Open mike 28/10/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 28th, 2019 - 82 comments
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Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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

Step up to the mike …

82 comments on “Open mike 28/10/2019 ”

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  1. Ad 1
    28 October 2019 at 7:17 am

    Anyone else doing a Labour Day LEC picnic?

    • Blazer 2.1
      28 October 2019 at 9:08 am

      Al-Baghdadi "died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way," Trump later said at the White House news conference, calling him a "gutless animal".

      Another coward just like that dope smoking,porno watching,degenerate Osama Bin Laden.

      All these cowards trying to disrupt the spread of freedom and democracy ibn America's backyard is enough to make you…sick.

      • greywarshark 2.1.1
        28 October 2019 at 9:52 am

        Imagine the USA chasing a protest leader here like that. It isn't impossible to think of as annually or more often, there are Defence Force maneouvres with the USA and other countries and they have a game plan and often it is about a group rising up against the government. Turning language, 'weaponising' naming of protests to calling them 'terrorists' is a move towards turning the facts so they present a different picture. And even people minding their own affairs may be attacked; Why? Because we can!

        Think about the Marshall Islands where the USA let off a giant atomic blast, and lots of other blasts too.

        https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/401921/marshalls-endorses-nuclear-commission-strategy

        The commission's chair, [National Nuclear Commission] Rhea Moss-Christian, said the NNC Strategy is a tool for all Marshallese, whether living in the islands or overseas, to use in their individual and collective efforts to respond to the devastation resulting from the U.S. nuclear weapons testing program in the Marshall Islands.

        "It is also a resource for our partners and friends outside the Marshall Islands to understand the nuclear testing impacts that persist today and how they can support the Marshallese people," Rhea Moss-Christian said.

        (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj2tXEoqUT0
        (refers to the 1953 blast)

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erbbBO1W-Ls
        (refers to 30 June 1946 and USA used the place for 12 years to test bombs and weapons)

        This is what the USA is prepared to do to small islands that pose no threat to their might. They may choose to hold military exercises and then start testing weapons. We have new business here in NZ – setting off rockets, more dangerous an activity than on November 5th.

      • Anne 2.1.2
        28 October 2019 at 10:07 am

        I don't know whether your comment is meant to be satire Blazer but the world's liar-in-chief will be lying. Sure, the terrorist leader was probably running away but the "gutless animal" bit is a perfect description of Trump himself. In fact if Trump ever found himself cornered , its how he would behave – "like a coward to the end."

        Malignant narcissists have a habit of projecting their own dysfunctional personalities onto other individuals.

        No, I'm not defending the ISIS leader who deserved extermination.

        • marty mars 2.1.2.1
          28 October 2019 at 10:20 am

          Yep good points Anne – only an idiot would trust or believe anything turnip.rump says but some people also don't believe in the climate crisis we are in – they make a sack of spanners look smart.

          I wish we could stop the cycle of violence that causes so many innocent deaths and devastation.

        • joe90 2.1.2.2
          28 October 2019 at 10:31 am

          His gleeful description of ghastly violence was particularly vile.

          https://twitter.com/HoarseWisperer/status/1188526430705111045

          • Anne 2.1.2.2.1
            28 October 2019 at 11:04 am

            What's with all the unconnected cables floating around? Didn't they have time to plug em in somewhere. Make it look authentic.

            It beggars sane belief!

            • Sacha 2.1.2.2.1.1
              28 October 2019 at 1:32 pm

              They had already unplugged the secure gear by the time Chump demanded his photo op.

              EDIT: or the photo was taken *beforehand* according to the story below (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28-10-2019/#comment-1663649). Others I saw said the raid was at 3pm but maybe that was PST not EST?

              • Anne …
                28 October 2019 at 2:51 pm

                From Andre's link:

                Update: A previous version of this article said the raid reportedly took place at 3:30 p.m. According to more recent reporting, it took place at approximately 6:10 p.m.

                Based on past practice, I'm inclined to suspect Trump had the time of the raid changed so it looked like the photo was taken after the raid instead of beforehand. Whatever… why is it that everything he's involved in always has marked discrepancies attached? I mean, top level professionals don't get the times wrong.

                Remember this?

                https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/map-flap-trump-displays-altered-weather-map-showing/story?id=65384094

                I love all the pretty pictures on his desk. Donald likes pretty pictures. 😡

                • Sacha …
                  28 October 2019 at 3:00 pm

                  Ah, did not see that note. No conspiracy required – it's just the difference between the Pacific (PST) and Eastern (EST) timezones of the US coasts where its media organisations are based.

            • OnceWasTim 2.1.2.2.1.2
              28 October 2019 at 6:52 pm

              Possibly WiFi is not considered secure enough for all their little treats and trinkets connecting to an intra/internet

          • francesca 2.1.2.2.2
            28 October 2019 at 11:25 am

            Then again, Obama didnt have a fucking clue what he was looking at , there was a video blackout during the raid

            But good to look all presidential and deadly serious, even if the promised snuff movie turns out to be a blank screen

            https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/8493391/Osama-bin-Laden-dead-Blackout-during-raid-on-bin-Laden-compound.html

            • marty mars 2.1.2.2.2.1
              28 October 2019 at 11:35 am

              wtf – defending t.rump by deflection – how sad lol

              • Francesca …
                28 October 2019 at 12:10 pm

                Not a defense of Trump

                Marty

                I despise all warmongers .

                Photos of Obama and Clinton in the situation room were widely dispersed in the media as depicting the pres. and his crew watching the raid on the compound as it happened

                American imperialism at its finest,don't let anyone criticise it

                Two situation rooms,Dem and Republican presidents, both full of shit,both murderers

                • marty mars …
                  28 October 2019 at 12:16 pm

                  Yeah nah you just defended t.rump by deflecting

                  • francesca …
                    28 October 2019 at 12:37 pm

                    By that token, you're defending American imperialism and its endless murders, by isolating and targeting Trump , as if all this mayhem and bullshit in the ME started with him

                    I suspect I'm a few decades older than you, I have a long memory, seen all this bullshit a thousand times before

                    Of course Trump is a total dickhead, I find it hard to come up with an American pres. who wasn't

                    He's just the latest clueless American exceptionalist incarnation, who doesn't have the social graces or political nous to clothe it all in fine language.

                    • marty mars …
                      28 October 2019 at 12:43 pm

                      you may well be 80 or so but it is irrelevant to me

                      I read what you write and respond to that – sorry if you don't like it

                    • Andre …
                      28 October 2019 at 4:58 pm

                      If your starting point is all American presidents are total dickheads, you will always find find plenty of ammunition for that view point. The job involves balancing competing demands that are fundamentally incompatible, and I find it simply inconceivable that anyone could resolve those issues without the outcomes being pretty shitty for some people most of the time.

                      But that's not a useful position if you're actually looking for a path to a better world.

                      There will always be a president of the US, and some of them are 'less crap' than others.The ones that actually are going to be less crap are worth trying to identify and support, and the 'more crap' ones need to be called out and resisted more strongly. Rather than just taking the facile path of throwing a tantrum at all of them, in the hopes of achieving – what exactly, getting to watch it all burn?

                    • In Vino …
                      28 October 2019 at 7:23 pm

                      Marty – wait until you are 80 before you write silly, disrespectful stuff like that. By then you may have learnt that you actually know less than you are currently so certain about.

                      I normally agree with you, but at times you come across as highly over-confident.

                      I agree fully with Francesca that she was not trying to deflect anything.

                    • marty mars …
                      28 October 2019 at 8:01 pm

                      in vino – talk to her and her disrespectful try to shut the discussion down put down regarding what she thought my age was and then come back and I'll give you the time of day – I don't care about the age of people – you or her – I take what they write as what they write and if you think that she didn't deflect then good for you mate

                    • aj …
                      28 October 2019 at 10:27 pm

                      My 10:15pm directed to support francesca

            • Andre 2.1.2.2.2.2
              28 October 2019 at 11:53 am

              That's looks like an awful lot of attempted misinformation and smearing on the back of "video blackout".

              Quite likely there would have been a lot of other information coming through at the time, as the entire team would have been sweating bullets about the risk of another debacle like the failed Iran hostage rescue in 1980.

              Nice smear by implying that people were there to watch a snuff film, when the situation involved an awful lot of personal risk to the personnel involved that carried enormous international and domestic political implications. Those watching would want to have the best information they possibly could in real time in case they were called on to respond to things going bad.

              • francesca …
                28 October 2019 at 12:45 pm

                Well if they were called upon , they were shit out of luck .The Seals, those brave heroes, America's finest, made the final decision to kill , in haste even though Bin Laden was unarmed.

                Nice try as you would say Andre, but Obama was a killer too, just like all American presidents, but with a prettier face, better speech writers, and a better handle on the political game.

                "America remains the one indispensable nation "

        • Jimmy 2.1.2.3
          29 October 2019 at 9:05 am

          I don't like the way Trump tells the story. You can tell he is loving being in the limelight describing how the guy was killed and able to say anything he likes about it as non of it can be dis-proved.

    • Peter 2.2
      28 October 2019 at 9:39 am

      I was disappointed in the the President's speech about Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi death. Given the same circumstances I'm sure George Washington and Abe Lincoln would've been a tad more eloquent. No doubt when Trump reflects he will rue a chance he could have made more of. Maybe some wimpy adviser limited him

      "Died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way"? A "gutless animal" who "died like a dog, he died like a coward."

      Surely a half-hearted effort. The real Trump supporters would have relished some description of the brain tissue of Baghdadi's kids dripping off the ceiling, pieces of their limbs sliding down the walls the odd eyeball still looking at them.

      When it comes to emulating his historic heroes he has a way to go but a touch such as naming American victims of executions by the Islamic State was nice.
      Quite a peachy performance by the ringmaster in the Big Top.

      What chance the author of the demise of Otto Warmbier receiving equally eloquent salutations?

    • Brigid 2.3
      28 October 2019 at 11:04 am

      Total load of typical Murican bullshit

      "There’s no credible data to prove a successful American raid took place against Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. The US coalition didn’t even carry out any airstrikes in Idlib recently.

      Moscow pointed out that it recorded no US coalition airstrikes in the Idlib area in northwest Syria on Saturday when the raid was held.

      It also rejected Trump’s claims that Russian forces opened up the airspace under its control in Syria to American planes to facilitate the operation against the IS leader.

      The ministry questioned the very possibility of al-Baghdadi’s presence in Idlib as the area is held by Al-Qaeda offshoot, Jabhat al-Nusra, who have always been mortal enemies of Islamic State."

      https://www.rt.com/russia/471984-trump-russia-baghdadi-killed-syria/

    • Andre 2.4
      28 October 2019 at 12:11 pm

      Unpacking Generalissimo Bonespurs' statement about the raid …

      https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/27/politics/donald-trump-baghdadi-death-isis/index.html

  3. greywarshark 3
    28 October 2019 at 9:16 am

    This seems a very good innovation for boaties. I think by the Grey in the West Coast SI would be another place for them.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/401907/cameras-to-help-boaties-over-dangerous-bar-crossings

  4. Ad 4
    28 October 2019 at 9:18 am

    Not that I could ever see NZTA taking out a judicial review of a decision from its own Minister, but Chris Bishop may well have a point here on light rail; from today's NZHerald:

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12280093

    From NZInfra: "Prior to submitting our proposal, we discussed it with Sir Brian Roche and Sir Michael Cullen and, together with them, corresponded with and sought meetings with Ministers to explain the concept and our investment.

    "There was no invitation from the Government to submit such a proposal nor any pressure to do so."

    Cullen said that the Super Fund had initiated the approach.

    "The purpose of the January meeting was to try to ensure that the Government was aware that the Super Fund was interested in putting forward a proposal and that space was made to listen to that proposal."

    Twyford has subsequently appointed Roche to chair NZTA, but Twyford said there was no conflict of interest "because Sir Brian is not a decision-maker on the light rail project".

    National Party transport spokesman Chris Bishop has criticised the process.

    "Two years after the Prime Minister made this flagship promise, we have no business case, we have no costings, we have no route map, we don't even have an identification of the objectives of why they're doing it in the first place.

    "If the Prime Minister had the courage of her convictions, she would remove Phil Twyford from the portfolio."

    • Peter 4.1
      28 October 2019 at 9:51 am

      Yeah, yeah, Chris Bishop, no business case, no costings, no route map, no budget, big deal.

      You've got slimy National bullshit artists saying the current Government killed massive improvements to the highway to Northland which National was implementing.

      National election promises became reality and your desperate, sycophantic supporters have ridden a highway of lies since.

      So Chris, if business cases, costings, route maps and trivialities like budgeting are a big deal, 1) get your sad mob to shut up and 2) since you're so good at getting headlines, grab some to tell the truth about Warkworth to Whangarei roading.

      • Ad 4.1.1
        28 October 2019 at 10:12 am

        Plenty more scrutiny to come on this one, even if we don't like where it comes from.

        Twyford will now need Cabinet help landing this plane.

  5. greywarshark 5
    28 October 2019 at 10:01 am

    Hong Kong – what is happening there and why?

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/16/china-hong-kong-xi-jinping

    The problem of open-ended civil unrest in Hong Kong, which has been punctuated by rising acts of violence and vandalism carried out by a distinct but hardline minority, is a reflection of China’s new assertiveness under Xi – an assertiveness that marks a break with the caution of the post-Mao era. It can be seen in Xi’s signature undertaking, the Belt and Road Initiative – an infrastructure building project with global ambitions. Or, most recently, the flaunting of new weapons systems during the military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of Communist party rule – a declaration of China’s intention to rival American military power more openly than at any time in the recent past.

    Under Xi, China has been intervening much more directly in the governance of Hong Kong. The most notable example of this was the abduction to China of Hong Kong booksellers who traded in titles critical of Beijing or historical accounts that undermined Chinese orthodoxy.

  6. greywarshark 6
    28 October 2019 at 10:32 am

    Ihumatao – what gives. Had a look and managed to get on a site with a pouting curvy woman with big boobies. It's hard to get through the barriers to real information these days!

    17/10/2019 https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018718179/ihumatao-occupiers-shut-out-of-talks-no-word-from-govt

    17/10/2019 https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/116676277/ihumtao-protesters-shut-out-of-government-talks

    6/10/2019 https://teaomaori.news/know-were-not-alone-indigenous-canadian-filmmaker-visits-ihumatao

    2/10/2019 https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2019/10/02/much-to-learn-from-ah-kaa-ihumatao.html

    .
    But NZ Initiative are showing how they have joined the list of continuing earthquakes rumbling away, making our lives more uneasy and falling into an irreparable condition.

    https://nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/opinion/property-rights-and-ihumatao-blues/
    Property rights and Ihumatao blues: Dr Bryce Wilkinson Insights Newsletter 27 September, 2019
    The apparently successful illegal occupation of private property in Auckland’s Ihumātao is potentially a serious setback for the rule of law, and thereby New Zealanders’ wellbeing. Also disturbing are the more immediate implications for Auckland housing and the Treaty of Waitangi claims process.
    .

    Some points about not rubbishing people when argument and race combine. Another RW from Tauranga totally disparaging about reasonable Maori protests and giving that as a reason why we should be come a Republic (like the great 'America' no doubt).
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116870443/extreme-positions-on-race-relations-push-common-ground-out-of-reach

    • Brigid 6.1
      28 October 2019 at 11:23 am

      What the actual fuck, in your opinion, that she is a "pouting curvy woman with big boobies" have to do with anything?

      Jezuz

    • Ad 6.2
      28 October 2019 at 12:17 pm

      Just a land deal jacked up with guilt cash.

      Government pays, Tainui Holdings buys it, and then the protesters can ague with Tainui if any family will get housed there.

      • Dukeofurl 6.2.1
        28 October 2019 at 12:57 pm

        I dont see that . The claim is now that its not part of Kawerau a Maki at all but another iwi that hasnt done a treaty settlement.

        Which conflicts with this

        https://protectingihumatao.nz/

        "Ōruarangi will be home to a new neighbourhood that will provide a range of affordable housing for our whanau and new families. The developer Fletcher Building plans to build 480 homes. Around 40 of these will be affordable housing for our people.

        Te Kawerau ā Maki has played a key part in the design of the new development. It will reflect our heritage, including walkways that mirror the movements of our tupuna Hape, and parks that resemble our maunga.

        KAM acknowlege other iwi and hapū have whakapapa to this whenua .

        This could be the loophole to get around the 'settled claim issue' although even the SOUL group when opposing the the Fletcher development in legal proceedings were as Kawerau a Maki.

        • Ad 6.2.1.1
          28 October 2019 at 1:06 pm

          There will be claim and counter-claim for a while. Then a cash deal.

          Sure at a good point before the election, they'll come out singing and Prime Minister Ardern will wrap it up in her most polished of televisual emotions. Singing and orchestrated weeping covers everything.

          I see a very high chance of judicial review of any decision – barring some little legislative carve-out – because one Maori group or other will feel slighted.

          Ain't no stable truth emerging out of this for a long time.

        • Sacha 6.2.1.2
          28 October 2019 at 2:01 pm

          There are complex relationships with that place. No gain from us talking about it here without the neccessary background understanding, and certainly not with the views of the right-wing Business Roundtable NZ Initiative added to the bonfire.

          • marty mars 6.2.1.2.1
            28 October 2019 at 5:30 pm

            you forget that those two know next to nothing about it so they must have a say and put their opinions across

  7. joe90 7
    28 October 2019 at 10:48 am

    Hoo boy, the end of the video.

  8. phantom snowflake 8
    28 October 2019 at 11:00 am

    For anyone with a taste for homegrown and politically-flavoured Hip Hop; "Bunga" by SWIDT is a must:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQBEJQJ7_JQ

    The story behind "Bunga":

    https://thespinoff.co.nz/music/26-10-2019/swidt-the-most-electrifying-rap-group-in-new-zealand-is-now-the-most-political/

  9. marty mars 9
    28 October 2019 at 11:38 am

    Just give the kids the bloody beads you wankers

    'Courage beads' are given out to children going through cancer treatment. Some families say they've become much more difficult to get out of the Child Cancer Foundation since the charity changed the way it operates.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116766769/cancer-families-say-they-had-to-fight-to-get-beads-of-courage

    • OnceWasTim 9.1
      28 October 2019 at 9:30 pm

      Abso-fucking-lutely. The more I take a look at those involved in the provision of public services, the more control-freakery and utter muppetry I seem to encounter.

  10. joe90 10
    28 October 2019 at 11:47 am

    I guess the 16 year old should gave respected what the police were doing. Eh, Bern.

    /

    https://twitter.com/ReignOfApril/status/1188251624503947265

    Newly released video shows a Fresno, California, police officer shooting a fleeing, unarmed 16-year-old in the back of the head and then handcuffing the boy as he lies motionless on the ground.

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/25/police-shooting-video-isiah-murrietta-golding-fresno-california

    • Andre 10.1
      28 October 2019 at 11:57 am

      I really really hope this shit gets sorted out before my black nephew (currently living in St Louis MO) reaches his teens.

  11. Dukeofurl 11
    28 October 2019 at 12:16 pm

    Who would guessed, from NY Times

    "1.5 Million Packages a Day: The Internet Brings Chaos to N.Y. Streets"

    'The push for convenience is having a stark impact on gridlock, roadway safety and pollution in New York City and urban areas around the world.

    One of the issues is they use the public space- streets and footpaths- as sort of warehouse. And apartment buildings which were designed for letters now have an avalanche of packages every day.

    "About 15 percent of New York City households receive a package every day, according to the Sustainable Urban Freight Systems center

    Where I live with a group of 20 houses , some days I see Uber Eats deliveries multiple times. Even though its about 1 km from 2 supermarkets , a Countdown truck drops off a delivery at least once a week. A neighbour uses Uber for getting to and from work even though a good bus service is 50m away

    • SPC 11.1
      28 October 2019 at 2:31 pm

      10 people drive to and from supermarket to shop or one truck delivers, which is more like a bus service …

    • SPC 12.1
      28 October 2019 at 2:32 pm

      They needed Turkey and Russia and Syria to guarantee air movement in and out.

      A pay off for handing Turkey, Russia and Syria the territory held by the Kurds?

      • joe90 12.1.1
        28 October 2019 at 2:41 pm

        Speculation that the whole thing was a stitch-up.

        In retrospect, it is striking how well Turkish, Russian, American, and Syrian actions fit together, effectively shaping an outcome in concert instead of bouncing off each other and breaking down in chaos.

        […]

        Nevertheless, the idea that the carve-up of Syria was the result of sheer improvisation and happenstance is so far-fetched that if you believe it—well, I’ve got a pontoon bridge over the Euphrates to sell you.

        https://tcf.org/content/commentary/theres-method-syrias-madness/

      • francesca 12.1.2
        28 October 2019 at 4:25 pm

        I think that is the kind of stuff that goes on behind closed doors.Give me this propaganda coup to offset the Kurd issue.The promise of a homeland for the Kurds was never going to be kept .How could it? Without endless aid and military protection.

        And a 10 Kurd minority in control of the richest part of the country in terms of oil fields was never going to sit well with the rest of the population
        The Rojava experiment might have sounded cute, so did the kibbutzim for socialist hippies .Didnt turn out so well

        Trump gave plenty of warnings he wanted to pull out.Each time he was over ridden

        Who knows whos calling the shots on the American side, with the President saying one thing, the CIA another and the Pentagon going its own way .

        Now it seems the Americans are going for the oil again. Out and out theft

  13. joe90 13
    28 October 2019 at 2:26 pm

    Only Repugs can fuck around and keep their jobs.

    https://twitter.com/ma_franks/status/1188606060728336384

    The fall came just as quickly.

    Last weekend, the conservative website RedState published a series of articles alleging that Hill had engaged in relationships with a member of her campaign staff and the House staffer. Hill denied the relationship with the House employee, which would be a violation of House rules, but did not deny the relationship with the campaign staff member.

    The release of the story, complete with intimate photos of Hill, sparked debate about a double standard in the male-dominated world of political sex scandals, particularly because Hill has blamed Heslep for releasing the photos. Hill’s resignation is likely to bring those questions further out into the open.

    On Wednesday, in a letter to constituents, Hill again denied the alleged relationship with the House staff member but acknowledged she was involved in a separate relationship with a member of her campaign staff “during the final tumultuous years of my abusive marriage.”

    “I know that even a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate, but I still allowed it to happen despite my better judgment,” the letter read.

    https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-27/rep-katie-hill-resigns-amid-scandal

  14. Anne 14
    28 October 2019 at 3:19 pm

    He is welcome to come and live in NZ but I hope for his sake and the rest of the US he doesn't have to:

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12280210

    • Andre 14.1
      28 October 2019 at 5:01 pm

      … not to mention for the sake of the rest of world.

    • greywarshark 14.2
      28 October 2019 at 9:03 pm

      Perhaps Comey could take dual citizenship and become our next National Party leader. If we don't allow duality now we can soon change our laws to enable it, flexibility is our name. It would be a fun feather in his cap which Key has shown how to stick in behind the Right band.

      • Anne 14.2.1
        28 October 2019 at 10:47 pm

        Becoming a politician – anywhere – I think would be the last thing James Comey would have in mind. He does not strike me as a political animal. Yes, I think he is probably a conservative thinker but that does not mean he is National Party material.

        He comes across to me as a man of integrity who nevertheless, like all of us, is not immune to making mistakes.

  15. Andre 15
    28 October 2019 at 5:12 pm

    Heh.

    Seems the Criminal-in-Chief went to a ball game. First they booed him. Then they chanted "lock him up".

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-boos-world-series-nationals_n_5db64153e4b05df62ec1940f

  16. heather Grimwood 16
    28 October 2019 at 8:53 pm

    bit late as been busy, but to joe90 at 2.1.2.2 : I agree with you absolutely about Trump's obscene joy in killing another ( and probably several), whoever it be. His attitude and the proof again of his infantile stage of development is frightening. I turned off all TV and radio today when found the event such a big deal to them too…..also concerning/frightening. I write in sincerity.

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    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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