In the light of California’s terrible fires, and recent fire outbreaks in our own NZ, I am compiling a list of fire-resistant plants and their attributes.
The book I’m working on (functional ecology in NZ) will take about one more year to be thorough.
In the interim Farmers and landowners and planters might want this part of the information. So for what it’s worth (life and property savings) here is a list.
Some Fire Resistant Plants:
Five finger, Hangehange, Kotukutuku/Fuschia, Mapou, Flax, Karamu (and other Coprosmas), Kohekohe, Kowhai, Papauma, Karaka, Poroporo, Puka, Horoeke, Kawakawa, Putaputaweta.
At ground level a good rule of thumb is that if snails readily live in the plants they are likely fireproof. Snails cannot run so they’ve learned to live in fire resistant surrounds. Lillies, sedges…
For shelter belts I can’t recommend Kowhai enough (as part of a design, not monoculture uggh). These fix nitrogen, feed tuis, attract pollinators, and are very hardy wind tolerant and fire resistant species. Seed is free from December onward, nick it with a knife through the hardcover, soak in water overnight and plant. Grow plants out to large enough to identify (and clear) in field as they are establishing if weed pressure will be present.
You get the basic picture. Something as simple as planting is not so straightforward. A little knowledge could go a very long way in provisioning folks with food, fuel, shelter etc. Many needs can and will be met with wise planting.
Stay posted I’ll make functional ecology accessible to all eventually.
Wonderful stuff; I have emailed your info to The Gardener in our family. Thank you.
And thanks to The Standard for allowing a place for posters to write this ‘stuff’.
Politics is ‘the price of cheese’. Having said that, I’m sure none of us are only interested in talking politics. We have other interests; that’s what makes us more rounded and inevitably more interested in making NZ the best place it can be.
That is a useful list and reminds of a pamphlet that was put out in the early 2000s.
Since then Tim Curran at Lincoln University has done some work on flammability of plants in New Zealand. The following link is from an RNZ piece about 3 years ago so there is bound to be something more up to date (maybe not in the public arena though).
Audio doesn’t work very well for me – I get distracted too easily something jogs a thought and next thing I’m looking up books or online searching the audio long forgotten…
If the work concerns our best stuff to burn (not in an ecological sense, but what burns the hottest)
Here’s top 10 flammable plants tested in NZ in descending order.
1. Gorse!
2. Manna gum
3. Kumarahou
4. Rimu
5. Silver beech
6. Manuka
7. Prickly hakea
8. Titoki
9. Wheki
10. Cabbage tree
Gorse is another nitrogen fixer. Sure pays to know a few of a plants functions when you look at both gorse and kowhai. Both fix nitrogen, one fire resistant, the other the most flammable plant…
One of my farmer clients tells a story of a Southland farmer on a farm tour of Scotland, being shown around a nursery and seeing trays of little potted gorse seedlings with ludicrous price tags attached. It was all a bit much….
Yeah audio doesn’t do much for me either but there is a synopsis of the piece.
It looks like your list of the most flammable (and least) is based on Tim Curran’s and Sarah Wyse’s work.
Anyway thanks for the interesting post … it is a timely reminder with summer ahead. There was new interest after the Port Hills fires amoung people who wouldn’t normally have realised there was such a difference.
Port Hills was what prompted me to think on all this, California was a much too deadly reminder to get on with it, and to make sure I include fire in the book.
“At ground level a good rule of thumb is that if snails readily live in the plants they are likely fireproof. ”
Fire’s not going to get those plants then *whispers but snails might 🙂
Good to have such research done and made available. Most of those plants will burn, but more reluctantly than, say, Manuka or toetoe, giving you a better chance of surviving a “California” event. Speed of recovery after a fire is also important, if you want your forest back. Have you tried growing kowhai seed early, WTB? The still-green-about-to-turn-yellow seed sprouts readily, without pre-treatment. They grow easily from cuttings too, as do kaka beak and a native broom, Carmichaelia Odorata.
Yes, fire resistant plants can slow the fire, and resist it spreading unless it is very intense. Once the water content is gone any plant material is tinder. I know you know this stuff, but we have others reading…
I’ll be interviewing several fire fighters before I print the fire section.
You legend mentioning Carmichaelia, the heroes of Canterbury – TBA…
As a ‘rule’ Carmichaelia are not great from cuttings. But are rather varied. All biological rules have rule breakers it seems. But still handy.
Am just running my first green kowhai seed experiments now – very amateur and small as I had/have no idea it’d work.
We really need a Kowhai ID key, not even the plant stores can differentiate some of them. Yet they will differ in rates of growth, sizes, water tolerance etc. If you know a good resource I’m just pulling out all I can from Govt databases and then I’ll get a(nother) biogeographer to walk me through them. There is a lady somewhere’s with a grove of all our Sophora species and two introduced… wish I knew where I read about her.
I’m going to try kowhai cuttings in water, changed regularly and with a willow “wand” for good measure. Also a chip of charcoal. I’ve lots of kotukutuku in at present, waiting for the first roots. I wonder about coppicing kotukutuku to improve access to the konini and increase flowering. Also, “bushy” fuchsia might appeal to the home gardener more than a tree. I’m off now to talk to a bloke about extending a wetland fragment he’s got. He wants to propagate jointed rush and Coprosma propinqua, en masse. Good on him.
All Sophora can be struck by cuttings, all are very difficult to strike in this manner. All seeds are relatively easy.
This is according to Landcare Research – who are awful smart, but also awful gardeners 😉
Interesting re: coppicing tree fuschia. Love to know if it works.
Those wetland plants are a good combo. Estuarine site?
If the site is windy I’d use those plants but add something slightly taller/faster growing for the wetland/land interface, manuka would work in a pinch.
Yes, it’s estuarine. Manuka would be good, as you suggest, but because he’s not bound to natives only, especially at the establishment stage, I’m talking to him about using Lupinus arboreas to shade the grasses, sequester nitrogen and provide “slash” after 3 or so years, not so much near the estuary edge, but more on the rest of the property, which is higher up and calling for different plants. He can plant into those as they open up and the natives will be sheltered, fed and mulched. I mentioned your discussion on fire-readiness and we agreed that manuka might be a liability, especially as his property is bounded by a highway and his land down-wind.
Yeah those lupins do a good job in sand. I was considering a wind/salt shadow of ascending height from the sedge to coprosma to something slightly taller. This to provide a less salty/windy micro climate behind.
If the wind is onshore toward the property the fire risk would be from the ocean/wetland? This should provide a fire shadow?
Nice. There are some salt tolerant Colocasia around, not sure if you can grow them down South though. Such beautiful plants… I’d put a lack of snails down to the high oxalates, and imagine they’re rather hard to burn.
But then, I’ve never grown an apricot in my life, so you Southern folk got me there.
Those sedges, on the waters edge of an estuary, are prime kokopu breeding material. Plant so the king tide levels lap up to their roots, the fish will do the rest. Basically a storm and a king tide coinciding is great kokopu loving weather. They can hide in the murk and lay up where it’s ‘safe’. The next king tide the spawn will hatch and head to sea. they’ll come straight back to where Momma was in whitebait season.
Trade secrets care of the late Charles Mitchell and myself, spread them around!
Kowhai appear to be quite variable and localised. I’ve got a small grove coming along as part of a local initiative to re-establish them in the Whakatipu Basin. Plants from a seed source that is quite similar to my dry location have thrived and are getting close to flowering, others from a cooler lakeside source have just died. The green seed thing is the method used here now with much better results.
The Kawarau face of the Remakables has a lot of Kowhai remnants, going up to 6-700 m. Some of these trees are huge, 7-8 m tall and as wide since they are generally solitary. I’ve been fencing on that face this winter and came across a Kowhai that from a distance I thought was a willow.
We have eight local Sophora species ranging in size from ~1 -3 m (prostrata) to up to 25 m (godleyi, microphylla) though sizes are typically half that.
Most prefer dry conditions and need to be free drained, but I suspect S. tetraptera was your lakeside species, it can cope with wet feet and is the riparian dweller of the bunch.
If you’ve any observations on growth rates I’d love to hear them. Without pampering they need their Mesorhizobium symbiont to really take off, not the Rhizobium associated with clover, acacia, etc. This will also explain failures of seeds to take in new areas at times. The Mesorhizobium do not appear to be ubiquitous like their Rhizobium counterparts.
If you get soil and roots from seedlings under established trees you might luck upon rhizobia. Check inside them for the telltale red-purple color (not yellow/brown-orange) for viability. You can freeze these in a household freezer (not -20 lab freezers that kills them off) and crush them into a paste when you want to innoculate seeds.
Still a fair bit of reading to go on all this as well, but hope that helps.
Collecting mesorhizobium from under parent trees…how far away from the trunk do you reckon the best, most active site for collection might be? I suspect drip-line or further; maybe much further, as the interface between root and mesorhizobium is likely to be at the exploratory point, Imo. Tricky! Interesting!
Absolutely it’s tricky. Yes they reside toward to edges of the root system. You could plant drip lines then transplant away but this’ll get you in trouble on public property. Seedlings near established plants are an order of magnitude better to search under. This requires some seasonal knowledge as a rule (those damn rules again) the seeds are ready a couple of months after flowering. Ideally one would gather seed and rhizobia from the same plant host, but… tricky to get the rhizobia off an older plant.
Sometimes, you can’t miss the stuff.
Definately work from the drip line out on older trees but the rhizobia perish after a bit of time (don’t know exactly) and get harder to find as the trees age. But when you find some…. That’s the gold.
Probably the same innoculant/s for the Carmichaelia. Will let you know when that reading is over.
For kowhai, nurseries usually break seed dormancy of kowhai by soaking in sulphuric acid for a short time but be aware the acid requires wearing a proper facemask and acid resistant gloves. For smaller production people usually just soak them in hot water. There is some info out there somewhere on the interwebs. Otherwise there is a book by Lawrie Metcalf called “The Propagation of New Zealand Native Plants” that is a good starting point. For seed trays – they are best sown in mineral sand with a thin layer of fine stone chip on top to help keep the moisture in.
For websites to identify kowhai species you could start with iNaturalist … fill in ‘kowhai’ and ‘new Zealand’s in the appropriateness fields and then click on an observation that does not identify which exact species. Then click on the genus name and that will take you to another page where you can view descriptions etc.
Other useful websites are NZ plant conservation network and also Manaaki Whenua Landcare under plant systematics (haven’t looked to see if they have a key for kowhai though).
I already use all those resources but we do not have a Kowhai key.
And the keys provided anyway, well, I can read them with my dictionary of ecology, dictionary of biology, google, science degrees…
I want to tell the average person how to tell between Kowhai.
Not paragraphs of this shit
‘Leaves 100-150(-220) mm, imparipinnate, moderately hairy, hairs, straight, appressed. Leaflets 10-20(-25) pairs, 15-35(-40) x 5-8 mm, well spaced, never overlapping or crowded, narrowly ovate to elliptic-oblong.’
And to think, they made their monkeys do all the original write ups in Latin.
WTB you got that right :). I’m hazy on kowhai – they got split again after I finished working at a nursery.
I made my own key once just for local Carex species to try to sort them out in my head … it was still a bit of a puzzle but I did learn a lot about what to look for.
The home nursery-person can insert sandpaper into a tin can, rough side in, and make a shaker that will scarify kowhai seed easily (and musically). Perhaps a band and a regular session on a Sunday night? I understood the mechanism for kowhai seed dispersal was fall into a river, bounce along the stony bed until you’re washed ashore, battered, bruised and waterlogged, then grow as quickly as you can before the next flood.
Keep us posted! about your book’s progress and when it is to be launched. I think it should have a launching party at some live bookshop or perhaps your publishing company or if you have to self-publish do a crowd raiser for it and get people who care and act, on board.
It’s just what is needed. I did a trawl through Lincoln Uni forestry connected info and felt that they were still pinus radiata fixated. I didn’t notice anything that I could connect to planning for the explosive future, exploding rain, or exploding fires after drought. We need more info and action for sure. Sorry to Lincoln if I overlooked some fine ongoing work in this direction.
Gene edited plants are just as safe as normal plants, according to one scientist.
At a Plant and Food Research greenhouse in Auckland, one of the sections is filled with $300 apple trees, and Andy Allan, a professor of plant biology, is pointing out one of his favourite experiment, a tree with bright, fuchsia-coloured flowers.
“The particular red gene we’re testing is under a strong expression, so the roots are red, the trunk is red, the leaves are copper and the fruit goes on to look more like a plum, it’s so dark.”
The apple has an extra apple gene, making it genetically modified. There are other plants in this room that have exactly the same number of genes, but they’ve been edited.
Along with the apples, pears, tomatoes and petunias are thriving, but many also flower all year round and produce seeds five years earlier than usual.
Okay so – what affect will this have on bees, other plants, organisms? And when GM becomes the new thing for young people to get careers in, and corporates to make money from, and hopefully build up monopolies in, what then?
And people selling similar goods as they have historically, what happens to them? Out of the way – we are better, cheaper, have this and that, have added vitamins. You making a living and having a life is nothing to us.
The real disease we have to face is the constant morphing of capitalism presenting its face in unrecognisable ways until we see the connections to our cost. We know that the rich can’t be trusted as they have plundered us and the world to make more money to do what with? Anything that would be useful to mankind, also women, children, and all the little critters that form part of the world which we don’t pay attention to, may be wiped out and they will give you a half-penny to make up for losing your livelihood.
I really like Andy he has no guile about him. But I do not trust GE to save anything. What good has monoculture done anyone except machine harvesters (oil), fertiliser sales (oil), pesticide needs (oil), etc.
The money trail leads me to believe the real people behind all this care not one fuck about the planet, or your health.
Monoculture means entire crops are susceptible to one organism overcoming their defenses. PSA anyone. Then the industry all wanted to sue the government. No personal responsibility, no earth care, no people care.
Evolution is an arms race between plant and pathogen. As soon as the new GE plant savior of mankind is overcome they’ll have another extremely expensive option to replace the last failure, this one will do ever more incredible shit requiring ever more products to support it.
The scientists are amazing, but most are deeply myopic stuck within compartments of their respective fields. These so called smartest folk need to get considerably smarter.
It is good for this scientist to get a publication out under his name as I understand that universities measure your worth by what you publish on your subject.
Whether it serves any real useful purpose for discussing 1080, I think not. Calling for a meeting to discuss the topic is a bit late in the day. Because I am sure that many have been had and the environmental scientists concerned say there is no other way to reduce the pests depradating our nature reserves on difficult country than using 1080. DOC must be careful to not inflate their terminology. Using the word ‘safe’ is unscientific and sounds more like managerialism than science. But as safe as we can make it, would be truthful, along with a mention of the observed benefits as measured against the observed results including deaths.
One thing though is that money is so short and politicians memories even shorter. DOC has funding for certain tasks, and none for others, yet all require some attention. What this scientist says may mask an anxiety that some results are not being counted because they are not part of the template for DOC to obey. If so he should speak up about this aspect.
DOC has refined the dosage and changed the delivery but there will be some killings that they wanted to avoid. So they must be careful, and use it as a special tool, using hunters and bait lines. etc where possible. But we introduced the pest ourselves, and have also been pests that have helped wreck old NZ, we have to be determined to make good.
All the wishy-washy feelings about the birds it has killed, and the fact
that hunting dogs can die from it does not mean stop using it altogether. Magical ideas and theories won’t do the difficult task,
because at the end of the day, there is always the spoilsport human looking for personal advantage, perhaps leaving a breeding pair when they hunt an area closely, to make sure of work for future years.
I sort of agree with the article, but not with its reference to 1080?
Yes, “safe” is subjective, but 1080 is one of those things where you’d have to really try to injure yourself with it. So how reasonable are people who strongly believe it is “unsafe”? Can people who will use unrelated photos of dead animals and blame 1080 really be engaged with in good faith discussions?
One contribution the scientific method can make in subjective discussions is the principle that if you have to make shit up to support your point, you’re wrong.
A better example is the Pike River re-entry: “safety” is a cold assessment of the known hazards, the efficiency of all available methods in ameliorating those hazards, and a subjective evaluation of the worth gained by overcoming those risks. Subjective, but informed. The 1080 argument? Not so much.
I wasn’t impressed with the style of the article from an academic. I
was in Wellington in mid September and wandered up to Parliament Grounds. I was impressed with the vast chalked anti-1080 message on the pavement and on the top stone of the street walls. Very clearly carefully printed, precise, neat – it must have taken hours probably at night to get away with it.
It’s like abortion, the anti people just can’t accept the idea, and don’t want to hear about the value of abortion if done in the most appropriate way and with the right techniques. They want to throw aside every other heavy problem of their world and concentrate on the one thing. It makes them feel good and worthy and misunderstood by the other ignorant, foolish people.
I avoided the subject matter (1080) deliberately. It is the scientists who sound like religious zealots even their students all ape them without knowing why. If you argue you will quickly become a pariah (looney left, wrecker and hater) they do not want a discussion at all. I found it disgusting.
But the left – threats on DOC… WTF! They’re on their own.
I agree with the points re: 1080 is the best option for a shitty budget. That’s about all I agree on with regards to this closing of ranks and opinionated bullying posing as science.
Scientists should present the facts, the research, the data but when it comes to values judgements, they should understand, as we do, that such judgements are not scientific. “Safe” is not a scientific term.
There are several mental disorders which are at least partially defined by the patient having an unreasonable and life-impacting perception of “safe”, either psychologically or physiologically. “Phobias” for a start.
Where people are assigning completely unreasonable “value judgements”, why should[n’t] people who know the field more closely correct them in plain language?
A disgraceful and nasty partisan report on Pike River by Stacey Kirk.
Looks like she also gave a heads up about her report to a whole gaggle of Nat trolls, as hateful comments against Andrew Little have already been liked a whole heap of times this early in the morning.
Well so far nobody was held criminally to account for 29 dead bodies and not sure I heard you worrying about blood on the Natz and mining industries hands when they operated a dangerous mine…
John Key breaks his word to Pike River Mine families
“Well so far nobody was held criminally to account for 29 dead bodies and not sure I heard you worrying about blood on the Natz and mining industries hands when they operated a dangerous mine…”
Its a bit of a stretch to suggest that the government is some how responsible for what happened at the mine.
We get it. IF someone comes to harm Andrew Little will have blood on his hands and he should be held to account.
And 29 people did come too harm, actually DIED, 29 of them, no ifs, buts or maybes, dead, and you seem content no-one has blood on their hands or can or should be held to account.
I still can’t believe the National government did not mount a rescue for those poor men. If the Natz were running the world, the Thai cave rescue, rescue helicopter’s or firefighter’s wouldn’t exist as when accidents happen ‘too dangerous to bother to do anything about it’ seems to be their mantra. Oh, too expensive too.
Even Russia and China bother to do more when things go wrong in mines than the Natz led government, and guess what, often they are successful against the odds.
It might be dangerous to re enter, just as loss of life has happened with other rescues or recovery efforts, but if it was really that dangerous, why the F did the mine get permission to operate and do we just sit back and cover up this crime?
Yes. Making out that the decision is somehow driven by Andrew Little seeking glory says more about Kirk’s impoverished worldview than anything about him.
Her unethical colleagues and bosses also get in on the act. Alongside the hack highlighting one dissenting voice, captioning a photo as “Representatives of *some of* the Pike River families” slyly undermines the mandate of the spokespeople.
She really nails her colours to the mast in that column. I like how there’s a contrast with HDPA in the herald this morning who points out that any money spent on Pike River recovery is better than the 26 million that Key wasted on his bloody silly flag referendum.
Absolutely Ed (2) … Kirk’s piece is disgraceful and lacking substance. Nothing objective about it at all!
Kirk has given the right wing supporters something to feed on this Sunday. Will keep them full for a while.
Interestingly HdPA in the NZH today (try not to open her articles too often), while not exactly heaping too much praise on Andrew Little, has said re-entering the mine is the right thing to do, even though there could be risks involved. She even hinted at the way the Key government had reneged on their promises to the families.
Nope look around the universities, now that they are run like quasi businesses, in particular our education sold out to the private foreign student fees, guess what Law and engineering reign, the arts are out.
Apparently to get the skills we are all going to become baristas, struggling farmers, aged care workers, builders or tilers or if you are “really smart’ , a lawyer in the vein of Jordan Williams or a CTV engineer… cos they seem to be dumbing down, if not just abandoning a lot of tertiary education in NZ in favour of the above where apparently those in the ‘know’ politically think the future lies…
0% Pure critical thinking NZ +
Lucky in preparation for the future the students these days seem to be good at successfully lobbying for ignorance, might hold them in good stead!
Education follows the money. You will naturally have students making choices based on incomes. Engineering etc because Buisiness pays good salaries for those jobs. Law is popular as large incomes can be made in our fault divorce system, property, regulations etc.
To imply those subjects result in non critical thinking people is absurd. There subjects revolve around logic.
Considering what some people with Arts degrees believe in critical thinking isn’t something it can boast about either for too many.
They are even doing recruitment drives for foreign primary school kids now on the North Shore into state primary schools. Maybe an accountant or “entrepreneur” on the primary school board, who knows?
About the only meaning that can be most probably excluded is “importance” itself.
Sure, the Bard could have been going for an ironic juxtaposition, but equally if you can’t remember the full passage, “familial”, “coincidental”, “bloody”, etc can make meaningful sentences as much as “unimportant”.
Odd that they didn’t know the meaning of the word, though.
The exam asked for students to write an essay on whether they agreed with a quote from Julius Caesar which reads: “Events of importance are the result of trivial causes”.
Context gives unimportant, minor, events not likely to be considered to change anything.
yeah – there’s a reason most A-grade undergrads start their essays with a definition of the terms 🙂
Apparently the essay was marked on how you argued your case, rather than whether you got all the words right. So all good for the students who gathered themselves after shitting a brick when they read the question, lol.
Question to TRP – the name I have used is no worse than a lot of names given to national members.
It’s not a Misogynistic name (although others have tried to frame it as such).
How is this any worse than comments made by members of the left on here regarding Collins or bennet?
If what I wrote is considered inappropriate- then ok – I won’t use that term – but politely point out that a lot worse is said of femail member of the right.
[lprent: If it is the one I suspect that you used, then it is extremely misogynist. And I hardly think that ‘Crusher Collins’ is even remotely similar in the misogynist sphere.
But feel free to point ones out that have been consistently used AND you can describe a reason why they are the equivalent. Also track if people have been pulled up on it as well – because I’ll check.
Of course if you do your usual and go trivial about it or continue to whine about being pulled up on it (and waste my time), I’d be happy to replace your handle on your comments, past present and into the future on this site with something that I think is equivalent. Or I could just get rid whining.
I always like to see people having choices with a bit of risk attached.. ]
Belittling women is misogynist, James. However, thanks for accepting the moderation with good grace. I also weed out sexist remarks about Collins et al when I spot ’em. Same for racism, ageism and other casual bigotry. Can’t get them all, for obvious reasons, however most TS commenters make political points without resort to personal insults. Which is nice.
James, if you search urban dictionary for a definition of a ‘cindy’ you might see why it is seen as derogatory and mysogynistic. Look through the definitions and see how many you would object too if your daughter for example was called one.
The meaning is stereotypical and often used in a male context commenting on female characteristics.
The nickname given to Collins is derogatory but it is specific to her perceived qualities and her political history. References to Bennett are unacceptable but not mysogynistic as other politicians like Lange, Muldoon and Brownlee have borne the same insult.
Whatever the insult, they are demeaning to the individual and to the level of political discourse in which we are hopefully engaging.
“They did it too” is not a valid defence. It might be a source of irritation but even in Rugby which I am ‘watching’ right now it doesn’t save you from the upraised arm of the referee.
Have to agree with James on this (God I feel dirty) this is politics . Key got called many worse things by most here including me . I find the cindy tag cringey but meh.
Can you stop verbally kicking our PM James? We care about our new young PM and want to see her able to do her political and private business helping NZ forward, and not to be constantly pecked at and sneered at in some way. It is insulting to the country and to good women. Just keep on criticising what she does as PM or doesn’t do if that is your purpose in life.
“Ignoring calls of violence against people is an enabler of it.”
It is just a picture of the gnats recruiting – funny too in a sick way.
Funny also how you kept mum about aaaaalllll the injustices you see around you now that the new government is doing so well. During the dark gnat years you aided and abetted them like a little toady by keeping your head down and mouth shut.
Consider the violence offered to people who have a darker skin colour to be demeaned in this way. Consider the insult. Consider the violent and superior attitude of the casual and supposedly unaware racist majority shown in this public display. Consider the racism at the same A&P Show of the sale of golliwogs.
In the Sixties, the engineering students had a culture of the “haka party” which they had the eventual wisdom to also consign to history as inappropriate. Like the golliwog I had as a boy in the Fifties.
Context is important, too. Recent events in Taranaki are not helped by this form of unthinking (at best) violence. Mrs Mac1 mentioned a Nelson Morris Dance group which has a long tradition of blackening their faces. The historical context, however, gives the explanation that the dancers of former years wore the face paint as a disguise to hide their identity from such as disapproving employers.
Note that white Santa has black sidekick. Just as the Lone Ranger had Tonto as his cloured sidekick. Both white men have coloured men as their subordinates.
Just as I looked up Tonto, the urban dictionary I mentioned above as a source of current colloquial usage, gives “tonto’ as a term of abuse, a racist insult this time.
We do have a way to go with our bullying, racist, mysoginistic attitudes and behaviour……..
The Auckland Press – what a ratbag cockroach outfit that is – has ignored the fact the Police have declared the Pike River trajedy a Crime Scene.
It has wheeled out that famous “miner’? – Stacy Nobody – to spray her witless words – for her darling editor .
Mostly – she is annoyed over the cost of the re-entry of the Pike River Mine. It seems expensive at 23$Million. Money which should have been spent into making the Mine methane safe before any person was sent down that terrible hole. It was criminal to not ensure the mine was monitored and methane free.
It would be nice if Stacy – a known national party troll – would ask the extremely wealthy John Key for 23$Million to give to the families who lost their fathers and brothers. 29 such brave persons who trusted a shifty John Key.
In the meantime, could I ask Aucklanders to turn out a few decent writers. Ones who understand the Truth. Ones who don’t suck. Ones who declare for all New Zealand.
I note that Heather Du Plessis Allen is no longer one eyed. Deft with her words too. Congratulations to Her.
Here is a very good interview with new UK Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zomlot.
You know it is strange that so many commentators here on the standard bag RT, but I would like to know what Western media source would have this interview?
‘New Palestinian Ambassador to UK Discusses Israel Lobby, Netanyahu & Jeremy Corbyn!’
The “historic compromise” mentioned by the Ambassador of 30 years ago was from the King of Jordan who let them go.
The Ambassador is keen for a two state solution, but doesn’t deign to confirm Israel’s right to exist as one of those two states.
I don’t have any problem with this Ambassador slagging off the recent Israeli government’s settlement of West Bank and of Netanyahu’s leadership. Well deserved and I hope Netanyahu and his wife are shortly in jail. But pretty weird to hear a Hamas rep calling any Israeli government “extremist” when they have a fair few of their own, and criticizing the israeli government for being too Jewish is remarkable from a state run by one of the most militant forms of Islam around.
The interviewer might want to apply to Weta Workshop such is his remarkable transformation into a doormat.
Here is something important to NZ to discuss. If Kiwibank can enlarge and gather in some of the business that is going to foreign owned banks it will be better for us. They have been running long enough to prove that they can manage and compete satisfactorily.
Professor Tim Hazledine of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Auckland says the government should give Kiwibank the power to compete aggressively on price against the local Australian banks, even at the risk of its own bottom line.
Education learning and how, what to learn? We have had over 100 years of learning just enough to ruin ourselves as a country and our environment. So long and thanks for the fish. So perhaps we should think about these new ways of learning – are they taking our minds and thoughts out of our bodies so we are not in tune with ourselves as whole organisms any more? Our heads looking at the stars, while our feet stand in cow poo, and we have no healthy food to eat.
“They are putting the knowledge to use, so they actually see the purpose of why they are learning.”
Fellow teacher Andrea Tapsell says teaching had also changed hugely since she started out 16 years ago.
“My whole teaching practice has had to change to incorporate the digital technology as well as student agency, as well as bringing in that inquiry, collaborative approach.”
Collaborative approach. How can kids think their own individual thoughts if right from the start they are taught to think as a group? Isn’t that group-think – the one who is different doesn’t fit? Some sharp comments on what we think.
Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, Thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought is great and swift and free. Bertrand Russell
One should respect public opinion insofar as is necessary to avoid starvation and keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny. Bertrand Russell
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/bertrand_russell_125227
Is this true?
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists
in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
― George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman
Love this phrase ” areas of interest include communication avoidance and propaganda.”
This man on Radionz was talking about it apprently. I didn’t hear him but was looking at the summaries for Wallace (today noelle) and he sounds interesting.
The avoidance part is why I don’t read James and other trolls. There is only so much I can take in and I can’t afford to take in too much stressful trivia. (Example – did I need to know that there is some kerfuffle about an exam because some students didn’t know the meaning of trivial? Sheesh.)
Dr Ethan Plaut, lecturer in media and communication at the University of Auckland, says the sheer volume of media messages in a 24- hour news cycle is more than anyone can critically process. Ethan Plaut is a former journalist who came from Stanford University to the University of Auckland in January and whose areas of interest include communication avoidance and propaganda.
Quantity is a result of traffic based revenue and connectivity.
So propaganda can be with quantity vs absence.
EG,
There is a large number of Kavanaugh is guilty slanted articles but very few exposing all the lies and false allegations. The public will be all exposed to the guilty arguments but few will read about the lies.
Or,
Everyone knows JLR was unfaithful as there has been many articles naming him and including statements on his infidelity. Very few articles exist naming the female MP who did the same thing. (Unfortunately it’s not mysoginist)
Professor Mark Blyth is a British political scientist from Scotland and a professor of international political economy at Brown University.
His ideas on Brexit are worth listening to.
Ed
If you are going to put up a lot of youtube links, only leave one to open that you think is the best and put a half bracket at the front of the others as (so. That leaves them closed but ready to spring into action.
Otherwise you fill up such a large portion of the page and I don’t want to have these videos dominate it. I get a similar feeling that I used to when I watched tv and had too many Harvey Norman ads come up. I never go there now and never will. Please don’t turn me away from the blog which I have visited for years.
I mentioned the other day that should give a decent intro to the vids to which you link. That’s to avoid spamming the site or turning TS into lefty facebook. This is a place to discuss opinions, and that kinda implies your own opinion should be shared, not someone else’s.
So, tell us what you think, add some links where it adds colour or context, and argue your corner.
You could politely say Ed that you can see what I mean, after I explained how much of the screen your consecutive video shots take up. You could say okay will do. That seems a reasonable, adult response to a reasonable request.
If Brexit was “about the 1%” as he states then it would have happened in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and basically everywhere else that the left deradicalised. It didn’t. So no, the left is not to blame for everything as he implies.
And I love the way he wants Europe but not the Euro.
That means he supports the Pound, namely the English (London) economy that simply makes its money by being a financial capital of the world. He may as well be working for Northern Rock.
But no, he has no need to analyze himself.
It’s like he forgets which areas voted to stay, which sectors of British society voted to stay, which parts of the population voted to stay. There are plenty more actual analyses on the finer breakdowns of the vote on precisely why this happened – and why the vote was so close.
The much more interesting questions are about:
– how the House of Lords amends it,
– which of Labor’s MPs cross the floor to get it through (including the redoubtable Brexit champion Corbyn) and therefore take the electoral credit
– how it gets implemented,
– how fast Britain’s economy declines afterward, and
– how Russia, China, and the Untied States take advantage of a greatly diminished Britain and Europe and keep picking them apart into smaller pieces in their own interest.
[Obviously some people have been missing the fact that ad homs aren’t going down too well with me. People have already been banned, and unless those of you jumping in on this sub-thread want to be joining them, then the suggestion is thatyou all pull your heads in. Do any of you think any author appreciates having the discussion beneath their posts trashed with kindergarten garbage? If it’s seriously all you’re capable of, then just comment on your own facebook or whatever and leave your keyboard alone when you’re on this site] – B.
[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.]
[To repeat. Obviously some people have been missing the fact that ad homs aren’t going down too well with me. People have already been banned, and unless those of you jumping in on this sub-thread want to be joining them, then the suggestion is thatyou all pull your heads in. Do any of you think any author appreciates having the discussion beneath their posts trashed with kindergarten garbage? If it’s seriously all you’re capable of, then just comment on your own facebook or whatever and leave your keyboard alone when you’re on this site] – B.
[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.]
Your logic is standing on its head. One of the reasons that Ed is so disrespected here is that he will make a grand statement but then refuse to say what he actually means.
[And the level of respect you think you’re commanding trying to pass this garbage off as in some way a contribution to this site? Read the moderation comments I’ve left up thread] – Bill
dang.
I scrolled past the funniest antinatvid I have ever seen on fb.
They all got a jolly good serve! soymin and poymin an all the rest.
if it comes again I will take the trouble to note the link.
He didn’t spend anywhere enough in NZ to qualify for residency.
Submitted (assumed unsuccessfully), but reapplies when Jacinda becomes PM and voila- a visa and a job (and it looks like the residency might be as dodge as the job).
“Nobody would have ever thought this could happen,” President Donald Trump said while touring the Camp Fire devastation Saturday.
That’s not true. The Camp Fire was inevitable. It is the event that so many dreaded for so long.
People prepared. Fire prevention officials planned. They drilled. They worked with homeowners. They invented fire-safe councils and Fire on the Ridge and sent fire prevention officials to schools via a program called Fire Pals. They raised money to keep fire lookouts open when the state said it wouldn’t.
Eventually, geography and topography proved to be the trap everyone thought it was.
You might be taking things out of context. Everybody knows fire risks were well known. That the state cut funding as its bankrupt. What happened in scale and speed was probably predicted by a few. Trumps assumption could be based on belief people had time to evacuate as much as the record setting severity.
Nope. The US federal government owns nearly half of the land in California, the other half is privately owned, so nothing to do with California’s fiscal position.
Kia oar The Am Show Mens day yes I’am a proud man Eco tau tokos men to but Equality is my goal .
There you go Duncan the weather is reflecting the extra energy in our environment heat is energy hence the big fluctuation in Aotearoa and Papatuanuku weather and its only going to get stronger IF we all commit to mitigate carbon that is poisoning our environment we can minimize the bad effects of climate change .
The Elon Mus effect is part of the Internet generation effect it has given Elon the power to force change’s that are beneficial for all human kind and not just the wealthy . Michio Kaku predicted that the internet 21’s Century communication device will keep the wealthy honest and the effect will have a big changes on our society.
The only reason the Eastern Bay of Plenty is the way it is simon is because of shonky’s Law’s that kicked the Rural regions & poor people into touch . And the dump laws that made a plant that’s a gift from God that has many beneficial property’s to humans health was made illegal to clear the way for Alcohol barons to reap billions forced on NZ. The settler Nuns used it as the health healing plant it is.
The britexit deal won’t go through unless Britain commits to a policy that rapidly reduces there carbon use fair enough I say.
I remember back in the day the Couch’s changed every 3 to 4 years .
Condolences to all the people who have lost family and property in the Californian fire’s.
We no that the effects of the last governments policy’s are still flowing through the systems higher cost of living I know when I raised my offspring it was much easier to survive .
The kombucha craze was going through Gisborne 15 years ago
Ka kite ano
This is what happens when the system cover up scams . I don’t want people like groper ropper around my MOKO’S
I had just come off the recruit course and we were taught we were always to do what our superiors told us to do. We were taught to always follow orders.”
Taylor says Roper’s behaviour towards female underlings at the base was well known. He would pull bra straps, pinch bottoms, push open the door of the airwomen’s change rooms while they were dressing. He did not hide his actions, Taylor says – they took place out in the open, for all to see.
But before long, Taylor became a particular target of Roper’s attention.
“In the early afternoon the senior NCOs (non-commissioned officers) would leave our section and and they would go down to the Sergeants’ mess and they would drink all afternoon.
Kia ora Tekaea It was cool seeing those kuia getting into there fitness .
Yes there is a lot of people who don’t not what there tipuna have done or achieved I can research our’s there is a bit of infomation on the internet
Burning all those log on Tolaga Bay beach its awsome that its cleaned up the mess .
Our beach is covered in logs to but you would be lucky to have one person a day go there. Ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub Yes Berne I agree with your word’s and Andrews.
With that building that collapsed in the Christ Church earthquake well not only the builder is at fault the council is to what a sham.
No demerit points for the cops they love hassling me on the road unmarked and marked car at least they won’t be hassling other people while they watching me 24/7 what a waste of money.
5G is a technology we need to get correct on the first roll out .
Taupo people you need to get off Grid Solar power systems if the grid goes down you will still have power how can a Town like Taupo lose power with one fault that is not on.
Salvation Army is a good charity to make donations to they do a lot of good work for the common poor person Kia kaha people this is what happens when a business person routs all the money to his M8s.
Peter Jackson new movie looks awsome may be he should make one on Aotearoa in the 1850 to the 1900. Ka kite ano
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
Water cremation is the biggest thing to happen to the death industry in the last 100 years. Alex Casey meets the people trying to bring it to Aotearoa. Through a set of mirrored doors down the industrial end of Christchurch’s St Asaph Street, death is getting a new lease on ...
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In the light of California’s terrible fires, and recent fire outbreaks in our own NZ, I am compiling a list of fire-resistant plants and their attributes.
The book I’m working on (functional ecology in NZ) will take about one more year to be thorough.
In the interim Farmers and landowners and planters might want this part of the information. So for what it’s worth (life and property savings) here is a list.
Some Fire Resistant Plants:
Five finger, Hangehange, Kotukutuku/Fuschia, Mapou, Flax, Karamu (and other Coprosmas), Kohekohe, Kowhai, Papauma, Karaka, Poroporo, Puka, Horoeke, Kawakawa, Putaputaweta.
At ground level a good rule of thumb is that if snails readily live in the plants they are likely fireproof. Snails cannot run so they’ve learned to live in fire resistant surrounds. Lillies, sedges…
For shelter belts I can’t recommend Kowhai enough (as part of a design, not monoculture uggh). These fix nitrogen, feed tuis, attract pollinators, and are very hardy wind tolerant and fire resistant species. Seed is free from December onward, nick it with a knife through the hardcover, soak in water overnight and plant. Grow plants out to large enough to identify (and clear) in field as they are establishing if weed pressure will be present.
You get the basic picture. Something as simple as planting is not so straightforward. A little knowledge could go a very long way in provisioning folks with food, fuel, shelter etc. Many needs can and will be met with wise planting.
Stay posted I’ll make functional ecology accessible to all eventually.
And have a lovely Sunday.
What a wonderful offering! Thank you for your foresight and knowledge.
I set a lot of store in good firebreaks
A.
Thanks, WeTheBleeple
Thank you. This is the kind of action we can all take note of. I have written your list down for further study for planting around our place. Cheers.
Wonderful stuff; I have emailed your info to The Gardener in our family. Thank you.
And thanks to The Standard for allowing a place for posters to write this ‘stuff’.
Politics is ‘the price of cheese’. Having said that, I’m sure none of us are only interested in talking politics. We have other interests; that’s what makes us more rounded and inevitably more interested in making NZ the best place it can be.
To me it is all part of politics. It is we who have got too focussewd on the bribery and conniptions.
That is a useful list and reminds of a pamphlet that was put out in the early 2000s.
Since then Tim Curran at Lincoln University has done some work on flammability of plants in New Zealand. The following link is from an RNZ piece about 3 years ago so there is bound to be something more up to date (maybe not in the public arena though).
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld/audio/201768850/firing-up-the-plant-barbecue
Audio doesn’t work very well for me – I get distracted too easily something jogs a thought and next thing I’m looking up books or online searching the audio long forgotten…
If the work concerns our best stuff to burn (not in an ecological sense, but what burns the hottest)
Here’s top 10 flammable plants tested in NZ in descending order.
1. Gorse!
2. Manna gum
3. Kumarahou
4. Rimu
5. Silver beech
6. Manuka
7. Prickly hakea
8. Titoki
9. Wheki
10. Cabbage tree
Gorse is another nitrogen fixer. Sure pays to know a few of a plants functions when you look at both gorse and kowhai. Both fix nitrogen, one fire resistant, the other the most flammable plant…
One self sows prolifically. One has flowers from which delicious wine can be made. One is a threatened species in its native land 🙂
Coconut scented wine!
One of my farmer clients tells a story of a Southland farmer on a farm tour of Scotland, being shown around a nursery and seeing trays of little potted gorse seedlings with ludicrous price tags attached. It was all a bit much….
Yeah audio doesn’t do much for me either but there is a synopsis of the piece.
It looks like your list of the most flammable (and least) is based on Tim Curran’s and Sarah Wyse’s work.
Anyway thanks for the interesting post … it is a timely reminder with summer ahead. There was new interest after the Port Hills fires amoung people who wouldn’t normally have realised there was such a difference.
Was/is Sarah working with Lincoln on this type of stuff? Cool.
My sources so far are the forestry service, fire service, and an article on the work at Lincoln which aligned very nicely with other data. 😀
https://fireandemergency.nz/assets/Documents/Research-and-reports/Report-20-A-Flammability-Guide-for-Some-Common-New-Zealand-Native-Tree-and-Shrub-Species.PDF
Port Hills was what prompted me to think on all this, California was a much too deadly reminder to get on with it, and to make sure I include fire in the book.
“At ground level a good rule of thumb is that if snails readily live in the plants they are likely fireproof. ”
Fire’s not going to get those plants then *whispers but snails might 🙂
Good to have such research done and made available. Most of those plants will burn, but more reluctantly than, say, Manuka or toetoe, giving you a better chance of surviving a “California” event. Speed of recovery after a fire is also important, if you want your forest back. Have you tried growing kowhai seed early, WTB? The still-green-about-to-turn-yellow seed sprouts readily, without pre-treatment. They grow easily from cuttings too, as do kaka beak and a native broom, Carmichaelia Odorata.
Yes, fire resistant plants can slow the fire, and resist it spreading unless it is very intense. Once the water content is gone any plant material is tinder. I know you know this stuff, but we have others reading…
I’ll be interviewing several fire fighters before I print the fire section.
You legend mentioning Carmichaelia, the heroes of Canterbury – TBA…
As a ‘rule’ Carmichaelia are not great from cuttings. But are rather varied. All biological rules have rule breakers it seems. But still handy.
Am just running my first green kowhai seed experiments now – very amateur and small as I had/have no idea it’d work.
We really need a Kowhai ID key, not even the plant stores can differentiate some of them. Yet they will differ in rates of growth, sizes, water tolerance etc. If you know a good resource I’m just pulling out all I can from Govt databases and then I’ll get a(nother) biogeographer to walk me through them. There is a lady somewhere’s with a grove of all our Sophora species and two introduced… wish I knew where I read about her.
That’s very clever stuff, loved the bit about snails, thanks for that.
I’m going to try kowhai cuttings in water, changed regularly and with a willow “wand” for good measure. Also a chip of charcoal. I’ve lots of kotukutuku in at present, waiting for the first roots. I wonder about coppicing kotukutuku to improve access to the konini and increase flowering. Also, “bushy” fuchsia might appeal to the home gardener more than a tree. I’m off now to talk to a bloke about extending a wetland fragment he’s got. He wants to propagate jointed rush and Coprosma propinqua, en masse. Good on him.
All Sophora can be struck by cuttings, all are very difficult to strike in this manner. All seeds are relatively easy.
This is according to Landcare Research – who are awful smart, but also awful gardeners 😉
Interesting re: coppicing tree fuschia. Love to know if it works.
Those wetland plants are a good combo. Estuarine site?
If the site is windy I’d use those plants but add something slightly taller/faster growing for the wetland/land interface, manuka would work in a pinch.
Yes, it’s estuarine. Manuka would be good, as you suggest, but because he’s not bound to natives only, especially at the establishment stage, I’m talking to him about using Lupinus arboreas to shade the grasses, sequester nitrogen and provide “slash” after 3 or so years, not so much near the estuary edge, but more on the rest of the property, which is higher up and calling for different plants. He can plant into those as they open up and the natives will be sheltered, fed and mulched. I mentioned your discussion on fire-readiness and we agreed that manuka might be a liability, especially as his property is bounded by a highway and his land down-wind.
Yeah those lupins do a good job in sand. I was considering a wind/salt shadow of ascending height from the sedge to coprosma to something slightly taller. This to provide a less salty/windy micro climate behind.
If the wind is onshore toward the property the fire risk would be from the ocean/wetland? This should provide a fire shadow?
The wind comes from the other direction. I’m looking to build the windward forest first, then encourage the estuarine edge communities to multiply.
Nice. There are some salt tolerant Colocasia around, not sure if you can grow them down South though. Such beautiful plants… I’d put a lack of snails down to the high oxalates, and imagine they’re rather hard to burn.
But then, I’ve never grown an apricot in my life, so you Southern folk got me there.
Those sedges, on the waters edge of an estuary, are prime kokopu breeding material. Plant so the king tide levels lap up to their roots, the fish will do the rest. Basically a storm and a king tide coinciding is great kokopu loving weather. They can hide in the murk and lay up where it’s ‘safe’. The next king tide the spawn will hatch and head to sea. they’ll come straight back to where Momma was in whitebait season.
Trade secrets care of the late Charles Mitchell and myself, spread them around!
Kowhai appear to be quite variable and localised. I’ve got a small grove coming along as part of a local initiative to re-establish them in the Whakatipu Basin. Plants from a seed source that is quite similar to my dry location have thrived and are getting close to flowering, others from a cooler lakeside source have just died. The green seed thing is the method used here now with much better results.
The Kawarau face of the Remakables has a lot of Kowhai remnants, going up to 6-700 m. Some of these trees are huge, 7-8 m tall and as wide since they are generally solitary. I’ve been fencing on that face this winter and came across a Kowhai that from a distance I thought was a willow.
That’s fascinating.
We have eight local Sophora species ranging in size from ~1 -3 m (prostrata) to up to 25 m (godleyi, microphylla) though sizes are typically half that.
Most prefer dry conditions and need to be free drained, but I suspect S. tetraptera was your lakeside species, it can cope with wet feet and is the riparian dweller of the bunch.
If you’ve any observations on growth rates I’d love to hear them. Without pampering they need their Mesorhizobium symbiont to really take off, not the Rhizobium associated with clover, acacia, etc. This will also explain failures of seeds to take in new areas at times. The Mesorhizobium do not appear to be ubiquitous like their Rhizobium counterparts.
If you get soil and roots from seedlings under established trees you might luck upon rhizobia. Check inside them for the telltale red-purple color (not yellow/brown-orange) for viability. You can freeze these in a household freezer (not -20 lab freezers that kills them off) and crush them into a paste when you want to innoculate seeds.
Still a fair bit of reading to go on all this as well, but hope that helps.
Collecting mesorhizobium from under parent trees…how far away from the trunk do you reckon the best, most active site for collection might be? I suspect drip-line or further; maybe much further, as the interface between root and mesorhizobium is likely to be at the exploratory point, Imo. Tricky! Interesting!
Absolutely it’s tricky. Yes they reside toward to edges of the root system. You could plant drip lines then transplant away but this’ll get you in trouble on public property. Seedlings near established plants are an order of magnitude better to search under. This requires some seasonal knowledge as a rule (those damn rules again) the seeds are ready a couple of months after flowering. Ideally one would gather seed and rhizobia from the same plant host, but… tricky to get the rhizobia off an older plant.
Sometimes, you can’t miss the stuff.
Definately work from the drip line out on older trees but the rhizobia perish after a bit of time (don’t know exactly) and get harder to find as the trees age. But when you find some…. That’s the gold.
Probably the same innoculant/s for the Carmichaelia. Will let you know when that reading is over.
For kowhai, nurseries usually break seed dormancy of kowhai by soaking in sulphuric acid for a short time but be aware the acid requires wearing a proper facemask and acid resistant gloves. For smaller production people usually just soak them in hot water. There is some info out there somewhere on the interwebs. Otherwise there is a book by Lawrie Metcalf called “The Propagation of New Zealand Native Plants” that is a good starting point. For seed trays – they are best sown in mineral sand with a thin layer of fine stone chip on top to help keep the moisture in.
For websites to identify kowhai species you could start with iNaturalist … fill in ‘kowhai’ and ‘new Zealand’s in the appropriateness fields and then click on an observation that does not identify which exact species. Then click on the genus name and that will take you to another page where you can view descriptions etc.
Other useful websites are NZ plant conservation network and also Manaaki Whenua Landcare under plant systematics (haven’t looked to see if they have a key for kowhai though).
Thanks Pingao. Civ 6 much?
I already use all those resources but we do not have a Kowhai key.
And the keys provided anyway, well, I can read them with my dictionary of ecology, dictionary of biology, google, science degrees…
I want to tell the average person how to tell between Kowhai.
Not paragraphs of this shit
‘Leaves 100-150(-220) mm, imparipinnate, moderately hairy, hairs, straight, appressed. Leaflets 10-20(-25) pairs, 15-35(-40) x 5-8 mm, well spaced, never overlapping or crowded, narrowly ovate to elliptic-oblong.’
And to think, they made their monkeys do all the original write ups in Latin.
/sarc
WTB you got that right :). I’m hazy on kowhai – they got split again after I finished working at a nursery.
I made my own key once just for local Carex species to try to sort them out in my head … it was still a bit of a puzzle but I did learn a lot about what to look for.
The home nursery-person can insert sandpaper into a tin can, rough side in, and make a shaker that will scarify kowhai seed easily (and musically). Perhaps a band and a regular session on a Sunday night? I understood the mechanism for kowhai seed dispersal was fall into a river, bounce along the stony bed until you’re washed ashore, battered, bruised and waterlogged, then grow as quickly as you can before the next flood.
Good tip Robert. They seem to spout alright on their own even without any treatment under mature trees (although not reliably enough for home grown).
Keep us posted! about your book’s progress and when it is to be launched. I think it should have a launching party at some live bookshop or perhaps your publishing company or if you have to self-publish do a crowd raiser for it and get people who care and act, on board.
It’s just what is needed. I did a trawl through Lincoln Uni forestry connected info and felt that they were still pinus radiata fixated. I didn’t notice anything that I could connect to planning for the explosive future, exploding rain, or exploding fires after drought. We need more info and action for sure. Sorry to Lincoln if I overlooked some fine ongoing work in this direction.
I’ll just tack on an interesting bit about planting trees in USA with caring advice.
So that the keen tree planter had success.
Also a mention of a nasty borer which we will have to look out for as we embrace the world and its offsiders.
http://treetrust.org/tag/emerald-ash-borer/
Also GM?
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018671180/has-the-time-come-for-genetic-modification
Gene edited plants are just as safe as normal plants, according to one scientist.
At a Plant and Food Research greenhouse in Auckland, one of the sections is filled with $300 apple trees, and Andy Allan, a professor of plant biology, is pointing out one of his favourite experiment, a tree with bright, fuchsia-coloured flowers.
“The particular red gene we’re testing is under a strong expression, so the roots are red, the trunk is red, the leaves are copper and the fruit goes on to look more like a plum, it’s so dark.”
The apple has an extra apple gene, making it genetically modified. There are other plants in this room that have exactly the same number of genes, but they’ve been edited.
Along with the apples, pears, tomatoes and petunias are thriving, but many also flower all year round and produce seeds five years earlier than usual.
Okay so – what affect will this have on bees, other plants, organisms? And when GM becomes the new thing for young people to get careers in, and corporates to make money from, and hopefully build up monopolies in, what then?
And people selling similar goods as they have historically, what happens to them? Out of the way – we are better, cheaper, have this and that, have added vitamins. You making a living and having a life is nothing to us.
The real disease we have to face is the constant morphing of capitalism presenting its face in unrecognisable ways until we see the connections to our cost. We know that the rich can’t be trusted as they have plundered us and the world to make more money to do what with? Anything that would be useful to mankind, also women, children, and all the little critters that form part of the world which we don’t pay attention to, may be wiped out and they will give you a half-penny to make up for losing your livelihood.
I really like Andy he has no guile about him. But I do not trust GE to save anything. What good has monoculture done anyone except machine harvesters (oil), fertiliser sales (oil), pesticide needs (oil), etc.
The money trail leads me to believe the real people behind all this care not one fuck about the planet, or your health.
Monoculture means entire crops are susceptible to one organism overcoming their defenses. PSA anyone. Then the industry all wanted to sue the government. No personal responsibility, no earth care, no people care.
Evolution is an arms race between plant and pathogen. As soon as the new GE plant savior of mankind is overcome they’ll have another extremely expensive option to replace the last failure, this one will do ever more incredible shit requiring ever more products to support it.
The scientists are amazing, but most are deeply myopic stuck within compartments of their respective fields. These so called smartest folk need to get considerably smarter.
AKA: Go multidisciplinary, or go home.
Multidisciplinary, that’s my secret watchword. I keep it as a talisman that I don’t know how to use, but it has power!
Did y’all read this article from a few days ago?
It’s great and on topic.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/108533174/facts-dont-give-scientists-a-monopoly-on-the-truth
It is good for this scientist to get a publication out under his name as I understand that universities measure your worth by what you publish on your subject.
Whether it serves any real useful purpose for discussing 1080, I think not. Calling for a meeting to discuss the topic is a bit late in the day. Because I am sure that many have been had and the environmental scientists concerned say there is no other way to reduce the pests depradating our nature reserves on difficult country than using 1080. DOC must be careful to not inflate their terminology. Using the word ‘safe’ is unscientific and sounds more like managerialism than science. But as safe as we can make it, would be truthful, along with a mention of the observed benefits as measured against the observed results including deaths.
One thing though is that money is so short and politicians memories even shorter. DOC has funding for certain tasks, and none for others, yet all require some attention. What this scientist says may mask an anxiety that some results are not being counted because they are not part of the template for DOC to obey. If so he should speak up about this aspect.
DOC has refined the dosage and changed the delivery but there will be some killings that they wanted to avoid. So they must be careful, and use it as a special tool, using hunters and bait lines. etc where possible. But we introduced the pest ourselves, and have also been pests that have helped wreck old NZ, we have to be determined to make good.
All the wishy-washy feelings about the birds it has killed, and the fact
that hunting dogs can die from it does not mean stop using it altogether. Magical ideas and theories won’t do the difficult task,
because at the end of the day, there is always the spoilsport human looking for personal advantage, perhaps leaving a breeding pair when they hunt an area closely, to make sure of work for future years.
Good article for sure.
I would add that the very reductionist nature of science makes it a poor choice for solutions for complex systems.
It’s still the best we got for answering how stuff works, but yeah, it can be nonsensical with varying context.
I sort of agree with the article, but not with its reference to 1080?
Yes, “safe” is subjective, but 1080 is one of those things where you’d have to really try to injure yourself with it. So how reasonable are people who strongly believe it is “unsafe”? Can people who will use unrelated photos of dead animals and blame 1080 really be engaged with in good faith discussions?
One contribution the scientific method can make in subjective discussions is the principle that if you have to make shit up to support your point, you’re wrong.
A better example is the Pike River re-entry: “safety” is a cold assessment of the known hazards, the efficiency of all available methods in ameliorating those hazards, and a subjective evaluation of the worth gained by overcoming those risks. Subjective, but informed. The 1080 argument? Not so much.
I wasn’t impressed with the style of the article from an academic. I
was in Wellington in mid September and wandered up to Parliament Grounds. I was impressed with the vast chalked anti-1080 message on the pavement and on the top stone of the street walls. Very clearly carefully printed, precise, neat – it must have taken hours probably at night to get away with it.
It’s like abortion, the anti people just can’t accept the idea, and don’t want to hear about the value of abortion if done in the most appropriate way and with the right techniques. They want to throw aside every other heavy problem of their world and concentrate on the one thing. It makes them feel good and worthy and misunderstood by the other ignorant, foolish people.
I avoided the subject matter (1080) deliberately. It is the scientists who sound like religious zealots even their students all ape them without knowing why. If you argue you will quickly become a pariah (looney left, wrecker and hater) they do not want a discussion at all. I found it disgusting.
But the left – threats on DOC… WTF! They’re on their own.
I agree with the points re: 1080 is the best option for a shitty budget. That’s about all I agree on with regards to this closing of ranks and opinionated bullying posing as science.
Scientists should present the facts, the research, the data but when it comes to values judgements, they should understand, as we do, that such judgements are not scientific. “Safe” is not a scientific term.
It’s not an infinitely subjective term, either.
There are several mental disorders which are at least partially defined by the patient having an unreasonable and life-impacting perception of “safe”, either psychologically or physiologically. “Phobias” for a start.
Where people are assigning completely unreasonable “value judgements”, why should[n’t] people who know the field more closely correct them in plain language?
[edit-silly typo lol]
Many thanks for the time you are putting into this project WTB (1) and posting this info. Much appreciated. Will stay tuned.
A disgraceful and nasty partisan report on Pike River by Stacey Kirk.
Looks like she also gave a heads up about her report to a whole gaggle of Nat trolls, as hateful comments against Andrew Little have already been liked a whole heap of times this early in the morning.
Kirk has form as a right wing propagandist.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/108616189/stacey-kirk-high-risk-for-reward-of-going-down-pike-river-mine
Indeed she is right.
If someone dies (I I really hope nobody does) – then Little will have blood on his hands, and he should be held to account for it.
Well so far nobody was held criminally to account for 29 dead bodies and not sure I heard you worrying about blood on the Natz and mining industries hands when they operated a dangerous mine…
John Key breaks his word to Pike River Mine families
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has told The Australian newspaper that the Pike River Mine “would be illegal” if it were constructed in Australia.
http://www.hrdevelopment.co.nz/2011/06/john-key-admits-pike-river-mine-would-be-illegal-in-australia/
“Well so far nobody was held criminally to account for 29 dead bodies and not sure I heard you worrying about blood on the Natz and mining industries hands when they operated a dangerous mine…”
Its a bit of a stretch to suggest that the government is some how responsible for what happened at the mine.
Having heard from you james, if this is the alt-right line of attack, I say double the guard on the mine.
People have already died jimbo.
We get it. IF someone comes to harm Andrew Little will have blood on his hands and he should be held to account.
And 29 people did come too harm, actually DIED, 29 of them, no ifs, buts or maybes, dead, and you seem content no-one has blood on their hands or can or should be held to account.
I still can’t believe the National government did not mount a rescue for those poor men. If the Natz were running the world, the Thai cave rescue, rescue helicopter’s or firefighter’s wouldn’t exist as when accidents happen ‘too dangerous to bother to do anything about it’ seems to be their mantra. Oh, too expensive too.
Even Russia and China bother to do more when things go wrong in mines than the Natz led government, and guess what, often they are successful against the odds.
It might be dangerous to re enter, just as loss of life has happened with other rescues or recovery efforts, but if it was really that dangerous, why the F did the mine get permission to operate and do we just sit back and cover up this crime?
At Pike River, the police were in charge and decided it was too dangerous for them to do anything. For the politicians it was an operational matter.!
I would like to know what specialist advice the police obtained pertaining to the Pike River mine operation prior to it being shutdown?
As well when it came to the cost of retrieving remains the operation then became a government decision.
Going into the mine draft will establish what is factual and what is incorrect in that area.
Stacey Kirk is a right wing troll who regularly sings from Hooten’s song sheet.
Yes. Making out that the decision is somehow driven by Andrew Little seeking glory says more about Kirk’s impoverished worldview than anything about him.
Her unethical colleagues and bosses also get in on the act. Alongside the hack highlighting one dissenting voice, captioning a photo as “Representatives of *some of* the Pike River families” slyly undermines the mandate of the spokespeople.
Ah, I see there is already a dedicated post about this topic: https://thestandard.org.nz/will-andrew-little-be-responsible-if-the-pike-river-mine-gets-hit-by-a-meteor/
She really nails her colours to the mast in that column. I like how there’s a contrast with HDPA in the herald this morning who points out that any money spent on Pike River recovery is better than the 26 million that Key wasted on his bloody silly flag referendum.
Another silly old hack flaps his gums in defence of his heroes in the last govt: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/john-armstrongs-opinion-pike-river-decision-shabby-posturing-not-truth-and-justice
Well, this from the man who bad mouthed David Cunnliffe. Why would we rate his views?
What a disgusting article. This is the tripe our so called journos dish up, scum.
Absolutely Ed (2) … Kirk’s piece is disgraceful and lacking substance. Nothing objective about it at all!
Kirk has given the right wing supporters something to feed on this Sunday. Will keep them full for a while.
Interestingly HdPA in the NZH today (try not to open her articles too often), while not exactly heaping too much praise on Andrew Little, has said re-entering the mine is the right thing to do, even though there could be risks involved. She even hinted at the way the Key government had reneged on their promises to the families.
Sunday Trivia…
Students say they don’t know what ‘trivial’ means in exam question fiasco
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/16/students-say-they-dont-know-what-trivial-means-in-exam-question-fiasco
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/11/students-launch-petition-after-confusion-by-word-trivial-in-nzqa-exam.html
https://www.change.org/p/nzqa-nzqa-to-accept-y13-history-essay-marks-based-own-student-s-own-definition-of-word-trivial?fbclid=IwAR3zpKzCmtKxwgswmL2v160H7sJ1WxSOE7fG9g4XEdYcyjisAZp4-p92Y4U
meh … thats of little importance.
🙂
Such an interesting exam question, and the plot of many movies… I’d have gone nuts answering this.
With the widespread existence of the game ‘Trivial Pursuit’, students don’t have a leg to stand on defending their lack of vocabulary.
Maybe student’s are not abandoning the humanities, instead, the humanities are fed up and abandoning the students.
Nope look around the universities, now that they are run like quasi businesses, in particular our education sold out to the private foreign student fees, guess what Law and engineering reign, the arts are out.
Apparently to get the skills we are all going to become baristas, struggling farmers, aged care workers, builders or tilers or if you are “really smart’ , a lawyer in the vein of Jordan Williams or a CTV engineer… cos they seem to be dumbing down, if not just abandoning a lot of tertiary education in NZ in favour of the above where apparently those in the ‘know’ politically think the future lies…
0% Pure critical thinking NZ +
Lucky in preparation for the future the students these days seem to be good at successfully lobbying for ignorance, might hold them in good stead!
Education follows the money. You will naturally have students making choices based on incomes. Engineering etc because Buisiness pays good salaries for those jobs. Law is popular as large incomes can be made in our fault divorce system, property, regulations etc.
To imply those subjects result in non critical thinking people is absurd. There subjects revolve around logic.
Considering what some people with Arts degrees believe in critical thinking isn’t something it can boast about either for too many.
That is what 8 years of “National” Standards have done to Kids.
But luckily they are prepared for their future.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/07/national-s-election-signs-perfect-photoshop-opp.html
They are even doing recruitment drives for foreign primary school kids now on the North Shore into state primary schools. Maybe an accountant or “entrepreneur” on the primary school board, who knows?
Anything for a $.
The meaning of the word ‘trivial’ was obvious from the quote that they were supposed to write an essay about.
So, no, they don’t get a pass because they didn’t understand the meaning of the word.
Bit harsh.
About the only meaning that can be most probably excluded is “importance” itself.
Sure, the Bard could have been going for an ironic juxtaposition, but equally if you can’t remember the full passage, “familial”, “coincidental”, “bloody”, etc can make meaningful sentences as much as “unimportant”.
Odd that they didn’t know the meaning of the word, though.
Not really. They’re 13th year, they should know enough to extrapolate the unknown from the known. It’s how people learn their native language as a child.
Context gives unimportant, minor, events not likely to be considered to change anything.
I think you’re letting your knowledge of the word effect your interpretation of the context.
Read it with a blank:
“Events of importance are the result of _______ causes”
Sure, there could be poetic juxtaposition for “minor”. But it’s a bold call to make in an exam.
Probably best to choose an option you do understand, rather than one you don’t.
yeah – there’s a reason most A-grade undergrads start their essays with a definition of the terms 🙂
Apparently the essay was marked on how you argued your case, rather than whether you got all the words right. So all good for the students who gathered themselves after shitting a brick when they read the question, lol.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/11/serious-questions-over-papua-new-guinea-hosting-the-apec-summit.html
What a waste of time.
15 Million of NZ’s money wasted and [PM Jacinda Ardern] dosnt even get a meeting with the PNG leader.
They buy 40 luxury Maseratis – but [PM Jacinda Ardern] gets a Toyota Highlander.
[Any more misogyny and your next comment will be in 2019. TRP]
She chose that as a preference. Trolling James.
Question to TRP – the name I have used is no worse than a lot of names given to national members.
It’s not a Misogynistic name (although others have tried to frame it as such).
How is this any worse than comments made by members of the left on here regarding Collins or bennet?
If what I wrote is considered inappropriate- then ok – I won’t use that term – but politely point out that a lot worse is said of femail member of the right.
[lprent: If it is the one I suspect that you used, then it is extremely misogynist. And I hardly think that ‘Crusher Collins’ is even remotely similar in the misogynist sphere.
But feel free to point ones out that have been consistently used AND you can describe a reason why they are the equivalent. Also track if people have been pulled up on it as well – because I’ll check.
Of course if you do your usual and go trivial about it or continue to whine about being pulled up on it (and waste my time), I’d be happy to replace your handle on your comments, past present and into the future on this site with something that I think is equivalent. Or I could just get rid whining.
I always like to see people having choices with a bit of risk attached.. ]
Cease your mewling, James.
Thought James supported the All Blacks avidly.
Why is he posting all this stuff during their game against Ireland?
why would anybody care?
Coz the Mighties … lost?
They did – but what a game.
Because I’m capable of more than one thing at once.
Belittling women is misogynist, James. However, thanks for accepting the moderation with good grace. I also weed out sexist remarks about Collins et al when I spot ’em. Same for racism, ageism and other casual bigotry. Can’t get them all, for obvious reasons, however most TS commenters make political points without resort to personal insults. Which is nice.
Fair enough. When I see them I’ll do my best to help and point them out.
Yes it pays to reread ones own comments.
James, if you search urban dictionary for a definition of a ‘cindy’ you might see why it is seen as derogatory and mysogynistic. Look through the definitions and see how many you would object too if your daughter for example was called one.
The meaning is stereotypical and often used in a male context commenting on female characteristics.
The nickname given to Collins is derogatory but it is specific to her perceived qualities and her political history. References to Bennett are unacceptable but not mysogynistic as other politicians like Lange, Muldoon and Brownlee have borne the same insult.
Whatever the insult, they are demeaning to the individual and to the level of political discourse in which we are hopefully engaging.
“They did it too” is not a valid defence. It might be a source of irritation but even in Rugby which I am ‘watching’ right now it doesn’t save you from the upraised arm of the referee.
Have to agree with James on this (God I feel dirty) this is politics . Key got called many worse things by most here including me . I find the cindy tag cringey but meh.
Can you stop verbally kicking our PM James? We care about our new young PM and want to see her able to do her political and private business helping NZ forward, and not to be constantly pecked at and sneered at in some way. It is insulting to the country and to good women. Just keep on criticising what she does as PM or doesn’t do if that is your purpose in life.
Did you treat key or English like that?
Would you if it was bridges.
Are you saying we treat this PM differently because you agree with her or because she’s a female?
They can’t see misandry James.
@lprent – please please please rename James
A.
not really misogyny but an admixture of right wing tory nasty extremism with some of the other chucked in.
I’d feel safer in a truck in PNG jimbo.
Highlander? There can be only one.
There is only one and here he is:
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/11/18/political-caption-competition-803/
“you know sometimes it’s easier in my view to just to stop the trail and give them a good f**king hiding. Put an end to it right there and then.”
There is a young girl amongst the people in the photo?
Do people thing she deserves a good hiding also?
Is violence the answer?
What has that got to do with
National Party recruitment drive
Ignoring calls of violence against people is an enabler of it.
By trying to turn a suggestion of violence against people (including a young girl) into a joke is not appropriate.
Given Māori are over represented in prison, domestic violence, and violence against children- it amazes me that you think that this is ok.
“Ignoring calls of violence against people is an enabler of it.”
It is just a picture of the gnats recruiting – funny too in a sick way.
Funny also how you kept mum about aaaaalllll the injustices you see around you now that the new government is doing so well. During the dark gnat years you aided and abetted them like a little toady by keeping your head down and mouth shut.
What a sick puppy you have turned into james, you support the beating of children, then in another breath say all violence is bad.
Either show some guts and admit beating children in any context is wrong – or crawl back under the rock you came from.
If you can’t tell the difference between a smack and giving them a good fucking hiding – you shouldn’t be allowed near children.
Still I guess the law was made for people like you.
A “good” hiding, James?
Odd choice of words…
What did you think of Key’s hair-pulling – assault or “horsing around”?
The mask has fallen.
James is a construct.
Not a real person.
This morning he forgot he was a keen All Black supporter.
Not sure how you can come to that conclusion Eddie.
I watched the game and enjoyed it – despite the result. Ireland deserved the win.
A good fucking hiding. – it’s a quote – if you don’t like it take it up with hone.
Would love to see how caring he is on the matter.
are you a hooton bot james?
Quotes are presented inside of quotation marks, or they’re not quotes. Simple commenting etiquette, James.
See 6.1 above.
In your haste to be a smart arse you might have missed it.
Or just that your wee mind can’t carry a thread a few post.
So no change from you then, still into beating kids then ah james. Nothing changes with you.
Is violence the answer?
No.
Consider the violence offered to people who have a darker skin colour to be demeaned in this way. Consider the insult. Consider the violent and superior attitude of the casual and supposedly unaware racist majority shown in this public display. Consider the racism at the same A&P Show of the sale of golliwogs.
In the Sixties, the engineering students had a culture of the “haka party” which they had the eventual wisdom to also consign to history as inappropriate. Like the golliwog I had as a boy in the Fifties.
Context is important, too. Recent events in Taranaki are not helped by this form of unthinking (at best) violence. Mrs Mac1 mentioned a Nelson Morris Dance group which has a long tradition of blackening their faces. The historical context, however, gives the explanation that the dancers of former years wore the face paint as a disguise to hide their identity from such as disapproving employers.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2018/11/dutch-fighting-in-the-streets-over-racist-black-pete-character.html?fbclid=IwAR0_E4tXuAx-2hOEDoUaze9XRdQY4xxFiW21KAvg5aiX6geYWrfEAl2dTak
And now the Netherlands have a similar situation?
Note that white Santa has black sidekick. Just as the Lone Ranger had Tonto as his cloured sidekick. Both white men have coloured men as their subordinates.
Just as I looked up Tonto, the urban dictionary I mentioned above as a source of current colloquial usage, gives “tonto’ as a term of abuse, a racist insult this time.
We do have a way to go with our bullying, racist, mysoginistic attitudes and behaviour……..
Can we ever stop analysing everything for the underlying meaning and accept that there are nuances in life?
The hospital admissions, stitches and broken bones probably precipitated their eventual wisdom.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/17-10-2017/mocking-the-haka-the-haka-party-incident-and-casual-racism-in-new-zealand/
Pike River Scandal
The Auckland Press – what a ratbag cockroach outfit that is – has ignored the fact the Police have declared the Pike River trajedy a Crime Scene.
It has wheeled out that famous “miner’? – Stacy Nobody – to spray her witless words – for her darling editor .
Mostly – she is annoyed over the cost of the re-entry of the Pike River Mine. It seems expensive at 23$Million. Money which should have been spent into making the Mine methane safe before any person was sent down that terrible hole. It was criminal to not ensure the mine was monitored and methane free.
It would be nice if Stacy – a known national party troll – would ask the extremely wealthy John Key for 23$Million to give to the families who lost their fathers and brothers. 29 such brave persons who trusted a shifty John Key.
In the meantime, could I ask Aucklanders to turn out a few decent writers. Ones who understand the Truth. Ones who don’t suck. Ones who declare for all New Zealand.
I note that Heather Du Plessis Allen is no longer one eyed. Deft with her words too. Congratulations to Her.
Movement in UK political polls ..
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/17/labour-gains-lead-over-tories-opinion-poll
Thanks, great news.
Turn Labour left!
https://inequality.org/great-divide/some-leveraging-inspiration-from-old-archimedes/?fbclid=IwAR1MittOP1088bcVw46BaYD6hWThsHQDIoI36mTrb6Y4TqcQnIUSk1W
Worth a read IMO
Here is a very good interview with new UK Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zomlot.
You know it is strange that so many commentators here on the standard bag RT, but I would like to know what Western media source would have this interview?
‘New Palestinian Ambassador to UK Discusses Israel Lobby, Netanyahu & Jeremy Corbyn!’
The “historic compromise” mentioned by the Ambassador of 30 years ago was from the King of Jordan who let them go.
The Ambassador is keen for a two state solution, but doesn’t deign to confirm Israel’s right to exist as one of those two states.
I don’t have any problem with this Ambassador slagging off the recent Israeli government’s settlement of West Bank and of Netanyahu’s leadership. Well deserved and I hope Netanyahu and his wife are shortly in jail. But pretty weird to hear a Hamas rep calling any Israeli government “extremist” when they have a fair few of their own, and criticizing the israeli government for being too Jewish is remarkable from a state run by one of the most militant forms of Islam around.
The interviewer might want to apply to Weta Workshop such is his remarkable transformation into a doormat.
Hi Cindy James
What clothes are you wearing today Darling ?
I hope you wash them frequently.
[OT, pointless abuse is not welcome here. No more, please. TRP]
Sooo TRP is Cindy ok in this context?
No, no it is not. See above.
Here is something important to NZ to discuss. If Kiwibank can enlarge and gather in some of the business that is going to foreign owned banks it will be better for us. They have been running long enough to prove that they can manage and compete satisfactorily.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018671704/tim-hazledine-time-to-give-kiwibank-teeth
money
Tim Hazledine: time to give Kiwibank teeth
From Sunday Morning, 7:11 am today
Listen duration 20′ :09
Professor Tim Hazledine of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Auckland says the government should give Kiwibank the power to compete aggressively on price against the local Australian banks, even at the risk of its own bottom line.
Education learning and how, what to learn? We have had over 100 years of learning just enough to ruin ourselves as a country and our environment. So long and thanks for the fish. So perhaps we should think about these new ways of learning – are they taking our minds and thoughts out of our bodies so we are not in tune with ourselves as whole organisms any more? Our heads looking at the stars, while our feet stand in cow poo, and we have no healthy food to eat.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018670501/learning-revolution-or-pathway-to-ignorance
“We were teaching a lot of components of different maths things that they needed to know for future years.
“[It was] a lot of ticking off of what they needed to cover, where for me today a lot of it is getting kids to learn through doing.
“They are putting the knowledge to use, so they actually see the purpose of why they are learning.”
Fellow teacher Andrea Tapsell says teaching had also changed hugely since she started out 16 years ago.
“My whole teaching practice has had to change to incorporate the digital technology as well as student agency, as well as bringing in that inquiry, collaborative approach.”
Collaborative approach. How can kids think their own individual thoughts if right from the start they are taught to think as a group? Isn’t that group-think – the one who is different doesn’t fit? Some sharp comments on what we think.
Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, Thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought is great and swift and free. Bertrand Russell
One should respect public opinion insofar as is necessary to avoid starvation and keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny. Bertrand Russell
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/bertrand_russell_125227
Is this true?
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists
in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
― George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman
Love this phrase ” areas of interest include communication avoidance and propaganda.”
This man on Radionz was talking about it apprently. I didn’t hear him but was looking at the summaries for Wallace (today noelle) and he sounds interesting.
The avoidance part is why I don’t read James and other trolls. There is only so much I can take in and I can’t afford to take in too much stressful trivia. (Example – did I need to know that there is some kerfuffle about an exam because some students didn’t know the meaning of trivial? Sheesh.)
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018671715/ethan-plaut-overloaded-by-media-how-much-is-too-much
Ethan Plaut: overloaded by media – how much is too much?
From Sunday Morning, 10:04 am today
Listen duration 32′ :14″
Dr Ethan Plaut, lecturer in media and communication at the University of Auckland, says the sheer volume of media messages in a 24- hour news cycle is more than anyone can critically process. Ethan Plaut is a former journalist who came from Stanford University to the University of Auckland in January and whose areas of interest include communication avoidance and propaganda.
Its a subject I’ve looked at a lot as well.
Quantity is a result of traffic based revenue and connectivity.
So propaganda can be with quantity vs absence.
EG,
There is a large number of Kavanaugh is guilty slanted articles but very few exposing all the lies and false allegations. The public will be all exposed to the guilty arguments but few will read about the lies.
Or,
Everyone knows JLR was unfaithful as there has been many articles naming him and including statements on his infidelity. Very few articles exist naming the female MP who did the same thing. (Unfortunately it’s not mysoginist)
Which lies?
Professor Mark Blyth is a British political scientist from Scotland and a professor of international political economy at Brown University.
His ideas on Brexit are worth listening to.
Here Jimmy Dore looks at Mark Blyth and explores his argument why Brexit Is Good for working people In clear, simple terms.
Best quote from the video.
“…The Hamptons are not a defensible position. The Hamptons are on a low-lying beach. Eventually the people will come for you.”
If you want to watch mark Blyth without Jimmy Dore, here is the extract.
More thought provoking stuff.
Mark Blyth on The Consequences of Neoliberalism
Ed
If you are going to put up a lot of youtube links, only leave one to open that you think is the best and put a half bracket at the front of the others as (so. That leaves them closed but ready to spring into action.
Otherwise you fill up such a large portion of the page and I don’t want to have these videos dominate it. I get a similar feeling that I used to when I watched tv and had too many Harvey Norman ads come up. I never go there now and never will. Please don’t turn me away from the blog which I have visited for years.
The best one is 15.1.1.
You can always scroll past by the way.
Or you could tone it down, Ed.
I mentioned the other day that should give a decent intro to the vids to which you link. That’s to avoid spamming the site or turning TS into lefty facebook. This is a place to discuss opinions, and that kinda implies your own opinion should be shared, not someone else’s.
So, tell us what you think, add some links where it adds colour or context, and argue your corner.
You could politely say Ed that you can see what I mean, after I explained how much of the screen your consecutive video shots take up. You could say okay will do. That seems a reasonable, adult response to a reasonable request.
If Brexit was “about the 1%” as he states then it would have happened in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and basically everywhere else that the left deradicalised. It didn’t. So no, the left is not to blame for everything as he implies.
And I love the way he wants Europe but not the Euro.
That means he supports the Pound, namely the English (London) economy that simply makes its money by being a financial capital of the world. He may as well be working for Northern Rock.
But no, he has no need to analyze himself.
It’s like he forgets which areas voted to stay, which sectors of British society voted to stay, which parts of the population voted to stay. There are plenty more actual analyses on the finer breakdowns of the vote on precisely why this happened – and why the vote was so close.
The much more interesting questions are about:
– how the House of Lords amends it,
– which of Labor’s MPs cross the floor to get it through (including the redoubtable Brexit champion Corbyn) and therefore take the electoral credit
– how it gets implemented,
– how fast Britain’s economy declines afterward, and
– how Russia, China, and the Untied States take advantage of a greatly diminished Britain and Europe and keep picking them apart into smaller pieces in their own interest.
I have an idea you may be in the Public Service in some capacity Ad…would that be the case?
Don’t do doxxing. Poor form.
You can say that I have some idea of how local an central government work.
Try addressing the substantive points raised.
substantive!….lol.
gross misrepresentation would be more accurate
Are you a member Ed?
[Obviously some people have been missing the fact that ad homs aren’t going down too well with me. People have already been banned, and unless those of you jumping in on this sub-thread want to be joining them, then the suggestion is thatyou all pull your heads in. Do any of you think any author appreciates having the discussion beneath their posts trashed with kindergarten garbage? If it’s seriously all you’re capable of, then just comment on your own facebook or whatever and leave your keyboard alone when you’re on this site] – B.
[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.]
Open Parachute has an interesting item on Russia and bots and dodgy sites.
https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2018/11/18/and-you-thought-russiagate-could-not-get-sillier/
Ed you haven’t answered my question.
[To repeat. Obviously some people have been missing the fact that ad homs aren’t going down too well with me. People have already been banned, and unless those of you jumping in on this sub-thread want to be joining them, then the suggestion is thatyou all pull your heads in. Do any of you think any author appreciates having the discussion beneath their posts trashed with kindergarten garbage? If it’s seriously all you’re capable of, then just comment on your own facebook or whatever and leave your keyboard alone when you’re on this site] – B.
[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.]
Ed doesn’t do that. Answer questions? All so beneath him.
If he was shown some respect by certain commenters he might.
I reply to you maui and others who come on this site to share ideas.
Rather than snipe and troll.
All maui ever does is agree and thank you. You two really should just get a room.
Your logic is standing on its head. One of the reasons that Ed is so disrespected here is that he will make a grand statement but then refuse to say what he actually means.
[And the level of respect you think you’re commanding trying to pass this garbage off as in some way a contribution to this site? Read the moderation comments I’ve left up thread] – Bill
dang.
I scrolled past the funniest antinatvid I have ever seen on fb.
They all got a jolly good serve! soymin and poymin an all the rest.
if it comes again I will take the trouble to note the link.
Link ?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/11/derek-handley-granted-nz-citizenship-despite-being-years-short-of-requirement.html
This is very amusing.
Falling years short of the requirement- a multi millionaire friend of the PM gets granted residency.
Peter Theil anyone? I believe Handley spent a lot of his youth in NZ. I’ll have to look that up. Peter Theil not so much.
Edit: Here we go for a start.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Handley
Also in the very article you link to it says he arrived here as a child of four and did all his schooling here including university.
He didn’t spend anywhere enough in NZ to qualify for residency.
Submitted (assumed unsuccessfully), but reapplies when Jacinda becomes PM and voila- a visa and a job (and it looks like the residency might be as dodge as the job).
James, were you born in New Zealand?
Or spawned “elsewhere”?
I often wonder if James’ mother was named “Petrie” and was quite a dish!
James reckons 20 years from age 4 to 24 isn’t enough to ‘qualify for residency’.
I think this morning’s rugger result has had more effect on James than he’s willing to let on.
Actually it’s the law that says that. See that’s why he couldn’t qualify under the normal rules.
You’re a bit slow.
I think you’ll find he’s been a resident for some years. It’s you who is very very slow.
None of your business
That’s a no. 😂
Welcome, immigrant.
No it’s none of your business.
So what?
Try a link that shows he met residency requirements.
I’ll wait – but you may be some time.
What is it with this government and dodge residencies???
Dude’s former residency status and familial connections made him a shoo-in for citizenship under the exceptional circumstances provisions.
Wonder why he didn’t get it first time ?????? You know being a shoo in and all.
Couldn’t match Theil’s offer?
Nice, Joe!
Planning rules, who needs ’em.
“Nobody would have ever thought this could happen,” President Donald Trump said while touring the Camp Fire devastation Saturday.
That’s not true. The Camp Fire was inevitable. It is the event that so many dreaded for so long.
People prepared. Fire prevention officials planned. They drilled. They worked with homeowners. They invented fire-safe councils and Fire on the Ridge and sent fire prevention officials to schools via a program called Fire Pals. They raised money to keep fire lookouts open when the state said it wouldn’t.
Eventually, geography and topography proved to be the trap everyone thought it was.
https://www.chicoer.com/2018/11/17/editorial-camp-fire-the-tragedy-we-were-all-warned-about/
You might be taking things out of context. Everybody knows fire risks were well known. That the state cut funding as its bankrupt. What happened in scale and speed was probably predicted by a few. Trumps assumption could be based on belief people had time to evacuate as much as the record setting severity.
Diagnosis. TDS
Nope. The US federal government owns nearly half of the land in California, the other half is privately owned, so nothing to do with California’s fiscal position.
Kia oar The Am Show Mens day yes I’am a proud man Eco tau tokos men to but Equality is my goal .
There you go Duncan the weather is reflecting the extra energy in our environment heat is energy hence the big fluctuation in Aotearoa and Papatuanuku weather and its only going to get stronger IF we all commit to mitigate carbon that is poisoning our environment we can minimize the bad effects of climate change .
The Elon Mus effect is part of the Internet generation effect it has given Elon the power to force change’s that are beneficial for all human kind and not just the wealthy . Michio Kaku predicted that the internet 21’s Century communication device will keep the wealthy honest and the effect will have a big changes on our society.
The only reason the Eastern Bay of Plenty is the way it is simon is because of shonky’s Law’s that kicked the Rural regions & poor people into touch . And the dump laws that made a plant that’s a gift from God that has many beneficial property’s to humans health was made illegal to clear the way for Alcohol barons to reap billions forced on NZ. The settler Nuns used it as the health healing plant it is.
The britexit deal won’t go through unless Britain commits to a policy that rapidly reduces there carbon use fair enough I say.
I remember back in the day the Couch’s changed every 3 to 4 years .
Condolences to all the people who have lost family and property in the Californian fire’s.
We no that the effects of the last governments policy’s are still flowing through the systems higher cost of living I know when I raised my offspring it was much easier to survive .
The kombucha craze was going through Gisborne 15 years ago
Ka kite ano
This is what happens when the system cover up scams . I don’t want people like groper ropper around my MOKO’S
I had just come off the recruit course and we were taught we were always to do what our superiors told us to do. We were taught to always follow orders.”
Taylor says Roper’s behaviour towards female underlings at the base was well known. He would pull bra straps, pinch bottoms, push open the door of the airwomen’s change rooms while they were dressing. He did not hide his actions, Taylor says – they took place out in the open, for all to see.
But before long, Taylor became a particular target of Roper’s attention.
“In the early afternoon the senior NCOs (non-commissioned officers) would leave our section and and they would go down to the Sergeants’ mess and they would drink all afternoon.
“Early evening, the Section would get a phone call and he (Roper) would specifically ask for a lift home from me.When I went to pick him up he was extremely intoxicated. The minute the car started he would lock the car doors and start abusing me. Ka kite ano
Link below P.S you see people the system is far from perfect they protect there own and don’t care who they hurt in this protect the old——–man
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/108581557/ogled-groped-and-locked-in-a-cage-air-force-servicewoman-speaks-out-against-defence-force-for-protecting-rapist
Eco Maori music for the minute P.S the sandfly did not like my last post the sirens are going off
Kia ora Tekaea It was cool seeing those kuia getting into there fitness .
Yes there is a lot of people who don’t not what there tipuna have done or achieved I can research our’s there is a bit of infomation on the internet
Burning all those log on Tolaga Bay beach its awsome that its cleaned up the mess .
Our beach is covered in logs to but you would be lucky to have one person a day go there. Ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub Yes Berne I agree with your word’s and Andrews.
With that building that collapsed in the Christ Church earthquake well not only the builder is at fault the council is to what a sham.
No demerit points for the cops they love hassling me on the road unmarked and marked car at least they won’t be hassling other people while they watching me 24/7 what a waste of money.
5G is a technology we need to get correct on the first roll out .
Taupo people you need to get off Grid Solar power systems if the grid goes down you will still have power how can a Town like Taupo lose power with one fault that is not on.
Salvation Army is a good charity to make donations to they do a lot of good work for the common poor person Kia kaha people this is what happens when a business person routs all the money to his M8s.
Peter Jackson new movie looks awsome may be he should make one on Aotearoa in the 1850 to the 1900. Ka kite ano