Just cleaned out the freezer. Thank goodness for the hair dryer and a chisel. All done without turning the unit off. Like it being easier to vacuum clean the seldom used bath.
My friends the sparrows want to know what will happen to their roosting places when all the TV aerials come down as only dishes will work in our town. Where else can they hold their meetings and spot the feed stations?
We used to have those before my parents passed away. And we used to put at first, a cassette recorder and later a video camera, in the Dining area, and the Living room, nowadays you have a computers. My parents are gone, but i can still keep those memories fresh. Just a thought.
“Awakening is about ‘self-expression’. This means engaging with the process through which the separate self evolves so that we can progressively express more of the infinite potential of our essential nature. It means entering into the creative process of life as a conscious collaborator with the primal field of awareness, to bring new possibilities into the world.
-Tim Freke.
Do you enjoy Blossom Dearie. She died in 2009 but her great singing and playing is to remember.
She can be sweet and also wry. My Attorney Bernie – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCNHMPB7u3Q
speaking of getting the birds to hang out with you…. have over the last years come to appreciate our bird co-inhabitants. It’s been good of them to shuffle over and let us live here too. They are quite something. And with the plants they favour they become frequent visitors and even friends.. Sometimes so frequent they become the stars of the show. Charm helps too along with lots of smiles.
The birds at my place are off the lay, no eggs……they still want to hang out when I till the soil. The birds on the loose have also invaded the neighborhood, thanks to the Karori Sanctuary there are kakas in the trees nearby, tuis everywhere. NZ must have been fantastic before the predators wiped out the birds and the trees were felled.
and sometimes they are great pranksters, if a tad repetitive
I have a couple of swallows here that love to swoop into the workshop just as you get ready to close the door and set the alarm
Ennui
Got any real interesting tuis in your area? I’ve heard how they adopt their calls from many sources. Here’s the famous Woof Woof. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqF33vc_q68
Crazy bird. The ones around here dont need to meet that chirpie one, they make enough noise as it is. The kakas are noisier, more like teenagers after a drink or two.
our garden has 3 or 4 every day. we have a lot of native trees ,
However the most interesting is a Blackbird that seems to enjoy Mozart .
The moment Mozart plays on the radio or CND down he comes and sings full voice,
Story out of America, a 50TeraByte broadband unlimited plan was maxed out causing a call from the ISP, hit 70?Terabytes in a month. Just got me thinking how 30-50G limited plans are a disgrace. The govt is paying for a bunch of suppliers to extort money out of anyone with a internet addiction. go figure.
I used to have an Unlimited account but I backed it down to 50 Gig with rollover. I just don’t use the raffic and I watch a lot of U tubem but with I sky being free. And I have a teen as well and all in the house have laptops, so there is pretty much non stop use of the net.
The proposed negotiation of an AustraliaâPapua New Guinea defence treaty will falter unless the Australian Defence Force embraces cultural intelligence and starts being more strategic with teaching languagesâstarting with Tok Pisin, the most widely spoken language in ...
Bishop ignores pawnPoor old Tama Potaka says he didn't know the new RMA legislation would be tossing out the Treaty clause.However, RMA Minister Bishop says it's all good and no worries because the new RMA will still recognise Māori rights; it's just that the government prefers specific role descriptions over ...
China is using increasingly sophisticated grey-zone tactics against subsea cables in the waters around Taiwan, using a shadow-fleet playbook that could be expanded across the Indo-Pacific. On 25 February, Taiwanâs coast guard detained the Hong Tai ...
Yesterday The Post had a long exit interview with outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier, in which he complains about delinquent agencies which "haven't changed and haven't taken our moral authority on board". He talks about the limits of the Ombudsman's power of persuasion - its only power - and the need ...
Hi,Two stories have been playing over and over in my mind today, and I wanted to send you this Webworm as an excuse to get your thoughts in the comments.Because I adore the community here, and I want your sanity to weigh in.A safe space to chat, pull our hair ...
A new employment survey shows that labour market pessimism has deepened as workers worry about holding to their job, the difficulty in finding jobs, and slowing wage growth. Nurses working in primary care will get an 8 percent pay increase this year, but it still leaves them lagging behind their ...
Big gunBig gun number oneBig gunBig gun kick the hell out of youSongwriters: Ascencio / Marrow.On Sunday, I wrote about the Prime Minister’s interview in India with Maiki Sherman and certainly didn’t think I’d be writing about another of his interviews two days later.I’d been thinking of writing about something ...
The Trump administrationâs decision to impose tariffs on Australian aluminium and steel has surprised the country. This has caused some to question the logic of the Australia-United States alliance and risks legitimising Chinaâs economic coercion. ...
OPINION & ANALYSIS:At the heart of everything we see in this government is simplicity. Things are simpler than they appear. Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Behind all the public relations, marketing spin, corporate overlay e.g. ...
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Wang Zhongying, chief national expert, China Energy Transformation Programme of the Energy Research Institute, and Kaare Sandholt, chief international expert, China Energy Transformation Programme of the Energy Research Institute China will need to install around 10,000 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar capacity ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
With many of Auckland’s political and bureaucratic leaders bowing down to vocal minorities and consistently failing to reallocate space to people in our city, recent news overseas has prompted me to point out something important. It is extremely popular to make car-dominated cities nicer, by freeing up space for people. ...
When it comes to fleet modernisation programme, the Indonesian navy seems to be biting off more than it can chew. It is not even clear why the navy is taking the bite. The news that ...
South Korea and Australia should enhance their cooperation to secure submarine cables, which carry more than 95 percent of global data traffic. As tensions in the Indo-Pacific intensify, these vital connections face risks from cyber ...
The Parliament Bill Committee has reported back on the Parliament Bill. As usual, they recommend no substantive changes, all decisions having been made in advance and in secret before the bill was introduced - but there are some minor tweaks around oversight of the new parliamentary security powers, which will ...
When the F-47 enters service, at a date to be disclosed, it will be a new factor in US air warfare. A decision to proceed with development, deferred since July, was unexpectedly announced on 21 ...
All my best memoriesCome back clearly to meSome can even make me cry.Just like beforeIt's yesterday once more.Songwriters: Richard Lynn Carpenter / John BettisYesterday, Winston Peters gave a State of the Nation speech in which he declared War on the Woke, described peaceful protesters as fascists, said he’d take our ...
Regardless of our opinions about the politicians involved, I believe that every rational person should welcome the reestablishment of contacts between the USA and the Russian Federation. While this is only the beginning and there are no guarantees of success, it does create the opportunity to address issues ...
Once upon a time, the United States saw the contest between democracy and authoritarianism as a singularly defining issue. It was this outlook, forged in the crucible of World War II, that created such strong ...
A pre-Covid protest about medical staffing shortages outside the Beehive. Since then the situation has only worsened, with 30% of doctors trained here now migrating within a decade. File Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest: The news this morning is dominated by the crises cascading through our health system after ...
Bargaining between the PSA and Oranga Tamariki over the collective agreement is intensifying – with more strike action likely, while the Employment Relations Authority has ordered facilitation. More than 850 laboratory staff are walking off their jobs in a week of rolling strike action. Union coverage CTU: Confidence in ...
Foreign Minister Penny Wong in 2024 said that âwe’re in a state of permanent contest in the Pacificâthat’s the reality.â Chinaâs arrogance hurts it in the South Pacific. Mark that as a strong Australian card ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
In the past week, Israel has reverted to slaughtering civilians, starving children and welshing on the terms of the peace deal negotiated earlier this year. The IDFâs current offensive seems to be intended to render Gaza unlivable, preparatory (perhaps) to re-occupation by Israeli settlers. The short term demands for the ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 16, 2025 thru Sat, March 22, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. We are still interested ...
In recent months, I have garnered copious amusement playing Martin, chess.com’s infamously terrible Chess AI. Alas, it is not how it once was, when he would cheerfully ignore freely offered material. Martin has grown better since I first stumbled upon him. I still remain frustrated at his capture-happy determination to ...
Every time that I see ya,A lightning bolt fills the room,The underbelly of Paris,She sings her favourite tune,She'll drink you under the table,She'll show you a trick or two,But every time that I left her,I missed the things she would doSongwriters: Kelly JonesThis morning, I posted - Are you excited ...
Long stories shortest this week in our political economy:Standard & Poor’s judged the Government’s council finance reforms a failure. Professional investors showed the Government they want it to borrow more, not less. GDP bounced out of recession by more than forecast in the December quarter, but data for the ...
Each day at 4:30 my brother calls in at the rest home to see Dad. My visits can be months apart. Five minutes after you've left, he’ll have forgotten you were there, but every time, his face lights up and it’s a warm happy visit.Tim takes care of almost everything ...
On the 19th of March, ACT announced they would be running candidates in this year’s local government elections. Accompanying that call for “common-sense kiwis” was an anti-woke essay typifying the views they expect their candidates to hold. I have included that part of their mailer, Free Press, in its entirety. ...
Even when the darkest clouds are in the skyYou mustn't sigh and you mustn't crySpread a little happiness as you go byPlease tryWhat's the use of worrying and feeling blue?When days are long keep on smiling throughSpread a little happiness 'til dreams come trueSongwriters: Vivian Ellis / Clifford Grey / ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
ACT up the game on division politicsEmmerson’s take on David Seymour’s claim Jesus would have supported ACTACT’s announcement it is moving into local politics is a logical next step for a party that is waging its battle on picking up the aggrieved.It’s a numbers game, and as long as the ...
1. What will be the slogan of the next butter ad campaign?a. You’re worth itb.Once it hits $20, we can do something about the riversc. I can’t believe it’s the price of butter d. None of the above Read more ...
It is said that economists know the price of everything and the value of nothing. That may be an exaggeration but an even better response is to point out economists do know the difference. They did not at first. Classical economics thought that the price of something reflected the objective ...
Political fighting in Taiwan is delaying some of an increase in defence spending and creating an appearance of lack of national resolve that can only damage the islandâs relationship with the Trump administration. The main ...
The unclassified version of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review (IIR) was released today. Itâs a welcome and worthy sequel to its 2017 predecessor, with an ambitious set of recommendations for enhancements to Australiaâs national intelligence ...
Yesterday outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier published a report, Reflections on the Official Information Act, on his way out the door. The report repeated his favoured mantra that the Act was "fundamentally sound", all problems were issues of culture, and that no legislative change was needed (and especially no changes to ...
The United States government is considering replacing USAID with a new agency, the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (USIHA), according to documents published by POLITICO. Under the proposed design, the agency will fail its ...
Hi,Journalism was never the original plan. Back in the 90s, there was no career advisor in Bethlehem, New Zealand — just a computer that would ask you 50 questions before spitting out career options. Yes, I am in this photo. No, I was not good at basketball.The top three careers ...
Mōrena. Long stories shortest: Professional investors who are paid a lot of money to be careful about lending to the New Zealand Government think it is wonderful place to put their money. Yet the Government itself is so afraid of borrowing more that it is happy to kill its own ...
As space becomes more contested, Australia should play a key role with its partners in the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative to safeguard the space domain. Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States signed the ...
Ooh you're a cool catComing on strong with all the chit chatOoh you're alrightHanging out and stealing all the limelightOoh messing with the beat of my heart yeah!Songwriters: Freddie Mercury / John Deacon.It would be a tad ironic; I can see it now. “Yeah, I didn’t unsubscribe when he said ...
The PSA are calling the Prime Minister a hypocrite for committing to increase defence spending while hundreds of more civilian New Zealand Defence Force jobs are set to be cut as part of a major restructure. The number of companies being investigated for people trafficking in New Zealand has skyrocketed ...
Another Friday, hope everyone’s enjoyed their week as we head toward the autumn equinox. Here’s another roundup of stories that caught our eye on the subject of cities and what makes them even better. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Connor took a look at how Auckland ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking with special guest author Michael Wolff, who has just published his fourth book about Donald Trump: ‘All or Nothing’.Here’s Peter’s writeup of the interview.The Kākā by Bernard Hickey Hoon: Trumpism ...
Wolff, who describes Trump as truly a ‘one of a kind’, at a book launch in Spain. Photo: GettyImagesIt may be a bumpy ride for the world but the era of Donald J. Trump will die with him if we can wait him out says the author of four best-sellers ...
Australia needs to radically reorganise its reserves system to create a latent military force that is much larger, better trained and equipped and deployable within daysânot decades. Our current reserve system is not fit for ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
I have argued before that one ought to be careful in retrospectively allocating texts into genres. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) only looks like science-fiction because a science-fiction genre subsequently developed. Without H.G. Wells, would Frankenstein be considered science-fiction? No, it probably wouldn’t. Viewed in the context of its time, Frankenstein ...
Elbridge Colby’s senate confirmation hearing in early March holds more important implications for US partners than most observers in Canberra, Wellington or Suva realise. As President Donald Trump’s nominee for under secretary of defence for ...
Chinaâs defence budget is rising heftily yet again. The 2025 rise will be 7.2 percent, the same as in 2024, the government said on 5 March. But the allocation, officially US$245 billion, is just the ...
Concern is growing about wide-ranging local repercussions of the new Setting of Speed Limits rule, rewritten in 2024 by former transport minister Simeon Brown. In particular, there’s growing fears about what this means for children in particular. A key paradox of the new rule is that NZTA-controlled roads have the ...
Speilmeister:Christopher Luxonâs prime-ministerial pitches notwithstanding, are institutions with billions of dollars at their disposal really going to invest them in a country so obviously in a deep funk?HAVING WOOED THE WORLDâs investors, what, if anything, has New Zealand won? Did Christopher Luxonâs guests board their private jets fizzing with enthusiasm for ...
Christchurch City Council is one of 18 councils and three council-controlled organisations (CCOs) downgraded by ratings agency S&P. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories shortest:Standard & Poor’s has cut the credit ratings of 18 councils, blaming the new Government’s abrupt reversal of 3 Waters, cuts to capital ...
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that the economy grew by 0.7% ending the very deep recession seen over the past year, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. âEven though GDP grew in the three months to December, our economy is still 1.1% smaller than it ...
What is going on with the price of butter?, RNZ, 19 march 2025: If you have bought butter recently you might have noticed something - it is a lot more expensive. Stats NZ said last week that the price of butter was up 60 percent in February compared to ...
I agree with Will Leben, who wrote in The Strategist about his mistakes, that an important element of being a commentator is being accountable and taking responsibility for things you got wrong. In that spirit, ...
You’d beDrunk by noon, no one would knowJust like the pandemicWithout the sourdoughIf I were there, I’d find a wayTo get treated for hysteriaEvery dayLyrics Riki Lindhome.A varied selection today in Nick’s Kōrero:Thou shalt have no other gods - with Christopher Luxon.Doctors should be seen and not heard - with ...
Two recent foreign challenges suggest that Australia needs urgently to increase its level of defence self-reliance and to ensure that the increased funding that this would require is available. First, the circumnavigation of our continent ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, The Atlantic-$, The ...
According to RNZâs embedded reporter, the importance of Winston Petersâ talks in Washington this week âcannot be overstated.â Right. âExceptionally important.â said the maestro himself. This epic importance doesnât seem to have culminated in anything more than us expressing our âconcernâ to the Americans about a series of issues that ...
Up until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of "Climate Fresk" and at a guess, this will also be the case for many of you. I stumbled upon it in the self-service training catalog for employees at the company I work at in Germany where it was announced ...
Japan and Australia talk of âcollective deterrence,â but they donât seem to have specific objectives. The relationship needs a clearer direction. The two countries should identify how they complement each other. Each country has two ...
The NZCTU strongly supports the OPCâs decision to issue a code of practice for biometric processing. Our view is that the draft code currently being consulted on is stronger and will be more effective than the exposure code released in early 2024. We are pleased that some of the revisions ...
Australiaâs export-oriented industries, particularly agriculture, need to diversify their markets, with a focus on Southeast Asia. This could strengthen economic security and resilience while deepening regional relationships. The Trump administrationâs decision to impose tariffs on ...
Minister Shane Jones is introducing fastrack ‘reforms’ to the our fishing industry that will ensure the big players squeeze out the small fishers and entrench an already bankrupt quota system.Our fisheries are under severe stress: the recent decision by theHigh Court ruling that the ...
In what has become regular news, the quarterly ETS auction has failed, with nobody even bothering to bid. The immediate reason is that the carbon price has fallen to around $60, below the auction minimum of $68. And the cause of that is a government which has basically given up ...
US President Donald Trumpâs tariff threats have dominated headlines in India in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Trump announced that his reciprocal tariffsâmatching other countriesâ tariffs on American goodsâwill go into effect on 2 April, ...
Hi,Back in June of 2021, James Gardner-Hopkins — a former partner at law firm Russell McVeagh — was found guilty of misconduct over sexually inappropriate behaviour with interns.The events all related to law students working as summer interns at Russell McVeagh:As well as intimate touching with a student at his ...
Climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has slammed National for being ‘out of touch’ by sticking to our climate commitments. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest:ACT’s renowned climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has accused National of being 'out of touch' with farmers by sticking with New Zealand’s Paris accord pledges ...
Now I've heard there was a secret chordThat David played, and it pleased the LordBut you don't really care for music, do you?It goes like this, the fourth, the fifthThe minor falls, the major liftsThe baffled king composing HallelujahSongwriter: Leonard CohenI always thought the lyrics of that great song by ...
People are getting carried away with the virtues of small warship crews. We need to remember the great vice of having few people to run a ship: theyâll quickly tire. Yes, the navy is struggling ...
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...
âMake New Zealand First Againâ Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israelâs assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealandâs Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
Itâs been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a âone-size fits allâ standardised test â a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumÄtua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrickâs Memberâs Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
Shane Jonesâ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...
Labour does not support the private ownership of core infrastructure like schools, hospitals and prisons, which will only see worse outcomes for Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down HĆ«hana Lyndonâs memberâs Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of MÄori land through the Public Works Act. ...
The Labour Party will support Chloe Swarbrickâs memberâs bill which would allow sanctions against Israel for its illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. ...
The Governmentâs new procurement rules are a blatant attack on workers and the environment, showing once again that Nationalâs priorities are completely out of touch with everyday Kiwis. ...
With Labour and Te PÄti MÄoriâs official support, Opposition parties are officially aligned to progress Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrickâs Memberâs Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in Palestine. ...
Te PÄti MÄori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus WhÄnau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , WhÄnau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa MÄori approach. It has built trust where ...
Labour welcomes Simeon Brownâs move to reinstate a board at Health New Zealand, bringing the destructive and secretive tenure of commissioner Lester Levy to an end. ...
This morningâs announcement by the Health Minister regarding a major overhaul of the public health sector levels yet another blow to the countryâs essential services. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Memberâs Bill that will ensure employment decisions in the public service are based on merit and not on forced woke âDiversity, Equity, and Inclusionâ targets. âThis Bill would put an end to the woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector. ...
Police have referred 20 offenders to Destiny Church-affiliated programmes Man Up and Legacy as âwellness providersâ in the last year, raising concerns that those seeking help are being recruited into a harmful organisation. ...
The Governmentâs new planning legislation to replace the Resource Management Act will make it easier to get things done while protecting the environment, say Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court. âThe RMA is broken and everyone knows it. It makes it too hard to build ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and Indiaâs negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. âNegotiations are getting underway, and the Publicâs views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,â Mr McClay says. We are ...
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges. âI am pleased to confirm that from 1 ...
Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealandâs geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua today, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is in the early stages ...
New annual data has exposed the staggering cost of delays previously hidden in the building consent system, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âI directed Building Consent Authorities to begin providing quarterly data last year to improve transparency, following repeated complaints from tradespeople waiting far longer than the statutory ...
Increases in water charges for Auckland consumers this year will be halved under the Watercare Charter which has now been passed into law, Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The charter is part of the financial arrangement for Watercare developed last year by Auckland Council ...
There is wide public support for the Governmentâs work to strengthen New Zealandâs biosecurity protections, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. âThe Ministry for Primary Industries recently completed public consultation on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act and the submissions show that people understand the importance of having a strong biosecurity ...
A new independent review function will enable individuals and organisations to seek an expert independent review of specified civil aviation regulatory decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Director of Civil Aviation, Acting Transport Minister James Meager has announced today. âToday we are making it easier and more affordable ...
The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed. âI am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended a sod turning today to officially mark the start of construction on a new mental health facility at Hillmorton Campus. âThis represents a significant step in modernising mental health services in Canterbury,â Mr Brown says. âImproving health infrastructure is ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed confirmation the economy has turned the corner. Stats NZ reported today that gross domestic product grew 0.7 per cent in the three months to December following falls in the June and September quarters. âWe know many families and businesses are still suffering the after-effects ...
The sealing of a 12-kilometre stretch of State Highway 43 (SH43) through the Tangarakau Gorge â one of the last remaining sections of unsealed state highway in the country â has been completed this week as part of a wider programme of work aimed at improving the safety and resilience ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says relations between New Zealand and the United States are on a strong footing, as he concludes a week-long visit to New York and Washington DC today. âWe came to the United States to ask the new Administration what it wants from ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed changes to international anti-money laundering standards which closely align with the Governmentâs reforms. âThe Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) last month adopted revised standards for tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism to allow for simplified regulatory measures for businesses, organisations and sectors ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says he welcomes Medsafeâs decision to approve an electronic controlled drug register for use in New Zealand pharmacies, allowing pharmacies to replace their physical paper-based register. âThe register, developed by Kiwi brand Toniq Limited, is the first of its kind to be approved in New ...
The Coalition Governmentâs drive for regional economic growth through the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is on track with more than $550 million in funding so far committed to key infrastructure projects, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. âTo date, the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) has received more than 250 ...
[Comments following the bilateral meeting with United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; United States State Department, Washington D.C.] * Weâre very pleased with our meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this afternoon. * We came here to listen to the new Administration and to be clear about what ...
The intersection of State Highway 2 (SH2) and Wainui Road in the Eastern Bay of Plenty will be made safer and more efficient for vehicles and freight with the construction of a new and long-awaited roundabout, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop. âThe current intersection of SH2 and Wainui Road is ...
The Ocean Race will return to the City of Sails in 2027 following the Governmentâs decision to invest up to $4 million from the Major Events Fund into the international event, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says. âNew Zealand is a proud sailing nation, and Auckland is well-known internationally as the ...
Improving access to mental health and addiction support took a significant step forward today with Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announcing that the University of Canterbury have been the first to be selected to develop the Governmentâs new associate psychologist training programme. âI am thrilled that the University of Canterbury ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened the new East Building expansion at Manukau Health Park. âThis is a significant milestone and the first stage of the Grow Manukau programme, which will double the footprint of the Manukau Health Park to around 30,000m2 once complete,â Mr Brown says. âHome ...
The Government will boost anti-crime measures across central Auckland with $1.3 million of funding as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Fund, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. âIn recent years there has been increased antisocial and criminal behaviour in our CBD. The Government ...
The Government is moving to strengthen rules for feeding food waste to pigs to protect New Zealand from exotic animal diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. âFeeding untreated meat waste, often known as "swill", to pigs could introduce serious animal diseases like FMD and ...
PrimeâŻMinister Christopher Luxon and Indian PrimeâŻMinister Narendra Modi held productive talks in New Delhi today. Fresh off announcing that New Zealand and India would commence negotiations towards a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the two Prime Ministers released a joint statement detailing plans for further cooperation between the two countries across ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Ministerâs Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealandâs commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the forestry sector. âOur relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Ministerâs Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealandâs commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the horticulture sector. âOur relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new Family Court Judges. The new Judges will take up their roles in April and May and fill Family Court vacancies at the Auckland and Manukau courts. Annette Gray Ms Gray completed her law degree at Victoria University before joining Phillips ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospitalâs first High Dependency Unit (HDU). âThis unit will boost critical care services in the lower North Island, providing extra capacity and relieving pressure on the hospitalâs Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency department. âWellington Regional Hospital has previously relied ...
Namaskar, Sat Sri Akal, kia ora and good afternoon everyone. What an honour it is to stand on this stage - to inaugurate this august Dialogue - with none other than the Honourable Narendra Modi. My good friend, thank you for so generously welcoming me to India and for our ...
Check against delivery.Kia ora koutou katoa Itâs a real pleasure to join you at the inaugural New Zealand infrastructure investment summit. Iâd like to welcome our overseas guests, as well as our local partners, organisations, and others.Iâd also like to acknowledge: The Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and other Ministers from the Coalition ...
Asia Pacific Report A Fiji-based Pacific solidarity group supporting the indigenous Palestine struggle for survival against the Israeli settler colonial state has today issued a statement condemning Fiji backing for Israel. In an open letter to the âpeople of Fijiâ, the Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network (F4P) has warned âyour ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Parker, Adjunct Fellow, Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra, and Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University A report in The Atlantic today sent shockwaves through Washington and beyond: senior US officials shared military operations for a bombing campaign against Houthi ...
NgÄti Ruanuiâs Crown-mandated agency said the south Taranaki iwi wasnât opposed to improving the resource management system. But Te RĆ«nanga o NgÄti Ruanui kaiwhakahaere Rachel Arnott said they totally rejected not carrying over Treaty obligations. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Watson, Professor in Conservation Science, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland Hans Wismeijer/Shutterstock In 2022, Australia and many other nations agreed to protect 30% of their lands and waters by 2030 to arrest the rapid decline in biodiversity. ...
Under proposals released by the Representation Commission, the electorates of ĆhÄriu, Mana, and Ćtaki will be scrapped, and replaced by two new seats: Kenepuru, and KÄpiti. ...
"Swarbrickâs bill is antisemitic as it denies Israel, the worldâs only Jewish state, the right to self defense, a right granted to all other sovereign states." ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Irene Nikoloudakis, PhD Candidate in Law, University of Adelaide Getty Images Being robbed is a horrible experience under any circumstances. But being robbed by your employer involves a unique betrayal of trust. So it was a sign of real progress when ...
By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent The Papua New Guinea government has admitted to using a technology that it says was âsuccessfully testedâ to block social media platforms, particularly Facebook, for much of the day yesterday. Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr said the âtestâ was done under the framework ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yvonne Breitwieser-Faria, Lecturer in International Law, Curtin University Only five days after the arrest warrant against former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was issued, he was apprehended and immediately put on a plane to The Hague to face charges before the International Criminal ...
The new campaign features an AI customer clone âto keep prices lowâ. But what is the real cost? Everywhere I look at the moment, I see her. She lurks on The NZ Herald homepage, her digital grin jarring with the horror-filled headlines about Destiny Church protestors and missing women abroad. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben McCann, Associate Professor of French Studies, University of Adelaide The Divine Sarah Bernhardt. Memento This yearâs Alliance Française French Film Festival showcases a diverse selection of films from blockbusters and biopics to comedies and gripping thrillers for Australian audiences. Iâve ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Fuller, Clinical Trials Director, Department of Endocrinology, RPA Hospital, University of Sydney Maria Symchych/Shutterstock If youâve ever picked up your child from childcare and wondered if theyâre living a double life, youâre not alone. Parents often receive rave reports ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mike Climstein, Associate Professor, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University Cottonbro Studio/Pexels Youâve got a new brown spot on your face, but is it a freckle or a sunspot? Or perhaps youâve found a spot on your back that looks like ...
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service has been warning Pacific partners that China's growing influence in the region presents foreign interference and espionage risks. ...
An 11-year-old was taken to a mental health facility after being mistaken for a 20-year-old. The PM wants to know why it took two weeks to tell the minister. ...
As hundreds marched to parliament to protest possible restrictions on gender-affirming care for youth, NZ First leader Winston Peters promised his party would continue to fight against the use of puberty blockers.In his state of the nation speech in Christchurch on Sunday, Winston Peters used the term âwokeâ about ...
An 11-year-old was taken to a mental health facility after being mistaken for a 20-year-old. The PM wants to know why it took two weeks to tell the minister. ...
Liv Sisson reviews a milestone gig for an ascendant New Zealand act. On Saturday night, Fazerdaze headlined Aucklandâs Powerstation for the very first time. âThis is my favourite venue in the whole world,â Amelia Murray (aka Fazerdaze) told the crowd. Playing it clearly meant a lot to her. During the ...
An 11-year-old was taken to a mental health facility after being mistaken for a 20-year-old. The PM wants to know why it took two weeks to tell the minister. ...
From its humble beginnings to becoming the worldâs largest Polynesian cultural festival, ASB Polyfest has shaped generations of young people, strengthened cultural connections, and fostered community resilience. I remember being a fresh-faced 13-year-old as the smell of dry cow dung â used to dye the fibres on our piupiu â ...
In early March an 11-page letter sent shockwaves through media giant NZME. Duncan Greive analyses its withering critique of the business, and the plan to redirect its news direction after ripping out the board. New Zealandâs sharemarket is typically a fairly sleepy place. Stocks rise and fall, sometimes abruptly â ...
Weâre pleased to see the government working from the basis that the clear allocation of property rights is a fundamental tenet of a well-functioning economy. This is critical to unlocking the investment we need to thrive and grow. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Brodribb, Professor of Plant Physiology, University of Tasmania Stomata â the breathing ‘mouths’ of leaves â under the microscope.Barbol / Shutterstock Plant behaviour may seem rather boring compared with the frenetic excesses of animals. Yet the lives of our vegetable friends, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucy Montgomery, Dean of Research, Humanities, Curtin University Mykhailo Kopyt/Shutterstock In December 2024, the editorial board of the Journal of Human Evolution resigned en masse following disagreements with the journalâs publisher, Elsevier. The boardâs grievances included claims of inadequate copyediting, misuse ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow in Music Industries and Cultural Economy, RMIT University iam_os/Unsplash The Australian Music Venue Foundation launched this month to advocate for and potentially administer an arena ticket levy to support grassroots live music venues. Funds would ...
Politics all weekend …
Auckland Northland Regional Council has its Regional Conference.
Just cleaned out the freezer. Thank goodness for the hair dryer and a chisel. All done without turning the unit off. Like it being easier to vacuum clean the seldom used bath.
My friends the sparrows want to know what will happen to their roosting places when all the TV aerials come down as only dishes will work in our town. Where else can they hold their meetings and spot the feed stations?
Build some pretend ones and they will all hang out at your place…
They will turn up on the tree by my chicken coop.
They will have to go back to the trees, what a hassle, they’ll have to commute.
Family arriving from far and wide for a gathering. Hi-jinks a plenty to be had.
sounds special, may the nights be full of laughter and the mornings calm and peaceful
We used to have those before my parents passed away. And we used to put at first, a cassette recorder and later a video camera, in the Dining area, and the Living room, nowadays you have a computers. My parents are gone, but i can still keep those memories fresh. Just a thought.
“Awakening is about ‘self-expression’. This means engaging with the process through which the separate self evolves so that we can progressively express more of the infinite potential of our essential nature. It means entering into the creative process of life as a conscious collaborator with the primal field of awareness, to bring new possibilities into the world.
-Tim Freke.
Go for it ghosty
Come Fly with Me, come fly lets fly today. đ
Do you enjoy Blossom Dearie. She died in 2009 but her great singing and playing is to remember.
She can be sweet and also wry. My Attorney Bernie – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCNHMPB7u3Q
speaking of getting the birds to hang out with you…. have over the last years come to appreciate our bird co-inhabitants. It’s been good of them to shuffle over and let us live here too. They are quite something. And with the plants they favour they become frequent visitors and even friends.. Sometimes so frequent they become the stars of the show. Charm helps too along with lots of smiles.
The birds at my place are off the lay, no eggs……they still want to hang out when I till the soil. The birds on the loose have also invaded the neighborhood, thanks to the Karori Sanctuary there are kakas in the trees nearby, tuis everywhere. NZ must have been fantastic before the predators wiped out the birds and the trees were felled.
Birds and – bees! We need to take care of the bees – any tips for the best ways / plants to attract them?
To attract bees, plant a variety of blue flowering plants to come into bloom across the seasons (as much as possible).
I’ve been thinking as my wife tends to warn me. Wonder if it is viable to have a beehive in suburban gardens. My section is only 400sqmetres but……?
and sometimes they are great pranksters, if a tad repetitive
I have a couple of swallows here that love to swoop into the workshop just as you get ready to close the door and set the alarm
Ennui
Got any real interesting tuis in your area? I’ve heard how they adopt their calls from many sources. Here’s the famous Woof Woof. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqF33vc_q68
Crazy bird. The ones around here dont need to meet that chirpie one, they make enough noise as it is. The kakas are noisier, more like teenagers after a drink or two.
our garden has 3 or 4 every day. we have a lot of native trees ,
However the most interesting is a Blackbird that seems to enjoy Mozart .
The moment Mozart plays on the radio or CND down he comes and sings full voice,
Story out of America, a 50TeraByte broadband unlimited plan was maxed out causing a call from the ISP, hit 70?Terabytes in a month. Just got me thinking how 30-50G limited plans are a disgrace. The govt is paying for a bunch of suppliers to extort money out of anyone with a internet addiction. go figure.
I used to have an Unlimited account but I backed it down to 50 Gig with rollover. I just don’t use the raffic and I watch a lot of U tubem but with I sky being free. And I have a teen as well and all in the house have laptops, so there is pretty much non stop use of the net.