You may have forgotten that Labour officially endorsed wizardry, so here's a reminder of that history:
The Wizard, who was born in England, began performing acts of wizardry and entertainment in public spaces shortly after arriving in New Zealand in 1976. When the council originally tried to stop him, the public protested. In 1982, the New Zealand Art Gallery Directors Association said he had become a living work of art, and then, in 1990, the prime minister at the time, Mike Moore, asked that he consider becoming the Wizard of New Zealand. “I am concerned that your wizardry is not at the disposal of the entire nation,” Moore wrote on his official letterhead.
“I suggest therefore that you should urgently consider my suggestion that you become the Wizard of New Zealand, Antarctica and relevant offshore areas … no doubt there will be implications in the area of spells, blessings, curses, and other supernatural matters that are beyond the competence of mere Prime Ministers.”
Not just implications. Imprecations. Incantations. Chants, even. Sadly, the Labour Party failed to follow through on the initiative, and under Helen Clark reverted to merely copying the National Party.
Jacinda has displayed a noteworthy talent for enchanting people, but few observers would use magical thinking to account for that. There's a lack of evident espousal of witchery in her messaging. Unlike several of my old female friends – one of whom has the number plate BRMSTCK on her EV.
Cultural commentators tend to forget that an entire generation of teenage rebels in the 1960s went on to explore the possibilities of magical thinking, and the culture of Western civilisation got transformed as a result. Political scientists are too stupid to learn from the political consequences – that goes without saying – so they remain a fertile area of investigation for thesis writers of the future.
The Wizard, whose real name is Ian Brackenbury Channell, 88, had been contracted to Christchurch city council for the past two decades to promote the city through “acts of wizardry and other wizard-like services”, at a cost of $16,000 a year. He has been paid a total of $368,000.
Chch was a hotbed of leftism through the 1970s. Notable survivor from that era is Murray Horton, still operating his Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aoteroa (CAFCA). As Ad pointed out yesterday, the foreign control over Aotearoa is primarily exercised by a couple of Aussie banks – but that's the economy. Sovereign control of Aotearoa still resides in the British Crown. A triumvirate of foreign control can be discerned if you factor in Facebook, Five-Eyes, and the century in which the CFR has directed the USA foreign policy regardless of the coming & going of US presidents…
It was 1969, and he was starting a new position in the Department of Social Science and Sociology at the University of New South Wales, where he specialised in religion and revitalisation movements.
During this period, he was looking into new ways to challenge social and political ideology. But he wanted to activate this by steering clear of violence, and instead, confronting people with what he refers to as ‘unusually creative responses.’
It was the zeitgeist. Yippies using street theatre to warp mass consciousness alt-left. Establishment left had spines permanently horizontal in obeisance to their overlords. The real pioneers of the technique were Kesey & the Pranksters, after he liberated LSD from the chem lab around '62 & they got into freaking straights with day-glo.
Exposé on that origin of hippie came via The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. I read my brand-new paperback copy early 1970 and it was a revelation. Shadbolt was using the technique in Albert Park that year when we first saw him. Jumping Sundays, the media called it.
Oh christ on a bike !, save us from self-indulgent middle-class hippies, affluent New Age fantasists with vastly more money than sense … & worst of all … far, far worse than anything else … spoilt narcissists of dubious talent terrorising the general public with ostentatious displays of street theatre … everyone fiercely competing against each other to be the centre of attention as a desperate substitute for the cloying indulgence of their comfortably-off parents after leaving home … [a bit like Woke Twitter when you think about it].
Could there be anything worse than the smug self-indulgence of the children of the Establishment ?
“If I was invisible for the day I think I’d kick a mime artist to death. At least he'd go with people thinking he's great at his job":
Yeah yeah but there's always been a world of difference between the trend-setters & the trend-followers. You're right about the narcissism bit. The yanks did rather go to an extreme with that. Jung would explain it as compensatory reaction to a childhood of extreme repression.
Dunno if it's that simple tho. I had that. I didn't lose the plot like the narcissists. Gotta remember that growing up in a world where the political left and right are threatening you with competing forms of totalitarian govt, not to mention nuclear war, did make a rebel wave that was rather fervent…
“What we’re seeing now is a Cambrian explosion of activity where the superior courts are in several contexts affirming tikanga Māori,” says high court judge Christian Whata. It’s a shift which could profoundly alter the way New Zealand law is applied in areas as diverse as defamation and trust law. Ultimately, it represents the indigenisation of a legal system which has been dominated by English thinking since its inception.
The Cambrian explosion is a geological metaphor. So the old thing about restless natives is ramping up to a higher level.
One of the few Māori serving in New Zealand’s higher courts, he has recently been appointed to the Law Commission (a government thinktank charged with guiding legal reform) to define and chart the future relationship between tikanga and state law.
A welcome move. Seems to indicate a shift in the hierarchy from pretending to be progressive into actually making progress.
“What is tikanga? I’m not an expert on that. It’s a massive topic in itself. How can tikanga be used in a state law context? That’s its own topic. Should [we even] use tikanga in a state law context?” Despite the immensity of these questions and the courts’ usual preference for more incremental change, to some extent they have little choice but to keep up.
Worthy questions, those. Worth an essay onsite here! My intuitive response to the one about the state is yes, but I'll defer to those with more grasp of tikanga first.
I've got family guests, so I can't devote any time to this at the moment, but yes, I think the time is ripe for NZ to develop some of its own legal code & jurisprudence around, & incorporating concepts like tikanga Māori.
I believe the Peter Ellis appeal is a bold step in the right direction & suspect that will be around Ellis's mana, which survives him, & also affects his family's mana. The English law idea that when you die you no longer have a reputation to be restored (for example) so you have no need of redress, in my view is wrong. Your mana remains & should be legally capable of being restored.
Peter Martin, a political reporter for Bloomberg News, reports on Xi's exemplary demonstrations of how to lose friends and depress people (contrary to Dale Carnegie's `how to win friends & impress people' advice).
A global poll released in June 2021 showed that negative perceptions of China were near historic highs in nearly every one of the 17 advanced economies surveyed. These setbacks matter. As global politics is increasingly defined by Sino-American rivalry, the ability to compete diplomatically will help shape the history of the twenty-first century.
Taken together with economic, military, technological, and ideological prowess, diplomacy is a key part of what makes any power great. American strategists have long defined it as a core element of any nation’s power: diplomatic, informational, military, and economic capabilities are often reduced to the acronym “DIME.”
As in `ain't worth a dime'. Geopolitics from an establishment perspective. The future, as defined by the past. Automata rule, ok? Am I being too hard on the control system? Probably. Establishment folk do sometimes improvise.
The foreign media began to brand this new confrontational approach “wolf warrior diplomacy” after a series of Chinese action movies that depicted Rambo-like heroes battling China’s enemies at home and abroad.
Yeah, I get it. Copy the Reagan model. Must've made quite an impression on Xi at the time. Martin explores the historical development of the regime's diplomacy.
Diplomats were instructed to ask permission before they acted, even on the most trivial matters, and to always report what they said, did, and heard to their superiors. They were banned from dating or marrying foreigners. They were told to stick rigidly to pre-approved talking points, even when they knew these often failed to resonate with foreign audiences.
Born of necessity more than seventy years ago, these rules and practices are still in place today. Zhou’s approach has survived and evolved through revolution, famine, capitalist reforms, and the rise of China as a global power. “We’re very different to other ministries,” one diplomat said. “We’re unusual in that we’ve had a strong culture that’s lasted since 1949.”
Dunno if this `diplomats as automata' praxis has accomplished a hell of a lot for China really. Seven decades of the Chou model correlates with rise of China, sure, but correlation ain't causation. Globalising is coming together. Using a separatist policy in that context is likely to ensure minimal gains.
Kris Faafoi has a thankless task. Organise billets for those returning plus sports people business people arts people emergency quota of returns, essential workers with everyone wanting his attention "NOW". With the outbreak of Delta MIQ spots are under pressure. He has tried to be fair to those stranded those with visa requests in the pipeline, while he has done sterling work in the commercial sphere, and has stood the buffeting from all sides for months on end.
mac1's reply @5.1 relates to the last sentence in your brief comment. 5.1 begins by quoting that sentence, making it difficult to fathom the depths of your confusion.
Well obviously, but it isn't the ones hiding as pressure is on them, Like Collin's a few weeks ago, Fa'afoi and Ardern with Hosking
Edit: Throwing some associate minister at question time and you giving a list of mps who have fronted on their behalf doesn’t change the fact the others didn’t There is 120 of them ffs
You wrote "TBF. having meet him a few times before he became a politician and thinking he was a twat, Hipkins always fronts."
TBF means 'to be fair'. Well, Chris T, in your comment at #5, you were not fair. You made a very wild claim, with no substantiation, which is what I called you on, with 13 recent examples as evidence.
I'd call it a boycott rather than hiding. And who could disagree with withdrawing from that toxic sicko. When a so-called professional treats the PM in such a rude and disrespectful manner consistently he really should be sent home and told not to return. Calling any woman guest a lying hussy should result in a final warning at the very least.
If I saw that prick down here in Kapiti I'd break his nose.
Good point. Absolutely not. No politician should feel in any way obligated to appear on any programme generated by commercialism (ie, a right-wing outlet) where they are likely to be grilled by some right-wing nut job.
To create a level playing-field, we need impartial media with intelligent, disinterested interviewers. Kim Hill on RNZ is about the last example that I have heard make a reasonable effort at being so.
Talkback radio is commercialised cacklemush, and the right wing of society would like to eliminate state radio (or any kind of radio independent to their commercially-driven system) and hold a right-wing monopoly over the media, pretending it is independent because there is an artificial competitive market.
If it's of any help Chris T, I took your original comment to mean that you thought Shaw's performance was so lacklustre he might as well have not been there, but kudos to him for trying.
Could be wrong, but don't understand why you are being harried on this particular comment. Seems of little consequence.
Covid is getting close and very real. Thank you for yesterdays confirmation of our commitment to community, Jacinda Ardern and all the many people involved. I await the final totals with a sense of hope.
However, we have just had an unsettling email from our Doctor's surgery team. They have reorganised into Red and Green zones, to help when covid arrives. (definitely when not if) A portable cabin for the red zone , the surgery the green zone. Full PPE for all staff, patients to remain in cars 'till they are checked.
We are glad they are as prepared as possible, but the tone of gravity with the mention of no relief staff if they get sick, their efforts not to take the virus home, and their fully vaccinated status, all felt too "close to home".
We have known this excellent team for forty years, and know this is preparing to meet the enemy head on. I am thankful for these brave people who will strive to keep us safe, and I realised how lucky we are to have a wee safe bolt hole. They stressed vaccination was key in keeping this manageable. Again thanks to everyone who turned up to be vaccinated, you helped your local medical team.
Anyone who is dithering, don't wait, do it asp, 1st now 2nd in 3 weeks plus 2 weeks to build immunity and by 29th of November you will have "done your bit" for your health your Doctors and Nurses and others in the community.
Thank You in advance. “Let’s Do This”
Shaun Hendy said 7,000 deaths a year if 80% of over 5 year old's vaccinated. We are only vaccinating over 12's but are probably over 80% by now. So hopefully less than 7,000.
"The latest tests released by the company have found 83 percent of groundwater samples exceed drinking water standards as well as regional council guidelines for aluminium and toxic fluoride.
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters says no one uses the groundwater for drinking."
But it turned sour when almost half of the 112 diners fell ill after eating the turkey.
A long-time restaurateur's legal battle to overturn a conviction brought by the NZ Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) looks to have ended after more than three years before four courts.
But Robin Pierson, owner of Gisborne's Bushmere Arms, says he has not decided what he will do now to protect the reputation of his restaurant and bar. He maintains a norovirus is responsible for the outbreak which affected 50 to 53 diners, whose symptoms included vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
We are told that Jacinda and Clarke, while visiting a hotel out of Auckland, had identified it as a possible venue for their wedding reception – but the negotiations had broken down when the couple had stipulated that their friend, the celebrated chef Peter Gordon, should be responsible for the catering. The proprietor was unwilling to accede to this request and the negotiations had therefore broken down.
We are further told that the disappointed proprietor had produced, as a term in the “contract” that had yet to be agreed, a cancellation clause that required the couple to pay a cancellation fee of $5000.
One does not need to be a lawyer to recognise that such a claim would be unlikely to succeed, but this does not deter the Herald from giving prominence to the story. Leopards, after all, do not change their spots.
In Jack's Solar Garden in Boulder County, Colorado, owner Byron Kominek has covered 4 of his 24 acres with solar panels. The farm is growing a huge array of crops underneath them—carrots, kale, tomatoes, garlic, beets, radishes, lettuce, and more. It’s also been generating enough electricity to power 300 homes. “We decided to go about this in terms of needing to figure out how to make more money for land that we thought should be doing more,” Kominek says.
Rooftops are so 2020. If humanity’s going to stave off the worst of climate change, people will need to get creative about where they put solar panels. Now scientists are thinking about how to cover canals with them, reducing evaporation while generating power. Airports are filling up their open space with sun-eaters. And space doesn’t get much more open than on a farm: Why not stick a solar array in a field and plant crops underneath? It’s a new scientific (and literal) field known as agrivoltaics—agriculture plus photovoltaics—and it’s not as counterintuitive as it might seem.
Anchovies and kalamata olives, when I'm making it myself.
Although, since I needed to use an oven to test some materials at high temperatures for a project at work, the last one I made tasted like hot epoxy and vinyl ester. I don't recommend that.
The cheese-eating surrender monkeys have a habit of taking individual things that are quite interesting on their own, and blending them into some sort of weird unidentifiable goo that's even more wrong than vegemite. That looks like another one of those.
The surrender monkeys ain't the only ones to do stomach-churning things with unmentionables.
I joyfully and easily eat all manner of shellfish from gulper clams to mussels much to the astonishment of my children. I cannot, however, bring myself to eat woodcock with the trail left in place to cook and the juices to run free.
I found a recipe on the internet for ‘flambe woodcock’ where after cooking them whole with the guts intact the entrails were scooped out and mixed with bacon, olive oil, mustard, port, and lemon juice to make a puree.
The puree and woodcock are then warmed in a frying pan for a few minutes before tipping cognac over and setting alight. Simple as that and it is apparently delicious. Other cooks roast the bird intact then scoop out the ‘trail’ into a hot pan, add some red wine and seasoning and spread on bread or toast when heated.
Pizza is basically cheese on toast. Putting marmite on that is not that uncommon – down in the southwest anyway. That exta vegemitey one from Adelaide does look pretty vile though. The entire point of a (small) smear of marmite on top of cheese on toasted bread (crumpets by my preference) is the slighty caramelised brittleness it gets during the grilling, putting a lake of it under the cheese just seems weird to me!
It's all rather moot though, as that NZH article concludes:
The vegemite pizza is not available in New Zealand.
The Givalittle page to help Tairawhiti get a mobile clinic for vaccines and medical needs for their remote area has reached $90 000 from public donations. Wonderful news. Good among the thoughtless Jester.
Up in Auckland were we not fortunately that the weather arrived today? Everything appeared to align for a successful day. My thanks to all those unseen volunteers and community leaders who heavily contributed to the last few weeks success.👏🏿
"But, a few men do cause immense harm to both women and men. And many other men, consider that sex-based harm to be women's problems and do not bother to keep track or speak out against those members of their sex."
BTW There have been quite a few women that have caused harm. Especially to their kids, so you might want to take a step off your pedestal for a sec.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
If you want to argue that men as a class aren't responsible for most of the violence against humans, then you can do it in OM rather than derail my post (the derail is in accusing a feminist of putting herself or women on a pedestal when she was talking about men). However if you do run that argument I will expect you to provide evidence as you go.
Otoh, you could just stop taking it personally when women point out the problems they have with men as a class and subgroups of those men, and instead make the time to learn what we are talking about.
weka, just noticed this had been moved to OM. Was trying to think of a good response, but saw yours. Much more succinct, but exactly what I wanted to ask.
Thread on the likely Covid end-game in the US – a death rate of 40/100K a year, twice the current flu rates, and costly burdens on resources and systems but probably deemed tolerable enough to avoid radical public health measures.
Scotland has 3.8 million people double vaccinated with Pfizer.
It also stresses that the 616 who have died from the disease after being fully vaccinated represent just 0.016% of the 3.8 million people to date given both doses.
The report states: "These individuals had several co-morbidities which contributed to their deaths.
"Of the [616] confirmed Covid-19 related deaths, in individuals that have received two doses of Covid-19 vaccine, 80.4% were in the 70 and over age group."
Further on, it states that the death rate drops drastically if a booster shot is given.
Prof Ferguson said: “I’d like to see us be a little more aggressive in rolling out booster doses, because the sooner we can, the sooner we’ll reap the benefits of that and I think the data supports that not just after six months, probably after four months after second doses, you still get a very big effect of booster doses.”
Data this week from Israel has found that the rate of hospitalisation for Covid was just 2.6 per 100,000 among over-60s who had had a third booster shot, compared to 28.5 per 100,000 for individuals the same age group who have had just two Pfizer doses.
The double vaccination target is just the beginning – not the end goal.
Class distinctions also matter. Within the power structure, without consideration for sex, there are mechanisms that serve to keep the elite classes immune from the privations of the lower classes.
That deserves attention as well, and should be recognised. I would wholeheartedly support any who chose to address this inequity, and only if they had not considered the distinct experiences of racial minorities or women would I bring those extra considerations up. Because to solve issues like this with effectiveness, you have to make sure to identify the problem as fully as you can.
As regards power and privilege in our current society – if you believe there currently exists equity between men and women, then I would disagree.
The point is it is power and privilege as a whole, not the noticeable few. Some few 'chicks' are in positions of power. Totally agree.
But all the other 'chicks' in our present society are still dealing with sexism in society, work and relationships, while just trying to feed their kids, with or without partners.
(BTW, can we start referring to the categories as women and men now? I feel like I've wandered on to an 80's movie set.)
Id prefer females and males, as man and women tends to have turned into some weird made up inner touchy feely gender thing if ok, but all good. Will do.
I don't think you got my point I agree with you.
But just the other way round
Most blokes males aren't walking around actively oppressing females.
Apart from "noticeable few" males the rest of us are just trying to look after our kids and work our arse off, like our partners.
Just an aside but it reminds me of the whole pay equity thing.
Jobs predominently female? Not enough women studying STEM, they must be oppressed! WTF?
There is nothing stopping females doing STEM. They just may not be into it as much as males. Why are no females asking why there is not enough men doing child teaching?
But I totally agree their have been far to many "noticeable few" that were male and not enough "noticeable few" that have been female.
But this is just a culture change that is happening. Probably too slowly and in some particuar religiously nutty countries not happening
"But way to paint everyone in tetiary education with the same brush as a few arseholes hiding behind computer keyboards"
But that is not what was said.
Gamergate was getting close to a decade ago and again was a small bunch of arssehole males.
Interestingly, just had a conversation on this topic last week with my twenty-year old son. Learnt a lot, and went away looking for updates. Found this.
A suggestion: I think it might help if you stopped assuming that every time someone uses the word 'men' they are referring to you as an individual. If someone references women being involved in atrocities, I don't go into defensive mode just because I am a woman, I seek to know more.
There are social cues, implicit boundaries and many varied and legal ways of making people feel uncomfortable. Women often experience the same discomfort in certain industries because the culture has been formed on the sensibilities and priorities of men.
"There are social cues, implicit boundaries and many varied and legal ways of making people feel uncomfortable. Women often experience the same discomfort in certain industries because the culture has been formed on the sensibilities and priorities of men."
I'm sorry, but this is just not my experience in places I have worked in the last 15 or so years. TBF most of them were run by females.
Do you honestly think a male primary school teacher is not in the same predicament?
It is normally the vibe you are creating within yourself, more than automatically assuming everyone of the opposite bio sex is against you.
Though I think my male primary school teacher has it harder than the vast majority of (persecuted females"
Edit actually ignore the teacher bit. Re-read your post. Sorry. Cocked that one up agree
Just read this comment which raises a whole lot of responses, that will make it difficult to rest easy. Can we take a raincheck and come back to this some other time?
I wrote a whole post Chris. If you didn't understand it, you can just ask.
I'm not going to provide evidence for things that you can very easily look up yourself. Start with the stats on which sex commits most violence, then look at which sex commits most violence against women, then look at which sex commits most violence against trans women.
when there is no reply button, scroll upwards from the comment you want to reply to until you find the first comment with a reply button that is inline with the comment you are replying to. That way your comments will go in the right place and it will make more sense.
I'm less interested in you saying it was your fault than I am in you just getting the basics right. Use the reply conventions, and/or quote what you are replying to so people reading can understand.
And if you are going to accuse me of whinging, then be specific about what you mean so I can address it.
"Jobs predominently female? Not enough women studying STEM, they must be oppressed! WTF?
There is nothing stopping females doing STEM. They just may not be into it as much as males. Why are no females asking why there is not enough men doing child teaching?"
These are relevant questions, for which there are no easy answers.
You may well think that women are not into STEM, but those that are do find that their qualifications often are not enough to get them jobs or pay parity. My partner did a post-graduate university course a few years ago with a female engineer. She was the only one in the course to achieve 100% scores on papers, but in her work environment she was often ignored and did not have pay parity with others with the same qualifications and experience.
Go look at the experience of women in NZ within the Fire Department, and try to determine what kind of culture allowed those actions to not only occur, but for the perpetrators to be promoted. Apparently, firefighters are the top profession of trust for most people, and yet women were still not safe in that space – solely because of their biological sex.
By 2004, those numbers were 82 per cent in primary schools and 57 per cent in secondary schools.
The proportions have actually been relatively stable since then, with women rising to 84 per cent at primary and 60 per cent at secondary level.
Despite this long history, most primary and intermediate school principals were men until 2012, and most secondary principals are still men. Last year 55 per cent of primary, and only 33 per cent of secondary, principals were women.
(Note: Although men teaching children was a low percentage, the percentage of men as principals – the authority over the teachers was higher than proportional. The power positions were allocated to men.)
There is a distinct difference in talking about individual lived experiences as a particular sex, and a collective experience of a sex.
The first relates to the very distinct and unique experience of a particular person. They may or may not experience the general common experiences of their sex, and that is just life.
However, there are wider experiences of being a woman – or a man – and it is the attributes of those regular commonalities that are being referenced when we talk about biological sex differences in society.
"but those that are do find that their qualifications often are not enough to get them jobs or pay parity."
This is a fair point worth actual investigation, and I also suspect if true it might be a who you know thing as well. But again. It will be a small bunch of arsehole males, not a whole sex working in the industry.
"It will be a small bunch of arsehole males, not a whole sex working in the industry."
Once again, not all individual males experience the privilege of men as a biological class. However, the power structures within our society are formed and maintained most particularly by men.
I’m going to think about what you are writing, and think about how I am explaining myself and try and figure out why we seem to be misunderstanding each other. I might not reply again because it’s an early night for me, but didn’t want you to think I’m abandoning this discussion for good.
She was the only one in the course to achieve 100% scores on papers, but in her work environment she was often ignored and did not have pay parity with others with the same qualifications and experience.
This is pretty much the common experience of all juniors – having a cervix is certainly not the whole explanation in play here.
As a working engineer let me do a rough description of my current work team – totaling about 40 people across controls, process and operations:
Fully 45% of the entire group are women
The lead process engineer is a woman.
The cultural and ethnic diversity is pretty typical of Australia as a whole, with a tilt toward Asian's.
Our Chair of the Board is an Asian – and a woman.
Our CEO is of Nigerian heritage
Chris T has a point – that workplaces of the last 15 years or so have changed a fair bit. As a contractor I get to move around quite a lot so my experience is reasonably representative I'd suggest.
That's good. If my son training to be an engineer completes his degree, I'll send him your way. (BTW, he's in the process of selecting his branch of engineering. Would you mind sharing what branch you are in, and what are the recommendations and pitfalls that you consider related to that branch?)
His older brother was put off engineering when he volunteered for a year at a local vintage railway workshop. Unknown to me, the workshop was covered in pictures of naked ladies, and tea break talk was often sexual. He was young, and only told me how uncomfortable he felt after he had left.
Goes without saying why his younger sister didn't follow his volunteer path.
I started in Electrical but if I had my time again I'd probably do Process Engineering. After a wobbly start in my 20s I found myself doing Industrial Automation and have never looked back. Decades later and I still look forward to each day. Or night as it happens right now.
There is a huge diversity of roles in Engineering and not all of them are strictly professional as such. The key thing is to have an abiding interest in the nature of the work. That alone will carry anyone a long way.
Honestly I haven't seen a porno parlour like your son encountered since the 80s. If they still exist it would be mostly in marginal non-professional settings like the one described.
As for sexual talk, the most wonderfully vivid banter along these lines belonged to a female Control operator I worked with in Canada. Takes all sorts.
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Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
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:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
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. ...
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 ...
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. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Wizard put out to pasture: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/15/new-zealand-council-ends-contract-with-wizard-after-two-decades-of-service
You may have forgotten that Labour officially endorsed wizardry, so here's a reminder of that history:
Not just implications. Imprecations. Incantations. Chants, even. Sadly, the Labour Party failed to follow through on the initiative, and under Helen Clark reverted to merely copying the National Party.
Jacinda has displayed a noteworthy talent for enchanting people, but few observers would use magical thinking to account for that. There's a lack of evident espousal of witchery in her messaging. Unlike several of my old female friends – one of whom has the number plate BRMSTCK on her EV.
Cultural commentators tend to forget that an entire generation of teenage rebels in the 1960s went on to explore the possibilities of magical thinking, and the culture of Western civilisation got transformed as a result. Political scientists are too stupid to learn from the political consequences – that goes without saying – so they remain a fertile area of investigation for thesis writers of the future.
Chch was a hotbed of leftism through the 1970s. Notable survivor from that era is Murray Horton, still operating his Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aoteroa (CAFCA). As Ad pointed out yesterday, the foreign control over Aotearoa is primarily exercised by a couple of Aussie banks – but that's the economy. Sovereign control of Aotearoa still resides in the British Crown. A triumvirate of foreign control can be discerned if you factor in Facebook, Five-Eyes, and the century in which the CFR has directed the USA foreign policy regardless of the coming & going of US presidents…
RNZ's Eyewitness did a profile on The Wizard.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/eyewitness/audio/2018810599/the-wizard-a-living-work-of-art
It was the zeitgeist. Yippies using street theatre to warp mass consciousness alt-left. Establishment left had spines permanently horizontal in obeisance to their overlords. The real pioneers of the technique were Kesey & the Pranksters, after he liberated LSD from the chem lab around '62 & they got into freaking straights with day-glo.
Exposé on that origin of hippie came via The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. I read my brand-new paperback copy early 1970 and it was a revelation. Shadbolt was using the technique in Albert Park that year when we first saw him. Jumping Sundays, the media called it.
.
Oh christ on a bike !, save us from self-indulgent middle-class hippies, affluent New Age fantasists with vastly more money than sense … & worst of all … far, far worse than anything else … spoilt narcissists of dubious talent terrorising the general public with ostentatious displays of street theatre … everyone fiercely competing against each other to be the centre of attention as a desperate substitute for the cloying indulgence of their comfortably-off parents after leaving home … [a bit like Woke Twitter when you think about it].
Could there be anything worse than the smug self-indulgence of the children of the Establishment ?
Yeah yeah but there's always been a world of difference between the trend-setters & the trend-followers. You're right about the narcissism bit. The yanks did rather go to an extreme with that. Jung would explain it as compensatory reaction to a childhood of extreme repression.
Dunno if it's that simple tho. I had that. I didn't lose the plot like the narcissists. Gotta remember that growing up in a world where the political left and right are threatening you with competing forms of totalitarian govt, not to mention nuclear war, did make a rebel wave that was rather fervent…
I would like to know if the wizard is pro or anti vaccination?
I have a wonderful photo of the wizard taken in 1991 on a ladder in the square in Christchurch when I did my decade trip there.
Sweety Pook
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/307992465
Aw…I mucked that up. Try again…
Sweety Pook
https://vimeo.com/307992465
Legal ructions in Aotearoa: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/17/explosion-of-ideas-how-maori-concepts-are-being-incorporated-into-new-zealand-law
The Cambrian explosion is a geological metaphor. So the old thing about restless natives is ramping up to a higher level.
A welcome move. Seems to indicate a shift in the hierarchy from pretending to be progressive into actually making progress.
Worthy questions, those. Worth an essay onsite here! My intuitive response to the one about the state is yes, but I'll defer to those with more grasp of tikanga first.
I've got family guests, so I can't devote any time to this at the moment, but yes, I think the time is ripe for NZ to develop some of its own legal code & jurisprudence around, & incorporating concepts like tikanga Māori.
I believe the Peter Ellis appeal is a bold step in the right direction & suspect that will be around Ellis's mana, which survives him, & also affects his family's mana. The English law idea that when you die you no longer have a reputation to be restored (for example) so you have no need of redress, in my view is wrong. Your mana remains & should be legally capable of being restored.
Peter Martin, a political reporter for Bloomberg News, reports on Xi's exemplary demonstrations of how to lose friends and depress people (contrary to Dale Carnegie's `how to win friends & impress people' advice).
As in `ain't worth a dime'. Geopolitics from an establishment perspective. The future, as defined by the past. Automata rule, ok? Am I being too hard on the control system? Probably. Establishment folk do sometimes improvise.
Yeah, I get it. Copy the Reagan model. Must've made quite an impression on Xi at the time. Martin explores the historical development of the regime's diplomacy.
Dunno if this `diplomats as automata' praxis has accomplished a hell of a lot for China really. Seven decades of the Chou model correlates with rise of China, sure, but correlation ain't causation. Globalising is coming together. Using a separatist policy in that context is likely to ensure minimal gains.
Far out. James Shaw is a bit awkward on Q and A this morning.
At least he fronted I guess. Which is more than other politicians do.
"Which is more than other politicians do."
Seen on Q & A recently. MPs Verrall, Chhour, Jackson, Packer, Bridges, Bishop, Shaw, Luxon, Seymour, Robertson, Hipkins, Collins, Mahuta.
Just a brief survey of this blog and the Q&A site brought up these names.
One very incorrect 'reckon'. This kind of comment epitomises the danger of social media.
Thanks for the check. Mac
Kris Faafoi seems to be doing a pretty good job hiding from media currently…
Kris Faafoi has a thankless task. Organise billets for those returning plus sports people business people arts people emergency quota of returns, essential workers with everyone wanting his attention "NOW". With the outbreak of Delta MIQ spots are under pressure. He has tried to be fair to those stranded those with visa requests in the pipeline, while he has done sterling work in the commercial sphere, and has stood the buffeting from all sides for months on end.
/mind saying that in Wnglish?
I was just talking about Shaw on Q and A this morning
mac1's reply @5.1 relates to the last sentence in your brief comment. 5.1 begins by quoting that sentence, making it difficult to fathom the depths of your confusion.
Are you trying to pretend politicians don't hide.
Ardern from Hosking. Collins a couple of weeks ago from everybody. Faafoi has gone AWOL
TBF. having meet him a few times before he became a politician and thinking he was a twat, Hipkins always fronts
No. What an odd question.
Still can't fathom your "/mind saying that in Wnglish?" comment @5.1.3.
I just had no idea what this meant
And apologies for the spelling mistake. I am thinking you knew what I meant even though it is there
"
Just a brief survey of this blog and the Q&A site brought up these names.
One very incorrect 'reckon'. This kind of comment epitomises the danger of social media."
Edit: I mean wtf has social media got to do with it?
You really had no idea what a list of 13 politicians who recently appeared on Q & A meant, in the context of your comment @5? Extraordinary!
Well obviously, but it isn't the ones hiding as pressure is on them, Like Collin's a few weeks ago, Fa'afoi and Ardern with Hosking
Edit: Throwing some associate minister at question time and you giving a list of mps who have fronted on their behalf doesn’t change the fact the others didn’t There is 120 of them ffs
You wrote "TBF. having meet him a few times before he became a politician and thinking he was a twat, Hipkins always fronts."
TBF means 'to be fair'. Well, Chris T, in your comment at #5, you were not fair. You made a very wild claim, with no substantiation, which is what I called you on, with 13 recent examples as evidence.
Now, what was that about being a 'twat'?
Chris have you heard of The Standard, a popular social media site?
"Ardern" from Hosking"
I'd call it a boycott rather than hiding. And who could disagree with withdrawing from that toxic sicko. When a so-called professional treats the PM in such a rude and disrespectful manner consistently he really should be sent home and told not to return. Calling any woman guest a lying hussy should result in a final warning at the very least.
If I saw that prick down here in Kapiti I'd break his nose.
Ardern was unable to answer Hoskings basic questions and came across terribly. Hipkins, Robertson and Little still go on his show.
Is that supposed to be an excuse for his misogynistic abusive bullying?
Does Kate let him treat her that way?
In what way was it "unfair"?
Saying people don't do things when they do do things is unfair. It's also untrue. Facts makes for truth and trust.
So the 2021 Nobel Peace prize winner, Maria Ressa, tells us. "A world without facts means a world without truth and trust."
I think we might have to agree to disagree, as obviously you are not getting my point and I am not getting yours.
Probably mt fault tbh.
If an MP, (or anyone for that matter) does not accept an invitation to appear on some media entertainment show, does that mean they are 'hiding?'
Good point. Absolutely not. No politician should feel in any way obligated to appear on any programme generated by commercialism (ie, a right-wing outlet) where they are likely to be grilled by some right-wing nut job.
To create a level playing-field, we need impartial media with intelligent, disinterested interviewers. Kim Hill on RNZ is about the last example that I have heard make a reasonable effort at being so.
Talkback radio is commercialised cacklemush, and the right wing of society would like to eliminate state radio (or any kind of radio independent to their commercially-driven system) and hold a right-wing monopoly over the media, pretending it is independent because there is an artificial competitive market.
Fallacy.
If it's of any help Chris T, I took your original comment to mean that you thought Shaw's performance was so lacklustre he might as well have not been there, but kudos to him for trying.
Could be wrong, but don't understand why you are being harried on this particular comment. Seems of little consequence.
That was basically my point
Covid is getting close and very real. Thank you for yesterdays confirmation of our commitment to community, Jacinda Ardern and all the many people involved. I await the final totals with a sense of hope.
However, we have just had an unsettling email from our Doctor's surgery team. They have reorganised into Red and Green zones, to help when covid arrives. (definitely when not if) A portable cabin for the red zone , the surgery the green zone. Full PPE for all staff, patients to remain in cars 'till they are checked.
We are glad they are as prepared as possible, but the tone of gravity with the mention of no relief staff if they get sick, their efforts not to take the virus home, and their fully vaccinated status, all felt too "close to home".
We have known this excellent team for forty years, and know this is preparing to meet the enemy head on. I am thankful for these brave people who will strive to keep us safe, and I realised how lucky we are to have a wee safe bolt hole. They stressed vaccination was key in keeping this manageable. Again thanks to everyone who turned up to be vaccinated, you helped your local medical team.
Anyone who is dithering, don't wait, do it asp, 1st now 2nd in 3 weeks plus 2 weeks to build immunity and by 29th of November you will have "done your bit" for your health your Doctors and Nurses and others in the community.
Thank You in advance. “Let’s Do This”
The double-vaccinated have much less to fear now. That's almost all older people already.
Peak fear is passing, replaced with peak re-organisation.
This is a good phase.
What's the current estimate of deaths if 90% are fully vaxxed?
What's the estimate for long covid?
"less to fear" is accurate and fudges reality at the same time.
Shaun Hendy said 7,000 deaths a year if 80% of over 5 year old's vaccinated. We are only vaccinating over 12's but are probably over 80% by now. So hopefully less than 7,000.
From RNZ on Tiwai Pt
"The latest tests released by the company have found 83 percent of groundwater samples exceed drinking water standards as well as regional council guidelines for aluminium and toxic fluoride.
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters says no one uses the groundwater for drinking."
But I think a few people eat Bluff oysters
Little wonder you weren't involved in the catering at all, sport.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/pms-wedding-stoush-jacinda-ardern-and-clarke-gayford-given-5000-bill-jilted-venue-owner-robin-pierson-says-dealings-insulting/KHSROFLW2FTBJAWYWHOADDN254/
But it turned sour when almost half of the 112 diners fell ill after eating the turkey.
A long-time restaurateur's legal battle to overturn a conviction brought by the NZ Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) looks to have ended after more than three years before four courts.
But Robin Pierson, owner of Gisborne's Bushmere Arms, says he has not decided what he will do now to protect the reputation of his restaurant and bar. He maintains a norovirus is responsible for the outbreak which affected 50 to 53 diners, whose symptoms included vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3568092/Restaurateur-loses-final-legal-bid
Covid can be a wedding spoiler even if everything was meticulously planned for the day.
I would like to know what the situation would be due to a level lockdown regarding all costs?
Brian Gould give more bGround.
https://bryangould.com/blog/
Surprise.
https://twitter.com/nealejones/status/1449524709280796676
I thought in court cases there were claims that Slater was incapacitated with a stroke.
Anyone know? If so, did it affect his body or his mind?
He's a veritable Lazarus.
Word of the day – agrivoltaics.
In Jack's Solar Garden in Boulder County, Colorado, owner Byron Kominek has covered 4 of his 24 acres with solar panels. The farm is growing a huge array of crops underneath them—carrots, kale, tomatoes, garlic, beets, radishes, lettuce, and more. It’s also been generating enough electricity to power 300 homes. “We decided to go about this in terms of needing to figure out how to make more money for land that we thought should be doing more,” Kominek says.
Rooftops are so 2020. If humanity’s going to stave off the worst of climate change, people will need to get creative about where they put solar panels. Now scientists are thinking about how to cover canals with them, reducing evaporation while generating power. Airports are filling up their open space with sun-eaters. And space doesn’t get much more open than on a farm: Why not stick a solar array in a field and plant crops underneath? It’s a new scientific (and literal) field known as agrivoltaics—agriculture plus photovoltaics—and it’s not as counterintuitive as it might seem.
https://www.wired.com/story/growing-crops-under-solar-panels-now-theres-a-bright-idea/
Yet another reason to never go to Australia. Vegemite pizza. Truly a crime against humanity.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/this-has-gone-too-far-is-the-surprise-new-dominos-pizza-topping-a-bridge-too-far/6PGJUZ7RS5X56R4BGWQJLSWVVI/
And you all thought this was satire, didncha?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31JNEVHZxO8
Just stick with whatever combination of sausage, ham, pepperoni, cheese and onion and be done with it
Adding more stuff to pizza just works it worse
Thats also a scientific fact.
Anchovies and kalamata olives, when I'm making it myself.
Although, since I needed to use an oven to test some materials at high temperatures for a project at work, the last one I made tasted like hot epoxy and vinyl ester. I don't recommend that.
maybe you should do this at home then? https://www.undejeunerdesoleil.com/2019/08/anchoiade-maison.html
Oh I dunno.
The cheese-eating surrender monkeys have a habit of taking individual things that are quite interesting on their own, and blending them into some sort of weird unidentifiable goo that's even more wrong than vegemite. That looks like another one of those.
The surrender monkeys ain't the only ones to do stomach-churning things with unmentionables.
I joyfully and easily eat all manner of shellfish from gulper clams to mussels much to the astonishment of my children. I cannot, however, bring myself to eat woodcock with the trail left in place to cook and the juices to run free.
I found a recipe on the internet for ‘flambe woodcock’ where after cooking them whole with the guts intact the entrails were scooped out and mixed with bacon, olive oil, mustard, port, and lemon juice to make a puree.
The puree and woodcock are then warmed in a frying pan for a few minutes before tipping cognac over and setting alight. Simple as that and it is apparently delicious. Other cooks roast the bird intact then scoop out the ‘trail’ into a hot pan, add some red wine and seasoning and spread on bread or toast when heated.
https://www.countrymansweekly.com/gamekeeper/risky-woodcock/
Oh no sir, you are greatly mistaken.
this is nicois as it gets and it is delish, and easy to make.
Pizza is basically cheese on toast. Putting marmite on that is not that uncommon – down in the southwest anyway. That exta vegemitey one from Adelaide does look pretty vile though. The entire point of a (small) smear of marmite on top of cheese on toasted bread (crumpets by my preference) is the slighty caramelised brittleness it gets during the grilling, putting a lake of it under the cheese just seems weird to me!
It's all rather moot though, as that NZH article concludes:
please fix email address typo on next comment, ta.
Worked in a 'prestige' restaurant on Hamilton Island in the 80's.
Diluted Grenadine to accompany the monkfish, and chicken served with watered down Vegemite.
I don’t know, vegemite, cheese, white carbs, sounds classic. Just needs some pineapple.
Unfortunately soon there is going to be more and more of this.
Alleged 'influencer party' infuriates locked-down Aucklanders, police receive multiple complaints – NZ Herald
The Givalittle page to help Tairawhiti get a mobile clinic for vaccines and medical needs for their remote area has reached $90 000 from public donations. Wonderful news. Good among the thoughtless Jester.
Up in Auckland were we not fortunately that the weather arrived today? Everything appeared to align for a successful day. My thanks to all those unseen volunteers and community leaders who heavily contributed to the last few weeks success.👏🏿
"But, a few men do cause immense harm to both women and men. And many other men, consider that sex-based harm to be women's problems and do not bother to keep track or speak out against those members of their sex."
BTW There have been quite a few women that have caused harm. Especially to their kids, so you might want to take a step off your pedestal for a sec.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
If you want to argue that men as a class aren't responsible for most of the violence against humans, then you can do it in OM rather than derail my post (the derail is in accusing a feminist of putting herself or women on a pedestal when she was talking about men). However if you do run that argument I will expect you to provide evidence as you go.
Otoh, you could just stop taking it personally when women point out the problems they have with men as a class and subgroups of those men, and instead make the time to learn what we are talking about.
"If you want to argue that men as a class aren't responsible for most of the violence against humans"
I haven't and they obviously have been, but this doesn't make us all bad as a group.
How are Mary 1, Myra Hindley Rosemary West going?
You see when we speakof evil women we say their names and don't paint the who sex with it.
Nwlson Mandela's missus was into necklessing people. I don't blame her for it because she was a chick
what's your point? That male violence isn't done by men, they just happen to be male people?
weka, just noticed this had been moved to OM. Was trying to think of a good response, but saw yours. Much more succinct, but exactly what I wanted to ask.
@chris T – What she said above.
Thread on the likely Covid end-game in the US – a death rate of 40/100K a year, twice the current flu rates, and costly burdens on resources and systems but probably deemed tolerable enough to avoid radical public health measures.
https://twitter.com/trvrb/status/1448297954306150401
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1448297954306150401.html
Good data in an article in the Scottish Herald.
Scotland has 3.8 million people double vaccinated with Pfizer.
Further on, it states that the death rate drops drastically if a booster shot is given.
The double vaccination target is just the beginning – not the end goal.
Weka. I realise this now. Which is why I apologised.
Molly. I wish people could work out it wasn't the fact they were dudes.
There have in hisotry been plenty of evil powerful women.
Jence my Mary 1 post.
The point is it is power and privilege, not sex. Some few dudes were the ones that got it. Totally agree.
But all the other dudes in past history prior to about 1800 starving their arses off and just trying to fee their kids, with their wives
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Hold on to your hat, Chris. The ride might get wild from here on out.
Class distinctions also matter. Within the power structure, without consideration for sex, there are mechanisms that serve to keep the elite classes immune from the privations of the lower classes.
That deserves attention as well, and should be recognised. I would wholeheartedly support any who chose to address this inequity, and only if they had not considered the distinct experiences of racial minorities or women would I bring those extra considerations up. Because to solve issues like this with effectiveness, you have to make sure to identify the problem as fully as you can.
As regards power and privilege in our current society – if you believe there currently exists equity between men and women, then I would disagree.
"If you believe there currently exists equity between men and women, then I would disagree."
In what respect fo you mean equity?
Money? Status?
The PM, Leader of the opposition and Governer General are all woman.
Probably the 3 most up there jobs in the country.
There is a chick "The queenster! running the commonwealth)
Did you need a female ABs coach?
The point is it is power and privilege as a whole, not the noticeable few. Some few 'chicks' are in positions of power. Totally agree.
But all the other 'chicks' in our present society are still dealing with sexism in society, work and relationships, while just trying to feed their kids, with or without partners.
(BTW, can we start referring to the categories as women and men now? I feel like I've wandered on to an 80's movie set.)
Id prefer females and males, as man and women tends to have turned into some weird made up inner touchy feely gender thing if ok, but all good. Will do.
I don't think you got my point I agree with you.
But just the other way round
Most blokes males aren't walking around actively oppressing females.
Apart from "noticeable few" males the rest of us are just trying to look after our kids and work our arse off, like our partners.
Just an aside but it reminds me of the whole pay equity thing.
Jobs predominently female? Not enough women studying STEM, they must be oppressed! WTF?
There is nothing stopping females doing STEM. They just may not be into it as much as males. Why are no females asking why there is not enough men doing child teaching?
But I totally agree their have been far to many "noticeable few" that were male and not enough "noticeable few" that have been female.
But this is just a culture change that is happening. Probably too slowly and in some particuar religiously nutty countries not happening
Barriers to women in STEM
https://www.google.com/search?q=stem+sexism&client=firefox-b-d&channel=trow5&ei=xNdrYaWaFNKy9QPln7GgBQ&ved=0ahUKEwiljN7o_NDzAhVSWX0KHeVPDFQQ4dUDCA0&uact=5&oq=stem+sexism&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBQgAEIAEMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeOgcIABBHELADOgcIABCwAxBDOgUIABCRAjoICAAQFhAKEB5KBAhBGABQwBBYsRtgjB9oAXACeACAAZMDiAGmEZIBBzItNC4yLjGYAQCgAQHIAQrAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz
Also, gamergate,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamergate_(harassment_campaign)
There is nothing stopping females doing STEM
Gamergate was getting close to a decade ago and again was a small bunch of arssehole males.
But way to paint everyone in tetiary education with the same brush as a few arseholes hiding behind computer keyboards
"But way to paint everyone in tetiary education with the same brush as a few arseholes hiding behind computer keyboards"
But that is not what was said.
Gamergate was getting close to a decade ago and again was a small bunch of arssehole males.
Interestingly, just had a conversation on this topic last week with my twenty-year old son. Learnt a lot, and went away looking for updates. Found this.
A suggestion: I think it might help if you stopped assuming that every time someone uses the word 'men' they are referring to you as an individual. If someone references women being involved in atrocities, I don't go into defensive mode just because I am a woman, I seek to know more.
There are social cues, implicit boundaries and many varied and legal ways of making people feel uncomfortable. Women often experience the same discomfort in certain industries because the culture has been formed on the sensibilities and priorities of men.
"There are social cues, implicit boundaries and many varied and legal ways of making people feel uncomfortable. Women often experience the same discomfort in certain industries because the culture has been formed on the sensibilities and priorities of men."
I'm sorry, but this is just not my experience in places I have worked in the last 15 or so years. TBF most of them were run by females.
Do you honestly think a male primary school teacher is not in the same predicament?
It is normally the vibe you are creating within yourself, more than automatically assuming everyone of the opposite bio sex is against you.
Though I think my male primary school teacher has it harder than the vast majority of (persecuted females"
Edit actually ignore the teacher bit. Re-read your post. Sorry. Cocked that one up agree
See my comment below.
Just read this comment which raises a whole lot of responses, that will make it difficult to rest easy. Can we take a raincheck and come back to this some other time?
Hey. Edited my post earlier sorry.
Cocked that one up a tad.
Mis-read
KO. Nighty-night.
Have a good night mate 🙂
you don't really have any argument do you, just a bunch of reckons.
No offence, but you ain't exactly filling my day with any coherent, relevant ones.
I am completely open to any you may have if there is actual evidence behind it.
I wrote a whole post Chris. If you didn't understand it, you can just ask.
I'm not going to provide evidence for things that you can very easily look up yourself. Start with the stats on which sex commits most violence, then look at which sex commits most violence against women, then look at which sex commits most violence against trans women.
Gamergate again?
That is turning into a winge more than an argument?
Or aplogies if I missed a relevant one.
no idea what you are on about, and you're starting to look like a troll.
It would help if you either used the reply conventions on TS, or cut and paste what you are referring to.
I apologise.
I obviously got the wrong end of the stick , and this is my fault.
when there is no reply button, scroll upwards from the comment you want to reply to until you find the first comment with a reply button that is inline with the comment you are replying to. That way your comments will go in the right place and it will make more sense.
I'm less interested in you saying it was your fault than I am in you just getting the basics right. Use the reply conventions, and/or quote what you are replying to so people reading can understand.
And if you are going to accuse me of whinging, then be specific about what you mean so I can address it.
"Jobs predominently female? Not enough women studying STEM, they must be oppressed! WTF?
There is nothing stopping females doing STEM. They just may not be into it as much as males. Why are no females asking why there is not enough men doing child teaching?"
These are relevant questions, for which there are no easy answers.
You may well think that women are not into STEM, but those that are do find that their qualifications often are not enough to get them jobs or pay parity. My partner did a post-graduate university course a few years ago with a female engineer. She was the only one in the course to achieve 100% scores on papers, but in her work environment she was often ignored and did not have pay parity with others with the same qualifications and experience.
Go look at the experience of women in NZ within the Fire Department, and try to determine what kind of culture allowed those actions to not only occur, but for the perpetrators to be promoted. Apparently, firefighters are the top profession of trust for most people, and yet women were still not safe in that space – solely because of their biological sex.
There are men involved in child teaching, a quick Google search comes up with a 2018 article:
(Note: Although men teaching children was a low percentage, the percentage of men as principals – the authority over the teachers was higher than proportional. The power positions were allocated to men.)
There is a distinct difference in talking about individual lived experiences as a particular sex, and a collective experience of a sex.
The first relates to the very distinct and unique experience of a particular person. They may or may not experience the general common experiences of their sex, and that is just life.
However, there are wider experiences of being a woman – or a man – and it is the attributes of those regular commonalities that are being referenced when we talk about biological sex differences in society.
"but those that are do find that their qualifications often are not enough to get them jobs or pay parity."
This is a fair point worth actual investigation, and I also suspect if true it might be a who you know thing as well. But again. It will be a small bunch of arsehole males, not a whole sex working in the industry.
"It will be a small bunch of arsehole males, not a whole sex working in the industry."
Once again, not all individual males experience the privilege of men as a biological class. However, the power structures within our society are formed and maintained most particularly by men.
I’m going to think about what you are writing, and think about how I am explaining myself and try and figure out why we seem to be misunderstanding each other. I might not reply again because it’s an early night for me, but didn’t want you to think I’m abandoning this discussion for good.
She was the only one in the course to achieve 100% scores on papers, but in her work environment she was often ignored and did not have pay parity with others with the same qualifications and experience.
This is pretty much the common experience of all juniors – having a cervix is certainly not the whole explanation in play here.
As a working engineer let me do a rough description of my current work team – totaling about 40 people across controls, process and operations:
Chris T has a point – that workplaces of the last 15 years or so have changed a fair bit. As a contractor I get to move around quite a lot so my experience is reasonably representative I'd suggest.
That's good. If my son training to be an engineer completes his degree, I'll send him your way. (BTW, he's in the process of selecting his branch of engineering. Would you mind sharing what branch you are in, and what are the recommendations and pitfalls that you consider related to that branch?)
His older brother was put off engineering when he volunteered for a year at a local vintage railway workshop. Unknown to me, the workshop was covered in pictures of naked ladies, and tea break talk was often sexual. He was young, and only told me how uncomfortable he felt after he had left.
Goes without saying why his younger sister didn't follow his volunteer path.
Queenie got her boy off the hook.
https://twitter.com/Forbes/status/1447548936844189696
We ignore these developments in Singapore at our peril.
There the business classes and the expatriates pushed to open the country.
And everyone is paying for it.
Note that 80 per cent of the population are fully vaccinated – and they are now re-imposing restrictions.
I may post on this in more detail tomorrow if time permits.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/300432375/living-with-covid19-singapore-confronts-division-and-fear-as-the-country-moves-away-from-zerocovid
@ Molly
I started in Electrical but if I had my time again I'd probably do Process Engineering. After a wobbly start in my 20s I found myself doing Industrial Automation and have never looked back. Decades later and I still look forward to each day. Or night as it happens right now.
There is a huge diversity of roles in Engineering and not all of them are strictly professional as such. The key thing is to have an abiding interest in the nature of the work. That alone will carry anyone a long way.
Honestly I haven't seen a porno parlour like your son encountered since the 80s. If they still exist it would be mostly in marginal non-professional settings like the one described.
As for sexual talk, the most wonderfully vivid banter along these lines belonged to a female Control operator I worked with in Canada. Takes all sorts.
Thanks RedLogix. You seem to be aware how unusual and fortunate you are to have a job you enjoy, I appreciate you taking the time to share.
I hope you're right about the changing culture, there do seem to be changes in some of the bigger companies especially.