I’ve just reread Carl Sagan’s Demon Haunted World. Aside from Sagan being my all time favourite personality in the world of science education Demon Haunted World is a great read about the dangers of scientific illiteracy.
"As an example of skeptical thinking, Sagan offers a story concerning a fire-breathing dragon that lives in his garage. When he persuades a rational, open-minded visitor to meet the dragon, the visitor remarks that they are unable to see the creature. Sagan replies that he "neglected to mention that she's an invisible dragon". The visitor suggests spreading flour on the floor so that the creature's footprints might be seen, which Sagan says is a good idea, "but this dragon floats in the air". When the visitor considers using an infra-red camera to view the creature's invisible fire, Sagan explains that the fire is heatless. He continues to counter every proposed physical test with a reason why the test will not work.
Sagan concludes by asking: "Now what's the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? If there's no way to disprove my contention, no conceivable experiment that would count against it, what does it mean to say that my dragon exists? Your inability to invalidate my hypothesis is not at all the same thing as proving it true."
Maybe not, but most science, like most of the other ways of understanding the world/universe, begins with observation – that much at least is in common đ
If there were anything fixed in nature, if there were truths, all of this would, of course, be wrong. But fortunately, all truths are erroneous. This is the very essence of the dialectical process: today’s truths become errors tomorrow; there is no final number.
This truth (the only one) is for the strong alone. Weak-nerved minds insist on a finite universe, a last number; they need, in Nietzsche’s words, ‘the crutches of certainty’. The weak-nerved lack the strength to include themselves in the dialectic syllogism. True, this is difficult. But it is the very thing that Einstein succeeded in doing: he managed to remember that he, Einstein, observing motion with a watch in hand, was also moving; he succeeded at looking at the motion of the earth from outside.
On Literature, Revolution, Entropy, and Other Matters
"Such experiences we ascribe to the action of suggestion and the imagination—the cloud "that's almost in shape like a camel," or "like a weasel," or "like a whale." But throughout our visual experiences there runs this double strain, now mainly outward and now mainly inward, from the simplest excitements of the retina up to the realms where fancy soars freed from the confines of sense, and the objective finds its occupation gone."
Try Figure 16 – took me a while to see the upward-pointing blocks (does that make me a pessimist?); unfocussing my eyes helped.
Intuition is critical, but be careful.
A bat and a ball cost £1.10 in total. The bat costs a pound more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? (Intuitive answer 10 pence).
If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets? (Intuitive answer 100 minutes).
In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half the lake? (Intuitive answer 24 days)
For some reaon I particularly like this one:
If you’re running a race and you pass the person in second place, what place are you in? (Intuitive answer 1st)
And these are downright cruel!
Emily’s father had three daughters. The first two are named April and May. What is the third daughter’s name? (Intuitive answer June)
How many cubic feet of dirt are there in a hole that 3’ deep x 3’ wide x 3’ long? (Intuitive answer 27)
You go to bed at eight. You set your old analogue alarm clock to wake you up at nine. How many hours of sleep will you get? (Intuitive answer 13 h)
"Maybe not, but most science, like most of the other ways of understanding the world/universe, begins with observation – that much at least is in common"
True, but the issue here is what happens when one person can observe a phenomena more easily than another. The question for me isn't whether Sagan has a dragon in his basement, it's what makes him think it's there. Maybe he can perceive something I cannot, and that science cannot.
Twinned with observation is experience and how one makes sense of those things. And what Robert is saying about being the observer.
There is an almost unlimited number of things that current science cannot perceive, let alone analyse. Yet that number is smaller than it was 100 years ago, or yesterday.
For me, the issue is not so much what 'science' or (certain) individuals can and cannot perceive, but rather the belief that there are some things that can (and should) never be understood via scientific investigation. It may well be true that some phenomena (including mental/thought and even non-corporeal phenomena) that will resist observation, and scientific analysis of their nature, unto the end of time. I just prefer to believe that's not the case, even though I'm likely wrong in this (hopeful?) belief.
"I have a friend who's an artist and has sometimes taken a view which I don't agree with very well. He'll hold up a flower and say "look how beautiful it is," and I'll agree. Then he says "I as an artist can see how beautiful this is but you as a scientist take this all apart and it becomes a dull thing," and I think that he's kind of nutty. First of all, the beauty that he sees is available to other people and to me too, I believe. Although I may not be quite as refined aesthetically as he is … I can appreciate the beauty of a flower. At the same time, I see much more about the flower than he sees. I could imagine the cells in there, the complicated actions inside, which also have a beauty. I mean it's not just beauty at this dimension, at one centimeter; there's also beauty at smaller dimensions, the inner structure, also the processes. The fact that the colors in the flower evolved in order to attract insects to pollinate it is interesting; it means that insects can see the color. It adds a question: does this aesthetic sense also exist in the lower forms? Why is it aesthetic? All kinds of interesting questions which the science knowledge only adds to the excitement, the mystery and the awe of a flower. It only adds. I don't understand how it subtracts." – Richard P. Feynman
I think they're both doing the same thing. Each one believes they have the superior view and are missing what happens when one can do both.
I understand the attraction of believing that science can eventually understand all things. I'm more ok with the mystery and uncertainty and the value in that (or maybe I think it doesn't matter whether we don't know because we can't or because science hasn't gotten there yet). Either way, it doesn't help us so much with the dragon in the basement, which seems the most exciting thing to think about. Dragons!
I'd like to think that most good scientists were/are OK with uncertainty, even dragons, but I'd probably be disappointed. Same with theologians.
I’m unsure about the inferiority/superiority of the scientific view compare to alternatives – it’s simply the view I understand best.
“I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong. If we will only allow that, as we progress, we remain unsure, we will leave opportunities for alternatives [Dragons!]. We will not become enthusiastic for the fact, the knowledge, the absolute truth of the day, but remain always uncertain … In order to make progress, one must leave the door to the unknown ajar.” – Richard Feynman
that's pretty much how I feel and I do think lots but not all sciencey people are like that.
I was meaning uncertainly about whether science can eventually understand anything it comes up against. I'm ok if that's not true. Don’t most science people believe it is true, that science will eventually explain all (or theoretically can)?
I would like it to be true, perhaps even believe it to be true, but I don't know that it's true. Recognised or not, uncertainty is an element of all belief đ
Whether you’re right or wrong depends on the definition of science, where it draws the borders and what its limitations are.
I certainly agree that science ads to life.
What makes science science? What sets it apart from other belief systems (or ideologies rather)? Is it the so-called scientific method? Is it that theories have to be predictive and testable by experiments? If so, this would run into some fundamental problems, e.g. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-08-29/string-theory-explainer-what-is-the-universe-made-of/11428656. Feyerabend came to the conclusion that there is or should be no such thing as the scientific method; whatever progresses science and our collective knowledge and understanding of the world is as good as anything (“anything goes”).
Popper’s criterion for falsification has failed itself to be a good or useful benchmark. Probabilistic theories, such as climate change and quantum mechanics, fail to meet this criterion. Interestingly, I saw this recently being held as a judgement against CC somewhere and that CC was not (based on) true science because it could not be falsified (can’t find the link now).
Mainstream science has now fully accepted uncertainty and probabilistic theories, I believe. It is ok if evidence is not or cannot be absolutely conclusive.
A hypothesis (e.g. about a dragon) does not necessarily have to be true or false. Just like Schrödinger's cat, it can exist in two or neither state until an observer collapses the superposition. This shifts the question to how useful the hypothesis is in the larger framework. Something that is and remains abstract belongs to realm of mathematics and will remain there unless or until it finds an application in science đ
Science is a collective endeavour and scientific consensus and convention are the criteria. In this sense, science is as much a human construct as any other and merely a way or attempt to interpret the world we live in rather than an interpretation in its own right.
Is it possible that we can come to see science as posturing or the advanced curiosity of a grown feckless child? Could it be that we will decide to stop seeking further information about some things, and allow that endless poking and prying into them is counter-productive for a balanced, society that has accepted some humility about its misuse of novel findings, and some historical ones?
Spring Show for Auckland Horticultural Council today. Straight across from the road at Western Springs that takes you to the zoo. Displays, garden geeks, plants/bulbs for sale. Would be all over it but family coming to visit, will try drag them there…
The Joyful Ballad is essentially a catalogue of curses that the poet wished upon taverners who diluted their wine. Although its author is unknown, it has long been associated with François Villon (c. 1431–after 1463), one of the most renowned French poets of the late Middle Ages, but also a murderer, thief and vagabond. Here is a translated stanza in order to give you a taste of the poem:
'Let some great gunshot blow their heads off sheer;
Let thunders catch them in the market-place;
Let rend their limbs and cast them far and near,
For dogs to batten on their bodies base;
Or let the lightning-stroke their sight efface.
Frost, hail and snow let still upon them bite;
Strip off their clothes and leave them naked quite,
For rain to drench them in the open air;
Lard them with knives and poniards and then bear
Their carrion forth and soak it in the Rhine;
Break all their bones with mauls and do not spare
The vintners [or ‘taverners’] that put water into our wine.'
[translation from John Payne, The Poems of Master François Villon of Paris (London, 1892), p. 137].
In the first picture in joe90’s comment at #6 the hammered dulcimer player played a bum note by the look of the harp player and the pipe and tambour player are giving him. I know that look……..
I was an upright bass player in a country string band, and stood at the back of the group so that the other players could get their timing from the bass. Whenever especially the fiddle player played a bum note he'd look around at the bass player, who of course had no one he could turn around and so accuse. (Politics and the art of dead cat distraction works the same way.)
I'm reading a Commissario Guido Brunetti novel at the moment. His literary professor wife Paola noted that interactions between men are all about power. Even a band of five musicians had its politics and power games. Today's news contained an article on the games still played in the Rolling Stones, after fifty years or more. True now as it was in medieval times, it seems.
The New York Times' Mike Isaak says… "my new social network is an email newsletter. Every week or so, I blast it out to a few thousand people who have signed up to read my musings. Some of them email back, occasionally leading to a thoughtful conversation. It’s still early in the experiment, but I think I love it."…
So what exactly does Substack do?
"We just make it simple for a writer to start a paid newsletter," Hamish McKenzie said.
"We say 'newsletter' because that's simple but really it's like a personal media empire where a writer can have a blog that's attached to a mailing list. And they can also, if they want, distribute podcasts and host host discussion threads," he said.
Substack has thousands of newsletters with more than 50,000 paying subscribers. The minimum price for a sub is $US5 a month.
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Budget 2022 shows progress on conservation commitments in the Green Partyâs cooperation agreement Green Party achievements in the last Government continue to drive investment in nature protection Urgent action needed on nature-based solutions to climate change Future budget decisions must reflect the role nature plays in helping reduce emissions ...
Landmark week for climate action concludes with climate budget Largest ever investment in climate action one of many Green Party wins throughout Budget 2022Â Budget 2022 delivers progress on every part of the cooperation agreement with Labour Budget 2022 is a climate budget that caps a landmark week ...
Green Party welcomes extension to half price fares Permanent half price fares for Community Services Card holders includes many students, which helps implement a Green Party policy Work to reduce public transport fares for Community Services Card holders started by Greens in the last Government Budget 2022 should be ...
New cost of living payment closely aligned to Green Party policy to expand the Winter Energy Payment Extension and improvement of Warmer Kiwi Homes builds on Green Party progress in Government Community energy fund welcomed The Green Party welcomes the investment in Budget 2022 to expand Warmer Kiwi ...
Budget 2022 support to reduce homelessness delivers on the Green Partyâs cooperation agreement Bespoke support for rangatahi with higher, more complex needs The Green Party welcomes the additional investment in Budget 2022 for kaupapa MÄori support services, homelessness outreach services, the expansion of transitional housing, and a new ...
Green Party reaffirms call for liveable incomes and wealth tax Calls on Government to cancel debt owed to MSD for hardship assistance such as benefit advances, and for over-payments The Green Party welcomes the support for people on low incomes Budget 2022 but says more must be done ...
At the heart of this yearâs Budget is our cost of living package, designed to ease the pressure on New Zealanders in the face of global inflation. ...
Our Government has just released this yearâs Budget, which sets out the next steps in our plan to build a high wage, low carbon economy that gives economic security in good times and in bad. Itâs full of initiatives that speed up our economic recovery and ease cost pressures for ...
A stronger democracy is on the horizon, as Golriz Ghahramanâs Electoral (Strengthening Democracy) Amendment Bill was pulled from the biscuit tin today. ...
Tomorrow, the Government will release this yearâs Budget, setting out the next steps in our plan to build a high wage, low carbon economy that gives economic security in good times and in bad. While the full details will be kept under wraps until Thursday afternoon, weâve announced a few ...
As a Government, we made it clear to New Zealanders that weâd take meaningful action on climate change, and thatâs exactly what weâve done. Earlier today, we released our next steps with our Emissions Reduction Plan â which will meet the Climate Commissionâs independent science-based emissions reduction targets, and new ...
Emissions Reduction Plan prepares New Zealand for the future, ensuring country is on track to meet first emissions budget, securing jobs, and unlocking new investment ...
The Greens are calling for the Government to reconsider the immigration reset so that it better reflects our relationship with our Pacific neighbours. ...
Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a major package of reforms to address the immediate skill shortages in New Zealand and speed up our economic growth. These include an early reopening to the world, a major milestone for international education, and a simplification of immigration settings to ensure New Zealand ...
Proposed immigration changes by the Government fail to guarantee pathways to residency to workers in the types of jobs deemed essential throughout the pandemic, by prioritising high income earners - instead of focusing on the wellbeing of workers and enabling migrants to put down roots. ...
Ehara taku toa i te toa takatahi, engari taku toa he toa takimano â my strength is not mine alone but the strength of many (working together to ensure safe, caring respectful responses). We are striving for change. We want all people in Aotearoa New Zealand thriving; their wellbeing enhanced ...
Samoan language week will be even more important this year as Samoa celebrates 60 years of independence, Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said. âThis is the year of Samoa in the Pacific and we begin this week in Aotearoa with the celebration of âLe Vaiaso o le Gagana ...
New Zealand and California have signed a cooperation deal on climate change, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in San Francisco today. The Memorandum of Cooperation, signed during a meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom, will facilitate the sharing of information, experiences and research in reducing emissions as well as working ...
Investing in whenua MÄori will help whÄnau, hapĆ« and iwi create income opportunities and drive economic security in Aotearoa, Minister for MÄori Development Willie Jackson said. The Government is investing $10 million to boost MÄori landowners to realise their aspirations for their whenua. âThis investment in whenua MÄori delivers on ...
An independent assessment of stewardship land on the West Coast has delivered recommendations for revised land classifications, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. Stewardship land is the term given for land that was allocated to DOC when it was formed in 1987, but had yet to be given a specific ...
Investing in protecting mÄtauranga MÄori and tÄonga will unlock significant economic and cultural benefits for Aotearoa, Associate Minister for MÄori Development Nanaia Mahuta announced today. Te Pae Tawhiti programme which supports research and innovation in the Maori economy is getting a further $27.6 million investment over the next four years. ...
MÄori primary and community care providers will be supported to lift their capability, capacity, and service sustainability through a $30 million investment from Budget 2022, Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare announced today while visiting Mahitahi Hauora in WhangÄrei. âMÄori providers play a critical role in our response to COVID-19, ...
Second COVID-19 booster recommended for the most vulnerable 6 months after first booster Several hundred thousand people will be eligible Legislative change to enable rollout from mid-June People who are at high-risk of getting very sick from a COVID-19 infection will soon be eligible to receive a second booster, ...
E oku manukura, nga pou haemata o te ngahere. e Piko o Te Mahuri, tera te tipu o te rakau. E tipu, e rea, ka puta, ka ora. Tena koutou katoa. Â President Bacow, Provost Garber, Governing Boards and deans, And most importantly, graduates. Â In Te Reo MÄori, the ...
The Franklin community have a safer journey to work, school and into Auckland with the construction of Glenbrook Roundabout on State Highway 22. Minister of Transport, Michael Wood, attended an event today that marked the completion of the last major milestone of the project. The Government is upgrading New Zealandâs ...
People battling with eating disorders can expect more support being available with additional funding allocated. In addition to the $15.5 million spent each year, $3.9 million in extra funding over four years has been secured as part of Budget 2022. âThis will help increase the capacity of eating disorder services ...
New workforce frameworks launched today will make an important difference to people impacted by family violence by strengthening responses and ensuring services support peopleâs safety, and long-term healing and wellbeing. âPeople have long been asking for workforces capable of providing safe, consistent, and effective responses to family violence, in ways ...
The Government is providing further support to help Police protect small businesses affected by a spike in ram raids, Minister of Police Poto Williams says. $6 million from the Proceeds of Crime Fund will be invested in a crime prevention programme to be managed by Police which will include solutions ...
Associate Minister of Education (MÄori) Kelvin Davis has today announced 51 education resources that will help bring MÄtauranga MÄori to life. âMatariki is our first uniquely te ao MÄori public holiday and is a time for us to remember the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. Matariki ...
Budget 2022 has taken capital investment in school property under this Government to $3.6 billion since 2018, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. âA further $777m in capital investment means new schools and kura, more classrooms, and includes $219m in capital funding that will go directly to schools over the ...
60,000 more people to receive screening each year. Over $36 million across four years to shift the starting age for bowel screening from 60 years old to 50 years old for MÄori and Pacific people. Associate Ministers of Health Peeni Henare and Aupito William Sio say Budget 2022 will ...
Budget 2022 will deliver 1900 new health workers and will support 2700 more students into training programmes through a $76 million investment to continue to grow the health workforce for our MÄori and Pacific communities, Associate Ministers of Health Peeni Henare and Aupito William Sio announced today. âThis Budget specifically ...
The Government has appointed a Startup Advisorsâ Council to help identify and address the opportunities and challenges facing high growth start-up businesses, Research, Science, and Innovation Minister Megan Woods, and Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash have announced. âStartups are major contributors to the knowledge and innovation that we ...
Hundreds of New Zealand companies are set to benefit from the launch of two new grants aimed at fuelling firms that want to innovate, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods says. âThis $250 million investment over the next four years is a sign of my commitment to some of ...
New Zealandâs legal aid scheme will be significantly strengthened with further investment from Budget 2022, Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi announced today. âBudget 2022 will help around 93,000 more people be eligible for legal aid from January 2023, fulfilling our election promise to make improvements to our court system so ...
Investing in the MÄori media sector over the next two years will support the industry while it transitions to a new public media environment, Minister for MÄori Development Willie Jackson announced today. âBy capturing and sharing local stories and innovative MÄori content with New Zealand audiences, across a range of ...
The Government has today confirmed key details of the nationwide rollout of cameras on commercial fishing vessels. Up to 300 inshore fishing vessels will be fitted with the technology by the end of 2024, providing independent, accurate information about fishing activity and better evidence for decision-making,â Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
It is my pleasure to be here at TRENZ 2022. This is an event that continues to facilitate connection, collaboration and engagement between our businesses and key overseas markets. The conversations that happen here will play a crucial role in shaping New Zealandâs tourism recovery. Thatâs why TRENZ remains such ...
MÄori businesses will play a vital role to help lift whÄnau MÄori aspirations and dreams for a better life, while reinforcing New Zealandâs economic security. A successful Progressive Procurement initiative to diversify government spend on goods and services and increase MÄori business engagement with government procurement is getting a further ...
The continued Budget 22 investment into the Cadetship programmes will ensure MÄori thrive in the labour market, Minister for MÄori Development Willie Jackson announced today. The Government will invest $25 million into the Cadetships programme, delivered by Te Puni KĆkiri. As the whole world struggles with rising inflation, the Governmentâs ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Minister of Defence Peeni Henare today announced the extension of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) deployment to Solomon Islands, as part of the Pacific-led Solomon Islands International Assistance Force (SIAF). âAotearoa New Zealand and Solomon Islands have an enduring and long-standing partnership,â Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Minister of Defence Peeni Henare today announced the extension of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) deployment to Solomon Islands, as part of the Pacific-led Solomon Islands International Assistance Force (SIAF). âAotearoa New Zealand and Solomon Islands have an enduring and long-standing partnership,â Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
Director-General, esteemed fellow Ministers, and colleagues, tÄnÄ koutou katoa. Greetings to all. Aotearoa New Zealand is alarmed at the catastrophic and complex health crisis evolving in Ukraine. We reiterate our call for an immediate end to Russian hostilities against Ukraine. Chair, this 75th Session of the World Health Assembly comes at ...
As part of a regular review by the Department of Internal Affairs, the fees for New Zealand passports will increase slightly due to the decrease in demand caused by COVID-19. Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti says that the Government has made every effort to keep the increase to a minimum ...
The Government is providing additional support to the Buller District Council to assist the recovery from the February 2022 floods, Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan announced today. âThe Buller District has experienced two significant floods in short succession, resulting in significant impacts for the community and for Council to ...
New Zealand is a step closer to a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable coastal shipping sector following the selection of preferred suppliers for new and enhanced coastal shipping services, Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced today. Â âCoastal shipping is a small but important part of the New Zealand freight system, ...
TÄnÄ koutou katoa Itâs a pleasure to speak to you today on how we are tracking with the resource management reforms. It is timely, given that in last weekâs Budget the Government announced significant funding to ensure an efficient transition to the future resource management system. There is broad consensus ...
Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis have welcomed the release of a paper from independent advisory group, Taumata Aronui, outlining the groupâs vision for MÄori success in the tertiary education system. âManu KĆkiri â MÄori Success and Tertiary Education: Towards a Comprehensive Vision â is the ...
The best way to have economic security in New Zealand is by investing in wÄhine and our rangatahi says Minister for MÄori Development. Budget 2022, is allocating $28.5 million over the next two years to strengthen whÄnau resilience through developing leadership within key cohorts of whÄnau leaders, wÄhine and rangatahi ...
WhÄnau Ora Commissioning Agencies will receive $166.5 million over four years to help whÄnau maintain and build their resilience as Aotearoa moves forward from COVID-19, Minister for WhÄnau Ora Peeni Henare announced today. âWhÄnau Ora Commissioning Agencies and partners will remain a key feature of the Governmentâs support for whÄnau ...
The development of sustainable, plant-based foods and meat alternatives is getting new government backing, with investment from a dedicated regional economic development fund. âThe investment in Sustainable Foods Ltd is part of a wider government strategy to develop a low-emissions, highly-skilled economy that responds to global demands,â said Stuart Nash. ...
With New Zealand expecting to see Omicron cases rise during the winter, the Orange setting remains appropriate for managing this stage of the outbreak, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. âWhile daily cases numbers have flattened nationally, they are again beginning to increase in the Northern region and hospitalisation ...
Justice Minister Kris Faafoi today announced appointments to the independent panel that will lead a review of New Zealandâs electoral law. âThis panel, appointed by an independent panel of experts, aim to make election rules clearer and fairer, to build more trust in the system and better support people to ...
Honourable Dame Fran Wilde will lead the board overseeing the design and construction of Aucklandâs largest, most transformational project of a generation â Auckland Light Rail, which will connect hundreds of thousands of people across the city, Minister of Transport Michael Wood announced today. âAuckland Light Rail is New Zealandâs ...
Boost to MÄori Medium property that will improve and redevelop kura, purchase land and build new facilities Scholarships and mentoring to grow and expand the MÄori teaching workforce Funding to continue to grow the MÄori language The Governmentâs commitment to the growth and development of te reo MÄori has ...
On the eve of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardernâs trade mission to the United States, New Zealand has joined with partner governments from across the Indo-Pacific region to begin the next phase of discussions towards an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The Framework, initially proposed by US President Biden in ...
The CBD despite the sheer incompetence of the Auckland Council and the idiotic flailings of Auckland Transport is still alive and on life support. As sated in my previous press release. 26/5/22 , discussing the removal of the roadblocks to people attempting ...
Ted Johnston, Auckland mayoral candidate for New Conservative states: âAs Mayor I will try to push for the Auckland Port to be moved to the Manukau Harbour.â The Manukau harbour is looking increasing attractive for the future port site. It is ...
'Sophisticated' attempts to share Buffalo school shooting material shows there is still work to do to prevent online radicalisation, the PM has said after speaking to tech giants in the US today. ...
The latest post by my friend and former colleague, Karl du Fresne, draws attention to the paucity of mainstream media coverage of questions raised about an array of posts filled by members of the Mahuta family and payments made to companies with which family members are associated. The Platform – ...
Podcast - The prime minister's trip to the US took a more sombre tone than expected, but as Craig McCulloch finds, it has been achieving its aims and shows off Ardern's diplomatic power. ...
Explainer - The government is forging ahead with revised water system reform despite criticisms. So what's changed? RNZ is here to clear it all up. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeline Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University Shutterstock Australians will bear yet another blow to our cost of living in July when electricity prices will surge up to 18.3%, which amounts to over A$250 per year in some cases. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary Anne Kenny, Associate Professor, School of Law, Murdoch University The long-running case of the âBiloela familyâ has ended after the new Labor government confirmed they would be allowed to return home to Queensland. Interim home affairs minister Jim Chalmers said on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Hall, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics and Cybersecurity, RMIT University Shutterstock We use internet-connected devices to access our bank accounts, keep our transport systems moving, communicate with our colleagues, listen to music, undertake commercially sensitive tasks â and order pizza. ...
Analysis - The PM visits the US, Australia's change of government raises questions about its effect on trans-Tasman relations and China moves to extend its influence in the South Pacific. ...
Essay by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin. Problems make the world go round. Many of us â maybe the majority of workers, and certainly the majority of well-paid workers â earn our living addressing problems. A problem-free world would represent a major crisis for modern social-capitalism. (Yet standard economic theory continues ...
The Governmentâs announcement of a $10 million fund to help support economic development for MÄori landowners is a paltry and insulting attempt to compensate for a massive confiscation of land value and economic opportunity, according to leading independent ...
Oh, look. More goodies from the government. Today we learn of a $10 million boost for landowners, a $27.6 million investment over the next four years in research and innovation and a $30 million investment for primary and community health care providers. Budget 2020 is the budget that just keeps ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Morgan, Professor of general practice, Bond University Shutterstock The COVID medication Paxlovid has been available in Australia on the Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme (PBS) since the start of May, with eligible patients directed to talk to their GP for a ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has had to contact the Transport Agency a second time over costly road safety props, after a further three were found to have been on back order. ...
Forest & Bird is welcoming recommendations out today on reclassification of stewardship land to create many new conservation parks, reserves, and national park land on the West Coast of the South Island. Nearly one third of conservation ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Emma Larouche, from the University of Canberraâs Media and Communications team, look at the first week of an Albanese government. They discuss Prime Minister Albaneseâs trip ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Wright, Associate Professor of Medical Imaging, Monash University Unsplash/Lux Graves, CC BY Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigâs disease, is the most common form of motor neuron disease. People with ALS progressively lose the ability to ...
27 May: The agriculture industry is due to report back to the government on its He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) climate proposal on Monday - but Greenpeace is warning the industry might try to keep âcooking the booksâ and the Government should hold ...
Todayâs âsecretâ letter release disappointingly confirms what was long suspected - that Ministers meddled with the original Letâs Get Wellington Moving plans, which were recommended by Officials and backed by Wellingtonians. "This letter has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Burrowes, Senior Researcher, University of Auckland Shutterstock Like in many aspects of life, there remains an undercurrent of sex bias against women in the STEM fields. And this bias has a negative impact on not only women, but men ...
Labour MP Jo Luxton â in a Parliamentary speech about academic freedom in this country – referred to the recent shooting in the United States by a young person who had been “radicalised and emboldened” by the mosque attacks in Christchurch a few years ago. These were actions based on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Sydney Supporters of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament have celebrated the commitment of the new Albanese government to put the issue to a referendum. But is government support enough? Itâs a start, but ...
RNZ Pacific The President of the Federated States of Micronesia says he has serious concerns about the details of two leaked Chinese government documents to be tabled at a meeting next week. President David Panuelo warns the sovereignty of the Pacific Island countries is at stake, and that the outcome ...
RNZ News New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has delivered the highly regarded Harvard Commencement address, calling out social media as a threat to modern day democracy. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the university. The Commencement is steeped in history with Ardernâs predecessors including Winston Churchill, JFK, ...
Surrogacy law is out of date and requires reform, concludes Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission in its report, Te KĆpĆ« WhÄngai: He Arotake | Review of Surrogacy , presented to Parliament today. The report acknowledges a pressing need to change ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ann Borda, Associate Professor, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock When a new coronavirus emerged from nature in 2019, it changed the world. But COVID-19 wonât be the last disease to jump across from the shrinking wild. Just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of South Australia Shutterstock Many of us are considering a long-delayed overseas trip. However, despite what our politicians are telling us, the pandemic is not over yet, and there is always the ...
âAccusations of nepotism being levelled at a cabinet minister must be addressed,â says Rt Hon Winston Peters Leader of New Zealand First. âQuestions have been raised about Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta having close family members appointed ...
McCallum Bros Ltd. has lodged an appeal to the Environment Court today following Auckland Councilâs decision to decline the companyâs resource consent application for offshore sand extraction at Pakiri. Callum McCallum, Managing Director of McCallum ...
Government announces roll-out of fourth Covid-19 vaccine for vulnerable groups who will be eligible from July. It's estimated several hundred thousand people will be eligible including the elderly, aged care ...
By Sue Ahearn of The Pacific Newsroom in Canberra Pacific journalists must be allowed to do their jobs, says the head of journalism at the University of the South Pacific, Dr Shailendra Singh. Pacific journalists have raised concerns about access and secrecy surrounding the tour of the Pacific by Chinaâs ...
Tauranga City Council Commissioners this week reviewed recent updates relating to the Governmentâs Three Waters Reform proposal and agree that several issues remain unresolved, particularly around the clarity of information. Tauranga City Council ...
Confirmation that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will meet President Joe Biden next week on Tuesday is a big boost for NZ-US relations and Kiwi exporters, says NZUS Council Executive Director Jordan Small. White House visits are rare events. This ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has said that the Governments bill to address the issue of major grocery retailers lodging and obtaining restrictive covenants on land and by exclusivity covenants in leases of ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup:Â Major shakeup of electoral rules could be comingPolitical scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Get ready for a big debate on how to improve democracy in New Zealand. On Tuesday, Justice Minister Kris Faafoi announced the review panel that will oversee a once-in-a-generation overhaul of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thea van de Mortel, Professor, Nursing and Deputy Head (Learning & Teaching), School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University Shutterstock As we head into winter, you may have a sniffly child under two years old at home. Is it just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Pickering, Assistant Professor, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra For much of the past three decades, Australia has been viewed internationally as a laggard on climate change â and with good reason. Australia was the last ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alaric Maude, Associate Professor of Geography, Flinders University Shutterstock Revisions to the Australian primary school curriculum for geography mean children will learn much less about the world and its diversity than they do at present. They will learn nothing about ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University Shutterstock Yesterday the Australian Energy Regulator increased the âdefault market offersâ that apply to electricity retailers in New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland by 8% to 18%, depending on type of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Ward, Fellow in Historical Studies, The University of Melbourne In explaining the reasons for Russiaâs unexpected military weakness in Ukraine, few have expressed it better than The Economist. The magazine noted âthe incurable inadequacy of despotic powerâ and âthe cheating, bribery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Casey, Clinical psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Netflix One of the most popular shows on Netflix right now is Heartstopper, which follows UK schoolboys Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) as their friendship grows into something more. ...
Jewish groups in Germany and New Zealand protested alongside Palestinians when mayors of Berlin and Wellington banned pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Justice for Palestine staged a guerilla projection in defiance of the Wellington ban. Photo ...
RNZ Pacific A Pacific journalist believes the Kiribati government has been coerced by Beijing to accommodate Chinaâs foreign ministerâs visit. Kiribati authorities have confirmed that Wang Yi would briefly stopover to meet President Taneti Maamau as part of his Pacific-wide tour. Journalist Rimon Rimon said the government had been âvery ...
By George Heagney of Stuff in Palmerston North Students from West Papua desperate to stay in New Zealand after having their scholarships cut are pinning their hopes on finding an employer to sponsor new working visas. About 40 students from the Indonesian province of Papua have been studying at different ...
RNZ Pacific The Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) has urged its members to boycott a media conference for a visiting Chinese delegation in protest over âridiculousâ restrictions. Chinaâs Foreign Minister Wang Yi leads the high-level delegation which arrives in Solomon Islands today. Wang is expected to sign a host ...
By Felix Chaudhary in Suva Peopleâs Alliance party leader Sitiveni Rabuka says the FijiFirst government is not fit to run the country because it cannot efficiently provide two basic necessities â electricity and water. In a statement issued yesterday, he said the continuing crises of dry taps and regular power ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific journalist Papua New Guineaâs Peoplesâ National Congress is shaping up as the party to watch as the countryâs general election approaches. Nominations are set to finish later today with campaigning then in earnest through to early July when voting starts. The Peoplesâ National Congress (PNC) ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese had expected the election might be a week earlier than it was, because last Saturday would bump up against Tuesdayâs Quad meeting in Tokyo. But Scott Morrison wanted maximum time to try ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. Many of the reported counts of Covid19 cases and deaths now better reflect reporting variations rather than actual health data. These charts indicate the new stories that are increasingly falling under the international media radar. I show both ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon O’Connor, Associate Professor in American Politics at the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney Mass shootings in the United States are all too common and, sadly, unsurprising to much of the world. But when the victims of such violence are ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeremy Moss, Professor of Political Philosophy, UNSW Sydney Mark Baker/AP Australiaâs climate election has been won. Now comes the harder part. Itâs now entirely possible we could see a government committed to domestic climate action, speeding up the exit of ...
The Texas shooting and gun control debates have largely overshadowed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's visits to Senators at the United States Capitol. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Kildea, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began his election night victory speech by declaring: âI commit to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full.â This commitment, delivered on the eve of the ...
Ministers continue to beat the drum for the goodies dispensed in the Budget, a week after Finance Minister Grant Robertson delivered his Budget speech and the Government published a raft of documents and press statements to tell the nation who got how much. Some of the ministerial post-Budget announcements relate ...
Prevention of Family Violence Minister Marama Davidson says they give specialist family and sexual violence organisations and general workforces the tools to respond appropriately ...
In todayâs Finance and Expenditure Select Committee briefing, the Reserve Bank Governor was questioned by MPs about Government spending and said, âWe believe it is putting upward pressure on aggregate demand and hence inflationâ in the near-term. ...
The Parnell Business Association welcomes the announcement from Police Minister Poto Williams that the Government is investing in crime prevention for our small retailers, including the installation of bollards and other structures to protect ...
Masterton Mayor Lyn Patterson has welcomed the response by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) to complaints relating to Council decisions around the Civic Facility. In a response released today, the OAG said it had received complaints about whether ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland The 1833 Leonid Meteor storm, as seen over Niagara Falls.Edmund WeiĂ (1888) As Earth orbits the Sun, it ploughs through dust and debris left behind by comets and asteroids. That debris gives birth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Clark, Deputy Engagement Editor, The Conversation Right from the outset, it is clear Prime Minister Anthony Albaneseâs agenda is very different to his predecessor Scott Morrisonâs â from emphasising his commitment to fighting climate change to foreign leaders in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shidan Tosif, Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Parents are understandably worried about what would happen if their infant caught COVID-19. Babies may be considered vulnerable due to immature immune systems, and are also not eligible for ...
The Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand congratulates Porirua City Council on their decision to become an accredited Living Wage Employer. After 10 years of campaigning, community leaders in Porirua are excited that workers employed by contractors ...
Concerns were raised with us about aspects of Masterton District Councilâs decision to fund a new civic facility. The civic facility is a significant project for the Council and the community, and there has been public interest in the options considered. ...
The claim that there has been only one person harmed at Te Puni Wai this year by a young person is either a deliberate lie or a demonstration of the total disconnection with the actual reality of the situation on the frontline, NUPE Secretary Janice ...
I’ve just reread Carl Sagan’s Demon Haunted World. Aside from Sagan being my all time favourite personality in the world of science education Demon Haunted World is a great read about the dangers of scientific illiteracy.
In Wellington I am going to a pop-up wool show for knitters, crocheters, weavers(?)- https://www.facebook.com/events/2048073735228421/
But would you trust him?
"As an example of skeptical thinking, Sagan offers a story concerning a fire-breathing dragon that lives in his garage. When he persuades a rational, open-minded visitor to meet the dragon, the visitor remarks that they are unable to see the creature. Sagan replies that he "neglected to mention that she's an invisible dragon". The visitor suggests spreading flour on the floor so that the creature's footprints might be seen, which Sagan says is a good idea, "but this dragon floats in the air". When the visitor considers using an infra-red camera to view the creature's invisible fire, Sagan explains that the fire is heatless. He continues to counter every proposed physical test with a reason why the test will not work.
Sagan concludes by asking: "Now what's the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? If there's no way to disprove my contention, no conceivable experiment that would count against it, what does it mean to say that my dragon exists? Your inability to invalidate my hypothesis is not at all the same thing as proving it true."
thankfully science isn't the only way to understand the world đ
Maybe not, but most science, like most of the other ways of understanding the world/universe, begins with observation – that much at least is in common đ
The really useful ones question, not what is observed, but what it means to be the observer.
The useful ones are Heretics.
A Soviet Heretic: Essays by Yevgeny Zamyatin,
If there were anything fixed in nature, if there were truths, all of this would, of course, be wrong. But fortunately, all truths are erroneous. This is the very essence of the dialectical process: today’s truths become errors tomorrow; there is no final number.
This truth (the only one) is for the strong alone. Weak-nerved minds insist on a finite universe, a last number; they need, in Nietzsche’s words, ‘the crutches of certainty’. The weak-nerved lack the strength to include themselves in the dialectic syllogism. True, this is difficult. But it is the very thing that Einstein succeeded in doing: he managed to remember that he, Einstein, observing motion with a watch in hand, was also moving; he succeeded at looking at the motion of the earth from outside.
On Literature, Revolution, Entropy, and Other Matters
https://iamyouasheisme.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/zamyatin_essay.pdf
Interesting. I wonder what Zamyatin thought of Gödel who was another fine example of thinking about a system from outside the system.
Well observed đ
Just for fun.
Try Figure 16 – took me a while to see the upward-pointing blocks (does that make me a pessimist?); unfocussing my eyes helped.
Intuition is critical, but be careful.
"Maybe not, but most science, like most of the other ways of understanding the world/universe, begins with observation – that much at least is in common"
True, but the issue here is what happens when one person can observe a phenomena more easily than another. The question for me isn't whether Sagan has a dragon in his basement, it's what makes him think it's there. Maybe he can perceive something I cannot, and that science cannot.
Twinned with observation is experience and how one makes sense of those things. And what Robert is saying about being the observer.
There is an almost unlimited number of things that current science cannot perceive, let alone analyse. Yet that number is smaller than it was 100 years ago, or yesterday.
For me, the issue is not so much what 'science' or (certain) individuals can and cannot perceive, but rather the belief that there are some things that can (and should) never be understood via scientific investigation. It may well be true that some phenomena (including mental/thought and even non-corporeal phenomena) that will resist observation, and scientific analysis of their nature, unto the end of time. I just prefer to believe that's not the case, even though I'm likely wrong in this (hopeful?) belief.
I think they're both doing the same thing. Each one believes they have the superior view and are missing what happens when one can do both.
I understand the attraction of believing that science can eventually understand all things. I'm more ok with the mystery and uncertainty and the value in that (or maybe I think it doesn't matter whether we don't know because we can't or because science hasn't gotten there yet). Either way, it doesn't help us so much with the dragon in the basement, which seems the most exciting thing to think about. Dragons!
I'd like to think that most good scientists were/are OK with uncertainty, even dragons, but I'd probably be disappointed. Same with theologians.
I’m unsure about the inferiority/superiority of the scientific view compare to alternatives – it’s simply the view I understand best.
that's pretty much how I feel and I do think lots but not all sciencey people are like that.
I was meaning uncertainly about whether science can eventually understand anything it comes up against. I'm ok if that's not true. Don’t most science people believe it is true, that science will eventually explain all (or theoretically can)?
I would like it to be true, perhaps even believe it to be true, but I don't know that it's true. Recognised or not, uncertainty is an element of all belief đ
Nice discussion thread!
Whether you’re right or wrong depends on the definition of science, where it draws the borders and what its limitations are.
I certainly agree that science ads to life.
What makes science science? What sets it apart from other belief systems (or ideologies rather)? Is it the so-called scientific method? Is it that theories have to be predictive and testable by experiments? If so, this would run into some fundamental problems, e.g. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-08-29/string-theory-explainer-what-is-the-universe-made-of/11428656. Feyerabend came to the conclusion that there is or should be no such thing as the scientific method; whatever progresses science and our collective knowledge and understanding of the world is as good as anything (“anything goes”).
Popper’s criterion for falsification has failed itself to be a good or useful benchmark. Probabilistic theories, such as climate change and quantum mechanics, fail to meet this criterion. Interestingly, I saw this recently being held as a judgement against CC somewhere and that CC was not (based on) true science because it could not be falsified (can’t find the link now).
Mainstream science has now fully accepted uncertainty and probabilistic theories, I believe. It is ok if evidence is not or cannot be absolutely conclusive.
A hypothesis (e.g. about a dragon) does not necessarily have to be true or false. Just like Schrödinger's cat, it can exist in two or neither state until an observer collapses the superposition. This shifts the question to how useful the hypothesis is in the larger framework. Something that is and remains abstract belongs to realm of mathematics and will remain there unless or until it finds an application in science đ
Science is a collective endeavour and scientific consensus and convention are the criteria. In this sense, science is as much a human construct as any other and merely a way or attempt to interpret the world we live in rather than an interpretation in its own right.
thankfully science isn't the only way to understand the world
"All models are wrong, but some are useful." To which we could add, some are more useful than others.
Aye true, and that applies to non-science ways of knowing as much as science.
Is it possible that we can come to see science as posturing or the advanced curiosity of a grown feckless child? Could it be that we will decide to stop seeking further information about some things, and allow that endless poking and prying into them is counter-productive for a balanced, society that has accepted some humility about its misuse of novel findings, and some historical ones?
New Zealand Random Acts of Kindness day tomorrow đ Sept 1st
It costs nothing and is easy as saying a few nice words or helping someone. Cool huh?
Get onboard…. more info here…..
https://rak.co.nz/
Heh, just in time for Fathers Day.
Spring Show for Auckland Horticultural Council today. Straight across from the road at Western Springs that takes you to the zoo. Displays, garden geeks, plants/bulbs for sale. Would be all over it but family coming to visit, will try drag them there…
Nothing new under the sun.
The Joyful Ballad is essentially a catalogue of curses that the poet wished upon taverners who diluted their wine. Although its author is unknown, it has long been associated with François Villon (c. 1431–after 1463), one of the most renowned French poets of the late Middle Ages, but also a murderer, thief and vagabond. Here is a translated stanza in order to give you a taste of the poem:
'Let some great gunshot blow their heads off sheer;
Let thunders catch them in the market-place;
Let rend their limbs and cast them far and near,
For dogs to batten on their bodies base;
Or let the lightning-stroke their sight efface.
Frost, hail and snow let still upon them bite;
Strip off their clothes and leave them naked quite,
For rain to drench them in the open air;
Lard them with knives and poniards and then bear
Their carrion forth and soak it in the Rhine;
Break all their bones with mauls and do not spare
The vintners [or ‘taverners’] that put water into our wine.'
[translation from John Payne, The Poems of Master François Villon of Paris (London, 1892), p. 137].
https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2019/08/the-joyful-ballad-of-the-taverners.html
Tweets by BLMedieval
In the first picture in joe90’s comment at #6 the hammered dulcimer player played a bum note by the look of the harp player and the pipe and tambour player are giving him. I know that look……..
I was an upright bass player in a country string band, and stood at the back of the group so that the other players could get their timing from the bass. Whenever especially the fiddle player played a bum note he'd look around at the bass player, who of course had no one he could turn around and so accuse. (Politics and the art of dead cat distraction works the same way.)
I'm reading a Commissario Guido Brunetti novel at the moment. His literary professor wife Paola noted that interactions between men are all about power. Even a band of five musicians had its politics and power games. Today's news contained an article on the games still played in the Rolling Stones, after fifty years or more. True now as it was in medieval times, it seems.
Did anyone get along to the Other's Way in K Road yesty?
I had tickets but a mate let me down last minute and I couldn't afford the drive up to Auckland.
I bought the tickets on the strength of Blam Blam Blam.
Small consolation, RNZ had the Blams in live playing on Friday arvo.
I would love to hear how they went and Straitjacket Fits.
Was great to see Karangahape pumping deep into the night.
The Chills were nowhere near as sharp as they needed to be.
Blam Blam Blam put out massive conceptual complexity for just three musicians.
Everyone sang hard to There is No Depression …
Robertson was given a shoutout in the audience.
Lots of dispersed venues made for lots of difficult choices.
Still, I don't expect to hear any of them again in my lifetime, so, no complaints.
Hey hey, thanks again, Ad.
Luxury length is in my top 10 albums and my favourite debut LP (tied with Headless Chickens Stunt Clown).
I foolishly spent the best part of 6 weeks anticipating The Others Way.
Great idea – venues cooperating.
P.S. did you hear how Straitjacket Fits went?
Straitjacket Fits haf their couple of hits and we all sang along. Shane Carter seems ageless.
After that we retreated through the thronging street to our hotel.
Chur.
a useful link..
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/sep/20/20-best-music-documentaries-ranked-rock-pop
I would add Muscle Shoals and I'll be me (Glen Campbell doco) to that list.
So many of em ( doco's)
But when I'm sad?… I ssssslide…..!!!
Dunno why I felt like sharing this, just popped into me head in a whimsical moment. Happy Sliding !
I slid a lot when I loved this as a kid during the 1970's.. I'll bet some of you did too đ
Marc Bolan & T.Rex – The Slider
This sounds like a promising idea from Radionz today.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018711115/substack-an-ad-free-social-media-network
The New York Times' Mike Isaak says… "my new social network is an email newsletter. Every week or so, I blast it out to a few thousand people who have signed up to read my musings. Some of them email back, occasionally leading to a thoughtful conversation. It’s still early in the experiment, but I think I love it."…
So what exactly does Substack do?
"We just make it simple for a writer to start a paid newsletter," Hamish McKenzie said.
"We say 'newsletter' because that's simple but really it's like a personal media empire where a writer can have a blog that's attached to a mailing list. And they can also, if they want, distribute podcasts and host host discussion threads," he said.
Substack has thousands of newsletters with more than 50,000 paying subscribers. The minimum price for a sub is $US5 a month.