Classic political analysis brought to bear on a Labour Party intent on eliminating civil liberties to prove to voters that it can out-flank the Nats on the right. Gordon Campbell provides novice journos a textbook lesson on how to expose Labour's lack of credibility.
So
it is hardly surprising that the Security Information in Proceedings Legislation Bill slipped into Parliament in late November, virtually unnoticed. This was unfortunate, because the Bill quietly erodes the principles of natural justice in this country. In essence, the Bill formalises a system whereby, in an expanding range of courtroom situations, people will be unable to know, let alone challenge, all the evidence being used to prosecute their case.
If the Crown decides for example that the revelation of secret information might disrupt our international relations, threaten our national security, undermine our economic well-being or unduly disturb departmental best practice, then the accused may end up being prevented from knowing all the evidence being weighed against them. Good luck with defending yourself when you don’t know what the courts are relying on to decide your fate.
What would the title of the legislation be if Labour were honest? It would be called the Protest Leader's Elimination Bill. That would tell the truth about Labour's intent. Stack the courts in favour of the prosecution. Labour's century-long campaign to ramp up state power to achieve total control of the populace thus obtains a final solution – to the problem of democratic freedom.
I read that article yesterday with considerable disquiet.
If Campbell’s right, it too broadly dispenses with habeus corpus, the cornerstone of our legal system’s right to a fair trial.
One hopes that it will be rigorously challenged by the Law Society, Green Party, all other parties, & scores of civil libertarians in Select Committee. And that the media will cover it properly. They never know, one day one of their journos might be on the receiving end of it.
IMO, protecting the principles of natural justice should be a higher priority than protecting the flow of classified information to the security services.
Add to that sentence… protecting the principles of natural justice – and the rights of citizens wrongly suspected of subversion – should be a higher priority than protecting the flow of classified information to the security services.
From experience (in my case on the say-so of another) I can assure you that natural justice has never taken precedence over matters pertaining to security concerns. In other words all that has changed is the government is legislating for something that has been the abiding principle for many decades.
Having said the above, I take issue with your final paragraph. To infer as you have that Labour has been running a century-longcampaignto ramp up state power to achieve total control of the populace… " is conspiratorial nonsense.
You shouldn't need the words "wrongly suspected of subversion" in your proposed change.
It is quite sufficient to say "protecting the principles of natural justice – and the rights of citizens – should be a higher priority" ie all citizens.
I concede alwyn "and the rights of citizens" is more appropriate. Thanks for pointing it out. My mind was trapped in my own experience three decades ago.
But Anne, Labour have always been statist control freaks! If I was wrong about that you'd be able to cite instances of protest leaders joining the Labour Party, being allocated safe seats to campaign in, becoming MPs and then cabinet ministers.
Okay, so Goff was PYM – but he never got a reputation of being a leader of the rabble in those days. He was a follower.
Anyway, you tacitly concede my point by failing to provide an innocent explanation for why Labour is doing what they're doing. Here's one you could try: incompetence. Faafoi doesn't know what he's doing (according to this theory), he's just operating on autopilot advancing an agenda provided to him by his advisors. If I were a conspiracy theorist I'd call them the Deep State. Instead, I suspect they represent the shallow state; public servants who believe state security must prevail over civil rights. Deeply shallow folk.
No Dennis they have not… always been control freaks.
That is a wrong interpretation of their principles and policies down the decades. For example, Michael Joseph Savage was a gentleman with no aspiration to hold power for power's sake. He wanted to raise the standard of living for everyone and not just the chosen few. He and his ministers had to introduce legislation to make it start to happen.
The only thing that has changed is the strategies – taking into account changing modern day conditions. But the principle is still the same… to raise the standard of living for everyone. Unfortunately the "chosen few" have almost all the money and power so there will always be a need to redress the balance by way of legislation.
Some people may disagree with the way Labour goes about it, and that is part of being a democracy, but it is NOT being "control freaks".
Good to see James taking this initiative on behalf of the govt:
Climate Change Minister James Shaw has agreed to visit Southland and meet Groundswell NZ leaders. However, a date is yet to be set for the farmer protest group to have their first official meeting with a government minister. Shaw released a letter from Southland MP Joseph Mooney, which invited him to the electorate to ‘’meet with Groundswell NZ to discuss their concerns around the National Policy Statement for National Biodiversity, Significant Natural Areas, Freshwater and other legislation affecting rural communities”.
The letter was sent to Shaw on August 5… Shaw replied on October 11, saying: “I appreciate the invite and your offer to facilitate and host this meeting. I have asked my office and officials to identify an appropriate time for the meeting.’’ A spokesperson from Shaw’s office said the Minister had been advised the best time to meet with Groundswell NZ would be once the exposure draft of the proposed National Environmental Standards for Indigenous Biodiversity had been released next year.
While several countries in Africa, like South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria are developing green hydrogen plans, Namibia is the more advanced.
In simple terms, the renewable energy from the sun and wind will be used to separate hydrogen molecules from desalinated water. Those hydrogen molecules in their pure form or in derivative green ammonia can make up a variety of products, including sustainable fuels.
The preferred bidder, Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, is set to start production in 2026 and will have the rights to the project for 40 years, once the necessary feasibility processes are concluded. The firm says the four years of construction are likely to create 15,000 direct jobs and 3,000 more during full operations – and that 90% of them will be filled by locals. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59722297
I breath high concentration molecular hydrogen, and drink molecular hydrogen infused water. It's way of the future. I also believe cold fusion power is close to becoming a reality.
Hitch yourself to a balloon, fill it up. You can get nicely high doing that. Stratospheric, even. Ascension has been a cultural trend for several decades eh?
But on a serious note, sounds interesting. Scouting the current opportunities or already have options in mind? Your expertise is engineering? Or project management? Both? I'm just curious so if there's confidentiality involved just a scenario summary would be cool…
Setting up a global Hydrogen Centre of Excellence for one of the major process control system vendors. Still some factors outside of my control involved – so no promises yet.
And then there is the nuclear fission reactor in the centre of the earth. Which allows a magnetic field to form, and in turn keeps the solar wind from stripping off our atmosphere. Which lets us breathe.
Despite its geological significance, this heat energy coming from Earth's interior is actually only 0.03% of Earth's total energy budget at the surface, which is dominated by 173,000 TW of incoming solar radiation.
I made no mention of the energy budget at the surface – merely pointing out that this decay heat in the core of the earth is vital for existence the existence of life.
This internal core heat also drives plate tectonics which has a multitude of implications for life on earth as well.
I'm upfront and probably more transparent than any other regular participant here – other than maybe Lynn- and I realised long ago that would make me a target for the cheap shots.
As for 'sustainability' – the version you promote pretty much means running into resource limits more slowly – but not allowed to innovate past them.
I'm not taking cheap shots, I'm pointing out that there are plenty of explanations of what sustainability is but you don't seem to understand what it is. That's ok, I'm sure if you tried to explain technical aspects of your work some people might struggle to grasp it. Sustainability requires learning a new way of thinking, lots of people don't get it.
As for 'sustainability' – the version you promote pretty much means running into resource limits more slowly – but not allowed to innovate past them.
I agree. This is why I write about the Powerdown 🙂
eg in NZ, we have good hydro infrastructure. What would it look like if we largely worked within that capacity?
We can also do grid tied solar, solar hot water, passive solar, none of which require batteries, but do require a bit of behavioural change.
The interesting thing about living on solar with batteries is you soon get acutely aware of how much power you use, when you use it, and what actually matters. This isn't a bad thing, and it's what we need.
I see richard prebbles latest effort at rewriting history is something about deregulating broadcasting. I have yet to see him explain away his efforts at deregulating housing, and how it cost kiwis hundreds of millions to fix badly designed and built houses, and how it led to a shortage of low cost housing , which plagues NZ today,..For those who came in late, there will be footage of prebble ,on parliament steps, tearing up, and burning the housing regs as they were. NZ's housing problems can be directly sheeted home to prebble and the act party. something that should be taught in schools….
If anyone is rewriting history it would appear to be woodart.
ACT was led by Prebble from 1996 until 2004. He retired from Parliament in 2005. During his time in Parliament as an ACT MP they were never part of the Government. They were on the cross benches during the National led Government from 1996 until 1999 and in the Opposition from 1999 until 2004 when there was a Clark/Labour led Government.
Just how could Prebble and the ACT party be responsible for NZ's housing problems? You are dreaming.
Indeed, Prebble was a Labour Party man from 75 to 93. Woodart was however blaming ACT for the problems, and they weren't even in existence then.
His precise words were "NZ's housing problems can be directly sheeted home to prebble and the act party."
The only Government Prebble was part of was a Labour one as a Labour MP. That was from 1984 to 1990. Do we blame Labour? If so should we complain that it was the fault of the Housing Minister?
Hm. That would be Phil Goff for 3 years, Helen Clark for 2 years and Jonathon Hunt for 1. No Prebble in the job though.
so, in your self-appointed job of know-it-all-ism, do you deny prebble on the steps of parliament burning building regs, and telling the reporters that building derugulation would be the key to success, and do you deny that a budding act party taking that deregulation mantra on board and using it in their manifesto? I never claimed he was an M.P. at that time, that was you, as, usual, NOT reading properly, and running off at the keyboard in your usual haste to be a smartarse.
I have no idea whether he did any of those things and I don't really care. I am one of those people who think that the Government of the days passes the laws of the country and not that the Opposition does so.
I realise that this tends to spoil the rants of some of the more fantasy promoting members of society but that is just tough s**t.
I suppose my views are in some ways a variation on Richard Feynman's statement.
"It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong."
If you are going to argue that some party is responsible for laws that they never passed, and never were in a Government so that they never could pass them I would have to say that you are wrong. I would also tend to think that the second clause of Feynman's statement can't apply to you.
Woodart, it was the fourth National Government (with Ruth Richardson Treasurer,) loosened housing rules that led to leaky homes, and increased state house rents to market related charges, this so impacted the poor that Food kitchens appeared for the first time since the '30s. Bolger and Shippley were Leaders of that debacle.
At the time one of the National women MPs gave out recipes for basic meals. Trouble was she was saying "Now from your store cupboard (Pantry)take…" this aimed at people who ran out of food Saturday waiting for money on Tuesday. That was also when Bolger famously said "A lunch is only two pieces of bread with something between them".
Our school started a” Breakfast and homework club" We also provided apples a snack and children could make a sandwich for lunch. Fillings were basic marmite cheese or fish paste. About 30 to forty would be there Thus Fri Mon, with 12 to 15 other days. We had music playing so conversations were private.
It was an eye opener to see how those children were more settled learned and were more open and hopeful. Teachers would contribute to it as they saw the difference. Policies should always start with the children in mind.
That Government put the surcharge on superannuation as well. It lasted two terms.
Sorry, but the tax surcharge on superannuation was introduced by the Lange Labour Government in 1985. It was not introduced by the National Government of which Ruth Richardson was a prominent participant. The surcharge was very belatedly removed by the National Government in 1998.
Well that may be but National certainly weren't very honest about the topic. As far as I remember it they promised to remove the surcharge in their 1990 manifesto. Then then reneged on the promise throughout their first 2 terms and only removed it 8 years after it was first a firm promise. I was living in Australia from 1989 to 1996 and I was very surprised that the surcharge was still there when I came back.
In 91 and 92 it could be pretty easily justified. The books were in a terrible mess when they took over. However after they had been in office for a full term that claim really doesn't cut it any more. If you haven't fixed a problem after a full term you simply aren't being competent or you aren't being honest.
It all started with Muldoon his loans and the pause before he handed over the reins. I think Lange let the cat out of the bag about devaluation, and money flew out the country until it happened and was returned afterwards. Right mess. Cheers Alwyn. Though one term to turn things around is a big ask. Some problems are so entrenched and so many livelihoods have been upset already. Our next big test.. Omicron out in Auckland
Patricia
And you could provide a semi scientific finding on its efficacy. It's taken Covid to make government to listen to science instead of going for gut feelings with orchestrated reports as to value or ear-whispering from wealthies of the wrong wing plus Treasury.
I reread the rest of your comment and what you are saying in fact confirms what you quote Bolger as saying.
You quote him as saying "A lunch is only two pieces of bread with something between them".
Then you say what you were providing as a least the main part of the children's lunch
" children could make a sandwich for lunch. Fillings were basic marmite cheese or fish paste"
That sounds as if Bolger was pretty much on target doesn't it? Given his background of course that was probably exactly what he, and his children, of which he had nine, did have for lunch. He was himself one of 5 kids born to a couple who had emigrated in 1930 from Ireland and he left school at 15 to work on the farm. I doubt there was very much spare money for a fancy lunch in that family.
Biggest thing I am with is what are we doing about masks in NZ? I see a lot of people internationally saying shift to more technical masks, but I don't know what to buy or even if I can buy them here. Anyone got a good explainer on that?
If you want this quality there is 3M 8210 that meets AS/ANZ 1716:2012 P2. P2 is the local equivalent standard to N95. You can buy these from Mitre10 (often out of stock or NZ Safety Blackwoods.(good stock at some branches, phone 0800 660 660) Packet of 20 about $70.
KN95 rated respirators are not always meeting quality tests. (see above link)
I've never washed them myself but here's what a microbiologist found when he washed and then tested a variety of masks . It's also a guide to the effectiveness of homemade versus bought masks.
I've come to the conclusion that the only reason why COVID is still around is that too many people are making too much money and power from it. So yes it will likely to be around until enough people figure this out.
Remembering it's the CCP's fault in the first place, Covid's been so profitable, and messed with freedums to such an extent, that vested interests (?) will be plotting to keep it going forever, just like they will with the next crisis.
Thank goodness for Western freedum fighters (Trump, Johnson, Bolsonaro) – it's only these 'clear thinkers', and Tucker Carlson, that give me hope. /sarc
“…Under the government scheme, Japan aims to set standards for compensation for damage caused by what it described as harmful rumours on local industries such as fishing, tourism and agriculture while reinforcing monitoring capability and transparency to avoid reputational damage.
Japan also expects the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to compile an interim safety assessment next year, based on its review over the safety of the treated water, the competence of local analytical laboratories and regulatory frameworks, the government said.
In an effort to improve transparency to gain the trust of the international community, Japan asked the IAEA in April to conduct a review to assess and advise on the handling of the water.
A decade after a massive earthquake and tsunami ravaged the country’s northeastern coast, disabling the plant and causing the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, nearly 1.3 million tonnes of contaminated water have accumulated at the site.
The water, enough to fill about 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, is stored in huge tanks at an annual cost of about 100 billion yen (NZ$1.3b), and space is running out.
Japan has argued the release is necessary to press ahead with the complex decommissioning of the plant. It says similarly filtered water is routinely released from nuclear plants around the world.”
… … … … … …
One hopes they are right & that discharging this treated contaminated water into the ocean won’t have any harmful effects on the oceanic ecosystem.
The primary isotope involved is tritium or Hydrogen3.
Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen, which allows it to readily bind to hydroxyl radicals, forming tritiated water, and to carbon atoms. Since tritium is a low energybeta emitter, it is not dangerous externally (its beta particles are unable to penetrate the skin), but it can be a radiation hazard when inhaled, ingested via food or water, or absorbed through the skin. HTO has a short biological half-life in the human body of 7 to 14 days, which both reduces the total effects of single-incident ingestion and precludes long-term bioaccumulation of HTO from the environment.
The very slow rate of the planned release, the vast dilution within the massive volume of the Pacific over time means that any actual radiation will be far, far below the background level. The only possible concern is bio-accumulation, but even that stretches the case as no-one demonstrated this occurs for tritium. Nor is this release unique, tritium has been released by nuclear processes as a part of normal operation for decades – with absolutely no evidence of harm.
All of this information is readily available to anyone writing an article on the topic, but mentioning it would of course spoil the scare factor.
One simple reality that gets ignored here all the time is that this planet we live on is bathed in a low level of background radiation all the time – and every living thing has evolved in it's presence. The idea that it 'damages DNA' is one of the pervasive fearmongering myths often propagated. DNA gets damaged all the time, from all manner of causes both from ionising radiation and other oxidants- yet all living creatures have molecular repair mechanisms that work to repair this damage all the time.
Indeed there is good evidence from places where due to altitude or geological conditions people live their whole lives with substantially elevated background radiation levels. And remarkably enough they show reduced rates of cancer. This fact has been well known for decades but has been consistently denied and censored.
So when you see articles like this, and there will be the usual steady trickle of them, that do not include any relevant science or even mention the word tritium, feel free not to be overly frightened.
Remember how someone said COVID infections in children are relatively mild?
The post mortem of fourteen month old who died from COVID revealed serious brain damage. But relatively mild brain damage, I guess.
/
Findings
Lesions included microthrombosis, pulmonary congestion, interstitial oedema, lymphocytic infiltrates, bronchiolar injury, collapsed alveolar spaces, cortical atrophy, and severe neuronal loss. SARS-CoV-2 staining was observed along the apical region of the choroid plexus (ChP) epithelium and in ependymal cells of the lateral ventricle, but was restricted to ChP capillaries and vessels in some regions. SARS-CoV-2 infection of brain tissue was confirmed by RT-qPCR in fragments of the ChP, lateral ventricle, and cortex.
Interpretation
Our results show multisystemic histopathological alterations caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection and contribute to knowledge regarding the course of fatal COVID-19 in children. Furthermore, our findings of ChP infection and viral neurotropism suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may invade the central nervous system by blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier disruption.
[…]
Major complications include neurological manifestations that occur in up to 67% of severely affected patients [[3]]. Neurological sequelae may be acute or chronic, and may include headache, vomiting, dizziness, hypogeusia and hyposmia, persistent fatigue, memory dysfunction, gait disorders, and meningitis/encephalitis [4,5,6]. A post-mortem case series detected SARS-CoV-2 in the brains of 53% of patients who died of COVID-19, with viral proteins in cranial nerves and in isolated cells of the brainstem [[7]]. As suggested previously for SARS-CoV, neuroinvasion of the brainstem cardiorespiratory centre may promote respiratory failure in COVID-19 [[8]]. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has been demonstrated in cortical neurons and in cerebrovascular endothelium [[9]]. Although detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is uncommon, it has been reported in two adults [[10]] and one infant [[11]].
But NZ should totally be like NSW, they said. Open up and let business thrive, they said. So what happens when Covid spreads like crazy?
"Concern is growing at the impact of rising coronavirus cases on New Year’s Eve plans in NSW.
Australian Cruise Group executive director Sudhir Warrier, who is in charge of the cruises in Sydney Harbour during the NYE fireworks, said ticket sales are badly down this year. He told Sky News earlier this morning:
"Business has completely dried up in the last 10 days or so, consumer confidence is totally shattered."
Living with the virus is such fun….not! Check out Denmark's outbreak, now one of the world's worst and the hospitalisation and death rate is rising too, albeit there is a lag…30 deaths there 2 days ago, population the same as NZ. As one commenter in the Sydney Morning Herald stated that even if Omicron is 70% less severe tban Delta as one non-peered British survey suggested, a 400% increase in transmission rate means just as many or more deaths per million. Denmark comparison with Australia by Aussie Doctor Crabb depicted here:
At the moment I'm getting around the ill-fitting ear-loop surgical mask by double-bagging my stubbled dial with a large behind the head tie cloth mask with a removable filter. I'm also fiddling around with duck-billed N95s under the cloth mask should things go pear shaped. Thinking about some sort of eye protection, too.
I would go for the long bird beak face covering if I were you, and if you want maximum protection, you can use a thick layer of vaseline on any exposed skin to stop it getting into the pores…
Now, I realise you're a detestable POS who could only image anyone giving a rat's arse about you, but as a family we're committed to doing everything we can to reduce an extremely vulnerable and much loved member's aggregaterisk. And despite the ignorant, sneering reckons of filth like yourself, if the science said Csixteen masks and goose fat were the go, we'd be in.
Spiderman: No Way Home breaking a billion at the box office happened and The Matrix Resurrections sucking happened but I'm going to go a step further and predict Spiderman: No Way Home will take in more at the box office by itself than the three MSheU movies of phase 4 combined (basically I'm predicting it'll take 1.2 billion)
Also Spider hasn't been released in China yet still did bonkers at the box office (like The Joker) something studios to think about maybe…
So what does this all mean?
We've all heard 'get woke go broke' but in reality it should be 'get woke and leave more money on the table except for a few movies that did actually lose money and not forgetting the TV series cancelled' but that doesn't really roll off the tongue
Disney Star Wars didn't just leave money on the table, it also tanked the next film in the spin off series, the Han Solo movie (remember that) plus it stopped dead in the track all the other plans for movies
So is it all bad news?
Spiderman to me is the anti Ghostbusters 2016, its fun, it treats the source material and fans with respect, tells a good story and isn't woke (well its a little woke but nothing major)
What is interesting to me is that it feels like two movies added together, you have the first 30-40 minutes of typical Marvel/Disney 'humour' and then it gets a bit more serious (though the jokes work better)
So is this enough to turn the entertainment ship around…yes, yes it is.
It won't happen overnight as there are far too many movies in production to change, yes we'll have to put up with Disney ruining all other superhero movies (hey you like nostalgia, heres nostalgia and cameos)
But I believe that eventually studio heads will stop listening to people that listen to twitter and will go back to wanting to make money, that Gordon Gekko (or the spirit anyway) will decide that giving the paying audience what they want will make them more money, that not insulting the paying audience is the way to go, that people go to the movies for entertainment and escapism not reeducation and blame and if the product Hollywood puts out provides that then the audiences will pay
Except the studios have always been about making money.
Not sure how "woke" Solo was. It was pretty good, in general, but the plot points were a bit run of the mill – omg lost love turns up, betrayals, betrayals predicted, yadda yadda. Some funny bits in it though. It also fell into the trap of providing the origin story for darn near every single wardrobe item in the original movies, lol.
Matrix – well, the first matrix was pretty good, but went downhill from there. Latest one looks mildly interesting, but I won't rush to see it.
Damned if I see what your problem is with ghostbusters. I lived through both the north korea/invisible car Bond flick and the Clooney batman, ffs.
I don't know what the problem is either and PR won't say.
PR, what exactly is woke about MCU phases 1 – 3? Be specific, because then we will know what you are talking about. And no, I don't want to watch a youtube of some dude spending 30 minutes explaining something you could outline in one comment.
Thor never fought Hela, in fact she destroyed his hammer.
Black Panther was, according to the media, the single greatest achievement in movie making and the first time a black person had been in a movie, let alone a super hero movie (sarcasm)
Captain Marvel was, funnily enough, Marvels inferior response to Wonder Woman, why they didn't go with a Black Widow movie is something we'll never know
Avengers End Game…well…theres this scene (if you're going into battle why do you take your helmet off)
Thor never fought Hela, in fact she destroyed his hammer.
So you want the films to be always faithful to the comics? How is changing the storylines woke?
Black Panther was, according to the media, the single greatest achievement in movie making and the first time a black person had been in a movie, let alone a super hero movie (sarcasm)
So nothing about the film, just the publicity around it.
Captain Marvel was, funnily enough, Marvels inferior response to Wonder Woman, why they didn't go with a Black Widow movie is something we'll never know
The original CM is inferior? What about the film?
Avengers End Game…well…theres this scene (if you're going into battle why do you take your helmet off)
What's woke about it? As opposed to bog standard put the pretty chicks up front, which has been happening forever (assuming this is what you meant). Or did you mean there are too many chicks?
Marvel phases 1-3 consists of approximately 23 movies. I am not going to go through every single one to point out where and how its woke.
The links I post to talk about why its woke and, more importantly, give examples of clips of the movies but since you don't want to watch them (your loss) I have to do my best.
'So you want the films to be always faithful to the comics? How is changing the storylines woke?'
I do prefer movies to be faithful and respectful to the source material but if they move away from the source material then at least be respectful
For example, Thor gives up his role of leader for Valkyrie completely negating the lessons learned about being king from his father and then he becomes fat Thor because…I don't know funny or something
'So nothing about the film, just the publicity around it.'
The movie itself was nothing special (though Chadwick Boseman was very good) but yeah it just wasn't publicity, the whole marketing campaign made the movie itself into a cultural touchstone, that you had to not just like it but love it and if you didn't then you must be racist
'The original CM is inferior? What about the film?'
Yes the Captain Marvel is vastly inferior to the Wonder Woman movie. One of the reasons is because Captain Marvel is similar to Rey Skywalker (Palpatine) in that both of them suffer the same problem as being really boring.
The reason they're boring is that nowadays woman in superhero movies arn't allowed to be flawed, weak or have to try.
For example Luke Skywalker has to train to become a jedi, the first time he faces Vader he loses a hand and doesn't defeat until the end of the third movie and still loses to the Emperor until Vader steps up
Rey on the other hand beats up anyone she meets, resists Kylos mind tricks (with no training), defeats Kylo (trained by Luke remember), moves a landslide (with no training), uses mind tricks on stormtroops (again no training), can fly the Falcon (remember Luke couldn't), can repair the Falcon (Han couldn't)
There are more examples but that should be enough. Basically in Disney movies women are already strong and powerful, they just need to remember (thats also pretty much Captain Marvel) because men are holding them back
Its like playing a video game on the easiest setting, theres no challenge and it all becomes a bit boring when there are no stakes
Marvel phases 1-3 consists of approximately 23 movies. I am not going to go through every single one to point out where and how its woke.
I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to describe maybe three times something was woke and how it was woke. At the moment you are asserting wokeness, and then describing things I wouldn't call woke. You've failed to make the argument.
'So you want the films to be always faithful to the comics? How is changing the storylines woke?'
I do prefer movies to be faithful and respectful to the source material but if they move away from the source material then at least be respectful
For example, Thor gives up his role of leader for Valkyrie completely negating the lessons learned about being king from his father and then he becomes fat Thor because…I don't know funny or something
Sure. How is that woke though? Rather than just a move away from the original?
'So nothing about the film, just the publicity around it.'
The movie itself was nothing special (though Chadwick Boseman was very good) but yeah it just wasn't publicity, the whole marketing campaign made the movie itself into a cultural touchstone, that you had to not just like it but love it and if you didn't then you must be racist
Again, you're not describing the film as woke, but the promotion and media around it. Is there anything about the film itself that is woke?
'The original CM is inferior? What about the film?'
Yes the Captain Marvel is vastly inferior to the Wonder Woman movie. One of the reasons is because Captain Marvel is similar to Rey Skywalker (Palpatine) in that both of them suffer the same problem as being really boring.
The reason they're boring is that nowadays woman in superhero movies arn't allowed to be flawed, weak or have to try.
For example Luke Skywalker has to train to become a jedi, the first time he faces Vader he loses a hand and doesn't defeat until the end of the third movie and still loses to the Emperor until Vader steps up
Rey on the other hand beats up anyone she meets, resists Kylos mind tricks (with no training), defeats Kylo (trained by Luke remember), moves a landslide (with no training), uses mind tricks on stormtroops (again no training), can fly the Falcon (remember Luke couldn't), can repair the Falcon (Han couldn't)
Thanks!! That's a really good explanation. I'm curious now if this is something specific to female characters, or more a feature of how contemporary characters generally are written (as compared to say Luke Skywalker). Or both.
There are more examples but that should be enough. Basically in Disney movies women are already strong and powerful, they just need to remember (thats also pretty much Captain Marvel) because men are holding them back
Its like playing a video game on the easiest setting, theres no challenge and it all becomes a bit boring when there are no stakes
This is a good point. I'll keep that in mind next time I watch.
Essentially its denigrating male characters to specifically make female characters more impressive.
Rey beats Luke.
Leia also is better with a lightsaber than Luke.
Thor gives up leadership to Valkyrie and becomes a fat joke.
Red Guardian becomes a fat joke.
Loki suddenly becomes a weak, snivelling, coward.
Kate Bishop defeats the Kingpin.
In the Falcon and The Winter Soldier the Falcon wouldn't even fight against the terrorist Karli (gender swopped by the way)
Captain America Steve Rogers is now Captain Rogers
Did you know Dr Strange was going to appear in Wandavision:
“Some people might say, ‘Oh, it would’ve been so cool to see Doctor Strange,’” says Feige. “But it would have taken away from Wanda, which is what we didn’t want to do. We didn’t want the end of the show to be commoditized to go to the next movie — here’s the white guy, ‘Let me show you how power works.’”
The phase 4 is when the M She U comes into its own.
Wandavision removed Dr Strange because they didn't want a man overshadowing Wanda
Look at the treatment of Loki in his own tv series
Apparantly the big shock now is when someone reveals their helmet or face covering to reveal a women, its heavy handed, not subtle and not interesting
My main point is that if Iron Man, Thor, Captain America (not sure why Hulk doesn't work in his own movie) had started off as woke then we wouldn't be talking about woke marvel because it wouldn't be the behemoth it is now
If Bond had started off as whatever he is now he wouldn't have gone nearly 60 years
Predator wouldn't have been around nearly 30 years
Dr Who
All the rest of the franchises.
They wouldn't be as popular as they are now.
People don't respond to woke in moves and by that I mean popular movies, movies that people like going to
You can certainly have woke movies but woke and popular never get off the ground so for these people to get their message across they insert it into other franchises
You want a woke, popular franchise then by all means start one up, just stop ruining already popular franchises
If Bond had started off as whatever he is now he wouldn't have gone nearly 60 years
Bond in the books is a cruel, misogynistic killer. Sure they could have made a film like that, but guess what, women don't want to watch that anymore. Craig was a move in a better direction in terms of the original Bond without being basically a retrograde 1950s dude.
There are all sorts of problems with No Time To Die, but if it had been woke, the Nomi character would have been an actual character rather than a lame attempt to address the whole only white dudes are 007 thing. I suspect at least some of the problems with the film are due to the pandemic. It did have a pasted together feel to it.
Bond is moving with the times. There's a lot of shit they did in the 1960s that would nuke a movie at the box office today. Making him slightly less of a complete sociopath doesn't a "woke" make.
The books are still popular so they still resonate with people.
I recently received a box set of the James Bond movies and books (not including the Craig era) which I'm working my through and I'd very much like to see more faithful adaptations
Moore might be the weakest Bond for me – not much of an edge of violence. Connery and Craig tended to fight, or just move, with aggression.
I quite like the Craig movies. Was surprised they did the rope trick in casino royale – that was in the book. Didn't remember the joke about scratchning his nuts though.
Yes, there's an audience for the same of stuff, time and time again. But that audience dies out. The Bond franchise has spent at least 35 years tweaking itself as the world changes – it's one of the reasons I like it.
Basically how bad the Disney movies and how turned off the fans were bled over into the Solo movie (first Star Wars movie to bomb) and as for wokeness lets not forget that droid going on about robot rights or Landos 'gender fluidity'
The failure of this movie led to more movies being cancelled (probably a good thing)
Anyway, the holiday schedule being what it is I went out and watched the latest matrix. You'd hate it, lots of existential confusion followed by infinitely mounting odds that were eventually overcome by (spoilers) the power of love managing to break the established laws of the universe.
What I don't get is that Hollywood and especially Disney love money yet they've lost out on so much money you'd think it has to be deliberate
Think about it, you buy Lucasfilm for 4 billion but you run the franchise so badly you only get four profitable films out of it and Solo tanks so badly they won't make any more movies for years
You spend another 4 billion on Marvel studios and proceed to make people bored of superhero movies (yay lets put out The Marvels, thats what everyone wants)
Hollywood needs to stop listening to the people listening to twitter and go back to cocaine and wanton excess and make some good entertaining movies
Well, Disney is in it for the long haul. They buy an IP not for the movies alone, but the streaming of past titles, spinoff series (that can experiment with different ideas while also marketing the rest of the library), and merch licensing.
Solo only tanked on the opportunity cost break-even projections. Ony in the world of those funny finances is a hundred million more income than the 300mil budget "tanking". But the people who predicted that opportunity cost probably predicted it as badly as they predicted how many people would go see Solo, lol.
It tanked so badly it stopped movies being made and there are no plans for any in the near future.
I damn well know that if I had Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in the same movie I'd have made sure they had a scene together, preferably in the Falcon
I'd also put a kibosh on actors shitting on fans
And no more 'subverting expectations' unless it's making a good movie
If I tanked that badly, I'd have a hundred million dollars more than I started with lol
But the cusp of it seems to be that you don't want surprises and you want lazy callbacks to yesteryear.
I quite like script surprises. Genuine ones, not heavily foreshadowed or part of the well-trodden story arc the movie is plodding along with. Unexpected takes. Asking ethical or moral questions, exploring them, and then not answering them.
One of my favourite movies of all time is Predator.
Starts off as a typical bombastic over the top 80s action movie, changes tack to slasher horror and ends as a lone survivor fight to the death movie.
I do like surprises but I'd rather those surprises came in new franchises or if they must do it with existing properties then do it well, put some thought into it
Todays script writers and directors are simply not as good, or not allowed to be as good, as they were in previous decades
The best picture winner at the Oscars are a bit of a joke but start at the 2020s and work your way back through the decades and then tell me if we're not in one helluva slump
Look at all the current movies of today, go back a decade or two and compare the movies nominated
IE compare the 2020, 2019, 2018 offerings to 2005, 2006 and 2007 and see which eras movies were better (or indeed more popular)
No no you're selling Predator short.
Its a bombastic action movie upto the terrorist camp then it morphs into a slasher horror then, after the scene with Billy buying time on the bridge, it turns into a survivalist movie where Arnie turns the tables on the Predator
The Predator had the advantage of superior technology but once that technology was negated Arnie had the advantage with his greater knowledge of low-tech traps and in the end Arnies experience saw him take out the physically superior but inexperienced and prideful Predator (at least thats how I saw it)
The virgin trope character uses her wits and guile to kill jason or whomever, too.
As for the oscar movies, meh. Seem to be more movies in the offing in later years, but other than that I still don't get what you're actually pointing out. I mean, if you're saying it's a woke thing, in the heat of the night and driving miss daisy were pretty woke for their time, too.
New batman might be interesting. Justice League went off the rails with the "find the macguffin and keep it away from the cgi bad guy" trope, amongst other things.
'New batman might be interesting. Justice League went off the rails with the "find the macguffin and keep it away from the cgi bad guy" trope, amongst other things'
I quite liked the Snyder cut, maybe a bit too long but by all accounts much more improved on what Warners put out
I'll reserve judgement on Robert Pattinson but he is a good actor so you never know
…with officials warning it will not keep up with ambitious plans to grow the aerospace sector unless it gets extra resourcing.
What? How does ambitious ideas for space work in with our needs to deal with climate change control, and the fact that nearly all our business activity sends profit into the pockets of overseas investors, and what we actually make is commodity stuff that the smartarse laboratory rats are planning to create artificially, so eating into our national income! This place is going quietly mad, except for outbreaks of noisy mad.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
The House - The principle that all MPs are honourable and that they should be taken at their word has been tested multiple times this week in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country ...
Leftist ends the year on an exemplary high: http://werewolf.co.nz/2021/12/gordon-campbell-on-the-obscure-bill-that-erodes-our-system-of-justice/
Classic political analysis brought to bear on a Labour Party intent on eliminating civil liberties to prove to voters that it can out-flank the Nats on the right. Gordon Campbell provides novice journos a textbook lesson on how to expose Labour's lack of credibility.
So
What would the title of the legislation be if Labour were honest? It would be called the Protest Leader's Elimination Bill. That would tell the truth about Labour's intent. Stack the courts in favour of the prosecution. Labour's century-long campaign to ramp up state power to achieve total control of the populace thus obtains a final solution – to the problem of democratic freedom.
I read that article yesterday with considerable disquiet.
If Campbell’s right, it too broadly dispenses with habeus corpus, the cornerstone of our legal system’s right to a fair trial.
One hopes that it will be rigorously challenged by the Law Society, Green Party, all other parties, & scores of civil libertarians in Select Committee. And that the media will cover it properly. They never know, one day one of their journos might be on the receiving end of it.
From the linked article:
Add to that sentence… protecting the principles of natural justice – and the rights of citizens wrongly suspected of subversion – should be a higher priority than protecting the flow of classified information to the security services.
From experience (in my case on the say-so of another) I can assure you that natural justice has never taken precedence over matters pertaining to security concerns. In other words all that has changed is the government is legislating for something that has been the abiding principle for many decades.
Having said the above, I take issue with your final paragraph. To infer as you have that Labour has been running a century-long campaign to ramp up state power to achieve total control of the populace… " is conspiratorial nonsense.
You shouldn't need the words "wrongly suspected of subversion" in your proposed change.
It is quite sufficient to say "protecting the principles of natural justice – and the rights of citizens – should be a higher priority" ie all citizens.
I concede alwyn "and the rights of citizens" is more appropriate. Thanks for pointing it out. My mind was trapped in my own experience three decades ago.
But Anne, Labour have always been statist control freaks! If I was wrong about that you'd be able to cite instances of protest leaders joining the Labour Party, being allocated safe seats to campaign in, becoming MPs and then cabinet ministers.
Okay, so Goff was PYM – but he never got a reputation of being a leader of the rabble in those days. He was a follower.
Anyway, you tacitly concede my point by failing to provide an innocent explanation for why Labour is doing what they're doing. Here's one you could try: incompetence. Faafoi doesn't know what he's doing (according to this theory), he's just operating on autopilot advancing an agenda provided to him by his advisors. If I were a conspiracy theorist I'd call them the Deep State. Instead, I suspect they represent the shallow state; public servants who believe state security must prevail over civil rights. Deeply shallow folk.
No Dennis they have not… always been control freaks.
That is a wrong interpretation of their principles and policies down the decades. For example, Michael Joseph Savage was a gentleman with no aspiration to hold power for power's sake. He wanted to raise the standard of living for everyone and not just the chosen few. He and his ministers had to introduce legislation to make it start to happen.
The only thing that has changed is the strategies – taking into account changing modern day conditions. But the principle is still the same… to raise the standard of living for everyone. Unfortunately the "chosen few" have almost all the money and power so there will always be a need to redress the balance by way of legislation.
Some people may disagree with the way Labour goes about it, and that is part of being a democracy, but it is NOT being "control freaks".
Good to see James taking this initiative on behalf of the govt:
Can't rush these things, good things take time to grow. Surely.
I'm sure James will get down to Southland sometime before 2026 anyway. He might fit it in when there is no gathering of the jet setters to go to.
just a little matter of trying to sort NZ's response to the climate catastrophe, during a global pandemic.
Grassroots farming pleads for audience with Greens.
Liking this.
Looks like Africa's going Green:
I breath high concentration molecular hydrogen, and drink molecular hydrogen infused water. It's way of the future. I also believe cold fusion power is close to becoming a reality.
Yes. If all goes to plan I may find myself becoming heavily involved in hydrogen projects this year.
Hitch yourself to a balloon, fill it up. You can get nicely high doing that. Stratospheric, even. Ascension has been a cultural trend for several decades eh?
But on a serious note, sounds interesting. Scouting the current opportunities or already have options in mind? Your expertise is engineering? Or project management? Both? I'm just curious so if there's confidentiality involved just a scenario summary would be cool…
Setting up a global Hydrogen Centre of Excellence for one of the major process control system vendors. Still some factors outside of my control involved – so no promises yet.
Excellent, I'll bet in ten years battery vehicles will be fazing out, they ar a blind ally , hydrogen fuel made by fusion is the future.
Already happens. We get 100% of our energy from H fusion. (Only trouble its 90 m miles away)
And then there is the nuclear fission reactor in the centre of the earth. Which allows a magnetic field to form, and in turn keeps the solar wind from stripping off our atmosphere. Which lets us breathe.
Us clever monkeys can surely tap into that?
Disappointing though, if we were to interrupt its action.
We do. It’s called hydrothermal energy.
Or, more correctly, geothermal energy.
OK may 99% then
99.97%
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_internal_heat_budget
Ok nearly!!! then
I made no mention of the energy budget at the surface – merely pointing out that this decay heat in the core of the earth is vital for existence the existence of life.
This internal core heat also drives plate tectonics which has a multitude of implications for life on earth as well.
have a look at the cautions around efficiencies and sustainability.
Everyone in the hydrogen game is well aware of the efficiency issue, but that's by no means the only component in play.
And I'm seeing 'sustainability' as another one of those poorly defined 'progressive' words that can be stretched to cover off almost anything.
bwaghorn isn't afaik in the hydrogen game. Buyer beware.
Yes, I know you don't understand what sustainability is, despite many attempts to explain it.
I'm upfront and probably more transparent than any other regular participant here – other than maybe Lynn- and I realised long ago that would make me a target for the cheap shots.
As for 'sustainability' – the version you promote pretty much means running into resource limits more slowly – but not allowed to innovate past them.
I'm not taking cheap shots, I'm pointing out that there are plenty of explanations of what sustainability is but you don't seem to understand what it is. That's ok, I'm sure if you tried to explain technical aspects of your work some people might struggle to grasp it. Sustainability requires learning a new way of thinking, lots of people don't get it.
no, it really doesn't.
Could it be worse than mining flat out to build batteries that will be dumped in some third world shit hole 10 years later!!
I agree. This is why I write about the Powerdown 🙂
eg in NZ, we have good hydro infrastructure. What would it look like if we largely worked within that capacity?
We can also do grid tied solar, solar hot water, passive solar, none of which require batteries, but do require a bit of behavioural change.
The interesting thing about living on solar with batteries is you soon get acutely aware of how much power you use, when you use it, and what actually matters. This isn't a bad thing, and it's what we need.
I see richard prebbles latest effort at rewriting history is something about deregulating broadcasting. I have yet to see him explain away his efforts at deregulating housing, and how it cost kiwis hundreds of millions to fix badly designed and built houses, and how it led to a shortage of low cost housing , which plagues NZ today,..For those who came in late, there will be footage of prebble ,on parliament steps, tearing up, and burning the housing regs as they were. NZ's housing problems can be directly sheeted home to prebble and the act party. something that should be taught in schools….
We really should rename the right wing the wrong wing, what lasting good have they ever achieved.
That's very neat and apt bwaghorn – we should do that. The wrong wing huh!
Cheers and happy new years, to be honest when I reread that comment I cringed at my attempt at humor,
If anyone is rewriting history it would appear to be woodart.
ACT was led by Prebble from 1996 until 2004. He retired from Parliament in 2005. During his time in Parliament as an ACT MP they were never part of the Government. They were on the cross benches during the National led Government from 1996 until 1999 and in the Opposition from 1999 until 2004 when there was a Clark/Labour led Government.
Just how could Prebble and the ACT party be responsible for NZ's housing problems? You are dreaming.
I could have sworn that Prebble was in the labour govt.
Ah yes 75 to 93.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Prebble
OOps
Indeed, Prebble was a Labour Party man from 75 to 93. Woodart was however blaming ACT for the problems, and they weren't even in existence then.
His precise words were "NZ's housing problems can be directly sheeted home to prebble and the act party."
The only Government Prebble was part of was a Labour one as a Labour MP. That was from 1984 to 1990. Do we blame Labour? If so should we complain that it was the fault of the Housing Minister?
Hm. That would be Phil Goff for 3 years, Helen Clark for 2 years and Jonathon Hunt for 1. No Prebble in the job though.
Oops.
so, in your self-appointed job of know-it-all-ism, do you deny prebble on the steps of parliament burning building regs, and telling the reporters that building derugulation would be the key to success, and do you deny that a budding act party taking that deregulation mantra on board and using it in their manifesto? I never claimed he was an M.P. at that time, that was you, as, usual, NOT reading properly, and running off at the keyboard in your usual haste to be a smartarse.
I have no idea whether he did any of those things and I don't really care. I am one of those people who think that the Government of the days passes the laws of the country and not that the Opposition does so.
I realise that this tends to spoil the rants of some of the more fantasy promoting members of society but that is just tough s**t.
I suppose my views are in some ways a variation on Richard Feynman's statement.
"It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong."
If you are going to argue that some party is responsible for laws that they never passed, and never were in a Government so that they never could pass them I would have to say that you are wrong. I would also tend to think that the second clause of Feynman's statement can't apply to you.
for a climb-down ,its a crock.
Woodart, it was the fourth National Government (with Ruth Richardson Treasurer,) loosened housing rules that led to leaky homes, and increased state house rents to market related charges, this so impacted the poor that Food kitchens appeared for the first time since the '30s. Bolger and Shippley were Leaders of that debacle.
At the time one of the National women MPs gave out recipes for basic meals. Trouble was she was saying "Now from your store cupboard (Pantry)take…" this aimed at people who ran out of food Saturday waiting for money on Tuesday. That was also when Bolger famously said "A lunch is only two pieces of bread with something between them".
Our school started a” Breakfast and homework club" We also provided apples a snack and children could make a sandwich for lunch. Fillings were basic marmite cheese or fish paste. About 30 to forty would be there Thus Fri Mon, with 12 to 15 other days. We had music playing so conversations were private.
It was an eye opener to see how those children were more settled learned and were more open and hopeful. Teachers would contribute to it as they saw the difference. Policies should always start with the children in mind.
That Government put the surcharge on superannuation as well. It lasted two terms.
The last sentence is incorrect Patricia.
Sorry, but the tax surcharge on superannuation was introduced by the Lange Labour Government in 1985. It was not introduced by the National Government of which Ruth Richardson was a prominent participant. The surcharge was very belatedly removed by the National Government in 1998.
You are correct Alwyn My bad
Well that may be but National certainly weren't very honest about the topic. As far as I remember it they promised to remove the surcharge in their 1990 manifesto. Then then reneged on the promise throughout their first 2 terms and only removed it 8 years after it was first a firm promise. I was living in Australia from 1989 to 1996 and I was very surprised that the surcharge was still there when I came back.
In 91 and 92 it could be pretty easily justified. The books were in a terrible mess when they took over. However after they had been in office for a full term that claim really doesn't cut it any more. If you haven't fixed a problem after a full term you simply aren't being competent or you aren't being honest.
It all started with Muldoon his loans and the pause before he handed over the reins. I think Lange let the cat out of the bag about devaluation, and money flew out the country until it happened and was returned afterwards. Right mess. Cheers Alwyn. Though one term to turn things around is a big ask. Some problems are so entrenched and so many livelihoods have been upset already. Our next big test.. Omicron out in Auckland
Patricia
And you could provide a semi scientific finding on its efficacy. It's taken Covid to make government to listen to science instead of going for gut feelings with orchestrated reports as to value or ear-whispering from wealthies of the wrong wing plus Treasury.
I reread the rest of your comment and what you are saying in fact confirms what you quote Bolger as saying.
You quote him as saying "A lunch is only two pieces of bread with something between them".
Then you say what you were providing as a least the main part of the children's lunch
" children could make a sandwich for lunch. Fillings were basic marmite cheese or fish paste"
That sounds as if Bolger was pretty much on target doesn't it? Given his background of course that was probably exactly what he, and his children, of which he had nine, did have for lunch. He was himself one of 5 kids born to a couple who had emigrated in 1930 from Ireland and he left school at 15 to work on the farm. I doubt there was very much spare money for a fancy lunch in that family.
Depends if you have the bread.
A wee something to jigger the day.
https://twitter.com/TheNeuroTimes/status/1475125013464428545
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1475125013464428545.html
Faarrk, there's a lot in that.
Biggest thing I am with is what are we doing about masks in NZ? I see a lot of people internationally saying shift to more technical masks, but I don't know what to buy or even if I can buy them here. Anyone got a good explainer on that?
This article is a guide to medical quality respirators in NZ
https://nzohs.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Guide-P2-Respiratory-Protection-in-ANZ-Final-2.pdf
If you want this quality there is 3M 8210 that meets AS/ANZ 1716:2012 P2. P2 is the local equivalent standard to N95. You can buy these from Mitre10 (often out of stock or NZ Safety Blackwoods.(good stock at some branches, phone 0800 660 660) Packet of 20 about $70.
KN95 rated respirators are not always meeting quality tests. (see above link)
thanks. I think the issue isn't so much what I want but what should I want.
how resusable are teh P2s for pandemic purposes? Washable?
I've never washed them myself but here's what a microbiologist found when he washed and then tested a variety of masks . It's also a guide to the effectiveness of homemade versus bought masks.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/456413/disposable-masks-washed-10-times-still-more-protective-than-triple-layer-fabric-masks-study
What you need in a high risk situation is a mask rated P2 or N95. I checked out the ones linked to above carefully before I chose them for myself.
I've come to the conclusion that the only reason why COVID is still around is that too many people are making too much money and power from it. So yes it will likely to be around until enough people figure this out.
So is it a big …hoax?
No.
I agree.
Pfizer is not going to want to give this up, they have too much invested.
Theres also a lot of media, politicians, other corporations that'll want to see this continue.
And lots of people who want to keep their loved ones alive, them too.
Pfizer are going to make coin no matter what. The research into this vaccine put them onto the fast track for others.
So not a hoax…just a money making construct.
' the only reason why COVID is still around is that too many people are making too much money and power from it.'
The ONLY reason.
Remembering it's the CCP's fault in the first place, Covid's been so profitable, and messed with freedums to such an extent, that vested interests (?) will be plotting to keep it going forever, just like they will with the next crisis.
Thank goodness for Western freedum fighters (Trump, Johnson, Bolsonaro) – it's only these 'clear thinkers', and Tucker Carlson, that give me hope. /sarc
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2021/12/japan-maps-out-plan-to-release-contaminated-fukushima-water-into-ocean.html
“…Under the government scheme, Japan aims to set standards for compensation for damage caused by what it described as harmful rumours on local industries such as fishing, tourism and agriculture while reinforcing monitoring capability and transparency to avoid reputational damage.
Japan also expects the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to compile an interim safety assessment next year, based on its review over the safety of the treated water, the competence of local analytical laboratories and regulatory frameworks, the government said.
In an effort to improve transparency to gain the trust of the international community, Japan asked the IAEA in April to conduct a review to assess and advise on the handling of the water.
A decade after a massive earthquake and tsunami ravaged the country’s northeastern coast, disabling the plant and causing the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, nearly 1.3 million tonnes of contaminated water have accumulated at the site.
The water, enough to fill about 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, is stored in huge tanks at an annual cost of about 100 billion yen (NZ$1.3b), and space is running out.
Japan has argued the release is necessary to press ahead with the complex decommissioning of the plant. It says similarly filtered water is routinely released from nuclear plants around the world.”
… … … … … …
One hopes they are right & that discharging this treated contaminated water into the ocean won’t have any harmful effects on the oceanic ecosystem.
The primary isotope involved is tritium or Hydrogen3.
The very slow rate of the planned release, the vast dilution within the massive volume of the Pacific over time means that any actual radiation will be far, far below the background level. The only possible concern is bio-accumulation, but even that stretches the case as no-one demonstrated this occurs for tritium. Nor is this release unique, tritium has been released by nuclear processes as a part of normal operation for decades – with absolutely no evidence of harm.
All of this information is readily available to anyone writing an article on the topic, but mentioning it would of course spoil the scare factor.
One simple reality that gets ignored here all the time is that this planet we live on is bathed in a low level of background radiation all the time – and every living thing has evolved in it's presence. The idea that it 'damages DNA' is one of the pervasive fearmongering myths often propagated. DNA gets damaged all the time, from all manner of causes both from ionising radiation and other oxidants- yet all living creatures have molecular repair mechanisms that work to repair this damage all the time.
Indeed there is good evidence from places where due to altitude or geological conditions people live their whole lives with substantially elevated background radiation levels. And remarkably enough they show reduced rates of cancer. This fact has been well known for decades but has been consistently denied and censored.
So when you see articles like this, and there will be the usual steady trickle of them, that do not include any relevant science or even mention the word tritium, feel free not to be overly frightened.
Remember how someone said COVID infections in children are relatively mild?
The post mortem of fourteen month old who died from COVID revealed serious brain damage. But relatively mild brain damage, I guess.
/
Findings
Lesions included microthrombosis, pulmonary congestion, interstitial oedema, lymphocytic infiltrates, bronchiolar injury, collapsed alveolar spaces, cortical atrophy, and severe neuronal loss. SARS-CoV-2 staining was observed along the apical region of the choroid plexus (ChP) epithelium and in ependymal cells of the lateral ventricle, but was restricted to ChP capillaries and vessels in some regions. SARS-CoV-2 infection of brain tissue was confirmed by RT-qPCR in fragments of the ChP, lateral ventricle, and cortex.
Interpretation
Our results show multisystemic histopathological alterations caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection and contribute to knowledge regarding the course of fatal COVID-19 in children. Furthermore, our findings of ChP infection and viral neurotropism suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may invade the central nervous system by blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier disruption.
[…]
Major complications include neurological manifestations that occur in up to 67% of severely affected patients [[3]]. Neurological sequelae may be acute or chronic, and may include headache, vomiting, dizziness, hypogeusia and hyposmia, persistent fatigue, memory dysfunction, gait disorders, and meningitis/encephalitis [4,5,6]. A post-mortem case series detected SARS-CoV-2 in the brains of 53% of patients who died of COVID-19, with viral proteins in cranial nerves and in isolated cells of the brainstem [[7]]. As suggested previously for SARS-CoV, neuroinvasion of the brainstem cardiorespiratory centre may promote respiratory failure in COVID-19 [[8]]. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has been demonstrated in cortical neurons and in cerebrovascular endothelium [[9]]. Although detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is uncommon, it has been reported in two adults [[10]] and one infant [[11]].
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanam/article/PIIS2667-193X(21)00038-7/fulltext
Road chaos update:
Usual problems – holiday traffic, crashes, same as every year.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/12/auckland-traffic-commuter-chaos-as-debris-blocks-road-car-breaks-down-on-harbour-bridge.html
Fantasy problems – the Covid checkpoints. (Wasn't it supposed to be civil war?).
A large helping of humble pie on the menu for Seymour, Luxon and a couple of commenters here. They must be so disappointed.
NSW has recorded 11,201 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. 625 people in Hospital, 61 in ICU and 3 more deaths.
But NZ should totally be like NSW, they said. Open up and let business thrive, they said. So what happens when Covid spreads like crazy?
"Concern is growing at the impact of rising coronavirus cases on New Year’s Eve plans in NSW.
Australian Cruise Group executive director Sudhir Warrier, who is in charge of the cruises in Sydney Harbour during the NYE fireworks, said ticket sales are badly down this year. He told Sky News earlier this morning:
"Business has completely dried up in the last 10 days or so, consumer confidence is totally shattered."
(Guardian Australia)
Living with the virus is such fun….not! Check out Denmark's outbreak, now one of the world's worst and the hospitalisation and death rate is rising too, albeit there is a lag…30 deaths there 2 days ago, population the same as NZ. As one commenter in the Sydney Morning Herald stated that even if Omicron is 70% less severe tban Delta as one non-peered British survey suggested, a 400% increase in transmission rate means just as many or more deaths per million. Denmark comparison with Australia by Aussie Doctor Crabb depicted here:
https://twitter.com/CrabbBrendan/status/1476001705032499203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1476001705032499203%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Faustralia-news%2Flive%2F2021%2Fdec%2F29%2Faustralia-covid-news-live-case-numbers-nsw-vic-qld-morrison-vaccines-omicron-testing-delays
@Weka
About masks.
https://masks4all.co/faqs-on-better-masks/
https://buynz.org.nz/NZ-Made-Face-Masks/8490/
thanks. I think that confirms I'm better off today with my closely fitting double cloth mask than the surgical one that has gaps at the side.
At the moment I'm getting around the ill-fitting ear-loop surgical mask by double-bagging my stubbled dial with a large behind the head tie cloth mask with a removable filter. I'm also fiddling around with duck-billed N95s under the cloth mask should things go pear shaped. Thinking about some sort of eye protection, too.
I would go for the long bird beak face covering if I were you, and if you want maximum protection, you can use a thick layer of vaseline on any exposed skin to stop it getting into the pores…
Now, I realise you're a detestable POS who could only image anyone giving a rat's arse about you, but as a family we're committed to doing everything we can to reduce an extremely vulnerable and much loved member's aggregate risk. And despite the ignorant, sneering reckons of filth like yourself, if the science said Csixteen masks and goose fat were the go, we'd be in.
(a seasonal bot could be fatal so this ain't new)
Pop culture thoughts
So first to my predictions:
Spiderman: No Way Home breaking a billion at the box office happened and The Matrix Resurrections sucking happened but I'm going to go a step further and predict Spiderman: No Way Home will take in more at the box office by itself than the three MSheU movies of phase 4 combined (basically I'm predicting it'll take 1.2 billion)
Also Spider hasn't been released in China yet still did bonkers at the box office (like The Joker) something studios to think about maybe…
So what does this all mean?
We've all heard 'get woke go broke' but in reality it should be 'get woke and leave more money on the table except for a few movies that did actually lose money and not forgetting the TV series cancelled' but that doesn't really roll off the tongue
Disney Star Wars didn't just leave money on the table, it also tanked the next film in the spin off series, the Han Solo movie (remember that) plus it stopped dead in the track all the other plans for movies
So is it all bad news?
Spiderman to me is the anti Ghostbusters 2016, its fun, it treats the source material and fans with respect, tells a good story and isn't woke (well its a little woke but nothing major)
What is interesting to me is that it feels like two movies added together, you have the first 30-40 minutes of typical Marvel/Disney 'humour' and then it gets a bit more serious (though the jokes work better)
So is this enough to turn the entertainment ship around…yes, yes it is.
It won't happen overnight as there are far too many movies in production to change, yes we'll have to put up with Disney ruining all other superhero movies (hey you like nostalgia, heres nostalgia and cameos)
But I believe that eventually studio heads will stop listening to people that listen to twitter and will go back to wanting to make money, that Gordon Gekko (or the spirit anyway) will decide that giving the paying audience what they want will make them more money, that not insulting the paying audience is the way to go, that people go to the movies for entertainment and escapism not reeducation and blame and if the product Hollywood puts out provides that then the audiences will pay
Spoiler warning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fUnHXF1sEA
Except the studios have always been about making money.
Not sure how "woke" Solo was. It was pretty good, in general, but the plot points were a bit run of the mill – omg lost love turns up, betrayals, betrayals predicted, yadda yadda. Some funny bits in it though. It also fell into the trap of providing the origin story for darn near every single wardrobe item in the original movies, lol.
Matrix – well, the first matrix was pretty good, but went downhill from there. Latest one looks mildly interesting, but I won't rush to see it.
Damned if I see what your problem is with ghostbusters. I lived through both the north korea/invisible car Bond flick and the Clooney batman, ffs.
lol.
I don't know what the problem is either and PR won't say.
PR, what exactly is woke about MCU phases 1 – 3? Be specific, because then we will know what you are talking about. And no, I don't want to watch a youtube of some dude spending 30 minutes explaining something you could outline in one comment.
There was wokeness in 1 -3
Thor never fought Hela, in fact she destroyed his hammer.
Black Panther was, according to the media, the single greatest achievement in movie making and the first time a black person had been in a movie, let alone a super hero movie (sarcasm)
Captain Marvel was, funnily enough, Marvels inferior response to Wonder Woman, why they didn't go with a Black Widow movie is something we'll never know
Avengers End Game…well…theres this scene (if you're going into battle why do you take your helmet off)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOYrirP56cQ
Which bits were woke?
So you want the films to be always faithful to the comics? How is changing the storylines woke?
So nothing about the film, just the publicity around it.
The original CM is inferior? What about the film?
What's woke about it? As opposed to bog standard put the pretty chicks up front, which has been happening forever (assuming this is what you meant). Or did you mean there are too many chicks?
Marvel phases 1-3 consists of approximately 23 movies. I am not going to go through every single one to point out where and how its woke.
The links I post to talk about why its woke and, more importantly, give examples of clips of the movies but since you don't want to watch them (your loss) I have to do my best.
'So you want the films to be always faithful to the comics? How is changing the storylines woke?'
I do prefer movies to be faithful and respectful to the source material but if they move away from the source material then at least be respectful
For example, Thor gives up his role of leader for Valkyrie completely negating the lessons learned about being king from his father and then he becomes fat Thor because…I don't know funny or something
'So nothing about the film, just the publicity around it.'
The movie itself was nothing special (though Chadwick Boseman was very good) but yeah it just wasn't publicity, the whole marketing campaign made the movie itself into a cultural touchstone, that you had to not just like it but love it and if you didn't then you must be racist
'The original CM is inferior? What about the film?'
Yes the Captain Marvel is vastly inferior to the Wonder Woman movie. One of the reasons is because Captain Marvel is similar to Rey Skywalker (Palpatine) in that both of them suffer the same problem as being really boring.
The reason they're boring is that nowadays woman in superhero movies arn't allowed to be flawed, weak or have to try.
For example Luke Skywalker has to train to become a jedi, the first time he faces Vader he loses a hand and doesn't defeat until the end of the third movie and still loses to the Emperor until Vader steps up
Rey on the other hand beats up anyone she meets, resists Kylos mind tricks (with no training), defeats Kylo (trained by Luke remember), moves a landslide (with no training), uses mind tricks on stormtroops (again no training), can fly the Falcon (remember Luke couldn't), can repair the Falcon (Han couldn't)
There are more examples but that should be enough. Basically in Disney movies women are already strong and powerful, they just need to remember (thats also pretty much Captain Marvel) because men are holding them back
Its like playing a video game on the easiest setting, theres no challenge and it all becomes a bit boring when there are no stakes
I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to describe maybe three times something was woke and how it was woke. At the moment you are asserting wokeness, and then describing things I wouldn't call woke. You've failed to make the argument.
Sure. How is that woke though? Rather than just a move away from the original?
Again, you're not describing the film as woke, but the promotion and media around it. Is there anything about the film itself that is woke?
Thanks!! That's a really good explanation. I'm curious now if this is something specific to female characters, or more a feature of how contemporary characters generally are written (as compared to say Luke Skywalker). Or both.
This is a good point. I'll keep that in mind next time I watch.
What are some films (any genre or time period) where this doesn't happen with the women characters?
Alien and Aliens, Mad Max Fury Road, Terminator 1and 2, Ghostbusters, Spy, The Hunger Games, The Harry Potter series
Some of my favourite movies of all time
Essentially its denigrating male characters to specifically make female characters more impressive.
Rey beats Luke.
Leia also is better with a lightsaber than Luke.
Thor gives up leadership to Valkyrie and becomes a fat joke.
Red Guardian becomes a fat joke.
Loki suddenly becomes a weak, snivelling, coward.
Kate Bishop defeats the Kingpin.
In the Falcon and The Winter Soldier the Falcon wouldn't even fight against the terrorist Karli (gender swopped by the way)
Captain America Steve Rogers is now Captain Rogers
Did you know Dr Strange was going to appear in Wandavision:
The phase 4 is when the M She U comes into its own.
Wandavision removed Dr Strange because they didn't want a man overshadowing Wanda
Look at the treatment of Loki in his own tv series
Apparantly the big shock now is when someone reveals their helmet or face covering to reveal a women, its heavy handed, not subtle and not interesting
My main point is that if Iron Man, Thor, Captain America (not sure why Hulk doesn't work in his own movie) had started off as woke then we wouldn't be talking about woke marvel because it wouldn't be the behemoth it is now
If Bond had started off as whatever he is now he wouldn't have gone nearly 60 years
Predator wouldn't have been around nearly 30 years
Dr Who
All the rest of the franchises.
They wouldn't be as popular as they are now.
People don't respond to woke in moves and by that I mean popular movies, movies that people like going to
You can certainly have woke movies but woke and popular never get off the ground so for these people to get their message across they insert it into other franchises
You want a woke, popular franchise then by all means start one up, just stop ruining already popular franchises
Show some creativity is all I'm saying
Bond in the books is a cruel, misogynistic killer. Sure they could have made a film like that, but guess what, women don't want to watch that anymore. Craig was a move in a better direction in terms of the original Bond without being basically a retrograde 1950s dude.
There are all sorts of problems with No Time To Die, but if it had been woke, the Nomi character would have been an actual character rather than a lame attempt to address the whole only white dudes are 007 thing. I suspect at least some of the problems with the film are due to the pandemic. It did have a pasted together feel to it.
It was going to be even more woke however, due to test screenings, they did a lot of reshoots and changed the scripts.
Phoebe Waller-Bridges (also provided the voice of the robots rights robot in Solo) ideas were toned down.
So yes, in effect, it was pasted together. Search the first trailer then the last trailer and you'll see exactly what I mean.
Bond is moving with the times. There's a lot of shit they did in the 1960s that would nuke a movie at the box office today. Making him slightly less of a complete sociopath doesn't a "woke" make.
I disagree.
The books are still popular so they still resonate with people.
I recently received a box set of the James Bond movies and books (not including the Craig era) which I'm working my through and I'd very much like to see more faithful adaptations
I do admit to liking Roger Moore though…
We all have our flaws.
Moore might be the weakest Bond for me – not much of an edge of violence. Connery and Craig tended to fight, or just move, with aggression.
I quite like the Craig movies. Was surprised they did the rope trick in casino royale – that was in the book. Didn't remember the joke about scratchning his nuts though.
Yes, there's an audience for the same of stuff, time and time again. But that audience dies out. The Bond franchise has spent at least 35 years tweaking itself as the world changes – it's one of the reasons I like it.
Tweak yes but killing Bond, thats a step too far for me and the way he just gave up at the end
No not my Bond
Basically how bad the Disney movies and how turned off the fans were bled over into the Solo movie (first Star Wars movie to bomb) and as for wokeness lets not forget that droid going on about robot rights or Landos 'gender fluidity'
The failure of this movie led to more movies being cancelled (probably a good thing)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Wars_films#Unproduced_films
The Matrix is easy to deal with. There is only one Matrix movie, the first one. The rest are fan fiction.
'Damned if I see what your problem is with ghostbusters. I lived through both the north korea/invisible car Bond flick and the Clooney batman, ffs.'
Firstly it was really bad. Every male actor without exception was either dumb, cowardly, cruel or a combination of all three.
Compare Annie Potts to Chris Hemsworth to see what I mean
Its biggest sin is that it wasn't funny. The actors are talented, the director is talented but this wasn't any good.
But my personal issue with it is headlines like this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ghostbusters-the-bros-who-hate-it-and-the-art-of-modern-misogyny/2016/07/14/1dfba61a-49bd-11e6-bdb9-701687974517_story.html
https://ew.com/article/2016/06/09/melissa-mccarthy-mocks-male-ghostbusters-haters/
That to criticize the movie is to criticize women, that you can't possibly dislike the movie, the movie can't possibly be bad
Oh no its sexist men, men who hate and fear women that derailed the film.
The movie sucked, it was no good, not funny, it was a reboot that no one asked for or wanted.
Also yes invisible car bond and bat nipples were really bad. They both deserved to go on hiatus. No argument there.
Who judges a movie by the headlines it draws?
Anyway, the holiday schedule being what it is I went out and watched the latest matrix. You'd hate it, lots of existential confusion followed by infinitely mounting odds that were eventually overcome by (spoilers) the power of love managing to break the established laws of the universe.
Hang on, that was the first one…
What I don't get is that Hollywood and especially Disney love money yet they've lost out on so much money you'd think it has to be deliberate
Think about it, you buy Lucasfilm for 4 billion but you run the franchise so badly you only get four profitable films out of it and Solo tanks so badly they won't make any more movies for years
You spend another 4 billion on Marvel studios and proceed to make people bored of superhero movies (yay lets put out The Marvels, thats what everyone wants)
Hollywood needs to stop listening to the people listening to twitter and go back to cocaine and wanton excess and make some good entertaining movies
Well, Disney is in it for the long haul. They buy an IP not for the movies alone, but the streaming of past titles, spinoff series (that can experiment with different ideas while also marketing the rest of the library), and merch licensing.
Solo only tanked on the opportunity cost break-even projections. Ony in the world of those funny finances is a hundred million more income than the 300mil budget "tanking". But the people who predicted that opportunity cost probably predicted it as badly as they predicted how many people would go see Solo, lol.
But hey, maybe you know better.
It tanked so badly it stopped movies being made and there are no plans for any in the near future.
I damn well know that if I had Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in the same movie I'd have made sure they had a scene together, preferably in the Falcon
I'd also put a kibosh on actors shitting on fans
And no more 'subverting expectations' unless it's making a good movie
If I tanked that badly, I'd have a hundred million dollars more than I started with lol
But the cusp of it seems to be that you don't want surprises and you want lazy callbacks to yesteryear.
I quite like script surprises. Genuine ones, not heavily foreshadowed or part of the well-trodden story arc the movie is plodding along with. Unexpected takes. Asking ethical or moral questions, exploring them, and then not answering them.
And then blowing shit up.
No not true.
One of my favourite movies of all time is Predator.
Starts off as a typical bombastic over the top 80s action movie, changes tack to slasher horror and ends as a lone survivor fight to the death movie.
I do like surprises but I'd rather those surprises came in new franchises or if they must do it with existing properties then do it well, put some thought into it
Todays script writers and directors are simply not as good, or not allowed to be as good, as they were in previous decades
The best picture winner at the Oscars are a bit of a joke but start at the 2020s and work your way back through the decades and then tell me if we're not in one helluva slump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture#2020s
Yeah, I'm not seeing what makes you think "slump".
BTW, predator is just a teen slasher with guns. Arnie is the one who takes a prisoner in the camp, and survives with that virtue intact.
I'll explain it to you then.
Look at all the current movies of today, go back a decade or two and compare the movies nominated
IE compare the 2020, 2019, 2018 offerings to 2005, 2006 and 2007 and see which eras movies were better (or indeed more popular)
No no you're selling Predator short.
Its a bombastic action movie upto the terrorist camp then it morphs into a slasher horror then, after the scene with Billy buying time on the bridge, it turns into a survivalist movie where Arnie turns the tables on the Predator
The Predator had the advantage of superior technology but once that technology was negated Arnie had the advantage with his greater knowledge of low-tech traps and in the end Arnies experience saw him take out the physically superior but inexperienced and prideful Predator (at least thats how I saw it)
The virgin trope character uses her wits and guile to kill jason or whomever, too.
As for the oscar movies, meh. Seem to be more movies in the offing in later years, but other than that I still don't get what you're actually pointing out. I mean, if you're saying it's a woke thing, in the heat of the night and driving miss daisy were pretty woke for their time, too.
There's always a place for woke in movies.
Blockbuster tentpole movies isn't one of them
Well, the Xmen franchise started pretty woke, so I'm not sure how much that holds up.
The Xmen movies would be pretty hard not to make woke considering the subject matter
They did manage to make more than a few of them suck though
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwqcVe31GtQ
Still, pretty good track record for a woke blockbuster movie franchise.
It does all right, its no Bond, Marvel, Star Wars franchise and currently the Xmen movies themselves are in a bit of slump
Xmen apocalypse was a really bad movie and the less said about Dark Phoenix the better
Especially given Hugh Jackmans not playing Wolverine anymore.
Of course now that Disney own the rights to the Xmen we can only imagine the movies will get back on track
New batman might be interesting. Justice League went off the rails with the "find the macguffin and keep it away from the cgi bad guy" trope, amongst other things.
'New batman might be interesting. Justice League went off the rails with the "find the macguffin and keep it away from the cgi bad guy" trope, amongst other things'
I quite liked the Snyder cut, maybe a bit too long but by all accounts much more improved on what Warners put out
I'll reserve judgement on Robert Pattinson but he is a good actor so you never know
Has the blog looked at this? If so could someone tell me where as I should know something about it instead of at present, I've a great big voic.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/458770/can-the-transport-sector-keep-up-with-nz-s-space-race-plans
…with officials warning it will not keep up with ambitious plans to grow the aerospace sector unless it gets extra resourcing.
What? How does ambitious ideas for space work in with our needs to deal with climate change control, and the fact that nearly all our business activity sends profit into the pockets of overseas investors, and what we actually make is commodity stuff that the smartarse laboratory rats are planning to create artificially, so eating into our national income! This place is going quietly mad, except for outbreaks of noisy mad.