People who have been vaccinated before or after getting Covid end up with "super-immunity"
""In both cases, the immune response measured in blood serum revealed antibodies that were equally more abundant and more potent – at least 10 times more potent – than immunity generated by vaccination alone," the authors wrote."
Therefore, after Omicron has swept through, and a large proportion of the population has had it, there would seem to be no justification to continue on with vaccine mandates as we should be highly resistant to Covid going forward.
We are not there yet. Yesterday you did not read a comment from me correctly, and you did not correct your mistake. There will be more deaths, as there will be a greater numbers sick both in QLD and Here
To produce the results of a small study to talk down required health processes in a pandemic is not helpful. It is pleasing progress but not a signal to remove health measures.
The majority of the protestors represent groups who have been disadvantaged in life or by the orders, sometimes for personal choices.
Democracy is the majority vote for a party or aligned parties. Anything else where non elected groups gain control is anarchy. This is an emergency, as we do not have the facilities or the medical personnel to deal with a steep rise in omicron cases.
It is milder in the fully vaccinated but still very dangerous to some with underlying conditions. Asthma heart disease and diabetes to name a few. People with these conditions are not always old.
When Omicron has swept through
Wow, you think it won't affect you. After our family's experience in NSW and QLD, I don't think you really have grasped what is coming, and will go on for some time absolutely flattening medical staff and many frontline workers leaving some with lifelong effects. Try not to be so glib.
Except it is not just one study, if you care to read the second link I put up:
It looks like several studies are saying the same thing, and the results appear to be confirmed in the real world.
"Over the last four months, the Rockefeller team's findings have been repeatedly observed in real life. People who have recovered from a Covid-19 infection in the past, and then been vaccinated, appear to be more resilient to the new variants, from Delta to Omicron.''
"A recent study from scientists in Boston and South Africa found that people who had been previously infected with a form of Covid-19, before having two vaccine doses and a booster, had greater immunity against Omicron – the closest thing in real life to Rockefeller's artificial virus.''
Studies will be plenty in coming. Surely you are not using these two studies to suggest a slackening of our Covid response just as Omicron is hitting us?
Why would there be any justification to encourage people to chance luck on getting Omicron, vaccinated or not when instead of getting a super immunity the dice rolls and they get Long Covid.
By all means study, study, study but 'two swallows do not a summer make'
'To produce the results of a small study to talk down required health processes in a pandemic is not helpful. It is pleasing progress but not a signal to remove health measures.' My bolding.
Our Omicron 'trial' has yet to hit us fully, some posters seem to forget that, certainly the protesters have as they are suggesting lifting health precautions before Omicron has hit us full force.
True. Grant is improving, but Robyn has another virus as well so is extremely unwell in hospital and we are anxious. It appalls me how cavalier some are about others lives. I hope he remains unscathed, but this is looking less likely.
I also have family in Australia who have contracted the virus, both through the Delta and Omicron strains.
My sister, just recovering from Delta then contracted Omicron. She was hospitalised for treatment for Delta.
It's a hard time to be separated from loved ones. All the best to you and yours.
Omicron, unfortunately, will sweep through NZ.
We are only going to truly understand how much impact these will have when we are standing on the other side looking back.
So true Molly. We have been so lucky so far, but truly my brother lives in a small settlement in Culburra NSW, he said they have 238 people in their local hospital from a population of 3500.
My sister is rather stoic, and also caring for her grandchildren when she can. Since last seeing her, we have been through a close bereavement which she was unable to attend, and the most recent lockdown meant she missed the memorial as well. I suspect she also may have long Covid as she is still having respiratory difficulties. My mother is planning to visit for a couple of months in April, and I'm sure that for both of them, this will be a mixed reunion – joy, grief and relief all.
The pandemic has given many the opportunity to evaluate what is important.
The result for some, is to fully experience losses and joy.
I hope you get to do the latter when you meet again.
Sorry to hear that your family is struggling with the virus Patricia, and here's hoping that with time they will recover.
As a matter of interest…is there any interest in the Vitamin D levels in Covid patients in Australia? I know that here in NZ, and in many parts of the world, it is considered almost anti-vax to mention such matters but the evidence has been around for a while and is now gaining some traction with the poor performance of the mRNA products.
Due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 and the increased morbidity and mortality with no appropriate therapy and vaccine, one must be cautious and do everything to help COVID-19 patients. In hospitals and other health care settings to decrease cross-contamination, holding other non-essential medications is taking place. Discontinuing Vitamins could increase the mortality and morbidity of those affected, especially in deficient/insufficient individuals. Obtaining serum 25 (OH) D levels in all patients with viral respiratory infections, especially COVID-19, could help in the detection and treatment of Vitamin D deficiency and potentially decrease recovery time and improve outcome. Even though evidence suggests that vitamin D has the anti-inflammatory, antiviral properties, randomized double-blinded controlled trials are needed to verify this further, and to understand Vitamin D and COVID-19 better.
I have never been a pill taker. I have to be barely capable of walking before pain will force me to take a couple of panadol.
But I have been taking (along with Peter) Vit D and K2 for the past couple of months. Awful joint pain is massively alleviated, and I'm sleeping better (some of the time) and I swear my brain is functioning slightly better. I have more energy. Neither Peter or I have partaken of the Pfizer product but we are not Covid deniers or irresponsible. We take precautions, without being neurotic, and try to eat well and be responsive if we feel we may have encountered Te Virus. Old tried and true interventions which have sadly been demonised in these strange times.
Building up your immunity is a good thing. Thanks Rosemary. We have had both delta and omicron in family in Victoria NSW and now QLD. Their experiences tell us we think we are prepared but really we are not.
People who spend a lot of time out of doors would probably have high levels of vitamin D. And the virus is said to be less contagious out of doors, so any apparent benefits from vitamin D may be merely coincidental. But that’s just my opinion.
Woman in perimenopause often lose the ability to photosynthesise Vitamin D from the sun, even with large amounts of exposure.
Of four woman friends of my advanced aged who tested for Vitamin D – all four were found to be severely deficient. I don't know if this is connected to the leaching of minerals from the body when childbearing or not, but I do know that it is an unlooked for and untreated Vitamin deficiency for many.
The test itself will not be given without a clinical reason by the state. You will have to pay for it yourself. And even though my paid test revealed a severely deficient Vitamin D levels that required a daily dose for a week of high dose supplements, there is no 'clinical need' for a subsequent test to ensure that level is adequate. I'll have to pay for it again to check.
mikesh…the study, one of many published over the past decade or so, I linked to and quoted is not talking about Vit D's involvement in catching and transmitting respiratory viruses but how one's levels of Vit D might contribute towards the body's ability to fight off especially respiratory viruses.
I have learned much about this over the past couple of years…. mostly restricting my reading to papers published prior to 2020.
Thank you mary_a, Grant shows steady improvement but is suffering a case of brain fog. That is so bad in Robyn she did not recognise him on the 'phone.You can imagine the pain of that.
We live in strange times and need to support each other in ways we never imagined. All those with sick family as mary_a says "kia kaha " better days will come.
Therefore, after Omicron has swept through, and a large proportion of the population has had it, there would seem to be no justification to continue on with vaccine mandates as we should be highly resistant to Covid going forward.
Assuming the combination of vaccine and infection infects a massive number of people (not something to cheer for) and still provides transmission protection against [looks up Ancient Greek alphabet] psi variant in two years or so, then what about the people born into a world where covid is globally endemic?
If the dominant variants of covid evolve a few generations away into mild, so it's unlikely to jump back into a killer – maybe. But it's a function of lethality and transmission.
You're still not thinking this through. You're looking for a key to get out of this, but really, we need to learn to live with it. Emphasis on "live". If not covid 19, then the next hyper-infectious disease to spread globally.
You are right. We have to live with multitudes of infectious diseases now, and one day Covid will just be one of many in our background of infectious diseases.
So, I am not sure what your point is.
"then what about the people born into a world where covid is globally endemic?''
People have always been born into a world where there is some endemic disease they have never encountered before due to the fact they have never existed in this world before. But that is a very trivial thing to say, so I am not sure why you are making a point of it.
"If the dominant variants of covid evolve a few generations away into mild, so it's unlikely to jump back into a killer – maybe. But it's a function of lethality and transmission."
"Mild" is both a function of the disease itself and herd immunity in the population to that disease.
"You're looking for a key to get out of this, but really, we need to learn to live with it''
Herd immunity is a good start as per the articles I pointed to. Other than that, we live with countless numbers of diseases now, so I don't really get your point.
"Emphasis on "live". If not covid 19, then the next hyper-infectious disease to spread globally.''
We have learned a lot as a species from Covid. Hopefully we can apply those lessons going forward.
In case you haven't noticed, people born into a world of highly infectious disease with not vaccines either caught it and maybe died, or isolated under an outbreak burned itself out.
If the population immunity isn't sufficient, people born into the covid world will need the vaccine. Mandate continues.
Your idea for the end of mandates is based on "if". If the proportion of unvaccinated is small enough to not make a mathematical impossibility of a large enough proportion of the population being vaccinated and gotten omicron, then NZ will be fine – until the proportion of unvaccinated people rises again (called births).
If a new variant emerges with further distance from the virus that the vaccines were designed to fight, your "if" becomes less likely. So maybe we'll need mandates permanently in many professions. Maybe not to the extent we need them today, but for a lot of people what was "recommended" in 2019 will be mandatory. Keep up with your vaccinations, or you're out.
"In case you haven't noticed, people born into a world of highly infectious disease with not vaccines either caught it and maybe died, or isolated under an outbreak burned itself out.''
It is a good thing we have vaccines for most diseases dangerous to children then (sigh).
But, we don't tend to give children the flu vaccine because a lot of diseases tend to be more dangerous to adults than children. From what I have read, the only young children who have died from Covid in Australia have had severe underlying conditions, sad as it was.
But I expect we will eventually get annual vaccines for Covid as well. Perhaps it could be incorporated into the annual flu vaccine. Who knows.
Firstly, fuck off with the "underlying conditions" bullshit. Vulnerable people deserve to live, too.
Secondly, covid is not the flu.
Thirdly, annual shots are one thing – but whether those vaccinations are mandatory for all or some is another.
Yes, we do have vaccines for lots of diseases. But where the few nutters could cause isolated and controllable clusters of, say, measles, we might still need everyone who can to be vaccinated, or somewhat isolated if they refuse.
"Firstly, fuck off with the "underlying conditions" bullshit. Vulnerable people deserve to live, too.''
You are being disingenuous. You know very well that I am saying that Covid does not seem to be a major problem for children unless there is an unusual reason for it.
I agree children with underlying conditions deserve to live, as we all do. But, sometimes, people have such serious conditions that they are vulnerable to any extra illness load, whatever the virus.
"Secondly, covid is not the flu.''
I wasn't aware that there was a singular ''the flu'' virus. If you are saying it is not "a'' flu, then define what a ''flu'' actually is, and why Covid isn't that.
''Thirdly, annual shots are one thing – but whether those vaccinations are mandatory for all or some is another.''
Mandatory vaccination is in conflict with clause 11 of the bill of rights. If you think it should be mandatory, do you think we should be holding people down and shoving it into their arms?
''we might still need everyone who can to be vaccinated, or somewhat isolated if they refuse.''
How long do you think people will put up with that in a free an democratic society? If strong herd immunity develops as per my opening post, then this should not be necessary going forward. Not with Covid, anyway.
You are being disingenuous. You know very well that I am saying that Covid does not seem to be a major problem for children unless there is an unusual reason for it.
Go on, why are "underlying conditions" relevant? Even if a kid is at death's door, they shouldn't have covid available to carry them over the threshold. Preventing those deaths should be just as important as preventing the deaths of anyone else.
On current Covid evolution trends, I can't see us retaining mandates or restriction frameworks on a wide scale beyond this year, if that long, and likewise for MIQ. The PM certainly didn't sound like she was keen to continue with them unless health advice was that it was still necessary. Maybe there would still be some justification for workers who will come into contact with Covid regularly in their work e.g. those who deal with international passengers and health workers.
Until we've reached the other side of the wave, the effectiveness of both being vaccinated and contracting Covid suggests to me at least that vaccine mandates and restrictions still have a place.
If Covid evolved further to become significantly more lethal, then restrictions would probably return/remain, but whether to use a version of the old level system or the current framework would come down to whether the vaccines were still effective and how transmissible the new variant was.
If we ended up with a variant that was more transmissible than Omicron, immune to vaccines and as lethal as something like Diphtheria (5-10% fatality rate) or Smallpox (30% fatality rate), not sure how that would be handled – probably a strong version of the levels and very strict MIQ protocols or even a total border closure. If it was the same but vaccines still had a strong effectiveness rate, then the framework would be fine but might need beefing up to try to keep unvaccinated people from dying.
As you are very well aware these Vaers posts are self reported and any and all sorts of rubbish not caused by the vaccines are posted there.
The only things worth looking at are the figures that have been analysed. It is just raw data. I only pay attention to the analyses. As the topic has been discussed on here exhaustively I can only assume that you are disregarding the value and limitations of this reporting for your own purposes.
So I am very happy with my vaccination experiences.
What's the problem? Shanreagh mistook the MoH site for Vaers (here's another really good reason to stop embedding links, then people can see what they go to). Their point applies to the MoH site as well as far as I can tell.
btw, I suggested to you yesterday to do a reply to me, because mods don't read comments in real time. Here you are instead making a stand alone comment which I've only just seen. Next suggestion is to slow down, and follow moderator directions.
You'd think if a reader saw the blue print they'd click and read…no?
Perhaps not.
Shanreagh…ably abetted by McFlock, failed to click and read and went flying off the handle making assertions (and barely veiled ad homs) about something I had not referenced at all.
And again failed to check when I challenged.
Finally Shanreagh admitted error (laziness, contempt for my posts?) but it is too late. And not at all genuine as they persist in transferring the same criticisms of VAERS onto CARM. https://nzphvc.otago.ac.nz/carm/
Their point applies to the MoH site as well as far as I can tell.
What point are they making? And why does it apply to the MOH site as far as you can tell?
If CARM and the regular Safety Reports are of no use whatsoever why are they published?
Because sometimes they're useful and elegant I guess. Sometimes they're just a pain, like in fast moving, contentious debates.
You'd think if a reader saw the blue print they'd click and read…no?
Actually no. The onus is on the person making a point to make it as clearly as possible. Lots of people don't have time, including mods. Making it transparent helps the debate.
Okay…then why on earth would someone reply to another's post…specifically to denigrate and insult.. when they haven't bothered to actually properly read the entire post.
This is most certainly not entering into a good faith debate.
As you are very well aware these Vaers posts are self reported and any and all sorts of rubbish not caused by the vaccines are posted there.
The only things worth looking at are the figures that have been analysed. It is just raw data. I only pay attention to the analyses. As the topic has been discussed on here exhaustively I can only assume that you are disregarding the value and limitations of this reporting for your own purposes.
So I am very happy with my vaccination experiences.
This seems well within TS commenting culture. They make a mistake re vaers, but what they are saying applies to the MoH. The points are clear, there's no personal abuse, they've explained something technical and they've expressed an opinion about your argument.
I saw a comment suggesting a reasonable commenter had made "wild and inaccurate accusations without any supporting evidence". I was curious to see whether that commenter had dropped the ball enough to warrant dragging a disagreement into the following day's open mike.
I clicked on the link further down the thread to an actual comment, and the comment seemed reasonable to me. And covered well-travelled ground about an adverse events database. That has been discussed ad nauseum.
Apparently it should have referred to other adverse events reports that have been discussed ad nauseum. However, this was a bit unclear, as your description of the problem simply involved two large cut&pastes.
So I responded to the bit that seemed reasonable, based on what your problem seemed to be, as best as I could determine.
BTW, the wider point applies across VAERS and CARM because they're the same sorts of tools for different countries. They prefer redundant or multiple reports for every event (even events people think are coincidences), rather than people assuming someone else filed the report so nobody files. They can only collate and filter out data, not filter in.
Analysis↑
The CARM database provides New Zealand-specific information on adverse reactions to medicines and vaccines. CARM monitors and analyses the database for the identification of new signals, or important patterns, clusters or unusual events or practices that could have significance for medicine safety and prescribing practices in New Zealand
Database extracts↑
The CARM database is the source for regular report outputs that support NZ Pharmacovigilance. These include:
Medsafe – Regular reports are often generated to support the ongoing monitoring in special situations and in the early phases of the use of new products such as the seasonal influenza immunisation programme or the introduction of new vaccine. CARM also has a weekly teleconference with Medsafe which facilitates discussion around issues of pharmacovigilance relevance to New Zealand.
This process of monitoring the safety of pharmaceuticals is by necessity a real time, constantly up- dated process. Else what is the point? Too late when six months down the track they process the raw data and discover a very significant safety signal. No?
Comments about the limits of VAERS (not criticisms, it does what it is supposed to do, but it is a tool for a very precise purpose) have been repeated regularly for the last few years, every time some nutbar tries to do the data equivalent of hammering a nail with a coping saw.
I'm surprised you've missed all previous discussions of it.
For fucks sakes. Jesus wept. What is wrong with you people?
I did not mention VAERS in my original post.
Shanreagh pulled VAERS out from godknowswhere in their comment to me.
Whilst carefully ignoring the very latest "Safety" Report from Medsafe that I linked to.
Why the fuck would I refer to VAERS when it is based in the US?
I referred to our very own government run reporting ' Covid vaccine adverse effects' system.
I'm surprised you failed to to see that. Your comprehension skills lacking? Too many words for you to cope with at one go?
Now..in the interests of you not being a complete and utter fuckwit… do you have anything to say about the number of reported cases of anaphylaxis after a Covid shot tripling within a month?
You being a keen numbers guy I assume you're following these safety reports? I assume you have noticed that over half of the reports are from nurses, doctors, pharmacists, vaccinators and 'other'?
Sorry my fault I meant our own system, from Medsafe.
This is a database that collects information. Until that info has been tested and examined, that it is all it is. To make conclusions before this analysis has been done is very misleading.
Rosemary, we have been through the value or not of these reports many many times on TS.
I actually follow them too.
Public patients are by far the most 21, 000 odd. This is what I call raw data and these are among the ones that will be researched to see if they meet the criteria.
We have had two deaths, subject to Coroners opinions. Many treatments or procedures have averse consequences, just try reading the Medsafe leaflet for any commonly prescribed tablets etc.
Unlike you I don't have any great faith in my fellow country people to know the causation/correlation between the vaccines and illnesses. However without anyone providing the raw data we would not have the material for professionals to work through.
I think that for people in the street to make conclusions when they know nothing about the topic is what I call rubbish.
From what I can see the database is just being sorted by the owners of the database. This is commonly done when any public comments are sought and people are looking through them.
Any day of the week you can look at local authorities/govt depts who have sought comments or input from the public. Any day of the week these are being sorted and any day of the week they are being analysed after they have been grouped. Some of the comments/input sought are time limited others are ongoing.
Until the reports behind the collection of inputs are analysed then it is just that, a collection of inputs. The so-called analysing at this stage by unqualified members of the public and the extrapolation that goes on is what I call 'rubbish'
You complained about inaccuracy in Shanreagh's comment "without supporting evidence". So I provided supporting evidence.
As for medsfe, assuming they filter out the alien abductions from the NZ reporting system…
Now..in the interests of you not being a complete and utter fuckwit… do you have anything to say about the number of reported cases of anaphylaxis after a Covid shot tripling within a month?
Yeah. It's still fuckall out of 9,454,911 doses. Probably well within the confidence intervals. Even if every event were related to the vaccine.
You really have sunk deep down the rabbit hole haven't you? To harp back to the VAERS system y'all like to focus on… one commentary is that if the vaccine adverse effects system is so broken…why don't the US government agencies who set it up fix the fucking thing?
So what you are saying is that there is nothing at all significant about the total number of reports of anaphylaxis tripling in a one month period?
How can that happen? Did Medsafe decide to simply dump a whole lot of anaphylaxis complaints they had not added to previous Safety Reports into this latest one? Why would they do this?
And the same criticism would apply to our vaccine safety system…if its broke…fix the damn thing. Or else what purpose does it serve?
And I presume you statistical experts do download the actual raw data from the bottom of each Safety Report?
Latest listing of all cases received
The latest listing of AEFIs received is included in the attached spreadsheet. Medsafe advises patients NOT to make any decisions about vaccination based on information contained here.
"So what you are saying is that there is nothing at all significant about the total number of reports of anaphylaxis tripling in a one month period?"
If you look at reports 38, 39 and 40 they report total doses administered cumulatively. These are
Nov-2021 = 7726319 doses
Dec-2021 = 8184892 doses
Jan-2022 = 9454911 doses
Taking the differences
the doses in December were 458,573.
the doses in January were 1,270,019.
This is very rough but, broadly speaking 3x as many doses were delivered in January as the month before. So 3x the rate of reports is hardly surprising.
Hmmm. But then the reports should be done by month, too. So nov 103 Anaphylaxis, dec 112, jan 353: that's 9 for December and 240-odd for January. Which is actually getting to pretty big rate differences, by the pricking in my thumbs.
Whether the data's good, or late, or whatever… who knows. I'm not worried just yet.
Its a completely insufficient analysis of the data. The only point is to highlight that Medsafe reports are not ignoring an important issue (while presenting it in broad daylight) and you should refer to their much better analysis of safety signals.
one commentary is that if the vaccine adverse effects system is so broken…why don't the US government agencies who set it up fix the fucking thing?
It's not "broken". It's a scoop. Contents of the scoop are then analysed by people who aren't morons in order to find data that can lead to useful information with further analysis. Some folks like to use the scoop as a pneumatic drill, a purpose for which it was neither designed nor is it capable of fulfilling.
So what you are saying is that there is nothing at all significant about the total number of reports of anaphylaxis tripling in a one month period?
If the word is used to mean "statistically significant", i.e. the variation is outside the expected norms for that period, it might be "significant". It might not be significant. The numbers are small compared to the denominators. There might be a reporting lag. There might be an increase in the number of reports if ten people report the same incident, especially with some folks outright making up stories about people collapsing in vaccination centres, maybe they're filing reports too.
So actual researchers examine the reports and figure out how many people were affected, what factors they have in common, and what can be done to lower the number. But they don't go "tripling within a month" and lose their shit. They do actual research, which is then examined and replicated by other actual researchers. Then someone who knows what they're talking about updates the publicly available information, issues a statement, and then has to take extra care about their personal security until the nutbars quiet down.
Agree McFlock. Why are lay people still trying to interpret this data?
While they may sieve out interpalnetary addresses they will still have, paricualalry in the patient provided detials some very hairy conclusins about vaccines and these are entered with no moderation at input time.
Analysis comes much later. To get enough entries on which to carry out a scientific analysis the net is set wide with the expectation that the dross will be removed when the analysis has been done.
Even actual researchers. But that's why they throw shit around to each other (sorry, "peer review" formally and informally) and try some systematic article research techniques.
Even then some big calls took a while to be accepted as actually being true – germ theory & continental drift come to mind.
So, the purpose of gathering this information from vaccine recipients is what? Why release a regular Report? Why the Summary of safety signals chart towards the end of each report?
It can give an unfiltered and uninvestigated heads up to people who know what they are looking at. It is not meant for interested 'irks and jerks' like you and me to be drawing any conclusions, we just do not have the experience, training and the actual raw data to look at and investigate.
Can you imagine the conspiracy theories that would arise if NZ Govt said 'oh by the way we are inviting people to contribute but we are not letting anyone look at it'
NZ has had an Official Info Act since 1982 and one of the purposes is
'to increase progressively the availability of official information to the people of New Zealand in order—
(i)
to enable their more effective participation in the making and administration of laws and policies; and
(ii)
to promote the accountability of Ministers of the Crown and officials,—
and thereby to enhance respect for the law and to promote the good government of New Zealand:…….."
I just do not see the point in making too much of this before it is analysed.
A family member who is a dispatcher for a major freight firm told me this morning that they are already having big problems picking up from factories and warehouses because of shortness of staff. The next month is going to be pretty difficult by the look of it.
I read it. I tend to follow embedded links which will hopefully take me to peer reviewed research that will verify the claim being defended.
The first such links I followed to me to other pages on this author's blog.
Hmmm…not a good start is it? I set a high bar.
A bit like Stuff's Whole Truth series…A link within a debunking article that links to another debunking article from the same stable, which links to yet another debunking article is totally shit debunking.
Interesting,according to your link Omicron is far more dangerous than previous strains.i.e death,more likely
14x compared to Omicron 68x!
for October (the most recent complete month at the time I’m writing this; see update below) showed that, compared to vaccinated individuals, unvaccinated individuals were 5 times more likely to test positive for COVID and 14 times more likely to die from COVID (also see Yek et al. 2022)!
I
Update 30-1-2022: The updated CDC data (going through December 25 2021)show that the unvaccinated are 13X more likely to test positive for COVID and 68X more likely to die from COVID, compared to people with three doses of the vaccine.
The comparison I mentioned is about unvaccinated in October 2021 compared to unvaccinated in January 2022,and their 'likeliehood of dying'-i.e 14x more in Oct vs 68x more in Jan.
That is a significant difference.
Correct me if I'm wrong in thinking Omicron was not prevalent in Oct 2021.
Are not Delta and Omicron both Covid variants and the very same vaccines have been administered to deal with each?
Its not a comparison of disease risks, its a comparison of how much protection vaccination offers, in those multiples.
Though I would have intuitively expected less difference in protection for Omicron, not more. Its plausible that vaccination is keeping people much further from the level of sickness where it kills them, compared to unvaccinated, even though its also less deadly for unvaccinated.
"So are the unvaccinated now more at risk …or not?"
We don't know from that statement either way. The statement claims from the unknown baseline they will be 68x better off if vaccinated now, but 14x better off in October however.
The unknown-ness of the base line in not that relevant anyway because it depends on all the things effecting transmission and infection risk anyway. For example about Jan, Feb, Mar of 2021 the virus wasn't in NZ so going around in a mask was not protecting anybody. But at the same time in the US and UK there was real risk of becoming infected.
Well, what happened there was you asked a question and I answered it, but I added lots of punctuation in order to make light of your unconventional grammatical style.
Another day, another inbox filled with messages like the following. At some times in a day it is pretty continuous.
So far 'today' (UTC timezone) we have had 24,077 attempts repelled of varying levels of complexity, and that is just in the mid-layer defences. There will be a similar number in the exterior DDoS defences. Plus of course the attacks trough other ports.
Fortunately there are few that get through to the interior defences.
thestandard.org.nz Increased Attack Rate
This email was sent from your website "The Standard" by the XXX plugin at Thursday 17th of February 2022 at 08:24:56 AM Below is a sample of these recent attacks:
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 2405:201:a407:80b2:d4ea:1a1e:f577:b361 (India) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 101.117.2.48 (Australia) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 101.117.2.48 (Australia) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 79.69.50.193 (United Kingdom) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 79.69.50.193 (United Kingdom) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 2a02:a211:a82:c800:2c4f:4630:2874:65bc (Netherlands) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 2a02:a211:a82:c800:2c4f:4630:2874:65bc (Netherlands) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:23pm 2405:201:a407:80b2:d4ea:1a1e:f577:b361 (India) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:23pm 2405:201:a407:80b2:d4ea:1a1e:f577:b361 (India) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:23pm 101.117.2.48 (Australia) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
That is a pretty major increase over the last few months. I used to get one of these notifications about once a week. Now I'm getting more than 100 per day.
They only get sent out when there are more than 100 attempts noticed in a 10 minute period, I'm probably only getting a peak sampling.
Each IP gets blocked for malicious content immediately for about 5 minutes.
In this case probably to insert do one of the following..
Inject code into the site using one of the known wordpress/php buffer issues or access points to grab site control.
Inject client size malware into the site as a comment or a post so it infects the computers of people reading the site – typically by a link.
This isn't exactly abnormal. We get tens of millions of these attempts per year normally. You see the occasional comment flow into moderation. We have only had one breach. That was back in 2008 when someone managed to do a file rewrite on a footer file due to a file permission issue after moving the site to a different machine.
Where's the businesses indicators of this great economy?
Quote from ADs link:
Robbo Robertson:
“This better-than-expected result shows the strength of the economy as restrictions in response to the Delta outbreak were eased. Once again it demonstrates that our health-led approach since the start of the pandemic to protect lives and jobs and livelihoods has been the right one,” Grant Robertson said.''
That's not what business owners are telling talkback.
Now for the good oil on what's really happening:
Quote from Mikey:
''No, I'm not for spending endless amounts of money we don’t have, but I am for fairness. Stop the school sandwiches or the cameras on the fishing boats or the marae renovations or all the other crap you’ve used the Covid fund for and help the people who drive the economy.''
Beats government by government? Yeah, let's use the opportunity to change things up. Let's go to a local pub or two, grab the village idiot there who knows everything, get Bishop Tamaki, Billy Te Kahika, Philip Arps a demented wahine from Te Tai Tokerau who thinks vaccines are the devil's sperm and a woman from Whanganui who thinks vaccines cause autism. They can be the government. Oh with Mike Hosking of course.
How would that work? Let's see… Tamaki will think he should be in charge because he has a direct line to God.
Billy TK has claimed billionaires have developed weaponised viruses to enslave humanity so he knows his stuff and has the global perspective. Of course his followers agree with him but his credibility is a tad lower than it was since one of his claims didn't come to fruition. "He's claimed the government was authorising military to enter people's homes, and is planning to implement forced vaccinations."
The women? They'd be there not just for gender balance but for loony lack of science balance.
Ah, Mike. Tamaki might think he has a direct line to God, but trumping him will be Mike, because Mike thinks he is God.
Arps? I didn't deliberately miss him out, there's one slight problem with him in the group – whisper this – some of them have brown skin!
How about we just let them sort it out. Arps and Alps will get the dipsticks, deluded, misguided, terminally stupid, tourists and hippy grannies to storm Parliament and take over the country. When they're in charge they can sort things out. Imagine it, Brett Power could get to be the head of the Intelligence Services without having a brain transplant.
''Mikey is full of bs because those supposed marae renovations up North had been signalled previously by the government. The Covid fund was considered a legitimate funding source given the high number of unvaxxed Maori would mean a higher mortality rate from Covid. Therefore a functional marae for tangi would be considered appropriate.
As for schools providing meals for children from impoverished families. I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with obviously well feed middleclass kids in a decile 8 school, skipping breakfast at home so they can enjoy Weet-bix with blueberries and a treat at school.
Cameras on fishing boats should be a no brainer, you RWNJ
Fishing is a capitalist enterprise. They poison us with fish containing high levels of mercury and they are racist towards Asian fisher people and crew. Plus.. and this is a biggy!!! They have been caught dumping perfectly good fish over the side at sea.
My nephew works for a saddler/upholsterer been there a few years – business would normally die down in December and his boss would be running around trying to scare up whatever work he could. They are currently flat out with work backed up the wazoo and have been so for months. There is plenty of business activity out there Blade – it's just in different places than it was.
Our business is doing much better than three years ago. We are not alone.
Who would have thought people spending their money locally, and local wages going up is good for business!
Blade is full of it like most right wingers.
I can think of other things to spend money on like better welfare provisions and even debt to pay down, but rather than specific tax cuts, would be better to move the income thresholds first.
I meant tax brackets which I agree have the effect of cutting tax, but it would be better to do that than just lower the rates because of other things like minimum wage (and living wage) catching up to the 30% bracket very rapidly, and the independent earner tax credit being swamped. Brackets are also easier to index than tax rates.
'We have pre-existing problems in the NZ economy that pre-date the appearance of COVID-19. We can kid ourselves that the economic framework is strong and healthy, yet the plain truth is that the economy was running on steroids prior to COVID-19 and then the pandemic just exacerbated existing bad trends and further entrenched them. We have become fundamentally over-reliant on government spending and house price growth to 'juice' our GDP figures. We look at some indictators and we think that the economy is healthy, and we may even think it is getting stronger. But look past what these indicators are showing and there is a frail substructure that existed prior to the pandemic & it will have only got weaker while we have gone through this latest 'sugar hit' phase.'
"A children’s home in Bolton has been shut down after inspectors found that one boy had not bathed, changed his clothes or been provided with a home-cooked meal since he arrived in September 2021.
Inexperienced and underqualified staff had not entered one bedroom for more than four months despite evidence of flies and “a pungent smell” that spread throughout the home, Ofsted inspectors discovered.
Another child was placed at risk of harm by staff carrying out “unnecessary” cardiac pulmonary resuscitation on them.
After the inspection on 5 and 6 January, Ofsted took immediate action and suspended the registration of the home."
Would like to know what their contract conditions were, and how much was paid to the home for such neglect?
Would also hope for prosecution of individuals who profit from adding to the burden and abuse of vulnerable children.
There's an unfortunate tendency for the radical end of the Gender Critical Feminist spectrum to entirely blame men for the Trans agenda & its impact on women's rights (as, indeed, the broader Feminist Movement – whether GC or Gender ideologue – tends to do for most phenomena … always, apparently, the same culprit).
UK / US / Aus Polls actually suggest women are significantly more sympathetic to the key goals of Trans activists than men are. There is a consistently large gap.
Yet the relatively unhinged notion that all the men of the world are conspiraing to destroy women’s rights via the Trans agenda continues to be regularly regurgitated on social media & within the blogosphere with absolute conviction.
Has Michael Wood lost his mind? ( embedded clip in link)
He does get a good hit on Luxon though.
Quote:
Footage of comments made by Labour MP Michael Wood in Parliament on Wednesday. Referring to the "occupation that we see out the front", Wood spoke of a "… river of filth. There is a river of violence and menace. There is a river of anti-Semitism. There is a river of islamophobia." Wood's comments on the protest start about five minutes into the footage. (Source: PARLIAMENT TV)
Are you shocked by the river of filth, the river of violence and menace, the river of anti-Semitism and the river of Islamophobia he has observed?
Which person has the bigger chance of being harassed about wearing a mask while walking past the throng; a 1.7 metre slight woman or a 1.85 man wearing gang colours?
I am not surprized by that reseach Swordfish. Women traditionally put others needs before there own, so that could be a factor in women being more sympathtic.
I think men are less bothered about transgender ideology and take the view that yes that sounds good, its progressive, lets support it. They are yet to have their rights impacted by this movement. And I believe that the people who benefit most from the movement are men. Men can now win women's prizes scholarships, sporting competitions and of course if you say anything about it, well you are mean and transphobic.
The biggest losers are the trans kids who are been given drugs and surgery that cause irreversible damage. Women come second as asserting our boundaries, e.g for private change rooms and public toilets gets shouted down. Examples we use to demonstrate this happens are referred to as hoaxes. And women like J K Rowling and now Adelle are harrased on-line for the most minor of statements. Two girl guide leaders in the UK were sacked for expressing concern that a trans woman guide leader was in a role with children. There is now an investigation into this person for posting on line fetish type pictures of themselves. Oh yeah and Broadsheet had a photo of six men who now identify as women who have committedd some of the most heinious crimes, including torture and murder, and a Dr in the Hawkes Bay who sexually abused young patients.
But we continue to be gas lighted by the mantra trans women are women and lesbians can have a penis.
""I’d like to request US and British disinformation: Bloomberg, The New York Times and The Sun media outlets to publish the schedule for our upcoming invasions for the year. I’d like to plan my vacation," "
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
I ran across a recent essay from The Brothers Krynn, which attempts to map common horror monsters onto the Seven Deadly Sins: https://canadianculturecorner.substack.com/p/horror-monsters-and-vice My interest, however, is not in the meat of the piece, but rather the opening paragraph: It is an interesting fact that in recent decades, Vampires have ...
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
People who have been vaccinated before or after getting Covid end up with "super-immunity"
""In both cases, the immune response measured in blood serum revealed antibodies that were equally more abundant and more potent – at least 10 times more potent – than immunity generated by vaccination alone," the authors wrote."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-scientists-say-a-covid-infection-after-vaccination-triggers-super-immunity/MRTMRO73NMUUXNWVI6337NTMQU/
Therefore, after Omicron has swept through, and a large proportion of the population has had it, there would seem to be no justification to continue on with vaccine mandates as we should be highly resistant to Covid going forward.
"Super-immunity" for the vaccinated who catch Covid?
The Government should be loudly applauded for the vaccination rates it achieved through all of the methods it employed to reach such high rates.
A very small sample size of 100 blood samples exposed to Covid in the lab but results look promising.
Another article here if people are interested:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220210-the-cells-that-can-give-you-super-immunity
We are not there yet. Yesterday you did not read a comment from me correctly, and you did not correct your mistake. There will be more deaths, as there will be a greater numbers sick both in QLD and Here
To produce the results of a small study to talk down required health processes in a pandemic is not helpful. It is pleasing progress but not a signal to remove health measures.
The majority of the protestors represent groups who have been disadvantaged in life or by the orders, sometimes for personal choices.
Democracy is the majority vote for a party or aligned parties. Anything else where non elected groups gain control is anarchy. This is an emergency, as we do not have the facilities or the medical personnel to deal with a steep rise in omicron cases.
It is milder in the fully vaccinated but still very dangerous to some with underlying conditions. Asthma heart disease and diabetes to name a few. People with these conditions are not always old.
Wow, you think it won't affect you. After our family's experience in NSW and QLD, I don't think you really have grasped what is coming, and will go on for some time absolutely flattening medical staff and many frontline workers leaving some with lifelong effects. Try not to be so glib.
Except it is not just one study, if you care to read the second link I put up:
It looks like several studies are saying the same thing, and the results appear to be confirmed in the real world.
"Over the last four months, the Rockefeller team's findings have been repeatedly observed in real life. People who have recovered from a Covid-19 infection in the past, and then been vaccinated, appear to be more resilient to the new variants, from Delta to Omicron.''
"A recent study from scientists in Boston and South Africa found that people who had been previously infected with a form of Covid-19, before having two vaccine doses and a booster, had greater immunity against Omicron – the closest thing in real life to Rockefeller's artificial virus.''
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220210-the-cells-that-can-give-you-super-immunity
Studies will be plenty in coming. Surely you are not using these two studies to suggest a slackening of our Covid response just as Omicron is hitting us?
Why would there be any justification to encourage people to chance luck on getting Omicron, vaccinated or not when instead of getting a super immunity the dice rolls and they get Long Covid.
By all means study, study, study but 'two swallows do not a summer make'
No. If you read my first post, I suggest that once Omicron has gone through, many of us will likely have "super immunity" against future infection.
At that point mandates should be unnecessary.
I think we all knew/know mandates will be unnecessary at some stage. PM has said so.
I am pleased this is being investigated.
Very well put Patricia
You have nailed it with the paragraph:
'To produce the results of a small study to talk down required health processes in a pandemic is not helpful. It is pleasing progress but not a signal to remove health measures.' My bolding.
Our Omicron 'trial' has yet to hit us fully, some posters seem to forget that, certainly the protesters have as they are suggesting lifting health precautions before Omicron has hit us full force.
True. Grant is improving, but Robyn has another virus as well so is extremely unwell in hospital and we are anxious. It appalls me how cavalier some are about others lives. I hope he remains unscathed, but this is looking less likely.
I have family in Australia as well, so understand some of the reality over there. And I hope your family do well and recover.
I am not trying to be flippant. Rather trying to show there is some rays of hope at the end of this.
If anything, the studies shows the extreme value of getting vaccinated, and those that don't are deluded at best.
I also have family in Australia who have contracted the virus, both through the Delta and Omicron strains.
My sister, just recovering from Delta then contracted Omicron. She was hospitalised for treatment for Delta.
It's a hard time to be separated from loved ones. All the best to you and yours.
Omicron, unfortunately, will sweep through NZ.
We are only going to truly understand how much impact these will have when we are standing on the other side looking back.
So true Molly. We have been so lucky so far, but truly my brother lives in a small settlement in Culburra NSW, he said they have 238 people in their local hospital from a population of 3500.
My sister is rather stoic, and also caring for her grandchildren when she can. Since last seeing her, we have been through a close bereavement which she was unable to attend, and the most recent lockdown meant she missed the memorial as well. I suspect she also may have long Covid as she is still having respiratory difficulties. My mother is planning to visit for a couple of months in April, and I'm sure that for both of them, this will be a mixed reunion – joy, grief and relief all.
The pandemic has given many the opportunity to evaluate what is important.
The result for some, is to fully experience losses and joy.
I hope you get to do the latter when you meet again.
thank you.
Sorry to hear that your family is struggling with the virus Patricia, and here's hoping that with time they will recover.
As a matter of interest…is there any interest in the Vitamin D levels in Covid patients in Australia? I know that here in NZ, and in many parts of the world, it is considered almost anti-vax to mention such matters but the evidence has been around for a while and is now gaining some traction with the poor performance of the mRNA products.
Due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 and the increased morbidity and mortality with no appropriate therapy and vaccine, one must be cautious and do everything to help COVID-19 patients. In hospitals and other health care settings to decrease cross-contamination, holding other non-essential medications is taking place. Discontinuing Vitamins could increase the mortality and morbidity of those affected, especially in deficient/insufficient individuals. Obtaining serum 25 (OH) D levels in all patients with viral respiratory infections, especially COVID-19, could help in the detection and treatment of Vitamin D deficiency and potentially decrease recovery time and improve outcome. Even though evidence suggests that vitamin D has the anti-inflammatory, antiviral properties, randomized double-blinded controlled trials are needed to verify this further, and to understand Vitamin D and COVID-19 better.
I have never been a pill taker. I have to be barely capable of walking before pain will force me to take a couple of panadol.
But I have been taking (along with Peter) Vit D and K2 for the past couple of months. Awful joint pain is massively alleviated, and I'm sleeping better (some of the time) and I swear my brain is functioning slightly better. I have more energy. Neither Peter or I have partaken of the Pfizer product but we are not Covid deniers or irresponsible. We take precautions, without being neurotic, and try to eat well and be responsive if we feel we may have encountered Te Virus. Old tried and true interventions which have sadly been demonised in these strange times.
Good luck to you.
Building up your immunity is a good thing. Thanks Rosemary. We have had both delta and omicron in family in Victoria NSW and now QLD. Their experiences tell us we think we are prepared but really we are not.
People who spend a lot of time out of doors would probably have high levels of vitamin D. And the virus is said to be less contagious out of doors, so any apparent benefits from vitamin D may be merely coincidental. But that’s just my opinion.
Woman in perimenopause often lose the ability to photosynthesise Vitamin D from the sun, even with large amounts of exposure.
Of four woman friends of my advanced aged who tested for Vitamin D – all four were found to be severely deficient. I don't know if this is connected to the leaching of minerals from the body when childbearing or not, but I do know that it is an unlooked for and untreated Vitamin deficiency for many.
The test itself will not be given without a clinical reason by the state. You will have to pay for it yourself. And even though my paid test revealed a severely deficient Vitamin D levels that required a daily dose for a week of high dose supplements, there is no 'clinical need' for a subsequent test to ensure that level is adequate. I'll have to pay for it again to check.
mikesh…the study, one of many published over the past decade or so, I linked to and quoted is not talking about Vit D's involvement in catching and transmitting respiratory viruses but how one's levels of Vit D might contribute towards the body's ability to fight off especially respiratory viruses.
I have learned much about this over the past couple of years…. mostly restricting my reading to papers published prior to 2020.
for Grant and Robyn, including yourself Patricia.
Kia Kaha
Thank you mary_a, Grant shows steady improvement but is suffering a case of brain fog. That is so bad in Robyn she did not recognise him on the 'phone.You can imagine the pain of that.
We live in strange times and need to support each other in ways we never imagined. All those with sick family as mary_a says "kia kaha " better days will come.
Assuming the combination of vaccine and infection infects a massive number of people (not something to cheer for) and still provides transmission protection against [looks up Ancient Greek alphabet] psi variant in two years or so, then what about the people born into a world where covid is globally endemic?
If the dominant variants of covid evolve a few generations away into mild, so it's unlikely to jump back into a killer – maybe. But it's a function of lethality and transmission.
You're still not thinking this through. You're looking for a key to get out of this, but really, we need to learn to live with it. Emphasis on "live". If not covid 19, then the next hyper-infectious disease to spread globally.
You are right. We have to live with multitudes of infectious diseases now, and one day Covid will just be one of many in our background of infectious diseases.
So, I am not sure what your point is.
"then what about the people born into a world where covid is globally endemic?''
People have always been born into a world where there is some endemic disease they have never encountered before due to the fact they have never existed in this world before. But that is a very trivial thing to say, so I am not sure why you are making a point of it.
"If the dominant variants of covid evolve a few generations away into mild, so it's unlikely to jump back into a killer – maybe. But it's a function of lethality and transmission."
"Mild" is both a function of the disease itself and herd immunity in the population to that disease.
"You're looking for a key to get out of this, but really, we need to learn to live with it''
Herd immunity is a good start as per the articles I pointed to. Other than that, we live with countless numbers of diseases now, so I don't really get your point.
"Emphasis on "live". If not covid 19, then the next hyper-infectious disease to spread globally.''
We have learned a lot as a species from Covid. Hopefully we can apply those lessons going forward.
In case you haven't noticed, people born into a world of highly infectious disease with not vaccines either caught it and maybe died, or isolated under an outbreak burned itself out.
If the population immunity isn't sufficient, people born into the covid world will need the vaccine. Mandate continues.
Your idea for the end of mandates is based on "if". If the proportion of unvaccinated is small enough to not make a mathematical impossibility of a large enough proportion of the population being vaccinated and gotten omicron, then NZ will be fine – until the proportion of unvaccinated people rises again (called births).
If a new variant emerges with further distance from the virus that the vaccines were designed to fight, your "if" becomes less likely. So maybe we'll need mandates permanently in many professions. Maybe not to the extent we need them today, but for a lot of people what was "recommended" in 2019 will be mandatory. Keep up with your vaccinations, or you're out.
"In case you haven't noticed, people born into a world of highly infectious disease with not vaccines either caught it and maybe died, or isolated under an outbreak burned itself out.''
It is a good thing we have vaccines for most diseases dangerous to children then (sigh).
But, we don't tend to give children the flu vaccine because a lot of diseases tend to be more dangerous to adults than children. From what I have read, the only young children who have died from Covid in Australia have had severe underlying conditions, sad as it was.
But I expect we will eventually get annual vaccines for Covid as well. Perhaps it could be incorporated into the annual flu vaccine. Who knows.
Firstly, fuck off with the "underlying conditions" bullshit. Vulnerable people deserve to live, too.
Secondly, covid is not the flu.
Thirdly, annual shots are one thing – but whether those vaccinations are mandatory for all or some is another.
Yes, we do have vaccines for lots of diseases. But where the few nutters could cause isolated and controllable clusters of, say, measles, we might still need everyone who can to be vaccinated, or somewhat isolated if they refuse.
"Firstly, fuck off with the "underlying conditions" bullshit. Vulnerable people deserve to live, too.''
You are being disingenuous. You know very well that I am saying that Covid does not seem to be a major problem for children unless there is an unusual reason for it.
I agree children with underlying conditions deserve to live, as we all do. But, sometimes, people have such serious conditions that they are vulnerable to any extra illness load, whatever the virus.
"Secondly, covid is not the flu.''
I wasn't aware that there was a singular ''the flu'' virus. If you are saying it is not "a'' flu, then define what a ''flu'' actually is, and why Covid isn't that.
''Thirdly, annual shots are one thing – but whether those vaccinations are mandatory for all or some is another.''
Mandatory vaccination is in conflict with clause 11 of the bill of rights. If you think it should be mandatory, do you think we should be holding people down and shoving it into their arms?
''we might still need everyone who can to be vaccinated, or somewhat isolated if they refuse.''
How long do you think people will put up with that in a free an democratic society? If strong herd immunity develops as per my opening post, then this should not be necessary going forward. Not with Covid, anyway.
So what? Go on, say the quiet bit out loud.
Go on, why are "underlying conditions" relevant? Even if a kid is at death's door, they shouldn't have covid available to carry them over the threshold. Preventing those deaths should be just as important as preventing the deaths of anyone else.
On current Covid evolution trends, I can't see us retaining mandates or restriction frameworks on a wide scale beyond this year, if that long, and likewise for MIQ. The PM certainly didn't sound like she was keen to continue with them unless health advice was that it was still necessary. Maybe there would still be some justification for workers who will come into contact with Covid regularly in their work e.g. those who deal with international passengers and health workers.
Until we've reached the other side of the wave, the effectiveness of both being vaccinated and contracting Covid suggests to me at least that vaccine mandates and restrictions still have a place.
If Covid evolved further to become significantly more lethal, then restrictions would probably return/remain, but whether to use a version of the old level system or the current framework would come down to whether the vaccines were still effective and how transmissible the new variant was.
If we ended up with a variant that was more transmissible than Omicron, immune to vaccines and as lethal as something like Diphtheria (5-10% fatality rate) or Smallpox (30% fatality rate), not sure how that would be handled – probably a strong version of the levels and very strict MIQ protocols or even a total border closure. If it was the same but vaccines still had a strong effectiveness rate, then the framework would be fine but might need beefing up to try to keep unvaccinated people from dying.
Omicron hits Starship Children's Hospital.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-variant-outbreak-at-starship-childrens-hospital-12-cases-confirmed/UPF643XKU3OVFRGOD46YV7XMBY/
Note to Moderator.
https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-16-02-2022/#comment-1863789
I thought making wild and inaccurate accusations without any supporting evidence was frowned upon?
Thanks in anticipation for your attention to this.
Do you expect them to read the entire "Daily review"?
Please provide some more details for the moderaters.
The link I posted was to the date/time stamp…I have done this before successfully. I have no idea why it failed to work.
https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-16-02-2022/#comment-1863789
Shanreagh
17 February 2022 at 12:37 am
As you are very well aware these Vaers posts are self reported and any and all sorts of rubbish not caused by the vaccines are posted there.
The only things worth looking at are the figures that have been analysed. It is just raw data. I only pay attention to the analyses. As the topic has been discussed on here exhaustively I can only assume that you are disregarding the value and limitations of this reporting for your own purposes.
So I am very happy with my vaccination experiences.
In reply to my comment at 16 February 2022 at 9:40 pm which was in reply to Muttonbird.
Of course you are following the
weekly fortnightlymonthly Medsafe reports?You'll be aware then that in the month covered in the latest report the number of reports of anaphylaxis has tripled. Yes, tripled.
For the year to 31st December 2021 there were 112 reports of anaphylaxis from the Pfizer product. To the 31st January…353.
Let that sink in for a bit.
The number of reports of Myo/pericarditis has gone up too…from 455 to 561…but its still very rare/sarc
Deaths up from 133 to 147… but of course they're only acknowledging two of them.
But you're all good Muttonbird?
That's all that matters then.
For a long time now, if you put a TS link in a line of its own it reverts to the post URL. Instead, put something just before the link eg a full stop.
These two are exactly the same URL, first one works because of the full stop.
. https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-16-02-2022/#comment-1863789
https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-16-02-2022/#comment-1863789
What's the problem? Shanreagh mistook the MoH site for Vaers (here's another really good reason to stop embedding links, then people can see what they go to). Their point applies to the MoH site as well as far as I can tell.
btw, I suggested to you yesterday to do a reply to me, because mods don't read comments in real time. Here you are instead making a stand alone comment which I've only just seen. Next suggestion is to slow down, and follow moderator directions.
So why is there the facility for embedding links?
You'd think if a reader saw the blue print they'd click and read…no?
Perhaps not.
Shanreagh…ably abetted by McFlock, failed to click and read and went flying off the handle making assertions (and barely veiled ad homs) about something I had not referenced at all.
And again failed to check when I challenged.
Finally Shanreagh admitted error (laziness, contempt for my posts?) but it is too late. And not at all genuine as they persist in transferring the same criticisms of VAERS onto CARM. https://nzphvc.otago.ac.nz/carm/
Their point applies to the MoH site as well as far as I can tell.
What point are they making? And why does it apply to the MOH site as far as you can tell?
If CARM and the regular Safety Reports are of no use whatsoever why are they published?
Because sometimes they're useful and elegant I guess. Sometimes they're just a pain, like in fast moving, contentious debates.
Actually no. The onus is on the person making a point to make it as clearly as possible. Lots of people don't have time, including mods. Making it transparent helps the debate.
Okay…then why on earth would someone reply to another's post…specifically to denigrate and insult.. when they haven't bothered to actually properly read the entire post.
This is most certainly not entering into a good faith debate.
Its something else entirely.
This is what Shanreagh said (link upthread),
This seems well within TS commenting culture. They make a mistake re vaers, but what they are saying applies to the MoH. The points are clear, there's no personal abuse, they've explained something technical and they've expressed an opinion about your argument.
I saw a comment suggesting a reasonable commenter had made "wild and inaccurate accusations without any supporting evidence". I was curious to see whether that commenter had dropped the ball enough to warrant dragging a disagreement into the following day's open mike.
I clicked on the link further down the thread to an actual comment, and the comment seemed reasonable to me. And covered well-travelled ground about an adverse events database. That has been discussed ad nauseum.
Apparently it should have referred to other adverse events reports that have been discussed ad nauseum. However, this was a bit unclear, as your description of the problem simply involved two large cut&pastes.
So I responded to the bit that seemed reasonable, based on what your problem seemed to be, as best as I could determine.
BTW, the wider point applies across VAERS and CARM because they're the same sorts of tools for different countries. They prefer redundant or multiple reports for every event (even events people think are coincidences), rather than people assuming someone else filed the report so nobody files. They can only collate and filter out data, not filter in.
Pretty sure those have already been answered
No. They haven't been answered.
My understanding is that the CARM is were the raw data is collected and Medsafe is just one of the agencies that uses that raw data to create reports.
https://nzphvc.otago.ac.nz/carm/
CARM
Analysis↑
The CARM database provides New Zealand-specific information on adverse reactions to medicines and vaccines. CARM monitors and analyses the database for the identification of new signals, or important patterns, clusters or unusual events or practices that could have significance for medicine safety and prescribing practices in New Zealand
Database extracts↑
The CARM database is the source for regular report outputs that support NZ Pharmacovigilance. These include:
Medsafe – Regular reports are often generated to support the ongoing monitoring in special situations and in the early phases of the use of new products such as the seasonal influenza immunisation programme or the introduction of new vaccine. CARM also has a weekly teleconference with Medsafe which facilitates discussion around issues of pharmacovigilance relevance to New Zealand.
This process of monitoring the safety of pharmaceuticals is by necessity a real time, constantly up- dated process. Else what is the point? Too late when six months down the track they process the raw data and discover a very significant safety signal. No?
The self-reporting nature of VAERS and the associated issues concerning data validity have been covered on this site many times.
This from last month, for example:
Comments about the limits of VAERS (not criticisms, it does what it is supposed to do, but it is a tool for a very precise purpose) have been repeated regularly for the last few years, every time some nutbar tries to do the data equivalent of hammering a nail with a coping saw.
I'm surprised you've missed all previous discussions of it.
For fucks sakes. Jesus wept. What is wrong with you people?
I did not mention VAERS in my original post.
Shanreagh pulled VAERS out from godknowswhere in their comment to me.
Whilst carefully ignoring the very latest "Safety" Report from Medsafe that I linked to.
Why the fuck would I refer to VAERS when it is based in the US?
I referred to our very own government run reporting ' Covid vaccine adverse effects' system.
I'm surprised you failed to to see that. Your comprehension skills lacking? Too many words for you to cope with at one go?
Now..in the interests of you not being a complete and utter fuckwit… do you have anything to say about the number of reported cases of anaphylaxis after a Covid shot tripling within a month?
You being a keen numbers guy I assume you're following these safety reports? I assume you have noticed that over half of the reports are from nurses, doctors, pharmacists, vaccinators and 'other'?
Great distraction that, bringing up VAERS.
Sorry my fault I meant our own system, from Medsafe.
This is a database that collects information. Until that info has been tested and examined, that it is all it is. To make conclusions before this analysis has been done is very misleading.
My response of 16/2/22
Who is "making conclusions" ? I was merely conveying what the site has recorded.
For what purpose seeing as the info has yet to be analysed, just a collection of raw data with no conclusions.
Your post was very 'shock horror' for one that was only conveying raw data that has yet to be interpreted etc.
You complained about inaccuracy in Shanreagh's comment "without supporting evidence". So I provided supporting evidence.
As for medsfe, assuming they filter out the alien abductions from the NZ reporting system…
Yeah. It's still fuckall out of 9,454,911 doses. Probably well within the confidence intervals. Even if every event were related to the vaccine.
You really have sunk deep down the rabbit hole haven't you? To harp back to the VAERS system y'all like to focus on… one commentary is that if the vaccine adverse effects system is so broken…why don't the US government agencies who set it up fix the fucking thing?
So what you are saying is that there is nothing at all significant about the total number of reports of anaphylaxis tripling in a one month period?
How can that happen? Did Medsafe decide to simply dump a whole lot of anaphylaxis complaints they had not added to previous Safety Reports into this latest one? Why would they do this?
And the same criticism would apply to our vaccine safety system…if its broke…fix the damn thing. Or else what purpose does it serve?
And I presume you statistical experts do download the actual raw data from the bottom of each Safety Report?
Latest listing of all cases received
The latest listing of AEFIs received is included in the attached spreadsheet. Medsafe advises patients NOT to make any decisions about vaccination based on information contained here.
Download AEFI-line-listing.xlsm
"So what you are saying is that there is nothing at all significant about the total number of reports of anaphylaxis tripling in a one month period?"
If you look at reports 38, 39 and 40 they report total doses administered cumulatively. These are
Nov-2021 = 7726319 doses
Dec-2021 = 8184892 doses
Jan-2022 = 9454911 doses
Taking the differences
the doses in December were 458,573.
the doses in January were 1,270,019.
This is very rough but, broadly speaking 3x as many doses were delivered in January as the month before. So 3x the rate of reports is hardly surprising.
https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/safety-report-38.asp
https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/safety-report-39.asp
https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/safety-report-40.asp
Hmmm. But then the reports should be done by month, too. So nov 103 Anaphylaxis, dec 112, jan 353: that's 9 for December and 240-odd for January. Which is actually getting to pretty big rate differences, by the pricking in my thumbs.
Whether the data's good, or late, or whatever… who knows. I'm not worried just yet.
Its a completely insufficient analysis of the data. The only point is to highlight that Medsafe reports are not ignoring an important issue (while presenting it in broad daylight) and you should refer to their much better analysis of safety signals.
yeah true.
It's not "broken". It's a scoop. Contents of the scoop are then analysed by people who aren't morons in order to find data that can lead to useful information with further analysis. Some folks like to use the scoop as a pneumatic drill, a purpose for which it was neither designed nor is it capable of fulfilling.
If the word is used to mean "statistically significant", i.e. the variation is outside the expected norms for that period, it might be "significant". It might not be significant. The numbers are small compared to the denominators. There might be a reporting lag. There might be an increase in the number of reports if ten people report the same incident, especially with some folks outright making up stories about people collapsing in vaccination centres, maybe they're filing reports too.
So actual researchers examine the reports and figure out how many people were affected, what factors they have in common, and what can be done to lower the number. But they don't go "tripling within a month" and lose their shit. They do actual research, which is then examined and replicated by other actual researchers. Then someone who knows what they're talking about updates the publicly available information, issues a statement, and then has to take extra care about their personal security until the nutbars quiet down.
Agree McFlock. Why are lay people still trying to interpret this data?
While they may sieve out interpalnetary addresses they will still have, paricualalry in the patient provided detials some very hairy conclusins about vaccines and these are entered with no moderation at input time.
Analysis comes much later. To get enough entries on which to carry out a scientific analysis the net is set wide with the expectation that the dross will be removed when the analysis has been done.
In my experience people mostly make an emotional decision and then spend their intellect arguing for it afterwards
Even actual researchers. But that's why they throw shit around to each other (sorry, "peer review" formally and informally) and try some systematic article research techniques.
Even then some big calls took a while to be accepted as actually being true – germ theory & continental drift come to mind.
Heavens I ran out of time to correct the spelling and it shows….sorry.
Analysis comes much later.
So, the purpose of gathering this information from vaccine recipients is what? Why release a regular Report? Why the Summary of safety signals chart towards the end of each report?
So many questions.
It can give an unfiltered and uninvestigated heads up to people who know what they are looking at. It is not meant for interested 'irks and jerks' like you and me to be drawing any conclusions, we just do not have the experience, training and the actual raw data to look at and investigate.
Can you imagine the conspiracy theories that would arise if NZ Govt said 'oh by the way we are inviting people to contribute but we are not letting anyone look at it'
NZ has had an Official Info Act since 1982 and one of the purposes is
'to increase progressively the availability of official information to the people of New Zealand in order—
(i)
to enable their more effective participation in the making and administration of laws and policies; and
(ii)
to promote the accountability of Ministers of the Crown and officials,—
and thereby to enhance respect for the law and to promote the good government of New Zealand:…….."
I just do not see the point in making too much of this before it is analysed.
It is raw data, just that, raw data. Once it has been collated, validated and put into context, it becomes information that can be acted upon.
You do come across as rather unaware shall we say, of anything in the slightest bit technical.
Show me the raw data. Which agency collects it? Then what do they do with it?
Show me where this has been 'collated, validated and put into context..'
Other than through CARM…https://nzphvc.otago.ac.nz/carm/
Because we technotwits need all the help we can get.
A family member who is a dispatcher for a major freight firm told me this morning that they are already having big problems picking up from factories and warehouses because of shortness of staff. The next month is going to be pretty difficult by the look of it.
Thread
https://twitter.com/psirides/status/1494041990023249920
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1494041990023249920.html
The 30 are worth the read.
Good link.
Great isn't it.
Thanks for that list.
Very useful, though I expect none who need to read it, will.
I read it. I tend to follow embedded links which will hopefully take me to peer reviewed research that will verify the claim being defended.
The first such links I followed to me to other pages on this author's blog.
Hmmm…not a good start is it? I set a high bar.
A bit like Stuff's Whole Truth series…A link within a debunking article that links to another debunking article from the same stable, which links to yet another debunking article is totally shit debunking.
IMHO
So you like to cherry pick your authors? That was the first link – explaining the falsehood of cherry picking.
There are lots of references right at the end.
Interesting,according to your link Omicron is far more dangerous than previous strains.i.e death,more likely
14x compared to Omicron 68x!
for October (the most recent complete month at the time I’m writing this; see update below) showed that, compared to vaccinated individuals, unvaccinated individuals were 5 times more likely to test positive for COVID and 14 times more likely to die from COVID (also see Yek et al. 2022)!
I
Update 30-1-2022: The updated CDC data (going through December 25 2021) show that the unvaccinated are 13X more likely to test positive for COVID and 68X more likely to die from COVID, compared to people with three doses of the vaccine.
A comparison between vaccinated and unvaccinated people who get omicron is not a comparison between omicron and anything else.
The comparison I mentioned is about unvaccinated in October 2021 compared to unvaccinated in January 2022,and their 'likeliehood of dying'-i.e 14x more in Oct vs 68x more in Jan.
That is a significant difference.
Correct me if I'm wrong in thinking Omicron was not prevalent in Oct 2021.
Are not Delta and Omicron both Covid variants and the very same vaccines have been administered to deal with each?
Its not a comparison of disease risks, its a comparison of how much protection vaccination offers, in those multiples.
Though I would have intuitively expected less difference in protection for Omicron, not more. Its plausible that vaccination is keeping people much further from the level of sickness where it kills them, compared to unvaccinated, even though its also less deadly for unvaccinated.
So ignore the variants as any factor then.
So are the unvaccinated now more at risk …or not?
"So are the unvaccinated now more at risk …or not?"
We don't know from that statement either way. The statement claims from the unknown baseline they will be 68x better off if vaccinated now, but 14x better off in October however.
The unknown-ness of the base line in not that relevant anyway because it depends on all the things effecting transmission and infection risk anyway. For example about Jan, Feb, Mar of 2021 the virus wasn't in NZ so going around in a mask was not protecting anybody. But at the same time in the US and UK there was real risk of becoming infected.
So is going around in a mask in Feb 2022 in NZ …/protecting ..anyone?
……..y…………….e………………………………………………………………………………………………………….s..
As your mentor Pauline Hanson would say…please ..explain!
Well, what happened there was you asked a question and I answered it, but I added lots of punctuation in order to make light of your unconventional grammatical style.
Another day, another inbox filled with messages like the following. At some times in a day it is pretty continuous.
So far 'today' (UTC timezone) we have had 24,077 attempts repelled of varying levels of complexity, and that is just in the mid-layer defences. There will be a similar number in the exterior DDoS defences. Plus of course the attacks trough other ports.
Fortunately there are few that get through to the interior defences.
thestandard.org.nz Increased Attack Rate
This email was sent from your website "The Standard" by the XXX plugin at Thursday 17th of February 2022 at 08:24:56 AM Below is a sample of these recent attacks:
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 2405:201:a407:80b2:d4ea:1a1e:f577:b361 (India) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 101.117.2.48 (Australia) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 101.117.2.48 (Australia) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 79.69.50.193 (United Kingdom) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 79.69.50.193 (United Kingdom) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 2a02:a211:a82:c800:2c4f:4630:2874:65bc (Netherlands) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:24pm 2a02:a211:a82:c800:2c4f:4630:2874:65bc (Netherlands) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:23pm 2405:201:a407:80b2:d4ea:1a1e:f577:b361 (India) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:23pm 2405:201:a407:80b2:d4ea:1a1e:f577:b361 (India) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
February 16, 2022 7:23pm 101.117.2.48 (Australia) Blocked for Known malicious User-Agents
"So far 'today' (UTC timezone) we have had 24,077 attempts repelled of varying levels of complexity, and that is just in the mid-layer defences."
lprent – is that the usual, or has it increased?
That is a pretty major increase over the last few months. I used to get one of these notifications about once a week. Now I'm getting more than 100 per day.
They only get sent out when there are more than 100 attempts noticed in a 10 minute period, I'm probably only getting a peak sampling.
Each IP gets blocked for malicious content immediately for about 5 minutes.
what are they trying to do?
In this case probably to insert do one of the following..
This isn't exactly abnormal. We get tens of millions of these attempts per year normally. You see the occasional comment flow into moderation. We have only had one breach. That was back in 2008 when someone managed to do a file rewrite on a footer file due to a file permission issue after moving the site to a different machine.
What is abnormal is the current rate of attempts.
Thanks, was wondering the same as weka.
What's the purpose of those?
If the Crown accounts and the income to the government from the buoyant economy are that good, it's time for tax cuts.
Crown Accounts Reflect Resilient Economy | Scoop News
There's not much else that's going to get this government a third term.
Which in 2022 is what we are playing for.
Where's the businesses indicators of this great economy?
Quote from ADs link:
Robbo Robertson:
“This better-than-expected result shows the strength of the economy as restrictions in response to the Delta outbreak were eased. Once again it demonstrates that our health-led approach since the start of the pandemic to protect lives and jobs and livelihoods has been the right one,” Grant Robertson said.''
That's not what business owners are telling talkback.
Now for the good oil on what's really happening:
Quote from Mikey:
''No, I'm not for spending endless amounts of money we don’t have, but I am for fairness. Stop the school sandwiches or the cameras on the fishing boats or the marae renovations or all the other crap you’ve used the Covid fund for and help the people who drive the economy.''
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/video/mikes-minute-small-businesses-are-paying-the-price/
Government by talkback – that's a great idea.
It beats government by government.
Beats government by government? Yeah, let's use the opportunity to change things up. Let's go to a local pub or two, grab the village idiot there who knows everything, get Bishop Tamaki, Billy Te Kahika, Philip Arps a demented wahine from Te Tai Tokerau who thinks vaccines are the devil's sperm and a woman from Whanganui who thinks vaccines cause autism. They can be the government. Oh with Mike Hosking of course.
How would that work? Let's see… Tamaki will think he should be in charge because he has a direct line to God.
Billy TK has claimed billionaires have developed weaponised viruses to enslave humanity so he knows his stuff and has the global perspective. Of course his followers agree with him but his credibility is a tad lower than it was since one of his claims didn't come to fruition. "He's claimed the government was authorising military to enter people's homes, and is planning to implement forced vaccinations."
The women? They'd be there not just for gender balance but for loony lack of science balance.
Ah, Mike. Tamaki might think he has a direct line to God, but trumping him will be Mike, because Mike thinks he is God.
Arps? I didn't deliberately miss him out, there's one slight problem with him in the group – whisper this – some of them have brown skin!
How about we just let them sort it out. Arps and Alps will get the dipsticks, deluded, misguided, terminally stupid, tourists and hippy grannies to storm Parliament and take over the country. When they're in charge they can sort things out. Imagine it, Brett Power could get to be the head of the Intelligence Services without having a brain transplant.
Any comments about my post?
Here.. this is how it COULD be done.
''Mikey is full of bs because those supposed marae renovations up North had been signalled previously by the government. The Covid fund was considered a legitimate funding source given the high number of unvaxxed Maori would mean a higher mortality rate from Covid. Therefore a functional marae for tangi would be considered appropriate.
As for schools providing meals for children from impoverished families. I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with obviously well feed middleclass kids in a decile 8 school, skipping breakfast at home so they can enjoy Weet-bix with blueberries and a treat at school.
Cameras on fishing boats should be a no brainer, you RWNJ
Fishing is a capitalist enterprise. They poison us with fish containing high levels of mercury and they are racist towards Asian fisher people and crew. Plus.. and this is a biggy!!! They have been caught dumping perfectly good fish over the side at sea.
You and Mikey can fuck off.
.
Peter.
Mikey might want to confess the $$volume of taxpayer subsidy received.
Most economy-wide indicators are remarkably strong given a pandemic and global economic conditions.
That's what I can't understand.
And debt as a percentage of GDP is still reasonable comparative to other countries.
I don't see it from my personal experience. Business is not seeing it. But the government is.. and is providing the figures?
I'm interested to see what unfolds.
Blade
My nephew works for a saddler/upholsterer been there a few years – business would normally die down in December and his boss would be running around trying to scare up whatever work he could. They are currently flat out with work backed up the wazoo and have been so for months. There is plenty of business activity out there Blade – it's just in different places than it was.
Our business is doing much better than three years ago. We are not alone.
Who would have thought people spending their money locally, and local wages going up is good for business!
Blade is full of it like most right wingers.
Why do I have to be full of it?
Because my opinion differs to yours?
In my opinion there is something not right with what Robbo is saying. I don't know what it is. So I'm waiting to see if I'm right or wrong.
@ Barfly.
''There is plenty of business activity out there Blade – it's just in different places than it was.''
Could be. I haven't given that any consideration before.
Because your "opinion" is not supported by the facts.
In reality the economic activity is, as Barfly said, happening. Just in different places. Capitalism! Eh?
Maybe you are right. As I say, I'm going to wait. Who knows, the facts may catch up with my opinion?
I can think of other things to spend money on like better welfare provisions and even debt to pay down, but rather than specific tax cuts, would be better to move the income thresholds first.
Moving the income thresholds is a tax cut.
Unless you're thinking of the benefit income thresholds, which they just moved.
I meant tax brackets which I agree have the effect of cutting tax, but it would be better to do that than just lower the rates because of other things like minimum wage (and living wage) catching up to the 30% bracket very rapidly, and the independent earner tax credit being swamped. Brackets are also easier to index than tax rates.
Full agreement.
'We have pre-existing problems in the NZ economy that pre-date the appearance of COVID-19. We can kid ourselves that the economic framework is strong and healthy, yet the plain truth is that the economy was running on steroids prior to COVID-19 and then the pandemic just exacerbated existing bad trends and further entrenched them. We have become fundamentally over-reliant on government spending and house price growth to 'juice' our GDP figures. We look at some indictators and we think that the economy is healthy, and we may even think it is getting stronger. But look past what these indicators are showing and there is a frail substructure that existed prior to the pandemic & it will have only got weaker while we have gone through this latest 'sugar hit' phase.'
Poster on ST NZ …reality check.
Care of vulnerable children in the UK. Private care service opened in August 2021, and shut down in January 2022.
Given the result of the inspections, it's good that it was immediately closed.
Bolton children’s home shut down for ‘serious and widespread failures’ – Guardian
Would like to know what their contract conditions were, and how much was paid to the home for such neglect?
Would also hope for prosecution of individuals who profit from adding to the burden and abuse of vulnerable children.
.
There's an unfortunate tendency for the radical end of the Gender Critical Feminist spectrum to entirely blame men for the Trans agenda & its impact on women's rights (as, indeed, the broader Feminist Movement – whether GC or Gender ideologue – tends to do for most phenomena … always, apparently, the same culprit).
UK / US / Aus Polls actually suggest women are significantly more sympathetic to the key goals of Trans activists than men are. There is a consistently large gap.
Yet the relatively unhinged notion that all the men of the world are conspiraing to destroy women’s rights via the Trans agenda continues to be regularly regurgitated on social media & within the blogosphere with absolute conviction.
https://thecritic.co.uk/gays-against-the-conversion-therapy-ban/
oh but here are some gay men (from the UK) against conversion practices legislation
But not here, swordfish on TS that I can recall.
Those who you speak of are not on any GC sources I visit. It's a broad church I guess, but not a belief I share.
Has Michael Wood lost his mind? ( embedded clip in link)
He does get a good hit on Luxon though.
Quote:
Footage of comments made by Labour MP Michael Wood in Parliament on Wednesday. Referring to the "occupation that we see out the front", Wood spoke of a "… river of filth. There is a river of violence and menace. There is a river of anti-Semitism. There is a river of islamophobia." Wood's comments on the protest start about five minutes into the footage. (Source: PARLIAMENT TV)
Obviously Labour are feeling the heat.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/wellington/300519498/live-jacinda-ardern-leaving-protest-at-parliament-to-police-says-operational-convention-wont-be-broken-here
Pretty shocked by what Wood has said.
Are you shocked by the river of filth, the river of violence and menace, the river of anti-Semitism and the river of Islamophobia he has observed?
Which person has the bigger chance of being harassed about wearing a mask while walking past the throng; a 1.7 metre slight woman or a 1.85 man wearing gang colours?
No. He's one of the people on the receiving end of the "peaceful" protest.
His speech:
https://twitter.com/byroncclark/status/1493902071980249092
I am not surprized by that reseach Swordfish. Women traditionally put others needs before there own, so that could be a factor in women being more sympathtic.
I think men are less bothered about transgender ideology and take the view that yes that sounds good, its progressive, lets support it. They are yet to have their rights impacted by this movement. And I believe that the people who benefit most from the movement are men. Men can now win women's prizes scholarships, sporting competitions and of course if you say anything about it, well you are mean and transphobic.
The biggest losers are the trans kids who are been given drugs and surgery that cause irreversible damage. Women come second as asserting our boundaries, e.g for private change rooms and public toilets gets shouted down. Examples we use to demonstrate this happens are referred to as hoaxes. And women like J K Rowling and now Adelle are harrased on-line for the most minor of statements. Two girl guide leaders in the UK were sacked for expressing concern that a trans woman guide leader was in a role with children. There is now an investigation into this person for posting on line fetish type pictures of themselves. Oh yeah and Broadsheet had a photo of six men who now identify as women who have committedd some of the most heinious crimes, including torture and murder, and a Dr in the Hawkes Bay who sexually abused young patients.
But we continue to be gas lighted by the mantra trans women are women and lesbians can have a penis.
Post of the day.
And let's not forget those young folk who are unsure of their sexuality, but are lead in the direction of being trans or gay.
Investigation unresolved with the resignation of the volunteer:
https://twitter.com/Girlguiding/status/1493948407446224901
Unconfirmed report that he is now the Inclusion Officer for Notts Scouts group.
Unconfirmed report seems to be accurate.
Nottingham Scouts – Meet the team – County Support
Another musing from my list comes to pass.
13-Does a new political movement form out of these protests?
https://thestandard.org.nz/convoy-protest-day-seven/#comment-1862808 (post 35).
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/covid-19-parliament-anti-mandate-protests-former-national-mp-matt-king-confirms-plans-for-new-political-party/
""I’d like to request US and British disinformation: Bloomberg, The New York Times and The Sun media outlets to publish the schedule for our upcoming invasions for the year. I’d like to plan my vacation," "
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
https://tass.com/world/1404247
and another….'Invasions in Europe never happen on a…Wednesday'.