Around a decade ago, Bill Watson told me the Jap whaling industry was controlled by the Yakuza. He was Sea Shepherd coordinator for Aotearoa at the time. Pete Bethune had just been imprisoned by the Japs. Bill was worried the Yakuza would kill him there.
I found myself realising, a day or two later, that he was probably right so I needed to be proactive. Not my business, but sometimes the conscience says do it anyway! So I wrote the necessary letter to the new PM, John Key, asking him to get Bethune out & back home. Was pleased when the PM did what I’d asked! Bethune bitched about it, JK told the media he was ungrateful & I agreed, eye-rolling, & commented to Bill that nobody was ever going to award Bethune a medal for diplomacy.
Sea Shepherd declared victory the other day, after Japan announced they were jumping the IWC ship, would resume whaling next year, but not in Antarctic waters. The crims need the money, they still control the politicians, the media are still clueless – but they’re trying to figure it out: “There is a view that the country’s whaling obsession is less about food, as whale meat is surprisingly unpopular in Japan, especially among younger people, than it is about politics and culture. Defying the world’s rules and resuming commercial whaling is a bold expression of national identity.”
“Japan is not alone in doing so. Norway and Iceland also claim histories of whaling and have defied the 1986 ban on commercial killing. But it seems that, as in Japan, consumer taste is at odds with national identity. A 2018 report found that while Norway had about 350 whaling ships in 1950, there were only 11 operating in 2017. In that year, Norwegian whalers took less than half their annual quota of 999 whales.”
“Icelandic whalers have killed more than 500 fin whales since 2006, with the meat exported to the declining whale market in Japan, due to the absence of local demand, according to the charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation.” So the trend is for barbarians to become more of an endangered species than whales. Barbaric practices still have the support of three pseudo-civilised govts though!
Do you think perhaps it may be perceived that way as a left-over from WW11? After all, we talk about Brits and Aussies without any concerns of this nature
Probably only if the Japs ever declare that they actually are a race rather than Japanese citizens. Obviously the technical nature of reality is usually too hard for pc-drones to grasp, of course.
How’d you like that James? Being called PC? Personally I don’t care for the term “Japs” or “PC” but meh, people can say what they like (& as per usual says more about them than they’d really like to share anyway).
You are not Japanese. You are an exposed serial liar and agitator on a left leaning blog site…your intent is to agitate…and possibly to get your jollies in the process….
Jap, is short for Japanese and is not racist at face value, so only Dennis Frank can advise you what his intent is behind use of the abbreviation….
Concentrate on improving yourself so you can set a good example to those grand children , eh ….
Either way, you can sit back down, put the fake virtue signalling back in the box …
And you may have missed the general warning yesterday by one of the mods te reo putake:
“So, a general warning that reference to any commenters background, known or not, should be clearly relevant to the discussion at hand.”
A quick check on the replies tab shows your last three replies to me are about or mention my grandkids. I don’t know what your obsession with young children but you seem to have an inappropriate fixation on them. That – and it has nothing to do with the discussion in hand.
A couple of points. Firstly, Jap is considered offensive by Japanese people, so let’s not use it.
Secondly, I re-iterate the point I made yesterday, which was that irrelevant references to a commenter’s personal details or family situations is poor form. If its clearly relevant to the immediate discussion, fine. By that I mean that if a commenter chooses to share some details in a thread and that engenders responses, that’s cool. What’s not cool is bringing up those details later as some form of point scoring exercise.
The Wiki link also has links to some other good reference tools. Have bookmarked them.
To te reo putake
Thanks for the good moderation and guidance on these issues over the last day or so. Perhaps the latter could be added to the About and Policy if other moderators etc agree.
Yes, James, it is about the intent….that is exactly what it is about…
The links you’ve posted to, nor your incorrect and faux outrage do nothing to change that… So, ask DF what his intent was….go ahead….even if DF says it was intended as derogatory, would not change the fact JAP is an abbreviation which can be used in a non derogatory manner…
Moving along to your fake playing ‘victim’….
Per my reply to TRP yesterday, you are not posting on this site in good faith, James. You are an agitator, a deliberate agitator which is to be one of the lowest forms of public tro*l behavior.
Part of your agitators ‘shtick’ includes manufacturing stories referencing your age, ethnicity, residential location, family members/dynamic including their age bracket, education, work and off-spring, as well as your dwellings , dining, sporting and nutritional preferences…
You have willingly used these details as part of the agitation process, and therefore not in good faith…not a single shred….
In recent times you appear to be utilizing a particularly ugly tactic, and having had your comments repeatedly exposed over a number of years as racist and misogynistic etc in the literal sense, not the fake version such as you are blatantly doing once again here with DF….you are now seeking to play the victim, pushing for bans and retribution against other commentators here, who from what I can tell are mostly posting in good faith….
Even handles such as naki man appear to be more honest that you…aggressive, angry and ignorant….but seemingly in an honest way, as much as his level will allow him…
You are beneath even that level!
================================
TRP – Per your repeated comment/position from yesterday. You have played directly into the desired response James was looking for. Per my response yesterday, you are also enabling and empowering this sites most odious agitator, and not in good faith commentator… my opinion….
In contrast to VV’s comment regarding your moderation. I do not agree that you have moderated this instance well at all, not at face value…
I would say that since you returned, your moderation style is more effective than it had previously been…
Thanks, vv. Adding it to the policy is a good idea. Mind you, it’s really obvious from looking at other blogs that TS commenters are way more thoughtful and considered in their postings, which is nice. it means that issues like this can be discussed rationally and without malice.
Yeah. Traditional language usage is only a problem for a few isolated individuals. It has been a common abbreviation used in this country my entire life. Never heard anyone use it in a derogatory sense that some pc-drone could spin as racist.
The princess who has attained a position of civil rights advocacy that James linked to may have impressed the HuffPost editorial team, but so what? Just because some folks think they can get away with language conformity doesn’t mean others will stop viewing them as sociopaths, right?
As you have noted previously, you and I are of a similar age, Dennis.
While I agree it is an abbreviation which has been used in this country, I personally have not heard it used for many years.
My recollection of it mainly goes back to my childhood when it seemed to be much more common and in fact used in many cases in a derogatory manner – particularly by a couple of uncles and their friends who had spent time in Japanese POW camps. (Another one of that era was the Yellow Peril.)
So in fact it actually jumped out at me when I saw you use it, but I felt that you personally were not necessarily using it in a derogatory manner. Nevertheless as te reo putake says, it is considered offensive by Japanese people, so let’s not use it.
However, as a woman, what I do find offensive is your:
“The princess who has attained a position of civil rights advocacy that James linked to may have impressed the HuffPost editorial team, but so what? Just because some folks think they can get away with language conformity doesn’t mean others will stop viewing them as sociopaths, right?
So you disagree with her opinion; but do you really need to be so derogatory in doing so?
Language more common to Kiwiblog – and very reminiscent of similar put down comments there and elsewhere about Jacinda Ardern, our PM …
No need to even read the links. They are simply the efforts of an agitator seeking to identify endorsement, for a position taken which is incorrect and disingenuous…
I have no idea what your intention was when using the abbreviation…that is only for you to know…
TRP states use of the abbreviation is ‘considered offensive’ to Japanese, which is potentially true in some instances…such is the generic wholesale statement he made…
What I can state, as I know this directly first hand, that there are Japanese who use the abbreviation to each other, and towards other Japanese, and in no way is it meant to be, nor is it taken as ‘offensive’…
Which makes attempts of language conformity little more than the subjective preference of someone(s ) who are highly unlikely to be ethnic Japanese, of any percentage…one who is openly acting in bad faith…
So, there is James and TRP , both non Japanese, seeking to advise/enforce which language that another non Japanese person (yourself Dennis , assumption) should/should not use when writing and commentating…
Understandable that those who fought them would feel that way, especially those who ended up in their prison camps with the torture & brutality endemic.
Just because TRP says Japanese have that view doesn’t mean he’s right. If he can produce evidence, I’ll consider it. I’ve seen none as yet. A statement of foreign policy by the Japanese govt would be authoritative. Even an official statement by one of their leaders, perhaps. Otherwise it’s all just a few people trying to get away with imposing their personal morality on others. Offensive behaviour!
And when a narcissist use a position of ngo advocacy to do it, why ought we to be impressed? She didn’t cite any agreed policy position by that group, did she? Her sense of entitlement apparently drove her to misrepresent them. Such disrespect for others is not appropriate political behaviour. Dunno why leftists think justifying such behaviour from leftists while condemning it from rightists is okay. Hypocrites, I reckon.
The comments he/she (James) stir are about as long and repetitious as the pome. Next year – can we have a resolution to allow one person to have a go back at him and leave it at that? That would be enough for him to know we really love him.
A little trick in such situations is to select a portion of the quote – eg
“Japan is not alone in doing so. Norway and Iceland also claim histories of whaling and have defied the 1986 ban on commercial killing. But it seems that, as in Japan, consumer taste is at odds with national identity.”
The left click (or if you have your mouse set up for left-handed – right click) and click “Search Google for ” Japan is not alone …”.
Dennis Frank’s post at 8:34 am is a fascinating one, full of detail, insider knowledge and revelation on a subject that is topical. He made considerable effort to present his ideas well and even praised John Key in the process! Despite all that value, James found a single word with which he could derail the topic and was unable to resist the temptation to be petty.
Losers get cemeteries, not monuments, and while the pricks continue to memorialise criminals and their crimes at Yasukuni, I doubt my attitude (a poor one) will improve.
The whole damn business is about budgets and pork barreling , rather than food or culture.
Still, there is some merit to the government’s argument.
A number of coastal communities in Japan have indeed hunted whales for centuries, and continue to do so. Taiji in Wakayama prefecture is well known, many would say infamous, for its annual dolphin hunts. There are other places, in Chiba Prefecture and in Ishinomaki in northern Japan, that also do coastal whaling.
[…]
Nothing about these Antarctic whaling expeditions is historic. Japan’s first whaling voyage to the Antarctic took place in the mid-1930s but the really huge hunts didn’t get going until after World War Two.
Japan lay in ruins, its population starving. With the encouragement of General Douglas MacArthur, Japan converted two huge US Navy tankers into factory ships and set sail for the Southern Ocean.
From the late 1940s to the mid-1960s whale meat was the single biggest source of meat in Japan. At its peak in 1964 Japan killed more than 24,000 whales in one year, most of them enormous fin whales and sperm whales.
[…]
But Junko Sakuma thinks the answer lies in the fact that Japan’s whaling is government-run, a large bureaucracy with research budgets, annual plans, promotions and pensions.
“If the number of staff in a bureaucrat’s office decreases while they are in charge, they feel tremendous shame,” she says.
“Which means most of the bureaucrats will fight to keep the whaling section in their ministry at all costs. And that is true with the politicians as well. If the issue is closely related to their constituency, they will promise to bring back commercial whaling. It is a way of keeping their seats.”
It may seem incredibly banal. But Japan’s determination to continue whaling may come down to a handful of MPs from whaling constituencies and a few hundred bureaucrats who don’t want to see their budgets cut.
“Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday, Giles York, the Chief Constable of Sussex Police said he could not rule out the possibility that some sightings of drones reported during the incident were of drones that Sussex Police had flown over the airport for surveillance purposes.
“We will have launched our own Sussex police drones at the time, with a view to investigate, engage and survey the area. So there could be some level of confusion there as well,” York said after being questioned about a previous report that there may have been no drone at all.”
Pity they couldn’t use them to kill possums mustilids and rats – imagine teams running drones going for records hunting in the bush with cameras – from anywhere. Battle Royale for pest control.
Drones have rather limited range and endurance, so are really just an addition to people on foot for direct control. We’re doing some experiments with mustering deer in rough blocks with a drone, very early days yet but some success but some huge limitations. They don’t have the presence of a helicopter which combined with most deer’s fear of helicopters from meathunting days generally means deer will go away and down easily from a helicopter. The cunning ones will try and hide in thick scrub. With the drone most deer will hide in the scrub (and wait for the battery to go flat) if they can and have to be flushed out on foot. But the drone is awesome for observation and moving them in the clear.
Graeme
I will put a copy of that for the Sunday How to get there post. It’s the sort of clever thing that may be another adaptation that helps the system to the future in a better way.
Satellites could do it, Marty; there’re enough of them flitting about overhead; some heat-detecting software, a lethal laser of some sort, what could go wrong?…hang on!!!
Hey, Marty – could you please describe “human nature” pithily (or exhaustively, I don’t mind 🙂 so that we can know what you mean?
(Genuine request, cheers)
Robert
Apparently refusing the giving away of large swathes of public land to leaseholders, for fractions of it’s real value, is “unfair” to those who haven’t managed to get their share, of the giveaway, yet!
No regard to fairness to the rest of us. Of course.
Where is the tax dodgers union when you need them?
Tenure review is now under a moratorium….David Parker is not impressed with the process at allso I can`t see this government signing off on any more shonky deals….thr Nats gave billions…yes billions…to their farmer mates under this awful process often supported by DOC and weak enviromentalists
The edit function is a wordpress plugin. It appears to have dropped of during the upgrade but no doubt LPrent will restore it when he gets a chance.
In the meantime, just re-read your comments before posting and self edit where needed. If there’s something really, really needs editing after you’ve posted a comment, leave a new comment asking for the moderators to tidy up the original.
Let’s call “pretty legal” for what it is – the baked in Tory sense of entitlement redolent with dishonesty.
National is in “pretty legal” territory after Otaki MP Nathan Guy used Facebook’s “thumb” icon in a Labour attack-ad billboard.
Despite Facebook not giving permission for the logo’s use – an icon it strictly enforces copyright of – Guy said the social media outfit “haven’t raised any issues with us”.
Not too sure when I will be posting again (more out of whether I can be bothered than anything else) so where are my 2019 predictions:
1) Labour and National to stay more or less neck and neck in the polls with either party from month to month leading by less than 3 points.
2) Simon Bridges remains as National leader, though he makes Judith Collins his spokesperson for finance. Paula Bennett announces she plans to step down at the 2020 election.
3) The government quietly sets up an SOE to deliver the Kiwibuild houses, as well as to build and maintain state and social houses. It also goes in partnership with the NZ Superfund to build more houses.
4) RNZ+ is dropped, but TVNZ brings back TVNZ 7 as a 24 hour news and current affairs channel jointly run with RNZ and Maori TV.
5) The Tomorrow’s Schools reforms are implemented, but the larger schools are given the freedom to opt out of being run by the Hubs.
6) Helen Clark is given a top state sector post by the current administration, but it will be something we least expect.
7) Phil Goff, Justin Lester and Lianne Dalzeil all win a second term as mayor in their respective cities.
8) Brexit is postponed a year.
9) Trump supporters start lynching people, with the current administration refusing to condemn them.
10) none of these things ever actually happen, and I may as well just say anything.
Oh no anything is possible, but working out the probable – I think you have supplied a good cover of our present and future dilemmas Millsy. Be a good scout, don’t drop out.
Where was the crude and racist stuff in his comment?
Jesus Christ, you’re ignorant.
He was responding to a crude and racist comments, if that’s your point.
He was lying and distorting her words, as you’d know if you bothered to do any further investigation of the matter.
Natz still in pain about losing the election it seems.
Now Nathan Guy is sticking up billboards on the roadside, creating visual pollution and unsafe distraction. And in typical Natz mode, breaching copyright (Facebook?), breaking the law, while pointing the dirty blue finger at Labour, using it’s ID logo!
Natz really needs to get over itself. Now!
edit: Oops, I see this has already been commented on. My bad.
No they are doing what oppositions do, how that’s been upset, suggest you spend some time understanding meaning of parliamentary opposition I suggest as Nats in government and in opposition are doing a far better job than Labour, Labour yesrs in opposition where hilarious but not good for our democracy, sadly we now have such incompetency in government
You don’t have to keep reminding people why you call yourself Bewildered. We already concede that the name is accurate, okay? Try explaining why the Nats continue to be so keen to breach copyright law. The penny may then drop, and you’ll end up less bewildered. Keep on with that positive stance, you’ll end up bewildered no longer. Maybe even end up then calling yourself Savvy…
Bewildered ((10.1) … and National was always competent in government was it?
What Nathan Guy is doing is demonstrating that National has become a pathetic sorry mess since losing the last election. It really does need to pull its finger out and act as a responsible Opposition, working for all NZers, offering up some constructive, workable policies, instead of petulant sniping all the time. Guy’s actions here are not making NZ a better, safer place by any means.
BTW why is a National MP bringing this issue up now in the way he has done, when it had nine years as government to focus on and address transport infrastructure?
Hmmm that’s what opposition do Mary, they are not thier to support the government constructively Labor 9 years in opposition was hardly constructive, point been there where not even a competent opposition tearing each other apart, no policy formulation barring voter signalling bs, hence the 100s of work committes we now have Unfortunatly we now have this incompetence in government Oy 3 more years though and labour are simply Ardern resignation away from destroying themselves from the inside National I turn a lot more stable as some of the miss steps and mps fling rogue has indicated, party support and unity holds up and party does not go full feral and our left mates do
Hmmm that’s what opposition do Mary, they are not there to support the government constructively Labor 9 years in opposition was hardly a constructive opposition point been there where not even a competent opposition tearing each other apart, no policy formulation barring virtue signalling bs, hence the 100s of work committes we now have Unfortunatly we now have this incompetence in government Only 2 more years though and similarly labour are simply Ardern resignation away from destroying themselves from the inside again National in turn is a lot more stable as some of the miss steps and mps going rogue has indicated, party support and unity still holds up and party does not go full retard as labour has a propensity to do
National stable? You jest of course Bewildered (10.1.2.2)!
At present I consider National is far from stable, given the doubt about its present leadership. Then there are the continuing leaks, the likelihood of Jami Lee Ross returning to Parliament next year as an Independent MP, ready to pass on some more damaging information relating to Simon Bridges and National, bringing about even more uncertainty within the Opposition.
Finally, I know I might not be the brightest star in the sky, but I’m sorry you have lost me re the rest of your post, so I can’t comment, because I haven’t a clue on what I’d be commenting on!
Nathan Guy was responsible for fauling to implement the stock identification system (because it cost his farmer mates a bit of money) that has resulted in the micro bovis $850m disaster.
The stock identification system is a scam. Like a tax that you get nothing in return for. It proved incompetent in tracking cattle in any reasonable time frame. The real reason this was introduced was to create animal registration, and in turn taxation of stock. Plus, nod, nod, wink, wink, some tidy fees to disappear into some fat salaries.
The old system of keeping the transport dockets is just as effective. Plus when you get a disease like Foot & Mouth you really have no choice but to put a compass on the map, draw a circle, then kill everything. Then look at the transport Dockets. The new system fails because the cows may be registered but the system doesn’t know where the animals actually are, or where they have been.
Nobody gamed the system. The disease had nothing to do with the system. It spread because nobody knew they had the disease, and once discovered the didn’t know what animals had gone where, or what animals may have got the infected sperm.
The system allowed Foreign sperm, just as all the disease outbreaks have occurred with something coming across the boarder. It is unusual practice to get high value sperm from overseas for normal farmers, but not the specialist breaders or those buying enough to undercut LICs prices.
The truck driver creates a docket, end of story.
Now you create the docket with the truck driver, plus the old owner must log in what’s happening, as well as the new owner. As shown the system didn’t know what was happening. The old system just had owner ID tags. Nothing’s really changed or improved. But it costs thousands more for each farmer.
It spread because nobody knew they had the disease, and once discovered the didn’t know what animals had gone where, or what animals may have got the infected sperm.
All of which would have been known if they had used the system as designed. Not using as designed is gaming the system.
The fault here falls fully upon the farmers.
The truck driver creates a docket, end of story.
/facepalm
Chances are the old system wasn’t used whenever some farmers felt it wasn’t in their interest to let the government know what they were doing.
It’s interesting. We drove through Levin heading south on Sunday 23 December and half the shops were closed! You would imagine retailers would be gagging for local business but no.
We continued south and hit some traffic at Otaki of course which is the core of the problem because there’s a roundabout where SH1 traffic gives way to local traffic. Now, google maps shows us what the new Peka Peka Otaki expressway will look like and this delivers 4 lanes from Wellington CBD to Otaki once transmission fully and the rest of the Kapiti expressways are complete. That’s 72.7km and Nathan Guy want a further 20km to a one street town of 21,000, with several sets if traffic lights, which is closed on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. No doubt Mr Guy will then want a Levin bypass.
Google maps also shows us the still to be completed Waikato expressway will deliver 4 lanes from Auckland to Hamilton a distance of 124.9km. Auckland is an international city of 1.7 million people and Hamilton about 170,000. These two still don’t have a four lane connection and don’t even have a rail commuter service.
To me the end of the expressway at Otaki is right because that’s where the problems occur. I can’t help thinking Nathan Guy and the National party have got their priorities all wrong. But I’m not surprised, they do tend to concentrate on the small stuff while the rest of us see the bigger picture.
The Wiakato Expressway has nothing to do with connecting Auckland to Hamilton. It actually bipasses it, compared to the past nightmare of having to drive through it, and the Huntly traffic jam will be gone as well.
The project is about modernising SH1 from Auckland to Wellington. Some parts of the Wiakato expressway were desperately in need of upgrading with one area being our deadliest road. The same need applies to the Auckland Southern Moterway upgrade to 6 lanes.
Your argument saying it services just 21000 people is wrong as most people using SH1 won’t just be from Levin but everybody from the rest of the North Island, and everybody traveling North from Wellington, or on the return trip. Maybe it should carry on until Foxton.
The Wiakato Expressway has nothing to do with connecting Auckland to Hamilton. It actually bipasses it, compared to the past nightmare of having to drive through it, and the Huntly traffic jam will be gone as well.
And you missed the bit that actually causes all the problems – drive.
Really, if you want to go from Auckland to Wellington – take the bloody train or a plane or even a boat.
The roads couldn’t cope with the people using it.
That’s people using there freedom to travel. Plus buisinesses trying to pay wages, and break even.
I drove to Wellinton for a visit a few years ago. I drove and slept in my car 2 nights. Couldn’t do that if I took the train, plus it was an unplanned visit. Bit hard if you wish to use your car during the stay. Must use far less fuel than a plane. Trains are painfully slow in NZ.
What a good look for our Tourists traveling in Buses. Stuck in traffic on the nations main highway for hours.
People shouldn’t be using the roads. In fact, there’s probably a fairly good case for removing roads between cities.
That’s people using there freedom to travel.
Nobody’s suggesting taking their freedom to travel away.
I drove to Wellinton for a visit a few years ago. I drove and slept in my car 2 nights. Couldn’t do that if I took the train, plus it was an unplanned visit. Bit hard if you wish to use your car during the stay. Must use far less fuel than a plane. Trains are painfully slow in NZ.
Plan better.
If you’re really concerned about businesses paying wages then you should be using them.
But if members of the eco–jet set were to fly commercial—and join a few hundred other people sardined into coach—it might be a different story. It may seem counterintuitive, but a provocative study released earlier this year argues that in the U.S., flying from place to place actually consumes significantly less energy – and hence produces significantly fewer emissions—than driving does.
Public transport really is more efficient than cars.
And, yes, the trains need to be upgraded. Have you noticed that this didn’t happen due to the private owners followed by National running the trains down and building highly expensive, inefficient roads?
What a good look for our Tourists traveling in Buses. Stuck in traffic on the nations main highway for hours.
The only reason why buses are stuck in traffic is because of the morons driving cars.
It would also be interesting to know which side of the road this sign is on. If it’s heading south at Manakau then the soon to be completed Wellington to Otaki expressway will render this concern obsolete. A bit like Nathan Guy and the National Party really. 😆
How do you see the soon to be completed Wellington to Otaki expressway rendering the concern obsolete? Otaki to Levin is a completely different stretch of highway.
Having a 4 lane expressway going into a 2 lane highway will exacerbate congestion on that stretch of road.
If the sign is southbound then it’s two lanes going to four just north of Otaki. Not an issue.
And four lanes to two is not an issue either. It’s the conramination of SH1 traffic with local traffic which is the problem. How do you think four lanes stopping at a Levin traffic light is going to work?
Currently, there is a two lane highway and there are problems. While 4 lanes from Otaki to Wellington will help alleviate some of the build up from that point, it doesn’t address all the concerns back from that point.
4 lanes going into 2 is always an issue. Moreover, the new Otaki to Levin highway does bypass Levin’s CBD due to the congestion it currently causes, which will now be replaced with congestion from the 4 going into 2.
A decent freeway covering the whole of the country is long overdue.
This section of highway was to be a part (albeit small) of achieving that long held aspiration.
The stretch of road has a number of black spots and has been dubbed a “killing field” (marked like a battlefield with white crosses) by a former coroner.
Hence, as with a number of other areas around the country, a decent expressway has been long awaited.
While we are committed to only doing sections of highway at a time, new expressways will result in bottlenecks as traffic merges from 4 to 2. To help mitigate the resulting congestion, merging points should be placed in areas of low traffic volumes. With adjoining SH57 (which leads to Palmerston North) Levin to Otaki is a high volume traffic area.
Levin’s population is growing faster than expected and with housing costs rising in Palmerston North coupled with the high cost of housing in Wellington, more are expected to move there seeking a cheaper home. Add to that our aging population as it is a bit of a retirement location for Wellingtonians.
Nevertheless, it’s a part of state highway one, thus services far more than just Levin and adjoining SH57.
With our growing population and growing number of tourists, delaying vastly improving our roading will be costly.
Improving the public rail service in the area seems to have been also overlooked.
For instance, an extension to Auckland’s North West motorway is crucial. Earth is being turned up there big time and the population is expected to increase from Kumeu to Waimauku by several times the entire population of Levin.
Alcohol, obesity, flame retardants and pesticides are known to affect sperm and now cannabis.
“We know that there are effects of cannabis use on the regulatory mechanisms in sperm DNA, but we don’t know whether they can be transmitted to the next generation,” Murphy said.
“In the absence of a larger, definitive study, the best advice would be to assume these changes are going to be there,” Murphy said. “We don’t know whether they are going to be permanent. I would say, as a precaution, stop using cannabis for at least six months before trying to conceive.”
That’s an awful lot of don’t know’s to write an article about.
Funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Champion of free markets. Previous hit’s include Intelligent design and constantly trying to define the ‘science/religion boundary’.
Very deep pockets. Dodgy AF. Big business boys so big pharma called for this particular study for sure.
@ James, and a few others
Did I ever tell you how utterly (near), perfect I am.
Admittedly I’m not quite the specimen you are (yet) but I live in hope and I do all the right things.
Thanks to you, I’ve seen the light
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Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
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Around a decade ago, Bill Watson told me the Jap whaling industry was controlled by the Yakuza. He was Sea Shepherd coordinator for Aotearoa at the time. Pete Bethune had just been imprisoned by the Japs. Bill was worried the Yakuza would kill him there.
I found myself realising, a day or two later, that he was probably right so I needed to be proactive. Not my business, but sometimes the conscience says do it anyway! So I wrote the necessary letter to the new PM, John Key, asking him to get Bethune out & back home. Was pleased when the PM did what I’d asked! Bethune bitched about it, JK told the media he was ungrateful & I agreed, eye-rolling, & commented to Bill that nobody was ever going to award Bethune a medal for diplomacy.
Sea Shepherd declared victory the other day, after Japan announced they were jumping the IWC ship, would resume whaling next year, but not in Antarctic waters. The crims need the money, they still control the politicians, the media are still clueless – but they’re trying to figure it out: “There is a view that the country’s whaling obsession is less about food, as whale meat is surprisingly unpopular in Japan, especially among younger people, than it is about politics and culture. Defying the world’s rules and resuming commercial whaling is a bold expression of national identity.”
“Japan is not alone in doing so. Norway and Iceland also claim histories of whaling and have defied the 1986 ban on commercial killing. But it seems that, as in Japan, consumer taste is at odds with national identity. A 2018 report found that while Norway had about 350 whaling ships in 1950, there were only 11 operating in 2017. In that year, Norwegian whalers took less than half their annual quota of 999 whales.”
“Icelandic whalers have killed more than 500 fin whales since 2006, with the meat exported to the declining whale market in Japan, due to the absence of local demand, according to the charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation.” So the trend is for barbarians to become more of an endangered species than whales. Barbaric practices still have the support of three pseudo-civilised govts though!
The casual racism using terms like “Jap” is really unnecessary
Do you think perhaps it may be perceived that way as a left-over from WW11? After all, we talk about Brits and Aussies without any concerns of this nature
It’s certainly generational jargon. You won’t hear young people using ‘Brit’ either.
Or aussie that’s an abbreviation too.
Forgot and can’t edit – question mark after aussie missed sorry.
Probably only if the Japs ever declare that they actually are a race rather than Japanese citizens. Obviously the technical nature of reality is usually too hard for pc-drones to grasp, of course.
How’d you like that James? Being called PC? Personally I don’t care for the term “Japs” or “PC” but meh, people can say what they like (& as per usual says more about them than they’d really like to share anyway).
If it’s for calling out people for using racist or derogatory terms – I’m ok with that.
Still a derogatory terms pointed to a certain group of people.
Still not cool.
James is PC? Nah James is just a stirrer who doesn’t seem to be having many mates around for barbies lol and thus is bored.
And Marty is a little slow and can’t tell the difference between a derogatory term and an abbreviation.
Come on, boys. G’Mum says behave like adults, or tomorrow night to bed early and no celebrating seeing in the new year… You’re welcome.
Lol is “a little slow” a derog a tory term too James?
More apt than anything.
Are you cool with calling Japanese people japs? Would you use that term to Japanese people you just met?
I just use their name or mate.
That wasn’t the question
Can’t bring yourself to agree with me huh?
You would rather have people use racist terms. Says a lot about you.
Defending racism makes you a racist.
Yes you are James.
It is about the intent, James…
You are not Japanese. You are an exposed serial liar and agitator on a left leaning blog site…your intent is to agitate…and possibly to get your jollies in the process….
Jap, is short for Japanese and is not racist at face value, so only Dennis Frank can advise you what his intent is behind use of the abbreviation….
Concentrate on improving yourself so you can set a good example to those grand children , eh ….
Either way, you can sit back down, put the fake virtue signalling back in the box …
No it’s not.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_slurs
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/priscilla-ouchida/peter-king-jap-hate-speech_b_9995156.html
And you may have missed the general warning yesterday by one of the mods te reo putake:
“So, a general warning that reference to any commenters background, known or not, should be clearly relevant to the discussion at hand.”
A quick check on the replies tab shows your last three replies to me are about or mention my grandkids. I don’t know what your obsession with young children but you seem to have an inappropriate fixation on them. That – and it has nothing to do with the discussion in hand.
A couple of points. Firstly, Jap is considered offensive by Japanese people, so let’s not use it.
Secondly, I re-iterate the point I made yesterday, which was that irrelevant references to a commenter’s personal details or family situations is poor form. If its clearly relevant to the immediate discussion, fine. By that I mean that if a commenter chooses to share some details in a thread and that engenders responses, that’s cool. What’s not cool is bringing up those details later as some form of point scoring exercise.
Great reference links, James. Thanks.
The Wiki link also has links to some other good reference tools. Have bookmarked them.
To te reo putake
Thanks for the good moderation and guidance on these issues over the last day or so. Perhaps the latter could be added to the About and Policy if other moderators etc agree.
Yes, James, it is about the intent….that is exactly what it is about…
The links you’ve posted to, nor your incorrect and faux outrage do nothing to change that… So, ask DF what his intent was….go ahead….even if DF says it was intended as derogatory, would not change the fact JAP is an abbreviation which can be used in a non derogatory manner…
Moving along to your fake playing ‘victim’….
Per my reply to TRP yesterday, you are not posting on this site in good faith, James. You are an agitator, a deliberate agitator which is to be one of the lowest forms of public tro*l behavior.
Part of your agitators ‘shtick’ includes manufacturing stories referencing your age, ethnicity, residential location, family members/dynamic including their age bracket, education, work and off-spring, as well as your dwellings , dining, sporting and nutritional preferences…
You have willingly used these details as part of the agitation process, and therefore not in good faith…not a single shred….
In recent times you appear to be utilizing a particularly ugly tactic, and having had your comments repeatedly exposed over a number of years as racist and misogynistic etc in the literal sense, not the fake version such as you are blatantly doing once again here with DF….you are now seeking to play the victim, pushing for bans and retribution against other commentators here, who from what I can tell are mostly posting in good faith….
Even handles such as naki man appear to be more honest that you…aggressive, angry and ignorant….but seemingly in an honest way, as much as his level will allow him…
You are beneath even that level!
================================
TRP – Per your repeated comment/position from yesterday. You have played directly into the desired response James was looking for. Per my response yesterday, you are also enabling and empowering this sites most odious agitator, and not in good faith commentator… my opinion….
In contrast to VV’s comment regarding your moderation. I do not agree that you have moderated this instance well at all, not at face value…
I would say that since you returned, your moderation style is more effective than it had previously been…
Have a good weekend, everyone…
Thanks, vv. Adding it to the policy is a good idea. Mind you, it’s really obvious from looking at other blogs that TS commenters are way more thoughtful and considered in their postings, which is nice. it means that issues like this can be discussed rationally and without malice.
And now, here’s a song:
Veutoviper. You could call it, ‘the James rule’. I’m sure he’d like that😂
Yeah. Traditional language usage is only a problem for a few isolated individuals. It has been a common abbreviation used in this country my entire life. Never heard anyone use it in a derogatory sense that some pc-drone could spin as racist.
The princess who has attained a position of civil rights advocacy that James linked to may have impressed the HuffPost editorial team, but so what? Just because some folks think they can get away with language conformity doesn’t mean others will stop viewing them as sociopaths, right?
As you have noted previously, you and I are of a similar age, Dennis.
While I agree it is an abbreviation which has been used in this country, I personally have not heard it used for many years.
My recollection of it mainly goes back to my childhood when it seemed to be much more common and in fact used in many cases in a derogatory manner – particularly by a couple of uncles and their friends who had spent time in Japanese POW camps. (Another one of that era was the Yellow Peril.)
So in fact it actually jumped out at me when I saw you use it, but I felt that you personally were not necessarily using it in a derogatory manner. Nevertheless as te reo putake says, it is considered offensive by Japanese people, so let’s not use it.
However, as a woman, what I do find offensive is your:
“The princess who has attained a position of civil rights advocacy that James linked to may have impressed the HuffPost editorial team, but so what? Just because some folks think they can get away with language conformity doesn’t mean others will stop viewing them as sociopaths, right?
So you disagree with her opinion; but do you really need to be so derogatory in doing so?
Language more common to Kiwiblog – and very reminiscent of similar put down comments there and elsewhere about Jacinda Ardern, our PM …
No need to even read the links. They are simply the efforts of an agitator seeking to identify endorsement, for a position taken which is incorrect and disingenuous…
I have no idea what your intention was when using the abbreviation…that is only for you to know…
TRP states use of the abbreviation is ‘considered offensive’ to Japanese, which is potentially true in some instances…such is the generic wholesale statement he made…
What I can state, as I know this directly first hand, that there are Japanese who use the abbreviation to each other, and towards other Japanese, and in no way is it meant to be, nor is it taken as ‘offensive’…
Which makes attempts of language conformity little more than the subjective preference of someone(s ) who are highly unlikely to be ethnic Japanese, of any percentage…one who is openly acting in bad faith…
So, there is James and TRP , both non Japanese, seeking to advise/enforce which language that another non Japanese person (yourself Dennis , assumption) should/should not use when writing and commentating…
Understandable that those who fought them would feel that way, especially those who ended up in their prison camps with the torture & brutality endemic.
Just because TRP says Japanese have that view doesn’t mean he’s right. If he can produce evidence, I’ll consider it. I’ve seen none as yet. A statement of foreign policy by the Japanese govt would be authoritative. Even an official statement by one of their leaders, perhaps. Otherwise it’s all just a few people trying to get away with imposing their personal morality on others. Offensive behaviour!
And when a narcissist use a position of ngo advocacy to do it, why ought we to be impressed? She didn’t cite any agreed policy position by that group, did she? Her sense of entitlement apparently drove her to misrepresent them. Such disrespect for others is not appropriate political behaviour. Dunno why leftists think justifying such behaviour from leftists while condemning it from rightists is okay. Hypocrites, I reckon.
There we go again James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree.
A reading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHCxmhLJ3DM
The comments he/she (James) stir are about as long and repetitious as the pome. Next year – can we have a resolution to allow one person to have a go back at him and leave it at that? That would be enough for him to know we really love him.
James is as much a product of this environment as trump was for the US imo. It is part of the dance.
He could be Lord of the Dance.
Dubliners version –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRmRMbBM4Bc
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEAIJV6CmtA
He’s certainly got a few dancing like marionettes to his tune lol
Not like you (James) 😉
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejmE-F3EJyQ&w=547&h=410%5D
The Standard needs tougher moderation to shut dowm troll debates that detract from the matter at issue.
When it is all wayne says james says I just move on to another site.
Come on, boys. G’Mum says behave like adults, or tomorrow night to bed early and no celebrating seeing in the new year… You’re welcome.
Good stuff veutoviper
Please provide a link when you quote from somewhere.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/
Thanks, but that is a whole section of their site rather than the specific article.
Here you are Dennis, as I am feeling generous at the moment (it won’t last long!)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/109638513/editorial-japans-whaling-is-no-longer-about-science
A little trick in such situations is to select a portion of the quote – eg
“Japan is not alone in doing so. Norway and Iceland also claim histories of whaling and have defied the 1986 ban on commercial killing. But it seems that, as in Japan, consumer taste is at odds with national identity.”
The left click (or if you have your mouse set up for left-handed – right click) and click “Search Google for ” Japan is not alone …”.
Then voila! – the link will hopefully come up.
“The left click” should read “Then left click”.
There are also lots of other interesting related articles which came up doing that Google search so might as well as give the Google search link:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Japan+is+not+alone+in+doing+so.+Norway+and+Iceland+also+claim+histories+of+whaling+and+have+defied+the+1986+ban+on+commercial+killing.&rlz=1C1LDJZ_enNZ499&oq=Japan+is+not+alone+in+doing+so.+Norway+and+Iceland+also+claim+histories+of+whaling+and+have+defied+the+1986+ban+on+commercial+killing.&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Also if you are just looking for very recent articles, here is a time limited one by clicking Tools and selecting ‘Last month”.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Japan+is+not+alone+in+doing+so.+Norway+and+Iceland+also+claim+histories+of+whaling+and+have+defied+the+1986+ban+on+commercial+killing.&rlz=1C1LDJZ_enNZ499&source=lnt&tbs=qdr:m&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjhroHB-sXfAhUDiLwKHer-CWMQpwUIJg&biw=1024&bih=724
Dennis Frank’s post at 8:34 am is a fascinating one, full of detail, insider knowledge and revelation on a subject that is topical. He made considerable effort to present his ideas well and even praised John Key in the process! Despite all that value, James found a single word with which he could derail the topic and was unable to resist the temptation to be petty.
Unfortunately half of Dennis’ post is a quote from an author he has not properly linked to or named.
Doesn’t mean James isnt right on this rare occasion though does it . Maybe DF should have agreed quickly then the post could have moved on .
Indeed. People would rather double down using derogatory terms than agree that they may be out of line.
Others will support the casual racism as they would rather support that than agree with me.
Says a lot about people.
Actually says a lot about what people think of your opinion.
Hi James
The left are such masters at faux outrage that they can’t recognise genuine concern at word usage when they see it.
Have a good day.
So casual racism is ok if it’s in a post you like ?
And it’s not a single word _ it shows an attitude (a poor one) towards the Japanese people.
Losers get cemeteries, not monuments, and while the pricks continue to memorialise criminals and their crimes at Yasukuni, I doubt my attitude (a poor one) will improve.
So what’s your attitude to the “Brits” and the “Yanks”, who do all those things, and worse?
Yanks and poms.
Sorry. There’s just one four letter word for me, I guess: dick.
Oh Morrissey you are so funny. Especially when you go off on little self righteous rants.
Thanks Mr. Shark. I’ll take that and process it.
It was a positive comment, right?
Morrissey
You are trying, very trying sometimes, but then so many of us are. That is a positive comment about us all, right!
So at least you admit you are racist against the Japanese
Ambivalent, I don’t give rats about who calls them what.
Yes James it’s all about you!! If not, It Should Be.
The whole damn business is about budgets and pork barreling , rather than food or culture.
Still, there is some merit to the government’s argument.
A number of coastal communities in Japan have indeed hunted whales for centuries, and continue to do so. Taiji in Wakayama prefecture is well known, many would say infamous, for its annual dolphin hunts. There are other places, in Chiba Prefecture and in Ishinomaki in northern Japan, that also do coastal whaling.
[…]
Nothing about these Antarctic whaling expeditions is historic. Japan’s first whaling voyage to the Antarctic took place in the mid-1930s but the really huge hunts didn’t get going until after World War Two.
Japan lay in ruins, its population starving. With the encouragement of General Douglas MacArthur, Japan converted two huge US Navy tankers into factory ships and set sail for the Southern Ocean.
From the late 1940s to the mid-1960s whale meat was the single biggest source of meat in Japan. At its peak in 1964 Japan killed more than 24,000 whales in one year, most of them enormous fin whales and sperm whales.
[…]
But Junko Sakuma thinks the answer lies in the fact that Japan’s whaling is government-run, a large bureaucracy with research budgets, annual plans, promotions and pensions.
“If the number of staff in a bureaucrat’s office decreases while they are in charge, they feel tremendous shame,” she says.
“Which means most of the bureaucrats will fight to keep the whaling section in their ministry at all costs. And that is true with the politicians as well. If the issue is closely related to their constituency, they will promise to bring back commercial whaling. It is a way of keeping their seats.”
It may seem incredibly banal. But Japan’s determination to continue whaling may come down to a handful of MPs from whaling constituencies and a few hundred bureaucrats who don’t want to see their budgets cut.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35397749
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2018/dec/29/2019-a-grim-year-in-prospect-cartoon
Superb! A must view. Thanks for posting it.
And TS moderators – wonderful for use in related blog post introductions???
[Thanks will definitely use it – MS]
lol…thought the same thing when i saw it
Grim but true.
“Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday, Giles York, the Chief Constable of Sussex Police said he could not rule out the possibility that some sightings of drones reported during the incident were of drones that Sussex Police had flown over the airport for surveillance purposes.
“We will have launched our own Sussex police drones at the time, with a view to investigate, engage and survey the area. So there could be some level of confusion there as well,” York said after being questioned about a previous report that there may have been no drone at all.”
https://i.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/109661602/police-drones-may-have-added-to-gatwick-airport-shutdown-police-admit
Bugger, no edit function.
I wonder how many police forces use drones to ‘investigate, engage and survey’?
Cheaper than a chopper
Pity they couldn’t use them to kill possums mustilids and rats – imagine teams running drones going for records hunting in the bush with cameras – from anywhere. Battle Royale for pest control.
Drones have rather limited range and endurance, so are really just an addition to people on foot for direct control. We’re doing some experiments with mustering deer in rough blocks with a drone, very early days yet but some success but some huge limitations. They don’t have the presence of a helicopter which combined with most deer’s fear of helicopters from meathunting days generally means deer will go away and down easily from a helicopter. The cunning ones will try and hide in thick scrub. With the drone most deer will hide in the scrub (and wait for the battery to go flat) if they can and have to be flushed out on foot. But the drone is awesome for observation and moving them in the clear.
Thanks Graeme interesting stuff.
Graeme
I will put a copy of that for the Sunday How to get there post. It’s the sort of clever thing that may be another adaptation that helps the system to the future in a better way.
Be a good job for the thumb gifted couch dwellers
Satellites could do it, Marty; there’re enough of them flitting about overhead; some heat-detecting software, a lethal laser of some sort, what could go wrong?…hang on!!!
It’s going wrong now.
We need to align with human nature not fight it and then wonder why nothing changes.
Hey, Marty – could you please describe “human nature” pithily (or exhaustively, I don’t mind 🙂 so that we can know what you mean?
(Genuine request, cheers)
Robert
“imagine teams running drones going for records hunting in the bush with cameras – from anywhere. Battle Royale for pest control.”
From anywhere is all around the world.
Human nature by marty
collaborative, competitive, compassionate
Lprent
No edit function. (Just for noting for when you finish latest iteration?)
“Tenure review*” down South continues.
A broken promise by Labour.
Apparently refusing the giving away of large swathes of public land to leaseholders, for fractions of it’s real value, is “unfair” to those who haven’t managed to get their share, of the giveaway, yet!
No regard to fairness to the rest of us. Of course.
Where is the tax dodgers union when you need them?
*https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/91935035/ann-brower-for-the-sake-of-our-high-country-stop-tenure-review
If you remove the * the link will work.
Edit test
Edit function is not working at the moment so KJT cannot remove it.
Hope this works –
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/91935035/ann-brower-for-the-sake-of-our-high-country-stop-tenure-review
Edit working fine now (on iPad at least)
Not on my PC …
Murphy’s law means it will now work …
No. Not working on my PC.
iPad Pro?
what does that have to do with anything?
I know you like to let people know you have the best of everything. It’s your form of virtue signalling.
Actually a good brief history of tenure review in NZ ….
Tenure review is now under a moratorium….David Parker is not impressed with the process at allso I can`t see this government signing off on any more shonky deals….thr Nats gave billions…yes billions…to their farmer mates under this awful process often supported by DOC and weak enviromentalists
The edit function is a wordpress plugin. It appears to have dropped of during the upgrade but no doubt LPrent will restore it when he gets a chance.
In the meantime, just re-read your comments before posting and self edit where needed. If there’s something really, really needs editing after you’ve posted a comment, leave a new comment asking for the moderators to tidy up the original.
Let’s call “pretty legal” for what it is – the baked in Tory sense of entitlement redolent with dishonesty.
National is in “pretty legal” territory after Otaki MP Nathan Guy used Facebook’s “thumb” icon in a Labour attack-ad billboard.
Despite Facebook not giving permission for the logo’s use – an icon it strictly enforces copyright of – Guy said the social media outfit “haven’t raised any issues with us”.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/109618534/thumbs-down-experts-warn-national-for-use-of-facebooks-most-famous-blue-symbol
I roared with laughter when I read that in the earlier hours of the morning – then forgot to post it!
So thanks for bringing it to notice. Not a Facebook fan but the ‘b.t.h’ in me really hopes that they do respond …
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=12182956
These recyclers have been going since 1993 and still have to request people to wash out milk bottles, rinse and flatten cans (stand on them at least).
Not too sure when I will be posting again (more out of whether I can be bothered than anything else) so where are my 2019 predictions:
1) Labour and National to stay more or less neck and neck in the polls with either party from month to month leading by less than 3 points.
2) Simon Bridges remains as National leader, though he makes Judith Collins his spokesperson for finance. Paula Bennett announces she plans to step down at the 2020 election.
3) The government quietly sets up an SOE to deliver the Kiwibuild houses, as well as to build and maintain state and social houses. It also goes in partnership with the NZ Superfund to build more houses.
4) RNZ+ is dropped, but TVNZ brings back TVNZ 7 as a 24 hour news and current affairs channel jointly run with RNZ and Maori TV.
5) The Tomorrow’s Schools reforms are implemented, but the larger schools are given the freedom to opt out of being run by the Hubs.
6) Helen Clark is given a top state sector post by the current administration, but it will be something we least expect.
7) Phil Goff, Justin Lester and Lianne Dalzeil all win a second term as mayor in their respective cities.
8) Brexit is postponed a year.
9) Trump supporters start lynching people, with the current administration refusing to condemn them.
10) none of these things ever actually happen, and I may as well just say anything.
Oh no anything is possible, but working out the probable – I think you have supplied a good cover of our present and future dilemmas Millsy. Be a good scout, don’t drop out.
9) Trump supporters start lynching people, with the current administration refusing to condemn them.
That’s not a prediction. It’s already happened, many times. Horrifyingly, the lynch mobs are actually the police.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/trump-supporter-53-is-charged-after-making-threats-to-kill-democrat-senators-and-weak-republicans-if-they-vote-against-brett-kavanaugh/ar-BBNXYog
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/07/31/631897758/a-look-back-at-trayvon-martins-death-and-the-movement-it-inspired
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6468991/White-cop-Eric-Garner-breathe-chokehold-death-face-NYPD-disciplinary-2019.html
Crude and racist politicking did not start with Trump
Clinton is a polished version of Trump.
I didn’t get your point. Where was the crude and racist stuff in his comment.
He was responding to a crude and racist comments, if that’s your point.
Clinton’s rhetoric was/is similar to Trump. Just he is a bit more softer in his wording.
I didn’t get your point.
?????
Where was the crude and racist stuff in his comment?
Jesus Christ, you’re ignorant.
He was responding to a crude and racist comments, if that’s your point.
He was lying and distorting her words, as you’d know if you bothered to do any further investigation of the matter.
Natz still in pain about losing the election it seems.
Now Nathan Guy is sticking up billboards on the roadside, creating visual pollution and unsafe distraction. And in typical Natz mode, breaching copyright (Facebook?), breaking the law, while pointing the dirty blue finger at Labour, using it’s ID logo!
Natz really needs to get over itself. Now!
edit: Oops, I see this has already been commented on. My bad.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/109618534/thumbs-down-experts-warn-national-for-use-of-facebooks-most-famous-blue-symbol
No they are doing what oppositions do, how that’s been upset, suggest you spend some time understanding meaning of parliamentary opposition I suggest as Nats in government and in opposition are doing a far better job than Labour, Labour yesrs in opposition where hilarious but not good for our democracy, sadly we now have such incompetency in government
You don’t have to keep reminding people why you call yourself Bewildered. We already concede that the name is accurate, okay? Try explaining why the Nats continue to be so keen to breach copyright law. The penny may then drop, and you’ll end up less bewildered. Keep on with that positive stance, you’ll end up bewildered no longer. Maybe even end up then calling yourself Savvy…
Bewildered ((10.1) … and National was always competent in government was it?
What Nathan Guy is doing is demonstrating that National has become a pathetic sorry mess since losing the last election. It really does need to pull its finger out and act as a responsible Opposition, working for all NZers, offering up some constructive, workable policies, instead of petulant sniping all the time. Guy’s actions here are not making NZ a better, safer place by any means.
BTW why is a National MP bringing this issue up now in the way he has done, when it had nine years as government to focus on and address transport infrastructure?
Hmmm that’s what opposition do Mary, they are not thier to support the government constructively Labor 9 years in opposition was hardly constructive, point been there where not even a competent opposition tearing each other apart, no policy formulation barring voter signalling bs, hence the 100s of work committes we now have Unfortunatly we now have this incompetence in government Oy 3 more years though and labour are simply Ardern resignation away from destroying themselves from the inside National I turn a lot more stable as some of the miss steps and mps fling rogue has indicated, party support and unity holds up and party does not go full feral and our left mates do
Hmmm that’s what opposition do Mary, they are not there to support the government constructively Labor 9 years in opposition was hardly a constructive opposition point been there where not even a competent opposition tearing each other apart, no policy formulation barring virtue signalling bs, hence the 100s of work committes we now have Unfortunatly we now have this incompetence in government Only 2 more years though and similarly labour are simply Ardern resignation away from destroying themselves from the inside again National in turn is a lot more stable as some of the miss steps and mps going rogue has indicated, party support and unity still holds up and party does not go full retard as labour has a propensity to do
National stable? You jest of course Bewildered (10.1.2.2)!
At present I consider National is far from stable, given the doubt about its present leadership. Then there are the continuing leaks, the likelihood of Jami Lee Ross returning to Parliament next year as an Independent MP, ready to pass on some more damaging information relating to Simon Bridges and National, bringing about even more uncertainty within the Opposition.
Finally, I know I might not be the brightest star in the sky, but I’m sorry you have lost me re the rest of your post, so I can’t comment, because I haven’t a clue on what I’d be commenting on!
Nathan Guy was responsible for fauling to implement the stock identification system (because it cost his farmer mates a bit of money) that has resulted in the micro bovis $850m disaster.
The stock identification system is a scam. Like a tax that you get nothing in return for. It proved incompetent in tracking cattle in any reasonable time frame. The real reason this was introduced was to create animal registration, and in turn taxation of stock. Plus, nod, nod, wink, wink, some tidy fees to disappear into some fat salaries.
The old system of keeping the transport dockets is just as effective. Plus when you get a disease like Foot & Mouth you really have no choice but to put a compass on the map, draw a circle, then kill everything. Then look at the transport Dockets. The new system fails because the cows may be registered but the system doesn’t know where the animals actually are, or where they have been.
It was never fit for purpose, but a good scam.
Highly doubtful, costs more to run and a digitised system is always faster.
The only problem with the new system is that the farmers gamed the system resulting in a major disease outbreak.
Nobody gamed the system. The disease had nothing to do with the system. It spread because nobody knew they had the disease, and once discovered the didn’t know what animals had gone where, or what animals may have got the infected sperm.
The system allowed Foreign sperm, just as all the disease outbreaks have occurred with something coming across the boarder. It is unusual practice to get high value sperm from overseas for normal farmers, but not the specialist breaders or those buying enough to undercut LICs prices.
The truck driver creates a docket, end of story.
Now you create the docket with the truck driver, plus the old owner must log in what’s happening, as well as the new owner. As shown the system didn’t know what was happening. The old system just had owner ID tags. Nothing’s really changed or improved. But it costs thousands more for each farmer.
All of which would have been known if they had used the system as designed. Not using as designed is gaming the system.
The fault here falls fully upon the farmers.
/facepalm
Chances are the old system wasn’t used whenever some farmers felt it wasn’t in their interest to let the government know what they were doing.
So, what you saying is that National fucked up the country on purpose?
It’s interesting. We drove through Levin heading south on Sunday 23 December and half the shops were closed! You would imagine retailers would be gagging for local business but no.
We continued south and hit some traffic at Otaki of course which is the core of the problem because there’s a roundabout where SH1 traffic gives way to local traffic. Now, google maps shows us what the new Peka Peka Otaki expressway will look like and this delivers 4 lanes from Wellington CBD to Otaki once transmission fully and the rest of the Kapiti expressways are complete. That’s 72.7km and Nathan Guy want a further 20km to a one street town of 21,000, with several sets if traffic lights, which is closed on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. No doubt Mr Guy will then want a Levin bypass.
Google maps also shows us the still to be completed Waikato expressway will deliver 4 lanes from Auckland to Hamilton a distance of 124.9km. Auckland is an international city of 1.7 million people and Hamilton about 170,000. These two still don’t have a four lane connection and don’t even have a rail commuter service.
To me the end of the expressway at Otaki is right because that’s where the problems occur. I can’t help thinking Nathan Guy and the National party have got their priorities all wrong. But I’m not surprised, they do tend to concentrate on the small stuff while the rest of us see the bigger picture.
The Wiakato Expressway has nothing to do with connecting Auckland to Hamilton. It actually bipasses it, compared to the past nightmare of having to drive through it, and the Huntly traffic jam will be gone as well.
The project is about modernising SH1 from Auckland to Wellington. Some parts of the Wiakato expressway were desperately in need of upgrading with one area being our deadliest road. The same need applies to the Auckland Southern Moterway upgrade to 6 lanes.
Your argument saying it services just 21000 people is wrong as most people using SH1 won’t just be from Levin but everybody from the rest of the North Island, and everybody traveling North from Wellington, or on the return trip. Maybe it should carry on until Foxton.
And you missed the bit that actually causes all the problems – drive.
Really, if you want to go from Auckland to Wellington – take the bloody train or a plane or even a boat.
The roads couldn’t cope with the people using it.
That’s people using there freedom to travel. Plus buisinesses trying to pay wages, and break even.
I drove to Wellinton for a visit a few years ago. I drove and slept in my car 2 nights. Couldn’t do that if I took the train, plus it was an unplanned visit. Bit hard if you wish to use your car during the stay. Must use far less fuel than a plane. Trains are painfully slow in NZ.
What a good look for our Tourists traveling in Buses. Stuck in traffic on the nations main highway for hours.
People shouldn’t be using the roads. In fact, there’s probably a fairly good case for removing roads between cities.
Nobody’s suggesting taking their freedom to travel away.
Plan better.
If you’re really concerned about businesses paying wages then you should be using them.
Public transport really is more efficient than cars.
And, yes, the trains need to be upgraded. Have you noticed that this didn’t happen due to the private owners followed by National running the trains down and building highly expensive, inefficient roads?
The only reason why buses are stuck in traffic is because of the morons driving cars.
Why does Mr Bovis’ sign say, “Our community deserves a 4 lane highway”, if it’s all about people north of Levin?
And this is possibly the stupidest thing I’ve read on this forum today.
Wikipedia provides the goods fast – [Nathan] Guy is a farmer from near Levin.
If farmers had a quota for seats, and lawyers also, I wonder who would get elected and give us the experience of a real diverse government.
I think he wants a dedicated tractor lane!
It would also be interesting to know which side of the road this sign is on. If it’s heading south at Manakau then the soon to be completed Wellington to Otaki expressway will render this concern obsolete. A bit like Nathan Guy and the National Party really. 😆
How do you see the soon to be completed Wellington to Otaki expressway rendering the concern obsolete? Otaki to Levin is a completely different stretch of highway.
Having a 4 lane expressway going into a 2 lane highway will exacerbate congestion on that stretch of road.
If the sign is southbound then it’s two lanes going to four just north of Otaki. Not an issue.
And four lanes to two is not an issue either. It’s the conramination of SH1 traffic with local traffic which is the problem. How do you think four lanes stopping at a Levin traffic light is going to work?
Currently, there is a two lane highway and there are problems. While 4 lanes from Otaki to Wellington will help alleviate some of the build up from that point, it doesn’t address all the concerns back from that point.
4 lanes going into 2 is always an issue. Moreover, the new Otaki to Levin highway does bypass Levin’s CBD due to the congestion it currently causes, which will now be replaced with congestion from the 4 going into 2.
It’s eventually going to go from 4 to 2 unless you want dual carriageways the length of the North island. Why is Otaki to Levin so special?
A decent freeway covering the whole of the country is long overdue.
This section of highway was to be a part (albeit small) of achieving that long held aspiration.
The stretch of road has a number of black spots and has been dubbed a “killing field” (marked like a battlefield with white crosses) by a former coroner.
Hence, as with a number of other areas around the country, a decent expressway has been long awaited.
While we are committed to only doing sections of highway at a time, new expressways will result in bottlenecks as traffic merges from 4 to 2. To help mitigate the resulting congestion, merging points should be placed in areas of low traffic volumes. With adjoining SH57 (which leads to Palmerston North) Levin to Otaki is a high volume traffic area.
Levin’s population is growing faster than expected and with housing costs rising in Palmerston North coupled with the high cost of housing in Wellington, more are expected to move there seeking a cheaper home. Add to that our aging population as it is a bit of a retirement location for Wellingtonians.
Nevertheless, it’s a part of state highway one, thus services far more than just Levin and adjoining SH57.
With our growing population and growing number of tourists, delaying vastly improving our roading will be costly.
Improving the public rail service in the area seems to have been also overlooked.
For instance, an extension to Auckland’s North West motorway is crucial. Earth is being turned up there big time and the population is expected to increase from Kumeu to Waimauku by several times the entire population of Levin.
Alcohol, obesity, flame retardants and pesticides are known to affect sperm and now cannabis.
“We know that there are effects of cannabis use on the regulatory mechanisms in sperm DNA, but we don’t know whether they can be transmitted to the next generation,” Murphy said.
“In the absence of a larger, definitive study, the best advice would be to assume these changes are going to be there,” Murphy said. “We don’t know whether they are going to be permanent. I would say, as a precaution, stop using cannabis for at least six months before trying to conceive.”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181219075846.htm
That’s an awful lot of don’t know’s to write an article about.
Funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Champion of free markets. Previous hit’s include Intelligent design and constantly trying to define the ‘science/religion boundary’.
Very deep pockets. Dodgy AF. Big business boys so big pharma called for this particular study for sure.
Al’s making a comeback.
https://ew.com/tv/2018/12/19/deadwood-movie-story-interview/
GG nails it yet again. Wonderful… and New Zealand even gets a mention.
The Russian propaganda outfit’s infowars level of trolling is truly disgusting.
https://www.itv.com/news/2018-12-28/state-funded-media-outlet-russia-today-sends-chocolate-models-of-salisbury-cathedral-as-festive-gift/
“TV Rain thanked RT for the gift and replied on Twitter: “Come for tea, we’re afraid to eat it alone.””
I bloody bet they were – probably had vlads bloody paw prints all over it on the inside.
No doubt the libs will see it as another sign of guilt to go along with the 7 troll factory trolls, pokemon go, and book of the face puppy videos.
No doubt clueless tankies like yourself will continue selling out marginalised people in your efforts to exchange liberalism for something far worse.
@ James, and a few others
Did I ever tell you how utterly (near), perfect I am.
Admittedly I’m not quite the specimen you are (yet) but I live in hope and I do all the right things.
Thanks to you, I’ve seen the light