A noteworthy scientific success, with political implications.
Organisms in a cryptobiotic state can endure the complete absence of water or oxygen and withstand high temperatures, as well asfreezing or extremely salty conditions. They remain in a state “between death and life,” in which their metabolic rates decrease to an undetectable level
This state of stasis, a third alternative (to life & death), has also been achieved by our Labour Party. Can it be revived? Unkind commentators will note the uncanny resemblance to the worm (slimy, ultra-tiny brain, etc).
"Yes we can", said Obama. "No we can't", said Hipkins. Luxon has set an extremely low bar for Hipkins to slither under. We can tell from Hipkins' resolute stance that he's serious about getting down there and sliding beneath it.
One of the worst aspects of political discourse is to impugn the humanity of others, such as when Christians refer to others as reptilians.
Generally the left question the mammonesque – celebration of the order of rule of the imperial coin/American dollar capital.
And the right, focus on conservative social values vs liberal tolerance and question the threat to private ownership and wealth via social democratic policy concepts of equity.
Thus the greedy vs those of envy taxation.
Benjamin Disraeli after becoming the prime minister in 1868, "I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole."
And of course poll driven leadership.
Then there is the term down the greasy poll in relation to the ultimate stage of a debate – down the thread, when all there is left to say is insults, one party of which will have deserved.
I suspect the last post today will be classier than the first.
Such likening is traditional, however. Whether it be analogy, metaphor or simile, figures of speech have always been used.
They achieve currency in proportion to (perceived) accuracy, which is why they will remain endemic. Whilst it may be suitably tribal for left-wingers to do the ole christian `holier than thou' at others, doing so shrinks their influence. Trying to eliminate part of humanity will seem inhuman to others.
The Blue Jay, (one of their home bases is Toronto, also the home court of the born again up their above us down below Raptors) love to eat worms.
Blue Jays are related to the Crows, those by the cradle of the born again.
The religious revival (vibrations filling up believers like a wine cup overflowing) of January 1994 began at Vineyard Airport Church Toronto.
Unilever has a long history in Canada having started operating in the 1890's in downtown Toronto with the Lever Brother's soap factory. Lux is now on the brand, for those who believe cleanliness is next to god, rather than the unwashed masses (a joke about those with a little water on a little hair and the adult baptised – full body).
They also retail food for corporate profit.
The Hunger Games referred to the mocking of the parasitic (rentiers who impose their ECA precariat order) overlords (who own central city prime land property, rather than rent in the outer districts).
The Blue Tit of Mother England also likes to eat worms.
One can play by the rules of the establishment, or note that they cannot take their wealth with them, just hand it on to their class descendants till the revolution comes. Wat Tyler, Levellers, 1689, 1893 (Enzed) and 1908 (UK Labour), 1935, 1996 (MMP).
A diet of worms for the those who believe in the lords and masters of imperial capital mammon, or grab that apple, vote and keep the the house safe from the crows of capitalism.
PS Unilever is behind a basic food of the poor called pot noodle.
I love figures of speech and the more extreme or unlikely in content the better.
They remain in a state “between death and life,” in which their metabolic rates decrease to an undetectable level
"This state of stasis, a third alternative (to life & death), has also been achieved by our Labour Party. "
Of course stasis is a biological response to the conditions.
I am keen on the PM continuing with the tradition of explaining is losing concept, particularly in relation to the fresh food/GST so-called leak. So what may be stasis for worms and also biological, may be deliberate policy by the so-called higher powers, humans.
As well as the political context the stasis of these worms is interesting…..is hibernation also classed as stasis?
I thought it was apt. I noted mild-mannered Parker's elegant side-step in the direction of authenticity. All is not lost for Labour but their lethargy remains the only notably aspect of their performance in the campaign thus far.
Re the PM, he's been big on negativity yet he could still deliver a pleasant surprise, so I'll wait & see…
Well, Patricia, I have to say Parker was being principled in my view. There's also been a bunch of msm commentary to similar effect. The gist I noticed was that he & Robertson were amenable to a consensual wealth tax & at least one of them (Parker) seems to have invested a significant amount of time & energy to it. Given their likely coalition partners are both committed to that, seems both sensible and prudent for him to have done that work ahead of the time for negotiating any points of difference. He therefore deserves respect for his political nous. Can't say that for the PM unless he's eyeing up a prospective Nat/Lab option to save neoliberalism.
Re the two rightist options, others have being assiduous & not needed my help but if they come up with anything particularly obnoxious I'll have a go at skewering any prospective rightist govt position…
If you are referring to DMK's quote from SPC bwaghorn, I think he is replying to Dennis Frank's first post of the day. In particular these bits?
… a third alternative (to life & death), has also been achieved by our Labour Party. Can it be revived? Unkind commentators will note the uncanny resemblance to the worm (slimy, ultra-tiny brain, etc).
Luxon has set an extremely low bar for Hipkins to slither under. We can tell from Hipkins' resolute stance that he's serious about getting down there and sliding beneath it.
Still at least, you for one are honest..so maybe no troll !
And you at least aren't a NAct ?
Anyway, FYI for you and other Anti-Labour types.
I get that Labour aren't perfect. But you and the others cant bear to admit to the long list that Labour has achieved. (Its been on here many times..you maybe flick straight past ? )
Maybe you wont be as affected by the alternative NAct govt.
I think reform is sad joke under this economic system.
So for me any so called achievements are not worth the salt, sweat, and tears they cost. As the poor keep being raped and pillaged by brutal economic forces.
"Unkind commentators will note the uncanny resemblance…."
Yes, we noticed the unkindness. Usually, "unkind commentators" would be followed by a critique of that unkindness. not by a further extension of it.
Because that makes it even unkinder, since the commentator is aware of his/her unkindness.
The word 'kind' is also associated with 'kinship'. The lovely Irish song "She Moved Through the Fair" has a line "And my father won't slight you for your lack of kind".
The object of that line is not a fairy, not of the fairy kind, but the singer says that won't matter.
But, in unkindness we try to 'other' the ones we don't like. We say they are not like us. They are not akin to us. We might even compare them to worms.
I have to say that when I wake up in the morning, being 'woke' as it were, and find that Open Mike has not opened with its become usual first contribution, then I am happier. Today I skipped off to work by 8.30 and missed this 8.27 contribution.
I had a good morning. I was kind to my students and they were the same to me. It was my last lesson before final retirement! I sang them a song- "So long, it's been good to know you."
As a life member of the Labour Party I was not enthused to being likened to a worm. That was an unkindly cast, but I guess in the end we, the worms, win, every time………..
Have a happy healthy retirement Mac1. After 22 years I highly recommend it. "Lang may your lum reek" Metaphorically as we are Red and Green or TM Parti lol
Patricia, I thought about my "Lang may your joints creak", your "Lang may your lums reek" and composed this combined version in honour of another contributor here- "Lang may your joints reek!" Cheers, Philip.
Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice charge against Donald John Trump explained
On Thursday, prosecutors unveiled a new indictment, which charges Trump, his co-defendant and valet Walt Nauta and a third Trump employee, Carlos De Oliveira, with attempting to delete security camera footage at Mar-a-Lago after they were sent a grand jury subpoena for the videos in June 2022.
Prosecutors allege De Oliveira told another employee "the boss" wanted a server containing security footage to be deleted.
This time around, Labour’s campaign launch looks to be along the same timelines.
I don’t expect Labour to promise us avocado toast, even with GST removed, instead of ‘boring’ bread & butter policies, but it would be good if they can fill the current narrative vacuum and turn this General Election into a genuine policy contest of ideas founded on core principles & values.
NACT, Te Pāti Māori, and the Greens have started setting the scene and it’s Labour’s move now and it better be bold.
"You can't bullshit a bullshitter"….turns out to be bullshit.
Abstract
Research into both receptivity to falling for bullshit and the propensity to produce it have recently emerged as active, independent areas of inquiry into the spread of misleading information. However, it remains unclear whether those who frequently produce bullshit are inoculated from its influence. For example, both bullshit receptivity and bullshitting frequency are negatively related to cognitive ability and aspects of analytic thinking style, suggesting that those who frequently engage in bullshitting may be more likely to fall for bullshit. However, separate research suggests that individuals who frequently engage in deception are better at detecting it, thus leading to the possibility that frequent bullshitters may be less likely to fall for bullshit. Here, we present three studies (N = 826) attempting to distinguish between these competing hypotheses, finding that frequency of persuasive bullshitting (i.e., bullshitting intended to impress or persuade others) positively predicts susceptibility to various types of misleading information and that this association is robust to individual differences in cognitive ability and analytic cognitive style.
However, separate research suggests that individuals who frequently engage in deception are better at detecting it, thus leading to the possibility that frequent bullshitters may be less likely to fall for bullshit.
Not from my many and varied past experiences.
Not only do they spread bullshit like an out of control fire, but they assume that everybody is like them and into bullshit. Thus they double down and end up causing untold damage to the poor mugs in the firing line.
Yep. You can’t bullshit a bullshitter is a load of bullshit. 🙁
At the geopolitical level ministers of states are proving inadequate:
The EU, represented by Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius at the meeting, responded with exasperation. “At the end of our meeting today, is the glass half full or half empty?” Sinkevičius asked in his closing remarks. “It is certainly empty when we look at where we stand on G20 commitments to address climate change — we simply are nowhere.”
“The disappointing G20 energy and climate outcomes show ministers don’t have the mandate to negotiate on the defining issues of our time,” said Luca Bergamaschi, co-founder of Italian climate think tank ECCO. “G20 leaders must step in and together agree the actions needed for a safer planet.”
So the talkfest got no practical results. That ministers lack mana is an interesting conclusion for the activist to draw from their failure:
G20 climate ministers failed to make progress on key issues on Friday, drawing sharp criticism from the European Union. Talks in the southern Indian city of Chennai took place against the backdrop of scientists finding that July is on track to become the world’s hottest month on record. But the discussions wrapped up without consensus on the global transition away from fossil fuels; last week's G20 energy ministerial ended similarly.
The split forced the Indian G20 presidency to publish an incomplete outcome document on issues countries managed to agree on, as well as an additional chair’s summary on others where ministers did not reach consensus.
From my experience leading the consensus process for the Greens for several years, looks like insufficient preliminary work done. Meetings cost time & money – best to get a basis for agreement first via online consensus-building.
Could just be that Adam. Thing is, whereas the ideology is toxic in many respects, there's a paradox due to the benefits it generates in pulling third world nations out of poverty. In a global view, there's actually little that works better.
Consequently, although the report never spelt it out, I suspect those objecting see the benefits of global capitalism as a sufficient reason to retain the status quo. Since they are only ministers, they are as likely as not to be in bed with vested interests. So they can artfully argue benefits to their poor whilst not mentioning their selfish motives.
Neo-idealism, a morally-based approach to geopolitics, grounded in the power of values conceived as ideals to strive for.
.
There is a new idealism at work in international politics. Pioneered by people and politicians in Ukraine, the Baltic states, and the Czech Republic, but increasingly apparent in the actions and words of leaders across the free world, it has opened the door to a better kind of grand strategy for liberal democracies.
The standard bearers for this new hard-edged, forward-looking idealism in (geo)politics include Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and her erstwhile Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin, as well as President Edgars Rinkēvičs (Latvia) and Foreign Ministers Gabrielius Landsbergis (Lithuania) and Jan Lipavsky (Czechia).
They are joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a leader reborn in the crucible of Europe’s response to Russian aggression. At the head of the pack though is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who, channelling the courage and conviction of his people, has done most to pioneer the ‘Neo-Idealist’ synthesis of morality and materiel, principle and progress.
I would cheer Wagner on, only so far as internal russian strife might save Ukrainians. Wagner is nonetheless despicable and I hope both Putin and Wagner lose.
"X did bad. Y opposes X. Therefore Y is good."
Many of the Putin fans commenting here seem to fall into this error.
Encouraging, huh? Strange to say I haven't noticed Biden's idealism yet. From your link:
Even the Biden administration, so crucial yet so hesitant to commit to Ukraine’s victory over Russia, has clearly positioned itself as the leader of a democratic bloc with the intent to face down authoritarian China as a systemic rival. Relatedly, Washington has been more hawkish on geoeconomics than geopolitics as it seeks to move on from Neo-liberal economics.
USA moving on from neoliberalism? Where's the evidence?
Oh, I see, it's a resilience strategy, that's good! From a speech by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the Brookings Institution:
When President Biden came into office more than two years ago, the country faced, from our perspective, four fundamental challenges.
First, America’s industrial base had been hollowed out… The second challenge we faced was adapting to a new environment defined by geopolitical and security competition… The third challenge we faced was an accelerating climate crisis and the urgent need for a just and efficient energy transition.. Finally, we faced the challenge of inequality and its damage to democracy.
Official cognizance of this tetrad is a good basis upon which to proceed. They ought to have told the media about it back then!
Ultimately, our goal is a strong, resilient, and leading-edge techno-industrial base that the United States and its like-minded partners, established and emerging economies alike, can invest in and rely upon together.
President Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talked about this here in Washington last month. They released a very important statement, which, if you haven’t read it, I really encourage you to read. At its heart, what the statement said was the following: bold public investments in our respective industrial capacity needs to be at the heart of the energy transition. And President von der Leyen and President Biden committed to working together to ensure that the supply chains of the future are resilient, secure, and reflective of our values—including on labor.
They laid out practical steps in the statement to achieve those goals—like aligning respective clean-energy incentives on each side of the Atlantic and launching a negotiation on supply chains for critical minerals and batteries. Shortly after that, President Biden went to Canada. He and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau established a task force to accelerate cooperation between Canada and the United States toward exactly the same end: ensuring our clean-energy supply and creating middle-class jobs on both sides of the border. And just a few days after that, the United States and Japan signed an agreement deepening our cooperation on critical-mineral supply chains.
Now this kind of thing is likely to make a wide swathe of folks less cynical about Democrats. Not airheads after all.
When President Biden came into office more than two years ago, the country faced, from our perspective, four fundamental challenges.
First, America’s industrial base had been hollowed out.
The vision of public investment that had energized the American project in the postwar years—and indeed for much of our history—had faded. It had given way to a set of ideas that championed tax cutting and deregulation, privatization over public action, and trade liberalization as an end in itself.
There was one assumption at the heart of all of this policy: that markets always allocate capital productively and efficiently—no matter what our competitors did, no matter how big our shared challenges grew, and no matter how many guardrails we took down.
Now, no one—certainly not me—is discounting the power of markets. But in the name of oversimplified market efficiency, entire supply chains of strategic goods—along with the industries and jobs that made them—moved overseas. And the postulate that deep trade liberalization would help America export goods, not jobs and capacity, was a promise made but not kept.
Doggy animals Phillip? Our cat does not like guitars banjos or fiddles. If him indoors plays his guitar she is “outta there” The caravan sounds like a friends, well built.
I was in this place ..and I had this old ex-pig hunting dog..who was one of the gentlest dogs I have known..
And I became aware that a feral cat was sleeping underneath my caravan…it wouldn't come near me.. totally feral ..but I would leave a bowl of vegan dog biscuits and water under there for her ..
Sometime later she had a couple of kittens..in a cavity in a cliff..
Shortly after she was caught in a trap..and one of her front legs was just hanging…so she couldn't care for them..
So what she did was she deposited the kittens under my caravan ..and disappeared…
So I had these two hissing/spitting entities to contend with..
And it was a quandary for me…I knew if I handed them to spca/whoever they would likely just off them…(they were very antisocial..)
So I fed them all I had..vegan dog biscuits…and they loved them…
So I sourced them some vegan cat biscuits..(vegan pet food company..off titirangi rd..)…and we were off and running..
But they were still as feisty as..
So what I did was I would sit still and speak softly to them ..(and later on I figured it was like I was purring at them..)
So they eventually melted..and they both just adored the old dog…would sleep curled up on him…he seemed to like it too..
Anyway…the old boy dog died..leaving these two boys…
And I haven't had cats before.. it's always been dogs..
But I hafta say..these two have won me over…their apparent enjoyment of music just part of it..
Tho' I am conflicted still…them being cats and all..
They are on demand food..the bowl is always full…and collars/bells and all that. .but they are cats..still..
If you describe a situation as a virtuous circle, you mean that once one good thing starts happening, other good things happen, which cause the first thing to continue happening.
Such as
I want a virtuous circle of investment and growth in the rail industry. That is the virtuous circle at which we aim. Together, the modernisation of civil justice and the reform of legal aid will complete a virtuous circle.
Vicious Cycle
when the more something is done, the worse it gets, which means that it happens more.
Such as
A vicious cycle is a negative series of events that build on and reinforce each other. If you can't you can't get a job without experience, but you can't get experience without a job, then you are in a vicious cycle.
What is vicious circle in psychology?
A vicious cycle (also known as vicious circle) is used to describe a situation in which events are in a feedback loop in which the action or event is strengthened by its consequence which starts the cycle all over again. It is an event pattern that never reaches equilibrium and is in constant motion.
What is vicious circle in philosophy?
Vicious Circle. Description: The conclusion of the argument is appealed to as one of the truths or principles upon which the argument itself rests.
What is the word for arguing in circles?
A circular argument, also known ascircular reasoning, is an incorrect argument that tries to prove itself using its conclusion as evidence, such as “our boss is the best person for the job because they were promoted to boss.”
This shows the evil of the right. For so long they have avoided climate action of any kind and told us to buy insurance if we were worried. Here it shows how traumatising it can be to just get what you are owed out of your insurer.
Today we also found out how costly dealing with flooding in Auckland will be. God knows what it will be like if this happens more regularly.
Climate change and extreme weather events are going to make inequality worse. We shouldn’t have a business environment where some industries are exempt from doing their part socially, morally or fiscally.
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At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
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. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The regional imperialist powers, including Australia, New Zealand and France have maintained neo-colonial control over the Southwest Pacific for more than a century, keeping the fragile island nations in a state of dependency with conditions of poverty ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne Public transport in Queensland now costs just 50 cents. Yet in the first six months of the trial, it’s been revealed that thousands of commuters were ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Harris Rimmer, Professor, Griffith Law School, Griffith University Two federal politicians from opposing camps reached across the aisle this week to promote a valuable cause – the wellbeing of future Australian generations. Independent MP Sophie Scamps tabled the Wellbeing of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Younger, Lecturer in Southern Ocean Vertebrate Ecology, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania Australia’s Antarctic territory represents the largest sliver of the ice continent. For decades, Australian scientists have headed to one of our three bases – Mawson, ...
A Māori Purposes Bill is an omnibus bill that enables minor, technical, and non-controversial amendments to legislation relating to Māori affairs. This Māori Purposes Bill aims to modernise some legislation relating to Māori Affairs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Campbell, Lecturer, Performing Arts, UniSA Creative, University of South Australia Matt Byrne/STCSA Housework, a new play by Emily Steel, lifts the rock off politics to expose its crawling, ruthless, yet undeniably comic underside. The result is masterful, hilarious and deeply ...
After two years of major damage from storms, a key government unit has made an abrupt change to focus on cyber security over and above natural disasters. ...
Pacific Media Watch Papua New Guinea’s civic space has been rated as “obstructed” by the Civicus Monitor and the country has been criticised for pushing forward with a controversial media law in spite of strong opposition. Among concerns previously documented by the civil rights watchdog are harassment and threats against ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Younger, Lecturer in Southern Ocean Vertebrate Ecology, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania Australia’s Antarctic territory represents the largest sliver of the ice continent. For decades, Australian scientists have headed to one of our three bases – Mawson, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Dwyer, Research Director, Energy Futures, University of Technology Sydney 24K-Productions Our cars sit unused most of the time. If you have an electric vehicle, you might leave it charging at home or work after driving it. But there’s another step ...
Everything you missed from day four of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard two hours of submissions.Read our recaps of the previous hearings here.Parliament’s Room 3 was the same old, same old on Thursday morning for the fourth Treaty principles bill hearing – brown ...
By Melina Etches of the Cook Islands News A motion of no confidence has been filed against the Prime Minister and his Cabinet following the recent fiasco involving the now-abandoned Cook Islands passport proposal and the comprehensive strategic partnership the country will sign with China this week. Cook Islands United ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Dwyer, Research Director, Energy Futures, University of Technology Sydney 24K-Productions Our cars sit unused most of the time. If you have an electric vehicle, you might leave it charging at home or work after driving it. But there’s another step ...
The December results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2024 (HYEFU 2024), published on 17 December 2024, and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ajay Narendra, Associate Professor of Insect Neuroethology, Macquarie University Pranav Joshi Jumping spiders – one of the largest spider families – get their name from the extraordinary jumps they make to hunt prey, to navigate and also to evade predators. Male ...
Both ministers have confirm they shared a phone call on Thursday morning, with the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement due to expire next month. ...
The final designs for the long-awaited Courtenay Place revamp have been released. Joel MacManus takes a closer look at the details. At an embargoed media briefing on Wednesday, Wellington mayor Tory Whanau and a team of council staff showed journalists a 3D-printed model of Courtenay Place. For about an hour, ...
The Economic Growth Minister is targeting increasing competition in the banking, grocery, and electricity sectors for the government to address this year. ...
Ecomatters Bike Hub has helped 30,000 Aucklanders start cycling. Shanti Mathias rides over to understand the impact of these community bike workshops.When An Na moved with her husband and two kids to Auckland in 2022, it took a while to start learning their way around. “We started taking our ...
Echo Chamber is The Spinoff’s dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. Labour leader Chris Hipkins is on the war path – the path being the overthrowing of Act leader David Seymour, and hopefully ...
Callaghan Innovation told 63 workers their roles were being made redundant, including 16 commercialisation roles, 14 scientists and engineers, 6 Māori Innovation roles, and others working in data, digital, product design, risk and audit, marketing, government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Sheedy, Professor – Risk governance, culture, remuneration, Macquarie University This week the corporate regulator is taking on executives and directors of Star Entertainment in the Federal Court, in a landmark case for Australian corporate governance. ASIC will allege that despite multiple ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Allen, Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Shutterstock It’s hard to remember a time the United States seemed as tense and divided as it does today. That should serve as a stark reminder of just how important it is to monitor ...
I’m a proud atheist who outgrew my religious upbringing. So why am I getting antsy about the rapture all of a sudden? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera,I’m a proud atheist and since I managed to move past the childhood trauma of my religious upbringing ...
Analysis: A couple of hours ago, Cook Islands prime minister Mark Brown posted a Facebook picture from a visit to China’s National Deep Sea Centre in Qingdao, 700km north of Shanghai. The centre’s crewed submarine ‘Jiaolong’ has just been given a major upgrade and is set for sea trials in March. This is no ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kaitlin Barham, Wildlife ecology researcher, The University of Queensland Australia Zoo Crocodiles are hardy creatures, capable of adjusting their behaviour to cope with the heat of the tropics. But there’s a limit to their endurance. Our new research shows the ...
A worm was spotted 40m deep down into Siberian permafrost, extracted, dated to 46,000 years ago, and revived: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/28/world/worm-resurrected-frozen-siberian-permafrost-intl-scli-scn/index.html
A noteworthy scientific success, with political implications.
This state of stasis, a third alternative (to life & death), has also been achieved by our Labour Party. Can it be revived? Unkind commentators will note the uncanny resemblance to the worm (slimy, ultra-tiny brain, etc).
"Yes we can", said Obama. "No we can't", said Hipkins. Luxon has set an extremely low bar for Hipkins to slither under. We can tell from Hipkins' resolute stance that he's serious about getting down there and sliding beneath it.
One of the worst aspects of political discourse is to impugn the humanity of others, such as when Christians refer to others as reptilians.
Generally the left question the mammonesque – celebration of the order of rule of the imperial coin/American dollar capital.
And the right, focus on conservative social values vs liberal tolerance and question the threat to private ownership and wealth via social democratic policy concepts of equity.
Thus the greedy vs those of envy taxation.
Benjamin Disraeli after becoming the prime minister in 1868, "I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole."
And of course poll driven leadership.
Then there is the term down the greasy poll in relation to the ultimate stage of a debate – down the thread, when all there is left to say is insults, one party of which will have deserved.
I suspect the last post today will be classier than the first.
Completely agree. Slur politics is on the rise and the left should be resisting this with all our might.
Such likening is traditional, however. Whether it be analogy, metaphor or simile, figures of speech have always been used.
They achieve currency in proportion to (perceived) accuracy, which is why they will remain endemic. Whilst it may be suitably tribal for left-wingers to do the ole christian `holier than thou' at others, doing so shrinks their influence. Trying to eliminate part of humanity will seem inhuman to others.
Censorship then?
Nope, self-moderation and not acting as a bastard.
or you will censor?
I’m a Mod here, not a censor.
Well I'd suggest to you, that sometimes it does not look that way.
Take a deep breath, pause I'm not having a go, just giving you feedback.
Because I'm that sort of bastard.
My suggestion to you is to avoid any suggestion of accusing Mods here of censoring, as this is considered an attack even when you say it isn’t.
We take this very recent Post on TS moderation as read & understood (https://thestandard.org.nz/moderation-notes-in-election-year/).
good lord, you're an anarchist and you think the only way to resist slur politics is censorship?
The Blue Jay, (one of their home bases is Toronto, also the home court of the born again up their above us down below Raptors) love to eat worms.
Blue Jays are related to the Crows, those by the cradle of the born again.
The religious revival (vibrations filling up believers like a wine cup overflowing) of January 1994 began at Vineyard Airport Church Toronto.
Unilever has a long history in Canada having started operating in the 1890's in downtown Toronto with the Lever Brother's soap factory. Lux is now on the brand, for those who believe cleanliness is next to god, rather than the unwashed masses (a joke about those with a little water on a little hair and the adult baptised – full body).
They also retail food for corporate profit.
The Hunger Games referred to the mocking of the parasitic (rentiers who impose their ECA precariat order) overlords (who own central city prime land property, rather than rent in the outer districts).
The Blue Tit of Mother England also likes to eat worms.
One can play by the rules of the establishment, or note that they cannot take their wealth with them, just hand it on to their class descendants till the revolution comes. Wat Tyler, Levellers, 1689, 1893 (Enzed) and 1908 (UK Labour), 1935, 1996 (MMP).
A diet of worms for the those who believe in the lords and masters of imperial capital mammon, or grab that apple, vote and keep the the house safe from the crows of capitalism.
PS Unilever is behind a basic food of the poor called pot noodle.
That's the oddest post comment ive ever read
I think it is brilliant. Thank you DF.
I love figures of speech and the more extreme or unlikely in content the better.
"This state of stasis, a third alternative (to life & death), has also been achieved by our Labour Party. "
Of course stasis is a biological response to the conditions.
I am keen on the PM continuing with the tradition of explaining is losing concept, particularly in relation to the fresh food/GST so-called leak. So what may be stasis for worms and also biological, may be deliberate policy by the so-called higher powers, humans.
As well as the political context the stasis of these worms is interesting…..is hibernation also classed as stasis?
Re the PM, he's been big on negativity yet he could still deliver a pleasant surprise, so I'll wait & see…
Parker at the Leadership contest here in Rotorua was memorable for the number of "I" s in his speech.
Where Andrew Little was the one to say "We have to change and do better"
Grant Robertson said he would like to lead a unified team and would choose Jacinda Ardern as his DP.
Parker's "side step" was petulance in my view. You may consider it elegant, when really it is self serving.
Plus some worms are like white ants and borer destroying the structure as they care not for the host, and do not have a symbiotic relationship.
Dennis where are your barbs for our real foe? Where are your clever word plays on Act and National? ?
Well, Patricia, I have to say Parker was being principled in my view. There's also been a bunch of msm commentary to similar effect. The gist I noticed was that he & Robertson were amenable to a consensual wealth tax & at least one of them (Parker) seems to have invested a significant amount of time & energy to it. Given their likely coalition partners are both committed to that, seems both sensible and prudent for him to have done that work ahead of the time for negotiating any points of difference. He therefore deserves respect for his political nous. Can't say that for the PM unless he's eyeing up a prospective Nat/Lab option to save neoliberalism.
Re the two rightist options, others have being assiduous & not needed my help but if they come up with anything particularly obnoxious I'll have a go at skewering any prospective rightist govt position…
Act wanting to do away with human rights? the Treaty? Not meaty enough for you?
Correct, such blatherings from ACT are devoid of substance therefore not worthy of comment. Posturing only…
But wait, there's more coming? DF's comments are at times seemingly random.
A kind of "stream of conscious (unconscious?) thought " ….
or something.
Best viewed with an open mind. And maybe..a smile : )
If you are referring to DMK's quote from SPC bwaghorn, I think he is replying to Dennis Frank's first post of the day. In particular these bits?
If I’m correct I agree with SPC.
Hi Anne. No, im pretty sure Bwaghorn's comment was in reply direct to DF.
And…I would say it was pretty much as he wrote.. : )
Def high on the Odd scale.
No argument on the ramping anti Labour part…….
Oops yes. I assumed he was replying to DMK.
Nevertheless my comment stands by itself.
Anne you're allgood. And yep lets call out the Anti-Labour troll attempts (on here at least)
And…Keep Left : )
Anti-labour party here 🙂
As economically they are not left.
Ahuh. I could have said..no shit : )
Still at least, you for one are honest..so maybe no troll !
And you at least aren't a NAct ?
Anyway, FYI for you and other Anti-Labour types.
I get that Labour aren't perfect. But you and the others cant bear to admit to the long list that Labour has achieved. (Its been on here many times..you maybe flick straight past ? )
Maybe you wont be as affected by the alternative NAct govt.
I and many hundreds of thousands others will be.
I think reform is sad joke under this economic system.
So for me any so called achievements are not worth the salt, sweat, and tears they cost. As the poor keep being raped and pillaged by brutal economic forces.
Was to df, as far as seques go it was a lonnnng reach.
The worm bit @1 was interesting, but couldn’t make head nor tail of the rest of it.
I suspect such pointless provocations will become more frequent, "going forward."
D.frank must surely be a shoo-in for today's groin-stretch-metaphor award..?
46,000 yr old worm…to hipkins-labour..?
whoar..!
Lol. I'd also add, the sheer arm strength needed for that Long Bow stretch. Must be superhuman : )
That 46,000 old frozen worm @ Phillip was reported as being revived/arisen. If only it could speak.
Too much incrementalism leads inevitably to stasis..
.. which is where we are..
"Unkind commentators will note the uncanny resemblance…."
Yes, we noticed the unkindness. Usually, "unkind commentators" would be followed by a critique of that unkindness. not by a further extension of it.
Because that makes it even unkinder, since the commentator is aware of his/her unkindness.
The word 'kind' is also associated with 'kinship'. The lovely Irish song "She Moved Through the Fair" has a line "And my father won't slight you for your lack of kind".
The object of that line is not a fairy, not of the fairy kind, but the singer says that won't matter.
But, in unkindness we try to 'other' the ones we don't like. We say they are not like us. They are not akin to us. We might even compare them to worms.
I have to say that when I wake up in the morning, being 'woke' as it were, and find that Open Mike has not opened with its become usual first contribution, then I am happier. Today I skipped off to work by 8.30 and missed this 8.27 contribution.
I had a good morning. I was kind to my students and they were the same to me. It was my last lesson before final retirement! I sang them a song- "So long, it's been good to know you."
As a life member of the Labour Party I was not enthused to being likened to a worm. That was an unkindly cast, but I guess in the end we, the worms, win, every time………..
Thanks, Patricia. I have no chimney so more appropriate would be "Lang may my joints creak."
Maybe a dram will help
Patricia, I thought about my "Lang may your joints creak", your "Lang may your lums reek" and composed this combined version in honour of another contributor here- "Lang may your joints reek!" Cheers, Philip.
Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice charge against Donald John Trump explained
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2023/07/the-legal-troubles-of-former-us-president-donald-trump-after-latest-charges.html
Election Day was 17 October in 2020.
Labour released its first election campaign policy on 8 August 2020.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/08/nz-election-2020-labour-s-first-campaign-policy-revamped-national-policy.html
This time around, Labour’s campaign launch looks to be along the same timelines.
I don’t expect Labour to promise us avocado toast, even with GST removed, instead of ‘boring’ bread & butter policies, but it would be good if they can fill the current narrative vacuum and turn this General Election into a genuine policy contest of ideas founded on core principles & values.
NACT, Te Pāti Māori, and the Greens have started setting the scene and it’s Labour’s move now and it better be bold.
+100 on the narrative vacuum.
Where is Labour? Anyone?
After a lifetime I can't see myself voting for them this time.
And no idea who I will party vote for.
Who knew!! People who spread bullshit, are more prone to believing bullshit, due to faulty cognition in both cases.
"You can't bullshit a bullshitter"….turns out to be bullshit.
Not from my many and varied past experiences.
Not only do they spread bullshit like an out of control fire, but they assume that everybody is like them and into bullshit. Thus they double down and end up causing untold damage to the poor mugs in the firing line.
Yep. You can’t bullshit a bullshitter is a load of bullshit. 🙁
At the geopolitical level ministers of states are proving inadequate:
So the talkfest got no practical results. That ministers lack mana is an interesting conclusion for the activist to draw from their failure:
From my experience leading the consensus process for the Greens for several years, looks like insufficient preliminary work done. Meetings cost time & money – best to get a basis for agreement first via online consensus-building.
Neo-liberalism in any form = business as usual.
Could just be that Adam. Thing is, whereas the ideology is toxic in many respects, there's a paradox due to the benefits it generates in pulling third world nations out of poverty. In a global view, there's actually little that works better.
Consequently, although the report never spelt it out, I suspect those objecting see the benefits of global capitalism as a sufficient reason to retain the status quo. Since they are only ministers, they are as likely as not to be in bed with vested interests. So they can artfully argue benefits to their poor whilst not mentioning their selfish motives.
Neo-idealism, a morally-based approach to geopolitics, grounded in the power of values conceived as ideals to strive for.
.
There is a new idealism at work in international politics. Pioneered by people and politicians in Ukraine, the Baltic states, and the Czech Republic, but increasingly apparent in the actions and words of leaders across the free world, it has opened the door to a better kind of grand strategy for liberal democracies.
The standard bearers for this new hard-edged, forward-looking idealism in (geo)politics include Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and her erstwhile Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin, as well as President Edgars Rinkēvičs (Latvia) and Foreign Ministers Gabrielius Landsbergis (Lithuania) and Jan Lipavsky (Czechia).
They are joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a leader reborn in the crucible of Europe’s response to Russian aggression. At the head of the pack though is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who, channelling the courage and conviction of his people, has done most to pioneer the ‘Neo-Idealist’ synthesis of morality and materiel, principle and progress.
https://www.bylinesupplement.com/p/the-rise-of-the-new-idealists
Did you cheer on the wagner group Joe90?
Russian fascists scare the hell of me, the pan European ones scare me just as much.
I would cheer Wagner on, only so far as internal russian strife might save Ukrainians. Wagner is nonetheless despicable and I hope both Putin and Wagner lose.
"X did bad. Y opposes X. Therefore Y is good."
Many of the Putin fans commenting here seem to fall into this error.
You know Wagner are nazis UncookedSelachimorpha?
Real life Russian nazi scum?
Yeah nah, no way I'd supporting nazi scum in any way, my Granddad use to shot them.
Encouraging, huh? Strange to say I haven't noticed Biden's idealism yet. From your link:
USA moving on from neoliberalism? Where's the evidence?
Oh, I see, it's a resilience strategy, that's good! From a speech by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the Brookings Institution:
Official cognizance of this tetrad is a good basis upon which to proceed. They ought to have told the media about it back then!
Now this kind of thing is likely to make a wide swathe of folks less cynical about Democrats. Not airheads after all.
It's almost like they've woken up.
.
When President Biden came into office more than two years ago, the country faced, from our perspective, four fundamental challenges.
First, America’s industrial base had been hollowed out.
The vision of public investment that had energized the American project in the postwar years—and indeed for much of our history—had faded. It had given way to a set of ideas that championed tax cutting and deregulation, privatization over public action, and trade liberalization as an end in itself.
There was one assumption at the heart of all of this policy: that markets always allocate capital productively and efficiently—no matter what our competitors did, no matter how big our shared challenges grew, and no matter how many guardrails we took down.
Now, no one—certainly not me—is discounting the power of markets. But in the name of oversimplified market efficiency, entire supply chains of strategic goods—along with the industries and jobs that made them—moved overseas. And the postulate that deep trade liberalization would help America export goods, not jobs and capacity, was a promise made but not kept.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/04/27/remarks-by-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-on-renewing-american-economic-leadership-at-the-brookings-institution/
The Biden administration’s international economic agenda: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
Brookings Institution
Here's the picture:
In my vintage caravan (1957).. a delight of varnished wood/yellow formica/chrome etc..
Parked on a cliff top overlooking a harbour.
There is no wind/rain.
Smoking slim-line joints..a blend of three examples of nz's best..
Listening to back episodes of that cornucopia of musical delights..nashville babylon..
A much loved animal sleeping either side of me ..their ears twitching to the music..as they do…
I've had worse Saturday nites..
(This has been a bulletin from te gypsy lifestyle…)
I was in this place ..and I had this old ex-pig hunting dog..who was one of the gentlest dogs I have known..
And I became aware that a feral cat was sleeping underneath my caravan…it wouldn't come near me.. totally feral ..but I would leave a bowl of vegan dog biscuits and water under there for her ..
Sometime later she had a couple of kittens..in a cavity in a cliff..
Shortly after she was caught in a trap..and one of her front legs was just hanging…so she couldn't care for them..
So what she did was she deposited the kittens under my caravan ..and disappeared…
So I had these two hissing/spitting entities to contend with..
And it was a quandary for me…I knew if I handed them to spca/whoever they would likely just off them…(they were very antisocial..)
So I fed them all I had..vegan dog biscuits…and they loved them…
So I sourced them some vegan cat biscuits..(vegan pet food company..off titirangi rd..)…and we were off and running..
But they were still as feisty as..
So what I did was I would sit still and speak softly to them ..(and later on I figured it was like I was purring at them..)
So they eventually melted..and they both just adored the old dog…would sleep curled up on him…he seemed to like it too..
Anyway…the old boy dog died..leaving these two boys…
And I haven't had cats before.. it's always been dogs..
But I hafta say..these two have won me over…their apparent enjoyment of music just part of it..
Tho' I am conflicted still…them being cats and all..
They are on demand food..the bowl is always full…and collars/bells and all that. .but they are cats..still..
A funny thing they do…is that because they used to walk with me and the dog…they now walk with me like they are dogs…
It's funny as..
The domino effect, or chain reaction.
Virtuous Circle
Such as
Vicious Cycle
Such as
What is vicious circle in psychology?
What is vicious circle in philosophy?
What is the word for arguing in circles?
Quotes from
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=a+virtuous+circle+idiom
This shows the evil of the right. For so long they have avoided climate action of any kind and told us to buy insurance if we were worried. Here it shows how traumatising it can be to just get what you are owed out of your insurer.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/494734/insurance-payout-for-flood-hit-owner-raised-after-months-of-delay
Today we also found out how costly dealing with flooding in Auckland will be. God knows what it will be like if this happens more regularly.
Climate change and extreme weather events are going to make inequality worse. We shouldn’t have a business environment where some industries are exempt from doing their part socially, morally or fiscally.
If NAct (led by Act ) gain control…..NZ, more Climate denial….and much less Climate support.
They wont give a toss.