Open mike 27/08/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 27th, 2024 - 34 comments
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34 comments on “Open mike 27/08/2024 ”

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  1. PsyclingLeft.Always 1
    27 August 2024 at 9:06 am

    Posties refuse to deliver anti-Wellington Council pamphlet

    Postal Workers Union co-national president John Maynard said he visited three branches in Wellington on Monday morning, and posties told him they did not feel comfortable delivering the pamphlet.

    It would do harm to community relationships, and it went against NZ Post's mandate to "be an organisation that exhibits a sense of social responsibility", he said.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/526245/posties-refuse-to-deliver-anti-wellington-council-pamphlet

    Onya Posties ! Solidarity !

    • AB 1.1
      27 August 2024 at 10:04 am

      Apparently the pamphlet alleges that Wellington Council wants calls to prayer from mosques in Wellington to be publicly broadcast.

      That appears to be a lie with significant potential to cause harm to the public. Therefore the defence of the right to free speech should not apply. Nor should the defence of property rights or contract- the idea that having paid to have the pamphlets delivered, the author of the pamphlets has a right to have them delivered. The public good should trump private property rights.

      So good on the posties and good luck. They will need it, because the attacks will be vicious.

      • Mikey 1.1.1
        27 August 2024 at 11:47 am

        So is this grounds for a libel suit?

      • tWig 1.1.2
        27 August 2024 at 12:59 pm

        Heard on RNZ; What is on the cards is permission on a few high Islamic holy days to transmit mosque calls. Is this different from church bells on a Sunday?

        • Kay 1.1.2.1
          27 August 2024 at 1:17 pm

          Not in the least, and definitely not every Friday. I can't find a link sorry, but some years ago the Nimbys in apartments over the road from St Pauls cathedral in Wellington got into a real strop about the bells ringing, never mind the fact they knew exactly where they were buying. Probably the same crowd who object to being woken by Tui.

        • lprent 1.1.2.2
          27 August 2024 at 3:37 pm

          Haven’t heard church bells for a while. However I’d be in favour of banning those on general noise pollution principles.

          Along with car boot speakers. Nothing quite as annoying as hearing dickheads coming off the motorway at 0300 playing some awful music and going to worship at the clubs on K Rd. Wakes me up with the thump-thump.

          Or the ones that play Indian pop at full volume at similar hours. I have no idea who those are.

          And of course all Harley riders with inadequate mufflers should have their bikes confiscated and melted down.

          Plus of course the sports nut bars, especially when Samoa and Tonga have a match.

          I suppose I can’t really complain about the police, fire-engines, hospital helicopter, and the ambulances. The latter have saved my life once. But we get a lot of their noise as well.

          I live just off Newton Rd in Auckland. There is a motorway exit down the hill. K Rd and Ponsonby Rd start up the hill.

          No churches or mosques. But lots of places of worship like Eden Park, clubs, and car and bike nutters wanting to drag around here.

          Bigoted Wellingtonians don’t compare to our locals noise polluters

          /sarc

          • Kay 1.1.2.2.1
            27 August 2024 at 4:43 pm

            Many years ago when I got the opportunity to go to Salzburg, We stayed in rooms that were attached to a convent. The bells started at 6am every morning, and rang every 15 minutes. Only a few days for us, but I still wonder about the nearby residents.

            • satty 1.1.2.2.1.1
              27 August 2024 at 5:01 pm

              In my hometown in Germany, the church bells "tell" you the time (at daytime). With a small bell one gong for each quarter of an hour and for full hours the big bell does a gong for each hour (and, as far as I remember, the full hour is done twice!).

              So 12 o'clock is 4 times the small bell and 2 times 12 times the big bell.

              There's a clock on the bell tower, too, but as it's not visible in areas outside town the bells tell you when lunchtime starts and ends.

              Entertainment all day laugh

              • Jenny …
                28 August 2024 at 5:35 am

                The Auckland ferry terminal building at the bottom of Queen Street, has a bell tower that once used to chime the hours.
                I remember it well.

                I used to enjoy hearing it.

                I don't remember when they stopped, probably some time in the 1970s

                It was a different time. (litterally and figuratively)

            • gsays 1.1.2.2.1.2
              27 August 2024 at 5:21 pm

              No-one mention the roosters on Rarotonga.

              4.15 am was the earliest I heard them. Could have sworn they were just outside the bedroom window.

            • tWig 1.1.2.2.1.3
              27 August 2024 at 5:31 pm

              Flatted in Dunedin near the clocktower; similar timekeeping by the bell. You get used to the noise.

        • tWig 1.1.2.3
          27 August 2024 at 7:10 pm

          Reading the RNZ article, it's about only 15 March, day of mosque attack.

        • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.1.3.1
          27 August 2024 at 8:30 pm

          Ah cheers for that joe90. More is revealed ! Have to say I wondered when i seen the iron curtain..and Soviet Union. Conspiracy Loons…..

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.1.4
        27 August 2024 at 8:19 pm

        Well..yea. I looked at the Better Wellington page…and its anti cyclist, anti 30 kmh safety speed, anti safer pedestrian crossings, anti road cones etc etc. And also seems kinda flaky. Bet they think 20 minute cities are all a …New World Order conspiracy! And gotta love the Soviet. Where's the dancing Cossacks?

        These councillors are anti-growth, anti-business, anti-freedom and want to continue bringing down the iron curtain over the city. It’s like they want a re-birth of the Soviet Union.

        https://betterwellington.org.nz/city-councillors-make-fuddled-attempt-to-usurp-free-speech-again/

    • Obtrectator 1.2
      27 August 2024 at 6:30 pm

      We experienced something of this kind during the run-up to last year's election. Our local paper one week carried one of those big wrap-around faux-cover ads on behalf of the Labour party. Our copy, and at least one other that I know of, were delivered without that cover. I only realised what was going on because I'd happened to collect another, untouched copy from a local shop.

      Evidently the delivery person had had some objection to the message being purveyed.

      I notified the paper's editor, stressing that it wasn't just a political matter; the businesses who'd paid to advertise inside the back cover had had their messages interfered with as well. In answer to my query, he assured me it couldn't have been a production error.

      I informed the local party branch too. I don't know the final outcome.

      So before being so quick to commend the posties for their enlightened behaviour, you need to ask yourself if you'd be so happy if someone from the opposite end of the political spectrum did (and seemingly has done) a similar action.

  2. Ad 2
    27 August 2024 at 12:54 pm

    What on earth do you need consent conditions for anyway?

    Arsenic, copper and zinc poured into a Coromandel river. Collapsed mine.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ohinemuri-river-orange-sediment-tests-show-arsenic-copper-and-zinc-in-preliminary-results/LT6EZAIUDVFSLGHFR2532BTEXA/

    I mean back in the day they didn't do remediation or triggers or water filters or protections or any of that poofter leftie stuff.

    • Hunter Thompson II 2.1
      27 August 2024 at 5:03 pm

      Remember where the Ohinemuri river ends up. It goes into the Waihou river which joins the Firth of Thames.

      So toxic metal residues from the old mine workings in Karangahake will filter down to the sea, possibly affecting the fish life there. Be careful if you're buying whitebait or flounder from Paeroa.

      Mining interests are probably already briefing a PR mouthpiece to tell the media the pollution is "an isolated incident".

  3. aj 3
    27 August 2024 at 2:44 pm

    It's ironical that the dry winter has precipitated high energy prices and a lot of timely discussion about reliability of energy sources, but nature may have the last say with a turbo-charged westerly flow impacting New Zealand and forecast to continue for at least the next 10 days.

    This could well bring most of the missing two months worth of rain and alpine snow (much of the precipitation is going to be snow above 1500m) and by the end of September the immediate hydro storage problem could easily be largely resolved.

    https://metvuw.com/forecast/forecast.php?type=rain&region=nzsi&noofdays=10

    • Obtrectator 3.1
      27 August 2024 at 6:33 pm

      Ooh! Can't have that. How else are the gentailers going to justify maintaining those inflated prices? Open the spillways at once!!

  4. SPC 4
    27 August 2024 at 4:00 pm

    And so it begins, the phony war is coming to an end.

    Labour looking at a CGT and a wealth tax.

    I would suggest – begin with a wealth tax and end with a CGT and an estate tax.

    And allow the wealth taxation paid (in the initial period) to be credited against their future estate tax liability.

    https://archive.li/yIqr9#selection-4667.327-4675.50

  5. SPC 5
    27 August 2024 at 4:05 pm

    Luxon – the Maori ceded sovereignty.

    Hipkins – you are aware that the international point of view is based on the Maori language translation. And so, as usual, ya wrong.

    True but … and so this also begins.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/maori-mana-motuhake-former-labour-prime-minister-chris-hipkins-concedes-maori-did-not-cede-sovereignty-opinion/KCXJQTW7HFARDLE2BIHZN2SEKY/

  6. tWig 6
    27 August 2024 at 5:28 pm

    Any update about where to from The Standard?

    And will there be a permsnent (as in maybe a year) linkpage set up at TS address to newer options?

    BHairy News is discussing opening its site to new presenters one night a week for leftish discussion. Pat and Chewie have been doing a great job of digesting local political news for us.

    As have TS crew.

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

    • lprent 6.1
      27 August 2024 at 8:55 pm

      Looks like we will be moving the server and site to a new location, and under a new legal entity. Thus making it so I don’t operate it legally or continue to run as the default bank or as the content sysop.

      I’ll probably continue with maintenance, like I am doing that right now getting the advanced search back on line. At least until we can find someone with the skills to keep it alive

      But mainly freeing up my time to be able to actually write posts – the one I wrote earlier this week got 21k human page views, 80% from NZ. Worth a few hours labour. And giving more un-distracted time to write code.

      • tWig 6.1.1
        29 August 2024 at 3:35 pm

        Thanks for that lprent, good to hear. The power of this site is that you can come to it skipping social media, which makes it more private for someone like me, who doesn't .

        And wonderful that the writing and research is what gets you excited (still), after hours and years toiling over a hot server.

        Thank you again, the chance to open and develop and conversations at TS. I have learnt the hard way that those in entrenched positions won't change their opinions. But my own ideas, and values have grown here as a result. And spin busting is essential under this government.

  7. tWig 7
    27 August 2024 at 5:37 pm

    An eminently sensible international legal position: when an outside country makes a treaty with the indigenous people, the indigenous language version is the legal one, not the translation. Because, naturally, those words and definitions are the ones that make sense in that indigenous context.

  8. Jenny 8
    28 August 2024 at 6:54 am

    “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed,”

    Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/defense-minister-announces-complete-siege-of-gaza-no-power-food-or-fuel/

    "Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(b)(xxv) of the Statute" ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan

    https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-applications-arrest-warrants-situation-state

    Nothing in Nothing out

    The Rafah Crossing into Gaza from Egypt used to be the only entry exit point into the besieged territory not controlled by Israel. Since Israel siezed control of the Rafah Crossing not even sick and wounded children are being allowed out for treatment in Egypt's hospitals that they can't get in Gaza.

    At the talks held in Cairo, Hamas and Egypt have insisted that Ihe IDF must leave the Phildelphi Corridor and Rafah Crossing before there can be a ceasefie and prisoner exchange.

    Control of the Philadelphi Corridor and Rafah Crossing means Israel controls every entrance to Gaza,

    To prevent famine in Gaza, the aid trucks must be allowed through the Rafah Crossing.

    At present Israel is only allowing a trickle of aid to enter Gaza. Of the thousands of trucks parked at the Rafah Crossing the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan wisited the Rafah Crossing on Sunday, Fida said only 25 trucks a day are being allowed to be diverted to Israel to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Most of the aid is being left to rot. It is true some aid is getting in, but more as a public relations exercise to blunt international condemantion.

    In effect starvation is being used as a weapon of war. An internationally recognised ware crime. Yesterday the UN reported that they have had to stop all food distribution within Gaza due to the latest evacuation orders.

    Karim Khan the ICC prosecutor has citted Israeli leaders for commiting the crime of 'extermination' specifically for ordering the withholding the means of life from the people of Gaza

    A ceasefire without free entry of aid, allows Israel to continue to use starvation as a weapon of war during the ceasefire. And so is not a ceasefire at all.

    From Alrabya News

    ….A key sticking point in the talks has been Israel’s insistence on keeping control of the so-called Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, to stop Hamas from re-arming, something the militant group has refused to countenance. Cairo, which has been mediating the talks alongside Qatar and the United States, insisted on Monday “it will not accept any Israeli presence” along the corridor, Egyptian state-linked Al-Qahera news reported citing a high-level source.

    https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2024/08/27/army-says-israeli-hostage-rescued-from-gaza-