Yes, you're quite the Russian scholar. However, I note that your carefully considered theory about those evil masterminds controlling the puppet Trump has yet to be backed up with evidence.
President Putin only speaks the truth. The Ukraine was part of the USSR. It's eastern half are Russian speaking. When the Ukraine became independent in 1991 Russia had an historical agreement to use the port of the Crimea. Western Ukraine is nearer to Berlin than Madrid. During WW11 there was a strong fascist group who welcomed the German invaders. The last legitimate government was pro Russian but was toppled by a CIA funded insurrection. If Russia had wanted to it could have taken over the Ukraine in 24 hours. MH17 was shot down by Ukraine fascist forces not the Russians or the independent Russian east of the Country. The Crimea voted democratically to become part of Russia and is now so.
Reoccupied by the same totalitarian Stalinist regime responsible for the genocidal, man-made famines that cost between 4 and 8 million ethnic Ukrainians their lives.
True, but many Ukrainians who had at first welcomed the Nazis, after getting to know them, did actually appreciate being 'liberated'. The lesser of two evils, believe it or not. But rabid anti-communist, pro-Western propaganda always pushes the meme that Stalin was 'worse than Hitler'. To my mind he was equally evil, but in different ways. The Ukraine was an unlucky country, a bit like Poland, which itself was never the ideal democracy for which Britain professed to go to war.. We are lucky to have been born here rather than there, if you are as old as I am..
Have you any evidence of this "CIA funded insurrection"? Comparatively few former Soviet satellites want to return to being Russian clients – something to do with quality of governance.
Austria too had "a strong fascist group who welcomed the German invaders", will you be cheering Putin if and when he decides to annex them, or are they allowed to exercise their democratic franchise without his permission?
It's young Ed…….I humbly suggest DNFTT as I did with Moz upthread.
[Prove that johnm is a sockpoppet of Ed and address the topic instead of guessing the identity of a commenter and playing the DNFTT game; I have warned so many times about leaving sockpoppets to the moderators but it seems to fall on deaf ears. If not, I offer you a three-week ban – Incognito]
I have no problem with people being anti-Russian, Gabby—I'm no fan of Putin and his cronies, either. What I am concerned about is this nonsense about Russians—and those dastardly masterminds the North Koreans as well!— controlling Trump as some sort of Manchurian Candidate. Any outlet that repeats these lies, not just once or twice, but daily, weekly, monthly, every single day since Trump got his disgusting carcass into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue can not taken as a serious or credible news organization.
[Thank you for your most obliging response that avoided any doubt or confusion. Your efforts to lift The Standard to a higher standard are much appreciated and in return, I give the promised three-week ban plus another three for using a language that is not one of the three official languages of Aotearoa-New Zealand – Incognito]
[I checked your history here and it was only early this year that you were given amnesty from a permanent ban. You also seem to have missed out on a three-month ban by Lynn, which somewhat ironically was about bad language: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2019/#comment-1630221, but I will now correct that oversight – Incognito]
Down the bottom there's a graphic about the motivations to change to electric in different parts of the world. Very little of it is about greenhouse gases and climate change, but air pollution is a big factor along with regulatory compliance. China's economic interest is shown by two of their big motivations being developing an electric vehicle export industry and reducing dependence on oil imports.
Yeah, that better driveability is a big one. Pretty soon people that enjoy driving will be going electric because it's so much better. It'll only be genuine petrolheads that live their lives with an extended middle finger left on the dino-juice.
When it comes to cars, I have zero shame about what I'm seen in and I'm a reasonable bush mechanic, so my usual habit is to buy an oldish car and drive it into the ground. Flash cars just don't do it for me anymore, I scratched that itch once long ago and it's never come back. But jeez I'm getting tempted by an i3.
That cost of ownership will also be a big one. In most US markets, the 5 year cost of ownership for a Tesla Model3 is probably already below cars like Corollas, Camrys Accords etc. Won't be long before the cost of batteries drops enough that the initial purchase price of electric is lower than dino-mobiles.
A bit like here, a mix of federal funding, state and local taxes. There is a federal fuel tax, but it's much lower than here and applies equally to diesel and petrol. The federal fuel tax doesn't come anywhere close to covering the cost of national highways (unlike here), the federal component of funding gets a hefty top-up from other taxes.
There's no RUCs on light vehicles anywhere, but I'm fairly sure there's some kind of system like RUCs for heavy vehicles that varies at state levels. You used to see trucks with many different state number plates (don't remember if that was still the case last time back five years ago).
There was an interesting article on the subject of EV costs on page F3 of yesterdays DomPost.
I can't find a link to it online at the moment unfortunately.
What he suggests is that, if you allow for RUC at the existing rate, and can't get by with charging at home it will cost more to run a Leaf than a Corolla. Even if you can get by with the limited recharge potential and don't pay any RUC it will take you 150,000 km to recover the extra cost. If you include RUC you will have to drive the EV for 500,000 km to save the extra capital cost to drive the thing.
There are other reasons besides saving money for buying an EV. It is the saving in fuel that most people I have talked to seem to rave about though. If RUCs come in, as surely they must there certainly won't be any fuel savings there to justify people paying for an EV though, will there?
Just why do EVs cost as much as they do. Having looked at the motor in a Leaf, and compared it to the beast under the bonnet in a friends new Honda Civic Type R, which costs the same amount, it can't be the motor that costs money. What do the battery packs really cost?
Last article I saw on battery pack costs were that Tesla expected to go under USD100/kWhr at the cell level later this year, then under USD100/kWhr at the pack level next year. Tesla seem to be widely reputed to be way lower in battery costs than anyone else, even the Chinese.
When EVs become widespread, the whole RUC/excise tax heavy/light vehicle cost split really will need to be looked at. There's some petrol cars already on the market where the petrol cost/km is fuckall more than RUCs for light vehicles.
that would appear roughly correct…assuming a newish 1500cc corolla averaging their claimed 4.5l/100k, however as Andre has noted once the EV fleet increases the whole system of RUC (and fuel taxes for that matter) will have to be reviewed…or I guess we could toll roads,or pay 100% from general taxation….whatever way its cut there will be noise.
you don't see as many extension leads on building sites now, so much is battery tools
Also driven by the change in health & safety standards to require electrical cord testing and tagging every few months. Less cost and interruption if you only use batteries.
The H&S aspect isn't all that different to the emissions issue with vehicles, a move to a better environment, I was pretty much over getting lit up regularly, and there’s also that battery tools are as effective, and in a lot of cases more effective, than mains powered gear
Angela Merkel celebrates Klaus von Stauffenberg's plot to kill Hitler in 1944
She called him and his conspirators "true patriots".
I've never seen a leader of a country celebrating an attempt to kill her predecessor. Theresa May hasn't memorialized Cromwell, nor Macron celebrated Sieyes.
The better the democratic structure/environment, the less it has to be pointing out the blindingly obvious to the blind in the hope of improvement, rather than just moving on to the better know how.
Lprent: the site feed is featuring posts from a blog called "An Average Kiwi," which read like the blog should actually be called "An Average Wingnut." Just mentioning it as it doesn't seem like the kind of stuff we'd usually see in the feed.
Yes, I saw those last night shortly after they appeared and left a message for Lynn at the back-end. Could have been written by a regular here who calls themselves a “skeptic of climate alarmism”. Anti-CC and anti-CE messages seem be ramping up and although I’m not a conspiracist it does suggest some kind of coordination behind it.
ISTR "An average kiwi" has been a sidebar regular for a long time. But a look at their site looks like all the old stuff has been deleted since they've gone on this denial binge.
While it's rare, it's not wholely unheard of for someone to be mostly rational, but hold some waaaaayyyyy out there views on some topics. Ken at Open Parachute being an example from the sidebar.
I have no doubt that the Accountant above is talented and knowledgeable. But he delivers his words very fast.
So that persons of my motor speed – maximising at about an illegal 170 Kph on state highway 1, deliberately I slow the car down. While Bernard heads toward supercallerfragerllisticoutterstreaks. He is flying in the Nether Nether Land.
I think he feels that Grant Robertson is not Spending enough money. His words scrabbled.
But Crikey, The Bloody Great Fonterra Building at Lichfield – running on Coal to purify Milk of all things – is in nasty trouble …
Fletchers Mighty Constructions have slunk back to sucking peppermint lollies – and have cancelled any major buildings. I think they might being doing Letter boxes. But there is not much call for those.
Sir John Key is managing Five Big Businesses and unknown numbers of Blonds.
Cadburys have moved off into darkness.
Northland – has decided to stop all work
The Teachers are on the streets begging for $300 a day for 6hrs a day work. For Auckland has very special cars, very special Streets, very special houses, very special water, very special toilets, very special toilet paper, very special alcohol, very special bottoms and so forth.
Their children are on drugs – keeping out of mischief – apparently.
The Farmers are suiciding. But they always have. They blame it on the Cities.
Grant Robertson is holding some Money for a rainy day. He is not a Hickey Lotto Bloke.
In this episode of teleSUR's Days of Revolt, Chris Hedges interviews economist Michael Hudson on the history of classical economics and explores Marx’s interpretation of capitalism as exploitation
In this episode of Days of Revolt, Chris Hedges continues his discussion with UMKC economics professor Michael Hudson on his new book Killing the Host: How Financial Parasites and Debt Bondage Destroy the Global Economy. Hedges and Hudson expose the liberal class’ allegiance to the predatory creditors on Wall Street and their indifference to real economic justice.
One could hope that the Chairman has been testing the meeting of the political waters with his gavel, and has deemed all three coalitions parties' flows to be clean, free of toxins, wadeable, even swimmable, and yea, perhaps potable.
Ardern says the Government has made some moves in their direction – the families package, for instance.
"But I accept there are people who feel those policies may not have touched them in the same way. We know there's that constant pressure on them. It's something as a Government that we're giving continual thought to."
In other words, they have no ideas as yet. But I see Jacinda is using the old families package line again, although it is wearing rather thin considering the increase in hardship.
"It's something as a Government that we're giving continual thought to."
Continual, Chairman: "continuing indefinitely in time without interruption"
That's clearly what's required and what Ms Ardern said the Government was doing, yet your re-wording tells a different, your (rhymes with Eeyore), story. Pure dark-cloud speculation on your part. As usual.
If they had an idea of what they were going to do they wouldn't still be thinking about it (ie giving it continual thought) they would be announcing it, Robert.
So you propose, seemingly unable to factor-in some quite simple factors such as; incomplete data, test results pending, advice yet to be received, etc. It's little wonder people here tease you for being one of the Soggy Bottom boys, Chair!
I see that Ron Mark is proposing that our leader really shouldn't be using the old Air Force 757s and should charter planes. Out of curiosity I had a look at what it would cost to charter Peter Jackson's private jet, a Gulfstream. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12251315
There was an estimate that it would cost just over $90,000 to take 10 people on a 2 day trip from Wellington to Fiji. That is about the same distance and time of Ardern's trip from Auckland to Mebourne.
Why can't she simply travel, in Business Class to be sure, instead of having to pretend that we need our own pretend version of an Air Force 1? If the PM is going somewhere where there are only very limited commercial flight taking an Air Force jet. Auckland to Melbourne is just a joke. There are any number of flights available and we commoners don't really smell that bad that she can't travel in the same plane surely?
Peter Jackson should provide at least a couple of jets gratis to the government, considering a large part of his wealth springs from that shabby blackmail deal that his Warner Bros. controllers foisted on us.
I'm quite sure that Ron Mark thinks it is appropriate to use the Air Force as private transport for pollies.
After all his Boss, Tsar Winston has also got into the habit. How long do you think Ron would survive if he said it was a total waste of money? Doesn't it make it sensible or a good way of spending the taxpayers money though, does it?
The Boss if the Hon Ron Mark is, as I am sure you are very well aware, The Right Hon Winston Peters.
Do you realise that Winston Peters, or Tsar Peters as those familiar with him say, is the only person in the current New Zealand Parliament who is a member of the Privy Council? That is the group of advisors to the person who is our Head of State. He is the only one.
He may, in theory, be responsible to Ms Ardern but in practice he, and the other Ministers in the New Zealand First Caucus, are beholden only to Winston.
Seriously, can you really imagine Jacinda sacking him without Winston's say-so? If you do I would have to say that you are dreaming.
So no, I would have to say I am not. I have had quite a lot of dealings with him in the past but I certainly wasn't a close friend.
I'm not quite sure what the right word would be but it isn't "familiar" when I consider the definition. I certainly wasn't one of his mates at after working hours visits to the Green Parrot.
I see. I am, although not an Initiate of the Peters cult, using some of the things reserved for those of you who are? That nickname is reserved for his closest friends, drinking buddies and for members of his racing partnerships I take it.
Or is it like the Russian use of diminutives for names, where the name used by strangers differs from the one used by very close friends of very close relatives?
Or am I releasing the secrets of the Lodge. Is use of the nickname like someone learning and using the secret handshakes used, at least apocryphally by Masons. Whatever the cause does it upset you that I am using nicknames that I am not supposed to?
Or is it perhaps something as simple as people who get upset by references to the Prime Minister as Jacinda, rather than The Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern MP?
Alwyn, despite your attempts to deflect, the fact is that only you use this term and I, for one, would be quite pleased if you stopped it. IMO, it is on par with the sloppy use of the (denigrating) terms “woke” or “simple Simon”, for example. Just saying.
But Alwyn, this is Open Mike where everybody is free to join in. Of course, Muttonbird could have asked your permission to join in but instead gave their unsolicited opinion. I think we should update the policy to make it a bannable offence to respond to a comment or post for that matter without explicit permission or personalised invitation. What are people thinking? How rude!
The 757s aren't just for ferrying vips around. We use them for disaster response, as well. Not often, but we need them occasionally. Especially the sorts of jobs where the charterer might go "you want to take our plane where? OK, but the danger money is $$$".
So then the question is "if we have the pilots and the plane anyway, surely the 'cost' is largely an internal accounting issue".
economically it only makes sense to charter if you earn over $60m per year. So if you can load up a plane with $60m in salaries then go for it. Otherwise it would make more sense to travel business class. If you can’t Justify air travel then your using the same amount of carbon on an one way to Melbourne than the average person accumulates in a year which is a waste.
Flying a charter works out to be about 3hrs of saved time by not having to go through customs, baggage handling, stop overs ect. Y'know at $6kp/h or $60mp/a this is where it starts to make sense to charter. So first you need the 60m salary and have traveled more than 200hrs a year to justify a buy a Global 7500 business jet with 14hr flight times and upto 18 passengers or just lease.
I'm surprise they haven't charted an AirNZ Airbus for such Flt's across the ditch? Be a lot cheaper than a B757 Flt and some free PR for AirNZ or take a leaf out of the Queen/ Royals who fly's in the odd BA aircraft.
If you charter a plane you have to pay with it in a way that shows up in the Government accounts. Then people can see how much they are wasting just to give them a boost to their ego. That way they can pretend they are like the Donald.
Using one of the Air Force planes is covered up as being training and they would have done the flight anyway in order to keep the flight crew current on their flying time. Thus they pretend it is free.
Of course if you really believe that line of b*s I have a bridge between Manhattan and Brooklyn that I am sure you will be interested in buying.
Lets hope they get it right this time around, ensuring they put in place a vast pay increase in core benefit rates. Especially for those deemed to be in long-term need, such as the ill and disabled.
"The Newshub-Reid Research poll had the worst outlook for National, slipping to a 14-year-low of 37.4 percent – well behind Labour, who leapt to 50.8."
Crikey, Chair! Time to celebrate!! Pin on your Labour Party rosettes and let's party!
Chair, this "wot wosn't in the Green feed" is the weakest ploy from you yet, and there have been a number that have been dishwater-feeble. I'll not even bother, but regarding the stale poll, Labour, 50.8!!
News like that never gets old! 3 chairs for Labour!!
“Three Chairs for Labour” – love it. Here are three quotes that will no doubt bring a tear to The Chair's one eye.
"we just want them to go, like Maureen Pugh is ***king useless" – Simon (I forget his surname, but he's the current leader of the opposition National party)
"It dawned on me, ‘I know this script, I helped write this script.’ At that point, I felt bad for what I did to Todd. But that’s the modus operandi of the National party – when people become a liability you push them out the door." – Jami-lee Ross, former National party senior whip (Oct 2018)
"I felt that the National party deployed everything they possibly could to stop me and they turned dirty and nasty. They were doing all they knew how to with the skill set that they had." – Jami-lee Ross (Feb 2019)
Dirty Politics: How attack politics is poisoning New Zealand’s political environment
It's good to see that you, even based in the deep South, seem to be able to keep so up to date on the news.
You did notice, I hope, that because of the prevailing Southerlies and therefore the very cold weather we have been having over the last couple of months the story you link to was from about six weeks ago? Carrier pigeons really don't like having to hasten through cold winter storms do they.
Does it really take so long for information to get to you? Perhaps in another month or so you will see something from the same time about another poll from TV1 which disagreed with your story. May the Blizzard be with you in the meantime.
Snap. While I was typing this I see The Chairman responded in a similar vein
I didn't notice that, Alwyn, leaving me looking a right duffer! Never mind, I was only playing with the Chair. As for the delay we experience in getting live news, it's a blessing really; I wonder who the next POTUS will be: I've tired a little with Obama.
You could look at the TV1 Poll from the same day. Of course I doubt if you really want to see National having risen and Labour having dropped and National back in the lead. It would probably put you right of your feed.
I am tempted to tell you but I hate to spoil your anticipation as you follow the 2016 Presidential Campaign. I'll give you a hint though. It isn't another Bush. As Barbara Bush said. Two is enough. Past that I will not go. You are just going to have to wait.
Digging your daft hole deeper, Chair? You seem to lack self-awareness but worry not, help is at hand; we'll tell you when you stray into trite territory, make a Wally of yourself and flog that dead horse of your own creation too far. You're claiming that something that doesn't exist "sends the wrong message". Given that there are an infinite number of things that don't exist, your head must be ringing with wrong messages – hang on! I've cracked it, your malady; a head-full, wrong messages clamouring for your attention! No wonder you can't think straight.
No need for any thank-yous, Chair, just be kind to yourself, press your inner reset button and have another go tomorrow when you're feeling rested.
It's not just something that doesn't exist, Robert. It's coverage of an important news item (that's meant to be leveraging pressure on the Government) that is actually missing on their own news feed. So, of course it sends the wrong message.
They are either slack at updating their news feed or they don't see it as being that news worthy.
This is even more outrageous than when it was simply absent; no wonder you've your knickers in a painful twist!
I only hope, for the sake of your circulation, the newsfeed isn't empty again, later today! Three-times as empty as when you first declared it empty! I doubt The Greens have any chance at all now, of being part of the next Government! Three times empty!!
I have to commend you, Chair, you certainly have an eye for empty and an ability to fluff-up something from nothing! You're the King of Empty, in my book, the Great Vacuum, the Viceroy of Void.
I wonder what else you'll discover isn't there, oh Dedicated Supporter of the Left?
Yes and I apologise to anyone who might have tried to follow the descent into the void; I take full responsibility for giving The Nothing any oxygen at all. My final word on the non-matter
Ouch! The true Left and ‘more left than most’ collectively seem to regard you as a “frickin clown”, according to their spokesperson. One wonders what they’d call you when you not just not disapprove of the (absent) newsfeed of the Green Party but also not raise some really serious concerns about their perceived abysmal PR and communication on core issues; the mind boggles.
And we on the left consider core benefit increases a major issue.
Therefore, compounded by the fact it took so long for the Greens to break their silence on this issue, not covering it on their own news feed is another slap in the face for their support base on the left.
They aren't even doing enough to show their own support base that they care, let alone putting pressure on Labour.
And supporters like you commenting as you are don't do them any favours. In fact, I was just asked by a visitor (who looked at your comments) who is this frickin clown.
Your favourite word, sam! Oh how you love to use it. It's well and truly a cliche now; perhaps you like to use an equivalent, or at least define what exactly it is you mean by "woke"? Then you might find we can understand what you are attempting to convey; words are like that; they need to be understood by both deliverer and receiver.
The woke over inflate Green polling by at least 1%. Come election results there true power is revealed – It's all spin, bullshit, virtue signal, bluster, genital issues, depression, mental illnesses, economic illiteracy, so on and so fourth.
i [sic] just don’t think the woke have nearly as much support as they claim. [my bold]
Then you say:
The woke over inflate Green polling by at least 1%.
So far, I’ve only seen claims by you and I still don’t know whom you’re talking about.
Yesterday, another commenter got quite shitty with me when I asked to back-up their comment and it ended with that commenter taking a break from the site. It is tiring to have to ask people repeatedly to back-up their statements of fact or to make it clear that they are making up their opinions on the fly because to refuse so would be dishonest at best.
No. That the Greens consistently poll higher than their election results needs as much explaining as NZFirst polling consistently lower than there election results. It's so common you'd have to be a genius to be able to ignore it.
So, you cannot back-up your claims and you now appeal to common sense, which is a weak rhetorical tool at the best of times. It wasn’t even entertaining this time; what a waste of my time 🙁
The polls consistently get the Green vote correct to within about 1%? That must be a byproduct of single to low teen populerity levels, given that it's not unusual to for different polls for the 35-50% parties to have 6-9% between them.
Even so, I'm impressed at how accurate the polling of the Greens "consistently" is, according to Sam.
Youd have had to have skulled hard on the kool aid to have so much confedience in popularity polling after BREXIT, Trump, May, Balsinaro (The Brazilian President) Australian Labour. There are so many examples of pollsters drinking there own Kool aid and you just want to drink more. Pfft
what ever. The Greens went from 10% to 6% and they don't have an electorate seat or the brains to do a deal for an electorate seat.
Well I never said Winston was done. In fact apart of my claim that National had no mates was obvious when John Key started ruiling out a coalition with NZFirst.
Based on US Fed Res actions I thought the gold price would halve, stocks would rally and Obama would be the first black president. And that NZFirst had a lot of dry powder. I wouldn't rule out Labour stepping aside in Northland to give NZFirst a clean run in the Northland electorate. Wish the Greens had the brains for something like that.
And [deleted and your last warning – Incognito] off silky
What did your mentor call me once. He was trying to make some sort of computer programming joke out of me by claiming I was a some sort of dildo. Y'know I'll make this real simple for you incognito. [deleted] off hypocrite.
" all spin, bullshit, virtue signal, bluster, genital issues, depression, mental illnesses, economic illiteracy, so on and so fourth".
He's slandering/bad-mouthing supporters of The Greens and Labour here with seeming impunity, getting away with it because few would want to engage with his menacing persona (Muttonbird's, "What's wrong with you?" summed up the discomfort Sam's comments create; what is wrong with Sam?
Good morning, Robert. I assume that comment was (mainly) for me?
Do you have a link to the quoted text by Sam? I could find it myself but if you have it, handy that would be handy.
I cannot comment on what is wrong with Sam but I do know he can be a tricky customer commenter and (some) people react to his comments like a bull to a red flag; this doesn’t help.
I’m not happy either about the discomfort Sam might be creating here but it would set a very low bar if moderators would act upon this, wouldn’t you agree?
On this note, there are a few other commenters who regularly create a bit of ‘an atmosphere’ but as long as they don’t break the site’s policy rules we’ll have to learn to live with them – ignoring can be a good and often the best (!) course of action.
I'm not suggesting Sam be banned at all, just trying to define the nature of his comments for the sake of greater understanding.
I see you've placed him on "final warning" and that's appropriate, I reckon. Being a tricky customer, Sam'll do something with that, no doubt. Perhaps he'll woke up
When I used the word/verb “act”, I didn’t mean “ban”. I see banning as the last resort of moderation when (all) other options for modification of behaviour and self-moderation have been exhausted or when the Moderator’s patience has run out. There are exceptions, of course, such as deliberately putting the site at (legal) risk and blatant violations of the policy, which can result in an instant and permanent ban.
Indeed, in this instance (with Sam) it is really about clarification of meaning, purpose, and intention of his comments. That was my original angle and I was acting as a commenter rather than a Moderator. However, others object to his use of the term “woke” in a disparaging way. I stepped in/up as a Moderator when Sam started to swear again despite having been warned about that by MS earlier that day. That was what my “last warning” was about.
In the end, I gave him a chance to chill down and come to his senses; his use of “woke” is obviously not going to change and sooner or later he might be pulled up for that, just like he got pulled up for swearing, but I rate as relatively low on the scale of ‘offences’ and more as a ‘nuisance’ rather IMHO.
I hope this makes some kind of sense. BTW, I’m speaking for myself and not for the other Moderators who may have very different views …
See. It does not hurt to acknowledge basic assumptions. We assume many things. We assume we speak the same language. We assume New Zealand is 1200ks in length. We assume many things so we don't have to knit pick and disrespect people by demanding they search for bleeding fucking obvious facts and basically doing your homework for you.
Assumptions are often implicit and rarely checked and validated.
We may think we speak the same language but that still leaves many interpretations, which is a beauty and a curse of language. Unfortunately, some people feel the need to re-define or twist words.
What might be an obvious fact to one may be a complete surprise to another. Often ‘facts’ are, in fact, factoids or even just opinions. Fact checking is crucial in order to separate wheat from chaff.
It shows good faith, respect, and honesty to oblige when asked to reveal one’s assumptions and sources for one’s facts. When one makes claims, it is only natural that one backs them up when asked. If one becomes defensive, aggressive, or outright abusive when challenged it creates a bad atmosphere that spoils it for others. This, in turn attracts the attention of moderators.
Yknow the Standard authors team are like top 4, I don't think any one would place them lower, most likely 3rd. Yknow really knowledgeable, really smart on a bunch of stuff. And lots of commenters that are really cleaver Y'know. So I'm not going to win pretty against them, it's not going to happen.
Me personally if I was outside of myself watching what I was saying I'd be shocked at what I'd be able to say. So I just want to say a couple things. Y'know I do think that political correctness leads to communism which is a totally failed left wing project. The other thing to me is that when people say the correct things, to me. That people recognize in particular, they recognize the intensity of the struggle and really that's the one. That people recognize how much of a struggle it is for both me and who ever says no I'm incorrect for this or that reason.
Now this is what I really want to talk about. There's a relatively small group of people that talk about the left and they talk about me. For the most part when people talk about it it doesn't really bother me unless you're actually the Prime Ministers or some one really noteworthy. I just feel that the debating community is for fighters and winners. And the thing that just sickens me is when people complain, and whine, and talk about land, people and politics, and they speak about these things in away that embodies a type of weakness that just makes me sick.
So for example when people (when woke people) try and talk about The Greens and try and box it in, and try and imply that The Greens shouldn't fight till the end. That to me is sickening.
You're given an opportunity on this planet to fight until death rips you from this planet, and everything is a metaphor, politics is a metaphor. It's a metaphor for how you want to live your life. Y'know certain people may want to live by certain rulz or codes but in the end all that maters is survival. I promise you you will survive if you want to fight and this is what we see in the debating chamber. You see people use fighting words until they are ripped out of there.
So when I see people of a certain caliber, people who have authority, a bit of power, people who've created a body of work and a reputation. When I see these woke people imply that you shouldn't go to the line or imply that you shouldn't do everything humanly possible to win, it makes me want to puke.
Just consider this. Jacinda Ardern is reaching as many if not more people than the All Blacks. We are a population of 4 million and some social media accounts of her views at 10, 20 million or more. John Key started the social media PM and Jacinda kept it up. So it's a reality, the debating community is a reality, it's about fighting till the end. There is nothing cowardly about any debating technique. There's nothing cowardly about making a comment. The only thing cowardly is not being proud of your country and refuse to fight for it.
Y'know I'm convinced that all political correctness does is make people feel in touch with themselves. The thing is internal experiences do not manifest in reality. So this rant is just for the voices that Iv heard. Not often do I get words of support from members of the standard, it happens but it happens more else where, this rants for you. You're not actually going to die in the debating community for real, let it teach you.
That was indeed quite a rant, Sam. You seem to be saying that you have a physical reaction to what you read here, which explains the nature of some of your comments. Sometimes, your comments are great, but other times you get carried away with hostile and aggressive comments.
I think very highly of authors and commenters here; they are a bunch of good people who are generally, but not always, considerate and respectful of others. I also think that not many come here to ‘fight and win’, but some do. Quite a few come here to debate in good faith, learn, find common ground with others, have a bit of a joke and a laugh, share good, bad, and sad stories, ask for advice, et cetera. At least, that is how I see it.
Asking you to back up your claims and challenging you is not saying you are incorrect or fighting you, it is not about winning, but that is what you think it is and that is how you respond. And then people react to your fighting words and win-lose attitude and before you know, we have ‘fisty cuffs’ here. It turns off many people, which is a problem.
You talk a lot about fighting for a (good?) cause, which I find hard to reconcile with your other comment today @ 7:15 PM in which you said that you couldn’t be bothered to put any effort into your comments and that you’re only interested in mocking us; your overuse and abuse of “woke” is a case in point.
You’re a conundrum, Sam, and I cannot decide whether you fit into the TS community or whether you’re a disruptor. Which shall it be, Sam?
Nah, I stopped putting any effort into writing up comments on the standard when Lynn and other authors moved my comments into open mic for attacking the author or some shit.
you see when I see the opinion piece and then the proceeding comments are overwhelmingly to one side like with the great free speech war or the great Russia gate war. That's when I like to bring it with the facts bring it with the facts and so on. And Lynn especially simply doesn't like it when I do that so I just don't bother anymore. Now I'll just moch you remorselessly for being low IQ, lo low energy, low intellect, as well as being physically and emotionally challenged.
When you attack an author, you usually receive a ban instead of just being moved to OM. The latter is more for OT comments.
If you “stopped putting any effort into writing up comments on the standard” and you “just don’t bother anymore” because of some treatment in the past by Lynn and you just show up here to mock us “remorselessly for being low IQ, lo low energy, low intellect, as well as being physically and emotionally challenged” then why come here at all? Why don’t you do yourself a favour and go somewhere else where you don’t have that ‘burden of the past’?
Out of curiosity where is the lady now? And did she ever pay back the money she defrauded from the taxpayer? I seem to remember she promised she would do so but I fear that promises from politicians, even disgraced ones, are seldom honoured.
That reminds me that you still have to provide an adequate response as to why you criticised and complained about Weka’s previous comments and moderation & banning of you with regards to your incessant questioning about the Electorate Offices of the Green Party.
Days after the Greens got sworn into a coalition government Golriz goes and outs Andrew little for braking some law. That was the Greens first move as a coalition partner in a government. They are woke, inclusional, and they lost there bloody co-leader weeks out from an election. So, let's not shine warm fuzzy rainbows up each other. The Greens have a lot of appeasing to there base to do. Y'know there's like 3000 permaculture members, even less vegans, even less radical lefties and even less trannies. The rest are main fucking stream climate adapters. And I could care even less about free fucken speech or cunt, or even how delusion large your national campaign footprint is relative to the puny number of voters being signalled too. Y'know the big fucken green vote goes to the one who will literally go into bare knuckle fight, win while cleaning plastics and planting trees okay? Not fucken rainbows up everywhere.
So, you voted for the Greens in 2017 and will do again in 2020? I like it when somebody nails their colours to the mast in such an eloquent and unequivocal way.
While AAAP hold these clinics regularly, the queues are growing. Just as they are at food banks.
Moreover lots of people that need help getting their full entitlements aren't getting it without AAAP help, which was also meant to change.
Metiria Turei's speech saw the Greens go up in the polls. Their management of it was their downfall. Things were uncovered that weakened their position.
Indeed they did, like sharks in chummed-up water, their dead eyes fixed on their prey, their bellies aching with Righteous hunger. Oh, how they whipped themselves into a furious fever! Oh, how their long-held suspicions were confirmed. Best weeks of their lives, they just KNEW she was no good! Alwyn's heart still races at the memory
You haven't said what you thought of Turei's speech. I have to assume you agreed with what she said and that it was a good idea to say it. After all, she was batting for the very people you claim to bat for.
The Dismal-crats and their ridiculous outlet MSNBC are paving the way for another term of Trump.
Leading Dismal-crat analyst Donny Deutsch in the house! That's Zbigniew Brzezinski's awful daughter nodding her head gravely and vacantly as he rants….
I did think twice about commenting on this, and another article a day or so ago on reports the MCC will review the laws which played such a significant part in this remarkable game.
I thought twice about it because the other day you'd got a bit upset that people might question the outcome. You then went off on some sob story about starting from nothing and having nothing now. I didn't want to upset you further.
Still, this is a major development and you are acting like a middle England twat again so I'm glad I did.
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
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In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
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Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
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Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
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Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
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“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
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Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
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The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
Why settle for just Crimea? Looks like Pootee might be setting the stage for a grab at the rest of Ukraine.
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/world/putin-russians-ukrainians-are-one-people/ar-AAEC5Q8?li=BBqdg4K&ocid=mailsignout
Yes, you're quite the Russian scholar. However, I note that your carefully considered theory about those evil masterminds controlling the puppet Trump has yet to be backed up with evidence.
Продолжайте в том же духе, мой друг!
Моррисси это пизда и берет это задницу от коз……..ох как весело !
Вы упомянули коз….
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COyv96HWsAAxx5z.jpg
On an Allegro….mon dieu !
President Putin only speaks the truth. The Ukraine was part of the USSR. It's eastern half are Russian speaking. When the Ukraine became independent in 1991 Russia had an historical agreement to use the port of the Crimea. Western Ukraine is nearer to Berlin than Madrid. During WW11 there was a strong fascist group who welcomed the German invaders. The last legitimate government was pro Russian but was toppled by a CIA funded insurrection. If Russia had wanted to it could have taken over the Ukraine in 24 hours. MH17 was shot down by Ukraine fascist forces not the Russians or the independent Russian east of the Country. The Crimea voted democratically to become part of Russia and is now so.
Ukraine was invaded by the Soviets.
TIFIFY
Liberated from German Nazi occupation by the Soviets. Re- FIFY.
Reoccupied by the same totalitarian Stalinist regime responsible for the genocidal, man-made famines that cost between 4 and 8 million ethnic Ukrainians their lives.
True, but many Ukrainians who had at first welcomed the Nazis, after getting to know them, did actually appreciate being 'liberated'. The lesser of two evils, believe it or not. But rabid anti-communist, pro-Western propaganda always pushes the meme that Stalin was 'worse than Hitler'. To my mind he was equally evil, but in different ways. The Ukraine was an unlucky country, a bit like Poland, which itself was never the ideal democracy for which Britain professed to go to war.. We are lucky to have been born here rather than there, if you are as old as I am..
President Putin only speaks the truth.
I was pretty sure the rest of your comment wouldn't be able to top that for obvious wrongness, but it was a surprisingly close-run thing.
Have you any evidence of this "CIA funded insurrection"? Comparatively few former Soviet satellites want to return to being Russian clients – something to do with quality of governance.
Austria too had "a strong fascist group who welcomed the German invaders", will you be cheering Putin if and when he decides to annex them, or are they allowed to exercise their democratic franchise without his permission?
It's young Ed…….I humbly suggest DNFTT as I did with Moz upthread.
[Prove that johnm is a sockpoppet of Ed and address the topic instead of guessing the identity of a commenter and playing the DNFTT game; I have warned so many times about leaving sockpoppets to the moderators but it seems to fall on deaf ears. If not, I offer you a three-week ban – Incognito]
If it's Ed he's learned to be a bit less over the top, which is all he needed to do.
You fed me, and you fed me well, me ol' cobber!
Many many countries yearn for warm embrace of Mother Russia comrade morpisski. Is only matter of time.
I have no problem with people being anti-Russian, Gabby—I'm no fan of Putin and his cronies, either. What I am concerned about is this nonsense about Russians—and those dastardly masterminds the North Koreans as well!— controlling Trump as some sort of Manchurian Candidate. Any outlet that repeats these lies, not just once or twice, but daily, weekly, monthly, every single day since Trump got his disgusting carcass into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue can not taken as a serious or credible news organization.
See my Moderation note @ 4:30 PM.
اذهب يمارس الجنس مع نفسك
[Thank you for your most obliging response that avoided any doubt or confusion. Your efforts to lift The Standard to a higher standard are much appreciated and in return, I give the promised three-week ban plus another three for using a language that is not one of the three official languages of Aotearoa-New Zealand – Incognito]
[I checked your history here and it was only early this year that you were given amnesty from a permanent ban. You also seem to have missed out on a three-month ban by Lynn, which somewhat ironically was about bad language: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2019/#comment-1630221, but I will now correct that oversight – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 22:23 PM.
An interesting look at electric vehicle production scale-up around the world.
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/07/19/european-electric-car-market-news-triple-the-number-of-models-more-battery-factories/
Down the bottom there's a graphic about the motivations to change to electric in different parts of the world. Very little of it is about greenhouse gases and climate change, but air pollution is a big factor along with regulatory compliance. China's economic interest is shown by two of their big motivations being developing an electric vehicle export industry and reducing dependence on oil imports.
There was one, or maybe two, options missing off that list of motivations,
The focus on mandated change is a bit ICE centric, the switch will happen because electrics are better vehicles on so many practical grounds.
Just like you don't see as many extension leads on building sites now, so much is battery tools now.
Yeah, that better driveability is a big one. Pretty soon people that enjoy driving will be going electric because it's so much better. It'll only be genuine petrolheads that live their lives with an extended middle finger left on the dino-juice.
When it comes to cars, I have zero shame about what I'm seen in and I'm a reasonable bush mechanic, so my usual habit is to buy an oldish car and drive it into the ground. Flash cars just don't do it for me anymore, I scratched that itch once long ago and it's never come back. But jeez I'm getting tempted by an i3.
That cost of ownership will also be a big one. In most US markets, the 5 year cost of ownership for a Tesla Model3 is probably already below cars like Corollas, Camrys Accords etc. Won't be long before the cost of batteries drops enough that the initial purchase price of electric is lower than dino-mobiles.
Quick search shows EVs in US are exempt from VED (currently)…the lifetime cost comparison calculation is impacted by that fact
A bit like here, a mix of federal funding, state and local taxes. There is a federal fuel tax, but it's much lower than here and applies equally to diesel and petrol. The federal fuel tax doesn't come anywhere close to covering the cost of national highways (unlike here), the federal component of funding gets a hefty top-up from other taxes.
There's no RUCs on light vehicles anywhere, but I'm fairly sure there's some kind of system like RUCs for heavy vehicles that varies at state levels. You used to see trucks with many different state number plates (don't remember if that was still the case last time back five years ago).
The government needs to signal when rucs will be put on evs. It will have to happen eventually so why not decide now .
they have i believe…2021 I think but that may change depending on uptake…I think there is a fleet percentage tipping point
yes apologies …after asking the question a quick search revealed the answer….hence the change of comment.
Not that it changes many of the advantages of EVs but it should be remembered that current running cost calculations will not continue to apply
There was an interesting article on the subject of EV costs on page F3 of yesterdays DomPost.
I can't find a link to it online at the moment unfortunately.
What he suggests is that, if you allow for RUC at the existing rate, and can't get by with charging at home it will cost more to run a Leaf than a Corolla. Even if you can get by with the limited recharge potential and don't pay any RUC it will take you 150,000 km to recover the extra cost. If you include RUC you will have to drive the EV for 500,000 km to save the extra capital cost to drive the thing.
There are other reasons besides saving money for buying an EV. It is the saving in fuel that most people I have talked to seem to rave about though. If RUCs come in, as surely they must there certainly won't be any fuel savings there to justify people paying for an EV though, will there?
Just why do EVs cost as much as they do. Having looked at the motor in a Leaf, and compared it to the beast under the bonnet in a friends new Honda Civic Type R, which costs the same amount, it can't be the motor that costs money. What do the battery packs really cost?
Last article I saw on battery pack costs were that Tesla expected to go under USD100/kWhr at the cell level later this year, then under USD100/kWhr at the pack level next year. Tesla seem to be widely reputed to be way lower in battery costs than anyone else, even the Chinese.
When EVs become widespread, the whole RUC/excise tax heavy/light vehicle cost split really will need to be looked at. There's some petrol cars already on the market where the petrol cost/km is fuckall more than RUCs for light vehicles.
that would appear roughly correct…assuming a newish 1500cc corolla averaging their claimed 4.5l/100k, however as Andre has noted once the EV fleet increases the whole system of RUC (and fuel taxes for that matter) will have to be reviewed…or I guess we could toll roads,or pay 100% from general taxation….whatever way its cut there will be noise.
Also driven by the change in health & safety standards to require electrical cord testing and tagging every few months. Less cost and interruption if you only use batteries.
The H&S aspect isn't all that different to the emissions issue with vehicles, a move to a better environment, I was pretty much over getting lit up regularly, and there’s also that battery tools are as effective, and in a lot of cases more effective, than mains powered gear
Interesting, especially the fact that China is going to dominate world EV battery production by 2023 with Europe and the USA far behind.
Angela Merkel celebrates Klaus von Stauffenberg's plot to kill Hitler in 1944
She called him and his conspirators "true patriots".
I've never seen a leader of a country celebrating an attempt to kill her predecessor. Theresa May hasn't memorialized Cromwell, nor Macron celebrated Sieyes.
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-merkel-commemorates-hitler-assassination-plot-75-years-after-operation-valkyrie/a-49660510
Angela Merkel has class.
She's going to be sorely missed after 2020.
The better the democratic structure/environment, the less it has to be pointing out the blindingly obvious to the blind in the hope of improvement, rather than just moving on to the better know how.
Lprent: the site feed is featuring posts from a blog called "An Average Kiwi," which read like the blog should actually be called "An Average Wingnut." Just mentioning it as it doesn't seem like the kind of stuff we'd usually see in the feed.
Looked at the three posts earlier and thought, "Rubbish!"
Leighton Smith? Sean Plunket? John Banks? Mike Hosking?
The Four Riders?
(Of the pig's back, not the Apocolypse).
both adjective and proper noun
Yes, I saw those last night shortly after they appeared and left a message for Lynn at the back-end. Could have been written by a regular here who calls themselves a “skeptic of climate alarmism”. Anti-CC and anti-CE messages seem be ramping up and although I’m not a conspiracist it does suggest some kind of coordination behind it.
ISTR "An average kiwi" has been a sidebar regular for a long time. But a look at their site looks like all the old stuff has been deleted since they've gone on this denial binge.
While it's rare, it's not wholely unheard of for someone to be mostly rational, but hold some waaaaayyyyy out there views on some topics. Ken at Open Parachute being an example from the sidebar.
Ta, good to know that the ‘system’ hasn’t been hijacked then.
"An average kiwi" may have been hijacked or suffered a substantial blow to the head. But I don't think it's a sign of a problem at The Standard.
Oh, right – I saw there were only a few posts on there and figured it was a new arrival on the feed.
About Bernard Hickey
I have no doubt that the Accountant above is talented and knowledgeable. But he delivers his words very fast.
So that persons of my motor speed – maximising at about an illegal 170 Kph on state highway 1, deliberately I slow the car down. While Bernard heads toward supercallerfragerllisticoutterstreaks. He is flying in the Nether Nether Land.
I think he feels that Grant Robertson is not Spending enough money. His words scrabbled.
But Crikey, The Bloody Great Fonterra Building at Lichfield – running on Coal to purify Milk of all things – is in nasty trouble …
Fletchers Mighty Constructions have slunk back to sucking peppermint lollies – and have cancelled any major buildings. I think they might being doing Letter boxes. But there is not much call for those.
Sir John Key is managing Five Big Businesses and unknown numbers of Blonds.
Cadburys have moved off into darkness.
Northland – has decided to stop all work
The Teachers are on the streets begging for $300 a day for 6hrs a day work. For Auckland has very special cars, very special Streets, very special houses, very special water, very special toilets, very special toilet paper, very special alcohol, very special bottoms and so forth.
Their children are on drugs – keeping out of mischief – apparently.
The Farmers are suiciding. But they always have. They blame it on the Cities.
Grant Robertson is holding some Money for a rainy day. He is not a Hickey Lotto Bloke.
Onya Grant ! You are sane ! Thank Heavens.
In this episode of teleSUR's Days of Revolt, Chris Hedges interviews economist Michael Hudson on the history of classical economics and explores Marx’s interpretation of capitalism as exploitation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4ylSG54i-A
In this episode of Days of Revolt, Chris Hedges continues his discussion with UMKC economics professor Michael Hudson on his new book Killing the Host: How Financial Parasites and Debt Bondage Destroy the Global Economy. Hedges and Hudson expose the liberal class’ allegiance to the predatory creditors on Wall Street and their indifference to real economic justice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMuIoIidVWI
Alexandria Ocazio-Cortez wants a commission into the separation of families in the UNited States, through their border services:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/20/ocasio-cortez-911-style-commission-migrant-family-separations
We should invite her over here to check the results of the three inquiries we've got going into Oranga Tamariki.
We seem to have had a little glitch.
Testing, 123
Seems all good now.
I’m concerned; you only made it to 3 😉
…without complaining about Labour.
One could hope that the Chairman has been testing the meeting of the political waters with his gavel, and has deemed all three coalitions parties' flows to be clean, free of toxins, wadeable, even swimmable, and yea, perhaps potable.
It's more fun when pronounced, "leetle gleech!".
Here's a good read
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/114328314/when-interest-rates-fall-below-zero-things-could-get-weird
"But I accept there are people who feel those policies may not have touched them in the same way. We know there's that constant pressure on them. It's something as a Government that we're giving continual thought to."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/114369999/jacinda-ardern-has-some-unfinished-business
In other words, they have no ideas as yet. But I see Jacinda is using the old families package line again, although it is wearing rather thin considering the increase in hardship.
"In other words, they have no ideas as yet"
"It's something as a Government that we're giving continual thought to."
Continual, Chairman: "continuing indefinitely in time without interruption"
That's clearly what's required and what Ms Ardern said the Government was doing, yet your re-wording tells a different, your (rhymes with Eeyore), story. Pure dark-cloud speculation on your part. As usual.
If they had an idea of what they were going to do they wouldn't still be thinking about it (ie giving it continual thought) they would be announcing it, Robert.
So you propose, seemingly unable to factor-in some quite simple factors such as; incomplete data, test results pending, advice yet to be received, etc. It's little wonder people here tease you for being one of the Soggy Bottom boys, Chair!
Not at all. But again, if they had done all that ground work they'd be announcing their plan, not still be thinking about it.
Clearly, you fail to see the void batting away a CGT has created. Now they are struggling to fill it.
They will be hard pressed to replace such a revenue generator such as that was going to be.
HA!
A man of constant sorrow, huh 🙂
I'm thinking, Delmar.
I see that Ron Mark is proposing that our leader really shouldn't be using the old Air Force 757s and should charter planes. Out of curiosity I had a look at what it would cost to charter Peter Jackson's private jet, a Gulfstream.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12251315
There was an estimate that it would cost just over $90,000 to take 10 people on a 2 day trip from Wellington to Fiji. That is about the same distance and time of Ardern's trip from Auckland to Mebourne.
Why can't she simply travel, in Business Class to be sure, instead of having to pretend that we need our own pretend version of an Air Force 1? If the PM is going somewhere where there are only very limited commercial flight taking an Air Force jet. Auckland to Melbourne is just a joke. There are any number of flights available and we commoners don't really smell that bad that she can't travel in the same plane surely?
Peter Jackson should provide at least a couple of jets gratis to the government, considering a large part of his wealth springs from that shabby blackmail deal that his Warner Bros. controllers foisted on us.
1: how many people travel with the PM on these trips?
2: Mark seemed to be proposing this because the jets might not be fit for purpose and tend to break down, rather than it not being an appropriate use.
I'm quite sure that Ron Mark thinks it is appropriate to use the Air Force as private transport for pollies.
After all his Boss, Tsar Winston has also got into the habit. How long do you think Ron would survive if he said it was a total waste of money? Doesn't it make it sensible or a good way of spending the taxpayers money though, does it?
Who is the boss of Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence?
The Boss if the Hon Ron Mark is, as I am sure you are very well aware, The Right Hon Winston Peters.
Do you realise that Winston Peters, or Tsar Peters as those familiar with him say, is the only person in the current New Zealand Parliament who is a member of the Privy Council? That is the group of advisors to the person who is our Head of State. He is the only one.
He may, in theory, be responsible to Ms Ardern but in practice he, and the other Ministers in the New Zealand First Caucus, are beholden only to Winston.
Seriously, can you really imagine Jacinda sacking him without Winston's say-so? If you do I would have to say that you are dreaming.
Are you familiar with Winston Peters?
Hmm. When I check the dictionary meaning of the word I would have to say that I did not choose my word wisely.
The dictionary offers, as an adjective
"in close friendship; intimate.
synonyms:close, intimate, dear, near, confidential, bosom"
and as a noun
"a close friend or associate."
So no, I would have to say I am not. I have had quite a lot of dealings with him in the past but I certainly wasn't a close friend.
I'm not quite sure what the right word would be but it isn't "familiar" when I consider the definition. I certainly wasn't one of his mates at after working hours visits to the Green Parrot.
No problem, Alwyn, but in that case you may want to stop referring to the Right Hon Winston Peters as “Tsar Peters”? Just asking.
I see. I am, although not an Initiate of the Peters cult, using some of the things reserved for those of you who are? That nickname is reserved for his closest friends, drinking buddies and for members of his racing partnerships I take it.
Or is it like the Russian use of diminutives for names, where the name used by strangers differs from the one used by very close friends of very close relatives?
Or am I releasing the secrets of the Lodge. Is use of the nickname like someone learning and using the secret handshakes used, at least apocryphally by Masons. Whatever the cause does it upset you that I am using nicknames that I am not supposed to?
Or is it perhaps something as simple as people who get upset by references to the Prime Minister as Jacinda, rather than The Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern MP?
Alwyn, despite your attempts to deflect, the fact is that only you use this term and I, for one, would be quite pleased if you stopped it. IMO, it is on par with the sloppy use of the (denigrating) terms “woke” or “simple Simon”, for example. Just saying.
OK Just for you I'll do it.
Out of curiosity what do you think of phrases like "ShonKey" and "Soiman".
Much appreciated and funny that you need to ask.
Accurate.
Shonkey adj. – not entirely trustworthy, of shady character, ill reputed.
Soimon It's what he calls himself – who are we to argue?
You weren't actually included in this conversation.
Can I refer to you with a variation on your name? It seems appropriate and accurate, given the dictionary definition, to refer to you as "muttonhead".
From https://www.dictionary.com/browse/muttonhead
"noun Informal.
a slow-witted, foolish, or stupid person; dolt."
But Alwyn, this is Open Mike where everybody is free to join in. Of course, Muttonbird could have asked your permission to join in but instead gave their unsolicited opinion. I think we should update the policy to make it a bannable offence to respond to a comment or post for that matter without explicit permission or personalised invitation. What are people thinking? How rude!
Pfft. The 757s will be replaced some time late 2020z. Probably by secondhand AirNZ planes. Wtf are you guys on about?
The 757s aren't just for ferrying vips around. We use them for disaster response, as well. Not often, but we need them occasionally. Especially the sorts of jobs where the charterer might go "you want to take our plane where? OK, but the danger money is $$$".
So then the question is "if we have the pilots and the plane anyway, surely the 'cost' is largely an internal accounting issue".
economically it only makes sense to charter if you earn over $60m per year. So if you can load up a plane with $60m in salaries then go for it. Otherwise it would make more sense to travel business class. If you can’t Justify air travel then your using the same amount of carbon on an one way to Melbourne than the average person accumulates in a year which is a waste.
Flying a charter works out to be about 3hrs of saved time by not having to go through customs, baggage handling, stop overs ect. Y'know at $6kp/h or $60mp/a this is where it starts to make sense to charter. So first you need the 60m salary and have traveled more than 200hrs a year to justify a buy a Global 7500 business jet with 14hr flight times and upto 18 passengers or just lease.
I'm surprise they haven't charted an AirNZ Airbus for such Flt's across the ditch? Be a lot cheaper than a B757 Flt and some free PR for AirNZ or take a leaf out of the Queen/ Royals who fly's in the odd BA aircraft.
If you charter a plane you have to pay with it in a way that shows up in the Government accounts. Then people can see how much they are wasting just to give them a boost to their ego. That way they can pretend they are like the Donald.
Using one of the Air Force planes is covered up as being training and they would have done the flight anyway in order to keep the flight crew current on their flying time. Thus they pretend it is free.
Of course if you really believe that line of b*s I have a bridge between Manhattan and Brooklyn that I am sure you will be interested in buying.
How did Sirponyboy travel wally?
On heated seats?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/07/greens-call-out-labour-over-failure-to-increase-benefits.html
Lets hope they get it right this time around, ensuring they put in place a vast pay increase in core benefit rates. Especially for those deemed to be in long-term need, such as the ill and disabled.
Thanks for that – good news and good move by the Green party, wouldn't you agree?
A long awaited move by the Greens and the Government.
AAAP got the ball rolling, the media has run with it, so it was about time the Greens got in there, even the opposition had a go.
Everyone just needs to keep the pressure on.
Yes, it was "a long awaited move", "about time", etc., but that's not what I asked.
Do you, The Chairman, agree that this move by the Green party to apply pressure on the Government (as per your linked news item) is a good move?
Of course. It was a good, long awaited move.
A good move by the Green party – great.
Interesting there is no mention of it on their news feed on their website.
A sign of how important an issue it is to them?
"The Newshub-Reid Research poll had the worst outlook for National, slipping to a 14-year-low of 37.4 percent – well behind Labour, who leapt to 50.8."
Crikey, Chair! Time to celebrate!! Pin on your Labour Party rosettes and let's party!
For a moment there I thought that may have been a new poll perhaps indicating a polling trend.
That was one of two polls at the time with wildly differing results.
Old news, Robert.
Trying to distract from what's absent in the Greens news feed?
Chair, this "wot wosn't in the Green feed" is the weakest ploy from you yet, and there have been a number that have been dishwater-feeble. I'll not even bother, but regarding the stale poll, Labour, 50.8!!
News like that never gets old! 3 chairs for Labour!!
“Three Chairs for Labour” – love it. Here are three quotes that will no doubt bring a tear to The Chair's one eye.
Dirty Politics: How attack politics is poisoning New Zealand’s political environment
It's good to see that you, even based in the deep South, seem to be able to keep so up to date on the news.
You did notice, I hope, that because of the prevailing Southerlies and therefore the very cold weather we have been having over the last couple of months the story you link to was from about six weeks ago? Carrier pigeons really don't like having to hasten through cold winter storms do they.
Does it really take so long for information to get to you? Perhaps in another month or so you will see something from the same time about another poll from TV1 which disagreed with your story. May the Blizzard be with you in the meantime.
Snap. While I was typing this I see The Chairman responded in a similar vein
It is the latest poll. What other information is one supposed to use?
Until the next poll comes out, National are sub 40 and dropping.
Not a great place to be, I'm sure you'll agree.
I didn't notice that, Alwyn, leaving me looking a right duffer! Never mind, I was only playing with the Chair. As for the delay we experience in getting live news, it's a blessing really; I wonder who the next POTUS will be: I've tired a little with Obama.
@Muttonbird.
You could look at the TV1 Poll from the same day. Of course I doubt if you really want to see National having risen and Labour having dropped and National back in the lead. It would probably put you right of your feed.
@Robert.
I am tempted to tell you but I hate to spoil your anticipation as you follow the 2016 Presidential Campaign. I'll give you a hint though. It isn't another Bush. As Barbara Bush said. Two is enough. Past that I will not go. You are just going to have to wait.
I just hope to God they don't elect an idiot.
Ploy you say?
This is no ploy, Robert. Just telling it how it is. The news feed is lacking. And it sends the wrong message.
It took this long for them to comment on the issue and they don't even cover it on their own news feed. Can you believe it?
So much for them putting the pressure on.
Digging your daft hole deeper, Chair? You seem to lack self-awareness but worry not, help is at hand; we'll tell you when you stray into trite territory, make a Wally of yourself and flog that dead horse of your own creation too far. You're claiming that something that doesn't exist "sends the wrong message". Given that there are an infinite number of things that don't exist, your head must be ringing with wrong messages – hang on! I've cracked it, your malady; a head-full, wrong messages clamouring for your attention! No wonder you can't think straight.
No need for any thank-yous, Chair, just be kind to yourself, press your inner reset button and have another go tomorrow when you're feeling rested.
When asked if The Greens actions were good, the Chair was uncharacteristically unequivocal:
"Of course. It was a good, long awaited move."
BUT shortly afterwards, he reverted to type;
"The news feed is lacking.
And it sends the wrong message.
It took this long for them to comment on the issue and they don't even cover it on their own news feed.
Can you believe it?"
That the Chair is Eeyore?
Never doubted it.
It's not just something that doesn't exist, Robert. It's coverage of an important news item (that's meant to be leveraging pressure on the Government) that is actually missing on their own news feed. So, of course it sends the wrong message.
They are either slack at updating their news feed or they don't see it as being that news worthy.
Relentlessly soggy, Delmar.
It's still absent from their news feed, Robert.
https://www.greens.org.nz/media
Why do you think that is? They don't want to rock the boat too much?
Still absent, Chair!!!
This is even more outrageous than when it was simply absent; no wonder you've your knickers in a painful twist!
I only hope, for the sake of your circulation, the newsfeed isn't empty again, later today! Three-times as empty as when you first declared it empty! I doubt The Greens have any chance at all now, of being part of the next Government! Three times empty!!
I have to commend you, Chair, you certainly have an eye for empty and an ability to fluff-up something from nothing! You're the King of Empty, in my book, the Great Vacuum, the Viceroy of Void.
I wonder what else you'll discover isn't there, oh Dedicated Supporter of the Left?
ex nihilo nihil fit
Yes and I apologise to anyone who might have tried to follow the descent into the void; I take full responsibility for giving The Nothing any oxygen at all. My final word on the non-matter
Ouch! The true Left and ‘more left than most’ collectively seem to regard you as a “frickin clown”, according to their spokesperson. One wonders what they’d call you when you not just not disapprove of the (absent) newsfeed of the Green Party but also not raise some really serious concerns about their perceived abysmal PR and communication on core issues; the mind boggles.
Dedicated supporter of the left indeed, Robert.
And we on the left consider core benefit increases a major issue.
Therefore, compounded by the fact it took so long for the Greens to break their silence on this issue, not covering it on their own news feed is another slap in the face for their support base on the left.
They aren't even doing enough to show their own support base that they care, let alone putting pressure on Labour.
And supporters like you commenting as you are don't do them any favours. In fact, I was just asked by a visitor (who looked at your comments) who is this frickin clown.
You direct your visitors to look at your pointless, substance-free comments on a political blog???
What a strange person you are, Chair.
"Quick, Delores, come see what I jus' writ!"
You sound like McTrash, Robert.
You have a finely-tuned ear, Sam.
i just don't think the woke have nearly as much support as they claim.
If you can point to their “claim” of support, maybe then I can figure out whom you’re referring to. As it stands, it all sounds so vague …
Your favourite word, sam! Oh how you love to use it. It's well and truly a cliche now; perhaps you like to use an equivalent, or at least define what exactly it is you mean by "woke"? Then you might find we can understand what you are attempting to convey; words are like that; they need to be understood by both deliverer and receiver.
Soimon's using it too, in radio interviews. That puts him, the confused Sam, and bearded Bomber Bradbury in special company together.
The woke over inflate Green polling by at least 1%. Come election results there true power is revealed – It's all spin, bullshit, virtue signal, bluster, genital issues, depression, mental illnesses, economic illiteracy, so on and so fourth.
You said:
Then you say:
So far, I’ve only seen claims by you and I still don’t know whom you’re talking about.
Yesterday, another commenter got quite shitty with me when I asked to back-up their comment and it ended with that commenter taking a break from the site. It is tiring to have to ask people repeatedly to back-up their statements of fact or to make it clear that they are making up their opinions on the fly because to refuse so would be dishonest at best.
Wonderful comment at 10:14 am (22 July) Robert – top form.
Might I add (humbly): The Sovereign Sultan of Soggy
The Chairman is seemingly imprevious to mockery, and going negative plays to their strength. So go positive, the Ardern way.
I knew the kool aid was strong around here but I didn't know it was this thick.
How about you do your own polling instead of trying to get me to do it for you.
The Greens poll higher than there election results. That's not difficult to do as they're now on 6% support.
What's "woke" and why does its use cause Sam to behave like a sugared-up 5 year-old?
Your wokeness has found some support, incognito. Well done. Green Party polling ought to surge way above there talents now!!! Amazing.
I’m so woke that they made me a Moderator here 😉
Did you the surge in the polls when that happened?
How about you back-up your claims?
No. That the Greens consistently poll higher than their election results needs as much explaining as NZFirst polling consistently lower than there election results. It's so common you'd have to be a genius to be able to ignore it.
So, you cannot back-up your claims and you now appeal to common sense, which is a weak rhetorical tool at the best of times. It wasn’t even entertaining this time; what a waste of my time 🙁
The polls consistently get the Green vote correct to within about 1%? That must be a byproduct of single to low teen populerity levels, given that it's not unusual to for different polls for the 35-50% parties to have 6-9% between them.
Even so, I'm impressed at how accurate the polling of the Greens "consistently" is, according to Sam.
Youd have had to have skulled hard on the kool aid to have so much confedience in popularity polling after BREXIT, Trump, May, Balsinaro (The Brazilian President) Australian Labour. There are so many examples of pollsters drinking there own Kool aid and you just want to drink more. Pfft
what ever. The Greens went from 10% to 6% and they don't have an electorate seat or the brains to do a deal for an electorate seat.
The Greens took a massive hit in the campaign from one decision and still got over the threshold.
The people saying the Greens are in trouble also reckoned NZ1 were done in 2008. Winston isn't the only one who can say "boo".
Well I never said Winston was done. In fact apart of my claim that National had no mates was obvious when John Key started ruiling out a coalition with NZFirst.
what did you think in 2008?
Had he been born in 2008?
Based on US Fed Res actions I thought the gold price would halve, stocks would rally and Obama would be the first black president. And that NZFirst had a lot of dry powder. I wouldn't rule out Labour stepping aside in Northland to give NZFirst a clean run in the Northland electorate. Wish the Greens had the brains for something like that.
And [deleted and your last warning – Incognito] off silky
See my Moderation note @ 10:40 PM.
What did your mentor call me once. He was trying to make some sort of computer programming joke out of me by claiming I was a some sort of dildo. Y'know I'll make this real simple for you incognito. [deleted] off hypocrite.
Drinking the Kool-Aid again? I have never had a mentor.
A dildo named Justin
Well what do you call lprint ? Boss, pal, Lynn. Something.
I call him Lynn or sometimes Sysop; he’s not my boss, pal, or mentor.
You might want to take your finger off that button.
wow
Not a one inch strap on like I just called you.
So you speak calculus as well Alien (sorry if I misspelled your anonymous handle. It doesn't mater that much.)
I'm not anonymous. I am a hideous triumph of form and function.
Incognito asked Sam: "How about you back-up your claims?"
Sam replied, "No".
How rude!
Sam's taking a well-earned break now?
Not yet. I decided to give him a chance to chill down and engage his brain. It’s up to him to push the self-destruct button or not.
Sam defines "woke" as ,
" all spin, bullshit, virtue signal, bluster, genital issues, depression, mental illnesses, economic illiteracy, so on and so fourth".
He's slandering/bad-mouthing supporters of The Greens and Labour here with seeming impunity, getting away with it because few would want to engage with his menacing persona (Muttonbird's, "What's wrong with you?" summed up the discomfort Sam's comments create; what is wrong with Sam?
Good morning, Robert. I assume that comment was (mainly) for me?
Do you have a link to the quoted text by Sam? I could find it myself but if you have it, handy that would be handy.
I cannot comment on what is wrong with Sam but I do know he can be a tricky
customercommenter and (some) people react to his comments like a bull to a red flag; this doesn’t help.I’m not happy either about the discomfort Sam might be creating here but it would set a very low bar if moderators would act upon this, wouldn’t you agree?
On this note, there are a few other commenters who regularly create a bit of ‘an atmosphere’ but as long as they don’t break the site’s policy rules we’ll have to learn to live with them – ignoring can be a good and often the best (!) course of action.
Hi Incognito
Here: 22 July 2019 at 5:26 pm
I'm not suggesting Sam be banned at all, just trying to define the nature of his comments for the sake of greater understanding.
I see you've placed him on "final warning" and that's appropriate, I reckon. Being a tricky customer, Sam'll do something with that, no doubt. Perhaps he'll woke up
Thanks Robert, I value your genuine comment.
When I used the word/verb “act”, I didn’t mean “ban”. I see banning as the last resort of moderation when (all) other options for modification of behaviour and self-moderation have been exhausted or when the Moderator’s patience has run out. There are exceptions, of course, such as deliberately putting the site at (legal) risk and blatant violations of the policy, which can result in an instant and permanent ban.
Indeed, in this instance (with Sam) it is really about clarification of meaning, purpose, and intention of his comments. That was my original angle and I was acting as a commenter rather than a Moderator. However, others object to his use of the term “woke” in a disparaging way. I stepped in/up as a Moderator when Sam started to swear again despite having been warned about that by MS earlier that day. That was what my “last warning” was about.
In the end, I gave him a chance to chill down and come to his senses; his use of “woke” is obviously not going to change and sooner or later he might be pulled up for that, just like he got pulled up for swearing, but I rate as relatively low on the scale of ‘offences’ and more as a ‘nuisance’ rather IMHO.
I hope this makes some kind of sense. BTW, I’m speaking for myself and not for the other Moderators who may have very different views …
See. It does not hurt to acknowledge basic assumptions. We assume many things. We assume we speak the same language. We assume New Zealand is 1200ks in length. We assume many things so we don't have to knit pick and disrespect people by demanding they search for bleeding fucking obvious facts and basically doing your homework for you.
Assumptions are often implicit and rarely checked and validated.
We may think we speak the same language but that still leaves many interpretations, which is a beauty and a curse of language. Unfortunately, some people feel the need to re-define or twist words.
What might be an obvious fact to one may be a complete surprise to another. Often ‘facts’ are, in fact, factoids or even just opinions. Fact checking is crucial in order to separate wheat from chaff.
It shows good faith, respect, and honesty to oblige when asked to reveal one’s assumptions and sources for one’s facts. When one makes claims, it is only natural that one backs them up when asked. If one becomes defensive, aggressive, or outright abusive when challenged it creates a bad atmosphere that spoils it for others. This, in turn attracts the attention of moderators.
If a fact is all that obvious, it shouldn't be difficult to point to it's source.
And links are wonderful things.
Yknow the Standard authors team are like top 4, I don't think any one would place them lower, most likely 3rd. Yknow really knowledgeable, really smart on a bunch of stuff. And lots of commenters that are really cleaver Y'know. So I'm not going to win pretty against them, it's not going to happen.
Me personally if I was outside of myself watching what I was saying I'd be shocked at what I'd be able to say. So I just want to say a couple things. Y'know I do think that political correctness leads to communism which is a totally failed left wing project. The other thing to me is that when people say the correct things, to me. That people recognize in particular, they recognize the intensity of the struggle and really that's the one. That people recognize how much of a struggle it is for both me and who ever says no I'm incorrect for this or that reason.
Now this is what I really want to talk about. There's a relatively small group of people that talk about the left and they talk about me. For the most part when people talk about it it doesn't really bother me unless you're actually the Prime Ministers or some one really noteworthy. I just feel that the debating community is for fighters and winners. And the thing that just sickens me is when people complain, and whine, and talk about land, people and politics, and they speak about these things in away that embodies a type of weakness that just makes me sick.
So for example when people (when woke people) try and talk about The Greens and try and box it in, and try and imply that The Greens shouldn't fight till the end. That to me is sickening.
You're given an opportunity on this planet to fight until death rips you from this planet, and everything is a metaphor, politics is a metaphor. It's a metaphor for how you want to live your life. Y'know certain people may want to live by certain rulz or codes but in the end all that maters is survival. I promise you you will survive if you want to fight and this is what we see in the debating chamber. You see people use fighting words until they are ripped out of there.
So when I see people of a certain caliber, people who have authority, a bit of power, people who've created a body of work and a reputation. When I see these woke people imply that you shouldn't go to the line or imply that you shouldn't do everything humanly possible to win, it makes me want to puke.
Just consider this. Jacinda Ardern is reaching as many if not more people than the All Blacks. We are a population of 4 million and some social media accounts of her views at 10, 20 million or more. John Key started the social media PM and Jacinda kept it up. So it's a reality, the debating community is a reality, it's about fighting till the end. There is nothing cowardly about any debating technique. There's nothing cowardly about making a comment. The only thing cowardly is not being proud of your country and refuse to fight for it.
Y'know I'm convinced that all political correctness does is make people feel in touch with themselves. The thing is internal experiences do not manifest in reality. So this rant is just for the voices that Iv heard. Not often do I get words of support from members of the standard, it happens but it happens more else where, this rants for you. You're not actually going to die in the debating community for real, let it teach you.
That was indeed quite a rant, Sam. You seem to be saying that you have a physical reaction to what you read here, which explains the nature of some of your comments. Sometimes, your comments are great, but other times you get carried away with hostile and aggressive comments.
I think very highly of authors and commenters here; they are a bunch of good people who are generally, but not always, considerate and respectful of others. I also think that not many come here to ‘fight and win’, but some do. Quite a few come here to debate in good faith, learn, find common ground with others, have a bit of a joke and a laugh, share good, bad, and sad stories, ask for advice, et cetera. At least, that is how I see it.
Asking you to back up your claims and challenging you is not saying you are incorrect or fighting you, it is not about winning, but that is what you think it is and that is how you respond. And then people react to your fighting words and win-lose attitude and before you know, we have ‘fisty cuffs’ here. It turns off many people, which is a problem.
You talk a lot about fighting for a (good?) cause, which I find hard to reconcile with your other comment today @ 7:15 PM in which you said that you couldn’t be bothered to put any effort into your comments and that you’re only interested in mocking us; your overuse and abuse of “woke” is a case in point.
You’re a conundrum, Sam, and I cannot decide whether you fit into the TS community or whether you’re a disruptor. Which shall it be, Sam?
Nah, I stopped putting any effort into writing up comments on the standard when Lynn and other authors moved my comments into open mic for attacking the author or some shit.
you see when I see the opinion piece and then the proceeding comments are overwhelmingly to one side like with the great free speech war or the great Russia gate war. That's when I like to bring it with the facts bring it with the facts and so on. And Lynn especially simply doesn't like it when I do that so I just don't bother anymore. Now I'll just moch you remorselessly for being low IQ, lo low energy, low intellect, as well as being physically and emotionally challenged.
When you attack an author, you usually receive a ban instead of just being moved to OM. The latter is more for OT comments.
If you “stopped putting any effort into writing up comments on the standard” and you “just don’t bother anymore” because of some treatment in the past by Lynn and you just show up here to mock us “remorselessly for being low IQ, lo low energy, low intellect, as well as being physically and emotionally challenged” then why come here at all? Why don’t you do yourself a favour and go somewhere else where you don’t have that ‘burden of the past’?
Yo, Sam.
Since you ran down the Greens polling, they have jumped 3%.
Keep it up! 🤣
You sound like a fresh Uni grad day one on the shop floor.
Because woke identitarian fan girls of the Green Party is letting the whole squad down which makes me write, literally commen sense. LMFAO.
You choose disruptor then? Still intent to continue using “woke” in the disparaging way you do?
A sure and short path to martyrdom, Sam, but I’m giving you the choice.
if you feel that way then ban me because that's hella childish and lame. Lmao
If you want to continue along the same lines and self-destruct that is your choice, not mine.
Make wise choices in life, Sam.
Bro. You are. Almost, inspiring. Lmfao.
🙂
No Bro.
You do know the AAAP hold these clinics regularly? There are always queues because lots of people need help with asking for their full entitlements.
Out of interest, what was your take on Metiria Turei's speech and the fallout from it?
Out of curiosity where is the lady now? And did she ever pay back the money she defrauded from the taxpayer? I seem to remember she promised she would do so but I fear that promises from politicians, even disgraced ones, are seldom honoured.
You can be so spiteful, Alwyn.
I wonder why that is?
That's up to WINZ. I'm sure they'll be onto it.
That reminds me that you still have to provide an adequate response as to why you criticised and complained about Weka’s previous comments and moderation & banning of you with regards to your incessant questioning about the Electorate Offices of the Green Party.
In the meantime, here’s a piece for your edification: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/114333975/after-a-dreadful-2017-can-the-greens-do-better-in-2020
And if ever find yourself stranded outside Wellington and you need to contact the Green Party: https://www.greens.org.nz/contact
I read that Stuff piece by Stacey Kirk's replacement, Thomas Coughlan
2017 was the year the Greens made government and are now part of big positive changes for New Zealand.
Swing and a miss, Thomas.
Days after the Greens got sworn into a coalition government Golriz goes and outs Andrew little for braking some law. That was the Greens first move as a coalition partner in a government. They are woke, inclusional, and they lost there bloody co-leader weeks out from an election. So, let's not shine warm fuzzy rainbows up each other. The Greens have a lot of appeasing to there base to do. Y'know there's like 3000 permaculture members, even less vegans, even less radical lefties and even less trannies. The rest are main fucking stream climate adapters. And I could care even less about free fucken speech or cunt, or even how delusion large your national campaign footprint is relative to the puny number of voters being signalled too. Y'know the big fucken green vote goes to the one who will literally go into bare knuckle fight, win while cleaning plastics and planting trees okay? Not fucken rainbows up everywhere.
What is wrong with you, for Christ's sake?
I could ask you the same question. How much prescription medication have you consumed today?
You’re a day out, Sam.
and The Greens have a year to sort there shit out
So, you voted for the Greens in 2017 and will do again in 2020? I like it when somebody nails their colours to the mast in such an eloquent and unequivocal way.
While AAAP hold these clinics regularly, the queues are growing. Just as they are at food banks.
Moreover lots of people that need help getting their full entitlements aren't getting it without AAAP help, which was also meant to change.
Metiria Turei's speech saw the Greens go up in the polls. Their management of it was their downfall. Things were uncovered that weakened their position.
The Righteous Right got riotously het-up over that arrogant solo-mum Maori greenie and gave her the serve she so richly deserved. Aye.
Not at first. Yet, when things were uncovered that weakened her position, indeed they did, Robert.
Indeed they did, like sharks in chummed-up water, their dead eyes fixed on their prey, their bellies aching with Righteous hunger. Oh, how they whipped themselves into a furious fever! Oh, how their long-held suspicions were confirmed. Best weeks of their lives, they just KNEW she was no good! Alwyn's heart still races at the memory
How do you know the queues are growing?
You haven't said what you thought of Turei's speech. I have to assume you agreed with what she said and that it was a good idea to say it. After all, she was batting for the very people you claim to bat for.
That is reflected in the massive increase in the demand for hardship grants and also the massive increase in emergency housing demand.
Personally, I initially thought it was a good speech and it resonated with many, but as I said, it all unraveled when things were uncovered.
Hit Now to see what was going on with Apollo 11 exactly fifty years ago.
https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/
The Dismal-crats and their ridiculous outlet MSNBC are paving the way for another term of Trump.
Leading Dismal-crat analyst Donny Deutsch in the house! That's Zbigniew Brzezinski's awful daughter nodding her head gravely and vacantly as he rants….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ4HGNiZRfs
Jesus. You really do try and spoil our Sunday evenings don't you?
Please, please come to your senses America. To play with a variation on a 1968 theme. "Dump The Trump".
Oh dear. There are now two asterisks next to England's CWC win**.
One because there was no winner of the game. And the other because the umpires screwed up on ball 298 of 300.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12251485
Two asterisks and a massive bucket of your tear soaked kleenex 😆
I did think twice about commenting on this, and another article a day or so ago on reports the MCC will review the laws which played such a significant part in this remarkable game.
I thought twice about it because the other day you'd got a bit upset that people might question the outcome. You then went off on some sob story about starting from nothing and having nothing now. I didn't want to upset you further.
Still, this is a major development and you are acting like a middle England twat again so I'm glad I did.
Salty tears won't heal your pain. Dry your eyes, mate. 😆
Also, this development has removed your only defence which was ambiguity around what constituted 'the act' beginning an overthrow.
Good times.
And now, time for a music break
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltLhFu9xr_Q
Seeing this (link below) on the news tonight reminded me of this guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZRp6iRjnhQ
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2019/07/watch-ceo-successfully-jet-packs-across-sydney-harbour.html