Open mike 25/05/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, May 25th, 2019 - 287 comments
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Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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

Step up to the mike …

287 comments on “Open mike 25/05/2019 ”

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  1. Robert Guyton 1
    25 May 2019 at 7:42 am

    "I May be some time…"

  2. Jenny - How to get there? 2
    25 May 2019 at 8:12 am

    Any sober reading of the Zero Carbon Act would have to conclude that, like the ETS, the Zero Carbon Act is another cynical attempt to put off doing anything about climate change in the here and now.

    • solkta 2.1
      25 May 2019 at 8:50 am

      Fuck off. There is nothing "cynical" about it. Compromise it may be, but Shaw has worked extremely hard and done the very best faith best job he possible can. You on the other hand spend your life bleating on the interwebs.

      • James 2.1.1
        25 May 2019 at 8:58 am

        It’s just his best job isn’t very good according to a lot of people.

        • solkta 2.1.1.1
          25 May 2019 at 9:00 am

          You can fuck off too.

          • Robert Guyton 2.1.1.1.1
            25 May 2019 at 9:25 am

            I support solkta's comments.

            • Jenny - How to get there? 2.1.1.1.1.1
              25 May 2019 at 8:01 pm

              Kia ora Robert,

              The Zero Carbon Act has not one measure to cut GHG emissions.

              Not one.

              It also lays out no measure at all of meeting the various targets.

              Without any measures to restrict them, or penalties for exceeding them, emissions will keep on rising under this legislation.

              “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”

              Winston Churchill

          • Adrian Thornton 2.1.1.1.2
            25 May 2019 at 9:35 am

            Nice to see such civil discourse unfold so early on a beautiful Saturday morning..nice.

            • Incognito 2.1.1.1.2.1
              25 May 2019 at 9:55 am

              TS is what people make of it. Same with politics, same with everything really …

              • Adrian Thornton …
                25 May 2019 at 10:12 am

                Don't I know it!, still seems a bit brutal to start your first reply with ‘fuck off’, I mean I am known by some as a bit of a immovable and often insufferable hard arse, but at least I try and keep it a bit civil to begin with, it’s just good manners.

            • greywarshark 2.1.1.1.2.2
              25 May 2019 at 10:58 am

              Adrian James likes rough handling; that is his addiction. He presents so he can get tongue-lashed. Applied psychology and sociology is the major way we will grope our way through the fog of mishaps and occasional beneficent activities to the uncertain future that is there for some of us.

              • James …
                25 May 2019 at 5:02 pm

                “ James likes rough handling”

                i guess you use comments like that to women who cop it from their partners – don’t worry ‘they love it’

          • Cinny 2.1.1.1.3
            25 May 2019 at 10:14 am

            You may feel strongly about the issue Solkta, as do I but geeez, some of the wording in your comments don't help anything or anybody or your cause.

          • Psycho Milt 2.1.1.1.4
            25 May 2019 at 12:04 pm

            I also support solkta's comments. We've had plenty of polite correspondence with people who can't seem to understand that Labour and the Greens don't have either the numbers in Parliament or the electoral mandate to implement the radical agenda these people would like. Every gain like the Zero Carbon bill is the product of hard-fought negotiations resulting in inevitable compromises. The people who continually greet those gains with contempt and dismiss the effort it took to achieve them can just fuck off, enough with the polite approach.

            • observer 2.1.1.1.4.1
              25 May 2019 at 12:32 pm

              Agree. I'm all for civil discourse, but there comes a point where you just lose patience. "Wah wah only 5 out of 10 what's the point they're all the same blah blah …".

              Those idiots gave us John Key, and if they've forgotten everything in only 18 months, then they deserve Simon Bridges as punishment. (Unfortunately if they get him, so do we).

              • Sam …
                25 May 2019 at 1:59 pm

                It comes across as idiotic when you've got people like Cinny(apologies if I got that wrong Cinny) or people like [McFlock] who are infatuated with powering down and cutting growth rates while at the same time desiring to take pole position on the technological, financial and political philosophies of climate change. There's probably more to recommend against signalling how virtuous some one is by the level of internally incoherent dialogue of being outraged by political decisions than can be recommended. Y'know? If you're arguments with friends are stupid it's probably not the governments fault.

                • Robert Guyton …
                  25 May 2019 at 2:30 pm

                  Sam – you have a particularly corrosive way of expressing yourself and I wonder if you are aware of it. Reading your comments leaves me feeling as if part of me has been attacked by acid and that's even when your discussion is with someone else; are you conscious of the effect I'm describing? Others here express similar uneasiness with your comments, I've noticed.

                  • Sam …
                    25 May 2019 at 2:41 pm

                    Probably the more some one articulates their feelings to me the more I careless about it. If there's an attempt to communicate together then I'd take it under advisement.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      25 May 2019 at 2:50 pm

                      Interesting response, Sam. Are you easily able to differentiate between feelings and observations? My observation is that people sometimes react to your comments negatively because of the corrosive manner in which you express yourself. Did you not think my comment to you was an attempt to communicate with you? Your response is unclear, regarding that point.
                      It seems to me that despite your dismissal of the expression of “feelings” by others, you delight in provoking feelings/emotions through your use of language. It seems a cynical ploy to provoke, then deride, the expression of feelings and emotion. Again, I wonder if you are aware of this.

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 3:11 pm

                      Well, the way I debate and I'll let you in on a little secrete is I want to convince the person I'm arguing with that there arguments are low IQ, dog shit basically.

                      I suspect it's more that words don't trigger me the way that users would normally intend. Y'know, I argue that being woke, that wearing feelings on ones sleeves or keyboard has morally bad consequences and leads to political polarization. And there's increased levels of cynicism about moral values in public life now that people are suffering from outrage exhaustion from being outraged at everything in order to show how good one is then outrage no longer becomes a reliable signal of serious injustice in the world.

                    • Incognito []
                      25 May 2019 at 4:06 pm

                      That is quite insightful for me, thank you.

                      Arguments don’t have an IQ; they have more or less merit and this is what should be debated IMO. If somebody makes an argument that has little merit, in your eyes, then commenting on their IQ is not debating the (merit of the) argument but a personal attack.

                      Similarly, judging somebody as “woke” is a personal judgement; you could be right or wrong, but when it becomes a ‘green light’ to attack them personally you are not addressing their arguments but tilting at your own personal judgment of them.

                      Being “woke” has become an overused and badly used cliché that further divides, separates, and polarises. Mean what you, say what you mean, and don’t use lazy labels that mean something else.

                    • McFlock …
                      25 May 2019 at 3:23 pm

                      ^secret

                      ^their

                    • The Al1en …
                      25 May 2019 at 3:43 pm

                      Much more than a little secrete

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 3:49 pm

                      Here's another little secrete that differentiates me from the woke: I'm not trying to tell people what to do. I prefer people think for themselves.

                      Oh, and secret 😏

                    • The Al1en …
                      25 May 2019 at 3:57 pm

                      Secrete – Discharge lol

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 4:00 pm

                      Do us a sneaky patero

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 4:21 pm

                      Sure if you want to nitpick, Incognito. I'm sure you are well with in your rights as a moderator to put certain words you are uncomfy with on some endangered species list. I'm sure some other description of internally incoherent rhetoric designed from the bottom up to signal how virtuous one is will again find some other meaning in pop culture.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      25 May 2019 at 4:33 pm

                      Your little secretion, Sam, wanting to convince someone that their IQ is low (I presume that's what you mean. Incognito makes a good point re the difficulty of assigning IQ to an argument) is an unpleasant one. There are few people who would care to debate you, knowing of your intention. Many people who comment here enjoy debate and aim to prove their assertions right and their opponent’s wrong, I suppose, but only you, it seems, seek to label the arguments of others, "dog shit".

                      You claim to "prefer people to think for themselves", yet seek at the same time to denigrate their thinking with demeaning labels?

                      I find your claims unconvincing and lacking integrity, by which I mean your reasoning is poor.

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 4:45 pm

                      Sorry, just skim reed your comment rob. It's more probably that I didnt say or claim anything that's in your own head in an attempt to undertake Herculean mental gymnastics.

                      I would argue that IQ is a low form of measuring intelligence. Testing for IQ began as far as I'm aware as away for the US army to judge who was suitable candidates to join and I just don't think that's worth admiring.

                      Prefer EQ myself.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      25 May 2019 at 5:19 pm

                      You didn't say or claim anything that's in my head?

                      That's a relief.

                      Further to that "bot" thing: you often combine words in a way that looks like faulty programming, rather than a grammatical failing of a human: "away", for "a way", "careless" for "care less".

                      It's quite peculiar.

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 5:27 pm

                      Like I say. I'm not trying to tell people what to do. If I was trying to be a cancerous wanker then I'd apply for a job and speaka da interview language so I could tell people what to do for cash, not for nothing.

                • Cinny …
                  25 May 2019 at 3:13 pm

                  Honestly, for me it was just too early for all the 'fuck you's' in the conservation.

                  • Sam …
                    25 May 2019 at 3:23 pm

                    Just going to take a wild guess that you don't much drive over the Harbour bridge from about 5 in the morning to 9am.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      25 May 2019 at 4:36 pm

                      Who could possibly "drive over the Harbour bridge from about 5 in the morning to 9am? That's 4 hours continuous driving? Is there a bridge-sweeping truck that might do that? Some one who's lost their way? Your logic is … loose, Sam.

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 4:48 pm

                      The Ferry. It's the only way.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      25 May 2019 at 5:09 pm

                      Many of your responses seem only tenuously connected to the comment you are responding to, Sam. Many of the phrases you use seem more like those generated by a bot than a human mind; just an observation, not a criticism. I enjoy trying to make sense of your wilder witherings. The ferry surely isn't "the only way" given there's a bridge…

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 5:16 pm

                      I'd rather swim across the hauraki than drive in peak hour.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      25 May 2019 at 5:20 pm

                      5 till 9 is "peak hour"?

                      I see 4 in there.

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 5:29 pm

                      Least we know congestion hasn't eased.

                    • Cinny …
                      26 May 2019 at 11:30 am

                      Sam, ferries run from 6am JS.

                    • Sam …
                      26 May 2019 at 11:35 am

                      Northcote point jetti is the knurliest at that time of morning.

                    • Cinny …
                      26 May 2019 at 12:11 pm

                      It's heartening to know then Sam, that more people are using public transport if that's the case.

                    • Sam …
                      26 May 2019 at 12:26 pm

                      Aucklands transport corridors are not optimal. They're $100 billion behind.

                  • The Al1en …
                    25 May 2019 at 4:00 pm

                    “Honestly, for me it was just too early for all the ‘fuck you’s’ in the conservation.”

                    That's what rapey assange thought

              • Rapunzel …
                25 May 2019 at 3:56 pm

                Unless you have a similar sort of agenda as National prioritised which was pretty much based on levels of immigration that pushed house prices rapidly into the stratoshpere and suppressed wages for the lowest income earners no govt would deliberately work against an agenda that would bring some rebalancing for the majority of NZers. Whether it is water issues, nurse and teacher wages, education, housing etc etc this coalition govt would I am sure love to hand every NZer what they wanted on a plate. It just can't happen and NZ needs them to be re-elected or be faced with another National govt and most thinking NZer know they do not want that.

                As for the media when it comes to "leaders" why after a story in the NZ Herald about the PM's "closest confidantes" does the one on Bridges begin from a fawning Audrey Young (I think) that he has fewer than the PM as if he is practising some "economy" in the face of her "excess". NZ knows how he can fritter $100k in a couple of months to try to prop himself up.

            • Incognito 2.1.1.1.4.2
              25 May 2019 at 3:52 pm

              Personally, I don’t have a problem with ‘strong’ language, although it think it is no more effective that polite language. I do have a problem with pointless personal abuse and attacks. Problem is that the two easily cross over.

            • sumsuch 2.1.1.1.4.3
              25 May 2019 at 11:27 pm

              Next a declaration of climate emergency, then doing what is needed.

          • mauī 2.1.1.1.5
            25 May 2019 at 1:15 pm

            charming..

          • James 2.1.1.1.6
            25 May 2019 at 5:04 pm

            Ooh. Feeling a little pent up this morning are we snowflake?

            shaw is a waste of space – a laughing stock. From your comment I guess you can see it as well.

            • Robert Guyton 2.1.1.1.6.1
              25 May 2019 at 5:12 pm

              James, if I may; in trying to wind solkta up, you are saying foolish things about a politician I support and while you have the right to do so, you are coming across as a light-weight and as frothy as.

              • Rapunzel …
                25 May 2019 at 5:37 pm

                I really wanted to comment on this "the phrases you use seem more like those generated by a bot than a human mind" but can't reply on that one

                Anyone reading as I am courtesy of Mothers' Day, how well my children know me – Ben Elton's new book "Identity Crisis". If ever a "truer word was said in jest" it is in there, the main theme is how people are sucked in and exactly how the "word" is spread – by the bot.

                I recognised myself in the variations as well I must admit but the problem is who has the most funds as usual to claim the majority of the "field", the only way to combat it is with numbers on social media, and even better in person out in the community, as well as getting people actually out to vote when they need to.

                • Robert Guyton …
                  25 May 2019 at 6:25 pm

                  Convivial discussions amongst friends is the most powerful political force there is, Rapunzel, I reckon.

                  • Rapunzel …
                    25 May 2019 at 7:19 pm

                    Convivial and I would hope productive.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      25 May 2019 at 7:51 pm

                      They generally are, Rapunzel and these days, increasingly so. I reckon it's the "new way" to effect change; inspired, good hearted discussion, followed by whatever opportunity for action presents itself.

              • James …
                25 May 2019 at 6:41 pm

                Robert – just because you support him – it didn’t prevent me (and others) seeing him as a useless waste of space.

                • Sam …
                  25 May 2019 at 6:48 pm

                  So what duties are you saying James Shaw is performing poorly or are you using more eccentric views of the government? If I need examples of poor execution of policy I'd look no further than NOVA pay of the ANZAC upgrades. I get that Shaw's performance is below par but be honest, this government was handed piles and piles of dog shit by the previous government.

                • Robert Guyton …
                  25 May 2019 at 7:05 pm

                  James; Sam answered you best.

                  • James …
                    25 May 2019 at 7:12 pm

                    nice we have you to judge Robert.

                    You prefer it so a simple fuck off you supported earlier ?

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      25 May 2019 at 7:19 pm

                      "so a simple fuck off" James – language!

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 7:21 pm

                      It's just really difficult to shine shitty policy. I mean what the fuck was all those water quality targets Nick Smith tried to Shepard in.

                      New Zealand is a free society and open economy. If you can't handle that then the alternatives are limited to dictatorships, I hope Y'know.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      25 May 2019 at 7:49 pm

                      Solkta said: "Shaw has worked extremely hard and done the very best faith best job he possible can" and I support that wholeheartedly. Your silly, lightweight wittering hasn't helped your cause at all, James. Sam made an accurate comment about "the previous government" and I support that comment as well. It's really not a good round for you, James; perhaps an early night with a cup of hot Bovril?

            • solkta 2.1.1.1.6.2
              26 May 2019 at 9:40 am

              I don't know why you would think from my comments that i am unhappy with Shaw's performance. I think he is doing an excellent job.

              My objection though was not about an appraisal of his performance but rather of his character.

      • Jenny - How to get there? 2.1.2
        25 May 2019 at 7:45 pm

        I am presently having trouble posting more than a few lines at a time, or at most a paragraph, on this site. So post comments on the Daily Blog.

        “A reading of the Act reveals that it has not one single measure to cut GHG emissions, nor any measures at all to keep to the targets set out in it.”

        I defy anyone to say that it does….

        https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/05/22/the-3-5-hope-for-climate-strike-students/#comment-463090

        • solkta 2.1.2.1
          25 May 2019 at 8:03 pm

          I barely care what you say here, except when you get offensive, so why would i care what you say over there.

          • Jenny - How to get there? 2.1.2.1.1
            26 May 2019 at 7:41 am

            Hi Solkta. I sorry that you find what I have to say offensive. I am not trying to be offensive. Believe me I don't wish to offend you. I am trying to deal in facts. And the facts are that the Zero Carbon Act does not include one measure to cut or even limit greenhouse gas emissions. Nor does it have any measures at all to bind a government or anyone else to the targets set out in it.

            My conclusion that, "the Zero Carbon Act is another cynical attempt to put off doing anything about climate change in the here and now." In my opinion is a reasonable conclusion to make, afterall the authors, including James Shaw, are not stupid people. They know that their bill, as set out, will make not one blind bit of difference.

            Yes a Climate Commission will be set up, whose task will be to hold the government of the day to account if they don’t meet the targets. The job of holding the government of the day to account is the job of the opposition parties.

            Under the Act the Climate Commission is being given zero statutary powers.

            The only way the Climate Commission can hold the government to account is in a letter to the papers. Or through a proxy raising it in parliament for them.

            And just like all opposition attempts to hold a government to account, can be ignored, and will be.

          • Jenny - How to get there? 2.1.2.1.2
            26 May 2019 at 7:41 am

            Hi Solkta. I sorry that you find what I have to say offensive. I am not trying to be offensive. Believe me I don't wish to offend you. I am trying to deal in facts. And the facts are that the Zero Carbon Act does not include one measure to cut or even limit greenhouse gas emissions. Nor does it have any measures at all to bind a government or anyone else to the targets set out in it.

            My conclusion that, "the Zero Carbon Act is another cynical attempt to put off doing anything about climate change in the here and now." In my opinion is a reasonable conclusion to make, afterall the authors, including James Shaw, are not stupid people. They know that their bill, as set out, will make not one blind bit of difference.

            Yes a Climate Commission will be set up, whose task will be to hold the government of the day to account if they don't meet the targets. The job of holding the government of the day to account is the job of the opposition parties.

            The only way the Climate Commission hold the government to account is in a latter to the papers. Or through a proxy raising it in parliament for them.

            And just like all opposition attempts to hold a government to account, can be ignored, and will be.

            • solkta 2.1.2.1.2.1
              26 May 2019 at 9:27 am

              I am not trying to be offensive.

              You suggested that Shaw was "cynical". If you asked me for an antonym of "cynical" one of the best i could come back with would be "James Shaw." If you don't understand why your bile is offensive then perhaps just give up commenting, you really don't seem to have a clue.

      • Jenny - How to get there? 2.1.3
        26 May 2019 at 7:24 am

        “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”

        Winston Churchill

        • Robert Guyton 2.1.3.1
          26 May 2019 at 9:36 am

          "In my opinion is a reasonable conclusion to make"

          That and "the truth" are not necessarily the same thing smiley

    • SPC 2.2
      25 May 2019 at 8:52 am

      It's fast following the international regime. Any change (GW at least) is international not local.

      Realising change locally is like waiting for philanthropy to finance public health and education one family at a time.

    • Macro 2.3
      25 May 2019 at 11:54 am

      While it's not what many who truly understand the situation would like it to be, it also puts demands for change on the many who either don't understand what the future holds, or do know and don't care. James Shaw has at one point said that if it upset every one equally then he would know that he had done his job. By that he means that he will have achieved what is politically possible and moved our country someway towards addressing our excessive GHG emissions.

      Having said that there was a student strike here yesterday joining the many thousands globally demanding action on addressing Climate Change.

      For a positive read I link to this article on Vox:

      One of the largest environmental protests ever is underway. It’s led by children.

      Kids are fed up with grown-ups’ inaction on climate change.

      https://www.vox.com/2019/5/24/18637552/youth-climate-strike-greta-thunberg

  3. Ad 3
    25 May 2019 at 8:23 am

    Anyone feeling any sympathy for Theresa May?

    Me neither. Inequality spiraling upward, Conservatives preparing to strip labour standards and regulation to smash workers and race the poorest of Europe to the bottom, and she fueled the vilest anti-immigrant rhetoric within her own Ministers.

    May the Conservative Party eat itself to death.

    • Psycho Milt 3.1
      25 May 2019 at 8:34 am

      I think the best that historians will be able to say about her time as Prime Minister is that it wasn't quite as appalling as the term in office of her successor (whoever that turns out to be).

    • SPC 3.2
      25 May 2019 at 8:47 am

      Sure. Impossible job. Voted Remain and the grown up thing for a PM of the UK to do was to negotiate a deal.

      But making a deal the EU and getting her party to support it was difficult (most of her caucus preferred a no deal Brexit and were just stringing her along – running down the clock). So she was Bruised, Raabbed, Mogged, Haunted, slandered as Loathsome, but she never Gave in but Jived to her own beat until time placed the inevitable Mordaunt stake in her post Stewart dynasty heart.

      The soon to be (in June) caretaker PM (should that not be undertaker) will still have the privilege of hosting Donald J Trump in his orange spray painted face and hair brand glory. Delivering a blunt message – hand over Assange or you won't get a FTA on my terms. The USA will run a future Tory government as the Germans did the Vichy regime.

      • Incognito 3.2.1
        25 May 2019 at 10:01 am

        Is POTUS going to meet with ERII?

        • SPC 3.2.1.1
          25 May 2019 at 10:18 am

          Yes. And Melania. And all the adult children and their spouses.

          However those at the Palace are spared the overnight presence of the family because of renovations …

      • Macro 3.2.2
        25 May 2019 at 11:28 am

        Yep that just about sums it up. She was handed a hospital pass by Cameron. In many ways she did her best to make some sort of sense out of a can of worms. The rare possibility of a 2nd confirmatory vote on any "deal" is now a gone burger as well. There are 3 possibilities.:

        • accept the current terms as offered by the EU
        • no deal
        • revoke article 50.

        I don't think UK Labour come out of this smelling of roses either. Indeed, UK politics is probably at it greatest ebb ever. There is far too much factional discord across both major parties, and it is not good for the country.

        Indeed, I'm almost coming to the conclusion that the best way forward is for a no-deal Brexit! This would indeed shut up the alt-right and alt-left – they would have their way, and the reality, from the resulting chaos would be such that even the most ignorant of non-thinking voters who voted Brexit would suddenly be demanding to rejoin the EU. Whatever happens – the UK will never be the same again, and it will take years to recover from this disaster – if at all.

    • RedLogix 3.3
      25 May 2019 at 9:33 am

      Well I can empathise with how she felt at that moment and I can respect her persistence in the face of what turned out to be insurmountable odds. I know I certainly would not have had the courage to face down the situation she was in.

      This doesn't mean I have to sympathise with the political austerity the Tories have inflicted on Britain the in the slightest. But neither is reflexively demonising all conservatives a useful tactic either; it just promotes more polarisation and more failure to actually get anything done.

      • Incognito 3.3.1
        25 May 2019 at 9:58 am

        Well said.

        • Anne 3.3.1.1
          25 May 2019 at 10:59 am

          ditto.

          Theresa May is not a demon. I don't like her political bent but she did what she thought she had to do. I have empathy for her situation.

      • Adrian Thornton 3.3.2
        25 May 2019 at 10:00 am

        You are right in totally rejecting Tory austerity, any person with any kind of human empathy at all would feel the same,but by the same token I would also say that instinctively I feel that trying to move any Tory left would be as fruitless as Labour NZ's own abortive attempts to this in the past. Those who vote that way, don't move in any significant numbers politically (which is the one and only thing I respect them for, at least they know what the believe).

        Corbyn is right in steadfastly holding to his and Labours Socialist manifesto, and aim at bringing on voters from other demographics and persuasions, thereby when Labour (hopefully) win, it will be on the back of a public mandate, and so they can govern without constant comprise and kowtowing to the right, which as we are witnessing in NZ today, is a bit of a disastrous way to try and govern.

        But of course these sort of politics takes real conviction, something that even Corbyn’s most severe detractors would acknowledge him to have.

      • greywarshark 3.3.3
        25 May 2019 at 11:32 am

        I don't respect her or feel sympathy for her. She was a brainwashed class-ridden fellow-traveller from the Tory camp. She wanted to be PM and get the glory that they gave to Margaret Thatcher. She wasn't as good a schemer and didn't have the same level of advice I think. She took on the job but wasn't bright and politically nimble enough to resile from the impossible and unreasonable actions that had been left for someone truly thick about applied education in real life but merely trained to be head girl prefect always doing his/her best.

        She attended a Roman Catholic primary school in Begbroke – which closed down – such an unfortunate coincidence of name and circumstance. May 'won a place' at a State Grammar School and attended the University of Oxford, read geography at St Hugh's College, and graduated with a second class BA degree in 1977. …After graduating in 1977, she worked for the Bank of England. She also served as a councillor for Durnsford in Merton.

        A woman plotting her way to power – but it's uneasy for the top banana. When the coalition government was formed after the 2010 general election, May was appointed Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, but gave up the latter role in 2012. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_May

        Aspirational women may not want to be concerned about 'women and inequalities' but if May had been she would not have agreed to be involved in getting out of the EU which would inevitably increase inequality. She requires daily medication – May was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus of type 1 in November 2012. She is treated with daily insulin injections. Breaking with the EU means that flows of imported medication will be disrupted. She must know this and how important medicine is to her, and also to the many who rely on them for maintenance of life. She gambled with the UK at the European casino table and lost. Respect for her – no dice.

        • Rosemary McDonald 3.3.3.1
          25 May 2019 at 4:46 pm

          May 'won a place' at a State Grammar School

          To put this into context…she will have had to pass the 11-plus exam in order to get into the more academic grammar school as opposed to the more vocational secondary modern.

          And, she considered the whole primary kids having to prove their academic worth while barely weaned so wonderful that she put some effort into resurrecting the 11-plus.

          https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/sep/09/would-you-get-into-grammar-school-take-our-11-plus-exam

          • greywarshark 3.3.3.1.1
            25 May 2019 at 5:29 pm

            Thanks Rosemary – I didn't have time to go into that aspect, wondered but moved on. The conservative woman wants everything to be competitive I think; you have to prove yourself worthy to be alive and don't expect to have fun while you do it. And worse, if you don't prove worthy and have your hand out for regular help, then don't ever consider laughing again. No choccy biscuits either, or hot showers.*

            (Jenny Shipley, Ruth Richardson, and most Nationals and women from the rigid, frigid relidgious would be the same. (They could stand one of them in a kitchen pantry near glass shelves to keep food cool in summer.)
            Edit
            *Thinking of hot/cold showers made me think of the schools that were set up to harden up sissies like Gordonton that I think Prince Charles went to.

            Looked it up and up comes abuse. Abuse is in the news constantly lately after that soldier talked about it happening in the NZ Defence Forces in the past. It is a constant it seems so here is a link to the Scottish school.
            https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/12/child-abuse-at-prince-charles-former-school-scotland

      • Ad 3.3.4
        25 May 2019 at 11:53 am

        About 25% of single parents in Britain now live in poverty.

        About 30% of children are in poverty.

        Income of the lowest three-fifths has barely kept up with inflation in 20 years.

        The poorest fifth now spend over 40% of their income on accommodation.

        25% of the poor have anxiety or depression.

        In Scotland, nearly half of all households live in unfit dwellings.

        40% of working-age UK adults have no qualification.

        I haven't even got to the health system.

        This is the responsibility of the Conservative Party.

        https://www.jrf.org.uk/data

        Great stuff Cameron passed the same-sex marriage legalization.

        If you are not clear about what the Conservatives wanted to do with the UK economy once it leaves Europe, May's Chancellor spells it out in black and white for you here:

        https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38628428

        The Conservative Party should die, as an entity. Die.

        If it weren't for the fact that millions of citizens will suffer needlessly as a result of their continued policies, I would welcome a further leadership selection in which Conservative leadership candidates are about to be turned into pieces of media-meat to be ripped apart by their own colleagues, just as they have been for the last three years.

        • sumsuch 3.3.4.1
          25 May 2019 at 11:50 pm

          Care more for the Scots. A recent history series about my people's country showed our competitive advantage in the 20th century was cheap labour. Still haven't discovered if they were poorer than the Irish, which I would feel like a scythe. Given the diaspora's massive success if we'd known we could have helped.

      • Siobhan 3.3.5
        25 May 2019 at 12:12 pm

        Well I can empathise with how she felt at that moment and I can respect her persistence in the face of what turned out to be insurmountable odds.

        ….speaking of insurmountable odds..

        "More than 17,000 people have died while waiting to hear whether their claim for disability benefit had been successful, it has emerged.

        Ministers have been accused of “failing people at the most vulnerable point in their lives” after figures revealed 17,070 disability claimants have died while waiting for decisions on their personal independence payment (PIP) claims since 2013."

        Do you think Theresa empathised with those people? Respected their persistence in the face of what turned out to be insurmountable odds?

        Its not demonising..its called the brutal truth. The people of Britain are polarised, economically, socially, and Tory, and Centrist Labour policies are the number one factor. They are the people with power, they promoters of policies that nurture polarisation. The nutters just slip in there and take advantage of the situation.

        (Crikey..what a mess, still trying to get on top of ‘quote’ with this new set up.)

        • Incognito 3.3.5.1
          25 May 2019 at 4:21 pm

          Do you think Theresa empathised with those people? Respected their persistence in the face of what turned out to be insurmountable odds?

          Are you saying that TM or some people simply do not deserve (our) empathy? If so, have you thought through the logical consequences of that? In addition, how do you judge people who empathise with TM?

          • Sabine 3.3.5.1.1
            25 May 2019 at 6:04 pm

            she does not deserve empathy.

            she could have said no to the job – after all the choose remain

            yet she choose the job, she failed – and who ever else will take the job will fail as you cant' work with a party that actually does not want to work – see republicans in the US.

            it appears that her husband made a tidy coin – cause why not i guess

            https://www.globalresearch.ca/disgusting-conflict-of-interest-theresa-mays-husbands-investment-firm-made-a-financial-killing-from-the-bombing-of-syria/5636632

            http://www.stopwar.org.uk/index.php/news-comment/3017-philip-may-profiting-from-wife-s-military-policies

            so no, that evil women is gone, she will live her life in awesome riches and polite company meanwhile people in the UK throw themselves of quarries cause their pension got cut to nothing and a men weighing in at 6 stones is declared fit for work. May karma find her and give her her dues.

            https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-48212594

            http://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-man-who-couldnt-stand-and-weighed-6-stone-was-declared-fit-to-work-20190204

            The fellow at this video states it very well and so politely.

            https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesMomentum/videos/881620555526352/?t=3

            why on earth would should anyone have empathy for her, when clearly she gives not a flying fuck about anyone but herself. It was her party that made her life to hell.

            • Incognito 3.3.5.1.1.1
              25 May 2019 at 6:10 pm

              If you could save her life, in an emergency, for example, would you do it?

              • Sabine …
                25 May 2019 at 7:44 pm

                i live by the credo of 'above all do no harm'.

                yes, i would, i would give her painkiller, medication, take her to the hospital and make sure she be good, and then i would tell her that i hope she meets all those who died during her reign in the after live.

                This women has served no one but herself. She fucked her country so many ways. She and her party oversea the death of about 10.000 people – poor people, old people, disabled people, sick people, and she has the fucking gall to cry because she was fucking useless, was appointed to be useless? Nah, may she live a life of plenty, may she life long, and may the death visit her every night of her long, cushy life.

                I have enough of this empathy bullshit. these people kill us, err cull us. They starve us, our children, our elders, they sell our houses, our infrastructure, our hospitals to the highest bidder even tho it is us that financed it, build it, and maintain it. And they have the gall to cry because they are so openly incompetent that literally you have to resign because no one is standing for her bullshit anymore.

                You look to France, England, US and various other nations and you will realise that it is us who looses freedom and life, not them.

                so i have the exact amount of empathy for her that she has for me/us.

                and the same counts for the orange shit show in the us.

                • Bewildred …
                  25 May 2019 at 8:19 pm

                  Dear you do go looking for extreme articles and extrapolate that as the norm Rather depressing I would have thought as a daily routine , a female Ed or Paul ( with more expletives) or what ever he goes by these days

                  By the way being back Ed I miss him

                  • mauī …
                    26 May 2019 at 9:39 am

                    Yes, we all miss him as shown by how much he still gets talked about here.

                    "being back Ed"

                    Well said.

                    • Incognito …
                      26 May 2019 at 10:36 am

                      People who try to circumvent a ban by using sockpoppets clearly are not fit to re-join TS as it shows bad faith on their behalf.

                      I personally don’t do requests for lifting bans place by others or handing out bans.

                      By all means, point out bad behaviour when you see it, but please stop making requests for people to be banned.

                      [This is a general comment]

                • Incognito …
                  25 May 2019 at 11:34 pm

                  That is a good credo to live by, Sabine, but with it comes with consequences, as always.

                  Do no harm, help people in need, and empathise with others are what makes us human, good humans IMO. I can and do (albeit infrequently) empathise with people whose actions I detest. This is not virtue signalling but understanding that people are complex beings and without walking in their shoes, we have no idea about their reasons or motives. In fact, their reasons and motives may well be sub-conscious.

                  To be honest, I have no idea how you can withhold empathy!? You either have or feel it or you don’t. When I empathise with a person I intensely dislike – yes, it has happened – it opens up a whole series of questions. To be even more honest, I sometimes avoid those questions because I choose or want to dislike that person and continue that … This is quite a confession to make in a public forum but it shows you how important empathy (and its twin, compassion) is, for you, for me, and for humankind.

                  • Drowsy M. Kram …
                    25 May 2019 at 11:59 pm

                    Got me thinking. The effort required to empathise (e.g. to 'see' point(s) of contention from the opposition's point of view), can be proportional to the strength of belief in one's own view.

                    OR, the more certain I am that I’m right, the less time and effort I’ll put into considering alternative viewpoints. Does that make sense?

                    "Empathy is a multidimensional construct and requires the ability to perceive, understand, and feel the emotional states of others. According to most models empathy consists of at least three core components: (1) The ability to recognize emotions in oneself and others via different communicative cues such as facial expressions, speech, or behavior; (2) a cognitive component, also referred to as perspective taking or theory of mind, describing the competency to take over the perspective of another person, though maintaining the essential distinction between self and other; and (3) an affective component, that is, sharing of emotional states with others or the ability to experience similar emotions as others."

                    "As empathic abilities form an essential part of social functioning, the described deficits may lead to impairments in social interaction…"

                    • Incognito …
                      26 May 2019 at 12:05 am

                      That’s quite a handful there. Got a link?

                      I’d struggle most with the third component.

                  • Drowsy M. Kram …
                    26 May 2019 at 12:20 am

                    Oops – the book chapter (if you can access it – it's behind a 'paywall' for me) may not be particularly relevant, but the free introduction began with that breakdown of the components of empathy which suited my reductionist turn of mind.

                    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124051720000041

                    It was the first article to come up in this link on empathy, found using Google.

                    https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/empathy

                    Maybe ‘Blog communication‘ is empathically challenged?

                  • Sabine …
                    26 May 2019 at 7:38 pm

                    Good grief, this is patronising bullshit if ever there was.

                    the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
                    synonyms:affinity with, rapport with, sympathy with, understanding of, sensitivity towards, sensibility to, identification with, awareness of, fellowship with, fellow feeling for, like-mindedness, togetherness, closeness to;

                    informalchemistry

                    i have no olike mindedness, togetherness, closeness, fellowship, sympathy, rapport, affinity with her. I don't identify with her. I am no fellow of hers. I am the currently lower middle class person that she would tax into an early grave/homelessness. I am that poor person that she would let starve. I am that person that would die under her austerity rules and you want me to have empathy with her?

                    I can't because i am not filthy rich. I can't because i don't want to kill people in the name of profit. I can't because i don't want to deport people to please racists. I can't because i don't want to take mobility vehicles away from disabled people. I can't because i don't think that a raise in foodbanks is a sytom of how the 'system' functions.

                    I don't have empathy for her, because i am so far removed from her life i don't have any idea how she could do the myriad of things she and her government did that could kill over 10.000+ people.

                    I don't have empathy with a mass murderer, even when that mass murderer is a state sanctioned multi billionaire in an expensive suit who was useless at her job, who was so useless that she could not get her party to do what her party wanted to do. She was as useless as tits on a bull. if And she killed a whole lot of people with her austerity measures, threw a whole heep of people into homelessness, hunger and misery. NO i don't have any empathy with her, and frankly i would check my moral compass if i would have .

                    https://twitter.com/i/status/1131964775381053440

                    • Incognito …
                      26 May 2019 at 7:46 pm

                      I feel a little sad about your comment and that you view my deeply personal reply to you as “patronising bullshit”. At no stage did I tell you or anybody else how to feel about TM. Obviously, I have completely misunderstood and misinterpreted your comments and I apologise for that. I’m going to leave it at that.

                    • Pat …
                      26 May 2019 at 7:47 pm

                      lol…well perhaps he meant to write ‘sympathy’…but I doubt she would warrant that either

                    • Incognito []
                      26 May 2019 at 7:54 pm

                      No, I meant empathy (and compassion) and I was quite clear about that, I thought, but it spectacularly missed and got thrown back at me. Not my intention and not what I was expecting, that’s for sure. It has been a pretty shitty day here on TS 🙁

                  • Pat …
                    26 May 2019 at 8:09 pm

                    OK …would suggest difficult to expect empathy for an ambitious and blind to the point of self delusion politician from anyone other than that I would have thought….most people are a little more self aware

                    • Incognito …
                      26 May 2019 at 8:23 pm

                      Yes, intention was good, example was wrong, delivery was poor. I’ve learned my lesson and will pull back on contentious issues where emotions flare up too easily as it only backfires. Still, there are other forums that are more suited for these kinds of in-depth conversations.

            • sumsuch 3.3.5.1.1.2
              26 May 2019 at 12:01 am

              I find care for animals often goes with disdain for people. Bit too much demonization of the opponents in Left blogs. Ruth, Roge and Jenny were worth it but since, whatever they were doing it doesn't deserve a media noose.

          • Siobhan 3.3.5.1.2
            26 May 2019 at 10:29 am

            I'm asking if TM empathised with the people dying and having lives of abject misery due to her policies. Given her determination to stick with those policies among many others, its clear she did not.

            To my mind that would indicate a very very unpleasant, nasty, individual.

            You are welcome to 'empathise' with such a person. I passed no judgment on that.

            But if If you are asking me to judge you, well, I don't know, empathising with someone who represents such a selfish nasty ideology puts you in Nelson Mandela territory, I guess. The power of forgiveness and acceptance..who knows maybe she will feel that understanding and go on to do good works throughout the world. Or maybe not.
            Though you must carry a dreadful burden, if you empathise with Theresa May you must be absolutely paralysed with grief for the victims of her policies.

            • Incognito 3.3.5.1.2.1
              26 May 2019 at 8:06 pm

              Thank for your considered reply. I won’t make any further comments on this given my apparent faux pas with Sabine and I don’t want to inflame the situation any further. FWIW, I could only dream of being anywhere near “Nelson Mandela territory” …

              • Sabine …
                26 May 2019 at 8:21 pm

                i gave you a considered response to your very loaded question ' what would you do if she were in an emergency'

                that question alone in my book was not in good faith. I politely explained the first time around why i have no empathy with a women who looses her job to incompetence. She should have never taken that job in the first place. She was and is an expensive suit full of cruelty, egoism, vanity and incompetence.

                You are questioning my 'empathy and ability to feel for others' you question my 'credo' that i live by and you get a big sad when i tell you to bug off and take my answer for what it is.

                I have no empathy for her, i have no compassion for her. As i stated earlier, i have the empathy and compassion for her that she shows to those of my class. None.

                so please don't use "Sabine was mean' when you simply could not take my first answer as the truth that applies to me, and only tor me.

                Above all do no harm, something that Theresa May has never considered.

                • Incognito …
                  26 May 2019 at 8:35 pm

                  Fair enough. I have already apologised to you and I did act in good faith but went about it in a bad way, evidently. As much as I have to respect your feelings you have to allow me to feel sad about your response to me. I commended you on your credo and whether you think I questioned your “empathy and ability to feel for others” is now a moot point; the harm is done. And please don’t put words in my mouth as I never said nor implied that "Sabine was mean”. Maybe best if we leave it at that.

    • bwaghorn 3.4
      25 May 2019 at 10:31 am

      They say shes clever but if your clever you let the next falla catch the hospital pass that leadership over there is at the mo.

    • greywarshark 3.5
      25 May 2019 at 12:22 pm

      Ad or Mod Could you look for a comment I put up re May about half hour ago or more please. It had a wikipedia quote in it that had more linked info than I realised. I think it was in OM but if you can change post, it could go into the Mayhem in the UK post as it has info about her educational and early work background and wikipedia link. I found her intransigence and Sisyphus like approach to the job perplexing. So thought a bit about her would round off the comments.

    • Morrissey 3.6
      25 May 2019 at 2:03 pm

      Anyone feeling any sympathy for Theresa May?

      Not a bit. If she had any sense of honour, she would have resigned years ago. She was a remorseless liar.

      • Sam 3.6.1
        25 May 2019 at 2:14 pm

        The U.K. Will find very little love in ASEAN and OCEANIA after they unceremoniously dumped Singapore and the rest of South Asia pre WW2 after being imperial douche novels. And dumping Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the pacific commonwealth to join the EU. They're just juvenile amateurs. We don’t need em.

    • OnceWasTim 3.7
      26 May 2019 at 3:12 pm

      I did in the early stages, then She just went on and on and on and on – not unlike some days in here. May Her Holier Than Thou stubbornness comfort her. I've got better people to feel sorry for, and there's only so much to go around. I'm probably not a good enough toff anyway that she'd even want my sympathy.

  4. francesca 4
    25 May 2019 at 8:29 am

    Jenny
    re the carbon zero bill
    Its pathetic
    Politics is the art of whats possible

    In the current climate heh heh any change is incremental

    Thats why a massive ground swell movement is whats needed to make the politicians aware their electoral base demands change

    Magnify the kids climate strikes by 10, join with them, every last Friday of the month

    keep doing it

    Thats where change comes from…as well as all the changes you make in your own life…actually for your own health and well being primarily.Notching back the consumer goods, having the courage to ignore fashion, living a real life

  5. SPC 5
    25 May 2019 at 8:56 am

    Post May forecast.

    1. Brexit with no deal.

    2. a vote of no confidence motion is passed in parliament and new elections are held.

    3a. If Labour and LD and the SNP form a government afterwards they will hold a referendum to get public consent to return to the customs union and single market.

    3b If the Tories win,Trump tells them to hand over Assange and sign the FTA he writes because they have no alternative, they have no leverage.

    4. The UK will become like the Ukraine (each election is a pro EU or Russia referendum) each election would be lacky of the US or part of the EU choice. Hardly the stuff of proud national independence.

    • James 5.1
      25 May 2019 at 9:08 am

      “3a. If Labour and LD and the SNP form a government afterwards they will hold a referendum to get public consent to return to the customs union and single market.”

      if you think that you are in idiot. There is no chance of a referendum to rejoin parts.

      And Assanage will be heading the the Us regardless- as he should to stand trial for crimes he has (supposedly) been responsible for. Along with standing trial for rapes.

      • SPC 5.1.1
        25 May 2019 at 9:17 am

        Given they wanted a deal with May where the UK stayed in the customs union and single market witha referendum to get public consent – why would they not campaign on that and then deliver it if they won government majority in the Commons?

        Your not wanting their policy, or them to be in govenment to apply it, is not an argument you know …

      • Andre 5.1.2
        25 May 2019 at 9:24 am

        Well, there's actually a lot of very good reasons why Assange shouldn't be surrendered to the US. As unpleasant a duty as making that argument actually is, given what a monumental asshole (and alleged rapist) Assange actually is.

        Most important is that the US going after Assange is an attack on the free press. It's an attempt to overturn centuries of precedent protecting the activity of publishing factual information, regardless of how that information got into the publisher's hands. That right to publish really is an important safeguard, and it's no coincidence that it's one of the first thing to be lost on the path to vicious authoritarian and totalitarian dictatorships.

        But that’s certainly not an argument against sending him to Sweden to answer for the rape allegations. Indeed, given that Assange will actually have more opportunity to fight against extradition to the US from Sweden than he does from the UK, that’s even more reason to send him to Sweden.

        • SPC 5.1.2.1
          25 May 2019 at 9:49 am

          An alternative timeline.

          He does not betray those who put up his bail money and serves a short sentence in Sweden (they have degrees of rape levels). He would have been out before Obama left office.

          He still exposes the DNC and Clinton and plays a part in Trump's election. Trump tries to have him extradited from wherever he lived at the time – if he got advance notice he would be in an apartment in Moscow next door to Snowden. If not he would be in custody while the extradition trial was going on.

          As it is he needs to go to Sweden (and serve some time) to improve his chances of not being extradited while Trump is in office. Like the strongman Trump postures as being, he is not really a defender of a free press. He is probably trying to make the extra charges against Assange a point of difference against the MSM in the USA (and their Democrat candidate) for re-election purposes.

          • Andre 5.1.2.1.1
            25 May 2019 at 9:59 am

            In that alternative timeline, he would have been out and freely moving about for several years with Obama and the DOJ having decided it was not in the US national interest to prosecute him (because of the potential chilling effect on legitimate publishing). Then when Genghis Don comes after him, Assange has a much stronger argument against extradition that it's politically motivated.

            Yet another reason to be pissed off at Assange on a personal basis; that his running and hiding in the embassy has actually opened an opportunity for Hair Fuhrer to mount an attack on the free press that might actually succeed.

        • francesca 5.1.2.2
          25 May 2019 at 10:07 am

          Finally, some common ground

          But Andre, you are more optimistic than I am about Sweden being guided by its own laws versus bowing down to or accepting some quid pro quo deal with the US re extradition

          In the current political climate there seems to be a lot of lip service paid to "the international rules based order", but not a lot of shame attached to flouting it

          eg https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/22/uk-suffers-crushing-defeat-un-vote-chagos-islands

          The UK should have bowed to the decision of the ICJ long before it got to this

          Also this

          https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24042&LangID=E

          It is perfectly possible constitutionally for Sweden to assure Assange of immunity from onward extradition , particularly given the new charges under the espionage act

          Amnesty International has advocated for Assange in this respect, repeatedly

          https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2012/09/sweden-should-issue-assurance-it-won-t-extradite-assange-usa/

          • francesca 5.1.2.2.1
            25 May 2019 at 10:12 am

            That was in response to your remarks at 5.1.2

            The following remarks

            dear god!

            To add to the list Assange is now responsible for the the attack on press freedom

            A little like rape victims being blamed for being female

        • RedLogix 5.1.2.3
          25 May 2019 at 10:11 am

          Given the instability of the UK at the moment I'd be superficially inclined to agree that Sweden might be his better bet at the moment.

          When I think back to the billions of pixels expended on this relatively modest matter (the original inquiry to the Swedish police revolved around a simple request for STD testing) … compared to the millions of women who have undergone horrendous oppression and sexual violation in numerous countries since … it's clear that we utterly lost any sense of proportion and significance over this.

          Here is one random link illustrating what I mean:

          https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/21/kachin-women-from-myanmar-raped-until-they-get-pregnant-in-china

          What do you imagine these women would think about the Assange affair? Why do they count for so very much less than one very privileged Swedish woman?

          Assange has maintained his innocence from the outset and made his case:

          https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-07/julian-assange-goes-public-on-rape-allegations/8099276

          On the face of it the most desirable way forward for Assange should be to go to Sweden and fight the matter in Court. But this always was a politically motivated prosecution, and therefore the Swedish justice system is corrupted and cannot be trusted. Moreover minds are made up and even if a Swedish Court was to exonerate him, many progressives will obdurately regard him as a vile sexual offender of the worst kind.

          Innocent or guilty, the Americans have achieved their corrupt aim, Assange is now damned for life.

          • francesca 5.1.2.3.1
            25 May 2019 at 10:25 am

            Thank you Red Logix

            I really appreciate that

            There are degrees of rape , just as there are degrees of assault and verbal violence and libel and fraud and theft and dishonesty

            What Assange is accused of is several degrees beneath violent sexual assault

            I get pretty tired of men here , often with violent phallic based language prosletysing about rape as if they're more feminist than feminists.

            Until they themselves get raped up an orifice they can take my word for it , there's a difference between getting woken up by a lover for further sex, or a torn condom, or no condom, and a violent sexual attack

            In that respect there is such a thing as a non consensual issue over condoms or "lesser rape".

          • SPC 5.1.2.3.2
            25 May 2019 at 10:28 am

            Under Swedish rape law (degrees of rape – including without a condom if this is required for consent), he would be found guilty. The reason being the women went to police after they compared experiences – corroborating stories would convict. They knew he was guilty of an offence and their first concern was the STD matter. Knowingly infecting them would have been an offence also.

            The politicisation came later. It was a minor rape charge matter and he was not a local, so persistance was the politicisation – for some feminist credentials as a prosecutor for others becoming an agent for pro American political bosses.

            • francesca 5.1.2.3.2.1
              25 May 2019 at 11:03 am

              The Swedish record for prosecuting rape is not great, success rates low, tardiness, bungled evidence keeping , general dissatisfaction amongst survivors with the justice system, in other words not a huge will to see justice for rape victims in the legal system

              Leads me to the notion that the Assange case is hugely politically motivated, and the rights of the women complainants have taken very much a back seat.

              https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/04/rape-and-sexual-violence-in-nordic-countries-consent-laws/

              • Sam …
                25 May 2019 at 11:39 am

                Theres the age of consent, giving consent and retracting consent. Did I miss one?

                Its not wrong to ejaculate into the woman's vag with out a condom on once consent has been given. If the passage is able to accept and woman strong enough to carry a baby it's really not a bad thing to do.

                Sex with out consequences is more of a problem than giving birth to some causal acquaintance. That's just not egalitarian. Planning a society should be moving towards a situation of nurturing children under any cicumbstance not recoiling from it.

          • Sam 5.1.2.3.3
            25 May 2019 at 10:30 am

            TBH I don't much care for the plight of woman beyond that which immigrate to New Zealand. I'd be happy increasing defence and law enforcement funding to deal with a global sex trafficking ring, perhaps if I was 20 years younger I would like to join in on such operations again but kicking in doors Taken stylez is a young mans game.

            Criminal investigstions is quite unsexy do people really want to know what it takes or are people willing to hand wave all the subtle details as need to know, don't be a conspiracy theorist ect. And I'm challenging people's perception of police and defence spending because not always does the rhetoric match the will to fund.

          • McFlock 5.1.2.3.4
            25 May 2019 at 3:47 pm

            So what if worse things happen elsewhere? Those perpetrators should be charged, too.

            But this always was a politically motivated prosecution, and therefore the Swedish justice system is corrupted and cannot be trusted.

            Of course, that falls down if the prosecution merely submits its case to a court. Even if "politically motivated" were true.

            Moreover minds are made up and even if a Swedish Court was to exonerate him, many progressives will obdurately regard him as a vile sexual offender of the worst kind

            lol I don't think anyone's calling him a Jimmy Saville. Nice straw man.

            As for the "innocent or guilty" line, if he's guilty, him committing sexual assault has nothing to do with the yanks. If he's innocent, a trial is the closest he'll get to demonstrating it.

            • RedLogix 5.1.2.3.4.1
              25 May 2019 at 6:00 pm

              Those perpetrators should be charged, too.

              But they won’t be.

              a trial is the closest he'll get to demonstrating it.

              Everyone knows the entire charade is politically motivated. By now I simply don't trust either the Brits, Yanks or Swedes to do anything other than fuck him over.

              Or all three take turn about at gangbanging him into oblivion for speaking truth to power.

              • marty mars …
                25 May 2019 at 6:19 pm

                "Or all three take turn about at gangbanging him into oblivion for speaking truth to power."

                please watch your language – those who have actually suffered abuse and sexual violence may well be triggered by your 'bishoptamaki-like' remarks.

                • One Two …
                  25 May 2019 at 6:53 pm

                  please watch your language – those who have actually suffered abuse and sexual violence may well be triggered by your 'bishoptamaki-like' remarks.

                  Were you triggered by that comment ?

                • francesca …
                  25 May 2019 at 7:10 pm

                  I find Red Logixs analogy to be totally apt, and I am not triggered by it

                  Assange is being raped, thoroughly and absolutely and with impunity by the many who need him to be destroyed

                  • marty mars …
                    25 May 2019 at 8:06 pm

                    "Assange is being raped, thoroughly and absolutely and with impunity by the many who need him to be destroyed"

                    what a load of fucken bullshit.

                    • McFlock …
                      25 May 2019 at 8:11 pm

                      yup

                    • One Two …
                      25 May 2019 at 8:18 pm

                      what a load of fucken bullshit.

                      In response to a woman, who also stated she was not triggered by RL's comment …

                      Who else are you pretending to represent?

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      25 May 2019 at 9:17 pm

                      Maybe not raped, but certainly f**ked over – right-wing politicians, and management of the MIC and intelligence agencies, are drooling in anticipation of revenge for being embarrassed by WikiLeaks.

                      Opinion: Julian Assange Did A Lot Of Bad Things. Publishing Leaks Isn’t One Of Them.

                      “What the WikiLeaks founder did to receive secret military and diplomatic documents — the crime of which he is now accused — is what a free press does every day.”

                      https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/padraigreidy/wikileaks-assange-leaks-charge

                    • Morrissey …
                      25 May 2019 at 9:21 pm

                      You think Assange is being legally and fairly treated by the U.K. regime, do you, Marty?

                    • marty mars …
                      25 May 2019 at 9:25 pm

                      "Maybe not raped…"

                      ummm yeah maybe nothing at all like raped eh unless you think rape is like when you drool.

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 9:33 pm

                      Marty… What does rape mean. Can you define it for us because your definitions are not what the EU would call rape… So enlighten me real quick so I can access whether it's useful.

                    • marty mars …
                      25 May 2019 at 9:39 pm

                      sam – I think you are a low rider and I don't bother with your types.

                    • McFlock …
                      25 May 2019 at 9:41 pm

                      if any commenter genuinely doesn't know what "rape" means, leave the conversation.

                    • One Two []
                      25 May 2019 at 10:04 pm

                      Or else what?

                      You'll start up screaming rape enabler …

                      Marty can't wait to scream racism …

                      You're the guys who cry wolf…

                    • Incognito []
                      25 May 2019 at 10:13 pm

                      How is this helping except for starting a flame war?

                      BTW, that is a rhetorical question. So, do not answer it but please take the hint.

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 9:51 pm

                      Even by Swedish standards rape has to involve a threat of violence or coercion, or unconsciousness, sleep, intoxication or influence by drugs, illness, bodily injury or mental impairment. From what either you, Marty or McFlock (sniggers) have you heard that Assange committed either of those offences in the course of intercourse.

                    • McFlock …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:05 pm

                      Sex without consent. None of the above necessary.
                      I refer you to my previous comment.

                    • marty mars …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:06 pm

                      One Two – you are not contributing to the discussion apart from meaningless abuse – just butt out if you can't discuss respectfully eh.

                    • One Two []
                      25 May 2019 at 10:30 pm

                      what a load of fucken bullshit.

                      That's your comment to Francesca…

                      Did you forget already?

                    • McFlock …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:10 pm

                      @1-2

                      Or else you'll be taking part in a conversation you cannot possibly understand, and will probably end up just once again recycling tropes used by men to get away with (or enable others to get away with) women since time immemorial.

                      And yes, if someone is making an effort to enable men to rape without accountability, I'll call them a "rape enabler" or some variation on that theme.

                      But that's a risk one takes if one insistsa on discussing rape without knowing what the term means.

                    • One Two []
                      25 May 2019 at 10:35 pm

                      Nah, you just like using insults…IMO…

                      Your definition of rape is sufficiently warped to be so narrow , no wonder you have no idea what you're talking about…

                      RL' s analogy , is appropriate.

                    • Incognito []
                      25 May 2019 at 10:45 pm

                      Assange may or may stand trial in Sweden for rape allegations according to Swedish Law. He’s innocent until proven guilty of rape according to Swedish Law. No other ‘definitions’ of rape need to be evoked. Please stick to the facts, everything else is assumption or wild speculation and an exercise in futility that only seems to raise tempers here.

                      [This comment is directed to all of you]

                    • One Two []
                      25 May 2019 at 10:56 pm

                      Any particular reason you put that reply on my comment and not on the original by RL?

                      You've done that more than once now and on separate occasions, different subjects…when I was responding to McFlock…

                      Are you providing cover for McFlock and/or others here?

                      Or is it personal for you, from an exchange you and I have had previously?

                      Both, are questions…not accusations…and not rhetorical…you're welcome to reply…or not.

                    • Incognito []
                      25 May 2019 at 11:23 pm

                      No particular reason and it was not personal, which is why I left a bolded note as well.

                      I think there are a number of commenters, including you, who are skating on thin ice. Anything Assange is controversial and people tend to be divided (polarised). Rape is a very sensitive topic and should not be used for ‘scoring points’ in any debate, not even about Assange, or most definitely not about Assange. His journalistic efforts have absolutely nothing to do with his bedroom escapades.

                      I think RedLogix’s choice of words @ 5.1.2.3.4.1 was very poor but tried to make a point, badly IMO. Nevertheless, it didn’t need to descend into a war of words between a bunch of commenters who appear to have an axe to grind, mainly with each other. In the pursuit of the truth, you have to stay focussed on facts and not be distracted by loud voices.

                      Anyway, it is up to you and others to take heed or not.

                    • One Two []
                      26 May 2019 at 9:51 am

                      Given that I stay away from passing an opinion on the so called assange situation…regarding the allegations…

                      You must be referring to something or someone else…

                      I've involved myself in exchanges specifically when others (who don't get moderated)…become abusive in ways which are are absolutely intended to be hurtful…and I call it out..

                      Perhaps you can provide examples of why you believe I'm on thin ice..

                      You called it..back it up so I can get context of your opinion…because given what I read on this site…the insults, the abuse and regular tirades…almost exclusively unmoderated …

                      And your comments regarding self moderation …which is really a cop out ..and appears to be empowering a few regulars here to continue with rampant abuse…including against women here…go un moderated for the most part…

                      Even when their behaviour is called out…nothing seems to change…

                      Yeah I get it…the system admin like to flex ..when I pointed out some of the insults the response was…

                      …stop attempting to playthe victim…or ill make you one…(para..almost verbatim)…

                      This site empowers misogynists from the top…despite numerous past female and male commentators and authors leaving because of it..

                      Despite the meagre few female commentators calling it out from their perspective when under repeated attack by the sites angry little men…

                      Still nothing is done…

                      When a long time commentator, and former moderator uses a phrase ..which IMO…could to read as a direct challenge to poor state of this sites contributers…

                      Still nothing is done…

                      Your recent article about online speech and anger being essentially unavoidable…

                      Yet you (flying almost solo it seems) have moderator rights now…which you appear to not understand how to use…but the misuse and non use of them … is actually fanning the flames by endorsing the angry misogynists and abusive men on this site…top down.

                      Either moderate…or don't at all…sitting on the fence you should hand back mod rights..IMO…you don't need them…

                      So yeah…thin ice..examples.

                    • Incognito []
                      26 May 2019 at 11:42 am

                      It shows good manners if you ask nicely and say please. Good manners show respect. There is a distinct lack of either in your comment.

                      Nevertheless …

                      Your comment @ 25 May 2019 at 10:04 pm had nothing to do with any of the Assange allegations and was an overtly aggressive attempt to start a flame war, especially with two other commenters with whom you have ‘sparred’ before.

                      That’s thin ice and I was perhaps too lenient by giving you and others a chance to self-moderate. It seems that giving the benefit of doubt is not always the right thing to do.

                      You would have been on much safer ice when commenting on Assange instead of on other commenters.

                      You talk about calling out others but fail to acknowledge your own behaviour and the impact it has.

                      I understand that you don’t agree with the moderation or lack thereof on this site. I understand that you don’t think much of my moderation here either. Your criticism, however, lacks any constructive aspects except telling me (and other Moderators) what to do and what not.

                      That’s very thin ice, again.

                      Finally, I refer you to my comment (made today) to mauī @ 26 May 2019 at 10:36 am.

                      This thread about (my) moderation is now closed. I have given you the courtesy of engaging with you, but Moderation here is not up for litigation.

                    • One Two []
                      26 May 2019 at 12:11 pm

                      it shows good manners if you ask nicely and say please…

                      I'm addressing you as a commentator…

                      What sort of misplaced and inflated opinion must you have to make that statement…rhetorical.

                      Your perceived sense of self importance…where others should say please to satisfy that self perception… has lead you into a poor space, incognito…a deluded and transparent space at that…

                      Please and thank-you are words which can't be overused…

                      But your inference I should have said please…is to misappropriate use of the word against your own incorrect self perception of how you show respect…

                      You've misinterpreted and made incorrect assumptions…

                      …it happened because you reckon I should have said please to you…you reckon that pious statement …what…somehow gave you a high ground…

                      Actually, it completely undermines the sentiment of faux respect which you're toting around…

                      See if you can grasp that concept…

                      This comment is to you the commentator…as well as the personality which sits behind the online words…

                    • Incognito []
                      26 May 2019 at 12:41 pm

                      That is an interesting analysis of me, which I will take on board, thank you.

                      There is no point demanding respect and politeness from someone who clearly does not want to give it, and I wasn’t; I made an observation about the fact that asking nicely goes a long way and that you hadn’t asked nicely, at all.

                      To be very clear, and I have said this to you before, I don’t need your respect but you need to adhere to this site’s rules and policy.

                    • One Two []
                      26 May 2019 at 1:06 pm

                      It was an observation. wink

                      and that you hadn't asked nicely, at all..

                      Ok, you're not getting it , at all…

                      It was the very first sentence, and you were clearly seeking to empart your self perception of respect onto another…

                      Or why bother writing it…eh.

                      There was no disrespect in my comment…it was neutral…so you reached… for please…

                      So…

                      … despite protestations that you don't need respect…

                      …that statements appears to be in direct conflict with your observation … I would say…

                      If you don't need respect..no need to observe that you didn't receive any…is there..

                      Your final sentence is written from a moderators perspective apparently…

                      I am…once again responding to you…as a commentator…

                    • Incognito []
                      26 May 2019 at 1:29 pm

                      Please hire a digger.

                      You have criticised me as commenter, author, moderator, and as a person. In addition, you have criticised the moderation on this site. It is starting to become rather boring. It is also a very nice distraction from you skating on thin ice in your other comments, which you have completely ignored. Not even a thank you from you for my considered and polite explanations and taking the time to engage with you. How disappointing, indeed.

                      You seem to think that by repeatedly and explicitly stating that you address me “as a commentator” you avoid criticising me as a Moderator. I’m sure that you’re not that naive and I find it laughable that you think you can get away with it. You have tried this trick with me several times before, so I’m calling a stop to it.

                      [Enough about me!]

                    • One Two []
                      26 May 2019 at 4:02 pm

                      I'm not laughing…yet.

                      Are you simultaneously a moderator and commentator ?

                      ..because it sounds like that is the position you're painting yourself into…at least towards my comments…

                      Have I interpreted your sentiment correctly there?

                      It is no trick Incognito, and it should be blatant enough that a demarcation needs to exist between those who are also mods…

                      …if you're going to assume both roles at the same time …all the time..that would be farcical…

                      not even a thank you from you for my considered and polite explanations…

                      blah…how disappointing…

                      Oh you're taking the piss…that's how ill assume it to be taken…

                      Otherwise you're being serious in using such commentary…

                      Which I would then find, laughable…but unsurprising…

                      If my comments go over your head…you’re welcome to ask questions…

                      [Take some time off to carefully study this thread, in particular from where you attempted to start a flame war and my comments @ 10:13 PM, 11:23 PM, 11:42 PM, 12:41 PM, and 1:29 PM, in that order. You may find that all those comments of mine were in fact gentle moderation. However, on the one hand, you call for (more) moderation, yet on the other hand, you argue and detract from your own slip-ups and wilfully ignore explanations and warnings from a Moderator who also happens to be a commenter in other threads. In other words, you don’t care for moderation and blatantly disrespect the rules and policy of this site. You are welcome to re-join the fray after the teachers’ strike – Incognito]

                    • Incognito []
                      26 May 2019 at 6:17 pm

                      See my Moderation note @ 4:02 PM.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:17 pm

                      "unless you think rape is like when you drool" – MM @9:25 pm

                      Wide of the mark, and unnecessarily personal IMHO.
                      I'll steer clear of delving into your thought processes, and reiterate:

                      Julian Assange Did A Lot Of Bad Things.
                      Publishing Leaks Isn’t One Of Them.

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:24 pm

                      It is my belief that there is a couple things you, Marty and McFlock are not being truthful and forthcoming about. So,

                      …, When was it that Assange was alleged to have committed the crimes you accuse him of,

                      …, and when did the sexual consent laws you seek to cover him in come into force in the Swedish jurisdiction?

                    • marty mars …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:26 pm

                      You said it drowsy – if you have changed your mind then good but no one forced you to write your comment did they. I just highlighted why it was a poorly thought out response from you that's all.
                      You’ll notice I said “unless” – this is a self selection device – if it doesn’t relate to what you think then it isn’t relevant to you. I think I’ve treated you with respect actually considering what you wrote – don’t worry I’ll consider if I change that approach for next time.

                    • The Al1en …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:32 pm

                      “That’s your comment to Francesca…
                      Did you forget already?”

                      White knights to the rescue 🙄

                    • Sam …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:43 pm

                      So what I'm looking to do is assess both yours Marty, and Mc Flock (gets me in the feels every time) so I'm looking to assess your credibility by establishing a simple time between the the time Julian committed the offence he is accused of to the time you say the consent laws came into effect in order to check if there is any ideological connotations in either of your arguments.

                      Take your time. I'll pour myself a big fat drink and wait for you to google the answer and report back.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:45 pm

                      Marty (@10:26 pm), I wrote – "Maybe not raped, but certainly f**ked over"

                      Apologies if it wasn’t clear that I was agreeing with you, i.e. I think that it is incorrect and unhelpful to use the word ‘rape’ to describe the treatment of Assange by the ‘authorities’.

                      I’m not brave enough to describe it as “what a load of fucken bullshit”.

                    • marty mars …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:53 pm

                      @ drowsy – sorry for getting it wrong. I was a bit surprised by your response as it seemed out of kilter – but alas it was me that was off. Apologies again.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      25 May 2019 at 11:09 pm

                      Thanks Marty, all good – could/should have made it clearer by dropping 'Maybe' from the start of that sentence.

                    • The Al1en …
                      26 May 2019 at 11:10 am

                      @9.51am
                      Seriously, 12, grab a tissue and dry your eyes.

                      It's quite clear what game you and playing here, though when you play the victim, it's wise to have all your ducks in a row if you want a half decent shot at credibility. All you're getting at present is half arsed.

                      Just like you've used the death of innocent children to attack members on here, now you're using the smear of misogyny to attack those who have previously bested you in debate. I don't buy it as genuine concern for a minute.

                      If you were really concerned about the 'fucken bullshit' language used to rubbish a rubbish argument, why did you not post your new found, heartfelt distaste for the comments at 2.1 and 2.1.1.1 above?

                • greywarshark …
                  25 May 2019 at 7:12 pm

                  I'm amazed that civilised RL could come out with that. I said the other day that mention of sex seems to wind up many like clockwork toys and press the button marked sex and Off They Go jumping up and down from soapboxes – keeping it clean you see.

                  • francesca …
                    25 May 2019 at 8:34 pm

                    Red Logix has to be one of the most patient ,considered , and thoughtful commenters on this site.I don't always agree with him, but he's always respectful in reply, and I've modified some of my views because of that

                    So when he uses language like that it I take him seriously

                    Many other commenters are on a hair trigger and quickly descend to foul abuse, for them its like some sort of boxing match

                    • francesca …
                      25 May 2019 at 9:52 pm

                      or rather cage fight

                    • greywarshark …
                      25 May 2019 at 10:22 pm

                      But you have been triggered by it francesca.

                      1 You have written in.

                      2 You have defended an extravagant sexual comment from RL.

                      3 You have put aside your standards of behaviour to support someone else and are taking 'sides' instead of judging matters dispassionately for yourself.

                      Just saying.

              • aj …
                25 May 2019 at 6:27 pm

                It's got nothing whatsoever to do with justice. The USA (and UK) have to be dragged kicking and screaming to even think about prosecuting war crimes committed by their own armed forces. The My Lai massacre in Vietnam is a good starting point to learn.

                "Australian documentary-maker and occasional independent journalist, James Ricketson, was convicted of espionage in Cambodia and sentenced to 6 years in prison, for allegedly using his film-making as a pretext to collect information that would harm national security. He served 15 months before receiving a King's pardon and being deported back to Australia."

                In a recent Guardian article, "Ricketson said he was concerned that Assange’s “polarising” position among journalists as well as the public at large would mean he is “forgotten”.

                “A lot of well-informed people I know hate Julian Assange for reasons of character, and what I think is that I have no idea about his character and nor do I think it is important,” he said.

                “If you went through the upper echelons of society in business and politics and journalism you’d find a lot of arseholes and narcissists but I don’t think that should matter. We are all members of the fourth estate and I think it’s an attack on everybody in the fourth estate to prosecute Julian as is happening.

                “My feeling is that unless there’s a huge concerted effort, a public outcry, that Julian Assange will spend 10 months in jail and then be extradited it’ll be one of those news items that will pop up every now and again but that Julian will be forgotten, and I don’t think he should be forgotten.”

                (My bold)



              • McFlock …
                25 May 2019 at 8:12 pm

                they're not in Sweden though.

    • Ad 5.2
      25 May 2019 at 11:33 am

      1. Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister in June, and government continues until 2022.

      2. Brexit with No Deal goes ahead. Immediate trade, pharmaceutical, and grocery supply crisis with trucks at both borders for miles. Brexit together with US-China trade war tips the OECD countries into economic stagnation.

      3. Prime Minister Johnson announces massive and deep deregulation of the British economy to outcompete the EU. Economic growth crashes and unemployment goes from 4% to 7% inside a year.

      4. Scotland votes to join the EU independently.

      5. Wales protests mount, also seeking a referendum to join the EU.

      6. Decline in the City of London as a financial centre compared to Frankfurt, Berlin, and Paris.

      7. Queen dies by 2022. No one knows what happened to the country.

      8. By 2022, India overtakes UK in economic size.

      • Sam 5.2.1
        25 May 2019 at 11:49 am

        9. The UK vagabond tells stories to his other UK vagabond friends about how much money they used to make before BREXIT 😂😂😂

      • greywarshark 5.2.2
        25 May 2019 at 3:33 pm

        Macabre thought. Queen goes onto Lazarus-type support to give breathing time for damaged UK to gather itself together and decide to become monarchy again, as the Barons have gutted the country.

        (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfEgdCu5RSM

  6. greywarshark 6
    25 May 2019 at 9:50 am

    Noelle McCarthy on for Kim this morning. I hate her inflected speech, almost theatrical. She is on RadioNZ more and more and though she has slightly improved over the years, I still want to hear NZs and just because Kim was an immigrant, it doesn't mean that she should be followed by another.

    And Mora, does anyone else feel that Sunday mornings are getting more into celebrities and light stuff that would interest and amuse those who have everything. Wallace was both grounded and reaching for ideas, Mora doesn't measure up.

  7. Observer Tokoroa 7
    25 May 2019 at 10:08 am

    The Trump Trip

    It fascinates me that a war mongering, liar, narcissist, child abusing leader of a Nation should be invited to the Uk.

    Trump, he who separates little children from their parents, never to be found again, will be fondled by the Aristocracy of England. An Aristocracy that since the year 1100 AD has built up a dreadfully shameful and massive taste for slavery and poverty within the UK.

    A Taste it maintains until today, by denying equality, opportunity and a secure future to all the Citizens of the United Kingdom.

    Mrs Teresa May thought she had only one thing to do as an English Prime Minister. She had only to continue the weird Ways of Elizabeth 1, and the weird ways of Margaret Thatcher and the weird ways of the Lords and everything would be her Triumph.

    The Prize she would get and clutch – was the opportunity to fondle Donald Ridiculous Trump. She couldn’t 't wait.

    Neither Mrs May or Mr Trump have ever done anything for their workers or the poor or the Ill. They have done only for the few. Never for the Many.

    They never wanted to. The two of them make you utterly Sick !

  8. Cinny 8
    25 May 2019 at 10:17 am

    Thanks ever so much for publishing this particular bullying story Stuff and leaving it open for comments. This shit is way too common, and any input helps those who are struggling with this kind of shite so very much.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/112908270/student-who-complained-about-bullying-told-to-stay-home-for-safety

    At the bullying meeting last week the principal told me that bullying had been an issue in every school he had worked at…. made me wonder if he was part of the problem. Spinning the zero bullying tolerance is just lip service to keep parents quiet.

    • Rosemary McDonald 8.1
      25 May 2019 at 11:19 am

      Cinny. Barely a day goes by without me expressing relief that my children's schooldays are well and truly over. The bullying thing was bad enough in the days before 24/7 social media exposure, so much worse nowadays when the bullies follow you home.

      Reading those comments below the Stuff article I am inclined to agree with those suggesting face to face contact with the parents/caregivers of the bullies. AND record/film these discussions. From experience it may turn out that the parents of the bullies are at their wits' end and their offspring are terrorising their own family as well. They may be desperate for help with dealing with their child's bullying behaviour, and being confronted by their child's victim's parents might just be the catalyst to effect change.

      The effects of being bullied at school can be long lasting and can lead to the bullied becoming the bully later on. And so the cycle continues. No wonder our youth suicide and self harm rates are so high.

      Back in the day we were told….'sticks and stones…' and to just walk away from confrontation, and these strategies do have a place and can be effective. But there are some perpetrators that simply can't pass up the opportunity to have a go at an individual they feel is weak or on the margins already. When I read that bullied kids are still being advised to leave the school my heart just about breaks. Same shit. Different day. Nothing changes.

      With your daughter Cinny….it is down to you and the rest of the whanau to always be there for her so that whatever else in going on in her life (and I do understand that school and her mates are more important than anything else at times) she knows where she really lives and where she is safe.

      This too shall pass. All the very best.

    • Anne 8.2
      25 May 2019 at 11:22 am

      Thanks for the link Cinny.

      It is appalling almost beyond comprehension. In a roundabout way the principle is telling the victim she has to take some of the blame. What for? Existing? And to send her home for 5 days (ostensibly for her safety) and not do likewise to the perpetrators only shows they don't have a clue how to handle the problem.

      As you know I went through an adult version of this dilemma and it went on, on and off, for years. The authorities did the same thing to me and I was left feeling like I was the one who was to blame for my predicament.

      It's time all teachers – and principles in particular – attend classes/seminars and are properly trained in handling bullying and other similar behaviours within the school precincts and nearby surroundings.

    • greywarshark 8.3
      25 May 2019 at 12:03 pm

      This is an example of today's principal under BoTs. These often are people who lead well ordered lives in which they are able to organise everything to their own satisfaction.

      Principals under the control of BoTs and who have been chosen by them? I think that's the case, are their pawns and must think about what the Board thinks first and foremost. (I noted that the Principal at the school you are dealing with Cinny wanted to ensure that further communication was directly to him.)

      In this era of tick-boxing and targets, there isn't too much room for latitude and working with problems. Having a clean desk and arena is what is noticed. Brush things to the side – it's SEP is a very strong inclination. Too much caring and experimenting is likely to backfire on the Principal.

      Note the attempts of one school to use a locked quiet room to place a belligerent or very stressed child with mental difficulties until they were manageable, and to allow those affected to get on with their expected teaching and learning. It was thumbs down for the school and the Principal.

      How can people carry out their required work in these circumstances? I have heard that techniques for handling bullying have been available for some time and why BoTs can't be instructed to learn about them and apply them as best practice , along with Principals and Teachers, I can't imagine.

      But I believe that this is down to the NZ government dropping the right to ensure that matters are properly handled in an informed and sensible and reasonable fashion under Tomorrow's Schools? and local decision-making. That has left the country's children to the reckons of elected people who have projected self-confidence, status and correctness to other parents, which is of limited value to estimating their knowledge, skills relating to education and biases.

    • Puckish Rogue 8.4
      25 May 2019 at 12:18 pm

      "Spinning the zero bullying tolerance is just lip service to keep parents quiet."

      I'll bet that's part of it plus I wouldn't mind betting that if the victim retaliates then they'd get in as much trouble, if not more, as the bully

      • Rosemary McDonald 8.4.1
        25 May 2019 at 12:24 pm

        if the victim retaliates then they'd get in as much trouble, if not more, as the bully

        Hmm…was a time, in an all boys school, when the victim fighting back and beating the living daylights out of the perpetrator was cause for congratulations and celebrations. One of the comments on the article Cinny posted says as much.

        Shakes head in despair.

        • Puckish Rogue 8.4.1.1
          25 May 2019 at 12:33 pm

          Sounds like in this environment those that want to follow the rules are punished more than those that don't, I feel bad for the kids in this situation

          • Rosemary McDonald 8.4.1.1.1
            25 May 2019 at 1:09 pm

            When I heard, I was horrified, and fully expected the victim who finally snapped to be in a wealth of trouble. By all accounts, (and the school was warned a meltdown was imminent due to constant harassment from the bully) it required more than two adults to part the pair. The family of the victim who finally snapped were not even informed of the massive fight and when they did speak with the DP were congratulated on having a son who was so physically strong. They (the school teachers) had no idea, as this kid was a nerdy academic who eschewed physical sports. The teachers assumed he was a weak wimp….just like the bully did.

            All very Lord of the Flies….do they still read that?

      • Anne 8.4.2
        25 May 2019 at 12:55 pm

        I wouldn't mind betting that if the victim retaliates then they'd get in as much trouble, if not more, as the bully.

        You're dead right there PR.

    • Sabine 8.5
      25 May 2019 at 12:21 pm

      Maybe have a chat with the Principal and talk to him about 'sexual harassment' rathen then bullying.

      Calling a girl a 'effn 4 letterword' because she does not want to date is sexual harassment text book. Yes, it falls under bullying, but maybe that is a bit more poignant.

      But yes, of course, let the harassers go to school and tell the victim to stay home and forgo education, its the easier and cheaper thing to do.

      And maybe tell the Principal if bullying is an issue at every school he worked then maybe rather then being a solution to the problem he is part of the problem?

      • Cinny 8.5.1
        26 May 2019 at 12:03 pm

        Cheers for the comments, input is very much appreciated.

        At the meeting when I mentioned it was sexual harrassment, he said that the term 'fckn slut' was common and part of the online gaming culture, just the way of the world apparently.

        What's even more messed up, did some online research last night and apparently if a girl rejects a boys sexual advances it's part of the bro code to call her a fkn slut. Far out, that broke my heart that some think like that, but it explains why things are like that are for her.

        Last night Sab, Miss 14 got a message from another boy at school via social media, who was telling her she must want to fck this guy and that guy, she was real upset. Showed me on her computer, asked her if she wanted me to reply, which she did, so I gave him a taste of how it feels, then we blocked him. Probably shouldn't have, but am so over it.

        Last time I trolled a boy who was harrassing her online, he left her alone at school and continues to do so, that was months ago. It's immature of me go down the small dick, stop wanking and get a life road, but it worked, and that's just as messed up.

        Sheez I'm so glad she's honest with me and relieved I've never gotten her a cellphone.

        Just cause a girl is pretty dosen't mean she is a free for all that wants to have sex with everything.

        Thanks media etc for portraying pretty females as easy for the men, well done for ruining lives with that narrative.

        Going to the police this week, I'm over it. I'd like the police to come to assembly and give them all a shake up about the consequences of such behaviour. Fingers crossed can make it happen.

        Woooooooah time for a cuppa lolz and a calm down moment, am a bit meows.

    • Molly 8.6
      26 May 2019 at 1:21 pm

      Cinny, I've tried googling but can't find it. An international study on bullying was in the media a few years ago, that singled out the approach that New Zealand takes towards bullying behaviour in schools. Perhaps someone else will be able to help out.

      Not only was NZ one of the highest countries in terms of prevalence, the approach used was considered to be less effective than others. Despite the myriad of bullying programmes in New Zealand, the practical implementation occurring within schools was to impress on the victim their need to acquire "resilience". The harm that was inflicted on victims, was considered almost to be learning opportunities to discover how to overcome obstacles. I don't know if this is the impression you will get from your daughter's school when resolving this situation, but at least you are able to act as advocate for her, and can ensure that any resolution will not place this additional burden on her.

      I am a supporter of programmes that address the bad decision making of immature minds at school, and attempt to make those decision makers see how they harm themselves as well as their targets when they act upon their impulses. But they must also ensure, that the targets of these bad decisions are not utilised primarily as teaching opportunities for bullies, and are supported and protected as they should be when in compulsory attendance at school.

      All the best to you and your daughter in this situation.

  10. A 10
    25 May 2019 at 12:04 pm

    Speaking of votes…how would you feel if the area you lived (eg. State) voided the vote you cast in favor of whomever the most popular candidate was? Weird stuff from the land of the free.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/15/politics/maine-popular-vote/index.html

    • Andre 10.1
      25 May 2019 at 12:18 pm

      That particular effort is prompted by the way the Electoral College has twice recently gone against the overall national will of the people and delivered the US the two worst presidents in recent history. So it's a matter of the residents of those states choosing to respect the national result over their own local result.

      The potentially much worse possibility is the way state legislatures could simply ignore their state's voters and choose whatever electors they want. There's a bunch of states where the Repugs have gerrymandered themselves a solid majority in their state legislatures, even though the state as a whole and the governor is a Democrat. It's a real possibility that the Repug legislatures in those states could overturn the national popular vote, their state's votes and the Electoral College to steal the election and give Dolt45 a second term.

      https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/05/13/2020-election-contested-donald-trump-226869

      • Macro 10.1.1
        25 May 2019 at 1:05 pm

        Yeah I'm buggered if I can understand how America can call itself a democracy with such an abysmal electoral system. Pelosi is absolutely correct – there has to be an overwhelming victory by the next Democrat Candidate for there to be any overturn of this Repugnant spineless lot.

  11. Bearded Git 11
    25 May 2019 at 12:20 pm

    Australian Election

    Labour plus Greens 43.5% 68 seats

    Coalition 41.8% 78 seats

    Thank goodness for MMP in NZ

    • Anne 11.1
      25 May 2019 at 1:04 pm

      So Labs plus Greens won 1.8% more in actual votes. In a country with a population around 20 million plus that is quite a sizable amount. It means the polls were in fact not that far out after all.

      So much for the media characterised landslide. 10 seats represents a comfortable majority but not a landslide. Damm those b****y Queensland neanderthals. 🙂

      • greywarshark 11.1.1
        25 May 2019 at 3:13 pm

        Keepers who go into tigers cages get killed, even though they have been looking after them for years. Tigers don't change their spots, and leopards their stripes! Labour should know by now that Queenslanders have their own idiotsyncracies.

      • bewildered 11.1.2
        25 May 2019 at 8:30 pm

        Ann this comment from John of Qld may help your understanding

        We have been repeatedly informed by Labor that one of the main reasons for the party’s loss was that its policy message was “too complex”. This barb was mostly directed at Queensland, where Labor suffered monumental losses […]

        As a proud Queenslander let me be crystal clear: Labor’s policies weren’t complex, they were just dumb as a box of rocks. The genius trio of Shorten, Bowen and Plibersek cooked up a toxic brew of Greens insanity, topped by taxation madness and then sprinkled it with a dusting of identity and envy politics, served by a dislikable opportunist. Thankfully, sanity prevailed – “John”, QLD. end

    • SPC 11.2
      25 May 2019 at 3:51 pm

      They use preferential voting so the candidate who gets 50% of the vote wins the seat.

      While Labour plus Greens is more than the Coalition there are other right wing parties, who make the Coalition their second pick.

    • swordfish 11.3
      25 May 2019 at 10:34 pm

      Yeah … but … Two Party Preferred:

      ALP ………………………………. 48.4%

      Coalition ………………………. 51.6%

      Not to mention ……. First Preference:

      ALP+Greens …………………………… 43.5%

      Coalition+Other Right Parties … 48.7%

  12. joe90 12
    25 May 2019 at 12:42 pm

    Pardoned war criminals would be loyal members of a Prince led Praetorian Guard.

    An attorney for Navy SEAL chief Edward "Eddie" Gallagher also represents the Trump Organization, CNN has learned, just days after reports surfaced indicating the President is considering pardoning Gallagher of charges that could constitute war crimes.

    Gallagher faces a slew of accusations connected to violations of military law while he was deployed to the Iraqi city of Mosul in 2017, including premeditated murder in the stabbing death of an injured person in Iraq. He has pleaded not guilty.

    Trump Organization lawyer Marc Mukasey started working on the case in recent months, according to sources familiar with the situation.

    Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik, a former business partner of Trump ally and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, also is helping with Gallagher's case. Kerik, who once served three years in federal prison for charges including tax fraud and lying to officials, was nominated as homeland security secretary by President George W. Bush but withdrew from consideration due to potential tax violations.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/24/politics/navy-seal-chief-eddie-gallagher-defense-team-trump/index.html

  14. Morrissey 14
    25 May 2019 at 1:01 pm

    Lisa Owen talking like David Seymour or Christine Spankin' Rankin. Why?

    Checkpoint, RNZ National, 5 p.m., Friday 24 May 2019

    Before the news is read, host Lisa Owen gives a quick menu for the upcoming show. She finishes with this:

    "….and who's the LOW-LIFE who stole a bunch of BONSAI trees nurtured over a period of forty years by their NINETY-THREE year old owner?"

    This is coarse, cheap, and sensationalist rhetoric, the sort of garbage you'd expect to hear spewing from Larry "Lackwit" Williams over on NewsnoreZzzzzzB.

    RNZ National continues to decline.

    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/is-it-possible-national-radio-is.html

    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/why-is-rnz-national-treating-james.html

    • greywarshark 14.1
      25 May 2019 at 3:08 pm

      I notice you put capitals on certain words that apparently had emphasis put on them. I have noticed that there is a jerky, and often shrill, outrage-seeking, dramatised presentation by Lisa Owen. And fast, slightly breathless, can't wait to tell you the next gossip approach from her. It grates, I expect mature delivery with emphasis put appropriately, not the sort of thing as if from a newbie from a journalism course. And saying mature doesn't mean slow and steady, it means measured and audible, pleasant and listenable, and not dropping the voice to inaudible when giving someone's name or designation, but not shouting either.

      I have thought FTTT about having street criers in special colourful outfits, (not bikinis or mankinis) during tourist times, who might call out the latest headlines and coming events in an audible way and that's when Lisa Owen's delivery would be good. They would also be good for street directions, local info, and perhaps a daily limerick to catch the funny bone. Idea? 💡

  15. mosa 15
    25 May 2019 at 2:21 pm

    Botswana allowing the hunting of elephants.

    We are intent on killing every last living thing on
    earth.

    Elephants themselves appear to know this. Facing excessive poaching and hunting elsewhere in Africa, they have limited their roaming in recent years to Botswana. As Elephants without Borders’ Dr Mike Chase said in 2016:

    https://www.thecanary.co/discovery/analysis-discovery/2019/05/23/hunters-are-given-the-green-light-to-kill-elephants-in-their-last-safe-haven-on-earth/

  16. Morrissey 16
    25 May 2019 at 2:28 pm

    What the F*&#IN' HELL is their country doing near our military bases?

    Nice illustration of the problem starts at the 1:10 mark…

  18. gsays 18
    25 May 2019 at 4:02 pm

    Having a tough time of it here.

    The local ED has had a few assaults recently on medical and clinical staff. One I have intimate knowledge of.

    A client had used a knife on themselves in a toilet cubicle and the police were called after restraining and cuffing him the police decided to uncuff him against the wishes of mental health crisis team and medical staff. The police intimated that hospital security could take it from here.

    When the police left he then assaulted a few members of staff and was threatening people.

    The police were called again it took 27 minutes for them to arrive when asked about releasing the client the police replied 'well you have your processes we have ours.'

    A senior nurse was offered stress leave. Leave she felt she couldn't take because of the very low staffing levels and a very junior skill mix.

    A couple of observations, the security at our hospitals are not up to keeping up with the demands that are created by the public. The police attitude has shifted since events in ChCh.

    These assaults are not making it into the public awareness.

    I understand there is a law proposed to make it an offence to assault ambulance personnel. Excellent, and extend it to hospital staff too.

    Anecdotally, tempers would be frayed because of wait times. This seems to be managed better now, a lot of the tensions come from folk with mental health issues in crisis e.g. shelter issues, meds etc.

    • McFlock 18.1
      25 May 2019 at 4:13 pm

      That's a tough job. I know of at least a couple of ED staff who take self defense training to keep themselves safe from patients and patient visitors.

      In general in security I encountered definite A and B team streaming – some were highly professional and would move into situations, others were just statues who would radio for support if you were lucky – otherwise their best bet at stopping a fight in front of them would be to have a heart attack and collapse on top of one of the fighting parties. Not always a distinction based on pay scale, but often was.

      • gsays 18.1.1
        25 May 2019 at 6:21 pm

        Cheers McF.

        The $ seems to discern what does or doesn't happen. The DHB sub contracts to a security company therefore paying the profit for that company's services. So perverse.

        Perhaps there is scope for well trained orderlies to perform the security role.

        You are so right about A and B stream folk.

        The day after ChCh, the security guard on duty had to be reminded that as the hospital was on high alert, the person with a CROSSBOW in the waiting room had to be asked to leave.

        The local DHB has told staff to be ready for belt tightening, as budgets…..

        What about the DHB telling the ministry there is not enough money in the coffers, increase yr budget.

    • Puckish Rogue 18.2
      25 May 2019 at 5:35 pm

      I'm assuming its part of this bill and its about time:

      http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1905/S00046/tougher-sentences-for-inmates-who-attack-corrections-staff.htm

      The Protection of First Responders and Prison Officers Bill, currently before Parliament, seeks to impose a mandatory minimum prison sentence of six months for anyone who deliberately injures a first responder or a corrections officer.

      “A provision will be added which will ensure that if a corrections officer is assaulted, extra time will be added onto the inmate’s original sentence, rather than being served concurrently” Mr Ball says.

      • gsays 18.2.1
        25 May 2019 at 6:25 pm

        I assume you are not against the principle of the bill extending to health care workers?

        I have to ask (not you, PM) where is the union in all this?

        • Puckish Rogue 18.2.1.1
          26 May 2019 at 6:55 am

          “I assume you are not against the principle of the bill extending to health care workers?”

          Personally I’d like to see this extended to everyone but yes health care workers absolutely

    • greywarshark 18.3
      25 May 2019 at 6:35 pm

      The police should know that hospital staff aren't just people, they are superhumans, but also vulnerable ones as a result. They should be hanging around and making sure that the hospital is coping not buggering off and leaving them to it.

      And as for hospitals having security systems, and police having their separate system that is a cop-out. Hospital systems are so that police aren't always being called out, to relieve them of much of the trivial stuff. Hospitals shouldn't be treated like private/business venues; and even private hospitals should be places that can ask for police attention to help people who are citizens.

      The bloody government is not making sure that so called public services are doing their job. They are trying to get the public or some other people to do what the public are expecting to be provided.

      This sort of thing makes me wild. Another instance is the poor firefighters are being asked to do ambulance stuff when they volunteer their time, and their employers also, and their health and families are put on the line, because government is so devious and is degrading our country because it wants to suck up and not tax properly the very community that demands the highest service.

    • Sabine 18.4
      25 May 2019 at 8:05 pm

      Friend of mine is a St. John medic. Her comments, assault is a regular thing. Sexual assault is not uncommon.

  19. Incognito 19
    25 May 2019 at 6:01 pm

    "It's not his big life goal. He [her 12-year old son] wants to be an orthopedic surgeon, so I'm perfectly fine with a little YouTubing on the side."

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/113001586/us-holiday-camps-teach-kids-to-become-youtube-stars

  20. Muttonbird 20
    25 May 2019 at 6:07 pm

    This was in reply to a comment greywarshark just posted but has disappeared:

    +1. Sam appears to have massive personal issues but it's not the job of the commenters here to counsel him.

    His diatribes make the place look ugly to genuine newcomers and I suspect he's doing this forum a lot of damage.

    He needs some boundaries.

    • Incognito 20.1
      25 May 2019 at 6:17 pm

      Sam is not the only one who needs boundaries.

      This site works based on robust debate and self-moderation. This means that all who participate here take a good look at their own contributions and their impact and self-regulate and, when necessary, self-moderate.

      • greywarshark 20.1.1
        25 May 2019 at 6:53 pm

        Sounds like consensus, that's a nice word to throw around but it has fishhooks. We need leadership, some authority in the background. Or doesn't it matter who comes here and says diddlysquat and it takes precious time from our own affairs to try and sort it out.

        I can see from the fewer number of careful commenters that some are tired of the blog. I don't see it as a playground. Do you? If you do I might seem like a bully. But I want to keep it so we can talk about how we can get out of a mess of decades high, not just squawk about things we don't like, cos we have developed a highly complex language.

        And a highly complex world and I wish it was as simple as birds have, but no. But we can lose it all, unless we really try. Do people care?

        • Incognito 20.1.1.1
          25 May 2019 at 9:37 pm

          Hi Grey, it is my personal view and has nothing to do with consensus as such.

          The “authority in the background” are the trustees and SYSOP of TS.

          The site is what we make of it, together. We can do with more authors; MickySavage is carrying (too) much of the load IMO.

          Because I care, I put time and effort into TS, not nearly as much as MS and Lynn, but we all live busy lives.

          As I said to Andre the other day, I’m flexing my Moderator muscles more but I don’t want to come down on people who stray like a ton of bricks.

          As with authors, commenters come and go but the ‘readership’ of TS is pretty steady and as far as I can tell, about 90% are returning visitors, so we (authors + commenters) must be doing something right.

    • greywarshark 20.2
      25 May 2019 at 6:20 pm

      Muttonbird I was doing some self restriction there. But this goes beyond Sam; there is too much freedom for multiple comments. An automatic guillotine required after three I thought. Get told to take a break, and the moderator only has to say, that's an equal playing field for all flamers, no aggro – a stop for a day, or week – I am willing for it to be applied to me if I go on like a loony for too long, in a flame war that is. Then the verbally loose can take turns to play in the sandpit, and get cleared out before we need to clean up.

  21. marty mars 21
    25 May 2019 at 6:26 pm

    Shaneo doesn't mind greasing if he has to.

    Cabinet Minister Shane Jones has apologised – for a second time – for calling farmers a bunch of bleaters.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/390459/shane-jones-apologises-again-for-moaning-farmers-comment

  22. greywarshark 22
    25 May 2019 at 6:43 pm

    Brian Tamaki may have good bones to be a star. This guy could be Brian with big dark glasses with real gold rims.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018696559/wise-guy-from-the-mafia-to-the-godfather-gianni-russo

    From Nine To Noon, 10:06 am on 24 May 2019

    Gianni Russo didn't need acting experience for the role he's best known for – Carlo Rizzi, the husband of Connie Corleone, in the iconic 1972 film The Godfather. That's because he began working in organized crime from the tender age of 13 as an errand boy for crime legend Frank Costello.

    • Sabine 23.1
      25 May 2019 at 7:34 pm

      they will use him to make it so.

      the US has been a a totalitarian regime (pretending to be a republic) for some time now, capitalism and being able to buy shit made it affordable for many, but with the arrival of the shart cannon it has been turned into an openly roque totalitarian regime and trump is now the hostage taker of the world. People voted to have shit shook up and the system collapse, well buckle in my friend cause the ride is gonna be rough.

      the old saying comes to mind:

      go to bed with dogs, wake up with fleas.

  25. mosa 25
    25 May 2019 at 7:40 pm

    Should the CIA stooge Guaido and his white supremacists grab power, it will be the 68th overthrow of a sovereign government by the United States, most of them democracies. A fire sale of Venezuela's utilities and mineral wealth will surely follow, along with the theft of the country's oil, as outlined by John Bolton.

    http://johnpilger.com/articles/the-war-on-venezuela-is-built-on-lies

  26. greywarshark 26
    25 May 2019 at 8:24 pm

    It's NZ Music Month. Radionz tonight to midnight all NZ music.

    Poi E – All about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evx3J-bzNRQ

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2016/07/poi-e-it-brought-a-community-together.html

    https://www.paroles-musique.com/eng/Patea_Maori_Club-Poi_E-lyrics,p07201396

    ♪ Poi E ♪ official lyrics

    (intro – solo a cappella: chanted by lead female kaea.)
    Te poi!
    patua taku poi patua kia rite
    pa para patua taku poi e!

    e rere ra e taku poi poro-titi
    ti-taha-taha ra whaka-raru-raru e
    poro-taka taka ra poro hurihuri mai
    rite tonu ki te ti-wai-waka e
    Ka pare pare ra pī-o-o-i-o-i a
    whaka-heke-heke e ki a kori kori e
    piki whaka-runga ra ma mui-nga mai a
    taku poi poro-titi taku poi e
    ***chorus***
    poi e whaka-tata mai
    poi e kaua he rerekē
    poi e kia piri mai ki au
    poi e-e awhi mai ra
    poi e tāpeka tia mai
    poi e o taua aroha
    poi e pai here tia ra

    poi… taku poi e!
    Repeat solo a cappella: chanted by lead female kaea.
    Patua taku poi patua kia rite
    pa para patua taku poi e!
    Verse & chorus repeated again, same sequence.
    Instrumental break, usually poi percussion.
    Then key change: repeat chorus on key change.
    At end of song:
    poi… taku poi e! 4 times
    Then everyone chants at song's end:
    rere atu taku poi ti ta' taha ra
    whakarunga whaka raro taku poi e!

  27. Morrissey 27
    25 May 2019 at 8:32 pm

    The War against Dissent continues

    Hilla Dayan discusses the right-wing Zionist group Im Tirtzu, and the scare campaign against leftist and progressive professors going on in Israel…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAg0c1VKbls

    Question No. 5: Gideon, you’ve been called “the most hated man in Israel.” Do you suffer from Shin Bet surveillance, in the way that Donald Woods was spied on in South Africa?
    GIDEON LEVY: It was the Independent that called me the most hated man in Israel. However, I am not the story. Yes, there have been some physical attacks. But we are still a liberal democracy for Jewish citizens. I was arrested once for entering the West Bank. My car was shot once, and we counted nine bullet marks. It was an armor-plated car, however. The Israeli regime is aiming now at NGOs and the Supreme Court. Their next target will be the media.

    Question No. 6: What can you tell us about the Knesset bill to ban the police filing corruption charges against any government officials?
    GIDEON LEVY: There are many cracks in Israel’s democracy, in particular that bill. There are many anti-democratic bills in the Israeli parliament now. Soon, even the notion that Israel is democratic for Jews will be gone. However, it still survives for the moment, and I enjoy full freedom to speak and write.

    —Gideon Levy spoke in Auckland on Dec. 3, 2017

    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2017/12/soon-even-notion-that-israel-is.html

  28. sumsuch 28
    25 May 2019 at 11:21 pm

    Glad to hear next census we the irreligious will be in the majority. Versus the politicisation of the religious for the Right in America. With b.a.s in my family I was a little alerted about that. But what do we make of Kiwiblog having 4 times the comments of demo-cratic NZ, which is really the only one?

  29. sumsuch 29
    25 May 2019 at 11:34 pm

    I think if we understood ourselves — the advantage the Scandies and Holland have over us — we'd all come out onto the streets for the poor, sick, weak and outcasts. Poisons everything not doing that.

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    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
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    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
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    7 days ago
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    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
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  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

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  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
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