Open mike 19/11/09
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6:00 am, November 19th, 2009 - 18 comments
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner).
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18 comments on “Open mike 19/11/09 ”
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- Make China great again!
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler As readers of this Substack will know, I've been increasingly concerned about the destruction of one of America’s greatest competitive advantages: our university research system. Recently, the Trump administration announced that they were going to cut university overhead rates to ...4 hours ago - No Russia in Papua: Indonesia’s quiet diplomacy speaks loudly
Indonesia’s low-key rejection of reported Russian interest in military basing in Papua says more than it appears to. While Jakarta’s response was measured, it was deliberate—a calculated expression of Indonesia’s foreign policy doctrine of non-alignment, ...6 hours ago - Australia (still) needs a dedicated and public-facing national security adviser
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- Vietnamese reunification 50 years later: ‘let bygones be bygones’
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Back in 2018, Aotearoa was in the midst of the Operation Burnham inquiry. During this, it emerged that key evidence was subject to a US veto under an obscure and secret treaty. Part of the Five Eyes arrangement, this treaty was referred to by a number of different names in ...11 hours ago - Nicola Willis’ Austerity Threatens New Zealand’s Future
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Well, I can't see and I can't hearThey've burnt out all the feelingsAnd I never been so crazy, and it's just my second yearFour walls, wash basinFour walls, wash basinFour walls, wash basin, prison bedSongwriter: Don Walker.The coalition parties are mulling the austerity budget they will soon put to the ...12 hours ago - The Left Must Rally Behind Andrew Little
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- Assumed Competence
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In the 1980s and early 1990s when I wrote about Argentine and South American authoritarianism, I borrowed the phrase “cultura del miedo” (culture of fear) from Juan Corradi, Guillermo O’Donnell, Norberto Lechner and others to characterise the social anomaly that exists in a country ruled by a state terror regime ...4 days ago - Northern Australia: fortress, gateway and resource powerhouse
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Isn’t Youtube awesome?
If it wasn’t for Youtube I would not be able to show you this and you would have never known as our mainstream media will never ever allow this on their screens and pages.
But this is an interview which I think since it is going to happen here in New Zealand warrants me placing it here.
Remember the Sydney Opera house? Designed by Joern Utzon and today one of the most Iconic buildings in the world.
Well it turns out that Jan Utzon, his son, followed in his fathers footsteps and also became an architect (in fact he was commissioned to refurbish the Opera house) and it turns out that like Richard Gage AIA and 966 Architects and Engineers to date he has serious questions about what we have been told about the events of 9/11.
So here is Mr Utzon speaking with Richard Gage about 9/11 and his professional opinion when he visited the 9/11 hard evidence event held this weekend in Sidney.
I dare say that with Mr. Utzon’s pedigree I find myself in good company in wanting a new and independent investigation.
For those of you interested in Richards presentation but unable to make it to Wellington, Kim Hill will interview Richard Gage on her program Saturday morning 8:30 A.M.
Also Richard will appear on the Radio Active 89 fm sender on Monday.
For those of you who are interested and able to make it to Wellington 200 of the 300 seats are already pre-booked so you’d better be quick. Admission is free and will include the chance to ask Richard questions.
BBC radio’s World Have Your Say is wondering why people claim to be interested in climate change, but are unwilling to contribute to any sort of discussion on it… Is it too big a topic for most people? Or is there some other reason why people appear apathetic?
Climate change – the Pacific nations are pondering on this question, serious matter for them. For others? It’s an SEP I think. Too big, leave for someone else to worry about – better get that holiday trip to a tropical island before it disappears ha ha!
Here’s a quote from a nice wee piece on that very topic here
“In 1973 the cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker proposed that the fear of death drives us to protect ourselves with “vital lies” or “the armour of character”. We defend ourselves from the ultimate terror by engaging in immortality projects, which boost our self-esteem and grant us meaning that extends beyond death. More than 300 studies conducted in 15 countries appear to confirm Becker’s thesis. When people are confronted with images or words or questions that remind them of death they respond by shoring up their worldview, rejecting people and ideas that threaten it, and increasing their striving for self-esteem
bill Becker offers a good explanation. I think that explains why I find it hard to read science fiction. Its not my own death that is troubling me its the possible loss of the things I hold dear and to be true, and possible death of the planet as Ive known it. SF brings up knotty problems and it doesnt end happily usually tho sometimes the accommodation to the circumstances turns out ok.
Really good threads on the Plutonomy story yesterday, was great to get some informed commentary on Rand, false consciousness, religion, the American dream (even Burt extended this to NZ), greed as a social disorder etc. Good work bloggers.
The Plutonomy list of topics raised reminds me of a Queen song – with Freddy warbling about false religion. That band’s style of music and lyrics seem somehow appropriate for this age.
Not the way I sing, it would result in an instant ban from this site.
Yeah, singing is prohibited here. If it caught on someone might be daft enough to want me to do it as well….
When I learned to drive a car the road code was very clear about pedestrians having right-of-way wherever a car crosses a footpath. It seems to me that fewer and fewer drivers acknowledge this.
Has something changed in law or are people just becoming more selfish and isolated?
/getoffmylawn
‘Nobody’ walks and as a result many car drivers just don’t appreciate the perspective of a pedestrian… seeing them in terms of simply cars but with softer bodies.
You may not have noticed but more people go through red lights as well now. I’ve come very close to getting knocked down when I went to cross the road on the cross signal.
ABOUT cars and footpaths and attitudes of pedestrians and motorists. Ive noticed precious little courtesy from drivers to anyone. I notice that 4WDrivers dont even try to make a uturn within a wide road, they drive along the foootpath as part of their turn. Young male drivers will drive diagonally across the road so that they or their passengers don’t have to take six steps walking the distance – these young bloods at the peak of their fitness! They park facing traffic because they can’t be bothered positioning their car on the correct side. Its just laziness and slackness that is the cause.
And pedestrians don’t follow the road rules made for them. They walk out on to the road without looking, they may be reading, or listening to music or on acellphone.
When you regularly ride a scoot or bicycle you get to really appreciate the determined anger of those behind wheels. Once the oil goes west we just might have an even bigger issue, ex drivers wanting to take out their aggro on something / somebody……bring back rucking.
This seems like a worthy campaign to get behind…
http://www.nogod.org.nz
a healthy antedote to stuff like this…or rather a way of starting something like this…
http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20091112/NEWS01/311090013/-Godless–billboard-relocated-due-to-threats
FFS Mallard is blogging pished from a bar in London – one of the important meetings he is managing to squeeze in before the test match.
Points On for being transparent about making up lame excuses for using the 90% perk to go and see the All Blacks.
Points Off for undermining Labour at a time when Goff is trying hard to position them as a serious alternative.
still better than the national mps blog – they’re not allowed to blog about politics because they don’t have any insight and the pm’s office is afraid of what dumb stuff they would say.
After a quick skim through the site I have serious doubts as to whether [insert mp’s name here] is actually writing [his/her strike one] posts at all.