Businesses paying minimum wage which are not prepared a man a decent days pay for a decent days work, are now going to strip the workers of tea breaks etc?
Bugger them and everyone who supports them.
More people should give up on employers and go on the friggin’ dole. Employers like this deserve shit all.
Or take a leaf from the great propagandists of our time (the Koch brothers), rename the union subs “rates” and call them “Ratepayers Associations” – and confuse the hell out of everyone.
Funny that implementing measures directed against their own citizens appears to be the main mode of dealing with this “terrorism” BS. You might almost think there was another actual agenda going on.
It’s worrying that this govt are so keen to lock doors across the country based on the actions of solitary nutters or dicks on the other side of the planet.
Why is Canada so shocked that people want to attack its soldiers?
And how the word "terrorism" is now a propaganda term for anything the state doesn't like – and for justifying anything under the sun the state decides to do.
Quite agree with you Phil, Prof Colin Campbell is a well respected scientist. The film Forks over Knives is available from your library and when it was shown at cinemas around the world was responsible for many people changing to a plant based diet.
He, along with other top researchers who advocate a plant based diet should be listened to.
Reverse cancer by diet is like reverse cancer by prayers.
Sad.
“The researchers say: ‘Our study has shown that Austrian adults who consume a vegetarian diet are less healthy (in terms of cancer, allergies, and mental health disorders), have a lower quality of life, and also require more medical treatment.”
Vegetarians are ‘less healthy’ and have a poorer quality of life than meat-eaters
Vegetarians visit their doctors more often and are more prone to allergies
They also have ‘a 50% increased risk of both heart attacks and cancer’
They are also more likely to develop depression and anxiety disorders
But vegetarians tend to be more active and less likely to drink and smoke
from yr source/’evidence’..(from cbs..atlanta..written by some hack..)
“..However, the researchers do caution that continuing studies will be needed to substantiate some of the rather broad dietary distinctions, associations presented in this current research…”
..’rather broad’ being the key words..you’d think..?
(and..)
“..The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases for all dietary groups..”
Not my daily mail and the data isn’t theirs from a hack journo.
Just read the pdf, veggie.
It’s no surprise you don’t agree with the findings as they completely rubbish the ‘reverse cancer’ crap from your personal hero.
I advise you to collect all the ‘supporting’ data you can, even from saddos like above and base your opinion on that. That won’t be one eyed and disingenuous at all.
whoare lol
Vegetarians also eat a lot of dairy which is the point that Prof Campbell makes.
A vegan diet has been shown to improve health in many people. There have been many long term studies on this, the SDA church have carried out many such studies all of which were favourable to a vegan diet.
The diet also gives a 100% guarantee that you are personally doing your bit to prevent animal cruelty.
I can’t see that people with a vegan diet have superior outcomes to people with a vegeterian diet. With the proviso that high levels of dairy intake is dangerous to human health.
“Red meat and processed meat often have a high fat content, so if you eat them too often you could get fat – which has been shown to be a risk factor for several cancers, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer. A more accurate report would focus on how obesity as a whole can increase risk for cancer.”
In response to your unbalanced account I googled ‘false health scares’ and it was top link.
Again, you seem to attack the messenger and not the message, so in response I’ll repeat in case it hasn’t sunk in yet.
“Red meat and processed meat often have a high fat content, so if you eat them too often you could get fat – which has been shown to be a risk factor for several cancers, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer. A more accurate report would focus on how obesity as a whole can increase risk for cancer.”
That’s laughable from a man who claims as his hero an old fuck who thinks not eating meat can reverse cancer as his proof and evidence.
You are quite within your rights to refute the facts, but you are so out on the extremist edge, your conclusions, skewered and slanted as they are, aren’t worth the price of the electrons they’re printed on.
To be fair that sounds more like a description of yourself, but whatever works for you.
Has to be remembered though, I haven’t ever claimed or advocated one can reverse cancer by abstaining from eating meat. That would be nuts.
“..(an obvious authority..!..)”
Yes it’s true. I can suss out a vested interest nutjob easy as.
“..who to believe..?”
I’m guessing you’ll go with the old fuck charlatan claiming he can reverse cancer by not eating meat.
Devoted aint you?
Leaving the racism aside, If you have exact data scientifically on par with the Austrian study that makes your point, show it.
“..(and u do know i am not paying foil-overtime-rates..eh..?..this is all on yr own time..)”
I did note note the much higher levels of mental health issues affecting non meat eaters.
With smoking pot, that’s an enormous risk. Better have a double whopper with cheese and hope for the best.
False mass generalisation about a group of people based on their nationality. Sounds racist to me.
The extras like clown role, and being funny mean nothing to me.
I know why you do it, it’s predictable and ultimately it won’t work.
It weakens your paper thin argument even more.
Nope. You think it’s animal cruelty to practice animal husbandry full stop, how are you going to be impartial and differentiate about what constitutes cruelty and best practice?
You still haven’t got your head around it then.
How are you going to be impartial and differentiate about what constitutes cruelty and best practice?
Clue – You can’t.
Best practice isn’t pain and suffering or cruelty. Best practice keeps animals well fed and cared for until slaughtered.
The killing isn’t cruelty. It’s the end of the line and avoids us eating our meat while it’s alive, which I agree would be…Unlike animals like lions and tigers who gnaw down on wriggling prey. Buggers.
So not altering ‘what it is’ depends on whether ‘what it is’ is a bad thing or not.
Your extreme position precludes you from holding a common sense baseline position on the subject. What do you not understand about that? lol
Thank you for taking the time with this conversation debunking all theories on the relationship between diet and cancer that there is no evidence for.
Until there is evidence, they are all possible topics for worthy research (noting many theories based on anecdotal evidence have already been researched many times). Science (as compared to religion) never claims the absolute answer on anything.
There does appear to be some links between diet and cancer, and they add weight to similar advice for overcoming obesity: Moderation of every major food group; Maintain a healthy weight; Keep fit.
I will not criticise the actions of the terminally ill. Depending on how much individuals have prospered from trading in money, or investing in lotto, they may gain some temporary mental relief by throwing some of that excess wealth at an abundance of medical and religious charlatans. (An alternative approach may be to throw the same amount of money at medical research, that may benefit future generations … or other worthy causes such as improvements in animal husbandry?)
“There does appear to be some links between diet and cancer”
There sure is, and meat, like other food groups, should be taken in moderation.
“they may gain some temporary mental relief by throwing some of that excess wealth at an abundance of medical and religious charlatans. An alternative approach may be to throw the same amount of money at medical research, that may benefit future generations”
Let’s have them throwing dollars at getting well nourished kids in warm homes with a future to look forward to first.
Future generations would benefit from that right now.
“so..the fevered imaginings of the allen..+ the daily mail..+ an article in the star..from 2007..”
Or, and much less partisan and disingenuous
Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
V
The professor emeritus in nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University..
“..i think it is more a case of what u want to believe/deny..eh..?”
That, my friend, is the irony moneyshot.
Want a tissue? lol
I think we’ve had our fair share of screen space with this one, save to say it’s nothing like tobacco and cancer warnings being laughed away by big money.
People have been eating meat since after adam ate all the apple pies and looked how marvellously resilient and adaptable a species we have become. Billions of meat eaters with a shared ancestry and an impressive increasing life expectancy say it aint so.
What we’re eating along with our recommended meat allowances, processed, refined, chemical sprayed, irradiated, added to and de-nutrionalised as it often is, is where I’d start looking for carcinogens and cancer causers in food with suspicious intent. But that’s an uneducated opinion I haven’t googled so I could be way off like you.
Have read similar elsewhere pu. Makes entire sense and we may well all wake up to it one day, like we have after being told thalidomide was safe.
One day in the future people will look back on us in the same way we look back at early surgeries and hospitals and shake our heads at the fuss that was raised when washing of hands was put in place in such institutions…. duh
How did “atom bombs” ever have ‘scientific support’ for healthy living?
I think you just made that whole list up, vto.
Can you please provide references for the “lines” that we were told on all of these promoting healthy living?
Some on the list still have legitimate use, depending on how they are used, where they are used, and how much is used: 1080, margarine, sugar, formaldehyde. (Two of these obviously not being used as foods)
“re atom bombs have you not seen any photos or information on people observing early atom bombings close at hand? Maralinga?”
Yes I have seen that but I am pretty sure it wasn’t because they thought they were safe. They were purposely exposing people to radiation they knew wasn’t safe in order to study the results.
Actually, without quibbling over individual items within your list, it was the weight of scientific evidence that demonstrated those things weren’t safe.
Otherwise we’d still be showing kids cartoons that say Laramie Smooths (with the healthy asbestos filter) are the best smoke to have after a growing child’s breakfast of coloured sugar gelatinised in lard.
That’s right – genuine scientific evidence, not some scientific evidence conjured up for some alternative commercial outcome as were the early “scientific” studies for each of those items.
So how do we know when scientific evidence is genuine and credible instead of something paid for and angled for a particular outcome? In Phil U’s case here – the science for and against the link between diet and cancer?
Do we have to look behind the research to see who is paying for it? Other hidden strings?
Perhaps we should ask our wise and considered PM John Key – he thinks that you can buy scientific research in order to suit particular outcomes.
Sometimes research is robust, genuine, credible, and still wrong – random result, or an unknown confounding effect.
It’s the weight of evidence overall that directs the conclusions. The more nuanced the association, the more evidence is needed. All the research is accounted for unless obviously fraudulent, incomplete/flawed, or demonstrated to be an aberration by the rest of the research in the field.
Who’s paying for it doesn’t always mean the findings are flawed – ISTR in the last few years that the Koch bros commissioned a report into AGW (which they argue doesn’t exist), only to have the lead author change his tune and say it exists. But what if he had the same level of integrity and found that something had been missed by the vast majority of scientists? They would have tried to find where he screwed up, but over time it would have become the consensus view that agw was nonexistent. It comes down to the quality of the research.
‘it was the weight of scientific evidence that demonstrated those things weren’t safe.’
Americans are lucky USA FDA commissioner Frances Kelsey did not subscribe to that view.
Dr Kelsey refused to approve thalidomide for use in America until it could be proved to be safe, despite pressure to do so.
She spared Americans the misery of the thalidomide birth defects by adopting the precautionary principle.
The official in charge of the FDA, Frances Oldham Kelsey, did not rely on information from the company which did not include any test results. Richardson-Merrell was called on to perform tests and report the results. The company refused and demanded approval six times, and was refused each time. Nevertheless, a total of 17 children with thalidomide-induced malformations were born.[57]
Don’t be disingenuous.
The point was Kelsey applied the precautionary principle while the evidence was gathered, which prevented people from being harmed. And that’s what ordinary people care about, not points on an academic scoreboard.
‘Nevertheless, a total of 17 children with thalidomide-induced malformations were born.’
Some people got the drug overseas, thus there was a few cases.
Actually, the point was that these days practical human knowledge is usually advanced by the accumulated weight of evidence in one direction or another, rather than one particular piece of research by one particular researcher.
I actually agree that (in general) drugs shouldn’t be used without thorough testing, and funnily enough thalidomide is a major justification for modern testing regimes.
There’s stronger processes on several levels now, but we need regulators who think for themselves, like Kelsey, more than ever.
I would commend Dr Alistair Humphrey of the CDHB in this respect, for this week opposing the proposed Selwyn nitrate levels, and recently breaking ranks on the MPI vegetable poisoning report.
By the way, Kelsey did not look at the evidence in totality when applying the precautionary principle. Her focus was one particular English study showing nervous system damage.
One scientific study can warrant the application of the precautionary principle.
Good god people, why so old fashioned? High development cost drugs require massive sales in the first few years to hit budgeted targets before patents run out. This namby pamby approach around waiting for more evidence and yet more evidence to come in is a nonsense when you have only a short time to get a drug to market and make it a blockbuster hit to recoup investor money and make a decent return.
Just do your final safety trial in the market is a good way to go: in that scenario everyone is a winner, investors make big bucks, researchers get more people in more settings to do their research on, patients get access to newer more effective drugs faster.
Prisoners serving time in the state of Pennsylvania can now be sued for speaking up from behind bars after Governor Tom Corbett signed into law this week the Revictimization Relief Act that legislatures rushed to approve only days earlier.
And the reason given is because the person behind bars has given enough to society that a university asked him to speak (via recording) to a few students.
the reserve bank says making people have 20% deposit has saved existing mortgage holders about 2% in interest rate hikes. it says the lvr stays until they are happy housing isnt fuelling inflation…
Meanwhile the town house across the road in a desirable part of town in good condition and with the price dropped sits vacant and unsold even though it is situated between two good secondary schools and an excellent primary. and within walking distance of the city. And the sellers have bought elsewhere and must be suffering, they would never have envisaged it sitting for so long. How has raising the deposit helped new house buyers, and people needing a house for their own use? That is the question that gummint should be asking when assessing the worth of this policy. The answer is negative value to them, and just continuing the stress on these people that the housing bubble has caused already.
A government lacking any idea or willingness to form policy that actually deals with our problems, it just sits on the seats in Parliament and their offices, making work for themselves and grooming future business partners, and collecting salary and perks.
And telling people how good they are, while they borrow money and perform SFC tricks in minor form every day. Keeping their supporters happy, is all they need to do. While we try and get a left team that can win. Unfortunately they are confused about which team they are playing for, and taking sidebets on performance!
I am thinking that those Labour caucus members who are uncomfortable with the values, policies,direction or colour red of Labour, and those that are disloyal to the party or its elected leader, and those that tritorously leak info to enemies and media, and those that bring the party into disrepute by their unwise public statements on TV etc, and those that favour Neo liberal RW agenda should all leave and start their own party. Here are some suggestions for such a party:
NAME : Federation Of Kiwi Rogue Socialists. [FOKRS]
COLOUR : Yellowish red with grey spots.
LEADER’S TITLE : The great pretender.
Not as satisfying as seeing Eric Prince before the courts would be but it’s a start.
Now, after a 10-week trial and 28 days of deliberation, a jury in Washington has found three of the men – Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard – guilty of a total of 13 charges of voluntary manslaughter and a total of 17 charges of attempted manslaughter.
The fourth defendant, Slatten, who was alleged to have been first to open fire, was found guilty of a separate charge of first-degree murder. Slough, Liberty and Heard were found guilty of using firearms in relation to a crime of violence, a charge which can alone carry up to a 30-year mandatory sentence.
Just as with the systematic torture at Abu Ghraib, it is only the low level foot-soldiers of Blackwater that are being held accountable. Prince and other top Blackwater executives continue to reap profits from the mercenary and private intelligence industries. Prince now has a new company, Frontier Services Group, which he founded with substantial investment from Chinese enterprises. Among its areas of focus is the African continent. Prince recently suggested that his forces at Blackwater could have confronted Ebola and ISIS. “If the Administration cannot rally the political nerve or funding to send adequate active duty ground forces to answer the call, let the private sector finish the job,” Prince recently wrote.
.
I am thinking that if the views of the majority of commentators on this site are representative of the views of members of the Labour Party (An assumption that may very well be wrong) then there is a serious disconnect between the Party Membership and the views of potential Labour voters.
In my opinion most of these voters do not significantly care about the differences between the agendas of party members and party caucus, if such differences exist. They simply have an expectation that those differences are (or should be) minor, and should be able to be sorted out easily, in comparison with the more difficult task of forming coalition deals with parties that may be more left, or more right than Labour.
So as much as I will enjoy the privilege of voting for the Party Leader, I still think that the leadership voting system urgently needs to be discarded. Give the responsibility to caucus, coupled with information that comes from polling all eligible voters. Farrar may be a nasty weasel, but he does deliver much better political advice to Dirty John from polls, than Labour will ever get from Party members and affiliated unions.
In fact, Labour does its own internal polling and focus group analysis with UMR.
Which is little use to all those voting without access to those poll results. Which would be my main point in limiting the voting to the caucus (who I presume do have – or should have – access to such poll results)
The poll result is definitely not the only issue that needs to be taken into account …. but it is a very important issue. Which candidate is the most electable?
(I wonder what those ‘internal’ polls indicated about the preference of the public in the Leadership poll won by David Cunliffe? Did those polls ask that question? Did those polls determine how many more or less people would have voted Labour with each candidate as Leader? Is Robertson in this election gaining any advantage, or not, by declaring his preference for Deputy? These are the sort of questions where the answers are best not filed away in a library.)
There are relatively few NZLP members commenting compared to the numbers of commenters.
Read the about. The site simply wasn’t set up for NZLP members.
There is one site that was largely setup for NZLP members. It was called Red Alert and it is essentially moribund because someone at the site started playing silly games.
I take your point, lprent. Fortunately I did put a significant disclaimer on saying that was the case, or essential to my argument. (Which of course means that I could have left out the possible assumption in total, and still made the same point I wanted to make.) 🙂 My bad.
I guess I should have said something along the lines of if you take the views of any small group eg the commentators on the Standard, the local wrestling club, the operatic society, or even the Members of the Labour Party, they are unlikely to be representative of the opinions of the 40-50% of voters that you hope will cast their vote in the direction of the Labour Party.
If the Party want thats opinion, I think that a much better way is to use intelligent polling. And the results of those polls could be used constructively to help inform the decision of the ‘best’ Party Leader that meets the full needs of the Party.
The election was rubbish, the left fragmented and all we wanted was the policies to win it.
Asking the brilliant minds, what would a sensible left wing manifesto look like?
Imagine starting a new, well funded party, and you want to show the public what you’re about.
With three years till kick off, what what you tell them?
I actually thought the left as a whole had about the best policy package anyone could manage. Between the greens impmana and labour, we had food for kids, decent wage increases for the neediest as well as the middle class, a real plan to address housing for low and middle income groups, health and infrastructure relief, regional development, clean waterways, and a real chance at getting more jobs and sane security policies.
Something didn’t go well tactically – some say Labour should have gone for the party vote more, but the greens were all about the party vote and didn’t make headway.
Personally, I reckon it was the kdc distraction throughout the campaign, the fizzle on the 15th, and the terror raids in aus two days before, all exploited by a blatantly partizan mass media.
I agree there were some good policies spread around, so perhaps a part of failure was/is in the delivery, and in part the perception ‘the left’ were/are unable to work together despite labour pushing the 3 party government line to counter. The corporate msm and dirty politics a given hindrance.
I am curious as to what a thestandard focussed grouped manifesto would read like, and how much appeal would/could be garnered from the less political out of it.
I wouldn’t have a shot at bringing it together, but an invited guest list could create something cool, contemporary and quite inspiring.
No point in having all the bright ideas to see them wasting on a blog.
“No point in having all the bright ideas to see them wasting on a blog.”
That’s my biggest frustration about the place (that and the intelligence wasted on clever putdowns and abuse). Would love to see the passion and thought go somewhere.
I think a series of threads over time, offering a selection of either/or options, proffered by the group for discussion and selection. I’ll nominate five people and they then nominate five more to form the policy committee and sit back and see what you all come up with if you like?
Can you explain that a bit more? Either/or options? Committee working offsite or onsite?
Maybe we can develop the IMP online policy development model more. Using Loomio but also a combination of other online tools if they are required.
Although I am a little hesitant to go down the path of yet more policy development. Coming up with plans to deliver more left wing infrastructure eg community currencies, alternative media channels eg radio, or to extend the reach/capabilities of The Standard, might be a more useful (less Wellington centric) way ahead.
I know your having a laugh but as a new entrant standard follower I have found my self thinking it’s no wonder the left is in trouble if the people here spend so much time arguing.
Looks Penny Bright will have to cough up $33,000 to Auckland Council or end up homeless but with $500,000 to go elsewhere. I cannot see the judge tolerating someone who WONT pay as opposed to someone who CANNOT pay. Hope i’m wrong and Penny gets a fair go.
I thought it was only the New Zealand First Party where the members of their caucus don’t talk to each other.
This was when Winston chose to nominate Ron Mark for Speaker without even telling Ron about the idea.
The Green Party obviously need to start talking to each other. Then we wouldn’t have to waste thousands of dollars while a Green Party member spends time in Parliament finding out what one of her parties leaders is up to.
From todays questions –
“JAN LOGIE to the Member in charge of the Education (Breakfast and Lunch Programmes in Schools) Amendment Bill: Why has the member adopted the Education (Breakfast and Lunch Programmes in Schools) Amendment Bill?”
You are quite right. I had forgotten about Shearer’s bill.
This is Meteria’s one, taken over from Hone though.
The two bills are, from the Parliamentary website.
Education (Breakfast and Lunch Programmes in Schools) Amendment Bill (Harawira)
and
Education (Food in Schools) Amendment Bill (Shearer)
The name is the one for the ex- Hone, now Meteria bill. And yes I know why she is asking the question. It gives Turei the chance to make a brief speech. A waste of time and money isn’t it?
I think the standing orders committee should consider doing away with patsy questions altogether.
As I understand it, Question Time is for the Opposition to hold The Government to account. I have never understood how allowing ministers to make brief speeches on topics of their choosing assists this purpose.
Just in case you forgot we got ourselves another war here is a reminder Oh and we have been fighting this silly little war for the last 30 years – at least.
So Canada goes to war against some people in the middle east.
Then some of those people in the middle east attack Canada’s military.
what the f#@k did they expect? flowers? to be left in peace?
And then to label this a “terrorist” attack – what a joke. It was an attack on military at war. It was not a terrorist attack it was clearly a military attack.
And to think that Key is putting us in the firing line too ……. brace for it people. Key is bringing war to our islands.
Are you acting [deleted] for the sake of acting [deleted] ?
[r0b: A while back a participant here who had a child with an intellectual disability asked us to crack down on the use of that word as a term of abuse.]
The person, presumably sympathising with the people Canada has declared war on, attacked a military person. Did you miss that bit? Also, Parliament is generally where orders to go to war are made – an entirely legitimate military target.
Your own description defies the facts.
It is you with the shit for brains, clearly. Go read some history and learn some law idiot.
Hey pcplodding – how about this for a bit more …..
Did you notice how on te news tonight there was virtually no description of this military event as a terrorist attack? Go and have a look and listen. Even Key didn’t refer to it as a terrorist attack and he is softening us all up for going to war.
eh pcplodding, just a bit more for your brainshit to absorb.
If this person had wanted to actually commit an act of terror then why didn’t he visit a shopping mall, or a hospital or some other such public place?
Why did he choose to attack a soldier with a gun? Why did he choose to attack the seat of Canada’s power with security everywhere and which has gone to war with his people? Why did he choose these military targets instead of a civilian one?
I think you are just one of those people who believes everything you are told. I bet you voted for Key. Mindless. You would have supported the leader of Germany in the 1930s going by your level of thinking.
Hey pcplodding, Canada has been helping drop munitions on to Afghan and Iraqi civilians (oh I’m sorry, dropping munitions on to ‘legitimate targets’ which happen to be right next to the civilians) for years now.
(I guess its now NZs time to help out in this general effort, to make us, you know, safer. Because killing never ends in even more killing).
Maybe you can see now how the West is seen by 3/4 of all peoples as the biggest purveyors of death and terror in the world.
I think Transrail wants to collapse the passenger services.
The rail Christchurch to Picton is cancelled over winter till 26 September.
About a year or so ago the fare was $48 – $100 with specials, backpackers, students, pensioner rates as well.
Now there is only one fare: $159. That will of course cut back the numbers so that eventually the trip will lapse for want of patronage.
Economics with political push.
Press statement in relation to search of Nicky Hager’s home
Thursday, 23 October 2014, 12:57 pm
Press Release: Terrace Chambers
Press statement in relation to the search of Nicky Hager’s home
On 2 October 2014, Nicky Hager’s home in Wellington was searched by police. Mr Hager asserted that documents kept at his house were protected by privilege, including because they contained information that might identify confidential sources. Rather than search those documents, the Police sealed them and lodged them with the High Court pending directions from the Court. Mr Hager had concerns that the search was unlawful and sought legal advice.
Mr Hager has now had a chance to consult his lawyers. He believes even more strongly that the Police have acted outside of the law in seizing his property and seeking to search through all of his documents. Mr Hager has decided to challenge the Police’s actions by way of judicial review. He expects to launch those proceedings during the next few days.
In the meantime, the Police are asserting that there is no valid claim for privilege over the documents. The Police are seeking the leave of the Court to file their own proceedings in order to argue that there is no privilege and that they should be allowed to review all of the documents. A preliminary teleconference was held today (23 October 2014) between the High Court, and lawyers for Mr Hager and the Police, to discuss these issues.
My first response to this info. is that the police are acting under instructions from higher up the ladder but how far up the ladder is a very interesting question. In fact is it a ladder which extends beyond NZ? Could the Slater complaint merely be the excuse to sift through Hager’s other work? Example: the FBI/NSA/GCSB modus operandi?
1. The cops, the lawyers and the rest of the government should have to account for every last little bit of taxpayer dollars that they spend turning Nicky Hager over. He hasn’t damaged the NZ public interest one little bit so why the hell are we funding it.
2. What was the timing around raiding him while he wasn’t there. I hope he asks if they have been tracking him to see where he is and who he meets – it all seemed a bit convenient.
3. Yes I assume they want to sift through everything else. If only so they can drift along and lean on a few other people.
Having reviewed Mr Key’s responses overnight, Mr Carter today said that was likely correct for most of Dr Norman’s questions. However, one where Dr Norman asked if Slater was correct when he said Mr Key had told him the mother of a car crash victim was “the same woman f-ing feral bitch that screams at him when he goes to Pike River meetings” should have been answered.
The question “made a connection to the actions of the Prime Minister in response to Pike River Mine Tragedy,” Mr Carter said.
“A connection having been made to a matter of ministerial responsibility an informative answer should be given.”
and a glimpse into the sparse world inside the key brain
Earlier today Mr Key stood by his claim that his conversations with Slater were not in his capacity as Prime Minister.
“I wear a number of hats obviously, one as the leader of the National Party, one as Prime Minister of New Zealand and one as a citizen.”
Which capacity he was acting in was determined by “the context around what I think I was doing”.
On that basis Mr Key was “quite comfortable that in the correspondence and discussions I’ve had with Cameron Slater, which are not that great in number, are done so not in my capacity as Prime Minister”.
How many times have you sent important information to the wrong person because you didn’t check the email address?
Prime Minister John Key’s office briefing notes have once again been accidentally sent to a reporter ahead of a media conference.
key says,
“At the end of the day I think you’d say it was unfortunate, but the reality as I understand it was an Mfat person who was putting together some briefing notes for me accidentally sent them to NewsTalkZB. Email systems have a habit of remembering email addresses and from time to time accidents or mistakes occur… It’s just so easy to do.”
I think it’s time for another Leunig cartoon. Obviously in an Australian context (Liberals and Labour) but it transfers equally as well to New Zealand.
UK police arrest young man who throws a water bottle for ‘Plinth Guy’ protestor to catch. This is the kind of police state assf*ckery which seems to be coming to all FVEY nations pretty much simultaneously.
Kelvin Davis gives Hone Harawira some good hard kicks
About “manning up” over Hone’s hiring an alleged sex offender on Parliamentary Services money – but Davis forgets about a little thing called “presumption of innocence.”
And interesting how these documents were “leaked.” So they think Harawira might stage a come back in TTT 2017 and want to kill that possibility dead ASAP.
Another Open Mike which has a first half devoted to the cult of Vega. Tomorrow it’ll probably be how the Greens gifted Ohariu to Dunne. It gets a bit boring, just a bit.
Diaspora: perception departs from reality In this collection of articles are two papers currently captivating the attention of people following the science and emergence of climate change, especially the rapid variety we've accidentally unleashed and which is now unfolding around us. The synthesis and review article Earth's Ice Imbalance by Slater ...
The ultra-rich have done very, very well out of the pandemic. Globally, the wealth of the ten richest people rose by US$540 billion last year, enough money to pay for the pandemic in its entirity. And in New Zealand, local billionaire Graeme Hart saw his wealth increase by almost NZ$3.5 ...
Postmodernism has long been looked upon as an indecipherable ideology and a source of amusement. In 1996 Alan Sokal, a physics professor at New York University, had a hoax article published in ‘Social Text’ an academic journal of postmodern cultural studies. In ‘Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Anew study in Nature Sustainability incorporates the damages that climate change does to healthy ecosystems into standard climate-economics models. The key finding in the study by Bernardo Bastien-Olvera and Frances Moore from the University of California at Davis: The models have been underestimating the ...
In a recent interview with RNZ (14th of January), NZ Council of Civil Liberties Chair Thomas Beagle, in response to Simon Bridges condemnation of the post-Trump Twitter purge of local far Right and other accounts, said the following: “Cos the thing about freedom of expression is that it’s not just ...
Let’s be clear: if Trump is not politically killed off once and for all, he will become a MAGA Dracula, rising from the dead to haunt US politics for years to come and giving inspiration to his wretched family of grifters and thousands of deplorables well into the next decade. ...
Since its demise as an imperial power, and especially its deindustrialisation under Thatcher, the UK's primary economic engine has been its role as a money laundry, using its network of overseas territories as tax havens to enable rich people around the world to steal from the societies they live in. ...
Last month OMV quit the Great South Basin and surrendered its offshore exploration permits outside of Taranaki. This month, Australian-owned Beach Energy has done the same: Beach Energy Resources New Zealand has decided to abandon all of its oil and gas exploration permits off the South Island coast, including ...
The new Northland case has been linked to the South African strain of Covid-19, one of a number of new, more contagious Covid variants. Here’s how they emerge and why. Let’s start with the basics. The genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for Covid-19 is a strand of RNA ...
MARVIN HUBBARD, US citizen by birth, New Zealand citizen by choice, Quaker and left-wing activist, has been broadcasting his show, "Community or Chaos", on Otago Access Radio for the best part of 30 years. On 24 November last year, I spoke with him about the outcome of the 2020 General ...
This is a guest blog post by Daniel Tamberg, Potsdam, co-founder and director of SCIARA GmbH. The non-profit organisation SCIARA is developing and operating a flexible software platform for scientific simulation games that allows thousands of players to explore, design and understand possible climate futures together. Decision-makers in politics, business, ...
Yesterday's Gone: Cold shivers are running up and down the spines of conservatives everywhere. Donald Trump may have gone, but all the signs point to there being something much more momentous in the wind-shift than a simple return to the status quo ante. A change is gonna come. ONE COULD ...
Is it possible to live and let live in the post-Trump era? The online campaign to vilify Christopher Liddell, ex-White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant to Trump, makes for an interesting case study. Liddell is a New Zealander whose illustrious career in corporate America once earned him plaudits ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 17, 2021 through Sat, Jan 23, 2021Editor's Choice12 new books explore fresh approaches to act on climate changeAuthors explore scientific, economic, and political avenues for climate action ...
This discussion is from a Twitter thread by Martin Kulldorff on 20 December 2020. He is a Professor at Harvard Medical School specialising in disease surveillance methods, infectious disease outbreaks and vaccine safety. His Twitter handle is @MartinKulldorff #1 Public health is about all health outcomes, not just a single ...
The Treasury forecasts suggest the economy is doing better than expected after the Covid Shock. John Kenneth Galbraith was wont to say that economic forecasting was designed to make astrology look good. Unfair, but it raises the question of the purpose of economic forecasts. Certainly the public may treat them ...
Q: Will the COVID-19 vaccines prevent the transmission of the coronavirus and bring about community immunity (aka herd immunity)? A: Jury not in yet but vaccines do not have to be perfect to thwart the spread of infection. While vaccines induce protection against illness, they do not always stop actual ...
Joe Biden seems to be everything that Donald Trump was not – decent, straightforward, considerate of others, mindful of his responsibilities – but none of that means that he has an easy path ahead of him. The pandemic still rages, American standing in the world is grievously low, and the ...
Keana VirmaniFrom healthcare robots to data privacy, to sea level rise and Antarctica under the ice: in the four years since its establishment, the Aotearoa New Zealand Science Journalism Fund has supported over 30 projects.Rebecca Priestley, receiving the PM Science Communication Prize (Photo by Mark Tantrum) Associate Professor ...
Nothing more from me today - I'm off to Wellington, to participate in the city's annual roleplaying convention (which has also eaten my time for the whole week, limiting blogging despite there being interesting things happening). Normal bloggage will resume Tuesday. ...
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weaponscame into force today, making the development, possession, use or threat of use of nuclear weapons illegal in international law. Every nuclear-armed state is now a criminal regime. The corporations and scientists who design, build and maintain their illegal weapons are now ...
"Come The Revolution!" The key objective of Bernard Hickey’s revolutionary solution to the housing crisis is a 50 percent reduction in the price of the average family home. This will be achieved by the introduction of Capital Gains, Land, and Wealth taxes, and by the opening up of currently RMA-protected ...
by Daphna Whitmore Twitter and Facebook shutting down Trump’s accounts after his supporters stormed Capitol Hill is old news now but the debates continue over whether the actions against Trump are a good thing or not. Those in favour of banning Trump say Twitter and Facebook are private companies and ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Democrats now control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives for the first time in a decade, albeit with razor thin Congressional majorities. The last time, in the 111th Congress (2009-2011), House Democrats passed a carbon cap and trade bill, but it died ...
Session thirty-three was highly abbreviated, via having to move house in a short space of time. Oh well. The party decided to ignore the tree-monster and continue the attack on the Giant Troll. Tarsin – flying on a giant summoned bat – dumped some high-grade oil over the ...
Last night I stayed up till 3am just to see then-President Donald Trump leave the White House, get on a plane, and fly off to Florida, hopefully never to return. And when I woke up this morning, America was different. Not perfect, because it never was. Probably not even good, ...
Watching today’s inauguration of Joe Biden as the United States’ 46th president, there’s not a lot in common with the inauguration of Donald Trump just four destructive years ago. Where Trump warned of carnage, Biden dared to hope for unity and decency. But the one place they converge is that ...
Dan FalkBritons who switched on their TVs to “Good Morning Britain” on the morning of Sept. 15, 2020, were greeted by news not from our own troubled world, but from neighboring Venus. Piers Morgan, one of the hosts, was talking about a major science story that had surfaced the ...
Sara LutermanGrowing up autistic in a non-autistic world can be very isolating. We are often strange and out of sync with peers, despite our best efforts. Autistic adults have, until very recently, been largely absent from media and the public sphere. Finding role models is difficult. Finding useful advice ...
Doug JohnsonThe alien-like blooms and putrid stench of Amorphophallus titanum, better known as the corpse flower, draw big crowds and media coverage to botanical gardens each year. In 2015, for instance, around 75,000 people visited the Chicago Botanic Garden to see one of their corpse flowers bloom. More than ...
Getting to Browser Tab Zero so I can reboot the computer is awfully hard when the one open tab is a Table of Contents for the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and every issue has more stuff I want to read. A few highlights: Gugler et al demonstrating ...
Timothy Ford, University of Massachusetts Lowell and Charles M. Schweik, University of Massachusetts AmherstTo mitigate health inequities and promote social justice, coronavirus vaccines need to get to underserved populations and hard-to-reach communities. There are few places in the U.S. that are unreachable by road, but other factors – many ...
Israel chose to pay a bit over the odds for the Pfizer vaccine to get earlier access. Here’s The Times of Israel from 16 November. American government will be charged $39 for each two-shot dose, and the European bloc even less, but Jerusalem said to agree to pay $56. Israel ...
Orla is a gender critical Marxist in Ireland. She gave a presentation on 15 January 2021 on the connection between postmodern/transgender identity politics and the current attacks on democratic and free speech rights. Orla has been active previously in the Irish Socialist Workers Party and the People Before Profit electoral ...
. . America: The Empire Strikes Back (at itself) Further to my comments in the first part of 2020: The History That Was, the following should be considered regarding the current state of the US. They most likely will be by future historians pondering the critical decades of ...
Nathaniel ScharpingIn March, as the Covid-19 pandemic began to shut down major cities in the U.S., researchers were thinking about blood. In particular, they were worried about the U.S. blood supply — the millions of donations every year that help keep hospital patients alive when they need a transfusion. ...
Sarah L Caddy, University of CambridgeVaccines are a marvel of medicine. Few interventions can claim to have saved as many lives. But it may surprise you to know that not all vaccines provide the same level of protection. Some vaccines stop you getting symptomatic disease, but others stop you ...
Back in 2016, the Portuguese government announced plans to stop burning coal by 2030. But progress has come much quicker, and they're now scheduled to close their last coal plant by the end of this year: The Sines coal plant in Portugal went offline at midnight yesterday evening (14 ...
The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: As anybody with the intestinal fortitude to brave the commentary threads of local news-sites, large and small, will attest, the number of Trump-supporting New Zealanders is really quite astounding. IT’S SO DIFFICULT to resist the temptation to be smug. From the distant perspective of New Zealand, ...
RNZ reports on continued arbitrariness on decisions at the border. British comedian Russell Howard is about to tour New Zealand and other acts allowed in through managed isolation this summer include drag queen RuPaul and musicians at Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Bay Dreams festival. The vice-president of the ...
As families around the world mourn more than two million people dead from Covid-19, the Plan B academics and their PR industry collaborator continue to argue that the New Zealand government should stop focusing on our managed isolation and quarantine system and instead protect the elderly so that they can ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 10, 2021 through Sat, Jan 16, 2021Editor's ChoiceNASA says 2020 tied for hottest year on record — here’s what you can do to helpPhoto by Michael Held on Unsplash ...
Health authorities in Norway are reporting some concerns about deaths in frail elderly after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine. Is this causally related to the vaccine? Probably not but here are the things to consider. According to the news there have been 23 deaths in Norway shortly after vaccine administration and ...
Happy New Year! No, experts are not concerned that “…one of New Zealand’s COIVD-1( vaccines will fail to protect the country” Here is why. But first I wish to issue an expletive about this journalism (First in Australia and then in NZ). It exhibits utter failure to actually truly consult ...
All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.The staunch Labour supporter was in despair at what her Rogernomics Government was doing. But she finished ‘at least, we got rid of Muldoon’, a response which tells us that then, and today, one’s views ...
Grigori GuitchountsIn November, Springer Nature, one of the world’s largest publishers of scientific journals, made an attention-grabbing announcement: More than 30 of its most prestigious journals, including the flagship Nature, will now allow authors to pay a fee of US$11,390 to make their papers freely available for anyone to read ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Richard Richels, and Benjamin Santer Imagine a major climate change law passing the U.S. Congress unanimously? Don’t bother. It turns out that you don’t need to imagine it. Get this: The Global Change Research Act of 1990 was passed ...
“They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”WHO CAN FORGET the penultimate scene of the 1956 movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The wild-eyed doctor, stumbling down the highway, trying desperately to warn his fellow citizens: “They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”Ostensibly science-fiction, the movie ...
TheOneRing.Net has got its paws on the official synopsis of the upcoming Amazon Tolkien TV series. It’s a development that brings to mind the line about Sauron deliberately releasing Gollum from the dungeons of Barad-dûr. Amazon knew exactly what they were doing here, in terms of drumming up publicity: ...
Since Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953, US presidents have joined an informal club intended to provide support - and occasionally rivalry - between those few who have been ‘leaders of the free world’. Donald Trump, elected on a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ and a constant mocker of his predecessors, ...
For over a decade commentators have noted the rise of a new brand of explicitly ideological politics throughout the world. By this they usually refer to the re-emergence of national populism and avowedly illiberal approaches to governance throughout the “advanced” democratic community, but they also extend the thought to the ...
The US House of Representatives has just impeached Donald Trump, giving him the dubious honour of being the only US President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans voted for impeachement, making it the most bipartisan impeachment ever. The question now is whether the Senate will rise to the occasion, and ...
Kieren Mitchell; Alice Mouton, Université de Liège; Angela Perri, Durham University, and Laurent Frantz, Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichThanks to the hit television series Game of Thrones, the dire wolf has gained a near-mythical status. But it was a real animal that roamed the Americas for at least 250,000 ...
Tide of tidal data rises Having cast our own fate to include rising sea level, there's a degree of urgency in learning the history of mean sea level in any given spot, beyond idle curiosity. Sea level rise (SLR) isn't equal from one place to another and even at a particular ...
Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
Susan St John makes the case for taxing a deemed rate of return on excessive real estate holdings (after a family home exemption), to redirect scarce housing resources to where they are needed most. Read the full article here ...
I’m less than convinced by arguments that platforms like Twitter should be subject to common carrier regulation preventing them from being able to decide who to keep on as clients of their free services, and who they would not like to serve. It’s much easier to create competition for the ...
A growing public housing waiting list and continued increase of house prices must be urgently addressed by Government, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...
A Waitomo-based Jobs for Nature project will keep up to ten people employed in the village as the tourism sector recovers post Covid-19 Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “This $500,000 project will save ten local jobs by deploying workers from Discover Waitomo into nature-based jobs. They will be undertaking local ...
Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw spoke yesterday with President Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. “I was delighted to have the opportunity to speak with Mr. Kerry this morning about the urgency with which our governments must confront the climate emergency. I am grateful to him and ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta today announced three diplomatic appointments: Alana Hudson as Ambassador to Poland John Riley as Consul-General to Hong Kong Stephen Wong as Consul-General to Shanghai Poland “New Zealand’s relationship with Poland is built on enduring personal, economic and historical connections. Poland is also an important ...
Work begins today at Wainuiomata High School to ensure buildings and teaching spaces are fit for purpose, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. The Minister joined principal Janette Melrose and board chair Lynda Koia to kick off demolition for the project, which is worth close to $40 million, as the site ...
A skilled and experienced group of people have been named as the newly established Oranga Tamariki Ministerial Advisory Board by Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis today. The Board will provide independent advice and assurance to the Minister for Children across three key areas of Oranga Tamariki: relationships with families, whānau, and ...
The green light for New Zealand’s first COVID-19 vaccine could be granted in just over a week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today. “We’re making swift progress towards vaccinating New Zealanders against the virus, but we’re also absolutely committed to ensuring the vaccines are safe and effective,” Jacinda Ardern said. ...
The Minister for ACC is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to join the Board of ACC on 1 February 2021. “All three bring diverse skills and experience to provide strong governance oversight to lead the direction of ACC” said Hon Carmel Sepuloni. Bella Takiari-Brame from Hamilton ...
The Government is investing $9 million to upgrade a significant community facility in Invercargill, creating economic stimulus and jobs, Infrastructure Minister Grant Robertson and Te Tai Tonga MP Rino Tirikatene have announced. The grant for Waihōpai Rūnaka Inc to make improvements to Murihiku Marae comes from the $3 billion set ...
[Opening comments, welcome and thank you to Auckland University etc] It is a great pleasure to be here this afternoon to celebrate such an historic occasion - the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This is a moment many feared would never come, but ...
The Government is providing $3 million in one-off seed funding to help disabled people around New Zealand stay connected and access support in their communities, Minister for Disability Issues, Carmel Sepuloni announced today. The funding will allow disability service providers to develop digital and community-based solutions over the next two ...
Border workers in quarantine facilities will be offered voluntary daily COVID-19 saliva tests in addition to their regular weekly testing, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. This additional option will be rolled out at the Jet Park Quarantine facility in Auckland starting on Monday 25 January, and then to ...
The next steps in the Government’s ambitious firearms reform programme to include a three-month buy-back have been announced by Police Minister Poto Williams today. “The last buy-back and amnesty was unprecedented for New Zealand and was successful in collecting 60,297 firearms, modifying a further 5,630 firearms, and collecting 299,837 prohibited ...
Upscaling work already underway to restore two iconic ecosystems will deliver jobs and a lasting legacy, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “The Jobs for Nature programme provides $1.25 billion over four years to offer employment opportunities for people whose livelihoods have been impacted by the COVID-19 recession. “Two new projects ...
The Government has released its Public Housing Plan 2021-2024 which outlines the intention of where 8,000 additional public and transitional housing places announced in Budget 2020, will go. “The Government is committed to continuing its public house build programme at pace and scale. The extra 8,000 homes – 6000 public ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated President Joe Biden on his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States of America. “I look forward to building a close relationship with President Biden and working with him on issues that matter to both our countries,” Jacinda Ardern said. “New Zealand ...
A major investment to tackle wilding pines in Mt Richmond will create jobs and help protect the area’s unique ecosystems, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says. The Mt Richmond Forest Park has unique ecosystems developed on mineral-rich geology, including taonga plant species found nowhere else in the country. “These special plant ...
To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Nicholas Agar suggests that our handling of the pandemic could be partly down to our distinctive Treaty of Waitangi relationship, and Māori ideas that enabled us to make it through without tens of thousands of deaths A mission for universities in the coming decade will be a deep understanding of the meaning ...
A young girl who once sent $5 to an embattled America's Cup team is now among the women on the water helping run the contest for the Auld Mug. As an eager and generous nine-year-old, Melanie Roberts posted a letter, with a $5 note, to OneAustralia’s America’s Cup team. It was 1995, ...
At 5am today, cock’s crow, the embargo lifted on the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlist. Here are the books in the race, followed by thoughts from poetry editor Chris Tse and books editor Catherine Woulfe. A shortlist of four books in each category will be announced March 3, with ...
Ignoring those QR codes when you drop into the supermarket? Can’t be bothered when you grab a coffee? The people serving you notice, and you’re freaking them out.So far, New Zealanders’ use of the Covid-19 Tracer app has been notably woeful. Food industry workers who’ve watched streams of customers walk ...
Steve Braunias reveals the longlist of the 2021 Ockham New Zealand book awards Apart from one or two unfortunate omissions which cast doubt on the sanity and intellectual acumen of judges, especially the nobodies who judged this year's non-fiction, the longlist for the 2021 Ockham New Zealand book awards is ...
By Lulu Mark in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea’s biggest hospital is straining to provide medical services to the growing population of the capital Port Moresby – with an estimated growth rate of 3 percent annually, a medical executive says. Port Moresby General Hospital chief executive officer Dr Paki Molumi ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Nationals who attend Thursday’s memorial service in Tweed Heads for Doug Anthony, who died last month aged 90, may muse on the contrast between the state of their party when he led it and now. ...
Returning to quarantine-free travel in 2021 doesn't just need a vaccine, but a way to check whether arriving passengers are actually immune to the virus. A smart Kiwi science start-up is working with a global biometrics giant to make that happen. A deal signed between Kiwi research and development company Orbis Diagnostics, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlyn Forster, PhD Candidate, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney This summer’s wetter conditions have created great conditions for flowering plants. Flowers provide sweet nectar and protein-rich pollen, attracting many insects, including bees. Commercial honey bees are also thriving: ...
Lotto scratchie tickets featuring the pop band Six60 are being withdrawn after a public backlash. In a statement, Lotto NZ said there had been a mutual decision made with the band to remove the tickets from sale following the negative feedback, and it offered an apology. The band faced criticism, both ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Russell Dean Christopher Bicknell, Post-doctoral researcher in Palaeobiology , University of New England Shell-crushing predation was already in full swing half a billion years ago, as our new research published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals. A hyena devouring ...
Vodafone has suspended advertising on the radio station amid calls for talkback host John Banks to be taken off air after yet another racist outburst. Alex Braae reports. In an alarming segment of talkback radio, former Auckland mayor John Banks endorsed the views of a caller who described Māori as a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Welch, Senior Lecturer, University of Auckland When a COVID-19 case was found in Northland last Sunday, Aotearoa’s second-longest period with no detected community case came to an end. ESR scientists worked late into Sunday night to obtain a whole genome sequence ...
He has the perfect moustache, an exceptional mullet, and he uses terms like ‘face hole’ on national TV. Who or what is Dr Joel Rindelaub?I was drawn in by the moustache, but it was the mullet that really kept me there. Watching TVNZ’s Breakfast yesterday morning I was fixated. Often, ...
We’ll never be royals with nearly a quarter of declined baby names featuring “Royal” in some form or another. Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs has released the list of names declined in 2020 by the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and ...
After a raft of inquiries delving into and recommending what should be done about the politically beleaguered Orangi Tamaraki, along with the briefing papers we suppose he has been given, we imagined Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis would have no more need for expert advice. Wrong. He has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Senior Lecturer and clinical academic gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University There’s a common assumption men take longer than women to poo. People say so on Twitter, in memes, and elsewhereonline. But is that right? What could explain it? And if ...
Just as sexuality is a spectrum, so too is asexuality. In Ace of Hearts, members of New Zealand’s asexual community talk about the challenges and misconceptions of identifying as ace.First published November 17, 2020.Ace of Hearts is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff.“A ...
Sam Brooks wasn’t allowed to watch kids TV as a kid. Now, as a 30 year old man, he watches it for the first time.My mother’s approach to parenting was unorthodox. I wrote weekly book reports on top of my actual homework, I did maths equations in Roman numerals and ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk More leading Indonesian figures have made racial slurs against Natalius Pigai, former chair of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) – and all West Papuans, says United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) interim president Benny Wenda. “Since the illegal Indonesian invasion in 1963, Indonesian ...
“The Government’s failure to even conduct a standard cost-benefit analysis for the most expensive infrastructure project in New Zealand’s history is mind-bogglingly arrogant,” says New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke. “A ...
The Ministry of Health is today drawing backlash from the local New Zealand vaping industry following its release of proposed regulations for the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act. Vaping Trade Association New Zealand (VTANZ) President, ...
Sophie Gilmour and Simon Day are joined by special guest Hugo Baird, co-owner of Grey Lynn’s Honey Bones and Lilian, to talk about opening new pub Hotel Ponsonby.Auckland is a city of many bars but few really good pubs – the kind of places you’d be just as comfortable going ...
The appointment of an advisory board for Oranga Tamariki is welcome and should be a step toward a total transformation of the care and protection system to a by Māori, for Māori approach, Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft said today. Minister ...
Taking control of your financial wellbeing can have cascading positive impacts for your life and it can also be fun. With the help of the team at Kiwi Wealth, we’ve compiled some simple tricks for balancing your books in 2021. There’s something about the beginning of a new year, especially after ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kris Gledhill, Professor of Law, Auckland University of Technology As we know, getting into New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult. There are practicalities, such as high airfare and managed isolation costs. And there are legal requirements, including pre-flight testing, mandatory ...
New Zealand faces the risk of a generation being locked out of the housing market unless land is freed up and more houses built, National Party leader Judith Collins says. ...
On Sunday, Stuff published a months-long investigation by Alison Mau detailing allegations of harassment and exploitation within the local music industry.The piece, ‘Music industry professionals demand change after speaking out about its dark side’, includes allegations of inappropriate behaviour and abuse of power by male artists, international acts and executives; ...
“The Government is all at sea on timelines for Australia and New Zealand’s respective vaccine roll-outs, with the worst news coming from the mouth of Pfizer Australia CEO Anne Harris,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Yesterday, under increasing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Higgins, Senior Research Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden promised the US would demonstrate “global leadership on refugees”. Once elected, he pledged to vastly increase refugee resettlement in the US. If history is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Baumann, Casual Academic, School of Social Sciences & Psychology, Western Sydney University Among the many hard truths exposed by COVID-19 is the huge disparity between the world’s rich and poor. As economies went into freefall, the world’s billionaires increased their already ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jan Lanicek, Senior Lecturer in Modern European History and Jewish History, UNSW On January 27 communities worldwide commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz — the largest complex of concentration camps and extermination centres during the Holocaust. This is the first year the International ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lorinda Cramer, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Australian Catholic University The summer break is over, marking a return to the office. For some, this ends almost a year of working from home in lockdown. Some analysts are predicting it might also mark an enduring ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for January 27, keeping you up to date with the latest local and international news. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nzOur members make The Spinoff happen! Every dollar contributed directly funds our editorial team – click here to learn more about how you can support us ...
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Employment laws. No breaks entitlement.
Considering quitting my job as a form of protest.
Had enough of this shit.
Yep good.
Businesses paying minimum wage which are not prepared a man a decent days pay for a decent days work, are now going to strip the workers of tea breaks etc?
Bugger them and everyone who supports them.
More people should give up on employers and go on the friggin’ dole. Employers like this deserve shit all.
My suggestion is that they get together with their workmates and start a cooperative. The boss goes bankrupt and they’re still employed.
Unfortunately, the high unemployment that National is maintaining, would work against them.
join their union
we don’t call them ‘unions’ any more..we call them ‘associations’..
..(‘union’ is like a scary-word..like ‘ebola’…and ‘bennett’..)
..and the workers flag is no longer ‘deepest-red’..
..it is a washed-out pink..(some say it is a pale-blue..)
..and the labour party is now called ‘the refresh party’..
..and it comes with built-in bubbles..
..do try to keep up..!
lol, sounds quite pleasant now..
Nah lets frighten the bosses there phillip, call them syndicalist associations.
or maybe just ‘the syndicate’..?
(..’y’see..!..this is how me and the boys down at ‘the syndicate’ sees it..
..teabreaks..?..yeah..!..eh..?..and we don’t want no trouble..but..!’..)
..and ‘the labour party’..
..could change to ‘the enforcers’..
..vote for ‘the enforcers’…!..they’ll make it happen..!
..(that’s better than ‘vote positive’..
..and who the fuck will own up to that one..?
..that ‘vote positive’ dog..?
..whose brainfart-idea was it..?
..we demand public-flagellation..!
public-flagellation..! Your problem Philip, is your to damn soft.
Public-Flagellation followed by Crucifixion only way to teach these slackers the meaning of winning.
Or take a leaf from the great propagandists of our time (the Koch brothers), rename the union subs “rates” and call them “Ratepayers Associations” – and confuse the hell out of everyone.
Tracy Join their union-yes-yes That seriously is what is needed.
Disregard the smart (dumb)-arse rhetoric of others trying to be clever.
Here’s how you do it: start your own business, compete against the former employer you hate, do better.
While they have already established infrastructure and employ people under more profitable conditions. Thus winning the race to the bottom.
Herald’s headlines continue to beat up ‘terror.’
To set up New Zealanders to accept new draconian spying and ‘terror’ laws for their master Key.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11346883
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11342460
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
Benjamin Franklin
Brian Rudman writes well on the subject.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11342354
as does Gwynne Dyer…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wanganui-chronicle/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503423&objectid=11339588
the thing is that keys excuse for lying to the voters is that things are evolving quickly.
NOTHING has escalated post election to suggest things are worse today than sept 19.
Nothing has changed to say that things are worse today than they were 18 months ago.
Funny that implementing measures directed against their own citizens appears to be the main mode of dealing with this “terrorism” BS. You might almost think there was another actual agenda going on.
well put
It’s worrying that this govt are so keen to lock doors across the country based on the actions of solitary nutters or dicks on the other side of the planet.
That’s just the excuse. IMO, why they’re doing it is another reason entirely and I don’t think the majority of people would like it if they knew.
Why is Canada so shocked that people want to attack its soldiers?
And how the word "terrorism" is now a propaganda term for anything the state doesn't like – and for justifying anything under the sun the state decides to do.
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/10/22/canada-proclaiming-war-12-years-shocked-someone-attacked-soldiers/
(in a world bereft of heroes..this guy is one of mine..)
“..Meet the Researcher Who Thinks Cancer Can be Prevented – Even Reversed – Through Diet..” (ed:..disclaimer:..this man is a personal hero of mine..)
..The professor emeritus in nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University said research has proven that consumption of animal products –
– including meat – fish – and dairy –
– triggers chronic diseases and impaired health –
– and poses a greater risk than heredity or environment.
He has linked casein – a protein in milk – with breast cancer.
His lifelong professional focus has been cancer and nutrition –
– and Campbell says that our national and global fight with cancer has targeted the wrong enemy.
Though he is scholarly and genteel – Campbell is not reserved.
He’s impatient and blunt..”
(cont..)
(ed:..that is one of the most compelling arguments to stop consuming animals..and their bye-products..
..the overall better health that vegans seem to enjoy..) (cont..)
http://whoar.co.nz/2014/meet-the-researcher-who-thinks-cancer-can-be-prevented-even-reversed-through-diet-ed-disclaimer-this-man-is-a-personal-hero-of-mine/
Sounds like an idiot following an idiot.
http://www.alternet.org/food/meet-researcher-who-thinks-cancer-can-be-prevented-even-reversed-through-diet
Quite agree with you Phil, Prof Colin Campbell is a well respected scientist. The film Forks over Knives is available from your library and when it was shown at cinemas around the world was responsible for many people changing to a plant based diet.
He, along with other top researchers who advocate a plant based diet should be listened to.
Reverse cancer by diet is like reverse cancer by prayers.
Sad.
“The researchers say: ‘Our study has shown that Austrian adults who consume a vegetarian diet are less healthy (in terms of cancer, allergies, and mental health disorders), have a lower quality of life, and also require more medical treatment.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2596012/Vegetarians-healthy-poorer-quality-life-meat-eaters.html
Vegetarians are ‘less healthy’ and have a poorer quality of life than meat-eaters
Vegetarians visit their doctors more often and are more prone to allergies
They also have ‘a 50% increased risk of both heart attacks and cancer’
They are also more likely to develop depression and anxiety disorders
But vegetarians tend to be more active and less likely to drink and smoke
‘daily mail’ as source..?
..pandering to their meat-advertisers..?
..hilarious..!
..why not ‘the beano’..?
..and there is also fox news as a fall-back..
..run..!..run young allen..!..run like the wind..!
..run to the fox news website..and key in anti-vegetarian/vegan..
..i am sure the results will be bountiful…
Discounting the science and research because of the delivery man? That’s as sad as claiming diet reverses cancer.
Perhaps some vegan mouthpiece is more ‘reliable’ lol
How about http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2014/04/01/study-vegetarians-less-healthy-lower-quality-of-life-than-meat-eaters/
from yr source/’evidence’..(from cbs..atlanta..written by some hack..)
“..However, the researchers do caution that continuing studies will be needed to substantiate some of the rather broad dietary distinctions, associations presented in this current research…”
..’rather broad’ being the key words..you’d think..?
(and..)
“..The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases for all dietary groups..”
did you even read it..?..bonehead..?
“from yr source/’evidence’….’rather broad’ being the key words..you’d think..?”
And praising a nut jobs claim that not eating meat reverses cancer is > than scientific research.
“did you even read it..?..bonehead..?”
Especially the table with cancer rates much higher for veggies than meat eaters.
http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0088278&representation=PDF
i shd also have noted earlier..
..i consider the vegetarian diet to be only incrementally better (healthwise..) than being a carnivore..
..(especially as so many vegetarians treat dairy as a meat-substitute..
..and so often end up consuming more dairy than carnivores do..)
..and it is not ‘my’ evidence/opinion..
..it is the work of campbell that is being highlighted here..
..i also have collected a serious wedge of ‘evidence’ over the years..
..everything from nutritional info..to gourmet vegan recipies..
..and much more..
http://whoar.co.nz/category/vegan-stuff/
fill yer boots..!
..i’ll see yr ‘daily mail’..and i’ll raise ya…
Not my daily mail and the data isn’t theirs from a hack journo.
Just read the pdf, veggie.
It’s no surprise you don’t agree with the findings as they completely rubbish the ‘reverse cancer’ crap from your personal hero.
I advise you to collect all the ‘supporting’ data you can, even from saddos like above and base your opinion on that. That won’t be one eyed and disingenuous at all.
whoare lol
i’ll take that as yr retreat..
..and chrs 4 yr role as foil..eh..?
..you fufilled it well..
..you..with yr ‘daily mail’-prop..heh..!
That’s just another example of where you get it wrong by jumping to the wrong conclusion.
To surmise
http://www.christianpost.com/news/i-believed-god-would-heal-me-and-he-did-says-man-cured-of-inoperable-cancer-video-103568/
http://thecancercureexperiment.com/how-to-pray-to-be-healed-of-cancer/
https://www.cai.org/testimonies/healed-cancer-through-power-jesus
http://www.alternet.org/food/meet-researcher-who-thinks-cancer-can-be-prevented-even-reversed-through-diet
Vegetarians also eat a lot of dairy which is the point that Prof Campbell makes.
A vegan diet has been shown to improve health in many people. There have been many long term studies on this, the SDA church have carried out many such studies all of which were favourable to a vegan diet.
The diet also gives a 100% guarantee that you are personally doing your bit to prevent animal cruelty.
I can’t see that people with a vegan diet have superior outcomes to people with a vegeterian diet. With the proviso that high levels of dairy intake is dangerous to human health.
aside from the cancer/casein-link campbell claims to have proven..?
..and of course there are also the twin-facts that we in nz have world-beating rates of consumption of dairy/cow-bye-products..
..(i think only iceland beats us..)
..and we also have world-beating rates of those cancers increasingly linked to the flesh/fat/bye-products diet..
..(especially breast cancer..)
..so make of that what you will..
..but if i were a woman with a family history of breast cancer..
..i’d be vegan..toot suite..!..
..why wouldn’t ya..?
http://www.thestar.com/life/2008/01/04/top_10_false_health_scares.html
“Red meat and processed meat often have a high fat content, so if you eat them too often you could get fat – which has been shown to be a risk factor for several cancers, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer. A more accurate report would focus on how obesity as a whole can increase risk for cancer.”
‘the star’…some hack-piece from 2007..?
..really current/cutting-edge evidence you are proffering here..eh..?
..having difficulties finding any..?
..you’re funny..!
In response to your unbalanced account I googled ‘false health scares’ and it was top link.
Again, you seem to attack the messenger and not the message, so in response I’ll repeat in case it hasn’t sunk in yet.
“Red meat and processed meat often have a high fat content, so if you eat them too often you could get fat – which has been shown to be a risk factor for several cancers, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer. A more accurate report would focus on how obesity as a whole can increase risk for cancer.”
There’s also, from 2012 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/health-scares-ignore/story?id=16712712
Including the classics ‘Nitrites in Cured Meats Cause Cancer’ and ‘Mercury in Fish is Dangerous’
have crap ‘evidence’..just repeat it..that’ll work..!
..heh..!..yr still being funny..!
That’s laughable from a man who claims as his hero an old fuck who thinks not eating meat can reverse cancer as his proof and evidence.
You are quite within your rights to refute the facts, but you are so out on the extremist edge, your conclusions, skewered and slanted as they are, aren’t worth the price of the electrons they’re printed on.
‘old fuck’..?
..ok..time to close this one down..methinks..
..consider it done..
“‘old fuck’..?”
The old fuck charlatan who claims cancer can be reversed by not eating meat. You know, you linked a story about him. Short term memory loss?
“..ok..time to close this one down..methinks..”
True to form. The last bastion of the vanquished.
Off you go, and don’t forget to take your ball when you run home crying 😉
hmm..!.. The professor emeritus in nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University..(who you know as ‘old fuck’..)
..(an obvious charlatan..!..)
..vs. anonymous table-leg chewing standard-commenter/nutbar..
..(an obvious authority..!..)
..who to believe..?
..i’m torn here..!
“table-leg chewing standard-commenter/nutbar..”
To be fair that sounds more like a description of yourself, but whatever works for you.
Has to be remembered though, I haven’t ever claimed or advocated one can reverse cancer by abstaining from eating meat. That would be nuts.
“..(an obvious authority..!..)”
Yes it’s true. I can suss out a vested interest nutjob easy as.
“..who to believe..?”
I’m guessing you’ll go with the old fuck charlatan claiming he can reverse cancer by not eating meat.
Devoted aint you?
“..who to believe..?”
Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
Table 3 Page 4
http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0088278&representation=PDF
why do u insist on presenting vegetarian-‘evidence’/arguments..
..(however dubious..)
..in a vegan-argument..?
..was that all u cd find..?
..and austria..?
..they mainline beef-fat there…
..(and u do know i am not paying foil-overtime-rates..eh..?
..this is all on yr own time..)
Leaving the racism aside, If you have exact data scientifically on par with the Austrian study that makes your point, show it.
“..(and u do know i am not paying foil-overtime-rates..eh..?..this is all on yr own time..)”
I did note note the much higher levels of mental health issues affecting non meat eaters.
With smoking pot, that’s an enormous risk. Better have a double whopper with cheese and hope for the best.
being ‘racist’ against austrians..?
..that is both funny – and ironic beyond words..
..in its’ own unique way..
..heh..!
..u r getting quite good at that clown-role..eh..?
False mass generalisation about a group of people based on their nationality. Sounds racist to me.
The extras like clown role, and being funny mean nothing to me.
I know why you do it, it’s predictable and ultimately it won’t work.
It weakens your paper thin argument even more.
well the thing is..
..u do talk so much shit…eh..?
.and u clearly aren’t very bright with it..
..so the occurances of involuntary-humour on yr part..
..are often and regular..(c.f..’racism’/austrians’..heh..!..)
..hence yr earning of the ‘clown’-moniker..
..it’s all yr own work..eh..?
“The diet also gives a 100% guarantee that you are personally doing your bit to prevent animal cruelty.”
That doesn’t bother me at all in regards to food.
it does ‘bother’ others..
And?
you really need that explained..?
Nope. You think it’s animal cruelty to practice animal husbandry full stop, how are you going to be impartial and differentiate about what constitutes cruelty and best practice?
You can’t. True?
industry ‘best practice’ = sow-crates..
“industry ‘best practice’ = sow-crates..”
See, told ya you couldn’t do it. 😉
industry ‘best-practice’ = the macerator…
You still haven’t got your head around it then.
How are you going to be impartial and differentiate about what constitutes cruelty and best practice?
Clue – You can’t.
if ‘best-practice’ = cruelty..
..that makes ‘best practice’ an oxymoron…
So you can’t have a rational informed opinion on what constitutes animal cruelty.
No worries.
um..!..pain/suffering/killing = ‘cruelty’..
..what can’t u understand about that..?
..u can call it ‘best practice’..u can call it what u like..
..that doesn’t alter what it is..
Best practice isn’t pain and suffering or cruelty. Best practice keeps animals well fed and cared for until slaughtered.
The killing isn’t cruelty. It’s the end of the line and avoids us eating our meat while it’s alive, which I agree would be…Unlike animals like lions and tigers who gnaw down on wriggling prey. Buggers.
So not altering ‘what it is’ depends on whether ‘what it is’ is a bad thing or not.
Your extreme position precludes you from holding a common sense baseline position on the subject. What do you not understand about that? lol
if ‘commonsense’ = animals suffering/being killed..
..u r correct ..i am unable to take such a ‘commonsense’-view..
..anything else..?
Exactly, your extremist views prevent you from debating the issue in good faith.
“..anything else..?”
Blame the green party for something, just for old times sake 😉
.
@ The Al1en
Thank you for taking the time with this conversation debunking all theories on the relationship between diet and cancer that there is no evidence for.
Until there is evidence, they are all possible topics for worthy research (noting many theories based on anecdotal evidence have already been researched many times). Science (as compared to religion) never claims the absolute answer on anything.
There does appear to be some links between diet and cancer, and they add weight to similar advice for overcoming obesity: Moderation of every major food group; Maintain a healthy weight; Keep fit.
I will not criticise the actions of the terminally ill. Depending on how much individuals have prospered from trading in money, or investing in lotto, they may gain some temporary mental relief by throwing some of that excess wealth at an abundance of medical and religious charlatans. (An alternative approach may be to throw the same amount of money at medical research, that may benefit future generations … or other worthy causes such as improvements in animal husbandry?)
Mr. Botany (B.)
i do ‘blame the green party’ for having idjits such as yrslf in their ranks..
Another urinalism. I’m not a member of any political party and in no way consider myself to be in anyone’s ‘rank’.
Swing and a miss.
@ bold brian..
so..the fevered imaginings of the allen..+ the daily mail..+ an article in the star..from 2007..
..vs..The professor emeritus in nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University..
= a ‘debunking’ in yr dictionary..eh..?
..i think it is more a case of what u want to believe/deny..eh..?
“There does appear to be some links between diet and cancer”
There sure is, and meat, like other food groups, should be taken in moderation.
“they may gain some temporary mental relief by throwing some of that excess wealth at an abundance of medical and religious charlatans. An alternative approach may be to throw the same amount of money at medical research, that may benefit future generations”
Let’s have them throwing dollars at getting well nourished kids in warm homes with a future to look forward to first.
Future generations would benefit from that right now.
“so..the fevered imaginings of the allen..+ the daily mail..+ an article in the star..from 2007..”
Or, and much less partisan and disingenuous
Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
V
The professor emeritus in nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University..
“..i think it is more a case of what u want to believe/deny..eh..?”
That, my friend, is the irony moneyshot.
Want a tissue? lol
do you have a brain big enough to remember that when the first cancer warnings about tobacco were issued to a (mainly smoking) world..
..that the howls of derision then were similar to yrs now..
(..there are always the pig-ignorant to have to deal with..
..some are just noisier than others..)
I think we’ve had our fair share of screen space with this one, save to say it’s nothing like tobacco and cancer warnings being laughed away by big money.
People have been eating meat since after adam ate all the apple pies and looked how marvellously resilient and adaptable a species we have become. Billions of meat eaters with a shared ancestry and an impressive increasing life expectancy say it aint so.
What we’re eating along with our recommended meat allowances, processed, refined, chemical sprayed, irradiated, added to and de-nutrionalised as it often is, is where I’d start looking for carcinogens and cancer causers in food with suspicious intent. But that’s an uneducated opinion I haven’t googled so I could be way off like you.
Have read similar elsewhere pu. Makes entire sense and we may well all wake up to it one day, like we have after being told thalidomide was safe.
One day in the future people will look back on us in the same way we look back at early surgeries and hospitals and shake our heads at the fuss that was raised when washing of hands was put in place in such institutions…. duh
i just go on the evidence before my eyes..
..in that i know people who have been vegans for over 30 yrs..
..and they all seem to enjoy rude good-health..
..especially when compared with their animal-eating age-contemporaries..
..the differences are stark..
..(i’m just a newcomer..only been vegan for about 15 yrs..)
..(and..heh..!..local media is featuring the person who just won a national body-building title..
..he’s a vegan..go figure..!..eh.?..)
Never mind the statistics and science don’t back up your evangelist agenda.
Mr Al1en, that same line was told to us about;
245t
1080
cigarettes
margarine
sugar
atom bombs
formaldehyde
thalidomide
asbestos
they all had science in support. At the time.
panadol
mobile phone radiation
common food colourings
Well then, you’ll be easily able to point out where science is wrong now, won’t you?
what ‘science’ is that draco..
..aside from atkins nut-jobs..you’ll find no ‘science’ saying ‘eat-more-animals!”..will ya..?
..in fact most ‘science’ advises at best small amounts of red meat..a couple of times a week..
..’science’ most kiwis laugh in the face of..
..as they wolf down that weekly recommendation..
..most breakfasts..
..there is no ‘science’ making yr case..
..none to ‘prove wrong’..
..(and you left the ‘sniff!’ of disdain out of yr comment..
..where wd u like me to insert it..?..
..after the ‘then’..the ‘now’..or at the very end..?..after the ‘you’..?
..and u cd have multiple-‘sniffs’..if you so choose..
..it cd carry them..)
“most ‘science’ advises at best small amounts of red meet..a couple of times a week..”
You would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for those pesky scientists
Thanks for confirming that you can do no such thing.
here ya go..draco..
http://whoar.co.nz/category/vegan-stuff/
..more than u can poke a stick at..
Elephant hurling does not an argument make
So why are the police so obsessed about it?
operation 8 and all that..
“you’ll be easily able to point out where science is wrong now, won’t you?”
“Thanks for confirming that you can do no such thing.”
If that’s to me, could you repeat the question using the Austrian study as context?
Why would you think that replies to vto & pu are replies to you?
I mentioned science above and didn’t want to appear rude by ignoring your comment if it was meant for me.
What I should have done was looked closer at the post number sequence before letting manners get the best of me.
The Al1en and phillip u
The evening skirmish. Keeping the standard alive!
aspartame …
I’m not sure atom bombs were ever considered safe.
used to sprinkle them on me fried eggs every morning…
How did “atom bombs” ever have ‘scientific support’ for healthy living?
I think you just made that whole list up, vto.
Can you please provide references for the “lines” that we were told on all of these promoting healthy living?
Some on the list still have legitimate use, depending on how they are used, where they are used, and how much is used: 1080, margarine, sugar, formaldehyde. (Two of these obviously not being used as foods)
No sorry I don’t have time to provide such references for all of those. Discount the list accordingly if you wish – non problema to me
re atom bombs have you not seen any photos or information on people observing early atom bombings close at hand? Maralinga?
“re atom bombs have you not seen any photos or information on people observing early atom bombings close at hand? Maralinga?”
Yes I have seen that but I am pretty sure it wasn’t because they thought they were safe. They were purposely exposing people to radiation they knew wasn’t safe in order to study the results.
Actually, without quibbling over individual items within your list, it was the weight of scientific evidence that demonstrated those things weren’t safe.
Otherwise we’d still be showing kids cartoons that say Laramie Smooths (with the healthy asbestos filter) are the best smoke to have after a growing child’s breakfast of coloured sugar gelatinised in lard.
That’s right – genuine scientific evidence, not some scientific evidence conjured up for some alternative commercial outcome as were the early “scientific” studies for each of those items.
So how do we know when scientific evidence is genuine and credible instead of something paid for and angled for a particular outcome? In Phil U’s case here – the science for and against the link between diet and cancer?
Do we have to look behind the research to see who is paying for it? Other hidden strings?
Perhaps we should ask our wise and considered PM John Key – he thinks that you can buy scientific research in order to suit particular outcomes.
@ vto..
“..Do we have to look behind the research to see who is paying for it?..”
..that can often be illuminating..
Sometimes research is robust, genuine, credible, and still wrong – random result, or an unknown confounding effect.
It’s the weight of evidence overall that directs the conclusions. The more nuanced the association, the more evidence is needed. All the research is accounted for unless obviously fraudulent, incomplete/flawed, or demonstrated to be an aberration by the rest of the research in the field.
Who’s paying for it doesn’t always mean the findings are flawed – ISTR in the last few years that the Koch bros commissioned a report into AGW (which they argue doesn’t exist), only to have the lead author change his tune and say it exists. But what if he had the same level of integrity and found that something had been missed by the vast majority of scientists? They would have tried to find where he screwed up, but over time it would have become the consensus view that agw was nonexistent. It comes down to the quality of the research.
“So how do we know when scientific evidence is genuine and credible instead of something paid for and angled for a particular outcome? ”
When it is testable and repeatable.
‘it was the weight of scientific evidence that demonstrated those things weren’t safe.’
Americans are lucky USA FDA commissioner Frances Kelsey did not subscribe to that view.
Dr Kelsey refused to approve thalidomide for use in America until it could be proved to be safe, despite pressure to do so.
She spared Americans the misery of the thalidomide birth defects by adopting the precautionary principle.
By the weight of scientific evidence
wikipedia:
‘By the weight of scientific evidence’
Don’t be disingenuous.
The point was Kelsey applied the precautionary principle while the evidence was gathered, which prevented people from being harmed. And that’s what ordinary people care about, not points on an academic scoreboard.
‘Nevertheless, a total of 17 children with thalidomide-induced malformations were born.’
Some people got the drug overseas, thus there was a few cases.
Actually, the point was that these days practical human knowledge is usually advanced by the accumulated weight of evidence in one direction or another, rather than one particular piece of research by one particular researcher.
I actually agree that (in general) drugs shouldn’t be used without thorough testing, and funnily enough thalidomide is a major justification for modern testing regimes.
There’s stronger processes on several levels now, but we need regulators who think for themselves, like Kelsey, more than ever.
I would commend Dr Alistair Humphrey of the CDHB in this respect, for this week opposing the proposed Selwyn nitrate levels, and recently breaking ranks on the MPI vegetable poisoning report.
By the way, Kelsey did not look at the evidence in totality when applying the precautionary principle. Her focus was one particular English study showing nervous system damage.
One scientific study can warrant the application of the precautionary principle.
One study might outweigh all the others, yes. But it would have to be a doozy, hence why I used the word “usually”.
Good god people, why so old fashioned? High development cost drugs require massive sales in the first few years to hit budgeted targets before patents run out. This namby pamby approach around waiting for more evidence and yet more evidence to come in is a nonsense when you have only a short time to get a drug to market and make it a blockbuster hit to recoup investor money and make a decent return.
Just do your final safety trial in the market is a good way to go: in that scenario everyone is a winner, investors make big bucks, researchers get more people in more settings to do their research on, patients get access to newer more effective drugs faster.
The way to do it.
Keto!
http://www.ruled.me/keto-diet/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis#Diet
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiHSPoto_YqsNTDvL-g60nytMnyH-CJcCbiAx1IEUYM/edit
http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/dietary-therapies/ketogenic-diet
(I’ll get me coat)
heh..!..fried cheese..!
..whoar..!
i just go on the evidence before my eyes..
..in that i know people who have been vegans for over 30 yrs..
..and they all seem to enjoy rude good-health..
..especially when compared with their animal-eating age-contemporaries..”
I agree that a vegan diet can be incredibly healthful, but it’s a pity about Morrissey’s health woes
And the child I knew who had cancer growing inside her little body before she’d even moved on to non-human milk.
Only in the US
And the reason given is because the person behind bars has given enough to society that a university asked him to speak (via recording) to a few students.
Some US judge just sentenced a woman to a few days jail time because she wouldn’t mow her lawns, contrary to local bylaws.
Welcome to the (highly propagandised and highly incarcerated) land of the Free.
Question Time: President Key, did you have sexual relations with that girl?
‘President’ Key: The answer is No, not in my capacity as President
Question time: President Key, did you have a toke on that crack pipe?
‘President’ Key: The answer – No, not in my capacity as President
Ad hominem
Ad infinitum
@ adam (6.1)
ad hominem????
“to the man”
Question Time: President Key, have you ever helped to execute a financial attack on the NZ dollar for the profit of private investors.
‘President’ Key: The answer – No, not in my capacity as President
But it wasn’t in his capacity as a man…
You got it McFlock. 🙂 Adam is probably still puzzled.
Inspiring Photo…Norm Kirk meeting Gough Whitlam !
I can’t help thinking what a dwarf Key is compared to those two. In all ways possible.
the reserve bank says making people have 20% deposit has saved existing mortgage holders about 2% in interest rate hikes. it says the lvr stays until they are happy housing isnt fuelling inflation…
More proof that the market doesn’t work to provide what a society needs and that it just works to enrich a few.
Meanwhile the town house across the road in a desirable part of town in good condition and with the price dropped sits vacant and unsold even though it is situated between two good secondary schools and an excellent primary. and within walking distance of the city. And the sellers have bought elsewhere and must be suffering, they would never have envisaged it sitting for so long. How has raising the deposit helped new house buyers, and people needing a house for their own use? That is the question that gummint should be asking when assessing the worth of this policy. The answer is negative value to them, and just continuing the stress on these people that the housing bubble has caused already.
A government lacking any idea or willingness to form policy that actually deals with our problems, it just sits on the seats in Parliament and their offices, making work for themselves and grooming future business partners, and collecting salary and perks.
And telling people how good they are, while they borrow money and perform SFC tricks in minor form every day. Keeping their supporters happy, is all they need to do. While we try and get a left team that can win. Unfortunately they are confused about which team they are playing for, and taking sidebets on performance!
I am thinking that those Labour caucus members who are uncomfortable with the values, policies,direction or colour red of Labour, and those that are disloyal to the party or its elected leader, and those that tritorously leak info to enemies and media, and those that bring the party into disrepute by their unwise public statements on TV etc, and those that favour Neo liberal RW agenda should all leave and start their own party. Here are some suggestions for such a party:
NAME : Federation Of Kiwi Rogue Socialists. [FOKRS]
COLOUR : Yellowish red with grey spots.
LEADER’S TITLE : The great pretender.
😆 😈
Teehee
whooop!
Not as satisfying as seeing Eric Prince before the courts would be but it’s a start.
Now, after a 10-week trial and 28 days of deliberation, a jury in Washington has found three of the men – Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard – guilty of a total of 13 charges of voluntary manslaughter and a total of 17 charges of attempted manslaughter.
The fourth defendant, Slatten, who was alleged to have been first to open fire, was found guilty of a separate charge of first-degree murder. Slough, Liberty and Heard were found guilty of using firearms in relation to a crime of violence, a charge which can alone carry up to a 30-year mandatory sentence.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/oct/22/us-jury-convicts-blackwater-security-guards-iraq
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/oct/22/blackwater-iraq-killings-verdicts-watershed-accountability
Jeremy Scahill weighs in.
Just as with the systematic torture at Abu Ghraib, it is only the low level foot-soldiers of Blackwater that are being held accountable. Prince and other top Blackwater executives continue to reap profits from the mercenary and private intelligence industries. Prince now has a new company, Frontier Services Group, which he founded with substantial investment from Chinese enterprises. Among its areas of focus is the African continent. Prince recently suggested that his forces at Blackwater could have confronted Ebola and ISIS. “If the Administration cannot rally the political nerve or funding to send adequate active duty ground forces to answer the call, let the private sector finish the job,” Prince recently wrote.
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/10/22/blackwater-guilty-verdicts/
perhaps David Shearer …would be comfortable with that?
.
I am thinking that if the views of the majority of commentators on this site are representative of the views of members of the Labour Party (An assumption that may very well be wrong) then there is a serious disconnect between the Party Membership and the views of potential Labour voters.
In my opinion most of these voters do not significantly care about the differences between the agendas of party members and party caucus, if such differences exist. They simply have an expectation that those differences are (or should be) minor, and should be able to be sorted out easily, in comparison with the more difficult task of forming coalition deals with parties that may be more left, or more right than Labour.
So as much as I will enjoy the privilege of voting for the Party Leader, I still think that the leadership voting system urgently needs to be discarded. Give the responsibility to caucus, coupled with information that comes from polling all eligible voters. Farrar may be a nasty weasel, but he does deliver much better political advice to Dirty John from polls, than Labour will ever get from Party members and affiliated unions.
In fact, Labour does its own internal polling and focus group analysis with UMR.
$$$$$
Where’s Kim Dotcom when you need him ?
@ swordfish (11.1)
Which is little use to all those voting without access to those poll results. Which would be my main point in limiting the voting to the caucus (who I presume do have – or should have – access to such poll results)
The poll result is definitely not the only issue that needs to be taken into account …. but it is a very important issue. Which candidate is the most electable?
(I wonder what those ‘internal’ polls indicated about the preference of the public in the Leadership poll won by David Cunliffe? Did those polls ask that question? Did those polls determine how many more or less people would have voted Labour with each candidate as Leader? Is Robertson in this election gaining any advantage, or not, by declaring his preference for Deputy? These are the sort of questions where the answers are best not filed away in a library.)
Mr. Botany (B.)
There are relatively few NZLP members commenting compared to the numbers of commenters.
Read the about. The site simply wasn’t set up for NZLP members.
There is one site that was largely setup for NZLP members. It was called Red Alert and it is essentially moribund because someone at the site started playing silly games.
@ lprent @ 11.2
I take your point, lprent. Fortunately I did put a significant disclaimer on saying that was the case, or essential to my argument. (Which of course means that I could have left out the possible assumption in total, and still made the same point I wanted to make.) 🙂 My bad.
I guess I should have said something along the lines of if you take the views of any small group eg the commentators on the Standard, the local wrestling club, the operatic society, or even the Members of the Labour Party, they are unlikely to be representative of the opinions of the 40-50% of voters that you hope will cast their vote in the direction of the Labour Party.
If the Party want thats opinion, I think that a much better way is to use intelligent polling. And the results of those polls could be used constructively to help inform the decision of the ‘best’ Party Leader that meets the full needs of the Party.
Mr. Botany (B.)
A game with legs.
The election was rubbish, the left fragmented and all we wanted was the policies to win it.
Asking the brilliant minds, what would a sensible left wing manifesto look like?
Imagine starting a new, well funded party, and you want to show the public what you’re about.
With three years till kick off, what what you tell them?
I actually thought the left as a whole had about the best policy package anyone could manage. Between the greens impmana and labour, we had food for kids, decent wage increases for the neediest as well as the middle class, a real plan to address housing for low and middle income groups, health and infrastructure relief, regional development, clean waterways, and a real chance at getting more jobs and sane security policies.
Something didn’t go well tactically – some say Labour should have gone for the party vote more, but the greens were all about the party vote and didn’t make headway.
Personally, I reckon it was the kdc distraction throughout the campaign, the fizzle on the 15th, and the terror raids in aus two days before, all exploited by a blatantly partizan mass media.
I agree there were some good policies spread around, so perhaps a part of failure was/is in the delivery, and in part the perception ‘the left’ were/are unable to work together despite labour pushing the 3 party government line to counter. The corporate msm and dirty politics a given hindrance.
I am curious as to what a thestandard focussed grouped manifesto would read like, and how much appeal would/could be garnered from the less political out of it.
did you just suggest that the standardistas work together on a manifesto, as in try and work on something together? can we burst out laughing now? 😉
heh
You did, but the caveat was brilliant minds 😉
I wouldn’t have a shot at bringing it together, but an invited guest list could create something cool, contemporary and quite inspiring.
No point in having all the bright ideas to see them wasting on a blog.
‘I did’ or ‘you did read correctly’
I’d send you an invite to input.
That’s not a bad idea actually. If it was a dedicated thread and was well moderated.
I think a series of threads over time, offering a selection of either/or options, proffered by the group for discussion and selection.
I’ll nominate five people and they then nominate five more to form the policy committee and sit back and see what you all come up with if you like?
“No point in having all the bright ideas to see them wasting on a blog.”
That’s my biggest frustration about the place (that and the intelligence wasted on clever putdowns and abuse). Would love to see the passion and thought go somewhere.
I think a series of threads over time, offering a selection of either/or options, proffered by the group for discussion and selection. I’ll nominate five people and they then nominate five more to form the policy committee and sit back and see what you all come up with if you like?
Can you explain that a bit more? Either/or options? Committee working offsite or onsite?
Maybe we can develop the IMP online policy development model more. Using Loomio but also a combination of other online tools if they are required.
Although I am a little hesitant to go down the path of yet more policy development. Coming up with plans to deliver more left wing infrastructure eg community currencies, alternative media channels eg radio, or to extend the reach/capabilities of The Standard, might be a more useful (less Wellington centric) way ahead.
I know your having a laugh but as a new entrant standard follower I have found my self thinking it’s no wonder the left is in trouble if the people here spend so much time arguing.
There are places in the left blogosphere where it’s less fractious 🙂
Hooked this lot know:-)
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/257600/activist-begs-judge-to-stop-house-sale
Looks Penny Bright will have to cough up $33,000 to Auckland Council or end up homeless but with $500,000 to go elsewhere. I cannot see the judge tolerating someone who WONT pay as opposed to someone who CANNOT pay. Hope i’m wrong and Penny gets a fair go.
Are New Zealand MP’s Bullied Into Rubber Stamping War?
I thought it was only the New Zealand First Party where the members of their caucus don’t talk to each other.
This was when Winston chose to nominate Ron Mark for Speaker without even telling Ron about the idea.
The Green Party obviously need to start talking to each other. Then we wouldn’t have to waste thousands of dollars while a Green Party member spends time in Parliament finding out what one of her parties leaders is up to.
From todays questions –
“JAN LOGIE to the Member in charge of the Education (Breakfast and Lunch Programmes in Schools) Amendment Bill: Why has the member adopted the Education (Breakfast and Lunch Programmes in Schools) Amendment Bill?”
There’s more than one bill on that subject isn’t there?
There’s Hone’s bill picked up by Metira Turei
and also a bill by some one else…..
was it Shearer? Or am I misremembering?
You are quite right. I had forgotten about Shearer’s bill.
This is Meteria’s one, taken over from Hone though.
The two bills are, from the Parliamentary website.
Education (Breakfast and Lunch Programmes in Schools) Amendment Bill (Harawira)
and
Education (Food in Schools) Amendment Bill (Shearer)
The name is the one for the ex- Hone, now Meteria bill. And yes I know why she is asking the question. It gives Turei the chance to make a brief speech. A waste of time and money isn’t it?
only because you lean towards authoritarianism, hence figure that giving Opposition MPs any ability or reason to speak is a waste.
” A waste of time and money isn’t it?”
No.
Key being a dick when asked questions is a waste of time and money.
“A waste of time and money isn’t it?”
I think the standing orders committee should consider doing away with patsy questions altogether.
As I understand it, Question Time is for the Opposition to hold The Government to account. I have never understood how allowing ministers to make brief speeches on topics of their choosing assists this purpose.
Just in case you forgot we got ourselves another war here is a reminder Oh and we have been fighting this silly little war for the last 30 years – at least.
Music thethe from album Mind bomb.
So Canada goes to war against some people in the middle east.
Then some of those people in the middle east attack Canada’s military.
what the f#@k did they expect? flowers? to be left in peace?
And then to label this a “terrorist” attack – what a joke. It was an attack on military at war. It was not a terrorist attack it was clearly a military attack.
And to think that Key is putting us in the firing line too ……. brace for it people. Key is bringing war to our islands.
Are you acting [deleted] for the sake of acting [deleted] ?
[r0b: A while back a participant here who had a child with an intellectual disability asked us to crack down on the use of that word as a term of abuse.]
pcplodding, why is it described as a “terrorist” attack when it is an attack on a military at war with the attacker?
Why is it not described correctly as an act of war?
Tell me I am keen to hear your thinking.
@r0b fair call
VTO you are a sack of mindless shit.
That’s a good one.
Now, how about the issue at hand. Got an answer?
It is described as a terrorist attack as it was an attack by a radicalised Canadian designed to cause terror against a civilian target.
http://www.nationalpost.com/index.html?__federated=1
The Canadian military was not and is not at war with the person responsible for this act.
I repeat you are a sack of mindless shit.
No it wasn’t a civilian target.
The person, presumably sympathising with the people Canada has declared war on, attacked a military person. Did you miss that bit? Also, Parliament is generally where orders to go to war are made – an entirely legitimate military target.
Your own description defies the facts.
It is you with the shit for brains, clearly. Go read some history and learn some law idiot.
You are clearly a feral inbred troll
and I am no longer interested in feeding you obvious trolling
fuck me, that was the most useless series of comments I think I have ever come across.
no answer, clearly failing and flailing, so resort to abuse. Loser.
Hey pcplodding – how about this for a bit more …..
Did you notice how on te news tonight there was virtually no description of this military event as a terrorist attack? Go and have a look and listen. Even Key didn’t refer to it as a terrorist attack and he is softening us all up for going to war.
Whatcha gonna do now?
Whatcha gonna think?
eh pcplodding, just a bit more for your brainshit to absorb.
If this person had wanted to actually commit an act of terror then why didn’t he visit a shopping mall, or a hospital or some other such public place?
Why did he choose to attack a soldier with a gun? Why did he choose to attack the seat of Canada’s power with security everywhere and which has gone to war with his people? Why did he choose these military targets instead of a civilian one?
I think you are just one of those people who believes everything you are told. I bet you voted for Key. Mindless. You would have supported the leader of Germany in the 1930s going by your level of thinking.
Hey pcplodding, Canada has been helping drop munitions on to Afghan and Iraqi civilians (oh I’m sorry, dropping munitions on to ‘legitimate targets’ which happen to be right next to the civilians) for years now.
(I guess its now NZs time to help out in this general effort, to make us, you know, safer. Because killing never ends in even more killing).
Maybe you can see now how the West is seen by 3/4 of all peoples as the biggest purveyors of death and terror in the world.
I think Transrail wants to collapse the passenger services.
The rail Christchurch to Picton is cancelled over winter till 26 September.
About a year or so ago the fare was $48 – $100 with specials, backpackers, students, pensioner rates as well.
Now there is only one fare: $159. That will of course cut back the numbers so that eventually the trip will lapse for want of patronage.
Economics with political push.
starve starve starve then deliver the coup de grace – with appropriate crocodile tears for the cameras, of course.
Press statement in relation to search of Nicky Hager’s home
Thursday, 23 October 2014, 12:57 pm
Press Release: Terrace Chambers
Press statement in relation to the search of Nicky Hager’s home
On 2 October 2014, Nicky Hager’s home in Wellington was searched by police. Mr Hager asserted that documents kept at his house were protected by privilege, including because they contained information that might identify confidential sources. Rather than search those documents, the Police sealed them and lodged them with the High Court pending directions from the Court. Mr Hager had concerns that the search was unlawful and sought legal advice.
Mr Hager has now had a chance to consult his lawyers. He believes even more strongly that the Police have acted outside of the law in seizing his property and seeking to search through all of his documents. Mr Hager has decided to challenge the Police’s actions by way of judicial review. He expects to launch those proceedings during the next few days.
In the meantime, the Police are asserting that there is no valid claim for privilege over the documents. The Police are seeking the leave of the Court to file their own proceedings in order to argue that there is no privilege and that they should be allowed to review all of the documents. A preliminary teleconference was held today (23 October 2014) between the High Court, and lawyers for Mr Hager and the Police, to discuss these issues.
My first response to this info. is that the police are acting under instructions from higher up the ladder but how far up the ladder is a very interesting question. In fact is it a ladder which extends beyond NZ? Could the Slater complaint merely be the excuse to sift through Hager’s other work? Example: the FBI/NSA/GCSB modus operandi?
1. The cops, the lawyers and the rest of the government should have to account for every last little bit of taxpayer dollars that they spend turning Nicky Hager over. He hasn’t damaged the NZ public interest one little bit so why the hell are we funding it.
2. What was the timing around raiding him while he wasn’t there. I hope he asks if they have been tracking him to see where he is and who he meets – it all seemed a bit convenient.
3. Yes I assume they want to sift through everything else. If only so they can drift along and lean on a few other people.
The precedent set by this will have far reaching consequences. The irony re Cameron Slater is huge.
If CCTV footage isn’t “property”, what is it?
Did “Tindallgate” (fuck me if I don’t hate these dummheit media labels) just get interesting?
naughty mr key
and a glimpse into the sparse world inside the key brain
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11347190
‘the context around what i think i was doing’ – what a hollow person key is.
q-time next tues promises to be interesting..
..i’m picking there will be a veritable storm of slater-questions for key…
..let the fun begin..!
How many times have you sent important information to the wrong person because you didn’t check the email address?
key says,
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11347165
“At the end of the day I think you’d say it was unfortunate” – ummm what about you johnbo – what do you fink?
I think it’s time for another Leunig cartoon. Obviously in an Australian context (Liberals and Labour) but it transfers equally as well to New Zealand.
The Aliens came in three space ships …….. (with thanks to Leunig) 🙂
heh..!..that leunig is v. funny..
UK police arrest young man who throws a water bottle for ‘Plinth Guy’ protestor to catch. This is the kind of police state assf*ckery which seems to be coming to all FVEY nations pretty much simultaneously.
Kelvin Davis gives Hone Harawira some good hard kicks
About “manning up” over Hone’s hiring an alleged sex offender on Parliamentary Services money – but Davis forgets about a little thing called “presumption of innocence.”
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/harawira-hired-sex-offenders-with-taxpayer-money-2014102318
And interesting how these documents were “leaked.” So they think Harawira might stage a come back in TTT 2017 and want to kill that possibility dead ASAP.
Kelvin Davis isn’t very bright and combined with something else about him that I can’t put my finger on makes him a very toxic presence within Labour.
Him and Nash.
Yes. I often see them as one person.
Another Open Mike which has a first half devoted to the cult of Vega. Tomorrow it’ll probably be how the Greens gifted Ohariu to Dunne. It gets a bit boring, just a bit.
You know at first I thought “Cult of Vega” was a reference to something from the film “Contact”!
Then again PU does seem a bit off planet some days! (or as they would say in Babylon 5 “he’s gone beyond the Rim”) 😈