10C and the rain has gone in Auckland. Checking the radar: Just some scattered showers around.
Last day of my much belated week off. Back to working in Singapore on Sunday for another hot (~33C), humid and damp never ending summer.
After that after spending a third of the year there, I’m going to have a NZ summer. Preferably in December before everyone goes on holiday and definitely before the February humidity arrives and I want to go back and huddle in an air-conditioned cave.
Iprent, enjoy the rest of your time before heading back to Singapore.
If this December is as warm as last years, it’s a fantastic time to have a Christmas break, good thinking on your part.
Last Dec the sea was so warm and the weather too, was taking the girls swimming at Kaiteriteri every day after school, not as many tourists around at the time, it was awesome. Hoping for the same this year.
Safe traveling Iprent and thanks ever so much for all the hard work you do on TS, it’s appreciated so much by so many 🙂
How else can you get around at present except by flying. There are a few places on container ships. Cruise ships may take short-distance passengers. If you are really up with the CO2 emissions, it would be good if you could look at what is being thought of round the world to take the place of planes, and be kinder to the environment. Keep Hummaus informed with a few paras and links about what you find. I and am sure others, wonder what is going on and don’t hear about the protoypes.
Your comments would be informative then and worthwhile. This blog is the place for putting in ideas and thinking. So I look forward to hearing more from you along those lines.
Bill Cosby gets 3-10 years in prison for drug-induced rape.
Granted it was effectively a representative charge, but a great outcome for one of the 1980s’ biggest media names.
Costly punitive measures, he has already had his reputation ruined and now he’s an old 81 and partially blind. A fulsome apology, some money reparation, and house arrest would be sufficient. The whole prison thing is the nation punishing its taxpayers in a mood of deterring others, and spending money on him that should be spent on young people not the nearly dead.
I disagree. This is a man who used his position of power and influence to sexually abuse young women. Some good ‘punitive measures’ sound just fine to me.
What do you care about prevention and appropriate spending on punishing a wrong doer? You want revenge, punishment and enjoy sending people off to jail. With that sort of attitude repeated across the country the ‘justice’ law and order budget can exceed the welfare support budget, and that would be okay ‘if it keeps our streets and our children safe’ etc.
At the end of the day conservatives don’t like people outside their own circle, and sometimes not even then.
People who commit serious crime, and Crosby’s crimes were serious, should be punished appropriately. ‘Appropriate’ punishment is preventative (it stops the perpetrator re-offending and sends a signal to other potential offenders), and also satisfies the natural human desire for justice. I care more society at large, than about your concerns for the criminal or for the cost of (his) incarceration.
And just to recap:
The accusations: More than 60 women accused him of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct, although the statute of limitations had by then expired in nearly all cases.
The charges: 3 counts of aggravated indecent assault.
Cosb’y criminal status: Classified as sexually violent predator. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby
Its “leaders sow chaos, death and destruction,” Trump told the gathering in the green-marbled hall. “They do not respect their neighbors or borders or the sovereign rights of nations.”
Anyone notice how Garner cut short the Pike River interview this morning?
The interviewee mentioned 3 reasons for starting the conveyor belt and stated one.
Then Garner shut him down.
Should be easy enough once the drift is entered all the way to check if the electric motors/conveyor belt was active when the second blast occurred.
But you have to keep the police away from any forensic fire examination as they could be in a position to scupper closer examination of any electric motors
It’s important to know what happened at Pike River. Still have the memories of the days around that time in my mind after it first happened, and kept thinking, why are they delaying rescuing all those people? Rescue is a dangerous activity, as seen by the Thai caves rescue, but obviously an important one in a civilised society where it is expected that people do their best to save others even if it is risky.
Ditto me @ savenz.
Especially since someone I was a friend of (a publicity manager for one the ‘arts’ organisations) actually went into the mine with her boyfriend at the time. That is before it all happened.
It haunts me at times. Her boyfriend was an electrical engineer I think. She’s now buggered off back to Britain where she probably has regrets in doing so.
Her boyfriend not only told her that “this is an accident waiting to happen”, but he tried to warn people of the state of that place. I think the guy also buggered off back to OZ where conditions were better after trying to push shit uphill.
I wonder to this day whether he has actually been in contact with those dealing with things as they stand today.
Who is Sam? The man or woman? Sam is a male name I thought! Why do we have different male and female names – because we like to know which gender we are talking to. There is a difference!
Did you never watch the TV series Bewitched when you were a young lad?
Starred a witch named Samantha, often shortened to Sam.
I’ve known a couple of girls who did the same thing.
(The name, not being a witch)
Ha – so the former commander British forces in Iraq. A professìnal soldier. A solid part of the establishment for decades. A real peacenik. Cut off by interviewer when he rambled on, using the, ‘but what I really want to talk about is…’ lines.
It sounds like you think if an interviewee ever goes off script then they should be switched off…
The question he was responding too when he was switched off was basically what’s stopping the British from attacking Syria. Rambled? He suggested maybe they pause for thought. Sounds wise I would have thought…
Really? Seems a bit unlikely. That dude above is a senior decorated British commander who has fought in many conflicts on the side of the British establishment including iraq and you think he’s not beholden to any outside interests?
Yes Duncan has turned a bit sour since Jacinda shunned him when she made her “state of the nation announcement last month andnused rthe social media to get the broadcast sent to us on Facebook.
My message to Duncan is to concentrate onthis stuff now that affects us all and pll Jacind into this issue as it affects us all going forward.
“The Oil compamies lobbyists have the ‘ear of the Government’ but they dont listen to all our reasoned arguements that the climate change is now heavily impacting on our lives as we speak.
East coast regions now have reached record levels of continuos rain and moisture that are already impacing on the main roads and worse still on our highway base levels, under our roads.
constant rain and moisture and is now weakening the regional roads.
We drive from Napier to Tauranga every month and now we see the roads are pysically sinking under the continious weight of many increasing very heavy truck freight vehicles.
Now we wintness that the main orad north called ‘highway two’ will now soon be a ‘goat track’ unless billions are spent placing reinforced concrete bases under them as the EU and Canada and the US has done.
Due to “climate change” everything now going forward with our transport will cost many more billions, becase of the mindless oil compnies deliberate lobbying of getting rid of rail freight in our regions.
So then oil companies can sell more fuel for trucks as trucks can use five times more oil based enegy to move every tonne every km.
Mindless ‘global world destoyers’ oil companies are.”
Yes I noticed that. Felt sorry for the guy who was obviously very emotional. However, suddenly Garner thought the news was far too important to run a couple of minutes late.
Garner, Soper, Hoskings. All middle aged men suffering incredible an case of envy and prolonged sour grapes at the effrontery of Jacinda to be a woman, younger than them, clearly fertile, and (what sticks in their misogynistic craws the most) way more powerful and relevant than they are.
I mean, read Soper’s piece in the Herald today. It is a model of baby boomer grumpy, mean spirited narcissism.
He seems very bitter that he has to jump through hoops while a baby gets accredited in hours. I mean, what sort of person regards a 3 month old baby as a rival?
He is such an old man. he clearly regards having a 38 year old prime minister with a new baby as a bewildering ongoing insult that mocks his decrepitude by their just being.
Bryce Edwards having a go at our PM just now on Radionz news for not being the most transparent as expected from this government. He does not seem to like Labour much or he has had sour cream in his morning coffee. What’s up with this wingher?
He’s gone the way of Chris Trotter, Phil Quin, and Nick Leggett.
Entrenched in male hierarchy structures they see no room for women’s representation in the new socially responsible movement. Feminism is dirty to them. It scares them (particularly Quin), so they fight alongside right-wingers.
The issue Bryce and the others are discussing are whether the PMs parliamentary answers square with the documents that Derek Handley released. It is nothing to do with the gender of the PM. Any PM is going to be scrutinised on an issue like that. It is simply part of the job and the public accountability that goes with it.
Though I do think people have undue expectations of what people can actually remember on the spot. I am sure successive PM’s (and Ministers) do not have photographic recall. And Parliamentary Question time is not a place where one can carefully deliberate, though obviously you can prepare.
Wayne, I wouldn’t want the PM to remember precisely these details. It would mean her mind was focused on small, likely trivial details as opposed to using their brain to conduct herself with the ease and savvy that Ms Ardern has shown in NY despite very little sleep. Commenting to Trump about his work in north Korea shows she knows too well about diplomacy and dare I say it how to handle a narcissist.
This ridiculous beat up of the Handley affair is a sign of real desperation by National and the msm.
The journalists focusing on this small time shit are showing the country up as a petty small time mud pool.
Its a sign of how f….ed off they must be about JA skill, abilities, and her iconic status.
I object to Chris Trotter being included with Phil Quin and Nick Leggett ( Nick Leggett is executive director of the New Zealand Alcohol Beverage Council.) is a very different beast also.
You make an unreasonable judgement there. Chris had great hopes for Jacinda Ardern but then wondered if she would capitalise on her popularity and pull Labour into left policies beyond the Third Way type that her advisers would recommend. He is feeling more doubtful as to outcomes. And I think explains his reasoning well, spending more time discussing his opinion than you care to do.
Am finding the fuss about rising fuel prices really interesting.
If it makes us all more mindful about our vehicle use, that’s not a bad thing.
What I would like to see is massive subsidies on electric vehicles, making them affordable to ALL. That’s what they are doing in China due to their insane levels of pollution.
There was talk this am about wacking a large charge on the working guys utes to pay for subsidies on electric cars .
It is hardly fear to use a behaviour tax to modify behaviour when it is not 100% avoidable .
Yes, we need some wrking guys who actually do physical things, and utes are probably their choice for adaptable purposes. I would put a tax on those hopped up high vehicles that so many use to get around in in the city, like driving behind and beside a moving wall.
We could start with a cubic centimeter tax anything over 3 litres is in unnecessary ,as the power output of a 2.8 is more than enough. Still it would be a political mine field.
Hmm maybe but I reckon they are on the wrong track with charging stations . They should have batteries that you swap at the garage . . Once we have a 100 000 Evs on the road charging will be a mess .
I didn’t consider swapping batteries as the current lithium ion batteries being used are rather heavy, but the technology for lithium ion batteries are making them lighter and not venting that offen as well as they did in the past. Heck the one’s we use with man pack wagtail radios 18 odd yrs ago in ET vented quite a few times especially during times when it got a bit close for comfort.
I have seen some of the newer lithium ion batteries used in the Darwin to Adelaide Solar Challenge, so the technology improving very fast. I see Audi are heading down the hydrogen path which from my local member for NT is looking quite promising.
There has been some experiments at making charging stations like parking meters in the streets and high rise car parks.
Anyway it’s an interesting where the technology is heading IRT EV’s and non fossil fuel vehicles.
Please note my Disclaimer I hold a number of shares in Lithium, Rare Earths, Copper, Cobolt and Graphite in Mining, component manufacturing for EV, Renewable Energy and Solar companies.
it would be cruel i think bwh to restrict large motors .On the odd occasion a v8 drives up my road an you can hear it coming for quite some time this beautiful deep deep purr ..whoever is driving never over does it just chops it down one as he starts to climb sounds bloody marvelous id love one if i could afford the petrol ..we all gonna die anyway arent we ?
Yep, the American auto industry has real expertise in doing ugly.
But the engineering makes it helluva useful for a tradie or farmer. 130km of electric range, plus dino-juice range extender for those very few occasions it’s needed, 7.2kW available from the battery for your tools wherever you are.
And even though I’m American by birth, my arse isn’t quite big enough to swallow that so I’ll pass, thanks for the offer.
Low income workers; who have to commute across Auckland because public transport is shit; will appreciate the incentive to think about how it just got harder to pay their other bills.
Just looking back I see BigGer has been known to assault a person in a fit of anger. Very remorseful apparently. No consequences to answer. Still sitting pretty. Why doesn’t the Shrew Adams have a go at him. He’s well known for getting away with all his aggressive bullying . Why? Does he still pass their HighStandards test. If so, why so?
I have long found it interesting that when government agencies look at benefit eligibility they search very hard for evidence that individuals live as couples under ‘one household’, but when government agencies look at income splitting they blanket treat couples under ‘one household’ as individuals.
I think it definitely would be voyeuristic at the case-manager level. They’d all have a laugh over beneficiaries’ tinder profiles and the ‘scumbags that solo mother has over to her place’.
But at the MSD level its all about revenue and finding ways to not pay. And finding ways to catch people out on the most minor and complicated relationship changes.
Carmel Sepuloni and Marama Davidson must reform this sector. It’ll be a slow process but I’m sure Labour and the Greens can do it.
I often wonder how many women (and children) there are out there, stuck in abusive relationships, claiming benefits that they aren’t entitled to, but need for, you know..survival, who are therefore unable to ever access the limited help that is potentially available to them should they ever decide to seek freedom and refuge from their abuser; due to the fear of being retrospectively prosecuted over their benefit status.
I suspect that this punitive regime ensures help is not available to our most vulnerable. As usual.
Wouldn’t it be great if women could be helped without the narrow confines of precious purity of untrammelled sex. I think I mean that purse-lipped moralistic people love having a go at women who like Mae West may ‘once have been Snow White but they drifted a little. Jenny Shipley was one. A local golf club didn’t want players in a couples contest if they weren’t married. People who lived together were not right and proper. That happened a few years ago.
Why not just encourage women to do a good job as single parents, get a good basic education, do some assertiveness training, get some part-time work topped up to a generous benefit, have decent medical help, have strategies for birth control so they have a family size they can manage, and then be given more hours so they can just about run their own lives earning their own money. I bet that it would not cost any or much, more money than the present debacle that is WINZ with people employed and encouraged to think of themselves as similar to concentration camp guards.
The women would get special deals, an annual holiday with the kids at the seaside or outdoor camp, afternoon tea with the group they were studying with when they pass their NCEA credits, and grants for emergencies. The kids would get good parenting and the mothers would get help with learning how to cope with children’s behaviour at different ages, and be confident and not look for some wretched poseur pretending to be a man, they would make better choices and half our crime would go within ten years. That would reflect a respect culture of NZ not the disdain culture at present.
Oh dear. Is this meant to be a serious comment?
It sounds like something from my Grandmothers era.
Lets interpret it.
“get a good basic education”. They need to know how to cook good nutritious meals, understand the way to get rid of stains and provide a little first aid for the kids.
“get some part-time work”. I suppose that means they should get first pick of the shelf packing jobs at New World, part time of course.
“an annual holiday with the kids at the seaside”. That would be New Zealand’s equivalent of the Butlins’ Holiday camps perhaps? I shudder to think that you want the modern version of “Strength through Joy”
alwyn, what rubbish. All off-topic, not what greywarshark intended: just the grotesque product of your somewhat diseased mind. Go away – we don’t need your sort here.
Have another swig of the turps.
Perhaps he would care to explain what he did mean then.
I wouldn’t rely on an idiot like you explaining anything.
Now take your own advice and
“Go away – we don’t need your sort here.”
And take your diseased mind with you.
It’s funny how the dominant party always gets to rwrite rules in their favour.
Years ago I was with an employer in one role and quit to take up another with the same employer. Had received the letter of offer but not signed it, because it was a quick turnover. All good, I had several grand in holiday pay to come out.
So HR informed me that because I’d quit, I wouldn’t get pay from that role (fair enough). But also, because they’d sent a job offer they’d treat my quit as a “transfer” and not pay out the holiday pay. So I was looking at no cash in the bank the next week unless I signed and delivered the acceptance letter that afternoon. Sigh.
“If this is right, then Esieh Lake becomes a kind of hybrid – and a worrying one.
It’s not a pure thermokarst lake, though some thermokarst appears to be forming around the lake’s expanding edges, tipping shoreline trees as the ice in the permafrost melts and the ground destabilises. But the thawing of permafrost at the lake bed might also have unleashed older fossil gases from a reserve that had been sealed – creating another kind of worrisome lake.”
I lived in Toronto Ontario for 17 yrs and between 1968 and 1997 I have witnessed first hand the massive changes in the permafrost and regional seasonal thinning of the icing levels on the St Lawerence seaway and all the lakes and tunda in many regions around the artic regions in that area.
Now many lakes and waterways have now melted after only a short period where the freezing of water in regiona was much longer from three to five months then.
So now travelling across any body of watye now in winter is becoming dangerous during periods previouisl;y considered safe.
Heavy ice used to be widesread then when they were usually iced over, but it is generally advised now not to attempt it if their is no clearance to drive on ice on waterways now.
dangers are now clearly of ice collasping and drowning occurs.
This kind of provocation should have come from the National Party instead of their endless parliamentary trivia.
I don’t believe in radical government for the sake of it. And I lived through the pain of policy prescriptions from Roger Douglas in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
But I want our Minister of Finance to drop the abstract nouns about equality and inclusiveness , and show a clear scenario that shows in $$ terms how the great majority of citizens will be better off.
Then precedes to ask the minister of employment industrial relations questions.
I am not 100% what Paula Bennett was trying to ask, I assume there is something in the wording of the Mana in Mahi framework which suggests that employers have more power then employees and wanted to use it to drive a wedge between the government in some way. I tried to google but didn’t find anything but press-release on the launch of the program
He, and all the other Ministers, certainly had an enormous amount of help from Mallard, didn’t they?
So much for Trevor displaying the “impartiality” that a Speaker is meant to.
Just watched video at 13.2. alwyn, please give an example of Speaker helping anyone at all in that excerpt? Or explain where you get your extraordinary claim from.
About time the government either has an extra charge on visas and airport arrivals for ACC and health related incidents to reimburse the hospitals. If people can afford to fly to NZ then they can afford a charge in case they need medical attention and are not insured or have preexisting condition so that they are not insured even if they do have private insurance but are not covered.
This is especially needed when we are in a tourist boom and our hospitals are overcrowded and needing more and more staff and facilities to cope with demand.
This is in one of the most expensive parts of Auckland – but very high density of overseas students and residents and migrants. It is not only the ‘poorer’ areas of Auckland that are facing ridiculous increases in demand in hospital emergency departments and it should not be up the hospitals to play detective and try and get the money from ineligible people.
The missing 53 million should be going on improving hospital services not providing services for people who are rich enough to travel to NZ but do a runner before paying for their hospital care.
A proactive government approach to ensure that those coming to NZ shores have put some money into a fund incase they need medical attention while here that is not covered by insurance.
Or even permanent residents who don’t actually work here and live else where but still get free medical care, and therefore should have a premium on their ticket too.
The workers in this country has to do it via taxes and ACC premiums, so not sure why those who are holidaying here can’t provide before they enter our shores, some provision through a set charge based on time staying here, for their own medical care should they need it.
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild Many thanks to The NRL.
Yes its a tuff Question our teacher shortage one solution to the shortage is one does not have to have a degree to teach mokopunan’s .Maybe a short course so one could access the teacher’s aid what ever you call them to see if they are suit able candidates 6 to 12 month’s long what ever’s suit able .
They could teach the primary grade’s one has to look outside the square to find solutions to a problem.
Duncan its cool that our business confidence is up we need our economy to grow for now to be able to afford changing our society into a carbon neutral Equal economy .
We have a Coalition Government that;s want’s Equality that mean’s treating our business owner with RESPECT everyone with respect .
Ka pai Shane Jones yes most of our log’s should be processed in Aoteraroa it’s good that you went to China to negotiate a better deal for our log’s.
I all ready know some thing on that subject I have been researching the subject some people I know are going to harvest a small forest soon.
As for supply well if some one did not change direction it would not be a problem we just have to replant the Harvested land .
Ka pai to all the people who are responsible for the reduction in Tarakihi and Hoki Quoter these species will bounce back as they have a short life cycle well I know hoki are fast growing Tarakihi will grow a bit slower it’s cool that we care about our fishes Tarakihi is my favorite fish.
Yes now is the New Generation’s nuclear moment we have to ALL embrace the Paris Climate agreement as we only have ONE Papatuanuku if we stuff her up know one is going to give the Mokopuna’s a new Papatuanuku. You know the old saying it’s easier to keep clean than it is to make a mess and try to Clean It up .
Mark the people have to be real careful about travel insurance on over sea journeys declare everything and make sure you are covered for all your ailments or stay home .Other Country’s are not like Aotearoa were we treat the Patient then look for the money. I think there need’s to be a cover charge to cover the losses we get from this humane ACT . I tell my offspring to make sure they got travel insurance .
It’s going to be a awesome concert in Tauranga a lot of classics singers .
Ka kite ano
Come on Duncan I am quite sure the Coalition Government has considered the OIL DRILLING ban very very carefully .
The topic on Human Caused Climate Change has been raging on for more than 20 years every one has been talking about the phenomenon around the world .
Aotearoa is in the best position in the World to lead our World’s society into a clean carbon neutral equal SOCIETY . P.S TE Wahine have to clean men mess up once again Kia kaha ka kite ano
I beleve the Beluga Whale is a measage to all HUMAN kind we have to clean OUR act up
The Beluga Whale is one of 4 species that menstruate the other’s are whale’s and human .
We are just caretakers for the next generations we dont own the EARTH she owns us we treat her with respect and she will return the Aroha 100 fold PLEASE have a UNITED WORLD SOCIETY to avoid a Climate change MESS link is below Ka kite ano
I have tried to avoid giving mike hosking a serve last time Eco did it was not a good out come for mike .
But one must stand up for one principles opinions .
I can see trump is pulling his string attached around’s the World’s media and mike has one attached to his ass.
Most times a head line story stay’s in the top ten for at least 2 to 3 day’s but the story on Jacinda’s UN speech is gone from all web site’s.
The neo librail’s capitalist will do any thing to win even if it destroys humanity they are to blind with greed to see OUR reality.
As for mike he is describing him self the snobby person he is.
He has dressed down to try and deceive the people but what comes out of his mouth shows his true colors.
In his world he would like all people that are a different culture to him to wash his car for free serve him breakfast in bed and call him sir . he would like neighbors like shonky and peter thiel and there main concern would be to change the local laws so they can get a helicopter pad ok by council and who cares about the rest of the people .
Mean while people are dying under the bridge. Ka kite ano link is below .
P.S the People were not laughing at America they are laughing at trump we are not stupid .
The sandflys had heaps of plays going down today I wonder why who’s pulling there strings I could guess .
Well here is my response to the sandfly’s and the people pulling there strings puppets
Ka kite ano P.S It all about the mokoupnas
I can trace a lot of the Worlds problem’s back to lobbyist they have huge budgets of Billion’s that has string’s going right around the World .
Controlling our Society to benefit the wealthy over every other creature on the Earth .
This lobbing is just a nice word for bribery using these nice word’s is just a cover so the majority let the % 00.1 use there billions to bribe our politician this is corruption is been reported in our new’s being displayed right in front of the % 99 eye’s .
This is why were are still arguing about climate change this is why there are still stupid WAR’S raging on around the World this is why we see mokopuna’s and people starving to death this is why we see our forest and wild life being exploited so much that heaps of them are going extinct this is why the % 00.1 have over half the World’s wealth .
Most of the sin’s around the World can be traced to this rich man’s bribery using his money or any thing he can to cheat his way into more money than anyone could spend in a life time .
WE need to come up with ideas to stop this bribery a poor man would be cast into jail if he behaved like the %00.1 I have 3 links below Ka kite ano
Here’s a good educational video on net flicks Truth & Power Black Live’s Matter’s
Kia Kaha people Eco know what its like to be hounded by the state for no credible reason. Ka kite ano I have a youtube clip of a few video’s but one can watch the whole series on net flicks
Hit the jack pot Stingray is a tool that can scan phone’s or any device that uses our cell phone tower’s Truth & Power backs up a lot of claims Eco Maori has made about the internet and cell phones I have a link on the Stingray device ka kite ano
We have to stop the neo liberals capitalist and stop fighting WAR’S we need to turn all our focuses on combating climate change I have a link that back’s my claim about life in OUR Star systems .
There has definitely been life out there but probably not in our time I.E They have existed and gone extinct before they had the technology to leave the toilet that they turned there planet into because of greedy cheating beings that’s reality if one think’s about it you will get it link below Ka kite ano’
Looks like net flicks pulled the video series Truth and Power the sandfly’s a don’t want anybody to know there tricks and hacks well you will find some videos on youtube of truth and power Ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub trump is the leader of this corrupt world Tova .
Kavanaughs lawyer doe not believe he is innocent Eco can see that
There you go the neo liberals national don’t like some ones star power they are using all there dirty trick’s to try and dent the Mana of OUR Coalition Government but know it won’t work.
It’s good that the hoki quote has been cut and tarakihi is caught with hoki as well so the lowering of that fish Quoter is good to .
Man that’s a crying shame to see dead eels in that river they should be given a huge fine.
The seal slapped the man in the face in Kai koura octopus is Tangaroa creatures at there best.
The magpies dive bomb everyone when they are nesting so give them heaps of clearance and respect one of our most dangerous animal lol.
The Dame view’s about kevin spacey wrongs are out dated wahine are to be respected she come’s from a error were if a wahine was beat in the streets there were know laws to charge the man with or to stop the abuse don’t give him the victims hat people have to know that behavior is not on in the year 2018 Mana Wahine
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild Mull’s and Jame’s yes I have already thanked the NRL .
You guy are correct that Tui is a good role model for te mokopuna
James did you let the weedeater lose on your hair still got the mullet .
Josh you going to put the boots back on Mull’s can not shut James up about the phenomenon in Waikato at the minute .
Ka kite ano has it been getting hot in the studio
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Much like 2023, many climate and energy records were broken in 2024. It was Earth’s hottest year on record by a wide margin, breaking the previous record that was set just last year by an even larger margin. Human-caused climate-warming pollution and ...
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...
Ooh, baby (ooh, baby)It's making me crazy (it's making me crazy)Every time I look around (look around)Every time I look around (every time I look around)Every time I look aroundIt's in my faceSongwriters: Alan Leo Jansson / Paul Lawrence L. Fuemana.Today, I’ll be talking about rich, middle-aged men who’ve made ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Hi,The thing that stood out at me while shopping for Christmas presents in New Zealand was how hard it was to avoid Zuru products. Toy manufacturer Zuru is a bit like Netflix, in that it has so much data on what people want they can flood the market with so ...
And when a child is born into this worldIt has no conceptOf the tone of skin it's living inAnd there's a million voicesAnd there's a million voicesTo tell you what you should be thinkingSong by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.The moment you see that face, you can hear her voice; ...
While we may not always have quality political leadership, a couple of recently published autobiographies indicate sometimes we strike it lucky. When ranking our prime ministers, retired professor of history Erik Olssen commented that ‘neither Holland nor Nash was especially effective as prime minister – even his private secretary thought ...
Baby, be the class clownI'll be the beauty queen in tearsIt's a new art form, showin' people how little we care (yeah)We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fearLet's go down to the tennis court and talk it up like, yeah (yeah)Songwriters: Joel Little / Ella Yelich O ...
Open access notables Why Misinformation Must Not Be Ignored, Ecker et al., American Psychologist:Recent academic debate has seen the emergence of the claim that misinformation is not a significant societal problem. We argue that the arguments used to support this minimizing position are flawed, particularly if interpreted (e.g., by policymakers or the public) as suggesting ...
What I’ve Been Doing: I buried a close family member.What I’ve Been Watching: Andor, Jack Reacher, Xmas movies.What I’ve Been Reflecting On: The Usefulness of Writing and the Worthiness of Doing So — especially as things become more transparent on their own.I also hate competing on any day, and if ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by John Wihbey. A version of this article first appeared on Yale Climate Connections on Nov. 11, 2008. (Image credits: The White House, Jonathan Cutrer / CC BY 2.0; President Jimmy Carter, Trikosko/Library of Congress; Solar dedication, Bill Fitz-Patrick / Jimmy Carter Library; Solar ...
Morena folks,We’re having a good break, recharging the batteries. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday period. I’m not feeling terribly inspired by much at the moment, I’m afraid—not from a writing point of view, anyway.So, today, we’re travelling back in time. You’ll have to imagine the wavy lines and sci-fi sound ...
Completed reads for 2024: Oration on the Dignity of Man, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola A Platonic Discourse Upon Love, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola Of Being and Unity, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola The Life of Pico della Mirandola, by Giovanni Francesco Pico Three Letters Written by Pico ...
Welcome to 2025, Aotearoa. Well… what can one really say? 2024 was a story of a bad beginning, an infernal middle and an indescribably farcical end. But to chart a course for a real future, it does pay to know where we’ve been… so we know where we need ...
Welcome to the official half-way point of the 2020s. Anyway, as per my New Years tradition, here’s where A Phuulish Fellow’s blog traffic came from in 2024: United States United Kingdom New Zealand Canada Sweden Australia Germany Spain Brazil Finland The top four are the same as 2023, ...
Completed reads for December: Be A Wolf!, by Brian Strickland The Magic Flute [libretto], by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder The Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Owl’s Ear, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Waters of Death, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Spider, by Hanns Heinz Ewers Who Knows?, by Guy de Maupassant ...
Well, it’s the last day of the year, so it’s time for a quick wrap-up of the most important things that happened in 2024 for urbanism and transport in our city. A huge thank you to everyone who has visited the blog and supported us in our mission to make ...
Leave your office, run past your funeralLeave your home, car, leave your pulpitJoin us in the streets where weJoin us in the streets where weDon't belong, don't belongHere under the starsThrowing light…Song: Jeffery BuckleyToday, I’ll discuss the standout politicians of the last 12 months. Each party will receive three awards, ...
Hi,A lot’s happened this year in the world of Webworm, and as 2024 comes to an end I thought I’d look back at a few of the things that popped. Maybe you missed them, or you might want to revisit some of these essay and podcast episodes over your break ...
Hi,I wanted to share this piece by film editor Dan Kircher about what cinema has been up to in 2024.Dan edited my documentary Mister Organ, as well as this year’s excellent crowd-pleasing Bookworm.Dan adores movies. He gets the language of cinema, he knows what he loves, and writes accordingly. And ...
Without delving into personal details but in order to give readers a sense of the year that was, I thought I would offer the study in contrasts that are Xmas 2023 and Xmas 2024: Xmas 2023 in Starship Children’s Hospital (after third of four surgeries). Even opening presents was an ...
Heavy disclaimer: Alpha/beta/omega dynamics is a popular trope that’s used in a wide range of stories and my thoughts on it do not apply to all cases. I’m most familiar with it through the lens of male-focused fanfic, typically m/m but sometimes also featuring m/f and that’s the situation I’m ...
Hi,Webworm has been pretty heavy this year — mainly because the world is pretty heavy. But as we sprint (or limp, you choose) through the final days of 2024, I wanted to keep Webworm a little lighter.So today I wanted to look at one of the biggest and weirdest elements ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 22, 2024 thru Sat, December 28, 2024. This week's roundup is the second one published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, ...
We’ll have a climate change ChristmasFrom now until foreverWarming our hearts and mindsAnd planet all togetherSpirits high and oceans higherChestnuts roast on wildfiresIf coal is on your wishlistMerry Climate Change ChristmasSong by Ian McConnellReindeer emissions are not something I’d thought about in terms of climate change. I guess some significant ...
KP continues to putt-putt along as a tiny niche blog that offers a NZ perspective on international affairs with a few observations about NZ domestic politics thrown in. In 2024 there was also some personal posts given that my son was in the last four months of a nine month ...
I can see very wellThere's a boat on the reef with a broken backAnd I can see it very wellThere's a joke and I know it very wellIt's one of those that I told you long agoTake my word I'm a madman, don't you knowSongwriters: Bernie Taupin / Elton JohnIt ...
.Acknowledgement: Tim PrebbleThanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..With each passing day of bad headlines, squandering tax revenue to enrich the rich, deep cuts to our social services and a government struggling to keep the lipstick on its neo-liberal pig ...
This is from the 36th Parallel social media account (as brief food for thought). We know that Trump is ahistorical at best but he seems to think that he is Teddy Roosevelt and can use the threat of invoking the Monroe Doctrine and “Big Stick” gunboat diplomacy against Panama and ...
Don't you cry tonightI still love you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightDon't you cry tonightThere's a heaven above you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightSong: Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so”, said possibly the greatest philosopher ever to walk this earth, Douglas Adams.We have entered the ...
Because you're magicYou're magic people to meSong: Dave Para/Molly Para.Morena all, I hope you had a good day yesterday, however you spent it. Today, a few words about our celebration and a look at the various messages from our politicians.A Rockel XmasChristmas morning was spent with the five of us ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). 2024 has been a series of bad news for climate change. From scorching global temperatures leading to devastating ...
Ríu Ríu ChíuRíu Ríu Chíu is a Spanish Christmas song from the 16th Century. The traditional carol would likely have passed unnoticed by the English-speaking world had the made-for-television American band The Monkees not performed the song as part of their special Christmas show back in 1967. The show's ...
Dunedin’s summer thus far has been warm and humid… and it looks like we’re in for a grey Christmas. But it is now officially Christmas Day in this time zone, so never mind. This year, I’ve stumbled across an Old English version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: It has a population of just under 3.5 million inhabitants, produces nearly 550,000 tons of beef per year, and boasts a glorious soccer reputation with two World ...
Morena all,In my paywalled newsletter yesterday, I signed off for Christmas and wished readers well, but I thought I’d send everyone a quick note this morning.This hasn’t been a good year for our small country. The divisions caused by the Treaty Principles Bill, the cuts to our public sector, increased ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30 am include:Kāinga Ora is quietly planning to sell over $1 billion worth of state-owned land under 300 state homes in Auckland’s wealthiest suburbs, including around Bastion Point, to give the Government more fiscal room to pay for tax cuts and reduce borrowing.A ...
Hi,It’s my birthday on Christmas Day, and I have a favour to ask.A birthday wish.I would love you to share one Webworm story you’ve liked this year.The simple fact is: apart from paying for a Webworm membership (thank you!), sharing and telling others about this place is the most important ...
The last few days have been a bit too much of a whirl for me to manage a fresh edition each day. It's been that kind of year. Hope you don't mind.I’ve been coming around to thinking that it doesn't really matter if you don't have something to say every ...
The worms will live in every hostIt's hard to pick which one they eat the mostThe horrible people, the horrible peopleIt's as anatomic as the size of your steepleCapitalism has made it this wayOld-fashioned fascism will take it awaySongwriter: Twiggy Ramirez Read more ...
Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this government assumed ...
Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. Māori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. “I know ...
From 1 January 2025, first-time tertiary learners will have access to a new Fees Free entitlement of up to $12,000 for their final year of provider-based study or final two years of work-based learning, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Targeting funding to the final year of study ...
“As we head into one of the busiest times of the year for Police, and family violence and sexual violence response services, it’s a good time to remind everyone what to do if they experience violence or are worried about others,” Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rossana Ruggeri, Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow, The University of Queensland An illustration of the death of a massive star.NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Dana Berry By looking at light from distant exploding stars called supernovas, in 1998 astronomers discovered the universe isn’t ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Clark, Professor in Public History, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock/Nils Versemann From the Torres Strait to Tasmania, and from the east coast to the west, beach shacks are an iconic part of Australian coastal history. Beach shacks have a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Davis, Industry Professor of Emerging Technology and Co-Director, Human Technology Institute, University of Technology Sydney Oselote/Shutterstock In November 2023, the estates of two now-deceased policyholders sued the US health insurer, United Healthcare, for deploying what they allege is a flawed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caroline Spry, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Department of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University Earth ring on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country, near Sunbury, Victoria.David Mullins On the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, there is a series of large rings which rise mysteriously out ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Message, Professor of Public Humanities and Director of the ANU Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University National Museum of Australia Pompeii: Inside a Lost City at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra depicts life in the flourishing Roman city ...
Complaints have poured in from people who say they couldn't get their submission in because of problems with the website, and parties are weighing in. ...
The chorus of praise for Turia underscores the fact that TPM does not represent any real alternative to the political establishment. It is a right-wing party that for the past two decades has represented the interests of indigenous capitalists, who ...
“This is a massive project,” says Stephen Horn, of a plan to eradicate introduced pests from Auckland Island/Maukahuka. The manager of the Department of Conservation’s national eradication team says that’s something a feasibility project, published in 2021, unearthed – “that the scale is enormous, and it’s complex”.The scale and complexity ...
Opinion: Let’s face it. Sitting on a beach or by the lake with a dry text on economic theory is hardly what you would describe as compelling summer reading, perhaps except if you happen to be the Reserve Bank governor!For the rest of us, economics is probably off our holiday ...
Analysis: According to three vital global metrics for ocean temperatures, 2024 was the warmest year on record. The coincidence of all three global metrics being highest on record is unusual. The last time was 2016. The three metrics are the global mean surface temperature (GMST), the global sea surface temperatures (SST), ...
Summer reissue: Simon Palenski journeys home to fossick through Ōtautahi’s secondhand bookshops offerings. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.After finishing undergraduate studies and ...
Summer reissue: Checkered Flag director Natalie Wilson on her lifelong love of motorsport, and the allure of Pukekohe Park Raceway. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: Alex Casey returns to a New Zealand classic on its 30th birthday. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.First published October 14, ...
Summer reissue: As her family home goes on the market, Lucy Black reflects on a childhood full of books, libraries and reading.The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to ...
Summer reissue: The CEOs of two major New Zealand banks say Facebook is rife with fraud – and that Meta is too busy making money from scam ads to try and stop them. Duncan Greive reports. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allen Cheng, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Monash University Five years on from the first news of COVID, recent reports of an obscure respiratory virus in China may understandably raise concerns. Chinese authorities first issued warnings about human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in 2023, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Jean Baker, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Monash University Nominations galore, but no wins for Aussiewood at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday. Formerly, the Golden Globes were voted on by the nonprofit Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which consisted of about ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dirk Matten, Professor of Sustainability, Hewlett-Packard Chair in Corporate Social Responsibility, Schulich School of Business, York University, Canada The second season of Squid Game, Netflix’s most-watched show of all time, has been eagerly awaited by many. The first season featured players participating ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University The Oxford English Dictionary defines a gaffe as a “blunder, an instance of clumsy stupidity, a ‘faux pas’.” It evokes a sense of triviality rather than high ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, The University of Melbourne It’s the height of summer and many Australians have already experienced heatwaves, heavy rains and even significant bushfires over the Christmas and New ...
Israelis were frustrated that captives remained in Gaza and surprised that, in recent weeks, Israeli military activity there had intensified, Liel said. ‘Surprised’ over military intensity“Generally speaking, Israelis are quite surprised that the intensity of the military activity is growing. I think the general feeling here was a month or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University The Oxford English Dictionary defines a gaffe as a “blunder, an instance of clumsy stupidity, a ‘faux pas’.” It evokes a sense of triviality rather than high ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent, French Pacific desk New Caledonia’s territorial government has been toppled on Christmas Eve, due to a mass resignation within its ranks. Environment and Sustainable Development Minister Jérémie Katidjo-Monnier said he was resigning from the cabinet, with immediate effect. Katidjo-Monnier was the sole representative from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clive Phillips, Former Foundation Professor of Animal Welfare, University of Queensland, Curtin University sw_photo/Shutterstock You might think dairy farmers would be enjoying boom times. The dairy industry has been expanding worldwide in response to increasing demand, mainly in the emerging markets ...
RNZ Pacific Honolulu police have announced the death of a fourth person due to the New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in Aliamanu, Hawai’i — a 3-year-old boy who has died in hospital. Six people with severe burn injuries from the explosion were flown to Arizona on the US mainland for ...
Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: “ACC is funded by levies. Taxpayers shouldn’t be picking up the bill for hardened criminals who get themselves hurt whilst out committing crimes." ...
Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: “Taxpayers don’t pay bureaucrats to sit watching adult videos, so why does it keep happening?” ...
A bright and cheerful morning to you all.
10C and the rain has gone in Auckland. Checking the radar: Just some scattered showers around.
Last day of my much belated week off. Back to working in Singapore on Sunday for another hot (~33C), humid and damp never ending summer.
After that after spending a third of the year there, I’m going to have a NZ summer. Preferably in December before everyone goes on holiday and definitely before the February humidity arrives and I want to go back and huddle in an air-conditioned cave.
Jeepers sounds busy. Maybe consider having a holiday down south over Chrissy. All the best for the next phase.
Iprent, enjoy the rest of your time before heading back to Singapore.
If this December is as warm as last years, it’s a fantastic time to have a Christmas break, good thinking on your part.
Last Dec the sea was so warm and the weather too, was taking the girls swimming at Kaiteriteri every day after school, not as many tourists around at the time, it was awesome. Hoping for the same this year.
Safe traveling Iprent and thanks ever so much for all the hard work you do on TS, it’s appreciated so much by so many 🙂
+100
Just watch out for the CO2 emissions with all that flying.
How else can you get around at present except by flying. There are a few places on container ships. Cruise ships may take short-distance passengers. If you are really up with the CO2 emissions, it would be good if you could look at what is being thought of round the world to take the place of planes, and be kinder to the environment. Keep Hummaus informed with a few paras and links about what you find. I and am sure others, wonder what is going on and don’t hear about the protoypes.
Your comments would be informative then and worthwhile. This blog is the place for putting in ideas and thinking. So I look forward to hearing more from you along those lines.
Have a great break.
Bill Cosby gets 3-10 years in prison for drug-induced rape.
Granted it was effectively a representative charge, but a great outcome for one of the 1980s’ biggest media names.
Sorry, but 3-10 years for potentially ruining a bunch of women’s lives is not my idea of justice.
Yes not a great outcome for anyone imo.
Costly punitive measures, he has already had his reputation ruined and now he’s an old 81 and partially blind. A fulsome apology, some money reparation, and house arrest would be sufficient. The whole prison thing is the nation punishing its taxpayers in a mood of deterring others, and spending money on him that should be spent on young people not the nearly dead.
I disagree. This is a man who used his position of power and influence to sexually abuse young women. Some good ‘punitive measures’ sound just fine to me.
What do you care about prevention and appropriate spending on punishing a wrong doer? You want revenge, punishment and enjoy sending people off to jail. With that sort of attitude repeated across the country the ‘justice’ law and order budget can exceed the welfare support budget, and that would be okay ‘if it keeps our streets and our children safe’ etc.
At the end of the day conservatives don’t like people outside their own circle, and sometimes not even then.
People who commit serious crime, and Crosby’s crimes were serious, should be punished appropriately. ‘Appropriate’ punishment is preventative (it stops the perpetrator re-offending and sends a signal to other potential offenders), and also satisfies the natural human desire for justice. I care more society at large, than about your concerns for the criminal or for the cost of (his) incarceration.
And just to recap:
The accusations: More than 60 women accused him of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct, although the statute of limitations had by then expired in nearly all cases.
The charges: 3 counts of aggravated indecent assault.
Cosb’y criminal status: Classified as sexually violent predator.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby
President Trump gets laughed at by the UN General Assembly, and somehow it feels so right:
Trump’s speech
Its “leaders sow chaos, death and destruction,” Trump told the gathering in the green-marbled hall. “They do not respect their neighbors or borders or the sovereign rights of nations.”
Thought he was describing the U.S. , not Iran
Touche’
In a lot of respects towards the UN he’s not wrong plus it sounded less like an address to the UN and more to his voter base
Yep the best response to the overblown overcomb – laughter. Good one world leaders.
Anyone notice how Garner cut short the Pike River interview this morning?
The interviewee mentioned 3 reasons for starting the conveyor belt and stated one.
Then Garner shut him down.
Missed it, will have to check that out.
Something has always been way off about Pike, this new news is very chilling to say the least.
Gower has been following that in some detail
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/09/exclusive-did-a-conveyor-belt-cause-the-deadly-pike-river-blast.html
Should be easy enough once the drift is entered all the way to check if the electric motors/conveyor belt was active when the second blast occurred.
But you have to keep the police away from any forensic fire examination as they could be in a position to scupper closer examination of any electric motors
Dont forget the compelling post by the Late Helen Kelly based on testimony of a PR mine survivor
https://thestandard.org.nz/no-one-was-there-to-meet-them-no-one-went-to-help-them/
It’s important to know what happened at Pike River. Still have the memories of the days around that time in my mind after it first happened, and kept thinking, why are they delaying rescuing all those people? Rescue is a dangerous activity, as seen by the Thai caves rescue, but obviously an important one in a civilised society where it is expected that people do their best to save others even if it is risky.
Ditto me @ savenz.
Especially since someone I was a friend of (a publicity manager for one the ‘arts’ organisations) actually went into the mine with her boyfriend at the time. That is before it all happened.
It haunts me at times. Her boyfriend was an electrical engineer I think. She’s now buggered off back to Britain where she probably has regrets in doing so.
Her boyfriend not only told her that “this is an accident waiting to happen”, but he tried to warn people of the state of that place. I think the guy also buggered off back to OZ where conditions were better after trying to push shit uphill.
I wonder to this day whether he has actually been in contact with those dealing with things as they stand today.
Did not see it Ed, nor would I want to see the odious Garner at this hour. Perhaps it’s just the way it goes for truth tellers.. ask General Shaw,
Who is Sam? The man or woman? Sam is a male name I thought! Why do we have different male and female names – because we like to know which gender we are talking to. There is a difference!
Did you never watch the TV series Bewitched when you were a young lad?
Starred a witch named Samantha, often shortened to Sam.
I’ve known a couple of girls who did the same thing.
(The name, not being a witch)
heh.
Ashley, Dylan, Morgan and Riley might differ in that view 😉
Ha – so the former commander British forces in Iraq. A professìnal soldier. A solid part of the establishment for decades. A real peacenik. Cut off by interviewer when he rambled on, using the, ‘but what I really want to talk about is…’ lines.
Maybe he’s an crisis actor lol
It sounds like you think if an interviewee ever goes off script then they should be switched off…
The question he was responding too when he was switched off was basically what’s stopping the British from attacking Syria. Rambled? He suggested maybe they pause for thought. Sounds wise I would have thought…
Why do you believe him and not others? Why is he a truth teller and all the others aren’t?
Many of the people Ed and I talk about are not beholden to outside interests.
Really? Seems a bit unlikely. That dude above is a senior decorated British commander who has fought in many conflicts on the side of the British establishment including iraq and you think he’s not beholden to any outside interests?
I can’t find a link yet, have had a good look.
Can’t even find a link to watch the full episode of this mornings AM Show via ‘threelive’. Will keep looking
I rarely get past dunky’s rude haircut eddy. You say he talks as well?
Yes Duncan has turned a bit sour since Jacinda shunned him when she made her “state of the nation announcement last month andnused rthe social media to get the broadcast sent to us on Facebook.
My message to Duncan is to concentrate onthis stuff now that affects us all and pll Jacind into this issue as it affects us all going forward.
“The Oil compamies lobbyists have the ‘ear of the Government’ but they dont listen to all our reasoned arguements that the climate change is now heavily impacting on our lives as we speak.
East coast regions now have reached record levels of continuos rain and moisture that are already impacing on the main roads and worse still on our highway base levels, under our roads.
constant rain and moisture and is now weakening the regional roads.
We drive from Napier to Tauranga every month and now we see the roads are pysically sinking under the continious weight of many increasing very heavy truck freight vehicles.
Now we wintness that the main orad north called ‘highway two’ will now soon be a ‘goat track’ unless billions are spent placing reinforced concrete bases under them as the EU and Canada and the US has done.
Due to “climate change” everything now going forward with our transport will cost many more billions, becase of the mindless oil compnies deliberate lobbying of getting rid of rail freight in our regions.
So then oil companies can sell more fuel for trucks as trucks can use five times more oil based enegy to move every tonne every km.
Mindless ‘global world destoyers’ oil companies are.”
No he didn’t. He was very sympathetic. They do run to a time schedule you know.
Yes I noticed that. Felt sorry for the guy who was obviously very emotional. However, suddenly Garner thought the news was far too important to run a couple of minutes late.
Garner, Soper, Hoskings. All middle aged men suffering incredible an case of envy and prolonged sour grapes at the effrontery of Jacinda to be a woman, younger than them, clearly fertile, and (what sticks in their misogynistic craws the most) way more powerful and relevant than they are.
I mean, read Soper’s piece in the Herald today. It is a model of baby boomer grumpy, mean spirited narcissism.
He seems very bitter that he has to jump through hoops while a baby gets accredited in hours. I mean, what sort of person regards a 3 month old baby as a rival?
He is such an old man. he clearly regards having a 38 year old prime minister with a new baby as a bewildering ongoing insult that mocks his decrepitude by their just being.
“It is a model of baby boomer grumpy, mean spirited narcissism.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12130535
I thought it was quite positive
He gets paid to write that drivel?
She might not be answering their emails sanky.
Soper needs to climb back into his cave and start scribbling on the walls ?
Bryce Edwards having a go at our PM just now on Radionz news for not being the most transparent as expected from this government. He does not seem to like Labour much or he has had sour cream in his morning coffee. What’s up with this wingher?
He’s gone the way of Chris Trotter, Phil Quin, and Nick Leggett.
Entrenched in male hierarchy structures they see no room for women’s representation in the new socially responsible movement. Feminism is dirty to them. It scares them (particularly Quin), so they fight alongside right-wingers.
The issue Bryce and the others are discussing are whether the PMs parliamentary answers square with the documents that Derek Handley released. It is nothing to do with the gender of the PM. Any PM is going to be scrutinised on an issue like that. It is simply part of the job and the public accountability that goes with it.
Though I do think people have undue expectations of what people can actually remember on the spot. I am sure successive PM’s (and Ministers) do not have photographic recall. And Parliamentary Question time is not a place where one can carefully deliberate, though obviously you can prepare.
Wayne, I wouldn’t want the PM to remember precisely these details. It would mean her mind was focused on small, likely trivial details as opposed to using their brain to conduct herself with the ease and savvy that Ms Ardern has shown in NY despite very little sleep. Commenting to Trump about his work in north Korea shows she knows too well about diplomacy and dare I say it how to handle a narcissist.
This ridiculous beat up of the Handley affair is a sign of real desperation by National and the msm.
The journalists focusing on this small time shit are showing the country up as a petty small time mud pool.
Its a sign of how f….ed off they must be about JA skill, abilities, and her iconic status.
https://thestandard.org.nz/tag/ian-fletcher/
Ridiculous beat ups happen all the time, its how you deal with it that counts
I object to Chris Trotter being included with Phil Quin and Nick Leggett ( Nick Leggett is executive director of the New Zealand Alcohol Beverage Council.) is a very different beast also.
You make an unreasonable judgement there. Chris had great hopes for Jacinda Ardern but then wondered if she would capitalise on her popularity and pull Labour into left policies beyond the Third Way type that her advisers would recommend. He is feeling more doubtful as to outcomes. And I think explains his reasoning well, spending more time discussing his opinion than you care to do.
+1, greywarshark
Bricy fibbed a wee bit I thought, if he was claiming Ardern undertook to assist the yanker’s job search.
Yep. Drawing a long bow there. Unfortunately will stick in people’s minds as he was the last item.
He wasn’t called on it though. Wonder if Jimmoara will have him on to repeat the claim.
Possible reasons
He needs money.
He is compromised.
Am finding the fuss about rising fuel prices really interesting.
If it makes us all more mindful about our vehicle use, that’s not a bad thing.
What I would like to see is massive subsidies on electric vehicles, making them affordable to ALL. That’s what they are doing in China due to their insane levels of pollution.
You might find this interesting IRT fuel prices between 2008 and 2018. They are using West Texas Crude Oil as the benchmark for the graph.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-25/tuesday-finance-with-phillip-lasker/10304494?section=business
That’s a vedeo lenk.
It’s all very well being ‘mindful’, but doesn’t help people stuck with commuting. Not even with learnings, going forward. At the end of the day.
There was talk this am about wacking a large charge on the working guys utes to pay for subsidies on electric cars .
It is hardly fear to use a behaviour tax to modify behaviour when it is not 100% avoidable .
Yes, we need some wrking guys who actually do physical things, and utes are probably their choice for adaptable purposes. I would put a tax on those hopped up high vehicles that so many use to get around in in the city, like driving behind and beside a moving wall.
We could start with a cubic centimeter tax anything over 3 litres is in unnecessary ,as the power output of a 2.8 is more than enough. Still it would be a political mine field.
How about knocking off the GST on all EV’s and all GST on the sale of all FFV’s goes towards the of EV charging stations?
Hmm maybe but I reckon they are on the wrong track with charging stations . They should have batteries that you swap at the garage . . Once we have a 100 000 Evs on the road charging will be a mess .
Swap batteries, that would make sense for sure.
It wouldn’t be easy though. The batteries in a Tesla S for example weigh about 550 Kg and are really the whole lower part of the car between the axles. Have a look at this schematic. It is at the bottom of this article.
https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-s-weight/
Tesla claim that they can swap the battery in about 90 seconds but I hate to think what the facility would cost.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/06/long-trip-tesla-motors-will-swap-your-model-s-battery-while-you-wait/
Here’s a brief overview of a few of the previous attempts at battery-swap systems for EVs.
https://makewealthhistory.org/2017/04/24/what-happened-to-swappable-batteries-for-electric-vehicles/
I didn’t consider swapping batteries as the current lithium ion batteries being used are rather heavy, but the technology for lithium ion batteries are making them lighter and not venting that offen as well as they did in the past. Heck the one’s we use with man pack wagtail radios 18 odd yrs ago in ET vented quite a few times especially during times when it got a bit close for comfort.
I have seen some of the newer lithium ion batteries used in the Darwin to Adelaide Solar Challenge, so the technology improving very fast. I see Audi are heading down the hydrogen path which from my local member for NT is looking quite promising.
There has been some experiments at making charging stations like parking meters in the streets and high rise car parks.
Anyway it’s an interesting where the technology is heading IRT EV’s and non fossil fuel vehicles.
Please note my Disclaimer I hold a number of shares in Lithium, Rare Earths, Copper, Cobolt and Graphite in Mining, component manufacturing for EV, Renewable Energy and Solar companies.
it would be cruel i think bwh to restrict large motors .On the odd occasion a v8 drives up my road an you can hear it coming for quite some time this beautiful deep deep purr ..whoever is driving never over does it just chops it down one as he starts to climb sounds bloody marvelous id love one if i could afford the petrol ..we all gonna die anyway arent we ?
Check out this bad boy. Supposedly deliveries start next year.
https://workhorse.com/pickup/
Ugly plus Andre imo which is what all present newish utes suffer from i reckon stick it up yr arse electric or no !
Yep, the American auto industry has real expertise in doing ugly.
But the engineering makes it helluva useful for a tradie or farmer. 130km of electric range, plus dino-juice range extender for those very few occasions it’s needed, 7.2kW available from the battery for your tools wherever you are.
And even though I’m American by birth, my arse isn’t quite big enough to swallow that so I’ll pass, thanks for the offer.
The arse comment a figure of speach andre didnt mean to sound insulting . Do you think designing will get better again eventually ?
Low income workers; who have to commute across Auckland because public transport is shit; will appreciate the incentive to think about how it just got harder to pay their other bills.
Just looking back I see BigGer has been known to assault a person in a fit of anger. Very remorseful apparently. No consequences to answer. Still sitting pretty. Why doesn’t the Shrew Adams have a go at him. He’s well known for getting away with all his aggressive bullying . Why? Does he still pass their HighStandards test. If so, why so?
I have long found it interesting that when government agencies look at benefit eligibility they search very hard for evidence that individuals live as couples under ‘one household’, but when government agencies look at income splitting they blanket treat couples under ‘one household’ as individuals.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/367286/msd-needlessly-probing-beneficiaries-personal-lives-lawyer
This probing to me is vindictive and voyeuristic. And totally unacceptable.
I think it definitely would be voyeuristic at the case-manager level. They’d all have a laugh over beneficiaries’ tinder profiles and the ‘scumbags that solo mother has over to her place’.
But at the MSD level its all about revenue and finding ways to not pay. And finding ways to catch people out on the most minor and complicated relationship changes.
Carmel Sepuloni and Marama Davidson must reform this sector. It’ll be a slow process but I’m sure Labour and the Greens can do it.
Yep indeed.
And in fact MSD go further than merely, “search(ing) very hard for evidence that individuals live as couples under one household”.
They go as far as searching very hard for evidence that individuals living under different roofs are couples under ‘one household’.
That is punching down. It is disgraceful.
I’d bet they employ external ‘investigators’ with cameras and nondescript vehicles. All paid by us.
I often wonder how many women (and children) there are out there, stuck in abusive relationships, claiming benefits that they aren’t entitled to, but need for, you know..survival, who are therefore unable to ever access the limited help that is potentially available to them should they ever decide to seek freedom and refuge from their abuser; due to the fear of being retrospectively prosecuted over their benefit status.
I suspect that this punitive regime ensures help is not available to our most vulnerable. As usual.
How long do these people need to wait?
How long can they wait?
Wouldn’t it be great if women could be helped without the narrow confines of precious purity of untrammelled sex. I think I mean that purse-lipped moralistic people love having a go at women who like Mae West may ‘once have been Snow White but they drifted a little. Jenny Shipley was one. A local golf club didn’t want players in a couples contest if they weren’t married. People who lived together were not right and proper. That happened a few years ago.
Why not just encourage women to do a good job as single parents, get a good basic education, do some assertiveness training, get some part-time work topped up to a generous benefit, have decent medical help, have strategies for birth control so they have a family size they can manage, and then be given more hours so they can just about run their own lives earning their own money. I bet that it would not cost any or much, more money than the present debacle that is WINZ with people employed and encouraged to think of themselves as similar to concentration camp guards.
The women would get special deals, an annual holiday with the kids at the seaside or outdoor camp, afternoon tea with the group they were studying with when they pass their NCEA credits, and grants for emergencies. The kids would get good parenting and the mothers would get help with learning how to cope with children’s behaviour at different ages, and be confident and not look for some wretched poseur pretending to be a man, they would make better choices and half our crime would go within ten years. That would reflect a respect culture of NZ not the disdain culture at present.
Oh dear. Is this meant to be a serious comment?
It sounds like something from my Grandmothers era.
Lets interpret it.
“get a good basic education”. They need to know how to cook good nutritious meals, understand the way to get rid of stains and provide a little first aid for the kids.
“get some part-time work”. I suppose that means they should get first pick of the shelf packing jobs at New World, part time of course.
“an annual holiday with the kids at the seaside”. That would be New Zealand’s equivalent of the Butlins’ Holiday camps perhaps? I shudder to think that you want the modern version of “Strength through Joy”
Were you serious?
alwyn, what rubbish. All off-topic, not what greywarshark intended: just the grotesque product of your somewhat diseased mind. Go away – we don’t need your sort here.
Have another swig of the turps.
Perhaps he would care to explain what he did mean then.
I wouldn’t rely on an idiot like you explaining anything.
Now take your own advice and
“Go away – we don’t need your sort here.”
And take your diseased mind with you.
No sign of improvement in that mindless rant. Go away, alwyn.
I don’t see you winning a popularity vote.
It’s funny how the dominant party always gets to rwrite rules in their favour.
Years ago I was with an employer in one role and quit to take up another with the same employer. Had received the letter of offer but not signed it, because it was a quick turnover. All good, I had several grand in holiday pay to come out.
So HR informed me that because I’d quit, I wouldn’t get pay from that role (fair enough). But also, because they’d sent a job offer they’d treat my quit as a “transfer” and not pay out the holiday pay. So I was looking at no cash in the bank the next week unless I signed and delivered the acceptance letter that afternoon. Sigh.
More environmental not good stuff
“If this is right, then Esieh Lake becomes a kind of hybrid – and a worrying one.
It’s not a pure thermokarst lake, though some thermokarst appears to be forming around the lake’s expanding edges, tipping shoreline trees as the ice in the permafrost melts and the ground destabilises. But the thawing of permafrost at the lake bed might also have unleashed older fossil gases from a reserve that had been sealed – creating another kind of worrisome lake.”
https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/107379594/a-bizarre-bubbling-lake-symbolises-the-danger-to-earth-as-the-arctic-heats-up
I lived in Toronto Ontario for 17 yrs and between 1968 and 1997 I have witnessed first hand the massive changes in the permafrost and regional seasonal thinning of the icing levels on the St Lawerence seaway and all the lakes and tunda in many regions around the artic regions in that area.
Now many lakes and waterways have now melted after only a short period where the freezing of water in regiona was much longer from three to five months then.
So now travelling across any body of watye now in winter is becoming dangerous during periods previouisl;y considered safe.
Heavy ice used to be widesread then when they were usually iced over, but it is generally advised now not to attempt it if their is no clearance to drive on ice on waterways now.
dangers are now clearly of ice collasping and drowning occurs.
This is Roger Douglas prescribing how to get New Zealand’s state out of a massive debt forecast:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12130945
This kind of provocation should have come from the National Party instead of their endless parliamentary trivia.
I don’t believe in radical government for the sake of it. And I lived through the pain of policy prescriptions from Roger Douglas in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
But I want our Minister of Finance to drop the abstract nouns about equality and inclusiveness , and show a clear scenario that shows in $$ terms how the great majority of citizens will be better off.
So you disagree with everything in that entire article except the style of speech from Roberston.
If you wanted to attack Robertson only, why didn’t you just do that?
Disagreeable as Douglas’s prescriptions were and are, they have substance and concision.
That’s why.
.
Crikey, Paula Bennett couldn’t even direct her questions to the right minister in the house today!
And the Nats are on a hiding to nothing, espousing the cause of an imported species like thar over indigenous flora and fauna.
What a bloody hopeless opposition!
Question 3 – Hon Paula Bennett to the Minister of Employment
Is he confident his Government is bringing “Mana in Mahi”; if so, how?
https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=203013
Then precedes to ask the minister of employment industrial relations questions.
I am not 100% what Paula Bennett was trying to ask, I assume there is something in the wording of the Mana in Mahi framework which suggests that employers have more power then employees and wanted to use it to drive a wedge between the government in some way. I tried to google but didn’t find anything but press-release on the launch of the program
Paula Bennett looks not well
Peters took the mickey out of Bridges.
Hilarious.
He, and all the other Ministers, certainly had an enormous amount of help from Mallard, didn’t they?
So much for Trevor displaying the “impartiality” that a Speaker is meant to.
Slick Britches still leading with the ‘stand by his comments’ question wally? Great way to make sure there’s no accurate answer to the supplementary.
Just watched video at 13.2. alwyn, please give an example of Speaker helping anyone at all in that excerpt? Or explain where you get your extraordinary claim from.
Auckland hospitals write off $53m in treatment costs for overseas patients
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/367297/auckland-hospitals-write-off-53m-in-treatment-costs-for-overseas-patients
About time the government either has an extra charge on visas and airport arrivals for ACC and health related incidents to reimburse the hospitals. If people can afford to fly to NZ then they can afford a charge in case they need medical attention and are not insured or have preexisting condition so that they are not insured even if they do have private insurance but are not covered.
This is especially needed when we are in a tourist boom and our hospitals are overcrowded and needing more and more staff and facilities to cope with demand.
People asked to reconsider need for ED after record visits
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/365040/people-asked-to-reconsider-need-for-ed-after-record-visits
This is in one of the most expensive parts of Auckland – but very high density of overseas students and residents and migrants. It is not only the ‘poorer’ areas of Auckland that are facing ridiculous increases in demand in hospital emergency departments and it should not be up the hospitals to play detective and try and get the money from ineligible people.
The missing 53 million should be going on improving hospital services not providing services for people who are rich enough to travel to NZ but do a runner before paying for their hospital care.
A proactive government approach to ensure that those coming to NZ shores have put some money into a fund incase they need medical attention while here that is not covered by insurance.
Or even permanent residents who don’t actually work here and live else where but still get free medical care, and therefore should have a premium on their ticket too.
The workers in this country has to do it via taxes and ACC premiums, so not sure why those who are holidaying here can’t provide before they enter our shores, some provision through a set charge based on time staying here, for their own medical care should they need it.
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild Many thanks to The NRL.
Yes its a tuff Question our teacher shortage one solution to the shortage is one does not have to have a degree to teach mokopunan’s .Maybe a short course so one could access the teacher’s aid what ever you call them to see if they are suit able candidates 6 to 12 month’s long what ever’s suit able .
They could teach the primary grade’s one has to look outside the square to find solutions to a problem.
Duncan its cool that our business confidence is up we need our economy to grow for now to be able to afford changing our society into a carbon neutral Equal economy .
We have a Coalition Government that;s want’s Equality that mean’s treating our business owner with RESPECT everyone with respect .
Ka pai Shane Jones yes most of our log’s should be processed in Aoteraroa it’s good that you went to China to negotiate a better deal for our log’s.
I all ready know some thing on that subject I have been researching the subject some people I know are going to harvest a small forest soon.
As for supply well if some one did not change direction it would not be a problem we just have to replant the Harvested land .
Ka pai to all the people who are responsible for the reduction in Tarakihi and Hoki Quoter these species will bounce back as they have a short life cycle well I know hoki are fast growing Tarakihi will grow a bit slower it’s cool that we care about our fishes Tarakihi is my favorite fish.
Yes now is the New Generation’s nuclear moment we have to ALL embrace the Paris Climate agreement as we only have ONE Papatuanuku if we stuff her up know one is going to give the Mokopuna’s a new Papatuanuku. You know the old saying it’s easier to keep clean than it is to make a mess and try to Clean It up .
Mark the people have to be real careful about travel insurance on over sea journeys declare everything and make sure you are covered for all your ailments or stay home .Other Country’s are not like Aotearoa were we treat the Patient then look for the money. I think there need’s to be a cover charge to cover the losses we get from this humane ACT . I tell my offspring to make sure they got travel insurance .
It’s going to be a awesome concert in Tauranga a lot of classics singers .
Ka kite ano
Come on Duncan I am quite sure the Coalition Government has considered the OIL DRILLING ban very very carefully .
The topic on Human Caused Climate Change has been raging on for more than 20 years every one has been talking about the phenomenon around the world .
Aotearoa is in the best position in the World to lead our World’s society into a clean carbon neutral equal SOCIETY . P.S TE Wahine have to clean men mess up once again Kia kaha ka kite ano
I beleve the Beluga Whale is a measage to all HUMAN kind we have to clean OUR act up
The Beluga Whale is one of 4 species that menstruate the other’s are whale’s and human .
We are just caretakers for the next generations we dont own the EARTH she owns us we treat her with respect and she will return the Aroha 100 fold PLEASE have a UNITED WORLD SOCIETY to avoid a Climate change MESS link is below Ka kite ano
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/26/thames-beluga-whale-omen-changing-climate-gravesend
I have tried to avoid giving mike hosking a serve last time Eco did it was not a good out come for mike .
But one must stand up for one principles opinions .
I can see trump is pulling his string attached around’s the World’s media and mike has one attached to his ass.
Most times a head line story stay’s in the top ten for at least 2 to 3 day’s but the story on Jacinda’s UN speech is gone from all web site’s.
The neo librail’s capitalist will do any thing to win even if it destroys humanity they are to blind with greed to see OUR reality.
As for mike he is describing him self the snobby person he is.
He has dressed down to try and deceive the people but what comes out of his mouth shows his true colors.
In his world he would like all people that are a different culture to him to wash his car for free serve him breakfast in bed and call him sir . he would like neighbors like shonky and peter thiel and there main concern would be to change the local laws so they can get a helicopter pad ok by council and who cares about the rest of the people .
Mean while people are dying under the bridge. Ka kite ano link is below .
P.S the People were not laughing at America they are laughing at trump we are not stupid .
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12132562
The sandflys had heaps of plays going down today I wonder why who’s pulling there strings I could guess .
Well here is my response to the sandfly’s and the people pulling there strings puppets
Ka kite ano P.S It all about the mokoupnas
I can trace a lot of the Worlds problem’s back to lobbyist they have huge budgets of Billion’s that has string’s going right around the World .
Controlling our Society to benefit the wealthy over every other creature on the Earth .
This lobbing is just a nice word for bribery using these nice word’s is just a cover so the majority let the % 00.1 use there billions to bribe our politician this is corruption is been reported in our new’s being displayed right in front of the % 99 eye’s .
This is why were are still arguing about climate change this is why there are still stupid WAR’S raging on around the World this is why we see mokopuna’s and people starving to death this is why we see our forest and wild life being exploited so much that heaps of them are going extinct this is why the % 00.1 have over half the World’s wealth .
Most of the sin’s around the World can be traced to this rich man’s bribery using his money or any thing he can to cheat his way into more money than anyone could spend in a life time .
WE need to come up with ideas to stop this bribery a poor man would be cast into jail if he behaved like the %00.1 I have 3 links below Ka kite ano
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2018/sep/26/america-oligarchy-dominated-billionaires-big-money-series
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/23/one-in-four-australian-ministers-go-on-to-work-for-lobbyists-or-special-interests-study-finds
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/26/koch-brothers-americans-for-prosperity-rightwing-political-group
This is why the alt right neo liberals capitalist are gaining power around the World bribery lobbing
This is why we have trump
Here’s a good educational video on net flicks Truth & Power Black Live’s Matter’s
Kia Kaha people Eco know what its like to be hounded by the state for no credible reason. Ka kite ano I have a youtube clip of a few video’s but one can watch the whole series on net flicks
Hit the jack pot Stingray is a tool that can scan phone’s or any device that uses our cell phone tower’s Truth & Power backs up a lot of claims Eco Maori has made about the internet and cell phones I have a link on the Stingray device ka kite ano
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray_phone_tracker
We have to stop the neo liberals capitalist and stop fighting WAR’S we need to turn all our focuses on combating climate change I have a link that back’s my claim about life in OUR Star systems .
There has definitely been life out there but probably not in our time I.E They have existed and gone extinct before they had the technology to leave the toilet that they turned there planet into because of greedy cheating beings that’s reality if one think’s about it you will get it link below Ka kite ano’
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/107422154/were-fast-heading-toward-extinction
Looks like net flicks pulled the video series Truth and Power the sandfly’s a don’t want anybody to know there tricks and hacks well you will find some videos on youtube of truth and power Ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub trump is the leader of this corrupt world Tova .
Kavanaughs lawyer doe not believe he is innocent Eco can see that
There you go the neo liberals national don’t like some ones star power they are using all there dirty trick’s to try and dent the Mana of OUR Coalition Government but know it won’t work.
It’s good that the hoki quote has been cut and tarakihi is caught with hoki as well so the lowering of that fish Quoter is good to .
Man that’s a crying shame to see dead eels in that river they should be given a huge fine.
The seal slapped the man in the face in Kai koura octopus is Tangaroa creatures at there best.
The magpies dive bomb everyone when they are nesting so give them heaps of clearance and respect one of our most dangerous animal lol.
The Dame view’s about kevin spacey wrongs are out dated wahine are to be respected she come’s from a error were if a wahine was beat in the streets there were know laws to charge the man with or to stop the abuse don’t give him the victims hat people have to know that behavior is not on in the year 2018 Mana Wahine
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild Mull’s and Jame’s yes I have already thanked the NRL .
You guy are correct that Tui is a good role model for te mokopuna
James did you let the weedeater lose on your hair still got the mullet .
Josh you going to put the boots back on Mull’s can not shut James up about the phenomenon in Waikato at the minute .
Ka kite ano has it been getting hot in the studio