Open mike 20/01/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, January 20th, 2022 - 216 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:


Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

216 comments on “Open mike 20/01/2022 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Dennis Frank 1
    20 January 2022 at 6:34 am

    In the UK "partygate has helped Labour to its biggest lead over the Conservatives since 2013." https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jan/19/stop-talking-about-the-problem-fix-the-bloody-thing-keir-starmer-on-boris-johnsons-parties-and-his-plan-to-win-power

    I half expect the leader of the opposition to be on a high. But I am not sure he does highs. Starmer is the anti-Johnson. While the prime minister appears to pride himself on being a feckless buffoon, Starmer is the straight man’s straight man – so solid he verges on stolid.

    Starmer is always well briefed, as you would expect of a QC and a former director of the Crown Prosecution Service… a talented musician (violin, piano and flute) and active in Labour politics – yet somehow he had the ability to slip under the radar. He still has it. This may prove to be his strength as a leader…

    One problem for Starmer is that he still talks like a lawyer.

    Kiss of death? Media training ought to be obligatory.

    After all, he is not only positioning himself as the anti-Johnson, but also the anti-Corbyn. As so often, though, nothing is as simple as it appears. Starmer may play the arch-centrist now, but he stood on a radical platform to win the Labour leadership.

    Shapeshifter? Could be clever enough to know that the path to the top in Labour is to play dumb as often as possible.

    He should be the leader the party has waited so long for – the working-class boy named after a Labour legend who rose to the top by dint of his ability. What could go wrong? Despite everything, people have found Starmer hard to relate to – starchy, metropolitan, dull and controlling.

    Authentically British, in other words.

    After Starmer published a 14,000-word essay on his vision in September, the Guardian’s Rafael Behr gave qualified praise for the words “security” and “opportunity”. “The problem is in the other 13,998, which suffocate decent ideas with platitude and entomb them in boilerplate,” he said.

    Which reminds us how essential literary criticism is in politics. Can never get enough!

    “I accept that’s because we need to up our game in communicating.” Does he want a Labour government to be remembered for its green new deal? His face lights up. “Yes! I want to be remembered for bringing about profound change in the country, part of which is a green new deal.”

    In the 10 pledges he made as prospective leader, under common ownership he stated: “Public services should be in public hands, not making profits for shareholders. Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water.” What has brought about such a change of heart? Were the pledges made just to get him elected? “Firstly, there is a distinction between common ownership and nationalisation. There are different forms of common ownership and top-down nationalisation is not one I’ve ever thought is right.” He says he has always preferred co-ops and mutuals… He promised to unite the party with his radical agenda.

    Not only has he failed to do that, but he has made a point of not trying to do so. Membership has fallen by tens of thousands, not helped by the fact that many on the left have been kicked out of the party.

    I ask if he knew when he stood that he had no intention of standing by the radical agenda or the promise to unite the party. He argues that he has done much to unite Labour… Your critics call you Stalinist, I say; they claim you have zero tolerance of ideological difference. I mention three high-profile cases.

    The interviewer comments

    at times you have to play six degrees of separation to get to the antisemitism. For example, party members have been suspended for discussing Corbyn’s suspension after Labour’s general secretary, David Evans, barred them from doing so.

    Starmer's attempts to get Labour out of antisemitism seem a bit like a blind boar's attempts to get out of the middle of a boxthorn thicket.

  2. Blade 2
    20 January 2022 at 7:14 am

    MIQ disaster ( again). Postponed Black Caps Tour. The PM to give us an update on the traffic light system today.

    Unfortunately it's too late for many. Kiwis overseas are losing hope and Omicron has stepped up to the starting line. Businesses continue to close and shop shelves empty. Of course not all of that is the governments fault, but I doubt voters will consider those finer points once in the voting booth. Political polls from now on should be interesting, especially around how political parties reconfigure themselves based on poll trends.

    I'm fascinated to know if the government can resist their default setting of a lockdown once Omicron spreads?

    • Bearded Git 2.1
      20 January 2022 at 7:53 am

      Blade: "…not all of that is the government's fault".

      None of it is the government's fault; it is the fault of Covid and this government's response has been one of the best in the world.

      Australia had 554,000 cases of Covid in the last week. Is this what you want with only 20% having had booster shots in NZ?

      • Kiwijoker 2.1.1
        20 January 2022 at 8:33 am

        Will someone ask the question. “ Why are dozens of these people flying in to visit their dying relatives testing positive for Omicron on day 1?” Were they suddenly infected on the air bridge, by a flight attendant or a toilet seat? Perish the thought that fine, ethical Kiwis would get on a plane when knowingly infected with the virus.

      • Blade 2.1.2
        20 January 2022 at 11:20 am

        ''None of it is the government's fault; it is the fault of Covid and this government's response has been one of the best in the world.''

        This governments response after the first response to Covid has been a mixture of incompetence, half truths and plain weirdness – eg around alternative vaccines and rapid antigen tests for starters.

        All of that really hasn't mattered because the government has been blessed with GOOD LUCK, a small isolated nation and a compliant population. The result is NZ is an international star on the Covid response front.

        The truth is Covid could call the emperor's state of undress at any moment… and this government will be shown up for the posers they are.

        • Bearded Git 2.1.2.1
          20 January 2022 at 11:34 am

          "This governments response after the first response to Covid has been a mixture of incompetence, half truths and plain weirdness"

          I didn't realise you were living in Australia Blade-my apologies.

        • Robert Guyton 2.1.2.2
          20 January 2022 at 11:44 am

          "..NZ is an international star on the Covid response front."

          We have been blessed with "GOOD LUCK" – the great fortune of having Jacinda Ardern as our Prime Minister during this critical time 🙂

          Cheers, Blade!

          • Blade 2.1.2.2.1
            20 January 2022 at 12:04 pm

            Robert…hope springs eternal.

            Let's hope the international community doesn't walk around the back of Jacinda. My, what a shock that would be.

            https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/03/ghostly-facades-with-no-buildings-behind-them/

            Cheers

            • Robert Guyton 2.1.2.2.1.1
              20 January 2022 at 12:21 pm

              We back Jacinda, Blade. She's proved herself, over and over.

              Don't be bitter.

            • Drowsy M. Kram 2.1.2.2.1.2
              20 January 2022 at 12:32 pm

              My, what a shock that would be.

              Yep, she's pretty amazing. That you see only a facade, and prefer to pin your hopes on another hollow man, is intriguing. Still, best of luck – you'll need it.laugh

              • Blade …
                20 January 2022 at 1:27 pm

                Please excuse my dry Tory wit, Drowsy.smiley

                • Drowsy M. Kram …
                  20 January 2022 at 2:06 pm

                  "Dry Tory wit" is a Blade original (a 'Bloriginal') – do I hear ‘copyright’? No instances anywhere in the Googlesphere, apart from The Standard!
                  No hits for "dry Tory twit" either, which surprised me wink

                  Did enjoy "The Wit of Malcolm Fraser" – a huge lol from the moment I opened the cover – and thought Keating's colourful description of Fraser, while accurate, was unnecessarily cruel.

                  The paradoxical Malcolm Fraser [March 2015]
                  But the stereotype of the big, stolid, rarely smiling man remained throughout his political life. It was captured by Paul Keating's cruel jibe: "You look like an Easter Island statue with an arse full of razor blades."
                  …
                  Nor had they ever warmed to Fraser. A slim booklet appeared called The Wit of Malcolm Fraser. Its pages were empty.

                  His best-known quote – "Life wasn't meant to be easy" – appeared to sum up his morose view of life.

                  • alwyn …
                    20 January 2022 at 2:38 pm

                    You say " A slim booklet appeared called The Wit of Malcolm Fraser. Its pages were empty.". When was that published? It sounds as if it might have been plagiarising one of Bob Jones' early works.

                    Back in 1974 Bob Jones wrote and published a book entitled "The First Twelve Months – The Achievements of The Third Labour Government". All of its pages were blank.

                    Was the one about Fraser published before or after Jones' opus?

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      20 January 2022 at 3:26 pm

                      I don't have that one 'Alwyn' – could you perhaps lend me a copy?

                      Wouldn’t surprise me if Aussies had ripped off another Kiwi original. Wonder if Jones has considered suing – seems to be a habit of his. Although I hardly think the idea is a Jones original, unless he’s older than he looks!

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empty_book

                    • Blade …
                      20 January 2022 at 3:55 pm

                      Bob Jones was at his maniacal best around that time. The Reserve Bank folly, Real Estate seminars, a mouse let loose in the studio while Bill Rowling was being interviewed( the only thing Jones admitted to regretting), grey shoe wearing bearded bureaucrats and Lefties giving him the finger while he drove his Roller were all on his hit list. At one time Jones had a column in our local paper. Every column would be followed by at least four letters to the editor regarding Jones' right to express an opinion because of his wealth.

                      I would suggest 'Memories Of Muldoon', our greatest socialist, as a good read. Many Lefties pop up throughout the book. The way Mike Moore's support team let him down during an election campaign left a sour taste in my mouth. Whoever coined the phrase 'your enemies are behind you in the house, got it spot on.

                    • alwyn …
                      20 January 2022 at 7:01 pm

                      @DMK

                      I was far to mean to buy Bob's works. I'm sure I would have borrowed that one from the library. The person doing the purchasing for the WCL would never have noticed the contents.

                      I wouldn't recommend it though. He got a bit repetitive after the first 40 or so pages, He didn't have enough material to fill the whole 125 page word and started repeating himself.

                      There. Isn't that a useful review? And no, I'm also quite sure he wasn't the first person to try this.

                  • Blade …
                    20 January 2022 at 4:01 pm

                    ''No hits for "dry Tory twit" either, which surprised me''

                    Be not surprised, Drowsy. I like to be …to be…zzzz!!laugh

                  • mikesh …
                    20 January 2022 at 6:50 pm

                    How many dry Tories are there? And how many wet ones?

          • Patricia Bremner 2.1.2.2.2
            20 January 2022 at 12:19 pm

            yessmiley Yes, Robert, and Robertson and Chippie and the whole lot. Bless them one and all. Blade you are rather blunt. Go try Aus. They are a lot like you.

        • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 2.1.2.3
          20 January 2022 at 2:18 pm

          As Sanctuary said the other day:

          (and like all luck, the better your countries leadership the luckier you are).

          Thank goodness for Jacinda, Chris, Ashley etc.

    • weka 2.2
      20 January 2022 at 8:35 am

      MIQ disaster ( again).

      What disaster?

      Unfortunately it's too late for many. Kiwis overseas are losing hope and Omicron has stepped up to the starting line. Businesses continue to close and shop shelves empty.

      What shops have empty shelves in NZ?

      I'm fascinated to know if the government can resist their default setting of a lockdown once Omicron spreads?

      Does that mean you want them to not use one of the most effective tools we have for preventing death, hospitalisation, disability and health system overwhelm?

      Afaik, the existing Traffic Light system always included the option of local and regional lockdowns. But it's obvious that the system needs updating, it was designed for delta not omicron.

      Likewise the MiQ system. But here's the thing. If you believe the pandemic is nearly over, then why bother spending all that resource fixing it? Why not just wait a bit longer? If you believe that the pandemic is here for another year at least, probably longer, then we should go ahead and fix it, make it fair and easier to use.

      Once we know what omicron is doing (rather than using early data to guess what it is doing) it will be easier to design good solutions.

      I don't want that to include letting covid run free prematurely in NZ. I suspect lots of voters think likewise.

      • Blade 2.2.1
        20 January 2022 at 11:49 am

        ''Does that mean you want them to not use one of the most effective tools we have for preventing death, hospitalisation, disability and health system overwhelm?''

        I personally aren't fussed either way. But the majority of people I know will not tolerate another lockdown. I would say that'd go for most businesses, too.

        The government knows this. They are stuck between between a rock and a hard place. The call of a lockdown once Omicron spreads will be hard for Jacinda to resist. But will she have the balls to call one? Hence my fascination.

        There are many other factors to consider re a future lockdown. What will happen if Omicron spreads rapidly through the unvaxxed Maori community? Maori will want a lock down. I'm ASSUMING the vaxxed majority of Kiwis wont.

        There's so much for the government to consider.

          • Blade 2.2.1.1.1
            20 January 2022 at 12:40 pm

            You must understand Maori mentality. One for all…all for one, especially if people fully vaxxed keep getting Omicron on a regular basis.

          • Nic the NZer 2.2.1.1.2
            20 January 2022 at 1:10 pm

            Even 84% is likely an exaggeration of the Maori vaccination rate differences. Inside most age ranges the Maori rates are higher again (indistinguishable from or even higher than non-Maori rates) and its the relative ages of the populations causing this artifact.

            Specifically the vaccine uptake rate ratios in the linked page show the overall ratio is larger than all the age category ratios which make it up.

            • pat 2.2.1.1.2.1
              20 January 2022 at 1:46 pm

              Perhaps….however

              "At all ages the size (weightings) of the age groups becomes a major contributing factor to comparative ratios, which is why the all ages (12+) figure may not appear to be in line with the age splits."

              It would require considerable work and raw data to cross check and there is no reason to think that the released figures are anything other than reasonably accurate.

              • Nic the NZer …
                20 January 2022 at 2:07 pm

                That's an observation, and I assume the MoH data is accurate.

                "At all ages the size (weightings) of the age groups becomes a major contributing factor to comparative ratios, which is why the all ages (12+) figure may not appear to be in line with the age splits." is the MoH highlighting the same possibility between their age category aggregates and the overall DHB aggregate.

                If you look at the rate ratios chart (named "Vaccine uptake per rate ratio (unadjusted) Māori and Pacific compared with Non-Māori non-Pacific 12+") above you can observe this occurring as the rate ratio "Overall" is wider (taller bars above or below zero) than any of the rate ratios by age category (which make it up), including 19-34 which is the widest age category.

                Once you account for ages Maori and Non-Maori vaccination rates are much more similar.

        • weka 2.2.1.2
          20 January 2022 at 5:38 pm

          sorry to disappoint but Ardern just announced no regional lock down but nationwide Red instead.

          But the majority of people I know will not tolerate another lockdown

          Really? What will they do?

          • Blade 2.2.1.2.1
            20 January 2022 at 6:58 pm

            Whoa..

            I said:

            ''The call of a lockdown once Omicron spreads will be hard for Jacinda to resist. But will she have the balls to call one? Hence my fascination.''

            A lockdown is NOT off the table yet.

            And have you thought what a red light means in terms of policing and inconveniences and stress. Not much difference if you think about it?

            ''But the majority of people I know will not tolerate another lockdown.

            Really? What will they do"

            Ignore it. Then what?sad

            • weka 2.2.1.2.1.1
              20 January 2022 at 7:30 pm

              so they in fact will tolerate it.

              Regional lockdowns have always been an option under the traffic light system afaik. Ardern has said they won't be using them this time.

              If you think lockdowns should never be used again, what happens if we end up with a pandemic where the death rate is 10%? Or higher?

      • Jimmy 2.2.2
        20 January 2022 at 12:25 pm

        What shops have empty shelves in NZ?

        Countdown supermarkets in Auckland.

        • Visubversa 2.2.2.1
          20 January 2022 at 12:30 pm

          For a couple of days when their warehouse workers had an industrial dispute.

          • Jimmy 2.2.2.1.1
            20 January 2022 at 12:41 pm

            That strike has been over a long time ago so it's not that. No toilet rolls in Countdown Meadowbank the other day.

        • tc 2.2.2.2
          20 January 2022 at 12:36 pm

          Inevitable the way folk are clearing out shelves too quickly to be restocked.

          Soft drinks appear an essential item.

        • Blade 2.2.2.3
          20 January 2022 at 12:54 pm

          Pak n' Save Napier ( when I was there). Sugar, toilet paper, some frozen lines, seaweed flakes, walnuts, straight tuna ( only local at the moment),sausage meat, stuffed chickens, some deli items, Sunlight dishwashing Liquid( someone should be shot).

          • Jimmy 2.2.2.3.1
            20 January 2022 at 1:40 pm

            Yes, and their shelf stackers weren't on strike.

          • weka 2.2.2.3.2
            20 January 2022 at 5:40 pm

            I have no doubt that some lines are interrupted at times. But given your noted propensity to exaggeration, I'm going to assume that it's not literal supermaket shelves empty like in Australia, just some missing items here and there. Welcome to the climate future.

            • Blade 2.2.2.3.2.1
              20 January 2022 at 6:20 pm

              ''But given your noted propensity to exaggeration.''

              I'm afraid you don't understand the situation. Watch and learn. And remember…I told you first.

              Did you watch One News tonight… and the problems the business community is having with the gummint?

              • weka …
                21 January 2022 at 10:24 am

                I'm afraid you don't understand the situation. Watch and learn. And remember…I told you first.

                Snort. Mate, I write about things like climate induced food shortages. I've been talking to people on twitter in recent weeks about what's likely to happen to the NZ supply chains once omicron is here. I've been watching what's happening in Oz. There's nothing you are saying here that is new to me. All I'm doing is pointing out that you exaggerate the current situation. I'm not the only one saying that.

            • Jimmy 2.2.2.3.2.2
              21 January 2022 at 8:53 am

              Next time I'm in Countdown I will take a photo of the shelves and try and add it to my comment so you can see. Meadowbank Countdown literally had 4 packets of the cheapest brand toilet rolls left. There was about 15 metres of empty shelves where all the Purex and Paseo brands would have normally been.

              • weka …
                21 January 2022 at 10:21 am

                I believe that. Blade was suggesting whole shelves missing, not a few specific lines.

                I expect it to get worse over the next few days, the government has basically told people to stock up.

                • Sabine …
                  21 January 2022 at 10:42 am

                  I have told you to stock up to last at least 4 weeks if you have the means to do so a while ago, or at least everytime you go out shopping add a few items more.

                  The one thing no one should want to do is stand in a line in front of a supermarket to get toilet paper, or other such important thing.

                  Anyone who by now still lives with the just in time model for hteir supplies should not be surprised when they can't get what they need or want.

                  And btw, its not only Kmart, its everything and eveyrwhere, from spare parts to fix machinery/cars/air cons etc, to toilet articles, to food, to computer ink.

                  And fwiw, Blade is right it is whole shelfs.

                  • weka …
                    21 January 2022 at 10:51 am

                    you're not telling me anything I don't already know Sabine. Neither is Blade.

                    Anyone who by now still lives with the just in time model for hteir supplies should not be surprised when they can't get what they need or want.

                    Yeah, well, some of us aren't able to get ahead in the way you mean, and we still won't be surprised. I'm better off than a lot, many people just don't have the cash to stock up.

                    • Sabine …
                      21 January 2022 at 11:04 am

                      I am on a strict budget, and will stock up on stuff when it is 'cheap'.

                      And that is something that poor people need to do more then rich ones as they are the ones that can not absorb surge pricing.

                      but we have people that actively refuse to see the thinly stacked shelfs, that lack of either this or that, and that still want to pretend that this does not affect us so as long as we keep our borders closed, our infected locked up( three motels in rotorua with homeless people are under total lockdown, with meals delivered etc – i am sure that will work wonders for their mental and physical health).

                      It is everywhere, and fwiw, no one in this country, not one person in politics gives a fuck about poor people other then a nice op- ed by some wanna be political superstar of tomorrow. We have seen for the last few years just how much no one gives a fuck.

                      So in essence, the poor should be the first ones to stop listening to government and the poor need to start looking out for themselves, as the government will maybe send them a 5 NZD increase in benefits before taking 10 NZD away from a fringe benefit. Cause Labour 2023 has run out of the fucks it pretended to give a long time ago.

                    • weka …
                      21 January 2022 at 11:15 am

                      no argument from me that Labour are shitty towards the poor,

                      https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1484042251714310145

                      But what do you want? Keeping the borders closed protects poor people. Vaccination protects poor people. Contact tracing protects poor people. All the things we are doing protects poor people alongside everyone else. You criticise the government for their pandemic response, but don't say what you want.

                      Citation needed for the homeless being locked into a motel. Not seeing anything in a news search on that.

                  • Sabine …
                    21 January 2022 at 12:08 pm

                    No citation should be needed for the reality that is 'transitional' housing in Rotorua. It is homeless people that are being warehoused in motels for long periods of times as the Government and hte private market can not be bothered to provide proper housing to people who may be unable to pay market price rents or are other wise unable to find accommodation.

                    And now we are having three motels under 'lockdown' in Rotorua. I guess its ok for the government to 'lockdown' those that the country as a whole don't really care about. .

                    Also, i really need a citation that the government keeps the borders closed to protect the poor.

                    I always thought, and i would posit even with good reason, that we keep the borders closed so as to not let to many sick people in lest we overhelm our already overwhelmed health care sector which btw, two years in is still underfunded, understaffed, under resourced. I think they used to call that 'flattening' the curve.

                    Here is the citation of todays article in the herald as to how our poor who are warehoused in motels can expect to be treated should covid raise its ugly face.

                    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-delta-outbreak-three-rotorua-transitional-housing-motels-in-lockdown-following-covid-outbreak/7QZIRJCOCZOX7PUSJRJKUXKAGI/

                    Those staying at the motels were considered close contacts and could not leave. The public was not allowed to visit.

                    …….

                    Extra security and fencing have been added to the facilities to ensure the public didn't walk through and allow residents space to isolate safely.

                    Meals and welfare support were being provided to support people to remain isolated.

                    The poor are the last group of people this government- a left leaning so called progressive majority labour led government with its helpers the green party – cares about .

    • Kiwijoker 2.3
      20 January 2022 at 8:47 am

      So Blade, if we have as claimed but unexplained by you, an MIQ disaster, how would you describe the situation in Tonga?

      • Blade 2.3.1
        20 January 2022 at 10:58 am

        A disaster.

        • McFlock 2.3.1.1
          20 January 2022 at 2:53 pm

          That's the trouble with hyperbole: one runs out of adequate descriptors when something genuinely extreme happens.

          • Blade 2.3.1.1.1
            20 January 2022 at 3:30 pm

            Look up the MANY meanings of the word disaster. Hyperbole your perception of my comment.

            • McFlock 2.3.1.1.1.1
              20 January 2022 at 3:37 pm

              I didn't say your descriptor was not consistent with common usage. Dictionaries describe, rather than prescribe.

              I was pointing out that calling a delayed cricket match a "disaster" left little room for a description of a volcanic tsunami.

              And now I need to go donate to a relief effort for bored cricket fans.

              • Blade …
                20 January 2022 at 4:23 pm

                You misread my comment.

                However, I assume you are a cricket fan? If that's correct you are relegated to the bottom of my 'dislike' list.

                My dislike of cricket goes back to the 60s and 70s when all we had on TV , either from TV1, or AKTV2, was three days straight of cricket during the season. Guys in white standing around, sometimes rubbing their balls with a ball, followed by an ecstatic arms raised above their heads dance now and again when someone was bowled out… it was just torture.

                Cricket fans don't need a relief fund (good one), they need to be put on contraceptives so they don't breed.

    • Treetop 2.4
      20 January 2022 at 10:34 am

      I am not sure if animals with Covid bother me more than humans with Covid. The two pet shop workers in Hong Kong getting Covid from hamsters imported from the Netherlands is an example of the magnitude of what Covid is doing between humans and animals.

      As for new variants crossing between animals and humans I am not going to go there.

  3. Dennis Frank 3
    20 January 2022 at 7:19 am

    Left & right are playing dumb & dumber again:

    Senior Democrats, including some White House aides, describe a West Wing lacking both a political strategy and the discipline to execute one. Focus groups are giving party operatives nightmares.

    Biden is coming across as old and absent, they say. Real and perceived fumbles play into deep fears that he's not up to the job and that Democrats are incompetent. Few Americans can say what was in the massive bills he's signed, though many have heard about Democratic infighting and failure in what he hasn't signed.

    "What is the plan to fix that?" asked one operative in touch with the White House. "They can't tell us…" White House aides downplayed these complaints. The President has been more focused on addressing the pandemic and global economy than helping plot campaign strategy. They chalk much of the grumbling up to officials upset that they're not getting everything they want, including Maloney's unprecedented request last year for the Democratic National Committee to transfer $20 million to House Democrats' campaign committee. (So far, $0 has been transferred).

    Meanwhile, on the dumber side, we have Biden migrants: https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2022/01/19/todd-bensman-many-of-joe-bidens-migrants-die-on-trek-to-u-s-border/

    Many migrants are being killed or brutalized on the global smuggling route created by President Joe Biden and border chief Alejandro Mayorkas, says Todd Bensman, a former intelligence official who now works with the Center for Immigration Studies.

    The Darien Gap is a rough trail over the mountains between Columbia and Panama. Many people — especially women — die along the trail.

    multiple administrations have undermined Americans’ border laws since the 1980s because they wanted to extract people from poor countries to serve U.S. investors as cheap workers, government-aided consumers, and high-density renters in the U.S. economy.

    So there you have it: capitalists using left & right glove-puppets in the White House to reduce operational costs for the system…

    • joe90 3.1
      20 January 2022 at 8:07 am

      So there you have it:

      A nativist hate group singing to the choir?

      https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/center-immigration-studies

    • Sanctuary 3.2
      20 January 2022 at 11:23 am

      "…Biden is coming across as old and absent,…"

      It is what happens when your country is run by a gerontocracy (Hillary Clinton, the "youth option" is 74 FFS) and your party & Washington establishment would rather let Trump win than let on the ticket a dynamic youthful candidate like, say, AOC.

      • alwyn 3.2.1
        20 January 2022 at 2:58 pm

        Why not get the Democrats to pick someone capable of doing the job, rather than that nit wit Alexandria O-C

        Pick Pete Buttigieg, currently the US Secretary of Transportation? And have a race where he runs against John Kasich, former Governor of Ohio. Their debates would really be worth listening to,

      • Ad 3.2.2
        20 January 2022 at 3:17 pm

        Actually AOC was too young to qualify as a candidate.

        In 2024 she's old enough.

        Whether she'd survive getting elected outside Brooklyn is … to be seen.

        • Sanctuary 3.2.2.1
          20 January 2022 at 4:09 pm

          I meant in 2024. She is clearly Sander's heir apparent. Off the top of my head I think Teddy Roosevelt was the youngest ever president in his mid 40s so I suspect AOC will need a bit more time yet – she would probably have to serve a VP. She has charisma to burn. She is polarising, but so was Lincoln in similar febrile political climate where the whisper of civil war is getting ever louder.

  4. Herodotus 4
    20 January 2022 at 8:31 am

    Spent a few days in Waiheke, saw my first Kakas in the wild.

    Noted: with no possums, what a noticeable difference in how the bush looks and the abundance of bird life, the island could do with some rain though.

    • weka 4.1
      20 January 2022 at 9:00 am

      Incredible birds, especially when in flocks. Can't wait until it's normal to have kākā all over the place again.

    • JanM 4.2
      20 January 2022 at 9:12 am

      I've just come back from a few days on Waiheke too. Heard kaka but didn't see them. But I saw a weka who lives under my friend's bach on the way to Oropiu. Didn't realise Waiheke had weka. Cool!

    • Puckish Rogue 4.3
      20 January 2022 at 10:58 am

      If you get the opportunity visit Stewart and Ulva Island, well worth the money I reckon

    • roy cartland 4.4
      20 January 2022 at 11:17 am

      They fly over my place at 4am, shrieking like devils; spilling out from the Karori Zealandia Sanctuary I guess. And when you look for them in the bush, they're almost invisible until they fly off and you get that flash of red under the wing. Most enjoyable.

    • weka 6.1
      20 January 2022 at 9:31 am

      thanks, really appreciate someone putting up a link.

      I think it's protesting, but it's bullshit protesting to do that to kids. It will backlash against them once there is video online showing this kind of thing. Or, hopefully, it's an isolated incident, and the protestors come to their senses.

      • Ross 6.1.1
        20 January 2022 at 10:20 am

        If some kids are scared witless by a handful of protestors exercising their rights, it doesn’t bode well if the kids get the virus. The anxiety and stress among those kids could compromise their health.

        https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/how-can-stress-affect-covid19-immune-response

        https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/how-worrying-affects-your-body

        • weka 6.1.1.1
          20 January 2022 at 10:52 am

          yes, way better in a pandemic where immunity counts and stress undermines immunity, to not stress those kids more than they already are.

        • Visubversa 6.1.1.2
          20 January 2022 at 12:35 pm

          They do not have the right to beat on car windows and get in people's faces shouting lies when children are there. They behave in a disgusting manner which seems to be the default setting.

          • Ross 6.1.1.2.1
            20 January 2022 at 12:50 pm

            They behave in a disgusting manner which seems to be the default setting.

            Nice rant. How you know how everyone behaves would be interesting to discern. Were police called? The report doesn’t say so.

            According to the report:

            They say that the North Shore coordinator "has no recollection of any such incident taking place".

            So, this could have been a false claim from an anti-anti-vaxxer (especially if police weren’t called). We've already seen one prominent anti-anti-vaxxer compare deliberating driving a car into oncoming traffic (ie murder) with those who choose to be unvaccinated. Some anti-anti-vaxxers have no shame.

              • Anne …
                20 January 2022 at 4:42 pm

                Thanks for those posts Observer. I didn't see them.

                Ross @ 6.1.1.2.1

                * We've already seen one prominent anti-anti-vaxxer compare deliberating driving a car into oncoming traffic (ie murder) with those who choose to be unvaccinated.

                Lets be blunt. Ross is a liar, a cheat and a troll. The anti-anti-vaxxer he refers to is Tim Watkins who wrote a brilliant piece on his blog site "Pundit" a few days ago. Ross' gross misrepresentation (*) was corrected by several people and here he is… trying to get away with it again.

          • mauī 6.1.1.2.2
            20 January 2022 at 7:56 pm

            Shouting what lies?

            One would think it would be the MoH responsibility to ensure the venue is safe.

            • observer 6.1.1.2.2.1
              20 January 2022 at 8:08 pm

              See my comment at 2.18 pm. See the linked statement (in red circle) from the manager of the vaccination centre.

              Look, we know the tactic here. Keep inventing and spreading the lies on social media, keep being corrected by the people who were there, and run down the clock.

              And it works, short-term. I'm not going to spend all day on the Standard, or even the internet, constantly re-posting the same incontrovertible evidence, from the horse's mouth. The paramedics and vaccinators and parents of non-existent children aren't going to, either. They have lives.

              You can keep this up as long as you want, but it still doesn't change reality.

              • mauī …
                20 January 2022 at 8:56 pm

                So you have no evidence of lies being shouted at the general public and children? Only evidence of Gunn confronting media with a rumour. Alrighty then…. yes I would agree that is wasting your time reposting this same "evidence".

              • weka …
                20 January 2022 at 9:10 pm

                mauī has a point. They're asking a specific question. What lies were shouted in people's faces while children where there? The red circle is about online false information sharing as far as I can tell, not the in person protest.

            • Anne 6.1.1.2.2.2
              20 January 2022 at 8:34 pm

              My God, you sink low sometimes. Inferring that vaccination centres are not safe places. Have you ever been to one? Probably not.

              I'll tell you about them. They are efficiently run. The staff are fantastic. They make the whole process enjoyable. They care about what they are doing and treat everyone as though they are special. They will be doing everything to make sure the kiddies know they're in a happy place and go away with lolliepops and cuddly toys and remember the experience for a lifetime.

              You’re a miserable wretch.

      • The Chairman 6.1.2
        20 January 2022 at 2:36 pm

        For balance, here's a perspective from the other side.

        The bit about approaching vehicles can be found from around 1.45mins in.

        https://www.bitchute.com/video/JSA6pCxD8yX8/

        • observer 6.1.2.1
          20 January 2022 at 2:51 pm

          Somebody unbalanced isn't "balance". Liz Gunn needs professional help. I hope she gets it, it's sad to see.

          Balance this:

          .https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19-01-2022/#comment-1853043

          • Ross 6.1.2.1.1
            20 January 2022 at 3:57 pm

            Liz Gunn needs professional help.

            I didn't realise you were a psychiatrist lol

            So much for being kind…Jacinda would be devastated.

            • observer 6.1.2.1.1.1
              20 January 2022 at 4:10 pm

              You don't need to be a psychiatrist to recognise a public meltdown when you see it.

              Her comments have become increasingly incoherent, detached from reality. The sad thing is … most people and the media are doing the right thing by trying to ignore her, because it's clear there is no rational dialogue possible.

              Whereas her so-called supporters are the kind of "friends" who buy drinks for an alcoholic. Shame on them.

          • weka 6.1.2.1.2
            20 January 2022 at 6:45 pm

            Somebody unbalanced isn't "balance". Liz Gunn needs professional help. I hope she gets it, it's sad to see.

            I just watched TC's link from the time stamp, and I see a women talking in a calm manner, explaining her position clearly. I'm not seeing someone having a melt down.

            • Gezza 6.1.2.1.2.1
              20 January 2022 at 7:38 pm

              I've now just watched it too. For the segment she filmed at home she's talking in a calm manner, explaining her position clearly. For the segment at the end which is video of where she tackled the 1 News reporter and accused her of not doing her job by not going back and asking questions about the reports Liz claims to have heard that 5 children collapsed, she gets pretty wound up.

              Some might consider her reaction there a meltdown.

              I read the linked letter on her video page:

              https://freenz.org/new-shub/

              Liz and her supporters don't seem to have any evidence, and they blame reporters for their not having any evidence?

              • weka …
                20 January 2022 at 7:42 pm

                I haven't seen the second video 🤷‍♀️

                • Gezza …
                  20 January 2022 at 7:49 pm

                  Her video in TC's link is 23.00 long. She added the video of the incident to the end of her home video. It starts just after 17.12.

                  • weka …
                    20 January 2022 at 8:05 pm

                    thanks Gezza. Watched it now. Still not seeing a melt down. Obviously she's wrong about the five kids collapsing thing and her bias is stopping her from understanding quite a number of things. She acknowledges she is very angry, but she's still explaining her thoughts, hardly a melt down.

                    • Gezza …
                      20 January 2022 at 8:14 pm

                      She makes numerous claims in her home video that doctors and hospitals are all in on it. That they don't put adverse reactions to vaccines in their discharge papers etc. What did you think when she stated in her home video that the government is paying the relatives of dead vaxed people for their silence, up to $200,000?

                      If this is the kind of thing she's been claiming it's probably well known in the industry & no wonder tv reporters are avoiding getting into talking to her.

                    • weka …
                      20 January 2022 at 8:26 pm

                      please listen: I think her ideas are daft. I don't however think she is having a melt down and requires mental health professional help. If you sanction that kind of online diagnosing, then it will get applied to all sorts of people and it's just a really shitty thing to do personally and politically.

                  • Blazer …
                    20 January 2022 at 9:04 pm

                    I watched it…and find her very plausible…winning the 'hearts and minds' of the chattering class has been a default setting for our …ruling class since ..forever.

                    Hey jobs are hard to find in MSM these ..days.

                    • Gezza …
                      20 January 2022 at 9:21 pm

                      She certainly sounds plausible, but that doesn't mean she's correct.

                      In that video she seems to be basing her claims on what she says people who've been affected (or maybe seen) are telling her about adverse reactions & even deaths of relatives. Absent hard evidence, this seems like classic conspiracy theory stuff.

                      It will be interesting to see what the next few video reports that she promises to post turn up in the way of verifiable evidence.

                    • Blazer …
                      20 January 2022 at 9:31 pm

                      'what she says people who've been affected (or maybe seen) are telling her about adverse reactions & even deaths of relatives. This seems like classic conspiracy theory stuff.'

                      This is the basis of everyday allegations of crime and or misdemeanour….X saw Y do ?…evidence…now prove ..it.

                    • Gezza …
                      20 January 2022 at 9:36 pm

                      Sorry, I did an edit and added:

                      Absent hard evidence, this seems like classic conspiracy theory stuff before your reply posted.

                      You're correct, but we'll have to wait and see what evidence she produces. At present we don't even know if she's checked out those people who she says have contacted her.

                    • Blazer …
                      20 January 2022 at 9:43 pm

                      @G…what 'hard evidence' is available regarding vaccination of young children and any side effects?

                    • Gezza …
                      20 January 2022 at 10:01 pm

                      I don't know, B. But if she's been contacted by people who've suffered adverse reactions, or whose rellies or kids have, and people whose relatives have died after vaccinations, as she seems to be claiming, presumably she can give some details such as ages, sex, the town or city, and the hospitals or vaccination centres.

                      In that video she pleads with ambulance drivers who know of such cases to get in touch with her.

                      The problem she (and we) have in trying to establish whether her claims are credible is it all seems to be hearsay. We don't even know if the people contacting her are genuine.

                      That's why I'm interested to see what other videos she puts out.

                      On the face of it, her claims that the mainstream media are all buying into the official version of events are at least credible.

                    • Blazer …
                      20 January 2022 at 10:07 pm

                      @G…so no 'hard evidence' either way then.

                      Not very compelling is it?

                      I have seen so many so called 'conspiracy theories' proven to be real and so much MSM propaganda in my lifetime,that I need alot of..convincing.

                      TBH..I went and got dbl vaxxed and was disappointed to discover I was ..conned.

                    • McFlock …
                      20 January 2022 at 10:29 pm

                      Doesn't "hard evidence" from the day in question include the venue manager calling BS on the story?
                      Or hard evidence from a wider perspective is an assessment of 9 million pfizer vaccine doses given to US kids so far with, once again, much lower incidence of problems than from covid.

                    • Blazer …
                      21 January 2022 at 9:06 am

                      @McFlock…the venue manager….?

                      'Now the new study shows that these "preliminary safety findings are similar to those described in the clinical trials" that led to the vaccine's emergency approval,'

                      Don't know how inspiring that is…either.

                  • The Chairman …
                    20 January 2022 at 11:30 pm

                    That's why I'm interested to see what other videos she puts out.

                    Have you seen this one (link below) Gezza? It has been out for a while

                    https://youtu.be/UB_5pL74EoA

                    • Gezza …
                      21 January 2022 at 12:09 pm

                      No, I hadn't seen that one, TC. Watching it now.

                      I googled "bitchute Liz Gunn” and watched quite a bit of this one late last night though.

                      https://www.bitchute.com/video/Rz6kNasz01v5/

                      I've seen enough to know that Liz is not crazy. And she's finding people who are prepared to publicly share their experiences of the really awful things that happened to them after they got jabbed.

                      It's pretty disturbing stuff.

            • joe90 6.1.2.1.2.2
              20 January 2022 at 8:16 pm

              @ 07.19' – are there payments being made to doctors if they can keep the jab out of it – but sure, she's not having a melt down…

              /

              • weka …
                20 January 2022 at 8:24 pm

                can't be bothered to watch any more tbh. I watched the first two timestamps I was given and there's no melt down. Plenty to disagree with on her politics, world view and strategy, but I'm responding to the comment that she needs professional mental health help.

              • Gezza …
                20 January 2022 at 8:31 pm

                From some googling it seems that a meltdown is an intense response to an overwhelming situation. It happens when someone becomes completely overwhelmed by their current situation and temporarily loses control of their behaviour.

                So she's definitely not having a meltdown. But I'm certainly wondering about her grip on reality and whether she's suffering from some kind of psychosis.

                That said, I’m not professionally qualified to judge. But I’d sure put her in the category of conspiracy theorist.

                • weka …
                  20 January 2022 at 8:36 pm

                  I have friends that belief, variously, that not that many people have died from covid, or that the vaccines are going to kill a lot of us this year. They're not psychotic. They have strong beliefs and a lot of emotion. Some of what they feel about the situation actually makes sense eg the issues of personal freedom and government overreach.

                  People attaching false information to important beliefs they hold is not new.

                  • Gezza …
                    20 January 2022 at 8:42 pm

                    Yes, I understand that, weka. Liz in that video has gone a few steps further and is claiming that there are multiple deaths and adverse reactions and that GPs, nurses, ambos, hospitals, and the government are covering it up and even paying people to stay silent.

                    • pat …
                      20 January 2022 at 8:48 pm

                      Id suggest that the overwhelming majority would view that 'report' and treat it with the seriousness it deserves….not everyone however.

                    • weka …
                      20 January 2022 at 8:56 pm

                      no, my friends are well down that rabbit hole as well. It's not psychosis though.

                    • The Chairman …
                      20 January 2022 at 10:54 pm

                      Liz in that video has gone a few steps further and is claiming that there are multiple deaths and adverse reactions…

                      Perhaps, she has seen reports like this in the link below?

                      https://hatchardreport.com/relationship-between-covid-19-vaccination-and-all-cause-mortality/

                    • McFlock …
                      20 January 2022 at 11:32 pm

                      That dude is basing a lot on a chart that says old people die during winter.

                    • The Chairman …
                      20 January 2022 at 11:43 pm

                      @ McFlock

                      That dude is basing a lot on a chart that says old people die during winter.

                      More than the winter before the vax rollout?

                      Furthermore, it also just happens to coincidentally follow weekly vaccination numbers, as they rise to a peak, deaths peak. And as vaccination numbers begin to fall, deaths also fall.

                    • McFlock …
                      21 January 2022 at 12:47 am

                      Depends on how fuckily you want to play with the axis and with which months you include or exclude, like that dude did.

                      lol I actually had a wee bit of fun getting the deaths by month from statsNZ. Download 'em yourself and check my figuring.

                      His chart is apparently fortnightly. He's ballparking 1200 deaths a month at the july/sept peak. That's about half the deaths in those months for 2020. But 2020 still follows the same seasonal pattern (as do the preceeding years). It's just not very obvious when you start the Xintercept at zero.

                      Deaths having 500 as the lower value and 700 as the upper makes the peaks look proportionate. They're not.

                      The really interesting bit is how deaths peak before vaccinations peak. Not hugely obvious because the line colours are so similar and the legend is incredibly tiny, but the clue is that vaccine doses start from the xy intersection while deaths start a wee way up.

                      Now, that could be statistical noise, fair enough. But there's no lag effect, either. Sure, the peaks are scaled to look similar, but that means that the deaths must happen within a few days of injection and no further, because then they'd appear in the following datapoint. But in reality you might expect some of them to hang around a bit on life support. Hence a lag.

                      There's a lot of little things in that piece that raise eyebrows – could be amateur, could be intentional. Things like the line colours and small legend making it difficult to see which peaks first, or the scale-play. The leaps in logic based on very sketchy chart skills.

                      But there is one thing I can't fault in it:

                      Disinformation has unnecessarily divided our nation.

                      I agree with that entirely.

                    • Nic the NZer []
                      21 January 2022 at 7:45 am

                      Do we think 65+ mortality almost halved in 2020? From prior years.

                      I would say probably not but we did have a small number of covid deaths in NZ this winter.

                      What has the guy done to leave out points? Surely its time so all points must be included and all deaths have a well known date.

                    • McFlock …
                      21 January 2022 at 12:52 pm

                      my bad, the chart labels were fortnightly because every other one was dropped off – excel issue…

                      Rest of my comment holds up surprisingly well for midnight-1am.

                      Also, the 2020 death numbers were similar to previous years for that age group, so don't know why the dude couldn't do a comparison with previous years. I can think of why a wingnut wouldn't want to, though.

  7. joe90 7
    20 January 2022 at 9:06 am

    Aww…the babbling fuck your feelings twerps find it discomforting to talk about the exploitation, rape and murder their nation was built on.

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A bill pushed by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that would prohibit public schools and private businesses from making white people feel “discomfort” when they teach students or train employees about discrimination in the nation’s past received its first approval Tuesday.

    The Senate Education Committee approved the bill that takes aim at critical race theory — though it doesn’t mention it explicitly — on party lines, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed.

    https://apnews.com/article/business-florida-lawsuits-ron-desantis-racial-injustice-3ec10492b7421543315acf4491813c1b

    • Gypsy 7.1
      20 January 2022 at 9:24 am

      More like a reaction to the radicals misuse of CRT.

      Watch from 1:59 – good discussion from all sides.

      • joe90 7.1.1
        20 January 2022 at 10:27 am

        Watch what?

      • Craig H 7.1.2
        20 January 2022 at 10:48 am

        How is anyone teaching CRT in a school? It's an academic theory taught at law schools.

        • Puckish Rogue 7.1.2.1
          20 January 2022 at 11:01 am

          No ones specifically teaching CRT at schools however CRT is certainly the lens through which some subjects are being taught

          • Craig H 7.1.2.1.1
            20 January 2022 at 2:17 pm

            Not quite sure how an academic theory about legal systems can really be a lens for school subjects, but if the Republican problem is discomfort at teaching about systemic racism as systemic racism, with the history of the USA, it seems unavoidable unless they either stop teaching their own history or omit a lot of it. For a simple example, the causes of the Civil War, the post-reconstruction era and the origins of the term 'grandfathering' (literacy testing was introduced as part of voter enrolment, but people were exempted if their grandfather was a voter – at the time, that was almost exclusively White Americans, so these rules almost exclusively prevented illiterate Black Americans from enrolling).

            • Puckish Rogue 7.1.2.1.1.1
              20 January 2022 at 2:28 pm

              Ignore it at your peril (well not yours of course but candidates)

              https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/11/09/the-parental-revolution-we-all-saw-coming-but-still-missed-520450

              • Craig H …
                20 January 2022 at 3:12 pm

                Get ahead of voters and lose elections is certainly an important lesson.

                • Puckish Rogue …
                  20 January 2022 at 4:18 pm

                  'Glenn Youngkin’s surprising gubernatorial victory over Terry McAuliffe, fueled by pandemic-era, schools- and education-related angst that went well beyond the dog-whistle buzzword of “critical race theory,” constituted a kind of parents’ revolt.'

                  Fueled by arrogance and hubris McAuliffe lost when he said: “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach."`

                  Youngkin then realized that parents, from all political sides, were sick of being dictated to by teacher unions and voted accordingly

                  The only question is will the Republicans pick up on this and move away from arguments based around the economy and more into the cultural side of issues (and win) or will the Democrats have a lightbulb moment and understand just how far removed they are from the people they claim to represent

                  • Gypsy …
                    20 January 2022 at 5:00 pm

                    "Fueled by arrogance and hubris McAuliffe lost when he said: “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.""

                    And he isn't alone in that view. In fact I, and a group of fellow parents, were told exactly that by a spotty teacher when my son was about 8 or so. Needless to say he got a reaction.

                    • Puckish Rogue …
                      20 January 2022 at 5:20 pm

                      One good thing about covid is it allowed parents to see what was happening in their schools and so a new voting block was created

                    • Nic the NZer …
                      20 January 2022 at 5:48 pm

                      The obvious lesson here is, a teacher would never discriminate against a student whose parents act like a conceited know it all.

                    • Gypsy …
                      20 January 2022 at 5:52 pm

                      "a teacher would never discriminate against a student whose parents act like a conceited know it all."
                      The issue is not who knows more than anyone else. The issue is whether or not parents should have a say in their child's education. Damn right they should.

                    • In Vino …
                      20 January 2022 at 7:16 pm

                      To be fair to the teachers, you are assuming that some possibly very wacky parents never need teachers to defend sanity.

                      I assume that the teacher was 'spotty' because you were annoyed that he/she disagreed with you.

                      I would be interested to know just what was being disputed.

                    • Gypsy …
                      21 January 2022 at 8:04 am

                      "I assume that the teacher was 'spotty' because you were annoyed that he/she disagreed with you."

                      No, they were 'spotty' because they were at that impressionable age when they know everything, and parents know nothing.

        • Gypsy 7.1.2.2
          20 January 2022 at 4:53 pm

          That's how it started life. Erec Smith provides a good analysis of the difference between applied and theoretical CRT, and how this IS in fact influencing teaching.

          https://www.ydr.com/story/opinion/2021/10/21/yes-form-crt-being-taught-our-schools-opinion/6116736001/

    • McFlock 7.2
      20 January 2022 at 3:09 pm

      lol

      And now some school kids have started a banned books club to look at the books the right wingers are scared of.

      The kids are alright.

  8. GreenBus 8
    20 January 2022 at 9:08 am

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/01/covid-19-ministry-of-health-denies-viral-claim-children-collapsed-at-north-shore-vaccination-centre.html

    Are the MoH lying to us? Very unlikely to say the least.

    This is typical anti vax misinformation and fear mongering.

    • Peter 8.1
      20 January 2022 at 9:31 am

      "Newshub contacted Gunn to ask if she had any evidence but she did not provide any, instead responding with an angry, conspiratorial rant."

      People like Gunn should be called out.

  9. gsays 9
    20 January 2022 at 9:34 am

    I am getting to the age where little things get bigger health wise. Tony V's comment the other day about lowering consumption has also played a part.

    A hernia is starting to give me gip so went to the G.P. Long story short, the referral to the hospital for surgery was met with a no.

    I figure I will need to do some things myself to help myself.

    Largely, (boom boom) this centres around weight loss and it brings together a few other strands; over-consumption, local resilient food supply, diesel miles etc, etc. A friend has reported great results health wise with intermittent fasting.

    Then this popped up in the University Tube feed.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TT2hYoFpbDQ

    Well worth 10 minutes.

    • Dennis Frank 9.1
      20 January 2022 at 9:45 am

      I figure I will need to do some things myself to help myself

      I'm trim & a lot fitter than I once was. Took a few years of incorporating techniques to achieve that but figured em all out myself & the mix works via regular use. You can miss a day or two no problem but the more regular the better seems to be the trick.

      • gsays 9.1.1
        20 January 2022 at 10:22 am

        I figured that is the case.

        Hilary's observation comes to mind, "It is not the mountain we overcome but ourselves."

        Breaking poor habits is where the challenge lies

        • Dennis Frank 9.1.1.1
          20 January 2022 at 10:44 am

          Breaking poor habits is where the challenge lies

          I have some experience of that. How it works for me is like this:

          1. gnosis of time to switch

          Can't break free from the pull of the past if the timing isn't right. Sense of time is the key to this. Are you ready, willing & able? That's the question to pose to oneself. Although with me it never gets conscious – I usually have a tacit sense of necessity, and the time coming right follows in the wake of that.

          2. resolve

          Call it will-power if you like. Determined to switch, you self-empower it when the time is right. It helps to have a track record of doing so, so success tends to be relative to whether one has incorporated self-discipline & method.

          3. context

          Already explained the relevance of temporal context so this points more to lifestyle. Work commitments, relationship stuff, family stuff, all may need alteration &/or adjustment, negotiating.

          In my experience #3 is trickiest and can take longer to get right. That's the thing with resilience up-skilling – it has a communal dimension. Good luck!

    • Puckish Rogue 9.2
      20 January 2022 at 11:03 am

      Deadlifts.

      If you only do one exercise Deadlifts are the way to go.

      Your back can thank me later smiley

      • joe90 9.2.1
        20 January 2022 at 11:13 am

        With a hernia? Nope. Isometrics all the way.

        • Puckish Rogue 9.2.1.1
          20 January 2022 at 11:26 am

          Not deadlifting when the hernias flaring up but when it's settled

          Take it easy, take it slow, don't do quick, heavy increases in weight

          Your lower back will, eventually, respond to it

          • joe90 9.2.1.1.1
            20 January 2022 at 12:46 pm

            Jiggered myself a couple of years ago doing decline-bench sit-ups, radiculopathy related to an ancient L4-5 rupture, first manifesting as a hammy but turned out to be causing a glute insufficiency which turned out to be some serious biceps femoris fuckery. No deadlifts since but they are included in this year's programme.

            • Puckish Rogue 9.2.1.1.1.1
              20 January 2022 at 12:55 pm

              I've found the heavier my squats and deadlifts go the less I feel need to train my abs

              Having said that unless theres a radical change in my diet those abs won't be seen again laugh

              • joe90 …
                20 January 2022 at 1:04 pm

                Well, abs are made in the kitchen.

                • Puckish Rogue …
                  20 January 2022 at 1:11 pm

                  Decisions, decisions.

                  Do I like roast pork, pasta, fish n chips, fried chicken, takeaways etc more than I like visible abs..?

                  Yeah thats a tough call wink

      • Blade 9.2.2
        20 January 2022 at 12:27 pm

        You know this from experience…or by watching a YouTube clip?

        • Puckish Rogue 9.2.2.1
          20 January 2022 at 12:51 pm

          Experience and common sense.

          I'm pushing 50, my backs at the stage where getting out of bed first thing is a strain, sit too long in one position and the back stiffens up, that kind of thing.

          So after, finally, finding a work out routine that actually works properly I've found my back hurting less, I don't know if its hurting less because the weight is going up and therefore the muscles are getting stronger or simply the movement itself is enough but really I don't care because I've got less back pain than before I started

          Also we all have to sometimes pick stuff off the ground so the deadlift seems the most logical and most useful movement to train

          • Robert Guyton 9.2.2.1.1
            20 January 2022 at 12:56 pm

            Pucky – if it's not too indelicate a question, how do you get out of bed?

            That is, do you sit up, or roll?

            Rolling's the only way to go, according to the physio that taught me how not to strain neck and back first thing in the morning.

            For me, it made ALL the difference in the world – never sit "bolt up-right" – roll to the edge, get your feet on the floor and enjoy your strain-free day!

          • Blade 9.2.2.1.2
            20 January 2022 at 1:15 pm

            Sorry PR… I mistook you for Blazer.frown

            I used to lift very heavy on the deadlift. It is in my opinion the best all round exercise. But it demands respect and if you lift too heavy it becomes a negative on the body. 90% of people deadlifting in the gym will be doing it wrong.

            Older guys are now using resistance bands. In fact, unless you are a powerlifter going for huge lifts, resistance bands offer as good as, and in many cases, better results than weights because of their constant tension. Even powerlifters use them.

            Try this for your back pain. I have a few friends it worked for. A young relly of mine was given similar exercises by his physio to stop knee and back pain.

            • Puckish Rogue 9.2.2.1.2.1
              20 January 2022 at 1:27 pm

              'Sorry PR… I mistook you for Blazer'

              I'm used to being insulted but that takes the cake…just kidding everybody angel

              Thanks I'll check it out

      • Stuart Munro 9.2.3
        20 January 2022 at 7:26 pm

        Exercise needs an objective.

        The combination of gentle whole body exercise and the Zen-like pursuit of the perfection of the cast, only punctuated by the occasional success. Rainbows run big in the hydro canals.

    • Blade 9.3
      20 January 2022 at 12:26 pm

      I'm a 16/8 guy. Sometimes 18/6. The amount of time you save not having breakfast is excellent. We are conditioned in the West to believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For most it's not. We are also conditioned to snack right throughout the day. In days past, you had three meals a day with little to no snacking inbetween.

      I recently read of a Mayo Clinic doctor changing her mind on intermittent fasting as many studies coming back are showing its efficacy.

      AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and autophagy are now buzz words. I don't think many people realise the huge strides made regarding human longevity over the last few years. With intermittent fasting and supplement regimes, it is now possible to stretch human life out to over 100.

  10. Dennis Frank 10
    20 January 2022 at 9:52 am

    Bomber does leftist moral outrage in punctuation marks:

    We are spending money on helicopter reconnaissance for a plant that almost 50% of the population called on to be a legal market???

    And let’s not forget the class issue! The real issue here is that middle class children named Apple and Bruschetta can party safely at their expensive summer festivals while working class stoners have their rights going backwards!

    Look, I’m pro pro pro pro pro Drugs! I’m all for Apple and Bruschetta getting their kicks safely at their expensive middle class summer festivals but the long suffering working class stoners are getting sweet fuck all. The obscene farce Labour have allowed with medicinal cannabis to become dominated by corporate pharmaceuticals and billionaires is the antithesis of what we should be building and things are worse now than when Labour started!

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/01/20/cops-hunting-weed-in-choppers-things-for-cannabis-are-worse-now-than-when-labour-started/

    Labour would roll their eyes & remind him of the usual feeble excuses.

    1. Police operational decisions are nothing to do with politicians.
    2. Pandemic response is our focus.
    3. Walking & chewing gum simultaneously is real hard.
    4. We don't need 48% of the electorate to support us.
  11. weka 11
    20 January 2022 at 10:18 am

    Paleovirology, cross-species transmissions, evolution, genomics, viruses, selfish genes, ERVs. UCU NEC, Oxford UCU VP 👇

    https://twitter.com/ArisKatzourakis/status/1483825682803269634

    /grimlaugh

  13. arkie 13
    20 January 2022 at 12:23 pm

    "Labour has demonstrated our ability to manage challenges and change and will continue to demonstrate our ability to manage challenges and change when it comes to climate, housing, poverty, and everything that we continue to face as a nation."

    Really? They have demonstrated a commitment to the economy over almost everything.

    Despite the challenges thrown up by the pandemic, Ardern stressed the government must continue to make progress in other areas.

    Its attention will be on keeping the economy "humming", progressing health reforms, lifting children out of poverty, as well as having a sharp focus on climate change and mental health, Ardern said.

    Yeah.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/459876/omicron-will-be-a-different-foe-pm-jacinda-ardern-warns

  14. mac1 14
    20 January 2022 at 12:39 pm

    Luxon today at a meeting criticised the school absenteeism rate at 40% being of concern. The figures I found on Google had a survey in mid 2021 with these figures, so I thought old news but still a concern.

    The survey mentioned a trend going back to 2016. Here are the figures from a 2018 survey. “The report shows that in 2018 regular attendance stabilised at 63.8% of students, following declines seen in the two previous surveys; 67.2% in 2016 and 63.0% in 2017.”

    So it's been a long standing problem that is now being focussed upon by Luxon. A problem that goes back to National's time in government is now the first issue he speaks of in a public meeting.

    He then mentioned the state of hospitals, but we know that is a problem of years of underspending as well.

    In 2013, National did away with truancy services. Is the 2016 and ff absenteeism a result of this?

    I wonder when in the arguments of "who did or did not do what" that an opposition can blame the government fairly for its failures, and conversely a government can no longer use the argument that it's the opposition's fault for their failures while in government?

    At the moment, Luxon seems to be caught in this political bind.

    Interesting to hear today also that Bishop has accused the government of taking a holiday on covid issues just before the government this afternoon will issue a policy statement on these issues.

  15. Tricledrown 15
    20 January 2022 at 4:57 pm

    The free market reforms have lead to this ongoing problem.

    Itinerancy has got out of control homelessness etc makes it very hard for broken families to get their children to school.

    The child allowance of what was$25 per child per week back in the early nineties which would be at least $50 per child per week in today's money.

    Should be paid out for those children who attend school 90% plus of the time with medical exemptions allowing for follow up education for those.

    • pat 15.1
      20 January 2022 at 5:38 pm

      "The child allowance of what was$25 per child per week back in the early nineties which would be at least $50 per child per week in today's moneyThe child allowance of what was$25 per child per week back in the early nineties which would be at least $50 per child per week in today's money"

      I think your memory deceives you.

      "In 1991 universal family benefit payments were incorporated into means-tested family support tax credits. In 1996 a $15 child tax credit was introduced, but was only available to parents in paid work. Although other liberal states such as Canada also changed their family support programmes at this time, the changes in New Zealand were particularly swift and severe. They were less generous and more targeted to low-income families in paid work (rather than beneficiaries) than either the UK or Australia."

      https://teara.govt.nz/en/family-welfare/page-6

      or

      http://www.weag.govt.nz/assets/documents/WEAG-report/background-documents/133db2ad05/History-of-family-support-payments-010419.pdf

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.