever known of ventral and local government working together with insurers is Christchurch.
Not working out so well.
The new RMA was a place to revisit the relationship between planning powers and the Public Works Act. We won’t see it revisited for a decade or more.
I bet Edgecumbe for example shrinks to 30% of its former self. No intervention required from public sector. Go to Kelso in Southland and read the memorial inscription.
Ad – I think you are right to suggest that market forces will be faster more forceful and direct than any other mechanism.
The problem with market forces is that they are amoral. Therefore don’t expect the outcomes of market forces to be notable for their justice – or their concern for what happens to those people for whom insurance is unaffordable and who then have their entire wealth wiped out by a single flood.
I think market forces are better placed, faster, more forceful and more direct than the cumbersome and unstable public sector here to respond to coastal housing retreat.
If that were true then it we’d already be seeing people leaving shore-front properties as insurance companies stopped insuring them.
The simple fact of the matter is that the government has to put in place regulations to shape the market.
Current owners of expensive seaview properties are a bit of a road block, as the value of their property might decline. And would they expect the state to bale them out if their homes were severely damaged or destroyed in a storm?
Of course they will. The council let them build there and so it will all be the councils fault. They won’t accept any responsibility at all.
Even if the council had the responsibility to pay out, how many houses do you think a council could afford to protect or rebuild or payout? My guess is that it will be a surprisingly small number. Because at the same time they will be needing to also repair all that pesky infrastructure.
There are many coastal roads that are already marginal and suffer from inundation and erosion from sea activity. These may be only 1 or 10 or 20 good storms from being unusable.
Which electorate seats will Labour take from National in September? Obviously they will heavily lose Hutt South to Chris Bishop so where can they make inroads or is the plan just to raise the Party vote
Maybe you haven’t heard? They brought in proportional representation back in the 90s. It hasn’t mattered who wins what electorate for a couple of decades now.
“If National does not win the election in September, housing will be a contributing factor.”
The dialogue now is all about why the Nats may lose the election…this is a major change from previous elections. Bill English cannot get more than 40% for the Nats and will probably get less. Look forward to PM Little.
“The Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem is “conducting routine operations” in the South China Sea, according to a Friday press release from the US Navy. The statement went on to note that the guided-missile destroyer had been refueled at sea by Her Majesty’s New Zealand Ship (HMNZS) Endeavour. The Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) is “conducting routine operations” in the South China Sea, according to a Friday press release from the US Navy. The refueling allowed the vessel to remain mission ready ……” – RT
Tony Veitch (not the partner-bashing 3rd rate broadcaster 4.1
This is truly disturbing! Do we piss in the pockets of the military-industrial complex of the USA that we are aiding their dangerous war games in the South China Sea?
Trump is an absolute FW – with an air strike in Syria and a horrendous bomb in Afghanistan, and now brinkmanship against North Korea!
The sooner we cut ALL ties with the failing empire, the better!
Sorry TV but the truth is that we will keep pissing in their pockets because we are dumbarses.
The USA is a vile country and Trump is merely showing the world the truth about its self-appointed exceptualism.
When one accepts the truth about 9/11 the jigsaw comes together.
Tony Veitch (not the partner-bashing 3rd rate broadcaster 4.1.1.1
my good friend carol turned me on to something the other day. non contact rape. as an example she said that when a cis male opens a door “for” a woman its a form of non-contact rape as it makes her feel as helpless and as violated as rape does. of course i expect the cis males here to make jokes about automated doors but non contact rape is real! like my friend carol says – we can choose to discuss it and raise awareness of it or we can choose to keep quiet and silently support rape culture!
As I women, I deplore this kind of rubbish as the violence and rapes that happen every day are being ridiculed with such statements.
Instead of focusing on who has opened a door today, get cracking and help those who are stranded in halfway houses or are in need for support. Belief you me, those women who are being maltreated are not seeing an open door any time soon. The perpetrator makes damn sure of that.
Tui could you please give another example of non contact rape?
Personally I’m always grateful when someone opens a door for me, I consider it thoughtful and good manners, as I do the same for others, like people pushing prams or the elderly.
I’m massively independent as well as a survivor of rape and violence, but never in a million years would I view a man opening a door for me as non contact rape. So I’m really struggling with your friends door opening views, please enlighten me a bit more. Thanks
I agree with you Cinny – having someone open a door for me shows thoughtful good manners as far as I’m concerned and I certainly do not feel belittled or threatened in any way.
I think Tui is trying a bit of trolling. Just stop it will you please Tui, and also don’t use the name of a lovely bird, that lives as straightforward life as those close to nature do and are not laden with the low cunning of humans.
Patriarchy particles! That’s brilliant!
Rod Donald had a possum skin cover for the seat he occupied in the House when he was an MP. Could we harvest Patriarchy particles and form them into seat covers for the Front Bench of this National Government? Perhaps serve them as a side dish, like salted peanuts, at the pub our Honourables drink at. Patriarchy particles have enormous possibilities and potential applications never before entertained, by me any way, who till now hadn’t even heard of them. Come on, TS readers, you’ll have ideas bursting to be expressed here; let’s hear them!
Robert
Patriarchy particles, they possibly could be an organic insecticide, good for getting rid of body fleas on humans, dogs, cats and hens. And that’s what I can do just off the top of my head. When I sprinkle patriarchy particles on that will get rid of the layer of dandruff and who knows what other gems will arise.
Hold your breath Tui, I will be letting you know if more come to mind. Pass out if you feel so inclined.
Fender
Offensive as usual. In case you haven’t noticed from your dark cave, the weather is changing so get out in the sun which will sanitise you – you know good old sunlight does wonders.
how about fender and greywarbler get a clothes brush and just wipe the dandruff off each other.
still… I suppose it is the holidays and time to shut down and chill – just think about the bullshit
I’ll remember to ask my daughter next time I walk down the street if she minds if I walk on the gutter side
Weka
How about I have the right to say something once and then drop it. I have nothing to do with fender’s continuing gerfuffle. I however would like to see controls on the sort of nutty talk that Tui started. How about that huh.
Ok, what if a white male looks at you, or even worse speaks to you – is this a form of non contact rape?
I mean you didn’t give him consent to look at you or talk to you did you?
What about when whitey reaches out and shake your hand – that is so gross.
Patriarchial pre-sexual assault right there and it is so common!
The worst honkeys are the ones who try to disguise themselves – they spend all day in the sun deliberately trying to alter their skin colour to brown or red and they think we don’t notice?
A message for you Palangi – a slight shade of crimson does not take away the fact that your prerape whiteness is still under the surface ready to spring forth in all its molesting malevolence.
One of the worst aspects of this kind of rubbish is that confuses all the people, men in particular, who are doing their best to get it right as decent, thoughtful members of society.
It also threatens to trivialise the awful experiences of many of us who have had to deal with the real thing
An actual legitimate sexual assault charge in South Korea.
In South Korea, definition of sexual assault extends to “an act by a male perpetrator which causes female victim to feel sexual discomfort or shame”. Under this definition, it is illegal for Korean men to look at a female in public, if she decides that act to be offensive.
Under this definition, numerous Korean men are actually arrested each year for looking at a female in public. In many cases when the accuser alleges that the man took photographs (In Korea, it is also illegal for men to photograph females in public, but not vice versa), it is customary for the man to have his cell phone confiscated and have the entire device searched for evidence. Oftentimes, the accused is dismissed from his employer as well.
In South Korea, it is possible for a man to be charged for sexual assault for stare rape.
if only we in aotearoa were so enlightened!!!
[given that rape culture is such an important issue, and conversations here are usually fraught, I’m going to ask that if you want to make claims about something you link to real evidence, not a random’s person’s reckons on the internet. In this case if you want to claim that in South Korea there are laws regarding stare rape, please link to something credible that back that up. Thanks. – weka]
Tui, unfortunately this is a fail. If you really want to talk about rape culture you have to really get to grips with a quite different issue than opening doors! My god, whose agenda are we being dished out here?
@Tui. I think you should get your good friend Carol to talk to a few people who have actually been raped, Get her to ask if they mind a door being opened for them and if they feel threatened by it. Then get her to ask herself whether life is all about her
Yes, that’s something that really is disconcerting. I find it scary rather than uncomfortable. I thought in my ‘mature years’ it wouldn’t happen any more – wrong! 🙁
I get nervous and suspicious when someone comments about what their friend said not what they thought about what their friend said, or how that affected them.
Your friend Carol is probably delusional, and you should probably think about finding different friends. You know, ones who aren’t delusional.
I’ll open a door for a woman sometimes. I do it, not as a way of reasserting the dominance of the patriarchy, or implying that she’s both weak and stupid and thus incapable of operating a door without the assistance of a man, but because I’m polite and like to be helpful. Terrible, I know. I also open doors for small children, the elderly and… brace yourself, other men. Right, I’m off to self-flagellate now. Wish me luck.
Just taking a punt here mind, but I’m picking I’m not alone in feeling just a little bit bilious in reaction to the peddling of this muck that Tui has thrown into today’s Open Mike.
I’ve no idea whether they’re making a ham-fisted attempt to allude to post traumatic symptoms of rape sometimes displaying as fraught “fight or flight” responses to innocuous every day acts.
Or whether they’re consciously trying to diminish and dismiss rape.
To be honest, on a first reading of their comments, I’m leaning towards the latter and then regretting I wasn’t around earlier in the day to kick the wee shite into touch.
Based on previous comments by Tui I’m taking it as genuine but seriously misguided concern about rape culture.
I also put it in the particular category of modern solidarity politics where issues get taken to such extremes that they are out of touch with human norms or what is politically viable. Underneath it all there is something useful about what women experience living in the patriarchy but the framing is so bad that it just damages (I can see why some thought it was trolling).
I open the door for males and females alike. Especially if they are carrying something or dealing with a child. Oftentimes, someone is following you closely and to not keep the door open is (to me) a mark of disrespect or deliberate dismissing of another person.
Carol may have a different reaction, but that response may lie in her own life experience, and would not be true for many, and definitely not for all.
This kind of stamping down on the courtesies and social mores of our society, probably does more harm than good. An assumption is made that only males enact this courtesy, and that it has nothing to do with the small connections and kindnesses of the everyday that go in to help create community.
“my good friend carol turned me on to something the other day. non contact rape. as an example she said that when a cis male opens a door “for” a woman its a form of non-contact rape as it makes her feel as helpless and as violated as rape does. of course i expect the cis males here to make jokes about automated doors but non contact rape is real! like my friend carol says – we can choose to discuss it and raise awareness of it or we can choose to keep quiet and silently support rape culture!”
I also don’t believe this fits the definition of rape, and trying to call it rape minimises rape and harms the movement against rape culture (some of the reasons already given in comments).
The use of ‘cis’ here also makes me uncomfortable. Are you suggesting that only cis men rape? How would you know the gender identity of someone opening a door for you?
weka
cis male – what does that stand for?
And could we cut tui’s hooey off in mid flow before it further pollutes our nice clean mud-slinging. Must keep our standards up eh! By the way I did praise Psycho Milt earlier, didn’t expect that.
So can we get back to normal, we have plenty of surprises just from the keen and committed without introducing some nasty little stirrer. Perhaps till after the election!
Please.
Here is urban dictionary with something about cis so you can see what the
socialmediafog people are on about.
Cis
Short for cis-gendered, meaning someone who identifies with the sex they were born as. Typically used by whiny tumblr users who complain about not being accepted for who they are and yet bash these “cis” people for being born and being okay with the sex they were born with.
I am a female to male transgender and I hate white straight cis men.
Also google –
cis1
sɪs/
adjectiveChemistry
adjective: cis
denoting or relating to a molecular structure in which two particular atoms or groups lie on the same side of a given plane in the molecule, in particular denoting an isomer in which substituents at opposite ends of a carbon–carbon double bond are on the same side of the bond.
“the cis isomer of stilbene”
Could you not just accept that some males were taught certain forms of etiquette.
Not only do I open a door for a female, if I am walking down the street I walk nearest the gutter, and if with another male, the female walks between us. It doesn’t mean either of us (males) wants to get into her pants.
Jesus! as if there weren’t more important things to worry about.
@ Tui (6) … I always thought holding open a door for another person to go through was a sign of good manners and respect.
So how does your “friend” Carol feel about a man (or woman for that matter) giving up a seat on public transport for another person? Does that identify with rape culture also, for the same reasons you have stated?
I am a woman in my early 70s and will hold open a door for someone else, particularly if they are infirm or have young children. For the same reasons, I have given up my seat on public transport and will continue to do so, if I feel someone else needs it more than I do.
after re-reading my own comments and those of other women here i wish to sincerely apologise to any women for whom my comments may have triggered painful memories and or emotions. it was only my intention to raise a fuller awareness of rape culture and not to cause hurt or offence.
@ Tui (6.13) … Obviously in response to my post, you state the following …
“after re-reading my own comments and those of other women here i wish to sincerely apologise to any women for whom my comments may have triggered painful memories and or emotions. it was only my intention to raise a fuller awareness of rape culture and not to cause hurt or offence.
~tui”
WTF!
What are you talking about? Why on earth would demonstrating good manners and respect towards others, trigger painful memories or emotions, hurt or offence?
While I realise I might not be the brightest star in the sky, you have definitely lost me there!
The only feelings you’ve raised for me Tui are those of disbelief. Mary summed it up perfectly with WTF!
Tui, are Carol and yourself familiar with the author of the topic you brought up?
It’s on his website, but his presence on the internet is some what limited to that amazon and his company https://www.chemaxx.com/ … I wonder what he has a P.h.D in?
“It should be noted that Dr. Fox is not a psychologist or psychiatrist and that his interest in emotional rape is personal as opposed to professional.”
Book was published in 1992, it his opinion on what a friend of his went through, his personal not professional opinion. He’s a chemicals engineer and not an expert or even a scholar of psychology or rape and abuse research etc.
One persons opinion does not dictate the ways or experiences of many, as is reflected in the comments generated on this topic. Rather it risks creating a greater divide.
When someone makes OTT claims, I like to find out about them, as for the author his interests and activities include: Chemical Accident Reconstruction, Aerosols, Hazardous Chemicals, Chemical Injuries & Accidents, Nuclear Reactors…. as well for a fee he is happy to help law firms with chemical advice.
Maybe if he was writing about science he would be credible, but he as no credibility in writing about rape etc.
What is Emotional Rape?
According to Michael Fox, Ph.D., emotional rape is similar in many ways to physical rape, particularly date rape. Date rape involves the sexual use of someone’s body without consent which amounts to theft of the person’s physical sensorium. In a like manner, emotional rape is the theft of someone’s higher emotions, such as love, without consent. However, in the case of emotional rape the lack of consent is contained in the fact that the individual is being lied to by the perpetrator.
c&p
Adriana McGee, Domestic Violence Survivor
Written May 30, 2016
Emotional Rape does exist. Many victims are afraid to use the term because they don’t want to offend sexual rape victims. I would say that acknowledging that emotional rape does exist does not diminish the horror of sexual rape, but simply give a voice and a description for survivors to understand this kind of emotional violence; which is different from other kinds of violence.
Emotional rape is distinct from verbal and other forms of emotional and psychological abuse because the rapist does not simply prey on your insecurities or childhood wounds; but your higher values such as love and your sense of self-worth.
While many forms of emotional, verbal, and psychological abuse are dependent on the dysfunctionality of the victim; emotional rapists hone in on a victim’s healthiest and most natural responses. Their natural desires, highest-values, and urges; while still targeting their vulnerabilities: (which in most cases of emotional rape is simply innocence or naivete).
Acknowledging emotional rape does not minimize sexual rape, or diminish sexual rape victims; but validates the deep emotions and painful feelings of loss, isolation, denial, confusion, horror, and fear of Emotional Rape victims who are experiencing post-traumatic rape syndrome, and yet are unaware that there’s a name for what they are experiencing.
Anyone who is victim of emotional rape knows that it goes far beyond simple deception or betrayal. Victims often have a feeling that they are no longer “whole” and never will be again. This feeling can last for months, years, or even decades.
denying the reality of emotional rape is rape culture
[please make sure that your comments clearly differentiate between your own words and your quotes. See my moderator note above too. – weka]
Handy hint: “According to Michael Fox, Ph.D.” is worth about as much as “According to Psycho Milt,” in the absence of evidence demonstrating Dr Fox’s subject expertise in the matter at hand. And “According to my good friend Carol” is worth even less than “According to Psycho Milt” in Psycho Milt’s personal opinion. Worth keeping in mind when commenting.
This world human populace along with the flora and fauna is being ’emotionally/physically raped’ 24/7..
Tui, if you are a genuinely concerned human being, you might realise that the comments you make on the subject are a nonsense and insult to the ‘real cause’ and suffering faced by men, women and children..
Ugh. Extreme rendition brutalises the officials permitted nay encouraged to use it, then pass the parcel down to the children!
As they say in the good ole USA “In God we trust, all else pay cash”. And if you haven’t the pay-off money you get what they think you deserve and they can get away with by setting up false urgency laws that are OTT and should never have even been contemplated.
Dunno who or what “Next News Network” is, but given the other vid link is from CBS and it plays the same war hyped lines, I guess RT’s assertion that western media are being bloody irresponsible stacks up, aye?
Which story are you referring to? The supposed evacuation of Pyongyang? The supposed 6th nuclear test? Something else altogether? Maybe you could provide a quick link …?
Yeah I missed your edit. So I had a quick for this “Russian news report” on pravdareport (as per the NNN link) and decided not to bother beyond a cursory moment or two that turned up nothing, on the basis that it’s a site on the par with the UK Sun or NZs Truth…or Next News Network. 🙄
Other than a fema camp wingnut’s bullshit report via Pravda, sourced from fuck knows where, there’s nothing reputable saying this evacuation is actually occurring.
But you swallowed David Daleiden’s shitty wee hit piece videos on PP, too.
//
@SophiePetkar@Daily_Express The "big event" was the unveiling of a new housing development. Congrats, u just spread fake news— Kevin and Kim Show (@kevinkimshow) April 13, 2017
As I pointed out to Bill, considering the predicament, it’s plausible North Korea would move top officials to safety. Thus the report is far from left-field.
As for David Daleiden, his videos were so compelling they spurred the president of Planned Parenthood to personally apologize for the staff member’s tone and statements and resulted in several investigations. As a result, three Planned Parenthood clinics were found to be performing second-trimester abortions without the proper licenses, and one clinic was failing to keep proper logs relating to fetal remains.
The question I have is whether we have the heart to rid ourselves of these clowns (western political leaders) and their stenographic monkeys (msm) or are content to sit back and embrace the spoon fed idea that we are powerless?
Just to be clear, before some idiot who’d probably struggle to spell “IQ”, jumps up and accuses me of being a supporter of this, that or the other dictatorship, there are no nation states worthy of continued existence as far as I’m concerned.
A number of Trump supporters thought they were doing that (ridding ourselves of these war mongers). Spoon fed the idea that voting (in a largely corporate dominated representative democracy) could bring about significant change.
Too many still either believe the scripts they’re constantly fed, or too busy trying to live life while hoping the script won’t include their own existence
Listening to friends and family regurgitating the scripts while simultaneously, using positive reinforcement, openly supporting the ‘good position’ NZ is in as a nation
These are good honest people who have had better opportunity than most, and whom have no excuse for the ignorance they communicate
I’m quite sure they understand some of the realities, but it seems they believe by waxing positive, that the problems either don’t, or will somehow disappear
It’s a terrible bind, because these such people are largely responsible for the perpetuation of evil deeds
Western media is corporate media, and the corporations make their best profits off war.
Here is an example of that drive for money. A priest talking about Syria. Oh and it’s from right wing web site – so some here might not want to read it , so they came keep ideological purity.
The Heiltsuk people of Canada report in their oral history that an island on the west coast of their territory has been home to the Heiltsuk for thousands of years—one of the only places to stay uncovered during the ice age.
When archaeologists digging on Triquet Island last year found charcoal flakes that could be dated at up to 14,000 years old, the Heiltsuk found their oral history reaffirmed by the data. And archaeologists had more evidence to an emerging hypothesis: that, after crossing the Bering Sea, the original inhabitants of North America traveled along the coast to avoid the inhospitable ice cover.
“You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch.”
after getting accused of “trolling” i’m going to stick to “safe” topics from now on. i’ve decided to become a trump supporter. now here me out! i know he’s a cis male and said those horrid things but he listens to his daughter! when those poor women and children were chemically attacked this upset his daughter and his daughter told trump and trump got upset and did what had to be done to prevent attacks like that happening again. call me a troll or traitor if you want but i’ve given you my reasons and if i was trolling i wouldn’t be trying to explain myself now would i?
my question is what would you have done if you were trump and your daughter was so upset about what had happened?
~tui
[you put up two or three very controversial comments, some of which is pretty offensive. I was impressed by the way the other commenters responded to that, there was no shit fight, just a series of considered comments disagreeing with you and pointing out why. You’ve ignored all of those and now come back in some hours later and posted in an inflammatory way. Take the weekend off (back on Tues and I suggest a read of the Policy before you comment again) – weka]
Want a demonstration of blind, deaf privilege and the arrogance that not only discounts but simply cannot hear other narratives? This man imagines that he’s not racist and that he’s the real victim.
The Home Office have refused a Greek and German couple’s post-referendum application to have their British-born children recognised as permanent residents of the UK.
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A while back I was engaged in an unpleasant exchange with a leader of the most well-known NZ anti-vax group and several like-minded trolls. I had responded to a racist meme on social media in which a rightwing podcaster in the US interviewed one of the leaders of the Proud ...
Hi,If you’ve been reading Webworm for a while, you’ll be familiar with Anna Wilding. Between 2020 and 2021 I looked at how the New Zealander had managed to weasel her way into countless news stories over the years, often with very little proof any of it had actually happened. When ...
It's a long white cloud for you, baby; staying together alwaysSummertime in AotearoaWhere the sunshine kisses the water, we will find it alwaysSummertime in AotearoaYeah, it′s SummertimeIt's SummertimeWriters: Codi Wehi Ngatai, Moresby Kainuku, Pipiwharauroa Campbell, Taulutoa Michael Schuster, Rebekah Jane Brady, Te Naawe Jordan Muturangi Tupe, Thomas Edward Scrase.Many of ...
Last year, 292 people died unnecessarily on our roads. That is the lowest result in over a decade and only the fourth time in the last 70 years we’ve seen fewer than 300 deaths in a calendar year. Yet, while it is 292 people too many, with each death being ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob HensonFlames from the Palisades Fire burn a building at Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The fast-moving wildfire had destroyed thousands of structures and ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Regulatory Standards Bill, as I understand it, seeks to bind parliament to a specific range of law-making.For example, it seems to ensure primacy of individual rights over that of community, environment, te Tiriti ...
Happy New Year!I had a lovely break, thanks very much for asking: friends, family, sunshine, books, podcasts, refreshing swims, barbecues, bike rides. So good to step away from the firehose for a while, to have less Trump and Seymour in your day. Who needs the Luxons in their risible PJs ...
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the Auckland City Centre Advisory Panel and a director of Greater Auckland In 2003, after much argument, including the election of a Mayor in 2001 who ran on stopping it, Britomart train station in downtown Auckland opened. A mere 1km twin track terminating branch ...
For the first time in a decade, a New Zealand Prime Minister is heading to the Middle East. The trip is more than just a courtesy call. New Zealand PMs frequently change planes in Dubai en route to destinations elsewhere. But Christopher Luxon’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 5, 2025 thru Sat, January 11, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The decade between 1952 and the early 1960s was the peak period for the style of music we now call doo wop, after which it got dissolved into soul music, girl groups, and within pop music in general. Basically, doo wop was a form of small group harmonising with a ...
The future teaches you to be aloneThe present to be afraid and coldSo if I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists…And if you tolerate thisThen your children will be nextSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Do you remember at school, studying the rise ...
When National won the New Zealand election in 2023, one of the first to congratulate Luxon was tech-billionaire and entrepreneur extraordinaire Elon Musk.And last year, after Luxon posted a video about a trip to Malaysia, Musk came forward again to heap praise on Christopher:So it was perhaps par for the ...
Hi,Today’s Webworm features a new short film from documentary maker Giorgio Angelini. It’s about Luigi Mangione — but it’s also, really, about everything in America right now.Bear with me.Shortly after I sent out my last missive from the fires on Wednesday, one broke out a little too close to home ...
So soon just after you've goneMy senses sharpenBut it always takes so damn longBefore I feel how much my eyes have darkenedFear hangs in a plane of gun smokeDrifting in our roomSo easy to disturb, with a thought, with a whisperWith a careless memorySongwriters: Andy Taylor / John Taylor / ...
Can we trust the Trump cabinet to act in the public interest?Nine of Trump’s closest advisers are billionaires. Their total net worth is in excess of $US375b (providing there is not a share-market crash). In contrast, the total net worth of Trump’s first Cabinet was about $6b. (Joe Biden’s Cabinet ...
Welcome back to our weekly roundup. We hope you had a good break (if you had one). Here’s a few of the stories that caught our attention over the last few weeks. This holiday period on Greater Auckland Since our last roundup we’ve: Taken a look back at ...
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partnerSometimes I feel like my only friendIs the city I live in, The City of AngelsLonely as I am together we crySong: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, Flea, John Frusciante.A home is engulfed in flames during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area. ...
Open access notablesLarge emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra, Torn et al., Nature Communications:Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Over the holidays, there was a rising tide of calls for people to submit on National's repulsive, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, along with a wave of advice and examples of what to say. And it looks like people rose to the occasion, with over 300,000 ...
The lie is my expenseThe scope of my desireThe Party blessed me with its futureAnd I protect it with fireI am the Nina The Pinta The Santa MariaThe noose and the rapistAnd the fields overseerThe agents of orangeThe priests of HiroshimaThe cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fireSongwriters: Brad ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkGlobal surface temperatures have risen around 1.3C since the preindustrial (1850-1900) period as a result of human activity.1 However, this aggregate number masks a lot of underlying factors that contribute to global surface temperature changes over time.These include CO2, which is the primary ...
There are times when movement around us seems to slow down. And the faster things get, the slower it all appears.And so it is with the whirlwind of early year political activity.They are harbingers for what is to come:Video: Wayne Wright Jnr, funder of Sean Plunket, talk growing power and ...
Hi,Right now the power is out, so I’m just relying on the laptop battery and tethering to my phone’s 5G which is dropping in and out. We’ll see how we go.First up — I’m fine. I can’t see any flames out the window. I live in the greater Hollywood area ...
2024 was a tough year for working Kiwis. But together we’ve been able to fight back for a just and fair New Zealand and in 2025 we need to keep standing up for what’s right and having our voices heard. That starts with our Mood of the Workforce Survey. It’s your ...
Time is never time at allYou can never ever leaveWithout leaving a piece of youthAnd our lives are forever changedWe will never be the sameThe more you change, the less you feelSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan.Babinden - Baba’s DayToday, January 8th, 2025, is Babinden, “The Day of the baba” or “The ...
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...
Everything is good and brownI'm here againWith a sunshine smile upon my faceMy friends are close at handAnd all my inhibitions have disappeared without a traceI'm glad, oh, that I found oohSomebody who I can rely onSongwriter: Jay KayGood morning, all you lovely people. Today, I’ve got nothing except a ...
Welcome to 2025. After wrapping up 2024, here’s a look at some of the things we can expect to see this year along with a few predictions. Council and Elections Elections One of the biggest things this year will be local body elections in October. Will Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Canadians can take a while to get angry – but when they finally do, watch out. Canada has been falling out of love with Justin Trudeau for years, and his exit has to be the least surprising news event of the New Year. On recent polling, Trudeau’s Liberal party has ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Much like 2023, many climate and energy records were broken in 2024. It was Earth’s hottest year on record by a wide margin, breaking the previous record that was set just last year by an even larger margin. Human-caused climate-warming pollution and ...
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...
Ooh, baby (ooh, baby)It's making me crazy (it's making me crazy)Every time I look around (look around)Every time I look around (every time I look around)Every time I look aroundIt's in my faceSongwriters: Alan Leo Jansson / Paul Lawrence L. Fuemana.Today, I’ll be talking about rich, middle-aged men who’ve made ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Hi,The thing that stood out at me while shopping for Christmas presents in New Zealand was how hard it was to avoid Zuru products. Toy manufacturer Zuru is a bit like Netflix, in that it has so much data on what people want they can flood the market with so ...
And when a child is born into this worldIt has no conceptOf the tone of skin it's living inAnd there's a million voicesAnd there's a million voicesTo tell you what you should be thinkingSong by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.The moment you see that face, you can hear her voice; ...
While we may not always have quality political leadership, a couple of recently published autobiographies indicate sometimes we strike it lucky. When ranking our prime ministers, retired professor of history Erik Olssen commented that ‘neither Holland nor Nash was especially effective as prime minister – even his private secretary thought ...
Baby, be the class clownI'll be the beauty queen in tearsIt's a new art form, showin' people how little we care (yeah)We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fearLet's go down to the tennis court and talk it up like, yeah (yeah)Songwriters: Joel Little / Ella Yelich O ...
Open access notables Why Misinformation Must Not Be Ignored, Ecker et al., American Psychologist:Recent academic debate has seen the emergence of the claim that misinformation is not a significant societal problem. We argue that the arguments used to support this minimizing position are flawed, particularly if interpreted (e.g., by policymakers or the public) as suggesting ...
What I’ve Been Doing: I buried a close family member.What I’ve Been Watching: Andor, Jack Reacher, Xmas movies.What I’ve Been Reflecting On: The Usefulness of Writing and the Worthiness of Doing So — especially as things become more transparent on their own.I also hate competing on any day, and if ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by John Wihbey. A version of this article first appeared on Yale Climate Connections on Nov. 11, 2008. (Image credits: The White House, Jonathan Cutrer / CC BY 2.0; President Jimmy Carter, Trikosko/Library of Congress; Solar dedication, Bill Fitz-Patrick / Jimmy Carter Library; Solar ...
Morena folks,We’re having a good break, recharging the batteries. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday period. I’m not feeling terribly inspired by much at the moment, I’m afraid—not from a writing point of view, anyway.So, today, we’re travelling back in time. You’ll have to imagine the wavy lines and sci-fi sound ...
Completed reads for 2024: Oration on the Dignity of Man, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola A Platonic Discourse Upon Love, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola Of Being and Unity, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola The Life of Pico della Mirandola, by Giovanni Francesco Pico Three Letters Written by Pico ...
Welcome to 2025, Aotearoa. Well… what can one really say? 2024 was a story of a bad beginning, an infernal middle and an indescribably farcical end. But to chart a course for a real future, it does pay to know where we’ve been… so we know where we need ...
Welcome to the official half-way point of the 2020s. Anyway, as per my New Years tradition, here’s where A Phuulish Fellow’s blog traffic came from in 2024: United States United Kingdom New Zealand Canada Sweden Australia Germany Spain Brazil Finland The top four are the same as 2023, ...
Completed reads for December: Be A Wolf!, by Brian Strickland The Magic Flute [libretto], by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder The Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Owl’s Ear, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Waters of Death, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Spider, by Hanns Heinz Ewers Who Knows?, by Guy de Maupassant ...
Well, it’s the last day of the year, so it’s time for a quick wrap-up of the most important things that happened in 2024 for urbanism and transport in our city. A huge thank you to everyone who has visited the blog and supported us in our mission to make ...
Leave your office, run past your funeralLeave your home, car, leave your pulpitJoin us in the streets where weJoin us in the streets where weDon't belong, don't belongHere under the starsThrowing light…Song: Jeffery BuckleyToday, I’ll discuss the standout politicians of the last 12 months. Each party will receive three awards, ...
Hi,A lot’s happened this year in the world of Webworm, and as 2024 comes to an end I thought I’d look back at a few of the things that popped. Maybe you missed them, or you might want to revisit some of these essay and podcast episodes over your break ...
Hi,I wanted to share this piece by film editor Dan Kircher about what cinema has been up to in 2024.Dan edited my documentary Mister Organ, as well as this year’s excellent crowd-pleasing Bookworm.Dan adores movies. He gets the language of cinema, he knows what he loves, and writes accordingly. And ...
Without delving into personal details but in order to give readers a sense of the year that was, I thought I would offer the study in contrasts that are Xmas 2023 and Xmas 2024: Xmas 2023 in Starship Children’s Hospital (after third of four surgeries). Even opening presents was an ...
Heavy disclaimer: Alpha/beta/omega dynamics is a popular trope that’s used in a wide range of stories and my thoughts on it do not apply to all cases. I’m most familiar with it through the lens of male-focused fanfic, typically m/m but sometimes also featuring m/f and that’s the situation I’m ...
Hi,Webworm has been pretty heavy this year — mainly because the world is pretty heavy. But as we sprint (or limp, you choose) through the final days of 2024, I wanted to keep Webworm a little lighter.So today I wanted to look at one of the biggest and weirdest elements ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 22, 2024 thru Sat, December 28, 2024. This week's roundup is the second one published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, ...
We’ll have a climate change ChristmasFrom now until foreverWarming our hearts and mindsAnd planet all togetherSpirits high and oceans higherChestnuts roast on wildfiresIf coal is on your wishlistMerry Climate Change ChristmasSong by Ian McConnellReindeer emissions are not something I’d thought about in terms of climate change. I guess some significant ...
KP continues to putt-putt along as a tiny niche blog that offers a NZ perspective on international affairs with a few observations about NZ domestic politics thrown in. In 2024 there was also some personal posts given that my son was in the last four months of a nine month ...
The Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this government assumed ...
Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. Māori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. “I know ...
From 1 January 2025, first-time tertiary learners will have access to a new Fees Free entitlement of up to $12,000 for their final year of provider-based study or final two years of work-based learning, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Targeting funding to the final year of study ...
New Zealand needs to boost its productivity growth and become more attractive and accessible as a workplace in order to fix its labour market woes, a recruitment agency says.Commenting on new salary survey results from Robert Walters, Shay Peters, the company’s Australia and New Zealand chief executive, says the Government ...
Comment: When Newsroom’s editor Jonathan Milne invited me to write one of two special pieces for the summer break, I faced quite the conundrum. My options were to either review a work of non-fiction or write a column about hope and optimism for 2025.I initially misread Jonathan’s request to review ...
By Daniel Perese of Te Ao Māori News Māori politicians across the political spectrum in Aotearoa New Zealand have called for immediate aid to enter Gaza following a temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. The ceasefire, agreed yesterday, comes into effect on Sunday, January 19. Foreign Minister Winston Peters ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Sherlock, Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University Australian-owned brand UGG Since 1974 has announced it will change its name to “Since 74” for sales outside Australia and New Zealand. There has been a long-running battle over the rights ...
The committee has agreed to split into two sub-committees to increase the number of people it can hear from in the time available. Each sub-committee will meet for 30 hours total, together making up 60 of the 80 planned hours of hearings. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research scholar, Middle East studies, Australian National University The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, to come into effect on Sunday, has understandably been welcomed by the overwhelming majority of Israelis and Palestinians. Israelis are relieved that a process for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Carson, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia Over the past several days, the world has watched on in shock as wildfires have devastated large parts of Los Angeles. Beyond the obvious destruction – to landscapes, homes, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rose Cairns, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, University of Sydney AtlasStudio/Shutterstock TikTok and Instagram influencers have been peddling the “Barbie drug” to help you tan. But melanotan-II, as it’s called officially, is a solution that’s too good to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula Jarzabkowski, Professor in Strategic Management, The University of Queensland A series of wildfires in Los Angeles County have caused widespread devastation in California, including at least 24 deaths and the destruction of more than 12,000 homes and structures. Thousands of residents ...
COMMENTARY:By Monika Singh The lack of women representation in parliaments across the world remains a vexed and contentious issue. In Fiji, this problem has again surfaced for debate in response to Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica’s call for a quota system to increase women’s representation in Parliament. Kamikamica was ...
What compels someone of significant status in society to break the law, repeatedly, might be the same reason I did as a poor teenager. Former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman, who left parliament a year ago today following revelations of shoplifting, is now at the centre of another shoplifting complaint. As ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kath Albury, Professor of Media and Communication and Associate Investigator, ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making + Society, Swinburne University of Technology natamrli/Shutterstock Last week, social media giant Meta announced major changes to its content moderation practices. This includes an ...
"Gisborne has suffered from housing underdevelopment and a lack of supply, coupled with damage from severe weather events," Minister Tama Potaka says. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marta Andhov, Associate Professor, Law School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Iconic Bestiary/Shutterstock They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But in the world of legal contracts, pictures can be worth even more by making complicated concepts more ...
Asia Pacific Report The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Egyptian, Palestinian and Israeli authorities to allow foreign journalists into Gaza in the wake of the three-phase ceasefire agreement set to to begin on Sunday. The New York-based global media watchdog urged the international community “to independently investigate ...
The agreement will ease Palestinians’ suffering, but international agencies will struggle to meet the massive need for humanitarian relief. This is an excerpt from The World Bulletin, our weekly global current affairs newsletter exclusively for Spinoff Members. Sign up here. We start the World Bulletin’s year with a rare piece of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne After 467 days of violence, a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel has been reached and will come into effect on Sunday, pending Israeli government approval. This agreement will not end the ...
We love to suffer through tramps to enjoy natural beauty… except when we don’t.It can feel a bit shitty to stay inside and wallow all day when it’s nice out. Hot sunlight hits your window and your mum’s voice rings around in your head: get outside and enjoy the ...
Requests for official information involving potentially damning correspondence are totally legitimate – but have been put in the ‘too hard basket' by officials refusing to properly follow the Local Government Official Information and Meetings ...
With the local body elections in October, a long-awaited upgrade of Courtenay Place, and big changes for water, housing and the economy, it’s set to be another dramatic year for the capital city. The Golden Mile Conservative city councillors made a last-minute attempt in November to scrap the Golden Mile ...
I’ve already broken most of my resolutions, and it’s only January. How do I salvage my clean slate? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera,It’s only 6 days into the new year, and I’m already ready for 2026. I made five resolutions and have already broken ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group + School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney byvalet/Shutterstock Australia is considered a nation of beach lovers. But with all this water surrounding us, drownings remain tragically common. At least 55 people have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Uri Gal, Professor in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney Sergii Gnatiuk/Shutterstock Over the past two years, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has captivated public attention. This year signals the beginning of a new phase: the rise of AI agents. AI ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dorina Pojani, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland shisu_ka/Shutterstock A wide range of voices in the Australian media have been sounding the alarm about the phenomenon of “forever-renting”. This describes a situation in which individuals or families ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney Originally known as 2JJ, or Double Jay, when it launched in Sydney at 11am on January 19 1975, Triple J has since become the national youth network. The station now encompasses broadcast ...
Currently, under 18s are legally allowed to buy Lotto tickets. That’s about to change, explains The Bulletin’s Stewart Sowman-Lund. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The anonymised database is crucial to the government's social investment approach to funding programmes - but was incapable of doing so without extra investment. ...
Opinion: As I reflect on the tumultuous year that has passed and look forward to the year ahead, I wonder what it will hold.For me I can’t look past the middle of February right now as that is when my dissertation must be submitted, hopefully completing my master’s degree. It ...
Opinion: 2025 is a critical year for Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural world. With the entire environmental management system slated for reform, it’s the most important year in decades. If the hot-headed excesses of last year’s law-making continue, it will lead to terrible long-term outcomes. But if sense prevails, we could ...
An anticipated move to tax charities’ business operations would reduce charitable activity and may cause businesses to leave New Zealand, a lawyer warns. In a push to find new sources of revenue the Government is looking at implementing a charity tax, which would see the business arm of companies such as ...
As parliamentary staff start to read through thousands of submissions on the Treaty principles bill, Shanti Mathias explores how submitting became the go-to way to engage with politics – and asks whether it makes a difference. While the exact number is currently being confirmed, it seems almost certain that submissions ...
A plan about ferries, highly anticipated select committee hearings and a new deputy prime minister are all on the cards for Aotearoa in the 2025 political year. Here’s a rundown of what to expect and when to expect it. The ‘brace for impact, it’s coming soon’ bitsThe political calendar ...
Interesting report by Britanny Keogh in today’s NZ Herald, about out Local Government NZ is consiering planning changes to limit damage to homes as severe weather events are becoming more common.
They are considering restricting building within a certain distance from foreshores and in low lying properties close to rivers. Current owners of expensive seaview properties are a bit of a road block, as the value of their property might decline. And would they expect the state to bale them out if their homes were severely damaged or destroyed in a storm?
LGNZ and insurers clearly know climate change is a thing.
Plus
Toby Morris cartoon RNZ.
In 2011 the Dunedin City Council proposed adding flood information to LIM records. This was not followed through due to current owners fearing property values falling.
It’s too late, savvy buyers already factor this in when looking to buy a new property.
The future of centres like Pauinui on the Coromandel must be called into question. Built on sand, less than 10m above sea level, surrounded by water on 3 sides: the roll of the surf is overwhelmed by the flutter of notes, mixed with the rending of designer t-shirts, as beach house values erode away.
In Florida coastal areas insurance companies are stopping insuring properties for flood damage. This will become the norm here.
The question of whether socialising this individual risk to Council or Central government becomes key. I would be very reluctant to see policies put in place where coastal defence and property restoration becomes the norm. Given our current knowledge about the cost and limited effectiveness of coastal protection, managed retreat is the preferred response.
Managed retreat starts by stopping new builds in hazardous areas and then comes education. These approaches will see prices of seaside and riverside properties reduce and the number of affected houses reduce as the risks get factored in.
A big question will be whether insurance and real estate pricing are more effective in responding to climate change than anything local or central government could do or would want to do.
I think market forces are better placed, faster, more forceful and more direct than the cumbersome and unstable public sector here to respond to coastal housing retreat.
If the Government (local and central)
1. work with people to determine what particular parts of the country are of strategic value
2. Be clear that it could be YOUR HOME that is not going to be protected or compensated for.
3. Identify the cost, method and timetable the coastal defence system
Then,
4. the market can factor in that that million dollar view and seaside access is not going to be defended.
My view is that currently the “market” (otherwise known as how people act) has the expectation that somebody other than themselves is guaranteeing that their house and land will always be there. This is the presumption that needs to be explored.
So it’s not the market acting independently of government but in response to societal consensus and government regulation.
That would be a nice idea. But not a reality. Global insurers are more powerful than local government. The strongest example weve ever known of ventral and local government working together with insurers is Christchurch.
Not working out so well.
The new RMA was a place to revisit the relationship between planning powers and the Public Works Act. We won’t see it revisited for a decade or more.
I bet Edgecumbe for example shrinks to 30% of its former self. No intervention required from public sector. Go to Kelso in Southland and read the memorial inscription.
I wonder if the global insurers will start weighting premiums according to the countries response to CC? ( if that don’t already)
That would be perverse.
No I mean if a country ignores CC ( eg USA) then those preminiums will be higher.
I know what you meant.
California would get the same risk profile as Nevada?
Scotland would get the same premium as Isle of Man?
That would be perverse.
Nope could be finer tuned than that.
AND the idea would be an add onto current risk profiles.
Ad – I think you are right to suggest that market forces will be faster more forceful and direct than any other mechanism.
The problem with market forces is that they are amoral. Therefore don’t expect the outcomes of market forces to be notable for their justice – or their concern for what happens to those people for whom insurance is unaffordable and who then have their entire wealth wiped out by a single flood.
If that were true then it we’d already be seeing people leaving shore-front properties as insurance companies stopped insuring them.
The simple fact of the matter is that the government has to put in place regulations to shape the market.
We could stop building houses that act like colanders in a flood, but that seems to be too hard for some people.
Of course they will. The council let them build there and so it will all be the councils fault. They won’t accept any responsibility at all.
Even if the council had the responsibility to pay out, how many houses do you think a council could afford to protect or rebuild or payout? My guess is that it will be a surprisingly small number. Because at the same time they will be needing to also repair all that pesky infrastructure.
There are many coastal roads that are already marginal and suffer from inundation and erosion from sea activity. These may be only 1 or 10 or 20 good storms from being unusable.
Councils starting to do some thinking, now that is very strange behaviour?
Which electorate seats will Labour take from National in September? Obviously they will heavily lose Hutt South to Chris Bishop so where can they make inroads or is the plan just to raise the Party vote
dnftt.
Maybe you haven’t heard? They brought in proportional representation back in the 90s. It hasn’t mattered who wins what electorate for a couple of decades now.
@fisiani
Audrey Young in the Herald today:
“If National does not win the election in September, housing will be a contributing factor.”
The dialogue now is all about why the Nats may lose the election…this is a major change from previous elections. Bill English cannot get more than 40% for the Nats and will probably get less. Look forward to PM Little.
WTF???
“The Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem is “conducting routine operations” in the South China Sea, according to a Friday press release from the US Navy. The statement went on to note that the guided-missile destroyer had been refueled at sea by Her Majesty’s New Zealand Ship (HMNZS) Endeavour. The Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) is “conducting routine operations” in the South China Sea, according to a Friday press release from the US Navy. The refueling allowed the vessel to remain mission ready ……” – RT
This is truly disturbing! Do we piss in the pockets of the military-industrial complex of the USA that we are aiding their dangerous war games in the South China Sea?
Trump is an absolute FW – with an air strike in Syria and a horrendous bomb in Afghanistan, and now brinkmanship against North Korea!
The sooner we cut ALL ties with the failing empire, the better!
Sorry TV but the truth is that we will keep pissing in their pockets because we are dumbarses.
The USA is a vile country and Trump is merely showing the world the truth about its self-appointed exceptualism.
When one accepts the truth about 9/11 the jigsaw comes together.
Sadly, garibaldi, I think you are right! (about us being dumbarses, that is!)
http://www.thedailysheeple.com/report-inmates-built-their-own-computers-to-watch-porn-hack-prison-network_042017
They also used the computers to access records of other prisoners and monitor the system that was monitoring them.
my good friend carol turned me on to something the other day. non contact rape. as an example she said that when a cis male opens a door “for” a woman its a form of non-contact rape as it makes her feel as helpless and as violated as rape does. of course i expect the cis males here to make jokes about automated doors but non contact rape is real! like my friend carol says – we can choose to discuss it and raise awareness of it or we can choose to keep quiet and silently support rape culture!
As I women, I deplore this kind of rubbish as the violence and rapes that happen every day are being ridiculed with such statements.
Instead of focusing on who has opened a door today, get cracking and help those who are stranded in halfway houses or are in need for support. Belief you me, those women who are being maltreated are not seeing an open door any time soon. The perpetrator makes damn sure of that.
Tui could you please give another example of non contact rape?
Personally I’m always grateful when someone opens a door for me, I consider it thoughtful and good manners, as I do the same for others, like people pushing prams or the elderly.
I’m massively independent as well as a survivor of rape and violence, but never in a million years would I view a man opening a door for me as non contact rape. So I’m really struggling with your friends door opening views, please enlighten me a bit more. Thanks
I agree with you Cinny – having someone open a door for me shows thoughtful good manners as far as I’m concerned and I certainly do not feel belittled or threatened in any way.
I think Tui is trying a bit of trolling. Just stop it will you please Tui, and also don’t use the name of a lovely bird, that lives as straightforward life as those close to nature do and are not laden with the low cunning of humans.
This comment didn’t make me feel at all like making jokes – just kind of depressed and with my faith in humanity lowered.
Good grief 🙄
https://voat.co/v/Checkyourprivilege/comments/373345
We are breathing the same air that is around cis white males, which means their patriarchy particles flake off and enter our systems This is rape
!!!
Here’s the answer Tui. Males should just breath different air. Ummmmh…….
Here’s the answer Tui. Males should just breath different air. And while you’re fixing that you might as well have a look at putting out their eyes.
Patriarchy particles! That’s brilliant!
Rod Donald had a possum skin cover for the seat he occupied in the House when he was an MP. Could we harvest Patriarchy particles and form them into seat covers for the Front Bench of this National Government? Perhaps serve them as a side dish, like salted peanuts, at the pub our Honourables drink at. Patriarchy particles have enormous possibilities and potential applications never before entertained, by me any way, who till now hadn’t even heard of them. Come on, TS readers, you’ll have ideas bursting to be expressed here; let’s hear them!
I miss that Rod Donald
Robert
Patriarchy particles, they possibly could be an organic insecticide, good for getting rid of body fleas on humans, dogs, cats and hens. And that’s what I can do just off the top of my head. When I sprinkle patriarchy particles on that will get rid of the layer of dandruff and who knows what other gems will arise.
Hold your breath Tui, I will be letting you know if more come to mind. Pass out if you feel so inclined.
LOL, is that you CV??
Fender
Offensive as usual. In case you haven’t noticed from your dark cave, the weather is changing so get out in the sun which will sanitise you – you know good old sunlight does wonders.
Offensive how?
You telling me to risk breathing in those patriarchy particles, suppose you’ll open the door for me too!!
Offensive ? How ? I dunno………raising CV maybe ?
Yeah it’s extremely offensive to raise the name of an old friend when a comment from Tui is reminiscent of him when he was at his most facetious 🙄
Come on greywaffler ( One who waffles or rambles; a vague, unfocused speaker or writer) explain your cock-eyed BS.
[how about both fender and greywarbler focus on the politics and drop the having a go at each other? – weka]
how about fender and greywarbler get a clothes brush and just wipe the dandruff off each other.
still… I suppose it is the holidays and time to shut down and chill – just think about the bullshit
I’ll remember to ask my daughter next time I walk down the street if she minds if I walk on the gutter side
Weka
How about I have the right to say something once and then drop it. I have nothing to do with fender’s continuing gerfuffle. I however would like to see controls on the sort of nutty talk that Tui started. How about that huh.
It can’t be CV he’s been restricted to 140 characters. lol
Bugger, it would nice to have some diversity back though.
Ok, what if a white male looks at you, or even worse speaks to you – is this a form of non contact rape?
I mean you didn’t give him consent to look at you or talk to you did you?
What about when whitey reaches out and shake your hand – that is so gross.
Patriarchial pre-sexual assault right there and it is so common!
The worst honkeys are the ones who try to disguise themselves – they spend all day in the sun deliberately trying to alter their skin colour to brown or red and they think we don’t notice?
A message for you Palangi – a slight shade of crimson does not take away the fact that your prerape whiteness is still under the surface ready to spring forth in all its molesting malevolence.
One of the worst aspects of this kind of rubbish is that confuses all the people, men in particular, who are doing their best to get it right as decent, thoughtful members of society.
It also threatens to trivialise the awful experiences of many of us who have had to deal with the real thing
Yes, yes infinity times yes.
stare rape
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Stare%20Rape
c&p
An actual legitimate sexual assault charge in South Korea.
In South Korea, definition of sexual assault extends to “an act by a male perpetrator which causes female victim to feel sexual discomfort or shame”. Under this definition, it is illegal for Korean men to look at a female in public, if she decides that act to be offensive.
Under this definition, numerous Korean men are actually arrested each year for looking at a female in public. In many cases when the accuser alleges that the man took photographs (In Korea, it is also illegal for men to photograph females in public, but not vice versa), it is customary for the man to have his cell phone confiscated and have the entire device searched for evidence. Oftentimes, the accused is dismissed from his employer as well.
In South Korea, it is possible for a man to be charged for sexual assault for stare rape.
if only we in aotearoa were so enlightened!!!
[given that rape culture is such an important issue, and conversations here are usually fraught, I’m going to ask that if you want to make claims about something you link to real evidence, not a random’s person’s reckons on the internet. In this case if you want to claim that in South Korea there are laws regarding stare rape, please link to something credible that back that up. Thanks. – weka]
National must be really screwing up in the polls if this is the stuff they are trying to derail the conversation with.
this is about rape culture. no one is interested in the opinions of ignorant cis males!!!
Tui, unfortunately this is a fail. If you really want to talk about rape culture you have to really get to grips with a quite different issue than opening doors! My god, whose agenda are we being dished out here?
@Tui. I think you should get your good friend Carol to talk to a few people who have actually been raped, Get her to ask if they mind a door being opened for them and if they feel threatened by it. Then get her to ask herself whether life is all about her
Yes, that’s something that really is disconcerting. I find it scary rather than uncomfortable. I thought in my ‘mature years’ it wouldn’t happen any more – wrong! 🙁
Dangerous topic to be trolling about Tui
+ 1 yep have to agree
I get nervous and suspicious when someone comments about what their friend said not what they thought about what their friend said, or how that affected them.
Idly wondering if Carol and Tui are one and the same person, Tui Carol perhaps or Carol Tui?
A.
Your friend Carol is probably delusional, and you should probably think about finding different friends. You know, ones who aren’t delusional.
I’ll open a door for a woman sometimes. I do it, not as a way of reasserting the dominance of the patriarchy, or implying that she’s both weak and stupid and thus incapable of operating a door without the assistance of a man, but because I’m polite and like to be helpful. Terrible, I know. I also open doors for small children, the elderly and… brace yourself, other men. Right, I’m off to self-flagellate now. Wish me luck.
Just taking a punt here mind, but I’m picking I’m not alone in feeling just a little bit bilious in reaction to the peddling of this muck that Tui has thrown into today’s Open Mike.
I’ve no idea whether they’re making a ham-fisted attempt to allude to post traumatic symptoms of rape sometimes displaying as fraught “fight or flight” responses to innocuous every day acts.
Or whether they’re consciously trying to diminish and dismiss rape.
To be honest, on a first reading of their comments, I’m leaning towards the latter and then regretting I wasn’t around earlier in the day to kick the wee shite into touch.
Based on previous comments by Tui I’m taking it as genuine but seriously misguided concern about rape culture.
I also put it in the particular category of modern solidarity politics where issues get taken to such extremes that they are out of touch with human norms or what is politically viable. Underneath it all there is something useful about what women experience living in the patriarchy but the framing is so bad that it just damages (I can see why some thought it was trolling).
Tui is trolling – I cannot imagine how you can think otherwise.
I guess it depends on what you mean by trolling.
I open the door for males and females alike. Especially if they are carrying something or dealing with a child. Oftentimes, someone is following you closely and to not keep the door open is (to me) a mark of disrespect or deliberate dismissing of another person.
Carol may have a different reaction, but that response may lie in her own life experience, and would not be true for many, and definitely not for all.
This kind of stamping down on the courtesies and social mores of our society, probably does more harm than good. An assumption is made that only males enact this courtesy, and that it has nothing to do with the small connections and kindnesses of the everyday that go in to help create community.
“my good friend carol turned me on to something the other day. non contact rape. as an example she said that when a cis male opens a door “for” a woman its a form of non-contact rape as it makes her feel as helpless and as violated as rape does. of course i expect the cis males here to make jokes about automated doors but non contact rape is real! like my friend carol says – we can choose to discuss it and raise awareness of it or we can choose to keep quiet and silently support rape culture!”
I also don’t believe this fits the definition of rape, and trying to call it rape minimises rape and harms the movement against rape culture (some of the reasons already given in comments).
The use of ‘cis’ here also makes me uncomfortable. Are you suggesting that only cis men rape? How would you know the gender identity of someone opening a door for you?
weka
cis male – what does that stand for?
And could we cut tui’s hooey off in mid flow before it further pollutes our nice clean mud-slinging. Must keep our standards up eh! By the way I did praise Psycho Milt earlier, didn’t expect that.
So can we get back to normal, we have plenty of surprises just from the keen and committed without introducing some nasty little stirrer. Perhaps till after the election!
Please.
I don’t think Tui is stirring, and it’s OM, so people have a pretty wide latitude. Am keeping an eye on it though.
I’m on my phone, have a google of cis.
Here is urban dictionary with something about cis so you can see what the
socialmediafog people are on about.
Cis
Short for cis-gendered, meaning someone who identifies with the sex they were born as. Typically used by whiny tumblr users who complain about not being accepted for who they are and yet bash these “cis” people for being born and being okay with the sex they were born with.
I am a female to male transgender and I hate white straight cis men.
Also google –
cis1
sɪs/
adjectiveChemistry
adjective: cis
denoting or relating to a molecular structure in which two particular atoms or groups lie on the same side of a given plane in the molecule, in particular denoting an isomer in which substituents at opposite ends of a carbon–carbon double bond are on the same side of the bond.
“the cis isomer of stilbene”
Also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisgender
and
Time.com says: “Dec 23, 2014 – This adjective had its biggest year yet in 2014.”
That’s all the facts that I know about – enough I think.
[please link when cut and pasting. – weka]
“Cis man” means “man.” The “cis” part is superfluous, like talking about “edible food.”
“That’s all the facts that I know about – enough I think.”
Pretty sure you have missed the general online usage of the word ‘cis’ and the context meaning in this thread.
Could you not just accept that some males were taught certain forms of etiquette.
Not only do I open a door for a female, if I am walking down the street I walk nearest the gutter, and if with another male, the female walks between us. It doesn’t mean either of us (males) wants to get into her pants.
Jesus! as if there weren’t more important things to worry about.
@ Tui (6) … I always thought holding open a door for another person to go through was a sign of good manners and respect.
So how does your “friend” Carol feel about a man (or woman for that matter) giving up a seat on public transport for another person? Does that identify with rape culture also, for the same reasons you have stated?
I am a woman in my early 70s and will hold open a door for someone else, particularly if they are infirm or have young children. For the same reasons, I have given up my seat on public transport and will continue to do so, if I feel someone else needs it more than I do.
after re-reading my own comments and those of other women here i wish to sincerely apologise to any women for whom my comments may have triggered painful memories and or emotions. it was only my intention to raise a fuller awareness of rape culture and not to cause hurt or offence.
~tui
@ Tui (6.13) … Obviously in response to my post, you state the following …
“after re-reading my own comments and those of other women here i wish to sincerely apologise to any women for whom my comments may have triggered painful memories and or emotions. it was only my intention to raise a fuller awareness of rape culture and not to cause hurt or offence.
~tui”
WTF!
What are you talking about? Why on earth would demonstrating good manners and respect towards others, trigger painful memories or emotions, hurt or offence?
While I realise I might not be the brightest star in the sky, you have definitely lost me there!
The only feelings you’ve raised for me Tui are those of disbelief. Mary summed it up perfectly with WTF!
Tui, are Carol and yourself familiar with the author of the topic you brought up?
It’s on his website, but his presence on the internet is some what limited to that amazon and his company https://www.chemaxx.com/ … I wonder what he has a P.h.D in?
“Michael Fox obtained his doctorate degree in physical chemistry in the 1970s”
“It should be noted that Dr. Fox is not a psychologist or psychiatrist and that his interest in emotional rape is personal as opposed to professional.”
Book was published in 1992, it his opinion on what a friend of his went through, his personal not professional opinion. He’s a chemicals engineer and not an expert or even a scholar of psychology or rape and abuse research etc.
One persons opinion does not dictate the ways or experiences of many, as is reflected in the comments generated on this topic. Rather it risks creating a greater divide.
When someone makes OTT claims, I like to find out about them, as for the author his interests and activities include: Chemical Accident Reconstruction, Aerosols, Hazardous Chemicals, Chemical Injuries & Accidents, Nuclear Reactors…. as well for a fee he is happy to help law firms with chemical advice.
Maybe if he was writing about science he would be credible, but he as no credibility in writing about rape etc.
sent by email from my friend carol:
https://www.quora.com/Do-you-feel-you-have-been-emotionally-raped-by-someone
emotional rape
c&p
What is Emotional Rape?
According to Michael Fox, Ph.D., emotional rape is similar in many ways to physical rape, particularly date rape. Date rape involves the sexual use of someone’s body without consent which amounts to theft of the person’s physical sensorium. In a like manner, emotional rape is the theft of someone’s higher emotions, such as love, without consent. However, in the case of emotional rape the lack of consent is contained in the fact that the individual is being lied to by the perpetrator.
c&p
Adriana McGee, Domestic Violence Survivor
Written May 30, 2016
Emotional Rape does exist. Many victims are afraid to use the term because they don’t want to offend sexual rape victims. I would say that acknowledging that emotional rape does exist does not diminish the horror of sexual rape, but simply give a voice and a description for survivors to understand this kind of emotional violence; which is different from other kinds of violence.
Emotional rape is distinct from verbal and other forms of emotional and psychological abuse because the rapist does not simply prey on your insecurities or childhood wounds; but your higher values such as love and your sense of self-worth.
While many forms of emotional, verbal, and psychological abuse are dependent on the dysfunctionality of the victim; emotional rapists hone in on a victim’s healthiest and most natural responses. Their natural desires, highest-values, and urges; while still targeting their vulnerabilities: (which in most cases of emotional rape is simply innocence or naivete).
Acknowledging emotional rape does not minimize sexual rape, or diminish sexual rape victims; but validates the deep emotions and painful feelings of loss, isolation, denial, confusion, horror, and fear of Emotional Rape victims who are experiencing post-traumatic rape syndrome, and yet are unaware that there’s a name for what they are experiencing.
Anyone who is victim of emotional rape knows that it goes far beyond simple deception or betrayal. Victims often have a feeling that they are no longer “whole” and never will be again. This feeling can last for months, years, or even decades.
denying the reality of emotional rape is rape culture
[please make sure that your comments clearly differentiate between your own words and your quotes. See my moderator note above too. – weka]
Handy hint: “According to Michael Fox, Ph.D.” is worth about as much as “According to Psycho Milt,” in the absence of evidence demonstrating Dr Fox’s subject expertise in the matter at hand. And “According to my good friend Carol” is worth even less than “According to Psycho Milt” in Psycho Milt’s personal opinion. Worth keeping in mind when commenting.
This world human populace along with the flora and fauna is being ’emotionally/physically raped’ 24/7..
Tui, if you are a genuinely concerned human being, you might realise that the comments you make on the subject are a nonsense and insult to the ‘real cause’ and suffering faced by men, women and children..
Broaden the thinking patterns
Only in America.
https://wonkette.com/615520/south-dakota-forcibly-jamming-catheters-up-childrens-pee-pees-to-protect-the-children
Ugh. Extreme rendition brutalises the officials permitted nay encouraged to use it, then pass the parcel down to the children!
As they say in the good ole USA “In God we trust, all else pay cash”. And if you haven’t the pay-off money you get what they think you deserve and they can get away with by setting up false urgency laws that are OTT and should never have even been contemplated.
A few words from Harry.
https://soundcloud.com/harry-leslie-smith/harrys-last-stand-episode-1
https://soundcloud.com/harry-leslie-smith/harrys-last-stand-episode-2
Will Trump attack North Korea?
NORTH KOREA threatens pre-emptive nuclear strike!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe4A5UzIb3E
.
KIM JUST ORDERED THE EVACUATION OF THE CAPITAL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU1TFjolsB8
[that video is 3 days old. Please don’t use CAPS when commenting – weka]
I hope sincerely it is a fake announcement? So many pin headed shits around it is more than likely. Think Beetlejuice. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj_inlzsDhQ
That will be quite a surprise to the hordes gathering in the city for official marches right now: https://twitter.com/annafifield/status/853057058366672897
and there seem to be rather a few of em: https://twitter.com/nktpnd/status/853074336638541825
They reported six hundred thousand had been evacuated. Not the entire city. Top officials and their families perhaps?
Dunno who or what “Next News Network” is, but given the other vid link is from CBS and it plays the same war hyped lines, I guess RT’s assertion that western media are being bloody irresponsible stacks up, aye?
Ironically, the story (from the Next News Network) initially came from a Russian news report.
Which story are you referring to? The supposed evacuation of Pyongyang? The supposed 6th nuclear test? Something else altogether? Maybe you could provide a quick link …?
Evidently, you missed my edit.
Yeah I missed your edit. So I had a quick for this “Russian news report” on pravdareport (as per the NNN link) and decided not to bother beyond a cursory moment or two that turned up nothing, on the basis that it’s a site on the par with the UK Sun or NZs Truth…or Next News Network. 🙄
Considering the predicament, it’s plausible North Korea would move top officials to safety.
Trumps posturing will entice North Korea to intensify their nuclear capability, hence can’t envision them canceling nuclear tests now.
Therefore, how will this play out?
Is Trump backing himself into a corner, thus will have no choice but to act or look weak?
Pyongyang live.
Again, they reported six hundred thousand had been evacuated. Not the entire city.
Other than a fema camp wingnut’s bullshit report via Pravda, sourced from fuck knows where, there’s nothing reputable saying this evacuation is actually occurring.
But you swallowed David Daleiden’s shitty wee hit piece videos on PP, too.
//
edit: FFS.
/
As I pointed out to Bill, considering the predicament, it’s plausible North Korea would move top officials to safety. Thus the report is far from left-field.
As for David Daleiden, his videos were so compelling they spurred the president of Planned Parenthood to personally apologize for the staff member’s tone and statements and resulted in several investigations. As a result, three Planned Parenthood clinics were found to be performing second-trimester abortions without the proper licenses, and one clinic was failing to keep proper logs relating to fetal remains.
And apparently, there are more videos to come.
The question I have is whether we have the heart to rid ourselves of these clowns (western political leaders) and their stenographic monkeys (msm) or are content to sit back and embrace the spoon fed idea that we are powerless?
Just to be clear, before some idiot who’d probably struggle to spell “IQ”, jumps up and accuses me of being a supporter of this, that or the other dictatorship, there are no nation states worthy of continued existence as far as I’m concerned.
A number of Trump supporters thought they were doing that (ridding ourselves of these war mongers). Spoon fed the idea that voting (in a largely corporate dominated representative democracy) could bring about significant change.
NO HEART!
Too many still either believe the scripts they’re constantly fed, or too busy trying to live life while hoping the script won’t include their own existence
Listening to friends and family regurgitating the scripts while simultaneously, using positive reinforcement, openly supporting the ‘good position’ NZ is in as a nation
These are good honest people who have had better opportunity than most, and whom have no excuse for the ignorance they communicate
I’m quite sure they understand some of the realities, but it seems they believe by waxing positive, that the problems either don’t, or will somehow disappear
It’s a terrible bind, because these such people are largely responsible for the perpetuation of evil deeds
The ‘middle and the masses’
Western media is corporate media, and the corporations make their best profits off war.
Here is an example of that drive for money. A priest talking about Syria. Oh and it’s from right wing web site – so some here might not want to read it , so they came keep ideological purity.
http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2017/february/04/the-media-coverage-on-syria-is-the-biggest-media-lie-of-our-time-interview-with-flemish-priest-in-syria/#.WOpu9D_Y-bU.twitter
There are some interesting associations in this short clip.
nsa hacking tools the new easter egg.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/hackers-release-nsas-secret-hacking-tools-for-windows-2017-4
Middle east banks compromised may need more then band aid for coverup.
https://www.wired.com/2017/04/major-leak-suggests-nsa-deep-middle-east-banking-system/
Oral history confirmed.
The Heiltsuk people of Canada report in their oral history that an island on the west coast of their territory has been home to the Heiltsuk for thousands of years—one of the only places to stay uncovered during the ice age.
When archaeologists digging on Triquet Island last year found charcoal flakes that could be dated at up to 14,000 years old, the Heiltsuk found their oral history reaffirmed by the data. And archaeologists had more evidence to an emerging hypothesis: that, after crossing the Bering Sea, the original inhabitants of North America traveled along the coast to avoid the inhospitable ice cover.
https://sciencefriday.com/segments/a-14000-year-old-discovery-emerges-from-oral-history/
https://soundcloud.com/scifri/14000-years-ago-this-canadian-island-was-a-refuge-from-the-ice-1
First protest in space.
“You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch.”
– Edgar D. Mitchell.
Great post joe90
after getting accused of “trolling” i’m going to stick to “safe” topics from now on. i’ve decided to become a trump supporter. now here me out! i know he’s a cis male and said those horrid things but he listens to his daughter! when those poor women and children were chemically attacked this upset his daughter and his daughter told trump and trump got upset and did what had to be done to prevent attacks like that happening again. call me a troll or traitor if you want but i’ve given you my reasons and if i was trolling i wouldn’t be trying to explain myself now would i?
my question is what would you have done if you were trump and your daughter was so upset about what had happened?
~tui
[you put up two or three very controversial comments, some of which is pretty offensive. I was impressed by the way the other commenters responded to that, there was no shit fight, just a series of considered comments disagreeing with you and pointing out why. You’ve ignored all of those and now come back in some hours later and posted in an inflammatory way. Take the weekend off (back on Tues and I suggest a read of the Policy before you comment again) – weka]
Well done weka.
Wow.
Want a demonstration of blind, deaf privilege and the arrogance that not only discounts but simply cannot hear other narratives? This man imagines that he’s not racist and that he’s the real victim.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9_DoWdQkGo
http://buzz-zinga.blogspot.co.nz/2017/04/news-man-don-lemon-from-cnn-loses-it.html
The Home Office have refused a Greek and German couple’s post-referendum application to have their British-born children recognised as permanent residents of the UK.
http://newsthump.com/2017/04/14/uk-denies-residency-to-british-born-children-of-greek-german-couple/
😉