Open mike 28/12/2020
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6:00 am, December 28th, 2020 - 15 comments
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- Dance Magic
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 ...10 hours ago - Government Forces Universities to Enforce “Free Speech” While Limiting Universities̵...
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 ...11 hours ago - Fact brief – Are we heading into an ‘ice age’?
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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 ...1 day ago - Bernard’s last Saturday Soliloquy for 2024
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 ...1 day ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Saturday, December 21
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- ZB’s Power Couple
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In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...5 days ago
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- Shameless, clueless
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...5 days ago - Minimum wage ‘increase’ is an effective cut
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- Thank You
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...2 days ago
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Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...4 days ago
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A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...4 days ago
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The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...5 days ago
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With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...5 days ago
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The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...5 days ago
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The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
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The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
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New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
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Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
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Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
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The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
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Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
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After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
- Greyhound racing industry ban marks new era for animal welfare
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...2 weeks ago
- Rangatahi voices must be centred in Government’s Relationship and Sexuality Education refresh
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt introduces archaic anti-worker legislation
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...2 weeks ago
- Winston Peters – Kinleith Mill Speech
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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 ...2 days ago
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- Appointments to the ENZ board
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- Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ
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- Wide ranging legislation to make justice system more efficient
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- Diverse skills in community trust appointments
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- Torture redress for survivors of the Lake Alice Unit
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- A busy year in the House
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- Consultation opens on working with engineered stone
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- Greater reporting on Treaty settlement commitments
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- New appointments to the Charities Registration Board
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...4 days ago
- Building consent processing times improve
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- New Zealand to assist Vanuatu on earthquake response
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...5 days ago
- Government takes steps to reduce card fees for Kiwis
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Uggh. A large well-stocked bookshelf has long been a prop to cultivate a faux facade of sophistication and erudition. But I had never been aware of how much of an industry there actually is around creating that deception. Apparently it's done really well out of people wanting zoom meeting backgrounds.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/12/26/books-by-the-foot-washington-dc-covid-books-440347
It's a bit funny but sad too considering the increasing struggle to encourage children to read faced with the competing attractìons of computer games.
I agree with JanM that it's a bit funny and sad too, but also a testament to the enduring power of the printed word, in this digital age.
Books (in many eyes) convey status, which is what Books by the Foot caters to, while computers and smartphones are just so . . . so ordinary.
That is amusing. Prentious. Obvious as well.
I just prefer to keep people from looking at my desks. Cables everywhere (I currently have 18 USB ports active in the desk). Hardware. Test equipment. Coffee cups. Pens & hardcopy. Laptops. Flash drives and external hdds. Phones. Pads. etc
Instead, they look at the lights above me or (at home) at a mini kitchen.
Your workspace sounds like my workshop.
A litany of unfinished projects; flagon holders from repurposed pallets, a 'proof of concept' star roller for making firework stars, containers of grape, willow and pine charcoal waiting for processing into biochar or aforementioned fireworks…, charcoal retort mark 2 nearly finished, remnants of quart bottles of home brew that became bottle bombs.
Every now and then the desire for surfaces overcomes the creative urges and a tidy-up ensues. That possibly will occur this afternoon.
Maybe a resolution on Thursday will sort this out.
We actually regularly get them in the shop wanting bulk books with a certain colour spine that matches their interior colour schemes…
Are we striving to be the best we can be?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/123827343/new-zealands-2020-report-card-doing-well-but-could-try-harder
And that was the work of an Australian import so they should have dropped a point – not us.
I dunno – we had more than a couple homegrown supporters of that f-wit. I didn't realise we had so many.
It was a mass murder of 51 innocent New Zealanders on NZ soil. The spy agencies carry some responsibility for this and must do better, IMHO. I think the one-point drop is fair and generous to NZ.
My comment was a bit tongue in cheek taking into account the normal back-chat and competition that exists between the two countries.
Oops, sorry.
Home ownership is a community pride generator.
If we're chucking $1500 a week at a motel room for 5 on the interchange. Wouldn't we be better off chucking $1000 a week at a 3 beddy mortgage on their behalf?….just sayin.
Ha, I can't remember what my handle was in here and my post has been put aside for the consideration of a moderator…it's me, Dave. My email should be the same. My attempt at my user name, at a stretch, similarities with whoever I was before.
"Dave's not here."
That Moderator wasn’t me but you were known here previously as “David Mac”.
All good and HTH